Paper & Tea

ADVENT DAY 18

Now it is repetition. It’s sad, honestly.

And today, somehow… it was so generic spicy. Maybe I have oversteeped it, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood to enjoy a hot cup of spicy tea.

It wasn’t bad. It was just too plain for me.

ADVENT DAY 4

Generally, I am not fan of Ayurvedic tisanes, especially when only herbal or spices. But somehow… it woke me up well although it should be caffeine-free.

It’s not bad, very warming up tisane with warm clove note and cinnamon, light ginger note and quite sweet. It reminds me a bit gingerbread (its Czech version, naturally) and overall it is quite well done. Easydrinking spicy tea without any tongue burns because too strong notes.

But overall, it isn’t a cup I would return to. It’s not bad, but the base is clearly missing and I would really like it with black tea base. Then it would be chai, I know.

ADVENT DAY 15

… again?
Damn. I put it into wishlist, but I haven’t been expecting seeing it so quickly. It was in day 3 and loved it.

I won’t repeat myself. See that tasting note. It’s same. For real! However, today I wasn’t able to enjoy it that much as back then. You know, busy days…

ADVENT DAY 3

A second-flush Darjeeling? I am a bit afraid… considering it is a sachet (thankfuly not a tea bag, however, some are fine… El Puente)

It’s more complex than I have been expecting. First steep had a deep body, with notes of raisins, red fruits, a hint of malt and floral aftertaste. Very pleasant with slight astringency of black tea. Quite complex and I am glad it is!

Second steep prepared in the same way, maybe with a wee colder water was very similar — like it doesn’t lose any flavour from it. The astringency arose a bit, but maybe it is because I am drinking it rather cold now. I notice more lemon rind, or any citrus rind aftertaste.

This sounds like a cup for me. Not only because two steeps, but as well so complex and with my favourite flavour profile. A very decent Darjeeling for me and I am, actually, considering ordering a loose leaf pouch (or maybe even a tin? :) ).

Adventaggedon Day 16: Tea 6/8

Another revisit from a tea featured earlier in the advent! I brewed this up honestly probably a bit too strong but I mostly just wanted to get it out of the way for the day. While this brought out a decent amount of bitterness it also pulled out a really strong green bean note that I found surprisingly enjoyable. So pros and cons to that decision, for sure.

Adventaggedon Day 2: Tea 3/7

I had two very similar straight green teas in my advent assortment today and this was one of them. I liked it the least but I will say that both were better than I expected them to be! I thought this was very green bean tasting with a sort of nutty starchiness to it. Delicate and smooth.

My coworker who is also doing this advent really liked this one and said he resteeped it three times and it found it delicious each time. I did not resteep it as once was enough for me and I had six other advent teas to get to. However, I could definitely see it holding up well to a resteep – the leaf quality seemed very nice.

So, this blend I apparently tried as well; but it is so long time ago…

Berry fruit punch with cherry finish, very red in color, refreshing even hot; iced attempt to be tried. No heartburn, slight tartness in the end of sip.

Not a bag bagged tea, though a bit expensive for daily mindless drinking.

ADVENT SEASON has started! Surpringly, I start with it again. And only Advent calendar I have this year, because being busy in work, is from Paper & Tea. I have bought it mostly as a sampler to try 24 different teas from them. And if combined with Advent calendar, what can go wrong?

This tea I had to add into database and I just couldn’t pick the best picture they have there… so I do hope that the picture is selling it a bit to you guys.

Okay, now to the tea itself. Honestly, I would like rather something with caffeine (tired after work), but whatever. Fruit notes writtten on backside were a bit… boring. It says: “forest berries, blueberry, cherry, hibiscus” .

Nothing wrong with those flavours, but a bit too standard, don’t you think? Well. It is standard, but not bad. It was fruity, like a fruit punch I can say. Tartness comes from elderberries which are the most present in taste (of berries) and as it cools down I noticed a bit of blueberry. Sadly, I could not notice much of cherries and honestly, behind “forest berries” I miss raspberries and forest strawberries. Maybe I am used to drink more fruity fruit teas… as Czech producers usually are using lots of flavourings. This one was mild — and thus nice, don’t get me wrong.

So yeah, pretty nice starting tea, although it could be better!

ADVENT DAY 11

I can’t believe we’re almost in half of Advent Season: It flies so fast. And today, we have got another tea I had before theAdvent season and thus I have two sachets remaining.

I blame Paper and Tea they put higher quality ingredients in or better mixed. Because today it was even a bit better. Wonderful base as in previous experience, more orange and very creamy (and nice) vanilla notes. Smooth, mouthcoating and cocoa-like indeed as well. What I liked the most, and I will repeat myself, is that the flavours aren’t “punch in the face”, but very subtle complements to the base tea. Today it was even more distinctive than last time… I mean the orange and cooca and it reminded me that one experience with chocolate covered orange. Sadly, this flavour wasn’t translated to long aftertaste, that’s was only black base with vanilla.

I will keep this rating, however it has got good chances to climb higher than 80/100.

Happy Thanksgiving fellow Steepster people who celebrate it. We do not.

But why not to be thankful one day. But why only one day. I am thankful for every single day.

But the tea… gets same rating as their Perfect Day. It was great as well. I got nice and quite strong base, with caramel sweetness from it. Vanilla smoothness and little of its flavour. Vanilla creamyness. Delish. And in the end of sip I noticed orange flesh. It wasn’t peel flavour (which should be in), but the inside of the citrus. Great. I couldn’t notice much of chocolate which should be in, but maybe next time. I have two tea bags left.

Single steep (although two are possible, according to them).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ADVENT DAY 24

I won’t lie, I have expected some kind of holiday tea. Some distinctly German. Punch-like maybe? Glühwein?

But anyway! It is wonderful apricot white tea. Today even the base tea complements so well with the fruit. Honeyish → sweet taste of it.

Apricot is fruity and fresh, juicy as wel. Very genuine and sweet as well. One of the winners for me from this Advent.

I think that this Advent calendar shown me some blends I am considering to order one day, as well there were a few dismals. But that’s completely normal. One young man can’t love everything.

I also wish you happy holidays, a better next year and I wish you all being healthy, because that matters the most nowadays.

ADVENT DAY 6

Well, another tea I had already. But I have been kinda expecting it will happen. Luckily it is a decent cup.

Again it was a very pleasant, apricot tea with white tea base. It was truly great, although in winter, a bit uncommon. But for summer, it is a delish and iced it can be wonderful I bet.

So smooth, so mouthcoating, so…. I don’t know, so well blended.

Ok, it seems this is a winner for the four teas I have tried from Paper & Tea. However, one (and last from sampler) is about to come this afternoon. EDIT 8 hours later: it did not. I sipped down Jin Xuan Jasmine oolong instead.

It is very light base, but very nice — mouthcoating and supersmooth. It has got white tea qualities, athough I am not able to describe the flavour profile of it. It was quite sweet and lightly fruity — mostly the apricots I have noticed and a little of apples. It says there should be mango, but I am glad I haven’t noticed it as I think it would overpower the mellow, fruity and fresh apricot flavour I got.

SIPDOWN 5
I brought my variety box to the work and I have very last tea bag there left. That’s Perfect Day, which I should save for some really perfect one. I finished all P&T order much faster than I want to admit. And I am afraid a new order is just around the corner.

Anyway, why I am writing a tasting note this time? I have to say, mostly to Roswell Strange, that today cup was full of basil with very nice strawberry complenting flavor. It seems their tea bags lack in consistency, which is truly sad, especially with ingredients which are a bit rare, as basil here, or juniper in Brave New Earl.

It was a delish today gloomy morning, very summer-y cup. I shall say mug, as I have a big (500 ml) porcelain mug at work. It’s heavy, it’s huge, it’s perfect! Basil was there. Lively green tea base, earthy basil and fresh strawberry.

My sickness has not left me yet. Blargh. But I feel a little better than yesterday evening, although I wasn’t sure about it at 5 am I woke up. Let’s see tomorrow if I will call doctor or will go to work. I hope for the latter.

ADVENT DAY 19
So close to the end of Advent season again?
But luckily, not a tea I had in advent calendar yet. I wonder how long I have steeped it today, but I am pretty much sure it has been more than 3 minutes as I did last time. It was nice strawberry tea, but no rose today… maybe because my stuffed nose (again!). Again no basil for me, or just so little. I noticed strawberries and light hibiscus. And pretty okay green tea base. Get me more basil in this and I will raise the rating.

I have been to the dentist today, preparation for a crown. So next visit will be costly.

That said, my tasting buds may be off. And I am so numb all day. Slight headache for second day. Uhh, I want a cup of tea.

So here it is.
Single steep.

Decent tea, with nice strawberry note, although not fresh and juicy berry flavour. It wasn’t a flaw though, as I think I wouldn’t enjoy it. The base wasn’t much strong with this tea. But it complements the flavour profile. Weirdly, instead of basil, I noticed rather rose. I expected more basil rough taste, but nada. It was fine though and all together working fine. Maybe my smell isn’t great with a bit stuffy nose. Overall, nice and light tea… hopefully with more fruitiness next time.

Ah. Nothing new to me. I had it just two weeks ago, okay?!

ADVENT DAY 2

But what’s wrong trying it again. This time, my sachet had more juniper berreis in. And I crushed them before brewing the tea. And used a bit colder water. Great combo!

I was surprised that Roswell Strange had this as a DAY 1, but I agree with her… a very nice EG with floral qualities and now even with nice piney (but more please) aftertaste. Smooth, honeyish base which was bold and flavourful.

More enjoyable for me this time, so I am raising the rating.

A tea I was looking most forward and luckily, it delivers my expectations quite right.

It is EG, for sure. Not sure how much bergamot, rather quite generic citrusy note. I mean, I had more bergamot forward teas. But at least it wasn’t overpowering the light, but present base tea.

Sadly, other ingredient I was looking forward, isn’t much present. As Roswell Strange mentioned, it needs more juniper! It was pine-y; but somehow it just complements the citrus notes. I was expecting stronger note of it. Not sure how much berries were in my sachet, I will try to crush them next time a bit. They use cotton and thus opaque sachets, for two steepings. I will try second steep now… but I don’t expect much difference.

And not sure if jasmine flowers are in, but it was nicely floral too. Better than yesterday experience, but still I have expected more from it.

One month later.

ADVENT DAY 17

Yes, exactly one month later I have this tea again and this time from Advent Calendar. I have oversteeped it though, but it was somehow welcomed, because… I had slight headache and I really wanted bold and strong tea.

It was. All the mellow notes has disappeared. No marzipan, no nutty notes. But strong almond and malty cup. Slightly tannic and light astringent aftertaste.

Yes, it is intended to be drank with more careful steeping, but longer steeps aren’t turning it wrong.

I have ordered myself a P&T Advent Calendar as, honestly, a sampler of this Berliner company. But I couldn’t order just that, so I took one variety box as well (Good Day Variety Box). They have decided to send it in two packages and although they were scanned very same time on courier service; they decided to deliver variety box only. And with wrong weight… no, the box wasn’t 10.15 kilos heavy. Probably extra zero…

Anyway, I took another new tea today and I had no mood to brew gongfu, I took a bold black tea. At least that were my expectations.

They weren’t met. Sadly, it is pretty simple base (how weird, when there are black teas from India and China; and Chinese pu-erh) and flavouring wasn’t great as well. It contains pure barley malt, which is something I have tried and well, it is pronounced in taste as well in the aroma. But I expected that brisk tea maltiness and unfortunately, nope. It was mediocre in almonds, which are in as well; it was like a bit of marzipan (in the first steep), while in the second steep it was a bit more nutty.

Maybe you now just wonder, why I tried brewing the sachet two times — simply, they suggest doing it.

The base is reminding me rather caramel, but sadly very one-dimensional and very simple. Way too much, especially when there is pu-erh, which can be dark and robust… which I would enjoy with the other notes I have noticed.

For the price I have been expecting more interesting flavour profile.

I searched what “Hunky Dory” means and found out it is name of the Bowie’s album name. Sorry for being so ignorant and not knowing it.

I had it twice so far, brewed exactly like they recommend it on the packaging. I have to say I am slightly disappointed… doesn’t taste like much. It tastes like a weak regular cheap black tea – and it’s not! I costs 38 euros at P&T – whoa, that is a lot for 1 caddy. I can’t smell / sense any of the notes I am supposed to feel. Usually I am P&T biggest fan, but sorry – not this time. Not worth the extra $$$ imho.

Not bad but not exactly ahem my cup of tea. Raw cocoa powder, cacao nibs and dark chocolate are very much present, without bitterness or excessive sweetness. These are followed by toasted sesame, salted roasted peanuts, Korean barley tea. Leaves a rather long salty and chocolaty taste. Weird stuff.

Sipdown (692)!

Finished this one off as a pot of tea; it was fine but not greatly my thing. Pretty smooth, light to medium bodied but a little too grassy in general to really mesh with my own tastes. I’d say though, of the kukicha I’ve tried, this is either solidly in the middle or just slightly above in terms of quality.

Brewed in my 350ml/12oz workhorse tea mug with water as hot as the water dispenser in the office can put out + a splash of cold water to reduce the wait time to a minimum. Dark, fairly large leaf, the color of dark chocolate and cocoa nibs. Beautiful polished bronze liquor. Deep honey, sweet floral aroma, milk chocolate, roasted nuts, caramel and a touch of burnt sugar. The liquor is missing some of the sweetness found in the leaf. More leaf/less water next time around maybe? Slight greenness later on. Easy drinking oolong.