Sipdown (180/184)!
Sample comes from VariaTEA.
I was splitting this one up today so that I could send a taste of it to Courtney and I decided to try it myself too so my half got used up tonight as my last tea of the night. I should note, I think, that I’m 90% sure that this is from the revised batch and not the original one that Amoda sent out – and I have not had the Amoda version so I don’t have a point of comparison between the two.
Of the three Amoda box Butiki blends I think this was the generally preferred/favored of the three – but I really struggled to see why through my cup of it. I found it very harsh/astringent with a bitter undertone to the sip and I thought it left a really weird, indescribable taste on my tongue that lingered for a really unnecessarily long time. That said, the mid sip did have both strong Nutmeg and Cream flavours so I guess the title is fitting…
I’m sort of glad I didn’t like it, though – because this is so limited edition I think it would have been harder on myself if I’d fallen in love. But that same reason (the tea being limited edition) is why I’m also so very thankful to VariaTEA for being able to spare a couple cups worth so I got that rare taste of it.
I hope Courtney has a better time with it.
Flavors: Cream, Nutmeg
It is from the new batch and I also found it very astringent when compared to the original tea. I am sorry it wasn’t a good cup for you but at least it is a Sipdown :)
Sadly, I don’t like the new base as much as the original. I also find it astringent. So now with the rest of my new batch I’m using milk and that’s toning it all down for me some.
The base actually has less astringent teas (we removed one astringent tea and replaced it with a gentler tea and lowered the amount of the other astringent one) but I think there might be 2 issues here that make the tea taste astringent. The time suggested is way off. We kept with Amoda’s suggestion but it should be 2 minutes, not 3 or 4 minutes. 2 minutes should produce no astringency or minimal astringency. We really should have changed the steep time. Also, the nutmeg has been increased. I think that much nutmeg at 3-4 minute steeps is not great. So the tea is oversteeped and the spice is too strong producing bitterness.
I’ll try a shorter steep.
Amariel-Great! Hope it helps. :)
I had it today at 195F and 4 minutes, and I really liked it. Maybe I’m the odd one out? :) I’ll try 2 minutes tho, and see what I think!
Still astringent. Maybe I’m overleafing.