1330 Tasting Notes
VRBO cupboard tea. Good dry leaf aroma through the tea bag. Notes of various spices and a nice touch of vanilla. The infusing aroma is pleasent ntes of german christmas cookies.
Oh man. Licorice root! You know how some poeple think (me) cilantro tastes like soap? And others can only taste stevia when stevia is involved? Well I’m adding another one to the lise. Licorice Root. It overpowers this blend like a dictator. The spices and the black tea try to muscle themselves in but the licorice root is like a little mob boss. Overall, it’s a decent blend and I’ve learned a good lesson.
After my last teabag, I don’t have high expectations but one can always hope. This is, again, a cupboard tea from the vrbo in Kauai. The aroma starts kinda peachy, kind of grandma’s potpourri in the bathroom, and part very synthetic candy. The wet tea bag… It’s like a mix of wet leaves and someone decided to be funny and sprinkle peach flavoring on them. The taste. Nope. Just a lot of nope. I didn’t even steep it the entire time. It’s one part bitter, one part compost that is not being taken care of properly, and the last part is all synthetic notes.
When we went to Kaua’i on vacation, we stayed with my parents at a place similar to a VRBO. Long story short, they had this in one of the cupboards. It doesn’t look too old, and the aroma of the bag is pleasant—full of dried strawberries and bits of vanilla. The infusing tea smells of fruit roll-ups and those generic strawberry gummies with a slight tannic hint of leftover pieces of tea. The first, very careful, sip was reminiscent of Play-Doh. Subsequent sips have revealed nothing of note. Dead strawberries, plaster, cunk vanilla. I keep drinking it hoping I’m missing something.
I have no idea of what they were trying to do with this blend but I think this is a fail.
Dry, dusty looking leaf. Curled and twisting.
Most of this will be used for a nitro infusion later this morning after I get the kids up for school.
This is the end of the bag. Lots of chopped leaf and bits that look more like a ctc tea. I’d really have to dive more into Nepal greens to get a better feel for them. But it’s difficult to do when you feel like you have a good grasp on teas feom another country. Maybe it’s just because it’s the end of the bag? The flavor is top dusty and dry for me. Hay, grass that was cut weeks ago and left to compost in a pile.
Nitro: on its own it’s nothing special. No foam and thus no cascade. The taste is fresh and would be nice for a hit summer day.
On the island of Kauai, in the town of Kilauea, there is a shop called Kauai Juice Co. They are well known for their kombucha, and I attest to the fact that it is delicious. But they also have other companies that they host, like this one. I had not heard of Lake&Oak before so I decided to give them a try. The aroma of the dry mix is nice and toasty with hints of cola and sugar cane.
1st Steep: 5 Minutes. Straight up. 2 Mins to cool down. Think I used about 1/2 tsp and while the flavor has a bit of nie zest and spice to it I also find it… somewhat boring. Needs more punch and flavor. Adding more next time and trying with coconut milk.
Nothing says adventure like trying a random black tea from a vrbo share area in America where tea is not well taken care of. I fear for the flavor simply by looking at how crunched and smashed and broken the leaves are. Also they were sitting in a plastic bag. The aroma is next to nothing for the dry and wet aroma of the leaves. The flavor is heavy with cigarette and dark woods. Bland.
Last tea from Marshall. Thank you again for the trade. I saved this one for last because it is the category of tea I am least familiar with. Quite excited to try this one. And I do enjoy the videos from Nannuoshan. Actually, this is the first time I’ve had one of their teas!
Dry Leaf: Dark tones. Dark browns and dark yellows. The yellow disappears in the dark a bit, so make sure to put it under good light to view it. Medium and large rolled leaves. Lots of tricomes.
Steeping aroma: Very nice. Mellow wood tones, bready, barely? some type of grain… malt? Yes malt.
Flavor: Yeah, that’s good. Oh man. Hay, malt, bitter chocolate 85% dark, a bit of herbaceous notes.
This one you really have to sit with. Can’t walk away.
Wet Leaf: Summer floral, summer herbal, raisiny…
Thank you, Marshall for this sample!
Sorry Sheng, Shou is the way for me. I will keep trying Sheng but honestly, my heart stays with shou.
Dry appearance. Compact. Slightly dusty. Light brown and dark browns collide.
Wet Leaf Aroma: Old 1800s house. Cream of wheat. Vanilla. Pure vanilla with no fluff. I also want to say marzipan but it’s been a bit so that’s a maybe…
Liquor Color: Opps… I wasn’t paying attention >.< It’s super dark.
Flavor: This first session is a punch to the face. “Don’t ignore me!” it screams. Bitter. Tannic. Old wood. Resin. I think I’m on session six right now, and wow. Maybe it wasn’t all me. It steeps dark very quickly.
Mouthfeel: 1st: Astringent. 2nd bits of astringency but also softness.
Thank you to Marshall for letting me try this one!! I might have to do two separate tasting notes. My husband is painting some minis, and the paint is horrendously stinky. >.< I’ve got my air purifier and the stove fan running. I’ll just keep my nose in the pot and call it a new type of mask hehe
Dry appearance: Little bit of everything in this one! A nice sized twig, and a variety of different leaf pluckings. Nicely pressed.
Flavor: A lot going on in here. I ruined my first steeping. Went too long. Many different woody tones. Some palo santo, some old decaying tree stump, fresh twigs.
I do not mind drinking dark teas, but I definitely feel like my palate just isn’t as suited to finding the deeper nuances.
The moment you open the package you know this one is a big-time winner. The grind is so fine the the electrostatic properties are super strong! When I opened the package the matcha went poof. And not wanting to waste any of the fine powder I, looking like an idiot in hindsight, started trying to lick the air. ^^;
Feel: So smooth it is almost like you aren’t touching it.
Aroma: The newest grass shoots. Sweetgrass. Bits of umami. Fresh grated, cold, high-quality parmesan cheese. If you don’t believe me go pull parmesan out of the fridge and grate it.
Color: Amazing. Vibrant green. Shamrock. Wow.
Flavor: SO FRESH! Some might call this bland because of the lack of facial punch you receive like some matcha but I quite enjoy the incredibly subtle notes this holds. Also I highly enjoy that the marine attributes slowly sneak up if you sip it longer.
Mouthfeel: Air. It’s like sipping air. Liquid air? That sounds weird but it’s the freshest air with spring qualities added. It’s so smooth it’s like the purest water with the essence of pure ocean water. As you let it settle a bit more on your palate the marine attributes come out more.
I feel the same way about licorice.
A certain type like black licorice or just all?
I wasn’t aware there were different types. I’m talking about the cloyingly sweet, anise-flavoured licorice that’s used in tea blends. Several years ago I was looking for a decaf chai and they all seemed to include licorice. (I eventually found a rooibos chai from Camellia Sinensis that doesn’t.)
Oh gotcha! Yeah so licorice root is an alternative to sugar kind of like stevia. I just usually say licorice root versus saying just licorice because most people think of the candy harhar
Yeah, I was thinking of black licorice. I was wondering why anyone would put that in a vanilla chai. Makes more sense now. :)
Mob boss. Beautiful licorice metaphor. I will add that to overbearing mother-in-law and bulldozer ;)
Hahaha oh man. Those are great descriptors too.