New Tasting Notes

When my husband brought this home for me a few months ago, I was completely skeptical. Sometimes I wonder if he’ll ever understand that I like tea, but not every bagged tea is worth bringing home. Luckily, he did a pretty good job getting this one. It is surprisingly light, not bitter, and tasty. The addition of stevia, which I’m usually not a fan of, really helps this tea to be just right without anything else. I didn’t think I would drink it often, but I realized tonight that I’m down to only one more bag. I may just have to restock this – I love easy options after a long day dealing with 6 year-olds.

I typically steep oolong tea at a maximum of three minutes, but this one called for four. The reason I opted to steep longer is because once the tea is open, it gives a very strong citrus scent. This is because it appears to be composed mainly of everything else, and there is very little oolong tea.

Steeping gives off a darker lemony scent, the darker parts could be due to the jasmine flowers, as most flowers tend to make a tea darker.

The taste reflects what the blend is mainly composed of, having a very overpowering yet fresh lemon/citrus flavor with a tinge of jasmine. There is a grounding flavor of flowery oolong beneath everything else, which is a welcoming surprise.

I do wish the oolong tea would surprise me more, as this nothing more than a typical dark lemon/citrus tea. It is not bad, but does not leave much to the imagination. And if the name says oolong, then there should be more oolong.

This tea looks amazing, and tastes even better than it smells if a bit of honey is added. Lovely.

Exactly what it says on the box – chamomile and lavender flowers, no fancy business. The lavender really brings out the delicate aroma of the chamomile, making it smell and taste soothing and delicious. I created a herbal blend using this tea and Just Rose (also from T2) which is the perfect before bed tea – relaxing, pleasantly fragrant and soothing. Quite nice with a hint of honey (lavender honey is best).

I just read through the tasting notes and it’s very interesting to see the variety of responses to this one…

I got my Den’s Tea sampler in the mail today and was very excited, wow, that was fast but they are in Southern California. I was impressed by the literature they sent and all of the different brewing guides/instructions.

So it’s been ages since I’ve had a Houjicha really. I chose this because I wasn’t ready to go to sleep quite yet and thought I might try something with light caffeine. Steeped for about 90 seconds in an infuser mug, one rounded teaspoon to about 6 oz of water, 205 F.

Ah yum! I thought this was delicious. I love the roasted smell and the flavor is also woody, earthy, roasted, nutty and a bit sweet like molasses or honey. It doesn’t really taste like a green tea, it’s very meeeelllllllooowww, DUDE. :) This would be a nice one to have around for afternoon and evening and the price is sure right.

I thought this was excellent and I would definitely purchase it again. I’m looking forward to trying all the other teas in my sampler now. :)

Love this one. I’ve just spent all day drinking a huge, huge pot of this tea. Both hot and cold, this tea is phenomenal. I love the light, palate cleansing orange and the lingering bergamot. I don’t crave this tea often, but when I do, the craving stays until I finally get it! For people who have previously had this tea and did not like it: It’s VERY particular in steep time and temp, so be careful and don’t blame the tea when it tastes bitter!

Backlogging.

I drink this tea more often than I record it. This is a sturdy, dependable black tea. It isn’t bitter or astringent. I like to add this to my own homemade chai.

An absolutely incredible tea. It smells and tastes like woodsmoke and forests, but unlike some smoky teas it isn’t at all bitter. Opening the tin is quite literally like walking towards a bonfire. Delicious on cold mornings – it really warms you up! Steep for just over 3 minutes with just-boiled water.

When you open the bag the scent of bananas instantly wafts up and smells absolutely lovely. Being that it’s an Oolong tea it brews nice and light. The banana adds just enough sweetness to cancel out any need for honey or sugar and isn’t at all overpowering. This tea is perfect for after a meal or to accompany a light afternoon snack.

A beautiful, medium/light fruity Earl Grey with hints of peach and citrus. The sunflower blossoms and rose petals complement the mallow flowers perfectly, producing an incredibly delicate and delicious tea. It’s my current favourite.

Lemon and ginger, what is there not to love here. When this came out last year I gave it the nickname Lemon Halls. Been fighting off a cold and the other go to teas were not helping. Tried it today and it worked wonders. Hopefully it will come back at some point…

I was starting to regret buying a whole 100g of this online. I only bought that much as I was worried it would be discontinued… I do like it, but since I haven’t had it in a few weeks, I was doubting whether I really liked it enough to have spent that much.

Luckily, it’s still good. I think Jessie’s Tea (which is mediocre for me) had replaced it in my head. This one has almondy and other intricate flavours though. And no off-putting overwhelming lavender scent. So while I don’t think I’ll be finishing it off quite as quickly as I had thought, it’s still a tasty caffeine-free treat.

Roomie used the teaball for a second steeping after me, so just one cup for me tonight :)

Definitely was craving this one like mad today. Sadly, I either screwed it up (steeped too long) or perhaps it was the sweetened yogurts I devoured around the same time, but it just didn’t have the subtle deliciousness as usual. Still very malty and comforting, though. I’ll blame this one on user error (as I’m pretty sure I’ll be having another cup tomorrow as a reward tea…)

I just don’t get the s’mores aroma from the spices alone or the chai… My first infusion was, a good chai, yes, but not the s’mores I expected. So of course, I set out to brew it properly with milk and a pinch of sugar.. It is a lovely chai. Its best features are a spicey smokiness, and a suggestive hint of chocolate.

My before bed tea.

See previous tasting notes.

I obviously don’t log this as often as I drink it; according to Steepster I last drank it at the end of January, but I make a cup every other day, maybe even more frequently. It’s my go-to tea for sluggish mornings, or any time I need a bit of sparkle in my life.