3986 Tasting Notes

78

Sipdown! (3 | 76)

Despite butterscotch being one of my favorite flavors, I found this one just a little disappointing?

I think it’s because I don’t really taste the rice much, if at all. The rooibos base and the strong flavoring are just overpowering it, I think. So it ends up being sort of a one-note butterscotch rooibos tisane. And don’t get me wrong, it’s still perfectly tasty, but I guess I was hoping for a bit more?

I had ordered a 50g bag of this, but that order still hasn’t moved from the UK and it’s been over six weeks now. So mostly likely it’ll need to be replaced and I’m sure they don’t have any of this one left by now. Oh well.

Flavors: Butter, Butterscotch, Caramel, Rooibos, Smooth, Sweet, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
tea-sipper

oh no, I hope B&B fixes your order for you!

Cameron B.

I’m sure they will! I had the same issue with a previous order around the holiday season, and they ended up replacing it and adding freebie samples! :)

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70
drank Relax by Bird & Blend Tea Co.
3986 tasting notes

Sipdown! (2 | 75)

Okay B&B, this one is pretty lame.

It’s supposed to be a white tea but mostly it just tastes like chamomile with a hint of citrus. And maybe I get the linden as well?

Anyway, this is quite boring. And also I don’t understand the thought behind adding chamomile and valerian to a non-herbal tea… Especially when I can’t taste the tea here anyway.

Flavors: Citrus, Floral, Hay, Herbaceous, Lemon, Musty, Sweet

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Martin Bednář

If something, this works at least as a placebo effect to relax indeed. But taste-wise, it’s indeed lame.

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78

Sipdown! (1 | 74)

Yay, first sipdown of February! ❤

This month was a bit of a bust for the Bird & Blend subscription, but this was my favorite of the three teas. It’s a lemon-ginger tisane, but the lemon is so nice and strong, with a good balance of sweet and tart. The rosehip helps bring out the zing of the lemon, and the lemon myrtle adds a nice soft herbal note. I mostly taste the ginger at the end of the sip, where is adds a nice spicy warmth and tickles my throat a little bit.

It’s tasty! Very enjoyable zippy lemon tisane for the evening. I’m glad at least one of these teas spoke to me!

Flavors: Candy, Ginger, Herbaceous, Lemon, Rosehips, Sweet, Tart

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
AJRimmer

It looks like their February box has some pancake teas, and I’m slightly considering subscribing for just one month to get them.

Cameron B.

I got an email yesterday that they’re revamping their subscription system starting in March, and adding stuff like skipping/pausing and adding other teas to save on shipping.

Martin Bednář

That newsletter made me happy yesterday Cameron B., certainly a good idea to able pause it, adding tea, or just simple shipping date.

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88

Sipdown! (74)

Oh no, I’m almost out of jasmine samples from Teavivre! Hopefully the jasmine teas in my stash are still decent, because I’ve been enjoying sipping on these in the evening…

This is lovely as usual – sweet, creamy jasmine with some lovely light peach notes over a smooth and mineral, slightly vegetal base. The creaminess is really quite lovely – it tastes as though some milk has been added to my cup. Very slight pleasant astringency at the end that reminds me of a peach’s fuzzy skin.

Quite scrumptious. I’m not sure I would be able to distinguish it from their other jasmine pearls… Maybe sometime in the future I’ll have to order a sample of each and do a tasting. Although really, if there’s no noticeable difference I should just order the cheapest ones I suppose! :P

Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Creamy, Floral, Grass, Jasmine, Milk, Mineral, Peach, Smooth, Sweet, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 5 g 16 OZ / 473 ML

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65
drank Daintree by T2
3986 tasting notes

Sipdown! (73)

This came from Courtney, I believe by way of VariaTEA.

So I tried this straight the first time around, and it’s just not my thing. A bit generic with malt and metallic notes. Only a slight bitterness with a short steep time, and a tiny bit of astringency. It’s not bad by any means, and someone who likes more standard breakfast-type or builder’s blends would probably enjoy it. I don’t happen to be that person, so it’s just okay for me.

So for my second pot, I pulled out a little baby creamer jug that was at the back of one of the cupboard, and sipped this tea with milk. It’s not something I often do, but it made it quite fun and tea party-like, which I really enjoyed. I didn’t go so far as to add sugar, because the thought actually grossed me out a bit. (And yet it doesn’t in lattes? Clearly I make no sense…)

So thanks, ladies, for the fun lazy Sunday morning tea time! :)

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Grain, Malt, Metallic, Tannic

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
VariaTEA

So many sipdowns! Well done!

Also this wasn’t my thing either. Thank goodness for Courtney having different tastes then us which meant finding someone to enjoy this!

Cameron B.

They’re almost all tiny sipdowns, but thanks. ;)

VariaTEA

A lot of mine are smaller samples too but they still count.

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72

Sipdown! (72)

I felt like opening one of my Harney samples yesterday and this happened to be the one that sounded best at the time. And the little packets make about two pots of tea for me, so I’m finishing it off tonight!

This one is just okay. I wish the flavoring was stronger, as I mostly taste the base tea with just a hint of cranberry. I don’t really get orange at all. The base here is quite earthy and woody but smooth and pleasant enough.

So all-in-all, it’s a decent tea, but nothing great. It’s too bad, as I love cranberry and it would be nice to have a yummy cranberry black tea.

Flavors: Cranberry, Dried Fruit, Earth, Smooth, Tart, Wood

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

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72

Sipdown! (71)

Another one from Courtney!

This is a fairly tasty one. I love dark fruit-flavored black teas, especially with blueberry. And this has a nice dark, syrupy-sweet berry flavor to it with a lot of rich jamminess.

I will say, the blackcurrant is definitely the strongest one here and it comes off a little bit candylike? It reminds me of these powdery sort of cassis candies that I’ve tried before. I do enjoy blackcurrant, but I find it nicer when there’s some tartness to it, like in blackcurrant jam.

So I wish there was more blueberry and blackberry here. But still enjoyable! Still searching for the perfect blueberry black tea… ;)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKrbLFpAQO2/

Flavors: Black Currant, Blueberry, Candy, Earth, Jam, Powdered Sugar, Sweet, Wood

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

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72

Sipdown! (70)

I admit to being a bit nonplussed by some of the super low ratings for this tea.

It’s not my favorite from Teavivre and it does taste a bit like a Ceylon which is interesting. It’s like a Ceylon with a bit of an earthy undercurrent that brings it back to China. Somewhat astringent on the tail end which is also unusual for a Chinese black tea. There’s a touch of bread in there somewhere as well. I’m also getting a note that reminds me of fennel or anise?

It’s certainly not their best tea in my opinion, but it’s still high quality and perfectly tasty tea. :)

Flavors: Anise, Astringent, Bread, Earth, Fennel, Floral, Malt, Smooth, Tannic

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 16 OZ / 473 ML

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68

Sipdown! (69)

I think I’m ready to give up on this one.

I’ve tried it several times, because it’s so highly rated and so many people seem to love it so I always felt like I should give it another chance because I was missing something.

But really, I just find it bland. The base is somewhat earthy and woody, which is fine, but then there’s not much else here? I get a hint of marzipan and a light powdery taste. Not sure if that’s meant to be floral or berry or what?

Oh well. More for everyone else! ;) And thanks to Courtney for the share!

ETA: I am getting some buttery biscuit in the aftertaste as it cools more. But I want MOAR!

Flavors: Almond, Butter, Cookie, Earth, Marzipan, Musty, Smooth, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Courtney

Aww, but that’s okay! We can’t all love every tea. :)

gmathis

I’ll love this one in your place so you can move on ;)

Courtney

Agreed gmathis :)

Cameron B.

Ha ha, thank you! ;)

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70

Sipdown! (68)

Since I wasn’t keen on the thought of sipping down all of these turmeric blends, I thought I would experiment with cold-brewing one of them to use it up more quickly.

And actually, it’s not bad! The turmeric is fairly mellow and I’m getting a nice cucumber-esque note, I assume from the moringa? I was feeling overfull after polishing off a slice of French Silk pie from Thanksgiving that I had defrosted. And it’s always nice to have something not sweet and a bit “healthy” tasting when you feel that way…

I’m not sure this tactic will work for some of the other turmeric blends (namely the black pepper one) but it’s certainly an improvement on this tisane! Very refreshing.

Flavors: Cucumber, Earth, Ginger, Spices

Preparation
Iced 15 g 34 OZ / 1000 ML
Courtney

Cucumber sounds awesome, actually!

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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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