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Thanks to Nicole for this sample! I already had this one in the infuser before I read other tasting notes and saw that this is really a black tea. I was really craving a yellow tea today! I guess I should have noticed that the leaves are really dark (much darker than in the picture, actually). This was otherwise a mild black tea — very sweet and honey while somehow still having a really dark brew. Not much else to say!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 tsps // 14 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep # 2// just boiled // 3-4 minute steep

Sipdowns: 1/30 None 1/31 Spice & Tea Exchange – Carrot Cupcake
…but I’ve added a few to the ‘next-time’s-a-sipdown’ list

I had to order a few of my favorites after what was essentially a 50% off sale if I kept my order around $20 ($10 off $20). I had been planning an order for just a few teas from them for a while now. Roasted almond! The sencha berry and Tiramisu blends I loved when I bought them from Tealux. And this one! I’m also very happy that ESP has changed their packaging to thick resealable pouches instead of the ones that just folded over. Now I don’t have to switch the pouches. On to the tea!
This one was an interesting blend. I’m always looking out for blends with figs and dates. I see plenty of fruit in the mix. The black tea is very light but showcases the flavors more. With the sesame, it becomes the most prominent flavor but makes it a unique and savory blend. Hints of fruit throughout. There are also almonds here but they don’t seem to add much to the flavor. There should also be vanilla here, but it wasn’t as noticeable as the other flavors. This is definitely nice to have in the cupboard for this unique flavor type!

Sipdowns: 1/26 Sample of Teavivre’s Lapsang I’m not selling (but still have the one I’m selling – it still counts though?)
1/27 thePuritea’s Hong Jing Luo
…but then I started slacking. none 1/28 or 1/29

This is one that Zen sent to add to the teabox that I wanted to sample. It’s delicious! This blend contains sencha green tea, Genmaicha, Japan Bancha, Kukicha, Gyokuro, red currants, strawberry pieces, and natural aroma. Mixing so many green teas might be a shame since you can’t enjoy them separately. I noticed mostly sencha looking types of green tea leaves but I haven’t had much experience with some of these teas, so those might look like sencha anyway. The flavor should mostly be citrus from the description but it tastes mostly like strawberry. It’s refreshing but you can’t really notice the flavors of the green teas themselves.
Steep #1 // one teaspoon for a full mug// 30 minutes after boiling // rinse// 2-3 minute steep
Steep #2 // 30 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep

I love these types of light black teas. I knew I had to try the new one from Zen! The leaves are like tiny dark tree branches. The flavor is a great example of this types of tea: honey, hints of malt, and a lot like those chocolates with the roman nougat filling. That is exactly why I love this type of tea. It’s probably only noticeable if you’re a fan of those types of candies. Maybe to others it’s a hint of cherry (or maybe just something fruity) and nuttiness. I could wish for a little more of the roman nougat flavor, but some of these types of teas don’t have that at all, so I’m glad it’s there. The flavor is very smooth and I think perfectly steeped this way. The cup looks like it’s full of maple syrup and just as smooth!
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for a full mug// 12 minutes after boiling // rinse// 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 21/2- 3 minute steep

Sipdowns: 1/25 The Tea Spot – Chocolate O

Additional notes: Sipping this one again basically because someone is back on Supernatural! Though I haven’t caught up with this weeks episode yet! I love that it’s fruity and cayenne spicy like a chutney but this one doesn’t have enough for Lucifer. I like that they brought Lucifer back, but it might seem like they’re trying to go back to season five. This show can do anything though and I’ll keep watching. :D

Thanks again, Julie Jones! I thought I’d like this one… it seemed like it would be a stand-in for coffee that I don’t really like. With two teaspoons, the flavor was WAY too much chicory. It resulted in a mostly bitter cup. Trying it again with one teaspoon, the chicory is still at the forefront which is a shame. It’s just not sharing the cup with the other ingredients like the cinnamon and coffee beans. Too much chicory to me tastes like splenda and I don’t love that at all. This isn’t the worst tea I’ve tried, but I don’t feel like I’m going to want to steep it often.
Sipdowns: 1/22 Butiki – with open eyes & Della Terra’s Winter Nog

Not trying as many new teas to write tasting notes for, but here are some sipdowns!

Sipdowns: 1/18 Tealux – Sencha Berry Fig
1/19 one of two pouches of Fusion – Cocoa raspberry mate
1/20 S&V – Chocolate Brownie & one of two Butiki White Rhino (so maybe these aren’t really sipdowns if they are stored in more than one place? I’m trying here. :D)
1/21 52Teas – Cotton Candy

Usually you can tell in the flavor when a black tea is decaf, but not with the decaf teas from S&V. I love being able to drink a black tea at night when I’m craving one. I know that a black tea isn’t entirely empty of caffeine but there is certainly much less than a typical black tea. I wouldn’t be able to tell this is decaf and the black tea itself is actually quite strong in flavor. Definitely not weak and odd flavored like some decaf teas can be. I love the idea of a flowery Earl Grey. This one is lighter on the bergamot, or possibly the lavender takes over and drowns out the bergamot. I see plenty of lavender and roses in the blend but the rose is harder to distinguish. I would have liked all three elements to be more balanced in this blend (maybe by not including as much as the lavender?), but otherwise this is a great decaf.

Another one from Julie Jones, thank you! I’m starting to notice that any Davidstea that has black tea pretty much uses the same black tea. haha. And it’s not a black tea I love — it seems like a Ceylon which is my least favorite. But Davidstea usually has decent flavors that the mild black tea can showcase more. This one is certainly fruity, but I wouldn’t say it is distinctly pear, cranberry and apple. Maybe mildly pear. There are plenty of fruit pieces in the blend. It’s okay but nothing that will wow.
Sipdowns: 1/13 Tealux – Desert Vanilla Oasis None 1/14

Sipdown of this one! Before anyone loses interest when they see “Lapsang Souchong” this is more a Laoshan Black type than anything at all smokey. No smoke here! At least with this old harvest that I had. It’s so sad I’m the only one to write a Steepster note for this one. Last time it was out of stock, now it’s back! I wonder if the new harvest is the same… Teasenz.com

No sipdowns 1/10 but two on 1/11: Teavivre – Superfine fragrant keemun & Tealux – Maple Splash