1711 Tasting Notes

drank AquaRosa by Kusmi Tea
1711 tasting notes

Advent Day 10

Mmmmm… hibiscus. (insert barf emoji) It’s like watered down hibiscus which is way better than full strength hibiscus. The hib really dominates this tea. It smelled really nice dry and I had hope, but I can’t taste anything past that hib.

ashmanra

Bleh hibby

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Advent Day 10

This smells good! I’m getting an almond flavor with cinnamon. It looses some of it’s depth as it cools. It still smells pastry like. I bet it would taste better if I added sugar, but I’m not dedicated enough to venture ALL the way into the kitchen to make that adjustment. I am liking having a decaf cup of evening tea!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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drank Spring Romance by Plum Deluxe
1711 tasting notes

AJRimmer Advent Day 10

I made a cup of this and put it in my new ceramic travel thermos that arrived today and I feel like the tea was tainted by the new mug. I had prewashed it and everything. :( Second steeping went into my regular mug and it much better. It’s a good cup of tea and it’s smooth, but I’m not able to pin the light floral flavors I’m tasting on top of the base which is also light. I thought it might be fruit, but as it has cooled it seems to have a rose aftertaste. The kind that eating petals leaves, not a rose candy perfume type of taste. There were cute and tiny buds in the tea mix that looked like mini rose buds. Heather maybe? There isn’t much info on the Steepster page for this tea and I can’t find it on Plum Deluxe’s website either. Thanks for sharing some of your newly acquired tea, AJR!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
AJRimmer

Just looked at the ingredients on the bag, and you’re totally right! Heather flowers. The only other ingredient listed is lilac essence. This one smells great – I look forward to trying it this spring!

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drank French Earl Grey by T2
1711 tasting notes

Advent Day 10

What’s this?! A T2 tea that I’m liking?! I was reading the description and wondered what it is that makes them think of an EG as French. I was surprised to find a fruity note beyond the berg. I was guessing lychee and was pleased to see in the Steepster page that I was right! I was also surprised that hibiscus was listed in the mix! I don’t even taste is which is exactly how I like my hib! There are some honey notes at the very end of the sip that lingers. The flavors are bright, but not overwhelming. This is one that I’d actually buy! So far one in 12 for me and T2.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Cameron B.

This is the one I like from T2 as well! XD

Mastress Alita

This was the tea that eventually turned me from hating all EGs/bergamot into slowly becoming an EG lover.

Dustin

Wait… the ONE? As in the only one you like from them? I’m going to start counting down to the end of the advent if the rest of the teas are all mediocre!
Ette tea has a lychee EG called Kris EG that is pretty good as well. It took me a while to warm up to EGs too. There was Lupica’s Loki Lani which was an EG with passionfruit that got me excited about the possibilities of EGs. So sad they discontinued it.

Mastress Alita

I think T2 states it has “peach” flavor, but mixed with the florals in the blend, it totally reads as lychee to me!

Dustin

Ah, I see. I was reading the flavor notes, not the ingredients on the Steepster entry!

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drank Sticky Date Delight by T2
1711 tasting notes

Advent Day 9

I’m trying to smell date. I’m trying to taste date. I smell something that I’m hoping will be delightful, but isn’t coming through in flavor. How am I striking out on all of the T2 teas?! I’m changing tactics here and added some maple syrup. I can imagine dates much more clearly now. Right before the maple flavor kicks in at the end of the sip, I can taste date. No idea if it’s sticky and it still isn’t quite delightful, but it’s enjoyable. Starting to wonder if I just need to dump a bunch of sweetener in their teas to get the flavors to present. :/

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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Advent Day 9

This is a mint tea for sure. Yup, there is mint in there. I don’t taste the green tea under the mint. It seems well balanced and the mint has only the slightest nip to it. It’s really nice and adds slight comfort when cringing through the sound a tiny roommate practicing the recorder outside, but I wouldn’t go buy a tin of it especially when there are less expensive options out there for a similar profile.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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Advent Day 9

I have such a hard time picking out the flavors in this. I think I have that issue with a lot of honeybush and rooibos blends, although I do like the honeybush better. I can taste apricot now that I read it and my cup has cooled, but it was more generic fruit when it was hot. It just seems okay and kind of one dimensional. I’m not finding anything to support or enhance the flavor like spices or pastry notes. It’s just apricot all on it’s own.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Cameron B.

I agree, I like apricot but this was fairly flat and one-dimensional.

Dustin

There is a Lupicia apricot tea that I adore, Hatsune. I think it’s a hujicha base with cinnamon and it’s so warming! The tea base give it a roasty depth and the cinnamon really perks up the apricot. It’s so well done and then there is this one that is just apricot.

Cameron B.

That sounds amazing, is it ever available on the US website?

Dustin

I haven’t seen it there. :( I just looked on the Japan website which has it and they won’t ship to the US or Canada.

amandastory516

Dustin- that sounds absolutely amazing! I’ve been considering using a forwarding service to place a Lupicia Japan order.

Dustin

That is a brilliant idea! I didn’t know an international forwarding service was even a thing! How much do they cost? Now I’m immediately thinking of all the tea companies we can’t get here normally.

amandastory516

I’ve actually never done it before, but it looks like there are quite a few companies that offer the service. Based on the research I’ve done, the cost varies quite a bit based on the company forwarding the items/weight/item cost.

Cameron B.

They actually have information about it on the Japanese Lupicia website: https://www.lupicia.com/shop/pages/tenso-en.aspx

Dustin

Wow! The whole idea of having a Japanese shipping address sounds so prestigious and exclusive! LOL!

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Advent Day 8

It’s a rooibos. Caramely. Fruity. Went down without too much complaint while watching the Mandalorian. I don’t know about the soul warming effect, but I’m even immune to the Disney on steroids cuteness of baby yoda, so do take that into consideration on my perception of what does and does not warm one’s soul.

tea-sipper

Not even BABY YODA?!?!! DUSTIN

Dustin

Nope! I’m grinchier than the grinch! :D

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drank Pumpkin by The Angry Tea Room
1711 tasting notes

AJRimmer Advent Day 9

I’m having this with popcorn for breakfast this morning because I’m a grown ass adult, dammit! I haven’t tried anything from Angry Tea Room before, but I love their name! I also love trying all things pumpkin. AJR added a little note with each tea and the note with this tea asks if I’m sick of Xmas music yet. My answer: always (in dramatic Snape tone). I don’t know if it’s just the overuse of high pitched bells signaling it’s a christmas tune, or the chorus of voices or my overall distain for this time of year, it’s exhausting demand and cruel consumerism, but I’m not a fan. I will agree that an instrumental version or one without the use of bells of Carol of the Bells has a pretty dark foreboding feeling that I can get behind. Also helps that I can’t make out enough of the lyrics to get a week long earworm like what happens with most carols. I’m much more comfortable with the Halloween time of year.

I made this earlier and then got distracted and it has now cooled. I feel like there is a flatness to the start of the sip that wasn’t there when it was hot, but it’s something I don’t notice as much if I’m sipping more frequently. I’m not getting anything that stands out as pumpkin, but the finish has the hints of spice with something deeper and almost coffee like. I thought about reheating this, but I’ve already sipped down 2/3rds of the cup and I don’t think this David’s mug is microwavable with it’s metallic paint. I’ll have to pay more attention to the time the next time I steep this.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
AJRimmer

I totally get that! Since I never go anywhere anymore, I haven’t heard any this year!

Dustin

I was in Walgreen yesterday where I heard some and that might have been the first time this season! I always feel bad for retail workers who have to endure Xmas music their entire shift for a month, but maybe I’m projecting and they don’t find it as accosting as I do!

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drank Southern Sunrise by T2
1711 tasting notes

AJRimmer Advent Day 8

I cold steeped this and it tastes like… grapefruit. I’ve always had a hard time with grapefruit. I think it’s the bitterness. I haven’t had a grapefruit in over 20 years and I could totally pick out what it was, which gives credit to T2 for such spot on flavor. I’m not enjoying it, but I keep reaching for the cup for another confirming sip! LOL! Still glad for that chance to have tried something new!

AJRimmer

Oh sorry, I didn’t know! I remember not liking grapefruit growing up, but that was so long ago, so I bought some recently to make sorbet, and nope, super bitter! I do enjoy grapefruit flavored things though since they usually just take the best parts of the flavor.

Lexie Aleah

This looks like a fun company!

Cameron B.

@Lexie – I think Dustin will agree that most of their teas are disappointing… But I do like their French Earl Grey!

Dustin

It’s not a flavor I run across in tea often, so I didn’t even think to put in any preferences/dislikes category! I remember having the fruit as a kid covered in enough sugar to neutralize the bitter and that was okay. I offered this cup to my husband and he told me he strongly dislikes grapefruit too, so I learned something new! :D
I haven’t been super impressed with T2 so far, aside from them getting their grapefruit flavor so realistic, but I guess they could wow me in the next 15 days left in my advent.

Mastress Alita

I also don’t like straight up grapefruit fruit or juice, but have found myself warming up to grapefruit flavorings in tea. Not to the point where I would want an entire pouch of one, but where I’m usually okay trying out a sampler of it. I think I might be adapting (at least to the flavoring of it) because sometimes bergamot reads as a “grapefruit” note to me.

Cameron B.

Like AjRimmer, I’m not one to eat a grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice, but I do really enjoy the flavor in things! Especially in green teas.

Shae

I might be in the minority here, but I love grapefruit! I’ve never come across a grapefruit tea though, at least before seeing this note. Sounds interesting!

Dustin

It’s funny how certain flavors get a super strong positive or negative reaction! Like cilantro.
I think Lupicia had a grapefruit tea at one point. I had a single tea bag sample at one point years ago. I recall that one being a lighter version of this one, but it was a long time ago.

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Profile

Bio

My name is Dustin and I like tea.

I’m an added flavor kind of tea fan, but have had a growing appreciation for plain. I want my tea to remind me of cookies and cakes with coconut and almond slices with a hint of chocolate drizzled on top. I want dancing ponies and flying monkeys shooting off fireworks! And no hibiscus. Hibiscus is the devil.

Location

BA, CA, US

Website

https://www.instagram.com/dre...

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