761 Tasting Notes

75
drank Melon Drop by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

I arrived home around 10:30 tonight. All went excellently at the Mayo Clinic. The aspirin challenge/desensitization went very well. No reaction today even at high doses of aspirin, so I am considered non-sensitive to aspirin. I’ll be taking 650 mg twice a day for the rest of my life. So, yay! And a little boo, too, because the doctor said it was possible for me to regain my smell, but he believes not. So probably I’ll be plagued by no sense of smell interspersed with brief, vague flashes of scent or taste. Likely when scooping out the cat box or cleaning the moldy leftovers out the fridge.

So now, to the tea. I am beginning to like this one more and more. It is a mellow, sweet infusion. Slightly on the artificial side, but not bad.

gmathis

Sorry about the so-so prognosis, but welcome home!

Maddy Barone

Thanks! I am of course disappointed by the no smelling thing. But I’m breathing well so that’s the really important thing, right?

gmathis

Breathing is good!

Indigobloom

Yay for possibilities! Fingers crossed for you

OMGsrsly

Breathing is really good! Fingers crossed regarding the smell coming back at more opportune times than described. :D

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75

I had a sample of this one tonight at Teavana in the Apache Mall in Rochester. I enjoyed it but not so much that I bought any. Instead I bought 2 ounces of Caramel Chai instead. Sort of wish I’d gotten the Pumpkin Spice Brulee. Oh well.

The first day of the aspirin desensitization is complete and went well. I had the desired alleric/asthma attack with hives, so the doctor is pleased. Tomorrow we do it again. Yay?

OMGsrsly

Good luck! That doesn’t sound super fun.

Maddy Barone

It really wasn’t that bad. If it goes right I won’t have a reaction tomorrow and I’ll be done!

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90

Dug this one out this morning. Really enjoyable, mellow and smooth and just what I wanted. It was supposed to be cool overnight, so I was anticipating the joy of a hot cup in my hands. But alas, although it was coolish outside, my windows weren’t open so it was 74 in my apartment. sigh. Oh, well, this is North Dakota, so winter is coming. I’ll have plenty of opportunities for a warm cup in my cold hands in the coming months.

I need caffeine!! This darned prednisone keeps me from sleeping, so I got only a few hours last night, and this afternoon I’m driving to the Mayo Clinic to start that aspirin desensitization procedure. Think good thoughts for me! I’m sure I’ll chime in over the next few days. I’m going to bring a few tea bags with me to Mayo. Maybe some of my basic Twinings like Prince of Wales and peppermint.

carol who

I’ve heard such good things about Mayo. Hopefully you get some help there. Good thoughts.

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100
drank Cranberry Pear by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

My sense of smell has slid back into obscurity. :( But this tea remains one of my all time faves. It says it’s low caffeine (which is kind of weird since it’s black) so I decided it was okay to have it this evening. I made a small batch of monster sized turtle cookies. They are pretty tasty, and this tea goes along with them perfectly. So yummy.

OMGsrsly

Oh that sucks. But it’s still nice that you have a favourite tea that tastes good no matter what!

Maddy Barone

On Tuesday I begin the Aspirin Desensitization at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. 80% of people who have had it done report regain at least part of their sense of smell. Fingers crossed.

OMGsrsly

Fingers crossed for sure!

Indigobloom

Good luck!!

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75

I brewed this one up last night for my evening tea treat. I liked it even better this time, so am raising my rating to 75. I believe this is one of those teas that requires a sense of smell to enjoy fully. My sense of smell is iffy at best even with the Prednisone, but last night it seemed to be more clear than before. This morning it’s all but gone again of course. All of you who can smell, rejoice when you’re cleaning out the cat box. I WISH I could smell that!

Anyway, this time I used 3 teaspoons of tea and steeped it for about 4 minutes, and then I could smell hints of the cinnamon and spices. That made a big difference in my enjoyment. It’s still a bit too artificially sweet, but the spice cuts through that enough to mellow it. I still won’t buy more of this, but I’ll enjoy what I have.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Sweet

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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95

I woke lst night around 4am to the sound of an immense clap of thunder that went on and on. Scared me half to death. I thought maybe a jet was ready to crash on top of me. But it went away, leaving only the rhythmic sound of pounding rain on the pavement outside my window. It was very cozy to lie in bed feeling a little chilly, safe and tidy.

It ws still raining when I got up, and cold enough that a good morning tea was required. I’m almost out of this one! It’s so good in the morning. So warm, and smooth, and mellow, and just a little malty without being astringent or bitter. Just about the prefect morning cup! I’ve put myselt on a strict tea diet until Christmas. I have plenty of tea to drink up before I order more. But it’s going to be hard to hold off on this one.

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61

This was a gift from a friend. She passed on several bagged teas to me. Since I’m on a horridly high dose of prednisone right now, sleep is hard to capture. So NO CAFFEINE TEA after 5pm!!!

Last night I made this one. I am not a fan of chamomile, but it’s supposed to help relax you, right? This didn’t taste absolutely horrible, but it wasn’t my fave. Again, I don’t like chamomile, so it’s probably not fair for me to even rate this. Do you have suggestions for calming, soothing evening teas?

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec
yyz

I find that rooibos works for me. Flavoured or unflavoured. I think it’s the Magnesium in it that works as a relaxant. It works better for me than other bed time Teas.

Maddy Barone

I’m not a huge fan of rooibos, but I do have two from Lupicia, Captain Kidd, and Golden Melon. I’ll give the melon a try tonight. Thanks yyz!

gmathis

I’m a big Tulsi fan.

Maddy Barone

I haven’t heard of Tulsi. i’ll have to give that one a look up. Thanks!

gmathis

I get mine very inexpensively by the ounce at local health food/indie grocery place. Tastes to me a little like lemon and cloves. Very few herbal remedies unknot my knots—this helps, although it doesn’t put me to sleep.

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75
drank Cacao Mint Black by Teavana
761 tasting notes

Here is the third and last of the teas I picked up at Teavana in Rochester while I was going to appointments at Mayo. This one sounded really good and I won’t have any trouble finishing the 2 ounces. But I don’t enjoy it as well as the Minted Monkey from Tippy’s. I think the mint must be quite strong because I can almost smell it. That is, I feel the coolness of mint when I lift the steaming cup to my lips and after I swallow. Can’t speak for the chocolate aspect. I would call this tea pleasant. Probably won’t pick it up again, but I’ll happily drink what I have.

Flavors: Mint

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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75

This is one of the new autumn teas from Teavana. I picked up two ounces to try because it sounded warm and comfy for fall. Last night a brewed a cup and I have to say I wasn’t impressed. It was sort of tasteless and almost colorless in the cup. I didn’t rate it last night because I was super tired after my four days away at the Mayo Clinic and I didn’t follow the instructions on the label. And of course I have no sense smell or taste of taste.

I tried it again tonight with nearly twice as much leaf (can I say leaf for an herbal tea?) and it was much better. Still not one I’ll run out and refill, but quite drinkable. My first impression was that it was light and fruity. The end of the sip seemed almost too sweet. Artificially sweet. Definitely doesn’t need any added sweeteners.The white hibiscus doesn’t seem nearly as sour or zingy as the regular hibiscus, which is a plus in my book. I didn’t taste the clove or star anise or cardamom. It may be that those are very light so I wasn’t able to pick up on them with my crazy nose.

This might be very nice iced, and as we’re expecting some days in the mid and upper 80s next week I think I’ll give it a try that way. I don’t give this a raving recommendation, but if a friend served it I’d have no trouble finishing the cup.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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81
drank Cha Ven Thai tea by Teavana
761 tasting notes

While I was at the Mayo Clinic this week I had a 4 hour stretch between appointments. I didn’t want to hang around the waiting room so I decided to see if there were any tea shops in Rochester. I found one, in a mall. Teavana. I had never been to a Teavana. It was similar to the David’s I’ve visited in Winnipeg.

I picked up three teas while there: this one, the Cacoa Mint, and one of the new teas for fall, Poached Pear Cider. I just wish I could have gotten little samples instead of a full two ounces. But I guess 2 ounces isn’t too much to try out a tea.

But I’m reviewing this one tonight since I had it this afternoon. It’s been cold and rainy today, which is prefect tea drinking weather. I really liked this one. It was smooth, and for me the spice was just right, not too bold or so weak that I couldn’t feel it. The color was a nice dark amber color. I bet it smell really good. My sense of smell is gone again, which is unfortunate, but I have hopes of it returning soon. The doc at Mayo put me on 5 medications, 3 of them steroids, which should open up my sinuses and allow me to get some scent up in the olfactory nerve area.

At any reate, although this tea won’t be an Absolute, All Time Fave, it is very pleasant and I think I’ll enjoy it this fall.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 g 10 OZ / 295 ML

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Bio

I love cats. I love alone time. I love sitting indoors on a cold winter night with a book or my knitting while drinking tea. I don’t have a sense of smell, so many of the more subtle flavors of tea escape me. Two of the things I CAN taste are bitter and sour, so any tea that has even a slightly bitter taste is nasty for me. And what others might perceive as pleasant tartness may be horribly sour for me.

I’m also a writer. I love writing, and a mug of hot tea helps me get through the hours sitting in front of the computer. Although I’m a comparatively new tea drinker, I’m jumping in feet first. Feel free to recommend any teas you think I might enjoy.

100-91 – Wowza! I want to keep this tea in the cupboard all the time.
75-90 – Very nice. It would be good to have this tea on hand from time to time.
60-74 – OK. Wouldn’t keep it in the cupboard, but I would drink it again.
45-59 – If a friend served this I would drink it to be polite, but it’s not really my cuppa.
Lower than 45 – Blech. It was too sour or bitter for my taste. Would not drink it again.

Location

Fargo, ND

Website

www.MaddyBarone.com

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