1679 Tasting Notes

drank KIdney Strong by bravo tea
1679 tasting notes

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drank Revel Berry by Guayaki
1679 tasting notes

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drank Tejava by Tejava
1679 tasting notes

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Tastes like a mix of lemon meringue pie (plus lemongrass and mild earthy ginger) with that Yakult probiotic flavor.

Interesting. Novel.

Flavors: Bright, Ginger, Lemon, Meringue, Sweet, Tangy, Tart, Yogurt

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drank Marfa - Dark Roast by CatSpring Yaupon
1679 tasting notes

Got a mixed package for Christmas of the 3 Catspring’s varieties of loose leaf yaupon. This extra teabag was in the box.

I’d be fooled if somebody told me this is a lighter roast houjicha. Hit all the right notes this morning with a summer fog that was sprinkling fine mist on every surface. Mellow and smooth and sweet. Decent caffeine kick to boot.

Will come back to this for tasting note details when I break open the looseleaf :)

Cameron B. 22 days ago

Love CatSpring! They’re less than two hours away from me, I should go visit sometime.

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drank Butterfly Garden by Old Barrel Tea Co
1679 tasting notes

Received as a gift from somebody who visited Old Barrel in person!

Cold-brew is my first attempt and it’s a fruity, saturated blueberry brew. Artificial in the sense that it reminds me of the blueberry-scented Strawberry Shortcake doll I had in the late 80s, but I like it in the moment. Some light florality from the oolong and other ingredients. A little bit of lemongrass permeates throughout the main blueberry taste. Purplish-blue from the butterfly pea flowers.

I’ll try it hot, but I think most of this will go cold-brewed since added flavorings tend to hold up better that way.

Flavors: Artificial, Blueberry, Chamomile, Flowers, Fruity, Herbal, Lemongrass

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more 6 g 16 OZ / 473 ML
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rosebudmelissa 26 days ago

I had a strawberry scented version of that doll sometime in the 90’s. I didn’t even remember it existed until you mentioned yours!

derk 14 days ago

This was too good cold brewed to bother trying hot.

gmathis 12 days ago

Strawberry Shortcake is coming back! Several of my upper elementary school girls had Shortcake t-shirts this week, and she was on all kind of school supplies at our new Five Below!

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90
drank Cedarberg Rooibos by Five Mountains
1679 tasting notes

On my third canister over the course of 4 or so years. This rooibos remains consistently smooth and rich despite it no longer being “long cut”. Hands down the best rooibos I’ve had!

Flavors: Almond, Black Currant, Cedar, Mineral, Rich, Smooth, Tangy, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 10 OZ / 295 ML

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45
drank Ginger Peach Turmeric by Bigelow
1679 tasting notes

Bigelow teas, with the exception of Constant Comment, fall flat for me, almost like I did this morning as I nearly face-planted upon rising from a deeeep sleep. I was hoping for something that would stabilize the discombobulated wobbles and provide a bit of sunshine to the start of a cloudy and cool day. Sadly, this was not it.

Watery, spicy yet stale ginger, earthy but not grounding, weak turmeric, some tang, flat artificial musty peach. Couldn’t taste the chicory or any of the other spices like cardamom and cinnamon, but I could taste the paper teabag. That’s the worst part. Not that there’s anything wrong with teabags. Some just have a strong paper taste.

Flavors: Artificial, Cardboard, Earthy, Flat, Ginger, Paper, Peach, Spicy, Stale, Tangy, Watery

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TeaEarleGreyHot 28 days ago

Gosh, it’s as if a pretty, decorative foil pouch can’t transform stale herbs, spices, and sour fruit wrapped in a bleached paper bag into something tangy, flavorful and fragrantly delicious!

Skysamurai 28 days ago

100% agree on Bigelow. And I used to like Constant comment until I found Marketspice Original blend. I don’t usually like artificial flavors but this one is special

Mastress Alita 28 days ago

I’ve always had that problem with the teabags from Bigelow… every single one I ever tried left the tea tasting like cardboard.

Martin Bednář 28 days ago

I am afraid that some companies are selling old and stale ingredients in the tea bags. Lipton for instance.
But I had also a many good experience with tea bags — as I am using them in the office. Lovaré is one of them or Basilur close behind.

TeaEarleGreyHot 27 days ago

@Martin, to be fair, I’m sure a lot of tea does its aging in supermarkets where volume is low until the old stock is put on clearance. When I’ve bought teabags mail order from a dealer, they are typically great (except for when they use fannings and dust for bags!) Either way, I’m guilty of letting excellent tea die a slow death in my cupboard. Lately I’ve gotten ruthless and added a lot of stale leaf to my compost pile. Of course, the pu-erh is supposed to improve with age, and I do have controlled environments with humidity pouches for them! But not every puer does improve, and I admit that many folks find great pleasure from very young sheng!

Skysamurai 27 days ago

I had a properly aged tencha last year that was amazing.

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November 2024 harvest

Second time I’ve received this as a freebie, thank you :) Must say, it’s a treat! Never took notes, but it’s about the same tastes as last time. I’m not picking up any astringency and it’s smoother overall. Rounded, naturally creamy and sweet, lusciously fragrant. Very floral prepared western style. It filled the office at work with a bouquet of tropical and temperate flowers. To me, this is a quintessential Taiwanese green oolong.

Three grams lasted three not finicky steeps. I suspect it could take water off the boil well. Should’ve brought home the leaf to cold steep for a final infusion!

Preparation
3 g 10 OZ / 300 ML

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Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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Location

Sonoma County, California, USA

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