1792 Tasting Notes
Oh my goodness, I love this one. I wasn’t sure what to think of it, what with jasmine (normally one big gigantic UGH for me), rose, then fruity strawberry, then some of that rooibos, and chamomile? It’s the reason why I stayed away from DAVIDsTEA’s The Glow for many years, whose original blend consisted of an odd mixture of jasmine, rose, oat straw, cinnamon, rosehip, and nettle. Yet that turned out to be a glorious oatmeal cookie for me.
We have a similar outcome here! I can taste the lavender more so than the jasmine or chamomile on its own, combined with the sweet ripened strawberry note, finally accompanied by a subdued primarily green rooibos base. It’s like a well-blended fragrance where everything works together in the end even though some of the notes in question sound sketchy.
So happy to have received this in my mystery box a while back! Too bad I only got the sample size.
My boyfriend picked this up for me in Köln a while back and I am finally writing about it (and finishing it too!). The coconut lover that I am, this sounded like a perfect match for me, and apparently, the owner was ultra proud of her clever pun. For a non-native language speaker and considering they don’t even have Bounty chocolate bars in Germany (at least I don’t recall seeing them while I was there), that is seriously impressive!
The dry leaf is loaded with bits and shreds of stuff: coconut, cacao nibs, little bits of white chocolate, but in flavour, I’m getting almost all coconut, all the time. A hint of cocoa but absolutely no white chocolate. Although, this does taste a little on the oily side, if you know what I mean. Could be from the white chocolate and the coconut oils. It’s not enough to leave a DAVIDsTEA-level scum ring around the mug, but it’s altering the entire experience of the tea. Also, I’m finding that this tea doesn’t age too well. When I first got it, the coconut was rather fresh, but now it’s starting to taste a little soapy.
Funny when it’s really cloudy outside, I subconsciously gravitate towards chai and gothic doom metal. I shouldn’t be surprised that roasty houjicha and chai spices go so well together, but I am! I just didn’t expect them to go together this well.
I added some half-and-half, and I’m left with a creamy, roasty chai with notes of ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. Towards the bottom of the cup, I am getting a shot of heat from the black pepper.
My boyfriend graciously brought this all the way from Paris a few months ago but I sadly never wrote about it until now. You know me, I love chai. It’s an unhealthy obsession, so I was curious about how Fauchon does things in the world of chai.
The dry leaf is mostly black tea leaves with a few cardamom pods here and there, along with cinnamon and ginger pieces, but I’m barely seeing any star anise or clove (my two favourite spices too, mind you) even though there is supposed to be a healthy mix of both i here.
In terms of flavour, it’s mostly ginger and cinnamon. I ought to crack open the cardamom pods in order to unleash their flavour, or else it seems to be a bit of a waste. There is apparently vanilla in here but I’m barely getting it. With milk, this tastes like a lot of chai blends I’ve tasted in Indian restaurants. So, better than average, but not amazing.
Next time, I’ll crack open the cardamom pods and dig through the pouch to see if I can find any cloves or star anise. If I can’t find any, maybe it’s time I make a trip to the bulk section of the nearby grocery store and fetch some whole spices to add to this.
I am so embarrassingly behind with reviewing teas I’ve gotten yet back in the fall. When my boyfriend was in London, he generously offered to pick some tea up for me and I asked him to surprise me since the few that I was originally interested in from Whittard have been since discontinued. This is the one he chose, and apparently, the sales associate described this as an “intense tea experience,” if I remember correctly.
This reminds me of a Christmas blend from Acquired Taste, and other orange spice blends. The vanilla bean is overpowered by the much stronger orange and clove notes in here. Not to mention, the base is bold and astringent. I would probably enjoy it more with milk but keep forgetting to do so whenever I steep up a cup.
The last sip is loaded with clove. I’m surprised my tongue hasn’t gone numb!
Oh, now this one has a kick! I didn’t even bother reading the description or the ingredients list so the cayenne took me completely by surprise. I even thought that the heat was coming solely from the ginger. This is a fantastic “detox” blend and gives off clean, purifying vibes. I feel automatically healthier the moment I started sipping this.
For me, the main notes are ginger, lemon (alongside the verbena), and cayenne. While it isn’t the type of tea that I’d reach for on a regular basis, and not necessarily my favourite flavour profile, it really hits the spot when you want a healthful dose of awesome in your life. I can see this being an excellent tea to sip on whilst battling a cold or flu.
At last, a day that I can hang out at home, drink tea, and catch up on life. It’s so nice outside though so I’d love to go for a walk too, but chores and resume editing need to be done first!
I’m glad I got a sample size to try since pear and tea tend to be a beautiful combination, but alas, this has not been my favourite 52teas blend. I can barely taste any pear, just a vague fruity sweetness in the background, as the base tends to take over. The base is also earthier than expected, especially with my last cup which had more leaf than the previous two.
I evidently had a free drink to redeem before the deadline, so having to think on my feet during my break, which was drawing to a close, I grabbed this. Because matcha and maple, that’s why. I had it with a splash of soy and it was only ok. It was a little sweet from the added sweetener already in the matcha mix but I couldn’t detect any actual maple flavour. Maybe the soy killed it?
