564 Tasting Notes
I’ve now had two cups of this as free samples, and I struggled with how to describe it. It’s not a straightforward flavor. After some thought, I think I’ve finally got it: oatmeal with cream and honey. And rooibos. That seems weird for a tea but it’s not actually bad. There may be something raisin-y in here, too. This actually does make me feel better when I’m really off, and considering I had the migraine to end all migraines (well, I wish) yesterday, I needed it this morning.
I think this is a case of an herbal with too much going on. Sadly, it just doesn’t work very well. I taste mint, licorice, lemongrass, and some kind of fruit, but nothing else. It’s called Ginger Twist, but I don’t taste any ginger! I’ll finish this cup, but it’s not a favorite.
Wow, this has some low ratings. I’m not really understanding that considering that I’ve now had two cups (one yesterday, made by Peet’s, and one today, made by me) and they have both been reasonably good. The bergamot is on the fruity side, which I always appreciate. I didn’t realize until now that the base tea is Darjeeling, which explains the slightly sweet aftertaste I’m getting out of it. It also does not brew up bitter, which I like. Not bad!
Backlog: I finally figured out what the tea they serve at that Lavazza is: Benjamin’s. Apparently they are based in the Chicago area and are only available wholesale, so cafés and restaurants are the only way to try them. Shame, they are really good!
On to the tea: This smells a lot like ATR’s Brioche, but with more icing. It’s like some kind of sugary, nutty pastry. Yum! The taste is pretty much spot on to a cinnamon roll I had the other day. I’m impressed, and now I’m also kind of hungry.
I got a pack of samples from Mighty Leaf with a recent order from a different company. I’ve gotten packs like this before, so I was expecting the same flavors, but they’re all new to me! I’m excited to try them all.
This one wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice, because orange teas aren’t my thing, but vanilla and jasmine very much are. Also, I’ve gotten hooked on having at least one cup of black tea in a morning. The orange in this is soft, not bitter at all, and it blends well with the vanilla. The jasmine is a scent more than a flavor here, but there is a little bit of a floral aftertaste, and the overall effect is a taste similar to the way vanilla extract smells. I like it much more than I expected.
Tea of the morning, without milk for once. I don’t think I’ve been fair to this without milk before. With milk it’s more caramel-y, but without it’s a deep, fruity, jammy thing. For some reason I’m really feeling purple today: purple nails, purple sweater, purple tea (or the tin, at least!)… Not sure what it means for now, but I am enjoying this cup.
Flavors: Dried Fruit, Jam, Stonefruit
This is by far my favorite of the HiCaf line (that I’ve tried—I’m not a big fan of “breakfast” teas anyway so I doubt that one will make it into my collection anytime soon). It’s balanced well, and despite having the caffeine content of a black tea it feels soothing. I’ve also used it a couple of times to soothe nausea—it is excellent for that.
The tea itself is the nondescript Chinese green Republic of Tea tends to use in their bags, but I don’t mind because the other ingredients suit it so well. The mint is subtle and lightly sweet, and the ginger adds just a little spice in the aftertaste. Nothing is overpowering here and I don’t feel the need to modify this cup at all. For me this is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!
I’m going to be honest; I don’t trust bagged oolongs. Oolong is The one type of tea I think really needs space to bloom in the cup. That said, this is very good for bagged! It’s my favorite medium-bodied kind, a little bit floral. It’s not quite fruity, but it verges on fruity the way floral flavors sometimes do. There’s also some woody flavors, but they’re not as strong as in some oolongs. That might actually be a good thing for people who are new to this type of tea or who don’t like that kind of flavor. I’m glad I decided to try this one.
Well, I found this amazing little café in one of the buildings on campus. It’s about 2/3 of the way between two of my classes on Friday, so I know where I’ll be going every week. Their tea is great, too (loose leaf? on my campus?!). Sadly, I have no idea what brand it is. The shop itself is an offshoot of Lavazza but their tea looks nothing like what I had. What a mystery! Maybe I’ll ask if I ever catch them at a slow time.
On to the tea: this jasmine green is really good in a subtle way. The jasmine flavor sneaks up on you. It’s a little bit fruity at first, then sweet, with a beautiful floral aftertaste. The green flavor is a steadying presence in the background but never overwhelms; the whole cup is subtle. Utterly delicious (and even better with a lemon bear claw)!