3986 Tasting Notes

70

Thésaurus Tea Fandom Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

This one sounds interesting, with tulsi, bamboo, and pineapple, among other things.

In practice though, I pretty much just taste tulsi, and maybe a little bit of chamomile. Not that it’s bad, I actually love tulsi so I’m quite enjoying it, but it definitely doesn’t fit the description or ingredients list.

Flavors: Chamomile, Herbaceous, Mint, Pollen, Smooth, Sweet, Tulsi

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
gmathis

Tulsi is pretty strong—don’t know that I’ve ever had a tulsi blend where it was possible to taste the “blend.”

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70

Sipology Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

I used to be excited by the prospect of a cranberry tea, but in my experience they very rarely taste like cranberry specifically, more like generic red fruit or just hibiscus.

This one is a bit more cherry-like to me, though there is a nice tartness to it. Overall it tastes a bit bland, with a woody rooibos base and a mild tart red fruit flavor over the top.

It’s not bad, just needs a bit more oomph in my opinion.

Flavors: Cherry, Hibiscus, Medicinal, Red Fruits, Rooibos, Tart, Woody

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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82

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 11

Hojichaaaaaa! :D

The second of Obubu’s kuki-hojicha, this one has larger stems than Tsugumi, though they are both from the same harvest. Tsugumi seems more like the veins of the leaves and smaller auxiliary stems, while this one is the hardier ones.

Delicious and nutty, with quite a deep toasty flavor. There’s a touch of smokiness as well, though it’s not quite as strong as a campfire. More of a charcoal, mineral smoke than a savory one. There is a soft sweetness to it, and toasty coffee notes. In fact, it is reminding me quite a bit of coffee.

So cozy and nice for the cooler weather. Loving this DIY advent! :3

Flavors: Charcoal, Coffee, Dry Grass, Mineral, Nuts, Roasted, Smoke, Straw, Toasty, Wood

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 0 sec 5 g 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Tea at the White House Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

Straight up orange oil. Even the description mentions “essential oil of fresh oranges” lol.

I like essential oils as fragrance, but I feel like the citrus ones in particular just make tea taste like a cleaning product to me. They’re too sharp and just… I don’t know how to describe it, but I don’t like it ha ha.

There’s a touch of chocolate flavor, but mostly this tastes like Goo Gone smells to me.

Flavors: Artificial, Chemical, Chocolate, Citrus, Citrus Zest, Orange, Orange Zest

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 6 OZ / 177 ML

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65

Compagnie & Co Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

Boring! XD

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a perfectly pleasant Darjeeling (second flush, seems like). But I just can’t get excited about an unflavored tea in an advent calendar from a company that mostly specializes in flavored teas. Personally, I tend to buy my unflavored teas from different companies than my flavored ones.

Anyway, it’s smooth and somewhat bready with a noticeable hay note to it. A bit of underlying grapeyness as well. Slightly astringent on the backend, but nothing major.

Flavors: Astringent, Bread, Dry Grass, Grain, Grape Skin, Hay, Smooth

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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78

Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

Ooh, this is one of theirs that I really wanted to try! The crisp pear scent is very promising.

It’s definitely very crisp in flavor as well, perhaps a bit too much so. I feel like it makes it taste a bit artificial and also starts to lean into astringency. I might be crazy, but I taste banana here in addition to the pear? Or I should say, something is reminding me of banana.

It’s quite good overall, with a strong pear flavor and fairly smooth matcha base. It may have been my imagination, but I felt like the matcha here looked greener than some of the others? Maybe because it has no additional ground ingredients. I don’t think I would go order a whole tin of this, but I’m enjoying what I have of it.

Flavors: Artificial, Astringent, Banana, Crisp, Fruity, Grassy, Pear, Smooth, Sweet

Preparation
Iced 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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78

Tea at the White House Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

So I thought this was going to be your run-of-the-mill mulled wine sort of fruit tisane, because it has hibiscus and spices and apple.

However, it actually veers more toward the fresh and tangy side, as I mostly taste the apple, orange, and hibiscus, and very little of the spices. A pleasant surprise as I enjoyed this much more than the more spiced versions.

Flavors: Apple, Citrus, Hibiscus, Orange, Red Fruits, Tart

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 8 min or more 6 OZ / 177 ML

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Sipology Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

Oh, boy. Ha ha, so this is pretty much one of the worst tea combinations I could think of… At least there’s no stevia. XD

Thankfully, the almond here isn’t super strong. I’m still not a fan, just because the amaretto combined with the rooibos comes off very medicinal to me, similar to cherry and rooibos. But I am thankful that it’s restrained enough to be drinkable. :P

Flavors: Almond, Amaretto, Cherry, Marzipan, Medicinal, Rooibos, Sweet, Woody

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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85

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 10

Not gonna lie, I ate some pickled okra right before this, and the briny taste is lingering at the back of my throat and making it difficult to taste this tea ha ha… ^^’

This is an unshaded spring sencha. I never remember which of Obubu’s sencha is which, as they have so many and for some of them, the only difference is the cultivar. This is saemidori apparently, not that that means anything to me in terms of the flavor ha ha.

Since it’s not shaded, the flavor remains somewhat light but still smooth and rich. It’s quite mineral (makes sense given the name) with notes of cruciferous vegetables, specifically kale and broccoli. The texture is silky but not heavy, and there’s an underlying umami note that lingers into the finish. Definitely on the savory side, without much sweetness to it at all. Tiny touch of balancing bitterness near the end of the sip.

Really a lovely everyday kind of sencha, with classic flavors but perhaps a touch more refined. I think this might be one of their more expensive ones? I always get my teas through their subscription, so I don’t have a good grasp on the shop pricing he he. :P

Flavors: Broccoli, Clean, Earthy, Freshly Cut Grass, Grassy, Kale, Mineral, Savory, Silky, Smooth, Spring Water, Umami, Vegetable Broth, Vegetal

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 0 min, 45 sec 5 g 7 OZ / 200 ML

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78
drank Cookie Cat by Thésaurus Tea
3986 tasting notes

Thésaurus Tea Fandom Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

Ooh, a Steven Universe tea! :D

This is quite nice – it’s mostly a chocolate and peppermint tea, but I almost feel like I’m getting a hint of some kind of fruit? The description is not informative, ha ha. As chocolate and peppermint go, it’s tasty. The chocolate flavor isn’t over-the-top artificial, and the peppermint is balanced and doesn’t take over the blend. The hint of strawberry (maybe?) makes it interesting as well.

I enjoyed it, though I don’t think I would rush out to order it. Also I remember the cookie cat being more of a vanilla/strawberry looking ice cream sandwich, so not sure where the peppermint came from? Not that it matters, just interesting. :P

Flavors: Artificial, Chocolate, Jam, Peppermint, Smooth, Strawberry, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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