1622 Tasting Notes
The TTB has arrived! So big, so many teas… no chance to try them all!
Tea #6
Mood for citrusy green tea today morning? Well, let’s search for some. With this TTB I can fullfil any wishes of my family members as well as mine.
It was my craving actually, and this sounded good. I have opened the small sachet and it was indeed an interesting mix of blood orange and genmai, but I put 5 grams to fillable tea bag; reading later I should use 3 grams for 12 oz. But maybe that did quite the trick, as it was lovely genmaicha with creamy aftertaste. The blood orange? Wasn’t sadly much present, but it was noticeable as a slightly sweet note. Also, for me it was a rather “orange” orange, not the blood kind.
Preparation
The TTB has arrived! So big, so many teas… no chance to try them all!
Tea #5
Actually it was yesterday evening cup. But my headache for 3 days in a row made me heading to the bed right after finishing the cup.
This is very interesting tea, well actually tisane, and I am happy that I could try it. It reminded me puffed rice snacks which makes sense; but there was some extra flavour being nutty which made it even more amazing.
Preparation
The TTB has arrived! So big, so many teas… no chance to try them all!
Tea #4
There was a single individually wrapped sachet of this tea, I checked it on Steepster what it is supposed to be like… and decided to brew it.
Well, it is a delicious tea, with lovely peach flavour and everything. The base is creamy and smooth. But, something was lacking. Maybe the juicy bit of peaches? Like the experience of biting actual fruit, which I have sometimes when drinking fruit/flavoured teas? I don’t know, but nevertheless, it is highly above the average. Just something I miss… and I just don’t know what it is. But anyway it was a great experience — because Lupicia is almost impossible to get for me.
Preparation
The TTB has arrived! So big, so many teas… no chance to try them all!
Tea #3
I have been actually craving a blueberry tea and I was really happy to find one in the TTB, moreover with black tea base!
I have opened the pouch and it is strongly minty. There is certainly lots of mint in the mint, but there are also black tea leaves so, happy to try this tea.
Well, honestly… I wonder what is pie in this tea. It was quite pleasant minty tea with hints of black tea base (which was somehow plain though) and in the aftertaste I indeed noticed a bit of blueberries or/and other berries.
It was fine, but nothing to re-try at all, sadly.
Preparation
The TTB has arrived today! So big, so many teas… no chance to try them all!
Tea #2
Evening has came fast today. So I have decided for second tea being decaf-caffeine free. Again, I just picked a few and chose the most promising.
Honestly, I am not really familiar with Crème Brûlée I think I had once some store-bought one and it was like overpriced creamy custard.
But tea with such flavour is interesting. Creamy tea with lavender, why not actually. I like the latter, so decided to steep 5 grams of this for 6 and something minutes.
Well, it is indeed lavender forward, but not soapy. Reminding me a bit Moondrop Dreams by B&B, with extra creamy flavour and less citrusy notes.
Interesting blend for sure. Creamy lavender.
Preparation
The TTB has arrived today! So big, so many teas… no chance to try them all!
Tea #1
I have been today at work overtime of course. Blah.
So, when I have arrived home, the box was standing under the stairs and I brought it to my room. Indeed it is huge and after I have opened it, I found out that teas are sorted by types, which is great and took black tea bag. There I took a few random pouches and this tea sounded the most interesting from those.
I smelled the dry leaf and indeed the star anise is strong, but in brew it is much better.
I used two tea spoons and steeped it for 3-4 minutes and it was good. Nothing exceptional, but expected flavour profile was met. Star anise is the star here, black tea base is mellow and noticeable, sour cherries are fun giving additional fruity note and not too sour and all mellowed by cream (flavouring). Also, and not sure if it is that star anise or those sour cherries, there was some refreshing and little mint-like flavour. Nice start :)
Preparation
Leafhopper sent me this tea, so thank you! Kind of sipdown, but it wasn’t in my Steepster cupboard and also it’s single session tea.
My first impression after putting the leaves to gaiwan was popcorn. Yep, that. Also some roasty notes and flowers in the background.
Did a quite long rinse, and about 5 minutes of rest under the gaiwan lid. After that the aromas changed rapidly. It is indeed roasted oolong by aroma, some pine there, sweet and bready notes too.
First steep, 25 seconds long (I am following Leafhopper steeping method); was smooth and surprisingly floral with nuts, very thick body, long mouthfeel. Second sip was bready for me.
Second steep, was more bready, but florals were still strong enough to play the major part. Again very smooth and thick mouthfeel. Not that long this time, but also very nice, nevertheless. In the aftertaste there is some pine. Not able to recognize the flowers.
Third steep, 25 seconds and floral notes and roasty notes are fifty-fifty in this steep. The dark notes of roast and nuts are here, but very fast they are tackled by the florals making great round mouthfeel which seems very memorable for this tea. Sadly, flavours not that much.
Fourth steep, 30 seconds is about stronger roasted notes, florals translated a bit into more boring — grassy and vegetal notes. Also there are nutty flavors, closely followed with that popcorn impressions from dry leaf.
Another 30 seconds long steep is actually the same as previous one. Maybe a bit rounder.
Another 30 seconds long steep generally brings same flavour profile.
Afterwards I went to long, uncounted steeps. They were all pleasant.
Song pairing: various instrumental music and a few Finnish songs I don’t understand, but I think they are good;
Besides: writing a several postcards for postcrossing;
Mood: Much better now.
Preparation
I have this tea for almost an year and from 25 tea bags I used the 6th today. Mostly because it is indeed filled very much with hibiscus and then the red berries.
Imagine red currants, raspberries, red apples and maybe other red fruits all mixed in one tea bag. Candy-like. Short steeping time was the key to tame the hibiscus but it is still quite tart.
Not much a fan. But that is probably my personal preference.
Preparation
Tried this tea for first time with western steeping method, though apparently the gongfu is much better. It’s recommended on the bag (a huge one as it is very fluffy), but as well as in the description of tea.
It is a tea from Nannoushan, Menghai and last year harvest. I have been aware of harvest year before buying it but decided for that anyway as I actually almost ran out of white teas, which are perfect in hot days. They are thing of the past too, as mornings are indeed autumn like and afternoons are still warm, but not hot.
I took for my steeping method 5 grams which filled my strainer absolutely, filled the mug with a few minutes rested boiling water (definitely not measured) and well I can really agree with the description again.
White grape colour of the brew, with somehow berry-like aroma and floral, meadow notes. I disagree with fresh notes but yep, it’s year old tea. Also some notes of spices… green ones as a bit of cardamom, green peppercorns are there, if searched for.
Flavour was, suprisingly quite fruity as noticed by vendor too; sweetish and smooth. Very mouthcoating, and long aftertaste.
Wonderful tea, with much to explore in gongfu steeping. Certainly going to try next time!
