314 Tasting Notes

90
drank Rosy Earl Grey by Teas Etc
314 tasting notes

This is another reliable, forgiving “great to drink at work” tea! I’ve been drinking this a lot. I brought a big bag as my “stash” to keep at work and it’s become very popular with my co-workers too. It smells so wonderful, brews up beautifully in the water from our water cooler’s hot water spigot and it can handle oversteeping!

It’s also a good “palate-cleanser” after a heavy lunch. Very refreshing and sweet—like a rainshower in the summer surrounded by hothouse blooms.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 8 min or more

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95
drank Milk Caramel by Lupicia
314 tasting notes

So I’ve been drinking this pretty regularly—it’s my “default” tea at work. It seems to brew up perfectly in the hot water we have here (190 degrees). It stays nice and toasty and never gets bitter, no matter how long it’s steeped. The caramel flavor is sweet, creamy and delicious.

I love it!

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 8 min or more
LENA

Mmmm…this is the 1st time I’ve seen this tea/tasting note. Sounds wonderful…for a green tea. :)

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80

I’m surprised on how much I like this tea! Usually white teas have been a “meh” for me. But this is actually pretty yummy. I’ve kept the leaves steeping in my travel mug and the flavor just seems to get richer and richer. There’s a thick, almost buttery quality to the liquid and the scent is like brothy white flowers. I also added more leaves than normal—like two tablespoons in my 12oz—because I’ve read that it’s good to be generous when brewing white tea (you have to make sure to add enough leaf).

I’m now down to the last dregs in my mug and the taste is almost starchy—like potatoes—and bit bitter, but I still find it good!

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 8 min or more
cultureflip

i get the potato too

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75

I can taste the malty Assam and the smoky-piney Keemun in almost equal measure. This is very smooth, with no bitterness or astringency. It doesn’t seem very strong, though. So, instead of a kick-starting jolt, this seems to ease you into the morning.

A calm, easygoing morning blend. maybe just a tiny bit ho-hum for me!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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60

The dry leaves’ scent does seem like sandalwood! “Honeyed sandalwood”, like the description implies—delicious! My anticipation of the actual tasting increases!

First sip….

The taste is super mild and subdued. I’m not getting much taste, actually.

Sadness! :(

Maybe the heat of the water is obscuring the flavor. I’ll wait for it to cool down.

After slight cool down…the taste is a little nutty, a bit woods-y, a tiny hint of sweet.

Conclusion: A very soft and quiet tea. It seems to require a lot of focus to understand and much patience to unravel its nuances. Which means it’s either very mysterious….or very insipid. ;)

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
Rabs

Oh snap! :D

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78
drank Tulsi Original by Organic India
314 tasting notes

While browsing the tea aisle at Whole Foods (aka “Whole Paycheck” :P), I tossed this and Rishi’s Ginger Pu-erh into my basket.

I’ve read good things about the restorative powers of tulsi as well as these amazing properties:

“…reduces stress, enhances stamina, relieves inflammation, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, protects against radiation, prevents gastric ulcers, lowers fevers, improves digestion and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients. Tulsi is especially effective in supporting the heart, blood vessels, liver and lungs and also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar.”

What a magical herb, eh? ;)

The scent is spicy like cloves and cinnamon but the taste is so mild—mild but not wimpy—there’s a nice peppery, tannic bite. It’s slightly sweet with just a hint of clove-like flavor. I sense licorice too.

I like this. Even in its mellowness, I find it pretty good. I love the aroma. And, perhaps it’s the power of suggestion, but I can feel myself unwind already. The stresses of the week seem to be melting away… :)

I bet this would taste even better (and stronger) in the loose-leaf version. But, sadly, it wasn’t available at the store.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more
Rabs

“Whole Paycheck” LOL!

I’ve become quite curious about tulsi (TeaEqualsBliss wrote about one recently). But I’m quite disappointed to learn that it won’t do my taxes for me. ;)

gmathis

I think it’s a good thing that the closest Whole Foods is clear across the state from me.

Lainie Petersen

Incidentally, Rishi’s Ginger Pu’erh is one of my favorites.

__Morgana__

Stephanie! Where are you! Come back! We miss you! Hope all is well!

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50

The dry leaves smell almost too peachy—very acrid and chemical. Like a Jolly Ranchers Peach Candy on steroids!

Luckily, though, the taste is pretty mellow. Basically like a roasted oolong with a hint of peach. But it’s not a fresh peach, it’s peach jam.

I want more of a “juicy peach” taste. Maybe that’s hard to achieve with flavoring (or maybe I should just eat an actual peach while drinking tea, huh? :P ). So, although this is drinkable and I will finish my sample, I will not order more.

(and I won’t be compelled to throw away my sample like I did with the Madagascar Vanilla Sunday Blend shudder)

Auggy

Have you tried any of Lupicia’s peach teas? They have a black and an oolong, both of which I thought had a more fresh peach taste than Jolly Rancher taste. (I think their oolong is better but both are tasty.)

Stephanie

I was eyeing that peach oolong from Lupicia—it’s the popular one, I think it’s called “Momo”? But when I ordered, I was in the mood for more “caramelly-sweet” teas so that’s all I picked. But I’ll keep it in mind for next time!

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95
drank Vanilla Comoro by Harney & Sons
314 tasting notes

In honor of today’s H&S Steepster Select, I decided to dig into my sample of Vanilla Comoro!

Oh my my god…you guys, the reviews aren’t wrong—this tea is delicious!! It’s delicious for a decaf tea, it’s delicious for a regular tea. The flavor is is just rich and great!

Like ashmanra says, the scent of the dry leaves is just like maple syrup. The taste is like caramelized vanila sugar. There’s no hint of cough syrup or that awful fake fruitiness in this tea! And underneath the vanilla flavor, I can actually detect the black tea taste! I’m really surprised this is decaf. It’s very satisfying for decaf.

This is on my list to order a full-size!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
Rabs

If they would’ve had this tea in place of the peppermint, then I think I would have been struggling on day 2 of my self-imposed tea buying ban. ;)

Alannah

Did you try this loose or bagged?

Stephanie

Alannah: This is the loose version. I’m drinking it again tonight and it is yummeh!

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100

I just added the last teaspoon of this to flavor some blueberry yogurt and the bittersweet-ness enhanced the jelly-sweet blueberry greatly! It was extremely yummy.

Goodbye Matcha Super Premium! I will order more of you soon!

Cofftea

Matcha is soo good I think I shall start calling it yummmatcha!

Meghann M

^ made me smile @cofftea! I need to get my hands on some matcha and try it finally!

Cofftea

Meghann M… psst… DO IT! hehe;)

Stephanie

Cofftea, you are the Ambassador of Matcha! :)

malomorgen

yay another company that ships worldwide for a good price. thanks :D so wanna try matcha…

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50

I’m trying to like you, Earl Grey from A&D. I really am. But it’s just not working out.

You may have an excellent pedigree, but I’m afraid your charms are lost on me. You seem too soft and soapy for my tastes. Please try not to be bitter.

It’s not you, it’s me.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
__Morgana__

Poor Stephanie, you seem to be having a bad tea day. :-(

Rabs

At least you have a pretty tin? :(

Stephanie

(sigh) It’s not been a very good tea day! But I’ve been feeling a little under the weather so maybe my tastebuds are off?

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Profile

Bio

Virgo Sun, Pisces Moon, Aries Rising

My ratings are purely subjective and each note varies according to my perception and mood at the moment. So, with that said, my rating scale can be deciphered as follows:
90-100: I am in love! A must have at all times! :D
80-89: This is good. It is full-tin worthy! :))
79-70: This is okay. Glad I tried it. Might get more. :)
69-60: Meh. I’m indifferent. Neither here nor there, this is Tea Purgatory. :/
59-under: Mediocre and Sad. Really not good enough to try again. A disappointment. :(

My Misc. Personal Favorites List (because I love making lists!):
Books = The Mind Parasites by Colin Wilson, The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, Beauty by Sherri S. Tepper, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, Personal Darkness by Tanith Lee.
Movies = E.T., The Princess Bride, Babette’s Feast, Enchanted April, The Age of Innocence, Death Becomes Her, GATTACA, Fight Club, The Matrix, The Others, Pride and Prejudice (2005 version), Nacho Libre :).
TV Shows = The Twilight Zone (a classic!), Star Trek TNG, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I miss this!), Mad Men, Sherlock, Being Human.
Music? = I find myself perennially stuck in an 80’s-90’s New Wave & Alternative time warp. ;)
Quote of the Day: “There really isn’t anything; only the story appearing now—and not even that.”

Location

San Francisco, CA

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