Free sample from Teavivre
I thought I would try this one yesterday and have been trying to find the right words to describe it ever since. Reading through the tasting notes of others, I find little that really describes what I got from this tea. To be honest, I find describing this tea very difficult. Still, here goes.
The tea arrives in the pot as little solid nuggets of green. The remind me of space rocks or some other similar sweets. The aroma is strong and sweet, not like the dry woody smell that I associate with ginseng. It has a toasty quality to it that is not unpleasant and a warm feel to it.
Steeping the tea brings out the warmth and the toasty quality more. The first sip is odd. I had not been sure what to expect and the roasted, toasty quality of the flavour is unusual for me, different from other teas with that roasted flavour. I warm to the taste as I sip the tea more. Once I get past my lack of familiarity with the taste, I begin to notice the ginseng flavour, but sweeter and less woody than I would have expected. The roasting is present still, but I think I can detect aniseed underneath it all and a bit of camphor or eucalyptus. It is really very pleasant but the real strength of the tea hits me only a few minutes after I have finished the first cup. Suddenly my tongue is coated with a warmth and flavour that I can only describe as like a Fisherman’s Friend, a type of menthol lozenge. My tongue is toasty warm in a good way, with the camphor/eucalyptus and aniseed flavours dancing around on it. There is a hint of capsicum to it too that enhances all the other flavours. This aftertaste was awesome and it went on for ages, a good 45 minutes or more. It was really quite incredible. Thank you, Teavivre, for letting me try such a brilliant tea.
Preparation
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Well, did you do multiple steepings? I was with some people who I observed through 3 steepings of this tea and enjoyed the 3rd more than the first. What did you think? I know the powdered ginsing falls off after the first steeping quite a bit. It is nice though.
Gee, you really got me interested in this one, fisherman’s really? Love those! Putting this tea on my list…
I did multiple steepings, Bonnie. I enjoyed the later steepings better as a drink but the aftertaste was what really lifted this tea.
Yes, TF (May I call you TF?), Fishermen’s Friends. That is what I got from this tea. It was odd yet wonderful!
Ewwww, I hate Fishermen’s Friends. So much so that even the night where my throat was horribly sore and I was coughing so hard I was gagging, I couldn’t manage to keep one in my mouth because it tasted so vile. Now I’m very apprehensive about trying this tea…
I have NO idea what Fisherman’s Friends are. Unless you mean some drink in a bar!
Gross cough drops :D
The best cough drops you can buy. Also a winter surfers friend….
Perhaps I should not have mentioned the association this tea brought up in my mind, because it appears to have polarised people into two camps! Don’t be apprehensive, people. Dive in and enjoy the tea for what it is!! :-) Hmm, is that enough exclamation marks? Maybe not!!!!!!
so funny! the power of suggestion, how it can affect one’s perception and create apprehention (oh, way too many «tion» words in one phrase, sorry about that). I’m glad you mentioned it Roughage, since I’m in the «love them» camp! Fisherman’s are the only cough drops I ever buy. BTW, to answer you on the above, no problem with you calling me TF :-)
Hahahaha, I will still try my sample! With apprehension :D
Well, did you do multiple steepings? I was with some people who I observed through 3 steepings of this tea and enjoyed the 3rd more than the first. What did you think? I know the powdered ginsing falls off after the first steeping quite a bit. It is nice though.
Gee, you really got me interested in this one, fisherman’s really? Love those! Putting this tea on my list…
I did multiple steepings, Bonnie. I enjoyed the later steepings better as a drink but the aftertaste was what really lifted this tea.
Yes, TF (May I call you TF?), Fishermen’s Friends. That is what I got from this tea. It was odd yet wonderful!
Ewwww, I hate Fishermen’s Friends. So much so that even the night where my throat was horribly sore and I was coughing so hard I was gagging, I couldn’t manage to keep one in my mouth because it tasted so vile. Now I’m very apprehensive about trying this tea…
I have NO idea what Fisherman’s Friends are. Unless you mean some drink in a bar!
Gross cough drops :D
The best cough drops you can buy. Also a winter surfers friend….
Perhaps I should not have mentioned the association this tea brought up in my mind, because it appears to have polarised people into two camps! Don’t be apprehensive, people. Dive in and enjoy the tea for what it is!! :-) Hmm, is that enough exclamation marks? Maybe not!!!!!!
so funny! the power of suggestion, how it can affect one’s perception and create apprehention (oh, way too many «tion» words in one phrase, sorry about that). I’m glad you mentioned it Roughage, since I’m in the «love them» camp! Fisherman’s are the only cough drops I ever buy. BTW, to answer you on the above, no problem with you calling me TF :-)
Hahahaha, I will still try my sample! With apprehension :D