620 Tasting Notes
The bagged version of this really disappointed me — like drinking ashtray leavings. Flat, stale and nearly tasteless. And I adore smoky tea. Loose in the black tin with the green lid: quite good. Doesn’t take multiple infusions well, I find, but I can forgive that when one cup is as good as this.
Preparation
Delicious, though I didn’t like it first go — didn’t know what to make of it. There is chocolate, of the dark cocoa-nib kind, which blends surprisinglly well with the little biut of greenb tea and the lods of green rooibos in here. Cinnamon sharpens everyone up and keeps the flavours playing nice. Very little, if any, caffeine, to this one, and it’s ridiculously healthy. I’ve drunk nearly 200 grams of it in less than a month. One TB in thre basket of my 500mL travel mug plus a packet of stevia, steeped a good while (it’s mostly rooibos, so steep away) — bliss. Happiness.
Preparation
Do you find this tastes like apples? I’ve found that it does and I can’t quite put my finger on why. It certainly smells vaguely of apples to me, anyway…
Yes, now that you mention it, some of the sharpness of a Granny Smith, say. Probably the blend of cinnamon with green rooibos, which can already be apple-y.
Love Darjeeling and know how to make it. Familiar with estate blends, single estates, spring and summer flushed. Okay, I’m mad for Darleeing. But I really disliked the Twinings loose. Weak and stale tasting. Old? Adulterated? Maybe I had a bad batch?
Preparation
If I was being snobby, I’d call this a Darjeeling wannabe. But it deserves a little more respect than that. It’s got similar tasting notes to Darjeeling, being grown at a hgh elevation in Nepal, but seems a big fruiter to me. I didn’t find it any more energizing than any other black tea, incidentally. Milk might overwhelm this one.
Preparation
Complex. Steep carefully. Save this one for a proper sit-down; Turkish Delight is not to be drunk thoughtlessly while checking e-mail. A little sweetener (I use stevia) brings out the peppercorns, pistachios and especially the apples. The tea itself is a China black, I think, and quite smooth. Don’t oversteep, because this one might get bitter. I use water just off the boil because I’m afraid of scalding the fruit.
Preparation
I feared this one would be bitter, but it’s smooth and sweet — yet light, not a sticky dessert infusion. The coffee mellows against the white chocolate and almonds, and the mate doesn’t get all sharp. It feels gentle in the mouth, but after you’ve drunk it, feel da power! Good for multiple infusions. Even better sipped from gourd and bombilla.
