523 Tasting Notes

85
drank Ruby Pie by Butiki Teas
523 tasting notes

This is exactly what I needed after that ‘crust of overcooked rice’ experience. Smells all garden-fresh of strawberry just like a remember. Really, I think the biggest appeal of this tea to me is the smell. There are times when a good aroma is all I need (as long as the flavor isn’t awful, of course). The flavor of this one is pleasant, but it alone isn’t so exciting.

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

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45

I was considering leaving this one to mope somewhere in the darkest corners of my pantry, but after reading the reviews, curiosity (not enthusiasm, mind you) got the best of me.

When I saw this in my swap box from TastyBrew I though “what sort of tea abomination is this? ‘crust of overcooked rice’? that’s gotta be a joke” Then I considered the amusing ways that Asian English sometimes comes across on packaging and decided that it must be some sort of genmaicha-like tea. Well, I’m really not a fan of genmaicha. I mean, I can drink it without gagging and all, but I’d rather not have to.

I agree with Shmiracles and TastyBrew about the burnt cheese toast flavor. Unfortunately, for me, this is not a good thing. But for anyone looking for the flavor of genmaicha without the caffeine and with a touch of burnt cheese, this is the tea for you!

I think my issue is that I don’t much like crusty cheese bread and I don’t much like pizza either (yes, I am that unusual). And while I’m on the subject, I don’t like bacon either.

Now that my curosity has been satisfied, I’m going to brew me up a different tea and save the extra packet of this for someone else.

UPDATE 5/23: I took the extra bag of this to my father a few days ago because he seems to like a lot of the teas that I don’t like and vice versa. He just brewed it up today and when I saw him this evening he was quick to let me know that it was the worst tea he’s had yet. This is coming from the be-tough and build-character type of father who used to eat the most god-awful stuff all in the name of being healthy and pretend to like it all the while. He must be getting soft these days. haha. He said this tea tasted like boiled cheetos. Usually he happily drinks any cup of tea and speaks a preference for or against, but never flat-out says that it was nasty.

JennyFur

I hate bacon. I’ve been told my whole life that I’m a mutant lol. Thank you for proving that wrong. Your on your own on pizza, but I like mine with big fluffy crust and lots of veggies.

Shelley_Lorraine

well I don’t really hate pizza quite in the same way that I hate bacon. I just feel really weird about putting that much cheese and bread into my tummy and calling it ’dinner" gives me the heebie-jeebies.

TastyBrew

Ha ha. This is definitely an unusual tea. I’m glad you tried it though!

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65

I had such high expectations for this tea. Chocolate and hazelnut, yummy! I was thinking Nutella tea! yay. And it has pretty good reviews.

The first few sips just taste like an unflavored black tea. Then it started tasting like an artificial black tea. As it cools down, the nutty flavor comes out, but not in a good way. There is something in the background that could possibly pass as chocolate if I concentrate well enough on it.

Not as exiting as I had hoped it would be. But thank you for letting me try it out cheetah_pita!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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65

Thank you yet again TastyBrew!

I brewed this one up at the same time that I brewed Jumpy Monkey so that I would have a back up if I didn’t like one. I often do then when trying new teas. I put this one in the larger cup because I predicted that I would like it more, but I actually liked the jumpy monkey more. This isn’t bad, its just so-so. The chocolate tastes a bit off. I’m not sure I can really describe the rest of it. There is a sort of smokiness about it, nothing too offensive though. And it’s just ever so slightly tart. I am happy to finish my cup, but regretting just a little that I chose the bigger one for this tea. Oh well. :)

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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75

I got a few of my samples mixed up, but I’m pretty sure this one is from cheetah_pita (correct me if I’m wrong!)

I’ve only ever had one mate blend and I’ve haven’t ever had coffee in my tea (though I’m looking forward to the coffee puerh that shmiracles sent)

This is surprisingly better than I thought it would be. It’s very roasty, like a roasted oolong, but its a mate. There is a pleasant sweetness buried under the roast (it’s almost like licorice), but I’m not picking up on the coffee. I don’t know if I like it enough to repurchase, but maybe.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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15

Aw, gee, it’s awful! A super tart/bitter cup of all-encompacing blech.

I wasn’t too motivated to try this one in the first place because herbals, and especially chamomile aren’t really my thing. I don’t hate them, I just prefer tea. However, the whole point of the mystery swap was to force me into trying teas I might otherwise pass by and, cheetah_pita, you did an excellent job of picking them for me! haha.

Cranberry and orange, though, is a combination that I am fond of, so I thought that maybe they would help to make this tea good. Unfortunately, I can’t really notice flavors while I’m recovering from the tarty bitterness. By the time it passes, all I can taste is the chamomile.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 min, 0 sec

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65

Thank you for this one cheetah_pita (^^)

It certainly does smell and taste like lime. I even pick up hints of a sort of gelatin texture. It certainly lives up to its name. I bet my husband, who loves key-lime pie (and probably lime jello too) would like this one. I’ll have to brew him a cup next time he is around.

This is a fun novelty drink, but it doesn’t taste much like tea. Its more like a fun-flavored kiddie drink. With tea and coffee as the only exceptions, I’ve never been a beverage person. I never drink soda and very rarely drink juice. I’m going to have to put this one aside with all the other non-tea and coffee related drinks that don’t suit me.

This tea was a fun one-time experience. Thanks again cheetah_pita

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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It’s after me! really it is! coconut!!!!

This tea is orange and puerh not coconut. So what’s the big idea?? It smells chocolatey and earthy. The first taste is a cheery orange. And then. . . it happens. The mysterious coconut goblin finds me and messes with my tea (or my taste buds). It’s that same most awful coconuty aftertaste that is supposed to follow after a sip of coconut flavored tea. Hear that coconut goblin??? You’re hanging out with the wrong tea!

I really don’t know where it’s coming from, maybe it’s hiding in the artificial flavors somewhere. Ugh.

Thanks again Shmiracles for sending me one of your favorites. So sorry that it wasn’t a match for me.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Shmiracles

well. i went back and read my note. and i don’t think i would put this in my top 10 anymore anyways. i’ve grown so much!
it must be in the artificial flavors. many of the david’s tea i used to love i barely even drink these days. i should probably revisit this one and get a new perspective :) i’m sure i still like it, but i bet i’ll think about it differently.

Shelley_Lorraine

Ive got a few old favorites that have dropped of my top ten list too. Strange how that works.

JennyFur

I think its because variety brings more perspective on things. When I first started I thought Teavanas Maharaja chai was the best thing ever in life. Now, not so much lol. But thats largely because I’ve tried so much tea that I like so many other things.

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65

Ah boo, what a let down. I saw all the ingredients in this one and thought “gee, this will be a good strong cup!” And with a name like ‘sunrise sensation’, it had better be.

I used 3.4g in a 14oz mug and steeped for 2 min (recommended time was 1min30sec). Its a coppery puddle of cinnamon flavored water with a tiny squeeze from an orange. It’s not icky or anything, but way to weak for my standards.

Thanks anyway TastyBrew!

I do have some left for another cup. When I’m feeling up to it I will try brewing stronger and longer to see if it makes a difference. However, if I really need to use so much leaf, it probably won’t be cost effective in the long run.

one more thing to note, my tea thermometer said that the water reached 200F today. Either it’s broken or the elevation around here is fickle (quite possible, really).

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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65

I got two new white teas to try from my swap with TastyBrew

I am going to compare them all here (with my original white tea) and post the same note to the others.
I brewed 2 tsp of each in small teacups, steeped for 3 min at 180F

Monkey Picked White -The Tea Spot: Still my favorite white. It has the most pale liquor of all three and the most amazing creamy texture, with just a hint of citrus. When I say hint, I mean that it is so slight that I don’t always detect it.

White Symphony – Adagio: is this even a white tea? wow, the liquor is really dark golden and the flavor is strong of hay and barley. It kind of reminds me of brewers yeast (I had a lot of that (mixed in cups of water) growing up because my father was obsessed with the stuff). I actually like this one, but I don’t think of it as a white tea. It’s in a unique league of its own. I don’t know that it’s a tea that I’d want all the time, but I could be in the mood for it sometimes.

Snowbud – Adagio: My least favorite of the three. Liquor color is in between the other two. Flavor is slightly bitter and its not as creamy as my Monkey picked. There is another flavor, I don’t know if its nutty or mineral, maybe a blend of the two?

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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Profile

Bio

Name: Shelley Lorraine Limegrover
Location: Livingston, MT

Hobbies: Learning, reading books, math, physics (have a degree in it), literature (have a degree in it too), anthropology, traveling, piano, and drinking TEA, of course (^o^)

Favorite teas: Kukicha, Green teas in general, aged oolongs, charcoal roasted oolong, taiwanese oolongs, Assam . . .

Don’t like: Genmaicha, Earl Grey, Darjeelings, ginger, coconut, smokey teas (even mild ones), nut flavors, overwhelmingly strong floral flavor (esp. Jasmine), most della derra and adagio teas. . .

My Rating System

100 My happiness absolutely depends on it

95 Will definitely repurchase

85: Might repurchase (teas that depend on my mood)

75 Won’t repurchase (but I would drink it again if offered).

65: meh

45: I reluctantly finished a cup.

15: Couldn’t finish a cup.

I simplified my ratings to single numbers rather than ranges because I can’t precisely compare so many teas with a system more detailed than this.

An unrated tea is most often one that I recognize as having significant notable quality, but that does not suit me personally. Sometimes, I leave teas unrated for other reasons, such as I am undecided or I brewed it wrong, etc.

Note: Boiling temp. barely reaches 200 where I am (and a few times it sticks at 195, I assume due to unexplainable shifts in altitude or the position of the moon. . .aliens?. . .).

Location

Colorado

Website

https://shelleyintherain.word...

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