A Quarter to Tea
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Sipdown (668)!
I’m happy that I revisited this tea so quickly after first trying it; A Quarter to Tea recently announced an indefinite hiatus (which is very sad; but also understandable) so having this so quickly let me really decide if this was a tea I’d want to stock up on. I’m happy to say that it was a lot better the second time around; I still didn’t get a whole lot of rose but the shortbread flavour was really clear and deliciously sweet and buttery with a hint of cinnamon. Not something I’ll need to try and pick up more of though; as much as I enjoyed the second cup I was most interested in this tea because of the rose and that flavour doesn’t land in the way I’d want.
I did pick up a TON of samples of thing I’d not tried before – and then also am having some teas reblended specifically for me in larger amounts. Thank you very much Lauren for doing that!!
Another share from VariaTEA!
I actually asked to try this one because I was curious how strong the rose would be and I liked the idea of a rose and shortbread combo; I really love rose flavoured teas. I’ll need to revisit this again because I’m having a hard time focusing right now (pain!) and remembering what I had mentally made note of when I tried this tea – but I know I liked it, although didn’t find it tasted at all like the titular flavours. More cinnamon than anything else, I think?
Thanks for sharing VariaTEA!
Yum. This is a coconut black as well, but fairly different from Coconut Cream Puffs. For one, there is less coconut, and less creaminess. Two, the base is less prominent – more minerally? It works here though. Three, the aftertaste is kind of vanilla/caramelly (faint but nice). I think, maybe I’m getting some chocolate in here? Or maybe not, hard to say. It’s yummy, although I think I like Coconut Cream Puffs just a wee bit more, because I like that creaminess, and also the extra punch of coconut.
Sipdown! 201/365!
This may actually be my first actual sipdown of a full AQTT packet, aside from teas I’ve repurchased (Eggnog Pound Cake and Peach Crostata). How do I know this? Well, I’ve now inventoried all of my teas from this company! Hurrah! And I’m only missing a couple from all of what I’ve purchased – some I think I gave to my mom, others I believe are at my MIL’s, and there is only one that is totally MIA.
Anyhow, glad I had enough of this left for a note, since I haven’t reviewed it before. It was quite tasty – creamy, sweet coconut on a rich, malty black base. Pretty much what you’d hope for out of a coconut black tea. Really can’t say much more about it – wish I had some left, but at least I finished it before it went off!
As I drink this tea, it’s kind of growing on me, and reminds me a little bit of Butiki’s Raspberry… something. Raspberry Truffle (I had to look it up). The flavouring isn’t in-your-face, but especially in the aftertaste, you can pick up some lovely raspberry and creaminess. I can almost imagine it’s cheesecake. It’s interesting how the flavours really come out later with this one – it tastes a little like fake raspberry initially, but the aftertaste is really getting me. I’m surprised. Yum!
This is chocolate and zucchini surprisingly. I expected more of a Graham/pastry note because there were 2 large pieces of graham crackers in the filter. Its bready though so I guess that’s good. I just find I’m wanting more. The flavors are blended together and a bit one-note despite the multiple elements and my guess is age has something to do with it.
Sipdown (219)
This is a sample size that’s been hanging around my cupboard for goodness knows how long. So it’s about time to sip it down.
This has a floral note that hinges on drying. It’s just rather artificial and doesnt really scream raspberry or rhubarb to me.
Well. I’ve had this tea twice now, and neglected to log it both times, but this will count as the log for the last time I drank it. Except… I can’t even remember what it tastes like! How awful. It’s at my MIL’s house, so I can’t even take a sniff to jog my memory. C’est la vie. I want to say I liked it, but I just don’t know…
Sipdown (310)
The coconut is so strong and delicious in this one today. Honestly, I get coconut filled pineapple buns when I am at work downtown and this tea is capturing that flavor perfectly. So I guess in a way it is capturing a coconut cream puff but the coconut “cream” is not so much a custard-y type cream but rather a pureed coconut filling that is creamy and the “puff” is not choux pastry but a pineapple bun. It’s buttery and delicious and this is an excellent way to say goodbye that is really taking me back to the tasty snacks hiding in the Toronto Path.
Speaking of work, they pushed my start date back a month. That sucks but I guess that means I have a month and a half off after exams to relax and do what I want. Hopefully it doesn’t get pushed back more though since I’d like to earn some money this year plus I think endless freedom might drive me a bit nuts.
This coconut tea came to mind since its from 2018 and mostly I was just worried about this being rancid. Thankfully its not. However, with age, it also is not much else. It’s some coconut and a bit of baked bread from the black tea base. So, coconut cream puff? No. But it’s not bad. I’ll be having this again shortly though just to finish it off since time is not on its side.
I made this when I made the rose tea and honestly this is so much better. Definitely more geared to my tastes. This is coconut 100% and thankfully not rancid coconut despite being an older blend. It also has pastry notes and a distinctive AQ2T quality that I can’t quite place my finger on. It’s cooled but is still quite good. I think it would be even better hot.
Cold Brew!
Really, really delicious cold brew that captures the name of the blend quite perfectly. I find AQ2T’s honey flavouring really distinct, but it works so well with this ripe, juicy and sweeter peach note and the maltier black tea base. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but one of the reasons I enjoy this blend so much is that the peach does taste pretty natural (albeit sweet – partly from that honey flavouring) but it’s not more acidic/tangy. That kind of peach can be good, and has a place in my cupboard, but I like this softer sweet peach a lot too – it’s the kind of peach so ripe and packed with flavour that when you take a bite is practically dissolves in your mouth.
Dipped into my reserve of this one earlier in the week for a mug; was a bit anxious to do so because it was my first time tasting my reblend of this tea – it was perfect though! Exactly like what I remembered the tea tasting like.
Love, love, love the use of AQ2T’s honey flavour in combination with this peach. It feels so sweet, fresh, and juicy.
Cold Brew Sipdown (666)!
Kinda sad about this sipdown because I adore this tea deeply, but thankfully Lauren was kind enough to reblend me 4 oz of this before her hiatus, and my delightful tea friend VariaTEA helped me to facilitate that! So this sipdown is temporary; I’ll have a small stash of this in the future.
(PS. VariaTEA – let me know what I owe you for the three reblends!)
This is just a damn good peach tea though; quality black tea base with rich, complex and full bodied malt notes with a hint of dark fruit (raisin) and cocoa and a juicy, sweet and softly floral peach with a hint of warmth/spice. I really like it; it’s like the perfect twist on that classical “Peach Black” iced tea profile. Mmm!
Upping my rating.
This time brewing this tea up hot…
I’m still not really getting any heat/“salsa” flavours or vibes, but it’s a delicious tea regardless. Same lovely peach flavour that is in a lot of AQ2T blends, but it’s a really good peach flavour. Black base is delightful – malty, brisk, full bodied. It’s a nice combo.
A really nice combo.
Iced!
I was hesitant to buy this tea because of the habanero in the blend; I was worried it would be too hot and I would dislike it – I’ve had some blends from AQ2T in the past with hot peppers in them and I wasn’t super into them. I’m glad I went for this one anyway despite reservations, it was actually very nice.
I’m beginning to think that I must just be a big fan of the peach flavour that Lauren uses in her blends because the peach aroma coming from the dry leaf was the same very sweet, fresh and juicy (and perhaps a little candy-like) peach that I’ve experienced and adored in her other blends, like the Peach Bellini one. The honey seemed like a nice compliment; I’ve gone back and forth in her other blends on whether or not I enjoy that honey flavouing, but I didn’t taste it in the same very distinct way I’ve gotten from her other blends (like the Honey Mead Genmaicha, where it was VERY distinct) so I think it was either light handed enough to not have the same distracting intensity or it just blended very smoothly with the sweetness and juiciness of the peach.
The black base is very malty and chocolate-y, I like that it still comes through very clearly and distinctly despite the flavouring used in the blend; and I get a TINY hint of heat in the back of my throat to remind me that there are peppers in this blend, but in a very reasonable way.
Great iced tea; fun and summery – even though the peach is less juicy steeped than the tea actually smell, it’s still clear and present. I’ve very happy with it overall!
Had some of this last night during my stitch and bitch with a couple of friends. Not much stitching got done but the bitching was very productive. I can probably get a second steep tonight before bed assuming the leaves aren’t molding already. This is still delicious.
I get a lot of raisin, a lot of cinnamon and the black base. I would say this is raisin oatmeal with a drizzle of maple syrup which is mostly drowned out by the cinnamon. It is not bad, but ultimately something I have had before from AQ2T. I love their blends but a lot of these Fall flavor profiles meld together in my mind. This is a nice one but not anything I NEED to keep around. I have one serving left and I am ok with that.
Hmm. Thought this was likely a share from Sil or possibly VariaTEA, but they have too many notes for that to be too likely, especially given how much tea is in the packet. Did I buy this one myself? I probably will never know.
Anyways, using this as a palate cleanser between oolongs. I was getting too confused. This tea is okay, but there’s not enough pear (I like what I can taste, though), and no cardamom to speak of. Maybe there were cardamom pods, and it was hit or miss if you ended up getting one in the brew? It is perfectly pleasant though.
I used this and a vanilla frosty to make one delicious tea affogato. I don’t know if I made it right but it was deliciously vanilla, with a distinct maple flavor, and a bit of brightness from the bergamot to round things out. Yum!
Check out my full review here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2019/03/05/maple-vanilla-earl-grey-from-a-quarter-to-tea/
