1750 Tasting Notes

83
drank Happy Heart by Magic Hour
1750 tasting notes

As it’s gotten colder, I have not enjoyed this one as much. I don’t know if it’s the weather influencing the flavor or if I’m using too many leaves, but it’s mostly been grassy and earthy lately. Maybe I should use less leaf?

Yes. The answer is yes, this has moringa, and therefore, it will be more earthy with too much.

Flavors: Almond, Earth, Grass, Moss, Vanilla

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

I have too much black tea. I’ve been mostly guzzling my flavored teas and oolongs, but I have barely touched some of my black ones from Spirit and Trident. As winter comes in, the tannins strike differently and I’ve been able to enjoy these a little bit more. I got more peanut, leather, and malt vibes yesterday which were welcome.

The problem with blacks is I’ve gotten more sensitive to caffeine, and my stomach has been upset easily. I don’t know what is causing it-I drink plenty of water, and though I’ve been stressed, I’ve been able to manage a lot better than previous years. Either way, I have had to stick to milder teas lately. I am thinking about selling or getting rid of a good portion of my stash. The majority of them are higher end malty Chinese blacks like this one and Nepal blacks, with some Darjeelings I’ve barely touched. On the flipside, I have been going through my green teas a lot quicker lately.

Flavors: Leather, Malt, Oak, Peanut

Leafhopper

Caffeine sensitivity fluctuates for me. I never get an upset stomach, but I sometimes have trouble sleeping if I drink tea too late in the day. This can go on for a couple weeks, then seems to fade, and I can drink tea in the early evening again. I’d hold on to your stash for a while to see if your sensitivity resolves.

I seem to be on the opposite trajectory as you are, as I’m gravitating more toward black tea as the weather gets colder. However, I like fruity Fujian and Taiwanese hongcha, not the malty Yunnan varieties.

Daylon R Thomas

Yunnan’s are hit or miss for me. I get foolishly sold by “cocoa notes” nevermind some have more malt than I prefer. I also got a bunch of Himalayan ones that were tippy from trident. They are very good, but I’ve barely touched them, even my Fujian Wuyi Blacks.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

80
drank Scorpio by Magic Hour
1750 tasting notes

Interesting take on Scorpio, especially picking figs with their resemblance to a scorpions tale. I like how this tea is like the cousin of Taurus with both teas having fig in their ingredients, which is interesting since the two signs are opposites in the cycle and are both fixed signs. Tasting it, it’s very rosy and strong with the fig and cinnamon. The vanilla is more in the background. The tea uses Rose Congou black, so it’s more floral than malty. I tried it first in a tumbler, and it was fairly forgiving on a cold fall night of football. The cinnamon got stronger as well as the vanilla for me as it sat.

Doing it western, it’s a lot more balanced. All of the flavors are tasteable, but the rose and fig showcase the better with the vanilla. The cinnamon, rose, and fig are still the most prominent flavors. I’m not totally in love with this one since I have to be in the mood for fig, but it’s great for fall, and better for significantly colder weather. A lot of the Zhena’s Magic Hour Blacks are made with the intention of turning them into mocktails or lattes, and this one works with some cream and sugar to highlight the vanilla and cinnamon, but the tea does better straight highlighting the saffron more, maybe with just a little bit of sugar for my preference.

I personally would not get this one again for preference, but I do like it a lot as a Scorpio tea. It will also make your girlfriends crazy. Now, I’m just waiting on my Sagittarius to get here….finally, another oolong.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Fig, Floral, Malty, Rose, Saffron, Spicy, Vanilla

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90

Hovers between 87-90 for me. I loved the sachets, and so did my mom. I love muscat flavors in general, and Lupicia doesn’t disappoint with fruit flavors in tea. I’m impressed with the staying power on this one, and even though it’s gotten colder, the tart muscat grape taste with the floral oolong and white tea feel great on my throat and palette. I actually like this one more than the darker oolong version, which surprises me since this one tastes a little bit fresher. At the same time, I’d really underleaf this one because the flavor is strong. It gets astringent with too many leaves. The sachets are forgiving, but I use them in 12 oz cups so they have room to breath.

I so do not regret getting this one.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

85
drank Sakurambo by Lupicia
1750 tasting notes

Really liked this sachet sample. I looooove the tart cherry. I was impressed with how natural it was with the rosemary. Kept coming back to it. Soo good.

Cameron B.

I love this one too! And I don’t even like cherry things…

ashmanra

Literally just got a sample sachet in the mail today and I am looking forward to it, but the other sachet was Piccolo and bleeeeeeh.

Daylon R Thomas

Sad to hear that about picolo. I got the loose leaf of the Muscat Queen. People either love it or hate it, and my family loooves it.

ashmanra

Oooo I have decaf Muscat and Jingle Bells but I am not familiar with Muscat Queen. Must look it up!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

80
drank Grapefruit Green by Lupicia
1750 tasting notes

Free sample from recent order. Really liking it, though it’s a straightforward and pithy grapefruit tea. More white grapefruit than a red one. Bitter, but refreshing.

Flavors: Bitter, Citrus, Grapefruit, Green

ashmanra

I liked this one, also a sample sachet for me but a while back. Wish they had sent this one today instead of Piccolo.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90
drank Pearl by Magic Hour
1750 tasting notes

Superficially, I really love this one because it’s creamy, naturally sweet and relaxing. The flavor combo was brilliant with the base. The jasmine leads as described, but seamlessly transitions into the apple and pear flavors from the chamomile and flavoring, and ends on a sweet vanilla note. I easily would get five to six cups out of this one western, though shorters steep times around a minutes are best.

Either way, impressed with how it uses jasmine pearls and chamomile. You really don’t see apple combined with vanilla too often, and this one works incredibly well.

Flavors: Apple, Chamomile, Cream, Creamy, Jasmine, Pear, Sweet, Vanilla

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

80
drank Renewal by Magic Hour
1750 tasting notes

Starting it off at an 80, but I can see it going higher. This tea is a lot like momo, but a little bit more floral and drying, and less heavy on the fruit flavoring. It’s still got a very peachy flavor, but more like a peach flavor for a white wine. Actually, this tea has the feels of a white wine. Either way, it’s very good and is actually a fairly pink looking tea. The rose and goji are nice editions, and the rose doesn’t make the tea to heady.

I’m digging it, and usually get 4 cups western. The leaves of the Tie Guan Ying are surprisingly durable. It’s not too complex in flavor, but it starts off more rose and goji, then transitions into the peach. Either way, it’s a flavored floral oolong done right.

Flavors: Floral, Goji, Orchid, Peach, Rose, White Wine

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90
drank Cancer by Magic Hour
1750 tasting notes

Loved this one: it’s another “reminds me of Hawaii” tea. The floral jasmine marries the ginger, and the fruit flavors actually enhance the two together. The combo reminded of the jasmine and ginger that grew in Hawaii, and specifically, the combo gives of a tuberose aura. It’s got the feeling I get when I was at one of the beaches at sunset before Luau’s, as fishermen cast their nets. The tea also is a very bright orange color that’s super light.

Anyway, I did this both western and gong fu. Western really let’s you appreciate the florals in the smell and taste. Western makes the tea lighter, but still really comforting. Depending on if I use heavier leaves, the flavor dominates more giving more Japanese candy or bubblegum flavors without being fake for a naturally delicate tea.

Anyway, I like this tea for nostalgia and novelty. Ginger does not get mixed with mango that often, and the vanilla or cream flavor was a brilliant way to marry it. I’m most impressed with the fact that the ginger enhances the jasmine and doesn’t overpower it. Highly recommend this one. So far, I’m enjoying the earlier sign releases more.

Flavors: Bubblegum, Cream, Floral, Fruity, Ginger, Jasmine, Mango, Ocean Breeze

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90
drank Virgo by Magic Hour
1750 tasting notes

Kept going back to this one western as a work and tumbler tea. The ashwaganda is pretty nice, and the profile is insanely smooth. I’m impressed that the tea uses a japanese black tea base that’s smoother than normal, and the cocoa flavor with the berry give me tootsie roll vibes. It’s like an earthy, sensualist package for productivity. Definite win for theming a tea for Virgo. Later steeps on rebrew bring more of the subtle berry flavors.

I like this one because it’s reliable with a little bit of complexity, but it’s straightforward. There’s also a little bit of a green note to it that zings it up under a hidden tootsie roll body.

Flavors: Berry, Candy, Chocolate, Herbs, Malt, Silky, Smooth

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

First Off, Current Targets:

Whispering Pines Alice
Good Luxurious Work Teas
Wang Family’s Jasmine Shanlinxi
Spring, Winter Taiwan High Mountain Oolongs

Dislikes: Heavy Tannin, Astringency, Bitterness, or Fake Flavor, Overly herby herbal or aged teas

Picky with: Higher Oxidation Oolongs, Red Oolongs (Some I love, others give me headaches or are almost too sweet), Mint Teas

Currently, my stash is overflowing. Among my favorites are What-Cha’s Lishan Black, Amber Gaba Oolong, Lishan Oolong, Qilan Oolong, White Rhino, Kenya Silver Needle, Tong Mu Lapsang Black (Unsmoked); Whispering Pines Alice, Taiwanese Assam, Wang’s Shanlinxi, Cuifeng, Dayuling, Jasmine Shan Lin Xi; Beautiful Taiwan Tea Co.“Old Style” Dong Ding, Mandala Milk Oolong; Paru’s Milk Oolong

Me:

I am an MSU graduate, and current alternative ed. high school social studies and history teacher. I formerly minored in anthropology, and I love Egyptian and classical history. I love to read, write, draw, paint, sculpt, fence(with a sword), practice calisthenics on rings, lift weights, workout, relax, and drink a cuppa tea…or twenty.

I’ve been drinking green and black teas ever since I was little living in Hawaii. Eastern Asian influence was prominent with my friends and where I grew up, so I’ve been exposed to some tea culture at a young age. I’ve come a long way since I began on steepster and now drink most teas gong fu, especially oolong. Any tea that is naturally creamy, fruity, or sweet without a lot of added flavoring ranks as a must have for me. I also love black teas and dark oolongs with the elusive “cocoa” note. My favorites are lighter Earl Greys, some white teas like What-Cha’s Kenyan offerings, most Hong-Cha’s, darker Darjeelings, almost anything from Nepal, Green Shan Lin Xi’s, and Greener Dong Dings. I’m in the process of trying Alishan’s. I also tend to really enjoy Yunnan Black or Red teas and white teas. I’m pickier with other teas like chamomile, green teas, and Masalas among several.

I used to give ratings, but now I only rate teas that have a strong impression on me. If I really like it, I’ll write it down.

I’ll enjoy a tea almost no matter what, even if the purpose is more medicinal, for it is my truest vice and addiction.

Location

Michigan, USA

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer