Sage Against The Machine

This tea is not a bad tea, but it’s not to my taste. It is tannin heavy and becomes a bit more brisk and drying the more I sipped. The sage is interesting and they did a great job with balanced fruits as backnotes – but it flirts with borderline bitterness and it’s not something I find desirable to drink again. Not a keeper, but not an awful tea – some enjoy heavy tannins compared to me.

This blend was a good start to my day yesterday, a bit too sagey but the syrupy fruit balanced it out a bit. Best served iced.

This was the final tea of a very busy weekend. I waited to steep it up until my partner could try it too, because it’s both his favorite berry and his favorite band, so if it was a hit I knew we’d be ordering more.

It’s a good berry, though my partner didn’t realize it was blackberry at first – he named blueberry instead. (He wants me to note that may not be a commentary on the tea, but perhaps his tongue). I don’t love the bitter edge to the tea. There’s definitely an herbal vibe here, though I wouldn’t have pinpointed sage out of the taste so much as the scent.

In all, a pleasant tea, even more so as it cooled, but just a touch too bitter for me to want more. Partner is divided, so I think it will stay out of the rotation for now.

BrutaliTeas Advent, Day 4

BrutaliTeas Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 4

I’ve enjoyed blackberry sage teas in the past, so I was happy to see this today! And the name made me giggle, of course… :P

I like it, but I think there is just slightly too much sage here. It’s making the cup slightly bitter (I think, unless it’s from something else). The blackberry is very sweet, syrupy, and candylike, sort of like blackcurrant. The sage adds a nice aromatic and savory counterpoint and helps cut through the sweetness a bit with its eucalyptus-y notes. But I do think a tiny bit less sage would’ve been even better, it’s contributing a somewhat bitter taste, especially at the beginning of the sip.

Still nice, and I do enjoy this flavor combination! Although I think I like raspberry & sage even more. :D

I’m starting to realize that maybe sage is a bit of a comfort flavour for me…

I was having a bit of anxiety yesterday morning when I was selecting my teas to take into the office – not about the selection but just as a generalized feeling – and I immediately gravitated towards several blends like this one that were heavy in sage or other similar ingredients like basil. This one won out and it was the first thing I steeped when I got to the office. The thick dark berry notes were pleasant but it was the aromatics of the sage and the almost medicinal herbaceous flavours that actually caused me to release the tension I had unknowingly been holding in my shoulders.