New Tasting Notes

Just purchased this today. I’ve been craving mint for ages, and I finally made it to the mall with my boyfriend now that the highway is open again (I live in Rhode Island, and my hometown was one of the worst hit by the flood). This was exactly what I was craving and more. It’s incredibly soothing and cools going down. Since I made it in my travel mug (16oz), I used two teaspoons instead of the recommended 1.5 for 8oz, and it was still quite strong. Maybe use only 1 teaspoon per 8 oz if you find it too strong. It’s also very light, so only $4.30 for two ounces gets you a lot of tea.

Attempt 2 at Koicha, this time going w/ 3 scoops instead of 3.75g. Very thick. Just a touch too chalky for me I think. Maybe I just need to have someone make Koicha for me lol.

I enjoy drinking this tea in the morning at work. It is good for 3-4 infusions if you slightly increase the steep time for each one. Don’t forget to rinse it for 10-20 seconds before the first infusion.

I was very excited to try this one since it gets such high reviews. But, another black tea that just tastes like black tea to me. It is a nice strong black tea with a malty flavor. It has a little peach flavor to it at the very beginning of the sip. It has something interesting in the smell – like wet peat. I probably won’t buy more, but I enjoyed the sample.

Added a splash of soy creamer and a touch of agave nectar.

Sam O. Var is my new love. I’m going to elope with him. Right now. He can do no wrong, in my book.

I know what you’re going to say — it’s just so much pixie dust, that tinkling of little bells you hear in your mind, that image you see of little cartoon hearts floating up around your head like soap bubbles, that frisson of anticipation. He’s bound to disappoint you at some point. Just give it some time. It always happens.

You could be right. You could be. But not today. I am six for six today, six for six of Samovar samples that I would most definitely drink again. (Now if only Breakfast Blend would come back in stock in the large tin, I could complete an order and qualify for free shipping.)

The aroma out of this packet is deliciously orange. Not tart, not thin, not artificial-smelling. It’s a rich orange smell, almost creamy, like the orange in fine orange-flavored chocolates. It predominates over the pu erh until the leaves and those little bits of orange rind and ginger are wet, when the tea starts to share the stage. After multiple steeps, the aroma of the wet leaves and the tea itself is still deliciously orange, and the grapefruit is there as well. The ginger is pretty subtle, but that’s fine with me. I like my ginger subtle.

The orange in the flavor is mellow and deep, like a very ripe, very juicy orange — but more. The fact is I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a fresh orange that is this orangy. It must be a synergy in the blend, with the other flavors bringing more orange out of the orange. I suspect this is the primary role of the ginger, along with adding a bit of spice that stays on the tongue along with the orange in the finish, and persists, pleasantly, for quite a while.

This is not a star vehicle for the pu erh; rather it is part of a terrific ensemble cast. It balances, it interacts, it comes to the front from time to time to deliver a forest-floor-after-rain note and then retreats to a foundational presence with the rest of the flavors.

I took this through 5+ steeps. Unfortunately I was interrupted with a phone call during the third, and didn’t get off the phone until it was time for the fifth. All the more reason to add this to my next order, so I can enjoy it again in peace.

A delightful, mild darjeeling. It called to me when I started baking bread for the house earlier. This rainy Seattle day needed something warming. I really love the almost honey-like sweetness this tea imparts.

One of my favorites from Teavana. A cup of it is sitting on my desk as I type this…

I just got my order a few days ago from Lupicia, but this tea has been calling my name ever since receiving it. So I finally caved in and decided to try it.

Aroma – not surprising – it’s Earl Grey! It is a very strong fragrance, but that’s not a bad thing. I love the smell of bergamot in the morning! (Yeah, it’s 12:30 pm, but, for me, it’s still morning!) The dry leaves possess a stronger scent than the brewed liquor. The brewed tea is still pleasantly bergamot, but the Keemun tea can also be detected in the scent which adds a slightly earthy note to the aroma.

Initial sip – awesome! Lovely citrus notes, hint of floral. The Keemun base is pleasantly pungent. I love the way the bergamot and Keemun play together in this blend.

As I continue to drink, I note that this is a skillfully flavored Earl Grey tea. Speaking from the standpoint of one who flavored teas for many years, Earl Grey was one of the most difficult (if not the most difficult) flavors to create. This is because there is a fine line between not strong enough, just right, and too perfume-y when it comes to the bergamot. This one is planted firmly in the just right position! Well done!

I don’t know if it’s my favorite Earl Grey, but if it isn’t, I don’t know which one is better, either. It’s really, really good!

Backlogging a bit: I started my morning (late morning!) with my breakfast blend. Lovely – as always. A good way to get the blood flowing!

I buy this tea in bulk and drink it iced in the summer. The mango flavor is very subtle and natural.

Lullaby Time is one of my recent purchases of boxed herbals to drink in the evening. I saw no fewer than six “sleepy time” herbal blends at my local grocery. I’ve had the official Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepy Time Tea. I picked the store brand to try this time.

Sight
Dry leaves: Spring green and lighter with cream and tan.
Wet leaves: Bright green with yellow and brown.
Tea: Light yellow brown.

Smell
Dry leaves: Spearmint and sweet.
Wet leaves: Muted spearmint.
Tea: Spearmint with a touch of chamomile.

Taste
Mostly spearmint. Not super mint. Softened by chamomile. Perhaps a hint of citrus.

The quiet life was nice enough to send this to me, in its own little sample tin (which I love, and will definitely reuse for travel tea afterwards). Another tea from my shopping list! I feel like I’m really doing some work on it.

Anyways, the tea itself smells fruity and sweet and chocolaty (is it supposed to? Huh) and reminds me somewhat of H&S’s Paris (which makes sense because I remember a few tasting notes saying that it’s probably a nod to Marco Polo anyways).

She was nice enough to provide the steeping instructions on the side, so I shouldn’t be messing anything up. Hurray!

I’m trying this plain first. Maybe I’ll add milk and/or sugar to the last cup from the pot, or just wait until next time.

The wet leaves smell just as delicious (and a bit stronger), perfumy and a bit like strawberry, with a good black tea smell in there as well.

First sip… I got black tea, and then a sudden aftertaste of strawberries. The tea taste is strong (astringent, but somehow ALSO very smooth), and is then followed by the berryness, and almost sweetness. The more I sip, the stronger the berry flavour comes (and the more it fades away from strawberry and joins just ‘berry’).

There’s an almost chocolatyness to it as well, I think. Hrm.

Added a bit of sugar and milk to the last of this cup. Okay, maybe too MUCH sugar. I realize I am not very adapt with sugar portioning. But there is definitely a sweetness and taste that isn’t from the sugar in there. The addition of the milk also makes it unbelievably smooth, almost silky. I think just milk and no sugar would taste very nice as well. Otherwise, I would have just jumped past the sugar for the honey, but I assume the taste of the honey would have overwhelmed it.

I went to throw the rest of this cup back and smelt vanilla. Mmm.

Back to no milk/sugar. And I think I can taste that vanilla I smelled a moment ago. I don’t know. Weird. Still, delicious.

I always wish I had more experience with flavoured teas, since most of the tasting notes I read rave about the flavour, and most of what I get is only in the smell, but I’m glad I got to try this anyways (and I still have a fair amount left in my tiny sample tin!). It is delicious and smooth, and the flavours are subtle, but actually there.

Edit: A continuation, as I resteep this. The smell is much stronger now, and I realize that it reminds me a lot of The O Dor’s Place Saint Marc. A lot!

The taste is a bit more evident, which is nice. Although the smell is really reminding me of Place Saint Marc. Berry and vanilla.

Mmm.

When they offered me a cup at the bank I thought I was going to have to settle for coffee. Nice surprise when I found out that they were using a Keurig gourmet coffee machine and actually offered two kinds of tea. I selected the Mandarin Orange Spice. Halfway thinking I would need the strong spice to cover hints of coffee
BUT…
It was great. Nice strong aroma. The citrus flavor comes across in spite of the strong cloves. Now I can’t wait to go back and try the other one.

The dry tea is very fragrantly cherry-scented but it’s more of a cherry-candy scent than the smell of the actual fruit. Someone else said that the taste reminded them of cherry cough-syrup and while I don’t think the taste is that bad it is more than a little fake-tasting. The resteep was better, with more of the grassy taste of the sencha coming through and the cherry flavour was mellower.

This is a great tea. It has that raisiny sugar smell and this one has caramel, cocoa and a sweet undertone to it. The leaves are black and gold and have a fresh malty smell. I like this tea very much.

Yay! My order from Numi arrived! Perfect timing to have an Easter tea with the ladies of my family on Sunday! I’ve been craving this particular tea since I first tasted it, but none of the stores near me sell it. I ordered it and now I am impatiently waiting for the delicate blush colored tea to finish cooling so that I can take a much awaited sip………mmmmmm perfect! Smooth and refreshing with a floral aftertaste. Almost like biting into a fresh rosebud.

I mixed some (1/2 tsp?) into about a cup of Zico brand mango flavored coconut water. This may be the world’s best natural energy drink!

I’m discovering that eating something sweet with Jackee makes him taste like bacon! Because right now I’m having this really sweet cheese danish with lemony crumbles and it really enhances his smokey pine notes.

It’s like Jackee but with extra campfire!

I’m sitting at the local Borders, enjoying their air conditioning and working on a paper. I’m not sure what the temperature was for this, since I didn’t make it, so I hope the kind lady that made this knew not to make it too hot.

This tastes pretty artificial. It’s pretty tart but not necessarily sweet. I’d get this again next time I come here (which might be pretty soon as it’s really starting to get hot outside), but I wouldn’t buy it to make at home.

The dry leaves smell like a traditional black tea to me. The scent of the steeped tea is of a woodsy black tea.
For the taste, this tea is woodsy as well. I’m having trouble describing it but it’s easy to see trees all around me when I drink it. It’s not a very heavy tea though and the black tea is the main taste.
This was very pleasant and refreshing. I also don’t think it’s one I’ll remember far into the future but that’s not always bad. I still think I’d like to get this one.

Hmm, I just noticed more of the honey quality as the tea started to cool. Interesting. I’m still fascinated by how tea can develop new tastes like that.

I’m really beginning to love Yunnan teas. This one is 100% Dian Hong (Yunnan Red) tea. it has a full body and a malty-sweet taste. This one is organic and Fair Trade which is a plus. This tea is not as bold as some I have drank, but it has that raisiny sugar smell and taste. I found a health food store in Freeport today that carries all of the Rishi and Mark Wendell teas. nice….

Not a bad oolong…

Quite the dark brew color, as to be expected with a Darjeeling. Viscosity is on the lighter side of medium. Taste is classic Darjeeling. The aroma … I am getting a nuttiness but I can’t put my finger on it. This is a take-notice tea so great for mornings (it’s 10:30AM right now).