735 Tasting Notes

84
drank Bolder Breakfast by The Tea Spot
735 tasting notes

I got this tea for Christmas and after reading the reviews, it piqued my interest the most of the three. I was a little put off by the idea of puerh flavored by anything other than flowers, but then I read the ingredients. Apparently this is mostly plain black tea, then some puerh added.

It brews up very dark, and carries a decent kick of caffeine. The cocoa flavor is mild, similar to the way the milk tastes after a bowl of Cocoa Crispies. There’s also a little bit of a vanilla’s sweetness. I can’t taste the puerh very much, but it’s there. This might be a good place to start for people with really westernized tastes. (Speaking from experience.)

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec

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96
drank Yunnan Golden Curls by Adagio Teas
735 tasting notes

Now I’m kinda sad that I traded most of this to QueenOfTarts. (But I love to trade, so I’m just excited about all the tea I received from her, muahaha.)

This is a fantastic yunnan. I’m really impressed with Adagio on this one. I see why it’s in their Masters collection of teas. The dry leaves are like curled-up spiders, glossy and different shades of tan and brown. When steeped, they unroll long and slender, pointed at the end. The liquor is dark brown, and smells very strong.

The taste is powerfully yunnan — sweet and fruity and croissant-like. Almost chocolatey. There’s also something in it that reminds me of marshmallows! I’m in love. It’s truly blissful. The kind of tea that would put a smile on my face in the morning every day. This is just as good if not slightly better than Teavivre’s full leaf yunnan. But for the price, I’ll take Teavivre. The 2 week wait is worth the price difference.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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73

This is my last Teavivre tea to review. Then I’m onto random things again.

I think this might be my second favorite of the greens I’ve tried by this company. The scent of it was fresh and especially sweet. Inviting. It brewed up to a shade of pale greenish yellow, and smelled almost fruity aside from the usual green tea scents. The taste is very naturally sweet and delicious. Even at such a short steep time, it’s strong and complex. But I still prefer the more bitter and smoky Chun Mei.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 1 min, 30 sec

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71

This is my third tasting note, and my second tub of this tea.

I was at the market again the other day picking up shrimp, green curry, and some miscellaneous produce when I realized I needed some kind of plain black tea to make sweet tea from. Since this stuff is under $3 a tub, I figured I could have my loose leaf fix and be cheap at the same time. (Sweet tea is just fodder for myself and whoever’s over anyway.) Made a 2 quart pitcher from 9 teaspoons and added sugar. The pitcher was empty by the end of the night.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
momo

I need to go there again soon, I haven’t been in FOREVER! I’m closer to the Buford Highway Farmer’s Market but they don’t have bulk tea :( (or if they do it’s well hidden haha)

Tabby

Oh man, I haven’t been there in at least 3 years. My mom used to take me all the time when I was a teen. I miss it!

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76

The texture for this tea’s dry leaf is so interesting. As far as greens go, it’s dark and chunky. The leaves are rolled up in a way that reminds me of oolong, but not done as tightly. And there are also lots of light colored, fluffy new leaves mixed in, too. The smell is very strong and a little intimidating to a green tea newbie.

Anyway, this is a smooth and nutty green. It’s satisfying in a way I’m beginning to appreciate, finally. Something also reminds me of sweet wheat bread, but it’s also fresh and veggie-like. And as usual, something like hay or dried grass. It smells much more pungent than it actually is, especially if you sniff the leaves themselves after steeping. And by pungent, I mean strongly of seaweed and the ocean.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 0 sec

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83

I have made this tea several times by now, I just haven’t logged it.

A few times, I’ve made a tall cup to go. It’s good hot, as the tea beneath the lemon flavor is pretty decent and is good for the morning. I grew up drinking Ceylon, so I’m a little biased. There are very few Ceylons I would give a bad rating to.

I can tell it’s cheap, but I’m not complaining. Especially when I make it iced. The lemon flavor isn’t painfully artificial, but not exactly natural, either. It could maybe use some lemon peel or something to liven it up. But it would make a good staple for iced tea, especially for days where I don’t have fresh lemons for it.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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89

Ooh, here we go. This is what I like in a green tea. I know it seems weird, but I didn’t know what I was “tasting for” in them before. I had experienced so few that I didn’t know what characteristics I liked and wanted to pursue.

The smokiness pleases the black tea lover in me. It’s more in the scent than the taste; subtle. I don’t exactly taste the plum that Teavivre describes, but I sense some sort of creaminess that I’m also liking. There are no strong vegetable or seaweed tastes to it, which I’m still adjusting to. Maybe a little nuttiness. Anyway, this is really good. I’m going to have to explore Chun Mei, I think.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 1 min, 30 sec

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90

Made my last cake tonight for the guys. They seem to like the packaging a lot, and the fact that the tea is sort of vintage. Like I said, it’s a mild, smooth puerh. Satisfying and complex.

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 15 sec

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90

While I’m intrigued by puerh and the fact that the tea has aged, I’m always a little apprehensive when trying one. I tend to shy away from teas with even a hint of fishiness, and puerh is notorious for it.

The cute little cake itself smells great, though it definitely smells different from fresh black tea. It smells like dried grass and promising maltiness, but with a hint of that aged flavor. Before I made this tea, I read that it only needs about a minute to two minutes to steep. I didn’t believe it, but I went with what the professionals said. By the end of the first minute, the tea was darker than a seven-minute-chai. I panicked and decided to stop it at 1:30.

It smells like sour honey and wood. But the taste is like something I’ve never had before with a puerh. I definitely taste leather, like others have said, but it’s a good thing. It’s incredibly smooth and flavorful, and like many Teavivre teas I’ve had, it’s naturally a little sweet. I can taste the same sort of flavor that I associated with fish, but it’s different in this blend. I’m glad I still have one cake left.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 30 sec
Charles Thomas Draper

Pu-erhs are an adventure. When you get a really super one you will not turn back.

Kal

I thought you’d like this one, I have one little brick left I’m going to make it tonight and write a final review.

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72

Oh, wow, this is the most powerfully orange-flavored tea I’ve ever had.

The tea smells strongly of citrus, with a hint of dried apple and currants. It smells incredibly fruity and sharp, almost medicinal. (I mean that in a good way.) But mostly, it’s just orange. I gave it about eight minutes to steep with 6 teaspoons for 16 ounces of tea. The tea even looks orange, like a deep reddish orange.

The flavor is tart and citrusy, but not just like the citrus fruit itself. You can taste the bitterness of the peel beneath it. Like the kind one would taste in orange spice teas. The currants add another layer of sourness, but in the finish, the apple pieces mellow it out. They add a pleasant sweetness. Anyway, this is like an orange juice fruit medley. I’m not a huge fan of orange or orange juice, but I think the people that are would love this.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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Bio

Quiet, strange, and in love with the world of tea. Living just outside of Atlanta. Cat lover, electronic music geek, balcony gardener, and collector of fossils. On the hunt for the perfect tea in each of my favorite categories.

After 10 years on Steepster, I have given up. The lack of maintenance, updates, and mobile compatibility have finally discouraged me. I still use my Cupboard and add teas to the database, but I won’t be logging teas anymore.

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