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Cinnamon Oolong is no longer offered and I used my last bit for a final pot today.

Happy because I get to drink it today.
Sad because today is the end.
sniff

Usually with these blends I can’t really tell much about the individual teas that are in them. but for this one, I could.

First sip and my immediate response was, OMG that’s foul!

Second sip and I kept thinking about lawn mower clippings and over boiled greens of an unidentified type.
Isn’t this supposed to basically be an earl gray? Isn’t there supposed to be bergamot in it?

And then I looked at the ingredients. That’s right, this is a black/green blend which might explain some of the flavors I’m getting. But its completely overriding the bergamot almost completely and I didn’t realize that was possible.

Even as it cools. I sip and I think maybe there might be some bergamot there and then BOOM!!!! BOILED GRASS IN YOUR FACE!

And I thought bergamot could overpower just about anything. :)

Have tried this a couple of times now but first chance making notes.

First steep does have a lovely raisin flavor to it. A little sweeter than I would like, but its nice. Base seems to be nothing special. It doesn’t fight with the raisin flavor but doesn’t seem to have much of its own to add into the mix. It does seem smooth and isn’t competing however.

Second steep is much less raisin. Base still seems smooth and still not adding much to the experience.

Third steep I very badly over stepped because work.
There’s no raisin flavor now. Base is harsh and a bit bitter. Kind of expected that.

Overall, this is ok. Think of it as a flavored tea. The first steep is pleasant and then it drops from there. I recommend one steep and then move on to something else.

I want to like this so much.
Opening the tin is a delight and smells so wonderful.

This time I tossed the tea into my pot which still has the leaves I’ve been steeping all day. I thought maybe a bit of an extra base in there might help.

Freshly piping hot and it smells so good. Even the taste is good with that lovely warm ginger.

But as it cool the ginger steps back and the orange and especially clove take center stage. And I just can’t tolerate that combination. Actually I suspect its more the clove than anything else. I’m really developing a dislike for it.

Having this mixed with another black tea isn’t really making any difference.

I’m planning on another order next fall. I’ll have to give Gingerbread Festival a try and see if it suits me better.

I’ve been having a cup or two in the evenings and I am still really enjoying myself.

Maple is what I’m noticing the most now, both in scent and flavor with ginger and cinnamon in the background. I do wish the ginger was standing out just a little bit more.

This isn’t an excellent tea, but it has been a lot of fun to drink, especially with this cold snap we’ve been getting. It brings up images of being curled up under a warm blanket while its cold, wet, and blustery outside.

It does not resteep well. The flavor is weaker on the 2nd, and the 3rd is just hopeful thinking more than anything else. But none of this is surprising for a flavored tea.

While not my thing personally, I can completely see this as a latte, steeped strongly, with maybe a hint of sweetener to enhance the maple.

I suspect this will be a rebuy next fall.

2022 mini

Really should stop expecting that I could make notes on anything on a Monday morning, regardless of how early I get into the office.

Mostly drunk cold because Monday, but I only have one mini left and I want to try to get something in.

Its ok. Not really my thing. Had an interesting flavor when it gets cold but I’m just not able to put a name to it. Gets a bit astringent when it gets cold too. I don’t think it was this noticeable when it was warm.

I’ve got to remember to type out my notes somewhere else and then copy it when I’m ready to submit. More than a few times now I’ve lost everything because I clicked in the wrong area of the browser window and had the review closed on me. Serious, I really need to learn my lesson.

So, I came into this pretty blind. I made the order about 2 months ago now and the packet hadn’t yet been opened. So I had no memory of the description anymore.

I have a pretty low ratio of teas I like compared to teas I try. So I was a little surprised here. I actually like this.

The first thing I noticed is a fruity type vibe, though I couldn’t put a name to what kind of fruit. After a bit, I looked at the description again and yeah, I think apple might be fitting for that flavor. Its especially noticeable in the aftertaste where a lovely sweetness comes along with it. I don’t think I really get the spices thing though.

I also agree these is no to low astringency here steeped western style with full boiling water. Its not quite as smooth as it gets cold (hey, work has a lot of distractions), but still pretty good.

Second steep is also quite lovely. Still the apple and that sight sweetness in the aftertaste. Ugh, why didn’t I try this sooner?

Still going well by the 4th steep.

I don’t know yet if this is going to be a rebuy or not. If so, its not going to happen for a while. I ended up with way too much tea coming in between Back Friday and gifts from others. But I will consider it next time I make a restock order from The Steeping Room.

Tried a long time ago hot and did not like it but did not take notes. And then it sat untouched for a couple years because I did not like it and didn’t want to drink it again just for notes.

I finally gave in and though I would try to sip it down via cold brew .

Nope, no way, no how.

Into the trash it goes.

More catching up on notes.

The ingredient list on this sounded interesting. White tea, lavender, almond, vanilla. It sounded nice and delicate.

The lavender really isn’t standing out. This is surprising, but I do appreciate, as florals can be too much for me. I can detect hints of it here and there, primarily in the aftertaste. So thumbs up in this area.

But I’m also not getting much else either. I guess I was right with delicate, but just not in the way I imagined. It could be I’ve just had too much strongly flavored tea today, so I do plan on trying again another time to reevaluate.

Last time I had this, there was a strong sweet flavor that was really just too much and made me feel kind of queasy. Today I didn’t notice it while the cup was hot, but as it cooled, here comes the sweetness/queasiness.

One thing I find funny. I spilled a little on my hand and now I can smell a hint of vanilla on my hand, but still not in the cup.

I can absolutely see people loving this, but I suspect its just not my thing.

More catching up on notes.

I really wanted to like this a lot more than I do. If someone gave it to me and asked me to guess what’s in it, I wouldn’t have a clue.

Its got a scent that makes me think of maybe some sort of alcohol flavoring. It also feels somewhat weak in flavor and watery in mouth feel.

It really needs more oomf of some kind. I think it could be improved with a better base with a thicker mouth feel. That would help sell the idea of caramel better.

Oh, and I can’t detect the salt at all, which I consider a good thing.

But honestly, the flavor just doesn’t match its name for me. I guess its ok, but its really not something I enjoy drinking.