690 Tasting Notes

80
drank TeaSource Green by TeaSource
690 tasting notes

This one was an impulse purchase the last time I ordered from TeaSource…pretty sure it was on sale. While straight green teas don’t tend to be my favorite, I’ve found myself reaching for this one surprisingly often! It’s very smooth and easy to drink with a mild vegetal flavor that reminds me of baby spinach. It’s certainly nothing special or memorable, but a nice “everyday” type green tea.

Flavors: Smooth, Spinach, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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65
drank Mince Pie by Bird & Blend Tea Co.
690 tasting notes

My last sample from Shae. I brewed this one at work this morning and didn’t realize my little electric kettle was almost out of water, so I ended up with my mug only 2/3 full. I generally stay away from “holiday” type teas, as cinnamon and orange just isn’t my thing. However, this one has a strong almond/marzipan note added, which makes it a bit different. Still not my favorite flavor combo, but better than I was expecting! I may try adding milk next time, as the Ceylon base was giving it a dryness at the end of the sip that I wasn’t crazy about. Still so fun to get to try all these new-to-me teas, though. Thanks again for the lovely surprise, Shae!

Flavors: Almond, Cinnamon, Drying, Marzipan, Orange

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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75

Another sample from Shae! I had this one with breakfast this morning and was honestly half-asleep, so I don’t remember much. :) It was nice and full-bodied and held up well to milk. Certainly a “decent cup of tea” but nothing outstanding. I don’t think I liked it quite as much as the Irish Breakfast I had yesterday, but still pleased I got to try it! I forget about Harney & Sons and they really do some excellent blends.

Flavors: Astringent, Malt

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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90

Yet another tea from Shae…and this may be my favorite of the bunch so far! Chocolate-flavored tea blends can be pretty hit and miss for me, but this one is absolutely delicious. Both the chocolate and raspberry flavors are coming through clearly and the base tea has a nice earthy richness that compliments the dark chocolate perfectly without any of the funkiness you sometimes get with puerh blends. It’s even better with a splash of milk!

Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Earth, Jam, Raspberry

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Shae

I thought this one was so good. It’s definitely on my list for a Plum Deluxe order. I’m glad you liked it too!

Inkling

Thanks so much for sharing!

Shae

You’re so welcome! :)

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55

Another sample from Shae! I don’t think I’ve had anything from this company before, but their packaging is really cute. The tea itself really did smell like an oatmeal cookie, but the flavor was mostly cinnamon and not much else.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Cookie, Oats

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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85
drank Irish Breakfast by Harney & Sons
690 tasting notes

The lovely Shae surprised me with the sweetest tea package last week (including AQTT’s Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding, which I am over the moon about!) and this was one of the samples she included. I have to say, I think Harney & Sons nailed the quintessential Irish Breakfast blend with this one. It’s bold, strong, and malty, has tons of flavor even with milk added, and wakes you right up! I’ll be keeping this one in mind next time I order from H&S.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Malt

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
gmathis

You know, as much as I love my unleaded malt first thing in the morning, I believe I have neglected to try this one! (Anybody know if this is one of the flavors H&S sells retail?)

Inkling

“Unleaded malt”…that is an awesome tea description. :D Hope you’re able to track some down!

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55

This may have been my least favorite blend of the Memphis sampler. It smelled like strawberry candy, but the flavor was a muddled jumble of generic fruit that didn’t taste distinctly like strawberry or anything else in particular. I’ll drink the three bags I have, but this isn’t one I’d chose to re-purchase.

Flavors: Fruity

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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75

Like all the teas in this sampler, this is much nicer than your average bagged chai! The tea itself appears to be a CTC, but there are nice big cardamom seeds and bits of cinnamon bark visible in the sachet. The flavor is intense and spicy with lots of ginger and cardamom and a hint of pepper tickling the back of my throat. The base tea is pretty astringent, but it smooths out nicely with a bit of milk. Overall, this isn’t my personal favorite flavor profile for a chai (I like the ones that lean a bit sweeter with more cinnamon and nutmeg) but still one of the better bagged options I’ve tried!

Flavors: Astringent, Cardamon, Ginger, Pepper, Spicy

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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70

This is one of the few teas from this company that missed the mark a bit for me. Based on the name, I was expecting a peach tea. But so many other flavors have been added, I really can’t discern the specific fruits that are present in the blend…it’s just generically fruity, like a mixed fruit candy or something. Still not a bad tea, but it falls short of many of the other excellent blends that were included in the same sampler.

Flavors: Artificial, Fruity

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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85

Lemon teas can go so very wrong (I’ve had some that made me feel like I was drinking Lysol!) but this blend does it right! Smooth, sweet lemon and vanilla with a bit of sweetness coming through from the honeybush. A lovely bedtime treat!

Flavors: Creamy, Lemon, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Leafhopper

Agreed on the Lysol teas! I’m glad you enjoyed this one.

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Profile

Bio

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I was introduced to loose leaf tea by a roommate in 2012, but it wasn’t until I stumbled upon Steepster in 2014 that I discovered a world of tea that went beyond Teavana and the grocery store.

My tastes continue to evolve, but black tea is currently my favorite. I am especially drawn to strong, malty breakfast blends to wake me up in the morning and flavored dessert teas to sip throughout the day.

Just about everything in my cupboard is available to swap, so feel free to ask!

Location

Milwaukee, WI

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