100 Tasting Notes
How i got it: Bought It (Basilur’s “Leaf of Ceylon” Assorted Pack)
Experience: First 50 tasting notes, yay! hehe.. Well, it’s time for some Basilur teas, so i began trying this one. It smells like a mix between Ceylon and Darjeeling, with an acidic and light aroma. At the other hand, its flavor is mainly malty (i’d say even a bit more than an Assam), but with a good deal of richness and complexity. It has a particular soft-bitter touch at the beginning of the sip, which reminds me of Breakfast blends, along with some ripe grapes/blackberries notes. Its taste tends to fade a bit at the end of the sip, but not that much. Really interesting tea, and a good start for this pack. Quite good.
Would i buy it again?: Has good possiblities. I’m looking forward to try the loose-leaf version someday
How i got it: Bought It
Experience: New tea to advance in my project! I don’t know if was due to the association with the extreme temperatures, but i expected a tea from Kenya to have a darker color and to taste stronger, which wasn’t exactly the case. Its aroma is interestingly similar to a Yunnan’s, with spiced notes but without the smoked ones. Light taste, very well defined from the beginning of the sip, medium intensity, not very complex, with earthy-toasted notes at the end of the sip in addition to some hints of honey. I’d say this tea has more in common with a Nepal/Darjeeling than with an Assam or Ceylon. I’d have liked a bit more richness in its flavor too, but that’s a detail. Very good.
Would i buy it again?: I don’t know if i could include it between my favorites, but sure has a possibility. Maybe i need a couple more sips to get to appreciate it more. Time will tell.
How i got it: Tried it in a church’s outdoors trip
Experience: I only knew this tea from hearing, because Taragui is mainly famous for its mate, not exactly its teas. Anyway, i took the opportunity to try this tea and it went better than i thought. It doesn’t have a very evident aroma, but i could say that it is more on the classic Ceylon side, although not that complex. Its flavor follows that line too: simple but well defined and lasting, Ceylon-style taste. At the end, a not-so-great, but nice cup. Good enough.
Would i buy it?: This can be a competitor in the ‘everyday black’ category. It has potential, so maybe i could reach for one of these if need a change.
How i got it: Got it from my cousin (part of the “Assorted” Pack of Te Supremo)
Experience: The final tea of the ‘Assorted’ pack, i was keeping it for the last review because i had my expectations for it. Smooth but well defined aroma, the bergamot dominates the blend in this sense. So far, so good. In the taste part, however, the characteristic smoothness of Te Supremo ceylon teas doesn’t do very well. I missed more character, a bit more intensity and a better defined taste here. In addition, the bergamot flavor notes weren’t very clear, making the blend somehow plain. Not really bad, but i was expecting more. Average, maybe even a little lower than that.
Would i buy it?: Te Supremo released another Earl Grey as a part of a different collection. Maybe that one turns out better than this previous version. For now, the answer is ‘no’.
How i got it: One of my wife’s teas of choice, got some bags from her
Experience: This tea follows the steps of other Te Supremo varieties i’ve tried. Smooth aroma, but relatively well defined. It reminds me of a nuanced Dilmah’s English Afternoon in this respect. Soft to mild flavor, not very crisp or complex, but lasting and enjojable enough for an everyday black. I’d say this is one of the better teas of Te Supremo i’ve had. Slightly above average.
Would i buy it?: Maybe as an emergency replacement for my everyday Yellow Label, but the competition is tough, hehe
How i got it: Bought It
Experience: Once again, this is a brand new experience for me. This blend is different to what i have tasted until now, but the closest reference i can think of now is that this one falls halfway between a Darjeeling and a Yunnan tea. Really, very soft aroma similar to a nuanced Yunnan, less spiced and without smokiness. Very smooth taste too, took me a while to grasp it. I can sense fresh and flowery/fruity notes, almost grape-like to me, with some hints of muscatel. I do enjoy more intense teas better, but this one is good anyway. A good deal different, but good.
Would i buy it again?: Honestly, i don’t know. Maybe i need to get used to the taste, but while is good, i don’t think i can count it between my favorites. Worth the buy, in any case.
How i got it: Got a bag from my parents’ house
Experience: This seemed to me like a worthy candidate for the everyday category, and i think i wasn’t mistaken. Intense classic Ceylon aroma, and an equally intense flavor, maybe at the level of Lipton’s Royal Ceylon or Dilmah’s Supreme Ceylon. The only detail that takes points away from this tea is that it feels sometimes a bit plain to the taste. Just a bit more of richness could make it much better. That said, i have a fairly fine tea here. Oh, it have some astringency too, nothing unpleasant. Very good.
Would i buy it?: To the date, this is the closest match for my everyday Yellow Label. The possibility is clearly open.
How i got it: Got it from my cousin (part of the “Assorted” Pack of Te Supremo)
Experience: Along with its Apple and Cinnamon partner, this tea is one of the high points of this Te Supremo assorted pack. I’m surprised at the fact the tea and mint are relatively well balanced, something a bit unusual given the fact that mint is such a dominant taste in many blends. I can perceive both in this tea’s aroma and flavor, with a presence of the mint pronounced by the usual smoothness of Te Supremo ceylon teas in addition to its natural strength. Extra points for the quality of this essence, which tastes very similar to the real mint leaves, and which surpasses easily other mint flavorings i’ve tried, like the one in Lipton’s Clear Mint Green. Better than i thought.
Would i buy it?: I don’t know if this one has enough merits, but it could have a chance, at least. I like better the Tea with Apple and Cinnamon, tough, hehe.
How i got it: Got it from my cousin (part of the “Assorted” Pack of Te Supremo)
Experience: Well, let’s go back to this pack after that last break with Tea Connection. In short, i could say this tea is just the equivalent of its partner, Tea with Lemon Flavor, only this time having an orange-like flavoring instead of a lemon-like one. The experience is very similar: smooth aroma with orange candy notes and some presence of the tea; taste dominated by these notes with the tea more in the background. If only the orange flavor were more natural, i think i’d enjoy it more. Not that bad, but not that good either.
Would i buy it?: If i have to decide between this one and the lemon version, i would stay with the later. The answer would be ‘no’ this time.
How i got it: Tried it in the “Tea Connection” tea room (i bought a tin after that)
Experience: As you can imagine from the above line, this tea it’s very good. But before entering into details, let me tell you two things that surprised me about it. First, its unusual price (the equivalent of 10.5 dollars for 1.8 oz, twice the cost for the same quantity of a tea of La Teteria, for example), and second, its long steeping time (4 minutes recommended for a minimum, while the rest of my black teas are well brewed within 3 min). Those things already make this tea different, but talking about quality, it has its own merits too. This blend has a smooth, well defined aroma dominated by peach notes that shine for their freshness and authenticity, while its taste is leaded by this same ingredient, followed by a moderate presence of the tea and very slight hints of ginger. At the end, this is a tea that justifies the purchase. Really good.
Would i buy it again?: I’ll be more than happy if this tea were less expensive (hehe), but i do enjoy it enough for a second chance.
