448 Tasting Notes
I think I have issues with cornflower petals. Any time I make a tea with them, it has a bitter, astringent taste. Everyone talks about tea made with them being so creamy. I’ve tried this tea at 2, 3 and 4 minutes and still get that flavor. Am I missing something? Do you have to add sweetener and milk for the creaminess to come out? That doesn’t seem right. And when I do, I don’t get any of the caramel or hazelnut taste. I really want to like this tea. Help!
I’ve tried it in two separate teas, but both were from Adagio. I order something from DAVIDsTEA recently that has them. I’m hoping maybe Adagio’s just isn’t good for some reason.
I was definitely a little nervous about this tea at first. From what I’ve read of Lapsang Souchongs, you either love or hate them. When I opened this wonderful sample from Bonnie, it smelled like a bag full of smoked meat. While that sounds delicious, I was a bit hesitant for it as a tea flavor. Turns out, I really like the smokiness! I think it would have thrown me off if I hadn’t been expecting it, but this is very good! When I was eight, my grandmother’s house was still heated by burning wood, and this feels like being with my grandmother again. I feel like she should be here, sneaking me cookies when my dad isn’t looking :)
Preparation
It left an after taste like I just ate a steak. I feel like this would be a good way to get Texans to move from all of their iced lipton to loose leaf tea. Steak tea would definitely appeal lol
Wow. That was all I could say for a little bit after trying this. This tea is just wonderful. Thanks so much to Bonnie for sending me a sample. Also, this is my first experience with pu-erh, so if it sounds like I have no clue what I’m talking about, that’s because it’s true.
The smell of this tea dry is exactly like a chocolate orange. I exercised great self restraint by not eating the chocolate bits out. After steeping, the sweet smells calm down some, and what I can only assume is the pu-erh smell makes an appearance. The tea looks dark and murky, but that means the chocolate melted! It definitely tastes like a chocolate orange as well, with a taste at the end that is most likely the pu-erh. I’m not sure exactly how to describe that taste. This is definitely going to the top of my “BUY NOW” list. Now if only I could find some of that Santa’s Secret.
Preparation
I did a second cup with the same leaves, and I love how different it is! Obviously there isn’t much chocolate flavor, as most of that melted into the first cup. There’s still a flavor of the orange, but the pu-erh really came out this time! And I definitely like it. I was a little worried at first because I smelt a bit of the fishy smell when I was steeping, but it’s not in the taste at all.
No, I liked it so much on its own that I didn’t even think to add anything! I am interested in trying it as a latte though. What would be the best way to do that in a dorm room? I have a microwave, and a stove down the hall.
Just add some agave or whatever you like to make it a bit sweet and some milk or cream (I use can milk mostly because I live alone and can get smaller amounts so I’m not wasteful) …I bet you can get some kind of small cream in a cafe…just add to the tea. Honey has it’s own flavor and for me I prefer to add it to black tea (or any for me) that is not flavored or complex just a basic tea.
Grrr, I wrote a nice review of this, and my internet went wonky and didn’t post it :( Thanks to Bonnie for sending me this sample! I’ve had my eye on it, so thanks! I was so excited about this one that I had to smell it as soon as I got it. It smelt exactly like a bag of candy canes! I wanted to eat, its smell was just so delicious. After steeping, the sugary sweetness relaxes a bit, and the mint stands out just a bit more. And then I took a sip and…MMMM! This tea is so sweet and delicious! The mint flavor was a bit less than I was hoping. I could really only catch a hint of it in the aftertaste. My only real complaint is that this is no longer for sale! Anybody know of anything similar?
Yep, that review was nowhere near as awesome as the first one. Sorry guys! :(
Received this tea in an exchange. I absolutely love the atmosphere of Christmas time and all the yummy edibles at that time. So I love finding teas and other drinks that bring back that feeling at any time of the year. I had high hopes for this tea. However, when I opened it, I wasn’t hit with the minty smell I was expecting. No, there was a very strong smell of cherry cold medicine. It turns out, there are dried cherries in this tea. The cherries overwhelm any sense of the peppermint. After steeping, the mint smell was just detectable over the weakened cold medicine smell. However, the taste is quite the opposite. The very first taste is an overwhelming minty-ness. The mint fades away right at the end, so that I barely get a taste of tea. The aftertaste is just barely fruity, but I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t already known the cherries were there. Very pepperminty, but doesn’t have that candy cane flavor. I think this would be good just as a mint tea, but I went in expecting candy canes, which I did not get.
Preparation
I was a bit worried when I opened this and couldn’t smell anything at all! The most I could get off the dry leaves was a faint grassy smell. After steeping, it smelled faintly of grass and…french fries, of all things. My friend distracted me, so I’m not sure how long I let it steep, though it tastes as if it was just a tiny bit too long. I think it may go well with milk, I have one bag left that I will have to try milk with.