1301 Tasting Notes
Sipdown number 13! I am fond of this tea, but I think I like the original version better. The green tea doesn’t add a whole lot of flavor complexity, so I’d rather skip the caffeine. The herbal base is beautifully grassy on its own. I’m hoping to restock the original soon.
Sipdown number 12 is a 2014 Eight Immortals Wulong courtesy of Phi. It’s rocky but also weirdly sweet and honeyed. Basically it tastes like an Oriental Beauty oolong with strong mineral overtones. Pretty different from any other rock oolongs I’ve tried. It’s intriguing.
Sipdown number 11!
This is an indulgent blend. The cream and brandy notes hit up front while the base tea adds a slight driness. The apple flavor comes to the fore as the tea cools. This actually reminds me of AQTT’s Caramel Baked Apple Oolong, which I also like a lot. The apple note was prominent in the second steep here. I added manuka honey for sweetness in the second steep but overdid it a bit so the tea also tasted like manuka, which played nicely with the apple and brandy and worked out well.
Sipdown number 10! Thanks to Phi for sharing this with me.
I have no idea what dragonfruit tastes like, so this tea tastes like a berry medley to me. The flavor is tart and sweet, the rooibos is woodsy, and the overall effect is cheerful. It’s a solid evening cuppa. I wouldn’t turn it down but I’m not in love with it either.
Sipdown! I believe this came to me by way of MissB. Thanks!
This is really interesting. As soon as hot water hits the teabag, the water turns neon yellow. After a few seconds, tendrils of red start to trail out of the bag. It’s pretty fun to watch! The flavor is hard to place. It’s savory and saffrony. As it cools, a licorice note comes out. This would be an awesome base for a broth or to cook rice in.
My Hannukah countdown sipdown might be more effective if I were actually, you know, counting. I may not have immediately grasped the heart of the whole advent concept…
According to Steepster, this is my 6th sipdown of the month. It’s now Dec. 10. So I just need to get 4 more sipdowns in to catch up. Eep.
Admittedly, I always brewed this at work in less than ideal conditions so I can’t speak to its potential. My experience of it was decidedly adequate. It’s good but fairly generic. Roasty aroma, roasty flavor, amber brew. Three solid steeps – four if you overleaf a bit.
This. Is. EXCEPTIONAL. Somehow the second steep is even better than the first. My guess is that the base tea is inherently buttery. The flavoring is soft cinnamon and cream. It’s maybe more sweet potato than squash but entirely delicious. I love how the flavor is robust and delicate at the same time – it’s substantial but not cloying or overly sweet or artificial. I’m glad that this has held up so well!
Sipdown! I’m two days behind on the Hannukah sipdown countdown, but I haven’t given up.
This blend tastes exactly like banana nut bread. It does. But… it’s got that heavy sweetness that certain DT, Teavana, and T2 blends have, where it’s hot and sweet and flavorful but doesn’t taste anything like actual tea or any traditional tisanes. It’s a pleasant brew but my tastes have mostly shifted away from this.
