1844 Tasting Notes
Whew, today was very tiring day. I am not used to stay 8 hours on my feet, I am more of an office person. But here, nobody asks and when it doesn’t work, you have to fix it (half of the shift) and then in second half you had to catch the work that wasn’t done because the break down.
So, when returning “home”, I bought raspberry flavoured energy drink, because honestly I didn’t had a mood for tea at all. But later on, for dinner I brewed this tea, being decaf, and with prominsing flavour profile. Sadly, the kettle I have here available is not temperature setting one, but I tried my “bubbles method” (first bubbles = approx. 80°C) and it went pretty well I guess.
It was quite floral, base tea of cut grass; and maybe the pear that Kaylee notices is there somehow as well. That said, thank you Kaylee for sharing this tea with me.
Perfectly serviceable tea bag when needed something simple.
Preparation
A sipdown! (M: 1 Y: 44), prompt: A tea with a special meaning to you
Just marking a sipdown as I finished it on Saturday. But well, it’s hard to make sipdowns when your stash is roughly 5 hours by car away.And in meantime, I have been busy and somehow not in mood writing a note.
Happy to have this finished and the special meaning? Of course I could pick so many others… but this will be as a tea bought on the 1st tea festival I have been to.
Preparation
I would bet that when steeped and sniffed, I noticed caramel. I don’t know if it is base tea, different cup than I am used to, or just some miss-sniff of my sniffer.
But when sipped; definitely there is strawberry. As I have it a bit oversteeped, it’s hard to notice if “Wild” (Fragaria vesca); but it could be there; as well a bit of tartness of goji. As I wrote, a bit oversteeped and thus a little astringent.
Preparation
My first “German” tea! Prepared in such a small cup (150-200ml volume); with unknown tasting water (but fine to drink and definitely potable), and… well way too similar to their Peach & Thyme!
Peach was fine, black tea as well, as I wrote in &Thyme note: Peach flavouring is nice… round, sweet and red peach flavour. However, during the sip it tastes a little bit too flat.
And black tea — The base is quite nice Ceylon base. but
herbals: Sadly, it is not much present in flavour — or I haven’t noticed it.
I have hoped for refreshing mint note with juicy fruit note; but sadly it gives me impressions of fruit (but it was the peach) only. The base is just for some caffeine I think.
Preparation
Sipdown prompt: April 1 – April Fool’s Day – Don’t have tea. Just kidding! Have a fun cuppa! — but again not a full sipdown. Though I guess the remaining 3 grams from Kaylee will be finished once I return home. Thank you! Tried first 3 grams before leaving to Germany as it looks as the wackiest and most colourful blend in my cupboard right now; that was indeed on April 1. I haven’t got time nor mood for writing tasting note April 1 and April 2, so… now it’s April 3 and I am trying to recall it.
Well it was definitely floral as much I can remember; and there are notes saying rose but for some reason I recall rather violets, but not really sure if it is correct or it is my dull memory.
It was refreshing enough to be drank in hot days and we have really warm days recently; with highs about 28°C on Saturday coming up. In April! Foolish weather!
More detailed note will follow.
Preparation
A sipdown! (M: 11 Y: 43) prompt: An unflavored green
Prepared last 5 grams gongfu and it was lovely short eastern session with steeps 20/10/20/25/30/45/60 seconds long with loevly mouthfeel, derk notices bamboo and I have agree; regrettably it lose its lovely nutty notes it had when fresher; and noticed broth notes and again I have to agree with this statement of derk.
In meantime a quite heavy rain has come and it changed the impressions more towards warming up cups, with smooth mouthfeel and overall good feeling afterwards.
Preparation
A sipdown! (M: 10 Y: 42) prompt: Your tea with the shortest name — and real sipdown, not an attempt like Lesa was. Also it was labled just Gold on my box, that’s why I count it as shortest name tea.
An office tea that I have finished last day in current office. Just after Easter I am moving out temporarily to Germany (for work reasons) until end of July. Then probably returning back to the current workplace, but different position.
This tea is quite lovely and robust, if done right. My average, 4 minute steeping time in my 500 ml Nordic mug was just about right for morning wake-up calls, while sometimes even for me too bitter and tannic.
Definitely I feel it was Praugue water back then. Right now I feel it is strong and robust, but not flat. It wasn’t somehow complex, though. Somehow typical bagged black, but higher than the dust offered by many other vendors. Raising the rating a bit as I finished a whole box of 20 tea bags. (60 → 68)
Preparation
If I remember correctly, Germany has some good tea shops. One I’ve heard of is Teekontor Kiel, which carries some oolongs from Chen Huan Tang, the producer of Tillerman’s Sweet Scented Dong Ding. I’d love to be reunited with that tea one day … However, their teas are quite expensive, much more so than the sadly closed Tillerman Tea.
There is a tea shop in the city I am staying, so definitely going there for a visit one day. Hopefully their teas will be tasty, they sound like at least :)
I was in mood of flavoured oolong today. I have some other oolongs that have last serving left but no, I just had to pick this one. Just had to.
I weighted 4 grams of this wonderful tea; visually as well as the quality of the ingredients. Big pieces of jasmine and lemon myrtle with nice amount of beautiful small balls of oolong. I haven’t checked on the scale the ratio, but I believe it could be 2 grams of oolong + 2 grams of herbs.
I have used, as suggested, 85°C water and steeped for 3-4 minutes; haven’t timed exactly… but it was closer to the 4.
A very nice whiff of lemony scent was coming from my mug and then the floral note took part as well. The scent was heavenly.
After removing the strainer I got a wonderful light clear green coloured liquid that was right something I wanted to drink… but it still too hot.
When sipped for first time, I distinctly noticed the myrtle. Slightly lemony and herbaceous in the same time, accompanied with floral notes of jasmine. In the end of the sip there was a slight mineral aftertaste, probably from the oolong itself.
Honestly I like this tea more than I thoguht. I assume it’s because so unique combination and it works so well. Just keeping the right ratio between base tea and other ingredients seems a bit tricky.
Note: I received Tielka teas, included in this (and following) tasting notes, free of charge in exchange for a tasting note. I will do my best to remain unbiased, but of course, I am very grateful for this opportunity.
Preparation
Another sachet from Kaylee — thank you!
Apparently I have had this tea before; but when you try so many of them, you can’t remember them all. And because I am lazy to find out what I was writing back then, here is absolutely new tasting note without any bias from previous note.
It is actually quite a good earl grey with more lemon-y flavour than the bergamot; nice base tea and honestly I think it could be easy daily-drinker.
Refreshing and bold tea. Good enough in my marks.
Preparation
Logging a few swap&toss downs:
A swapdown! (M: 6 Y: 38): Georgian Tea 1847 — Wild Green tea. Actually I have an extra pouch, so not really a sipdown!
A swapdown! (M: 7 Y: 39): Pod Lampionami — Kaoribi Oolong. Sadly the rest I saved for myself was mostly tea dust; so I tossed the rest.
A swapdown! (M: 8 Y: 40): Nous Tea — Hanoi Spring
A tossdown! (M:9 Y: 41): What-cha — Taiwan Sencha Green Tea. Sadly too old and I never reached this tea too often in the office. I assume it is mostly because it needs indeed colder water and I have don’t have there a temperature setting kettle.
