90

This tea came as a sample with the last Illumicrate subscription box I received. I didn’t know about PostTea prior to this, so that’s another new discovery that’ll be bad for my bank account. This blend is inspired by a book (obviously, given that Illumicrate is primarily a book-focused subscription box…), in this case Alice In Wonderland. It’s supposed to be strawberry, raspberry, and papaya on a sencha base, but it also contains rose petals, pieces of vanilla pod, and hundreds and thousands. It’s pretty, to say the least! And it smells good.

I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3 minutes in water cooled to around 175 degrees. One thing I did notice pretty quickly – it’s sparkly! I know it’s a gimmick, but I still love it. Fortunately, it tastes as good as it smells. Creamy strawberry, like a Campino sweet (which I wish they still made…). There’s a background sharpness from the raspberry, and a hint of tropical fruit-ish flavour, but the main player is candy strawberry and that’s more than okay with me. The green tea base is smooth, with no bitterness or astringency, and it allows the sweet, fruity flavours to shine.

This would have made an excellent summer tea (I’m thinking cold brew…), but it’s brightening up this wintery day just perfectly. I’ll definitely be taking a closer look at PostTea once my no-buy is over!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

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Bio

Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

Location

Norfolk, UK

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