618 Tasting Notes
This tea smells like a lighter pancake breakfast with an oolong base. Pancake breakfast is one of my favorites, so I’m pretty excited to see what this tastes like! I also smell some cheesecake that’s hidden itself away behind everything else. I’ve found that the cheesecake tends to be in the back in most of the cheesecake blends I’ve had, so no surprise there!
Sipping… I taste a light maple note followed by the oolong and ending with a light cheesecake. It’s frustrating because this tea has so much potential.. oolong + maple + cheesecake = something delicious, but it’s so light that it’s really like a whisper of what it should be. The oolong is smooth and blends well with the other flavors. The maple is sweet and lacks that starchy character that the Pancake Breakfast blend has. The cheesecake note is very light and only contributes to that tangy bit.
I feel bad giving this blend a lower rating because it’s yummy, but the everything is so light and muted that it’s not really worth drinking. I’d like to reach for something stronger & more full of flavor instead.
This one has been on my list for a while. Thank you for swapping some of this tea with me, ToiToi! I haven’t had a chance to taste this tea until now! The initial sip of this tea is thick and reminds me of liquor and raisins. The tea base is a bit more brisk than I expected from Lupicia. I taste a bit of chestnut flavor towards the end of the sip, but it’s blending with this dark raisin/berry note. The finish is of the black tea base (a little smooth, drying, a tad burnt-tasting) and something artificial. I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed in this tea only because I was expecting such a nice chestnut flavor from the other reviews.
I liked their green chestnut tea a little better.
Dustin- I’ve thought about giving that one a try, but I’m worried that it might taste the same to me. What do you like more about the green chestnut?
I love the green chestnut but haven’t tried this.
I like that greens are lighter. Chestnut is a delicate flavor to come through in a tea and I feel like the black base doesn’t give it enough room to shine. If it was paired with something heavier like chocolate, I can see black being a reasonable base to choose, but on it’s own it needs something milder.
I’ve stated before that I’m not the biggest fan of Golden Moon Tea. I want to like their teas, but they haven’t really played well with my tastebuds in the past. I know that my tastes and preferences for certain teas do change occasionally, so I’m giving this one another go. The scent of this tea after it’s steeped is of an earthy, toasty oolong with a hint of caramel or sugar. I pick up on some of the grassy, almost marine-like character of the oolong, but it seems to twist itself around the buttery caramel scent at the same time giving me the impression of a candy shop by the sea or at the zoo. The sea sounds so much more romantic, but it truly could go either way!
Sipping… this is a very smooth oolong with floral and wood notes being most prominent for me. I also taste a bit of something fruity — perhaps cantaloupe? It’s like the rind of a melon, only not so bitter. I can see why this is called caramel oolong in that the wisp of caramel sweetness comes out towards the end of the sip. I find that I have to look for it though and wish that it were stronger and sweeter.
This is a decent tea that is subtle and is best when you can fully concentrate on all of the flavors that it has to offer. Definitely bumping up my aged rating although this isn’t a favorite.
I smell hay, milk and some kind of apricot jam in this tea. Mmm.. I can’t wait to see how this tea tastes if I can detect so many different layers with my nose!
Sipping… I’m pleased to taste the apricot and hay first. I also find a little bit of orange that fades into a light astringency and tingling sensation on the tongue. The finish is smooth, almost minty, and light. This is a very refreshing cup that has more elements than I’ve ever tasted in a plain white tea before. It’s not my most favorite cup of white tea, but for an unflavored cup, it’s certainly lovely.
I was very surprised to pop open this pouch to find that this tea smelled like roasted seaweed. It’s not fishy, but is definitely reminiscent of dried seaweed pieces. The leaves are tightly curled and very dark. So pretty! After the tea has steeped, I’m smelling much more of a roasted note with a bit of bread and seaweed in the background. There is also a touch of smoke, but it’s quite subtle.
Sipping… this is a very smooth tea. I suppose in my experience, the roasted oolongs I’ve had have been a bit more astringent and sharp. This one is quite nice. The flavor reminds me of toast that has been almost burned mixed with a heavy earthy note, minerals and salt water. The finish is smooth with just a tiny bit of grassy sweetness. I can see why this was called “Dark Chocolate Oolong,” but I think the new name is much more fitting as I personally don’t taste much dark chocolate. This was a very interesting cup for this afternoon, but not one that I will repurchase.
I opened up this pouch not really knowing what to expect and was smacked in the face by a very strong, acidic and artificial raspberry scent. The blend is very pretty: chunks of fruit, small rosebuds, lemongrass and mate. As this tea steeps, I wonder if this would be better as an iced tea, but it’s too late now.. I’m going to have this hot first!
This blend brews a very pretty crimson cup. The scent becomes much more of a mix instead of individual ingredients now. It reminds me of a Celestial Seasonings fruit blend… not one in particular as they all sort of melt together for me. Sipping… hmm, I was expecting more hibiscus. This isn’t to say that it’s not there.. It’s the strongest note, actually… but I was thinking that there would be way more hibiscus to the point where it would cover everything else. I can still taste a sweet raspberry in the background, similar to a raspberry lemonade. I do pick up on the lemongrass and mate towards the end of the sip, but they really just add a general “herbal” note to the finish. I can tell that this will be a nice tea for when I need something tart, fruity and a little bit sweet.
I bought some of this tea hoping that it would resemble the first version of pumpkin milkshake. Even though I wasn’t crazy about version 1.0, it definitely grew on me and I wanted to buy more. The scent of this tea is of creamy pumpkin and spice. I do smell a lot of cinnamon in the dry leaf, but after it’s steeped, the pumpkin definitely comes out more.
The start of the sip is creamy pumpkin, very reminiscent of version 1.0. It is abruptly put to an end by the most unpleasant bitterness. It seems that every cup I’ve had has turned out this way and I’ve brewed as recommended, adjusted temperatures & steep times. I wish that the blend weren’t altered because it was so much more delicious with the other base.
I’ve had a busy week and can finally sit down and write a tasting note! I’ve had this one for a while and decided it was time to give it a try. This is a nicely bold cup of tea with a hint of banana. I find that the banana comes out at the end of the sip. It’s not artificial tasting, but reminds me of a pulpy, perhaps overripe banana. This particular cup is more astringent than I think it typically would be. I happened to forget about it and steeped it a minute longer than I should have. I think that this cup would take milk and sugar very well, though. Likely will try it that way next time! There are other teas from Bluebird that I like more, but I am happy to have given this one a try. Thank you KittyLovesTea for a sample!
I’m having this one again and this time I added a bit more leaf. It certainly brews up a lovely, dark cup once again. This cup has a bit more of a molasses kind of sweetness. It’s thick and has edges that resemble burnt sugar. It’s not really a milk caramel flavor, but one that is a little smokey, woody and wrapped up with that molasses. There are still earthy and bready flavors that pop out towards the end of the sip — mostly hay and sourdough bread, for me. The sweetness lingers on the tongue long after the cup is empty. Delicious!
