501 Tasting Notes
I have managed to sip down most of the packet, and I enjoy the second steep better than the first. There is an astringent note that creeps in as it cools, so it’s best drunk early in the day and slurped quickly. I’ll probably add this to an order just because it’s a strong black tea Maybe I should read some Joyce?
This smallish packet is from one of my first orders from Maya tea, so its pretty old! I am traveling with a group to Newfoundland (and its my third trip here but I just learned its pronounced like Disneyland not NEWfundland) and a fellow traveler has a cough. What a good time to break this out and ponder a Maya order because of a sale. This tea is a bit to medicinal for my taste, there are plenty of other teas available that have echinacea that don’t taste like potpourri, so I wouldn’t want to purchase this one again.
Oh, and the icebergs are amazing!
Flavors: Bitter, Grassy, Medicinal
What tea is good for a grief filled heart? I picked this one from the wall of tea in Ft Collins. It’s good one. I’m on the second steeping and it’s still chocolatey and rich. Not too complex, but a very good example of Keemun.
My cousin passed away yesterday after a lengthy hospital stay fighting cancer and pneumonia. She was 53. Life is short. Hug your peeps and drink the good tea.
I always like stopping at this tea house. Highly recommend the atmosphere and people.
Flavors: Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Nutty, Smooth
Consider yourself hugged long distance. It sounds like you’ve picked a good cup to hold in your hands while you remember your cousin.
I may have overleafed the last of my small pack, but there is an astringent taste after the blueberry, lemon, and ginger that is a bit too harsh for my liking. I like the idea of this tea more than the actual tea.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Blueberry, Ginger, Lemon
Sweet tart apple and earthy puerh, they don’t seem to mix but somehow this works. Bright crispy apple is the dominant note and this would make an excellent iced tea. There is also a bite of mate in the aftertaste, and somewhere deep underneath is puerh. A good blend to offer to someone who is on the puerh fence. Not my favorite blend from OTBC but I might need another tin of this.
Flavors: Bitter, Citrus, Green Apple, Sweet
Subscription box tea. This is certainly suffering from a comparison in my mind to Banana bread coffee puerh, but this new coffee blend from OBTC is too heavy on the coffee part. The cinnamon dulls the coffee bitterness a bit, but I’m not a big fan of this tea. I’ll try some add ins to sip down the small tin.
Flavors: Bitter, Cinnamon, Coffee, Savory
I had returned from a work trip and stopped at Central Market, the local HEB version of Whole Foods and wandered through the bulk tea section. I have enough tea, but the Rishi sleepy tea and this one jumped out at me. Might as well buy more tea before the prices go up, right? One of the reviews says this is a tummy tamer, I’m not sure I’d waste this tea on a rumbly tummy, I have other shou and mint for that. And I wouldn’t call this a traditional chai either. But it is quite yummy and drinkable, chocolate mint vanilla with some licorice for sweetness. The chocolate and vanilla are the most prominent and reminds me a bit of Savoy’s chocolate vanilla mate, but it’s mint instead of mate. I might need more of this in my cupboard.
Flavors: Chocolate, Cinnamon, Mint, Vanilla
Subscription box tea! I’m not sure about this one, it certainly tastes like vanilla cake, but it’s a fake flavor that my tastebuds think is just ok. It might be suffering from a comparison to my favorite vanilla tea from San Fran herb. I will say that adding a scoop of collagen made this creamy, but I don’t normally drink my tea with add ins, so I don’t think this is a keeper in my cupboard.
Flavors: Creamy, Sweet, Vanilla
Today’s matcha madness is between two teas I don’t like very much, waffle sauce (too weak) and this beet chai that overwhelms the beet sweetness with cardamom and clove. It does turn pink, but other than that it doesn’t have much going for it. Licorice or ginger could have rounded out the flavor profile, but I might just flip a coin for my vote today.
Flavors: Beetroot, Cardamom, Clove
I tried “Ulysses” years ago and put it down. He made me work way too hard.
Hmmm the unabridged version of Ulysses is 30 hrs long in audiobook form. Yikes!
I think Dubliners is a lot more accessible than Ulysses. It’s much shorter, too.