2038 Tasting Notes

75

Good morning everyone. Today, we will start with green tea, which should be a good choice because based on the name. I was not able to find it on B&B website, so no picture of loose leaf.

I prepared a tea (two tsp), water, thermometer and a glass cup. Boiled water, spilled it into a a cup – thermometer in. Wait few minutes, water is 80 °C – tea in. And then the magic starts. Do you thought this is a green tea, so it should be green or yellow? Wrong! As I was!

I mean, the tea start turning blue, violet and those weird colours. Check a quick pic I did: https://ibb.co/6rwP6KL It is really interesting colour, when all dust settled down, it really looks like some magical potion. A mana potion maybe :D? Well, a blue pea flower is in (and not in ingredients here, because it is not in the list)

Weird, but colour should not change a taste or scents. It just looks like hypermangan.

Let´s smell. Yep, lemons. Little fruitiness, but I am not sure about raspberries. No green tea base in aroma.

Taste. Here it is said that you eat (drink) even with your eyes. Maybe something is true on this statement. I mean, it is really hard to don´t think about the visual. It is quite buttery, but not bitter. A lemon notes are there too, but I do not think they are so strong as I expected. And somewhere in background I feel a raspberry, but rather just a raspberry seeds. There are as well grassy notes of the green tea base.

In conclusion, it is very interesting tea and I think I can recomment it, maybe mostly because of the colour. I understand not everbody is fan of it but for me it makes me laugh, and tea itself is not really bad.

Flavors: Butter, Grass, Lemon, Raspberry

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 300 ML

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88

I took a whole Flap Jack (about 7 grams). 10 seconds rinse. 20 seconds first steep.

It looks quite weak. But maybe it is because it is not broken yet, it reminds me bit wet soil. But in taste it is still smooth and nice. Let´s see in next ones.

Next steep was little longer. I think maybe, 25 seconds. Creamy, sweet, as well thick. How weird. But I like it. Apparently tea starts to break, so it is starts to be more full of flavour. I think I like the most on this tea is price point. It is quite cheap, while it is flavourful, creamy and thick. Even 3rd steep is like that. I thought it won´ t be so full of flavour, but it is. And it is towards of sweet notes. Which I like, because I don´t like much those earthy flavours.

I still think there is cocoa in taste.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 7 g 85 OZ / 2513 ML
ashmanra

Someone here (mrmopar, perhaps?) recommended rinsing and then letting the tuo rest for ten or more minutes to saturate, to get the flavor going faster, if you wish. But sometimes there isn’t time for that, or we want it to take a little longer!

mrmopar

Sometimes on highly compressed teas a wait time after the rinse seems to work. Up to 10 minutes sometimes.

Martin Bednář

thank you for idea mrmopar

mrmopar

Hopefully it will change the session.

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75

Okay, unexpectably gong-fu; 5 grams / 85 ml. A new tea cup used (thanks SaltyTeabag from r/tea IRC)!

The cup is maybe bit too big; but I do not mind actually.
It smells bit smoky with jam notes. As derk said; it is a red fruits jam. Little malty and woody. Maybe the tea as it is opened changed a flavour a little. I think it is bit tastier; it reminds me as well some English breakfast blends. I wanted something simple this morning (it is 8.25 am when writing this line).
1st steep was 15 seconds long and it was just perfect. No astringency but fruitiness, maltiness. As good black tea should be. I like it much more prepared this way.
2nd was 20 seconds. I think it does not change much, maybe it is just little less smoky. I just want to finish whole thermos of water. I feel it is bit drying now, but I don´t mind. I feel bit numb. Maybe because of morning?

Inched rating up. So far for 8 “points”.

3rd.
I noticed that I have not described colour. Well, unfortunately the cup is not glass, so it is bit hard to describe, but it looks like (when pouring) like a golden-copper colour. As expected from black tea I guess. Another 15 seconds. I think it is just allright; malty notes dominate the flavour, not much juicy.

Preparation
5 g 3 OZ / 85 ML
derk

This reminds me, I need to send you a post-exams care package!

Martin Bednář

derk, my exams are going to start soon. I know I wrote a lot that I am taking exams, but now the real s..t starts.

derk

I understand :) You got this.

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90

Okay. First tea from my Swiss friend. Thank you Fabiana! Not just only for teas.

They suggest 5-8 minutes. I wonder how much I will actually do. I do not want to care about it :). Maybe I will let it steep all the time.

Maybe I overleafed it. It seems that my biggest strainer is full and there is no space for expanding the leaves. Nevermind. Dry leaf aroma was so nice. I can not make any notes of it, it was so herbal, but with sweet notes as well. I am not really sure what I was smelling.

It started to turn red. Deep, clear red colour. Really vibrant red colour. It started to be more strawberry based, I think about forest strawberries. But it smells weirdly a bit as well. I am not really sure if my nose is not making a fun of me. But I notice aroma like a Brie cheese. Completely odd! It is not a bad thing, but; you know, you do not expect it in herbal – fruit tea. But the base is forest. Forest strawberries. Those small, red things that you eat to make your stomach thing that you ate something.

Flavour profile.
Yep, strawberries again. But it is not artificial. It is also bit refreshing due to peppermint. Maybe when iced it will be nice. Actually I expected it more herbal, but it is more fruity. The herbal is such a nice blend as well. It is not overpowering the strawberries, but certainly not unnoticed.

PS: Rating can be biased now, because I am bit regretting that we had just so little time together and I already miss her.

Flavors: Herbs, Strawberry

Preparation
Boiling 7 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 10 OZ / 300 ML
ashmanra

Did the brie come through as taste or as aroma only? Interesting note!

Kittenna

Sounds like a really interesting tea. Strawberries and mint? I’m also curious about the brie aroma you picked up.

Martin Bednář

ashmanra – brie was only in aroma. I think it is kinda strange to smell something like that.
Kittena – well, mint and strawberries go together quite well. I like this combo.

ashmanra

I will have to buy some brie soon and pay special attention to the aroma so I can see if I have ever picked it up in a tea! That is a very neat aroma to find. I love cheese. I mean, I LOVE cheese.

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75

Oh well.
Long days with Swiss friend, few teas drunk, but without any notes. But that tea in tea room in Kutná Hora was great, but bit overleafed for my tooth. It was green tea from Burma.

Anyway, now I unfortunately have to drink something alone, as… okay she is still in Prague in this time. She gave me three different loose leaf teas (I will write about them later) and one box. This one is from that box and well it sounds nice, you know?
The ingredients list is long as a lecture week. But I took it out and I found out it smells nice! Quite fruity with spiciness of cardamom and ginger. As well it smells quite like an oranges.

Let´s find out how it is hot. I did recommended 5 minutes steep. Apparently, there are big pieces of Maté and other herbs I am not able to recognize, maybe I see even a lemongrass. The colour is lowly turning to the red-brown.
There is a quote on the tag: “Liebe wird immer siegen – Love will win, always”. I think it is quite nice quote.

Yeah, the aroma is strongly cranberry and I tink a bit of raspberry, but it is not inside. Maybe a combo between cranberry and hibiscus is making similar aroma? The colour is orange, bit cloudy.

As this is called tasting note, so some tastes: yeah, cranberries are dominating. Hibiscus making it tart. Actually it tastes quite watery; I expected much more “body”. Evenmore when there should be black tea in. I did not notice it at all in taste. It is bit earthy as well, I think because lots of herbs.
Overall it is quite nice, I like it is not sweet at all, rather bit tart. Let´s see if it give me a positive energy :D

ashmanra

I like that quote, also!

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68
drank Evening by Higher Living
2038 tasting notes

8 pm; time for Evening tea.

Today should be more productive day. But it was not. Whatever. Exam period starts next week. I have one exam in Friday though. Physics; but I guess it will be quite okay. We have formulas available, so I just need to re-check theory.

This tea would not be amazing, based on basic aroma. Chamomile dominates with little notes of balm I think. Maybe it is lavender too. First tea bag I had (I had two, now gone) were way more of lavender in scents.

Guys – I was wrong! Lavender is way more strong in taste and overwhelms the boring (and yuck) chamomile. Lime tree; Lemon balm, Lavender. Those are overpowering the chamomile and I like it – so much. Lavender is making it quite smooth, lime tree relaxing, lemon balm bit sour.

I forgot about visual part; it is clear golden liquor with little dusty on bottom.

Overall it is nice blend with calming notes. I feel maybe even bit drowsy, but it is 9 pm.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 45 sec 11 OZ / 330 ML
haptiK

You paint a lovely picture Martin.

Kittenna

Mmm, lavender.

Mastress Alita

I normally can’t stand chamomile-heavy sleepy teas, but this one actually sounds palatable, thanks to the lavender taking over from the chamomile and it being citrus-forward as well. Sounds nice, actually!

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92

Another cake tea today.
Apparently I had this tea so often that I have last steep in pouch. Little sad, as I apparently enjoyed it a lot. NOw I had even troubles to fill strainer with tea. So certainly not overleafed.

Anyway, after again, 4-5 minutes steep the colour turned into nice copper-golden. I should buy a new strainer, as this one can not be closed properly and one cocoa nib and little of something else went out. Otherwise it is quite clear.

Aromas are strong and vivid. I notice sour cherry, general fruits, all covered in cocoa sponge cake with cream on top. Yeah – certainly it smells like that.

The taste. Well, aromas as it is known, are way more easier to describe. In taste it is still quite well, also quite strong with sour cherry, way less cake flavours (drinking hot though). There is little creamy sourness which I really like.

I am sad that this tea is going to be discontinued, but it seems was quite for long time up. Maybe I will find another similar tea I will like.

Flavors: Cake, Cherry, Cocoa, Pleasantly Sour

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 300 ML

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80

This weird weekend is finally over.
Just picked fairly random again, okay, not so random. And as I remember this quite alcoholic, despite not alcohol is in, it as matter of 2 minutes of decision. 4min30seconds steep. And Kittenna tasting note was another reason to try it again.

Dark red-brown colour, maybe bit like bricks. Smell is amazing, banana chips combined with cinnamon. Caramel or toffee (what is actually the difference?) notes are there today too!

In taste it is much less woody than last time. Alcohol and banana combined with cinnamon flavours is great hit. Or it tastes like wood kegged alcohol.

I really like the smoothness of this tea. In taste it looks it will be harsh, but instead it is smooth. Little of vanilla flavours now, with few last sips.
From kettle on to last sip – 50 minutes.

Flavors: Alcohol, Caramel, Cinnamon, Rum, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec

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85

Finally I slept for more than few naps.

Thursday was completely weird day for me. I get another panic attacks and I think I found out the cause. Worst thing I can not do anything with it I guess.

I woke up at 6 am, going to University with starting panic attack. I knew it. I was with therapist in Tuesday and it was good! But this Thursday… I was at Uni till 3 pm, then going home, after that going for new haircut. After new haircut I have to leave my hometown agian to go to part-time job. Inventory check in clothes shop. It was okay, but I haven´t slept much. Then being in 6 am Friday at home, I have to finish one assigment due in Friday noon. I made it well, I can go to exam now! But the panic attack is going stronger and stronger. And all of it because my nieces and nephew coming over for weekend (10, 7, 5 years). Whyyy?

Prepared this tea as random choice by my hand. I don´t care which tea to drink, as long it is hot and good. This was not bad. So, I am looking forward.

I steeped it for 4 minutes maybe, result is dark brown (I have a mug though) – clear, liquor.

The aroma is strongly lemony with little notes of mint. Taste is similar, the lemon taste is kinda overpowering the black tea base. But I do not mind, because as result it is nice. It is also very smooth, which I appreciate especially today.

Have better days than I did.

ashmanra

I read recently that getting dehydrated can make anxiety a lot worse. I am trying to drink a lot more water to see if that helps. I hope you get some relief from it.

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40

This is really meh.

I steeped it for suggested time It turned out to dirty, brown, opaque liquor. It smells quite nice, spicy chocolate with sweet notes. Lots of (probably licorice) dust settles on bottom after few minutes.

But when it comes to taste. It is really bad. I mean, it is not somehow bad as spoiled, or just funky notes. But on first sip it is nice bitter cooca, little spiciness from chilli and then it hits! A super sweet aftertaste. Probably caused with licorice. And cinnamon. And Bourbon Vanilla. Yes, all of those are in, besides another “bitter” spices.

I have little troubles finishing the cup honestly :/

A tongue-tingling infusion? I am sorry Higher-Living, but nope. No tingling, rather heartburn. And going sweet every sip I make (so I suppose the dust is licorice). Sorry everybody who were looking for nice tea review. This is not it. So far my worst rating here.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 14 OZ / 400 ML

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Bio

I am drinking almost everything. Tea bag collector who moved to wonderful world of loose leaf.

Trying to rate differently tea bags and loose leaf as tea bags have usually worse quality.

Photographer now and then. Postcrossing and geocaching member. Very curious person. Logistics student (should finish in June 2021).

Buried in tea right now. Is in my cupboard (trying to be updated) which sparkled your interest? Write me, I would gladly share with you. But I don’t want anything in return now :)

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