2145 Tasting Notes

84

I didn’t expect the steeped tea to be such a rich purple color. Although, in hindsight the name Royal Purple Tea should have tipped me off (purple is the color of royalty after all.) The flavor ended up being just as vibrant as the color, with a deep fruity flavor from the bilberry and hints of lavender, jasmine, and most strongly, chamomile. There was very little flavor from the Earl Grey, although this wasn’t surprising since there was very little in the blend to begin with. All-in-all I really enjoyed this unique take on the classic Earl Grey.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/8/4/tuesday-tea-royal-purple-tea-herbal-alchemy

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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92
drank Famous Sweet Tea by Milo's
2145 tasting notes

Milo’s has the perfect balance of flavors, it’s everything I’m looking for in a sweet tea. There is just enough sugar to give you a rush, but not enough to make you feel like your teeth are going to fall out at any moment. I was reluctant to admit this, but I enjoyed it more than my old standby, Red Diamond. The lack of preservatives in Milo’s and the perfect balance of sweetness was enough to ensure it was crowned the king of bottled sweet teas, a position Red Diamond has held for over 18 years. It look’s like I finally have a new favorite, which is something I never thought I would say.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/28/tuesday-tea-road-trip-edition-famous-sweet-tea-milos

Preparation
Iced

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I found the strong, vegetal flavor of this matcha very unappealing. It had a bitter after taste and gritty texture that kept me from fully enjoying it. I was very surprised to learn it was a ceremonial grade matcha, due to it’s washed out color it more closely resembled culinary grade. I strongly suspect it may be old because I’ve never seen a ceremonial grade look so dingy or give me so much trouble when I whisk. According to the JK Tea Shop website, this was harvested in April 2014 making it over a year old.

You can read the full results of the blind taste test on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/13/tuesday-tea-blind-taste-test-6-matcha-teas-compared-sponsored

Kristal

How disappointing :(

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The brilliant green color of this matcha and it’s ability to froth well (despite my use of a kitchen whisk) immediately made me suspect it was one of the more expensive samples included in this round of the Matcha Blind Taste Test. Sadly the taste and texture didn’t appeal to me. It was strongly flavored, tasting of seaweed, with a very bitter aftertaste. I feel like it would be better suited to cooking where added sugar could compensate for the bitterness.

You can read the full results of the blind taste test on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/13/tuesday-tea-blind-taste-test-6-matcha-teas-compared-sponsored

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92

I’ve never tasted another matcha quite like this one. Its distinct floral flavor easily gave it away as one of our first place winners from the last round of the Matcha Blind Taste Test, but it didn’t fair as well in round 2. It’s yellow-green coloring wasn’t nearly as brilliant as some of our other samples and it lacked the depth of flavor that our winner had. 

You can read the full results of the blind taste test on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/13/tuesday-tea-blind-taste-test-6-matcha-teas-compared-sponsored

Skysamurai

Its so good isn’t it? Reminds me of oolong!

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77
drank Kiwami by iMaccha
2145 tasting notes

The brilliant green color of this matcha made it stand out from the rest of the samples from round 2 of the Matcha Blind Taste Test. I wasn’t surprised to find out this was ceremonial grade. The silky smooth texture, pleasant fresh-cut grass scent, and savory flavor made it the clear winner for this round. If you’re looking for a matcha that is less sweet, this is a good choice.

You can read the full results of the blind taste test on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/13/tuesday-tea-blind-taste-test-6-matcha-teas-compared-sponsored

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This matcha had a vegetal flavor that was quite similar to spinach. The hint of sweetness made it more appealing, but if you’re not a fan of vegetal flavors this might not be the best matcha to start with. This was our second place winner and pick for best budget matcha in Round 2 of the Matcha Blind Taste Test.

You can read the full results of the blind taste test on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/13/tuesday-tea-blind-taste-test-6-matcha-teas-compared-sponsored

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This matcha was slightly sweet, with a somewhat nutty flavor and grainy texture. It ended up being the least expensive of the samples in the matcha blind taste test I’m taking part in, but isn’t among my top picks as far as matcha goes. I think it’s worth exploring some of the slightly more expensive options from Red Leaf Tea.

You can read the full results of the blind taste test on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/13/tuesday-tea-blind-taste-test-6-matcha-teas-compared-sponsored

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85

The description of this tea says it’s similar in to Assam and Kenyan teas and I happen to agree. The tea was mildly astringent, slightly sweet, and reminded me of fresh baked bread drizzled with honey. It’s a very strong bodied tea, one that is well suited to breakfast— it’s strong enough to force even my eyes open (and we all know I’m not a morning person.)

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/7/7/tuesday-tea-rwanda-rukeri-adagio

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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90
drank Osmanthus Oolong by Tea Ave
2145 tasting notes

The first sip of tea sent me straight to heaven. It had a creamy mouthfeel and fruity flavor that reminded me of peaches covered with fresh cream. It was absolutely delicious and definitely the type of tea I find myself craving during the hot summer months.

You can read the rest of the review on my blog:
www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/6/30/tuesday-tea-osmanthus-oolong-tea-ave

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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Profile

Bio

I am always interested in swapping so if you see anything in my cupboard that you want to try just send me a message. Please keep in mind that I order most of my teas in sample sizes and may not have a lot to swap. I’m also trying to keep my swaps limited to one a month so I don’t break the bank.

My favorite tea companies to order from are American Tea Room, Rishi, TeaVivre, and Single Origin Teas, however I am constantly lured away from my favorites by a good sale.

Ingredients I love in tea
rose, peach, oolong, osmanthus, vanilla, marshmallow root and peppermint

Ingredients I dislike in tea:
spearmint, chocolate, orange, hibiscus, sage and for the most part lemon.

I am a firm believer that sage only belongs in my thanksgiving stuffing/dressing and absolutely not in my tea.

Allergies
Cinnamon, Chocolate, Burdock Root, and Goji Berries

Teawares:
FORLIFE Curve Teapot, 24oz
Adagio ingenuiTEA, 16oz
Adagio Iced ingenuiTEA, 32oz
Zojirushi Water Pot, 4L
Libbey Country Fair drinking jars for ice tea
TeaVivre Travel Gaiwan

Rating Guidelines:

100 – 90: Pantry essential and some of my all time favorites that I can’t live without.

89 – 80: You’ll have a pretty good chance of finding this is my pantry on a regular basis, but it isn’t the end of the world if I run out.

79 – 70: I might consider restocking this at some point if the price was right.

69 – 40: Not undrinkable, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it again.

39 – 20: What in the world were they thinking? Probably still finished this just because I hate to waste anything.

19 – 0: Wow, that’s so terrible chances are pretty good I dumped it out and gave away the rest.

My current top five favorite teas:

China Black – Rishi Tea
Earl Grey Cream – Zen Tea
Lemoncello – American Tea Room
Nonpareil Anxi Qing Xiang TieGuanYin Oolong – TeaVivre
White Tea Rose Mélange – Rishi Tea

Location

Oregon, WI

Website

http://www.notstarvingyet.com/

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