2996 Tasting Notes

drank Bourbon Brew by Old Barrel Tea Co
2996 tasting notes

Know how little sample packets sent by friends get woodged down in the bottom of a container? I un-woodged this morning! I am a roo lover and this mix of sugary, boozy flavors blends in nicely. A previous note from Michelle mentions that this resembles butterscotch. Absolutely.

Dustin

What is a roo? In my dictionary it’s short for rooster and that doesn’t make sense in your sentence at all! LOL!

Cameron B.

Rooibos was my guess ha ha.

gmathis

Well, I do have a soft spot in my heart for chickens, but that’s a whole ’nother story! Rooibos it is.

Dustin

OMG, I can’t believe I didn’t think rooibos! Facepalm.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

drank Cuddlebugs by Adagio Custom Blends
2996 tasting notes

Tried a sample of this little Adagio custom blend: half decalf orange and half honeybush chocolate. As much as I love chocolate and orange together, I expected something swoon-worthy. No swooning, but I was a distracted sipper; multitasking, so it may not have gotten the attention it deserved. Got the orange, got the honeybush, but the chocolate didn’t hold up its leg of the tripod.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

drank Organic Oolong by Touch Organic
2996 tasting notes

There’s been some of this in my office stash for what seems like forever…at work, I tend to go for heavy caffeine to prop me up or herbal/decaf when I just need something to warm my hands. I grabbed a neglected but handy bag today and was reminded why I do keep it around. No nonsense; not finicky or flowery; doesn’t shrivel your tongue; just a little toasty goodness that reminds me a bit of Rice Chex.

Cameron B.

Mmm you’ve just reminded me, I need to make Chex mix! XD

gmathis

Me, too! For household consumption (not for fancy-pants carry events) we make Franken-mix that includes whatever munchies are on hand. My son likes to mix it with popcorn.

Cameron B.

I think I might try furikake Chex mix this year! But usually I make the classic version with no wheat Chex, extra pretzels, and I like to add Goldfish or other cheese crackers.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

When ashmanra sent me a little sample of Lost Malawi, I had to look twice at the note she enclosed: 1-2 minutes at 185? For a breakfast tea? “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said the little sloppy stewed tea cartoon angel on my shoulder, “Ignore that and give it four minutes like any self-respecting builder’s brew.”

“Halt and desist,” said the precise and gentle tea angel on my other shoulder. “Look at it. It’s CTC nearly ground to powder. It will be plenty strong as directed. Ashmanra knows what she’s doing. Do what she says.

The gentle angel won this round (he doesn’t very often). But wowzers! That’s all this stuff needed. It’s deep, malty, fruity, and fragrant like good Christmas fruitcake. I need a candle that smells like this. There will be tea like this in Heaven.

ashmanra

I am so glad you liked it! :D

tea-sipper

You don’t always have to listen to the good angel, but you should definitely listen to ashmanra. :D

tea-sipper

Wow, I tried this tea MANY years ago and gave it a 97.

ashmanra

tea-sipper: It definitely deserves that 97 in my book! This has become a shelf staple for me.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Sydney is a 9-year-old (coworker’s daughter) who oozes with energy and affection. She trick or treated my office a few weeks ago and walked out with a bundle of my tea bags after a lovely chat about favorite varieties. She has recently been inducted as an Official Taste Tester for the Turkey Creek Tea and Cocoa Society. I made her a certificate and everything.

Today, her mom brought me a handmade-by-Sydney card and a box of these really nice tea bags from their last visit to family in Kenya. All bass notes, no brass or tenor, with dark malt and something vaguely fruity hiding at the bottom of the cup. Just what I need to keep me focused on a morning when no fannying about is allowed.

Martin Bednář

I am glad to be not only one who had it… and liked it!

Not mentioning the story, that’s maybe even better (and definitely sweeter) than tea itself!

ashmanra

That’s awesome!

Dustin

That entire story is adorable!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

How is it, after decades of tea drinking, I haven’t tried this grocery store staple? (Or how is it that I’m so senile I forgot?)

At any rate, this was another pay-it-forward contribution at work. Flavors perform as advertised, but on its own, it was too sweet for my taste. However, paired with a bag of plain old plebian Red Rose to temper the honey, it was a decent afternoon hand warmer!

Dustin

I recently restocked this and Bengal Spice! I’ve been drinking this in the evenings lately.

ashmanra

I have never tried Red Rose but I just bought some for daughter to try since her London Cuppa has disappeared. I am looking forward to tasting what seems to be the gateway tea for a lot of people.

gmathis

I think of their original grocery store version as “plain old Lipton but one notch better in quality.” A decent cuppa when you just need something warm, takes additives nicely without interfering. I see they have a premium Breakfast blend that might be a little better.

Dustin, now that you mention it, I think I’ve missed or forgotten sampling Bengal Spice as well.

Dustin

Bengal Spice is sweet as well, more than HVC. I suspect it might be due to the heavy cinnamon in the blend.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

An experiment from the pay-it-forward table at work. Bigelow’s flavored teas often go “chemical” pretty quickly as they age, but this box is still fresh. Leads with sweet coconut, for sure, and the base serves as an undetectable holding mechanism for the flavor. A coworker took a sniff and said, “Smells like Almond Joy!” Not bad for staving off mid-morning sugar cravings. Bet it would be good with milk.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

89
drank Random Steepings by Various Artists
2996 tasting notes

Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix + a half teaspoon of chai masala spice = :)

tea-sipper

ooooo… that’s a new idea! I must try it at some point…

gmathis

I’m adding cocoa to the seasonal stack. The Great Cabinet Cleanout yielded a dozen random packets that were stocking stuffers and tuck-ins with gifts last year.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

…and since the molasses jar was located, and since it’s downright chilly this afternoon, a generous spoonful nicely complemented this gingerbread tea (orange peel, anise being the slightly out-of-the-ordinary additions). Good for the day and for the season. I like the notion of “seasonally curated” teas—it sounds much classier than “I’ve got leftovers from last year that need to be used up!”

Kaylee

You definitely deserve a reward for all the work you put into getting that molasses jar! Also, yes, I have so many seasonal teas from years past and I also like this framing better, it makes me feel less guilty about it!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

drank Congou by Oliver Pluff & Company
2996 tasting notes

I didn’t intend to clean out the kitchen cabinets this afternoon, but a quest for a quarter jar of molasses turned into a petrified-ingredient-pitching odyssey.

The molasses hunt was specifically to try a glob in a cup of my favorite congou, which has been characterized in reviews (probably some of my own) as having molasses and apple peel appeal. It’s a perfect fit.

Kelmishka

Ahhh, the ol’ petrified ingredient treasure hunt! I know it well.

gmathis

There may or may not have been three partial bottles of Mrs. Butterworths hiding in various corners…

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Steepster “geezer;” tea barbarian who has no systematic method for storage, preparation, classification, or rating; lover of strong unleaded builders’ tea. Never quite grew up—I cut and glue, play with Legos, design kids’ curriculum, and play with fifth graders every Sunday.

Location

Southwest Missouri

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer