1379 Tasting Notes

83

I’ve had a busy day at work and am thankfully now resting at home. My husband had the day off to visit the hospital for his cancer check up (which are every 2 months now) and he is all clear still :) A reason to celebrate with this Raspberry Truffle Matcha.

The matcha smells almost like raspberry jam it’s so strong. The cocoa is more subtle but you still notice it in the background. The flavour is somewhat matching to the scent, it’s strongly raspberry but with only a hint of chocolate. Very truffle like :)

My husband said to him the chocolate is stronger than the raspberry, that was blind tasting too so he had no idea what it actually was.

I really like this one, I wonder if it differs much if brewed hot? Will have to try that another time.

Thank you Sil.

Preparation
Iced
keychange

So glad your husband is still in the clear. What a rleif that must be for the both of you.

Sil

I’m really glad you liked this one..espcially since it’s not my favourite haha :)

And so happy to hear the good news on your husband’s front :)

Indigobloom

Super yay for hubby! happy for you two :D

Terri HarpLady

Glad to hear this news for both of you!

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Just quick notes as I drank this whilst working this afternoon.

The Oolong is nicer than I was expecting if I’m honest, very buttery and toasted with light floral notes. I left it to cool mostly because I was busy working way and forgot about it but the flavours smoothed and if anything became more buttery and creamy. It has a natural sweet floralness which also carries well once cooled down.

I will definitely try this iced next time. :) No rating until I review it properly.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec

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94

I don’t recall trying a purple tea before so I have no means for comparison but I’m looking forward to a new experience. The closest thing I have tried is Kenyan black tea which I remember to be very dark and smoky.

The leaves are dark brown and extremely dark purple/burgundy in colour with a few golden tips which are all finely chopped. It has a strong smoked wood scent with hints of malt and prunes. Very reminiscent of a mature dark Oolong.

I shall be steeping 5g (roughly 1.5 tsp) of tea in my 8oz Gongfu teapot using just under boiling water. I’m treating it like a black tea to see the similar characteristics between the two as black teas are one of my favourites.

WOAH! The tea is black..not dark brown but actually black. Sort of looks like dirty paint water. Sorry I know that’s not really selling it but that’s what first came to mind. When it came to pouring the tea into my bowl it changed to colour to burgundy right before my very eyes as if my magic. The leaves themselves are now dark green and look completely different from before the steep. Aroma is sweet, wooden and malted with a touch of maple.

Flavour is very full bodied and rich. I can taste smoky wood, sweet yet subtle flowers, thick malt and currants. It tastes like a highly oxidized Oolong but with more magic about it. It also has a slight astringent tang and dryness which reminds me of green tea such as Dragon Well.

If I was to taste this without knowing what it was I would have said Oolong with little doubt in my mind of it being anything else. It’s the strangest tea I have ever tried but I love it! I need more purple tea in my life.

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

Thanks for the detailed note on this one!

Meg

This sounds really good!

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I cooked curry for dinner and got a craving for a cup of Darjeeling to compliment the meal. I do love a cup of Darjeeling :)

The sample I have is quite finely broken down into small pieces which is a shame but hopefully it will still taste ok.

OMG on an unrelated topic my husband just said he’s getting a mullet because of a bet at work…I’m not looking forward to M’ovember either because he grows a handle bar moustache. Both together will be terrifying. He can make it now for saying that.

This tea is sweet and floral with a dry Autumnal musk after taste. There is also a grape like flavour similar to wine. Also elements of fresh wood, malt and leather.

A nice Darjeeling but I’m not sure about the sweetness. It could be because the leaves were finely chopped and has changed the normal flavour.

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

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45

6 weeks of struggling to walk with this slipped disc in my back and I finally started to get better until this morning when my back went crack and now I’m stuck hobbling around. Hopefully it will be well by tomorrow because I have work to do. Sods law I suppose.

Another tea bag cleared from my shelf. I’m running out of space and could do with drinking as many samples as I can to make room.

Once steeped this tea is dark brown in colour with a sweet tropical fruit scent. Hard to pick anything out particularly but out of the three (apricot, pineapple and passion fruit) I would say the apricot is the strongest and most recognisable…even if it is artificial.

Flavour is quite mellow for the black tea base and the fruit is sweet enough to not need additional sweetener. The fruit tastes candied and too unnatural for my personal liking but it’s not the worst I’ve had. Half way down the cup the black tea becomes stronger, it could also be as the tea cools down.

Not something I could drink much of as it’s just too sweet and artificial but it was ok.

Terri HarpLady

Sod’s law: is that the same as Murphy’s law?
Sorry to hear you’re in pain! You’re too young for that!
Sending mojo your way!

KittyLovesTea

I just had to do a quick Google search for Murphy’s Law but yes Sods Law is the same thing but a British version of it. :)

Also thank you for the mojo, I could really do with some positive energy and healing right now. It’s funny how often I take small things like being able to walk or bend over for granted.

Terri HarpLady

The older I get, the more I feel that! :)

Indigobloom

Ouch. Feel better soon xx

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47
drank Decaf Chai Spice by Stash Tea
1379 tasting notes

My second Chai of the morning and I’m hoping it bears better than the first one. At least this is another teabag sample to leave my cupboard.

I have added a splash of milk to this tea but no sweetener.

It smells and tastes strongly of dry cinnamon and it also leaves a bit of dryness on my tongue in the after taste. It’s not a strong Chai by any means and the cinnamon is over powering most of the other flavours, the only things I can sort of taste is cardamom and clove. It’s more cinnamon spice really than actual Chai. I don’t mind it being decaf but it is on the light side.

It’s nicer than my cup this morning but nothing special and not what I would want to buy again.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec

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23

I wasn’t impressed with this when I tried it last year and it turns out I’m not impressed now either. It’s not French Vanilla like nor Chai like but a watered down and tasteless version of the two. Also it’s so artificially sweet that my teeth hurt whilst sipping.

At least this was the last bag I have in my possession.

Anna

It’s always good when at least you can rejoice there’s none left.

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64

It’s 10:11pm so this will be my last tea for tonight. A little late I know but I have insomnia anyway so it won’t really make any difference. I did get a new v neck pillow which has been helping with the slipped disc in my back and also makes me sleep like a newborn kitten on occasion. You know you’re getting old when a new pillow helps your back pain. :/

This tea is quite mellow considering it’s black base and dark brown colour. It’s gently sweet with notes of strawberry and lemon in a sweet and sour affair but the overall flavours are very mild. It tastes artificial but the lightness helps to try and get passed that. In fact it’s so sweet that I don’t need to add any sugar/sweetener. I bet this would have made a nice subtle iced tea. :)

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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62
drank Fantasy Island by DAVIDsTEA
1379 tasting notes

Hopefully I will have better luck with this one. I’ve picked a few duds today but I’m not letting it put me off.

Once steeped I can smell creamy vanilla and sour fruit. Flavour is sweet, sour and berried with a malted, smoky and dark black tea base. No idea why it’s called Fantasy Island because that is the last thing I think of whilst drinking it, instead it’s more raspberry icing cake or sour berry sponge.

With added sugar it brings out the cake like quality and vanilla a lot more. It’s not great but neither is it terrible. I wouldn’t buy this tea in but could drink it again.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec

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Profile

Bio

I’m 34 years old from Leicester, England named Kayleigh.

I started off many years ago drinking herbal and fruit teas which over time peaked my interest in trying new types. Eventually I began to import and sample many different teas and cultures which I still do today. My life goal is to try as many teas and ways of having tea as possible.

Tea wise my cravings change constantly from pu erh one month to jasmine green to the next and so on.

I also enjoy watching Japanese Anime and horror films.

I am always up for tea swaps so if you see anything in my virtual cupboard then please contact me.

A short list to help swapping with me easier though honestly I am not fussy and am willing to try anything. Plus the notes below are usually, sometimes I love a tea that has an ingredient I tend to dislike and other times I hate a tea that I thought I would love.

Likes: Any fruit but especially melon and orange, vanilla, all tea types (black, green, white etc), nuts (any), flowers, ginger, chai.

Dislikes: Licorice, aniseed, clove, eucalyptus, lavender.

My rating system
I have my own way of rating teas that makes each one personal. I have different categories, I rate each tea depending on what it is made of. For example: I rate green teas in a different way to black teas or herbal teas. So black, white, green, Pu Erh, Rooibos, Oolong, blends and tisanes all have their own rating system. That way I can compare them with other teas of the same or similar type before for an adequate rating. And when I do give top marks which is very rare I am actually saying that I would love to drink that tea all day, every day if possible. It’s a tea that I would never turn down or not be in the mood for. So while I agree that no tea is 100% perfect (as nothing is) I am saying that it’s as close as it comes to it. After all, in my book the perfect teas (or close to perfect anyway) are ones that I could drink all the time. That is why you will find a high quality black or Oolong will not have as high a score as a cheap flavoured blend, they are simply not being compared in the same category.

Location

Leicester, England, United Kingdom

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