30 Tasting Notes

21
drank Bourbon Vanilla by Kusmi Tea
30 tasting notes

Smells like green cocktail olives (which I hate) and tastes like wet cardboard. I adore Kusmi, and there are 8 tins on my countertop, but it seems I’ve found the one flavor I don’t like. I don’t get any vanilla out of this at all, and my overall impression is a tea made for someone who smokes. And possibly drinks hard liquor… or smokes a cigar… or likes wet cardboard…. lol, shrug

Preparation
4 min, 45 sec

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90

TRIUMPHANT AT LAST! I’ve got my mitts on some Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend. I’ve been on a quest for this tea for a few months now, and finally resorted to paying a hefty randsom on Ebay for it. But it’s fresh, and it’s mine and that’s a bit of ‘jubilee’ for me!

Next order of business, the tea cup I select to taste it in is also important, for savoring my victory, so … (choose carefully)…. and the nominees are— ‘Red Tower’ by Copeland Spode, and ‘Silver Birch’ by Royal Albert…. and the Royal Blend goes to — the Royal Albert! Splendid! Congratulations, you fine china teacup. I shall enjoy you as well.

Now for the tea. I managed to obtain a 50 gram cardboard box which — pleased to discover — contains 25 individually sealed packets. Good, that’ll last longer, and portable too, if I should wish to gloat about my conquest in some public place. {BONUS!}

One tea bag makes a 1 liter pot, as any good british tea will. None of this single bag=single cup american marketing cozenage. This box of 25 tea bags is looking like a much better return on the investment {another BONUS!}

At this point, it hardly matters what it tastes like, it would have to resemble raw sewage to ruin my day now. Which, fortunately, it is no such thing. It’s … typically british, non-offensive… warm…. comforting… taking it straight up without milk or sugar. The milk and the sugar are wating in the wings to further draw out my victory celebration, but right now, it’s straight tea all the way. ahhhh….. sigh. Victory tastes sweet.

And the tea is good too.

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88
drank Cardamon Tea by Ahmad Tea
30 tasting notes

I got a deal on Amazon for 3 huge tins (500g ea) of loose tea, and it’s a good thing I like it! LOL This has become the tea I look forward to, and the pot is gone before I know it. I take it straight, haven’t tried milk or sugar. Had no idea what cardamon tasted like, but I like chai so I figured ‘what the heck’? and just bought it. I figured that I could easily turn it into chai if I had to—but the cardamon is not overpowering, it enhances the tea, and I can certainly see why it’s an ancient favorite. It’s my new favorite— I’m completely hooked! …..and who knows, maybe I’ll even figure out how to spell it one of these days… can anyone explain why it’s sometimes “cardamoM” and sometimes “cardamoN” ? maybe I"ll google that while the water boils……

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2
drank myrtle by Tregothnan
30 tasting notes
I ordered this because I’ve never seen myrtle sold in packages before. Herbals often have a mild flavor, but this had no flavor. The leaves float for awhile, then they eventally sink to the bottom. I left them in my cup, waiting for the water to achieve any slight color, any at all… or any flavor at all. One cup is all I will ever need, this is a novelty, and I don’t see the point of it. No color, no flavor, no noticeable effects…. worse than chamomile. Threw it out.

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70
drank Guayusa by Harney & Sons
30 tasting notes

So I slept in late, and when I awoke, my order from Harney was on the doorstep. My day was off to a great start, was very excited to get my goodies, I ordered lots of trial sizes, and a tin of guayusa. Given that guayusa is supposed to be well endowed with caffeine, I gave it the honor of first brew. I used 2 tsp in my 1 liter polish pottery teapot. It made a nice color, about the color of strong mint. It has a vegetable scent… kinda grassy, or maybe yard waste— depending on your mood first thing in the morning.

After drinking my cup, and noticing my energy picking up, my words comming a bit faster, I’d conclude it makes a fine first brew. Yes, this stuff has potential. The leaf is tiny, shredded like confetti. It does tend to scatter on the countertop. This tisane also has flavor— and I like it better than chamomile, which I’ve never seen the attraction, but the husband likes chamomile…I associate it with sickness, upset stomach, recovering from the flu, or for people who can’t have caffeine, something you use to make do or otherwise go without…. but I digress… this is guayusa, not lame old chamomile. I am not at all sorry to have bought 4 ounces, it will definitly get used. Taking a liking to it, and Wide Awake Now!

Though, I must tell you, this is my second order from Harney, and it’s great fun to anticipate getting a parcel, and track it’s movements across the country until the day it finally arrives, like being a kid again, counting down the days to my birthday. So I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed. In the first order they threw in a few teabags to sample. But today, all they gave me was one lousy teabag. One. Chamomile. Why did it have to be chamomile? because they can’t sell enough, they have piles of it laying around or something? Underwhelmed. Anticlimactic even. Pooey on your lousy chamomile. Husband can have it, next time he feels sick.

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70
drank Guayusa by Harney & Sons
30 tasting notes

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70
drank Guayusa by Harney & Sons
30 tasting notes

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45

Tea bags – with strings – individually wrapped – 10 in a box. Each tea bag contains enough leaf for a 1liter pot. I drank this pot without milk or sugar. This is not a strong tea in flavor, but it makes a nice dark brew — much better color than the Tregothnan Afternoon blend. The overall impression I get is a fairly generic grocery store all-purpose black tea. It’s serviceable, but nothing to write home about. It doesn’t offend by being too much of anything. {and after the trouble I went through to obtain it, that is somewhat offensive}

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33
drank afternoon by Tregothnan
30 tasting notes

Brewed in a 1 liter polish pottery tea pot. Used one tea bag, just as I did with the Earl Grey, but the soup was so pale, I wonder if I should use more? Using the same standards that produced success when brewing the Earl Grey and the Classic, this time I ended up with a pale cup. On the one hand, that may be the point of “afternoon” tea, but when I compare it to my personal favorite brand, Ahmad, I can only say that this tastes exactly like hot amber water. No flavor. So either I need to add more tea, or I need to stick with my Ahmad. Tregothnan Afternoon tea does not impress—just as well, since it’s not easy to obtain. I bought it on a lark, because of it’s provenance, and I really didn’t have high expectation for flavor anyway. Tourist tea. That’s all it is.

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68

One sachet will brew a 1liter pot. Individually wrapped tea bags with strings, 10 in a small box. Packaging not very attractive—which is not necessarily a bad thing, as some american tea companies are all about the packaging, and less about the quality of the leaf. Be careful when opening the packet, it’s a tight fit, my first attempt resulted in ripped tea bag. Of course, I brewed it up anyway using a mesh filter. That incident did allow me to view the contents, and it is a very fine texture, as most english brands are. Second attempt, paid strict attention to the top selvage and was successful. (Yay) Once you get past the packaging, the opened packet has a lovely aroma. I drink my black tea without milk, I like to taste the stuff unadulterated. I don’t add milk or sugar to Earl Grey anyway… and this has a smooth mouth feel, does not dry out my tongue. Less of a lemony note than Ahmad Earl Grey, which is my daily tea, my standard of comparison. I also brewed it a rather long time, as I got distracted during dinner time, and walked away. No problem, I have discovered that most British tea blends are rather gracious about overbrewing — they will still turn out fine. And if you think brewing it was almost too tricky for me, you should have seen me ordering it! Apparently, my bank feels that my visa is safest if I don’t use it at all. They wanted the last 4 of my SSN “for security reasons”… luckily, I have two Visas, or I would not have any tasting notes for Tregothnan. I am still trying to find the magic combination that allows me to try Fortnum’s tea. I refuse to pay $150 for 12 oz of tea…. but that is another subject entirely. Give me time, I shall surely find a way, this Yank may be slow, but she gets there eventually.

yssah

do you still have some of this fleurdelily? i would like to try it if you can swap some out :)

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WARNING: OPINIONATED

I take my tea plain, no sugar, no milk. I don’t think I should have to wheedle nudge or cadjole the flavor to reconcile it to the name on the label. If it’s good, it should stand up by itself.

Excellent Video on how to prepare matcha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NRB93In-rE

Favourites—Chinese tea. European blends. Black, puerh, oolong, spiced and Guayusa. Kusmi, Butiki
Meh to Ick—White tea, Indian tea then green is pretty far down on my list.
Dislikes—Rooibos. Matcha. Anything with hibiscus. Lipton. Celestial Seasonings. Bigelow. Red Rose. Red Leaf Tea.

I just love my camelia. Even if I hate a certain kind of tea, I still find it’s provenance interesting. The cultural aspects are every bit as fascinating as the flavor aspects, or maybe more so. Empires have been built and bankrupted over the humble tea leaf.

Becomming cynical about tea companies that are too hyped. Certain tea companies that use candy in their blend, certain tea companies that give away free tea for reviews posted all over the internet with links back to their store. Once someone has posted that kind of review, I tend to discredit their objectivity. I’m no longer interested in reading their reviews. sorry.

FYI—female—married— to a coffee drinker (but he is willing to try my exotic teas, bless him)

Location

oregon, but forget what you’re thinking, this is the dry side

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