August Uncommon Tea

this one was really really really boring for me. No idea if i just need to switch up steeping parameters or what but it was not quite flavourless but just…boring. no real nuances, wasn’t getting any chocolate/cocoa…just…boring. reserving judgement for other steepings in case i can figure this tea out haha

life is too short to drink mediocre tea that smells like uh…things that tea shouldn’t smell like. Even though i don’t mind this tea nearly as much as others, i’m not keeping it around. tea drinking shouldn’t be a chore!

alright…let’s DO this! Obviously i’m trying to ignore what others have said about this blend and see what i think. First off…initial dry smell… weird. truffleapplewoodsmokedbacon? yes i put those words together ‘cause it’s not quite bacon…sort of a melange of….everything. hmm…not too hopeful about this one.

Funnily enough if i stick my nose closer to the container, the aroma changes and it’s more, sweet..

brewed the aroma is still a little offputting. I let it cool until i could drink it and honestly? it just tastes like a smokey lapsang. I’m not getting anything here like banana or truffle. Disappointing but not vile. The smell is actually way worse than the brew. That being said, i expect WAY more from AU. Especially at their prices and the branding of being unique. There’s nothing unique about this tea except it’s smell.

if i had to rate it according to smell, it’d probably be about a 5. However as a brewed tea, it’s more like a 65, until you consider that it should be a lot more interesting than it is.

If I had to summarize the flavour of this tea then “Smoked Banana Oil Slick” is probably what I would go with. It’s one of those blends that is kind of revolting the first few sips, but then you find yourself still sipping on it anyway? I have a love hate relationship with it – mostly because while I do adore smoked teas and those savory elements, my brain hurts a little when you try to jam the sweetness and slight creaminess of bananas into that mix as well. The mouthfeel is another beast entirely…

Yet another banana tea – and again it’s one that’s WILDLY different from the others. Firstly, this tea is quite smokey because of the Lapsang – but it’s a very savory, meaty/brothy kind of smoke note, which is a stark contrast to the kind of baked banana note in the cup. In addition to the banana being baked and sweet tasting, there’s also a sort of “greasiness” to the cup mouthfeel and flavour – it actually reminds me a little bit of this weird deep friend banana on a stick thing that I had once at the summer carnival a few years ago. It could also be compared to a deep friend plantain sort of greasiness…

I didn’t hate this cup – but this is a SUPER polarizing tea and one I’ve had some serious issues with in the past as well.

Sipdown (549)!

Happy to get this awful tea out of my cupboard; it’s very smokey and savory and that would probably be fine if that was the only note in the cup. Just this nice, smooth meaty/smokey flavour. However, it’s definitely this artificial sort of smoke note, like liquid smoke, with funky, sour banana undertones. Banana does not go with this profile.

But it’s gone now, and I’m relieved.

I’ve been enjoying watching all the reviews of this tea come in; it’s been absolutely hilarious reading all of the wild comparisons and first impressions. That said, I knew that at some point I, too, would have to break into the sample of this that I received and give it a try and I’ve definitely been dreading it…

In fact, the only reason I ended up trying this so soon was because I was talking about the FMA chimera comparison that CrowKettle made in regard to this tea with a whole bunch of coworkers and one of them asked me to bring the sample I had with to our staff party for her to try because she was curious. So, our winter/Christmas staff party was earlier this week and true to my word I brought the sample with for anyone to try who wanted to. Trust me, I did not talk up this tea at all – basically I just warned everyone that I was like 90% sure it was gonna be awful. That said, nine people still decided to try it out so we made up a big pot and just split it up and did a group tasting. I told everyone that I was going to be posting a review of it, so I asked everyone trying it to give it a rating out of ten based on how much they liked it, and any general comments they wanted to make. Keep in mind, this is the feedback/opinions of a panel of ten (including myself) people employed at a tea company who basically spend their whole work days just drinking tea…

Casey: 4/10 – Said it was surprisingly light given the intensity of the aroma
Jules: 3/10 – “Is the Lodge black because it burned down?”
Mackenzy: 7/10 – Would drink this again without any reservations
Seth: 7/10 – Actually offered to finish off the sample cups that people didn’t want
Emily: 5/10 – “If you focus on the banana it’s not so bad”
Luz: 5/10 – Didn’t think it would be so awful overall if you didn’t take price into account
Andy: 3/10 – “I get the FMA thing…”
Stirling: 4/10 – It IS better than straight Lapsang…
Sarah: 2/10 – Spit hers back in the sink…

So, if you average all of their rating you get a rating of 4.4/10 – on Steepster that equates to a score of 44/100, essentially. That seems pretty in line with the reviews already posted…

As for my own thoughts; I do think it was doable but you don’t exactly want that to be the highest form of praise you can offer to a blend, do you? I actually liked the banana in the blend a lot though – it was pretty sweet, and candy like and if the BULK of the profile had been that sort of banana flavour with much softer hints of Lapsang I think this might have actually worked pretty well. Not, like, spectacularly but a lot more than it does currently. The biggest issue for me was that the mix of Lapsang and other things in the blend just painfully reminds me of a mix of beef jerky and tire rubber and I just cannot get into tire rubber tea. Like, that’s the furthest thing from a pleasant flavour. The smoke didn’t bother me though; I like Lapsang. Just, didn’t work in this mix of stuff so much…

Also, I think Casey was right – when you smell the dry leaf this smells vile, but the steeped tea definitely doesn’t have the same intensity even if it’s not good. I think I’m gonna agree with the overall average rating given by our staff…

So here’s the thing…normally I buy the smallest size possible because I have so much tea already that I just want a taste. However, sometimes a tea just sounds so appealing or gets such great reviews, I spring for more. In the case of this smokey banana/toffee tea, I was intrigued and decided to split a 90g tin with Sil. Then the reviews came out and I was hesitant. Then I cracked the seal and this smells so disgustingly like smoked raw meat that I honestly had to be talked into trying this. Seriously, people had to hype me up to give this a go.

Thankfully the steeped tea, which I underleafed, smells like like raw meat and more like smoke, which is easier to handle. Tastewise, it is earthy (I guess that’s the “damp peat”) with a sweet note. There is no distinctive flavor which could be a result of the underleafing but given the flavors others have gotten, I can’t say I am sad about that. The smoke comes in a little at the end which combined with the general earthiness of this tea, it kind of seems a bit gamey. I added milk which maybe brought out some more of those supposed toffee notes but didn’t lessen that game flavor and caramel meat is not recommended. Realistically, this is not as bad as I expected, especially given the dry smell of the leaf. Alas, not as bad is still pretty bad and even though this didn’t turn out as terrible as I thought, I think this is going in the swap box. It just isn’t worth it to keep a tea around that I literally have to prepare myself to drink, not when I have over 300 other teas that need my attention.

Sipdown (521)!

Another sipdown that I’m not too choked about, although this cup in particular was really wickedly good. It was very, very silky and creamy both in flavour and mouthfeel. Strong notes of orange, cream, vanilla, and custard with just a hint of grassyness from the green tea base. It almost completely reminded me of a Creamsicle.

I finished it off while listening to some Moroccan pop music, since the tea itself is supposed to be somewhat Moroccan like in feel/nature. I don’t know if the music itself seemed to pair with what was a more subdued, smooth flavour since the pop music was so upbeat/lively but I did enjoy listening to it/experiencing something new musically speaking.

This was a nice tea to explore!

Drank this one hot with milk while we did a chocolate fondue to close out our Christmas celebrations today/kind of head into the new year; I did add a little milk to it to cool it enough for me to drink right away with the fondue.

The dark chocolate and fruit from the fondue were pretty strong and kind of overshadowed a lot of the subtleties of the tea – but every now and then I’d get a bite of orange or pear coated in dark chocolate that coincided with a sip of tea and the combo would be quite lovely! Sweet, creamy fruit notes – orange from the tea and fruit and pear from just the fruit, and silky vanilla and dark chocolate. Very indulgent, but also blissfully smooth and relaxing.

The tea itself was kind of medium bodied and sweet enough with strong creamy vanilla notes and a soft orange; very “creamsicle” like, without the sweetness. Some buttery, grassy/vegetal undertones from the green base but not a lot. Mostly just the added in flavourings. Decent tea overall; but one that was definitely boosted through the situation I drank it in and the food pairing.

EDIT: Turns out this was my last tea of 2017! Also, my 5750th tasting note! Pretty good way to cap off the year, I’d say!

Had this one a little while ago…

Honestly was sort of putting trying this one off, but I can’t even really tell you why. Nothing in the blend actually sounded bad to me apart from the green tea base but nothing really jumped out about it either? It’s actually mostly just tastes like orange though. I mean, it’s a pretty smooth light to medium bodied orange flavour with some vanilla undertones that make it a little softer and creamier but there isn’t some weird, crazy underlying flavour element to this like there often is with AU blends. I guess I thought maybe the jatoba wood would do something crazy/weird to the flavour but I’m not even really sure that I tasted it at all?

So yeah, hints of a sort of grassier and slightly nutty green tea base and then a whole lot of aromatic, smooth orange that had a little bit of an “essential oils”/perfume kind of thing going on with it? And then a really soft vanilla undertone/finish. It was pretty unassuming to me overall; just kind of there? The orange did feel really appropriate for winter/the holidays in a lot of ways and I’m having a hard time figuring out in words why this blend/the orange in it seems so wildly appropriate for Christmas over other orange blends I’ve had. It’s just that, the impression I had at the end of it all was almost that I’d kind of feel guilty drinking this one not in the winter time? I just don’t know why I feel like that, though!

Shouldn’t orange be a year round flavour? I mean, for me at least, it generally is. I don’t know; I feel like the profile here was pretty average and yet I’m left feeling all kinds of confused…

Not sure I love it as much as appreciate it but it’s been fun!

Count: 73

Smoky black teas are not something I reach for regularly, but they have some sort of allure that keeps me coming back (albeit irregularly). Outlaw has a little more allure than most and kept me amused all last night (erm, unintentional Tobias moment).

Honestly though, I think I like this one. It’s something to do with the flat cherry vanilla coke vibe I’m picking up (I mean that in the most flattering way). It also reminds me of the time I got to lick a cave in Poland (mineral notes, kay). It’s a lot of fun, and I’m sitting somewhere in the 80’s on it. I’m going to hold off rating for a bit because I’m not having as strong a reaction to it as I did with the Black Lodge (I think someone thought that name to be nostalgic and homey, but all it makes me think of is some horror story).

And just look at all the parentheses it inspired me to use!

CrowKettle wrote yesterday " It’s an unholy merging of pure things that brings one to weeping in disgust and horror." LOL – ok – I just received my tin of this, so of course I had to try it.

While I may not be getting the same notes that she did – not getting the smoked bacon – I’m agreeing with the sentiment in that statement.

My first impression was charred black rotten mushrooms. As it cools that’s changing to 6 hour old burned to the bottom of the pot coffee.

I added a little sweetener and a splash (or more than a splash of milk)…. Now there is some banana in here but I’m not sure that’s a good addition to this party.

There is no doubt that this is an AU smoked tea, they all have something a little odd in the back. This isn’t a little odd…….

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcdmd_Qhlda/?taken-by=dex3657

ETA: Because I’m a sucker for punishment I did a 2nd steep. I did 95C 4 minutes. I added sweetener and milk. The smoke has been shoved way to the back. There is some caramel banana in here (but some of that might be the sweetener). I’m also getting meaty/mushroom/umami something that I wouldn’t call truffle. This is better but still way too strange……

Do you know the horrific Nina-chimera from Fullmetal Alchemist? Do you remember all of the raging emotions you experienced upon seeing that thing? This tea is like that. It’s an unholy merging of pure things that brings one to weeping in disgust and horror.

(If you’re not into anime/manga this explains that reference somewhat: https://kotaku.com/a-tribute-to-one-of-the-most-depressing-moments-in-anim-1787400241)

If you’ve ever wondered what truffles, smoked bacon, and banana would taste like in tea here you are. Don’t get me wrong; I love all of those things in different dishes, but tea… The truffle makes this monstrous in my opinion (tone it back). Milk helps to curb down the flavouring, but it’s so… overwhelming and absurd.

This tea is probably just perfect for someone out there, but that person is not me! Still, I’m glad I got to experience it? Maybe? I think I could learn to love it if I sacrificed some small part of me. I don’t know if I want to go down that rabbit hole though. It’s definitely a unique tea.

Erm… I guess this is sipdown because the entirety of the tin is now on the carpet. Thank you, crappy lid. I’m pretty sad about this one because there were at least 10 cups left in there.

Some of the rooibos and fruit pieces fell into my Ghost of Jasmine Dragon Pearls and that, at least, is nice.

Hurrah for impromptu vacuuming!

This is not bad. For a Rooibos.

Very rich and dark; there’s a light vanilla note that reminds me a tad of Vanille Coco perfume from Comptoir Sud Pacifique (Sephora). The brown sugar/caramel borders on boozy. Apple and blackberry leaves are detectable and bring out fall fruity notes. The pumpkin is baked, and is a thing I notice on my tongue more-so after I’ve finished my cup.

When I first smelled the blend I thought there were sunflower seeds. After drinking it, I still swear there are sunflower seeds.

017/365

I’m considering buying some more August Uncommon blends, now that I’m apparently back on a tea-buying bender. I feel like I’ve bought all the tea in the last two weeks. I’ve certainly made up for lost time!

The description for this one mentions tangerine, and I don’t get that at all. What I can taste is strawberry; sweet and juicy, and really flavour accurate. It tastes to me like a strawberry that’s maybe just a touch over-ripe, when they go soft and pinkish in patches, and become even sweeter and more strawberry-like than they were to begin with. The end of the sip brings a light lemon flavour, with just a hint of orange peel. It’s a semi-pithy flavour, rather than juicy, but it’s a good contrast with the super-sweet strawberry. There’s a slight earthiness in the aftertaste that I’m guessing might be the silver linden.

I was intrigued by the inclusion of thyme, but it’s actually totally lost as far as I can taste. That’s a shame, because I was hoping it would cross a kind of sweet/savoury divide. As it stands, this one mostly strikes me as a sweet dessert tea, and I would have liked more “forest”. It’s definitely a case of a description making promises the actual tea can’t deliver, although somehow it’s close. That’s maybe the most infuriating thing of all.

I noticed from reading other notes that people found the sencha to be fairly prominent, and I don’t get that at all. I feel like I have a low tolerance for green tea when it’s obviously getting in that way of the flavouring, or clouding my appreciation of what the blend is supposed to be delivering. I don’t find that to be the case here – it’s just a smooth, sweet backdrop for the equally smooth, sweet flavours – a green meadow on a sunny day, to keep with August’s imagery. I was a lot more conservative with my brew time than they recommend, though. If I’d left it for 5 minutes, as the pouch instructs, I feel it might be a different story. I don’t typically give my greens more than 3 minutes, particularly on first steep.

I like the flavour of this one, but I feel like it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I guess based on the few I’ve tried, I’ve become used to August Uncommon blends delivering something fairly unique, and this one really just isn’t. It’s a pleasant, easy drink though, and so I can’t really complain.

Tried this one with milk, and I’m not sure I’m convinced. I wouldn’t usually add milk to oolong, and it looks kind of thin, pale, and…uninspiring. It tastes fine; mostly peach, although more muted than it would be without the milk. I do think the white chocolate came through better, although how much of that was the tea and how much the milk, I can’t say for certain. I still don’t get pistachio. It was worth a try, but I think I’ll be finishing this one black.

010/365

More peach! I’ve had these samples sitting around for goodness knows how long, so I figured I’d continue with the small (tiny) start I made the other day. This one called to me out of those remaining – peach, lime, pistachio, and white chocolate sounds like a good combination to me.

The initial sip is very bright lime, not quite artificial in its intensity, but definitely on the way there. The mid-sip is all peach, and it’s good peach – sweet (but not overdone), juicy, pretty true-to-life. The end of the sip has a lingering floral note. I suspect it’s all supposed to come magically together and taste like iris, but I would say rose. And it’s a flavour apart from the rest, like it’s not really supposed to be there. It struck an odd note with me, but then floral isn’t really my thing anyway. I was happy with peach and lime.

I’m not getting any pistachio or white chocolate, which is disappointing, but according to the description that requires milk. I don’t have any at work right now, but that’s something I’ll have to try. I’m not sure that I’ve ever added milk to an oolong before (at least, not on purpose), so that’ll be an experience in itself. Speaking of oolong, that really isn’t a presence either, I suspect because the flavouring is so strong.

On the whole, though, I like this one. I just wish the company weren’t quite so… [no words]

Sipdown (584)!

Another sipdown where I finished the tea off with some added in eggnog. ’Tis the season, I guess!? I really, really liked the addition of it here though because the rich, creamy/custardy sweet element of the eggnog really helped to smooth out and balance some of the course, smoky lapsang in this blend that can be a little bit choppy/rough and too savory. What was left with this sort of “smoked” eggnog brulee profile!? And it was pretty tasty!

Very smoky profile overall, but somehow smokier teas just feel very appropriate for late night tea drinking – and that’s exactly what this was, a late night tea sipped on while sitting outside on my front porch and storm watching. It’s not just smoke though – it’s also got this nice burnt molasses/brown sugar/toffee sort of note that’s incredibly enticing to me. I added a little bit of orange flavoured honey to this, and with all three flavours grouped together it made me recall a very specific dessert that I’ve had before – and with such vivid recollection, too.

Basically, it reminded me of the hard burnt/carmelized sugar crust on top of this amazing orange flavored creme brulee that I once had at a super fancy restaurant for my mom’s birthday. It was sweet, and faintly orange flavoured but mostly just had this wonderful smoky, charred sugar taste. So, not only was this just a lovely profile overall but it was also, in a way, nostalgic.

Ok, so one – I totally thought that I’d tried this one already and two, I was definitely under the impression this was a blend of straight black teas. Turns out neither of those statements are true though ‘cause when I went to go find the sample of this one downstairs I saw that it hadn’t been opened yet and very clearly said it was a flavoured black tea…

Neither of those things are bad, of course – it was just a bit of a surprise is all. As soon as I cracked the package, I could immediately tell that there was Lapsang Souchong in this blend: it had a strong smokiness to it. It was also accompanied by sweet notes of caramelized brown sugar though which was intriguing and inviting.

Steeped up, I think this one is delicious! It’s a very dark flavour profile, and really full bodied/intense. The smoke is a strong flavour, but it’s not overpowering. There are also some really great notes of caramelized brown sugar and bourbon – particularly in the body of the sip, though that kind of bourbon flavour carries really well into the finish. Some vanilla undertones are present as well, and some soft notes of wood. Honestly, there’s a surprising amount of nuance and flavour layering going on overall.

Just a really dark flavour overall with lots of depth. Kind of haunting too, in a way? Really pleasant, though! I like that sweet and smoky combo; and it’s really well done here.