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drank Psychocandy by August Uncommon Tea
1607 tasting notes

A pleasant gift from Mastress Alita.

I haven’t had rooibos since early this year in the winter. It’s Halloween eve and I’m lounging around in a drawn-on moustache (I’ll be genderbending as Gomez Addams at work tomorrow. We have the whole Family), so I made a pot of Psychocandy for the house tonight. All 14 grams in a 1000mL teapot. Steeped with boiling and forgotten about.

So the dry leaf smells rich like butterscotch with medicinal rooibos but the medicinal aspect does not come through in taste at all. Woohoo! That aroma! Rich but a little hollow buttery caramel-butterscotch, vanilla milk and something darker — that rooibos aroma. I let the tea cool a bit and the caramel-blackberry leaf sweetness really comes out on the sip followed by the dark red rooibos and a bit of apple tang that hangs out after the swallow. Pumpkin is always a difficult flavor to pin down in food and drink but I think it’s there. What else… something reminiscent of the scorched sugar topping of crème brûlée. Long butterSCOTCH flavoring aftertaste. Later, there’s some dryness in the throat.

I couldn’t see myself drinking this often because it’s so sweet but the flavor is just awesome. As far as flavored tisanes go, this is bumpin’.

Happy Halloween tomorrow!

Flavors: Apple, Burnt Sugar, Butter, Butterscotch, Caramel, Medicinal, Milk, Pumpkin, Rooibos, Sweet, Tangy, Vanilla, Whiskey

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 14 tsp 34 OZ / 1000 ML
7 comments
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Mastress Alita
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I should really try it myself, sounds really nice!

derk
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Why not have a cup tonight?

Mastress Alita
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I’m drinking (my last!) cup of Rooibos Chocolate Chai, so I’ve already brewed my nightly herbal, but I definitely can make it a thing tomorrow!

Martin Bednář
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Sounds lovely! And happy to see you around again. I was bit afraid because of wildfire.

derk
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Martin, we were lucky here. Our house was spared the power outages and mandatory evacuations so we hosted family and friends that weren’t so fortunate. It was/still is a very stressful week for hundreds of thousands of people.

Mastress Alita
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Todd was once again in the blackout zone. :-( He didn’t have power at his house from last Sunday through Tuesday, if I remember right.

Martin Bednář
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Happy to hear derk :) I would do similar if I were in your situation, helping others. I hope it will be better soon for everyone!

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Comments

Mastress Alita
Delete

I should really try it myself, sounds really nice!

derk
Delete

Why not have a cup tonight?

Mastress Alita
Delete

I’m drinking (my last!) cup of Rooibos Chocolate Chai, so I’ve already brewed my nightly herbal, but I definitely can make it a thing tomorrow!

Martin Bednář
Delete

Sounds lovely! And happy to see you around again. I was bit afraid because of wildfire.

derk
Delete

Martin, we were lucky here. Our house was spared the power outages and mandatory evacuations so we hosted family and friends that weren’t so fortunate. It was/still is a very stressful week for hundreds of thousands of people.

Mastress Alita
Delete

Todd was once again in the blackout zone. :-( He didn’t have power at his house from last Sunday through Tuesday, if I remember right.

Martin Bednář
Delete

Happy to hear derk :) I would do similar if I were in your situation, helping others. I hope it will be better soon for everyone!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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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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