961 Tasting Notes
TeaTiff TTB #6
Tamaryokucha by Forthees from the Japanese Tea Marathon
I used to think I didn’t like Japanese green teas, but I think I’d just tried some really grassy ones and given up. I liked the other two from this box so much, I decided to try another today and this one is delicious as well! The leaf is super delicate and tightly twisted into little spikes resembling pine needles. The dry leaf was a gorgeous forest green with a strong scent of spinach and it steeped up to a bright neon green in the cup. The flavor is super fresh and vegetal (still reminding me of spinach) with a nice buttery smooth finish.
Flavors: Butter, Spinach, Vegetal
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #5
Apparently I had tried this tea before, but I didn’t remember that when I grabbed it out of the box to try at work yesterday. To be honest, I was drinking this in a meeting and thinking about other things, so I didn’t pay super close attention. But I remember it being a pleasant nutty, spicy brew this time around with notes of cinnamon and almond. Raising my rating a bit.
Flavors: Almond, Cinnamon, Fruity, Nutty, Spices
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #4
This tea made my kitchen smell like pancakes with maple syrup while it was brewing! Hot, I was a bit disappointed by the flavor. It’s a pleasantly smooth and creamy black tea, but I wasn’t really tasting the maple at all. However, as it cooled down, the maple flavor started to pop out more. It’s still more subtle than I would I have expected based on the aroma, but it’s quite enjoyable! I’d like to try it as a latte.
Flavors: Creamy, Maple Syrup, Smooth
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #3
Skysamurai kindly included a number of teas from a special “Japanese Tea Marathon” she participated in last year. This one is a Kabusecha from Nakamori Seicha, which I couldn’t find on Steepster and didn’t have enough information about to add myself. Apparently, Kabusecha is a shredded Japanese green tea. It looked like bright green grass clippings in the bag and left a fair amount of dust at the bottom of my cup. I was expecting the flavor to be strong, like a CTC tea, but it was actually quite light and delicate with notes of fresh green peas. I didn’t personally love it, but it was definitely an interesting experience to get to try it!
Flavors: Garden Peas, Smooth
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #2
Martin was kind enough to add a sample of his favorite black tea to the box and I can see why he likes it so much! This is one of the smoothest black teas I’ve ever tried, without even a hint of bitterness or astringency. The flavor is sweet and fruity with a lingering honey aftertaste. Delicious!
Flavors: Fruity, Honey, Smooth
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #1
I was craving a green tea when the box arrived, so this was the first one I pulled out. I’ve had some bad experiences with Japanese green tea in the past, but this one is delightful! It steeps up to a bright lime green and has a delightfully smooth, delicate vegetal flavor. Definitely something I’d consider purchasing on my own. This box is off to a great start!
Flavors: Smooth, Vegetal
Preparation
This is really nice berry-flavored black tea that I’ve repurchased a couple of times from Fava now. Not sure what the three berries are supposed to be, but I definitely get raspberry. The base tea is nice and smooth with no bitterness or astringency, but still has some body to it. Nothing super special, but a great affordable cupboard staple.
Flavors: Fruity, Raspberry, Smooth
Preparation
This is a wonderful Earl Grey! Tons of fresh, clean bergamot flavor. The base is just a touch too light for me, but that’s the only thing keeping this from passing up my beloved Letterbox Piccadilly as my favorite morning cuppa!
Flavors: Bergamot
Preparation
Having tried and loved the Harney & Sons version of this tea, I was excited to find a blend by the same name at my local tea shop. While I don’t think this one is quite as good as the H&S version, it is a very tasty breakfast blend…robust and malty! A new favorite.
Flavors: Malt