564 Tasting Notes

98

A resteep. I figured the worst that could happen was a watery cup of tea, but this is just as good as the first cup! And I’m getting more green cilantro notes, too. Still pineapple-y but toned down just enough to let the cilantro and the base shine. Lovely.

ETA: This time as it cools I get a serious kick of cilantro. Hooray!

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18

VariaTEA sent me a sample of this minus the rock sugar: thanks! Hopefully this review will be more accurate because of that. I made this up to vaguely go with my dinner tonight (biryani). Sadly it’s still really sugary. To the point that it nearly tastes like the one with rock sugar. Um.

It just tastes like cinnamon sugar, really. The thing is, I see the fruit, I see the mate, I see the rooibos, but I don’t taste any of them. I don’t see a single oolong leaf, though, so I seriously object to calling it such. Truly not for me.

VariaTEA

This one is too sweet for me as well.

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98

This one is from VariaTEA; thank you so much! This is the Butiki blend I’ve been wanting to try the most. Weird as it sounds, my favorite pizza is pineapple with cilantro. They’re a great mix.

I followed the instructions exactly on this cup because I wanted to make sure I got the best possible tea out of it, and I’m not disappointed. This is the most pineapple-y tea I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking. It has the perfect balance of tart and sweet. There’s also a green earthiness identifiable as cilantro, although I do wish that was just a little stronger (what can I say, it’s my favorite herb!). The whole thing is smooth and well-blended and it has a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. Delicious! Sadly this is a sipdown but I will most definitely grab more when I can.

ETA: This only gets better as it cools. I’ll have to see how it does iced someday.

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75

Cold-brewed this last night, three teaspoons to 16 oz for about 16 hours in the fridge. It still has that hay quality and it’s a bit sharp and almost smoky up front, but then the aftertaste mellows into a floral honey flavor. It is so much better this way, and I think that’s how I’ll be using it up. Hot it’s just not for me. It’s obvious to me that this is a good one, though, so I’m bumping the rating up a little.

As a side note, does anyone know if leaves that have been cold-steeped can be re-cold-steeped? They haven’t uncurled entirely and they still smell pretty strong (in fact, the resulting tea is much stronger than I expected). I may try it anyway just to see what happens.

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75

I think this is the last black tea in the Golden Moon box. Sadly, it’s pretty average. There are some sweet fruity notes and a darker woody base to this, but that’s about all I notice and I’m not blown away by it. Luckily I have other Darjeelings that are more interesting! This is a sipdown (222).

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74
drank Get Fresh by Tealish
564 tasting notes

Another delicious-smelling pineapple tea from MissB! This has the potential to be really pineapple-y but it’s actually hidden somewhat by the sencha. It’s a little nutty and green, and anything else that’s supposed to be in here is lost in a generic creaminess. It’s a pleasant cup but I’m not sure it’s harmonious, and I’m not in love with it.

MissB

Woot! I had to try it after this review, and then messed it up. :P

bluebelle

Aww. Hopefully the next one will be better!

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70

Yikes. This got bitter fast. Oddly it also has a sugary-sweet aftertaste. There are some rich cooked-vegetable notes, like artichokes or asparagus, and then a straight sugar flavor. It’s not a horrible cup but I just don’t know what to make of it. I’m guessing this is a Chinese green, and those tend to be very hit-or-miss for me. This one’s a miss, but it’s also a sipdown.

ETA: Oddly this is growing on me as it cools—possibly because it’s less bitter and more sugary. Still wouldn’t buy it but it’s not totally horrible.

Preparation
2 min, 0 sec

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82

Picked this up at the Asian grocery store today. I wasn’t expecting much out of it, but the description was promising and I wanted to at least try. So far I’ve never tried an oolong I really hated. This was also a convenient thing to reach for while I waited for the water to heat up for a different cup.

This exceeded all my expectations. It’s smooth, with some floral and honey notes and a strong peachy flavor throughout. A really solid oolong! Sadly this particular store doesn’t sell any oolong loose-leaf, but I did find some decent-looking Japanese greens and some interesting herbals.

Flavors: Fruit Tree Flowers, Honey, Peach

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70

Tried this one again, this time with about 1 3/4 teaspoons of leaf and a full five minutes of steep time. Oddly I’m still not getting much lime. There’s some vague citrus-y flavor, but it’s not bright and strong like I’d expect lime to be. The rooibos is really strong, and while it’s still very creamy I just don’t get lime from this at all. I guess I just don’t “get” this tea.

Late ETA: I let this cool down completely and then drank it—there’s something that seems to be attempting to impersonate lime, but it’s way too sweet and has no bite. Hmm.

Preparation
5 min, 0 sec
VariaTEA

I steep it for 2 minutes. Perhaps that will help.

MissB

Yep, less steep time and a slightly lower temperature than boiling is also what makes this one shine for me.

bluebelle

Oops, forgot to say this one was a sipdown! Next time I get my hands on some I’ll definitely try that, thank you both.

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95

I really love this one. It’s nutty and roasty but there’s an underlying sweetness that mellows out the whole cup. I wanted to warm up after being outside (2*F air temperature) and this was the first thing I reached for. Something about the roastiness warms me right up. Mom also loves this one, so I may have to restock when it’s gone!

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Profile

Bio

Elizabeth, college student, anthropology major, bio and history minor. I love to travel and try new foods (and teas!). I also enjoy music, books, video games as often as I can get my hands on them.

I loved tea as a kid, didn’t drink it for about ten years, and then rediscovered it a couple of years ago. Tea sometimes helps me feel better when chronic illness is making things hard. It’s also fun to experiment with!

I’m still pretty new to the types and brands of tea out there, but I’m interested in trying some of everything. My favorites are earl greys, yunnans, medium-bodied oolongs, Japanese greens, fruit, vanilla, and floral flavors (especially jasmine and rose). My least favorites are teas that are overly smoked, bitter, or contain strong hibiscus or orange peel.

Location

Indiana, U.S.

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