2238 Tasting Notes
I was glad to have this one in my cupboard the last few nights, since it’s kept me from drinking caffeinated drinks too late at night, and it actually seems to help ease my cold symptoms. I feel pretty rough at the moment, so it’s nice to have something to hand that I can reach for. I think this will probably be one I keep in my cupboard fairly consistently, especially once winter arrives…although these summer colds are the worst, aren’t they?
Preparation
I’ve tried this one a few times now, just as it comes but with a splash of milk. It’s a really nice vanilla black, not too sweet, but definitely with a dessert-like edge. The vanilla is nicely creamy, and the black base is sufficiently strong to make a decent breakfast/wake-up blend without being overpowering.
I have a decent quantity of this one left, so I won’t need to think about repurchasing for a while. I’m pretty sure I would, though, despite T2’s obvious packaging issues. For this one, it’s worth it!
Preparation
281/365
This is the agave version (B&B also do honey and maple varieties). I made this one in a pan on the hob, as per the recommendation, using 2 tsp of leaf, heated in milk until just about boiling. It strikes me as sweet, as chai goes, and what I like about it is that some of the more unusual flavours stand out more than the more usual suspects. For example, I can taste the anise most prominently, followed by corriander and fennel. For this reason, it doesn’t strike me as a particularly spicy chai – it’s more gentle/fragrant, but I’m actually enjoying that since I feel like I’m tasting things I wouldn’t usually notice much in other chai blends. The usual things are there – ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamon, pepper – but they’re pretty muted and remain mostly in the background.
The base tea is assam, and that’s deliciously malty (as you might expect). It works well with the sweeter overall profile, and with the agave particularly. While the blend as a whole tastes sweet, it doesn’t come across as sweetened or artificial. It strikes a nice balance.
I think, in future, I’d probably experiment with a bit more leaf, or perhaps 50:50 milk and water because I’d like the overall flavour to be a little stronger. Having said that, I really enjoyed the flavour I got here, so that’s not a criticism. I’d just like to taste more of it! I’ll return to this one with interest, particularly as the colder weather returns.
On an unrelated note, today was my first day in my new job, and I think it’s going to be okay. Obviously it’s all a bit weird and confusing at the moment, but I think it has the potential to be really nice. I have a cold at the moment, though, that I helpfully developed over the weekend, so I’m feeling pretty tired and just blah in general. For that reason, I’m going to pause my challenge for a few days while I recover, and while I get to grips with my new working arrangements. I’ll be back in a few days, though!
Preparation
280/365
This was last night’s pre-bedtime cup, and I was hoping for something along the lines of Bird & Blend’s Birthday Cake. The ingredients list is intriguing, since there’s nothing there that suggests either vanilla or cake; it’s composed of banana, orange, and papaya, on a rooibos base.
I brewed this up according to the directions, and added a splash of milk. As you might expect, knowing what’s in it, it tastes like tropical fruit. The banana is most prominent, and that’s quite pleasing, but the orange and papaya in the mid-sip don’t do much towards replicating cake. The rooibos is woody and a little scratchy, and ultimately it overpowers pretty much everything else. By the end of the cup, it’s pretty much all I can taste.
I’m not really sure how this one was ever supposed to taste like vanilla cupcake? It would pass muster as a tropical-inspired blend, but there’s nothing here that pays even a remote homage to the blend name. Why give people tropical fruit if they’re expecting cake? This blend reminds me very much of Irish Rum and Cream from the same company, which tastes like banana to me, and I don’t think I’d order from them again.
Disappointing!
Preparation
279/365
I left this one until last because it’s just too weird, and I do honestly wonder what I was thinking when I bought it…however many years ago that was. I was prepared to be surprised, though, since I felt the same way about Maple Bacon, and I actually quite liked that one.
Not the same here, unfortunately. When I opened the pouch, it exuded the strongest dried garlic scent I think I’ve ever experienced, which made me a little nervous about exactly how much garlic might be in the blend. I was hoping for subtle! Once brewed, it is more muted in scent terms, although it was still pungent enough to completely stink out my fridge in the few hours it sat in there.
To taste, it’s…interesting. It’s on the usual SBT black base, so on the sweet side and pretty malty. It’s very smooth and buttery, with a mouthfeel that’s almost a little too oily for my tastes. Then there’s the garlic. It’s not super strong, but it makes for a distinctly odd pairing with the sweet tea base. It captures several aspects of garlic bread, but I can’t say I’m drinking it and enjoying it. Tolerating, at best.
The problem I have with this is that the base is just too sweet, and that’s too much of a contrast with the otherwise savoury flavour profile. I drank about half a glass of this one and then dumped the rest. It just really wasn’t for me, but at least I tried it! In hindsight, probably not one of the better SBT flavour ideas…
Preparation
278/365
Last day at work tea! It’s also the last of the teas I picked up with my one (and only) order from True Tea Co. This was one of the better ones, given that it actually tasted of something akin to it’s name. It’s not a perfect blend by any means, but it’s okay – candy strawberry, and a touch of cream. The rooibos is pretty strong and woody, and it distracts a little from what’s already a delicate flavour, but I’m not too disappointed with it. It’s a fairly good bedtime option, and I’m always looking for more of those.
I drank this cup with a splash of milk, and I’m wondering now whether it might work well as a latte. I’m a little concerned about the rooibos, but hopeful also that the strawberry might come to increased prominence. I’d probably not order from True again, since I’ve found their blends really inconsistent, but a couple of good things have come out of it so I can’t be too disappointed. This was one of the positives.
Preparation
Finished off my last cup of this today, in my Timolino. It’s obviously not as good as it would be if I made it in a proper mug at home (or as a latte…), but it still hits the spot. It might be gone for now, but let’s be honest – this is always one I’ll repurchase.
Preparation
277/365
A-Level results are out today in the UK, which means Clearing, long, long hours, and a lot of hassle. I certainly know how to pick my last two days at work! I made this one up in my Timolino this morning, since I knew I’d need a treat. Dry, it smells amazing, really banana-y and totally delicious. Brewed, it’s not quite as strong a flavour as I hoped it might be, but it’s pretty good. It’s definitely banana, but there’s an underlying caramel and cream kind of vibe that’s also really nice. It’s more candy banana than actual fruit, but I’m okay with that – it reminds me of those foam banana sweets, and I actually like those quite a bit.
The black base here is perhaps a touch strong for the flavouring, although it’s possible that I overdid the brew time a little. I’ve got plenty left to experiment with (a whole cube!), and I’m happy with how it came out anyway so things can probably only get better. I’m glad I took a chance on 100g of this one – I’ve tried so many disappointing banana teas, that it’s nice to come across one that holds up well against my banana-based expectations. It was a little bit of joy in a cup this morning.
Preparation
I decided to use my last sachet of this one last night, since it feels like it’s been a long time since I drank any matcha. I used a recipe from Bird & Blend’s website that caught my eye – ice cream and sprinkles! It’s made with 1 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup water, heated together, with the addition of 1 tsp maple syrup…and sprinkles!
It tastes amazing! I wasn’t sure how coconut, maple, and the vanilla-heavy matcha would work together as a flavour combination, but they’re unexpectedly complementary. The end result is sweet (of course!), and deliciously creamy, with an undertone of coconut. I wondered whether the coconut would be overpowering, but it actually blends in really well. When the sprinkles melt, they add an extra liquid-sugar kind of sweetness that reminds me a little of ice cream syrup. As a whole, it’s just really, really good. I’d make this again without hesitation, but I’ll need to buy some more Ice Cream Matcha first!
Much needed deliciousness.
276/365
Almost there with my SBTs! I have just one more left in my cupboard after this one, and it’s a slightly kooky one which is why I’ve been avoiding it! This one, though, is eminently straightforward – cinnamon and orange strikes me as a pretty classic combination, if a little autumnal. I’m feeling autumn today, though, so it actually fits the bill pretty perfectly; it’s an excellent bridging flavour between summer and autumn.
I gave this one the usual treatment – 4 minutes in 1/4 litre of boiling water, topped up to 2 litres with cold water. It’s more subtle than I thought it might be, and definitely more so than some of the other honeybush based SBTs have been. The cinnamon packs quite a punch in the aftertaste, though, so in practice it actually works quite well.
The beginning of the sip is mostly orange, but zest, rather than juice. It’s not too pithy, though, so I’m happy enough. I think it helps it to taste more natural, since it’s easier to avoid the fizzy-orange-vitamins comparison. You can’t go wrong with orange zest! The cinnamon is definitely the strongest, most dominant flavour of the pairing, though. It starts subtle, but it soon builds to an almost-burn at the back of the throat, which isn’t always entirely pleasant. I’m finding I need a bit of a break between sips to keep it manageable, but since I’m at work that tends to happen anyway.
On the whole, I’m pretty pleased with this one. I think it would be better, and definitely more balanced, with more orange and less cinnamon, but it’s not too bad on the whole. This one’s a middle-of-the-road SBT for me – not a favourite, but not irredeemable. I suspect I might appreciate it more in colder weather, but that’s not going to happen now. Live and learn!
Sorry you’ve got a cold. Summer ones always seem worse.
Feel better soon!