Plum Deluxe

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Recent Tasting Notes

Advent Day 3

Missed drinking this yesterday. I was saving it for the evening then got too tired and went to bed early. I started thinking I’d do the same tonight, then pushed through the sleepiness in the hopes that I don’t wake up super early again tomorrow morning.

I was pleasantly surprised when I sniffed and then sipped this tea! The vanilla is very soothing with a little bit of malt behind it. Similar to my memory of Harney and Son’s decaf vanilla. It looses a little of it’s magic as it cools and takes on a flatter taste. It would be nice to have more evening decaf teas to choose from, but I’m not totally swayed on this one. Maybe I’ll make up my mind when I finish the sample.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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75

I liked this one. It had a nice creamy, buttery flavor that appealed to me. I’m not going to orer any, because I have other teas in the stash that have this sort of flavor profile, and I am absolutely buying NO MORE tea for a while! But I was glad to try it.

One of the nice things about a tea advent clendar is you get to try some teas that you might not have ever thought you’d like and you turn out to enjoy them. And vice versa.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML
Cameron B.

Famous last words. ;)

Maddy Barone

Cameron B. Sadly true. I sqaw a tasting note on here and decided I had to try that tea! But when I visit a tea store online I cannot order just one little thing…

Cameron B.

Well of course not, who does that?! :P

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88

This is a pretty robust decaf blend! It has notes of vanilla and almost a chocolatey quality. I’ve really enjoyed both decaf black teas I’ve tried from Plum Deluxe and would happily buy more (if they were cheaper). I first tried this really hot without milk, and it was lovely, though it became a little sharp as it cooled, so I added milk, and it’s back to perfection. I really like this one.

Cameron B.

Agreed, I couldn’t tell this one is decaf, which is nice!

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78

A breakfast build with some lemon this morning! Prepared the whole sample in 500ml as that worked well for my black tea yesterday, which came out so smoothly. Since I’m taking it to work in my Contigo thermos (I love this thermos, it is lined in ceramic so it doesn’t change the flavor of the tea, but has steel on the outside so it keeps it toasty for a long time… usually I have to wait a while for it to cool enough to drink!) I currently just have it sitting here steaming with the lid off, taunting me, while I wiff it. It smells very malty, with some subtle cinnamon and autumn leaf, but I’m getting that slightly smoky/citrusy note that I pick up in Chinese teas that reminds me of umami sauces. Which is odd, because of all the black teas in the blend, Chinese blacks are the only ones missing, har!

The flavor is mostly the notes I’m picking up on the scent: malt, bread, spices (hints of cinnamon and pepper), a subtle smokiness, a slight woodiness, and a sharp and pithy citrus lemon. It’s a pleasant breakfast blend! Strong, but not too abrasive. I imagine it’ll go far to get me through a Friday morning of book mending.

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Bread, Cinnamon, Citrus, Lemon Zest, Malt, Pepper, Smoke, Smooth, Spices, Umami, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 17 OZ / 500 ML
Cameron B.

Love all of the Fog Cutters this morning! Autumn leaf is a good one, that approaches what I think of as “tea-ish” lol.

Mastress Alita

My friend just uses the “Tea” option under “Flavors” on Steepster, much to my chagrin. :-D

Cameron B.

Flavors: Tea. Nailed it! :P

Dustin

You just got that thermos, right? I’ve been eyeing the ceramic lined options. I had a cup of tea yesterday that I’m convinced was tainted by the metal thermos.

Mastress Alita

I did, and I haven’t had any complaints yet. It’s a Contigo ceramic-lined thermos and holds two cups (16 oz/500ml) and it is PIPING hot for a bit (like, undrinkable hot) so I try to brew my tea 30 minutes before work and let it sit with the lid off before capping it and taking it with me. I make my tea around 8:30ish and have found it is starting to go “luke warm” around 3 pm. My old thermos was a plastic one and my tea was completely cold before my noon lunch break, and I found the plastic made certain teas taste funky.

tea-sipper

8:30-3! Impressive.

Dustin

I just ordered a ceramic lined thermos from Stanley (24oz) last night for $17.50 on Amazon. Today it’s listed at $34! I hope it’s along the same quality as your Contigo!

Mastress Alita

Oh, I hope you love it!

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Plum Deluxe Advent Calendar – Day 4

Well this looks interesting. I’m not one to drink English or Irish breakfast teas, as I find them to be quite brisk and I don’t generally add milk to tea. The addition of lemon here sounds interesting, and what a varied mix of black teas! This has Assam, Ceylon, Kenya, and Darjeeling teas.

Yeah, this is not for me. It mostly tastes “tea-ish”, meaning like a bagged black tea. I have a hard time describing that flavor for some reason. There are some bits of malt and leather, hay from the Darjeeling, and a bit of a grainy cereal sort of note. The lemon is very faint and I’m not sure I would know it was there if it hadn’t been pointed out. I will say, it’s fairly smooth with no bitterness and very little astringency.

I don’t think I’ll assign a rating, just because this really isn’t my thing. But it was fun to try!

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIYX874AFsO/)

Flavors: Astringent, Autumn Leaf Pile, Earth, Grain, Hay, Leather, Lemon, Malt, Smooth, Tannic, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Martin Bednář

Cup for me apparently! I like tea-ish teas :D

Cameron B.

How would you describe that flavor? :P

Courtney

I drink a lot of Barry’s tea (and Irish tea brand of a black breakfast tea) because this is how I was introduced to tea from my Nann and I often add a squeeze of lemon to it. I used to add milk before we were vegan, but I have yet to find a plant milk that reaaaally works.

Cameron B.

Awww that’s such a nice thought. I have trouble with non-dairy milks in tea also, they’re always too strong and end up overpowering the tea IMO.

Martin Bednář

I don’t :P — but usually when I do it’s tannic and, well, tea-like. I don’t usually have idea how to call it other way. Some are leathery. So yep, you noted all of them :)

Courtney

Right? Oat is the closet I’ve found, but the slight chalkiness at the end of the cup just isn’t worth it.

Cameron B.

@Martin – Alita’s “autumn leaf” seems close to me, it is rather leafy. And tannic, leathery like you said.

@Courtney – I added oat milk to the second half of my cup and it’s quite good! It complements the cereal notes well.

Martin Bednář

That sounds like a good descriptor as well! :)

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Advent day 4

I keep reading the name Fog Cutter and thinking Toe Cutter, which is fresh on my mind since the actor that played that roll in Mad Max died.

I used about half of this serving which I think weighted in at 5g and it feels like the right choice. I have a remarkably smooth cup with breakfasty features. It’s a little on the light side, but it’s missing that astringency that makes me reach for a creamer. I’ve been sipping through it as I start my morning, waiting for it to cut through the fog while keeping my toes intact. Not one that I’d keep in stock, but one I’d happily take another cup of.
Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
mrmopar

I remember the toe cutter and the night rider….

Dustin

I didn’t realize who toe cutter was until my friends started posting that the actor died. They are all big mad max fans and have a theme camp at burning man based off it. I feel sort of silly that I’ve watched the movies a handful of times and still don’t know more than a few character’s names.

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78

Plum Deluxe Advent Day 3
I’ve never been interested in a decaffeinated black tea, so this is definitely never something I would have tried on my own.
I love vanilla black teas, especially when they’re executed well. This one is! The vanilla is leaning towards vanilla extract, and is not artificial or cloying. The black base is a bit brisk, but not bitter or astringent. Would be lovely with some milk or cream.

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80

Brewed this as my evening tea today (the full sample, which weighed 4.5g, in a 500ml teapot). I have been a little wary of decaf teas because I’ve always heard they taste bad, so normally I stick to herbals after my caffeine cut-off hour. But lately I’ve found myself craving black teas after work, which is past the caffeine cut-off point, especially since most of my “desserty” teas are on black bases. So I’ve been curious about looking into decaf teas…

The brewed pot has a very nice vanilla aroma… often vanilla flavorings came off with a coconut scent/flavor to me but this smells distinctly vanilla to me. The tea is malty with a slight brassy note, but otherwise this is a very smooth cup and sweet cup. I’m getting notes of cinnamon raisin bread, honey, vanilla, and cream.

If this doesn’t impact my sleep (I know decaf tea still has some small amounts present) then I would definitely be willing to stock this as a black tea that I can actually drink during the evening hours that still hits that “sweet tooth” urge as well!

Flavors: Bread, Cinnamon, Cream, Honey, Malt, Mineral, Raisins, Smooth, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 17 OZ / 500 ML
Cameron B.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one as well! :)

ashmanra

Is it a bit like Harney’s Vanilla Comoro, which is also decaf?

Cameron B.

I’ve only had Vanilla Comoro once or twice, but I think it’s more of a creamy vanilla flavor? Whereas I found this more woody, like a good vanilla extract.

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80

Plum Deluxe Advent Calendar – Day 3

Hmm… Well this one sounds quite boring, doesn’t it. I’m also not the biggest fan of decaffeinated black tea (or at least, ones I’ve tried in the past), so that doesn’t bode well.

But actually, it’s quite good. The base tea has a nice mellow and sweet woody flavor to it, and has plenty of flavor for being decaffeinated. The vanilla tastes quite authentic to me, as if there were vanilla beans in the blend, though there are not. It’s listed as “vanilla essence”, not sure what the means really. Either way, the woodiness of the tea goes very well with the vanilla, which often has a woody note to me. There’s a nice creaminess to the vanilla as well.

For what it is, it’s really quite good. I don’t feel the need to stock a decaf black tea, but this cup has been enjoyable.

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIVyyA6gsud/)

Flavors: Cream, Custard, Smooth, Sweet, Vanilla, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Courtney

I fell down an internet hole of natural vs artifical flavouring yesterday and the vanilla essence just reminded me!

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Plum Deluxe Advent Day 2

This smells like pure butterscotch. I didn’t add any sweetener, and I feel like it needed just a bit too bring out the flavors. It tastes a bit like butterscotch and caramel, but neither are quite strong enough for me. The rooibos is mildly apparent, and I would’ve preferred a straight black tea.

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65

I did not enjoy this tea very much. I didn’t hate it. I got mild flavors, but I couldn’t identify them. That is not the tea’s fault. That is my blasted nose. Possibly i under leafed it. I used only 2/3 of the sample packet because my tea cup is only 6 ounces. So this is definitely not a re-order for me.

Preparation
1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML
Martin Bednář

This tea seems isn’t well accepted by community. As I haven’t tried it, I can’t tell my opinion, but I am not sure if I would buy a pouch.

amandastory516

I used the entire packet and the flavors were still very muted for me…so I think it may be the tea’s fault.

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84

Homemade advent calendar day #2

I kept a small sample of this from the latest TTB and brewed it up this morning (just under 1.5 tsp tea with 8oz mug of hot water). I added a touch of unsweetened soy milk because this is such a tasty dessert blend I thought it needed some milk. The tea itself is slightly astringent so the milk rounds this out nicely. The pecan and caramel notes are quite strong – exactly what I like in a dessert flavoured black tea. There is a bit of vanilla (although, I would have liked to add vanilla soy milk to add a bit more vanilla).

If I ever order from plum deluxe, this will be in my cart for sure. One of my favourite snacks is toasted pecans. My local Costco sells big bags for ~$25 and I like to toast ~2 cups of nuts (or about 5 handfuls) on a baking tray at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. It makes such a tasty snack and the toasting brings out the caramelized nutty and sweet notes. They also make killer icecream sundae toppings or tasty additions to baking (shortbread + toasted pecans = heavenly buttery and crisp cookies).

Flavors: Caramel, Nutty, Pecan, Vanilla

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 8 min or more 2 g 8 OZ / 236 ML
Cameron B.

Roasted pecans are amazing! They’re also delicious coated in chocolate. :D

Shae

Could really go for some shortbread right now …

AJRimmer

Oh yay, I have a bag of this from a previous order that I haven’t opened yet. I’m glad it’s good!

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72

After deciding that my sample last night probably would’ve been slightly better if I had done in it 350ml instead of 500ml, that is how I decided to brew this cup. The brewed tea has a very thick, sticky-sweet toffee aroma that is quite appealing. But this day has been hectic and I had to (quickly!) brew it on my lunch break and dump it into a travel mug to take back to work with me, so now I’m (very impatiently) stuck waiting for it to be cool enough in the mug to drink without severely burning my tongue…

Later. I can finally drink this, and it’s nice. A deep burnt sugar/toffee sort of flavor. It’s just a smidgeon brisk, so it probably would’ve been fine with a touch more water, but it is fine since the sweeter flavor of the tea sort of balances out the bit of astringency I’m getting off the base. When I’m not in such a terrible rush, I’ll weigh the leaf properly to get a good leaf-to-water ratio going forward. Today, I’m lucky I managed to brew anything at lunch at all.

This has been one of those days, and at least this should make the afternoon a little more pleasant.

Flavors: Astringent, Burnt Sugar, Caramel, Malt, Toffee, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 5 g 350 OZ / 10350 ML

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Advent Day 2

I have a bird on my shoulder who isn’t happy about me using my hands to type this instead of give her head rubs!
After going through loving rooibos blends to hating them, I’m starting to come around to the idea that they are okay in certain circumstances. I’ve seen it used acceptably in blends with black tea and green rooibos isn’t bad. It’s okay in this cup. There is more flavor in here than I expected which may be due in perspective to the weaker T2 cup I had earlier and I purposefully used the entire packet, overleafing slightly from my usual. I get a caramel butterscotch flavor for sure, but it isn’t as bold as other butterscotch teas I’ve had. It says there are apple pieces, but I don’t taste them and am chalking them up more to decoration. It’s an okay cup overall.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Courtney

I feel like I started out hating rooibos blends and am slowly coming around to loving certain ones haha!

Cameron B.

I kind of go back-and-forth on red rooibos. I’m currently liking it though! :P

Dustin

I’m feeling the same way about hibiscus. I usually hate it, but there have been a few blends that use it in moderation and it really rounds out the flavors well.

ashmanra

Dustin – I have a bird…not on my shoulder but it won’t GO AWAY! Ha ha! My husband found an injured bird on the road and brought it home. We nursed it back to health and now it sits on the window sill looking in. It CAN fly, but it won’t. It is either a do e or a white racing pigeon. We spent three days tracking down the owner and he doesn’t seem to want it back. It should have flown home on its own.

Dustin

Looks like you might have been adopted and it’s attempting to slowly peck it’s way into your heart!
We just fostered a green cheek conure that a neighbor found until we located the owner, an injured crow before that and raised a nest of starlings until they were big enough to fly off. All since covid.

Mastress Alita

My last companion animal was a cockatiel. She was a companion of 21 years, too (I was just 16 when my family got her, and when I moved out after high school, she came with me!). Lost her in May 2019. I think a lot of pet owners undermine just how loving and intuitive a feathered friend can be!

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70
drank Tender Loving Care by Plum Deluxe
2285 tasting notes

I actually ordered myself an ounce of this along with the advent calendar, so I’m hoping I enjoy this sample since there’s more on my shelf! Last year the advent samples were in resealable tiny bags, but this year they’re not resealable, which I don’t love since sometimes I wouldn’t have the whole sample at once. The flavor is mostly that of green rooibos. There’s some very mild fruitiness, maybe peaches or oranges. It’s refreshing cold, but I wish the flavors were a little stronger. I’ll probably steep it stronger with my ounce of it.

Cameron B.

Yay, another Plum Deluxe advent! :D

AJRimmer

Yeah! I’ll probably only be drinking the uncaffeinated teas this month and will drink all the caffeinated ones throughout the following year, which is what I did last time. But they’ll all be reviewed eventually!

Cameron B.

Well I hope there are a lot of caffeine-free teas then! ❤

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62

Plum Deluxe Advent Calendar – Day 2

I hope everyone is having a good morning! I think the matcha earlier made me a bit chipper… XD

So this is a black tea and rooibos mix with caramel and butterscotch flavors. This sort of thing always sounds yummy to me, but manages to disappoint. (Luckily I have some Caramel & Rum from Lupicia now and I know that one is yummy!)

Anyway! This is okay. The flavoring is actually lighter than I expected, yet still manages to come off as artificial. I definitely get butterscotch, and it reminds me of those butterscotch disc candies wrapped in the golden cellophane. But it does taste a bit more artificial than those. The rooibos here does help with the caramel flavor as it can taste a tad caramel-y on its own. It also adds a light woodiness which makes me think of vanilla. I don’t taste the black tea, but it adds a little astringency and I suppose some body.

Overall, it’s fine but not something I would consider ordering. And I question the purpose of the black tea here.

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CITQgxTAHBz/)

Flavors: Artificial, Astringent, Butterscotch, Candy, Caramel, Rum, Sweet, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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72

Plum Deluxe Advent Calendar – Day 1

This is so fun, there are several people doing this calendar at the same time! I love reading everyone else’s thoughts. :)

This is an interesting one. I get a noticeable lightly roasted pecan flavor from this? Which wasn’t mentioned by anyone else, or anywhere in the description. I have no idea what sea buckthorn berry tastes like, but I’m sure it’s not pecan…

There’s also a sweet orange note that reminds me a bit of vitamin C tablets, and I think I’m getting a little hint of mango as well. Or maybe it’s apricot?

Anyway, it’s mildly sweet and slightly herby with orange. And I get pecan, though no one else does. So there’s that… XD

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQxllmAUip/)

Flavors: Apricot, Herbaceous, Mango, Nuts, Orange, Pecan, Sweet, Tangy

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
VariaTEA

Mines still in transit :( but at least it’s in Canada now

Dustin

Oh you ARE doing this one! Cool! Who else has this one?

Cameron B.

And amandastory516 is doing it as well!

Dustin

Yay! There have been so many notes posted with so many of us doing multiple advents that it’s been hard to see them all!

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51

Plum Deluxe Advent Day 1

A green rooibos! I’m smelling and tasting maple, but there’s definitely nothing that would indicate that in the ingredient list. I’m getting a bit of orange peel, that’s becoming more and more apparent as the cup cools. A bit of a slightly synthetic lemon flavor peeking through as well. Overall not too excited about this one.

Cameron B.

I love how many of us are doing this advent! Time to go steep mine up! :)

amandastory516

Me too! I love reading everyone’s tasting notes during advent season.

Cameron B.

You got maple, I got pecan. LOL!

amandastory516

I can totally see pecan!

Mastress Alita

I got cinnamon.

Cameron B.

Well I think we’ve established there is something there! It cracks me up that we all tasted something different though. XD

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70

Brewed this as my evening tisane, the full sample packet in a small 500ml teapot. Just left the teabag is, as I tend to do with my evening tisanes.

The light orangish colored brew smells a bit herbaceous and slightly cinnamony, with strong citrus notes as well as some tropical fruitiness. The flavor is strongly orange, with some citrus tang and a very pithy orange peel vibe. There is a sweeter fruity note as well, I’m getting a subtle touch of mango and stonefruit, but it is definitely playing second fiddle to the strong citrus orange. I love the green rooibos base and wish it were utilized more! A lot of times fruity/citrusy flavors like these used on red rooibos end up bringing out a “medicinal” note in the rooibos to me, which I don’t get when those flavors are paired with green rooibos. It’s mellow, slightly grassy/hay-like, and just a touch woodsy (which I think with the flavors here I’m reading more as a cinnamon taste for some reason!)

It’s a pleasant evening cuppa. If I had more, I’d probably enjoy it cold brewed.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Citrus, Herbaceous, Hot Hay, Mango, Orange, Orange Zest, Stonefruit, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 8 min or more 2 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML

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drank Tender Loving Care by Plum Deluxe
1711 tasting notes

Advent Day 1

Dumped this entire packet in my cup before realizing it may have been meant for two cups. Too late now! I’m very appreciative that this is a green rooibos. Way nicer than /red/ rooibos. It smells bubblegum like when dry and very orange when steeped. It also tastes very orange. I know there are a lot of different fruit in it, but they all blend in to support the orange. The rooibos is pretty mellow. It’s a good cup, but not one I’d buy.

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

At least these packets aren’t the same size as the free samples… XD

Cameron B.

I used a 12-ounce mug and used the whole sample, too. The amount is in line with how much leaf I would normally use.

Dustin

Okay, so I might be better off using the whole sample. Are you doing this advent too? :D

Mastress Alita

Ya, I tried it in 500ml and surmised I probably would have enjoyed the flavor better if I’d used 350ml (12 oz) instead. That will probably be the plan going forward, but depending on the base (black vs. herbal) I may weigh the leaf before making a judgment call. I do tend to especially like my herbals really leafed.

Cameron B.

Yes, all the advents! :P

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75

I got this as a free sample with the advent calendar that I ordered for my sister. It came yesterday (at last) but I was too tired to drive over to Minnesota to give it to her last night.

This tea was nice. I didn’t LOVE it, but I enjoyed the flavor a lot more as it cooled. The cinnamon was a bit drying on my tongue. I don’t think I would order any more of this one, but if a friend served it I would have no trouble drinking the cup.

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88

Did I buy this tea mostly just for the name? Yes, I did. Also because I enjoyed Plum Deluxe’s creme brulee earl grey and figured this one would be good too. The bergamot is pretty strong and maybe would have been too strong if I hadn’t made it into a latte. Hot, I didn’t really get the pecan flavor clearly, but you can tell that there’s something in there in addition to the bergamot. Cold…I feel like I can taste the pecan a little. So I like this blend! It has some interesting things going on in there and is definitely leaning more toward an earl grey creme than a regular EG.

Martin Bednář

Oh wow, pecan EG seems very interesting to me! Especially when I still feeling a last bit of my pecan pie in mouth :D

AJRimmer

Yeah, I love teas with a nutty profile, and I feel like I don’t see enough pecan teas out there!

Martin Bednář

Hmm… let’s check how many nutty teas I sent you :D

AJRimmer

I’m so tempted to peek, but I’m waiting!!

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65

This is the free sample that came with my advent order. Figured since it’s such a small package and I fear losing it I may as well just drink it up this morning. I actually weighed the tea (surprisingly, I actually weigh most of my tea rather than using imperial “teaspoons”), and it weighs 1.95g — I usually use 2.5g for a 12 oz/350ml cup of tea (up to 3g if I’m trying to use up a bit of leaf and it’s a tea that doesn’t tend to go super bitter on me). Using my favorite leaf-to-ratio calculator, OCTea [ https://octea.ndim.space/#/ ], dropping it to 8 oz/250ml seemed a safe choice. So hopefully the cuppa will balance out correctly! 205F water, 3 minute steep.

The package just said “black tea” but after brewing and smelling that distinct piney smoked aroma, they must have used Lapsang Souchong. I tend to have issues with that tea and avoid it as it is a migraine trigger; occassionally if it is used with a subtle hand with enough other flavors I’m okay (I’ve had some 52Teas blends that worked for me!) so we’ll see… It is a strong enough aroma I’m having a hard time making out any other aromas in the cup, which usually isn’t a good sign for me (it really does have to be subtle, if my head thinks there is smoke in the air, it flips the migraine switch…)

Honestly, I don’t mind the flavor; the lapsang is coming on the most strongly, but I’m getting a strong pine flavor that I really enjoy and the smoke isn’t coming off as a burnt or charred flavor like I get in some teas. But it is still such a strong flavor I’m having a hard time tasting anything else in the cup. I assume that the rooibos (though I can’t taste it) is at least cutting the intensity of the lapsang a bit which is probably why I’m able to tolerate this, and I am getting a little hint of the spices left on my tongue after the sip. But that vanila/walnut/chocolate flavor the tea is supposed to have? That is just impossible to taste against pine smoke. At least for me.

Pleasant, toned back enough that I am not inhaling smoke and going to get a headache, but not a flavor I’d care to have in my cupboard.

Flavors: Pine, Smoke, Spices

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 g 8 OZ / 250 ML
Martin Bednář

I can imagine drinking this tea somewhere in mountain hut after some long hike. Seems interesting for me :)

Cameron B.

Seems an odd choice for a free sample, given smoked teas are so polarizing…

teaqueen

I kind of see what they were going for here, but yeah… I feel like lapsang should just be drunk plain because the smokiness will overpower everything else. I have to keep it away from all my other blends in my cabinet because it will make them all taste like smoke just from sitting near them!

Mastress Alita

I’ve had a few flavored blends where it worked… I think the key is it was used extremely sparingly so the ratio of it compared to all the other ingredients was so minimal that it added a bit of smokiness but the other tea leaf/ingredients still carried the flavor. I’m assuming the rooibos must have held the flavoring here? Even though there was a higher amount of rooibos to lapsang (from what I could tell in this small sample) it was not nearly enough of a ratio difference for the lapsang to not completely whallop out any flavoring that might have been in the other leaf.

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