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No clue what I did to this today but this tea was not nice to me today. Bland and thin and without any depth of flavor at all. It just tasted like stale nuts. Thin and papery and boring with a little chaser of bitter driness. I need to give this another shot but if it does this to me again, the rating will drop. Oh yes. It will.

This tasting note will be pretty pathetic and very much subject to change. First sip out of the gate I burned my tongue. That pretty much dulled my senses and I had to let the tea cool a lot before I could have more. So take this info with a grain of salt because I’m pretty sure it made a difference.

The bergamot definitely takes center stage in this tea. I can’t get much of a feel for the tea base but this might be from the burn. The bergamot, though, is fresh and clean and not overpowering (don’t take that to mean it isn’t strong… this is pretty much a one-man show). The first sip or two it tasted like fresh squeezed fruit but then I had to wait a bit for the tea to cool (the tongue, she burned) and that seemed to mellow out the bergamot some (that or the burned-ness) so that it wasn’t as much like eating fresh fruit as it was having a post-toothbrush minty fresh feeling (but bergamot instead of mint) pleasantly invading all corners of my mouth (yes, corners). The overall taste of the bergamot was smooth – no sharp edges on the citrus (or the tea) even though it was brewed for 5 minutes (I did add about 1/3 teaspoon of sugar and perhaps a teaspoon of milk to my 12 oz so I’m sure that influenced it a little but there was still no hint of bitterness or roughness so I’m still counting it as a win).

The tea was good but didn’t wow me. I wish I could have gotten more of the tea taste because I think that would make a difference in pushing this rating higher, but I’m really not sure if that is the tea’s fault or my tongue’s so I’ll have to wait until next time to make a final determination on that. The bergamot taste was strong without being mean or evil and I really liked that. I also really liked the fact that, once I was done with my cup, there was no a nasty aftertaste (unlike what so many flavored teas tend to leave behind) so that’s another win.

Of course, someone that isn’t a EG or bergamot fan would probably not like this tea at all but I’d say that EG lovers would enjoy this one. I’m looking forward to having it without causing myself personal injury. Hopefully then I’ll be able to bump the rating a squidge.

I was intrigued by takgoti’s description of this tea being like ‘sugared flowers’ and she was kind enough to send me some so I could see for myself. I have to say, I agree with her. This tea smells like a little pale pink flower on a white wedding cake, made from sugar, with a faint, subtle sparkle. I can see very clearly in my head. Which is kind of weird. The tea smells like this too, almost exactly, but with a note of something underneath. Part of my mind says Play Doh – the homemade kind – but the sane part of me says no way. Actually, it smells nothing like that but for some reason, I keep making the connection. It’s weird.

The taste is both similar and different from the smell. That pale pink sparkly flower is still floating around, but now it’s got a little company – alcoholic cherry blossoms perhaps? Not drunk – they haven’t been drinking or anything – more like if small, pale pink, slightly sparkly flowers were to be made into a dessert wine and then a little of that splashed into the tea. I’m thinking it is the tea base in here giving it a slightly darker, richer (but still sweet in its own way) flavor but I don’t know enough about white tea to guess as to what the base would be or what additional flavors it is bringing to the table.

I find the two tastes – the sweet and the dark – to be quite a contrast. It’s like this tea isn’t sure if it wants to be a geisha or a member of the Cult of Cute. So it’s a maiko with a really cute Sanrio dangle on her phone. But I kind of like it for that because I’ve met a maiko with a really Sanrio dangle (okay, it wasn’t actually a Sanrio dangle but it was a Print Club with a Sanrio frame so close enough) so this tea is making me think of the evening I spent in Gion. Which is weird because I was in Gion in fall, not spring so no cherry blossoms. But anyway…

Yeah, this tea is really different but I’m kind of groovin’ on it. Sweet and cute but with a darker exotic flair. The second steep (also @ 3:00) tends to lean more towards the cute pink side and I’m really liking that (yes, everyone is shocked, I know). There’s still the darker syrup-iness underlying the sweet taste but it doesn’t seem to be thumb wresting the cute anymore. The second steep is my favorite so far but the taste is strong enough that I’m going to keep going.

The dry leaves smell like Lemon Pledge but surprisingly I mean that in a good way. It smells less like cleaning product and more like my house has been cleaned with something fresh. Which is always nice. I’m actually a little disappointed that the liquid tea doesn’t smell as lemony fresh. But then I get a few more sniffs in and you know, I’m really not upset. Because it does smell lemony fresh. But earthy. Dark but clean and fresh.

The taste is really quite interesting. The lemon is lessened to where it is a fairly balanced match for the tea, making the two tastes combine so tightly it is hard to separate them. So I have a Yunnan – dark, silky, cocoa-ish – that ends up being crisp, clean and almost light tasting. It reminds me a bit of the Fuijian Baroque I had (was that yesterday?) except there is a bit more backbone to this tea and the flavors are more nuanced and intriguing. There’s even a little spice flavor at the end and I’m pretty sure it is from the Yunnan because the more I sip, the more it shows up as a strong peppery taste. Not overwhelmingly pepper, just an honest to goodness pepper burn. There’s also a nice sweet but almost tart (pleasantly tart, that is) lemon whoosh to my mouth post sip. The lemon whoosh and the pepper spice seem to trade off as the main end taste but they aren’t fighting about it. These are very gentlemanly, civil taste and they have no problem taking turns. Good flavors. Play nice.

I’ll be honest – this tea is kind of blowing my mind. And this is where rating difficulty comes in. (Why does Samovar always do this to me???) I have no idea what to give this because honestly, it’s an awesome tea. There is so much detail in the taste and it is balanced so perfectly. Really good. But I’ve never been one to put lemon in my tea so it’s a pretty new taste for me to get used to and I don’t know ultimately how much I will end up craving this tea. Anyway, I’m going to rate it for right now with the caveat that I might end up bumping this up in a few days. I’m pretty sure it won’t be going down.

Hit the wrong button and it all goes ::poof::. Sigh.

This is the last bit of leaf I have for this tea so I thought I’d do it in the gaiwan to hopefully help this tea go out with a bang.

I think it worked.

The smell is delicious – exotic and fruity with a rich and homey scent to it. And the taste? Yum. I’m not exactly sure what the water temp was (but I’m guessing a bit hotter than normal) but either that or the use of the gaiwan has really brought out the richness in this tea. Normally the fruity taste dominates but today, it’s the buttery caramel sort of flavor (like kettle corn) that takes top billing. The fruity is still there but as a bit more of a supporting actor.

This cup is a perfect ‘last’ cup for this tea. Hopefully the wonder will carry through a few more steeps but even if it doesn’t, this tea is leaving my pantry on a great note.

This smells nice. Sweet and warm and cuddly. A bit like cinnamon toast without the cinnamon. So basically buttered, sugared bread. Mmm. I actually think the vanilla is corresponding to the butter and sugar thing. There’s another, almost blackberry preserves note in there. Very faint. I’m guessing it is the currant? I have no idea what a currant really is or tastes like (other than it is a fruit) so I’m not sure if that is how currant is supposed to smell, but that’s what I’m going with.

Taste-wise, it’s not as sweet as the smell. I’m picking up more of the blackberry-which-is-probably-actually-currant taste, especially at the end – it is the main aftertaste, very fruity – and not so much on the vanilla. It’s nice and I think a pretty easy to like tea, but I want something more dessert like. So for the remaining 8-ish ounces, I’m putting in a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of milk.

Hello berries! It’s very fruity now. Almost a mix of grape and blackberry jelly – not preserves but the sweeter jelly (might want to back off on the sugar next time just a bit). The front taste is very grape jelly and then a more blackberry taste comes in on the end. Yep, this would qualify as a dessert tea now.

Okay, this is not a complex cup. Sure, there is tea in there but it’s a backdrop for the fruity taste, especially once doctored. Straight it is darker, richer… more of an average-ish morning feeling blend with a fruity addition. It seems like a better quality tea base than a lot of flavored blends (I’m thinking Adagio here, which I don’t really enjoy their flavored stuff without milk and sugar) and very sippable with no additions, but it’s nothing more than on the good side of standard. The milk and sugar makes it very dessert-y though. The tea moves fully to the background and dark berries just do a little chorus line dance in the front of it, sequins flashing. Yeah, not a fancy or nuanced cup. But nice flavors and so I’m liking it.

This smells smoky – I can definitely pick up the Keemun. Surprisingly, it smells rougher than their Irish Breakfast, which seems a bit counterintuitive to me. And actually, it does seem to be a heavier cup. The Keemun is very obvious but then I taste bright sparkles of Darjeeling – not enough to make it bitter or tart, just enough to give it a citrus-like top note of additional depth of taste. There is a stoutness to it that I don’t normally find with Keemun so I’m gonna say that’s the Assam, though I don’t taste cardboard/malty so much as feel it. I can’t really say I pick up the Ceylon, but honestly, that’s the hardest tea taste for me to pin down.

All in all, a good breakfast blend but nothing overly special. I think it would hold up really well to milk and sugar (the Assam mellows out the Keemun, making it thick enough to deal, I think but also decreasing the smoky – I’m not a fan of milk in my Keemuns). Because of that it is perhaps a better take-to-work-in-my-travel-tumbler tea than the Irish Breakfast from yesterday but in general a less exciting cup.

Grabbed this one because I didn’t need more caffeine but did want more tea. I like this. It still strikes me similar to a soft Chinese black with earthy flavors and tonight I’m picking up a strong end taste of honey. Not a dark honey, but a lighter honey which is good since that’s the type I prefer. It actually reminds me a lot of the Fujian Baroque from earlier today though honey-y instead of fruity. For me, this is an herbal that can fulfill my need for a lighter black tea so I imagine this will be a good pantry staple.

The leaf smells odd but I can’t quite place the scent… a little spicy and almond-y but weirdly also reminding me of the Strawberry Dream from last night. The liquid form, however, smells very different. My first sniff made me go, “Hmm, Christmas.” Then I remembered the name and though, “Well, duh.” It’s sweet and dessert smelling – really quite delicious. Orange blossoms and almond are easily picked up and without the weird smell from the dry leaf that reminded me of last night’s honeybush… unpleasantness. There’s a little potpourri smell but it doesn’t show up unless I’m constantly sniffing the tea (and honestly, I can get that smell from most spiced teas). But it’s like almond pastry potpourri. Something with sweet, nummy icing on it.

But darn it, the taste is more potpourri with a almond + orange blossom chaser. Larger swallows give me a POW of orange blossom with a spice base which is nice, but the overall taste of the tea seems to be brought down by the green tea… it’s a bit flat and heavy. I think a lighter tasting green tea base would make this tea sparkle some.

There’s a lot of promise in this tea but unfortunately it just doesn’t combine right for me. This seems to be a disappointing trend with TeaGschwendner’s teas. But as I’ve said before, one aspect of these teas that I do like is the fact that they don’t overflavor their teas. If only most of the flavorings didn’t make me go ‘meh’.

And another tea is gone (though I’ll do multiple steeps so it’s still around for a little bit longer). Earthy but sweet and fruity, this is lighter than a lot of the Chinese blacks I tend to favor but the smooth sweetness and lighter body make it a nice, relaxing tea.