Dustin Send Message

I found half a serving left of this tea hidden in a back part of my tea cupboard where I usually store empty tins! I decided to steep a cup of Fusion Tea’s Lemon Meringue to compare it to, which has been the closest match I’ve found so far. The Butiki is a little dusty tasting, which is too be expected with it’s age, but it also has that light baked lemon… almost lemongrass and marshmallow creamy taste to it. The more frequently I sip the less I notice the dusty flavor and the sooner the lemon comes out, lingering long into the finish.
The Fusion has a much sharper greener scent to it, unlike the cloud like ethereal Butiki blend. The sharpness comes through in the flavor, but it also has some of that marshmallow like creaminess as well. There is something tangibly sweeter in the Fusion blend. They are very similar and it’s hard to truly compare a blend that is years old to one that is fresh and new. I love the Butiki blend more, but the Fusion is a decent replacement. I do wonder if adding cream flavoring or marshmallow root or almond would make it a closer match.

This tea is like a decade old. It’s not as delicious as I recall, but I have a much more established aversion to red rooibos. Still… I like it. A little bit of chocolate with a coffee depth too it and orange in the high notes. All that drowns out the rooibos and I’m not even left with that annoying dry woody feeling in my mouth. I have a few more cups worth of this that have been hiding in the back of my cupboard for safekeeping. I had been unwilling to finish it off as it was one of my early favorites and introductions to loose leaf. I think I’m ready now.

My last ever cup of this tea! (perfect spot for a crying emoji) The orange is gone, the chocolate chips were hairy and haven’t carried much flavor into the cup, but the tea is still holding strong. Those fuzzy little black and tan curls still deliver such a nice smooth malty taste. I’m noticing a hint of orange in the finish, like a ghost. So long, three friends and thanks for all the licorice.

I went into my local market hoping to find Hella Tea in stock only to find some hella empty shelves so I bought a box of this as a consolation. I thought this was a tea with oak bark in it, but it’s only oak bark in the ingredients. It smells very puer like with that rich wet and watery earth fragrance. It kinda tastes like it too! The first few sips were like a watery alkaline puer, but the alkaline part mellows some sips in. It’s not as heavy as tea is. It’s flavorful, but lighter at the same time. I’m not a huge pure puer fan. I can drink and enjoy a plain puer, but I prefer flavored puers where they add a depth to the overall profile, like in Lupicia’s Chocolate Strawberry Puer. That said, I’d love to see what else they could do with white oak bark to make a cup that is more complex and exciting. We’ll see if this makes it’s way into my normal evening rotation.

Got this as a sample with my order! I’m not into oolongs, or maybe I should say I’m rarely into oolongs, so I never feel like my thoughts on an oolong are a fair reflection. This tastes… oolongy. It has that flat cardboard flavor that I associate with most oolongs. I really don’t notice any added flavor at all. shrug

I’m getting a caramel orange flavor from this tea. I thought that it was Melange O for most of the cup, but a light steeping of it. I’m not getting the jasmine or other flavors mentioned, but I also had some of those Indian candy breath mint seed mixes about an hour ago which could still be throwing off my sense of taste. I’ll have to do a side by side tasting of those two teas.

This tea smelled so promising in the bag, but the flavor didn’t translate into the cup. I get a little hint of dull lavender when I’m focusing on it. Maybe something masquerading as citrus? The whole cup is dull and depressing and I overleafed this one a touch. I don’t know what it is about Harney teas, but it’s rare that I find one I enjoy!

Following the advice VariaTEA gave when sending this sample and having it as a latte today! It’s something I don’t normally do, so it’s extra fun for a change. The coconut blends into the creaminess of the milk and almost disappears, but comes back out in the finish. The sip is filled with a nice mixture of warming spices that merge at the start of the finish with the coconut. Migraine meds have kicked in so I’m extra enjoying this cup and the feeling of relaxation. Today makes day 5 of migraines which is a new record for me! :( These DBD teas, especially the spiced ones, have a certain flavor profile or mix that I’m starting to associate with this brand. It’s almost like there is a little bit of ginseng mixed in, which I think I have mentioned in other DBD tasting notes. I’m quickly nearing the bottom of my cup and am wondering if I can get a second steeping out of this or if I’ll have to use the last of the sample to get another round. This cup was so soothing!