A Quarter to Tea

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Recent Tasting Notes

This is interesting – not quite what I was expecting. (ummm Dex you should read the description so that you KNOW what it’s suppose to be not what you ASSUME it should be)
This is really good but my absolute first thought was – where’s the chocolate? – but if you read the description it says caramel not chocolate. :(( Oh well that’s a personal taste thing not a reflection on this tea.
There is quite a bit of banana here and some strawberry and it’s creamy (I added milk to accentuate that) – the caramel comes through more as it cools (I’m going to mention again I wish it were chocolate….). I’m not sure I’m getting the vanilla.
There is nothing wrong with this – it’s advertised as a “creamy, fruity dessert tea.” and that’s exactly what it is. I’m perfectly happy drinking this – it’s fun. :))

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95

Sipdown (115)!

This is my last sample from A Quarter to Tea and turns out I saved the best for last! This is definitely my favourite blend from A Quarter to Tea to date; it’s already back on my wish list. Someone please reassure me and tell me it’s not a seasonal one?

I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ve never had Sweet Potato Pie. It’s just not really something we do in Canada the same way it’s done in the US. I’ve always wanted to try it though ’cause I freaking LOVE sweet potatoes. And sweet potato tea? So good.

Basically, this blend has the best and most natural sweet potato flavour I’ve experienced in any tea. Ever. But not only that, the slightly savory/umami aspect of the sweet potato is in my opinion perfectly counter balanced with a lovely array of confectionery type notes: brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, marshmallow! The amount of spice, as well, as really well done for me as someone who doesn’t like spice at all. I tasted warming cinnamon, a little clove, and definitely a tiny touch of anise in the finish. Not really much peppercorn though, despite definitely seeing it in the leaf.

As well, the idea of a mostly Keemun base works for me here. I’m not a huge fan of Keemun in reality, but the jammy and fruity sweetness works well here and I definitely can say I tasted the natural smokey notes of the keemun too in a way which works for the ‘grilled sweet potato’ flavour that Lauren was going for. What I didn’t taste, actually, was the Lapsang Souchong (or really any of the other base teas used in the blend). I don’t know whether the absence bothered me because I still got some smoke notes but I find it interesting I didn’t detect it when Marzipan definitely pointed out that was the flavour that killed the blend for her. So yeah; not overly smoky but that’s more an observation than a criticism.

I do have one criticism though; the finish here is awfully sweet – and I don’t mind sweetness but with how long lasting that finish is (and with fairly strong anise flavour) I just found it on the whole to be a touch cloying. Not enough to ruin the cup for me though. It was still phenomenal overall, though I definitely seem to be in the minority in thinking so based on the couple reviews I’ve seen (from Marz and I think TeaTiff).

EDIT: And it turns out this is limited edition…

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I am hoping that it is merely human error but this is really quite bland. I get a very slight hint of white tea but other than that, nothing. Just warm water. Not something you would expect from a tea with “ginger spice” in the name, two typically strong flavors.

Lauren | A Quarter to Tea

What steeping parameters did you use? I’d recommend 200-210 and go with a 4 minutes steep especially if it came off bland. I was hesitant to recommend that by default over scalding the white tea, but it honestly seems to be a trooper.

VariaTEA

I did 3 minutes at 175 which is probably why I didn’t get much from it. I figured it was probably something I did

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86

Second tasting of this delicious tea. Tons of maple but for me i just don’t seem to get much pumpkin, and i do get a bit of bready something. Maybe i need to adjust my amount of leaf or steep time, but still really enjoy it, very warming and comforting. I will for sure be getting more of this before i run out.

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Finally got a thermometer so i can not burn my greens until i get a variable temp kettle, so i figured i’d give this one a taste.

At first i could only slightly taste the flavors of the apple and spice, but as it cooled it definitely came on stronger. Worked really well with the green base. all in all a good cuppa!

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90

Yummy yummy! It’s light sweet snow covered coconuts! I know milk/cream notes can be a bit tricky to get right, but this is fresh and tastes like coconut. It’s creamy and delicious. Even better as a latte! I’m finding a touch of almond milk really makes QTT flavors spot on! It’s lightly sugary and lightly creamy. I love how Lauren uses a light hand with the flavors, she has really been bringing me around to flavored tea!

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84

Unlike most of QTT blends… this one isn’t EXACTLY like the name. But it is very very yummy… especially as a latte. The maple and pumpkin dominate the blend, and the base tea shines through. Nom nom nom. There is something a bit bready as well, but it isn’t clearly pancakes.

This is a low calorie version of a Starbucks Pumpkin Latte to me :P but with a good base tea.

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92

I’ve been hearing a lot about this shop lately and with good reason too, their decadent sounding teas are absolutely delicious. I picked up their chocolate lover’s sampler as well as a few holiday blends during their Black Friday sale and have been happily sipping on them since they arrived. This blend in particular hits all of the right notes for me. The White Peony tea used as a base adds a delicate baked flavor and gives the tea a slightly creamy mouthfeel. There are hints of nutmeg and cinnamon, and the sprinkles add just enough sweetness to pull everything together. The overall flavor reminds me of the eggnog I buy every year from Sassy Cow, one of our local dairies. I think A Quarter to Tea really hit the mark with this one, I can’t wait to dig in to the rest of the blends I purchased.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/12/15/tuesday-tea-eggnog-pound-cake-a-quarter-to-tea

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 5 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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85

This is a perfect Christmas tea…it tastes just like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange! You don’t get a ton of flavor when it’s hot, but as it cools down the rich dark chocolate starts to pop out with a sweet, almost floral orange note brightening things up. I enjoyed it plain last night, but I’m guessing this would also make a fantastic tea latte.

Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Floral, Orange

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
gmathis

Ooh! I’ve always wanted to try those oranges :)

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55

This is such an interesting tea! Honestly, I’m not picking up very much chocolate in my cup. The main flavors I’m noticing are marshmallow and malt. And those chili flakes pack a serious spicy kick! I don’t think this is something I’d reach for often, but I’m glad for the opportunity to try it. Thanks to slb2221 for the sample!

Flavors: Malt, Marshmallow, Spicy

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Emilie

This and the cherry latte one are probably next on my list to try, I keep hearing so much about them

Inkling

Yeah, that cherry latte one sounds pretty amazing! I’m thinking I’ll probably be placing a Quarter to Tea order with some of my Christmas money this year. :)

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100

Tea Advent Calendar – Day 16

This is the first tea in my advent swap with Shae that wasn’t new to me. But I’m not complaining, because this is one of my all-time favorites and I don’t currently have it in my cupboard. It’s just as yummy as I remembered!

Shae

Oh I hate that I missed that, but I’m glad it’s one you love!!

Inkling

Truly not a problem AT ALL. I was delighted to see it today! :)

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100

I’ve been sorely missing my Butiki Banana Walnut Butterscotch, so I was thrilled to find a generous sample of this tea in my recent swap with Emilie. I wasn’t disappointed! The scent and flavor of this blend are dead-on homemade banana bread studded with walnuts and slathered with butter. Delicious!

Flavors: Bread, Butter, Walnut

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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60

Of the Quarter to Tea samples I’ve tried so far, this one is my least favorite. It isn’t bad by any means, but I’m really not getting all the flavors the name promises. I taste little bit of chocolate and a hint of cinnamon and nothing that’s screaming “cheesecake”. I have enough tea left to brew a second cup, so I’ll have to try a longer steep time and see if that brings out the flavors more.

Flavors: Chocolate, Cinnamon

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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75

I enjoyed this one with breakfast this morning. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it! The almond was the most noticeable flavor for me, followed by a bit of apple and a very light spiciness. I didn’t really get any cake notes, but the tea was nice and smooth and the flavors blended together well.

Flavors: Almond, Apple, Cinnamon, Clove, Smooth

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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53

Sipdown (395)

I had this before and didn’t enjoy it because I believe I messed up my sample so luckily Evol Ving Ness was kind enough to share and that along with the sample I purchased was able to make a latte (the prep method for this tea that Evol suggested).

Unfortunately, this is once again falling flat. I get creamy milk, a grassy quality from the base and something that is coming off very buttery. Not my favorite and definitely what I am hoping for from this cup. Perhaps the milk is drowning out the tea. Perhaps the comparison to the actual carrot cake I had recently is too hard to compete with. Or, perhaps this just isn’t for me.

Thank you Evol for the chance to revisit this :)

Evol Ving Ness

Sorry that it didn’t work for you, VariaTEA. This tea is not my favourite, but I find that a bit of milk coaxes out the suggestion of cream cheese frosting. Or at least in my imagination it does.

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53

This tea is a combination of two of my favourite things: carrot cake and flavoured genmaichas. When I saw this, despite having a bunch of tea and not really drinking much of it these past few months, I decided I HAD to have it. So, I placed a Black Friday order and grabbed a sampler pack of teas that sounded just as tasty as this one.

I got my package a couple days back and it smelled AMAZING but unfortunately I have been crazy busy studying for exams so it wasn’t until today I got a chance to brew some up. This was obviously my first choice. I brewed the kettle to 200F as per instructed and dumped the whole sample into my 16 oz mug. Then I really hoped I would not mess up the brewing since this was my one shot (unless I ordered more).

I then decided to make pancakes (which went horribly thanks to Bisquick mix as opposed to my usual Aunt Jemima mix pancakes or ones made from scratch). I only mention this because it postponed my drinking of the tea so by the time I got to it, it had already cooled a fair bit.

Anyways, as I drank, I definitely got some grassiness from the base (which gets stronger as it gets colder) but it is not particularly offensive. One thing I noticed was that the spices usually found in carrot cake were present and blended perfectly with the toasted rice of the genmaicha. Both elements were boosted as it simultaneously was a super toasty genmaicha tea and a very comforting mug of carrot cake spices that help create the “cake” component in my mind. I don’t know how much “frosting” I am getting but there is a slight sweetness in there that could be interpreted as cream cheese icing.

All in all, it is a good tea. I don’t know if I would get more as I have many other genmaichas that I need to drink up first but it was certainly fun to try.

Dustin

Any suggestions on good flavored genmaichas? I’m still loving on the ETTE mango sticky rice!

Christina / BooksandTea

Hey there! I haven’t seen you post notes in a while!

VariaTEA

Dustin, I really wanted to try the ETTE tea one but never got around to it. And honestly, most of my flavored genmaichas are the ones from 52 teas. Some were a miss but I really enjoyed the original marshmallow treat genmaicha.

And hi Christina! It definitely has been a while. I haven’t had much tea (I am cheating on tea with Starbucks Caramel Brulee Lattes…shhhh) although the one time I did go to write a month back, steepster ate my note :(

Dustin

The 52 gens were hit or miss for me. I liked the smores and marshmallow treat, but the strawberry and the peanutbutter didn’t work out so well for me.
You should try the ETTE one if you get the chance. It’s really good!

VariaTEA

I definitely agree. The strawberry one I didn’t mind as much as others did but I certainly was not a fan of the peanut butter genmaicha they produced. S’mores and Marshmallow Treat were pretty great too. Oh, the other flavored genmaicha that I loved was Nina’s Japon. Really, really good! And I will certainly try the ETTE tea one if I get a chance :)

rosebudmelissa

There really need to be more black genmaicha’s out there. I loved Verdant Tea’s Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha. I think it’s the only black genmaicha I’ve ever seen.

VariaTEA

Japon is a black/green blend but yes, more black genmaichas would be great!

Dustin

Oh that’s right! I totally forgot about that Nina’s tea! I had some at one point, but I’m not sure if I still have any. The problems of a tea hoarder!
I haven’t tried Verdant’s! I’ll have to put that on my list of things to try.

rosebudmelissa

Verdant discontinued theirs. They put the recipe online, but you can no longer buy it on their website.

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90

After drooling over other people’s tasting notes for month, I’m finally getting the opportunity to sample some of A Quarter to Tea’s offerings, thanks to Emilie’s generosity (thanks for the awesome swap!) People have been comparing this company to Butiki, so Maple Pecan Oolong (which is a flavor Stacy also offered) seemed like a good place to start. And I was not disappointed! This one tastes just like I hoped from reading the description: a hint of sweet maple and lots of nutty goodness with just a hint of smokiness in the aftertaste. If this blend is representative of their other offerings, I can foresee this company becoming a fast favorite!

Flavors: Maple, Nutty, Pecan, Smoke

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Kaylee

I’ve been resisting the comparison for fear of being premature, but it does seem increasingly apt!

Emilie

Happy you’re enjoying them! Personally this and Banana Pancake are my favorites

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85

I got this as a bonus sample in my order. It wasn’t something I’d order as I see coffee and run.

However, this blend is hella smooth – the roasty oolong and chicory are great, the milky chocolate smooth it out, and there’s a bit of cherry in there. The majority of the taste is the oolong base. It’s got a bit of coffee aftertaste but it’s light. Very nice blend, I could be convinced to purchase it. Evil are these bonus samples!

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 5 min, 0 sec 5 g 10 OZ / 295 ML

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This was the second tea from A Quarter to Tea that I drank. It was my favorite :)
The brandy taste came trough like someone split some alcohol in my third steeping of some DHP. However, I’m not sure if I wanted that low note of silk cream that comes out for the cheesecake. The apple brandy was enough for me with the oolong in the background.
I’ll probably get some more of this and infuse some apple cider with it during January because I do crazy things.

Daylon R Thomas

I was curious about that one. Now I’m going to try it next time I make an order if its available. Or hopefully, it’s a sample with the Vanilla Cider Panna Cotta at home (SO EXCITED TO TRY THAT ONE!).

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I think AQ2T does maple really well (as in Syrupy Pumpkin Pancakes OMG), so I had to order this one. It’s a giant snuggie of yum. Super flavorful, maple and pumpkin. I don’t always like chai and I don’t really know why, but I am loving this one.

Shae

I was sold at “snuggie”. Sounds wonderful!

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85

Last of the sample. This was a nicely done tea, but I don’t think it’s going to go down as a favorite, just because it seems I like the idea of chocolate teas more than actual chocolate teas. Having tried several, the only tea with chocolate notes I really love is Paris, and I think that has more to do with all the fruit flavors it boasts than its chocolate side.

Fjellrev

I know what you mean about liking the idea of them more. It seems like such a difficult flavour to execute.

Tamarindel

Yeah, a good piece of chocolate in itself is so complex — the balance between sweetness and bitterness, the texture, the cream factor, the richness, & on & on — I don’t know how you’d begin to capture that in a tea. If I really need a chocolate drink, I have no guilt about going back to my childhood standbys, hot chocolate and Nutella milkshakes.

Fjellrev

Nutella milkshakes! Never had one but that sounds dreamy. And you’re so right about the flavour profile of chocolate.

Tamarindel

They’re pretty addictive! I like to throw a banana in mine, but there’s really no wrong way to make a Nutella milkshake.

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85

Accidentally steeped this 6 minutes, when it should have been 4-5. This may have something to do with the fact that the base was the strongest flavor present, though the chocolate, caramel, and nut flavors were still noticeable and rounded out the cup nicely. I’ll try to pay more attention next time, and see if that has any effect on the balance of flavors, but either way, this is pretty good.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 6 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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drank Peach Melba by A Quarter to Tea
424 tasting notes

I had this again last night. 16 oz of it after 7:00, which means I was up all night peeing but it was so worth it!

Kristal

Ironically having a mug of tea before bed has been helping me get up at a decent time in the morning since I have to pee :P!

Fjellrev

Haha the same thing happened to me last night, but with ATR’s Nirvana. So worth it.

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