217 Tasting Notes
Overboard TTB #12
Ok so today, since all I’m doing is starting to pack and organize for my trip home and running the errands I need to do to by presents and pick up all the special requests my family wants me to bring back to Oz with me from the US (tide pens, bourbon, Lego, mac cosmetics… It’s a little eclectic) I’m promising myself that I’m going to finish with this box today.
I don’t know why I’m always surprised when I like ROT offerings but this, similar to others I’ve tasted, is full of flavor! I’m getting a nice balance of maple and pecan however there is a slightly chemical taste that unfortunately lingers on the back of my pallet after each sip which is ruining this tea for me a little. Not something I’d purchase but I could see it being enjoyable around thanksgiving.
Overboard TTB #11
Woah what a busy day! Unfortunately mission ‘drink all the teas’ got a little sidetracked today due to some unexpected things that came up at work… Which means I either need to drink myself into a caffeine coma this evening or try and drink through the rest that really interest me before the post office closes tomorrow…. Decisions, decisions…
This tea sounded pretty interesting and since there was just under a serving left in the packet I decided to give it a go because technically it would only brew up about a half a cup which would leave me free for the next cup!
Brewed up its a little boozy tasting but I’m not specifically getting rum and adding milk definitely adds to the ‘buttered’ flavor… Not bad but probably not something I’d rush out to stock
Overboard TTB #10
I wanted to brew something up to throw in my timolino (yes I’m a little strange… I brew tea and then transfer to the timolino rather than use it to brew…) and was looking for something with little to no caffine… This looked like a perfect option.
Upon brewing, a heavy cinnamon scent hit me and I wasn’t too sure anymore… I decided to take a quick sip before transferring to the Timolino just to be in the safe side and unfortunately down the drain it went. I’m not sure if the age of this tea was the issue as it’s got coconut in it and the tea looks like it could be a couple of years old or it’s just the fact that I really, really don’t like it when David’s Tea fills their teas with stevia but unfortunately I just wasn’t a fan which is sad because the ingredients list looks almost perfect for my taste buds (minus the stevia of course).
Overboard TTB #9
I still have a pile of teas from this box that I really want to try before popping it back into the mail and onto the next lucky taster and I really really need to get this box back out before the end of the weekend regardless of current crazy life having a TTB for two weeks is my limit. Therefore today my aim is to go on a mega sipping adventure and try as many of the teas I have left as possible… Besides overdosing on caffeine should help me tick off all the items on my to do list right?
So it’s 5am and I’m still lying in bed trying to pretend that I have nothing to do today and I’m sipping on a cup of this to help trick my brain into believing it, just for a minute or so…. I probably shouldn’t have drunk this so soon after the mandala milk oolong because all I find myself doing is comparing this to that tea… Steeped western style this tea is quite nice however it’s a little heavier on the floral notes and not so heavy on the cream or milk flavors that I’m really looking for in a milk oolong and additional steeping continue to expand on the floral notes. I would love to throw this in my Gaiwan and see if that makes a difference but alas, I’m out of time and need to get moving… Back to the box you go for someone else to enjoy
Overboard #8
I’m trying desperately hard to sample through the still quite large pile of teas I selected out of this TTB by the end of the week for two reasons (1) I go home to Oz very shortly to visit family (my first trip home in 3 years!!) and (2) I’ve had the TTB almost two weeks now and it’s really time to pass it along!!
This is one I wasn’t really sure I would like all that much, it smells super gingery in the packet but I wanted to give it a try because generally I’m a ginger fan (in small doses) and I’m really glad I decided to steep it up because the scent was a ‘red herring’ and the tea actually had the perfect balance of ginger and fruit for my taste buds! Brewed it tastes like fruity ginger beer which is alright by me! I’ll be adding this to my next Adagio order!
Ordered from the .com site a month or so ago, I decided it was time to liberate it from the tea cupboard in celebration of my brand new Gaiwan arriving from Taiwan tea crafts (such pretty teaware!!).
This tea is pretty amazing, a beautiful green yellow in color, initial brews are incredibly buttery and a touch nutty and vegetal… As the steepings continue the vegetal flavor becomes more prominent. A great baptism for the new Gaiwan!!
Cold steeped in the fridge overnight, I’m really enjoying this iced! It brings out a big punch of strawberry and a nice amount of cream… I’m not sure if I really taste the Irish component of the cream but maybe that’s a good thing as I’m drinking this at 10am!! I think is will make a wonderful summer iced tea and am a little sad I only managed to nab an ounce of it during the craziness that was Butiki’s closing sale… If anyone wants to swap something for another ounce or so (or less) of this let me know :)
I’ve been meaning to do a Mandala order for sooooo long… But with Butiki recently closing all of my money the last few months seemed to be leaving my pocket and doing a very fast and very happy jig over to Butiki… And then one day…. Dexter posted some pictures of some amazingly beautiful and unique walnut tea trays Mandala had recently acquired and I knew my time of avoiding an order to save my credit card was over!!
This tea has been on my wish list FOREVER!! So of course it had to sneakily be added to my tea tray order (along with so many other goodies!) and of course I tore into the bag as soon as my order arrived… Well as soon as I’d stoped drooling over my new tea tray… (Thank you so much again for sharing your beautiful find Dexter!!!). The dry leaf scent of this tea is unbelievable!! I’m talking coconut milk mixed in with a rich , heady condensed milk scent! And the taste? Mmmmm, I’ve died and gone to tea heaven! The milky flavor doesn’t quit, steep after steep, it’s still present, just more subtle as the tea morphs from creamy and nutty to a more floral flavor right at the end.
This will be my milk oolong yard stick from now on, the tea that I hold all other milk oolong in comparison to! I hope I can find something else that’s just as good, but if not, I’ll be more than content with this little gem never ever leaving my cupboard!!
Overboard TTB #6
What a week… I’m so far behind in everything right now, including my notes from this TTB… But the good news is the hubby and I have a super relaxing Napa weekend planned so I intend to forget all about how behind I am for a few days and just enjoy Good food, good wine and sneak by Dean & Deluca while the hubby isn’t watching so I can cheekily refill my mariage freres obsessions! Speaking of French teas, I’d not yet managed to get my hands on any fauchon teas yet so was pleasantly surprised to find this hiding in the bottom of the TTB.
I’m not usually a huge fan of citris based teas but since this is a roobios and it was late at night when I found it, I simply had to try it…. Wow! This is a liquid Terry’s chocolate orange! The tea has a perfect balance of chocolate and orange, neither is too overpowering and both complement each other to the point where this citrus disliker actually thought about going back for a second cup! Adding milk brings out some seriously creamy flavours and increases the heaviness of the mouthfeel. If this is a sign of things to come I’m definitely hoping to try more fauchon teas in the future!
