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212/365

I picked up a sample of this one with my last Bird & Blend order, specifically for cold-brewing. Apparently I’ve tried it before, but I don’t remember it at all.

It’s actually pretty refreshing – a nice strong, sweet hit of pineapple at the beginning of the sip, then a touch of coconut, before the mint comes in and lingers well into the aftertaste. I tasted the mint more prominently in the first few sips – after that, it’s like I almost become acclimatised to it, and I taste the pineapple/coconut more. It’s a nice contrast; I probably wouldn’t have put tropical flavours with mint, but it works pretty well.

I’d repurchase this one, but probably only in summer. I have tried it hot in the past, but I think in flavour terms it’s probably better suited to cold brewing.

211/365

This one is beau-ti-ful, easily the prettiest tea I’ve tried in a while. The rose petals are a bright, bright pink, there are pieces of creamy green pistachio, almonds, the black tea, and then everything is covered in a yellow-ish dust. I’m guessing ginger, based on the flavour. It’s very striking!

To taste, it’s instantly nostalgic and calming. Rose flavoured things remind me a lot of my childhood, and rose is a really prominent aspect of the flavour here. The ginger comes second, adding a delicately spicy heat in the background, and then there’s the sweetly malty black base. There’s a very light hint of nuttiness – nothing I could pin down specifically as pistachio or almond, though. I wish those flavours came through a little more clearly, but I guess with strong competitors like rose and ginger that was always unlikely.

This one comes up kind of murky looking, but it clears as the ginger powder sinks to the bottom of the cup. The black base is pretty light; maybe a ceylon? I half-wondered whether milk might make this one even more comforting and nostalgic, but I think the base probably wouldn’t stand up to it. Maybe as a latte? I like it very much as it is, though; something about the combination of sweet, floral and spicy is just so good! I’m sure I’ll be buying more of this one.

210/365

This one also came as a sample with my latest Bluebird order, and is the tea that used to be called Skinny Minny. I vaguely recall that there was some kind of story behind the name change, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was now. This is a blend of pu’erh and oolong, with ginger, orange, ginseng, and fennel. It’s supposed to have stomach settling and metabolism boosting qualities, although I don’t feel I’m going to be qualified to comment on either of those. This particular mixture of things sounds entirely unappetising, and not like the kind of thing I’d want to drink for pleasure, but I’m going to give it a go anyway. I’m so bored right now (like hardcore bored), and it’ll be something to do.

As a side note, if you’ve been reading my notes for a while you’ll probably be aware that I’m not all that fond of my job. I found out this week that I have an interview elsewhere next week, which is excellent news, but my first thought when I got the invitation was “oh no!”, quickly followed by “but I can’t do this!” Part of it’s just a combination of nerves and stupidity, because I’m a bit of an anxious scaredy cat – particularly about stuff that really matters. Then, as I thought about it some more, I realised that I seem to have something approaching Sockholm Syndrome for my current job, and maybe the company it’s based at. I spend most of my time hating the fucking place, but at the same time I’ve become kind of complicit in my own unhappiness, because when I do get an opportunity my first thought is not overwhelming joy but something approaching dismay? I think it’s just because I’m well within my comfort zone here; I know what my job is, and I’m good at it, even if I don’t like it…and the thought of possibly leaving after so long here, for something that’s entirely unknown, is a little overwhelming. Plus, no-one likes an interview, right? But still. It was uncomfortable to realise that I think of myself as a hostage to this job, and then that I might actually prefer to remain a hostage. Anyway, this is nothing to do with tea (and everything to do with being so bored I can actually feel my brain atrophying. Plus, I felt the need to record this nonsense so that I can look back and see how ridiculous I was being.) Back to tea.

The scent of this one reminds me of Super Noodles – specifically the Chow Mein flavour. It tastes quite a lot like it, too, which is not entirely what I was expecting! It’s brothy and savoury, strong, and quite rich-tasting. I’m not entirely sure what it is that’s creating the effect – maybe the combination of orange, ginseng and fennel? I can definitely taste the ginger in the background, but that’s quite distinct from the other flavours, and adds a really pleasant spicy kick. The pu’erh base is a touch earthy and very soupy, the oolong might be there, but it’s hard to say when there are so many other flavours competing for prominence.

I actually really like this one, which is a surprise. I think I tried it back when it was Skinny Minny, but I have absolutely no recollection of that cup. This is a nice change of pace from the sweeter, dessert-like teas I’ve been drinking recently, and for once I don’t feel the urge to cold-brew it in lemonade! Super Noodles tea could become a regular fixture in my cupboard. Who knew?!

209/365

I picked this up with my last White2Tea order, largely out of curiosity. I almost went with a full cake, but held back since pu’erh still kinda scares me a bit. I know it shouldn’t, given how much of it I’ve tried now, but it’s an undeniable fact. I’m about ready to place another order, so I figured I’d try this one today and then if I do want a cake I can get it this time.

First steep is pleasant, maybe a touch bland. There’s a light earthiness, and quite a lot of sweetness; I’m reminded of glace icing. It’s a touch thin tasting as pu’erh goes, but very easy to drink. It’s not the kind of tea that requires a lot of thought or concentration, and sometimes that’s just the thing. I will say that something in the scent reminds me of freshly baked waffles. I don’t think it’s just the power of suggestion, but it’s quite intriguing all the same.

Second steep is pretty similar. Nice enough, but not a lot of flavour. A light earthiness again, a touch of sweetness (less than the first steep), with a developing hint of floury doughiness. The texture seems thicker this time; more in line with what I’m used to experiencing with pu’erh. I think this would make a good introductory shou – it’s entirely inoffensive and not likely to put anyone off, but I wish it had a little more flavour.

Third steep, similar. Almost no sweetness now, but everything else is as it was.

Fourth steep..? You guessed it! Similar.

I like this one, but I’m going to stop with four steeps because it’s a little samey and I’m getting a bit bored. I have no doubt that it’s got more life left in it, and on a different (colder?) day I might have stuck with it a while yet. I’m done for today, though. At least I know that I don’t need a cake of this one after all; it’s nice, but I don’t love it as much as I thought I might.

208/365

I picked up some more of this with my last Bird & Blend order, because my recollection of it was more than a little hazy. Turns out there’s a reason for that! This time, I cold-brewed in lemonade – not with any particular motive, but just because I want to cold brew all the things in lemonade these days. I drank a glass, then went back and read my previous tasting note, and everything became clear.

Last time, I wanted more sweetness. I thought it resembled an actual fruit salad more than they chewy sweet it’s supposed to represent, largely because it wasn’t sugary or candy-like enough to really capture that kind of vibe. Cold brewing in lemonade was an unintentionally excellent decision, then, because it surely adds the sugar! Sadly, I’m still not really feeling this one. It’s still too generic, and it’s still not particularly candy-like. Better than it was in water, but I’m still getting fruit fruit salad, rather than candy fruit salad. The lemonade didn’t work it’s magic as completely as it did with Strawberry Lemonade, for example, which is a shame.

I still like this one – it’s a great generically fruity summer blend, with nice strawberry, raspberry and orange flavours, and just the tiniest hint of pineapple. It’s just not the candy overload I expected or wanted, and there’s a slightly drying sourness to the end of the sip that’s also disappointing. Too much hibiscus or rosehip, maybe? Don’t know.

It’s nice enough, but not one I need to keep around.

Finally got around to trying this one cold brewed in lemonade. I used 4 tsp of leaf, and I didn’t bother to fussy pick so scrupulously this time since I figure the sweetness of the lemonade should be on my side with this one. For those wondering, the lemon in the lemonade does activate the colour change, but you lose the gradient effect; it’s purple from the off, rather than blue.

I feel like I’m getting there with this one, slowly. It’s nice like this, with prominent sour raspberry notes, the lemonade, and then a slightly funky aftertaste from the butterfly pea flowers. I could minimise the latter if I regulated the number of flowers, but it doesn’t bother me as much as it did when I tried it iced. It’s just all-round sweeter, I guess, and that masks a multitude of sins. I did worry a little about the green base with the extended brew time, but in actual fact it’s worked out fine. There’s a hint of grass, but it melds quite well with the sourness from the raspberry, and doesn’t scream “over brewed green tea” as loudly as I thought it might.

This one’s so high maintenance, it’s a unicorn, for sure! This method was the simplest I’ve tried so far, though – minimum fuss, and good results. I think we can call that a win.

207/365

I am forever searching for a tea to equal David’s Movie Night that’s easily accessible in the UK. This one is probably the closest I’ve come so far. It smells right – all buttery, nutty, sweet, toffee-coated popcorn. The flavour is almost there, too – maybe a little light on the toffee, but the popcorn is pretty spot-on. The initial few sips are magical, although in successive sips I find I’m separating and identifying ingredients rather than tasting it as a cohesive whole. I guess that’s what I’ve trained myself to do, but it’s a little distracting in this case. For example, I can taste fennel seed, pistachio, nut brittle, and then apple. It’s like, as a flavour, it doesn’t quite hold together. It’s still really good, but I think it might shine more as a latte. That might help to heighten the toffee notes a bit, and add the extra sweetness I’m looking for. It’s pretty good, though – I like it a lot more than I expected to!

I really had a craving for golden milk last night, which I indulged since I had some coconut milk on hand. It was pretty excellent; creamy, sweet, coconutty, with a nice edge of spice. I added 1 tsp of honey and an extra sprinkle of both turmeric and cinnamon to my cup, and the result is basically liquid joy. I didn’t ever think turmeric matcha would be something I’d actively want to keep around, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy a large tin when my sample is gone. Deliciousness!

206/365

Tea & Toast two ways!

This is the third of Bird & Blend’s summer collection, and the one that had me most intrigued. The name made me think it might be smoky flavoured (I was clearly thinking of burnt toast), but in actual fact it’s a raspberry jam flavoured black. I went straightforward for my first cup – 3 minutes in boiling water, no additions. I have to say, I love it! The base is a blend of Assam (my forever favourite), and a Kenyan tea, which together are malty and jammy in the best possible way. I taste the base first, before the “raspberry jam” flavour emerges in the mid-sip. It’s quite subtle to begin with, but somehow seems to develop towards the end of the sip until the raspberry is the main player. It reminds me a tiny bit of Butiki’s Ruby Pie (just a tiny bit, though – something about the raspberry), but also of Bird & Blend’s Vicky’s Sponge Cake; it’s like it takes the problems that blend had and smooths them over, so if you wanted to like that one and didn’t, this might be a better alternative.

The cup as a whole tastes like tea with a side of jam – not toast, so much, although I can see why they called it that. I suppose you could argue that the base tea provides a baked bread kind of flavour, but to me it’s all about the jamminess, and the choice of base teas complement and support that aspect of the flavour more than any other. I’m not sure I’d drink this one as a breakfast blend, although I guess I could be persuaded, but it’s definitely a mid-morning delight!

My second cup is actually a glass, because I took inspiration from Bird & Blend’s instagram and decided to cold brew 4 tsp in coconut milk. They say it tastes like raspberry ripple ice cream…

It does, in a way, although it’s heavier on the coconut (obviously! ) than raspberry ripple ice cream would usually be. It’s sweet and creamy, though, and the raspberry jam flavour does just about manage to make its presence felt. It’s a fairly close thing, though, and I think if I tried it again I’d probably use more tea – 6 tsp, perhaps, rather than 4. You wouldn’t know it’s a black tea, when prepared like this; instead, it’s got much more in common with milkshake. I think I prefer cold brewing in lemonade for clarity of flavour, but this is pretty yummy just the same!

Following my lack of sleep on Sunday evening, I decided to give this one a go last night just to make sure I’d sleep really well. Apparently now I’m nearly 30, I can’t function on 5 hours sleep a night – I was a literal zombie most of the day, and by 2pm I was absolutely done.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. I still wasn’t in bed before 11pm (that was my fault, because I was reading and I lost track of time), but even though I was bone-tired I found it really hard to get off to sleep. I was hoping this one would help, but apparently it’s just not a blend that works for me. I find Dozy Girl more effective, although I’ve noticed that I tend to have really vivid dreams when I’ve used a cup to help me get to sleep, and that puts me off it a bit. I guess I’m getting the dreams because I’m sleeping more deeply, rather than anything to do with the ingredients in themselves, but my vivid dreams are honestly not the kind of dreams you’d want to have. So, the search for an effective sleep-aid continues.

I did get a bit of cinnamon this time, so maybe my bag just needs a good shake. It’s much heavier on the “herbal” side of things, though, with the valerian being most pungent flavour. I’d not drink this one for pleasure, and since it doesn’t work for me as a sleepytime blend, I guess it won’t be making a reappearance in my cupboard. It was LE, anyway, though, so maybe it’s for the best that it’s not the answer to all my problems!