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Two tea bags I received from derk. Thank you!

In aroma it indeed reminds me maple syrup, at least that one I was lucky enough to try in Finland (cheap stuff, it was said it is from Canada, supermarket brand). It was my first and last experience with it, and it is actually 4 years old one. But when I smelled it, it was exactly that. Ah well Vaahterasiirappi .

Anyway back to Czech Republic. It’s quite cold, around 10°C only, cloudy and I need some tea which reminds me this! And this looks most promising.

The aroma, as I said, reminds me maple syrup. Little bit of ginger, but luckily not that much.

Taste is more watery than I thought. But it is maple-y for sure, little heat of ginger is there as well. Quite sweet, but somehow expected. Warming inside, smooth and coating the throat which is welcomed in this chilly weather. I feel quite chilly as well though we are heating up.

It is pleasant tea to these days.

Sad to say it’s SIPDOWN but certainly thanks a lot ashmanra!

Drinking while watching 130th Velká Pardubická steeplechase held in city I study, but this time it was without public speacators. It is as well only horse run I actually watch. It is really difficult course and unfortunately many horses don’t make it to the finish.

To the tea. Well, it is very nice. The base is wonderful and well present. It’s smooth, and the vanilla flavour is nice and as well, well present. It even tastes nice and not artificial, though I have expected more creamy taste (I should try it with cream next time), but it was certainly nice exprience and good caffeine-free tea.

Prepared western (4 grams) from same pouch as derk. So, Harvest in September 2015, best before September 2018 (only two years behind!)

Ehhm, although I had it in the morning, it seems it is forgettable. My thoughts about this tea are like in the mountain mist.

It was quite thick, velvety mouthfeel as derk said already, but taste… I don’t remember much. It was nice, bit like hay or yellow melons (again borrowing her words), bit drying.

But expected maybe more, maybe I wasn’t just paying much attention, as I was thinking just about the lunch I was about to prepare (Lasagne bolognese), which turned out great! Need to retry this tea.

Ordered in my local Dobrá Čajovna (Dobra Tea tearoom) while I was waiting for last inventory check (part-time job).

I wished for caffeine boost, but it didn’t really come.

Don’t have much details but: In aroma very roasty, nutty… Hints of almonds, little floral.
and:
In taste it is much more mellow and way more floral with hints of nuts and one more message:
It was nice and pleasant tea. Not really energy boosting, but it was really nice. Quite complex in flavour. Haven’t expected floral and roasty in same time

I wrote those points to my friend who was curious about the tea.

When I smelled the wet leaf in gaiwan, I thought it will be very roasty, as aroma said so. But actually it was quite mellow and rather floral than roasty. I was thinking buying it home to use it possibly in the Advent Swap (see below!) but 320 CZK for 50 grams was quite steep for me.

I won’t return there for some time again unfortunately, situation here is worse and worse and as we have distance learning nowdays, we stay in our rooms trying to study. And I decided to stop the part time job as well now, because of Covid situation; as well I need to focus on studies a little bit more.

Check out Tea Advent Swap we are going to do: https://steepster.com/discuss/42125-2020-tea-advent-swap Shae organises it and I would love to see more people taking part!

As last, one funny story overheard there:
I don’t mind you smoke weed, you can arrive here stoned, I really don’t mind. But please, don’t use the crusher for shisha tobbaco for your weed. Please, don’t! said a manager to one of his employees (they serve hookahs there)

What?!

Thank you derk for this tea, but sorry, it’s awful. But nice tea bag wrapping to my collection. That’s only positive I think.

I took the bag out and I coughed. Coughed several times of the foul smell of ginger and citrusy (it should be) but it rather reminds me paint. Wall paint. Then some coriander and rosemary stuff, but somehow weird as well.

Flavour. Well it is paint again. Citruses? Nope. Matcha? Nope. Herbals, ginger? Nope. Iti s weird. Completely off. Maybe something like lemongrass, but rather grass. No notes of green tea!

What was this? Would I try to drink another teas from Rishi, or even worse… would I try to use second tea bag I received?

On the other news from Central Europe: Mother have her colleague tested positive. They won’t test others since they don’t have symptoms. She works in social care though. 4500 positive yesterday.

On positive side, I got accpeted my bachelor thesis topic: Analysis of material handling machinery in selected company. That’s great!

Same pouch as derk who sent it to me and it’s from White Antlers. Thank you a lot both of you!

So, it is harvested in summer 2015, while Best Before date is July 2018. But I believe there is nothing wrong drinking old tea. I had some lotus teas before (one or two, but always a tea bag), so it is unexplored world for me.

I have to agree with derk that tea seen probably better days, but it is still full of aromas, especially I am able to identify aniseed and bit of orchids. Maybe there are different notes, but not sure about my nose today.

I did quite strong tea, 3 teaspoons for 300 ml, and I think two would be suitable as well. Because it is so flavourful. I had coated whole mouth with lotus flavour, very floral. Again some aniseed hits the tongue as well, but that’s lotus probably. The base is quite vegetal, but overall it’s nice, smooth and tasty.

Trying fresh would be lovely experience.

Autumn 2016 Harvest, from White Antlers. Thank you!

One ball used for grandpa brewing in 300 ml. It disintegrated nicely.

In taste it is quite sweet with little tangy flavours. Some astringency, more potent when drinking end of the cup, which makes sense as it is steeping for longer time. There are stonefruits, mostly apricot and something like “autumn leaf pile” I think.

I wasn’t much caring about the aromas though, I had my brother with family around, so I was caring that I won’t get tea spilled by my youngest niece :)

Received a single tea bag from derk, but mazbe on behalf of White Antlers?
Anyway, this tea is apparently from Yaupon. Never had it before, so I was quite confused what is it. But as it contains a lot of caffeine, I have decided to give it a try!

There weren’t any instructions on the bag, so I searched for the company and found out that it doesn’t matter , so I have used my standard set up, 300 ml / 4-5 minutes.

The flavour is quite hard to describe as it is nothing I had before. It is tasty, teaqueen said pleasantly sour and I have to agree. It was bit aloe sap like, green tea; overall quite common.

But caffeine boost is certainly there, as I was falling asleep during lecture I was taking (Economics of transport companies), but now, hour later I feel filled with energy, which is great while I am going to another night shift this night. Recommended for caffeine boost.

Thank you, no matter who is if originally from — I love trying new things!

I had this tea yesterday, some oldie bag founded in the drawer, but it was still full of flavour though it was only in paper bag.

I arrived home 6 am today and now it is 10 am and I have to be “ready” on the lecture via MS Teams. At least it is online and not present! I would be sleeping all the lecture. Actually I am thinking about going to sleep again… it is quite boring lecture (warehouse operations) which is good for my bachelor thesis, but she almost only reads the presentation. Ehhm.

Back to the tea — it is pretty strong in cinnamon in aroma, but when brewed… I think it pretty much is what is it. There is some fruit notes (not that sure about pear, but could be some really ripe one), warming cinnamon and some sweetness from caramel.

Overall quite smooth, missing bit the base, but I can’t ask for everything in such a small tea bag.

Received this tea in swap year ago! From Izzy who haven’t wrote here since she received mine teas and commented only one from them. I miss her a bit, but anyway THANK YOU!.

It is evening, after elections to region local government (no big powers, but at least someone between people and country government). It has ended as I have hoped; same as last 4, ehm… 8 years. We went to cider making in morning as well — we had lots of apples which won’t stay good even in cellar (Wealthy varietal), so we made non-alcoholic cider (not sure about translation, but my dictionary says so). We had around 75 litres of it! Can’t sent abroad, it won’t survive the trip.

ANYWAY, YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE TEA, RIGHT?
The tea was quite smoky when brewed, but taste is rather on sweet side, hard to recognize something but honeybush and hints of smoke. Something is there sweet like licorice. But is does not have the cloying effect. It is has got some generic fruit notes too, maybe mostly apple skins, not even the fruit pieces taste.

Overall, I am rather sad. I expected some smoky, maybe baked apple, taste or something what would remind me a bonfire, but none of them.

But I remembered Finnish joke:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b4/b0/9e/b4b09e446017ddec34fd20c73cd1dc76.jpg