191 Tasting Notes

drank Copper Knot Hongcha by Teavana
191 tasting notes

Hmmm, the first steep I made of this was entirely too strong, not really bitter, I don’t think (I had it before dropping the dog off at the regular vet this morning, so I was more focused on her than the tea)—just not right. It had a mild astringency which was unexpected (don’t ask why, I don’t know), and so rather unwelcome. I used 1 teaspoon of leaf to 12 oz of water, probably too little leaf, and steeped it for three minutes, which, reading other reviews, might have been a minute too much. I don’t quite know how to describe what was wrong with the first cup, it just wasn’t right.

The second steep is better, not so astringent and strong, was done for four minutes. It does resteep well, though I don’t think I’m going to push these for a third resteep. I think I need to brew it with more leaf and less time before I make up my mind about this tea. I wanted to love it immediately, I did buy four ounces during Teavana’s sale, so I have plenty.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
JacquelineM

I hope your dog is ok!

Ninavampi

Hope your dog is better!! : )

Indigobloom

blech, well hopefully the next cup will be better!

Camiah

She is ok. Instead of pancreatitis, like the emergency vet thought it was, is was enterocolitis. Basically, she ate something that REALLY did not agree with her and the inside layer of her intestines sloughed off (yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds like). Way better than pancreatis. She’s now back at home, still on gastric rest, after spending last night and half of today being pumped full of IV fluids. The only thing not okay are my husband’s nerves (he’s quite the animal lover) and our wallet. Bella is feeling perky enough to try and chase squirrels when she is outside, though she’s been unusually quiet (quiet in our house is so nice….)

SimplyJenW

Aw. I hope everyone is back to their normal self very soon!

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drank Mom's Apple Pie by DAVIDsTEA
191 tasting notes

This is another sample sent to my by Aisling of Tea. I was rather surprised that it was a green tea rather than a black tea base. Somehow, a black tea base just makes more sense to me. I’m not sure if it would change how I feel about the tea any, but it seems to make more sense. Maybe it is just more conventional, and I’m being dull and boring. That well could be the answer too.

Anyhoo, the tea. The smell is amazing. Out of this world delicious. I get apples, I get cinnamon, it is divine. But on the sip I mostly get cinnamon (light) and green tea. I catch a whiff of apple, but no flavor really screams “apple!” to me. Luckily the green tea is not overly vegetal, that would just taste wrong. I’m definitely glad I got to try a sample of it.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec
CHAroma

I’ve tried a lot of apple teas and hardly ever get any apple in the taste. Especially when paired with cinnamon, the cinnamon just overwhelms everything. I wonder why it never quite works out.

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I just got a big box from Teavana today, and the matcha gift set was part of it. Also, it turns out I ordered a lot of tea. More than I realized. Oops.

This would be my very first matcha. It is pretty good! Very green, very grassy, but not vegetal, like some green teas are. My only problem with blending it was that it turns out the bowl that comes with the set is 16 oz. I poured….16 ounces of water. Oops. So blending it was a bit messy, with all the tea sloshing over. Lesson learned, never to be repeated!

I rewhisked it after it was about halfway done. It is much darker now, and still not all the way blended. So the blending process was sort of a bust on this one. Does one have to be patient with the whisking? I may not be patient enough, and stop whisking before it is ready.

Hmm, anyway, I have a lot left, and it isn’t bad. I hope the reputed caffeine buzz kicks in soon, since I could use some energy.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 0 min, 15 sec
Ninavampi

I ordered this too! Sadly I have to wait for someone to bring it to me from the US, but still I am excited to try it!

Daddyselephant

I ordered it too, dying to trying out matcha at an affordable price. Expect now it’s on backorder and I get to wait forever for it. Boo.

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drank Chocolate Rocket by DAVIDsTEA
191 tasting notes

Yummy. I had this before in the DT 24 days of Christmas, but had it way too dilute. This is delicious. I tasted raspberries, or more accurately, “something fruity” that I later discovered were raspberries. I was trying to decide if it was strawberry or cherry before I looked at the description. The scent is marvelous, rich and chocolately. I didn’t get an overpowering chicory note from this one, which is good, since I’m not the world’s biggest chicory fan. This is definitely going on the to-order list. Definitely. Thank you, Aisling of Tea for the sample!

Steeped 4 (ish) teaspoons for five minutes in 750 ml water.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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84
drank Vanilla Oolong by DAVIDsTEA
191 tasting notes

Another sample courtesy of Aisling of Tea. It turns out I like this more than my first time around with it, brewed with more leaf. The vanilla scent was apparent as I was pouring the tea into my little teacup, and the brew itself is a lovely light yellow. The vanilla (or maybe it is the oolong itself) gives the tea a creaminess that feels lovely in the mouth. I don’t get so much of the vanilla flavor on the sip, it is more like the suggestion of vanilla. Certainly not as strong tasting as the smell indicates it should be.

I don’t think it is my perfect vanilla tea. I think I want one that wallops you between the eyes with vanilla. I think that is how strong the vanilla would have to be to be readily apparent to me at this point in time. Or maybe it is hitting me between the eyes and I just don’t get it. The smell is certainly potent enough to suggest a powerful vanilla. Maybe it is because I have hiccups, and that is all I can really focus on. Hmmm.

Brewed at 195F for four minutes, 3 generous teaspoons of leaf/750 ml water.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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I want more than fine. In tea and in life.

A mess of good intentions.

Dogs. So many dogs. Also, cats.

The opposite of a super-taster.

Not a natural redhead.

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Gainesville, FL

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