672 Tasting Notes
Just got my first order in from Amitea. I think I’m going to try this again with a shorter steep time, because right now the base is way overpowering the flavorings. I get just a little hint of vanilla and cream. It’s pleasant enough, but I’m getting astringency far more than I’m getting the richness and smoothness of Devonshire Cream.
Preparation
Hooray, got a small order in from NMTC, so the cupboard doesn’t feel quite so bare now. This was a little sample they threw in. It tastes very much like English Breakfast, but a bit lighter and mellower. It’s fine enough, but probably not going to become a staple around here.
Preparation
I am wondering why a tea company in presumably New Mexico is stocking something called Canadian Breakfast. Lighter and mellower, hmm. Perhaps they are aiming for the tea version of a Tim Horton’s coffee.
Lol, yes they are in New Mexico, I’ve visited their shop myself. Apparently Canadian Breakfast is really a thing? I’d never heard of it until about a week ago, but several tea companies make it. Anyway, NMTC stocks English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, etc., they are not particular that way ;)
hahaha, just like DF does all the Noels then.
well, this Canadian tea drinker is curious what Canadian Breakfast tea might be. I’ll look into it. Thanks!
Lol, exactly. Well, I hope you can find a better version of Canadian Breakfast in Canada, because this one really isn’t worth the hype. The more I drink it the more I think English Breakfast knockoff.
Sad face. I couldn’t help but hope that it would be stellar.
Now this, to my mind, has potential. https://steepster.com/teas/murchies-tea-and-coffee/43134-canadian-breakfast
Totally! That one sounds much more interesting.
Sipdown. This came in the 52teas mystery bag sale. Normally I have a strict no chamomile policy, but I actually enjoyed this. The rooibos and the tangy strawberry cut the chamomile enough that the cloying sweetness wasn’t a problem.
I am the same way with Chamomile which is why you don’t often find it in my blends. So far as 52Teas, I’ve only made 2 Chamomile blends – and one of them (this one) was a special request/ VIT blend. The other one was the April Siesta which … because it was called “Siesta” I figured Chamomile was an appropriate ingredient.
Haha, well the other ingredients you added really helped, it was much less cloying than a normal chamomile but still very soothing :) Mint is always going to be my herb of choice when relaxing though — speaking of which, that Cucumber Mint Limeade tea you made got me through the terrible heat this summer! I’m keeping my fingers crossed it makes a reappearance some day in the future ;)
Thank you – I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed that one!
This is my very last little pouch of Rainbow Sherbet. I was saving it to celebrate whatever came up, but it turns out that this is the only black tea left in THE ENTIRE HOUSE. I would like to blame tea elves or something, but really it’s because stuff keeps breaking and the repair costs have siphoned off the tea fund. This month I was extremely worried about the mystery ailments of my car, and basically stopped spending altogether because God only knew how much THAT was going to cost, but lo and behold it was just the starter, and I got my car back from the shop today without having to sell a kidney, so I guess that’s what the Rainbow Sherbet will be used to celebrate: I have a working car, both kidneys, and enough money left over to hit up at least one or two of the holiday tea sales, glory hallelujah.
What a nice surprise on this rather bleak day. I got this as a sample who knows when and forgot all about it, but when I was rummaging through my tea box, hey presto! This is the first long ding I’ve tried. The leaves look very similar to long jing, long and narrow, but they are a darker green and sort of curled in on themselves. It tastes quite mineraly — none of the green bean taste I’m used to getting from long jing. Not my favorite, but interesting. I think I might go poke through that box some more.
Preparation
Got a sample of this to compare to NMTC’s gunpowder green. This actually tastes slightly like white tea, I guess because it has some hay notes. It’s more vegetal overall than the NMTC, which leans toward the earthy and mineral notes. Plus this is a lighter tea. The flavor is fine, but it doesn’t really register as gunpowder with me. I just expect them to be punchier than regular green. So as the heartier tea, the NMTC still wins for me.
H&S was giving whole tins of these away, so I snagged one even though I am leery of spice teas in general. I didn’t realize it had a rooibos base, but I probably still would have taken it because I am a sucker for free stuff.
Anyway, it’s actually not bad. All the flavors are on the mild side, so it works as a soothing herbal. The pumpkin isn’t coming through, but so often it doesn’t with pumpkin spice flavored things. Wouldn’t buy it but I’m not sorry to have some in the house (plus the tin is awesome).
H&S sent me a sample iced tea bag of this. I decided to add some cherry tisane to it, but in hindsight I think that was a mistake. This tea is so strong it totally overwhelmed the cherries and I just got a tiny hint of vague fruit. It’s good tea overall, nothing fancy but powerful.
I don’t want to be too hard on this because I have yet to find a chocolate tea that comes close to being actually chocolatey. This one is no exception, but it only fails in the way they all fail. The richness of chocolate just does not translate into tea, in my opinion. The strongest note in here is actually the sunflower seeds. It’s not bad, it’s just not as robust as some of 52Teas’ other black teas.
