3986 Tasting Notes
Ordered a sample of this when I was picking up their fruit teas. It just caught my eye and I was already deep into fall mode, so into the cart it went ha ha.
Honestly, I’m finding it a little disappointing. The aroma is lovely, but the flavoring is actually quite light. I taste cinnamon but not a whole lot of apple, and mostly I taste the mellow black base. There’s a hint of apple in the finish.
Not a favorite. There was an apple cinnamon honeybush I really liked from New Moon, I may have to look into getting more of that one…
Flavors: Apple, Cinnamon, Earthy, Oats, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
Sipdown! (2 | 317)
A pleasant enough pumpkin spice chai. I honestly don’t notice the vanilla, honey, or stevia in this. It tastes unflavored and unsweetened to me. The allspice and nutmeg definitely dominate, which I think makes sense given those are sort of the pumpkin pie spice specific ingredients. Also tasting the clove and a little cinnamon, and some ginger/pepper heat at the very end of the sip.
Only real complaint I have on this one is there’s a lot of allspice, and I think that’s what’s giving it a slight bitter note in the finish. It lingers on my tongue, which isn’t pleasant. So probably not one I would purchase because of that.
Flavors: Allspice, Bitter, Black Pepper, Clove, Earthy, Ginger, Nutmeg, Pumpkin Spice, Spices, Sweet
Preparation
Sipdown! (1 | 316)
This… tasted like soap and I’m not sure why. I thought maybe it was lavender I was tasting, but there isn’t any in this blend. There are rose petals, but I can’t see that translating into this strong soap flavor.
Not sure what skullcap tastes like or if that could be the culprit, or my only other thought would be maybe the Earl Grey base is a lavender Earl Grey? Anyway, not for me.
Flavors: Bergamot, Bitter, Lavender, Soap
Preparation
Sipdown! (63 | 315)
This is interesting, the hibiscus does give sour cherry vibes. However, the black base is already a bit tannic, and the acidity really brings out the astringency in a puckery way. It also overpowers the cacao a bit, though I taste a touch in the finish. They recommend adding sugar to bring out the chocolate, but I find sweetening hot tea never fails to make me like it less.
Interesting cherry tea, but I don’t find the hibiscus and cacao go together very well.
Flavors: Acidic, Astringent, Cacao, Cherry, Drying, Fruity, Hibiscus, Tannic, Tart
Preparation
Sipdown! (62 | 314)
Another Wizard’s Tea, this one must be for Hufflepuff.
Sadly, doesn’t taste like a whole lot other than a bland and somewhat tannic black tea. There’s a touch of coconut and a hint of sweetness, but nothing that reminds me of butterscotch or toffee.
Flavors: Acidic, Astringent, Coconut, Metallic, Sweet, Tannic
Preparation
What an excellent tea this is…
Deep, dark, but smooth with notes of cocoa and sweet honey. Very bready as well, with a bit of the that Fujian caraway note. Definitely a crusty dark bread though, maybe with some spelt or buckwheat. Also getting a distinct dried sour cherry note that I’m loving, obviously it pairs beautifully with the cocoa… Sipping this tea feels like eating a meal in the best way.
Drank both mugfuls cold (accidentally, boo work) but they were still so scrumptious. Definitely on the reorder list… :D
P.S. – Am I the only one who didn’t know this is apparently the same as Golden Monkey?
Flavors: Bread, Buckwheat, Cherry, Cocoa, Dark Chocolate, Dried Fruit, Grain, Honey, Jam, Smooth, Spelt, Sweet, Tart, Thick, Wheat
Preparation
I don’t think it’s Golden Monkey? At least with past harvests, the two teas tasted completely different…
Not saying the two teas offered by Teavivre are the same, but found multiple things online saying Bailin Gongfu and Golden Monkey are one and the same?
Sipdown! (61 | 313)
So this is an interesting one. It’s from her Wizard’s Tea collection, and I assume it’s inspired by Slytherin house. It’s a black tea with basil, peppermint, ginseng, cacao nibs, and a few other bits and bobs.
I’m happy that I can taste the basil here, more than in the similar Wishing Tea. It still melds together with the mint, but I can more easily pick out those savory notes and it gives the tea overall a more savory slant. Next is the cacao nibs, which add a light toastiness and a subtle cocoa flavor. I don’t think I know what ginseng tastes like, so can’t really comment on that one. I do taste hints of clove and peppercorn.
I will say, I think I like this Irish Breakfast base better than her Assam, it has a stronger flavor that doesn’t get as overpowered by all the other ingredients. Not sure if I would go out of my way to purchase this tea, but it’s certainly one of my favorites from Bohemian Tea Peddler so far.
Flavors: Basil, Black Pepper, Cacao, Clove, Cocoa, Herbaceous, Herbs, Malty, Metallic, Mint, Peppermint, Roasted, Savory, Tannic
Preparation
Cold steeped this one in oat milk overnight, and then added some vanilla syrup.
I don’t generally love rooibos as a latte, but this is delicious. Spot-on for a root beer float, and the extra creamy oatmilk gives it a thicker, more decadent texture. Yum!
Flavors: Creamy, Rooibos, Root Beer, Sarsaparilla, Smooth, Sweet, Syrupy, Woody
Preparation
Sipdown! (60 | 312)
So this is a tasty enough chai, but I don’t get any orange. The cacao is somewhat subtle, but I often find that to be the case when cacao nibs are used. Can taste most of the spices, with cardamom and ginger being at the forefront. Something actually tastes a bit clove-y to me, is it the allspice? I think a bit more cinnamon would be nice.
Pleasant tea, very drinkable, but might as well be a plain chai.
Flavors: Astringent, Cacao, Cardamom, Clove, Ginger, Spices
Preparation
Sipdown! (59 | 311)
So this is meant to be an Earl Grey with orange, cardamom, and vanilla.
Sadly, I just taste a plain Earl Grey. The bergamot is nice enough, it’s a bit lemony and not floral at all. I perhaps get a teeny weeny hint of cardamom and a subtle suggestion of vanilla? Black tea base is fairly smooth but lacks flavor.
A shame, this sounded so good to me. I keep finding with her “tea infused with _” blends that I can’t taste whatever flavoring or oil the tea is supposedly infused with. Not sure if that’s a Ziploc sample bag problem or what.
Flavors: Astringent, Bergamot, Cardamom, Citrus, Lemon, Vanilla
Preparation
That is such a great concept! I wonder if there’s another company out there doing this flavor profile better…