13 Tasting Notes
So, I’m having a fresh cup of this tea, and decided to give live commentary. Brewed a teaspoon of it in approximately on cup of boiling water using a pre-heated mug for four minutes. The smell is surprisingly sweet. Taking a sip, the flavor is also sweeter than I remembered it being. If it were much sweeter, I don’t think I’d like it, but as is it’s alright. I can easily imagine myself growing to like this more, but right now I think I like the idea of this tea more than the actual flavor.
I should also comment that I am using the same mug I made the chamomile in last night, although that wasn’t very sweet itself, and I did rinse the mug out with boiling water when I was warming it, so I don’t think the chamomile could affect the flavor, at least not perceptibly.
This is a tea my mom got me a while ago that I haven’t tried yet. I brewed one bag in approximately one cup of boiling water (using a pre-warmed mug) for 5 minutes. The smell doesn’t seem too strong; it’s about a third as strong as I remember the loose-leaf chamomile I drink being. Now, I did have a hunk of cheddar cheese about half an hour ago, so this might be affecting my taste, but it seems quite weak in terms of flavor as well. It definitely is light and clean, but it comes quite close to “drinking hot water” territory. Perhaps the flavor will become stronger as the tea cools.
As of now, I neither like it nor dislike it.
As with most bagged green tea, this leaves me unimpressed. However, I admit that this might be because I only drink this tea when I’m not at home (such as at work), meaning I have very little control over brewing temperature (it’s usually at boiling). It’s not a bad tea, however.
Excellent when I need to relax after a frustrating day.
A comment on The Tea Garden itself, though: I am unimpressed with how a professional tea store stores their teas in glass containers and packages teas that customers have bought in bags with plastic windows. Customers can store their own tea however they want, but a store that makes its business out of selling teas should be protecting them properly from light, not just air.
I would often mix this in a 1:2 ratio (1 being the peppermint) with Teavana’s Chinese Honey Dew White tea. I had a lot of trouble figuring out exactly how to brew it, considering the significant difference in brewing methods for white teas and tisanes. But when I occasionally did get it just right, I called it my “happiness tea”. It’s been a looong time since I’ve made this blend for myself, though.
I can’t remember how I liked the peppermint tea on its own, though.
I can’t remember having drunk this on its own, but I would often mix this in a 2:1 ratio (2 being the white) with peppermint tea. I had a lot of trouble figuring out exactly how to brew it, considering the significant difference in brewing methods for white teas and tisanes. But when I occasionally did get it just right, I called it my “happiness tea”. It’s been a looong time since I’ve made this blend for myself, though.
