564 Tasting Notes
This one came to me from LiberTEAS. I always seem to reach for mint teas when I’m a little under the weather, so maybe I don’t dislike them as much as I think. I’m just picky about when I drink them.
Sadly the flavor of this one doesn’t wow me. The vanilla and mint are both subtle enough that neither of them is really distinct. It blends into one flavor, but it’s not one that I like all that much. Just an okay cup.
Purposely oversteeped this and got…tea. Plus some watery cocoa. The aftertaste is solid chocolate but the rest of the sip is disappointing and there’s no raspberry at all.
I think the remainder of this is going to the swap pile, because I just can’t get the flavors I wish I would out of it. It’s not bad, just not great and from the description and reviews I expected better. Oh, well.
Preparation
Sipdown! Brewed the rest of this up the fridge way. I’m starting to find that chocolate teas are a little strange cold-brewed, but this isn’t bad. The chocolate is much more obvious and the coconut is less a flavor than a contributing part to a fruitiness throughout the sip. Pretty good! I prefer it hot but it definitely works cold-brewed.
This is another one I got from VariaTEA. It smells really nice in the bag; exactly like marzipan. I love marzipan, so I had high hopes for this one, but it actually doesn’t taste much like the smell. It’s slightly bitter, very grassy, and the almond flavor is dry. There’s no bite of nuttiness like I would expect with a more savory tea, and there’s no fruitiness like I would expect with a sweeter one. Maybe I should try cold-brewing?
ETA: As this cools it is worlds better. I think cold-brewing might do the trick.
I really like this version of earl grey. It’s much fruitier than other versions I’ve tried, to the point of being juicy. I guess I’m liking the darjeelings today, because this is just perfect right now. The base is light and well-balanced. I would probably buy this one, it’s a great basic EG for those who prefer more fruit and less base tea (like me!).
Sipdown! Cold-brewing this one won out because it’s just so good. I put 3 tsp/12 oz. in the fridge for about 36 hours. I forgot it was in there again.
This time around it’s all grape and other light fruity notes. It’s refreshing and delicious with a little tanginess. I didn’t want anything with too much of a tea flavor this morning and yet I’ve found if I don’t have at least one cup of black tea I don’t feel as awake and focused for the rest of the morning; this was a great solution to that. I might buy this again just for cold-brewing because the flavor is kind of addictive.
Backlog:
I had a cup of this last night in hopes it would make it easier for me to stay awake. It didn’t quite work, but at least it tasted good.
This cup was more mate and cherry flavor than before, with less of the chocolatey notes I noticed before. The fruit was very accurate and overall it was a really nice cup. I think this is one that varies in flavor based on what you get in the teaspoon because of how much is in the mix.
Resteep. This time around it’s like honey on bread. Most of the darker flavors are gone but all the middling ones are still there so the cup doesn’t feel too thin. There’s a surprisingly syrupy mouthfeel this time around that I’m liking; it matches the honey flavor well.
Ooh, I like this. It’s much more subtle than I expected, with a nice green oolong base and a gentle creamy flavor and mouthfeel on top of it. There’s a little bit of espresso to it and an aftertaste like cookies—all the flavors are just as they should be. The cream flavor especially is just perfect. I might experiment with a higher temperature to see if I can tease out some bolder flavors, but this is delicious!
Yet another from TeaTiff! I’m really enjoying all the teas you sent in our swap today. I had doubts about this one based on my previous experiences with Teavana, but this is like night and day with the other blends I’ve tried. It’s not sweetened at all, the fruit doesn’t take over (I can clearly taste the white tea in this, which is a first), and all the flavors are well-balanced. I’ve never had a mojito, but I have smelled them and this tastes exactly how they smell—citrus and mint. The only problem I have with this is that I can’t taste as much pineapple as I’d like. When I see “three kinds of x” I want to taste it! Still a good(!) cup.
