241 Tasting Notes

58
drank Pink Juniper Sling by T2
241 tasting notes

I snagged a couple of these bags from the TTB, not realizing initially that they’re meant to be cold-brewed — so I was a little surprised when I read the packet later! I brewed one up this afternoon, and it’s very welcome on a 90˚F day.

The tea brews up a gorgeous vivid pink, but I find the flavors a bit muddied and weak. The titular juniper is almost nonexistent and the yuzu comes through more than the grapefruit. I find the blackberry leaf almost too sweet — it hits at the back of the sip in an unpleasant way. I thought it was stevia for a hot second!

Well, I’m glad I tried it, but I won’t be too sad when I use up the remaining sachet.

Flavors: Citrus, Herbal, Stevia, Sweet, Yuzu

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73
drank Cashew Turtle by 52teas
241 tasting notes

We have a box turtle hanging out by our backyard pond, and we’ve been periodically checking on her to see what she’s up to. Yesterday we went out back to look for her, but she was very well camouflaged in some dried leaves, and my partner couldn’t spot her at first.

We are huge fans of The Office, and my partner immediately channeled Michael Scott:

WHERE. IS. THE. TURTLE?!”

A deep(ish) cut from season 4, but it’s from a great episode—the one where Michael drives his car into a F*CKING lake!

Anyway, the quote made me think of chocolate turtles, which made me think of this tea, so after pointing out our camouflaged turtle friend, I went inside and brewed up some cashew turtle tea. :D

I’ve had this one twice now and each time I feel like there’s something missing! I want more of the buttery richness I associate with cashews and more rich, deep, chocolatey-ness. It’s a tasty tea, but I want more depth!

Flavors: Nuts

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90

Grabbed a small sample from the TTB… mmm! Such a great vanilla tea with mild boozy notes. It reminds me of this fantastic whiskey barrel-aged maple syrup I received as a gift this year… yum.

Flavors: Bourbon, Vanilla, Whiskey

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70
drank da BOMb Green Tea by 52teas
241 tasting notes

Cold-brewed this and took it outside with me for an al fresco work session this afternoon. I’m not sure the chili added much, honestly… the spice felt a little out of place! Maybe if it had just been a mango-chili blend, rather than blood orange AND mango AND chili? I dunno.

Flavors: Chili, Fruity

AJRimmer

Ha yeah I haven’t written a review for this one yet because it sort of baffles me.

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80

Soft, gentle, marshmallowy, lemon goodness. It’s more evocative of a sweet lemon drop than anything particularly tangy. Very cozy and relaxing!

Flavors: Lemon, Marshmallow, Soft

gmathis

Pillowy lemon is my absolute favorite flavored tea profile.

Kelmishka

It’s SUCH a good one!

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83
drank Razzleberry Genmaicha by 52teas
241 tasting notes

Sipdown!

A very pleasant spring tea. I think this is one of my favorite genmaichas from 52Teas—something about the interplay between the toasty rice and the sharp berries is very pleasing to my palate. I also get a smidge of pillowy creaminess, even though this isn’t one of the marshmallow treat genmaichas.

2023 sipdown count: 36

Flavors: Berries, Creamy, Marshmallow, Raspberry, Toasted Rice, Vanilla

gmathis

The berries do sound like a nice touch!

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70

I’m sipping this tea while catching up on tasting notes and saw that Courtney also just reviewed the 2022 harvest… and after reading her comment, all I can taste is rose! XD The power of persuasion.

I drank it yesterday as well and found it very mild and soft, but not particularly sweet. I’m really struggling to pick up on any honey notes. Today I’m also getting something slightly acrid? Strange. Maybe I overleafed it today.

Flavors: Floral, Rose, Soft, Sweet Potatoes

Courtney

Oh noo haha! I much preferred the previous harvest I tried, but I can appreciate how cool it is that each harvest can be so different. :)

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73

Grabbed a little sample of this from the TTB and made it into an iced latte this afternoon! It’s very refreshing, although the grapefruit flavor is a little less pronounced than I would’ve expected — I’d love it to be a little brighter and crisper. The pink is gorgeous, though!

Flavors: Grapefruit, Thin

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73
drank Elbhangglück by Teerausch
241 tasting notes

A perfectly nice and straightforward peach tea — quite fruity, but not in a “gummy candy” way. The base is a smidge soapy, but not enough to bother me.

A fine accompaniment to some morning schoolwork: I don’t need to pay too much attention to it, yet it’s tasty enough to keep my interest. I bet it would be nice cold-brewed.

Flavors: Apricot, Peach, Soap

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75

My own tastebuds confuse me. Why do I enjoy lavender but dislike bergamot? Who knows. There’s just a slightly metallic edge to bergamot that never sits well with me.

Still, I always trust 52Teas’ Earl Grey blends, because there’s always something there to play off the bergamot and add a little somethin’ extra! This one is no exception. It’s nicely balanced between the lavender and the bergamot; I do wish there were a bit more of the creamy vanilla coming through, though, because I’m barely noticing it.

This is making me want to bake something with lavender… :D

Flavors: Bergamot, Bitter, Lavender, Metallic

Shae

I love bergamot but rarely ever like anything with lavender!

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Profile

Bio

I was an anxious child who didn’t like change, so when my parents flew across the country for my grandfather’s wedding and left us kids with my aunt and uncle, I was a nervous wreck. Our first night at their house was tough. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and padded into the kitchen, where my aunt was puttering around. She could tell I was distressed and offered to make me a cup of tea. It was just Celestial Seasonings’ peppermint tea, but it was exactly what I needed. The tea itself, the comfort it represented, the ritual of making it… I was enchanted. I’ve loved tea ever since.

I’m partial to strong, intense flavors and prefer loose-leaf to bagged, but I’m also no snob. I just know what I enjoy and like trying new blends. I mostly drink my tea straight but once in a blue moon I’ll add a little plant-based milk, generally oat.

I live in Maryland, USA, with my partner, three dogs, and one cat, and I’m an editor at an animal welfare nonprofit. I use she/her pronouns. I’ve actually been a Steepster reader for years and years, but only started posting in late 2021. :)

When I’m not drinking tea (or sometimes WHILE I’m drinking tea!) I’m reading, rewatching comfort shows on Netflix, going for a jog, knitting, hiking, or puttering in the garden. You can find me on Instagram at @kelmishka.

Favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Maple (all-time fave flavor!), vanilla, caramel, and all that dessert-y warming goodness

Jasmine, lavender, and most floral flavors

Most spices, although I go through phases and sometimes get bored of generic-feeling winter spice blends

Most fruity flavors

Matcha and other vegetal flavors

Not-so-favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Bergamot (I tolerate it, but it just doesn’t do it for me)

Hibiscus

Overly artificial flavors (banana, coconut, mango)

Stevia, monkfruit, and other sugar-alternative sweeteners — blech

Chocolate — it’s hard to get it right in tea, though I love real chocolate!

Animal products, including honey (long-time vegan checking in!)

My ratings

90-100: The best! Will almost definitely repurchase.

75-90: Really good, and potentially worthy of a restock.

60-75: Decent, if not terribly memorable.

50-60: In the “meh” range, but possibly for personal taste reasons.

35-50: I’m not a fan, and this is not very good tea.

20-35: Varying degrees of bad.

1-20: Actively bad. Like really bad. I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing.

Location

Maryland, USA

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