65
drank Grand Himalaya by Palais des Thés
6444 tasting notes

This is the second tea in today’s tournament style sipdown challenge pairing. It went head to head with another single-estate Palais des Thes tea, Genmaicha Yama. Check out the note for that here: https://steepster.com/rachel12610/posts/415972

Normally black teas trump green teas for me. That said, I do enjoy genmaicha quite a bit so I didn’t think this would be such an easy defeat for this black tea. Drinking it now, I am surprised that my preference is actually for the genmaicha.

While this may be a black tea, its not the type of black tea I usually go for. I like smooth, malty, bready, dessert-like black teas and this is not that. Instead, this is more brisk and a touch astringent. It’s got the floral quality of a darjeeling (I looked it up and it is a darjeeling) that might be nice for many but to me always reads drying. So this was a miss for me and thus Genmaicha Yama is moving on!

Check out a picture of the teas here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMA1JvPgOwi/?igshid=17oukytf2p49j

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My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

Location

Waterdown, Ontario

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