249 Tasting Notes

22
drank Candy Cane by Adagio Teas
249 tasting notes

3 people tried this one, two of us gave it a low but drinkable rating, one liked it but didn’t love it. It’s that usual Adagio astringent black tea base, with a definite tingly peppermint in there. Peppermint teas don’t usually give me that tingle and this one does. I can see what people mean about a creaminess to it – it doesn’t have a pure peppermint/black tea flavor, but that vanilla or cream is still very slight and it is still a pretty one-dimensional tea. It might be better with a bit of milk to bring out the creaminess. I’ll probably drink the rest as I have just a sample tin, but I’m not interested in more.

Flavors: Astringent, Creamy, Peppermint

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 28 OZ / 828 ML

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10
drank Pumpkin Spice by Adagio Teas
249 tasting notes

Out of 4 people with widely ranging tastes, not one of us could drink this! It smelled OK, though just kind of general spices, nothing that made me think of pumpkin. But it tasted like really bitter tea (not the overbrewed type of bitter, just bad tea bitter) with a ton of cloves. It was truly awful. I brewed it the way it was recommended with just a touch more tea. The addition of sugar didn’t help at all. I might try it again with less time (the recommended time did seem too long) but the flavor was so unbalanced I don’t think it will help very much.

Flavors: Bitter, Cloves

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 28 OZ / 828 ML

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65
drank Blood Orange by Tea Forte
249 tasting notes

This had a real lightness and brightness to it – not what I was expecting from a tea labeled Noir. It almost tasted like a mandarin green tea. It was very good, but not what I was hoping for.

Flavors: Blood Orange, Lemon

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec 12 OZ / 354 ML

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60

OK, I think I must be crazy. This very much reminded me of a not-as-good Whispering Pines Cocoa Amore. (Don’t misunderstand, it was still excellent, but Cocoa Amore is an all-time favorite.) I’m not going to put numbers or anything on this rating at this time, since I feel like my tastebuds must be confused…

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85
drank Sweet Sin by Joy's Teaspoon
249 tasting notes

This has an almost chocolatey note to it! To me, the raspberry is faint but present, and it really softens the harshness that a red rooibos can have. I really enjoy this one!

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40
drank Ruby Red by Joy's Teaspoon
249 tasting notes

It’s a definite red rooibos. I honestly don’t get much else out of this at all, although as it cools, I do get a faint citrus hint. It’s fine if you’re a red rooibos fan, but it’s definitely not a reorder for me.

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70
drank White Monkey by Adagio Teas
249 tasting notes

This one has a slightly smoky spinach flavor to me. I tend to prefer a less vegetal flavor, but this is nice and cleansing feeling. There’s something about it that seems to calm my stomach, too – maybe the bitterness? It probably isn’t one I’ll tend to choose very often, but I rather like it. I think I’ll have to reevaluate in time.

Flavors: Bitter, Smoke, Spinach, Vegetal

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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65

This is one of those teas that definitely tastes better as it cools somewhat. When it’s hot, you get great blueberry aroma but the taste is more just the cake. As it cools down, the blueberry flavor is more pronounced. This is one my kids love, and I like it pretty well. It has a lot of flavor, which I like, but it isn’t a particularly “refined” blend. Sometimes, that’s just fine, though!

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45
drank Spice of Life by Teavana
249 tasting notes

I had two main problems with this tea. First off, I found it rather weakly flavored, even though I used more than was suggested. This is a problem I tend to have with this brand, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Secondly, the aroma was very nutty and sort of cookie-like, but the flavor was (weak) citrus with perhaps a faint creaminess. The difference between the aroma and the flavor was so pronounced that it was frankly pretty jarring. All in all, it was OK, but I just really didn’t enjoy it and objectively felt that it needed more of a taste.

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40
drank Gingerbread by Teavana
249 tasting notes

This just tasted kind of bitter and a bit gingery. The scent was lovely, but the flavor was boiled water with yuck. Definitely no “caramel apple” flavor or anything subtle. Really disappointing, although it’s what I’m coming to expect from Teavana. :(

Flavors: Ginger

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Profile

Bio

Wife, mom of 2 crazy young kids (and 3 cats, if they count). Used to be a professional tree hugger, now I stay at home hobbit-like and teach the kids to love the trees. Also hobbit-like, I love reading, tea, second breakfasts, cooking and food in general, and gardens. (I can’t really say I love gardening since where I live, it’s too dratted hot for too much of the year to actually do it.) I am always on the search for a good flavored decaf black tea. Suggestions are more than welcome!

I tend to like my teas strong, so I use more than most people when I brew. Don’t be put off a tea because I say I used 4 tsp to brew 12 oz or something – that’s just me.

PS – Unlike a hobbit, my toes are not furry. I just feel the need to clarify.

Location

Texas

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