Auggy

I’ve only had one other lychee black tea and I have no idea what lychee tastes like (or lychee blooms smell like). So yeah, slight handicap when rating this tea. On top of that, my brain has yet to fully engage this morning. So take this review with a grain of salt.

The taste is nicely floral. I’m not a huge fan of rose teas and this is very similar to a rose tea, but it’s probably the smoothest, least perfume-y rose-tea-like tea I’ve had. I didn’t really taste the lychee fruit, just the rose-esque finish, but the tea was lightly sweet so I’m thinking that’s the lychee aspect coming through. The tastes of the tea and lychee/rose combine nicely so it doesn’t seem like tea is overlaid with perfume.

Because I’m not a huge rose fan this isn’t something that I’d have to have, but it is very nice to drink and I enjoyed it.

You know, I don’t really buy any bagged tea for myself but every so often (usually when I get Lupicia’s freebie teabag in the mail), I’m reminded of how handy teabags can be, especially when the tea in the bags is the proper stuff.

Apparently I cannot see tea without doing my best to buy some of it. Tonight, I picked this one up. Honestly, I got it because the dry leaves smelled like Samovar’s Jasmine Peach Bai Mudan – and thus also like Kasugi Peach gummy. But brewed up, it’s not as similar. Sure, there’s peach. A lot of peach. But the smell has a little sharp, almost alcoholic edge to it. Perhaps the tangerine?

Where Samovar’s version of a peach-flavored white was Kasugi Peach gummy all grown up, this is more straight gummy. I don’t really get the tangerine except maybe as an added edge to the taste. The peach taste is pretty much the same in the two teas but this one doesn’t have the smooth, soft edges or the subtly fuller taste. Which, while disappointing, is pretty much what I was expecting. It’s not a bad tea and I’m pretty sure I’d like it more if I hadn’t had Samovar’s first.
3g/6oz

I’m still on the hunt for non-rooibos-y rooibos. So far, the winners have been Teas Etc’s Coconut Custard, Cuida Te’s Tiramisu and Lupicia’s Green Rooibos. So will Tropical Tea Company’s Mocha Rocha Rooibos be added to this delicious list?

Maybe. It reminds me a lot of Cuida Te’s Tiramisu but with a little less depth of flavor and a little… weaker. It’s coffee-y but mild. If I hadn’t had the Tiramisu, I’d like this a lot more as there really is no rooibos flavor and I appreciate that. I could see this being on the short list of rooibos that I keep around for when it’s required, but ultimately if I had the choice, I’d pick the Tiramisu over this one.

A few thoughts on this tea:
- 1 ounce is not enough. I should have gotten more but it is kind of expensive. Worth it, but the price kept me from getting the metric ton that I truly wanted.
- These leaves seem fresher. This seems to make the richness of this tea more intense.
- And speaking of leaves, they are gorgeous. I’m not a big one for the visual side of tea, but these leaves are so huge and twisty and beautiful that I can’t help but appreciate them.
- I just don’t understand how something can be this dark tasting and still have such gorgeous sweet notes. It’s like rye bread made into syrup. Or brown rice. And the aftertaste is like I’ve been drinking syrup.
- I need to buy more of this. Maybe Tea Hawaii sells it by the pound. (And the husband won’t have a heart attack at spending that much on tea.)

I think 4 minutes is my happy spot for steeping this. At 3 minutes (which Tea Hawaii recommends), the lighter sweetness was hiding but at 4 minutes it comes out more. I’m not getting quite the super-grilled fruit notes because the sweetness is richer than that.

Anyway, my first steep (3 minutes) was more sweet rye bread but the second steep (4 minutes) had a little more balance. Actually, the second steep tastes like a first steep so I find that pretty awesome. No loss of flavor or strength.

The third steep (6 minutes) still seems a little milder, but there is more of the lighter sweetness than the rye bread sweetness so that could be what is giving that impression. Also, this third steep tastes a lot like the first steep from first time I tried this tea. Yay for fresh leaves!

I’ll try for a fourth steep in a bit – I drink this tea really quick and am starting to feel a wee bit caffeinated. To drink it so fast I think means that I really like this tea. But I kinda knew that.

Okay, this has been bugging me. Why is it Premium Steap? Why not Steep? What is a Steap? I feel like I’m missing something. Anyone? Anyone? Buller?

Anyway, tea. Oooh, toasty. This smells like fruits so heavily grilled they are past caramelized and almost into burnt. But in a good way. The taste is a lot milder as far as the toasty, but it is still there. It tastes a lot like grilled peaches and something else… something a little reedy maybe? It’s a very wet taste. There’s no astringency to this, just sweetness and light toasty-ness.

This is a tasty tea and my cup emptied surprisingly quick. I can’t say this something that I require in my pantry, but it’s tasty enough that I would enjoy it if I had some. Since this is so different from my typical, it’s a little hard to rate. I reserve the right to bump it up a bit if I find myself thinking this tea at non-tea times.
^3.6g/7oz

Oops, I think I brewed this wrong. I steeped it for 3 minutes but looking around, everything says a max of 2 minutes. I’ll have to try it at a shorter steep next time. I’ll wait to rate it until then.

Anyway, even with oversteeping, this tastes rich, floral, honeyed, delicate and smooth. There’s a very dry aftertaste that, combined with the bright, sweet, dark, rich flavors, brings to mind a white wine.

I’m interested in seeing what this tea does if I treat it a little better!

Nutty nutty nutty. The smell and taste are both very nutty to me, though perhaps that is how I read the malt – either nutty or bake-y? There’s a little astringency on the back end that is close to too much but it is doable, just reminding me a tad of those funny tasting nuts that sometimes pop up when eating a bag of pecans. I added a little sugar and half & half a bit into my cup to see how it goes – it definitely stands up well to the additives and that nutty bitterness is smoothed out which is nice. This is a nice cup, though it doesn’t advance much over ‘typical Assam’ for me.

I think this is a tea that I probably shouldn’t like, but I do. I can’t help it. It reminds me of the Hawaiian Tropics suntan lotion in a dark brown bottle that I used to love when I was in high school. That stuff was so awesome smelling. This tea makes me want to get some.

Coconut is the main flavor here but there’s also a pina colada-y taste and a darker taste (which I’m guessing is the actual tea). It feels a little oily but not in a that-pizza-needs-to-be-blotted-off-nasty way but more of a spaghetti-sauces-made-with-oil-are-always-tastier kind of way.

So yeah, that sounds delightfully appetizing, right? Oil and suntan lotion. See what I mean when I say I don’t think I should like this? Because honestly, I don’t think it is a good tea, but the experience of drinking it, for me, is good. It reminds me of summers spent poolside, which, considering I have been accused by multiple people of being solar powered, is something that always make me happy. So for me this tea is like a summer vacation in a cup.

Predominately a darker chocolate taste with hints of cream and cherry. There’s a slight astringency to it that isn’t unpleasant but that keeps this from screaming ‘dessert tea’ to me. The flavorings are smooth and mild and that keeps it from being overly rich. Not bad.

So, now that I’m out of this tea, does that mean I’m going to go through withdrawal?

(Ha! I’m so funny!)

I wasn’t overly in love with this tea at first but then I discovered more is more, at least as far as steep time goes. Now I’m sad to have to de-cupboard this tea. At least this is one that I can get again! So one day the sweet but fresh candy-ness will be mine again!

I was prepared to be disappointed with this tea because of how the dry leaves smell – there is a strong extract/alcohol smell plus a fair amount of calendula, which I am discovering I dislike because it makes my tongue tingle. But actually, this tea isn’t that bad. Once water hits it there is a maple smell to it, which is reassuring. And the taste, while not overly maple syrup-y, has a high, sweet taste that isn’t quite but almost a sugar-esque sweet. I’m not 100% sure I would have been able to peg this as maple if I hadn’t known that’s what the taste was but it’s close enough for hand grenades so whatever. The calendula tingle/taste was there but not too strong so I’m okay with it. This really isn’t an awesome tea but it’s good enough to drink and enjoy.

Dude, what happened? The first time I had this tea, it was seriously awesome. It must have hit my happy spot or something because it made me almost euphoric. The second time was a total let down. So I’ve been hesitant to try this one again. But in my desire to de-cupboard more tea, I figured I’d bust this one out.

This third tasting isn’t starting very promisingly – I overbrewed it. Oops. The chocolate taste is still not really there except as an afterthought, but I’m okay with that. The chili taste is nice and tingly – on the border of a bit too spicy but nice. It’s a fairly thin bodied tea, feeling a bit like a second steep from a regular tea. The oversteeping has made it a little rough but a dash of half & half has fixed that and given it a slightly more luxe feel.

While not as enjoyable as my first perfect cup, this is a likeable tea. It’s different and, oddly enough, makes me think of gourmet hot chocolate – the kind that doesn’t taste actually like chocolate but you probably paid nine dollars for it. At the hoity-toity ski lodge. In the middle of winter. Even though you don’t ski.

I’m not back to being in love with this tea, but I’m giving it a slight point bump. It’s different and is fairly successful in its different-ness. This isn’t a tea I’d need to have on hand but I could see the occasional (if rare) desire to have a cup.

A combination of noisy construction taking place right outside of my office and difficult graphics has led me to require tea at an earlier time than usual. I’ve been thinking about this not-lapsang some the past day or two and just the thought of it makes me happy. So this is the perfect time to have some of this happy-making tea and attempt to destress.

This is such a mild smoky tea but it is still a smoky tea. Perhaps it is because the smoke is so smooth that it just makes it taste rich. Today this is very chocolaty to me, with a hint of almost sharp smoke in the last bit of the sip then a delightfully sweet and smoky aftertaste fills my mouth and I can’t help but smile. Ah yes, perfect happy tea. I feel much better now (though I do have to give Marvin Gaye the assist).

Giving this a bit of a bump because really? How can I not when it makes me feel like this?

I think the caramel and the red fruits in this tea combine in such a way that makes it taste like tea lightly flavored with red berry syrup. There’s no tartness usually associated with things red berry-ish and it ends on a sweet, light caramel note. Quite a tasty little tea, one that can handle a morning in my travel tumbler without additives (which seems to be a bit harder than succeeding in an additive-less state in a cup). This tea won’t be the reason I place my next Kusmi order, but when the time comes I will certainly be adding a tin of this to my cart.

First off, it is easy to tell that this is related to my much-loved Hawaiian-Grown Black/Makai Black. The flavor profiles are pretty similar, but the flavors seem softer, slightly muted in this tea. There’s also a hint of greenness, almost rawness that reminds me of a Neela (but not quite since I dislike Neelas for that rawness but find this pleasant). Also, this one still reminds me of shampoo ginger.

So this is a tasty tea but having such a similar taste profile to Makai Black (plus shampoo ginger and a little crispness) just makes me want Makai Black instead of this. Which would make me sad except I got an email from Eva that my tea was sent off Monday, so I will have Makai Black with me soon! Yay!

Bumped up the steep time on this from 3min (my first time having this) to 5mins. That’s my happy spot. It’s still a subtle flavor but it no longer feels weak. There’s the sweet, vanilla/creamy Easter candy taste from last time but also a little fresh citrus, though not so much a citrus taste but a citrus freshness that is really nice because it keeps the sugary sweet Easter candy-like flavor from being too sugary sweet. Tasty stuff! I’m (once again) bumping my rating a little bit to reflect the increased happiness this gives me.

It’s shincha, baby! Woo! Guh. The smell kills me. So awesome. Faintly buttery, green, thick. It makes my mouth water. I’m seriously not one for much prep work with tea making because I’m lazy. But I will preheat a pot for sencha. Because sencha in a preheated pot? Smells deliciously awesome.

Last year this tea was a kind of sensitive to temp so I’m using the thermometer, not just the Zojirushi display. I really need a yuzamashi but lacking one, I’m using my tea cup. Water temp at 172° and into my pot it goes. Started the pour at about 35 seconds because this pot has a 10 second-ish pour. The aroma mirrors that of the leaves in the pot but milder. Not a super strong smell, but very nice.

Oh, the taste makes my tongue dance! It has a very fresh and clean taste for a deep steamed sencha. Almost citrusy. Grassy. Faintly buttery feeling, a faint hint of nutty (I read someone that mentioned sunflower seeds and can totally see that, which surprised me.) Just a faint hint of dryness left on my tongue after each swallow but that astringency just makes it seem fresher, no hint of bitterness. This strikes me as a very ‘typical’ sencha as far as taste profile goes but it’s not ordinary. It’s more regular sencha, amped up into, dare I say it? Perfection.

Ah, there is sencha in my pantry once again and I’m so pleased. Especially since this is such a tasty one!

Second Steep: 175°, instant pour. Much cloudier brew this time. Delightful fresh and citrusy, gently sweet. It’s a little bit more astringent than the first brew but I’m pretty sensitive to astringency and am still finding at a very pleasant level. So tasty.
^3.6g/6oz

Yesterday, I came to the realization that pu-erh and I will never be more than passing acquaintances. There is just something about the strong earthy, hay-like sweetness that comes across as cloying to me. But the citrus in this along with the gingery tingle (one that reminds me of my super-yummy Midel Ginger Snap cookies) gives fantastic balance to that super-sweet pu-erh-ness. The sweetness is there but it is lurking in the smell and under the ginger citrus. In fact, that now-subdued sweetness reinforces the ginger snap feeling. The aftertaste – sweet with a strong ginger tingle and a certain freshness – is the same aftertaste I get from my gingersnaps.

So yeah, this might smell a bit like citrus-scented dirt when brewing (though it smells like delicious citrus-peel citrus when dry) and that just isn’t the most appetizing thing, but this is gingersnap cookie tea for me. So I like it.

^{PS – I used my entire sample (which was around 5g) in my 10oz cup, so I did go a little heavy on the leaf. Dunno what exact difference that might make but I’d be all for repeating the heavy leafness in the future to make sure I get ginger snap tea.}

ETA: The second steep is mostly ginger and pu-erh which is a little disappointing. I miss my clean, fresh ginger snaps.

It smells like caramelized vanilla and something heavy and almost coffee-like. The taste is unexpected – not sweet and soft like a typical vanilla but more… masculine, for want of a better word. Earthy? I can totally see Cocoa Puffs flavor they mention in the tasting notes, particularly in the aftertaste. I don’t get graham crackers so much as that undernote of whatever cracker-like thing Cocoa Puffs are made of. It has a hint of pu-erh sweetness to it but the vanilla tempers it, keeps it from being too strong. It is much heavier and bolder than I originally expected and I like it though the thickness of the flavor makes one cup plenty.

I think this is a good tea – smooth, sweet, mellow – but I just can’t get behind it. That pu-erh sweetness just doesn’t sit well with me. I’ve tried to develop a taste for it, but it’s just not working. So yeah, I’ve dropped the score a lot but I’m judging on how repeatable I find it and I just don’t think any pu-erh will rank highly when I judge them that way.

This is a fairly mild Keemun. It struck me as having a lot of Yunnan characteristics – very earthy with an almost figgy sweetness. The Keemun aspect came in towards the end of the sip when there was a touch of smoke-ish acridity followed by a smooth smoky/roasty note. Certainly not a bad tea but a little mild for me. Perhaps this one would be a good introduction to someone unfamiliar with Keemuns and just wants to test the waters.

I did a shorter brew time on my last bit of this tea to see how it goes. I think I prefer it this way – the flavors are the same but the overall taste and feel is much smoother. Tastes very cocoa-y but with almost a faint hint of smoke. S’nice.