4843 Tasting Notes
Backlog:
As I wrote in my full-length article about this tea – http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/19/peppermint-herbal-tisane-from-simple-loose-leaf/ – yes, this is plain and pure peppermint, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. The leaves produce an invigorating cup that is crisp and cool and refreshing. It’s nice to sip.
I enjoyed this offering from Simple Loose Leaf. It’s as simple as it gets – pure peppermint – but it’s a quality leaf and it’s a very enjoyable cup. It’s great served with a squeeze of lemon!
This is another of the teas that I just had to try.
I think I may have steeped it a little weak. I’m getting buttery, creamy flavors but this is remarkably delicate tasting, like I didn’t add enough tea to the teapot type of delicate. I taste all the flavors, it’s just not as strong as I’d like it to be so next time, I’ll add a little more leaf.
Backlog:
Yes, the leaf does look green – but the label says black! But I’ve come to expect that from a Darjeeling tea.
This is a lovely Darjeeling: Sweet, crisp and refreshing. The liquid is much paler than some of the Darjeelings that I’ve had in the last year and it has a greener taste to it. And since it’s a first flush, there isn’t a strong muscatel to this cup.
Light notes of vegetation and hints of jasmine. Sweet grassy notes. A really nice afternoon tea.
Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/19/gopaldhara-wonder-tea-first-flush-2014-from-darjeeling-tea-lovers/
I’ve found that Darjeelings, especially first flushes, looks and steep more like green teas even if they technically aren’t.
agreed. I always steep a Darjeeling at 195°F or sometimes lower if the leaves look really green. When I used to steep Darjeeling at boiling temperatures, they’d end up too bitter and astringent. But when brewed at a lower temperature they’re quite lovely.
Backlog:
This is a tasty blueberry blend. As I said in my full-length review of this tea – http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/18/blueberry-hill-shou-mei-white-tea-from-52teas/ – I can taste the blueberry and I can taste the shou mei. There’s a sweet, blueberry-ish goodness with a light, hay-like note from the Shou Mei.
Really good iced. This one is good for multiple infusions too.
Backlog:
The sachet produced a very strong tasting tea. The gooseberry is bitter and sour and I must admit that those are not my two favorite tastes. The mint and the cinnamon help to soften the bitter and sour tastes just a bit and I appreciate that. I’m glad to say that this tea isn’t all about the gooseberry and I can taste the warmth of the cinnamon and the crisp, cool flavor of the mint. The green tea is a little lost in the shuffle though.
Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/16/revitalize-ayurvedic-tea-from-teaveda/
Sipping on a cup of this now and writing my review for it for SororiTea Sisters – it won’t appear there until later this month.
I like the base of Assam for this blend. It’s difficult to tell if this is a “wine-like” Assam with the brandy flavors but since I’m not picking up on a strong malty presence I’m going to go with a “wine-like” Assam. I do taste hints of malt, but it’s not as obvious a taste as I usually get from an Assam. I do taste the brandy, though, and as one who doesn’t really drink a lot of alcohol, I wouldn’t really know the difference between a brandy or a wine, but I do taste that wine-like or brandy-like flavor.
And then there is apple. The apple is a nice flavor to go with the brandy and the Assam. It’s crisp and adds a nice sweetness to the cup.
Overall, this is a pleasant cup. I recommend letting it cool just slightly (still hot but not piping hot) because I found that the flavors developed with some cool time.
And I’ve decided that I’m no longer going to rate teas numerically. You’ll learn more about why later.
Backlog:
The brewed tisane smells amazing. Distinct notes of vanilla and it smells heavenly.
It tastes good too! I’m not really big on rooibos (as you’re probably aware) but the nutty flavors of the rooibos work well with the strong vanilla tones. I also taste subtle floral tones and hints of the berry flavor, and even a bit of that berry tingle in the aftertaste.
It’s a relaxing tisane and it has a desserty flavor to it, nice for after dinner. Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/15/secret-garden-rooibos-tisane-from-the-secret-garden-tea-company/
Backlog:
I’ve noticed that over the past year or so, my iced tea consumption has increased significantly. I used to only drink iced tea during the hottest months of the year, and when it wasn’t the hottest months of the year, the iced tea pitcher got stashed back into the cupboard. But now, I keep a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge at all times. I like having something cold to drink in the fridge and since I don’t drink soda, that’s out. I drink water but I sometimes want something other than water and when that happens, I pull out the iced tea pitcher and enjoy a glass of iced tea.
And usually, it’s a SBT tea that I’m drinking because I love the convenience of the large tea sachet. It makes it easy to brew and especially to cold brew. I usually prefer loose leaf but when it comes to iced tea, I find myself wanting more convenience.
All that said … this isn’t my favorite green tea offering from SBT. But it IS tasty. With my first glass, I had trouble identifying flavors until I reached the end of the glass. Then I poured myself a second glass and I could really taste the strawberry and kiwi. The strawberry is more prominent than the kiwi and the green tea is soft and buttery.
Tasty and refreshing.
Backlog:
Beautiful dry leaf that almost looks like pine needles. (But they don’t smell like them!) They are darker in color than a typical “silver needle” with more of a purple-y color to them than the pale green to silvery color that you’d find in a Chinese Silver Needle. The aroma is soft and floral.
The liquid is very pale and the taste is delicate. Sweet and floral. It’s lovely and soft tasting. Even though it’s a very delicate and subtle tea there are many layers to it.
The second cup was stronger than the first. The floral notes are not quite as sharp as they were in the first cup, but they are also not quite as delicate. This cup has a creamy overtone that is very enjoyable and the tail has light, fruity tones that evoke thoughts of peach and orange.
This tea is not quite as “haylike” as some white teas can be. This is sweet, creamy with nutty tones. It’s a different silver needle, but different is good! I enjoy the classic silver needle too but it’s nice to try something a little different that will challenge what I know about silver needle!
Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/14/kenya-silver-needle-purple-varietal-white-tea-from-what-cha-tea/
Backlog:
The appearance of the dry leaf reminds me a lot of an Oolong pellet. It’s a different color, of course, most of the ‘pelleted’ Oolongs are greener in color and these are chocolate-y brown, but they are still tightly wound into pellets. They have a warm, nutty aroma that’s slightly sweet and slightly earthy.
A very rewarding flavor. It is reminiscent of a Nilgiri tea. Somewhere between a Nilgiri black and an Oriental Beauty Oolong. In my full-length review of this tea: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/10/14/organic-black-tea-from-arum-tea/ I mention that I get the texture of the Oolong while I taste a smooth, malty flavor of the Nilgiri.
A really lovely Black. I enjoyed it.
