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Marco Polo Traveling Tea Box – Tea #1

Finally getting around to writing reviews of the teas I sampled! Oh boy. I have some catching up to do. I poofed from Steepster a few months ago, due to many things—the largest reason being that I started smoking cigarettes again and slowly lost my ability to accurately taste. I stopped drinking tea for a while. It seemed such a waste to drink tea when I couldn’t fully appreciate it. Anyway, I kicked the habit, and now I’m trying to get back into the swing of things. Starting with the teas from the last box I participated in…

This is a very unique tea. It opens with a spicy, herbaceous flavor that’s much like eucalyptus and little like sage. It’s refreshing. It’s a taste that’s very “green”, smooth, and a little sweet. The smell of the tea is somewhat acidic—I believe Tea Sipper called it “sour plums”—but it doesn’t translate into the taste as much as the texture. Almost minty, a little drying, but smooth. It’s not overpowering. It’s an undertone. There’s a bit of that acidic quality to the taste, but it reminds me more of bitter nut skins than plums. There’s also a hint of floral here. It’s hard to pick out exactly how or what it reminds me of. This tea is silky in texture, and it’s drying in a way that makes my mouth water. I’m catching hints of dried fruit, wood, nuts, and a slight mineral taste. It gains a lot of sweetness and a creamy, milky finish as you sip. Very strong qi for a black tea. Very enjoyable cup. Not a heavy tea by any means.

Method:
2tsp/10oz
First steep: 1min
Second steep: 2min
Third steep: 3min

Flavors: Dried Fruit, Drying, Eucalyptus, Floral, Herbaceous, Mineral, Nuts, Roasted, Smooth, Spices, Sweet, Wood

Cameron B.

Welcome back! :D

kimquat

Thank you! :D

boychik

I love this one

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Comments

Cameron B.

Welcome back! :D

kimquat

Thank you! :D

boychik

I love this one

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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Bio

I have met such lovely, kind individuals on Steepster and am so glad to have become a part of this community!

Pure black teas are my favorite. I drink black tea daily and I try to keep a variety on hand. I also enjoy white tea, matcha, puerh, and the occasional oolong. In general I try to stay away from flavored teas—especially those with artificial flavorings—but I will make rare exceptions, and I do enjoy a well crafted blend of straight teas. Things I (usually) don’t like: green oolongs, rooibos, straight green teas.

Rating System
90+ The very best! Teas that I always need in my cupboard!
85-89 Teas that I enjoy immensely and will try to keep around.
80-84 Makes a very pleasing cup. I will enjoy drinking them, but won’t necessarily try to keep around. (There are exceptions.)
70-79 Decent, but could be better.
60-69 Mediocre.
40-59 Gross. I might still try to finish the cup.
39 & under Undrinkable. I probably dumped this cup. Depending on the specific rating, I probably threw the rest of the tea out as well.

Some of my favorite tea companies are:
-Whispering Pines Tea Co.
-Verdant Tea
-Mandala Tea

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