6106 Tasting Notes
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 301)
Another new packet I got to open! I really liked this once upon a time; it’s definitely one of the better grapefruit teas I’ve had, and I like the base, but I’m pretty over grapefruit teas now. Strangely, as I’ve just started to eat (and enjoy!) actual grapefruits, mostly because they keep appearing in the discounted fruit boxes I keep purchasing. (Sidenote, I actually thought that you had to eat grapefruit segments without the membranes, by using a grapefruit knife, which is sooooo tedious, but turns out you can just eat it in wedges. Way less effort!)
I feel like this is one of the teas where Anne recommended a sprinkle of sugar. Maybe it makes the grapefruit a bit less… bitter? Maybe I’ll remember to try that one day.
(52teas (Anne) 2022: already recorded)
Delicious. Rich and just subtly flavoured. When I was sorting through all my teas to find those that had gone astray, I also nabbed a whole bunch that I want to drink again, so now my “drink soon” basket is stuffed, ahahaha.
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 300)
Strangely, my packet of this was unopened, so it’s possible I have never tried it before. Either that, or I tried it and enjoyed it enough to have finished off the first packet entirely!
This tea was much better than I’d expected. I’d steeled myself for a much more floral tea; it was actually more on the raspberry-fruity side, with a nice creaminess from the vanilla, and really quite pleasant. The rose was definitely more of an accompaniment, which suits my preferences much better.
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 299)
Another new package opened. Ginger on an oolong base, but the base isn’t as flavourful as I’d like.
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 298)
In the home stretch of sampling all my 52teas, and I’m at the point of getting to open some new packages of ones I’ve previously finished off! Including this delicious gem. This is pretty much just a vanilla earl grey, but it’s really smooth and light with maybe a hint of cakiness. Really good.
(DavidsTea 2022: already recorded)
2022 Sipdown 147/365!
Finished this off iced, and made sure not to leave the tea brewing too long. I believe I enjoyed it much more than I had the first time I tried it, although still not one I’d pick up again. I’m not sure why I previously suggested there was blackberry leaf… it doesn’t appear to be in this tea. In fact, I don’t think this tea was particularly sweet at all? Just nicely tart. Bumped rating from 64 to 73.
(DavidsTea 2022: 126)
2022 Sipdown 146/365!
Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge April 2022: “Health” tea
I understand this was intended to be a “detox” tea? I don’t know that aloe is used in many drinks, generally. I feel like it doesn’t have a great deal of flavour.
Brewed up the last of this into a large jug of iced tea. I recall not minding it, but it was kind of floral, and that bothered my husband. Wouldn’t refuse it if offered, but probably wouldn’t buy again except by accident (because it sounds appealing, haha).
(DavidsTea 2022: 125)
2022 Sipdown 145/365!
Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge July 2022: Tea from a Canadian company
Found these lovely little tea blooms that I believe were courtesy of VariaTEA some significant number of years ago. I think I have three flavours; somehow this ended up at the top of the pile. It’s a black tea bloom, which is different that most I’ve had.
Aroma was lightly strawberry, and flavour ended up being pretty true – a mild black tea with gentle candy strawberry. It’s fairly simple, but I did enjoy it. The bloom was also pretty, although I admit that I steep the blooms in an infuser, which kind of changes the experience, because they inevitably have little pieces that fall off and annoy me if they’re left in the cup. I do think that this might be an interesting one to have tried… grandpa-style? (Is that where you leave the leaves in the cup and just add water over time as you drink it?)
I would actually suggest a little bit of salt. (weird, I know, but salt will tame the bitterness a bit and enhance the sweetness. Just a pinch of salt – maybe even half a pinch.)