333 Tasting Notes
I’m finishing off this sample now, and, despite having paid no attention to timing or leaf/water ratio, I’m enjoying it quite a bit more than I did yesterday. I’m definitely using less leaf and more water this team, and I let the tea steep for much longer (like over ten minutes…). Also, cooler water. It’s still extremely astringent – more so, actually – but that strange herbal aftertaste is almost gone and I’m getting more of what I consider a standard Darjeeling profile. Still not my favorite, but much more enjoyable.
This is the last (to be reviewed) tea from my Happy Bag from January. Dry, it smells exactly like peach gummies (and looks gorgeous!). Steeped, the vanilla is stronger than the peach – although the peach is quite present too. The overall effect is very floral – perfume-y, even. I’m usually all for the strong florals, but even I’m finding this a bit much. The mouthfeel is quite creamy, probably due to the vanilla. I’m also getting honey, although I’m pretty sure there’s no honey or honey flavoring.
The base – or what I can taste of it underneath the quite strong flavoring – is fine, if unremarkable. When very hot it’s slightly vegetal, which isn’t a quality I enjoy alongside fruit flavoring, but as the tea cools the base recedes into the background. I’ve tried this hot and iced (brewed hot, then chilled); it’s pleasant both ways but I tend to prefer most flavoured greens iced, so that’s how I’ll be finishing off my bag.
The apricot flavor comes through nicely. The green base is light and delicate. This is my first time trying a tea with hops, and I’m not entirely sure what they’re supposed to taste like. I’m not getting anything malty or beer-like, but there is a vaguely herbal flavor – maybe that’s it? I can’t say it especially appeals to me, but it is something different. Thanks for this sample, Nicole Martin!
This is very dry and grassy, even by Darjeeling standards. It’s quite astringent as well. There’s an unexpected (to me, anyway) herbal aroma I’m not liking very much. I’m glad to have had the chance to try this and will certainly be finishing my cup, but it’s definitely not my favorite Darjeeling. This is another sample from Nicole Martin – or at least I think this is what it was!
This is very pleasant – roasty, earthy, and woodsy. It’s not at all vegetal or seaweedy, and in general I’d say the flavor profile is fairly subdued – it’s like a less exuberant genmaicha. I was looking for something straightforward and soothing this morning, and this tea fit the bill. I can see it being pleasant iced as well. In the interest of full disclosure, I did brew this western-style (3-minute steep) – I find it results in a more relaxing and enjoyable tea-drinking experience for me.
This is very different from other Russian Caravans I’ve had, and from what I’d expected – I bought this in the shop, and the bins at Porto Rico are just labelled with names, not descriptions. It’s mostly oolong (something on the greener side; I’m not equipped to say anything more than that) with a bit of green (something Chinese, I’d imagine, and not particularly vegetal). It’s not at all smoky, and I don’t think there’s any black tea in the mix. It’s a perfectly drinkable blend, but nothing really special.
This is another sample courtesy of Nicole_Martin. The base strikes me as very smoky; I’d thought it might even involve some Lapsang Souchong but evidently not. The tea is quite savory, and quite lemony – I’m reminded of lemon-pepper seasoning (in a good way, promise!). The lemon adds a pleasant tartness to the mix. I couldn’t taste the blueberry at all, although the whole dried berries certainly added some visual interest to the blend.
Preparation
The blueberries in this blend were super yummy all on their own. It made me want to buy a food dehydrator and make some of my own :)
That did not occur to me until I read the review on your blog afterward (at which point I’d already dumped the leaves)… but I’ll definitely be pulling the blueberries when I finish this sample up.
Today I’ve been working my way through some as-yet-untasted teas from my last Butiki order. I started off with Irish Breakfast and moved onto this tea. It’s malty, but not wildly so. There’s some honey – fortunately for me, it’s not too strong. I’m also getting some fruitiness – maybe stone fruit? When I took my first sip of this I noticed some apricot, but it’s subsided to the point where I’m not sure if I might have just imagined it. Reading other reviews, I see lots of mentions of chocolate or cocoa notes. I don’t think I would’ve picked these out on my own – the cocoa’s nothing like as strong as it is in, say, Laoshan Black – but they’re definitely present.
This strikes me as not entirely unlike Butiki’s Irish Breakfast (although that’s not pure Assam). The PTA is more refined and complex, but I think I like both about equally. Irish Breakfast’s bolder and maltier and – unsurprisingly – strikes me as a good wake-up choice, while this one’s more delicate (by Assam standards, anyway) and seems suited to a leisurely afternoon.
Greenteafairy-Not sure if you used our directions or not but we have since come to find that 4 minutes produces a better brew than the 3 minutes listed on our package and the chocolate notes are more apparent. :)
I did follow the directions, and I’ll definitely try the longer steep time for my next cup! I kind of liked the mildness of the chocolate, to be honest, but I’m curious to see how the stronger chocolate works here.
Greenteafairy-It has a little more chocolate and is a little maltier. I prefer 4 minutes and sometimes 5 minutes if I want it really strong. It’s still mild enough though.
Greenteafairy-It has a little more chocolate and is a little maltier. I prefer 4 minutes and sometimes 5 minutes if I want it really strong. It’s still mild enough though.
This is a nice basic breakfast blend. It’s malty and smooth, and reasonably strong – my cup isn’t packing quite as much of a punch as I’d expected, but I imagine I can get that extra boldness by using more leaf. There’s a tiny bit of astringency, which I actually enjoy. I mostly bought this to drink at work on mornings when I’m having an (especially) hard time getting going, and I think it’ll serve nicely in that role.
