1220 Tasting Notes

drank Ying Ming Yunnan Tea by Culinary Teas
1220 tasting notes

Ok there’s a bit of tea in the package but this is a sipdown anyway, the rest of it can go to the garden and make my plants happy.

And hey this is my 1100th note! I haven’t been drinking a lot of tea lately because I just feel like MEH. But the rest of this week nothing is going on so I’ll probably just sit and drink tea. Except during hockey. Tea has turned to booze during those hours. It’s the only way to survive.

So this is from TeaEqualsBliss a bit back, it looks to be an older tea so I don’t mind only getting one cup out of it. Unlike other stuff in the box this has been in, it is a pretty sturdy bag.

It’s nothing special. It’s pretty sweet, bit of honey flavor to it, but there’s not much else there. It doesn’t have the qualities I really love about Yunnan teas but I think this might be a product of age. Still, not bad, but it’s just slightly flat.

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drank Oolong Chardonnay by Vintage TeaWorks
1220 tasting notes

Sipdown! What a blah cold, rainy day. No fun.

I said last time I don’t care for chardonnay. I actually had the most fantastic chardonnay at the Ritz Carlton. Probably because it was the Ritz Carlton. When she said it was chardonnay I wanted to be like GET OUT but I didn’t want to get cut off from that wine. I like the description on here: “Chardonnay has a richness and structure that can be world class….when you grab the right bottle.” They did in fact grab the right bottle. And it turns out it’s super cheap. Well then.

So I was glad I had just enough of this to give it one last try.

I was about to say there is flavor contamination, but no, cinnamon is actually in here. It’s kind of overpowering everything else. As it cools, ripe melon is becoming more apparent. It’s more wine reminiscent this time around compared to the first time I drank it.

But it just doesn’t do it for me like a couple of the others. Was still worth trying, and that’s one less row in my spreadsheet, woo!

PS: I’m sorry to everyone about the tea boxes going around, or not so much going around right now. I hate not being able to be in control about things going wrong and it gets to me to have people waiting this soon after they started. I hope they’re found/moving again soon.

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sometimes I regret my favorite hockey team being my favorite hockey team. I had an AWESOOOOOME time w/some people originally from Montreal last night (I’ve been told I can just tell people I am from there too so I don’t have to answer why I’m a fan of them ever again ahahaha) but it was kind of overshadowed by a terrible hit that pretty much busted the face of one of my favorite players b/c of a bad pass by another of my favorite players and all I see everywhere is the blame on the guy who passed and IT’S MAKING ME SO MAD.

But I have gotten two people’s phone numbers in a week! FRIENDS.

I figured I’d come home last night and drink tea, I have no idea why I didn’t have any earlier in the day…but anyway coming home last night turned into 1:30 in the morning. And poor Sebastian was so sleepy I did not want to keep him up.

So finally this morning I could have my tea! Especially because it’s suddenly really windy and cold (ok it’s 62 but that’s way cooler than it’s been). I got this from JoonSusanna awhile back and I really wanted to try it as close to how Frisian tea is made as I could. I didn’t have the right kind of sugar but I used demerara sugar and then coconut milk creamer.

I am pretty sure I did not make the tea strong enough, I probably should have checked on that because that would have helped. Just maybe a teaspoon max more would have helped. Still. I didn’t completely overpower the tea.

It is good, still could get malty notes, I think that sugar made it really kind of caramel-y. Definitely a hearty tea that’s a good choice for waking up. Actually I still don’t want to be awake.

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I can’t decide if this one survived sitting around too long or not.

It’s definitely citrus heavy, though it’s coming off to me this time more as grapefruit and orange. But something beyond that just doesn’t taste right. Just kind of pecans filling the void of the sadness of a Darjeeling that sat around too long.

I am going to let this one go. Goodnight sweet prince.

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drank Summer Breeze by Teaopia
1220 tasting notes

I was drinking this yesterday afternoon but it was so terrible I only drank a quarter of my glass before heading off to the Ritz (ohmygod). They just kept pouring wine. I had to hang around there for like an hour longer before I felt ok to drive except then I was super sleepy! Since I was there and it was free I tried oysters and seabass tartare but I was not a fan of either.

And I found people who really want to do fancy afternoon tea with me there! So now I just need almost $60 to pull that one off. Jeez. A bunch of Yelp people are going to Fogo de Chao tonight and that’s $50 a person and I had been like that’s two weeks of groceries. But I guess since I’ve been there a couple times and like tea more than hot Brazilian men bringing me steak (okay when you say it that way, momo…) and it’s an experience! I guess it’s time to save up.

Ok back to this terrible tea. I have no idea why I bought it other than ooh green rooibos, cool name, might be good iced tea.

I was excited to see pear. Then I saw raisin. And carrot. And lemongrass. No this stuff can’t possibly work together, but I’m going to try it anyway.

Ugh it was just awful. I should have probably sweetened it, but you would have though the fruit pieces might have done that even just slightly.

Maybe cold brewing will make it better.

Aimee Popovacki

eww! i could see pear and lemongrass working ok together.. or even carrot and lemongrass… but raising!? .. i picture raisin with figs, and cocoa and heavy ingredients.. not something as light as this one seems to be meant to be!

momo

Yeah if they did just fig or just raisin, and left out the carrot entirely I think this would be so much better. All it tasted like was them but blandly.

Fjellrev

Yeah, afternoon tea is priiiiicey. I dropped $60 on the same thing last summer and while it was an interesting experiencing, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the money.

momo

I don’t have a problem spending money on having an experience. It’s likely to be just once and why not. It’s something I want to do, and a couple people I know have also really wanted to so I’m really excited to be able to share it like that.

Fjellrev

Oh yeah for sure. I’m glad I did it but wouldn’t do it again.

Shmiracles

momo, you sound a lot like me, i ALWAYS go for the beer dinner or a special high tea. always. i have a reservation for tea with my sister at the local 5 star hotel 2 weeks from now and we are both very very excited!
i’m gonna take mountains of pictures! haha

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I’m pretty sure drinking an old Darjeeling is a dumb thing to do. I thought I got these recently until I realized a) March was last month and b) it’s not 2012.

Oops. I drank another one before and it was alright but not my favorite harvest. Autumnal is second fave, so hopefully this goes better.

It does not taste a thing like my previous note. I get the impression it was average and nothing I really cared for. This time around… It’s SO sweet. Like nut brittle.

It’s also really good cold now, I thought it was going to taste terrible or turn bitter but I guess I did a decent job on protecting this one.

Also I am so excited because being an awesome person on yelp means I am going to the Ritz Carlton tomorrow! Super fancy, one day I would so love to do afternoon tea there.
Also their website gave me that feeling where you’re like wow I want to have a wedding. They have passionfruit filling for cakes! A dark chocolate cake with passionfruit filling, all of a sudden I’m like oh my god I want a wedding cake.

TheTeaFairy

Momo, as a girly girl, can’t help asking: what are you going to wear?
Oh, and you MUST do tea & cucumber sandwiches on an afternoon at the Ritz someday! I did once, many years ago at the Montreal Ritz, was dating a rich kid back then, LOL! Super snob and way too fancy for me, but it was fun to try :-)

momo

It is a patio party, so I am wearing this red sundress and I thought I had white wedges but I kind of destroyed them last fall :( So now I am going to wear some black high heeled sandals.

I’ve done a couple cheap high teas with a friend, and I still so badly want some all out ridiculous fancy afternoon tea. Like looking at the tea options, I am not impressed but that does not stop me! There’s another fancy hotel nearby but I can’t remember what it’s called so it is between the two of them for whatever day this actually happens.

momo

Actually after looking at that one and Four Seasons, nope, it has to be the Ritz.

CHAroma

Oooh, have fun!! I really enjoyed reading this note. :)

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OHMYGODbestestnight

So I wrote the above last night then left it because I don’t know. I drank the tea and then I wanted to roll around on the floor but I did not have enough space to do that but I wanted to. That was partially this tea and partially my favorite hockey team winning their division (which doesn’t matter, we are snobs who do not need silly division banners).

And then what makes me laugh even more is that Ysaurella found I logged it and is probably waiting to see what I have to say already!

So shmiracles being fantastic sent me some of the teas she picked up in Europe and AHHH this one, ahhh. A couple weeks ago I discovered the entire Héritage Gourmand collection on the MF site and I wanted them ALL. If I get to France next summer, that is most definitely happening now.

I had to try this one first, it’s just a fact. It smells amazing. It doesn’t smell as sweet as a macaron, but it has that same sweet almond smell. And it tastes so good! I don’t think it has the same macaron flavors as the Dammann Frères macaron tea (which has a green base not black), but I mean, I am drinking and enjoying a tea that is heavily almond. And tastes like a cookie at that, well, I do like almond cookies, but I have never had success w/teas flavored like them.

UNTIL NOW!

Oh I am in love I cannot wait to try the chocolate mousse one too, this means the one left that I really REALLY REALLY want is the financier one.

I told my boyfriend the other day that I need to buy a lottery ticket, I have never bought one. I really meant like the scratch off kind but this turned into me with $110 million and how I’d have to change my name and move to another state (Georgia does not allow you to claim anonymously). I was just like I can move to France. I’d send all of you my teas first.

Then I’d get there and buy all these. The end.

Ysaurella

of course as you love Macarons so you’re going to drink Macarons ;)
I’m looking forward to read your review on this one – I have always hesitated to buy it (more expensive tins than the otehr MF – and only available in tins)
They have in the same collection a tea flavoured with madeleine, another with mousse au chocolat, one with a financier cake, cannelé, tarte tatin…MF wants us to get 50 kg more just by reading their tea names :D

Shmiracles

i have macaron and chocolate mousse and i’m tempted to buy all the others goddamnit! oh noes. Mariage Freres is officially my frenemy.

momo

I want them all too :x One night I went through their entire website adding everything I wanted to the cart. It ended up being 400 euros…

Those teas in the glass jars too, I want them. Of course they’re more expensive that way but so pretty!

Ysaurella

yes I see the glass jars ! very beautiful.
But MF is annoying because sometimes when you buy a tea in tin, you just want to refill it…but it’s not possible for this collection, neither for the lily’s series etc…35% of the tin collections are not available in loose leaf ! It was my complaint ! I am French, I need to stick to our moaning reputation :D

Sil

omg…mousse au chocolat!?

momo

That is a complaint I have too! I guess they want those teas to be more “exclusive,” but at the same time I don’t think I would want to buy something and have to get another tin if I already have it, even if I had an infinite amount of money for tea.

ohfancythat

Sounds delicious! Going to France is my dream too, especially now that I’m in love with tea!!

ohfancythat

I wish so much that MF had a reasonable shipping cost. Sigh. I guess if a bunch of people went in together on a huge order it would be doable.

Sil

whatshesaid…so i totally just emailed my parents who are currently IN PARIS! and added the mousse au chocolat to my list of teas i’ve asked them to pick up haha I’ve got 2 blacks and marco polo in my cupboard from my mom’s last trip to london but there are about 5-6 teas i asked them to bring back IF they get time. If i get anything from them, i’ll be happy to share since i’ll have likely 100g of each.

ohfancythat

LUCKY Sil!!! I love the MF teas I’ve tried so far but that makes me sad because I know they’re so far out of my reach, lol

Schmiracles, meeeeee!! :)

ohfancythat

Just saw Ysaurella’s comment above, Madeleine tea? Ugh! Want!

Shmiracles

If anyone wants to try these I’d be happy to send some! Chat me up.

CHAroma

I stumbled across a bunch of Mariage Freres teas in Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. I’m not sure if that’s more accessible for any of you, but I thought it was pretty cool to find MF outside of France.

Sil

Oh god shmiracles…. Incoming pm lol

Charoma – not accessible to me, but ill check it out if I visit New York like I’m supposed to eventually heh

Ysaurella

well : Dear Canadian cousins and American Friends why don’t you post on Mariage Frères FB page to ask where they have partnerships near your home ? Few months ago, a I saw a post of a californian woman who requested and they found a shop selling MF teas in her neighborghood…it may be true for you too !

Sil

Ysaurella – usually it’s the standard regular teas that are carried, not that it’s a bad thing. I just want an excuse to go to France and spend the day in the shop buying teas! :)

Ysaurella

for information, when I send an envelope of 250 gr of tea to the USA or Canada or wherever in the world (Asia) it costs me 6.50 € maximum (without tracking) _ how much MF requests for sending costs ?

Ysaurella

come come Sil and Amanda ! I have a lot of addresses to share with you :)

momo

It’s 25€ :( They ship UPS only

Sil

Ysaurella – maybe we can figure out a way to split purchases some day. :)

Dinosara

Shmiracles – incoming PM from me as well! I am going to Paris in July and would love to try this one before I go so I can know if I need to get a tin! It sounds awesome!

Ysaurella

No probs Sil, PM to tell me which you would like to buy and I’ll see if they are in my list :) – My shopping list is updated if you want to check

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drank Champagne Rosé by Lupicia
1220 tasting notes

omg has it really been since last June that I tried this one?!? I know I’ve had it since then…because I know for a fact I love it.

I bought myself a celebratory growler of Woodchuck’s summer cider (which to me is tasting like iced tea right now) but I needed to get in at least one cup of tea today, so I figured the celebratory theme could continue, and what’s better than champagne?

I didn’t realize this was more of a strawberry champagne than really resembling rosé grape taste but that’s ok. Well, I guess in the past I realized it, but today it just seemed more strawberry.

I hope next year at some point I have the free use of funds to make a Lupicia order. I would prefer to have far less tea at that time because I’m pretty sure I want to spend $100 if not more there. Haha.

Oh I forgot I have no idea if I mentioned my garden at all. I kind of killed the seedlings by transplanting them so I had to buy some bigger plants, which is okay. Less work. https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/431858_4888351455633_364197505_n.jpg I have cherry tomatoes and an heirloom tomato in front there. Then there are 3 seedlings that are either cucumber or squash, I honestly have no clue. Behind them, I planted habanero seeds so I hope they work and a strawberry plant. Then moss roses, followed by the empty space where broccoli is planted. Then there’s 3 more pepper plants: purple bell, red bell, and jalapeno, and at the very back is a watermelon plant! It’s an icebox style so once it starts growing more I’m going to tie it to a trellis to grow vertically.

momo

Ok I think I have come to the conclusion it’s cucumber, because the seeds are smaller, and what I assume to be squash has way bigger leaves. I have no idea if that’s right but I’m going to eventually move one of those over so both will be there anyway haha

Tabby

Your peppers are looking great!

Novi

Is that a community plot, ore are all of those beds yours? Because I might have to be stunningly jealous of you.

momo

It’s a community garden! Just the one for me, haha. When I was there picking it, I think I heard someone say they split one with a neighbor. I was just like HOW I want more than just this one myself!

Novi

I agree with that! Because at this point, I have (for my family) 13 tomato plants set for my backyard. It makes me sad that I had to stop at 13 in order to have room for my other plants!

momo

13!!! Wow I am jealous of the space you must have! I was giving someone advice on what to plant on a big patio they had and they didn’t want to fill it up with plants. I was like HOW CAN YOU NOT WANT THAT.

I can’t wait to have the bell peppers. I hate how much they cost and they should do really well here.

Chelle

I love cider too! Been drinking Angry Orchard with elderflower limited edition.

momo

Ooh that sounds good! The summer cider has a bit of blueberry and I am loving it. Have you ever had one of Crispin’s with maple syrup in it? It is so awesome. Last time I got a bottle I got a free glass of theirs and it is the prettiest glass I own, I can’t even bring myself to use it.

Chelle

I have had a few Crispin but not maple syrup. You add the syrup or do the offer one with maple? Sounds yummy.

momo

It’s made with maple syrup. I forget what name they gave it, but it has a red label.

Mercuryhime

Oooh watermelon! I love gardening! I never have to buy veggies in the warmer months because both my parents and my in laws have large gardens. I wish I had my own plot of land to tend to though.
Are you going to throw in any herbs there? It’s a little crazy how much a handful of basil can cost.

Nicole

That is a garden setup of which I am mighty envious. My yard doesn’t get enough sun for me to be able to do any kind of garden. I really want to do raised beds and I really, really want fresh herbs. All the shade is awesome to be in the yard with but I wish there were a few sunny spots. :)

Mercuryhime

Nicole, have you tried any of the plants listed here?
http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2009/07/shade_edibles_you_can_grow.html
If anything, mint seems to thrive anywhere so maybe give that a try to start with. :)

momo

Also some things can grow with as little as 3 hours of sun a day. And if you can’t even provide that, you may still get them to grow, they’ll just be a bit smaller.

CHAroma

I like gardening in video games (Harvest Moon FTW!) but I kill everything in real life. Good luck with your garden!!

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I shook this up in a cocktail shaker with milk and agave and counted to 100 and created a matcha latte where half my glass was foam. It was lovely. I really need to get back to drinking my matchas up so I can try moooooore. The whole 50% off a review thing is still on right? I should do that. I’m sure there’s a couple around here I didn’t review yet.

I could use a bit more chocolate to this one, though that’s easily solved with the straight chocolate matcha I have.

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This is another one of those things I have been holding on to forever, but I wanted something robust and tasty to have at midnight so I didn’t fall asleep on my paper. Surprisingly this was REALLY good despite being old and in a zippered plastic bag.

So. Much. Caramel. Very malty too but in that ice cream malt kind of way. I noticed Whole Foods has some Stephen Smith tea, but in sachets, but I think I may have to try more anyway and that’s an easy way!

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