157 Tasting Notes

84

Yes! My shipment came in today!

And OH MY.

The smell…I couldn’t stop smelling the bag once I frantically ripped apart the envelope it came in. It’s SO GOOD. Exactly like banana pudding. I could see little pieces of coconut and huge pieces of banana through the clear front of the bag. There seemed to be a greater measure of toasted rice to green tea, which worried me at first. (I’m not a big fan of genmaicha. I have to really be in the mood for it.) No instructions on the bag, so I guessed the temp to be on the hotter side of “green” and let it steep for three minutes.

I waited, waited and waited…giving the cup a good sniff every fifteen seconds or so. I couldn’t smell much past the toasted rice. Maybe a hint of banana but it was very faint, especially compared to the sublime desserty-banana aroma that drifted out of the bag.
First sip was very similar to the smell. A little disappointing, but I expected the banana to be muted compared to the base. First impressions can be deceiving. I waited a few minutes, hoping that the banana-coconut flavors would emerge at a lower temperature. I was right! First I get the roasty, nutty element of the rice, followed by a very definite banana flavor.

[I’m going to interject here that’s it’s not the flavor of a ripe banana. I don’t really like ripe bananas myself. I prefer bananas that are still slightly green and firm, and not very sweet. While the banana flavor of this tea isn’t a ripe banana, it’s not quite a green banana either. It’s close. It’s very “fresh” tasting…but also mildly sweet. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Maybe someone else can illuminate this for me?]

Anyway, back to the tea. Toasty rice, then banana, then a very soft creaminess that’s a little like vanilla. It’s more of a texture than a flavor…just this soft, full, silkiness. I think I’m catching hints of the coconut. A little cream. I wish it was stronger, honestly. The flavors descend in intensity as they descend in order. I’m not getting much in the way of crusty, vanilla wafer goodness but that’s okay. It makes a very good cup of banana tea with a hint of sweet coconut.

While not what I expected, I drank a whopping seven cups of this today. (: It resteeps well. Second brew was 4 minutes, and the third was for 6 minutes. (I tried coaxing a fourth out of the leaves with 8 minutes, but the flavors were too subdued for me to enjoy it. No banana or coconut or green tea. Just rice.) Out of the three steep times I think the second was best. The silky vanilla-coconut elements stepped up and the toasty rice stepped back. There was greater balance in that cup.

The entire time I was drinking this I kept wondering how it would taste with a black tea base. I’ve never had it before, and I enjoy black tea much more than green tea. What’s a girl to do? Cast a guilty look over her shoulder, get back online and place a hasty order for Banana Pudding Black…which is exactly what I did.

I’m glad that I liked this tea so much since my recent experience with 52teas (Cherry Cheesecake Green) went so badly.
Shudder.
I’m sure time will help meld the flavors nicely. Note that sugar brings out more of the banana-pudding-ness of the tea.

Preparation
2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Veronica

Banana Pudding Black is awesome. One of my favorites from 52Teas, and my favorite banana tea, hands down.

kimquat

I’m so excited for that one to come in! I’m already halfway done with the genmaicha version. Looks like I’ll be needing more VERY soon. (:

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40

Eh. Mostly I’m getting cherry flavored, watery green tea. Not cough syrup cherry, but not real cherry. It’s like the slightly sour sweet cherry topping you get on cheesecake. Sadly, no cheesecake flavor that I can tell. That’s a real disappointment. The tea base itself is very blah. Doesn’t stand out very much.

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This isn’t bad. I’m getting a light coconut flavor in the background (which tastes more like coconut creme pie—artificial coconut flavor—than actual coconut, let’s be honest). At the forefront there’s white chocolate, a creamy, thick flavor that reminds me of chocolate mousse. They work very well with the tea base. I’m tasting more green and white tea than anything else. It’s smooth, the way the flavors meld, though there is a touch of astringency at the end of each sip. (Might have been my fault because I goofed the water temperature.) I’m actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I’m not sure I would buy it again, but I can see myself reaching for it when I’m craving something desserty and can’t bring myself to drink the other teas I’m scrimping and saving.

Thanks for the sample marzipan!

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72

This tea has a very distinct, fresh pumpkin flavor to it. I’m getting the texture of firm fruits that give under your teeth, like peaches, plums, mangos…meaty fruits. The tea base is vegetal and a little bitter, but I intentionally overleaf when I brew. That might have something to do with it. I’ll try brewing with the recommended amount next time. Anyway, I’ve had this tea a few times before sitting down to write, and I haven’t noticed much about it that says “milkshake” to me. I get the pumpkin and a green, vegetal taste that follows soon after, but no milkshake. There’s a slight creaminess after the initial flavors that hit my tongue, but it’s veerrrryy slight. I don’t think anything is wrong with my tastebuds. ): Ah, well.

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92

The dry leaves are gorgeous to look at. I often will pluck a leaf out of the bag and turn it over in my fingers, marveling at the color and the fine golden dust it’s covered with. The color of the tea liquor ranges from a mellow gold to a light amber. It’s definitely malty—but it sits lightly on the tongue. There’s a smooth, silky feel to the tea liquid. Sweetness lies at the end of each sip, like caramel, and lingers soon after. Sort of like a light perfume. It doesn’t coat your tongue, but it definitely builds and leaves this clean, sweet feeling behind. Sooo hard to describe. It’s delicate and complex. I prefer to drink this tea in the evening. It doesn’t really have the punch of a strong black tea I would drink in the morning, or middle of the day. I dare say it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. Later steeps bring out more honeyed, chocolate notes coupled with a full, juicy freshness. Simply lovely. (:

Flavors: Caramel, Chocolate, Honey, Malt

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78

This one has a very strong and very distinct toffee-caramel aroma! I was worried for a moment that it would be too strong when brewed. Nope. There is a nice balance between the B/C/T flavor and the mild, but decent base tea. No astringency that I can tell. (I used a 3 minute steep.) Each sip leaves a lingering buttery sweet feeling in my mouth. It’s almost sticky in the way that toffee leaves a stickiness behind. It’s not a very complex tea. Very one-dimensional. But the tea base and flavoring works well together—and it’s enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. (: I might try adding milk to this the next time I brew.

Flavors: Butter, Caramel, Cream

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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92
drank Hello Sweetie by Butiki Teas
157 tasting notes

Absolutely wonderful! The banana and coconut are very light, natural additions to this tea. There’s a slight fruitiness that I attribute to the Assam. (I haven’t had PTA by itself, so I can only guess.) The dry and wet leaves smell SO GOOD. Crazy, dessert-y cake good. The tea base is very mellow, no astringency, which I would have expected from the 4-minute steep time. I’m glad I was wrong. Creaminess creeps in at the end of each sip. The second steep tones down the fruity tropical flavors and brings out buttery caramel toffee goodness. Yeeessss. I’m in love. I’ll need to be careful to ration it out until my next Butiki order. (:

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Got my Butiki order in today! Aaaahhhhh! This one was included as a sample! I was really, really tempted to buy a 1/2 oz of it with the rest of my order BUT, knowing how finicky I can be about white teas, I held off. It was sitting prettily right at the top of the box. When I picked it up I smelled lemon candy and faint sweetness. Brewed up, it smells very similar to the way the dry leaf smells. I definitely agree with other posters—the flavors meld much better at cooler temperatures. The citrus backs off and becomes more soft. It was more tart when hot, but as it cooled I was able to discern more creaminess and pastry-like flavor. Like a very lightly sweetened cookie. Or, like a macaroon. (: I enjoyed my cup tremendously but I don’t think I’ll be getting any more for myself. It has nothing to do with the quality of the blend and everything to do with my dislike of white tea. A little too light for my taste.

Bravo Stacy!

EDIT: Now I find myself craving this tea. Guess it’s going on my next order after all. :P

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92

I received this as a sample from BrewTEAlly Sweet. Oohh my goodness. The dry and wet leaf smell very similar: spicy-sweet, nutty, and bread-like. Like warm pastries, freshly baked bread. The tea gives off a slightly citrusy aroma, which I believe has something to do with the tea base? Hmm. It reminds me of French toast, with its cinnamon and almond flavors. The predominant flavor, however, is bread. Eggy and sweet and delightful. It has a nutty, sugary finish. It’s a light tea despite the 4 minute steep time. No astringency. A good tea for evening time. (:

Flavors: Almond, Bread, Cinnamon, Cream, Nuts

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100

I can’t believe I haven’t written a note about this tea yet.

Really, it’s shameful.

This has been a staple in my cupboard since day one. When I started drinking tea I preferred greens and oolongs because I could differentiate between the flavors more easily. I had more experience with hot green tea that I did with black tea. Black tea always tasted the same to me. (How wrong I was!) This was a tea that completely changed my perspective. It changed my expectations of how pure black tea could taste, and how dynamic the range of flavors I could experience actually was.

So, to begin. I always overleaf by half. I use pre-boiling water and start steeping at 45 seconds, increasing by increments of 15 sec. (I also rinse the leaves before starting.) The tea liquor starts at a light amber; the color deepens to a beautiful reddish gold before settling into a yellow gold with later steeps. The smell is so, so lovely. Fruity and light with the suggestion of a darker complexity. Reminds me of olive oil, similar to the way that Master Han’s Wild Picked Yunnan reminds me of it. (Though not quite so intense.)

Early steeps are lighter and “brighter” with a fruit-like flavor. The end of each sip verges on spicy and chocolatey. Darker flavors counterbalance the light. As I continue steeping, the tea coats my mouth with a delicate sweetness. Later steeps bring out malt chocolate and caramel notes. It becomes smoother, more mellow and less “bright”. Less astringency with every steep—not that there was any to begin with. There is a slight cedary wood taste…it’s very delicate. Spice undertones prevail throughout. There are hints of sweet cream that grow stronger in each infusion. I usually steep about 4-6 times, or until the leaves are exhausted and I feel like I’m drinking hot water.

So good. So, so good. I save this tea for when I want something special. (: I squirrel it away for months because it’s never available for very long. It consistently gives me a beautiful, heavenly brew.

I’ve tried several high-quality straight black teas from other retailers and this is my FAVORITE to date. Hands down.

Bam.

Flavors: Caramel, Cinnamon, Cream, Malt, Wood

Preparation
2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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Bio

I have met such lovely, kind individuals on Steepster and am so glad to have become a part of this community!

Pure black teas are my favorite. I drink black tea daily and I try to keep a variety on hand. I also enjoy white tea, matcha, puerh, and the occasional oolong. In general I try to stay away from flavored teas—especially those with artificial flavorings—but I will make rare exceptions, and I do enjoy a well crafted blend of straight teas. Things I (usually) don’t like: green oolongs, rooibos, straight green teas.

Rating System
90+ The very best! Teas that I always need in my cupboard!
85-89 Teas that I enjoy immensely and will try to keep around.
80-84 Makes a very pleasing cup. I will enjoy drinking them, but won’t necessarily try to keep around. (There are exceptions.)
70-79 Decent, but could be better.
60-69 Mediocre.
40-59 Gross. I might still try to finish the cup.
39 & under Undrinkable. I probably dumped this cup. Depending on the specific rating, I probably threw the rest of the tea out as well.

Some of my favorite tea companies are:
-Whispering Pines Tea Co.
-Verdant Tea
-Mandala Tea

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