1847 Tasting Notes
This tea is in quite a big pouch I have from derk — thank you!
And it is labeled quite simply: Unknown Black
Those are shiny, black, inch-long twig-like leaves. I never saw so shiny loose leaf before I guess? Certainly not the highest grade, but they look so pretty.
Anyway, I went for two teaspoons per my 300 ml mug, as usual. It was steeping rather quickly, so I have decided to take it out after only two minutes of steeping, and I got a wonderful baked bread aroma and taste. It was as well malty, but somewhere in the middle. Same with red grapes flavour a bit. Some faint astringency as an aftertaste.
Honestly, I am very impressed of this tea both visual and taste alike. I wonder what it is, but I am afraid I will never find out. But even that is a trip of tea-lover.
I gave AJRimmer that much I had just a little remaining and I am puzzled why I haven’t sent it all. Maybe I wanted to give this tea a second try?
So, it is a SIPDOWN, which are always great; but I have received my December subscription so new 3 teas in my cupboard and one favourite ordered, and three new tea bags from postcrossing, so in total 7 new teas, while I just finished one. Oh well.
Anyway… Toffee Chai: was very rooibos-y today, with sweet toffee. I haven’t noticed much chai notes, just a hints of cinnamon and that’s all. Truth is, there weren’t any cardamom pods nor cocoa nibs in the tea bag I used for brewing. Shame, but it’s my fault :)
I won’t change the rating. It’s above average I guess.
I get my brother teakruthi’s sample pack for Christmas and he decided to brew a tea for a whole family, so I consider myself lucky trying this tea too. I have tried several teakruthi’s teas 3 years ago and honestly I am surprised how they have developed. I am not fan of vedas or ayurveda and things like that; so I am just taking this tea for taste/aroma/overall rating.
I was working almost all day on my statistics paper, which have to be finished before January 4th, but I have to study for exams (two!) in the very same time, so I am a bit sad it is not done yet.
But this tea should have calming abilities, well it contains lavender and linden, so it would hopefully slow down my heartrate too. Luckily, today just one minor panic attack. Whew.
Ohh, such smooth texture. Some mild refreshing menthol. Quite easydrinking; the base isn’t much present though. Lavender isn’t too floral, which is a bit dismal for me, as I prefer it to mint.
A nice blend liked by all the family.
Flavors: Floral, Mint, Smooth
Preparation
Another tea bag, again from Izzy. Thank you!
The beauty of the soul is constant, continous and enless. says quote on tag.
I probably never had kombucha before. Mostly because it’s hard to find here in stores and while I finally found one, it was 2 litre bottle; which is something I didn’t wanted to throw away that much. And then, I found smaller cans, each 330 ml, but pricey.
The tea bag had lemony smell. It was pretty nice and far from dish soap. That was a nice surpise.
Even in taste, it’s lightly lemony and mostly passion fruit. I don’t get any sourness or flavours expected for kombucha, yeasty and such. If I didn’t knew it is actually kombucha, I would call it a green tea with passion fruit/lemon flavour. It is smooth and enjoyable and I am pretty happy with it. I think I noticed even a bit of sparkling :)
Flavors: Lemon, Passion Fruit
Preparation
Hmmm. since kombucha is a fermented beverage, I can’t imagine how that could be translated into a tea bag. Even though I try to drink the real thing, brewed kombucha, a few times a month for health benefits, it tastes awful, like bubbly vinegar. Glad to hear your experience was pleasant, Martin.
I am as well surprised it was quite good. Maybe far from actual kombucha. But it was pleasant :)
A tea bag from Izzy, thank you!
Apparently, my third tasting note of this tea. Always with year difference.
Pretty much common black tea, mellow and hints of tannic; but missing bready or other interesting flavours. It’s okay.
Flavors: Tannic
Preparation
Probably last tea I haven’t tried, from two boxes I received earlier, from derk. Thank you! I am having another headache. Had a several panic attack earlier this day. I really like to see my brother and his family, but they are so big triggers :(
The tea… I took 5 grams and brewed gongfu; and I still have lots of to try different methods. The chunk is big so I let it absorb the humidity after 10 seconds rinse, which I decided to drink.
Dry aroma should smell like mint and mushrooms and well I think I get it. Bit of forest floor is there too. Anyway, the rinse is thick in taste and somehow without much taste. No astringency though; rather bit on the sweet side.
The chunk dissolved itself. Great!
1st steep; 15 seconds.
I have to agree with derk, in aroma it is rather floral; but in taste it jumps to vegetal, smooth and hints of mint. Not sure about the mushrooms, but to be honest I know mostly Boletus sp. mushrooms and that calls mushroom taste to me. The brew is very thick, which musty mint aftertaste. A bit of osmanthus in this steep too.
2nd steep; 20 seconds.
Yep; some astringency with vegetal and mushroomy notes. Musty somehow, but not a bad thing.
3rd steep; 25 seconds.
That’s not astringency how I would expect it. But not a fan of it. Is it that mushroomy taste? It’s as well quite herbaceous.
4th steep; 30 seconds.
Ah, finally, a taste profile I prefer. Lightly astringent sheng. Herbal and vegetal.
5th steep; 35 seconds.
I am agreeing with tperez now. It gets more honeyed. Not mushroomy. Light astringency.
6th steep; somewhere around 40 seconds.
Honestly, hoped for more forest profile but it didn’t deliver. I wonder if I have different expectation of forest than derk have. Not even my preferred profile today.
Flavors: Astringent, Forest Floor, Herbaceous, Mint, Mushrooms, Musty, Vegetal
Preparation
I’m sorry you’ve had panic attacks and now a headache. I can understand and sympathize and I hope this tea can help you to feel better!
I hope you are feeling better!
Ah, Martin. I am an introvert and understand panic attacks, especially when one has to be social. Just remember that the visit is not forever, your having to be ‘on’ is not forever, and this, too, shall pass.
I hope you’re feeling better. Seeing family during the holidays can be both a curse and a blessing.
I slept quite well and it’s better; as well finally after a long time, it’s sunny. I have to stay at home doing some statistics; but feel much better overall.
This tea I received from Izzy in our first swap? Thanks. Anyway use by 5-2021 is quite soon. And rhubarb tea was something to enjoy today I guess.
Nope. I got only hibiscus flavoured tea and as it was white instead of classic red; it wasn’t even tart. It was pretty much meh; no rhubarb, though it should be in, and not in small amount.
Just nothing from expected flavour profile. I wonder if it is because it’s old, or it wasn’t flavourful at all.
Flavors: Hibiscus
Preparation
Another tea from postcrossing, same envelope as Thin mints tea. I don’t recall drinking eggnog ever in my life. And I don’t really think I miss it.
Anyway, this is certainly a festive blend, as many of you were/are drinking it during the holidays.
But my impressions about this tea? Well, it is a bit weird in aroma when dry, same as Thin Mints; I guess it is only because I am not familiar with those flavours.
Taste was very thick, vanilla-like, creamy and eggnog like I think. Maybe a bit unpleasant and boozy.
Overall, it was a nice experience, but again, I won’t need this in my cupboard.
Flavors: Alcohol, Creamy, Eggnog, Vanilla
Preparation
By the way you describe the taste of the tea, I think they really made a true to the real taste tea! I´m not a fan of eggnog either, in last year´s advent calender I had a blend named like that and I left it last for that reason ;-)
I think you are right, it is pretty well made Eggnog flavoured tea. It was nice, but not my favourite taste.
I’ve never had eggnog either, Martin!
I’m also not an eggnog fan. I love the spices, but the texture doesn’t agree with me.
Happy to hear I am not the only one who don’t like/didn’t had eggonog :)
A tea I have received just before holidays from postcrossing, postcard link here: https://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/US-7096930
I don’t know why, but it seems a bit festive for me. Scouts don’t sell here any snacks, so at least a little chance to get know again something known to me just from movies and series. Although I am pairing it with the chocolate I wrote about a few days back (Thortons Mint Crunch), this is a liquid.
Of course, I had a mint chocolate before. As for me, I prefer chocolate plain. Nuts causes toothaches often to me and other things added I never was very fan of (though Studentská pečeť (Student’s Seal) have a special place in my heart)
The dry bag had kind of weird aroma. The mint was strong and then there was something less pleasant. Like a some musty cocoa? I decided to brew it anyway, as I just wanted to have my day tea quota.
Steeped for suggested 4 minutes; with almost boiling water. It’s quite creamy with menthol twist; and luckily not that strong. Not sure about the cocoa… chocolate, or what should Thin Mints be like. Are there some filling, biscuit or something? I don’t know! Are they baked by scouts themselves?
The tea from Bigelow is tasty though. Not a tea I would really need to have in my cupboard, but certainly a nice experience. The chocolate wins though, as it isn’t that cloying as the tea. I blame the chicory with licorice is making the swallow bit cloying.
Flavors: Chocolate, Cocoa, Mint
Preparation
Bigelow also did a chocolate/coconut spinoff of a Girl Scout cookie (Samoas) that was far too chemical tasting for my liking—disappointing, because I love the cookies!
Chicory is not an ingredient that would cause the taste to be cloying. Chicory has been used, in the past, as a coffee substitute and in New Orleans, certain brands of coffee are still part chicory. I bet it’s that Devil Licorice that’s doing it.
And Thin Mints. There are Girls Scout cookies by that name but there is also a choclate that used to be considered a digestif-an ‘after dinner mint.’ You could say, for lack of a better description, that they are candy. A miniscule layer of mint sandwiched between two thin layers of dark, semisweet chocolate. https://www.amazon.com/Andes-Creme-Menthe-Mints-120-Count/dp/B0015A2W32/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=thin+mint+candy&qid=1608931497&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFLTUFCNk5CQTlTQzAmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0OTYxODIxTDNPTkFXWTU1WDFMJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1MTA2MjQyWUUzSlZKUE4wQkhNJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
gmathis: what a shame; I would prefer chocolate/coconut cookies too.
White Antlers: Ah yeah, I think I get the concept. It reminds me a bit After Eight chocolate. I guess it will be pretty much same. Yep, chicory won’t be cloying, but licorice is, very probably.
chicory is the root and endives are the leaves of the same plant, and proud to say this is a typical Belgian product. I remember my grandfather having chicory infusion (instead of coffee indeed…I think we call it the poor man´s coffee, although times have changed and access to coffee as well). The drink is dry and bitter and I reckon it needs a while to get used to ;-) But I agree with White Antlers, it shouldn´t cause the taste to be cloying, rather the opposite as described above. Licorice can and will be, however.
Yep, I think I confused chicory for something else :) It was quite popular here too.
Getting any information about this tea is, as usual from MlesnA, quite a hard work. I found out that one Czech company carries it in FBOP loose leaf quality, I got a tea bag from Izzy (Thank you!) and there is nothing on MlesnA website.
Its foilwrapiing is thin and I cut it throuth which grinds my gears. And some, rather quick, search of “Sabaragamuwa” teas didn’t deliver much results too. I found one blend from this province in higher quality by Czech merchant; and two blends are available from Upton Tea Imports. It is probably sold under other name which remains as a mystery to me.
This tea I selected mostly because I was quite craving for plain black/green tea. This one sounded pretty well and I never heard “Sabaragamuwa” before. Nothing even on Steepster.
Honestly, it wasn’t that great. Yes, it was plain black tea, but somehow standard Ceylon, bit heavier in tannic profile instead of light teas; maybe hints of sweetness which were caramel-like. But it wasn’t sweet. It was bold and enjoyable, but there wasn’t anything what would say “wow” to me. If I would order black tea somewhere in restaurant, it would be a good tea, but my taste buds are saying it was mediocre even for a tea bag.
Flavors: Caramel, Tannic
Preparation
Martin I bought a sample of this from Upton earlier this year because I found the name of the region intriguing. Yes, silly reason for purchasing. I am in total agreement with your tasting note. It’s not a ‘bad’ tea; it’s just a strong, standard and forgettable Ceylon tea.
@Martin – Sabaragamuwa is Sri Lankan province primarily known for its gem/mining industry – I believe it’s also the largest province. The teas are typically considered more low grown, but because of the especially rich soil conditions and high rainfall the flavours of (most) teas from the region are fairly different from other low grown Ceylon Tea. A lot of people describe the flavour as being like honey or caramel, but some of my favourite teas from the region have all had this sort of “graham cracker” like note. You might possibly be familiar with “Adam’s Peak” as it’s a semi-common name for teas from that area (similar to Lover’s Leap or Margaret’s Hope) – Adam’s Peak is split between Sabaragamuwa and the Central Province (Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya, specifically).
Roswell Strange: Thank you for your vast reply. So, it seems it does deliver qualities which are expected. I am certainly familiar with Lover’s Leap (see here: https://steepster.com/Martin-CZE/posts/387394) which was actually more citrusy instead. Maybe. I don’t recall that tea much. It is from my first 100 tasting notes for sure. My taste improved a lot since then.
I need to make another order there to retry those teas. And maybe picking some others. I think I ordered from them because cheap shipping? Anyway — they certainly have interesting sample packaging.
I am glad to write those tasting notes of different tea regions to learn what affects tea in which ways. I am grateful that you wrote “that much” about it.
Aw :( such a shame this tea wasn’t a great one. Sorry, Martin! Also, I can try to save a nicely cut wrapper for you if you want to collect this one?
I would be only glad if you keep opening the wrappers in nice way :) I think it is kind of good cooperation, you send me back wrappers of teas you have ttied and I send you actual tea :D
Maybe I have been expecting just a little more from it; and not all teas are winners.
