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Arby drank I Love Lemon by Bigelow

3049 tasting notes

Another teabag finished up yesterday! This one I had with lunch and I drank it cold brewed with a bit of sugar.

The lemon flavour is bright and citrusy, quite strong (especially for a teabag that is probably 5+ years old). Cheery! I think, quite fitting for spring. I can taste some herbs in there in the mint family, maybe verbena or catnip. Very faint mint. The hibiscus gives the brew a pink colour, which is neat. Overall I found it too sour and added ~ 1tsp sugar to my mug (~450 mL) for balance. I imagine maple syrup or simple sugar syrup would be even better.

Second steep was a bit less acidic but had more of the lemon zest bitterness to it (faintly, not in a bad way). I think there is another citrus in there (maybe grapefruit?) and I get a bit more of the herbs. This steep was longer so more hibiscus sour also came out. I countered with a dash of sugar.

Depth of flavour and potency 10/10 (strong even in breif steeps)
Mouthfeel 8/10
Fragrance 8/10
Sweetness 0/10 (sour)
Overall rating Great lemonade type iced tea but tends to be too acidic for me

Flavors: Acidic, Citrus Fruits, Citrus Zest, Herbs, Lemon, Lemon Zest

Preparation

Iced 5 min, 30 sec 15 OZ / 450 ML

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Bio

I studied biochem and botany at University with a focus on genetics and evolutionary biology. Now, I work in biology setting up labs for students. I love science fiction and spend too much of my time reading comic books. I’m a passionate keeper of spiders, cacti, and exotic plants. I eat a vegan, plant-based diet for moral and environmental reasons (I mention this only because it is relevant to which flavoured teas I drink).

I drink mostly flavoured and low caffeine teas/tisanes, but I will try anything twice. As far as pure teas go, I gravitate towards whites, yellows, and jade oolongs. Most of my teas are older and in smaller smounts, so I can’t offer samples of most blends. But you can still message me any time :)

My cupboard and stash spreadsheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-HjWKR3um-xEnj6HC9vMvKXOAyj_bpW5u_2ixEC20-k/edit?usp=sharing are both outdated and I have not organized my current list of teas in several years.
Most of these are only tiny samples/I can’t always spare any, but feel free to ask.

Favourite flavours/ingredients:
Rum/alcohol, clove, cardamom, rosemary, pine, sage, anise, moss/Earthy, lychee, floral, creamy, malt, hay, rice/grain, toasty, desserty, cocoa/chocolate, decaf or no caffeine, very unusual flavours

Favourite tea types
Decaf teas (any variety)/no caf tisanes like honeybush and rooibos, fruit blends without hibiscus, yellow, jade oolong, white, Darjeeling blacks, Longjing

Least favourite flavours/ingredients:
Acidic/sour/tart, melon, grapefruit, bitter, astringent, smokey, green apple, sickly sweet (too much chicory, cinnamon, or licorice root), yerba mate, turmeric, mushroom/fungus, vegetal and savoury

No
Animal products: [confectioners glaze, gelatine, milk-based natural flavours, white choc chips, caramel bits, etc]
St. John’s wort (herb)
Stevia