185 Tasting Notes

97

Dear Steepy:

Today I received my Upton Tea order. What joy! What excitement! I have to say, I think the amount of tea I ordered multiplied in the box. I surely couldn’t have ordered 18 different samples, plus a pound of tea? Something must have happened that I am completely free of blame from. Packing gnomes, or possibly a gemino curse.

So naturally, in order to combat the effects of the evil packing gnomes, I had to immediately begin drinking the tea. If I let it sit too long, who knows how many times the curse could multiply. I would quite literally be buried in tea. Obviously, I had to start with the biggest package, the 250g bag of the Season’s Pick Earl Grey Creme Vanilla.

Upon opening the bag, I get a powerful smell of lime. Now, my only other previous Earl Grey Creme expereince also reminded me of lime. I’m not sure if it’s just me, or maybe this is truly what the combination of Bergamot and Creme smells like. I’m not sure. I suppose the only real way to tell would be to take a standard EG, or possibly even a double bergamot EG, and add some cream. I may have to try this. For science, of course, not for my own personal enjoyment, heavens forbid!

Brewed, the SPEGCV gives off a delightful smell. All at once it is sweet, and vanilla, but also tart smelling. It really is a very, very lovely aroma. I think that’s part of my love with EGs in general; as polarizing as the aroma may be, it is very distinct.

The taste has a very similar profile to the smell. At first, the creamy, vanilla flavor sort of smoothly glides over your tongue, with the tangy citrus flavor in tow. The flavors are really smoothly mingled over a fairly subtle tea base. The tea is lost a little bit at first, but once the up front vanilla flavor fades a bit, the flavor finishes off as a fairly straightforward EG. The tea and bergamot just lolligagging at the end of the sip to remind you where this tea comes from.

This is sweet and dreamy. It reminds me of what I’ve always wanted key lime pie to taste like, but it’s never really lived up to. But in a tea. It’s really quite good. I am definitely going to enjoy drinking my way through this tea. And at the absurdly low price of $7 for 8 oz, it’s both supremely good and supremely cheap. Who could ask for more?

Sincerely Yours,

Buried in Tea

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 0 sec
TeaBrat

Well… even if you are buried in tea I hope you die happily. :)

Sandy Stith

Could it be the tea gnomes sent something for your ever-charming boss? =P

ScottTeaMan

Packing gnomes…….hahahaa…Buried in tea-I’ll bet I can bury myself in my own tea!

Angrboda

Sounds a bit like one of those ‘bad dog’ moments. :p

Anyway, I’m rather intrigued by the idea of lime. I’m not too fond of Earl Greys because I think bergamot is such a perfumed and dusty flavour, so I tend to prefer something flavoured with lemon instead. (Although that’s not actually super interesting for me either, but at least not potentially unpleasant) I am, however, intrigued by the idea of an EG spiked with lime, giving a bit of sharpness. Or just a plain lime flavoured black, really. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that.

Missy

I’m not fond of most earl greys for the same reason. I can tell you with this one it smells like it’s going to be perfume-y, but the taste vanilla and citrus. The perfume I smell seems to disappear magically in your mouth. I wonder if that is the vanilla taming the bergamot.

Angrboda

I think it might be. I’ve had relatively good experiences with EGs that have something in addition to bergamot. Kusmi’s smoky EG is actually very enjoyable. (IF, of course, one likes smoky tea)

Cheryl

When I saw that you went straight for the 250g, was worried. Glad you like it !!!

Missy

It was a great pointer, thanks Cheryl! Dylan really likes EGs, so we were looking for one we could enjoy together.

Cheryl

Reading above, you aren’t normally an Earl fan (didn’t think I would be either). So this is one you like? or not? I’m on my 3rd 250g, since this is my morning choice. But I do put honey and creamer in. I did what Dylan did with this one, when contemplating Chocolate Earl Grey (got a tin instead of sample), and that turned out good too. The Caramel + Choc Earl = win win. Have fun with your samples!

Dylan Oxford

I’m a big guy, I like buying big things. It’s probably something I should be better at… but I’m not :P

Angrboda – If you’d like, I can send you a sample! I’ve got a little bit sitting around :P. TropicalTeaCo also has a straight Lime black in their $1/oz sale. Their teas are always passable, I’ve only ever thrown one out (their vanilla chai tasted terrible, and I love both vanilla and chai, together to boot!).

Missy

This is one I like. I was a bit hesitant but the first sip was good. I was pretty surprised, since I was expecting a perfumed tea.

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86

I’ve mentioned before that I have somewhat insane, uncontrollable shopping urges. It’s what Missy calls ‘bad dog’ moments. This tea was definitely a bad dog moment. I have a ‘medium’ Finum infuser basket, and it’s amazing and wonderful. So, for home use in our large teapot, we bought a ‘large’ Finum infuser basket from Amazon. It was a little less than $10. However, I had a $25 gift card.

And what do you do with extra money on a gift card? Buy a pound of tea. That you’ve never tried before. Bad dog.

I’ve actually known quite a few people who drink Zhena’s tea, and I know that I’ve had some before, it’s just been years and years. Maybe more. This is why I felt justified in sating my consumerist urges.

So, using the Finum basket in our standard teapot, today we have Zhena’s Gypsy King Chai.

The tea brewed to a nice, thick, caramelly color, and gives off a delicious scent. The clove and the cinnamon have the most definitive aroms coming from my cup… and it really is giving me high hopes.

The first sip (ooh, hot!, probably should have waited longer) comes across as clove and black pepper being the predominant flavors. It is a very smokey, spicy introduction to this tea. I think this tea could definitely be too peppery for folks who do not appreciate a little bite in their chai (but for those that do, woo hoo!).

Shortly after, the ginger and cinnamon take their place in the sip, which add a little bit of sweetness to the somewhat spicy profile. Behind that, the very smooth tea base starts to take form, but it is truly shadowed by the spices in the blend. Which… I kind of expect in most chais, really.

If you let the tea sit in your mouth for just a few moments, you can begin to taste a hint of the cardamom and orange rind. Neither flavor is really powerful enough to stand out on it’s own, but they definitely add to the finish of the tea. Maybe the tea would suffer without those, but I’m not sure. Not that it’s suffering with them in, obviously.

All in all I’m pretty happy with this purchase, and at sub-$20 for a pound, it could be a real cheap staple spicy chai. Though, I’m not sure that it’s a good summer tea, as I am now super, super warm. We’ll have to try it iced and see how it turns out. If nothing else, I’ll box it up and save it for the winter :)

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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98

This, iced, is quite possibly one of the most enjoyable things in the world, ever. It’s pretty much ruined all other iced tea for me. It is so good. So, so good.

Preparation
Iced 2 min, 0 sec
TeaBrat

Yay! I love a good Moroccan Mint and iced they are so good!

ashmanra

I was trying to cut my stash down a bit, but now I want to try Moroccan Mint! Iced tea is very welcome around here.

Missy

I’ve been trying to convince him to buy a pitcher dedicated to just his Moroccan Mint, he loves it so much. ;)

Dylan Oxford

We have three pitchers. I vote one of those can be dedicated ;)

ScottTeaMan

Mee too! Do they use A gunpowder green as a base tea?

Stash has a tasty lime tea…….I <3 lime!

http://www.stashtea.com/Stash-Tea-Lime-Green-Iced/dp/B006E9SEY0?searchPage=1

Dylan Oxford

They do actually use a gunpowder green, and it was really my first exposure to gunpowder tea.

Missy

@Scott that looks like another great iced tea candidate. :)

Missy

@ ashmanra we just ordered more. I can send you some to try when it gets here if you like.

ScottTeaMan

If tou like lime-and I do, it is delicious!

ashmanra

@Missy: I would love to try it! Did Dylan like the pear tea?

Missy

Yes he did. I’ll get you some Moroccan Mint out when we get our shipment in. I don’t expect to see it for a week. It is normally faster than that but things happen. Best not to expect too much. :D

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46

Hrmm. This is my first real big disappointment from SerendipiTea.

The smell of this tea is FANTASTIC. Brewed, it has a very sweet dark chocolate taste. It a really hope-lifting chocolate taste, a very truly pleasant smell.

But the flavor doesn’t seem to hold up. There is a little bit of the chocolate taste, but the flavor of the oolong combined with the rooibos produces this really weird sour flavor that is… well… not good. It’s almost like a chocolate tea that was combined with a really cheap fake lemonade.

As much as I may hype of SerendipiTea… I would stay away from this one. I’ll finish this cup… but I’m not thinking that we’re going to finish the rest of this sample.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 15 sec

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79

Thanks to Krystaleyn for the sample!

The scent of this tea is like steamed vegetables on a breezy summer day, there’s just a hint of floral in the aroma that doesn’t quite fit in with the veggies. It smells good, but it’s almost like you’re smelling two different things at once.

The flavor of this oolong is very earthy, with a deep almost roasted vegetable flavor. Definitely a little buttery, and if you swirl the tea around in your mouth a little bit, a light fruitiness starts to show through the buttery vegetables.

It’s a very interesting, flavorful tea that I’m glad to have experienced. It doesn’t quite fit what I want, but is easily the best oolong I’ve had so far. Quite tasty, actually.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 0 sec

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drank Sencha by Golden Moon Tea
185 tasting notes

Missy got her gaiwan for Mother’s day today, so we thought we would give this another try. Maybe our gringo brewing just didn’t do it justice?

Nope. Still not tasty. I’m going to go ahead and chalk this up as a ‘I don’t like Sencha’ party, and never try it again. At least, not anytime in the near future.

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 0 min, 30 sec
LiberTEAS

Not all sencha is the same, so, I wouldn’t completely dismiss it. You might find one that you really do like.

TeaBrat

Very true. Many senchas are different!

Azzrian

Oh Dylan please don’t do that! Honestly Golden Moon has maybe five teas I really like and the rest are just MEH. Also I really would go to a company that specializes in Sencha / Japanese tea before deciding. Try Dens !!

Dylan Oxford

Okay I won’t totally write of Sencha… I’ll just wait a little bit before I try to venture into their world. :)

Kittenna

Yes, I agree, definitely don’t write off sencha. I had pretty much done that, but have been trying some lately (especially from Den’s) which are actually quite fabulous. Pretty sure there are also both Chinese and Japanese senchas, which taste different (I couldn’t tell you the difference yet though).

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99
drank Northern Lights by DAVIDsTEA
185 tasting notes

Oh. My. This is magnificent.

Thanks again to Krystaleyn for this sample. I may have forgotten to credit you for the last sample too. So… I’m crediting you twice on this one ;)

I kind of forgot about this tea whilst unwinding and playing video games on a breezy Friday night. So it’s cooled off quite considerably, so my review may be on how this might potentially taste iced!

The mint and the apple are the most predominant flavors, and it definitely tastes like more of a green apple flavor than say a red or golden apple. That gives it just a little bit of sourness to the flavor that really pairs with the mint nicely. The juniper flavor is hiding towards the end of the note, maybe skirting around with something that might remotely taste like raspberries. Not sure if I’m making that last part up or not. There’s definitely a little more fruitiness towards the end of the sip though.

This is an amazing tea, and probably my first from Davids that is a must have. But this is definitely, truly a must have.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

Haha, glad you liked this one! I really just wanted to get rid of it, and knew you guys liked mint (which of course is the biggest turn-off for me).

Dylan Oxford

Awesome, thank you! I’m not sure I would have thought about trying this on my own either so it was great to get as a swap. Thank you so much!

Daniel Scott

Green apple? Dang, this was already on my shopping list, but now I really have to get it! I really hope my location actually has some, I heard something about this one going online-only now.

Kittenna

Yeah, it’s one of the ones that IIRC is in stores with large tea walls, but mostly just online.

Other than the mintiness, I think I was pleasantly surprised by this tea. However, things like mint and licorice in teas bring along enough ickiness for me to keep me from re-purchasing a tea.

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73
drank Chai Apricot by Tea Desire
185 tasting notes

So this is… interesting.

The apricot in this tea is definitely the foremost flavor that I can taste. Following that trails in just the wisps of pepper and clover, with ginger and a hint of fennel coming in at the end.

A unique and flavorful take on a chai blend. It isn’t my favorite by any means, but they definitely get two points for a bold take on new flavors. If you like fruitier teas, and a little less cinnamon in your chai… this could be for you.

I on the other hand, want cinnamonstrosity ;)

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 1 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

Yup, this one was from me too :P It’s definitely not a chai in the traditional sense, I agree.

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80

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80

Now this one I know is from Krystaleyn! For sure this time!

Mmm… cinnamon. This is a nice cinnamon tea. It tastes just like little red hots. There’s probably green tea under there… somewhere… but I’m not sure. I’m not really convinced, you know?

But there’s tasty candied cinnamon flavor. Having a deep love of all things cinnamon, this makes me very happy. I could keep this one around… if nothing else, just for it’s delicious cinnamonosity… maybe. It’s a little tamer than the cinnamon in say, MarketSpice. So I think I’d actually go for that if I had an overwhelming cinnamon jones. A Cinnamonstrosity. That should totally be the name of a tea. Like a roasted mate base, with cinnamon chips, cinnamon flavoring… and… uh… I don’t know. I’m probably good there. Cinnamonstrosity.

I’ll go now.

Preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 1 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

:D I seem to have sent you guys a bunch of teas containing cinnamon! Not intentional :P

Dylan Oxford

Totally welcome though!

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Profile

Bio

My fiancé and I are beginning to enjoy tea infusion, and it’s slowly becoming an interesting hobby that the two of us can share. Maybe not slowly… it’s somewhat amazing how much tea you can buy when everything looks shiny and new.

Tea Rating system:

90 – 100: This is a tea I will always have on hand at work, and at home. I will leave it on altars as offerings of perfection.

80 – 89: This, or one of it’s close cousins, will likely be in my cabinet at home. When this tea runs out, I will buy more. I’ll always wonder if there is something better, but be too afraid to look to stray from home to find it.

70 – 79: Definitely good, but not a clear winner. I enjoy it, I’ll finish it, but I probably won’t buy it again until I’ve exhausted all other versions of this product from any reputable retailer. Though, it may enjoy a resurrection for custom blending.

60 – 69: This tea is okay, but definitely not something I’m going to brew again. I’m going to give what I have left away.

30 – 59: I didn’t finish drinking this tea. I actually poured it out, and went for something else. I’ll still give this tea away, but I’ll do it with a warning and a plead for forgiveness.

0 – 29: This tea is riding securely towards an iceberg at the helm of the failboat. I’ve taken this out of my tea tin, and laid it on a napkin as potpurri. I do not consider it fit for human consumption.

Location

Tacoma, Washington, United States

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