1430 Tasting Notes

29 teas to go and I caved hard. Currently now on a massive oolong buying spree from any place that carries oolong. Thank you, tax returns.

Anyways, this was yet another giant tin I excavated from the back of the cupboard. It’s probably one of the best rediscoveries, and definitely the only tea I own that I’m grateful to have an abundance of (over 4oz).

Even though I should know better by now, I’m still surprised how much complexity the first sip yields. Tiger Assam is like a particularly dynamic red wine (even when diluted in milk)- it’s also like red wine in that it tastes of grapes and stuff, and drinking it goes to my head in a way that is delightful to me and an annoyance for everyone else in the near vicinity. People don’t judge me as harshly for drinking it though, which is another perk.

Flavors: Caramel, Malt, Oak, Raisins, Red Wine, Sweet Potatoes

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Sil

nice work! go go 29!

Evol Ving Ness

But 29! Wow. At this point, only in my dreams

Crowkettle

I’m now down to 26 but I must tell you I only got to this number through years of self-hate. It’s not worth it, Steepsterites.

Also, it’s not going to last. I now have at least 34 oolong (I feel this isn’t enough) on route to me from all over the world, which I will of course share with Sil because I know how much she loves that kind of tea.

Sil

hahaha omg 34! that WAS a crazy ass order(s)!

Crowkettle

Yeah.. I may have gone overboard a tad. Even in sample sizes they’re not the cheapest of teas :/

Evol Ving Ness

Shopping like a tea lover! Go you!
We feel ya.

Evol Ving Ness

Clearly, the result of the all the self-restraint.

Sil

maybe i’ll catch up to you in numbers! haha

Crowkettle

In total, I have 60 teas on their way (almost all sample sizes), so once they’re all here I’ll probably surpass you.

I was doing so well.

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78
drank Golden Phoenix by Silk Road
1430 tasting notes

Oh, man— How this tea takes me was back! Golden Phoenix was one of my first notes on Steepster. I initially thought it was a “green oolong” tea (labelled semi-green), and I had one hell of a time trying to politely convey how strange and off-putting I found it.

Then a couple years back I stumbled upon it again when Bear with Me pointed it out as a favourite “puerh” tea in store. That was a big “Oh” moment.

Now I can drink this with a (somewhat) greater point of reference and can actually say that it’s a pretty decent puerh blend. The citrus cinnamon is still a flavour rollercoaster but the “strange” earthy sweetness that confused younger me is now appreciated.

I could see myself craving this more around the fall/winter transition. It’s warm and soothing with a great contrast between action (cinnamon, citrus zest) and rest (fermented puerh, earth). Now the tea name makes sense!

Flavors: Cinnamon, Earth, Orange, Petrichor, Salt, Sugar

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72

This tastes a lot like amaretto. I tend to steep this in the evening, forget about it by my bedside table, then drink it cold the next morning. It’s good that way.

Bear With Me recommended this to me ages ago, and it’s pretty tasty when I’m not drowning in rooibos apathy.

Flavors: Almond, Cherry, Strawberry, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Plunkybug

I like this one too. I got it from Bear With Me too, as a sample to see if I liked Janet’s rooibos…he thought I would, as he feels it is better than David’s rooibos. I like the Rainbow and Plum the best, but I am ok with a few other varieties from her (and others).

Crowkettle

If I have to grab a cup of rooibos, I definitely prefer Janet’s blends to the ones from David’s. I agree with Rainbow and Plum being my favourites too :) Didn’t Janet discontinue the Plum though?

Plunkybug

I still have a fair bit of plum left…both really, but I did get extra plum when she mentioned it being discontinued. It’s been a while since I was in last. I remember she was changing suppliers, and was in the middle of that, so I’ve no idea what offerings she has now. I hope to get back there one day soon.

Crowkettle

I still have practically all my plum left too. Maybe a Vic visit is in the future (even if just for Silk Road/Jaga Silk).

Plunkybug

Yes! Let me know!

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88

This dates back to the “new” 52tea’s kickstarter campaign.

The Greater Vancouver region refuses to commit fully to spring weather, so I’ve chosen to ignore it and make a cold brew in sheer spite. It’s also “let go of your hoardings” week in my community and I’ve hoarded two big packs of this, so..

24hrs later: Lime Jello Salad makes a great cold brew and lives up to its name. The combination of marshmallow root and pineapple flavouring somehow make a very convincing creamy lime dessert. I may possibly like this rendition more than the original 52teas but they’re pretty similar!

Flavors: Lime, Marshmallow, Pineapple, Powdered Sugar

VariaTEA

I would never have paid any attention to this but you make it sound quite delicious :)

Crowkettle

Yes, this is a solid dessert tea, especially if you’re a fan of marshmallow root and citrus. :)

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85

Nabbed some of this tea while house sitting for my aunt.

Swept up in my mission to drink all the strange and wonderful (rooibos) specimens in my increasingly limited cupboard, I’d forgotten the simple pleasures that are gleamed from a nice cup of Cream Grey. The more pots I consumed (and it was pots) the more I realized that I’d been committing a personal tea blasphemy by going without Cream Grey. These last few years have been hollow.

I’m not sure if David’s has the best Cream of Earl Grey but it will definitely do for the time being. I’ve been super apathetic about tea lately, and I clearly need to go back to the basics for a bit.

Flavors: Bergamot, Cream, Tart, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Cindy

This is my hubby’s favourite cuppa and I quite like it as well.

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This little sample has lived in my cupboard for a long time now.

Steeped hot at the recommended 95C, it’s everything I don’t like in mango/tropical fruit teas. Something about the combination of tea and mangoes makes my tongue jump to fruity cardboard dirt. I’ve also never been a fan of this type of oolong base.

I’ll try the last of my sample in a cold brew and hope that makes a difference!

Flavors: Cardboard, Mango, Roasted

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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drank Butterbeer by 52teas
1430 tasting notes

This is the original 52teas blend and it has aged considerably.

Essentially tastes like a root beer float mixed with stale malt. Needless to say, this is not the glorious tea my memory claims it to be. Oh, well.

Part of me wants to steep this in whip cream or melted ice cream. I should probably dump it and get rid of the temptation..

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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87

This strange blend has been my go to cup for the last week or two. The house is undergoing some major renos, and I’m pretty sure this, along with a few other teas, are what has kept me sane.

It’s somewhat dry, medicinal, and grassy, which I find pleasantly unpleasant. It also tastes of sunscreen beach days and toasty pineapples, which is simply pleasant.

The word “detox” generally has me roll my eyes, and I’m not sure the flavour profile would please the majority of people, but Blue Detox still made my repurchase list!

Flavors: Earth, Flowers, Grass, Mint, Pineapple

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 15 sec
gmathis

It’s unusual to see a healthy/detox blend that doesn’t lead with lemony, minty stuff. Sounds kind of tasty…

Crowkettle

Agreed, although, this doesn’t deviate from that formula very much— there is a bit of mint but pineapple is a nice change from lemon!

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Marzipan with vegetal green tea. My main hangup is the actual tea doesn’t have a lot of heft in the face of that marzipan flavour. My mind keeps wanting to add salt to turn the dessert nuts into savoury ones (but it would possibly also turn the veggies into seaweed)!

Oh, well. There’s still a lot to enjoy about this one. It won’t be hard to drink the rest of the sampler tin up! Will play around with the temperature next time.

Flavors: Grass, Marzipan, Vegetal

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 1 min, 30 sec

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87

My aunt brought me back three Kusmi teas from Paris, and she said this is her favourite one. I was pretty skeptical, because my one prior encounter with Kusmi wasn’t that awesome and “detox” is in the name, but I should’ve had a little more faith.

I’m currently addicted to this tea. I haven’t even tried the other two gift teas; I just keep making pots and pots. It’s the tropical pineapple tea I never knew I wanted.

The choice of bases (unknown green tea (37%), mate (17%), rooibos), creates an incredibly earthy backdrop. The mint accentuates the pineapple flavouring and the mate in a lovely way- I’ve always been a big fan of sweet, fresh mate blends though.

This also contains sunflower petals, nettle leaves, guarana seed, and rosehip seeds; I’m less familiar with most of those ingredients but they seem to have worked out well here.

I’m only worried that it’s possible to drink too much nettle tea (no clue how much is actually in here)!

Flavors: Earth, Floral, Grass, Mint, Nutty, Pineapple, Spices, Wood

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 30 sec

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Profile

Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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