362 Tasting Notes
Note: I was checking description right now and it says a chinese green tea base. My original package was from a couple years ago and I remember it, or possibly misremember it, as being a sencha tea base. My new package which is just as awesome (or more) than I remember the old one being does not mention which tea base it is.
Interesting blend, I think particularly good for sencha lovers. The sencha is present, as well as a very noticeable apple. The cinnamon is just a hint, a smidgeon, and it feels right. The almonds, i will take on faith but could not detect. The apple taste is real life, sweet, dried apple taste (from you know, real dried apple pieces aplenty in the tea mix) though maybe I am peasant enough that I was expecting something else, a sharper (i.e artificial) apple flavor. The sencha is IMO absolutely lovely, large, beautifuly unfolding, so buttery. A very smooth, creamy green tea blend.
Weirdly enough, trying this what it makes me really want to buy is their unflavored sencha, since it is the sencha which seems really awesome here. I want to try it on its own now.
Preparation
I have been bad, way bad, I was very kindly offered a very generous sample of it (obrigada, T!), and it smelled so heavenly I brew it whichever way the moment I walked through the door at home. Boiling water, and rather uncontrolled steeping time, it deserved better this tea. Even treated so shabbily it forgave me, it is wonderful even without due care.
Preparation
A gift from Angrboda, thank you so much and it is fascinating, this is so not like my usual Lapsang Souchongs (do not know how to pluralize that). That is not a bad thing, and it makes it extra interesting.
First this LS is sort of a tough guy with a marshmallow centre. It smells very very smoky, very piney (unlike my usual ones, which btw are Twinings and Mariage Frères Imperial LS), very dude. The scent of the brewed tea is much milder, much drier, almost herbal. And the smoke taste is nearly gone on the palate, it tastes sweet, a bit fruity maybe, maybe a tiny bit astringent (or I steeped it too long, a possibility. Though I do personally like this level of astringency), maybe pomegranate-ish? Dunno. This is sort of a puzzle, but I am sure going to enjoy the rest of my sample of this!
Preparation
Perhaps you’re used to more tarry tasting LS than me. I’ve had Twinings a few times, and I think that’s the one we get when we’re in the UK as well, although I’m not super-certain, but that struck me as harsher than this. I prefer the balance between smoke and sweet that this one has, although, like you, the first time I noticed that sweet note, I was totally confused because I had never encountered that in an LS before.
The Mariage Freres is also sort of sweet. I think even the Twinings can lean to being sweet (though it is less noticeable because you got the smoke). LS is pretty special IMO, if I understand correctly they pick the leaves at special stage and size (supposedly lower in caffeine) and the smoke treatment is also different. I do love my LS.
I do like the smoke, and like to feel the smoke in the taste, not just the nose. I am not sure I would call it tar, maybe it is the right word in English, but when i think of the word tar I think of the stuff they put in roads or in boat bottoms, which is not quite the note I smell. Or I guess, maybe a cigarretty smell. Smoke, pine smoke, or other wood smokes is different, you know? It does not smell like tar or even cigarettes to me, smoke can smell sort of clean and sharp. I love the smell of the Mariage Freres, it smells like wood smoke, but this sort of wood from this sort of oak trees from the south of Portugal (yeah, it smells different!)!
I have to admit I’ve never really understood the word ‘tarry’ in this connection either, but I’ve seen vendors use it a lot for those extra smoky sorts of LS. Maybe it’s just because it sounds better than ‘charcoal-y’. (What with being a real word and all…)
It might be code word for cigarette-y? ;) I heard LS can be very popular with ex-smokers. I don´t smoke and really do not like cigarette smoke, but I do love these wood fire in Alentejo (South of Portugal) type of smokes, it can smell quite pure and sharp to me. It´s not a charcoaley type at all!
And seriously, thanks again for this tea, i am not quite sure what to make of it just yet, it´s like a really tough dude which turns out to be way sensitive!
I still got tons of it, I am going to enjoy looking for what is the elusive flavour and if different steeps can bring out other aspects. Thank you!
This smells absolutely wonderful – and I realized one thing. I opened the packaging ( I am totally envious of the little ziploc foil packets Angrboda sent this in) and my first impression was that this smelled “american”. American not having any value associations, I just smelled it and thought it. And then realized why, it´s the cranberries! Cranberry and a hint of vanilla, it is a smell and flavour I associate with the USA. Though not particularly with late summer, but maybe because cranberries for me are so exotic and rare and not associated with any particular season. It is a a very good late winter tea as well!
And it works, it really works here. Very nice tea. Reminded me a bit of a black version of Thé à l´Opéra. Very nice base as well.
This was part from a wonderful surprise from Angrboda, thank you!
Preparation
I agree, cranberries aren’t particularly summer-y for me either. Far more of an autumnal flavour, I think. Perhaps it’s the vanilla that does it.
I have no associations with cranberry seasonwise, so this was just extremely nice! And try Thé à l´Opera if you can (hmm, I can send you a teabag or two!)
Sounds nice. And yeah, I get the same feeling of “american-ess” everytime I taste crandberries. :D
I do not have a good history with Lipton teas. Me and those, we are not destined to be friends. But this “lemon balm” tea is maybe the lowest point in our history just yet.
Some context: cidreira, or lemon balm or melissa officinalis (or something like that, but you know, with spelling) is a plant whose infusions are really popular in Portugal. Like mint, or chamomile, or linden, lemonbalm tea is one of those standard herbal infusions. With good reason, I do not know why this seems unknown worldwide, this is light, delicate, just a very very nice herbal tea.
You can usually buy it pretty cheap from several brands and supermarkets. Lipton is probably the priciest brand, fancy pyramid bags and big stands on supermarkets. Considering my history with Lipton i had never had this infusion yet, but just had it and they managed to spoil it. They added chicory (!) to a light lemony-minty herb. 10% chicory. It tastes muddy. It tastes like chicory overwhelming the poor lemon balm. It´s awful. Chicory and lemon balm, they add nothing to each other. WHY? WHY do this? I truly do not get it.
Resumo em Português:
isto não é chá de cidreira nem deveria poder ser chamado chá de cidreira. É uma mistura de cidreira com chicória. Chicória, que vai muito bem com café mas nada bem com cidreira. Chicória, que adiciona qualidades a certas infusões, mas que na minha opinião, não tem nada de nada a ver com cidreira. Achei esta mistela intragável, especialmente para o preço que cobram. Lipton, porquê esta porcaria?
Preparation
Confession : this is about the teabags. They had no tin of this in stock and I wanted and wanted it now, so the teabags. Muslin teabags in a gold foil box, probably wrapped up by french ladies wearing Chanel couture. Hmph. Yes, it´s like that.
But giving it to them, the teabags are gloriously well filled. The box is 30 teabags, each with 2.5 grams, for a total of 75 grams of tea, unlike most teabags box which have 40, 30 grams of tea usually. These are generously proportioned teabags. They are not skimping on tea here. They are not skimping on the quality of the base tea or anything else. No gimmicky stuff for all the preciousness, there is substance. It costs what it costs, but gosh, I do believe they do care about their tea.
And it´s just lovely. Silky smooth green tea, and red fruits (raspberry? strawberry? cherry?) and vanilla. And a really nice green tea underneath.
I am doing several one cup steeps with each teabag (seriously, it´s a crime to throw one of these tea bags away after just one steep. And good chinese green tea is not at its best on first steep, it is more sublime at the second or third time. seriously. Though maybe my palate is just weird that way, but seriously, do not throw good chinese tea away after one dip. ) and like the best chinese green teas, it can hold up to a number of steeps. The best IMO is the second steep.
Preparation
agreed on the second steep business. I’ve been known to actually toss the first if I am in a rush!
I am so glad I am not the only one! I see so many tasting notes of fabulous chinese green teas, and the person tasting seemed to have done just one steep. Breaks my heart.
I know right!? agh, I am such a tea snob :P
:) I do not think I am a tea snob, not usually, but sometimes I do feel some urges which can not be explained without admitting to tea snobbery. Oh gosh. Maybe there is a 12 step program for it?
This is just my cup of tea. I am infatuated. It is as silky and smooth a lapsang souchong as I hoped.
No real taste notes quite yet, I let it cool to much before drinking, which is not totally fair. But if you love lapsang souchong, this one is something indeed. (If you do not like lapsang souchong, you are not worthy of this one, put it down)
