42 Tasting Notes

90
drank Laoshan Black by Verdant Tea
42 tasting notes

Always one of my favorite teas for the morning! The tasting notes for it are perfect—it’s got a very cocoa and malt taste, the sweeter side of savory.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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drank Silver Buds Yabao by Verdant Tea
42 tasting notes

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65
drank Paradise Green by Lupicia
42 tasting notes

I had this one through two steeps—the second was actually a lot more flavorful on the fruity side than on the first steep, and the first was more noticeably green. The fruit flavors don’t taste cloying or artificial.

Makes a great iced tea, also!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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60
drank Momo by Lupicia
42 tasting notes

Got this as a free sample in my Lupicia purchase! It definitely smelled peachy—the taste of it is a lot more subdued though. Would probably make a very tasty iced tea.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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82

Having what I had left of this sample iced! The dry leaves still smell very fragrant, but it’s about eight months old now and I think I should finish it off.

The toastiness is still nice and robust, the orange/fruitiness is less pronounced than I remember (probably due to age), but it’s still a very decent oolong and still has the crispness I noticed in my earlier note. Moderate astringency that dries out the mouth afterwards, but not unpleasantly.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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85
drank Gui Fei Oolong by Butiki Teas
42 tasting notes

I love this one iced. It has that deliciously strong “tea” taste with a toasty lingering, and with the natural sweetness I only ever feel the need to a small bit of honey to it. Definitely my favorite of all the iced tea experiments I’ve been conducting over the past few days! And I am glad to find an oolong I like iced, since it’ll be nice to get a resteeping or two out of it.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 4 min, 15 sec

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90
drank Yu Lu Yan Cha Black by Verdant Tea
42 tasting notes

The smell as I poured it was like a warm, buttery potato.

It’s definitely unique! There’s nothing astringent, it has a wonderful honey sweetness, the potato taste comes with an overall “meal” taste to me (like it’s a nice big meal of potato and roasted veggies). Most of the chocolate notes hit at the end for me too, so it’s like dessert! There are so many tastes going on in it, but they come together in such a smooth, delicious way.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 30 sec
Tabby

Thanks for the follow-back! I saw the Hoppip and just had to add you.

Chizakura

Hmm, I’m beginning to think my 2 minute steep must’ve been too long. Everyone’s talking about honey, and how sweet it is, whereas this was so peppery for me aside from the chocolate note I got, it definitely wasn’t sweet.

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85
drank Grapefruit Dragon by Butiki Teas
42 tasting notes

The smell of the leaves is strong! Like a very juicy grapefruit with a very slight grassy, meadow-like scent. It’s a really powerful smell, so I have this guy separated off from my other tea in fear of him scenting the others.

Brewed, the grapefruit smell tones down a lot and more of the green comes out. It smells to me like a really smooth grapefruit bread might! On the first sip I kind of got that too – almost a baked good sort of taste, reminds me of a very green meadow, creamy and nicely sweet on its own with a light grapefruit aftertaste and tart.

There’s an excellent balance between the Dragonwell and the grapefruit flavor (I was initially a little wary it might be as full-on juice-like as the dry smell was). This feels like a really natural sort of drink – something you’d want by your side whenever you’re surrounded by expansive gardens and greenery.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 30 sec
Crowkettle

The dry leaf smell made me nervous at first too. It’s so strong! I love the imagery at the end.

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85
drank Kashmiri Chai by Golden Moon Tea
42 tasting notes

The first real chai I ever had and still my favorite! My first taste was with the one-serving sample pack, which I only got to have half of. I knew I was going to have to order much, much more eventually. I’ve been preparing it in that way outlined by teaplz/takgoti every time, and I am extremely grateful to them for sharing that on here!

This one is much more mellow than all the other spiced teas/chai I’ve had. There’s no ginger or black pepper, so no strong spicy bite in it (not that I have anything against that!). Just a very smooth cinnamon-cardamom-cloves taste in with the blend of tea, which with the milk makes for something better than any milkshake or latte I’ve ever had. As for the scent, the cloves seem strongest – especially on the leaves. I love this one as a comforting, gently spiced drink.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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56

Got a pack of this for Christmas – I’m 100% out of every other kind of chai I had, so I’ve been making this.

This one is definitely heavier on the black pepper than anything else I’ve tried. Not sure I’m a fan, but it’s interesting – the hard bite at the back of your throat after every drink. The peppery-ness combines with a smokey overall taste – possibly the roasted chicory? The cardamom is also a lot stronger than the cinnamon in this one, which isn’t really my style.

It’s nowhere near the quality of the other chai I’ve had, but it’s decent when there’s nothing else!

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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