2291 Tasting Notes
The apple flavour is kind of sour (like a Granny Smith) and sadly doesn’t smell very good. The spices are nice enough, but I’m not too excited about them.
From reading, it’s difficult to find a nice apple tea.
This one unfortunately isn’t for me.
Preparation
So this is a gold packet that says “refined Chinese tea” that I think originated with Sil and I got from Heather.
I have no idea what it is. It smells tasty. All sweet, rich notes. I’m steeping it as I do my usual black teas – 3 min at about 195F. I think the instructions say 3-7 minutes, but I could wrong. I don’t really read Chinese, I only recognize a couple characters.
At any rate, steeped it smells like roasted squash. Kabocha, when it gets nicely browned in the oven. So sweet and delicious. I don’t think it tastes as good as it smells – there’s a weird sour note I sometimes get with tea – but it’s pretty good.
I think it’s so funny that my picture of puerh at the Chinese diner has ended up being the picture for this “tea”. :)
I stuck two bags of tulsi in with one bag of wild berry zinger. It’s getting a little late, and I need to turn off the computer and chill. Maybe sleep some. I have a lot to do at work tomorrow, and then need to head out to a tea shop for some holiday shopping. “One for you, and one for me.” Right?
The mix is actually pretty good. I’m not much of a fan of the zinger teas hot, but with the tulsi I don’t mind it. The tulsi and berry combination is one I can get behind. It will be a good way to use up both boxes of tea. :)
Preparation
I’ve had this a few times now, and while the tea is by no means bad, it’s just not to my taste.
Green teas are really difficult for me. I think this one’s going into the SWAP box.
(It’s lemony and gingery, and it’s a green tea. Nice with honey if you’re not feeling well. OK iced, haven’t tried cold steeped.)
Preparation
LOL. I spent $20 and got tea and tea ware for me, and tea ware for a friend. It’s nice because I can pick it up at a local mall – they do drops a couple days a week so everyone saves on shipping.
I dumped what was left in my 1 oz pack into my basket, and made myself another giant mug of tea. The idea was I’d have pumpkin tea to go with my leftover pumpkin gnocchi. But it looks as though I’ve already finished the food portion. Instead, I will drink this tea and nibble on some cheese.
I think I like this better overleafed, and with no sugar added. It’s pretty tasty! I like this a lot more than DavidsTea’s Pumpkin Chai, and this is the one I’ll purchase more of if someone manages a Della Terra order. :) (Or Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. They’re about the same amount of goodness to me.)
Preparation
I had this today as well! I am debating about getting 2 oz of Oatmeal Raisin Cookie because it sounds so good but I have never had it before so I just don’t know
They are similar but different. Oatmeal cookie is heartier and I think sweeter because of the raisins and oatmeal.
Because of the sale and potential freebies this weekend I thought I’d try this tea again. I steeped as recommended on the package.
While I love the idea, and the maple pecan flavours are lovely, I don’t like the base tea. I’m not sure exactly why, but it just doesn’t work as well for me as I hoped.
I mean, maple pecan is my favourite ice cream flavour. I expected to adore the tea.
It makes me rather sad, but I guess that’s how it is. I’m sorry, tea. It’s not you, it’s me.
Edit: As I continue drinking, the impression is sharp, icy, effervescence. I don’t know how that works with tea, but it’s not something that works for me.)
Preparation
One of my friends had this the other day and called it “Cylon Star”. I think he’s been watching a little too much Battlestar Galactica.
A gigantic, overleafed mug of this, and some gluten free toaster waffles. Delicious (late) breakfast. Sometimes important conversations are more important than getting to work early enough to leave before dark.
This tea is pretty good. I like star anise, and I think the flavours are well done in this tea. I would probably get this again, but I have no space in my cupboard… especially with the orders I’ve started making for holiday presents (for me and others!). For anyone expecting a LICORICE flavoured tea out of this one, you’ll be sorely disappointed. It’s very tempered by the other ingredients.
Mmm, tea.
Preparation
Wow, really? I didn’t realize they filmed it in Canada. It was great for the first season or two, but the ending is just so stupid and convoluted. It ruined the whole thing for me. I think it may be the worst TV show ending ever. Even worse than Lost.
Sometimes it feels like they film everything in Canada! :) I’ve heard that about Lost. Yet another TV show I haven’t watched. Sounds like I’m not missing much.
The difference is that Lost is still a great show despite the ending. It remains one of my favorite shows because the beginning and middle are so good. It’s all about the characters, and that’s not ruined by the ending. Whereas Battlestar just didn’t make sense so I felt like I had wasted my time. By the end, I didn’t care about one single character.
Another green tea tonight. I always forget to reach for my green teas, and it’s sad because they’re the ones that need to be enjoyed right away. My goal is to drink 1-2 green teas a night when I’m home, to give them some extra love.
Tonight, this one is delicious. Sour, definitely. Cherry, so good. I added a small piece of rock sugar to bring out the flavour more, and it’s delicious this way. It’s a little like sour candies, except it’s not candy… :) The green tea base is pretty nice as well. It’s fairly green (lovely description there, self) but there’s not too much vegetable or grass or seaweed taste. Just enough so I know it’s a green tea.
Preparation
IDK why, but I’ve never reached for green teas first. I need to finish off what I have and really think before buying more.
I like bringing an herbal tea or rooibos into my room with me when I’m getting ready for bed. I’ve managed to make it a habit. :) Now to make drinking green teas a habit!
For a while when I was “good” at drinking greens, I did it in the afternoon. It was less critical then that it wake me, and that worked for me. Who knows what the best strategy is though.
Another sipdown. I saw this tea bag when I opened the cupboard to rummage, and decided I might as well drink it.
It’s pretty good. I’d buy it again as an easy evening tea. There is hibiscus so you have to be careful with timing, but I don’t find it too sour. The ginger is especially nice in the evening. And it makes a fairly decent cold steep herbal tea as well.
Doesn’t go with my dinner at all. :) I’m having gluten free gnocchi in a sage and roasted kabocha sauce.
Preparation
Sipdown of this one too. Wow.
This is an old sample from CrowKettle, so I know the tea isn’t at it’s prime. Still, it’s so interesting. With the grapefruit flavour and age, it’s almost savoury. In With Open Eyes, the same base tea is sweet and buttery.
I like it both ways, although green teas are not my favourite, especially when savoury. The dragonwell that Butiki stocks is just really nice.
I think I’ll add the tiniest bit of salt to this, and savour it that way. :)
OMG, tea people. This is so freaking cool with salt. Just a tiny bit. Try it.
Preparation
Hmmm, salt. Very interesting idea. Glad you like the dragon well base! I tasted a lot of dragon wells before I settled on that one. :)
Sometimes I like a little salt on my grapefruit instead of sugar, so I thought I’d try. I think it’d be even better if it were a fresh blend, but I’ve had this since March and I know CrowKettle had it even longer. :)
Huh, I’ve never tried salt. I will have to try that with the next grapefruit. Oh boy, that is a long time for a sample. That sample has our old Dragon Well. We switched this year. Dragon Wells I tend to switch farms every year.
Haha. I know. She gave me 3 servings well-sealed in your foil bag, but it is old. I like your new dragon well too. I think it’s butterier, but that might be the age of this one talking. :) My problem is I don’t reach for green teas. I should have had this all drunk up way earlier this year.
I’m the same way. These days I’m rarely in a green tea mood. I mostly go for black teas. I used to be all about green teas but I tend to cycle and I’m stuck in a black tea cycle.
I’m trying to drink one black, one green and one herbal every evening I’m home. Tonight I’ll manage an extra!
Ooh, and you have the new one MissB. I hope it’s awesome. (Seriously, a tiny tiny bit of salt. Taste. Add more if needed. I’ve accidentally over-salted teas before.)
That doesn’t actually surprise me, salt with citrus drinks, it can go really well. At one of the restaurants I used to go to in Jaipur they used to offer the option of having Lemonade made with salt. On really hot pre-monsoon days it was preferable to sugar.
That sounds so good! One of my friends in high school was from the Philippines, and would bring a lemon with salt for lunch. :) It’s where I got the idea. If you get a really juicy ripe lemon it’s good, but the lemons we usually get here are SO sour.
Yes, that batch of Grapefruit Dragon was from last November! Love the salt idea; I’ll have to order more and give that a try.