3238 Tasting Notes
Sipdown!
But it is a sad sipdown. I love this tea. I will re-order when my cupboard gets lower, maybe in about three months or so! Early Christmas gifts have brought my cupboard back over 100 and I know there are a few more to come, but by March or April I should hopefully hit my goal…except for the birthday tea I will get in March. Oops.
This black tea is delicious by itself or with food. It is fruity with a little smooth vanilla. They say it is delicious with milk but I have never added any milk or sugar to it.
I won’t count this as a sipdown but I will use it for the…
December Sipdown Challenge Prompt – a holiday tea
I did finish a pouch of this tea that we bought last year, but this is a staple for us and replacement pouches of both this and the decaf version are already here.
Very similar to Frasier, this has coconut added which makes just a bit richer and sweeter.
December Sipdown Challenge – a flavored black tea
This is not a sipdown, quite the contrary. It is a freshly opened tin of tea that I received for Christmas from Superanna and her husband. When I added it to cupboard, I saw that the first time I had it, it was a gift from her then-fiancé eleven years ago.
I had this with breakfast. I love almond flavor and this is one where it is mimics slightly tart cherry so well. This is a tea with oresence, good to go with food and good for mornings when you want to NOTICE the tea you are drinking.
Lots of happy deep sniffs of the cup. Thank you to Superanna and her husband!
I enjoy floral teas. Very much.
A couple of years ago, Superanna gave me a jelly called Jardin du Luxembourg from Dammann Freres. It was soooo floral. I really enjoyed with cheese and crackers, or cheese and toast.
I had never heard of tea flavored jellies at that time and it took me a minute (okay, a lot more than a minute) to realize that if they had a jelly by that name then they must also have a tea by that name. I looked it up and immediately added it to my wishlist.
When I opened my gift and sniffed this, it was absolutely identical to the scent of the jelly. This is rich, decadent, heady perfume. I am delighted to have this on shelf.
Thank you, Superanna! <3
December Sipdown Challenge – tea with a red ingredient
I was craving something special tonight and this was just the thing. The first time I had it, I had no idea what was in it but I knew I recognized the savory element. I was surprised to find rosemary in a tea with cherry. It was delicious and I was pretty happy when I saw that it came in a decaf version as well.
The pink peppercorns are bright and red. They lend a little warmth but are not hot. They look really pretty in the mix.
This pouch is almost all gone, but this is going on my re-order list. I wilk hiod off until the cupboard is a little lower! I have three teas teetering near the edge of sipdown and will make lots of tea tomorrow when the family comes, hopefully bringing me closer to the 2023 goal. (Even though I don’t expect to meet the goal!)
The first time I tried this, I was not wowed by it. It seemed a little harsh. The other tea I ordered at the same time but don’t remember the name of, I liked better as did Superanna who was trying it with me, so I gave it to her since my whole reason for ordering these was to let her try different Japanese teas before she goes to Japan.
Today one of my students gave me a kurinuki cup that she made herself as a Christmas gift, so of course I wanted to use the cup with an authentic Japanese green tea! I prepared the tea very carefully this time with low temp water (around 155F) and a short steep, and it was so good.
The cup was really neat to drink from. The shape is irregular by nature and we had to get to know each other. The cup and I found the best spot to sip from which also suited my hand position holding the cup perfectly.
I will enjoy the remainder of this tea infinitely more with the cup as its companion!
December Sipdown Challenge – National Cocoa Day
This is a solid, reliable chocolate tea that lets you taste both tea and real chocolate flavor without telling of mildew or swimming in oil.
I am getting close to a sipdown but have a few breakfast pots to go. That is my favorite time to enjoy this one. I love it plain but I bet it would be super desserty with milk and sugar if that is what you are going for!
Sipdown!
And not just any sipdown, but the one that drops my cupboard below 100 for the first time in ever so many years! I do not expect to hit my goal of 75 and I know I will get tea for Christmas that will push the number up a little, but this is progress! My oldest teas that are not intended for aging are mostly gone. And I purposely did not order any advent teas because I am serious about getting my cupboard at a point I am happy with!
I am a little picky about Earl Grey tea. I don”t want it to be too sour or sharp, so that rules out most Ceylon bases. I really like bergamot on Keemun but other bases or a low grown Ceylon can be good, too.
This is a strong Earl Grey type tea. There is nothing subtle about it. But it has several twists that make it really nice. First, it has a smoky base instead of a lemony Ceylon one such as is often used. Second, it has longan fruit for the tart and citrusy scenting.
This one was finished off well in advance of its “best by” date.
Congratulations! Legitimately an accomplishment around here!
Congrats, that’s amazing! I’m hoping to hit 200 by the end of the year…
Thank you! I don’t include samples in that number, but even my samples are pretty well in control now! Maybe – just maybe – I can get down to 90 by December 31st!
Congratulations, I am aspiring to that!
Whoa, what an achievment here! I need cut down the numbers too and I hope it will be slow, but steady.
I received a sample of this in the mail today, with gmathis inviting me to have an imaginary tea party with her! I emailed that we would have tea and shortbread cookies (y’all, try the Keebler Cranberry Almond Sandies if you like shortbread!) at 7:30 pm EST.
Ashman and I enjoyed this, and Ashman was particularly jonesing over the pot as it steeped. Not sure if he just wanted cookies that badly or loved the smell of the tea, but he insisted on giving me notes. He says, “very organic tasting, is it corn I taste? It’s mild, I like mild tea. This is good.” Then he pretended he didn’t want the last cookie until I told him I was full and had intentionally set out three for him and two for me and to have at it.
The coconut is smooth and creamy/oily. It doesn’t smack you in the face like some overpowering coconut I have had in teas.
Thank you, gmathis, for a fun evening tea party!
Imaginary tea party! Love it.
There were two little Crumbl cookie boxes on the kitchen table when I got home from work last night…so big and sinful, you have to cut and eat them in small wedges like pie. No shortbread, but the lemon poppyseed was awfully good.
Ashman was very much into it and wanted to know how our participation was counted as dual. Were we going to video call? Were we going to text? I told him no we were just mutually drinking tea and eating cookies and would email each other.
Later he asked me if I had heard from you, and did I tell you, “Never mind about the mess! It looked fine!” Hahahahaha (Because I told him that your card that said to ignore the imaginary horrible housekeeping!)
Good thing…there’s Christmas box paraphenalia, writing assignment notebooks, and cat toys strung all over the living room.
But we could do a videocall tea party one day :)
Yes, indeed, Martin! That would be fun! I think Ashman was totally up for that!
December Sipdown Challenge – National Cookie Day
I almost forgot it was a “special” tea day and I had Earl Grey Grand Classic for breakfast. Right before lunch I remembered that I need to drink a cookie tea today, so here we are.
I was so pleasantly surprised with this tea. Initially I didn’t order it because I was sure it would have ginger than I like, but after seeing lots of tasting notes on it I gave in to temptation and purchased it with the excuse that it would be a great winter tea. Even though we are not having much winter weather, it really is a great winter tea.
The spices are just right for me, and the ginger doesn’t burn but just makes a slight warming sensation the more you sip. The aroma is the very best part of this tea, sooooo rich. And it makes a good latte.
The only thing I would change is that I would like a stronger base, but I do love a Keemun base in a flavored tea and I guess they can’t use that all the time! What I CAN do is add a bit of stronger black tea while steeping, which I didn’t do today. It is still really good and I recommend it.
