9 Tasting Notes
What I smell: toasted almonds, orange marmalade, barley
What I taste: orange rind
Notes: Amazing scent from the dry leaves, but quite a mellow tea when steeped. Reminds me a bit of an orange saison in tea form. Mild almond notes in the background too.
Preparation
What I smell: marzipan (strong)
What I taste: pistachio butter
Notes: This tea reminds me of the almond-paste-filled Danish Kringle pastry that’s occasionally available at Trader Joe’s. Fairly light, but in a pleasant way. Might try steeping a minute longer next time. Found via Sips by subscription box.
Preparation
What I smell: roses (faintly)
What I taste: cardamom (faintly)
Notes: Tastes weak, even when using more leaf than recommend. The rose and cardamom don’t come through much. I’d prefer more spices. Found via Sips by subscription box.
Preparation
What I smell: jasmine
What I taste: butter, pea shoots
Notes: Smooth, medium-bodied tea. Buttery with a bright green vegetal taste. Strong floral aroma. Definitely pleasant; will experiment with other steeping times and techniques. This time I did a single steep for perhaps a tad too long.
Preparation
What I smell: warm chocolate cake
What I taste: dark chocolate, honey
Notes: Grabbed a bag of cacao shell tea from the Choco Museo in Lima on a recent trip to Peru. Still experimenting with steeping time and extra add-ins. This time I steeped for 10 min with 1/2 tsp rock sugar added. With the rock sugar, the mouthfeel was slightly syrupy.
Preparation
What I smell: roasted chestnut, honey
What I taste: malt, cedarwood
Notes: A creamy, smooth, full-bodied black tea from the Kanchanjangha Tea Estate in Nepal. Lovely for a strong, soothing cup of tea in the morning. Found via Sips by subscription box.
Preparation
What I smell: caramelized sugar, cardamom
What I taste: candied lemon peel, cardamom
Notes: I love the idea of this tea, but it’s not as full-bodied as I would like. It’s not buttery, which I expected from the french toast part of the name. I do appreciate the cardamom and that the listed cinnamon doesn’t play a big role in this tea.
Oh I love orange marmalade!