Cameron B. select Send Message

349 Followers / 247 Following

Cameron B. drank East Frisian Blend by House of Tea -- Toronto

4313 tasting notes

Another tea from my anonymous tea friend! I’m not familiar with this type of blend, but according to tea chat, it’s supposed to be heavy on the Assam. The leaves are all very broken, which made me worry a bit about how long to let them steep without bitterness. There are a few golden pieces mixed in among mostly black leaves. I decided to go with 2.5 minutes instead of my usual 3 (I also actually used a level teaspoon instead of my usual heaped one).

The steeped tea smells quite nice – heavy on the molasses and honey notes. Thankfully, it didn’t come out bitter. This is definitely a kick-in-the-pants type of tea though, it’s quite strong and could easily handle adding milk. I do taste some of that molasses goodness, along with a touch of hay. Actually, this is kind of reminding me of a black tea version of Bai Hao. Pretty tasty overall. :)

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Hay, Malt, Molasses, Tannic

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

9 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 28
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 28

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing