19 Tasting Notes

84

According to the pundits I am not supposed to like this tea because A. It’s decaffeinated and B. It comes in a tea bag. Another Steepster reviewer called this tea “bland and tasteless” but I disagree!

Decaf tea does have a bad rep, and with good reason. Most ARE bland and flavorless. The decaf process has simply leached the flavor out and replaced it with hints of chemicals. So I was very surprised by Yorkshire decaffinated. There is plenty of flavor here and good body to enhance the drinking experience. The flavor is malty with hints of camphor that result in a woody flavor that remind me of how freshly sawn red wood smells. I don’t mean “pencil shavings” but an earthy, almost spicy, taste.

This is my first experience with British blended teas and frankly, I am smitten! After my first cup I found myself craving the flavor the next day. I have not tried the cafinated version yet but if it is ever more flavorful than the decaf, I didn’t buy enough!

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 15 sec 12 OZ / 354 ML

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drank English Breakfast by Stash Tea
19 tasting notes

Stash English Breakfast is one of the few black teas I can buy in this part of Mexico. Scoring a package is difficult because there is more demand than supply. Its not great tea but I have been happy to have it given there are few alternatives different from herbal infusions, which are everywhere.
The tea bags contain just 2 grams of tea each so I brewed it with just 6 oz of water. The tea its self is mild, weak and inoffensive without any bitterness.
Stash English Breakfast is pleasant to drink and the flavor is slightly sweet but is too weak to pick out any outstanding characteristics. If Lipton is 1 star, this one is a two and a half star brew. While it was ok with milk and stevia, I think those who drink their tea black will get more enjoyment from the cup.

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85
drank Chamomile by McCormick
19 tasting notes

I wanted a caffine free hot drink and McCormick’s Chamomile was the only local option. I think the last time I had chamomile tea was when I was a kid so I can’t compare this brand with any others.
Each tea bag comes wrapped in its own plastic packet for freshness. I abhor plastic packaging but I like that the bags are individually wrapped. T
The tea bags themselves are rather small but there are no staples either in the bag or through the tag. The string appears to be heat sealed in the bag margin but I don’t know if any adhesive is used.
The tea box had no smell due to the individual packages around the tea bags. Once opened the tea smelled fresh and like a combo of hay and apples. The package directions caĺled for 200 ml of boiling water. I don’t recall seeing a recommended brewing time so I brewed the tea for 5 minutes.
The tea while brewing smelled of the same hay and apple aroma that was present in the package. Happily the flavor of the tea was true to the aroma but there was an additional flavor that was slightly spicy and a little floral, similar to the way carnations smell. The infusion also had a honey and bee pollen note.
After tasting the infusion plain I added 1/4 teaspoon of honey. That small amount of sweetener simply enhanced the present flavors.
With nothing to compare this chamomile tea to I don’t know if it’s a good example of chamomile tea. But I like the flavor very much and I will most likely buy it again.

Preparation
7 OZ / 200 ML

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drank Milky Oolong by Harney & Sons
19 tasting notes

I am a little disappointed with this one. To be fair, I have only tried it once so far but it did not live up to my expectation. My experience with milky oolongs suggested this tea should start out vegetal with stone fruit flavors in later infusions. I also expected a floral nose and after taste. The stone fruit and floral after taste and nose never developed for me.
The spent leaf was dissapointing too. Instead of full leaves unfurling, the leaf was broken with few pieces as large as half a leaf.
The tea purchase was not a total loss. Overall the tea was pleasant, slightly unami marked with hints of spinach, nuts, oats and, of course, the milkyness expected in a flavored milky oolong. Overall I think the taste is quite good but no where near the complexity I expected. At $6.00 for 3 ounces this tea is still a good value. The tea is rich in flavor and very consistent in taste for up to 3 rebrews. I would recommend it with reservations. For the price the tea is consistent and tasty and sufficiently oolong to be worth drinking. However it is lacks complexity and does not hold up to brewing very long.

Overall I think Republic of Tea Milk Oolong is a better choice even at twice the price. The flavor profile is much more complex with new flavors developing right through 6-8 rebrews. For a widely available, commercially branded product, Republic of Teas Milk Oolong is a much better value.
Preparation
3 g 8 OZ / 250 ML

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drank Paris by Harney & Sons
19 tasting notes

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84
drank Earl Grey by Harney & Sons
19 tasting notes

I received a sample tea bag in my order of Harney tea. I had ordered the supreme so I was excited to compare the two. Of course this is a tea bag and I prefer loose leaf tea so that may impact my assessment. This is a step up from Stash E.G. The tea base is smooth and has more body and flavor. Of course, since this is a tea bag I am inclined to think the tea is not strong enough but I think that is due to the bag. Any way, I actually like this tea base a wee but better than the supreme. I have found the supreme to be odd tasting to me. But I wish there was more bergamot in this blend. What is there is quite nice and not too subtle for even my jaded smokers tongue. But the flavor is light and the aroma subtle.
Because I wanted more punch out of this tea I stuck the bag in after tasting it at 5 minutes. By the time I hit the bottom of the cup the tea had developed obvious bitterness but the bitterness came off as a black pepper flavor that was not disagreeable. If there was just a little more bergamot I would think this was a solid choice for a daily drinker for me.

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97
drank Black Currant by Harney & Sons
19 tasting notes

I wish I had purchased a larger quantity of this tea. It’s lightly sweet and actually tastes like currant and not some horrible Berryish flavoring. The currant is well balanced with the tea base. I think I like this one better than H&S Paris.

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97
drank Black Currant by Harney & Sons
19 tasting notes

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100
drank Paris Herbal by Harney & Sons
19 tasting notes

I am not an herbal tea fan for the most part but my aging body demands more rest so I have had to give up caffeine in the evenings. I have tried many decaf and herbal blends looking for a cup of comfort at bed time but I have not been impressed. I like strong flavors and decry weak and watery brews. H&S Paris herbal is not weak, watery or bland. It is sweet and fruity with a very nice vanilla base note. It is not exactly my idea of “warm comfort”, it is more a happy and perky brew, but I love it all the same. My boyfriend, who is an infrequent tea drinker, begged a cup based on the vanilla aroma while brewing. He likes it well enough I am hiding my tiny stash to ensure it is properly rationed (until I can buy more).
I usually weigh my tea but the rooibos is so fine I didn’t bother. I used 2 level “perfect teaspoon” measures for 500 ml of boiling water. Steeped for 5 minutes.
I don’t usually attempt to re-steep herbals but my limited stash prompted me to try it. While the second steep was definitely weak and watery, the rooibos herb flavor stands out a little more but there is still plenty of vanilla essence for the tastebuds and a smattering of fruitiness too. I will definitely order this again!

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93
drank Aromatic Earl Grey by Ahmad Tea
19 tasting notes

I bought the giant 500 gram tin because I like living dangerously! I expected, for the price, that I would get a blah tea. But I have a theory that you become accostomed to what you drink and learn to prefer the flavor of whatever you have. I decided that after 500 grams of the stuff I would luuvv this tea! But I won’t be able to test that theory on this tea. Sadly, I really like this one on first taste. The tea base stands out and is fairly rich with malty goodness. My box of tea was not lacking in bergamot flavor but it is light. However, that light touch of bergamot compliments the maltiness of the tea in such a way as to suggest a little black pepper and camphor wòods. The tea is a little bitter and slightly tannic in a good way and the bergamot leaves a slightly sweet aftertaste without being perfumy. This is a pretty good cuppa for the price. In fact, I like it just as well as the much pricier Harney and Sons Earl Grey Supreme, which tastes similar.
The sites sliders do not play well with tablets so here are my brewing parameters:
7 grams tea, 500 ml water just off boil, steep 5 minutes. Really nice with a little milk.

Preparation
7 g 17 OZ / 500 ML

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Somewhere on the Sea of Cortez is a soggy gypsy. Right now she is probably in the galley making another cuppa. She can’t read the weather but she can read your tea leaves.

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