4315 Tasting Notes
Sipdown! (27 | 40)
The oldest tea in my cupboard, circa November of 2018.
It’s nice, as Assam goes, with pronounced raisin and brown sugar notes and a rich flavor. I’m just not an Assam drinker, so that’s why this has been sitting around and gathering dust for nearly 6 years. Lately I haven’t been drinking a lot of plain black teas at all, but when I do, I’m always going to reach for a Chinese or Taiwanese variety.
But what a pretty tin!
Flavors: Acidic, Autumn Leaf Pile, Brisk, Brown Sugar, Caramelized Sugar, Dried Fruit, Fig, Malty, Raisins, Rich, Sweet, Tannic
Preparation
Sipdown! (26 | 39)
This is really nice cold-steeped with a bit of sweetener. It has a nice fresh raspberry flavor that goes so well with the tart hibiscus. The mint isn’t overpowering, just a supporting flavor adding a bit of sweetness and interest. Super refreshing for the beginnings of summer here in Austin.
Will definitely reorder this one next time, and possibly some of their other flavors too. I’ve been quite happy with Harney’s fruit tisanes, but I wish they offered a refill bag that was less than a pound ha ha. It feels wasteful to me to keep ordering tins…
Flavors: Fresh, Fruity, Hibiscus, Mint, Raspberry, Red Fruits, Sweet, Tart
Preparation
Sipdown! (25 | 38)
Another one from Lupicia. This is nice enough, but not even close to being as tasty as Jingle Bells. I think that one has some extra sparkling wine something something flavor though. The grape here is nice – juicy and sweet, like my favorite Japanese jelly pouches. I think I just don’t love it as much with a grassy green base. Luckily, I also still have Jingle Bells around here somewhere. :)
Flavors: Artificial, Candy, Dry Grass, Grapes, Grassy, Hay, Juicy, Sweet
Preparation
Sipdown! (24 | 37)
Finishing off this lovely tea from Lupicia. Such a great combination of sakura’s floral savoriness with a bit of sweet strawberry. Not too strong on either front, and no gross “cherry blossom” flavoring to be found.
A definite reorder, but I think I have succeeded in convincing myself that I can wait until next year, even though it’s available right now. XP
Flavors: Berry, Cherry, Cherry Blossom, Floral, Fruity, Light, Sakura, Salt, Savory, Smooth, Strawberry, Sweet
Preparation
Sipdown! (22 | 35)
An old favorite – both the black and green versions. This particular pouch was from 2019 (and my second-oldest tea), so I’m glad to have it finished off.
I think I might actually like the green version slightly more, because it’s on a nice sencha base (as opposed to a larger leaf, later harvest version) and the umami notes just pair so well with the savory rosemary and cherry. I don’t even like cherry flavoring, but it tastes so different here and I can’t help but love it.
Definitely on the reorder list, as I’m out of the black tea version as well!
Flavors: Cherry, Freshly Cut Grass, Herbaceous, Pepper, Rosemary, Savory, Tart, Umami, Vegetal
Preparation
Another botanical blend and more pretty artwork from Wild Coast Brew. This one is a black tea with elderberry, nettle, echinacea, and a bunch of other stuff.
I like it, but feel like Assam was the wrong choice for the base. To me, the strong and brisk flavor sort of bullies the other ingredients. I can taste the herbaceous nettle and just a touch of elderberry and oregano, but would love to taste more. The black tea is apparently a mix of Assam and Keemun, and I kind of wish they had left the Assam out… Smoother Chinese black teas go better with these sort of earthy herbal ingredients, in my opinion.
Anyway, we’ll see if my opinion changes as I sip through it!
Flavors: Brisk, Earthy, Elderberry, Grassy, Herbaceous, Herbs, Jam, Malty, Oregano, Savory, Tannic
Preparation
Sipdown! (30 | 33)
This one was just not a good candidate for cold-steeping, in my opinion. It came out bland and watery, just slightly sweet and a bit peachy.
I added some hibiscus to the second go-around, and it’s definitely better with the tartness giving some dimension. But still a bit on the bland side (other than the hibiscus) so not something I would order again. I only tend to cold steep fruit tisanes, so maybe it’s tasty hot, I dunno! :P
Flavors: Artificial, Peach, Sweet, Thin, Watery
Preparation
Sipdown! (19 | 32)
Finishing the little jar. This last cup had a lot of lemon slices, so it almost tastes like an Arnold Palmer ha ha. Not bad, just very lemony. I actually don’t love iced tea with lemon, so it’s not my thing. Still wondering where the pomegranate was in this blend…?
Flavors: Acidic, Astringent, Lemon, Tannic, Tart
Preparation
I thought this one might be a bit boring, since it’s essentially just a spin on a Moroccan mint tea. But I’m actually finding it really nice – it’s quite light in body since the green tea isn’t gunpowder, and the spearmint is not as overwhelming as I thought it might be. I also get a soft herbaceous/grassy note from the nettle and a touch of vegetal from the Chinese green tea. I think there is a slight earthiness from the ginger, but it’s very subtle.
Soft, light, and a bit soothing. I could see this being a nice evening tea, and since there is more nettle than green tea, I assume the caffeine is rather low. Maybe I’ll try it with a smidge of honey later tonight.
Flavors: Airy, Cooling, Earthy, Freshly Cut Grass, Herbaceous, Herbs, Light, Mineral, Mint, Smooth, Soft, Spearmint, Spring Water, Sweet, Vegetal
Preparation
Sipdown! (18 | 31)
Cold steeped. This was sort of a wildcard selection from Tealyra, it sounded so unusual and I do tend to like sea buckthorn (at least, in my limited experience). It actually ended up being possibly my favorite of the several fruit tisanes I chose.
The color is alarmingly yellow ha ha, and the flavor is tangy and tart, but not overly sour. The sea buckthorn is actually the main element to me – unsurprising, given the amount of peels present in the mix. I’m not sure how to describe the flavor of sea buckthorn really, other than to say it’s sweet and tart and almost like an intersection of citrus and some kind of tropical fruit? Needless to say, it pairs perfectly with the citrus here and is lovely as an iced tea.
Will definitely reorder this one next time!
Flavors: Citrus, Fruity, Juicy, Lime, Orange, Pineapple, Sea Buckthorn, Sweet, Tangy, Tart, Tropical
