259 Tasting Notes
Golden Moon Tea Sampler #1
I picked out a packet at random and got this one. I wonder if I used too much water? I tried to use about 4 or 5 ounces of water, but my eyeballs are not well-trained precision tools. Glancing at the other tasting notes, I see that I’m off from the general consensus. Aroma, to me, is sweet corn in green tea and I can’t get the “corny” flavor out of my mind as I sip.
It tastes like a pleasant, weakish, generic green and I’m missing out on all the sensation. I will carefully measure water for my next steep and then possibly revise my note.
Oh, this is such a ridiculous confection that it’s wonderful. The black tea smells like a very serious old-school tea but the raisin and chocolate aroma emerge after a few seconds. Steeped, the tea is naturally very sweet and the chocolate taste is pervasive.
FLASHBACK TO CHILDHOOD MEMORY: I remember, I remember—being 5 or 6 years old and somebody gave me some Raisinettes. I remember pain-stakingly licking the chocolate off the raisins and then discarding the raisins. Those were the days when I didn’t believe anyone should put “food” in the sweets.
52teas are, typically, bursting with flavor and this one is no exception. It’s excellent but does not match the Buttered Raisin Toast—perhaps because that “toasty” flavor seems more difficult to find in a tea than a chocolate or raisin taste. You’ve got to try this if you are a Raisinette fan. And 52teas might want to try more “Cinema” flavors—that would be nifty. Junior Mints. Twizzlers. Lemonheads. Charleston Chews. Hot buttered popcorn. Nibs. Jujubes. Just stay away from Dots—a confection I always found perfectly pointless.
Definitely going to order this one. I figured I’d wait though until this next week’s release to see if I want to include it in the order.
OK… I had to laugh at you licking the chocolate off the raisinettes. That would have been entertaining to watch.
Well of course I did such things very furtively. I can send you a sample of this in the package that will go out to you in just a day or two, if you like.
Sure, if you’d like, I’d really appreciate it! Thanks!!! You’re so good to me!
Funny you should mention the movie candy flavors - somewhere not long ago, similar five-and-dime recommendations were made…SweetTarts and Chick-O-Stick coming to mind.
I am suprised that this tea is very good. How could he mimic the flavor of raisins? Love the idea of cinema flavors but Charlestown Chews? Now that is a “blast from the past”…
Charlestown Chews? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them/seen them here in Canada. :D
I love Charlestown Chews (or are they Charleston?) Jillian – they have a sort of taffy-ish inside that is flavored – I remember vanilla and strawberry flavors – and then they are enrobed in milk chocolate. YUM. I like to freeze them and then break them into little bits. Brings the YUM factor up just a bit!
Mariage Frères describes this tea on their web-site as: “A highly original orchestration of the essences of selected fruits. Harmonious aroma and flavour.”
Very helpful! What selected fruits are in the orchestra? They promise harmony and not cacophony. I got this tea based entirely on the name. I know that I’m a Pavlovian dog when it comes to names. If Lipton’s packaged their tea bags as “Beethoven’s Ninth Tea” or as “Van Gogh’s Struggles” or as “Jay Gatsby’s Jazz Age Party Tea” I’d probably be slurping it up.
Yes, name yourself or your tea “French Impressionism” or “Italian Opera” and you’ve got my credit card number. In this case, however, Mariage Frères did not disappoint me. I get a taste of vanilla and chocolate both along with a fruity mélange of perhaps strawberries or currents? The fruit is hard to pin down but I know it’s there. The aftertaste is not to be trusted but having had a full mug I will say this: aftertaste of banana? Or a little pineapple?
Yes, this is a symphony of fruity chocolate with some vanilla. Have you ever had a “banana baby?” They sell them in my local supermarkets: http://www.dianasbananas.com/our-products/
Anyhow, elegant tea is delicious and the aftertaste runs riot in the mouth mimicking the essence of a Diana’s Banana Baby. It seems like a very French thing to do—a bricolage of high and low art; bringing Vivaldi to the tropics; having Jerry Lewis be the lead tenor of a Bach Requiem Mass.
I’ve been tasting a lot of French flowery/fruity/chocolatey tea of late and it’s often difficult to distinguish them. What makes each one unique? Vivaldi has most certainly established itself on my palate as distinctive. As Randy Jackson might say to this tea, “You’ve made it your own”.
Preparation
Love this review and the range of references from Gatsby to Randy Jackson.
I do agree w/your comments about the French teas. The ones that I have tried so far are flowery, fruity but hard to pinpoint the exact flavors… The French must blend their teas like they blend their perfumes…
Also, they do sell those banana babies at our local supermarket and now I am inspired to try some!
But Lori, please remember that I have the taste buds of a two year old. On the other hand, I have a friend aged 74 and his eyes always gleam with pleasure and light up with joy when he’s offered a Banana Baby.
That sounds so decadently delicious!
Man, I really need to go to that local supermarket w.those banana babies…
I need to get my hands on some banana babies!
Goodness, you do not joke about the name appeal. If there were more classic literature, art, or musical references as tea names, I would be nearly going out with a purse, blindfold, and a happy disposition. No regrets.
By the way, I will definitely put this tea on my to-taste list.
This appears to be a promising green tea.
I messed up my order and through my own miscalculation was only able to try a small portion of a tea-spoon so I tried to adjust with only a small amount of water and a longer steeping time….well, maybe you know how these things go. I certain detected a very fruity aroma and not so much of a vegetal one. I’ll be interested to hear what others think.
Preparation
This is very good and the smell is delicious. The rum raisin aroma is the pervasive one. I was hoping, a bit, that this tea would be very similar to my beloved “Brioche” from the American Tea House, but it is more like rum raisin and Brioche is much more cake-y.
The NecessiTeas and I have a troubled relationship: we are in a repetition compulsion that goes like so: I make an order of $90 or $45 dollars and pay them promptly via Pay Pal. Three weeks later I call them and nobody answers. I then send a plaintive email and get a response that my package is in the mail. Package arrives shortly thereafter, always post-marked one day after my bewildered email. I honestly do not have a dysfunctional relationship with any other tea company.
So…anticipating that this would be a problem, I placed a reorder for this tea a week before my first order arrived. It’s nice that they offer sample packs for $2.00 but I really feel as if ordering from them is a huge imposition for them. I feel like some sort of tea mendicant who is as annoying to them as a panhandler. It’s too bad that their tea is so good.
Preparation
I have a similar problem w/ another company (who’s teas are also amazing). I haven’t had as good of luck w/ the NecessiTeas as you have. I’m only 1 for 2.
If you look up the NecissiTeas, you will find that they are hoping to be on the Ellen show and have sent gift teas to Oprah, so they seem to be enterprising ladies who know how to promote themselves. If they wrote on their web site that “Your order will take 3-4 weeks to be fulfilled” it would not bother me at all. I would know what to expect. So many tea companies have spoiled me with their accurate and swift customer service.
You shouldn’t be bribed w/ accurate and swift customer service, that should just be the way companies fuction.
Amen Cofftea! I think that this has killed any desire for me to go through this company for tea. And shame on them for trying to market and expand their product without getting the basics of customer service right in the first place.
Ditto Cofftea and Rabs!! Boo on NecessiTea’s c/s!
Cofftea, I understand that things happen with people and occasional delays occur. If I were running a one woman tea business, however, I would have a friend or two who would have access to my costumer information and who would be able to send out an email: “So sorry your order will be delayed—there has been a death or a birth or an illness in the family”. I would understand that completely. And I don’t want all companies to be so very big and ultra-efficient that the smaller companies are run out of business. But it strikes me that this company is looking for celebrity clients and not the everyday folks who are not on TV.
Thankfully I don’t have as good of luck w/ this company. It’s my own fault- but I frustrate myself by ordering from the company I mentioned because their teas are SO FLIPPIN AMAZING!
I have to agree with you about the customer service at NecessiTeas. I would never dream of making a customer wait SO LONG for their tea without so much as an emailed apology. I understand that the lady just had a baby… but you know what… if that’s the case, then maybe they should indicate it on the website that there will be a delay. I know it’s hard to be a new mom… it’s real hard. It’s also real hard to have a business… and the most important thing with any young business is to make customers happy. It would be one thing if it were just one person or even just two people who have experienced these kinds of issues with NecessiTeas, but, it’s not just one or two people…it seems to be their entire base of customers!
Things do come up, but there’s also conflict resolution. Actually, a company that has shown good conflict resoluton has higher marks than companies w/ me than those that never need it in some ways.
After tasting the cinnamon bear tea, and seeing their carrot cake tisane – I do think that they resell teas (rather than blend their own)… Now, I just need to find who makes this one, because I love it too.
Maybe send a copy of the discussion on tea merchants http://steepster.com/discuss/533-advice-for-tea-merchants including some of these remarks/suggestions with a nice cover letter to this company?
Lauren: that is a good idea. I really enjoy the couple of teas that I’ve tasted of theirs thus far (especially this one!) and it’s a shame that I am so jaded by the customer service. I realize that I only ordered samples… but that is certainly no way to start off a relationship with a customer. If an order is going to be delayed, it really isn’t that difficult or time consuming to sit down and compose an email to let the customer know.
Looks like the rootbeer and carrot cake are here (possibly an alternate source) – http://www.favatea.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=5&cat=Rooibos+Teas
I don’t see the bread pudding.
The carrot cake is also at Tea Guys. Tea Guys has spectacular customer service too, I might add. I get the orders within 3 days, and they always send a free sample.
Doulton, I went looking for this thread again because I just have to say I think I’m pretty much done with The NecessiTeas for exactly the reasons you mentioned. The last 3 orders I placed I had to inquire about a couple of weeks after placing them when there was no indication anything had shipped. Each time, they were out of something I’d ordered and had to credit me back for that product (which was obviously available for purchase on the web site or I wouldn’t have clicked it in the first place). So among other things their inventory management seems off as well. I don’t love their teas in general, though I liked a few of them enough to order full sized tins. But to me it’s just not worth the trouble anymore to order from them. Three strikes and all.
I’m really happy that I’ve tested this tea; it is going to be a full-size order. It’s a great “gateway” tea for those who are contemplating trying a smoky tea. It does not have the taste of a bonfire, a forest fire, or even a Barbie Que, but it does have a touch of smoke. This smoke is presented with a natural sweetness and a definite buttery cocoa taste.
Upton called for a 4-5 minute brew and I had wandered off and allowed it to oversteep by about two minutes. The tea was graciously forgiving and does not taste at all rancid, bitter, overcooked, or unpleasant. What a sweetheart!
In case you wonder about why I’ve been giving so many high marks, it’s because I am only drinking tea that I am pre-disposed to like. I’m also drinking higher up on the financial chain, which probably makes me both more eager to like the tea but also makes the tea worthy of a higher price point.
Preparation
What a wonderful aroma! I opened the bag and felt as if I had been transported to an orange grove. This tea is serious about its flavour.
This basic black with orange tea is so deeply and richly flavored with orange, that it’s the best citrus tea I’ve sampled so far. The taste is delightful. With a big of milk, it tasted that a really high class gourmet Creamsicle—or as if somebody like Todd English or Gorden Ramsay or Ina Garten had decided to create an orange Creamsicle and serve it with the best black tea.
The American Tea Room has become one of my favorite merchants because of their speedy delivery service; because of their sample sizes, and, most of all, because of the high quality of their tea and their flavor combinations.
Don’t tell my hubby but I have a crush on Gordon Ramsay.
Ohh…you naughty! I think my husband and I BOTH have a crush on him! He does have an…ummm..colorful vocabulary. Did you see him eating casu marzu with the Duchess of Cornwall’s son?
No I didn’t watch that, but I bet it was fun to watch. I think his colorful vocabulary is one of the things I find most charming about him. LOL I think it’s his passion for what he does, and his vocabulary is very expressive of that passion.
So Happy you like our teas.
Definitely a company for the wish list! Love your reviews, as always, Doulton!
lol…I totally have a crush on Gordon too! sigh…I love this tea community.
I too have a crush on Gordon Ramsey!
Alas, I do not have a crush on Ramsey, but man oh man do I love watching him blow his lid. You know, where his voice raises several octaves and he almost loses his voice? Yeah. And great review! I’m bookmarking American Tea Room right now for a future order.
Oh no, Doulton! This is like the 2nd merchant you’ve introduced to me via your posts in 2 days! Okay, will go check out their website … be right back.
Oh, I like Ina – she’s the barefoot contessa, right? She’s always so gracious & warm & welcoming on her TV shows.
lauren – yes, I like her too. She always makes these incredibly yummy looking foods and makes it look so fun and easy.
I’ve fallen in love with smoky teas;
Their ashy taste will always please.
The flavors are strong with no dearth
Of tar and of peat and of earth.
That’s me! I know that most people disagree with me, but smoke is my niche; my dream lover; my mystic muse. I went to France to obtain this—or really, I emailed to France. I also ordered a superb jelly and just had a most smoky afternoon snack: I felt as if I were in a Paris “une boite de nuit” with the smoke of Gitanes and Gauloises curling all about me. Let my calico cat stand in for Josephine Baker, and I’m flying “en avion de l’ame!”
Here’s the jelly, which I had with bread and un p’tit beurre:
«Tarry Souchong» tea jelly:
Created by the Mariage family in the 19th century, these collection of tea jellies, manufactured in the traditional way in copper pans, are a wonderful accompaniment to toast, brioches and scones. The fruit of this ancestral knowledge, this tea jelly, flavoured with a smoky Formosa tea, combines its subtlety with the splendour of the best teas."
I am utterly enthralled! The smoky teas that I adore are typically far less costly than the delicate whites and the carefully cultivated greens, so I am in luck. This is my moment of Tea Nirvana, of ecstasy that fills my being with a thousand pulses of pleasure.
Preparation
Wonderful review! Your poem made me smile. I’ve only had one lapsang souchon so far, but I really really liked it – your note makes me want to continue down the smoky path.
Aha – I love this review and the poem!!
Great tealog! Love the poem!
OMG! I LOVE this name of this tea! I wish I could get this brand locally or even semi locally but it’s a no-go for me…bummer…I WOULD LOVE TO TRY THIS TEA SOMEDAY! You have me soooooo intrigued!
I’m sampling this today with much gratitude to Auggy. I’ll need to invest in a full-size. It’s certainly the best Irish Breakfast I’ve had in…well, in forever, I would guess. Although I’m not picking up on the delicacy of prunes or hints of truffle or whatever else is promised, I do have a good strong cup of flavorful, malty, fresh caffeine. I liked it better with the addition of some sugar and milk, but I’m a milk/sugar addict. Or a milquetoast? Or a milksop? I must consult dictionary.
Very smooth, just slightly astringent, this is helping me to wake up on a lazy Friday morning that is now approaching 2 PM.
Thank you, Auggy. You send out the best and most beautifully packaged samples.
My 125th tasting note!
Preparation
Place Saint Marc is a good medium-strength black/strawberry tea with an aroma that suggests various florals that I cannot quite put my finger on. It’s very good, but I don’t think it is “to die for”. Were you to be served this at the actual Piazza Santo Marco, it would cost you about $75. American dollars. Walk around the corner, however, and the same drink would translate to about $3.
This is an excellent afternoon tea choice, with a lovely fragrance. All of the French teas I’ve been sampling are very good and worthy of high ratings but none of them has yet “popped” as being far and away the best and the brightest and utterly unique. On the other hand, none has disappointed me in the least.
The lingering after-taste of strawberries is really quite lovely. I don’t understand why a poetry textbook, edited by Kennedy and Gioia, in most respects a very good book, asserts that “your breath smells like tea” is a terrible simile, although I would specify the type of tea.
You were probably way more accurate than I was! I love this tea, but I couldn’t tell you what the measurements were – I used about half of the packet for my 20ish ounce cup. I do wish that I would’ve used the whole packet though because I’m worried that my second half will be weak. And I do hate it when a negative scent association comes to mind because it’s almost impossible for me to readjust. Good luck on future steeps!
I definitely used more water than you so I think it’s fine. I made my cup with 10oz of water.
I used about 10-11oz water to my packet and thought I used way too much water. Just ordered another sample of this to try with 6 oz water next time. So, no, you are not alone. It’s a shame since the packet smells so freakin’ good.
My tasting was very good. But I just dumped the whole packet into 12oz of water. I think the GM samples are all single serving packets?
one to two cups per sampler. There were a lot of pellets for gunpowder.