15695 Tasting Notes
Drank this one yesterday morning while working from home. Very straight forward blend with a brisk, full-bodied black tea base that makes up the bulk of the sip and then just a jammier generic red fruit note to add a bit of a flavour pop. Not something I’d be into all the time (I could see certain moods where I’d find this boring), but it was exactly what I needed yesterday.
A fine cup of tea, though I wanted to like it more than I actually did. The pear is just sort of lacking, even for a baked profile that should in theory have less of that upfront juiciness. The allspice was very pleasant and warming, though, and the oolong itself has a lovely gentle toasty and nutty flavour that leans into the whole baked goods sort of vibe the tea gives off. Yeah… Just needs more pear.
Made this one last night. Once I’d strained the leaf I ended up forgetting about my mug just long enough so that, when I came back to it, it was the perfect temperature to slurp back in what felt like one big, uninterrupted gulp while still being somewhat hot and cozy. Kind of just a rich chocolate flavour with a hint of earthy beet and pu’erh. Definitely a simple profile, but a very smooth one.
Though still present, this is a more gentle smoke than your typical Lapsang Souchong, which makes it a perfect mid-afternoon cuppa when you want something full-bodied and aromatic. I’d probably recommend it to people curious about smoked teas but who are either intimated by the full blown flavour of a classic smoked Lapsang or who have, pun intended, been burned by smoked tea in the past. It’s quite approachable!!
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3n9OQvuxg0/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g6K4o0UKLY
Gongfu!
Enjoyed this shou paired with a delicious soft boiled duck egg (with a splash of maple hot sauce) for a delicious breakfast tea session. Apologies in advance to the anti-runny yolk crowd. This was such a rich and unctuous way to start the day, though!! This shou in particular has a robust earthiness with a smooth woody character and sweeter dark undertones of molasses and brown sugar with just a hint of brothy umami weaved throughout everything else already going on in this complex blend of different ripe pu’erhs. The egg, with its golden and delicious yolk, is just as rich as the tea with a deeply creamy taste and texture alongside its own distinct umami character. So fatty and luxurious!! And of course, a hint of sweet and fiery hotsauce to break up the indulgence just a bit…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3qmElmuu1U/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWk4IjZHsb4
Gongfu!
To be honest my first few sessions with this tea weren’t super enjoyable, so I had sort of shoved this oolong into the far back of a sample drawer and forgotten about it. However, I think I’m learning how to better brew dancongs to fit my own taste preferences so I gave this another shot and it didn’t disappoint!! Turns out that, for me anyway, the key is really flash steeping. Like, SUPER short steeps. With this tea I found that pulled out so much more of the namesake aromatic, fresh rosy florals as well as a lovely lychee note. Also much, much smoother overall – though in the latter half of the session, when I started expanding my steep time, I did start to get a bit of a more funky, grassy and herbaceous kind of note in the finish…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3tFBvyuEI3/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw8qbyYV8rY
The last of Blume’s new line!
Personally, this was my least favourite – though it was still good. The whole line is really enjoyable, and I think it’s a brilliant addition to Blume’s product offerings. I love that they’re expanding past lattes, and really challenging and innovating in the superfood powder space. I have a lot of respect for them.
This one has the same ACV tang that is present in all the powders, though I think maybe it’s also the sweetest? I expected more tartness and intensity from the hibiscus to be honest, but I think the strawberry leads the flavour here – it’s just a bit of a “weaker” strawberry note. It’s sorta generic feeling. Maybe that’s the reason I didn’t love it as much? That said, I’m sure it’ll probably be the most popular one in the line because it’s very safe/commercial feeling and strawberry in general is less polarizing that some of the other flavours. The Blume PDP describes it as tasting like Pink Lemonade, and I do disagree with that though. It’s not lemony at all. Tangy, yes – but that doesn’t make a pink lemonade flavour in and of itself.
Also, it’s very beautiful when whisked (like the others) – a lovely rosy pink shade!
Next flavour I tried!
I expected this to be my least favourite as, like I recently noted in another tasting note, I’m not super into the combination of lemon and ginger when cold (and these powders are really more for iced drinks). However, it ended up being more in the middle for me when it comes to the three flavours overall. The main reason for that is that the ginger is very, very light. Just the faintest little bit of heat and tickle.
Mostly this tasted like a souped up lemonade. Very, very bright and tart with a pleasant sweet and sour pucker to it on top of that more tangy apple cider vinegar note that’s present in all three powders. Quite refreshing! It makes me think of all the people who have lemon juice and ACV combined together as a shot in the morning – this is so much more palatable than that, but similar in vibes.
Also, really gorgeous bright and saturated sunny yellow colour!
So Blume just released their first sub-line of products: three non-latte powders targeting gut health that they’ve named “SuperBelly”! Everything about this line kind of intrigues me, so I had to get them all the explore. The ingredient composition is essentially the same in all three, minus the different fruit powders and flavourings to achieve the three individual flavours.
I tried this one first – it was super easy to make (just dissolve in cold water) and the colour was this GORGEOUS deep purple-y red hue. From my first sip I was pretty in love, to be honest. Between the acai and pomegranate I think you taste more pomegranate, but the whole drink is sweet and juicy with these very dark notes of macerated berries and fresh pomegranate juice. You can also very clearly taste the tangy, sweet and acidic apple cider vinegar. I love ACV so that’s nothing but a win for me but, also, I think because there’s other flavours going on that this could be a really approachable way to incorporate ACV if you’re less enthused about that taste on its own.
The other thing I find interesting is the added probiotics. It’s the same strain that DT uses in Vanilla Parfait, so I know it quite well. I’ve been personally having some milder gut issues the last few weeks so I’ve been looking for different ways to incorporate more probiotics into my own routines (not just through tea), so having more options to add in to supplement that does really appeal to me – and I love that the probiotics in this blend are also supported by the inclusion of ingredients rich in prebiotics (inulin from artichokes). It’s the same kind of thing I did with all the chicory included in Vanilla Parfait…
Anyway, 10/10 for me!
Iced Latte!
Made this a few days ago and I just ended up downing it super quickly. That caramel note with the hint of salt is so scrumptious, and something about this iced latte version of it specifically was giving me a strong sense of deja vu. So smooth, though! I’m glad I ended up restocking not too long ago.
