639 Tasting Notes

89

I woke up with a very nice cup of 52teas’ Butterbeer and then remembered that I had meant to brew up a new tea. Whoops! So after having a second cup of Butterbeer, I washed out my tea paraphernalia and began anew with this sample from Kittenna.

The brewed tea aroma smells strongly of nori (seaweed). The taste is a fresh, spring green and luckily not grassy. I’m surprised this tastes so wonderful considering it’s a rather old sample and hasn’t been stored in ideal conditions. But it tastes great! No bitterness or astringency. Just a nice nori flavor.

The description on Verdant’s website describes this as sweet and juicy with citrus lime notes and a creamy grassiness reminiscent of matcha. I’m definitely getting all of that! Although I do have to say that in my opinion, it’s more sweet/juicy/citrus than creamy/grassy/matcha-like. Which is a good thing for me because I’m not 100% sure that I like matcha yet. But a sweet, juicy, fresh, spring green?? Oh yes!

On to steep number two at 175 degrees for 2 minutes. Hmm, maybe I should have let it steep just a little bit longer. I can still detect nori, but it’s much quieter now. I am getting a bit more creaminess than in the first cup. For steep #2.5, I tried putting the tea back in the second cup for another minute, but that was definitely a mistake. It brought bitterness to the forefront of the sip, although the aftertaste retained its lovely nori self. I won’t hold that against the tea though. It’s my fault for shoddily infusing it.

On to steep number three! I’ll try 175 degrees for 2.5 minutes. Success! This third cup is back to the perfection of the first. Not a trace of bitterness to be found. Mmm, yum! This is such a lovely tea. I’ve had a very relaxing Sunday. I slept till noon, laid around all day with my kitty cat watching Halloween movies, and now I’m enjoying a truly wonderful tea from Verdant. Thanks for making it possible Kittenna!!!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

Yay, glad you liked this one! I do love the Verdant greens!

CHAroma

Everything I’ve tried from Verdant is amazing!!! I definitely love their Yunnan Blacks the most though.

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46
drank Cherry Blossom by DAVIDsTEA
639 tasting notes

I NEED some tea. You don’t even know. I’ve had the worst past couple days of my life. The only thing that could have made it worse was if someone close to me died. Emphasis on the close to me part because someone did die, my dad’s best friend’s father. My finances are in tatters, I didn’t get a promotion that I was really counting on, my fiancé and I have been fighting nonstop, and my eye doctor sent my glasses out for new lenses and UPS lost them!

And did I mention that I can’t wear contacts because my eyes are allergic? I don’t have back up glasses, and my brother’s wedding is in 3 days, for which I’m leaving tomorrow. GREAT! Now I get to be blind for my brother’s wedding!! The eye doctor refuses to pay for the glasses, so I just went to Lenscrafters and spent about $450 to buy new glasses, which I can’t even see out of because they don’t carry the anti-reflective lenses in the store. They’re special order only. I need to see NOW, not in 10-14 days!

These glasses literally suck. I’m seeing at about 60-80%. I’m so upset and frustrated. It’s just problem on top of problem on top of catastrophe. My face is completely broken out, my eyes are super irritated from trying to wear contacts anyway, and I’m having a huge allergic flare-up from my cat. Yes, I’m allergic to my cat. Don’t ask me why I bought him in the first place. I love animals, and he wriggled his way into my heart. I just want to scream. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, now that I got that off my chest…I’ll try and concentrate on this tasting note. Sadly, I think my rant has tainted the tea. It just tastes mediocre, like barely flavored water. I think this is another sample that I let sit for too long before trying it. Oh poop. I’m giving up on this one. I’m gonna’ go brew something else. Thanks to Kittenna for providing the sample, and my apologies for ranting my problems to all of you and high jacking this tasting note with negative crap.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Uniquity

I am SO sorry to read all this. As a fairly blind glasses wearer, I sympathize with all your plights in the ocular world – on top of the other things. : ( I hope that if nothing else you can get some resolution on the eyewear front and that things settle down with your fiancee. e-hug

Invader Zim

Good Lord…HUG!

Azzrian

Wow :( I am just SO sorry (huggs)

Alphakitty

e-hugs I hope things start looking up for you soon

Bonnie

I’m not going to send you good thoughts brother, I’m going to PRAY for you! You need some HELP! Deep breath. You’ve come to a place to rant where you know that you are listened to, accepted and cared for. Really cared about, not some trite saying…not just words. Your brother’s wedding is about HIM, wash your face in white tea if you have it which will help clear up your face, put the cat in a room (with litter box), take a shower. Drink better tea. Anti-histamine maybe? Your eyes might adjust if you de-stress. God Bless you!

Indigobloom

big big hugs
So sorry you’re having a bad time. It will pass soon, I believe it. and feel free to rant here any time, we are here for you!

Babble

I really hope things start looking up :)

Kittenna

That’s a whole lot of things to go wrong all at once, I’m so sorry! Hugs! I’m sure things will calm down soon enough… I’ve been able to empathize all too well lately myself.

Daniel Scott

I broke my glasses once and spent three days without them. Without glasses, my eyes are something like 20/250. Not the worst in the world, but bad enough! It almost made me scared to cross the street. Since then, I’ve always kept my last prescription around as a back-up!

Hope things look up, sounds overwhelming!

CHAroma

Thanks so much everyone! The wedding went off without a hitch! There was some drama with late limos and a best man who almost didn’t make it, but in the end everything worked out perfectly. My brother and new sister had a wonderful day. The ceremony was beautiful (the pastor even teared up!). Once away from my cat, I was able to wear contacts without my eyes turning vampire red and I got to reconnect with family I haven’t seen in a decade. Overall, it was really really great. Sincere thanks to everyone for the kind words. It was very much appreciated. :)

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90
drank Mom's Apple Pie by DAVIDsTEA
639 tasting notes

Oh wow! Yum! This is great! I don’t know why this tea has received mediocre reviews. The brewed aroma is very reminiscent of apple pie: the buttery cinnamon apple filling and the flaky pie crust. The taste is uber delicious! It’s not exactly like apple pie, but this is tea. It can’t be exactly like apple pie or that’s what it’d be! This is the next best thing and waaaaay fewer calories.

I added a little sweetener (gasp! I know!) and it did bring the flavor profile closer to sugary pie goodness and less like apple flavored green tea. I’m really enjoying this! In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I finished the first cup before even starting this tasting note. Time for a second cup!! Thanks Kittenna for this fantastic sample!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Cedes

I saw this on the website and was debating on getting it but it sounds delicious.

Alphakitty

I wonder if they tinkered with the blend a bit—it was discontinued for a good bit, then came back recently.

CHAroma

@Cedes, I definitely recommend it! I’m hoping to pick up some more myself. So yummy!

@Alphakitty, I’m not sure. This was my first experience with it. But if they did make changes, I can only surmise that it was for the better!

Kittenna

I think I bought this before it was discontinued/brought back, so the blend is likely the original (unless it was tinkered with before becoming an online exclusive).

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80

Sipdown…finally finishing this up after it’s sat in my cupboard for seriously about 3-4 years. I’m enjoying this last cup, but I don’t think I’ll restock it. I’d rather have a whole leaf, fresh houjicha. Not much more to say about it than what I have in the past. See my other tasting note.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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60

Like Dinosara, I picked this up at Panera with my chicken caesar salad for lunch. Salads are cold, and I wanted something warm to go with it. So this seemed to be a safe choice. I drank it straight.

In the end, the tea was fairly weak but the flavor that was there was good. It definitely needs a lot more mango in my opinion. I didn’t taste much mango or fruitiness in general. I suppose the tea was slightly sweeter than if the mango flavoring had not been added. I think if I had added milk or sugar, then that’s all I would have tasted.

Overall, it warmed me up and was pleasant enough. It’s one of those teas that I’d rather have than no tea at all. But if presented with a lot of other tea choices (especially loose leaf), I’d go with something else.

CupofTree

I always have to put two republic of tea bags in the cup at panera because one isnt enough. The honey ginseng green one is good!

CHAroma

Good tip! Thanks! That probably would have worked out a lot better. I did get the feeling that there wasn’t a good water to leaf ratio from the tea bag.

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72

I’m feeling kind of wonky, so I think that may translate into a wonky review. But here goes anyway! I’m enjoying my first cup of tea in my new apartment! This place ROCKS! But there’s sooooo much work to be done. Unpacking, organizing, decorating, and lots of trips to Lowes and Goodwill are in my future. I am super tired just thinking about it, so I thought this tea might be a good one to start with. Isn’t ginseng for energy? Well, there’s A LOT of ginseng in this tea! So, if you’re a fan of the taste, you’ll love this tea.

While waiting for the cup to cool, I read the purported health benefits. Prevents the decaying of teeth…?! Okay! Well, I can’t dislike this tea now! I wonder if that’s really true…anyway, this is an interesting tea. It reminds me of Blue People, but heavier on the ginseng and minus the awesome cooling sensation in the aftertaste of Blue People (see that tea here: http://steepster.com/teas/vital-tea-leaf/1803-blue-people).

First steep was 1 minute. Second steep was 2 minutes. Second cup is actually too strong for me. I don’t think I’d drink this regularly. The oolong is overwhelmed by ginseng, and I much prefer a plain oolong flavor. Still, it’s not bad and it fits the high quality standard of all Teavivre teas. It’s just not the tea for me. Also I’m still feeling just as tired as when I started drinking this tea, so not sure how energizing it really is… By the way, broccoli soup is gross. And it definitely does not go with ginseng oolong tea. Eww. I think I’ll call it a night and go to sleep.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 0 sec
Ninavampi

Congrats on new apartment! :)

CHAroma

Thanks!!! It’s been a long time coming. We’re really happy with it! :D

canadianadia

Oooh! a new apartment, how exciting! Hope you’re settling in nicely

CHAroma

Thanks, canadianadia!! :)

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99
drank Peach Fuzz Chai by 52teas
639 tasting notes

Oh YEAH!!! This one smells AWESOME! I’m on a white tea kick since the closet flooding episode last night. This is going to be an incredible feast of chai and white tea!

Just the aroma alone is amazing. The taste? HEAVEN!!! I agree with others that the peach is a very subtle flavor and easily overlooked. It lends a slightly fruity, sweet taste to the nuttiness of the base. But the most prominent flavor is the chai spices. Oh, and what a perfect balance of spices too!

This is a soft and quiet chai. It’s not in-your-face spicy, but rather creeps up on you softly and makes you wonder what exactly you’re drinking. I don’t mean to say it’s diluted though. It’s not watery; it’s just a soft flavor.

I LOVE THIS!!! My kitty seems to like it too. He keeps sticking his nose in my cup and inhaling the yummy aroma. Doesn’t seem to want to give it a lick though. Silly kitty. Thank you so much to Kittenna for sharing a sample with me! I wish I wouldn’t have skipped this one when it was released. Yet another winner from 52teas!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Azzrian

Mmmm Sounds good I don’t think I have had this one before. Going to check reviews to see.

Kittenna

Wow, you really liked this one! I think I thought it was fairly good, but less peachy than I wanted. Glad there’s a winner amongst some of the bad teas I sent :P

CHAroma

Oh please, nothing you sent was bad. Everyone has different taste preferences, that’s all. I sincerely appreciate you sharing your tea collection with me! :)

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92

White Peony Tea always reminds me of hay and sunshine. Today, it’s a little different. Today it’s dry summer grass lightly laced with salt. Yum!

It’s the perfect calming cup of tea that I need after a stressful day of packing. We’re moving in 3 days, and we’ve been packing for 4. Tonight I tried to tackle the front coat closet, which I use to store a lot of my old costumes from high school plays and musicals. Somehow, the entire closet was wet and moldy! I have no idea how, but it’s as if the water is seeping up through the carpet. I think my costumes made it through mostly unscathed, but my computer software didn’t fare as well. Mold covered the boxes that were on the floor. Ugh. What a pain.

Anyway, this cup of tea is hitting the spot nicely. After two cups, I’ve mostly gotten over the closet. Mostly. :/ Maybe the third cup will take mostly to completely. I think if any tea had that power, this would be the one. :)

My favorite part of Bai Mu Dan is the prominent flavor of hay. And with the hay always comes the sunshine. It reminds me of happier days riding horses with my best friend, returning to the barn after a long trail ride and kicking a bale of hay down from the loft into our horses’ stalls. But more than just bringing up happy memories, it promises future happiness as well. Thank you to Teavivre for this beautiful white tea!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 30 sec

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48

This tea has gotten some really low marks from the Steepster community. Therefore, I had low expectations but was holding out hope nonetheless.

There is a surprisingly potent aroma and flavor to this one. But honestly, it does taste like Cherry Coke in my opinion. The cherry is prominent, as is that classic Coca-Cola flavor: overly sweetened cola nut with a caramel aftertaste. I’m drinking it hot and sweetened by Truvia. It would probably be more enjoyable and Coke-like as an iced tea.

However, just because this tastes like a tea version of Cherry Coke doesn’t mean that I like it. In general, Coca-Cola upsets my stomach since I stopped drinking soda a few years ago. This tea is similar. Although I don’t necessarily feel sick, it doesn’t make me feel 100% right as rain either.

My body anticipates feeling ill just by tasting the flavor of Coke it seems. So although it was fun to try a new tea, I think I’ll avoid this one in the future. Thanks to Kittenna for the chance to try it!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

Haha, you liked this more than me! This was apparently just a terrible idea for a tea (or perhaps just terrible execution). Blech.

CHAroma

I think it’s probably an okay idea but yeah…it just doesn’t work as a tea. LOL!

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53

Reading all these posts about matcha really makes me want some! The closest thing I have at the office is this bagged, minced green tea. When I say minced, I mean shredded into itty bitty tiny dust particles. And yes, that means they escape from the fine mesh of the bag. Still, it’s green tea (or close enough to it) so I can’t complain.

I used the tap at work, which says the water is about 200°F. I then let the cup sit for a little while before adding the bag, so I can’t say for sure what temperature the water was. Definitely not hot enough to scorch the leaf particles. After a three minute steep, I removed the bag and took a sip.

Just as I remember, it’s vaguely grassy swampwater. Not terribly sophisticated but could be worse. I gulped it down and promptly re-steeped the bag. Sometimes all you need is tea! And now I’m a couple minutes closer to the end of the work day. :)

Preparation
3 min, 0 sec

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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).

Location

Maryland, USA

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