1433 Tasting Notes
This was part of my “three tea mystery grab bag” purchase, and was definitely the one I was most excited to try after sniffing the leaves (what tea purchaser doesn’t immediately open all of their mailed teas and smell them, eh?). The leaves are also lovely and curled/twisted and black with gold-red highlights ( I took a crappy phone pic for steepster).
The aroma of leaf and steeped liquid is dusty rose, malt and grape, bearing some similarities to Darjeeling.
Tangy-sweet muscatel, stonefruit and floral rose are the most prominent notes. A faint hint of pepper. Malt is also present and incredibly smooth and syrupy – You know how some lagers are like super boring and taste like funky water for most of the mouthful, but then, BAM, you’re smacked with the finish of decadent honey-malt syrupy goodness? It’s like that except you don’t have to wait each mouthful for “payoff”.
Ok, so I enjoyed the few Darjeeling teas I’ve tried but never tend to buy them because I don’t love their tendency for astringency. This tea has all the qualities I loved about my favourite Darjeeling experiences minus that big con. There is some pleasant astringency but nowhere near the level of some of the first steep Darjeeling teas I’ve had.
This tea is just so incredibly smooth and full-bodied and hits all the right notes for me (I’m a rose note person). I don’t know how this would hold up with connoisseurs of Darjeeling or Nepalese teas but it’s more than perfect for my pedestrian tastes. Wish it was available for purchase!
Steep Count: 2
(2019 harvest)
Flavors: Floral, Grapes, Honey, Malt, Muscatel, Pepper, Plum, Rose, Stonefruit
Preparation
May 2020 Blend
I haven’t had the chocolatey goodness of Laoshan Black in ages! Mmm..
The two other black teas that make up this blend add a thin brown sweetness and a kind of bright oompf that’s hard for me to pinpoint or describe.
The Vanilla note on my second steep is slightly reminiscent of Comptoir Sud Pacifique’s Vanille Coco Perfume.. so a kind of creamy floral coconut vanilla (but thankfully far less overpowering)! I’m pretty sure there is no coconut in this blend, or brown sugar, or banana, or cream, but the brain is weird and the sweet vanilla finish is taking it on a spectacular journey. Second steep is good. Also, name of tea is accurate.
Flavors: Banana, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Chocolate, Citrus, Cocoa, Coconut, Cream, Floral, Hay, Malt, Pine, Sweet Potatoes, Vanilla
Preparation
May 2020 Reblend
This is such a freaking good iced tea. It tastes and smells exactly what you’d imagine and want the tea equivalent of strawberry lemonade to be like.
The blend brings back memories of being a kid obsessed with the smell of those sickeningly sweet and citrusy frozen Minute Maid Pink Lemonade cans (so poignant a smell, so strange a child) . Now I, as an adult, can smell and drink this refreshing tea with no weird looks and a far less chance of developing cavities. These are the real milestone moments.
Flavors: Citrus, Lemon, Lemongrass, Strawberry, Sugar
Preparation
Bird and Blend used to do a great strawberry lemonade tea. I wish they’d bring it back for the summer.
I think I vaguely remember their strawberry lemonade tea but that was ages ago.. I keep meaning to reorder from them too, but I’m waiting for the peach thing to transition into limited edition stuff that will hopefully be better aligned with my tastes! XD
I want to see if I still like Vicky’s Sponge Cake. I pretty much lived off of that stuff in 2013-2014, along with now defunct Della Terra’s Lime Chiffon D:
Btw, Strawberry Lemonade is back on their website!
May 2020 Blend
I like the smell of this one quite a bit; it’s kind of spiced orange blossom honey aroma with a hint of caramelized butter. I mostly enjoy the taste but wish there was a bit more cookie/baked goods front. The tea delivers completely on the honey and butter though!
I also drank this straight up, with milk, and with milk and brown sugar. I can’t say which way I prefer it but I do know it didn’t last long (my mother thought the milk & sugar combo was deliciously smooth too so that’s two favourable impressions).
Flavors: Butter, Citrus, Honey, Orange Zest, Spices
Preparation
This was part of my “three tea mystery grab bag” purchase. I’m grateful that Alistair included this one because my past “less than stellar” experiences with other Four Seasons harvests has made me reluctant to seek it out again. I had one that was kind of doughy (ie- flat) in profile and it was meh.
However, this one is my jam. Like, it has fruity jam notes, which is one of my favourite things about some green oolong selections. It also has buttery cream notes (another favourite thing) and I am now pretending I’m eating a delicious scone. Life is good.
The aroma of the steeped cup is similar to that of the dry leaf: a floral bouquet of lilacs, lilacs, lilacs. A dab of Hyacinth. It dominates the room. I went into this first steep expecting an overpowering floral smackdown, like some Tieguanyin oolongs, and I was so kind of wrong (still a floral-heavy tasting profile).
Depending on how this session goes, and if following sessions yield consistently, I may just order more. I’ve denied myself the simple flowers for too long. Also, Four Seasons is always cheaper than the average oolong. Always a plus.
Steep Count: 4
(spring 2020 harvest)
Flavors: Butter, Cream, Floral, Honeysuckle, Jam, Mineral, Stonefruit, Sweet, Vanilla
Preparation
My baby is now restocked! yesss… I literally just finished off the last of the old batch yesterday so the delivery gods will be lavished with praise today. Also doubles as a nice reward for submitting a paper today. So many happy coincidences.
Everything is more vibrant than my 2018 batch; the aroma, the colour, the starchy taste… I’m looking forward to getting to know the the 2020 version of this tea better.
Steep Count: 2 + ongoing
(spring 2020 harvest)
Flavors: Bread, Chocolate, Malt, Milk, Raisins, Sweet Potatoes
That’s great news! It’s always nice when you can get more of a tea you like. I’m looking forward to getting some 2020 tea, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Yes, it’s always exciting to try the incoming harvests! I was going to hold off and then realized all of my dwindling teas are from 2018 or earlier. It was time :)
Sounds wonderful!
I think I now like this one more than my remaining Lime Jello Salad.
Flavors: Candy, Earth, Lime, Marshmallow, Roasted
Preparation
No way, better than Lime Jello Salad? Ralph Wiggum would say that that’s unpossible!
To be fair, my Lime Jello Salad has aged and now the lime leaves/citrusy ingredients are coming across as kind of.. pissy? And mate has more caffeine, or at least I like to think it has more caffeine. I need to believe in that right now.
Mate is so invigorating (that is, caffeinated)! I remember last year when I was testing it again – after a couple of years of even having any – & it was like a Matcha high on steroids! I was buzzing – but not in a bad way at all. Just – I can’t drink it very late because it will keep me up for another few hours.
April 2020 Blend
Ok, I finished this one off last week and I think I need more time with it to form an opinion or give it a rating (ie – I still need to drink more). Rooibos and I have a mercurial relationship.
I always love the idea of green rooibos more than the actual thing but this one is not bad. I do get more unripe (Green) mango salad than sherbet half the time but that’s not a terrible thing either!
Flavors: Lemon, Lemongrass, Mango, Tangy
Preparation
This is the most delicious of elixirs for late night caffeine consumption (necessary evil for doing battle with the essay readings).
I wish this one was a 52teas staple. Flavoured Mate is hard to come by and I have yet to find a worthy substitute for the earthy chocolate malt ball goodness. Also, it resteeps well once or twice (+8 minutes).
Flavors: Chocolate, Earth, Malt
Preparation
Everyone in the family opted in for the self-care Pumpkin Chai Latte, with frothy milk. Sometimes there is nothing left to do but have a sugary hot milk beverage!
I have my complaints about David’s Tea but I must begrudgingly admit that many of their teas make excellent dessert lattes, especially now that they love to add so much sugar and stevia directly to the blends (boo, hiss). Pumpkin Chai, Cardamom French Toast, Santa’s Secret, Read My Lips, etc. All great candy lattes.
Flavors: Caramel, Cloves, Nutmeg, Spices
I’m guilty of opening and smelling all my newly arrived teas, too. :) What-Cha always seems to source good Darjeelings and Nepalese teas.
I’m always sniffing my teas! When they arrive, when I’m about to steep them, several times while they’re steeping, after steeping, and constantly while drinking. Haha. It’s part of the experience! (:
Very glad you liked it, I got a small quantity via a wholesaler but will try to order it directly with Pathivara this year, and if I’m successful it should appear for sale on the website :)
Fantastic! Here’s hoping – otherwise, I’m open to similar recommendations! :)
I actually stopped the habit of “opening and sniffing” because it would take me so long to getting around to actually drinking the tea, that if the packages were sealed, at least then the leaf would be better preserved… * has problems *