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drank Mackintosh (formerly Dots and Loops) by August Uncommon Tea
1634 tasting notes

This tea is so good!

The dry leaf, wet leaf, aroma and taste all stick to the same palette with no surprises. That doesn’t mean it’s a straightforward tea. This blend of savory, sweet, tart, fruity-floral and spicy has a load of depth.

The apple aroma and flavor is unique; I wouldn’t say it’s green apple but very close — almost sweet like candy but very floral, somehow reminiscent of both crisp and tart fresh green apples and the deeper, comforting aroma of some kind of heritage red apples baked with brown sugar. Clove, fennel and caraway create a sweet, herbal, citrusy, almost peppery and pungent rye-like taste, of which the perfume lingers as an ether after the swallow. All of these flavors are layered into a black tea base that’s malty and somewhat bready with cleansing tannic and mineral qualities.

The tea is actually pretty refreshing for a liquor so savory. I think I’ll keep sipping on this with today’s 95-100F temps. I’d love to try it in the fall since it reminds me of Oktoberfest but the remainder of this gift from Mastress Alita won’t last more than a week. August Uncommon has some interesting teas. Maybe I’ll suck it up and place an order later this year. Thanks, MA :)

Edit: 2nd infusion is watery but still has the flavors of added ingredients. Going to try with higher leaf, shorter steep next time in hopes of pulling out a more substantial resteep.

Flavors: Bread, Brown Sugar, Citrus, Clove, Fennel, Floral, Fruity, Green Apple, Malt, Mineral, Pepper, Red Apple, Rye, Spicy, Tannic, Tart

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 3 g 8 OZ / 236 ML
6 comments
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gmathis
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Sounds perfect for summer!

Mastress Alita
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I still haven’t even gotten around to trying this one yet. And now it’s buried deep in a moving box with all my other teas. Le sigh.

derk
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You’ll probably be sorting that box just in time for that crisp autumn air :)

Mastress Alita
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Finally close this Thursday, I can’t wait to finally get all my shit out of boxes! I’ve had everything boxed up for pretty much two months straight now. Ugh!

tea-sipper
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I’m glad it worked out for you, Mastress Alita!

derk
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Ah, that’s so close! Congrats!

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Comments

gmathis
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Sounds perfect for summer!

Mastress Alita
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I still haven’t even gotten around to trying this one yet. And now it’s buried deep in a moving box with all my other teas. Le sigh.

derk
Delete

You’ll probably be sorting that box just in time for that crisp autumn air :)

Mastress Alita
Delete

Finally close this Thursday, I can’t wait to finally get all my shit out of boxes! I’ve had everything boxed up for pretty much two months straight now. Ugh!

tea-sipper
Delete

I’m glad it worked out for you, Mastress Alita!

derk
Delete

Ah, that’s so close! Congrats!

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Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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Sonoma County, California, USA

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