292 Tasting Notes

76

This one has a lovely aroma, and I do taste a lot of strawberry pastry here, but there is a bit of something floral in the background – rose, maybe? I don’t know, I’m not super confident identifying perfume-y notes since I don’t care for floral teas, but there is something there that makes this one not a total win for me. I really am enjoying the cup despite that, and I find the floral note is dissipating somewhat as it cools.

This is another one from the samples Courtney delivered to my house last week, and so far I haven’t been disappointed with Dammann Frères.

Preparation
3 min, 30 sec
Courtney

I feel the same about this one. The DF have some floral notes, but most fade away once the tea is steeped. This one was not the case, sadly.

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85

Honestly never get sick of this one. It’s the perfect little bit of sweetness to already delicious genmaicha, so… no complaints. I love it so, so much.

Preparation
2 min, 30 sec
Courtney

So many neat things hiding in your cupboards haha!

jessiwrites

I have carefully saved these treats! I honestly forgot I still had this one, I found it while I was digging for Vanilla Orchid.

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78

This is a great cold-weather tea, the nutty flavor feels so cozy and comforting. It reminds me a lot of DavidsTea’s Brazillionaire, which I love and miss to this day. So I find myself disappointed that there’s no raisin-y flavor here – it’s just nuts and toffee, which is still delicious but dammit, I want Brazillionaire again.

Preparation
3 min, 30 sec
Courtney

Oh my gosh, didn’t even realize how close it would be to Brazillionaire!

jessiwrites

It’s super Brazillionaire-y! I might have to get some and just put raisins in, hahahaha!

Courtney

Perfect! I was thinking I need more of this one when I’m out too.

jessiwrites

I might also need to do a Harney & Sons order. I was browsing old tasting notes and TOKYO OH MY GOD.

Courtney

Hahah I know. I’ve now browsed the websites for: H&S, Lupicia, S&V, Steam Tea, Granville Island Tea, more DF, and more Bird & Blend (this is where I ordered the advent plus extra teas and they haven’t even arrived in the post yet). Someone stop me!

jessiwrites

Hahahaha, but there’s nothing else to but stay home and drink tea! Especially now that it’s getting colder and darker out there.

Courtney

So true! I mean, there’s no way I’ll order from all those companies, but it’s good to know the options. Do let me know if you’re placing any orders though and maybe I can throw things in and we can split shipping. :)

jessiwrites

Oh, definitely! I also noticed Davids has Vanilla Orchid labeled as a ‘last chance’ tea, so I might need to get some of that before it’s apparently gone for good… which would break my heart.

Courtney

Oh no! I feel like I’ve come across other vanilla-y oolongs that may be tasty. I was actually really intrigued by Bird & Blend’s Peppermint Cream (and I usually shy away from most minty teas)

jessiwrites

That peppermint cream sounds INCREDIBLE, that’s basically combining my two favorite teas, hahaha! You will have to let me know how the other teas are so I know what to order from there along with that one.

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91

It makes me so sad that Butiki is no longer, but I still have a ton of unopened packages from years ago. This one is holding up well, still creamy and sweet with notes of honey, raisin, and cinnamon. I plan to have a few more cups of this throughout the afternoon while I work, because there’s no sense in wasting these leaves.

Preparation
2 min, 30 sec
Courtney

I almost fainted when I refreshed the page and saw this tea haha!

jessiwrites

Hahahahahaha, I love it SO much. I am surprised at how much Butiki I still have, honestly… I got scared to drink it because I can’t order any more!

Courtney

I am the same! I have almost none now — just a bit of Blackberry Lime Guayusa and the tiniest amount of White Rhino. ;(

jessiwrites

I just found some blackberry lime guayusa and I seriously debating making that one, but this sounded better for a cold afternoon on my computer. I don’t remember white rhino, I will have to look this up.

Courtney

Very true! The TTC Yuchi Wild Mountain is the replacement I found for this one actually. :)

jessiwrites

Oh, perfect! Now I won’t feel so bad about drinking this up, then. And I apparently don’t have a rating for White Rhino… is it possible I never tried your favorite tea ever?!? That seems insane.

Courtney

What?! That does seem insane.

Yes, the Yuchi Wild Mountain is super tasty. It isn’t the same, but I started ordering it in 2016 and have ordered it once a year since then, every year!

jessiwrites

I mean, what could ever replace Butiki? But a super tasty alternative is better than nothing.

I’m baffled by this White Rhino situation, haha! Maybe I have a sample somewhere that I just never opened…

Courtney

That is baffling! I have only one cup left, or I would offer you some! I’m saving it for a day when nothing else will do.

jessiwrites

Oh, definitely keep that cup for yourself! I am doing the same with my maple pecan oolong, hah!

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81
drank Candy Cane by Adagio Teas
292 tasting notes

Made a cup of this one last night – I don’t have very much left, and it’s not a high-quality tea so it’s lost a lot of flavor, but it still gives me such cozy, comforting vibes I can’t help but still love it. I think I’m going to have to order some more of this, such a guilty pleasure.

Preparation
3 min, 30 sec

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80

This was the first tea I tried from a collection of samples I got from Courtney, and I was initially a bit scared that it would be too floral based on the perfume-y scent. But it smelled lovely and teas often smell more flowery than they brew up, and thankfully, that was the case here! There was still a hint of that, but I mostly enjoyed how creamy and lightly sweet this one was, thanks to the fig and strawberry notes. Super tasty, my worries were completely unfounded.

Preparation
3 min, 30 sec
Courtney

HEEEEY! Unreasonably excited. XD

jessiwrites

Me too! I think my second cup today might be my guilty pleasure Adagio candy cane tea.

Courtney

That’s a great choice for such a delightful grey day!

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91

I haven’t written a tasting note in a very long time, but this one deserves a review. Courtney sent me a sample of this, and I haven’t been overly thrilled with my straight black experiences in the past… so I put off tasting it.

This morning, in an effort to clear out some of my teas, I decided to give it a shot. I’m almost disappointed that I did, because it is so good that I now want to order it immediately, and I JUST placed a Butiki order last week.

It is delicious, sweet and honey-tasting, but also kind of earthy and spicy. Cinnamon, maybe? Whatever. I want more of it. I guess I’ll have to finish off some other teas to make room for it. Sigh.

Preparation
4 min, 0 sec

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90
drank White Christmas by 52teas
292 tasting notes

It’s my birthday, so I’m treating myself to my favorite teas and enjoying a delicious cupcake made by my sister, who studied professional cooking. Banana cupcakes with cinnamon frosting… even I am enjoying them, and I don’t like cake. http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/b30c2c94ca3511e2b66f22000aa81a39_7.jpg

Anyway, this tea is quite possibly my favorite black tea ever. It’s so creamy and minty and smooth and amazing. Just kind of perfect. I will be very sad when I run out, so I drink it quite rarely. Today is a treat day.

Yum.

Preparation
3 min, 0 sec
Stephanie

Oh man happy birthday!!! :D That cake looks SO GOOD.

Terri HarpLady

Happy Birthday JEssie!

mrs.stenhouse12

Happy bday!! The cupcakes look so yummy, and it’s always nice to have awesome teas on your birthday :)

Lala

Tea and cake. No better way to spend a birthday. Happy Birthday!!

Sil

Yay! Happy birthday!

Dexter

Happy Birthday!!!

TeaLady441

Happy Birthday! Hopefully someone gets you some tea. :P
That cupcake looks really amazing though.

Alysha

Happy Birthday!

Tealizzy

Ooh! I love cupcakes! Happy Birthday!!

QueenOfTarts

Happy Birthday!

yyz

Banana cupcakes sound awesome. Happy Birthday! Have a good one.

moraiwe

Happy Birthday!

Aimee Popovacki

happy birthday!

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75

This really does taste like strawberry ice cream… which I don’t actually like eating. However, in tea form, it’s quite delicious.

Della Terra’s black base doesn’t work for me so often, and I think that’s really the only issue I have with this tea. If I want a strawberry dessert tea, I’d rather reach for Strawberry Cupcake from Simpson & Vail… but I have a 1/2 oz coming to me from Della Terra next week, and I don’t think I’ll have a problem drinking that.

Thanks for sharing, Cavocorax!

Preparation
2 min, 30 sec
Lariel of Lórien

Have you tried their chocolate covered strawberry?

jessiwrites

No… I am not a huge fan of Della Terra blacks, so I haven’t ordered many. How does it compare to this one?

Lariel of Lórien

It’s pretty much the same, except without the ice cream.

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76
drank Pecan Pie by Culinary Teas
292 tasting notes

When I moved to the US and they didn’t have butter tarts, I was thoroughly disappointed. Pecan Pie was the closest thing I could find, but it just wasn’t the same. I did learn to quite enjoy it, though… and thanks to moraiwe, I got to try a sample of this tea!

It has the same nutty warmth that pecan pie has, which I certainly appreciated. And while it’s not super pastry-y, I felt that it did have some pie flavor, maybe a bit caramel-y? I quite enjoyed this tea, and I’m glad I have more to make a few more cups. Thanks, moraiwe!

Preparation
3 min, 0 sec
Stephanie

Oh man, I’ve never had a butter tart! Do you have a recipe?

jessiwrites

Hmmm, I’d have to check. I used to have my ex-boyfriend’s step-mom’s recipe, because she made the best butter tarts I’ve ever had. I used to make them for special occasions when I was living in Kansas.

I will see if I can dig it up!

Stephanie

Sweet, thanks. I can always just google it if its a hassle :)

TeaLady441

There’s no buttertarts in the US? :O
It’s funny what you take for granted and what’s different in nearby countries.

jessiwrites

Bizarre, right? Most of the time, I felt like I was still living in Canada, and then other times, it seemed so obvious that I was from a totally different country. Weird experience, for sure.

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