545 Tasting Notes

67

Backlogging. Last Tuesday.

The previous day, I’d read a tealog about a matcha smoothie made with matcha, banana, yogurt, and milk. It had been on my mind. So when I wanted something cool to drink that night, I made one. It was green, a funny colored green. And I could barely taste the matcha. I couldn’t taste much banana either. I think the ratio of ingredients was off. Too much plain yogurt. Unhappily, this was also the last on my Strawberry Matcha. I thought I’d have a single serving left afterward, but there wasn’t much left after I added it to the smoothie so I just used it all.

Unfortunately, the Cranberry, Apple, and Banana Matchas don’t sound very appealing to me. So I am matcha-less for now. And I don’t know how I’d feel about plain matcha. Plus the price. I think matcha is somewhat of a novelty tea for me.

Preparation
Iced
Cofftea

The other matchas are actually REALLY good- the bananan tastes just like banana runts.

Ewa

It took me a couple of days to get my proportions right, I barely use any milk – just a splash for sweetness since it’s almond milk. I kind of eyeball it though, so I can’t be much help there…shame that was the last of it!
I’m kind of interested in the cranberry matcha…but banana runts hold NO appeal for me :P

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53

Backlogging. Last Tuesday night before bedtime.

I think this is going to be one of those teas where when I drink it, I like it more than I remember liking it. =)

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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84

Backlogging.

Last Tuesday was Tiger Tuesday. =)

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 45 sec

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76

Backlogging. Last Monday morning.

I’d imagine I was looking for a plain basic yummy single mug of black tea to start my day. =)

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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85

Backlogging. Morning, two Sundays ago.

This was my second time drinking this Bai Lin Gong Fu and as I advised myself after drinking it the first time, I used more leaf this time. Using more leaf definitely worked out well. The tea was quite enjoyable through all three steeps I made of it. Also, upon opening the container I emptied the sample foil sack into, I could totally smell tomatoes. A tomato plant on a hot summer day even. I like smelling this tea. I look forward to drinking this one again.

(And this is the kind of tealog you get when you wait too long after drinking the tea to write the tealog.) Also, I’m not entirely sure about the times for the second and third steep but think I mimicked the times I used the first time.

2nd steep: 3 min.
3rd steep: 5 min.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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55

Backlogging. Before bed, two Saturdays ago.

Fruity, berry, tart, good.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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60

Backlogging. Two Saturdays ago in the afternoon.

This is the second of the two Harney & Sons tins of tea sachets that I got at the tea sale at William & Sonoma. The tea leaves look a lot like those of my A&D Dragonwell but somewhat shorter or broken up and there are no pieces of anything else in with them. They smell exactly like the pith of an orange peel in a good way. Steeped, the tea came out on the bitter side of a green tea but you could taste the orange. I think playing with the steeping parameters will improve this one. I didn’t try a second steep right after as I wasn’t fond of the first one.

I rated this tea a 60, which is on the low end of my nice range (60-70). You’d think I’d have rated it lower based on what I said above but I’ve tried it again with a lower water temperature since I drank it the first time but before I got the first tealog for it posted and it came out much better. That tealog is upcoming at some point.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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82

Backlogging. Two Wednesdays ago.

Cause some mornings you just want a smokey tea. Nom!

2nd steep: 6 min.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 45 sec

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65

Backlogging. Morning, two Tuesdays ago.

The next day, with a completely unstuffed nose, I made another cup of Tower of London. That day, the tea leaves smelled of honey and nectarines. I thought pretty much the same thing about the tea as I had the day before – a solid fruity bagged black tea of a better quality than what we’ll call ‘lower end grocery store bagged teas’.

2nd steep: 7 min.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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67

Backlogging. Monday night. (My ‘To Tealog’ list is getting too long! Help!)

Another cool refreshing cup. This was better than I had thought it would be when I decided to try it. I’d thought it would be overly sweetened like some fruit juices are, but it wasn’t – only lightly. My husband drank the last cup after this. So I am decupboading it.

Would I buy it, or another flavor, again? If I saw another sale, most likely. I’d have to check but it may have been pricey not on sale.

I’m leaving the rating as 67, which is in the middle of my nice range (60-70). I have a mint one yet to be opened in the pantry.

Preparation
Iced

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Profile

Bio

I’m 33 years old, studying pharmacy, and have a surly cat named Bin. I love tea, coffee, beer, wine, and most things food and beverage related. I also love music, movies, reading, writing, and learning new things.

I’ve drank tea all my life but about five to six years ago, my close friend Spautz got into tea and got me more into tea. I drink black teas and tisanes/herbals most. Since receiving a variable temperature kettle from my parents for Xmas this past year, I’ve been drinking more greens, oolongs, and whites. I’m very very new to puerh. That is, I’ve had only one.

Ratings scale:
90-100 Awesome
80-90 Great
70-80 Good
60-70 Nice
50-60 Decent
40-50 Drinkable
30-40 Meh
0-30 Awful

Would I order this again ranking:
5 – definitely
4 – likely
3 – maybe
2 – neutral
1 – no

Location

Charleston, SC

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