294 Tasting Notes

drank Buddha's Blend by DAVIDsTEA
294 tasting notes

Thanks Jump62359 for sending this to me in the game of Tealephone.

Holy moly, this smells so fruity and juicy. Went I checked my mail this morning, I could smell it as I was pulling it out of the mailbox, through the package. I already knew I had to have what ever was in there iced.

I had no idea what hibiscus looked like before. I know what it tastes like, but I never knew what thing among all the other things in a blend was the hibiscus. So when I saw the huge whole flower in the bag I didn’t know what it was. Saw that it was hibiscus, and said oh no you don’t, and took it out of my infuser.

I love jasmine, it’s just about the only flower that I like in my teas. And I like peaches (sort of manditory when you’re the state below Georgia. In elementary school, if you didn’t eat your peach cup that came with your lunch, the kids would fight over who got it, and then talk about how weird you were for not wanting it). The peach seems to drown out the jasmine here. I do get it at the end of the sip, but its sort of perfume-y and fake, and then it melds with the peach in a long lingering after sip.

Overall, it’s not bad. I might try steeping it a bit shorter just to cut back on the perfume taste, but a nice iced tea all the same.

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95
drank Special Dark by Mandala Tea
294 tasting notes

I remember that TheTeaFairy suggested that I try a nice long steep with this fellow, so even though I would usually never dream of doing such a thing, I trust her judgement and went balls to the wall with an 8 minute steep.

Timer beeps, and I remove my “lid”. Holy moly, it’s as dark as my tar black soul. I of course had to sweeten it (sorry not sorry, I’m a sweets girl and how can I note sweeten my chocolatey love?). I maybe should have rinsed this, I didn’t last time, but this time I’m getting a bit of pond water. But even still, this is yum. Deep dark cocoa, a touch of earthy pu, and even some burnt sugar. As it cools, the burnt sugar comes out more and melds with a sort of caramel note. Yummy. I don’t know what method I like more.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 3 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
TheTeaFairy

Oh yay :-) glad you liked it this way Mandy!

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83
drank Colored Species by Mandala Tea
294 tasting notes

There is a slight roasted smell, along with some vegetal and floral notes in the dry tea scent. Dark green twisted and rolled leaves.
1tsp 8oz ~190F 30,60,90,120,135, 165
The first cup is floral, but more jasmine (which I like) than rose (which I don’t like), thankfully. There’s a ting of mineral. The second cup is a bit less floral, and sort of fresh kind of earthy. And there’s a nice light sort of creamy buttery texture, similar to a milk oolong mouthfeel.

The third cup is more floral than the second, more like the first. This cup seems sort of like honeysuckle (though that might just be the power of suggestion from the B&BW Honeysuckle candle I have lit). The next 3 steeps were all pretty similar to the last.

I think I’m growing a bit tired of green and green oolong teas (absolute craziness considering how they used to be my loves). This is definitely nice, but I think I need to take a break in order to fully appreciate it later.

Flavors: Creamy, Floral, Honeysuckle, Jasmine

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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80
drank Green Gold by Mandala Tea
294 tasting notes

The leaves are twisted and sort of snail like , rolled into sort of speaks. With emerald green leaves with some golden streaks through out. Steeped it up according to the package directions. 1.5tsp 8oz water 175F for 1-2minutes, and got 4 steeps out of it.

This smells buttery and sweet. The tea is a bit buttery and nutty and a bit vegetal like edamame. A nice green, one that I’ll enjoy drinking down.

Flavors: Butter, Nutty, Vegetal

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 1 min, 15 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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86

Brenden sent a sample of this with my WP order last month. It’s not a tea I would have picked out normally, since I don’t usually like minty teas, but I’m glad I gave it a chance.

This is the kind of minty tea I can get behind. It smells like my old favorite vanilla mint sleepytime tea, so I guess spearmint? I’m not well educate in the various kinds of mint.

And thankfully, the mint isn’t the star of the show here. There’s some nice spice (cinnamon and ginger) and a bit of earthiness, and overall it’s very mellow and soothing.

I think it might even inspire me to go to bed before 3am for the first time in forever. Dare I say I might even add this to my next order?

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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83
drank Vanille by TeaGschwendner
294 tasting notes

Thank you Marzipan for sending a sample to me. I drank this tonight while I was making dinner: “grilled” chicken and rice pilaf with peas and carrots
http://instagram.com/p/ri8qCUw05r/
This is nice. Sweet, creamy and vanilla. I already have a couple new favorite vanilla teas (Capital Tea Ltd and WP GO), but this was still good. Thanks again Marzipan.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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80
drank Organic Pu-erh by Tea At Sea
294 tasting notes

The leaf is a mix of light brown and dark brown twisties. Smells like most puerhs: wet earth and pond water.

The directions on the website seemed way too different from what I usually do for puerhs so I just went with my usual 10s rinse, 10s rinse, 20,25,45,60 with the whole sample (4-5g?) and ~4-5oz water.

I actually saved the rinses in a cup, and sweetened it’s not bad (yes I sweeten my blacks and puerhs usually. I find it pulls out the notes I like and softens any I don’t). Very dark and strong, but palatable. I only drank about half, because. Like I said, it’s strong.

The first actual steep is smoother and sweeter than the rinses. This is very earthy. I can definitely believe mushrooms, and even moss. The taste remains constant the out the second steep, and mellows a little by the third steep.

The forth steep is even more mellow, but still enjoyable. This could probably go another couple of rounds, maybe later. This pretty good, and I wonder why they only sell the sample size on the site?

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec 5 tsp 5 OZ / 147 ML
SarsyPie

It sounds like a ripe pu’erh?

Mandy

I’ve only had one raw puerh, and this is much more like the all the ripe I’ve had so yes, I’m almost positive that it’s ripe.

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The directions on the bag said 5 mins?! I listened, and wow I knew that was way too long. It’s become a bitter bitter and astringent. Theres also a nutty quality. Also some vegetal and roasted smell. I know see the gaiwan method, and will use the last of my sample on trying that method.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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drank Mei Zhan Zhen by Camellia Sinensis
294 tasting notes

The dry leaf is twisty and curly, black with a few silver tips spread though out. Steep up 8g in 8oz at 200F.

First infusion (45s) the tea is brownish red, and a little cloudy. This is a bit smoky, sort of floral, and bread like.

Second infusion (60s) this cup was much like the last, but I noticed more cocoa notes as it cooled.

Third infusion (75s) this had a sort of brightness about this as it cooled. Almost like a burst of light in my mouth. Taste wise still smokey, a little malty, bread, and some cocoa as it cooled.

Forth infusion (90s) this got a touch bitter as it cooled, and a touch my smokey tasting.

Fifth infusion (115s) and Sixth Infusion (130s) still sort of bitter and smokey, also a bit metallic.

Overall this isn’t bad, the smoke isn’t my thing though so I want be repurchasing.

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92

This was my last tea of the night last night, but I forgot to write down any notes on it so I’m having it again tonight. The leaves are spindly and wavy/curly, and smell malty and bread like.

The aroma is also malty and bread like. The taste is malty, cocoa, bread, and a little browned caramel (and maybe a wisp of smoke in the end of the sip). This, like all of the other teas I’ve tried from Capital Tea Ltd., is delicious. I think if I had to chose, I’d go with Etambagahawila Estate Ceylon, but they’re both great teas that I will restock.

Flavors: Bread, Caramel, Cocoa, Malt, Smoke

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Cameron B.

Don’t lie, you’re choosing your favorite based on the awesome name… ;)

Mandy

Shh, let’s keep that our little secret (;

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