Cameron B. select Send Message

339 Followers / 327 Following

3986 tasting notes

Hello again, Steepster! I’ve been absent for the last couple of days, and I’ve missed you. I did Tough Mudder over the weekend, and between getting ready for it and lying about like a dead person afterward, I didn’t have much time to drink tea or read notes. Luckily, I’m now caught up on all the reading I missed while I was away! And since my cupboard is now overflowing with swap samples (Dexter pushed it over the edge with her generous care package…) I’m going to try to write notes that are less formal and shorter so I can pump them out faster! So, here we go!

This sample came from Dexter’s ridiculously large box of samples. It’s a mixture of darker sencha leaves with lighter crumbled leaves (“salted cherry leaves”). It smells a little bit like vinegar, but there’s also a powdered sugar note.

Steeped, it smells much more like sencha with a little bit of a salty note. Wow, this is definitely an interesting one! It starts out quite salty and grassy/spinachy from the sencha, but the tastes changes a lot by the end. It grows sweeter and there’s an almost grain-like flavor in the aftertaste, and possibly some floral (thinking cherry blossom here). Not at all bitter for me, but I did use the lower end of the time because the leaves are so broken. Quite yummy, and unique!

Flavors: Floral, Grain, Grass, Salty, Spinach, Sweet

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

15 likes

1 comments

Mikumofu
Delete

Welcome back! I could have sworn I’d rated this one before…in any case, I really liked it!

People who liked this

Comments

Mikumofu
Delete

Welcome back! I could have sworn I’d rated this one before…in any case, I really liked it!

Profile

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