737 Tasting Notes
Today has been AWFUL. Rude people, drama with coworkers, phone is ringing off the hook. At least this tea is delicious. A calming, chocolatey, minty-fresh, delicious oasis from the insanity. Prepared and consumed in my “Don’t Tell Me to Keep Calm” mug.
Flavors: Chocolate, Cocoa, Creamy, Mint
I made this one at work with my tea ball infuser. Then promptly sunk my tea ball, chain and all, into the hot water. No spoon in sight, so I had to dump it into a paper cup and fish the ball out that way. So now I have to drink it from a paper cup instead.
It’s withstood this silliness quite well, despite the odds. Pleasantly sour and sweet, fruity without being cloying. I’m hoping the elderberry will kill the sore throat that I seem to be developing. Ackkkkk.
Flavors: Black Currant, Fruity, Pleasantly Sour, Sweet
Teabag sipdown continued!
I finally figured out what this one reminds me of— it smells exactly like Apple Jacks cereal.
It gets better and sweeter from the cinnamon the longer you let it steep, but still nothing particularly memorable about it otherwise.
Will not restock.
Flavors: Cinnamon, Popcorn, Sweet, Vanilla, Wheat
Probably the best blend I’ve encountered from Bigelow. Their herbals are too hibiscus-heavy, and their chais are weak— the astringent black base overpowers them. This one is perfectly balanced and reliable. I like the subtle earth notes and the cleanness of the mint.
That being said, I probably won’t restock it once it’s gone, which after tomorrow, it will be. It was pleasant enough, but not worthy of a permanent status in my cupboard. Onward!
Flavors: Earth, Spearmint
The first time I ever tried this tea I was not impressed at all. The taste reminded me of the smell “eau de gym sock”. I avoided mint tea for the longest time after that, until I tried Moroccan mint a couple of years ago. Loving that, I bought a fresh boxc of Plantation mint to give it another go, and found it to be quite pleasant the second time around. Not an everyday go-to tea, by any means, but nice. I think that initial tea bag wayyyyy back when must of have just been ancient. I probably won’t restock this one, either, but I am glad I tried it again.
Lol “eau de gym sock.” Yeah, unfortunately I mostly end up settling for bagged teas during the week because they’re just easier to make at work. This one was just “tolerable” but decidedly not “fabulous.” I had to double-bag it to get a drinkable cuppa out of it.
Your evaluation of Bigelow tea’s is spot on! I think Bigelow is generally the bottom of the barrel, haven’t tried this one but I’m weary of mint in general
I finally found it! On a shelf tucked away in a Home Goods store. I thought I would have to order it online if I really wanted it that badly, but I got lucky.
The first thing that’s a little disarming to me is the fact that there is no actual hazelnut in the ingredients list. Interesting…
It definitely smells like sweet hazelnut after it steeps. When I sip, I get a lot of cinnamon, cloves, and orange, with a nutty, creamy mouthfeel, hint of hazelnut in the finish. Can’t taste the licorice, thank goodness. Very smooth, very rich. Very enjoyable.
Flavors: Cinnamon, Cloves, Creamy, Hazelnut, Nutty, Orange Zest, Spices, Sweet
Preparation
This wasn’t TOO terrible, but honestly, I like Sleepytime Extra better.
It certainly made me sleepy (yay Valerian) but I didn’t get much coconut. I got kind of an artificial vanilla taste followed by some natural herbal-y sweetness, probably from the chamomile. Tasted a bit like a Lip Smacker— anyone remember those?
Kind of lackluster and not that yummy overall flavor-wise, but for $5, what did I really expect. At least it fulfills its intended purpose, which is to help me sleep when I’m anxious.
Flavors: Artificial, Herbaceous, Sweet, Vanilla
It seems like most of the reviews of this tea are from people who don’t like rooibos, so I don’t think it’s been given a fair shake.
This is a nice tea. Perfectly balanced, fruity but not cloying, very high quality. I taste mango, peach, and papaya. Nice woodsy finish from the rooibos.
Also worth noting is the amount of labor that must go into producing these tea sachets! They’re sewn with string, almost like embroidery work along the edges.