254 Tasting Notes

70
drank Big Apple by DAVIDsTEA
254 tasting notes

The last of the samples which came with my order, this was an interesting thing to try but it’s not going to end up in my cupboard. To me, it tastes like very light apple juice with a bitter green chaser. It’s still a huge improvement on the Salted Caramel, but I think the Pineapple Oolong was more enjoyable.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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70

I honestly don’t know what happened, but my experience with this tea does not read like any of the other reviews on here. It was actually a bit of a nightmare to try to dial in a cup that was neither watery nor bitter, and I finally threw in the towel. During this whole project, I have never been this frustrated with an Earl Grey.

Does anyone have suggestions?

Here’s the link to my blog entry about it:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/07/earl-grey-supreme-by-harney-sons.html

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec
JacquelineM

I like 200 degree water, a “perfect teaspoon” of this tea for 8 oz of water, and 4 minutes.

wheezybee

Wow! Thank you, that made all the difference!

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75
drank Pineapple Oolong by DAVIDsTEA
254 tasting notes

This is the second of the three free samples that came with my first DAVIDsTEA order, and I’m using it to try to get the taste of the last one (the Salted Caramel) out of my mouth!

Dry, this smells exactly like pineapple jelly beans, and the steeped flavor isn’t much different! The liquor is golden and tastes juicy; pineapple still dominates but the apricot is a little more noticeable while the oolong is a hint at best.

This reminds me of their Citron Oolong, which was dominated by the citrus flavors. That was the Energizer Bunny of flavored teas and was still going strong into the fourth steep. Because of that, I’m curious how this one will re-steep.

Update: The second steep is much better – it tastes less artificial and the oolong makes a more prominent appearance. I’ll take this flavor over the last sample any day!

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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35
drank Salted Caramel by DAVIDsTEA
254 tasting notes

I just received my first order from DAVIDsTEA and this was one of the three free samples. They have been a complete disappointment. Nasty-smelling things that I would never try on my own. I remember going shopping for a friend’s bachelorette party – this smells exactly like some of the oils we looked at for her. We didn’t buy those either.

There’s an oily film on the top of the cup and I don’t taste either of the flavors promised by the title. Just burnt popcorn and adult novelties. I keep on trying to force myself to take another sip in order to write a more comprehensive tasting note, but I just can’t do it. Sorry.

Preparation
Boiling 7 min, 0 sec

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85

Our DAVIDsTEA order came in today, and I couldn’t wait to pull this out. I was first attracted to it because of the name, and then because of the reviews. I’ve been curious about it for a while, and I’m happy to finally be able to stick my nose in it!

The pieces are huge, and the mix they create is tart, sweet, and tangy. It’s just lovely, and I think it matches the title perfectly. Like Pan, it has many faces and some of them are markedly feral.

We used our new 16oz infuser mugs, but the 4 teaspoons each that the instructions called for were a little insufficient. We ended up adding two extra minutes to the steep time, and in the future I think we’ll add an extra teaspoon each.

For now, I’m going to step away from the keyboard and go enjoy what’s left!

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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90

This is the 20th review in the Battle of the Earl Greys!

This is the second of three samples provided by Mariage Frères, and the initial time I made it I thought it would also be the first disappointment. It took a little tweaking of the steeping process, but my last cup was darker, richer, and just about stole my heart! ;)

When I increased the amount of tea by 1/4 tsp and the steep time by 1 minute, this went from a weak floral black to a delicious Earl Grey with a kick. I don’t get it, but I’m not going to argue with a tea I enjoy this much.

You can read my full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/07/earl-grey-french-blue-by-mariage-freres.html

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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80

I was given a sample of this tea to review, but because it’s part of the new fall line-up, it won’t be on their website until October. I do hope they add it a little early, because I would love to get more of it both for moving forward in the Battle of the Earl Greys on my blog and to just sit back and enjoy.

This is a surprisingly well-balanced and enjoyable Earl Grey, and I was very tempted to just find a comfy place to curl up with a book and enjoy it. The bergamot was strong enough to give it the distinctive Earl Grey flavor profile, but mild enough that it was sweet and lacked any astringency. No dry mouth with this one!

Unfortunately, I have to preserve the rest of the sample for the next round, but it did re-steep well, which also holds it apart from many Earl Greys.

You can read the full review at:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/06/organic-earl-grey-by-tealicious.html

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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70

Tomorrow I’m going to post my 20th review for the Battle of the Earl Greys, so I’m rather desperately craving something completely different! This came by way of a swap with Short Sorceress, and it looks and smells like it’ll be perfect!

I’m putting the whole tablespoon in my 16oz tetsubin, and I added 1 tablespoon of Sugar in the Raw. The dry smell is not at all shy and I had to double-bag it to keep it from influencing my other teas. It’s like fresh caramel: Brown sugar and butter, hot off the stove. I don’t smell the pineapple, but I hope it’s going to show up in the steeped tea.

Okay, now for the moment of truth. At first sip, the steeped tea smells and tastes like caramel popcorn. I’m still not picking up the pineapple, so just for the heck of it I’ll put part of the pot over ice… okay, now it’s cold caramel popcorn.

Well, it’s completely different than the Earl Greys and that’s really all I was asking for. Good thing I love caramel popcorn!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
Scheherazade

I tried this for the first time at the weekend, but I haven’t got around to posting my tasting note yet. I didn’t really get pineapple, either, although the cake bit was spot on!

wheezybee

Come to think about it, I don’t know if I’ve actually had that kind of cake before!

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80

This sample was given to me for review, and came with six of their other Earl Grey blends. I’ve made my way through over half of them now, and this is by far the best Earl Grey in the lineup. The general Earl Grey was a bit of a mild cup, but this one packs a lot more punch!

Most of its assertiveness is due to a much larger dose of bergamot – it smells amazing and translates very well into the cup. There is a slight astringency, but adding a dash of milk is all you need to balance it out.

You can read my full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/07/earl-grey-extra-by-simpson-vail.html

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 45 sec

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75

I think my craving for macaroons has been assuaged! Thanks, Short Sorceress, for the opportunity to try this one! Both dry and steeped there’s no missing the coconut – which is awesome, because I love it! While I can pick up a little bit of a cakey flavor, I don’t really get cheesecake from it. No worries! It’s creamy and sweet and a wonderful way to cap off the evening.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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Profile

Bio

Feel free to browse my cupboard if you’re interested in swapping, but all the mate and pu-erh in our household is my husband’s.

For swapping purposes, please note the apple allergy. Thank you!

I tried to limit my cupboard to teas that were 1oz or larger, but that was a gorgeous failure in terms of swap communication. It’s all going back up.

Okay, I just feel wrong trying to grade things without a rubric – it’s too inconsistent! So, here is the grading breakdown:

0-50: Dump it!
50-60: I might finish the cup
60-70: Possibly finish the pot
70-80: I may keep this on hand
80-90: Cupboard space guaranteed
90-100: Poetry may be involved!

Location

Dallas, TX

Website

http://www.wordsabouttea.blog...

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