74 Tasting Notes

79

I can only marvel at how differently we humans can experience the same thing. I enjoyed this tea from the first time I had it. I was at a friend’s house in the late afternoon, and she offered me some tea. I would have loved some Constant Comment, but it was getting toward five, and I didn’t want to drink anything caffeinated. She had this, which fit the bill nicely. Not only was it orangey, it was light and refreshing. I have made sure I have some in my cupboard ever since. Yes, it does taste rather like Tang, but for me that’s a sentimental memory (though a wryly enjoyed one). Best of all, when I want to drink Constant Comment, I can blend a bag of this with a bag of that, and it’s a perfect blend with less caffeine. Doesn’t taste medicinal to me. Don’t know what those haters are carping about. “Chacun a son gout,” as the French would say.

Flavors: Orange, Orange Zest, Sugar, Tangy

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 6 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 9 OZ / 266 ML

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85

This strikes me as a summery tea. It is definitely a combination of strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla flavors. It rather reminds me of neapolitan ice cream because of that, in a very pleasant way. When I was a child, a local ice creamery featured ice cream sandwiches made of a slab of neapolitan ice cream between two large wafer cookies. This tea puts me in mind of that. It leaves a lovely sweet berry flavor in the mouth—and I hadn’t even added sugar. Yes, I would definitely recommend this tea.

Flavors: Cacao, Chocolate, Cookie, Strawberry, Summer

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 7 min, 15 sec 3 tsp 30 OZ / 887 ML

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78

Do as I do if you’re a bit afraid of plain rooibos. Treat this one as an unusual herbal blend for the holidays. When I do that, I don’t even think about rooibos, and it’s much better! There’s a definite cinnamon taste that predominates, and a bit of a woody note. I think there’s almost a whiskey-like note near the end, which tells me that a “wee drop” in a cup at the holidays would not go amiss. A good tea for blending with other herbals; its flavors mix well.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Rooibos, Wet wood, Whiskey

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 7 min, 15 sec 3 tsp 30 OZ / 887 ML

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52

It’s the last few minutes before it’s officially spring 2016, so with humor I am finishing up my last two bags of Twinings Winter Spice. This tisane is quite tasty, but so light it’s barely discernible, all by itself. The apple is very nice—that’s the first note when one opens the packet containing the teabag. Once steeped, however, the predominant flavor turns out to be the camomile. I can discern the cinnamon, but not the cardamom or cloves. While it tends toward natural sweetness, I liked it even better enhanced with a bit of honey. This is a little too mild for me all by itself. I used the rest of the box making my own custom decaf blends at night. For those, I had been adding a bag of this here or there. It adds a nice note of light sweetness, so ties together different flavors very nicely. But by itself? Not unless I had a tummy ache and wanted something very mild.

Flavors: Apple

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 5 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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50

I would recommend this tea more for blending with another tea (or more) than I would for drinking it by itself. I’m ashamed to admit that to date,I’ve actually avoided drinking ‘naked’ rooibos all by itself. This one has pronounced hibiscus flavor, which I like. There’s a bit of an off note toward the back of my throat, which I (rightly or wrongly) assume to be the rooibos. The combined flavors of hibiscus and rooibos tend to “lend to blend”, so it works for me.

Flavors: Citrusy, Freshly Cut Grass, Hibiscus, Rooibos

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 7 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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84

At first I was ambivalent about how I felt with that pronounced deep vanilla bean flavor. It truly was that bourbon vanilla bean variety. I like it more and more each time I have this. One of the first Chai tea bags I like all by itself, not blended with other varieties of Chai.
Quite good!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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92

This tea is one of the six sample bags included in the DA (Downton Abbey) free packet with some PBS orders. As John Bates and his wife Anna are two of my “favourite” characters, I was most interested in this tea. This is a very fruity tea, which I made and drank hot, both plain and sweetened with sugar. I drank it cooled off, as well. The black tea flavor is there, but stays in the background. Its fruitiness is evident always, but is most pronounced when sweetened and hot. I enjoyed it. The new year has just started, but I think I would enjoy this tea even more in the summer.

Flavors: Berries, Blueberry, Fruity

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 6 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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56

I guess Teavana wanted us to have one tranquil dream, or they would have added an ‘s’. More likely, another tea firm already has a tea called “Tranquil Dreams” and they wanted to insure their own name was different. I don’t know where the “(Night Night)” comes from, as it wasn’t on the label, nor in the catalog, nor even the store itself. Whatever, this is their entry in the herbal “let’s relax you for bed” category.
Hence the chamomile. Lots, yet not overwhelming, which is good. There’s lemongrass, but it’s an undertone, nicely blending, understated. Finally there’s supposed to be hibiscus—but you could have fooled me. I enjoy hibiscus, but the amount in Teavana Tranquil Dream is so understated, I’m not sure I even noticed it. Mind you, this sample is a few years old, but normally hibiscus makes itself known.
It was a pleasant pot of tea. For what Teavana charges, I’ll take my chances with a cheaper brew for a bedtime beverage. It was enjoyable, but not enough for me to go downtown to Teavana and purchase more.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 5 min, 30 sec 4 tsp 30 OZ / 887 ML

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89

Twinings was the first Earl Grey tea I ever had. Something about that flavor so intrigued me I fell in love immediately. I have tasted other Earl Grey blends, enjoyed some more than others. But Twinings Earl Grey is imprinted on me. I enjoy it any time I have brewed it, and love the fact it’s decaffeinated, too.

Flavors: Bergamot, Lemongrass

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 5 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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70

Got in a sample pack with a PBS order. Glad to try, as I’m a DA fan, though not obsessed. I liked the the strength of this, as I like a good breakfast black tea. Oddly, while others have mentioned a pronounced ginger taste, I didn’t find it that way. I did taste the ginger, but to me it was lost in the sea of assam, only surfacing at the end. My main complaint with all the DA sample teabags is too little tea for that small sachet. I did like this, but wish there were more tea per bag.

Flavors: Dark Wood, Ginger

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 7 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 14 OZ / 414 ML

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Seems to me there’s a thin line between true discernment and pretentious twaddle. I’ll write what teas work for me, why I like them or not. I’m not the connoisseur some folks here are, but I think you will get a fair assessment of whatever tea I write about.

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