296 Tasting Notes
Yet another sample from Roswell Strange!
I sometimes get a smooth, creamy caramel note from a few shou puerhs from time to time, so it seems like this is quite the fitting flavoring for this type of tea. There are large happy chunks of caramel in this blend that do make for some interesting sludge in my infuser of choice, but this tea is so delicious, that I don’t mind the cleanup.
The first steeping is so sweet and creamy. The caramel is definitely prominent here. the earthy and damp-mossy puerh was a background flavor to the sweet richness of the caramel. The earthiness of the puerh came out in the second steep. Man, this is a really good tea! It is perfect for those who are trying puerh for the first time, or have had it in the past and though that it just was not for them. Thanks Ros! This was a great sample. It’s really cheap for 50g on their website, so I may just need to grab a some to fill my sweet tooth every once in awhile.
Thanks, Roswell Strange for the sample!
Okay, I admit, I am one of those people who do a lot of Googling. I feel like my search engine and I have a very good relationship, she tells me everything I need to know. Google know more about me than anyone, it’ll bet.
So today I turn to my search bar, because, what the hell is a Saskatoon berry? is that even a thing??
Yes. Yes it is.
According to google, it is a fruit that is native to western Canada and was a main source of food for the Native Americans in the ye old times. Nowadays, there are pick-you-own type farms that grow bushes of the stuff. Huh.
I cold brewed this tea for about 10 or so hours, and I have to say, it’s pretty nicely berry flavored. The hibiscus gives it a tart and thick mouthfeel, while I am getting blackberries and blueberries, I am not totally sure what the Saskatoon berry is supposed to taste like, but I am getting a hint of Marionberry or huckleberry that may be from that. it’s a bit like drinking jam, which is a little strange for me. I don’t think I would drink this alone, but I bet it would be killer in a smoothie.
I sent you this one ‘cause I really wanted to share something local; I actually like in Saskatoon – and the city is named after the berry; they’re so popular here! They’re a bit like a cross between blueberries and cranberries.
From the Herbal TTB!
There was a tiny bit left of this tea in a tiny little tin, and it smelled quite enticing to me. So I cold brewed it overnight to take to work today.
I made the mistake of just letting it chillax in my mason jar without a strainer and of course, I slept in this morning and was running late. I was about to put the lid on the jar and go when I noticed that I had left the leaves inside. I managed to successfully transfer the leaves and the tea into another mason jar, this time with a strainer attached. Triumphantly, I was satisfied with my successfully leaf straining skills, i walked to the trash can to dump out the leaves.
So I may have failed to mention that I was doing all of this in the dark, and it was 5AM. I did not see that my big dumb Malamute was lying down in front of the trash. Not only did I trip on him, but all the leaves fell out of the strainer basket on right on top of him.
So here I am, late for work and picking tea chunks off my dog in the dark. This tea better be good.
Luckily, it did hit the spot. I didn’t get a much hibiscus or mint in this brew, considering it was a small amount of leftovers, so the color was a light pink. I was surprised to see carrot pieces in the mix, I wonder what they do for a blend. Eh, either way, I was pleased by the light grapefruit notes and the pink lemonade feel to it. I may be persuaded to purchase this, as long as there is not an abundance of hibiscus or eucalyptus.
Flavors: Citrus, Grapefruit
haha, it was dark and the whole strainer fell on him in one perfect heap. It was very difficult getting it off this super long coat. I am still picking some out of him!
Another sample from Rowell Strange!
I am not usually one for roasted oolong, I am always willing to give them a second chance. This is a Dan Cong, so it’s an easy roasted oolong to like. So! Without further ado, I slung this into my yixing and got to it!
The first two steeps tasted a bit like the Saskatoon Berry sample that was right next to it. By the third steep, it had completely gone away. The berry flavor simply complimented the roasted stone fruit and honey notes I got from the actual tea. By steep five, most of the natural fruit ha gone and I was left with the toasty flavor of barley or brown rice. The leaves were pretty resilient, there was not bitterness at all, even when I left the tea in the pot for like, 7 minutes longer than I had intended. It tasted good throughout, the texture was thinner than the thick soupy mouthfeel I typically get from greener oolong, but I thoroughly liked spending time with it anyway.
Not something I would chose for myself, which is exactly how I like it. Surprises are good! And I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this tea. Thanks Ros!
Flavors: Honey, Stonefruit, Toasted Rice
From the Herbal TTB!
Okay. If there is anything I dislike in the world of tea, it’s the three combinations of things about this tea. 1) it’s a Rooibos 2) it has actual chocolate pieces in it and 3) it’s from Teavana.
And yet.
I am a freak for white chocolate peppermint bark. I scared my family during my visit on Thanksgiving by eating disgusting amounts of it. Like a pound. By myself. And although this tea does not seem to have any physical mint in it, I gulp liked it.
I can’t actually taste the Rooibos in this. Which is fine, whatever. I overleafed on purpose and ignored the film on top. This is like drinking liquid peppermint bark, but without the calories and shame.
I think I may have to hang on to this one for a bit.
Flavors: Mint, Sweet, White Chocolate
Preparation
I split this one with Nicole during Min River’s closing sale. Which is too bad too, because this is one of the better Jin Jun Mei’s I have tried. And that is saying something. I have had a great deal of this type of tea, and it is still my favorite Chinese black. Nothing can beat it’s teeny curly leaves. The golden fuzzies and the deep chocolately brown dry leaf gives me a hint to what is is store for me: I am smelling sweet potato fries and lightly toasted multigrain bread.
The subsequent steepings are so nice and silky. The thick soup is a glowing golden brown. There are a lot of floating fuzzies chillen in my cha hai. I kinda like that. It appeases my hangover quite nicely. I used a strainer on top and had a nice glob of them clinging to the bottom.
As to the taste, well, you know how it goes. Malty and rich with bread crusts and milk chocolate richness and crunchy shoestring sweet potatoes. Typical of this type of tea and atypically delicious.
Flavors: Bread, Chocolate, Malt, Sweet Potatoes
CURSE YOU INTERWEBS! I was looking at this note to see where the company was from, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. Like it had been eaten by the levatious tasting note gods. Le sigh I am so lucky I write my notes on my computer and then post them. … usually.
First of my swap with Roswell! this was the first tea I dug into, because it was late and I all I wanted was some dessert. I have given Rooibos a bad rap in the past, and I think I needed to give it another chance.
This was a good second chance! The nutty honey Rooibos was accentuated by the other goodies inside. Or rather, I should say that the goodies were accentuated by the Rooibos. It was as crème Brulee as it could be. Silky, Creamy, and vanilla bean-y. As much as my chefs at culinary school made me want to hate this dessert… shouting in a French accent in my ear about how I am not using the right temperature to temper my egg yolks and cream… I go ahem apeshit for that delicious dessert.
Yay for swaps! when I got the package last night, I squealed at the stickers and promptly stuck r2d2 on my dog’s forehead. Man, Ros, I demand a re-do! If only a purple glitter monkey lamp would fit in a bubble mailer….
Flavors: Cream, Vanilla
Preparation
A really nice tuo!
I drank this one at work, and it was very nice to me :P the first couple steeps were really spicy and earthy, like gingersnap cookies and wet soil. After those first initial steepings, it mellowed out to a nice smooth and earthy brew. It definitely looked like a stout in my glass. The tiny chopped leaves were like espresso beans.
A great portable tea! 10/10 would buy again :)
Flavors: Smooth, Spices, Wet Earth
Is this Shu or Sheng? The picture seems like Sheng and the description says raw, but the actual Tuo Cha smells Shu and is very dark/red.
The picture does look like a sheng. But I have to say that it’s a shou. It looks like a shou, it brews like a shou, it tastes like a shou. Hopefully it’s just a typo on their site.
Man, I think this is the last sample from my Tea at Sea order. There were a good amount of lovely teas, but I don’t know if I would really place another order. Their best tea only comes in 5g sample packets. Ah well, I am glad to have sampled this Company’s teas!
So, this tea. It smells nicely floral on the dry leaf. It was a little bitter on the steeping, but I think that boils down to my brewing method. It was slightly sweet, slighty buttery and slightly grassy. Boy a green that bowls me over. A lovely cup to enjoy on a slow day at work.