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766 Tasting Notes

China Keemun (No. 555) from TeaGschwendner
61

I had a bunch of this this, and just finished it. So it was was good. I don’t think I’ll replace it, but it’s as much because I prefer a good Assam to a Keemun, and as far as Keemun goes, I do like this one.

Assam Ananda Second Flush from TeaGschwendner
66

So I did eventually get some of this, and over time I found I liked it less than my initial rating of 80. It’s good, certainly, but compared to some of the other assams I’ve had lately, it’s more in your face and less nuanced. I’m going back with Tiger from Damn Fine Tea.

Vanilla & Cinnamon Black Tea from Trader Joe's
61

I got a box of this for Christmas, and have enjoyed having it for the past few weeks. I’ve mostly added sugar, and others have commented on how nice my office smells when I have a cup. It’s a typical black tea bag with some good spices!

White Monkey from Adagio Teas
72

I have to say, I like “monkey” teas, and it’s nice to have a green alternative. All out now… but enjoyed the last cup!

Coconut Pouchong from Golden Moon Tea
84

I finished this tea off yesterday. We’re going to be moving next month, so I’m trying to get through the teas that are nearly done anyway. I had forgotten what a good tea this is. I think of it as one that smells so good there is no way for the taste to even compete, and going into it that way it was a fine cup of team. I also used more leaves than normal, and steeped for less time. It was more flavorful without being overly so. Great final cup!

Double Knit Blend from Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

This is a good cup of tea!! I wish I were drinking it a few years back, when I really could tell a lot about teas just from sipping. It’s not clear to me all that’s blended in it, but it’s good!

There’s definitely a bit of assam. And I love that particular flavor. This cup stands up as a strong tea. I highly recommend it.

Green Tea Chocolate Mint from Argo Tea

I’m going to hold off on rating this for now. It seems a bit less flavorful than some teas, but it could be that I should just use more tea and less water. The green comes out as a bit of a grassy one, and the flavors are there more in scent than flavor.

Autumn Leaves from Argo Tea
45

I had a cup of this at an Argo in Chicago. However, I can’t find any record of it on their website! As best I can remember, it was an herbal cup with fruit pieces (apple, specifically, but I forget what else). It was less spicy than I had guessed, and I think more hibiscusy, but I’m having a hard time even recalling the cup since yesterday. I think it’s because it was such an herbal tea that I just put it in that category in my head and can’t recall specifics. So obviously: not a stand out tea.

Tea Sparkle from Argo Tea

I had this and it was really more like a soft drink. I had a black tea with peach flavor. This drink includes carbonated water, and I’m certain a fair amount of sweetener, so it was not quite what I am used to drinking. Still, a fun and refreshing drink—especially if a rare treat.

Tea Latte from Argo Tea
66

I had a pumpkin spice chai tea latte, and it was quite good! Not nearly as sweet as the Starbucks chai lattes. I got it with soy milk, but the barista pointed out it’s really good with almond milk—which at least that location had. So, if I find myself near an Argo again in the future, I’ll be giving that a go!

Blissful Blueberry from Talbott Teas
63

Final hotel tea. I liked it! I, for some reason, drink a lot of blueberry teas and this one held up as a decent cup. If I’m going to order blueberry tea, it’d probably be the bar harbor blend. But I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to pick this up if I saw it somewhere.

Chocolate Strawberry Temptation from Talbott Teas
66

Another hotel tea, but perhaps my favorite. The strawberry is more pronounced than any other strawberry flavored tea I’ve had. It doesn’t seem artificial either. The tea (for me, at least) had just a hint of chocolate, which is a balance that seemed to be pretty good. With a bit of sugar, this is really a nice cuppa.

Green Tea Heaven from Talbott Teas
60

I am at a hotel for a conference, and Talbott Teas are what they have at the breaks. I’ve tried three of them, all flavored (they don’t seem to have non-flavored here). This one, in bag form, seems to be called “Green Tea Indulgence” but matches this description exactly. It’s fruit flavored, you can see the fruit pieces in the bag, and it’s good. It’s more flavored than green, but not a bad cup if that’s what you’re expecting.

Chestnut from Adagio Teas

I like this one, but in the same family as hazelnut. It’s a good flavored black tea.

Passionfruit from Adagio Teas

I don’t know that I really noticed passionfruit, so much as fruit flavoring, but it’s a good tea.

Green Pekoe from Adagio Teas
Blueberry from Adagio Teas
62

Another good sample from Adagio that I somehow went through without noting once. It’s a solid black blueberry tea. I think if I were seeking out a tea in that category, I’d aim for the Bar Harbor version, but that’s only because I have strong memories associated with that particular tea.

Caramel from Adagio Teas
61

I had a sample of this and somehow ran through it without ever making a tasting note.

It’s a good, solid caramel. Sweet smelling, tastes good, and blends nicely with others like hazelnut.

Cranberry from Adagio Teas
67

A final note on this tea. (I still have some tea bags of it, though, so I might come back to it.) In the loose form, apparently the raspberry leaves settled or something, because the second to last cup of this tasted a bit sage-ish to me and wasn’t as good as I had come to expect. In fact, I threw out the last cup’s worth of leaves because I couldn’t bear to think about drinking it. Note to self: if I get this in loose form in the future, make sure the leaves don’t settle!

Almondine from Urbàna Teas & Tonics
90

A friend gave me a cup of this and, oh my, it smells amazing! This is one of the most aromatic teas I’ve had. That alone would make it a good cup, but it also tasted great. You’d have to like almond, but if you do (and if you like almond cookies) you’ll love this cup!

Darjeeling #22 from Adagio Teas
61

And after about 9 cups in the past two days, I’ve finished off this sample too. I forgot that I like Darjeeling as well as Assam, just when I’m in a different mood. Will this hold true for Ceylon… stay tuned! ;)

Was surprised that the leaves were smaller than I remembered them being, but otherwise, what I expect.

Assam Melody from Adagio Teas
72

And with two cups of this early this morning, I’ve finished off this sample! I really do love assams. They’re what I look for when I’m drinking black tea. That being said, I’ve have a lot of very good assams (since I’m always on the lookout), so I’d say this is solid, but there are better ones out there if you’re looking for something outstanding. If you’re just looking for a good assam to get you through the day, give this one a go.

Cranberry from Adagio Teas
67

I gave a friend some of this the other day and they compared it to Captain Crunch. I’ve just made a cup, and I can’t shake that impression. It is almost exactly like it! I think if I added milk and sugar, it’d be exactly the same!

Blueberry Bliss from Bar Harbor Tea Company
75

Trying to finish off this tin… and it’s a great time of year to do it… very seasonably appropriate cuppa!

Profile

Bio

a tea drinking geek librarian

I’ve been into tea, at some level, since college with a first tin of loose tea brought back by my parents from Oxford. My love of tea increased with a visit to Boston and a chance cup at Tealuxe. Since then I’ve only gotten more interested in tea and have developed more of an appreciation for it.

I went on a (near) tea fast in 2009 when I was pregnant, and am only now really reintroducing tea at the levels I was drinking it before. I’ve lost some of my tasting edge, but that just gives me an excuse to drink even more. :)

tea rating guide
(updated 12/2010)

100: a perfect cuppa. these are the teas I’ll keep in my cupboard and tend to be one per type of tea.

90-99: will definitely get more of this tea

80-89: likely to get more and perhaps it will become a favorite with time

70-79: very good, depending on my mood or the season

60-69: wouldn’t actively try to get this tea, but also wouldn’t avoid it in a tea shop or restaurant

50-59: run-of-the-mill tea for me

40-49: decent, would hit the spot in some moods, but probably wouldn’t purchase it for my cupboard

30-39: okay, will try again, maybe

20-29: meh. I’d try this tea again if no other were available

10-19: drinkable, but a forced cup

0-9: didn’t even finish the cup

Location

Winston-Salem, NC

Website

http://laurenpressley.com

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