Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank Thé des Impératrices by Compagnie & Co (formerly Compagnie Coloniale)

4158 tasting notes

One of several teas I ordered when I purchased their advent calendar!

This one is pretty lovely. The dry smell is so over-the-top delicious juicy raspberry jelly with a tinge of amaretto. Unfortunately the flavor is not quite as upfront when it’s steeped up, but maybe that’s a good thing ha ha. It’s a lovely decadent, sweet swirl of marzipan-esque almond notes (technically it’s pistachio, but they taste the same to me as flavorings) and sweet, concentrated raspberry jelly or pâte de fruit. Worth noting that the first time I tried this, I steeped for my usual 3 minutes and felt like the black tea overwhelmed the flavors, and I find it much better at 2 minutes. Still tasting plenty of black tea, but can taste the yummy raspberry and pistachio much better.

I admit, I don’t often love marzipan sort of notes in tea, but here when it’s more restrained and alongside the yummy raspberry flavor, I’m loving it. And would definitely recommend this one for almond lovers. I can’t wait to try the advent! :)

Flavors: Almond, Berry, Fruity, Jam, Marzipan, Nuts, Pistachio, Raspberry, Smooth, Sweet

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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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: 7
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 150

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