176 Tasting Notes

80

Backlogging. I had two cups of this yesterday morning. I don’t usually have more than one, but I was extra-sleepy and it’s getting colder outside. I think the Thermos is going to have to start coming to work with me.

This is an interesting one that doesn’t seem to fit into any category. I like it.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Michelle Butler Hallett

I just finished a packet of one called ‘Himalayan Traveller’s Tea.’ It’s like a more assertive Darjeeling. Really unique. I wonder if Nepalese teas will take off.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

85
drank Earl Grey Black by Teavana
176 tasting notes

Took this to class with me this morning. The chef-instructor brought in doughnuts… This was an excellent accidental pairing with my lemon curd bismark. (My favorite of all doughnuts.)

On a different note, I’ve down-graded this rating a bit. This is a good tea, but since trying it for the first time, I’ve found much better Earl Greys. I’m grading on a curve, I guess.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

80

Backlogging. I’ve got a few early-morning classes this semester, and I’ve been taking tea in my Thermos, which is a lovely way to stay warm in the frigid lecture room. I love that it’s still hot when I pull it out of my bag at the end of a 6-hour kitchen lab.

This Darjeeling is great, but 5:30am is not when I should be making a pot of tea, apparently. I had it in my head that this was an oolong. I steeped it as an oolong, and I expected it to taste like an oolong. I blame it on Adagio’s Ooooh Darjeeling…. Somehow. Really, it was just too early and I had no idea what I was doing. I shouldn’t be allowed to do anything without my morning cup… including making my morning cup.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Jaime

“Really, it was just too early and I had no idea what I was doing.”

Oh, how I can relate to that!!

Is your kitchen lab a quantity foods class? My longest one was only about 5…

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90

Starting to whittle down my collection of Assams. This one has come to an end. It was a good, basic Assam… but I don’t think it will be a re-order.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

75
drank Yunnan Jig by Adagio Teas
176 tasting notes

This is ever-so-slightly smoky, and it’s probably the highest amount of smoky that I can tolerate. I don’t know why I don’t like smoky teas. I guess it just always reminds me of meat or something. I never liked much smoky meat, and having not eaten any meat in over 8 years, it just… isn’t a taste I like. I do like the occasional bit of smoky cheese, though… Go figure.

I like this tea. The reviews imply that it’s not quite what a Yunnan should/could be, so I would be interested in trying another. It’s a nice contrast to my usual sorts of tea.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

50

I had to break my rule about not buying tea until my cupboard was under control. These Adagio teabags were on the clearance rack at work (grocery store) and I had to seize the opportunity because a) I had no idea Adagio was even in grocery stores, b) I’ve been super-curious about their teabags, and c) I would mostly be interested in using their teabags at work… and had an hour to kill in the breakroom.

I think these were probably discontinued due to a packaging issue. The box is labeled Tropical White – White Tea with a steeping suggestion of 180 for 7min, whereas the inner pouches say Tropical White – Green Tea (huh?) and suggest “simmering water” for 3min. Also, all the clearance-priced teas were in boxes, while the ones in the tea aisle were in larger pouches.

Anyway… I probably wouldn’t have chosen white tea if I had another option, but this was all that was left by the end of the day. I steeped it in water from the hot spigot in the cafeteria… so I didn’t have much control over the temperature.

I was… not awesome. I’m also not fond of the only other Adagio white I’ve ever had… for exactly the same reasons. I didn’t taste the tropical flavors over the odd, musty-bread sort of taste. I tried a second cup with sugar, and it didn’t change much. I also tried it at 3min, then let it go for another 4… because I honestly don’t know which is correct off the top of my head. I don’t usually drink white teas. Neither was any better or worse.

So… yeah. The teabags might be alright, but this wasn’t.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 7 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

75

Just finished off another sample. Apparently most of the teas taking up space in my cupboard had just one steeping left. This project might be easier than I thought.

I’ve had a very love/hate relationship with this tea. It seems to have two distinctly different personalities (depending on how much attention I put into steeping it, of course.) I brewed it a little strong today, because there would have been no point in keeping the leftover… and it tastes quite nice that way.

Changing the rating to an ‘official’ 75. I likely won’t buy any more, so this is my final say. :)

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

85

Another sample comes to an end. I’m digging this more than usual this morning, I usually prefer Ceylons cold, and like to drink maltier blacks hot.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90

The last of my sample. :(

I love this tea.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90

No notes yet. Add one?

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile