drank Acai Mango by India's Tea
6444 tasting notes

Sipdown (317)

Arby was very generous with her sample of this tea which gave me a chance to try it both hot and iced. Since I wasn’t sure of the recommended steeping parameters I went with 3 minutes at 200F. I think that maybe wasn’t the best choice though because there is an astringency here. Coupled with that is a blackberry note that I think can be attributed to the acai. On top of all that, there is a mango sweetness that pops up every now and then though it is more fleeting than I would like.

Iced, this is more astringent than the hot cup. The more discernible fruity notes in the hot cup are jumbled together creating a generic fruitiness that is being drowned out by a bitterness.

I think I should have tried making the hot cup and iced cup separately since it would have given me an opportunity to try different steeping parameters and possibly mitigate the astringency and bitterness I am getting from these cups.

Thank you for sharing, Arby! It was fun to try something new and even though I think I messed it up, it was nice to get to experiment a little.

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My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

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Waterdown, Ontario

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