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I saw that Klasek Tea had some teas from Bhutan in offer; so I took sample packages of them. But then I saw they have some new Nepalese teas; white one (Kalapani White Lotus) and some great looking Gold Jeevan, so I took 50g pouches of those too. They weren’t too expensive (unlike Bhutan teas); so I considered that a good deal.

They have added this one as a free sample — thank you! I was actually checking it out, but decided that I don’t need another 50 g of black tea.

Okay, to this tea. Firstly, the leaves are a bit worse quality, maybe a bit broken, not so dark, as other Nepali teas I had from them before. However the dry leaves are nice in aroma, like 2nd flush Darjeeling but less herbaceous as Darjeeling sometimes is.

When brewed, western style, according to vendor instruction 1g/100 ml; so 3g/300 ml in my case and steeped 2-3 minutes (I did 2.5 – 2.75 min) I got a lovely gold coloured liquid in my glass mug, with aroma of baked bread with honey and also some other sweetness, which could be sugarcane as they suggest. The liquid itself has flavours of above + very smooth texture with long mouthfeel, absolutely no bitterness and a little astringency saying “I am a black tea”, but not in any offensive way. In aftertaste are dried fruits, apricots maybe, or peaches; I am never sure about those, which is which, and citrus zest notes, somehow reminding me orange.

A sipdown! (M: 11 Y: 31) Prompt: A tea that makes you feel extra cozy It was already removed from my virtual cupboard, but it still counts.

I know this tea relaxes me well, and because I feel a more tense than usual today; I decided to brew it this evening as I want to feel better than I do now.

Sometimes you are waiting for something for long time. And when it finally comes, it is overwhelming. That’s me today…

Fabiana, thank you for all Solaris teas!

A sipdown! (M: 10 Y: 30) Prompt: Your cheapest tea — Well actually I am not sure if it is a cheapest tea as it comes from Switzerland; and it was actually a gift, so I haven’t paid anything, but coop is cheap brand for sure.

I have to agree with my previous me, “Pretty basic, a bit harsh, black tea”

Somehow, today it was quite malty and bready as well. Instead of cardboard.
Definitely very simple, but fine enough to no-fuss tea.

Two sipdowns today:
A sipdown! (M: 8, Y: 28) Margaret’s Hope FTGFOP 1 1 HS FF 2022 by Lochan tea; from Leafhopper Thank you for this lovely tea with typical FF Darjeeling notes!

A sipdown! (M: 9 Y: 29) Gui Fei Oolong by Curious Tea — lovely bugbitten oolong with quite long mouthfeel. Also it was worth many steeps and especially those with refreshing aftertaste were great and interesting.

A sipdown! (M: 7, Y: 27), prompt: February 13 – Mardi Gras! Drink colorful tea or tea from your most colorful tin!
Not a tin, but a box, cardboard box. Even not original one anymore. I put all the Basilur tea bags to the one box.

But the tea… orange is a bit artificial, so does Passion Fruit; it tastes a bit like Tang powdered drinks or something similar. But actually it was quite good and tasty, and again, very refreshing… another tea to be intended cold I assume.

A sipdown! (M: 6, Y: 26)
An office sipdown and I see that I never wrote a note for this tea, so I was trying to be a bit more attentive to the last tea bag than usual.

Altough it’s named ginger spices, it’s not much accurate. For me it was rather a fennel tea with lemon verbena and lemongrass flavour. The flavour was actually reminding me rather hay. When drunk, I get some of the ginger like a fiery breeze; and spices were muddled and again it was the anise and fennel — something that can be called spices I think; however not what I have been expecting.

A sipdown! (M: 5, Y: 25) Prompt: A tea ordered online — I am not doing sipdowns so well this month.

Anyway, It seems this tea must be drunk really fast after it’s production as today it was again very weak in the bergamot. However, the base was fine, but that’s not what I am looking for in Earl Grey in the first place.

I assume that this blend is intended to be cold-steeped or iced as it has got lovely lemonade flavour with lots of lemon and lime; tropical fruits background and no hibiscus tartness. Possibly they have used white hibiscus, which doesn’t turn the liquor deep red and isn’t that tart as well.

Harvest July 2022
From TTB that was around in 2023.

Yep, another one I just took to try later and today is the day for this tea.

Prepared gongfu, more or less as vendor suggests

High marks for this jasmine tea! Lovely, fresh and strong jasmine notes with great base tea, that complements the flowers well. The base is, as SkySamurai notices a bit melon like, I could not notice any of the earthiness which is, definitely, a good sign.
Intoxicating (a good used word by vendor) aroma with fruity notes of the base, smooth and velvety in the mouth all 6 steeps long; while the last one was somehow weak in jasmine indeed and more of the green (really?, rather I think white) tea. It was so nice in mouth and so enjoayble… that I think I need more of this tea from Canadian company.

Sipdown prompt: A tea that energizes you — not a sipdown yet.

I have inherited a few teas from my brother who used have them in the office; but as he stays more at home than in the office, he decided to give me them. Afterall, it was me, who bought him this box called Colours of Ceylon and this is one of the teas there.

I don’t know if it is the age (I think it could be 2 years old, maybe even more!), or it was like this even fresh… but honestly from two sessions with this tea I can say that the strongest note is Ceylon tea base. And in quite a good way — very robust and a little nutty. On the other hand, chai flavours are quite weak, I think most noticeable were spice anise and cloves; while ginger wasn’t fiery nor spicy at all. But I had bits of it in my strainer for sure!

Though spices are weak, I was happy with this tea and its high caffeine content for sure… as it woke me up well. And tea base is fine as well, with little astringency and no bitterness.