17480 Tasting Notes
Iced!
I’m so excited to see that Blume is continuing to expand their SuperBelly line because I really, really like this product. A tropical flavour just feels like the perfect fresh, summery introduction to balance out the other flavours offered. I had to buy it.
To be honest, I was surprised that this wasn’t more intensely tangy and sweet than it actually is. I mean, it’s still got some tang to it from the apple cider vinegar inclusion and I’d still overall describe it as a juicy, sweet tropical mango flavour. I think I just expected them to go a bit bolder given how much flavour is packed into the others. This is NOT a complaint though, and I think the balance of flavours is actually quite refreshing and smooth. More mango than passion fruit, but given all the marketing and photo assets leading up to this release that’s what I’d expected. Plus, you can obviously make it more intense tasting by either using less water or doubling up on the stick packs.
Does it dethrone Acai Pomegranate as my favourite? Nope, not a chance. But I can definitely see this growing on me and comfortably becoming a solid second favourite.
This was exciting to me because I quite like ginseng as a focus-aid, and in reasonable levels I like the taste of ginseng a lot too. I actually drink a fair bit of mate (especially in the morning) for a similar reason as I find I personally benefit a lot from the more focus-boosting, naturally stimulating properties…
Taste wise I thought it was fine. The tropical notes are pretty nice with the mango being leaned on more heavily than the pineapple. It’s juicy and sweet in a safe, commercial sort of way. I do get a little bit of that woodier undertone ginseng tends to have, but I think it plays pretty well with the fruit. As someone who knows that’s what ginseng tastes like, I find it easy to dismiss and I would like to think it’s also still mild enough to not be an issue for people unfamiliar with the ingredient too. Unfortunately the finish of this was awfully sweet. Definitely has that signature stevia taste, and I struggled a bit to look past it.
The Twinings store was cool to visit because their in person selection is just so, so much greater than anything we’d ever have in North America – even from the online shop. Seeing their large assortment of straight/unflavoured teas wasn’t surprising, but I was a little intrigued that at least a third (if not closer to half) of the store was dedicated just to wellness/supplemented blends…
We picked up a lot because they aren’t readily available in Canada, so expect a whole barrage of reviews for them as I slowly taste my way through. I started with this one for two reasons though – the first is that I find the wellness function so niche and it kind of intrigues me that there would be a blend catering to it. Mostly in the sense that I wouldn’t think people experiencing the negative symptoms of menopause (ex. hot flashes) would think to turn to a company like Twinings for a solution but also because it’s such a narrow pool of people that I would be skeptical what the financial viability of such a specific tea would be…
The second reason is just that I think the flavour combination sounded really delicious. Peach and sage? Yeah, actually sign me the fuck up for that please.
It did taste pretty good, too! For sure a more herbal and savory undertone and not just from the inclusion of sage – but the peach note was so fresh, dewy and floral. Definitely sweeter and more like a white peach with a more supple, tender flesh to it. It balanced out the herby notes of the sage very well, and added a needed bit of natural sweetness. I did leave in my teabag and so the sage got quite strong over time – eventually overtaking the peach a bit. However, if I’d pulled the bag out after a few minutes I think this would have been a really nice, well balanced mug of tea.
A tea that a coworker picked up from Harrods when we visited.
I’m not sure what’s supposed to make this Earl Grey “special” because, to me at least, it really just tasted like a very standard Earl Grey. Smooth but full bodied black tea base with undertones of malt and flowers and then a fresh, citrusy and aromatic bergamot seamlessly interwoven. Not particularly light or heavy on the bergamot. Maybe the flowery is referring to the pretty petals scattered throughout the visual? Maybe it’s referring to the term “flowery” that is sometimes used in tea grading? I guess it could be both or neither.
Regardless, I thought this was a perfectly whelming Earl Grey.
Cold Brew!
This is one of the few “new to me” teas I brought back from Bird & Blend when I was recently there. It’s described as pineapple and turmeric, which is a combination of flavours I’ve had before and quite enjoy. The dry leaf was really appetizing smelling with a much fruitier aroma than expected. Pineapple, yes, but also an also soda-style strawberry note that I found quite interesting. Syrupy and sweet in a way I wouldn’t expect for a turmeric tea.
At least cold brewed I think the taste actually loses a lot of that fruity aroma, though. It starts very earthy and turmeric forward before slipping into a mellow (pun not intended) tropical note that resembles pineapple well enough. A little apple-y too, which isn’t a total surprise given the blend composition. From there is goes back to a more earthy finishing flavour. Not too heavily spiced, but definitely more spice forward than you’d expect from the nose. I still enjoy it, but there’s definitely a sort of mind game happening here given just how different the smell and taste are.
Sipping on this currently!
Now that I’m back from Europe I have the long but exciting challenge of sipping my way through all the teas that my coworkers and I brought back with us. This was the one blend I saw at Tea Gschwendner that really stood out to me – and that’s saying something because I am not a green tea person typically.
I don’t know if it’s a seasonal tea for Spring/Easter (all the companies we visited seemed to have large Easter displays with cute ornaments) or if it’s a “core” tea that they were just featuring for the season, but in person at the store the display shelf with the premeasured out bags was fully bought out and only had the small sniffer tin. I could see why because it was such a beautifully sweet smelling lemon aroma that really seemed to capture the name inspiration. It really took me in, and thankfully the staff still had a small amount in the wall tin that they were able to scoop out for me.
I totally forgot I was steeping this as I began writing tasting notes today, and so I was worried I’d over brewed it and would have an awful cup. However, even with a ten or so minute steep I’m finding this delightful tasting. It’s a very fresh, sherbet-y sort of lemon that does remind me a lot of limoncello except for the slightly creamy sort of finish that it has to it. Very lemon curd, I guess. Or even venturing a bit on a lemon meringue!? It’s so nice with the smooth, easy-going grassiness of the green tea. I’m actually quite impressed!
Gongfu!
The dry leaf aroma on this maocha is delightfully funky with a mix of barnyard and overripe red fruit notes. Once steeped up, I find this maintains a lot of its sweet and tangy fruity notes. Although I would put it more in the realm of orchard fruits than red fruit or berries, like a quince jam or pear chutney. Mildly green, with undertones of ginseng root, hops, and hot prairie hay. The finish feels kissed by raw honey, which leaves a lingering sticky sweetness after each sip. Lots going on here, but well balanced. After nearly a week without any gongfu sessions whilst traveling, this feels like such an indulgence!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIZWX_PJY0D/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA_Y37uLp0s&ab_channel=RalphCastelli
Grandpa Style!
There are very few other black teas from W2T that I like as much as this one. It’s just so full-bodied, brisk and grizzly with really packed in but nuanced and layered notes that teeter on the edge of darkly sweet and savory, aromatic herbs. Burnt sugar, molasses, leather, and jet black dark chocolate in the top notes with a woodier oak-like body with undertones of jammy black cherry, and a dense, syrupy liquor left the lingering taste of vanilla extract and smoke following a medicinal sage and camphor-heavy finish – and it’s only gotten better and bolder with age!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIb6dhEJTrg/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_0EmQxJpy4&ab_channel=RennyConti
Gongfu!
I enjoyed this outdoor session paired with some bright and tangy passion fruit! I drink a lot of smoked teas, many of which are a lot more experimental. This is such a beautiful, classic and grounding lapsang though. Full bodied and almost a little syrupy in terms of liquor, with a brisk upfront woody smoke that bleeds sweet and mouth-coating notes of lingering anise in the finish. Contrasted with such an intense tropical punch of flavour I find that the edge of the smokiness it matched and, by proxy, that almost feels to soften it. Meanwhile, the finish and aftertaste seem even sweeter. For both the tea and the fruit. Definitely a combo that evokes feelings of summer BBQS with different grilled fruits. Succulent, sweet and tender in a way that leaves your mouth salivating! Cannot wait for that warmer weather to hit!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIexPo7S_E6/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoUvuIx4Bcs&ab_channel=NightTapes
…and I’m caught up!
I’m currently just finishing off a mug of this tea, which I’ve been slurping on since starting to write my trip tasting notes a few hours ago. It’s one of the blends we brought back with us, and I’m enjoying it even if I find the flavour combination quite familiar. Brisk, full-bodied black tea with fresh, smooth notes of garden roses. I’m a sucker for a rose black tea, but this is definitely a profile I’ve tasted countless times and can get elsewhere. The naming, however, is quite clever.
