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VariaTEA drank Grand Himalaya by Palais des Thés

6444 tasting notes

This is the second tea in today’s tournament style sipdown challenge pairing. It went head to head with another single-estate Palais des Thes tea, Genmaicha Yama. Check out the note for that here: https://steepster.com/rachel12610/posts/415972

Normally black teas trump green teas for me. That said, I do enjoy genmaicha quite a bit so I didn’t think this would be such an easy defeat for this black tea. Drinking it now, I am surprised that my preference is actually for the genmaicha.

While this may be a black tea, its not the type of black tea I usually go for. I like smooth, malty, bready, dessert-like black teas and this is not that. Instead, this is more brisk and a touch astringent. It’s got the floral quality of a darjeeling (I looked it up and it is a darjeeling) that might be nice for many but to me always reads drying. So this was a miss for me and thus Genmaicha Yama is moving on!

Check out a picture of the teas here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMA1JvPgOwi/?igshid=17oukytf2p49j

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My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

Location

Waterdown, Ontario

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