60 Tasting Notes

49
drank Summer Lemonade by Teavana
60 tasting notes

Well, I suppose no tea is actually going to taste like lemonade, especially since I tend to not use any sweeteners. Lemonade is the most prominent taste in this tea whether it is cold brewed iced tea or served hot, but there is an “artificial” taste to the lemonade. The pineapple is very present, making me think more of a “tropical” lemonade – the kind of drink I would have had when I was in the Caribbean after a day of snorkeling.

I am sure there are people that are going to enjoy this tea very much. That’s just not me.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

77
drank Pink Flamingo by DAVIDsTEA
60 tasting notes

Even though there is no grapefruit in the tea according the the ingredients list, this is the most grapefruit tasting tea I think I’ve ever had. Grapefruit is the main flavor, with what I think is a eucalyptus bite in the aftertaste. It is pleasantly bitter both hot and cold and I enjoy it both ways.

I expect this to be a very enjoyable summer iced tea. It makes me want to ride my bike. The bitter and sweet contrast of this tea will make it the perfect wake-me-up sort of drink after 30 or 35 miles of a 60 mile ride.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 7 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

68

The tea is pretty to look at, to be sure. There are good sized pieces of blood oranges. Smells good too.

I tried this tea both hot and iced, and noticed that the flavor profiles were very similar. The tartness, as well as the flavors, from the blood orange and the cherries were very noticeable at the beginning of each sip. It concluded with a very strong creamy vanilla aftertaste. The oolong base is somewhat present, but doesn’t add or take away much from the experience of this tea.

When I hear the word sorbet, I tend to think of an icy cold treat. With the creamy aftertaste, this tea reminds me much more of a cross between an orange sherbet and a creamsicle. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, but not what I was hoping for.

There is nothing wrong with this tea. I did find it enjoyable. However, if you are looking for either a blood orange or a creamsicle tea, I think there are better options available, but I wouldn’t stop you from trying this if you wanted to.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

80

The scent and flavor of grapefruit dominates this tea in a good way. The hibiscus is certainly present and somewhat masks the flavor of the other ingredients. It is devilish tart and delicious. It reminds me of days spent surfing in warm water near citrus groves in far away places like Florida and Japan.

If you’re looking for sweet, this is not the tea to reach for. Grapefruit fun? Yes, that’s what you’ll find here.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML
Fjellrev

Nice, if I ever order from them, I’ll be sure to pick this up since the grapefruit sounds awesome.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

72

A nice bright and refreshing fruit tea that works well hot or iced. The hibiscus is front and present which makes it taste like a Celestial Seasonings Tea on steroids, but it doesn’t distract as much from the fruit flavors as it might. Berries and apples dominate the flavor at the start of the sip with pineapple and a slight citrus twang at the end.

It’s a great tea for a warm summer morning, a nice little treat on the way to work to get you back into the week after a long summer weekend.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with this tea, I prefer a little more citrus in my herbal teas. Your mileage, as always, may vary.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 7 min, 45 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

74
drank Tippy Yunnan by Harney & Sons
60 tasting notes

I found this tea to be malty and slightly sweet, with an almost caramel sort of flavor. It’s bold, but not bitter or overpowering. I did not detect any smoky flavors like many other reviewers seemed to.

I used this tea to cold steep some iced tea and I was quite pleased with the results. The boldness is still there but the sweetness increases. A honey flavor develops after cold steeping overnight. It’s quite pleasant.

Usually when reviewing Harney & Sons teas I add the qualifier like “it’s good for the price,” or “it’s a nice value,” but I don’t need to do that here. I think it stands on its own just fine.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

83

The rooibos and the pumpkin spices complement each other very well. The creamy taste of the vanilla balances the spice of the rooibos and the spices. There is a subtle sweetness buried in the delicate flavors of this tea. It is warm and comforting and perfect for a chilly fall morning after a pre-dawn bike ride. (Gotta fit the exercise in somewhere.)

Just for fun, I cold brewed some iced tea and it was actually good. Interesting, but enjoyable enough that I did it more than once. The cream flavor and the natural sweetness of the tea are more pronounced.

I will probably buy this tea again next fall and I would certainly recommend it to someone who was looking for a pumpkin tea that had more balance than the normally heavy handed pumpkin spice sort of brews.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

55

Like everything else I get from Pleasures Of Tea, this seems to be a high quality product. While I’m sure there are people that will love this tea, it’s not quite for me. The rooibos and the cinnamon combine to be very spicy. While the apple is certainly present, there is just too much cinnamon for my taste, but if spicy cinnamon apple tea is your thing, I’d bet you’d be happy drinking this offering.

And fair warning – a little goes a long way. I use probably about half as much of this tea as I would a normal rooibos, so maybe you can pump up the score a few points for value.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

80
drank Earl Grey Black by Teavana
60 tasting notes

Like many of us on this site I am sure, I love Earl Grey teas. I must admit I was surprised by how good this one is. There is quite a bit of bergamot flavor, which is my favorite part of any Earl Grey. The base tea is smooth, mild and generally unnoticeable. It neither adds anything or takes anything away from the tea.

You can certainly find better Earl Grey teas, but I’m not sure you can at this price. It must be the cheapest tea at Teavana.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

57

As I do with almost every tea I get, I tried this tea both hot and cold steeped as iced tea. It’s good, but not great either way.

When enjoyed hot, the malty sweetness of the Assam shines through even as the brightness of the Ceylon is ever present. When iced, the sweetness is mostly gone. A little of the malty flavor is present “towards the back.”

It kind of reminds me of Lipton tea for grownups.

It’s like a lot of other Harney and Sons teas. There’s nothing really wrong with it, it just doesn’t pop.

I still a good cup of tea.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 15 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer