150 Tasting Notes

72
drank Jasmine Tea by Fujian Tea
150 tasting notes

I think Steepster sent my review into ghost land.

This tea is reminiscent of my favourite Chinese restaurant. I’m pretty sure they serve it there. I drink this strong when I have a cold and I drink it traditional Chinese restaurant way (put a few leaves in hot water and let it steep) other times. I like the flavour of it and it’s really really affordable. I’m pretty sure my grandmother and my mother have tins of this in their cupboards. This is like an old friend and I will probably leave it in stock as long as they continue to sell it. That about Dim-sums it up! har har

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69
drank Fall Harvest Blend by Fairmont
150 tasting notes

Edit: I found the information online finally, but I don’t have an account that is old enough to “edit” teas. I have to wait 1 month apparently booo.

Here’s the update on the tea: FALL HARVEST, India~ black tea Infused with Dried Cranberries and Cinnamon with just the right touch of spice.

Fall Harvest. I love fall – this makes me think of fall. I can’t find any information on their website about the tea because it’s a seasonal blend. So I took a picture and let everyone be the judge of that.

At first sniff: This is very breakfast-y smelling with hints of cinnamon in, but very subtle. You can smell the black tea for sure. You can also see the cranberry and cinnamon pieces.

At first steep: This is very strong. It’s a bold blend, and excellent to take with milk and sugar (or substitute.) I had a hard time finishing my cup today because it’s quite rich. The colour is a deep red brown, looks like it’s almost coloured red, but it’s not. With milk its a red toffee colour.

It could probably do with less time being brewed and it is very dry to the palette. It’s not my favourite, but it’s definitely a good contender for a breakfast tea.

Side note: I know that the Metropolitan Tea Company does a lot of the tea blending for the Fairmont. There are a couple that you can buy on their website and then there are some that are exclusive to the Fairmont. There isn’t much information online about this, it’s mentioned briefly here and there when you google it. I really like their teas, they are affordable and I find them to be nice and natural.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 30 sec

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33

Having this waiting for my massage appointment. Ho hum. That’s about all. The ginger isn’t prominent in it and I can hardly taste it. Like I’m reaching for it. No need to buy it that’s for sure.

Preparation
Boiling 7 min, 0 sec

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60
drank Birthday Cake by DAVIDsTEA
150 tasting notes

Bon a fete a toi? Bon a fete a moi?

This was purchased in my first Davids Tea order I ever got last year. I ventured to them because the Urban Tea Merchant closed down in West Vancouver and at the time venturing DT didn’t seem as viable. I’m a sucker for cake teas, well really this should read: I’m a sucker for cake. Something about a drink being able to mimic the dessert without all the calories and a fraction of the sugar seems so desirable to me.

At first sniff: This tea is potent. I remember when I first ordered it, my boyfriend was in the other room and came into the kitchen and when “Whoa!” because he could smell it. It smells extremely sweet and upon further investigation as the same smell as Red Velvet Cake and Oh Canada. I think it’s the “fake” perfume they use to scent the tea. I’m not a fan of the sprinkles in it. I know they’re more for fun, but I’d rather leave the “stuff” out of it. They don’t really add anything to it.

At first steep: It’s a rich golden red colour (typical rooibus) and I am also getting that very peculiar film on my cup that others have mentioned. I chalk that up to the artificial that’s in it. When I taste it, it starts off with a fake sweet taste (kind of like when I accidentally put sucralose or aspartame in my tea at a restaurant) and then rounds off with light notes of rooibus with a little licorice taste. All in all, it’s not my favourite. I have added milk and sugar to it and it was again okay. I tend to take rooibus straight though and forgo the calories. Would I buy it again? Probably not. I have about 50g left of it and it’s been sitting in the cupboard for a while.

For smelling purposes it does deliver, but the rest is a bit of a let down.

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec

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81
drank Eclipse Blend by Fairmont
150 tasting notes

The name sounds very fancy. The tin looks very pretty (festive even.)

Dry: There is a smell of Bergamont that fills your nose, but the notes are more subdued compared to your regular Earl Grey. The tea has mixtures of Sri Lankan, Chinese and Indian teas and you can see it very clearly when you take a peek at it. When I take a deep sniff, the Bergamont disappears and I smell what reminds me of Tetley Orange Pekoe, an earthy smell.

Steeped: I smell the earthy qualities first and the Bergamont tickles the tips your nose, rounding off the note. The tea brew up a deep copper red, reminding me of a good English Breakfast tea. It takes milk very well and becomes a handsome toffee coloured tea. As I’ve been reading more and more on here, I’m wondering if I am steeping my teas too long, as I do get a dry smacking feeling on my tongue, much like when I drink a red wine and don’t finish it (I haven’t developed much of a palette for reds yet.) I’m realizing this might be the astringency that everyone is speaking of. It definitely has a malty quality to it and I would definitely agree it’s a “moody” tea.

I picked it today because, like yesterday I wanted a more simple tea, less “flavours” and more complexity in the leaves. I know the Fairmont probably gets ignored for its teas, as people tend to think of them when they think of High Tea, but they do have some nice blends and they are quite affordable. Either way, I have 5 of their teas, with this one being given to me as a gift from a friend because they didn’t enjoy black teas.

I’d say it’s a solid contender for a morning tea, the only reason I didn’t rate it higher is because the after note on it is a bit strong and dry. I will try brewing for less time next time. However, it was frosty and fresh this morning and it was exactly what I wanted. A bold tea that stood out and woke me up. So Good morning :)

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec

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100

Room temp and Re-steep Note

Room temp – the tea is very subtle, it looses a lot of the kick to it that I love about it.

Re-steep – the citrus note when smelling it is much higher, compared to the first steep. It’s also weaker and I steeped it for 7 mins again with less water in it. I could probably get away with it if I steeped it for longer, so the flavour is stronger, but I find it’s a watered down version.

Preparation
Boiling 7 min, 0 sec

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86

Sipdown

I originally bought this tea a couple years ago because of the ridiculously cute tea tin it came in. It was pink and had fairies on it. I didn’t realize it was a tisane (makes sense as it was marketed as a tea to give for a baby shower. They had a boy version too.)

I have never had this tea hot. I have always iced it. I steep for a long time hot and then chill in the fridge in a rubbermaid pitcher.
Smell: The smell of this tea takes you off in to a tropical wonderland. You instantly smell the cherries and pineapple and then the banana is there to end off the note. I really like the smell of this.

Taste: Again, I have only had this iced, can’t comment on it warm, but I find fruit teas taste really sour when they are hot, so prefer them chilled. This tea looks like fruit punch Kool-aid. Its a dark red-pink. The taste has a tropical cherry taste with a hint of banana at the end. It’s probably one of my favourite to make iced, which means I might have to bite the bullet and order more from The O Dor, even though I’m sure I will pay large for the shipping from France. The local store I bought this at no longer carries the line.

J’adore Je M’appelle Dorothee!

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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100

OHHH Christmas Tea, Oh Christmas Tea, how lovely are your brannchesss (I’m fetching a little on this one, but still.)

You know those smells, those smells that reminded you inexcusably of Christmas. I’m talking those candles you sniff that take you back to the kitchen where all the spices are being used for baked goods and holiday dishes… smells of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, citrus, brown sugar, yams, butter… OH MY!

This tea is the tea version of said candles or other such scents. It literally oooozes Christmas when I smell it. I am a Christmas lover, my door has a wreath on it November 1, and after November 11, it’s fair game, and I go Christmas nuts. I love the smells, the cool air, the snow (if we’re lucky enough to get any) and the colours of Christmas. It is by far my favourite time of year, that an autumn. OHH Christmas Tea.

Dry Smell: Smells of ginger, cloves, citrus, with a very SLIGHT smell of almost medicinal qualities to it. It takes over your nose and has you close your eyes and just think of the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”

Steeped: It smells exactly the same, filling the entire room with the lovely smell of Christmas time. Pine cones, ginger, cloves, gingerbread all wrapped up in one luxurious tea. It’s one I come back to over and over when I want a herbal/rooibus tea that doesn’t need sweetening and is so so so satisfying. It does have a slight medicinal quality to it as well, and I find it’s better straight, as oppose to adding milk. It coats your mouth with a fresh feeling, while warming your insides like you’re sitting next to a fire.

I haven’t tried re-steeping it yet, but I was thinking of trying it today, as the tea is a little on the pricey side (20.00 per 100g) because it’s hoity toity. It’s hands down by far my favourite rooibus tea. No fake taste here, just pure joy. I gulp it down it’s so good, sometimes I have to remind myself to let the taste simmer in my mouth.

Preparation
Boiling 7 min, 0 sec
Tuscanteal

Yeah, tried deleting it again, and it’s showing 4 now. I have put through a feedback on this to hopefully get it rectified.

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86
drank Paris by Harney & Sons
150 tasting notes

Paris holds the key to your heartttttt (If you can peg what childhood movie that is from, you win 1 sachet of Paris, answer below)

Ahhh Paris tea. I discovered this at a small coffee shop that is next to my lawyers office and had it as a tea misto. So delicious. It’s an EG blend with lemony vanilla notes, without the tartness.

Anyways this morning:
Took a long sniff into the tin and fell in heaven again. I love the smell of this tea.

Steeped: I steeped the tea for 5 minutes and then added a dash of cream and some stevia (I’m avoiding sugar these days, although it’s my favourite way to sabatoge my clean eating.) It is more subtle steeped, the smell wafts in the air, but less bergamont, more lemon vanilla. It’s kind of like a lemon bunt cake without the fake sweet smell that some cake teas come with. The taste is again subtle, and nice when I’m not in the mood for full blown EG. I bought it in sachets because I saw it for sale in Chapters and figured I’d get the nice tin and then bite the bullet and order some and ship it State-side.

Side note: The longer I drink tea, the more I crave a more simplistic tea in the morning. I guess there’s a reason why they have breakfast blends and teas that are far more simple. I stared in my cupboard today and looked at all the chocolate and heavy flavoured varieties and thought “Naaah!”

Maybe it’s time to stock up on some simpler ones.
And the answer isss: Anastasia

Ps: What does “sipdown” mean… I’m not up on the Steepster lingo yet. blush

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
caile

I think a sipdown is when you finish up a tea in your cupboard.

MissB

Yes. So you’re ‘sipping down’ the list of teas in your cupboard, because hopefully you’re removing them from your list as they disappear and/or get used up. I say hopefully only because I often forget to remove things.

Tuscanteal

Sweet, thanks for the info ladies. I have a couple that will be added to the list shortly.

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83
drank Delight - Wildberry by Tetley
150 tasting notes

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Bio

My passion for tea started at a very young age, thanks to my grandmothers beautiful china tea cup collection. I use to brew Tetley’s or whatever version of Orange Pekoe she had in the cupboard and pick out my favourite tea cup to use. It wasn’t until I was in my late teens that I really started to develop a passion for it. My town had the Urban Tea Merchant and it was there I was exposed to high tea and the very fancy Mariage Freres brand. When they switched over to The O Dor, my girlfriend and I found salvation in going for a lovely cup of tea and decompress with some tea scones.

It has since become an obsession. I have a tea cupboard, filled with a very large variety of teas. I also use the Breville Tea Maker to make my tea. I favour black teas, with a close second being North African Mint Green Tea. Because I have the luxury of working from home, I get to enjoy a wonderful cup of tea every morning, and the journey resets daily.

Location

Vancouver, Canada

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