20 Tasting Notes
Testing this out as a late night alternative to tea. Like other reviewers, I was prepared not to like it, but surprisingly actually quite good. The description of caramel and rum lives up to its name, but not in a bad way. I was worried that it would be sickeningly sweet, especially from the smell of the tea bag. It leads with slightly sweet caramel and rum, and the rooibos makes a surprisingly mild and toasted base that isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. I had it plain, and then added milk and sugar to try it as well. Yum! While I’m not in LOVE with it, it’s pretty good.
This tea is pretty AH-mazing. I wasn’t feeling it as much before when I was just drinking it straight- the flavors are intense, fruity, and almost a bit too floral for my taste as a brewed oolong tea. It was not bitter at all. It had promise, but wasn’t quite right. Until today it struck me — iced tea!
What a great way to ring in the first day of July. I brewed it strong and iced it, and it is delicious. I’d highly recommend it. The peach flavors are intense and lend a natural sweetness to the tea without needing extra sugar. The base of vegetal and smooth green oolong balances out the tea. It’s a light and refreshing way to enjoy your summer.
Preparation
This came as part of the Lupicia newsletter in tea bag form, and I finally took it out for a taste.
This is a nice, well-balanced jasmine tea. Some great floral notes and aroma from the jasmine without being overpowering. The green tea base is smooth and provides a great base to the tea.
Also, I’d say that I’ve the pyramid teabags Lupicia provides are sooo convenient for the office. I’ve found that this type of tea tends to be very forgiving of water temperature to consistently create a nice cup of tea. I’d definitely recommend having this type of tea in the office especially if you have a hot water heater that doesn’t deliver the hottest water.
A very fruity and light tea that would be delightful on a hot, sunny day! The berry flavors come out strong and are good if you enjoy the berry taste. The underlying base of green tea is very subtle but rounds out the overall flavor.
As the tea cools, it tasted sweeter to me. I’d definitely echo the recommendations of trying this tea iced.
Preparation
This tea is so aptly named — it smells exactly like how it’s described. The initial scent is rich chocolate overlaid with the bright, luscious sweetness of strawberry. It is sweet and evocative of summer. The puer taste comes out in the steeped tea as an earthy, rich undertone that complements the strawberry and chocolate perfectly.
This tea is really delicious! Thanks Lupicia for the free sample!
Preparation
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Chi of Tea’s Artisan Heart Shaped Mini Pu-Erh’s are super adorable and cute. The miniature hearts are approximately the diameter of a US quarter, and composed of dry tea leaves tightly compressed into heart shapes. Overall the taste is strong and earthy, a bit like a brisk black tea plus a little sweetness and a distinct smoke and camphor aroma which lends it an appealing character. If you enjoy strong black teas, this would be a great introductory pu-erh tea to try. For pics and full review: http://www.leafjoy.com/2011/02/review-artisan-heart-shaped-mini-pu-erh-chi-of-tea/
Preparation
Joy’s Teaspoon Sun Kissed Jasmine blend is a little bit like drinking liquid sunshine! The tea is complex combination of green teas (China sencha, Lung Ching, green Yunnan), white teas (Pai Mu Tan), and flavorings (rose buds, rose petals, mallow blossoms) that all together create a blend that packs an explosively floral and tropical punch. I’m usually not a fan of fruity scented teas, but once steeped I found this particular blend to be a smooth and well-balanced. The mild, sweet flavor of the white and green tea provides a great foil to show off the depth in the sweet tropical fruit combination, evocative of sun-drenched pineapple and juicy papaya. Full review + pics: http://www.leafjoy.com/2011/02/review-sun-kissed-jasmine-joys-teaspoon/
Preparation
Drank this as a post-lunch pick me up today. It’s a mellow tea with lots of complexity to its fragrant, floral and roasted nuts taste. Even though it’s advertised as the “greener” style, it’s imho on the more oxidized side. It has a great lingering and sweet finish to it.