teabird

Smells very spicy (that would be the peppercorn, cumin, and coriander) and a little nutty/sweet. The taste oddly both watery and full. I can identify black tea on the front, kind of bitter really, but then the aftertaste is sweet and spicy and lovely. I prefer my tea unsweetened, but this could do with a bit of sugar or honey.

A dash of milk improves it enormously: fuller body, less harshness, more caramel flavors.
I steeped 1tsp in 8oz boiling water for 2:15 (recommendation is 2-3 minutes); a longer steep or more leaf would be better. A second steep at 4 minutes was about as good as the first. And, impressively, two subsequent steeps (6 and 8 minutes) were also good.

Points for uniqueness and resteepability.

2010-11-30 14:26:51 -0500

205 °F / 96 °C

2 min 15 sec

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Sarah Ruthven 2010-11-30 20:55:05 -0500

my goodness, what a creative blend! Sounds interesting.

Stephanie 2010-12-01 00:24:42 -0500

This sounds lovely—but it looks like SpecialTeas’ 924 Winter Blend. I wonder if they’re the same thing?

teabird 2010-12-01 00:47:06 -0500

Might be – I have found a couple whose blends overlap with Sanctuary T’s, so thanks for the tip. I’m slowly compiling a database of retailers with shared wholesalers :P

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Some notes on ratings:

I’d have separate rating scales for tea types if that were possible (probably Black, Flavored Black, Darjeeling/Dark Oolong, White/Green/Light Oolong, and Herbal) because the flavors and quality markers are just too different. A flavored black rated 100 isn’t better than every oolong I’ve ever drunk, just delicious for a flavored black.

Ratings are a combination of my enjoyment and the perceived quality – I do often demote teas a few points for artificial flavorings, small quantity of steeps supported, or weakness of flavor (requiring extra leaf).

I pay less attention to the number than the order of my ratings; I don’t necessarily keep a stock of everything rated 80+, but if two breakfast blends are rated 82 and 84 I consistently enjoy the 84 more.

And in case it’s not obvious? I am not an expert. I don’t even know what I like until I taste it sometimes, but I’m ok with that :) I like learning to like new teas, as well as enjoying the comfort of familiar ones.