371 Tasting Notes

90

I finally had this tea properly brewed and was very happy with the results. The mentholness is just hinted at in the smell and is nowhere in the taste. Instead there is quite a bit of floral coming through that hadn’t before. I don’t know if this is a result of scooping out a different amount of jasmine pearls or what, but me likey. The Cancer Fighting Lavender is still my favorite, but I’ve bumped this one up from a 75. NE

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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82
drank Almond Biscotti by Teavana
371 tasting notes

I was uber-excited to receive the swap package that Jessica had sent to me. I’d only requested one tea and wanted to be surprised by the rest. When I saw this particular tea this was my reaction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeqZpbuZlqI

Only I’m nowhere as awesome or talented as Simon Pegg. Why was I so excited? Well, it’s one of Ewa’s favorites and I’ve also never had a Teavana tea before. Double-curiosity killed two cats?

It’s really quite nummy! I’d probably rate it a lot higher and put it on my shopping list if I hadn’t had Leland Tea Co’s Bogart. This is like an almost-realized version of Bogart. This is still super-almondy-cinnamony-yummy, but without the snickerdoodle oomph. I’m thoroughly enjoying my first cup and can’t wait for the second. Ultimately it gets two thumbs up from me, but I won’t be purchasing more. Thank you so much Jessica for letting me try this! NE

ETA: bumped up the rating by 2 points due to super-yummy aftertaste.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
mpierce87

Sounds like I’ll have to add Bogart to my shopping list!

Ewa

Yep, same for me. Like Almond Biscotti only more? sounds YUM.

Rabs

Bogart’s sooo yummy. I looked Bogart up again and was surprised to see that it’s hazelnuts and not almonds since I’m typically a bigger almond fan than hazelnut fan. Both are NOM! but yeah, I think that Bogart’s more aggressive with the nom-factor. :)

-Jessica-

Glad you liked it! ;-)

Rabs

Me too! I’m looking forward to having another pot :) I’m also looking forward to having more of your samples — I’ve been a little less adventurous as of late, but that’s gotta change!

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70
drank Petrushka by Kusmi Tea
371 tasting notes

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act V scene 1

Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides:
Who cover faults, at last shame them derides.
King Lear, Act I scene 1

I chose not to look up this tea’s ingredients when I pulled this teabag out of the box. I didn’t even really smell the bag itself until after it steeped. The smell surprised me quite a bit. It reminded me of Bigelow’s Constant Comment only more subtly orange. Even as a bagged version (I’m still blown away by Kusmi’s bags) it’s still complex, but I have a feeling that its complexity is muted. I get the orange, the sweetness of vanilla, and hints of almond and spices. This one also moves to the forefront of “bagged teas I’d like to have on hand.”

I was a giant “Errr…” when it came to where in Shakespeare’s cannon this tea would fit. I was pleasantly surprised at how pleasant it was. It was an honest upfront sort of tea with a bit of what Morgana calls the “French Thing.” Aha! Honesty and even a little bit of French: Cordelia from King Lear! She’s honest, doesn’t play silly games, and eventually marries the King of France before being executed. Er, she sort of sets off the whole tragedy…

But this tea isn’t a tragedy! Hooray! So perhaps Cordelia isn’t the perfect embodiment of this tea, but it’s close enough. NE

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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89

I finally cold brewed this tea and I’m a wee bit disappointed. It flattens out and tastes like a bit of cherry added to a rooibos. I’d guess that hot brewed is the way to go with this blend. I’d give the cold brewed version a 70. It’s still yummy, but no TG for this tea. NE

Preparation
Iced
Ricky

Cold brewed? I wonder if hot brewing it then letting it cool would work better.

Rabs

I totally agree with you. I sorta tried to say that in the note, but now I realize how it reads. It’s supposed to be “I guess hot brewed iced tea is the way to go with this blend.” Yes, I’m goober ;)

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75
drank Divine Temple by Georgia Tea Company
371 tasting notes

I have both Daniel Mann and Jessica to thank for samples of this. Due to Jessica’s generosity I will be able to try this as a cold-brewed iced tea and that prospect quite excites me.

I hadn’t looked up this tea prior to drinking it, but I could tell that it was quite a mixture of both teas and fruit both visually and fragrance-wise. Little did I know how extensive the ingredient list was — it’s very very extensive. I’m quite impressed with how well Georgia Tea Company pulls this off. With that many ingredients I would think that this tea would be a trainwreck. But it’s not. The different teas blend up into a very unique taste. I can’t really pick out the individual fruits — it’s more like a liquid fruit salad. It reminds me of something, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what it is. Overall it’s quite refreshing.

I’m thinking that if no other tea company has coined this term, then GTC should market some of these teas (like this and Pomegranate Fruit) as “confettea.” I’m still leaning toward the Cancer Fighting Lavendar tea as my “confettea” of choice, but I’m quite curious to see how this tea’s taste will morph as a cold brew. NE

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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100
drank Rosy Earl Grey by Teas Etc
371 tasting notes

After my tea fail I wanted a comfort tea. I realized that my frou-frou-meter was nearing “E” for the week so I steeped up a yummy cup. I’m feeling better already :) TG

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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drank Coconut Cream Pie by 52teas
371 tasting notes

I had tea fail this morning.

I had picked up a small packet of those powdered sugar doughnuts on my way home from work yesterday as a treat for this morning (I had barely survived my first week of the Summer Reading Program). I had actually forgotten about them until after I had started steeping this tea. So I had several very yummy sips and then started in on the mini-doughnuts. It tasted great, but on the third mini-doughnut the pairing suddenly became a bad one. My super-yummy tea morphed into (parents, cover your children’s eyes) CHICKEN BROTH!

::bursts into tears::

I went and brushed my teeth knowing that the mint toothpaste would also be a bad tea combo, but I felt that it was the lesser of two evils. I made it through the very cooled first steep and had high hopes for the second. I can sense how yummy this tea is, but I keep getting flashes of “chicken broth.” Thus I shall hold off on giving this tea an official rating. Based on the first few marvelous sips I’d say that this tea’s baseline rating for myself is probably 85.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Ewa

Noooooo, not tea fail!

malomorgen

cant help to giggle a bit to this note ;) not all food goes well with tea ay?

Rabs

I’m quite aware of drink/food pairings, but I thought that this one would be okay. The extent of it’s not okayness was what absolutely stunned me. I share my fails in the hopes that others will both learn from my boo-boos as well as be amused by them. :)

Ewa

It’s a weird pairing to have not work out anyway. Doughnuts and coconut? I’m not really seeing the danger sign there.

Ricky

Chicken Soup, good for the soul I hear ;)

It’s so bad. We’re all having a blast from your tea fail.

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90
drank Pina Colada Honeybush by 52teas
371 tasting notes

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85

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81
drank Earl Grey Special by TeaFrog
371 tasting notes

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Profile

Bio

Proud all-around nerd, designer, fibromyalgia manager, and Assistant Library Director/Creative Director.

After being a barista for almost a decade it wasn’t until 2010 that I discovered loose leaf tea. Now I’m hooked.

I’m quite loose when it comes to tea prep. I also ended up using Steepster to find my “daily” teas which I mostly have accomplished.

There’s really nothing remarkable or noteworthy of how I rate teas. I do take it a tiny further step to help clarify the muddled middle grounds for myself. TG is a definite repurchase. Anything below that is less and less likely.

TG=Teagasm
NE=Nice Enough
M=Meh
GA=Gods-Awful

Location

Midwest, USA

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