115 Tasting Notes
Light and sweet. First you get the sweetness of the apple and a hint of the raspberry. Then as the pink liquor travels back on your tongue you get more of the sour/bitter flavors of the cranberry and the hibiscus. This seems like a tea I would really like, except I can’t quite seem to get the preparation down. My first cup was too light, not enough flavor, so maybe I needed to add more tea and steep for longer. The second cup (that I had left steeping) had a much more powerful flavor but a little on the bitter side. It would probably help if I had a proper kettle so I knew what temp my water is.
I’m still stuck at Caribou because I don’t get internet at my place until Thursday, so I grabbed another cup. This one is decent for a mint tea, which I usually don’t drink – I just don’t think there is that much delicacy to them. It’s fine for what it is, very minty. There’s maybe a hint of cinnamon, but it’s all but hidden by the mint.
Nothing special. Rich and dark, with a little bit of maltyness. Pretty standard as far as blacks come. It’s not very strong, especially considering the water was so hot it still burned me after sitting 15 mins. Decent with a pack of sugar and a splash of milk. It helps keep me warm in this icebox of a coffee shop.
The nose on the loose leaf is great, a soft sweetness emanates and eliminates the harsh smell of the rooibos loose leaf. It’s mostly red but there’s great variety in it too, even some interesting little buds (probably the corn flowers). There’s a ton of tea in my actual cup (finely ground leaves + bad infuser).
The liquor is a deep reddish brown, not the best color. A little muddy looking. Add the water and you get that familiar rooibos smell I’m not too fond of.
The tea is good if not a little weak. Sweet with nothing of the bitterness I sometimes find in other rooibos. I can’t quite distinguish the different fruits but if anything maybe a just a hint of the sweetness of the banana. Very pleasant with a lingering sweetness. Not the best I’ve had, but definitely enjoyable.
Really faint with just the slightest sweet tone. I can get a bit of raspberry on the nose, but I tea doesn’t taste anything of raspberries. It works for me, but it’s nothing special and it’s not what I was expecting/hoping for. Maybe I could have steeped it a little longer…and I gotta get away from all the tea bags I have.
I had the Raspberry flavored Jasmine Green Iced Tea. A super fruity and sweet taste if you’re into strong tasting fruit teas. However, I have to say it’s not really tea. There is little to no hint of the green tea, maybe just a bit of the bitterness. If you like real tea, don’t go for any of the flavored teas…or bubble tea for that matter. I had the tapioca pearls in mine too, and after trying them for the second time, I don’t think they are that great. Interesting texture, but a little too slimy with a weird flavor. I prefer the flavored jellies. Either way, if you like super strong fruit flavored drinks, come try a flavored bubble tea. If you’re a tea purist, I’d stay away from it. I can do both, so it works for me.
The leaves are ground very finely and the nose has almond and lots of vanilla, so much so that I can almost taste how sweet it is. Nice golden brown liquor (before a splash of milk). The tea however, is mostly dominated by almond flavor with just some sugary vanilla tones peeking their way into the sip. It comes on strong with the almond but finishes with the touch of vanilla. Probably could have steeped longer, it’s a little weak in the knees right now and could use more power behind it. Could also be because it comes in tea bags (unfortunately I didn’t realize this when i bought it). Maybe multiple tea bags in one cup would do the trick?
The leaves are fairly small and twisted. Mostly bits of leaves, but some larger leaves as well. I’m getting the astringency on the nose and in the liquor. Added a splash of milk but still has a slightly chemical tone hidden beneath. Not the greatest standard black for my tastes.
You could try getting one of those dinky little cooking thermometers that you can find in the grocery stores.
I feel like one of those variable temperature kettles would be good because right now I use a super old and crappy one. What do you use/recommend?
I know you’re not asking me, but I’m gonna be a buttinski anyway. I use the Utilitea from Adagio, and it’s pretty fantastic, though I sometimes find myself wishing for something more more precise.
http://is.gd/3OQDv
I’ve heard good things about Cuisinart’s.
http://is.gd/3OQL4
But if I were in the market I’d probably get this one.
http://is.gd/3OR1V
And continue to lust after this one.
http://is.gd/3ORbZ
@takgoti: yea that last one looks amazing, I’ve even tweeted about it before. The utilitea is more in my price range but I would like something that has fairly precise temp control. Hmm, so many decisions…
The Utilitea is good enough temp-wise, and you can’t beat the price!
I picked up one recently at Upton Tea Imports and I adore it. It has four temperature settings and it heats a full kettle of water to 212 degrees in three minutes flat (I timed it). Plus it is on sale, so I got it for $42.88. Here’s the link:
https://secure.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?from=catalog.asp&itemID=AK16&begin=0&parent=Accessories%3ETeaware%3EElectric+Kettles&category=Upton+Tea+Imports&sortMethod=0&categoryID=0
Just wanted to say that I lust after the Bugatti as well. If only I could afford to spend that kind of money on a tea kettle.
Don’t bother w/ the UtiliTEA, it’s SO much more inferior than the Breville. Sure it’s cheap, but that’s because it doesn’t have all the features to make the perfect cup of tea. Why waste any amount of money on something that doesn’t work the way it should?
What’s so special about the Bugatti? the Breville is perfect for 1/2 the price.
try 2.25g of tea per 6oz of water @ the recommended temp.
I was wrong. Never mind w/ the Breville either. This has WAY more settings and is a heck of a lot cheaper. I’m getting this ASAP.
http://www.amazon.com/Component-Design-TT1-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B0021AEA8U/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1254430975&sr=1-4
Wow, so many great choices. I have some research to do.
What the heck is it w/ Adagio’s fruit teas? Why do they insist that fruit teas need to be flavored w/ other fruit?. If I order raspberry, I want raspberry. If I order sour apple, I want sour apple.