Backlog from a looong time ago.

I got this as a sample from RiverTea when I was one of the winners in their photo contest at the end of September. I’ve been eyeing this one for a while because it contains linden flowers, my tea equivalent of Ahab’s white whale.

The most important thing you need to know about this tea is that it’s chunky. Big, huge blossoms and leaves. This makes measuring out a teaspoon or two pretty much impossible.

As a result, I dumped the whole sample packet into my infuser to make a pot of tea (3 cups)….and I promptly forgot about it for at least 2-3 times the recommended steeping time.

Since this was an herbal tea, it was fairly forgiving, despite this. The hibiscus definitely was the most prominent flavour, though, as well as the lemon verbena (I think). I thought I could taste linden, but it was more of a hint than a real taste.

This tea isn’t too bad, but I’m not sure if I’d restock it. I’m glad I got a sample for free.

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Bio

Updated March 2016:

I’m a writer and editor who’s fallen in love with loose-leaf tea. I’ve also set up a site for tea reviews at http://www.booksandtea.ca – an excellent excuse to keep on buying and trying new blends. There will always be more to discover!

In the meantime, since joining Steepster in January 2014, I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on my likes and dislikes

Likes: Raw/Sheng pu’erh, sobacha, fruit flavours, masala chais, jasmine, mint, citrus, ginger, Ceylons, Chinese blacks, rooibos.

Dislikes (or at least generally disinclined towards): Hibiscus, rosehip, chamomile, licorice, lavender, really vegetal green teas, shu/ripe pu’erh.

Things I generally decide on a case-by-case basis: Oolong, white teas.

Still need to do my research on: matcha

I rarely score teas anymore, but if I do, here’s the system I follow:

100-85: A winner!
84-70: Pretty good. This is a nice, everyday kind of tea.
69-60: Decent, but not up to snuff.
59-50: Not great. Better treated as an experiment.
49-0: I didn’t like this, and I’m going to avoid it in the future. Blech.

Location

Toronto, ON, Canada

Website

http://www.booksandtea.ca

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