56 Tasting Notes
I love persimmons, so I had to buy this even though it’s made from persimmon leaves and not the fruit. When you open the package, it smells like a greenhouse or a botanical garden. A nice smell, but not necessarily what I want in a tea.
I accidentally brewed it for several minutes longer than intended, but that was probably for the best since the last time I made it I didn’t think it tasted like much of anything. This time it actually has a taste, if not an overwhelming one. It tastes pretty leafy and green, with maybe a tiny hint of fruitiness. It’s not an exciting tea, but it’s not bad.
Several years ago, I got an amazing Christmas present from my mom. It was a big orange box with a gold string tied around it, and inside I found a tea press, a silver tea spoon, a bag of German rock sugar, and four large tins of loose leaf tea. This was my introduction to tea, and it launched an obsession.
I brewed up all four teas for myself and two friends and we did a taste test. We all agreed that the mate vana was the best of the four. It smelled like cocoa and almond slices and went well with milk and sugar. It didn’t become bitter or astringent with longer steeping times. In short, it was the perfect introduction to tea.
I have to love mate vana. It was my gateway tea.
According to the package, “A single cup of Tazo Calm has been known to have the same effect as sitting for 45 minutes in a mountain meadow on a sunny day with your shoes off.” If you ask me, it just tasted like spearmint. Three sips in, I poured this down the sink.
I’m not usually a big green tea drinker, but I like this green tea with ginseng. Normally I drink black teas with sweetener, but for this I use only a small amount or sweetener or none at all. The bags are individually wrapped which makes it easier to transport. This was a good tea for drinking on campus while grading homework.