6106 Tasting Notes
Sipdown! 217/365!
I am only drinking this because it came up in DT roulette (#32, if I’ve counted correctly). I don’t recall enjoying it the first time I had it.
Aaand yup. Not a fan. I mean, it’s actually not terrible, but it’s oily on top and tastes like watery sunflower seeds. With a splash of peanut butter. And a bit of sweetness. Granola, to me, usually isn’t particularly nutty, aside from almonds; it’s more oat-heavy and sweet. But honestly, would I want to drink granola water? Nah, not really. Not particularly appealing.
The rating for this tea is very low. I get it – it’s really not a tea I’m eager to have again. I’d probably turn it down, actually.
Finishing off my weekend with a few more teas. It has been a fairly satisfying weekend (I suppose last weekend was, too), because I feel like I managed to get on top of daily chores in the house, and even make some progress on things that have been needing to be done for a while, both inside and out. It’s interesting how a clean(er) house can improve my mood, or maybe it’s just the fact that I’ve been getting some sun lately. Hopefully I can maintain the productivity this week!
Onto the tea. This is actually not too bad, although the flavour is quite fake IMO. Definitely tasting mango and there are some florals, though not as flowery as lychee usually tastes. I don’t know what’s actually in a bellini, if there are standard ingredients; I probably have never had one. It’s also sweet, but not cloying – I’d guess blackberry leaves but I just checked and apparently it’s just regular old sugar from the sweetened dried fruit? That would explain the lack of lingering, though. Probably should try it iced/chilled. Not a fave, but not bad.
Oh good, I had rated this fairly highly previously… because I have like 200g of it now, that I picked up in a bundle with some other teas I was more interested in. I tried it iced today, just to see if I could use some up quickly, and it’s not bad – fairly light with cinnamon-caramel as the predominant flavour. Similar-ish to Caramel Shortbread and Caramel Corn. The former of which I also have a ton of; the latter I have somewhat less of.
Not my fave iced tea, but it wasn’t really meant to be. The package of Cantaloupe Ice that’s on deck is definitely more geared towards that preparation method!
I see there are fairly polarized ratings for this tea; I’m kind of on the fence about it. On the one hand, it’s pretty light, and I’ve definitely had roasted oolongs I’ve enjoyed more, but on the other, it does have some interesting flavours (cream, florals) if you have a clean palate and are paying attention.
However, I suspect it’s best brewed gongfu, and I’m a lazy western-style brewer, so I’m probably not realizing its full potential. For that reason, it’s not a tea I’d order again, though I don’t mind having it around.
Side note: I chilled this tea as well, but it’s not overly satisfying cold, so I let it warm a bit so I’d get a bit more flavour. I’ve had quite a few cups of it though, just apparently never logged it.
Sipdown! 216/365!
I actually drank this quite a while ago, but had misplaced the package and didn’t know what I’d drank – until today, when I found it while cleaning (mission to actually babyproof the living room). Unfortunately, all I remember is that I wasn’t particularly fond of it. It looks like it’s supposed to be Pineapple-Grapefruit flavoured, if I’m correctly remembering my French, but I don’t recall that at all. Oh well.
Thanks for the share regardless, Roswell Strange!
Sipdown! 215/365!
Another share from Roswell Strange – thanks!
This tea is supposed to taste of strawberry and pineapple… but while I can taste that it’s fruity, the primary flavour is definitely a mariney/grassy green tea. One of the few times I’ll say that I’d rather taste less of the base tea. It’s not terrible though, but definitely a generic sort of flavouring (it’s quite familiar to me – I’m thinking of some “strawberry papaya” blacks and greens I’ve had in the past, with chunks of candied pineapple), and not a great base choice. Well, to be fair – it’s actually a fairly standard base choice for medium-quality flavoured greens, so I’m probably being overly harsh. Probably not bad for a bagged tea, but nothing I’d pick up.
Sipdown! 214/365!
Thanks to Roswell Strange for this sample! Unfortunately, I oversteeped it, but luckily, a bit of extra water tamed the astringency right down – so a fairly forgiving tea! The bergamot is actually at a perfect level and quite tasty, though there’s almost a bit of a piney note in the aftertaste that’s perhaps not my favourite. The black base isn’t too notable – it does its job.
Not a bad EG, but it would be better with milk just to cream it up.
Very odd. I brewed up a cup of this and it literally tastes like water. Zero flavour. Maybe it’s the other teas I’ve just had? Because I’ve had tea from this package recently-ish, and it certainly tasted ok then.
Just checked the baggie – no real scent there either. So strange! So much for a relaxing cup of this…
ETA: I think anything left was masked by the stronger teas I’d had immediately prior. I could detect some creaminess the next day, but I’m surprised at the flavour loss. Maybe it was my oldest bag?
It is really odd. I am not sure if I will rate it 100 then, but it is up to you, hihi!
Martin – I think the 100 is Kittenna’s original rating for the tea, when it was much fresher. I always hate to change ratings lower, because I think the rating was more accurate the fresher the tea is. Though sometimes I do move a rating up!
@Martin – Yes! What tea-sipper says is correct. You can only have one rating for a tea, and my ratings generally reflect a tea’s best moments. At it’s best, this tea was a solid and delicious 100. But it’s four years old and last night was a particularly bad cup :(
Sipdown! 213/365!
Hmm. I had it in my head that this was a rooibos, but it’s definitely not, so I have no recollection of drinking the first half of my sample packet! Good thing I have some left. In the bag, and brewed up, it smells like a hibiscus-forward fruit tea. Maybe a little creamy? Nothing too special. Even the initial sip is pretty much like that. But – that aftertaste. Exactly like a blueberry muffin. It doesn’t really make sense to me, but I kind of like it. Possibly enough to make another order and grab a bag of it along with some other things? (I am falling off the wagon quite hard, it seems.)
I considered buying this one a while back because it sounds intriguing, but the reviews are pretty universally bad. I’d like to see another company attempt this sort of tea because it would be a lot of fun if done properly!