Drank this while outside yesterday trying to clean up my sad little garden.
I swear at first sip I could taste some honey and fruity notes but that’s about as far as I got. I’m just bad at that stuff. I enjoyed the tea though. I slurped it and sniffed it and savoured my sips but no way can I tell you specifically which fruit notes are in there.
shrug
The harder I try and still can’t pin anything down, the more frustrated I get!
Doesn’t stop me from enjoying my teas though. So I’m not going to stress over it.
People who liked this
Comments
Don’t feel discouraged, that’s great progress that you got the honey notes and fruity notes. There are points where I still have a difficult time pinning down some fruity notes. It took me at least a year of actively trying to be able to pull out notes and feel comfortable about it. The next time you try this tea, focus on the fruity notes and see if you can find the category of fruity, is it dried fruit, stone fruit, berries, citrus, or maybe mixed fruit.
One thing that’ll help you pick out more flavors is if you — temporarily mind you as I know you love flavored tea best :) — lay off on the flavored tea for a little while, and just drink the straight stuff.
When you’re used to flavors being almost shoved at you, it makes it harder to pick out. Now that I essentially don’t drink flavored tea anymore (I keep thinking I love them so I panic and buy a whole bunch, and then after one very happy cup they lurk in my house for months since I’m never in the mood)
Once you can pick out the nuances of plain tea better, I think you’d enjoy your flavored tea even better. :) In addition to the added flavors, you’ll be able to pick out the tastes from the base better since you know ‘where to look’ for them.
Thanks you guys :)
I am trying! Actually I have been laying off the borderling sickeningly sweet teas and focusing more on good quality straight ones (or more subtly flavoured ones). I just received the sampler pack from Verdant and have some coming from Teavivre also, along with my Butiki new arrivals I’m working on honing my tasting abilities :) (albeit slowwwwly)
Chizakura-That’s a great point. I’m going to add that to a blog article I’m working on about tasting.
whatshesaid-Good luck! It takes time but progress is really what’s important. :)
i still feel like i’m clueless when it comes to the tasting nuances that others get out of some teas. But i figure as long as i enjoy them, it’s all good.
Yeah and I DEFINITELY enjoy them! Stacy I’m looking forward to your blog post!
lol, I didn’t even finish my thought. That’s what happens when you get up at 4:30AM to go to work. So I’m finishing the thought now, “Now that I essentially don’t drink flavored tea anymore, I’m finding that I’m picking out more notes in my teas than I ever have before.”
There. I have the day off tomorrow, so I can get up a bit later. xD
Sometimes I taste an oolong or black tea or whatever & it’s so AMAZING! I can taste all these under-tastes, smell wonderful things, etc & be like, "ooh, that has a peachy fruitiness with a hazelnut…blah blah blah…
Other times, same tea – different day, I’m not getting all the nuances, and I’m feeling cheated, or wondering if I imagined it all to begin with.
Some of it has to do with my mood, my sinuses, what I’ve eaten, my ‘mindfulness’ level…who knows what?
When I’m in full tasting mode, especially on a new tea, I’ll try to get in a mindful space of relaxed breathing, take a deep breath & blow out through my nose, then hold the tea (dry leaf, wet leaf, or the steeped tea) & just barely inhale really slowly. It’s amazing how much more you smell things that way! I had a friend who had lost his sense of smell, & that’s how he got it back. It took awhile, but he gradually started noticing smells when he did it that way.
The more you notice the aroma, the more you’ll begin to notice the flavors as well. I also hold tea in my mouth for a minute before I swallow it, & try to let it trickle down my throat. (sometimes…sometimes I just drink it & enjoy it & that’s that)
Most of all, have fun!! And don’t think any of us are judging, or whatever, cuz we’re NOT!
Don’t feel discouraged, that’s great progress that you got the honey notes and fruity notes. There are points where I still have a difficult time pinning down some fruity notes. It took me at least a year of actively trying to be able to pull out notes and feel comfortable about it. The next time you try this tea, focus on the fruity notes and see if you can find the category of fruity, is it dried fruit, stone fruit, berries, citrus, or maybe mixed fruit.
One thing that’ll help you pick out more flavors is if you — temporarily mind you as I know you love flavored tea best :) — lay off on the flavored tea for a little while, and just drink the straight stuff.
When you’re used to flavors being almost shoved at you, it makes it harder to pick out. Now that I essentially don’t drink flavored tea anymore (I keep thinking I love them so I panic and buy a whole bunch, and then after one very happy cup they lurk in my house for months since I’m never in the mood)
Once you can pick out the nuances of plain tea better, I think you’d enjoy your flavored tea even better. :) In addition to the added flavors, you’ll be able to pick out the tastes from the base better since you know ‘where to look’ for them.
Thanks you guys :)
I am trying! Actually I have been laying off the borderling sickeningly sweet teas and focusing more on good quality straight ones (or more subtly flavoured ones). I just received the sampler pack from Verdant and have some coming from Teavivre also, along with my Butiki new arrivals I’m working on honing my tasting abilities :) (albeit slowwwwly)
Chizakura-That’s a great point. I’m going to add that to a blog article I’m working on about tasting.
whatshesaid-Good luck! It takes time but progress is really what’s important. :)
i still feel like i’m clueless when it comes to the tasting nuances that others get out of some teas. But i figure as long as i enjoy them, it’s all good.
Yeah and I DEFINITELY enjoy them! Stacy I’m looking forward to your blog post!
lol, I didn’t even finish my thought. That’s what happens when you get up at 4:30AM to go to work. So I’m finishing the thought now, “Now that I essentially don’t drink flavored tea anymore, I’m finding that I’m picking out more notes in my teas than I ever have before.”
There. I have the day off tomorrow, so I can get up a bit later. xD
Sometimes I taste an oolong or black tea or whatever & it’s so AMAZING! I can taste all these under-tastes, smell wonderful things, etc & be like, "ooh, that has a peachy fruitiness with a hazelnut…blah blah blah…
Other times, same tea – different day, I’m not getting all the nuances, and I’m feeling cheated, or wondering if I imagined it all to begin with.
Some of it has to do with my mood, my sinuses, what I’ve eaten, my ‘mindfulness’ level…who knows what?
When I’m in full tasting mode, especially on a new tea, I’ll try to get in a mindful space of relaxed breathing, take a deep breath & blow out through my nose, then hold the tea (dry leaf, wet leaf, or the steeped tea) & just barely inhale really slowly. It’s amazing how much more you smell things that way! I had a friend who had lost his sense of smell, & that’s how he got it back. It took awhile, but he gradually started noticing smells when he did it that way.
The more you notice the aroma, the more you’ll begin to notice the flavors as well. I also hold tea in my mouth for a minute before I swallow it, & try to let it trickle down my throat. (sometimes…sometimes I just drink it & enjoy it & that’s that)
Most of all, have fun!! And don’t think any of us are judging, or whatever, cuz we’re NOT!