New Tasting Notes

Day 23 of my Advent Calendar,

Dry leaves smell super fruity having a hard time imagining Creme Brulée from this.

Steeped still smells super fruity but i’picking up hints of vanilla the liqueur is a nice orangey color.

Time to taste: this taste like tutti fruity bubble gum not creme brulée …. not bad but not what i was expecting either…

Tragedy Strikes!!

Previous installments of my 12 teas of christmas set have had significant holes in the bottom, where portions of tea have escaped, but previously I’d been able to salvage enough to make a cup.

That all changed today! The ENTIRE (and I mean every last particle) of today’s sample had disappeared through an entirely open bottom, leaving only the sticker left to taunt me about an amazing-sounding tea I won’t get the chance to try :(

I don’t know why, but I just really really hate the flavour of lemongrass. It overpowers every tea I’ve tried with it. But that’s the only thing I dislike about this blend. In this cup, I do enjoy the spices, coconut and the orange peel but the lemongrass just shouts at my senses with each sip.

Withholding rating this because if you don’t hate lemongrass, it’s probably not a bad herbal blend. This was my last tea sample that came with my online order, so I can’t complain too much because it’s not like I ordered a big bag of it. ;)

470ml glass mug with infuser, 1 packet (5g?), 1 steep

I didn’t want to try this tea, but I decided to at work. It was ok… not the best sencha I’ve had. Maybe average or below average…

Meh, it’s tea. Does a 1/2lb box @ $5.00 compare to David’s Tea for $6.00/50g? Hell no. Is Lipton prepared wrong by 98% of the pseudo tea-drinking population? Yes. Everyone can point out goods and bads about most teas, but on thing is for sure… this tea is a generic taste that cost very little and can be bought at 24/7 stores and gas stations. I think that in the tea world where everyone has become used to cornflowers, oranges, berries, and blooms within their pots… this minimal tea is left out in the cold. It gets a bad wrap, but I’m sure it was a “gateway tea” for many people here.

Finishing off the last that I have of this tea. So yummy!

I won’t rate this, but I thought it would be amusing to note that SOMEHOW when I brewed this up (western) it smelled exactly like cow manuer. I kid you not. It was amazing and revolting at the same time.

Don’t ask me how.

A nifty green tea. I am really enjoying the nuttyness of this green, and it gets smoother with each steep. I stopped at six infusions this evening, and gulped down each glass faster than anticipated. Delicious. Verdant’s greens are really impressing me!

A good black blend with potent wake-up appeal. Had a strange taste I have trouble identifying, a natural sweetness, and a nice smooth strength. Tea had a decent energy kick to it as I felt rejuvenated drinking it rather than relaxed, which is a good thing depending on the moment. Although the tea is enjoyable, not sure I’d order it again. Just no sure what that ‘other’ taste was and it’s not my favorite version of the black teas. Was sure to only steep for three minutes and this produced a lovely color and strong taste without any bitterness at all.

Well, it’s official. I’m not entirely sure why I keep buying teas from anywhere but Verdant. I’ve been exploring lots of dancong teas lately. I love how distinctly you can pick up perfume or fruit or whatever else in a humble little tea leaf. Some of them, however, practically take off with florals, to the detriment of other flavors.

This particular tea starts off deep, like a warm roasted nut, but balanced out by the “baked apple” sort of texture noted in the description. Toward the middle, I get raisin like sensations, and the woodsy fragrance just lingers around my head. I get many more fruit, wood, and sugar notes out of this tea than floral, and it’s a richer tea “base” than other dancongs – and for that I think it is (as many of Verdant’s offerings tend to be) very accessible and understandable for those branching out from “western” tea drinking. Although there is a warning about being sensitive to brew time, this tea doesn’t “go green” or “bitter and astringent” at the slightest touch because of the roasted quality it presents. I fear I may start drinking this tea to the exclusion of others, it’s that good.

I just can’t say enough good things about this tea! Had a rough night, and am exhausted on every level. I needed an emotional pick-me-up that wouldn’t bring on a caffeine-induced pick-me-up. This never fails to do the trick.

Perfumy as any Earl Grey should be, without being overwhelming.

My first tea, as well as my favourite.

Tea number nine from the Holiday Sampler today. It’s probably a familiar story – when Frank first blended this tea I dithered about whether or not to buy a pouch and of course by the time I’d made up my mind, they were all gone. It’s nice to see what I’ve been missing out on, although a little sad since once the two teaspoons-worth in the sample are gone – it’s gone.

The gingerale smell from this tea is lovely, sweet and gingery in an almost floral way – though maybe that’s the influence of the bergamot. The flavour doesn’t quite nail it, there’s a bit too much emphasis on the citrus flavour of the bergamot and not enough on the ginger itself. Maybe it would have been better to use lemon and/or lime peel instead to mimic the flavours. None the less, it’s a nice, enjoyable tea and the white tea base is perfect for it, supporting the flavours without overwhelming them.

A very nice jasmine. Delicate jasmine notes, the green tea is really light and crisp. Overall, the cup is sweet and pleasant.

I finally got to try this one out. Mine popped out to be similar to this in color. It was so beautiful to look at that I almost didn’t want to try it. I poured it into my large mug and enjoyed the honey brown liquor that tasted almost like a green or oolong tea. There wasn’t any jasmine in this, so I was quite happy about it. Of course, my husband took my mug and drank most of it!

got a sample of this stuff in a pyramid bag with my latest adagio order. not bad! i used 3 packets of stevia and added a bit of half and half. it was a bit too bitter for me without all of that added.

Tea of the afternoon…..

And tea 22 of 24. This one was sent by QuiltGuppy. Of course it has taken me way too long to try it.

It is my first darker oolong in a while. I am not sure I got enough leaf in my mug. I did get out the scale for prep and did 1 gram per cup, but I think I could have done iwth double the leaf for a stronger flavor. I did get fruity and nutty notes, but will have to try again to look for more nuances of this tea. It is definitely complex.

Mug method, about 190 water, 2 grams leaf, 3 minutes.

I’m not liking this. Normally I enjoy smokey teas, so I expected to like it. It tastes like a camp fire. Not pleasantly.