6105 Tasting Notes
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 169)
J is for… Jardin de Yvoire!
This tea was pretty tasty! It was kind of like blackerry custard tart with jasmine, although the base tea wasn’t quite as good. But I did enjoy the blackberry/vanilla/jasmine combo, and appreciated that the jasmine wasn’t overwhelming.
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 168)
I is for… Iced Tea Blend!
Hopefully I’ll remember to cold-brew this next time, as it seems others have done successfully. Instead, I brewed hot and diluted with many ice cubes. The result is nicely refreshing from the spearmint, but the peach isn’t quite meshing for me, especially cold. However, warmed to room temp I feel like the two flavours integrate a bit better. Interestingly – I don’t really taste any lemon, or at least, not any up front. Maybe it’s blending in too well and I’m not paying enough attention? Not a favourite for me as I don’t love mint but it does seem like it would be very refreshing on a hot day!
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 167)
I is for… I Drink and I Know Things!
Whew, finally a day with fewer teas to choose from (so I’m mostly drinking resteeps today). This tea is more or less a medium-bodied chai with a licorice note from the anise. It’s mild and flavourful enough to drink without additions, which is nice, although I did intend to try it with some milk but forgot.
(DavidsTea 2022: 80)
H is for… Honey Drop!
Another epic oversteep but the tea hasn’t particularly suffered, since there’s no actual tea in it. However – really not a fan of this one. I’m iffy on the “honey” flavouring that many companies use, and paired here with stevia, it’s too cloying for me and I’d rather just have real honey. I should save this tea for my husband’s next cold; I feel like it would work well for him, and maybe require less actual honey than he usually puts in?
(52teas (Anne) 2022: 165)
H is for… Holiday Sangria!
Epically oversteeped this (and the other two I’ll write about shortly). Multitasking definitely isn’t usually successful nowadays. Anyhow, since this is a herbal/fruit blend, it didn’t really suffer too much. I had some last night and didn’t care for it, but the rest (this morning) is full-bodied (probably from the oversteep), smooth, and kind of a sophisticated orangey bubblegum flavour. Sophisticated because there are supporting flavours that I’m too tired to try and identify, but which temper the bubblegum flavour and add interest.
(52teas (Anne) 2022: already recorded)
H is for… Hot Buttered Banana Bread!
Already recorded this tea when I drank the 2021 advent reblend, but this note is for the 2015 reblend, and yes, this 6.5+ year old tea is my favourite of the day so far (probably will hold up – my last two are herbals and it’s unlikely to bump out this delicious tea). The banana is pretty light here now – almost imperceptible, really – but there’s a lovely nuttiness and buttery flavour that emerges mid sip through into the aftertaste. And, the black base is punchy but not quite astringent – you can taste the tannins but it’s not unpleasant. I’m really quite enjoying this mug.
I can’t really tell here that the nuttiness is walnut, so it is definitely different from the pecan in the latest blend, but both are good. I think the important factor is a nuttiness that is not, say, almond (that would ruin it for me).