263 Tasting Notes

70

This tea has a toasty, fired flavor to it. Almost burnt if you let it steep too long. Not smokey though. More of a cocoa than dark chocolate flavor, has an edge that is nicely smoothed by a bit of honey.

Flavors: Cocoa, Roasted, Tannic, Toasty, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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33

I’ve been trying to save this tea – save it from the trash can. I think I’m going to fail. The flavoring of this tea is so off that I can’t come up with a good explanation. Think citrus oil and turpentine…something is horribly wrong. I’ve had this tea for several months and knew it was a problem from opening the can the first time. The wave of chemical smell was intense. I tried it anyway and got chemical taste. I have let it sit, open to the air, for two months now, All I can say is “at least my desk area doesn’t smell like solvents any more”. I’ve just shaken the can, moved the satchets around…its still there.
Pass on this one.
Edit: went back in history and found an old review of English Earl Grey (Blue Knight Special) by TeaFountain that I did a few years ago. This one reminded me of the Blue Knight Special.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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80
drank Holiday Tea by Harney & Sons
263 tasting notes

This was a Christmas gift two years ago and I’m just about to the bottom of the can. Don’t read much into the timeframe though, it sat, sealed up, on my shelf for the first year. This is a good wet weather tea, hot and spicy. The primary spice flavor is the clove, but it is naturally sweetened by the cinnamon. Over all, a very good warm you up brew.
I have the satchet version

Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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84

I have this tea in my camping box…I bought it years ago on a trip to London and I’ve kept it nice and dry ever since. It is Intense, like a really good English Breakfast on steroids…A really good Intense. I take it camping because it can make any water palatable and it has the OMG wake up in the morning effect :)

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85
drank Black Dragon Pearl by Teavana
263 tasting notes

Finished the bag off today…finally. Don’t read the negative into that statement; its more a testament to how many of those little pearls it actually takes to make a half pound of tea. I’m sure you can read about the woodsy cocoa flavors elsewhere, I’ll just say that this is a nice bold tea that you won’t confuse with a flower shop. Good stuff.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 4 g 16 OZ / 473 ML

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93
drank Earl Grey by Mark T. Wendell
263 tasting notes

This Earl Grey is my benchmark by which I measure other Earl Greys. I’ve found a few different better, I’ve found worse (much worse). I “inherited” a 1 pound tin from a friend who had to swear off caffeine and its kept me going for the past year. Keep it sealed in an airtight container, that’s the secret.
So this tea is a straight-up basic Earl Grey, no fancy citrus bits, no colorful cornflowers, just tea and bergamot. It has a high quality tea base…probably a blend, as I don’t get specific regional notes like Ceylon or Assam.

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67
drank Assam CTC Granular by Andees
263 tasting notes

Finishing this one off today. I’ve been on a mission for the past year(!) to empty my cupboard of accumulated tea. I’m getting close…except I keep getting “donations” of other’s unwanted tea.
Anyway, finishing this one today…one last steeps worth sitting in a babyfood jar. Wow, is it different than the English Breakfast I finished yesterday! Strong, earthy flavor. Not bitter though. Makes me think of Autumn…appropriate since we had our first hard freeze last night.

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67
drank Assam CTC Granular by Andees
263 tasting notes

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77

Wow, tis been awhile, 4 years, since I entered this tea into the database. Looks like I’m the only one who ever reported it. Now I’m reporting the last of its gone. Still a pretty good tea…not my favorite, but I’ve come across Many worse.

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90
drank Lemon Tea by Dilmah
263 tasting notes

I have been drinking this for a couple of months now…it is my “don’t have time, don’t want to take time” grab a tea bag remedy right now. Definitly still in my favorites list, still looking for more. The lemon, when brewed up a bit long, reminds me of lemon scented Pledge furniture polish…ya, not a real good thing..even a bit “waxy” :(

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Profile

Bio

I’m not much active on Steepster because I haven’t been trying a lot of different tea lately. I have been buying M.T. Wendell’s Cheericup Ceylon because it is my favorite. That said, gifts of tea drop in every once in awhile and I try to bring my impressions here.
I am unashamedly stealing this rating description from Morgana.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

Location

Austin, Texas

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