249 Tasting Notes

80
drank Strawberry Oolong Tea by Teavivre
249 tasting notes

This had a lovely, true strawberry flavor and almost separately, a lovely mellow oolong flavor. Somehow they didn’t seem to combine quite right, but it was still very nice. I’ve been kind of drowning in artificially flavored and sweetened teas lately, so this was a nice refreshing change. I would like a bit more of the strawberry if I ruled the world, but still nicely done.

Flavors: Strawberry, Toast

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 45 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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66
drank Caramel Chai Rooibos by Teavana
249 tasting notes

I almost wonder if I got the right tea in this package! It’s straight from them, and sealed, but wow – no caramel in the slightest! This really tastes like liquid red hot candies to me (which Teavana’s cinnamon flavor often does). I get a little whiff of ginger (and a slightly stronger taste of it), and that’s about it – it’s pretty much one-dimensional. Having said that, I weirdly like it. Not enough to buy more, but my 2 oz will be used up and not passed on to others or discarded.

Flavors: Candy, Cinnamon, Ginger

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 30 sec 4 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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75
drank Wild Strawberry Swirl by Tealux
249 tasting notes

The aroma of this is lovely. The flavor is slightly bitter with a strong strawberry fruitiness. It isn’t at all sweet, just flavorful. (I suspect it would be good with just a touch of a sweetener.) It somehow has a certain richness to it – perhaps that’s just the fact that the tea backbone is strong and holds its own against the fruit. I personally would prefer a touch lighter on the tea, but it’s still a good one.

Flavors: Bitter, Fruity, Strawberry

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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10
drank Tiger Eye by Adagio Teas
249 tasting notes

So even at 200 for 3 minutes, the Adagio black base is just too bitter in this one. It makes it reminiscent of coffee, which I can’t stand. There was a nice caramel aroma to the brew, but the bitter just overwhelmed all the other flavors that may have been there. I dumped this one out, on a day where I was trapped in a long meeting and badly needed the caffeine.

Flavors: Bitter

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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drank Sweet Almond Green by DAVIDsTEA
249 tasting notes

So upfront I will admit that this sample is about a year old. There’s something about it that doesn’t quite work. The initial scent and taste is just like an almond cookie, but then the vegetal green tea is a jarring second note. There is nothing wrong with either flavor, but they just don’t blend together at all. I feel like there’s real potential here, but more tweaking is needed. I have cut back drastically on using additional sugar or sweeteners, but I suspect that might be helpful with this tea. I’d probably give it about a 60, but I won’t rate it officially since my sample is old and may not be representative.

Flavors: Almond, Cookie, Vegetal

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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50
drank Pumpkin Chai by DAVIDsTEA
249 tasting notes

Meh. Up front, I’m not a pumpkin lover. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t get the craze for it. But this didn’t even really taste like pumpkin to me, it just tasted like kind of spicy, vegetal water. I may not have used enough tea, but even so, the flavor wasn’t enjoyable. Spices were kind of vague (like something you’d buy at the store labeled pumpkin or apple pie spice). I didn’t get a caramel note in flavor, although I do have to say the brew smelled deliciously like it. I drank it, because I was stuck in a meeting, but I gave away the rest of mine.

Flavors: Caramel, Spices, Vegetables

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85
drank White Chocolate Chai by DAVIDsTEA
249 tasting notes

I really enjoyed this one. The spices are gentle, definitely heavier on the ginger and cardamom. The white chocolate gives it a creaminess that goes well with the chai concept and makes this very warming and comforting. The big negative here is the stevia for me. I dislike stevia in general (flavorwise), and there is too much in this tea, making it overly sweet. I find I prefer making this tea in a larger quantity, because after the first couple of sips I don’t notice the sweetness so much. But I do still really like this one.

Flavors: Cardamon, Creamy, Ginger, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec 5 tsp 18 OZ / 532 ML

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85

Nice mix of fruity and earthy – blueberry flavor definitely comes through but the tea base is solid behind it. There’s not a hint of sourness, but it’s not sweet, either. If I had known about the stevia, I probably wouldn’t have gotten this as I get a really bitter taste from it – but for whatever reason, I don’t taste it in here. It isn’t sweet like a “dessert tea,” but is still sweet enough to make you feel like you just had a treat (which is great for those of us watching our diet!).

Flavors: Blueberry, Earth

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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60
drank Caramel Shortbread by DAVIDsTEA
249 tasting notes

The scent of this brewing is utterly delicious. Warm buttery, sugary pastry goodness…I couldn’t wait till it was cool enough to taste it! (I’m one of those weirdos who only likes warm hot tea, lol, but you have to brew it at the right heat first. I really annoy myself.) And then the flavor just disappoints. The fruitiness (I’m guessing it is cherry, as mentioned in the other review) just jars the taste. It’s not bad, but it has no place with the brown sugar, caramel aromas, and it’s very strong and somewhat sour. I can’t say I disliked it, but I don’t really have a desire to try it again, either.

Flavors: Brown Sugar, Caramel, Cherry, Cookie

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Roswell Strange

It’s definitely the cherry you’re tasting (and maybe the raspberry) – it’s kind of weird, for sure. The sourness is because they used sour cherries…

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70
drank Wild Strawberry by DAVIDsTEA
249 tasting notes

I didn’t think I would like this one (I mean really, hibiscus and rosemary?), but I do. It’s a bit heavier on the hibiscus than I would like, but I still wouldn’t call it sour – just tart. I don’t taste cream per se, but I think I kind of sense it in that it mellows out the tartness. I agree with the person who said they weren’t sure if they were tasting strawberry or just all the other fruity stuff. But honestly, I rather like it and I am surprised by that!

Flavors: Cream, Hibiscus, Strawberry, Tart

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 30 sec 4 tsp 20 OZ / 591 ML

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Profile

Bio

Wife, mom of 2 crazy young kids (and 3 cats, if they count). Used to be a professional tree hugger, now I stay at home hobbit-like and teach the kids to love the trees. Also hobbit-like, I love reading, tea, second breakfasts, cooking and food in general, and gardens. (I can’t really say I love gardening since where I live, it’s too dratted hot for too much of the year to actually do it.) I am always on the search for a good flavored decaf black tea. Suggestions are more than welcome!

I tend to like my teas strong, so I use more than most people when I brew. Don’t be put off a tea because I say I used 4 tsp to brew 12 oz or something – that’s just me.

PS – Unlike a hobbit, my toes are not furry. I just feel the need to clarify.

Location

Texas

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