17330 Tasting Notes
Took a small risk with this one and just based on the single cup of it that I tried last time, and loved, I ordered a pretty substantial amount of this one (for my standards, anyway) during AQTT’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale.
I’m happy to report that now that I’ve cracked into what I purchased that weekend I can confirm that this is still every bit as delicious and succulent as the first cup I tried. In fact, I may love it even more now that I know it’s able to consistently deliver that rich, sweet but ultimately natural orange flavour with the soft, playfully sour/tangy tamarind undertones. Somehow, Lauren has taken the effervescence and sweetness of orange soda pop and captured it in a way that feels accurate to the drink while staying away from cloying, artificial or chemical flavours.
It’s really impressive.
Song Pairing: https://youtu.be/BKLVpDTZOPQ
I’m playing with my steeping parameters for this one, as well as additives to get the best flavour. So far the best has been a three minute steep with a 1/2 pump of agave. It doesn’t take this to a cloying level but I think adds the right amount of sweetness to really make the maple notes in the tea pop to a level that’s more accurate to the sweetness of real maple syrup. Very smooth, with a rich mouthfeel.
I shared it with some coworkers and everyone loved it.
Drank a mug of this one yesterday.
I don’t often appreciate Chai blends but this one was actually pretty solid. More medium bodied than the typical full bodied chai, I really appreciated the overall sweetness and fruit undertones (apple) present in this on top of the softer spice elements. Prominent spice notes were cinnamon and ginger but both complimented the apple. Even the very small amount of hibiscus, which I think was probably mostly meant to lend colour to the blend so it looked softly red and welcoming/festive, didn’t clash with everything else.
This will be an easier chai sample for me to finish off, for sure.
Cold Brew Sidown (456)!
This one was one of my free samples from Citizen Tea from my first order. I kind of grimaced when I saw it included, up until I read the ingredients anyway. I was definitely expecting a “fruit cocktail” tea that would play into the very overdone and often just not pleasant category most fruit cocktail blends tend to; really hibiscus heavy, probably lots of apple and pineapple and just very sweet and cloying.
I think this one has much more unique ingredients; pear, dates, and sultanas and I’m really intrigued and pleasantly surprised by the use of green rooibos as well. When I saw the ingredients, my expectations shifted drastically and I was not left feeling disappointed!
Most importantly, I think this does taste like a fruit cocktail – and without being an overly tart/cloying and hibby heavy mess of a cocktail. It’s very light, with a natural sweetness. Apart from the stronger pear and the distinct lemony notes from the lemongrass that are present in the top of the sip, I think the other fruit notes forming the body of the blend muddle together to create this really refreshing but fairly non-distinct orchard fruit like mix of flavour. But that’s essentially what a fruit cocktail is anyway; a muddling of fruit notes. In the top of the sip with the pear/lemon there’s brightness and a lively fruity character that entices you in, but this finishes clean and crisp.
Green rooibos was a great choice too; there’s no woody/peppery quality here to distract from the fruit notes and in blends almost perfectly into the fruit. I think people who don’t generally like rooibos might be ok with this one. Anyway – based on this tasting alone I think I would buy this one again next time I order from Citizen Tea, whenever that may end up being. I was so pleasantly surprised by this one!
Cold Brew Sipdown (457)!
Not as sweet and floral as I remember it tasting last time I tried this one as a hot tea, but still equally smooth with that very crisp finish and almost “rain water” like quality. I would have loved a stronger elderflower/peony flavour but it was still a pleasant enough cup. I’m not overly sad to have finished it off though.
Tea Press Sipdown (458)!
I had kind of forgotten about this tea if I’m being honest, but even with the lapse in memory now that I know I’m officially out of it I am actually a little sad. This was a pretty simplistic blend; mostly sweet spearmint with peppermint in the body and a slightly dry and pithy but ultimately pleasant lemony undertone and finish. That simplicity definitely translated into reliability and smoothness; and it can be really nice every now and then to have a flavoured blend without any sort of frills to it. I know I have some similar herbal teas on hand though, so maybe I’ll try mixing those with a black base or something to try and create a bit of a ‘dupe’…
Sipdown (459)!
Honestly I’m pleasantly surprised with how many cups of this I was able to get overall from my sample. I don’t think it’s a Genmaicha that I’d personally want to purchase again just because the strawberry wasn’t as bright/vibrant as I’d have ideally wanted from a flavoured Genmaicha, and without the added flavour this is basically just a regular Genmaicha. However it was nice to have on hand and I appreciated it’s smoothness and consistency as a lightly fruity, and comfortingly toasty tea.
Cold Brew (460)!
Actually a little sad to be out of this one; one less pear tea on hand! It was a nice enough cold brew; very smooth dewy pear notes but quite a bit of grassy undertone too. I’d have liked just a little bit more sweetness but it was a nice representation of both the added flavour and the base tea.
Thanks again VariaTEA for the subscription that I got this one in!
Sipdown (453)!
Last tea of the day, and the free sample I got in my Teavivre order.
Anyone who’s been following me on Steepster for a while knows I have a weird relationship with goji berries; I’m totally fascinated by them but 9/10 times I inevitably completely fail to taste them in blends. I’ve probably tried close to a hundred different blends with goji berries in them and I’m STILL not even 100% sure I know what they taste like. So, I was actually SUPER happy to get this as a sample. Finally, the mystery of what goji berries taste like will be solved for me!
I let this steep for about half an hour; mostly because I forgot it was steeping if I’m being perfectly honest here. I’m incredibly frustrated though because even after half an hour of steeping I can hardly taste ANYTHING when I sip on this!? Like, the ‘tea’ visually looks like it’s steeped/infused because it has a clear yellowish tint to it but I straight up just taste water when I drink it, with a sliver of a sort of sweet but VERY non-distinct sugary note in the finish – and only the finish. WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Why can I not seem to crack the mysterious flavour of goji!? I mean, the dried goji certainly smelled fruity/had a nice aroma to it by I legit don’t feel like I’m drinking anything but hot water, possibly sweetened with like table sugar or something. Am I alone in this? ‘Cause I’ve DEFINITELY heard people describe things as tasting either like goji or goji tasting sweet and fruity/like generic red fruit. Are they just bullshitting everyone else or is this actually a unique to me anomaly where I simply cannot pick up on the flavours here?
Ugh! This was supposed to be an informative cup of tea that would answer a question I’ve had for literal years and now I’m just frustrated and left with even more questions than I had in the first place! This is not the kind of relaxing/satisfying cup of tea that I had planned on ending my evening with…
Damn it.
I tried a fresh goji berry once, it was extremely bitter. Only other goji flavor I’d had was in flavored water which tasted completely different.
Goji berries are disgusting. Honestly, you’re not missing out! If it’s driving you crazy, order some fresh or dried goji berries to try – I can’t imagine the flavour translating well into tea.
Jujube fruit tea is an asian tea that might be interesting to try. I’ve never had it though.
In China, we usually use Goji to brew with chrysanthemum and Jujube, which is very good for health benefits. Besides, we also add some Goji when stew bone soup or chicken soup
Maybe try some dried goji berries as they’re pretty easy (if not necessarily cheap due to the health food craze). They have an interesting taste, slightly tart with an almost savoury finish. I like them cooked in oatmeal. I’ve never really been wild about them in tea as I’ve found that most companies just use hibiscus to achieve the tartness and call it good.
Sipping on this one now, while browsing Netflix…
I need a new show to watch; something with more than a season or two but that isn’t a massive ten season commitment either. Something I can tackle in less than a month. Any suggestions?
As for the tea; it’s pretty enjoyable! I let my cup get cold in between all of the flipping between different TV show ideas, but it’s still perfectly fine that way – maybe even a little smoother/easier to slurp down? It’s very fruity, with honeyed peach notes standing out the most to me and lesser red fruit undertones, with a nice backbone of malt and cocoa. I’m pretty down for lightly chocolate and honey drizzled peach slice tea!
Delicious, but so much for my cup of tea with some TV. By the time I land on something to watch this is gonna be all sipped down…
I’m not sure what is on Netflix, but I have to recommend Star Trek: The Next Generation (7 seasons), Bob’s Burgers, and the IT Crowd (short but very funny).
ST:NG is something I definitely want to watch eventually, but I think it’s a bit too much of a commitment for me right now than I’d like to make. I’ve watched all of The IT Crowd though (and it’s great) and the bulk of Bob’s Burgers – though admittedly LARGELY out of order.
Not sure what type of shows you like: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Glitch, Wanted, Sherlock,Bates Motel.
How many seasons is Bates Motel? That’s one I’ve been told is quite good before, and I think it’s probably right up my alley genre wise.
5 seasons, The acting is great.
Sense8!
Absolutely LOVE Sense8 – I was devastated when it was cancelled! I ended up going for Shadowhunters, but I’m powering through it scary fast (I’ve already finished the first season)! Next up will definitely be Bates Motel though!
