618 Tasting Notes

88

Steeping this tea, I was reminded of LifeSaver’s butter rum candy. The smell, to me, is just about the same! The taste is of coconut and vanilla with a slight creamy finish. As it cools, the tea turns significantly more buttery and creamy. Absolutely amazing! I can’t seem to get the image of LifeSaver’s candies out of my head.. this is THAT candy flavor in TEA form! This tea is so sweet and delicious, I have already had 3/4 of the cup without noticing! I really wonder what milk and sugar would do to this tea. I feel like it would be beyond sweet, almost like a piece of toffee. Drinking it so quickly, my stomach catches up with me to realize just how RICH this tea is. This would be perfect for satisfying any sweet cravings!
The biggest hug to ladykittykat for sending me a sample of this. I have quite a few more samples to try and think I’ll indulge all afternoon and evening while writing three papers for class!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 15 sec
Daddyselephant

This is one of our favorites, in fact, we’re almost out! It’s the one I use to convert everyone I know over to the dark side of looseleaf tea. Glad you’re liking it!

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97
drank Milk Oolong by thepuriTea
618 tasting notes

I was really excited to try this tea since there has been so much talk about it! Infusin_Susan sent me a little sample to try, so I offer a big oolong-wrapped hug to her!

Steep #1: The scent is of a regular milk oolong and surprisingly, less buttery than Holy Mountain’s version. The flavor, though, is smooth and sweet. It doesn’t have the same savory or buttery tone that Holy Mountain’s has, but I think I am enjoying the sweetness a bit more. I can even taste a bit more of a floral or fruity flavor as well. There is a grassy note that wraps itself around the sweetness.

Steep #2: The steep is a bit less milky and still tastes relatively the same as the first cup. This milk oolong is interesting because while it’s sweet, it’s much more floral and less rich than expected. Still a good cup, though!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 15 sec
Infusin_Susan

That’s how I felt about it — it was more sweet/floral than creamy/buttery. It really reminded me of those “milky tea” candies you can get at Asian supermarkets.

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75

I was given a box of this today by my mom’s friend. My little dog went crazy for the box and even tried digging his little nose into the tea bags. I popped one in a mug and steeped for a little over a minute. The flavor and scent are familiar. I definitely recognize the “Constant Comment” taste, but with a different finish. I prefer this tea without the green tea finish, it just doesn’t taste like a spectacular green. This is rather comforting, still, and I may pull out some of these bags if I’m ever craving that old flavor.

Bigelow Tea

Nice to hear you gave this one a try…we appreciate your comments!

Kathy for Bigelow Tea

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79
drank Iced Chai Tea Latte by Tazo
618 tasting notes

I forgot to log this tea yesterday when I picked up a giant cup at Starbucks. I felt exhausted and needed some kind of refreshment! The nice thing about this drink is that it tastes familiar and just about the same no matter which Starbucks I visit. The chai is sweet and not too spicy. (It seems less sweet to me than its hotter version – and that’s a good thing! Sometimes the hot Tazo chai lattes can be a little too sweet.) I tend to get a sour note on the tail end of some sips. I honestly don’t believe that it’s from bad milk, but that it’s just the way it is. This is a solid drink to have when you’re not in the mood for a rich espresso drink or plain tea. While this isn’t my favorite thing to have from Starbucks, it was very fitting yesterday in the afternoon.

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80
drank Glitter & Gold by DAVIDsTEA
618 tasting notes

To add to what many have already said, this tea is beautiful. Rich, dark tea leaves with tasty sugar crystals and glittering gold balls. Gorgeous! There are glittery sparkles that transfer to the actual water! This looks magical and I haven’t even had a sip yet!
The cinnamon scent becomes more tame while the tea steeps and blends well with a nice black tea aroma.
The cinnamon and the black tea blend seamlessly into a smooth flavor. I actually really like this aspect about the tea & haven’t tasted anything like it before. Despite the presence of sugar crystals, the tea isn’t overly sweet. I suppose looking at the tea, I was expecting a bolder cup. It’s surprisingly mild.. almost maybe a little too mild. This is still a very warming and interesting cup of tea, though. Thanks so much to Ashika for a sample of this!

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec

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78
drank Apple Cider by Bigelow
618 tasting notes

I don’t know why I haven’t logged this tea yet! Big thanks to Jaime for a few bags of this tea. I had another crazy day at work and needed something to help me unwind (even after a LONG nap!) before bed. I thought about having a black tea blend, but didn’t want to risk going to sleep even later. I had 1/2 cup of an uneventful rooibos, and have now turned to this lucky one. Sometimes you just need a good cup of herbal tea. The scent is simply fall and early winter. Even though it’s out of season, I really like the comfort this cup is providing. Tasting the tea, I’m not getting distinct apple flavors, but more of an unidentifiable fruit flavor with the background of light spice. I’m glad that the spices aren’t overwhelming since I really dislike heavy spices and peppery flavors. There is a tartness in this tea that isn’t necessarily what I would mix with cider, but it works. I’m getting a small tickle in the back of my throat.. but it’s not so unpleasant that I can’t continue sipping.
So far this is the closest tea I’ve found that tastes the most like cider. This fall, I might just have to drink cider and wait for some magical tea that tastes even closer… but tonight this is a very comforting, yummy cup.. just fits the mood!

Cofftea

You should try Twinnings Apple Spiced Chai. BEST apple spice tea I’ve tried hands down. Now that I have Tipu’s instant chai I want to stir some into some apple juice- I just need to remember to buy it. Even though chai is traditionally sweetened, I don’t normally, but I’m thinking of sweetening it w/ equal parts raw stevia (although that’s 2x the sweeteness of sugar so I’ll actually only use 1/2 part stevia), caramel ice cream syrup and brown sugar.

Bigelow Tea

@QueenofTarts, glad you found this seasonal favorite comforting …although only in stores in the fall months, we do offer from our website, all year round
http://www.bigelowtea.com/Catalog/Product/36/96/120/Apple+Cider+Herbal+Tea.aspx
thanks for your interest in Bigelow!
Kathy for Bigelow Tea

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87

Another interesting tea steep tonight. This would be my third time having this tea and so far this is the sweetest the tea has been for me. I’m increasing the rating because the mouth feel is a bit thicker this time and it’s slightly more sweet and very buttery. I’m looking forward to re-steeping these leaves tonight!

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87

Today I’m beginning my long milk oolong train.. in hopes of finding the very best milk oolong. I heard good things about this tea and thought it would be nice as #1. The leaves smell like vegetables with a hint of milk. I’m almost getting a rubbery element (it’s interesting how I’m always getting a rubbery note in some of my teas) that I dislike. Steeping, the scent transforms from rubbery, milky vegetables to that true TEA smell with butter. I’m always amazed at how a tea can smell like a buttery, rich thing.

Steep #1: Sipping, I’m getting a different flavor than expected. I suppose I was expecting something far richer or creamier, but it’s nice. Definitely a milky flavor, but you kind of have to look for it in the sip. There is a nice, smooth transition into the more floral notes of the tea. Not as sweet as I thought it would be.. it’s more savory and buttery. Still very yummy.

Steep #2: A darker yellow this time. The leaves really opened up! I’m sniffing elements of buttered popcorn.. savory things, again. This is pretty good.. not terribly smooth, but not bad either. The floral taste is more present, but it still retains its buttery taste. Not as much like sweet cream as I would have liked.

In my 2-steep experience, I would say that I like this tea. It’s definitely buttery and somewhat milky, but lacks a real sweetness. This isn’t a bad choice for a milk oolong if you’re looking for less sweet cream and more salty butter.

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78

I had a stomach ache tonight and decided some chamomile tea would help. I’m coming around to this cup of tea. The flavor is still a little bit strange, but I like the smoothness. It’s almost “fluffy” — not in texture so much.. but just in presence. I also like how the vanilla calms the spearmint since I wasn’t crazy about that note in the original Sleepytime blend. So soothing, I may have a second cup tonight.

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75
drank Coconut Custard by Teas Etc
618 tasting notes

Really yummy cup of tea, as always. This is a perfect cup to have while relaxing at the end of the day. Delicious!

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Bio

~
Tea (& Coffee) lover. Bookworm.

Favorite teas: Milk Oolong, Flavored blends, Dessert teas, Creamy Teas, Rooibos, Oolong, Black, Green
Dislikes: Spices, Peppery flavors, Cloves, Cardamom, Licorice, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Mate, Puerh, Chai, Ginger

My Rather Picky Ratings
90+ – Reserved for the very best! Always in the cupboard!
80-89 – Quite good! A very pleasing cup.
70-79 – Room for improvement, but not bad.
60-69 – Mediocre.
50-59 – Bad. Will not purchase.
49 & below – Depending on the more specific rating: Undrinkable. Yuck. Will not purchase.

Note: Teas in my cupboard are all of the teas that I’ve logged, regardless of their current presence in my actual cupboard. For an updated list on what teas I have available for swap, check out the swap thread and not my cupboard! Thanks!

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