60

Haha, oh, wow. Flashback to childhood, white milky liquid penicillin. At the hospital they always said, ‘Oh, no small child can swallow pills this big,’ but I very happily did, seeing as the option was that terrifying milky-thick, fruit-flavoured stuff. I’ve sort of gotten over artificial banana to some degree, but artificial cherry? Never. One sip of Dr. Pepper and I start to cry, begging for mercy.

This is just me and my freaky hangups, though – I gave a collection of DF’s Christmas teas to my friend when she came to visit me right before the holidays, and she allegedly loved this one.

Anyway, this isn’t necessarily artificial – it’s pretty much what candied cherries, or cherry preserves taste like – there’s sweetness and that hint of bitter almond. Both in the nose and in the cup, the cherry/almond combination is what comes through most noticeably. It’s a nice flavour idea for Christmas, and the dry tea is really gorgeous.

Just not for me.

[From my epic Instant-Thé order to Rome, October 2013.]

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Dexter

LOL – based on what you’ve said – I’m going to LOVE this. LOVE Dr. Pepper and have have many an experience with the chalky cherry liquid penicillin. Yep this should work for me.
Sorry it wasn’t for you. :((

Anna

Meh, I just love trying different kinds of teas – it would be really annoying if I loved ALL of them. I mean, my tea cupboard would look like… yours!

(And if you really end up loving it, there’s a whole bag of it for sale in the forum.)

Dexter

But buying every tea I like caused my cupboard to end up looking like that…. I have some, will try it soon – see if anyone else buys it – if I love it and if it’s still there in a few days…. well who knows. :))

Anna

Dex, my friend, seeing as I wrote the review I wrote, I’m pretty sure it’ll be around forever.

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Dexter

LOL – based on what you’ve said – I’m going to LOVE this. LOVE Dr. Pepper and have have many an experience with the chalky cherry liquid penicillin. Yep this should work for me.
Sorry it wasn’t for you. :((

Anna

Meh, I just love trying different kinds of teas – it would be really annoying if I loved ALL of them. I mean, my tea cupboard would look like… yours!

(And if you really end up loving it, there’s a whole bag of it for sale in the forum.)

Dexter

But buying every tea I like caused my cupboard to end up looking like that…. I have some, will try it soon – see if anyone else buys it – if I love it and if it’s still there in a few days…. well who knows. :))

Anna

Dex, my friend, seeing as I wrote the review I wrote, I’m pretty sure it’ll be around forever.

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I’m going to try all the teas.

Then I will choose a lucky few perfect specimens, and we will live happily together in my tea cupboard.

Forever.

* *

2015

This will be a year of in-betweenness and logistics. Where to put the teas. How to arrange the teas. Which teas to replenish – which ones to say goodbye to.

Still doing Project Green.
Still doing Project Jasmine.
Still doing Project Peach.

Dr. Tea is the name, I’m ahead of my game
still, steeping my leafs, still f*ck with the temps
still not loving Assam (uh-huh)
still rock my Bosch kettle with its high-pitched shriek
still got love for the greens, repping Lupicia
still the cup steams, still doing my thang
since I left, ain’t too much changed, still

(With apologies to Mr. Young.)

2014

This year, all bets are off. I am going to drink both peppermint and chamomile and possibly suffer a little. But it’s okay – it’s for science.

I’m doing Project Jasmine, Project Peach and Project Unflavoured Green.

In terms of flavoured teas, Lupicia and Mariage Frères have become my massive favourites, and I have learned that Dammann Frères/Fauchon/Hédiard and Butiki aren’t really for me.

The O Dor, Adagio and Comptoir des thés et des épices are all on this year’s I’d like to get to know you better list.

2013

Getting back into tea drinking last fall, I was all about rooibos. This past spring has been all green tea, all the time, with some white additions over the summer. Currently attempting a slow, autumnal graduation to black teas. Oolongs are always appropriate.

The constant for me, flavour wise, is the strong presence of fruity and floral notes. Vanilla is lush, as long as it’s not artificial. Peach, berries, mango. Cornflower, rose, lavender.

No peppermint.

No chamomile.

No cinnamon.

Ever.

* *

My ratings don’t reflect the ‘What does this tea do for me?’ standard, but rather my own ‘What would I do for this tea?’ scale.

100-90
My absolute favourites. Teas I would travel for – or, in any case, pay exuberant postage for, because they simply have to be in my cupboard. Generally multi-faceted teas with complex scents and flavours. Teas with personality. Tricky teas.

89-80
Teas I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again if and when I came across them. Tea purchases I would surreptitiously weave into a travel itinerary (Oh! A Lupicia store! Here?! My word!).

79-70
Teas I enjoyed, but don’t necessarily need to make any kind of effort to buy again.

69-0
Varying degrees of disinterest and contempt.

Location

Rome, Italy

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