296 Tasting Notes

88

Company says:
Daybreak: Sweet Roasted Coffee Alternative
Tastes like Buttered Popcorn, Pecan, Marshmallow
Feels like Tennessee Summer

I included this one in a large recent order. It is a confusing tea because it is a “coffee alternative” with dandelion and chicory root – but they left out caffeine, so it’s caffeine free. As a coffee tea and called “Daybreak”, leaving out caffeine is a bit odd.

The smell of this one dry is not pleasing, and I was not looking forward to a buttered popcorn taste

To my surprise, I very much enjoyed this sweet and delightful tea. Steeped five minutes with some sugar. Very good and vibrant. It is creamy and buttery. I will definitely keep Daybreak as a keeper, although with the caffeine free it would be a great evening tea despite the name.

Cameron B.

I think coffee alternatives generally are caffeine free, as the caffeine is the reason a lot of people can’t/choose not to drink it.

Lupiressmoon

Interesting! I’d think it would be a way for a coffee lover to also have a tea to like but your answer makes sense. Love your dog avatar!

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65

Company says:
TASTES LIKE: bitter orange zest, neroli flower, tart black plum, blackberry, clove
FEELS LIKE: sparkling conversation on a city terrace

This is definitely a….unique tea. I decided to try another after working late and playing some Sims 3 – my Sims was about to finish his first semester of University, and the game takes forever to boot up even on my new computer, so I got to know this one in the meantime.

And mainly, yech.

The dry smell, first of all, reminded me a little of bubble gum for some reason. The taste was not bubble gum but was not earl gray or orange zest with plum that I could tell either. I did a five minute steep. It came across almost very, very vaguely of a pepto bismo tea for me. I think the bergamot they used, or else they way it blended with the other stuff, made it almost pepto, almost cheerios, very odd tea. Not to my liking unfortunately.

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93

What a pleasant surprise!

I have had some bad luck at times with ginger/clove/chai like mixes, and Rooibios in general, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. A good thing too as the name is wicked cool. I brewed a heaping spoonful in a mini pot with some sugar and downed it all. Could not stop drinking. None of the flavoring overwhelms another which is unusual for this type of mix. All just complement to make a good taste. Very cozy and comforting tea experience. I brewed four minutes so will continue to do so with future brewing and hope I enjoy as well.

A definite keeper.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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83

Company says

Tastes like: Baked apples, burnt caramel, and Petricho.
Feels like: Warm Summer Rain"

So….my supervisor is back from vacation and annoying me greatly. I am wanting to work late this evening. Time for some stress relieving mini tea break, eh?

This one is lighter than I supposed. Still get a tickle that my electric tea brewer has an oolong button. I’m so easy to please sometimes….and sometimes not >:( It’s hard to be such a creative mixture of “high maintenance” and “easy going” in life.

I steeped it four minutes. Next time may try five. Especially for August Uncommon it’s a bit mild, but I really like it. The color and taste do remind me almost of apple cider tea. I am trying to find the caramel but I have weak taste buds. Have no idea what petrichor is supposed to taste like.

This is a sample bag but will keep playing with it. And of course I love their tea names and descriptions. September is an awesome month and I’m a rain kind of gal, and the name, “Avalon” is just ridiculously cool.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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77

One thing I did not expect when brewing this today that it would turn out almost Greenish Gray! I was worried I understeeped it due to the light color and had to double check it was a Black tea and not a green.

The flavor is light but noticeable. I would highlight this as a cleansing, “pretty” tea. It’s fragrant in smell and taste but not perfumey. It’s nicely balanced. Does remind me of clear and tranquil waters. They chose a good name for it - although I don’t see “blue”. The juniper berries are first

I will enjoy drinking the rest of this mini sampler, but probably do not love enough for a big order.

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I ordered a gift box of this to try this one and their other two, with some cookies, as it was the cheapest and more fun way — also, I have been spending too much money lately in general last week.

I am not rating this first time as I messed up the brew. I did my 2 2/2 Sherlock Holmes tea pot and put in two bags for some reason at 5 minutes, instead of the usual 1 I do when filling own bag from loose. This made too strong with bitterness so I can’t fairly tell.

I did like well enough besides overdoing it, so will try again. But I do have a whole box to go through, so….

I will say it’s annoying I couldn’t open the box and have these individually sealed to store easier. Also it hurts freshness to me. If any of these become favorites, may find a tin and move the box as a label over it, but who knows. Lack of room and such.

I was not a fan of the cookies in the gift box unless dipped in tea – too hard for my tea. My mixer has been delayed, cannot wait to start baking with it coming. Supposed to be here today – again.

Courtney

I kept them in the silver bag, but also added my own Ziploc, then popped all that back in the box haha. An attempt to help the freshness.

Lupiressmoon

Yes, not a bad idea!

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On phone, so it won’t let me drag. Going with 70. Was a sample with my recent expensive order. Used the bag in a large cup. A brisk, slightly plain Earl Grey. Nothing to write home about

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79

I guess it’s official that one of my favorite tea pots is somehow leaking when I pour. It’s a triangle small brown one and I had assumed last night was a coincidence spill, but today some tea ends on the counter with both cup pours. Oh no. :(

With work tea break today chopped up a roma tomato with some seasoning and some more Havarti cheese. All I ate before sipping the tea while it brewed.

This tea is perfectly servicable but not memorable. I would think, considering Brutalitea’s usual strength and that I went a bit over five minutes, and with the espresso beans, that it would have more oomph. It does not. It is fine and not bad but not a favorite. I have a tin to drink so will see on future thoughts with future steepings.

There are more beans and I only grabbed one in this particular tea bag, so that could have made the coffee more of a backround. I will try to steep longer later.

ashmanra

Cheese and tomatoes – heavenly!

Lupiressmoon

Yes, trying to eat simpler and healthier :)

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87
drank Reindeer Fuel by Adagio Teas
296 tasting notes

Had another cup of this. Since my first initial brew brought some to a friends’ house – she adores mint – and we watched the first episode of Yellowjackets while sipping on this. She uses coffee cups and a keurig to brew tea ***shudders*** but I don’t say anything. She did have a fresh mint sprig from her garden to add in, which was interesting and of course made it stronger mint. She also added in much more sugar than even I use, so we basically had Candy Reindeer fuel lol

So today, long work day, stress – tea break. Dug this out and did a trial of a splash of milk to the 2 cup brown pot. My thoughts were a tea hot chocolate type with the milk since the chocolate is present. It worked, and didn’t. The mint gets lost a lot with a little milk, as did the chocolate. However, it thickened it and make it silkier to fit the taste. So I think next time I try with a little milk that I will increase brew time and strength to try and combat that.

Ate some ham and havarti cheese with crackers while sipping for my work tea. Used a tea cup, not a coffee cup. What a nice break it was!

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84

I liked it. Similar to others of this blend. Love the artwork on it. Sugar helps tame any sourness of the Hibiscus. Caffeine tree, so a nice hot treat near bedtime if in mood for fruity and color.

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Bio

I have a drink obsession in general – daily lattes and coffees, and of course teas of many varieties. I mainly drink hot tea in Florida, but still enjoy the occasional southern sweet iced.

My preference is black tea, although I’m open to trial and error with others. I like the old fashioned English style tea cups, tea parties, food pair-ups, mini desserts and pies, cubes of sugar, small collection of Rose Red tea pets, you get the idea. I will always have an old fashioned tea kettle on the stove, but have recently purchased an electric tea kettle that I absolutely adore. I’m lazy by nature, so I have switched to stuffing tea bags for the loose teas to save on clean-up and disposal with other strainers.

I love smokey teas, non-bitter, not overly astringent, strong tea background mixed with flavored teas, no artificial sweetener tastes, balanced florals IF there must be a floral. I used to love spice, but it has to be done right. A former chai fan – now it reminds me of colored pencils. Cinnamon sounds good but so many teas have it artificial or odd tasting. Same goes for chocolate, some things have to be done just right to work.

Primary Tea Companies currently in 2022 – Harney and Sons, August Uncommon, Simpson & Vail, Fusion, Tea Spot, English Tea Store for odds and ends, The Tea Table

Most missed tea place and tea: Plum Brandy Cheesecake by Butiki

Very picky with anything Roobios, and Darjeeling/Oolong are hit or miss depending on the blend and my taste buds. Mint works in a mood but I’m not a big fan. Gravitate toward good name blends and fall themes when doing yet more sampler orders.

I like adding a cube of sugar to almost all teas, not usually milks. I don’t like stevia or any artificial sweetener taste. I adore honey, but to me it doesn’t suit tea unless I have a sore throat as both the tea and the honey change their flavor profile quite a bit if I mix them.

Location

Lakeland, Florida, United States

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