New Tasting Notes

I had this one last night before bed, and adding milk took it to the next level of creamy deliciousness. It was like an egg-less nog, without that heaviness that comes from the eggs and cream.

(Side note: “nog” is such a fun word! Maybe that was part of the appeal.)

I definitely prefer this to actual eggnog (cause I’d rather eat my empty calories than drink them!) It’s very soothing with a mellow spice level, and the rooibos taste is barely present. I think this would also make a great base for a hot toddy with a dash of rum.

This is one of those flavored teas where I can actually taste the tea base in addition to the flavorings. (Like most teas, I drink it black/no sugar)

I can’t describe exactly what this one tastes like (coconut, something sweet & tropical, and almost butterscotch-like?), and not having had buttered rum in many years I cannot attest to the similarities… but wow, is it amazing. So very, very good.

thanks again, Starfevre for the trade! Another Ovation tea I get to try. What I love with this one is that the steep color is actually caramel colored! After a four minute steep, I don’t find much caramel flavor, though I did see three caramel pieces in the infuser. There is a lot of caramel pieces, at least in the amount of tea in the bag I have. Maybe I should have added sugar for more of a caramel flavor? The black tea itself has a very deep and unique flavor, that I haven’t tasted before. I like it!

This is my current favorite tea-with-milk staple. It’s bright and robust with no bitterness. We bought a decorative tin of it with the Jubliee Tea decorative tin online from F&M and I’m re-ordering this one in bulk and trying some of their other teas.

I require some green tea – and this hits the spot! I love this one iced or hot. Double delish!

Please see previous notes; this is a fave.

I like this steeped strong and hot, then mixed 1/3 with 2/3 black tea and an ounce of half-and-half when I’m craving a sweet drink. I like it both hot and chilled. It’s sweet with no added sweetener.

A pretty basic green tea. Nothing spectacular. Grassy with a hint of a roasted flavor underneath. It can be re-steeped several times, which is nice (especially for a green tea). I don’t have a thermometer so I approximated the water temperature – it’s better to err on the cooler side. If the water is too hot the flavor of the tea is nonexistant. Oversteeping will yield bitterness, stay in the 2-3 minute range.

Delicate black tea with citrus and spices. There was a white flower petal, a whole clove, a largish piece of what looks to be orange (it had a thick rind) and a hard, not flakey piece of what tastes like cinnamon. I steeped the tea loose in the pot for 3 minutes with water just off boiling for the first pot, 5 minutes for second brewing. The spices were more pronounced in taste and aroma in the second steep.

Having this tea right now and all I can think is…. wow, love the color. The brewed liquid is awesome, gorgeous cherry red color. The leaves are very pretty too, I see big chunks of dried fruit, cherries and pineapples. Stepped it for about 4 minutes instead of the recommended 2. I tend to forget that I am making tea and always forget to set the timer.

Okay so taste…… its interesting, it tastes just like cherry cough drops. hmm, not sure I can get past that thought. It tastes like someone melted a Cherry Halls into my cup. Not my favorite, and not something I will buy again, but I am sure I will finish what is in my stash.

The aroma is kinda floral, and very orangey.

I used to really like this tea. It still has an orange flavour that I like, but I have other orange teas I prefer now.

At first sip maybe a little too strong, I will have to decrease the steep time next time, and maybe have the water be below boiling.

It’s a pretty powerful Earl Grey, it reminds me of Russian Earl Grey, only more floral. Very citrus, I can still taste the bergamot but I can also taste lemon and I think orange rind. It is a good blend.

This tea smells more interesting then it tastes. I never have had a Mojito, so could not tell you if the tea tastes like one. There are subtle hints of lime and mint, (Though the mint impression might be due to my last cup from last night, I may not of washed out the cup and strainer as well as I should of.)
So, I might be inclined to get this one again…we’ll see. (LOL. Got this from my favorite tea store, which while it is a ways from my house, it’s practically down the street from where I am staying this week. I find it amusing that if this tea were from DT, or another tea store that I couldn’t get to without alot of hassle, the lack of interest in it so far would of provoke an automatic ‘no’ in whether or not I would get it again.)

I got this in a coffee and tea exchange, along with wonderberry truffle and superfruit unity.

When I opened the bag, it smelled extremely cinnamony and spicey. Not really what I expected from the name. There were big, delicious looking pieces of nuts in there. After steeping,it smelt very toasty and nutty and more of what I was expecting. I think I didn’t use enough, because it was a bit weak, but the flavors I was getting were lots of cinnamon and a definite toasty, nutty flavor.

Full Review on March 11th on http://sororiteasisters.com/

Here are snippits:

I have a handful of favorite strawberry teas and I have to say this one rivals them all. Considering the cost point of just a tad over 2.00 USD per ounce, this one may be the best so far. Not that I mind paying more for a better tea, but this is right at the level of my favorite strawberry teas that are more expensive.

This is a stash keeper in my book. Fresh juicy strawberry flavor with a creamy dessert finish.

I am a big fan of mate and honey (and honeydew is one of my favourite fruits!) so I was extremely looking forward to tasting this tea. I am happy to say it did not disappoint me at all :)

The tea tastes like it smells, the honeydew flavour is the main star but that means I can’t really taste anything else. I also like that there is rooibos in this tea to kind of round out the mate. This tea is definitely stimulating but gently shakes you awake with every smooth sip~ Overall, I absolutely love this tea!

Sooo this is on tap at Whole Foods now, AND WF made the pricing make sense finally. $3 for 16 oz, $4.50 for 24 oz, $11 for a 64 oz growler fill. I wonder if I can take in one of my beer specific growlers for that…I have like 3 or 4 I’ve accumulated for free.

This one is just the best. I could drink it forever. I just love how sweet and slightly herby it is. And now that The price makes far more sense I am probably going to get a cup every time I come in here.

At first I was very much underwhelmed by this one. But the more I drank it, the more I liked it. The finish I found to be too tannic and bitter. I do think I may have over-leafed this one, and that may be the reason for the harsh aftertaste. I’m giving this a hopeful rating, but I will knock it down if using less leaf doesn’t improve the finish.

It’s cold and dreary here today so this warmly spiced tea sounds perfect. I’m making a big to-go mug of it to take with me shopping this afternoon since I’m off work! Yum! Warm and comforting :)

Got this in a trade from Tea Sipper and I thought I might try something I’m likely to really like after my wonderful tea experience this morning with 52teas.

From the other tasting notes on this tea, which I really should have read before I brewed it, I could have avoided the bitterness I’m tasting if I had brewed it for less time. The liquid was awfully dark after 3 minutes. 2 minutes would have been better. I have some more to experiment with though.

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a fig in my life so I’m not sure how to pin down a ‘fig’ flavour. There is a sweetness in this tea, beyond the sweetener I added, that I assume is the brown sugar, but it might be partly the fig too. It definitely doesn’t taste like plain black tea though. Although the black base is really strong and that comes through clearly, must be the assam, that always seems like such a BOLD tea whenever I drink it. I’m not sure I like it as a base for flavoured teas.

Overall I do like this tea, just am somewhat confused by it.

Sample package label:
“Our blend of hand picked organic black teas from only choice gardens in Sri Lanka. Precious oil of bergamot is then blended with full-bodied leaves to create an excellent citrus bouquet with a great finish. Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, organic oil of Bergamot. USDA Organic – Caffeine: Medium Steep 3 – 5 minutes – Fair Trade certified”

6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 24 ppm, boiled, left to stand so only steaming hot

1 heaping Tevanna teaspoon:

This tea has that classic Earl Grey fragrance.

Reddish hue

First 5-min Infusion:
Lemon aroma followed by a smooth, medium-bodied taste. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency. The taste of lemon lingers on the tongue.

2nd 5-min Infusion:
I was surprised that a mild lemon flavoring was still present – quite enjoyable.

Impression: An excellent example of classic Earl Grey tea.

Thanks to The Tea Merchant for providing this generous size free sample.

Sample package label:
“Organic high grown estate black tea hand blended with fragrant oil of bergamot and a hint of French Vanilla. Fresh citrus notes followed by a rich and robust finish complete this remarkable blend. Ingredients: Organic and Biodynamic Black Tea, organic cornflowers, organic oil of Bergamot, natural flavors. USDA Organic – Caffeine: Medium Steep 3 – 5 minutes – Fair Trade certified”

6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 24 ppm, boiled, left to stand so only steaming hot

1 heaping Tevanna teaspoon: (After yesterday’s tasting of The Tea Merchant’s English Breakfast.)

This tea has a fragrance that’s different than classic Earl Grey.

Somewhat darker reddish hue than yesterday’s English Breakfast

First 5-min Infusion:
Stronger vanilla + citrus aroma followed by a smooth, rich & full- bodied taste. There’s also a note of cinnamon. There was zero hint of bitterness. There is almost no astringency, as compared to our current Earl Grey Cream from Whistling Kettle. Initially, I did not notice any. As the cup began to cool, there was a mild sense of it. The taste of lemon lingers long on the tongue.

2nd 5-min Infusion:
I was surprised that the French flavoring was still present.

Impression: “It’s complicated.” The unspecified additional natural ingredients that give this Earl Grey its rich full-bodied taste are stronger than the classic Oil of Bergamot EG flavor. Achieving just the right balance must be quite a challenge as the number of ingredients increases. For those who prefer a classic Bergamot flavor, try The Tea Merchant’s organic Earl Grey. (See my next review.)

Thanks to The Tea Merchant for providing this generous size free sample. It’s a good thing that Joey Landford provided enough tea for more than one cup! My wife loves EG and could not wait for me to return home to try all his EG teas herself.

Sipdown, 228. This is one that I have for some reason have had for a while but never got around to sipping down.

Oof, first sip was a little too hot… usually I am not so impatient but I wanted something to drink right away. I feel like there is something stuck in my esophagus low down and it won’t go away, but clearly there is not.

I enjoy this tea, even it if is on the roasty-toastier side of things. I don’t know why I am not a big fan of toastiness in tea, but it seems to be generally the case. Still, this one is toasty in such a way that it works for me, accompanied by a light sweetness. A pleasant afternoon tea.