1327 Tasting Notes
TTB 2025. I rather like this! I agree that it’s probably more “melon” than “prickly pear,” but I made it iced with sweetener and it’s quite refreshing that way. The tin also suggests adding a squeeze of lemon… maybe I need to just go get some lemons now…
Anyway, progress on the TTB slowed today because I, uh, can’t be trusted to use a toaster oven. Thankfully everything is ok and nothing actually caught fire. But there was a lot of smoke and that kept me out of the kitchen for a while (don’t worry, the TTB isn’t being stored in the kitchen so it’s still safe!). I should be able to keep chipping away at it tomorrow.
2025 TTB. Love me a coconut oolong, but this one is just ok. The coconut flavoring is tasty. I think it’s just that the base tea is finicky. I made two mugs of this and while I can confirm that it’s better with sweetener and careful monitoring of steep time, I don’t feel any great need to hold on to it.
The moment I opened the bag, it smelled so much like a candy cane. This isn’t the greatest peppermint I’ve ever had but it’s pretty good. Bright, minty, a tad sweet. My best guess is that this leaf is fresher than similar ones. It’s not whole leaves or bright green but definitely greener than the almost-brown peppermint from some other brands. Probably going to keep this one tbh.
2025 TTB. Hibiscus, cinnamon, and a sour berry note. Not bad-sour. I can see the sangria-adjacent vibes. I don’t really like sangria though so I may not be the best judge of flavor profile accuracy. I think this blend falls into the category of “interesting, just not to my personal taste preferences.”
TTB 2025. This doesn’t really taste like I expected it to from the name. I don’t know if it’s the echinacea or the marshmallow root (or both, or something else), but it has that slimy quality that I don’t really love. Like licorice, but there isn’t any in here. More than anything else, this reminds me of Calabash Tea’s Eleuthero Vandross blend. And I think both fall into the same category for me: teas for sore throats and sickness, but not necessarily for fun. Plus the ginger is very very soft and I like a stronger ginger. A blend like this has its place but for me that’s a very limited place.
2025 TTB. Admittedly I’ve had this one before, but I loved it so much that I couldn’t resist when I saw it in the box. There was only really enough leaf for one mug – apologies to anyone else down the line who would have been interested! I added some oat milk and agave. Just a really good gingerbread cookie flavor, with exactly the right balance of spices. Whoever put this in the box, thank you for the opportunity to revisit a favorite!
TTB 2025. This is fine. It tastes like most chamomile-lavender blends, with a mild menthol cool that lingers afterwards and a little more earthiness than in a standard chamomile-lavender. The butterfly pea flower feels out of place here – the blue color is less “fun” in this case and more “clashes with the flavor.” It does make me want to add some lemon to see what that does to the flavor, but we haven’t got any lemon at home at the moment.
Thank you Inkling for adding all these Dessert by Deb teas to the TTB for me! I’m excited about them. Made as an oat milk latte, this went down so quickly and easily. My first impression was a cinnamon note, but apparently there’s not actually any cinnamon in here so… shrug emoji? I’m getting a light banana (not as sweet as the 52teas banana) and a nice maple flavor on a sturdy base. The slightest of astringency at the end of the sip, which is to be expected. I’m not really getting a bread/pastry note. Perhaps that’s being obscured by the oat milk. A pretty delightful banana-maple-cinnamon situation even without that bread/pastry flavor.
TTB 2025. Since the first Old Barrel Tea Co. blend was so tasty, I decided to go for another one. At first I thought I might have messed up the steeping parameters because all I’m getting is a big hit of cherry cough syrup. But then I looked at the other tasting notes and they say similar things! So I’m comfortable saying this is a no for me.
2025 TTB. Ooh, I’ve been wanting to try Old Barrel for a while! Getting to try new-to-me companies is one of my favorite things about TTBs. To give this its best chance, I made it iced with orange blossom honey as instructed. It’s pretty good! The mango is sweet and clear and juicy. I’ve never actually had prickly pear itself but the flavor here seems similar to other prickly pear blends I’ve tried, so I assume it’s fairly close (or everyone is using the exact same flavoring that may or may not taste like its namesake). I can see this being a winner in hot weather.
