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Cameron B. drank Sakura Thé Blanc by Mariage Frères

4160 tasting notes

Hmm…

I’m just not a fan of this. The base tea is fine, but the flavoring is just too… something. It’s very candylike cherry, almost medicinal like a lozenge. It has a powdery sweet floral quality as well.

This tea is a few years old, so normally I would potentially toss the remainder. But the flavor still seems potent, and being a Mariage Frères tea, which are a bit of a pain to get here in the US, I think I’ll keep it around in my swap box where hopefully it can eventually make its way to someone who will enjoy it more.

Flavors: Candy, Cherry, Floral, Medicinal, Powdered Sugar, Sweet

Preparation

185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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3 comments

Courtney
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Oh dear, this one sounds intense. I have started a swap pile, but I can’t decide if I should compost things instead with not being super comfortable to go into the post. Sigh.

Cameron B.
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Since the majority of my teas are a few years old, I generally don’t keep them around for swap/TTB just because I don’t feel right sending people old teas. But yeah, the likelihood is this won’t be swapped anytime soon with the current circumstances…

Courtney
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Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too — as I wait around for things to calm down, the teas just get older and I feel bad to send them out! :(

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Comments

Courtney
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Oh dear, this one sounds intense. I have started a swap pile, but I can’t decide if I should compost things instead with not being super comfortable to go into the post. Sigh.

Cameron B.
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Courtney
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Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too — as I wait around for things to calm down, the teas just get older and I feel bad to send them out! :(

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, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 9
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 152

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.

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

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

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