Shae Send Message

256 Followers / 938 Following

Shae drank Inner Calm #5 by Verdant Tea (Special)

2171 tasting notes

This smells mostly of anise with a touch of licorice. The steeped tea leaves have a spicier scent to them, but not like chai. It has a sweeter aroma. They also smell a bit like curry powder. I need the extra kick from the spices this morning since I’ve been fighting off a headache. I’m hoping this spicy tea will clear my head.

My grandmother passed along the recipe for a Lebanese cookie she used to make and now I make them twice a year. The recipe calls for soaking and then draining anise seeds in boiling water before adding the seeds to the cookie dough. This tea reminds me of the anise liquid I would have leftover after making those cookies. Straight anise flavor.

Second Steep
8 ounces water + 205 degrees + 1 minute

This cups smells slightly peppery, like ground black pepper.

Flavors: Anise, Black Pepper, Licorice, Spices, Sweet

Preparation

205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 3 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

0 likes

0 comments

Profile

Bio

Lifetime student. Lover of books and paper and ink. Kitchen dweller. Aspiring herbalist, excessively proud cat lady, and tea fanatic. Thirty-something elder millennial. She/her.

I love flavored black teas most of all, always with cream and honey. I enjoy floral and fruity teas, as well as flavored or scented ones. I’m not overly fond of green or white teas, but I’ve found a few that I enjoy.

I’m open to tea swaps and/or just sharing what’s in my tea cabinet! Please reach out if you see something I have that you’d like to try. I do my best to update my cupboard regularly.

Favorites
Any and all black teas, smoky teas, raspberry, strawberry, red fruits, bergamot, chai spices, floral teas, caramel/toffee, jasmine, rose, vanilla, peaches, plums, valerian root, cinnamon, cardamom

Not a huge fan
White teas, green teas, artificial sweeteners, sarsaparilla, licorice, lemongrass, lavender, hot hibiscus, hibiscus in black tea blends

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband, James, who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-49: This tea is not good, but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

50-69: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

70-79: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

80-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Updated May 2022.

Location

Alabaster, Alabama

Website

https://www.goodreads.com/sha...

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer