1849 Tasting Notes
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 10
An evening tea. It should taste like Groningen goodies. Never been to this Dutch city, and actually not in the Netherlands overall, so no idea how it should be like.
I saw lots of almonds and some star anise and well it is nice to see two regions of black tea too. It’s well done blend — because it tasted like some kind of baked candy with loads of almonds. And I like almonds. And star anise is perfect pairing for that.
A repurchase considered.
Preparation
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 9
Last two days were quite busy. No tea, if I don’t count office tea on Friday. So, posting late, and drinking late too. All three I drank today, Day 11.
An afternoon tea. Maté, as a base for chai is an interesting twist. I had one whole cardamom pod and piece of ginger in my sachet. Well, actually it wasn’t bad, but a sadly too little spicy for me. I have been hoping for more spices; and maté is… maté. Not much to write about that. A bit like mineral green tea maybe? But I am buzzing with energy.
Also, please, can someone remove picture with, apparent black tea base. It’s one bad click and it stays here. Correct picture is more green. Thanks! Done
Preparation
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 8
This tea smells wonderful. I would bet it’s apple strudel. Anis being very strong too, but it’s not a spice for strudel! Baked apples aroma too.
Amazingly smooth in taste. Very strong taste of apple must (sweet cider). Not much of spices, though. Lovely tea base, but yep, a bit hidden behind all the apple.
A tea I would likely re-purchase from YDTC one day.
Preparation
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 7
My very first experience with loose leaf Lapacho. I had once bagged one, and it was so long ago, I don’t remember anything.
It’s a bark, right? Tastes like bark, right! The tree Handroanthus impetiginosus is beautiful when blooming.
But the tea, it says nothing to me. It was like sweet bark, somehow similar to brewing stick of cinnamon.
Steeped for long time as suggested (20 minutes). But I have been expecting something more I guess. No rating.
Preparation
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 6
Using quinoa in a tea blend is interesting and not my first experience with it. I remember that some B&B blend had it before.
Anyway, I feel that green rooibos would suit this tea better than green tea base. It’s standard hay-like green tea and quite a lot hidden between quinoa, whichtastes a bit like genmai and I didn’t had enough of cocoa beans in; so it was pretty much genmaicha, IMO. With quinoa instead of rice.
Preparation
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 5
Expectations: smoky tea, with some kind of spicy notes. Mulled wine? I am fine with that.
Reality: Mulled wine? Is Dutch mulled wine that different? Could be. But for me it was a mildly roasty tea with flavours of cookies and cookie dough. With spices and hazelnuts. Cinnamon mostly. Well, as a festive tea, I feel it is great. In this gray summer afternoon, it’s fine.
Flavors: Cinnamon, Cookie, Hazelnut
Preparation
Prepared western, 7 grams per 300 ml vessel, steeped for 5 minutes or so.
There is not many things that annoy me, but one of them are “funny” comments about my tea. For instance “You are having some awful smelling tea.”, or “Those weeds you call a tea?” and such. Today it was “You have some really strong tea today, right?”. I said nothing to this comment. Like coffee is refined drink, especialy when they use just pre-grinded coffee beans and fill the cup with hot water (not sure how this preparation method called in English).
So, I was drinking my really strong tea today afternoon, as again I was craving puerh somehow. I rarely get green teas as they don’t understand why I don’t want boiling water and of course, they use it for their coffee.
I got indeed a bit earthy, but not fishy, as AllanK says, indeed quite fermented. Following with sweet notes, quite like a dark caramel to me, with some notes of red berries and their seeds. Interesting flavour profile and I wonder how those flavours will develop during gongfu steeping one day.
Thank you Michelle and Rich for yet another shu puerh.
*they = my family members
Preparation
Haha, I get being minorly annoyed at comments about tea. When I walk into work with a glass jar full of cold-brewed green tea, without fail, at least a few people will say something about beer or pee. Glass jars of black tea usually elicit some comment about “drinking on the job” or “having a stiff one” as a reference to whiskey.
Edit: why I don’t want it => _why I don’t want boiling water. Sometimes thinking is faster than writing. In English.
Yeah, I’ve heard ‘em all at work—getting ribbed for bringing yellow tea (it was chamomile, for goodness sake) in a clear tumbler, "What’s that little baggie full of leaves on your desk?" and “It smells like shoes.”
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 4
Ah well. A great daily drinking oolong. Very creamy, smooth and “green” flavours. A bit vegetal, a bit seaweedy, but overall just enjoyable. If I would like something smooth and easydrinking, this can be it. But compared to other loose leaf oolongs, it is subpar tea.
Preparation
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 3
I had to do a little research about this tea. It seems it is not available anymore on YDTC website; but ingredients are listed on leaflet I got with the calendar (with preparation method for each tea). I found out that Timboektoe is Dutch spelling of city of Timbuktu, Mali. Mali, being african country, close to Morocco, means that it will be similar to Moroccan mint I suppose. There is a picture of Malian tea on Wiki, but with no details. Further search brought me results of minty green tea indeed.
But let’s see how it is. I did the research just afterwards, so when I was brewing it, I had no idea what to expect. Also, I checked the ingredients afterwards too.
Yes, it’s green tea which is mellow and grassy, with peppermint menthol flavour. It is pretty balanced, as I do notice both; but also it’s a little citrusy; and sweet. The aftertaste is very short though and overall it’s not much memorable tea.
Preparation
Martin’s birthday countdown AKA Your Daily Tea Cup Advent Calendar
Day 2
A plain white tea. I reach them very rarely. Usually they are very plain to me and without much to enjoy. This one is as well a bit crushed, so it is not much wonderful as in the picture.
I used roughly 80°C water, and steeped it for 3 minutes or so.
Well, it’s like that. Hay/meadow flavors, pretty much easydrinking, little honeyish/spicy aftertaste. The last I expect it’s from contamination from other lovely, but “breathing” linen bags I got teas in.
