639 Tasting Notes

83

I’m so excited to try this tea!! I suggested a flavor combination to Frank recently (maple pecan granola), and this is pretty close to that! Plus, I love maple and brown sugar oatmeal. It’s my favorite kind of oatmeal, and almost the only kind I eat.

I do have to say though, I’m not sure the picture on the package is adequate for this blend. It looks kind of…unappetizing. But this is uncharacteristic for 52teas. Usually Frank’s pictures are mouthwatering and make me go over my allotted tea budget. But clearly, the picture made little difference in my decision to buy it.

Anyway, the dry leaves smell really good! It’s hard to describe why, but I’ll try. It smells very similar to the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie blend, but minus the raisin. So, what’s left? This wonderful oatmeal, black tea, sugary sweet fragrance.

The funny thing is the brewed tea has a completely different aroma! It still smells amazing, but so different. I think the black tea itself is more pronounced now and masks that overwhelming sweetness. I can still make out faint traces of oat, but it’s softer now. As for the maple? I didn’t forget. I just can’t find much of it in the aroma. Hopefully, it will be there in the taste.

Mmmmm, the taste is wonderful! There’s none of that tannic bitterness common to black teas sans additions. I’m not sure how much it matches the description, but it tastes wonderful regardless! It’s not nearly as sweet as the aroma makes it out to be.

I added a tiny bit of unsweetened almond milk and a little brown sugar too. It’s still very good. I think I like it about the same with or without additions. Unfortunately, I’m still missing that maple syrup aspect. I wish that were significantly stronger. But like I said, it’s a delicious tea nonetheless! So, if you happen to not like maple and brown sugar oatmeal, give this blend a try anyway! You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec

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77

These leaves are beautiful! Long, narrow, perfectly straight, vibrantly green leaves. They’re quite large actually and thus hard to correctly measure. But I think I did all right. The aroma is lovely, fresh green tea.

The taste is even lovelier than the aroma. Light, fresh, vegetal, and sweet. Light is the perfect description. It’s not heavy like Dragonwell.

There’s also virtually no aftertaste (as in the taste doesn’t linger). I haven’t decided if that’s good or bad yet. But it is definitely a noticeable characteristic of this tea. The aroma is grassy, but luckily for me that grassiness doesn’t make it into the flavor much.

Overall, this is a wonderful green tea. The second steep for two minutes was just as flavorful as the first, and I’m sure it could keep going for several more infusions, if I was so inclined. This tea is quite affordable for such high quality. It’s deserving of my stamp of approval! I highly recommend!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 15 sec

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66

I’m looking forward to trying the huge stock of green teas I have from Teavivre. They’ve sent me tons of samples, and I haven’t gotten around to trying all of them yet. But I’m on a green tea kick, so bring it on!

This is my second experience with gunpowder green tea. Although the first time I tried some, it was a mint, bagged concoction. So, that’s probably not the most representative of this type of tea. I’m confident that Teavivre will give me the best possible experience with gunpowder.

The dry leaves smell exactly like the alfalfa hay I used to feed my pet bunny, Jasper. He was the cutest white bunny in the whole world with a few light grey spots on his back, grey ears, and grey spots around his eyes that made it look like he was wearing eyeliner. Sooo cute!! I had to get rid of him when I moved across the country from LA to D.C. But he was a birthday present for an adorable little girl, so at least I know he went somewhere he’ll be loved and cared for.

But I digress. Ah, I never get over how certain smells bring a rush of memories. Anyway, the liquor is a pale yellowish green. The brewed tea aroma is less hay now and more…hmmm, interesting. It has a little kick of something that’s tugging at my memory, but I just can’t quite place it. Maybe it’s just a green tea smell. Man, how long has it been since I drank a high quality green tea?

Okay okay, on to the taste. Wait! Puer!!! That’s what the aroma reminds me of!!! Wow…really? Puer? Yep! I admit it’s strange. But my nose isn’t lying to me. Finally, the first sip…okay it tastes nothing like puer. Thank God! :)

The taste is back to the dry leaf aroma: fresh, green, alfalfa hay. It does have some kick to it, similar to the puer aroma. It almost reminds me of red hots. Not because it’s spicy. But because of that initial burning when the red hot first hits your tongue. But this sensation is a fleeting one and quickly dissipates.

I wish I could describe the aftertaste. It’s not like anything else. It’s also somewhat palate cleansing. This is a very interesting and unique green tea experience. It’s not like your standard green tea. Really, the thing it reminds me most of is puer. Except it’s muuuuuch more stomachable than puer.

The second steep for two minutes at just below boiling yielded a much darker brew, almost murky (excuse the lack of a better descriptive word). The leaves fully unfurled during this second steep. The taste is basically the same as the first cup, maybe a bit more flavorful.

I wonder if anyone has ever made a flavored gunpowder green tea. I think it could be really good if you found the right ingredients to add to it. It would make a very unique base. Despite its distinctive flavor, it’s not quite to my liking. But I highly recommend that people try this one of a kind tea!

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 0 sec
Ninavampi

I used to have a pet bunny as well. His name was Jedi Ninja and my best friend and I loved him. He was great! Sadly we also moved and he had to be rehomed….

TeaBrat

Gunpowder is supposed to be smoky I think. Did you get any smoke in this one?

ps – pu-erh rules!!!!! :-P

CHAroma

@Ninavampi, awwww Jedi Ninja! What a cute name! I feel your pain with having to find him a new home. It’s never easy.

@Amy oh, perhaps there is a slight smoke to this one. That could be the element I don’t particularly like. I really don’t care for smoky teas, but I can drink this one just fine. It’s not a very drastic smoke.

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88
drank Strawberry Orange Scone by 52teas
639 tasting notes

So much for not buying more tea. Didn’t I just explain how much tea I have? How do you do it to me, Frank?! I just can’t say no!!

I’m sooo excited to try this blend! I don’t know what happened, but one day it magically reappeared on 52teas’ in stock page. It had sold out in less than 24 hours! I was sure I’d never get to try it. But then 2 pouches showed up, and I snagged the last one!! Yipee!

I’ve been exhausted all day, so I can justify drinking black tea at 7pm tonight. I’ve already had a total of four shots of espresso and one grande coffee. What’s a little more caffeine?

The dry tea smells heavenly! The perfect mix of strawberry and orange. The brewed tea has a very similar aroma but more citrus-y. Others described this tea as largely orange, but I’m hoping the strawberry will be equally present. First sip without additions…mmm, it is a good mix of strawberry and orange. But I prefer black teas with milk and sugar.

Second sip with additions…wow! This is really delicious! It’s not very scone-y. And it’s a fairly light black tea as black teas go, but that’s a pro in my book. This is full of flavor and reminds me of liquid Starburst, if such a thing existed. Yum yum!! I’ve discovered a new favorite!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 45 sec

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75
drank Strawberry Zabaglione by 52teas
639 tasting notes

This is my first from 52teas’ permanent collection, and I can’t wait to try it! Although it looks like Cinnamon Roll Honeybush and Pancake Breakfast finally made it into the permanent collection! WOOT WOOT!!!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!! GO 52TEAS!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!!!

Ahem. Excuse me. I’m just really excited about Pancake Breakfast being around indefinitely. But on to this tea…

The dry leaves smell strongly of strawberry. Like insanely strong strawberry! The brewed tea has the same aroma. Okay, I think it’s cool enough to try now. ((Takes a huge swig & splutters.)) Ugh! This is the bitterest black tea I’ve ever had! Blech!

I rushed off to the kitchen and added milk and sugar. Thank goodness, that took away the overwhelming tannic bitterness. Hmm, now it’s just a cup of really sweet, really strawberry tea. I think I need to use less leaf next time. This is quite strong, and I’m afraid not in a good way.

Overall, it’s definitely a strawberry tea. There’s no mistaking it for something else. If you’re in the mood for strawberry, this is the way to go. But I think I like the green tea version better (and by that I mean Strawberry Pancake Green Tea).

I’ll try this again later and let you know what happens then. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad. I just didn’t do a very good job of preparing this first cup, and now I’m a little scarred.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
GiggleGoddess

What temp water did you use? I see other reviews stating a slightly lower temp and a quick steep time. I, myself, from a reccommendation from Starfevre used water between 175 and 180 and steeped for about 2.5 min…it’s yummy goodness!

CHAroma

I’ve tried it a lot of different ways. It’s best for my tastes with just a splash of skim milk, no sugar, and steeped for 2.5 minutes in roughly 8 oz. of water with 2 tsp of leaves. It’s been a while since I tried it with a low water temp though, so I may try that again. Thanks!

GiggleGoddess

My pleasure!

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87

It’s been a long time since my last tasting note. Life has been hectic to say the least. But now it’s the weekend, and I can relax and play video games! I guess I just needed a break from tea and blogging about it. It’s been almost a second job with as much time as I put into it. I woke up not feeling very rested and with a queasy stomach. So, I decided a green tea would be a nice start to the day.

I know, I know, I have way too much tea. I probably shouldn’t have bought this (along with the four other pouches of 52teas I recently acquired). But I just can’t help myself!! Cherry cheesecake genmaicha!!! How can you say no to that??

This smells a lot like the Strawberry Pancake Green Tea from a few months back. Except the strawberry aroma is now cherry. Actually 52teas’ strawberry flavor is very similar to their cherry flavor, and quite frankly almost indistinguishable. I never did find much pancake or maple syrup in that tea, but it sure was delicious anyway! I’m hoping this will be a similar (or better) experience.

Mmmm!! That’s the closest to creamy that a 52teas blend has gotten for me! My tongue is being assaulted with flavors! Assaulted! There’s an overwhelming creaminess, with a touch of saltiness too. Butter and cherry are there. I’m not sure about the toasted rice aspect. But maybe that will come out more on the second steeping as it did with the Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha.

Oh yum! This is just fantastic!! Even better than I expected and completely worth the impulse buy! I have to admit, the flavor almost fades the more you drink it. Or maybe that’s because I’m getting used to the way it tastes now so it’s not as much of a surprise. Either way, I’m a fan! What a fantastic way to welcome me back to the world of tea. Why did I ever stop drinking you?

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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63

EDIT: I originally thought this tea had Keemun in it, which I don’t particularly like. As it turns out, it doesn’t have any Keemun in it! But this blend does contain something that tastes like Keemun to me. However, to keep from confusing people, I’ve edited my original review. Where it used to say Keemun, it now says T3LK (tea that tastes like Keemun).

This has T3LK in it. Drat! I really despise T3LK. I can detect even a hint of it, sort of like how I can always detect a tiny piece of cilantro in an entire plate of Thai noodles. Bahh, cilantro is nasty. Probably worse than T3LK. Anyway…I’m really sad about this blend.

But more than sad, I’m extremely surprised to read the reviews here! Everyone thinks this has a Ceylon base?? Well, maybe it does. But see, I love Ceylon and I despise T3LK. So, any Ceylon in this is masked by the smoky, dirty T3LK taste.

On the other hand, it has the cutest packaging I’ve ever seen! I love the Christmas Elf themed wittiness. Lucky for me, this is a blend of T3LK and other teas (emphasis on the other teas). If it were pure T3LK, I couldn’t drink it. But somehow, I am able to stomach this, despite the nasty aftertaste that lingers on my tongue.

Still, I’m very sad over this blend. I’m afraid I overspent on a tin I’m likely not to touch again. I missed the sale others have mentioned. So I paid full price, which I think was around $25. More than I usually spend on one little tin of tea. But I’m sure I can find others to share it with. Hey, any excuse to throw a tea party, right? :)

But oh, how I wish that I had more of the Damn Fine Holiday Blend. Now that was delicious tea! Maybe the most delicious!!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec
Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

Hi CHAroma, sorry the Elf isn’t your “cup of tea” (did I just write that?). I’d like to make it up to you. Please contact us via our web site so I can get a refund to you. For the record, there isn’t any Keemun in the Elf, but not all blends agree with everyone. Thanks!

CHAroma

Although I appreciate the offer, I can’t possibly accept a refund. You all didn’t do anything wrong. This is all part of the tea adventure! But honestly, thank you. :)

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72
drank Blueberry Fruit Tea by Teavivre
639 tasting notes

The dry “leaves” smell amazing! Just like blueberries and raisins in a berry trail mix! Eight minutes later and the brewed liquor is a deep purple. The aroma is more subdued now than before.

I ate a bunch of fresh blueberries before I brewed this tea so I could compare the tastes. My first tiny sip of this tea was tarter than the entire bowl of fresh blueberries! It does taste like blueberries, but that’s more of a secondary note. When it first hit my mouth, it was pure tart hibiscus.

I know this doesn’t actually have any hibiscus in it. But it might as well. Still, this is waaaaay better than the herbal teas I’ve had that do have hibiscus in them. It’s a significant improvement. If you like tart, you’ll love this! But it’s not the blueberry tea I’ve been searching for.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more
SimplyJenW

Roselle is hibiscus….. I am not a fan of it, either.

CHAroma

It’s so tart it’s almost salty!

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91
drank Oatmeal Raisin Cookie by 52teas
639 tasting notes

I’ve been spending way too much money on tea lately. My cupboard is so full of tea that it’s overflowing. Literally. I can’t even fit it all in the cupboard, and there are three (I kid you not, THREE) boxes of tea sitting on top of the refrigerator. And when I say boxes, I don’t mean one little tin. I mean a box with five or six pouches of teas in it. From my calculations, it could take at least 6-8 months to drink this much tea! Phew! I guess I’d better get started!

I am super excited for this tea. Why? One word: oatmeal. I don’t know why, but I’ve been craving some kind of oatmeal tea. I’ve been playing around with combinations to suggest to Frank, and oatmeal something was at the top of my list! I’m thinking…maple pecan granola!! Yeah!!

But seeing that Frank had never done oatmeal, I thought maybe it can’t be done. Or maybe that means it needed to be done! Either way, I was ecstatic to see a blend with oatmeal from 52teas. The second I read the e-mail, I promptly bought a pouch thinking it would sell out in less than 24 hours (which is known to happen with Frank’s blends).

The dry leaf aroma is tantalizing! It smells remarkably like an oatmeal raisin cookie. Finally, it’s time to have some of this tea! First sip…hmmm. Second sip…hmmmm. I’m not getting the overwhelming grape flavor that others have complained about. It’s definitely not grape lollipop, although I can detect grape in the brewed tea aroma.

But honestly, this does taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie to me (or at least as close to it as tea can get). What others identify as grape, I definitely identify as raisin. They’re similar smells and tastes, but not quite the same. I like it a lot without additions, which is rare for me and black teas. With milk and sugar, its flavor is enhanced. Now I really like this tea!

I’m not quite at love. I wish the oatmeal were stronger and more discernible. But this is definitely a very enjoyable tea from 52teas. I’m a happy customer!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec
Ninavampi

I’m glad you liked it! : ) I was hoping to have the same experience you did, but I guess that since tastes differ, a tea can’t make everyone happy!

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54
drank Gyokuro Imperial by Teavana
639 tasting notes

I tried this in the store on my last pass through the local mall. It’s a fairly standard tasting green tea. Mild and grassy. Nothing jumps out at me as good or bad. It’s just normal.

Thus, it’s getting a middle of the ground rating, only slightly above average (average being 50). If you like green tea, you’ll probably like this. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy some. A hot free sample in the store suits me just fine. :)

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Bio

Entering the sweet blissful world of tea aromas!

Having discovered this website at the end of July 2011, I’m so excited to share my tea adventures with all of you! I grew up with my grandmother serving Twining’s English Breakfast with cream and sugar.

But on a trip to Seattle in 2010, I stumbled into a Chinese teashop and tried my first oolong tea. I was forever changed! I embarked on a startling new love for green and white teas.

With a world of teas to discover, I was inspired to keep a tea journal to record my thoughts and new favorites. Let’s get brewing!

My ratings are completely subjective and 100% my opinion. All ratings are given in relation to each other (ie. teas are rated in the order of my enjoyment of them). Therefore, my ratings will constantly change as I try more teas.

I love swapping!!! If you see something in my cupboard you’d like to try, just send me a message. If you’d like to trade, anything on my shopping list will do or feel free to send something else entirely. I’m willing to try almost anything (although I’m not really a fan of honeybush, red rooibos, pu’erh, Lapsang Souchong, & banana-flavored teas).

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Maryland, USA

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