Robert Godden

I had this whilst out at a cafe: Cafe Meso at Simply Organoleptic, McLaren Vale, SA. Beautifully brewed and presented in a "pot on cup " device.
To review the whole experience, it was near perfect. Unless they want to wear frilly aprons and serve form silver teapots, it couldn’t get more authentic.

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

I didn’t get this from the Supplier listed here, having bought it in Australia, but it appears to be identical.
Just a great, great tea. I ended up with a spare half kilo which I dumped in my “Tea of the Moment” canister right next to my kettle a couple of weeks ago. It appears to be empty.
I’m currently sipping a cup at 5am upon arising. But it’s just as good any time of the day. It’s got the slight maltiness of a good Assam and the lingering after-taste of a light Ceylon. Almost like a blend in one tea.
Basically, I love it.

I must admit, I was not in the best frame of mind before I drank this.
Having wandered around a tourist precinct for a while, I was overjoyed to spot a sign saying “19 whole leaf teas”. Once I got into the cafe, there was a ‘MIghty Leaf" catalogue offering 19 teas. So far so good. It’s not a common brand in Australia, so I was excited.
I picked white orchid, but then changed my mind and ordered this one. I asked to smell them both, but when I opened the tin, they were tea bags.
Sorry, they call them “pouches”. Not sure if they’re stupid or think we are – it’s a tea bag.
Bad start, I should have walked.
So, anyway the beverage comes to the table. It’s in a takeaway cup. I have no idea why. The label said to steep for 5 minutes, I asked how long it had been steeped, and then set the tea timer on my phone. Then you’re supposed to pull it up against the plastic lid to strain it, apparently.
By the time the five minutes is up, the half-asleep staff have served appallingly poor and misrepresented food, and I’ve tried Mrs Devotea’s “Organic Darjeeling Estate”, which is a fine collection of words for – you guessed it – a teabag, and also unimpressive. I’m seriously annoyed, and I invest all my hopes that this tisane will lift my spirits.
And it doesn’t.
The mint notes are good, the rooibos thin and stale-tasting, the chocolate very rough and ready. I drank one third, then left, never to return.
I must say, if I was one who took milk and sugar, I think it would have been much improved.
But, it’s pretty unlikely I’ll ever bother trying it again.

I love every tea I received direct from India from Thunderbolt tea.
This one is quite unusual. Best described as a light black that’s a bit oolongy but looks like a white. It’s doesn’t have the oolong back-taste.
It’s just extraordinary.
It has the first hit of a Pai My Tan, then has a comfortable feel of a light Darjeeling black, or even a Sikkim and then finishes with an aftertaste that has the flavour of a white, but with the strength of an old, old oolong.
I’ll be ordering some more!

Wow.
I stopped posting here because I found I was saying the same things about the same teas.
Until my order arrived from India.
This tea is pretty special. Delicate, spicy and fruity on the palate with an almost caramelly aftertaste. Or perhaps more like dates.
Second infusion brings out citrus notes and some floral tones

I can’t believe I’ve never put a note on this tea, it’s an absolute favourite.
Dark, rich, malty, strong.
A classic taste of India. Faint tarry quality at times, great with milk and/or sugar, though I drink it with neither.

This is a nice black tea.
When we owned a tea shop, the Java Tea we had there – Malabar – wasn’t bad but never sold. I often cut a portion of it into chai blends to keep my stocks turning over.
The Taloon is a little different. It’s of an ilk with the stronger Indian teas – for example, a lighter NIlgiri or a heavier Assam.
Nice aftertaste. Really pleasant black with no sugar. I imagine it would take milk or sugar well.
Also looks great in the cupboard – people don’t get offered Indonesian tea every day.
Worth stocking a little to surprise people!

I don’t know how it is for everyone else, but here’s a couple of thoughts on rooibos:
-Unless it’s really, really bad, most rooibos tastes the same.
-Rooibos in bags is a lot more real and fresh tasting than either tea or peppermint in bags
So basically, unless it was awful, I was expecting a fairly run of the mill roobos.
It’s fair to say that’s not far from the truth. It tastes like rooibos should. It’s kinda nutty and I think is best with nothing added.
Some people reading this might think that’s not much of a recommendation, but it is.
Obviously for some, they drink it for the health benefits. Seriously, if you are drinking something you don’t like for the health benefits, switch to something you do like and die quicker, it’s a better option.
Fir me, the great thing about this is it’s something I can travel with, it’s available wherever I am in Australia and it can be relied on to get me through the hours between when the last tea shop closes at night and the first one opens in the morning.
The only certainties in a hotel room are a Gideon s Bible and really bad tea!
This product has been elevated to the status of ‘travelling companion’. Not a bad thing at all.

Second cup of this from Hopetoun tea rooms in Melbourne.
Just as sensational as the first

Yes yes Yes!
You can taste the coconut and nilgiri on the first sip, then the mango flavour in the back of your mouth.
Absolutely delightful. Will have again tomorrow

Couldn’t wait to try this again. This time, different staff, confused, lost my order, made me wait, then made it so weak it had no taste.
If I hadn’t found it brilliant yesterday, I’d never have it again

A cup of this to take away from the normally infallible Hopetoun Tea rooms in Melbourne. Unfortunately, a little under-strength. I didn’t mind the characteristics it had, but it didn’t have anything to back up the foretaste, no middle and certainly no aftertaste. Not much aroma either.
Will tray again today and see if it does better

I was seriously worried this would be awful.
I was seriously off base – IT’S A WINNER !
Perfect balance, quite peachy, sweet without sweetening.
I might asked to be rolled in this when I die

No notes yet.

Seemed to be a mix of a nice ceylon with a not-as-nice chinese black. Good idea but turns out like a simplifies Breakfast blend. Possibly OK with milk and sugar

This is my third tasting note, but about my 30th cup of this tea.
It really is lovely, no bitterness. It’s a great start to my day.
It has a sweet barley straw thing going on.

Reasonable Darjeeling at twice the normal price.
No problem if the expectation hadn’t been high.
Plenty of mild flavour – not water, not strong. Faint, not unpleasant seaweed character mixed with earthy tones and some light fruit, like a pomegranate
All in all, not a bad drop.

SENSATIONAL.
Must buy
Smooth smooth black – smooth like Keemun, strong like Yunnan – balanced sweetness. Will buy a stack for home tomorrow.
Highly recommended

Been meaning to try this for years.
Hated It.
Bitter, bitter bitter.
Was glad to see the back of it

Now that I take no sugar in tea, I’m having to learn to love some teas again.
Funnily enough, the mildly smoky’s have become my absolute favourite blacks, while LS has not gone down well. It’s very, very savoury without sugar.
So making a cup at 5am was a little risky.
In sort though. it’s been a rough night and I need some invigorating.
This isn’t it. It tastes good, but sometimes, went you need your tea black and strong, the smokiness gets in the way.
I’m not going to blame the tea, rather my choice. It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed it, I just might have enjoyed something else more,

I’ve been a little obsessed with this one lately. It’s good. really good.
Balanced, not bitter. Invigorating. A Prince among greens!
Whereas my favourite Pai Mu Tan is a clear white, this one is proudly green. Slightly acid after-taste goes away each time you sip, making it more-ish. Steeps Well 2 or 3 times.
Worth a try. It was my Tea of The Week a few weeks back on www,robertgodden.com.au/id5.html

A great combo.

The lavender was bold enough to be seen in the glass teapot, and strong enough to make the tongue tingle.
The oolong was dry and twiggy like many good oolongs.
I felt the meshing together was about 90% there. I didn’t feel like the two tastes blended, or even completely complemented each other; but they held their own.
My drinking companion was also suitably impressed.