4183 Tasting Notes
Thank you very much for this sample, Kawaii433! I thought this would work for the “oceanic tasting” sipdown challenge, and no, NO it does not. It is sweet creamed corn all the way. Nothing oceanic about it. These dark grass clipping leaves mostly resemble a lighter flavored, less nutty Laoshan green. But I do love a creamed corn green tea so I am a fan of this one. The second steep has a bit of dry quality to the mouthfeel, maybe a bit of smokiness but still more of the creamed corn. It’s a very light brew, which is always so unexpected from such a dark grassy leaf. But I like it.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon for a full mug // 35 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 30 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
This is from Tiffany :). Thank you! I really tried with this one and I just am not a fan of Dessert By Deb’s bergamot. To my tastebuds, honestly, sad to say, it tastes like bug spray. I’m not sure if these other garden elements are enhancing that bug spray flavor or being overpowered by it. Such a shame as I really wanted to like these blends. Luckily Tiffany only sent me two Earls by Dessert By Deb so that was enough for me to try them and say I will pass on Dessert By Deb’s other Earls. So now I know. At least the black tea is dark enough and offers some sort of caffeine. But I couldn’t even boil a second steep of this, which is rare for me. It’s a pretty gardeny looking blend anyway.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 30 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
So today is the 10th anniversary of Bird & Blend (Bluebird) and I have been “with” them since the beginning! I wish I could go to one of their awesome anniversary parties, but alas, I’m not in the UK. So instead, it will be an ALL B&B TEA DAY to celebrate. Also, just realized their Christmas in July sale is soon…already?!? So last night I started early on the first steep of this, which I’m happy is now available ALL THE TIME if I ever run out…it won’t be for a while yet… The rest of the day I will be sipping a second steep of this late, Lemon & Raspberry, and haven’t decided yet between Peach Cobbler or One in a Melon. I am a B&B fan! I’m happy they are doing so well.
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – June Tea #2: – A rose tea
I’m really trying not to sipdown my tasty blackberry teas, especially the blackberry teas from 52Teas. But this one was calling for the challenge today. The blackberry has faded a bit now, so I’m glad to finish it anyway. Such a great combination. Rose and blackberry. Maybe a reblend is in order.
2022 sipdowns: 71
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – June Tea #1: – An orange tea
This tea, bleh, glad it’s gone now.
2022 sipdowns: 70
I’m back from visiting family. It was… rough. The most bizarre thing happened. My aunt is around my grandmother all the time so she would know… my aunt thinks something happened to my grandmother and it seems she had overnight Alzheimer’s and the sad part is, it seems to be focused on her direct family members. Like she has no map of her family tree at this point. She asked who my aunt was the day before we went for the visit, her main caregiver, then she didn’t recognize three others of her closest family, including me. The last time I saw her I distinctly remember her saying to me “I’ll never forget this lady.” She thinks we are all hired caregivers or long lost children she didn’t know she had. It’s terrible and hard to process. Not sure if it was consistent the entire time we were there for three weeks. She might have been embarrassed to say she didn’t know who we were, so she could have been pretending to know most of the time. I just kept pointing to the quick dial numbers on her phone. It was all of us on the top row. :( She did just recently survive covid so we are all hoping it is a temporary covid fog. I have heard covid ages everyone 20 years, so there you go. But to survive covid and then a month or two later this happens? uh. So sad. Watching someone go through memory loss has always been one of my greatest dreaded fears.
My mom had dementia. I would call her and I could tell she didn’t know who I was even though I identified myself at the start of the call. Then, ten minutes later, she suddenly realized who I was. It was so hard for me to lose my mom that way. So I have some idea of how this visit was for you. Hugs.
Hopefully she realizes that she is loved by her caretakers, even if she doesn’t quite know who they are. There are some things we can’t help our loved ones go through, we just have to be there for them, and it seems you have a supportive family to help you all cope!
@Maddy Barone – I’m sorry you had to experience that. I’m working up to my first phone call with her soon. We are all hoping she knows us over the phone as none of us live around her except my aunt…
@Michelle – thanks for your words. She said many times while we were there “I’m not sure who you are, but you are all wonderful people.” ah.
My grandma just passed last month after years of bad dementia. It’s one of the hardest things to go through. My condolenses.
I’m so sorry Mastress Alita. If you have mentioned her passing, I missed it, as I have lots of catching up on notes to do.
=( Oh gosh. I’m so sorry. This is no easy thing to go through and I truly hope someday we find something that helps correct it.
Thanks, skysamurai
additional notes: A tasty cup with adorable flamingo sprinkles. Not unnatural tasting sweetner… really this note is just to say I might not be on Steepster much as I will be out of town for a couple weeks (as hesitant as I am due to Covid. BUT my grandma survived Covid recently, so I guess it’sagoodatime as any to go for a visit). AND I am SO FAR BEHIND on reading everyones tasting notes. wooboy. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy your June!
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – May Tea #9: – A lemon tea
I didn’t really want to finish this one! But I guess I have a little bit left of Moondrop Dreams and Tealyra’s Lavender Lemon Potion — I like both of them more. The dregs of this sample seem like mostly stevia and I’m sure the lemon myrtle profile is not helping that. But I just love lavender and lemon as a combination, the more blends the merrier.
2022 sipdowns: 66
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – May Tea #8:- A tea with a creative blend of ingredients
Anne’s blends are usually creative but it seemed this blend was even more so, that even MORE care and thought than usual was put into creating it. So I think of this blend for this prompt & it was time for a sipdown! An interesting mix of flavors, though a bit faded now. NOW I’m on to a cup of Frank’s Cranberry Salad… it’s still tasty and so so good. It should probably be reblended!
2022 sipdowns: 65
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – May Tea #7:- A “geeky” tea
So not only is ‘Anderson’ a geeky Sherlock tea, but I feel Anderson as a character was a bit geeky… geeky about following Sherlock’s antics so much that he ended up being the person that was adamant that Sherlock was still alive after his fall. So this tea is double geeky. I’m glad it’s finished, as it was a little faded there at the end… basically tasted like a plain strong Ceylon without flavoring. That means a wrap for the four Sherlock tins that MissB sent me back in the day! I will of course keep the adorable tins.
2022 sipdowns: 64
Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – May Tea #6:- A soda tea
Still distinctly cola! Maybe less vanilla, but either way it’s another sipdown I’m a little sad about. If I were to say my favorite soda, it would probably be Vanilla Coke or Dr Pepper, so I’m glad Frank made a Vanilla cola tea back in the day. I’m so glad the flavor lasted to the last drop — two steeps!
2022 sipdowns: 63
