2725 Tasting Notes
Sipdown! (29 | 350)
Honestly, this was one of the ones I was least excited for in the National Park sampler, but I ended up really liking it. The combination of the jammy elderberry with the sage and lavender is just so interesting and unusual, but works really well. The herbs are restrained enough that it doesn’t taste like medicine or perfume.
I’m not sure whether I’ll end up reordering this, but it’s definitely up for consideration. That’s saying a lot for a lavender tea, heh… Highly recommend this National Park tea sampler, almost all of the blends are so unusual but lovely! I think there was only one I wasn’t thrilled with, but even that one was still good.
Flavors: Blueberry, Elderberry, Herbs, Jam, Lavender, Sage, Savory, Sweet
Preparation
Sipdown! (28 | 349)
This is probably my least favorite of the S&V holiday sampler…
The base tea is very woody, and I don’t taste much else other than a hint of nuts and cinnamon. A bit like biting into a log sprinkled with cinnamon, lol…
Begone, lame tea! :P
Flavors: Cinnamon, Nuts, Wood
Preparation
Sipdown! (27 | 348)
Last one! This has a rooibos base.
I honestly don’t get a lot of the added flavors here. There is a bit of butteriness from the macadamia nut, but almost no coconut to speak of. I can taste mayyyybe a hint of it at the very end of the sip.
Mostly, it’s rooibos. Thankfully it’s quite mild and more woody than medicinal. But overall, a pretty bland cuppa.
The end! Now I really have to pee…
Flavors: Butter, Coconut, Rooibos, Wood
Preparation
Sipdown! (26 | 347)
This was my favorite of the four flavors I tried.
I’ve never had guava, but the fruit flavor here is tart and more distinct than the mango. The ginseng is almost… minty? There’s something a bit menthol-esque about it, which adds an interesting dimension. The green tea is a bit harsh though, and doesn’t have a lot of flavor otherwise.
I probably wouldn’t order this, but it does make me want to try guava if I ever find one!
Flavors: Astringent, Fruity, Menthol, Mineral, Sweet, Tart, Tropical
Preparation
Sipdown! (25 | 346)
This one is also on a black base, so it has the same very earthy and mineral taste.
The mango is a bit creamy and slightly generically tropical. So it reminds me more of a mango or tropical candy, or maybe one of those Lupicia Hawaiian exclusive teas, like Hua Ki.
It’s fine, but not really mango to me.
Flavors: Creamy, Earth, Mineral, Sweet, Tropical
Preparation
Sipdown! (24 | 345)
I got four individually wrapped teabags from this company from a very sweet Instagram friend, so I figured I would steep them all up together and have a nice little tea tasting this afternoon.
They’re all mostly just okay, to be honest. The black base here is very earthy, which detracts a bit from the overall taste. The passion fruit flavor is nice, but a bit too light, so it gets mostly overpowered by the black tea. I do taste it more clearly at the end of the sip, and it’s slightly tart and quite natural.
Not something I would buy though, because of the black base.
Flavors: Earth, Mineral, Passion Fruit, Tart, Tropical
Preparation
Sipdown! (23 | 344)
Another one that I chose to cold brew.
It’s light but very tasty. It definitely does remind me of apple pie, though with a bit of coconut thrown in. There’s some light sweetness from the maple and apples, and it’s just the right amount to give it a more desserty flavor without it tasting sweet. The cinnamon pops a bit toward the end of the sip and, together with the coconut, leaves an aftertaste reminiscent of horchata.
It’s sort of like an apple pie + horchata mashup, and I’m here for it ha ha. Bumping the rating just a little since it’s much yummier cold brewed.
Flavors: Apple, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Coconut, Creamy, Rice Pudding, Sweet
Preparation
This is one of two Darjeelings I picked up from Capital Tea Ltd. Historically I haven’t been a huge fan of Darjeeling, but I haven’t had a ton of experience with it so I figured it was worth a shot.
This is honestly really good though! I’m surprised by the complete and utter lack of astringency. It’s also quite light, with a soft breadiness and very light dried fruit notes. A hint of cinnamon honey shows itself at the middle and especially the end of the sip. It actually somewhat reminds me of Bai Hao, which is one of my favorite types of oolong.
So smooth and easy-drinking, but still flavorful! Happy that I chose this one to try, as I’ll enjoy sipping down the rest of the 30g package. ❤
Flavors: Bread, Cinnamon, Dried Fruit, Grain, Hay, Honey, Raisins, Sweet
Preparation
Sipdown! (22 | 343)
Made the rest of this as a cold brew after not loving it hot.
I do think it’s a bit better, as I don’t get quite as much earthiness from the base. Not getting much honey or brown sugar, though I didn’t taste those in the hot cuppa either.
Mostly it’s a slightly earthy Earl with lavender. Pleasant, but not something I would order just because I have so many other Earls and lavender isn’t my favorite.
Flavors: Bergamot, Citrus, Earth, Floral, Lavender, Mineral
Preparation
Sipdown! (21 | 342)
Making great headway on these S&V holiday teas!
I was a bit sad to see the end of this one, it’s very good. It tastes just like those iced oatmeal cookies that you can buy in a package. Sweet, buttery, slightly cinnamony with a nice biscuity flavor. I don’t really taste chocolate at all, though it’s supposed to be there, but I can’t say that I’m upset about it hah. I love oatmeal cookies, so I much prefer this flavor!
The cinnamon is light enough that it doesn’t really veer too much into holiday territory, but would be a great year-round tisane! I think this one needs to go on my wishlist…
Flavors: Butter, Cinnamon, Cookie, Sweet
Elderberry and sage sound like a good fit. I’m a little surprised the lavender additive (hey—that’s a tongue twister—say it five times fast!) didn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Thanks for your rec on this sampler! Will probably go in my next order from S&V.
I was so thrilled with it after finding the holiday one a bit ho-hum for the most part.