333 Tasting Notes
This is another from my Lupicia happy bag. I’m not usually a fan of green oolongs, but I do enjoy osmanthus. So far I’ve only had this cold-steeped, and I like it pretty well that way. It’s a nice mix of vegetal and floral—mainly from the osmanthus, luckily, and not so much from the oolong—and makes for pretty mellow drinking. It’s not something I’d restock, but I certainly won’t have any trouble finishing up my supply.
I think this is my last sample from my swap with Inkling. It’s always nice to see green rooibos—on the whole, I tend to prefer it to red, and I always wish it were more widely used in blends. The fruit flavors here are indistinct but pleasant. This isn’t a standout, but it makes for enjoyable drinking.
This is a super old sample that has been lingering untried in my tea basket for several years now. It’s quite weak, but I imagine that’s largely attributable to age. The flavor I am getting is nutty and not very vegetal, attributes which are always welcome in a green from my perspective. I suspect, in a fresher state, this is the kind of green I’d enjoy. It’s also reminding me that I really should buy from Sullivan Street Tea and Spices sometime soon—it’s an adorable local shop, and though I walk by it a bunch I haven’t bought anything in ages.
I think I’m just about ready to give up on my quest for a great (or even good) rhubarb tea. I tried this one hot and cold-steeped, and in neither iteration could I taste anything really identifiable as rhubarb, raspberry, or vanilla—just some vague fruity/sweet notes piled on top of a rather vegetal base. There was an unpleasant chemical note to it, as well, which reminded me of my unfortunate run-in with DF’s The des Marquises recently.
Interestingly, when I forgot to take my brew basket out of the cold steep and accidentally let it go for 12+ hours, the chemical taste was much reduced (as opposed to the 6-hour mark, when it was still going strong). I still got an odd combination of vegetal base plus muddled fruits, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
I think this was my first blend from TeaG—my parents went to Chicago a few weeks back and were kind enough to pick it up for me—and I can’t say it was everything I’d hoped for. Still, their Earl Grey, which my parents also brought back, is nice enough that I’m still looking forward to trying some more of their stuff in the future.
And yet another Inkling sample! This is about what I expected it to be, a mildly vegetal green base (probably sencha?) layered with some sweet generic tropical fruit flavor—although I am getting something more specifically mango in the aftertaste. It’s nice enough, but as mango goes it’s no match for my beloved Lupicia mango oolong. I suspect I would’ve liked this better iced, since that’s generally how I prefer my fruity greens, but sadly I think we’re still a ways away from iced tea season here in New York (although it’s supposed to hit 60 tomorrow, so who knows).
Another sample from Inkling. This is decent for a breakfast blend, but where’s the lychee? Minus points for false advertising, yet again. That said, if I hadn’t been expecting something different, I can’t say I’d have any real complaints about this one, though it’s not the most complex or exciting blend of straight black teas.
This is a pleasant rooibos, if not a particularly distinctive one. The rooibos itself is really nice, smooth and not too strong—probably among the nicest I’ve had, actually. It’s sweet and lightly spiced, but eggnog? Not really. I don’t detect even the faintest hint of nutmeg. This is another one of those blends I would probably have liked more with a different name, but I’m enjoying it pretty well as is.
