65

Drinking this tonight because I figured since white tea has the lowest caffeine content, I can count it as a nighttime tea. :P Butterscotch is one of my favorite flavors, so I had to choose this tea when I ordered samples from The Persimmon Tree. The dry leaf is a mixture of (very) broken-up bai mudan leaves, a few golden flower petals, and red peppercorns. I have no idea why there are peppercorns in a butterscotch tea, but I’ll go with it. It smells very lovely and candy-like, with a little bit of spice and an interesting crisp, fresh flavor that reminds me of cucumbers or a crunchy pear. I steeped for 3 minutes.

The aroma is lovely creamy butterscotch and hay from the white tea. There is a tiny bit of spiciness and something that smells like licorice root… Uh oh, I hate licorice root. Well, this does taste like butterscotch, in a very mild way. And it goes nicely with the natural flavor of the white tea. However, this is some kind of weird flavor in here, and I’m not sure where it’s coming from. I guess it could be from the peppercorns, but it really tastes like licorice root. I’m thinking maybe there’s some kind of alcohol flavor element to their butterscotch flavoring?

Holding off on a rating until I try this without the peppercorns in, to see if that makes any difference…

Flavors: Alcohol, Butterscotch, Hay

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
boychik

White tea is not lowest on caffeine. They say it’s highest, least processed. I’m sure you will be fine.

Cameron B.

I’ve definitely seen multiple sources saying white is the lowest. I guess there’s just a lot of conflicting information on this.

Cameron B.

Luckily, I’m not generally too heavily affected by caffeine, so it’s really a moot point. I drink black tea pretty late in the day. :P

boychik

Me too. I drink black and especially Puerh very late, like right now till midnight

Plunkybug

I was so stoked for this tea til you mentioned licorice. Boo.

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Comments

boychik

White tea is not lowest on caffeine. They say it’s highest, least processed. I’m sure you will be fine.

Cameron B.

I’ve definitely seen multiple sources saying white is the lowest. I guess there’s just a lot of conflicting information on this.

Cameron B.

Luckily, I’m not generally too heavily affected by caffeine, so it’s really a moot point. I drink black tea pretty late in the day. :P

boychik

Me too. I drink black and especially Puerh very late, like right now till midnight

Plunkybug

I was so stoked for this tea til you mentioned licorice. Boo.

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

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https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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