987 Tasting Notes
Backlog from yesterday:
Maybe I was really spoiled from last week’s sample of Premium Taiwanese Assam from the GCTTB3, but I didn’t enjoy this tea as much as I had the first time around. I think I messed up the steeping parameters on this one, as the flavour wasn’t as deep or fruity as hoped it would be. It was a bit more leathery this time.
More backlog!
I bought a 100g pack of this and am brewing it repeatedly in batches. My husband really likes this flavour. I do to, but it really does benefit from some sweetening to pump the melon flavour. A nice drink for the summer (though this summer has been surprisingly not humid).
Backlog from a few days ago:
This was one of the teas that I kept from the GCTTB3 in my quest to find the perfect strawberry green tea. I think I botched my initial brew of this, though, as there was a weird metallic tang to the tea. Perhaps it was because the huge chunks of strawberry. Not sure. I should try tasting this with some sweetener added.
Backlog from a few days ago:
My sister-in-law and her husband went to Britain about a month ago, and brought back some Whittards of Chelsea tea for me upon my request. So yay!
I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of Earl Grey, but that’s because I don’t often drink it, and probably haven’t developed a palate for it. I will say, though, that this one is very strong. I used only 1 bag in a 12-oz mug for 3 minutes, and the resulting liquor was so strong and black that I had trouble finishing the entire cup. I even added some milk to tone it down, which is something I almost never do.
One thing I noticed about this variety is that the dry teabags have a sort of scent to them that reminds me somewhat of jujube candies. Just that sort of jelly-like undertone to it. Not sure how to describe it.
GCTTB3
This was the last tea I tried before I left the house to visit my inlaws this weekend. It shall be a sore and trying time, for lo, they drinketh not the tea, nor even grace their kitchen with a kettle.
I brewed this up strong and used a few spoonfuls of leaf, then added ice. People were right about this being very hibiscus-y! And I agree that it’s unusual to see it mixed in with a black tea at all. I’m learning more and more that David’s is a big offender for mucking up their tea with hibiscus, but ah well.
This did turn out pretty nice with the ice and a bit of agave nectar added, but I didn’t get a lot of the secondary fruity flavours, like the mango, that are included on the ingredients list.
Happy weekend, everyone! May you all enjoy the World Cup final and avoid the path of any errant soccer hooligans.
Backlog from this morning.
Another sample from the GCTTB3
I tried the Panda Pearls from Metropolitan Tea Company, but I don’t feel like adding yet another tea to the database, especially since I’m writing from a moving train.
When will I learn when it comes to white teas? They’re just not my bag, and the unflavoured ones in particular just don’t do it for me. This was pretty much more of the same. I tried doing some steeps in a gaiwan this morning, but the liquor was so pale and light-tasting that I didn’t get much out of it beyond a vaguely musty, citrusy flavour. It smelled nice, at least…
GCTTB3
As soon as I smelled this tea, I knew I was going to set it aside in my “to sample” pile. I normally don’t eat carrot cake, but the cinnamony, nutmeggy, cream-cheesy goodness of this was almost impossible to ignore. And since I’m still working on projects in the basement, this seemed like the perfect dessert pick-me-up.
The flavours are not as strong in the cup as I expected, but I have to admit I’m not sure how I would have felt about a big ol’ mug of cream cheese frosting. This smells sooo good though, and I added some agave nectar to amp up the sweetness, which I think was a good call. Unfortunately, it appears that Della Terra no longer offers this blend, so I’m glad I got a chance to try it before it disappeared!
