81
drank Lilac Bouquet by Simpson & Vail
2036 tasting notes

Sipdown no. 19 of 2021 (no. 639 total).

I’m really torn about this one. On the one hand, the idea of lilac tea is very cool. I’m not sure I’ve had any others, or certainly not many.

On the other, this has what I think of as the Simpson Vail black flavored tea problem. Something about the base is quite heavy, and depending on the day it can sit like a rock in my stomach. I am feeling that today.

Also, there’s the general Simpson Vail flavored tea problem, namely that because the teas were shipped in paper bags, they comingled their smells so that they all sort of have the same base aroma.

That said, there’s a distinct aroma and flavor in this one that must be the lilac. My original note found it soapy/lotiony, and I don’t find it that way now — maybe the evaporation of oils over time helps with that. Who knows.

So on the one hand, I like that it is lilac and I don’t have a lot of lilac in my repertoire to judge against. So is this a good lilac? Well, it has its faults, but I don’t really have anything to compare it to.

On a sheer enjoyment scale, apart from whether it is a good representative of its kind, not sure it would be an 84.

I’m going to bump it down a bit, but keep it in the 80s because it’s the only representative lilac I think I currently have and it doesn’t fail on that score.

gmathis

Oh, wow…I love lilacs. I did not know they were tea-worthy!

__Morgana__

I know, right?

tea-sipper

If anyone doesn’t know, S&V has changed their packaging to sent proof resealable pouches now.

__Morgana__

That is certainly a step in the right direction!

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Comments

gmathis

Oh, wow…I love lilacs. I did not know they were tea-worthy!

__Morgana__

I know, right?

tea-sipper

If anyone doesn’t know, S&V has changed their packaging to sent proof resealable pouches now.

__Morgana__

That is certainly a step in the right direction!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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Bio

I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes

Location

Bay Area, California

Website

http://www.jjroth.net

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