135 Tasting Notes

73

I purchased a small sample of this during one of August Uncommon’s sales. Not getting much in the way of chocolate notes. It’s more subtle than their usual fare, but I found it much better if I overleafed a little. Overall, there is a sweetness and maltiness to it that I enjoy, and it goes wonderfully with milk, so it makes a nice breakfast tea. All in all it’s a mild, sweet black that’s very drinkable, just not for when you want a strong black tea.

Preparation
2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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88
drank Jin Die by Camellia Sinensis
135 tasting notes

I am an unapologetic milk-in-my-tea person. Unless it’s NOT a black tea, or if it’s got a fruit flavor, I’m most likely going to add milk to it. I just can’t with this. I don’t want to ruin it. It’s perfect as it is – aromatic, with honey-like notes and an almost fruity finish. This was a generous, not free (but very reasonable!) sample from a tea expo in NY from too long ago, but it’s still lovely, and confirms Camellia Sinensis as a serious, quality tea vendor IMO. It’s a beautiful Chinese black, and I could drink it forever. Even nice as a cold brew using the spent leaves. I would buy more, but will have to hold off as I’ve got the same problem as other tea drinkers – too much tea, not enough time.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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80

Had no expectations for this tea, since I am not familiar with the company, and I got it from a Home Goods or TJ Maxx, one of those kind of stores. I just knew that I needed a ginger peach flavored black for making iced tea and this wasn’t an expensive purchase, so if I didn’t like it, it would be no big deal.

Well. This makes a damn fine iced tea. Love the balance of peach and ginger. Neither overwhelms the tea taste. There’s a lot of it to the package, so it’ll take some time to get through, which is more than OK with me! Very pleasantly surprised. Not sure if I would have it hot, but I feel pretty confident that it would be just as nice that way as iced. This is a winner!

Flavors: Ginger, Peach

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 15 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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78

This had been on my wishlist for quite some time, and since I was ordering more Green Coconut (the weather is slowly warming up, and this is a solid, refreshing tea in iced form), I tacked O’Conner’s Cream onto my order. I really think Teagschwendner should offer smaller amounts for online ordering (100g minimum? Really?), but I just went for it.

Basically, it’s an Irish Cream-flavored black tea. I happen to love that, and I also happen to love flavored blacks in general. Not to say I don’t love unflavored, “pure” teas, but there’s room in my cupboard for pretty much all kinds of teas. Except rooibos. I will never love rooibos.

Upon opening up the package, there’s a strong alcohol scent from the flavoring. Not the first I’ve experienced this, but it’s still disturbing. If this goes as I expect, after awhile that will dissipate and the flavoring will be intact. If you love Bailey’s, then this is the tea for you. I imagine this would be a great tea for one of those raw, damp, November days when you crave something comforting. Definitely has a taste of whiskey and cream. Does it crowd out the black tea flavor? No, it still tastes like tea. Would I drink it black? Nope – this cries out for milk. Just the way I like it. Great dessert / treat tea.

Flavors: Cocoa, Cream, Whiskey

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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72
drank Chokolat by Ranra Tea
135 tasting notes

Chocolate flavored teas are very much hit or miss for me, so when a close friend was super generous and sent me a bunch of teas from her trip to Sri Lanka, I put off trying this one for awhile. But, it’s good! The flavor reminds me of Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts (that’s a happy thing for me, I adore them, maybe it’s a holdover from childhood – those of you groaning and shaking your heads in dismay can just get over it – we all have our guilty pleasures).

When I first opened the packet, the strong alcohol scent from whatever was used to flavor the tea was very strong (alarming!), but it’s chilled out over time. The flavor doesn’t overwhelm the tea, it sits nicely with it. I’m reaching for this more than I thought I would, kind of like a tea hot chocolate for the winter. And the leaves are pretty big, as was the case with all the teas she sent me from her trip. Makes brewing tons easier, as the steeps can go well over five minutes without adversely affecting the flavor. Not the most complex cup, but still very enjoyable.

Flavors: Chocolate

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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68

I feel like I say this all the time: “Finally getting around to trying (insert name of tea here)” but here we are.

This brews up quite light in color and flavor, as I find many of Whispering Pines teas do. Not a complaint at all, just an observation. I am not getting much in the way of malty, cocoa richness. There is a pleasant citrusy note that I find refreshing. Also a bit of earthiness. A very nice tea, but Golden Orchid remains my favorite. I do not recommend having this with milk, as it’s a bit too delicate for it and the flavors get lost. Going to try the spent leaves as a cold brew next, so we’ll see how that goes.

Flavors: Citrus, Earth

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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65

I need to abstain from caffeine for awhile due to surgery, so all the herbals in my cupboard are on heavy rotation. I’ve said in the past that I really don’t care for rooibos, but August Uncommon has such great teas I thought I’d give this a shot. Brew smells like vanilla pudding, and the vanilla flavor was the most prominent for me. A tiny bit of burnt sugar smokiness from the rooibos. A very nice tea, but not in love, despite it being warm, sweet and comforting. Dang, I really miss my black teas!

Flavors: Burnt Sugar, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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92
drank Coco Colada by DAVIDsTEA
135 tasting notes

It’s summer. It’s hot. This tea iced is perfectly refreshing – coconut, pineapple, tropical, strangely but pleasantly creamy. A great alternative if you want to steer clear of caffeine. It’ll be getting me through the rest of the summer heat for sure. I actually had this a couple of summers ago, and for some reason never reviewed it, I guess. It’s not Bamboozled (nothing will ever be as great as Bamboozled for an iced herbal summer tea), but it’s almost as delicious. It’ll be a summer staple for me – at least it will be as long as David’s Tea decides not to yank it from the roster (I HATE when they do that).

Flavors: Coconut, Cream, Pineapple, Tropical

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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90
drank Je t'Aime by Nina's Paris
135 tasting notes

I got this tin at a Home Goods store, and it was the only one on the shelf. Thanks to the wonderful people who post on Steepster, I knew that Nina’s Paris teas were generally highly regarded. I saw the description of caramel and vanilla flavors, and snagged it immediately. Definitely my kind of flavored black!

Just brewed a pot of it this morning, and I was NOT disappointed. Creamy-caramel-vanilla-cookie happiness. This could have been enhanced by the evaporated milk I added to it and maybe the tea wouldn’t be as lusciously creamy without it, but – who am I kidding – I’ll always add milk to it.

I’ve been on a bit of an unflavored tea kick for awhile, but had a craving for something sweet and comforting. Surprisingly and delightfully, this completely fit the bill. I’m really satisfied and happy with it. Great as a dessert tea, and for me, great with breakfast. Delicious.

Flavors: Caramel, Cookie, Creamy, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Sakura Sushi 7 years ago

Oh, yeah, and as it cools a little, noticing toasted marshmallows. So great.

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68

Tried this one as a hot brew first, and was a bit concerned. Although I like the Assam base tea and am definitely detecting the creamy, white chocolate, there is something off about it. I first noticed it in the scent of the dried leaf – overall enticing, but then ruined by some weird, tangy note that seemed very off putting. It showed up in the liquor as well, unfortunately. I usually really like August teas, and the description seemed perfect for me, so this was a little disappointing. I then tried it iced. So. Much. Better. Makes a lovely iced tea and for some reason, that weird tang (perhaps the booziness others are noticing?) was almost completely obliterated. Whew! It’s too bad I can’t really enjoy it hot, but since I do drink a lot of teas iced, this will definitely be drunk.

Flavors: Cream, Plums, White Chocolate

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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