358 Tasting Notes

50
drank Royal Wedding by Harney & Sons
358 tasting notes

This one has been lost in the very bottom of my tea drawer, and I’m not sure how it managed to escape my attention for so long. Almond, coconut and vanilla with rose petals – sounds delightful! The dry leaves smell very nutty with just a hint of sweet vanilla. The flavor is very light, with coconut and almond. There is a very fresh taste about the coconut, and not very sweet like some coconut flavors can be. I was hoping for more hints from the rose petals, but there is only a wispy floral aftertaste. This tea is just kind of bland to me. It sounded so girly and yummy, but I’m just not getting that much flavor out of it. I added a little sugar which helped, but it’s still rather plain tasting. I’ve never fallen in love with a white tea, and this just confirms that I prefer black teas. I really don’t want to rate my beloved Harney’s so low, but this tastes almost like plain hot water to me. I’m glad I got around to sampling this one, but I won’t be purchasing any more.

-Dry blend has medium brown and green tea leaves and twigs with small blue and yellow petals and pink rose petals.
-Dry leaves smell strongly nutty with a hint of sweet vanilla. Tea liquor aroma is lightly of coconut and vanilla.
-Tea liquor is a clear dark yellow color.
-Light coconut and almond flavor with a fresh coconut finish. Wispy floral aftertaste.
-Best with sweetener.
-Fair tea. A plain cup. Very mildly flavored. Fresh coconut and nutty flavor.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 4 min, 30 sec

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80

I’m procrastinating. I have a whole list of things to do, and while I’ve been mildly productive today, all I want to do now is sit and read for the rest of the afternoon. So one more cup of tea and a few more chapters, and then I’m off to clean out my closet (ugh).

I was sad to see that Tin Roof Teas discontinued this tea. It’s been a while since I’ve had it, but I remember it being so watermelony and delicious. The dry blend looks like a large trail mix, with pieces of dried fruit. It smells like sweet dried fruit, like dried apricots or berries. The tea smells more sweet, but I can detect a little tartness also. The flavor is of lightly tart fruit with a very fresh watermelon finish. There is a lingering aftertaste of watermelon that reminds me a little of watermelon bubblegum, but without any of the fakeness. This tea tastes surprisingly like real watermelon, while still being fresh and not artificial. A little sweetener brings out some more of the sweet watermelon taste, but too much will overshadow the light flavors. This tea is the perfect cup to have before bed during the summer, or for a light caffeine-free treat during the day. I can imagine it would be wonderful iced as well. Why oh why did TRT have to discontinue this one? Sad!

-Dry blend has a mixture of large pieces of dried fruit.
-Dry blend smells like sweet dried fruit. Tea liquor aroma is of sweet and tart fruit.
-Tea liquor is a clear deep orange pink color.
-Lightly tart fruit flavor with a fresh watermelon finish. Lingering watermelon aftertaste.
-Best with the smallest amount of sweetener.
-Very good tea. Light fresh watermelon flavor.

Preparation
Boiling 7 min, 30 sec
ashmanra

I bet you can get it from any Teageschwender distributor if you don’t want to do without it!

Josie Jade

Thanks, Ashmanra!

ashmanra

I take that back! I have just looked all over for it and can’t find it anywhere so far. Do you think it was a seasonal tea and they just haven’t brought it back for the summer yet? It took them WEEKS to get in a couple of teas I was waiting for last year.

Josie Jade

Oh no! I don’t know much about how they do their seasonal teas. I did, however, see a watermelon tea at Capital Teas in Bethesda this weekend. It looked almost the same and it smelled the same, just a little lighter. I didn’t get any because the prices were so much higher in the store than online and some other herbal tea called Banana Taffy won me over! Maybe I’ll order the Capital Teas version when I run out of the last of TRT’s watermelon! :)

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80

This is another one that I’ve had for far too long without rating it. We’re going to St. Louis in July, so I am looking forward to visiting The London Tea Room again for lunch and to purchase some new teas. Overall, I’ve been very impressed with their blends, and my Mom loves their 5th of November tea. My goal before then is to get through the rest of this tea drawer (and box of samples) so that I have room to add some new teas in.

This tea is very pretty, with big twisted green tea leaves. The dry leaves smell strongly of sweet coconut. It’s kind of like a coconut flake or toasted coconut smell, rather than fresh coconut. The tea’s aroma smells more like fresh coconut, which is exactly what the flavor of this tea is. There is a nice creamy coconut aftertaste too. I added a little sweetener and it made the tea so much better in my opinion. It’s a smooth cup with a mouth-filling sweet coconut flavor. I think I prefer Queen Mary’s Coconut Baozhong just slightly over this one.

-Dry blend has large twisted green tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell strongly of sweet toasted coconut. Tea liquor aroma is of fresh coconut.
-Tea liquor is a clear pale yellow color.
-Fresh coconut flavor and finish. Creamy coconut aftertaste.
-Best with sweetener.
-Very good tea. Smooth and creamy sweet coconut flavor.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Terri HarpLady

I hope we’ll get a chance to meet for tea while you’re here, Josie! Hopefully it won’t be the same week that I’m visiting my parents in Orlando. :)

Josie Jade

I would love that, Terry! We should be in town from July 2nd through July 7th. When will you be going to Orlando?

Josie Jade

I would love that, Terry! We should be in town from July 2nd through July 7th. When will you be going to Orlando?

Terri HarpLady

I’m not leaving for Orlando until the 14th or so. :)

Josie Jade

Oh ok, great! I will message you once we get closer to the date and we know what our schedule looks like. :) I’m looking forward to it!

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70

This tea is from a little store here that sells a handful of loose leaf teas and has a large selection of bagged teas. They also have a lot of fun cooking/kitchen items, and I love going in there! We used their teas a lot last summer for iced teas, and probably will this summer too. The dry leaves smell lightly of blackberries, while the tea has a more sweet blackberry aroma. The flavor is sweet and malty, with just a very light berry aftertaste. This tea smells more like blackberries than it tastes like them. It’s a decent cup hot, but it does make a nice iced tea.

-Dry blend has medium black tea leaves with pieces of green leaves.
-Dry leaves smell lightly of blackberries. Tea liquor aroma is of sweet blackberries.
-Tea liquor is a clear dark brown color.
-Sweet malty flavor and finish. Very light berry aftertaste.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Good tea. A sweet and malty tea with a hint of berry flavor.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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60
drank Coco Chai Rooibos by DAVIDsTEA
358 tasting notes

I’ve had this little sample from David’s in my tea drawer since just before Christmas, and pulled it out tonight to try. I always assumed that the “Coco” meant chocolate, but apparently it is coconut. I’m fine with either, I’m just a little apprehensive about the rooibos and all of the spices. I like a good chai, just not the real peppery ones, which I’m worried this may be after reading the reviews. This may be a sample that I should’ve saved for my fiancee. The dry blend smells lightly sweet and spicy with a hint of coconut. There is a peppery-sweet smell that comes from the cup while steeping, it’s a little odd. The flavor is strong and peppery with a ginger finish. There is a light cardamom and coconut aftertaste that wasn’t that great. I added a little milk and sweetener, which covered up some of the pepperiness. It’s still spicy, and I can feel the warming sensation all over, which makes me think I would like this more in the winter time. I can’t taste any of the rooibos at all, at least, and it does lose a little spiciness as it cools down. I still don’t think that it’s a tea that I would order myself, though. Maybe if there were more coconut and less spicy pepperiness in the mix.

-Dry blend has red rooibos mixed with pieces of spices, slivers of dried coconut and small red peppercorns.
-Dry blend smells lightly sweet and spicy with a hint of coconut. Tea liquor aroma is spicy with a hint of coconut.
-Tea liquor is a cloudy medium yellow brown color with an oily sheen on top.
-Strong peppery taste with a ginger finish. Light cardamom and coconut aftertaste.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Good tea. A warming cup. Spicy and peppery flavor with a hint of coconut.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 30 sec

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70

Another sample pulled from the never-ending tea drawer. This is a pretty little tea, with small clusters of green tea leaves. The tea leaves smell very lightly of sweet fruit, and the tea liquor has an earthy aroma with a hint of peach and honey. The flavor is very lightly sweet. There is a peach finish with a soft aftertaste of citrus and honey. All of the flavors are very light, and it’s a very sweet tea on it’s own. I did add a little sweetener, which brought out some more of the fruity notes. While I am enjoying this cup, I will probably finish of the little bit that I have but not order any more. It is very refreshing since it is such a lightly flavored tea. Thank you, Nicole, for this sample!

-Dry blend has small clusters of rolled green tea leaves.
-Dry leaves smell lightly fruity and sweet. Tea liquor aroma is earthy with a hint of peach and honey.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium yellow color.
-Lightly sweet flavor with a peach finish. Soft aftertaste of citrus and honey.
-Best with sweetener.
-Good tea. Very lightly flavored. Naturally sweet.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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80
drank Mango by Adagio Teas
358 tasting notes

Another Adagio tea. I’m really trying to get through rating the rest of my teas before purchasing any new ones. There’s a lot of Adagio teas left in my drawer. I loved Adagio when I first started drinking a lot of loose tea, but now I find their teas just ‘eh’. I kind of had to force myself to choose this one today, hopefully it will pleasantly surprise me.

The dry leaves smell sweet and fruity. I noticed a nice fragrant and fruity aroma while the tea was steeping. The tea has a malty and mango scent. The flavor is malty and fruity with a fresh mango finish. There is a slightly bitter aftertaste, but adding milk and sweetener gets rid of that. I don’t know why I always forget how much I enjoy Adagio Teas. Sure, they’re not comparable to Della Terra, but for that first sleepy cup of the morning they do very nicely. The mango flavor is a tad bit on the fake side, but not horribly so. And it is definitely a mango flavored tea, the taste is overwhelmingly of sweet mango. I think this would make an excellent iced tea during the summer, I may have to try it with the little I have left in this sample pack!

-Dry blend has medium black tea leaves with yellow petals and large pieces of dried mango.
-Dry leaves smell sweet and fruity. Tea liquor aroma is malty with a strong mango scent.
-Tea liquor is a clear dark brown color.
-Malty and fruity flavor with a fresh mango finish. Slightly bitter aftertaste.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Very good tea. Heavy and sweet mango flavor.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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70

First cup of the morning. I need something strong to wake me up today! Yesterday we had a costume contest in our running group, so I spent a good part of the day gluing feathers, etc. to get ready. My running friend and I ended up winning, so it was worth it. :) We’re keeping one of my mom’s dogs this weekend, so with 3 dogs, our 2 cats, and 5 foster kitties, it was a little busy in the house last night and I didn’t get much sleep. Today is another busy day, but I’m thankful that it’s Friday!

I’ve had this tea for awhile, and I can’t remember anything super special about it, but I haven’t rated it yet. The dry leaves are very pretty, with a mixture of black and green leaves and small pretty blue blossoms. The aroma from the dry leaves is heavily of bergamot. The tea itself smells malty with a hint of sweet citrus. The flavor is floral and malty with an unfortunate slightly bitter bergamot finish. I added a little bit of milk and sugar and that eliminated the bitterness. Overall, this is a very lightly flavored Earl Grey with just a little floral note. It’s nice, but I wouldn’t consider it an exceptional Earl Grey. It did the job nicely this morning, though!

-Dry blend has medium black and green tea leaves and twigs with small blue petals.
-Dry leaves smell strongly of bergamot. Tea liquor aroma is malty with a hint of sweet citrus.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium golden brown color.
-Floral and malty flavor with a slightly bitter bergamot finish. Light citrusy aftertaste.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Good tea. Light Earl Grey with a small floral note.

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec
ashmanra

You really need to tell us what you were glueing feathers to…I am picturing a big chicken running down the road.

Josie Jade

Haha, close! We were flamingos!

ashmanra

LOL! Sounds like fun!

I ♥ NewYorkCiTEA

I love that ya’ll were running flamingos! Reading that totally made me smile.

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90
drank Violet by Kusmi Tea
358 tasting notes

This is another sample that I’ve negelcted for far too long. I’ve liked the other Kusmi teas that I’ve tried. I also really like the flavor of violet, like those little violet flavored chalky candies. Those are my favorite!

The dry leaves smell lightly sweet and floral. As soon as I poured the water over the tea leaves I could smell a wonderful violet perfume aroma wafting up from the teapot. This tea has a nice malty flavor and finish. I’m so happy, because the aftertaste is just like the little violet mint candies that I love oh so much! I like that it has the maltiness and that you can still taste the sweetness of the violet also. I wish the violet was just a little stronger, but that may be because this sample has been sitting in my tea drawer for at least a few months. I added sweetener and it enhanced the violet flavor. I added milk, and while it was nice, it didn’t really do anything for the flavor. Thank you for the sample, whatshesaid! This one is definitely going on the list to order!

-Dry blend has medium black tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell lightly sweet and floral. Tea liquor aroma is malty with a hint of violet.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium orange brown color.
-Light malty flavor and finish. Sweet violet candy aftertaste.
-Best with sweetener. Milk optional.
-Very good tea. Malty flavor with an aftertaste reminiscent of violet mints candy.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 30 sec

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70

I found this wonderful little sample hiding at the bottom of my tea drawer. I can’t believe I missed this one for so long! This is my first tea from New Mexico Tea Company, and I think I’ve read a few reviews about this one that made me even more excited to try it. It smells very floral and lightly sweet. The tea is very thick and heavy. There is a strong jasmine flavor and finish. The aftertaste is sweet and fruity and it lingers for awhile in your mouth. It reminds me of fruit sherbet, or even of fruity pebbles cereal, yum! This tea was surprising, and not what I was expecting, but in a good way. Thank you, Nicole, for this sample that I’ve neglected for so long!

-Dry blend has medium black and green tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell floral and lightly sweet. Tea liquor aroma is heavily of jasmine.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium brown color.
-Heavy jasmine flavor and finish. Lingering sweet and fruity aftertaste. Thick mouthfeel.
-Milk and sweetener optional.
-Good tea. Strong floral flavor. Aftertaste is reminiscent of fruit sherbet.

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

For some reason, fruity pebbles is the cereal I am most reminded of from tea. :D

Josie Jade

Haha, I think it’s the only cereal that I’ve found tasted like a tea!

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Profile

Bio

Just a Southern girl who loves sunshine, little dogs and all things tea!

I love animals and animal rescue. We have a rescued Chihuahua, Greyhound, Siamese and 2 Tabbies. We also foster kittens for the local humane society.

My favorite teas are sweet and malty black teas but I try to branch out and taste them all. :)

“Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.”

Rating Guide:
10 – Awful tea, wouldn’t purchase again
20 – Poor tea, wouldn’t purchase again
40 – Fair tea, might purchase again
60 – Good tea, likely to purchase again
80 – Very good tea, very likely to purchase again
100 – Excellent tea, will definitely purchase again

Location

North Carolina

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