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Cameron B. drank Emerald Isles by Harney & Sons

4161 tasting notes

“An Ode to Tea” Alphabet Challenge – E

So this is from my rather large Harney order near the end of last year. Don’t ask my why I thought it was wise to buy five tins of teas that I’d never tried before… (facepalm)

Anyway. This is a citrus and spearmint green tea. Honestly, it’s a bit bland? I’m not sure if I didn’t use enough leaf or what, but I’m not getting a lot of citrus. More like a hint of grapefruit and that’s about it. The spearmint is definitely there, but still quite mild.

So really, I’m just getting a mildly spearmint-y generic green tea. It’s not an unpleasant base, I assume it’s a sencha by the look, and it does have that dry grassy flavor to it. Needless to say, not very impressive. Well, I have plenty of leaf to try it again, ha ha…

Flavors: Citrus, Dry Grass, Grass, Smooth, Spearmint

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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3 comments

gmathis
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Iced tea season is upon us…you can use it up in great big wads that way.

Tiffany :)
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gmathis I was coming here to write the same thing :)

Cameron B.
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I’m not much of an iced tea drinker, but maybe I’ll try it out after I finish off my Kusmi spearmint green tea.

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Comments

gmathis
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Iced tea season is upon us…you can use it up in great big wads that way.

Tiffany :)
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gmathis I was coming here to write the same thing :)

Cameron B.
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I’m not much of an iced tea drinker, but maybe I’ll try it out after I finish off my Kusmi spearmint green tea.

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: 13
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 156

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