348 Tasting Notes

92

I guess this first flush Darjeeling is technically cheating, since it is a blend of both first and second flush leaves. That said, I wanted to try it anyway. I was at Smith HQ with my mother (which seems to be the recurring pattern), and noticed it was one of the black teas I didn’t remember trying. Why that is, I know not; for it possessed a character that was surely memorable. Like other Marybong offerings I tried, it was strong in it’s “jalapeno”-spicy notes and floral lean. I prefer my blacks on the light side, and this certainly was. Time went by so fast, I didn’t realize I was finished ’til I poured drips out of the pot. A habit-forming Darjeeling.

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82
drank Blueberry by euroTcup
348 tasting notes

I love me some berry medleys, and this quite the berry boat. It brews blood-red-dark thanks to copious amounts of hibiscus. Unfortunately, that also affects the taste. I like hibiscus, but I can agree that it has too sour a profile when overdone. Lucky for this blend, it only shows up in the forefront of the taste but segues to a deliciously fruity middle. Pretty darn good.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/08/review-eurotcup-blueberry/

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more
gmathis

Copious. I have never had tea flavored with hibiscus that wasn’t unpleasantly copious. (Thanks—-for some bizarre reason, that scratched my vocabulary itch for the day.)

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91

This was exactly as it purports to be. A blueberry-flavored white tea. Ingredients are White Peony, cornflowers (for show), and natural flavors. (Or “flavours” if you’re Canadian like the company.) It brews up like a normal white tea but retains a loud blueberry presence in the aroma. Same goes for the taste. This does not – I repeat, does not – need to be sweetened. It tastes like fruit candy on its own. If you’re looking for subtlety, don’t look here. If you want BERRY! This is your cup.

Full Review: Pending on www.itsallabouttheleaf.com

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88

Their menu said it was actually a 5-year-aged pu-erh, but no matter. I had a li’l tea date this evening, and decided to give this a go. I’ve had sheng tuo cha elsewhere and ended up liking it quite a bit. This one wasn’t quite as excellent as the others I’ve tried – lacking some of the wine-y/grape-y note – but it more than made up for that with an earthy/floral presence. I would gladly select it again.

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95

I stopped by Stash HQ while running errands of a sort. While perusing their rather large loose leaf wall, a new white tea caught my eye. Rwandan in origin. Now, I’ve had Kenyan whites and Malawi whites, but not one from Rwanda. I inquired about it at the desk, and they mentioned that it was new. That and they had it out for tasting. I gave it a go.

Aside from the temperature of the water being lukewarm, this was a very flavorful tea. I had noticed that African whites – like Indian ones – have a distinct “grape-y” profile about them. Also shades of maple. This had a grassy forefront that transitioned to the fruit note quite smoothly. A very delicious amber cup. So glad I happened by it.

Michelle Butler Hallett

Mmmm. I’ve seen the Rwandans on stashtea.com and have them on my list. Thanks for posting this.

Geoffrey Norman

It lives up to my high opinions of African white teas. Worth your valuable time.

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100

Hiya Steepster…it’s been awhile. How ya been?

On to the taster note. The Shang Tea sampler was my frivolous “Tea WANT!” purchase for March. The main reason I got it was for one particular tea, their Tangerine Blossom “red” tea. As the description stated, it was white tea leaves (Dai Bai) that’d been lightly fermented, then blended with tangerine blossoms.

The result was a dry leaf scent that smelled at first like a jasmine green, but imparted a light citrusy profile. The liquor brewed to – what I can best sum up as – “oolong amber”. The scent also echoed the oolong comparison. The taste? A black tea-ish forefront followed by a strong citrus tang in the middle, and a smooth aftertaste. I can find no fault with this tea. At all.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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94

When one looks for a tea, the last thing they’re thinking is “I want to drink CAKE!” Well, NecessiTeas will help you rethink that leaning. Then again, I’m always thinking about cake, so I’m probably not the best judge. That said, this green tea blend is exactly as it purports to be. The pineapple chunks are huge, and the natural flavors don’t mute on spashdown. Tall praise for a blend.

Full review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/03/16/review-the-necessiteas-pineapple-upside-down-cake-4/

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Kristen

Looks like one I NEED to try!

Geoffrey Norman

If you have a sweet tooth, yes.

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93

Vicony Teas is the end-all/say-all to Keemun excellence. Heck, they were there at the drink’s inception. So, I think they have a heads-up on what’s good and what’s not. This is a new type of Keemun – only about ten years old – processed in a way similar to Bi Luo Chun (a famous green tea). And there are similarities. The flavor profile is creamy, sweet, smokey, woody, and a bunch o’ other things. I just can’t think of ‘em at the moment. It’s a very complex cup that only slightly deviates from the Keemun norm. I’m okay with that.

Full review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/03/20/review-vicony-teas-keemun-aromatic-snail-tea/

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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76

I like rooibos. I like chamomile. I…uh…have to be in the mood for peppermint. These don’t quite mesh here. Rooibos and chamomile “could” work well together, but only if the former was the green/un-fermented form. Peppermint…is un-blendable. Nothing goes with it. Perhaps that’s just my subjective palate talking, but the only things I’ve found that work with it are other mints and (maybe) lemony herbs; none of which were on display here. I approved of this for the most part, but it’s not something I would devote my sleepy time to on a regular basis.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/03/14/review-friday-afternoon-murray-creek-blend-2/

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec

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97

I don’t consider myself a high-brow tea taster by any stretch, but I do have a rather informed opinion about Yinzhens. They were the first loose leaf tea I ever tried, so – naturally – I have a pedestal in which to reference. This Silver Needle took said pedestal, spat on it, and ordered a completely new chair – an ottoman, I think. (I.e. It was superb.)

Full Review: Pending on www.itsallabouthteleaf.com

Preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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I moonlight as a procrastinating writer and daylight as a trader of jack. I appreciate good tea, good beer, and food that is bad for me. Someday I’ll write the great American novel. And it’ll probably have something to do with tea or beer…or both. In the meantime, I subsist.

Tea Blog: http://www.steepstories.com

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