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4170 tasting notes

Strange VariaTEA TTB – Tea #3

There were two lonely little sachets of this in the box, and I like mate and ginger so I figured I would give it a try!

I quite like it, actually. The ginger is definitely the strongest ingredient, but it doesn’t burn my throat or anything extreme. Then I taste a gentle lemon note and the earthiness from the mate and/or guarana. I would guess there was turmeric here as well, which there doesn’t appear to be. I don’t really get matcha, though I didn’t see evidence of that when it was steeping either, and thankfully I don’t taste much licorice root. Ginseng… maybe a hint?

Anyway, I found it rather pleasant, and am surprised by how extreme a reaction some other steepers had ha ha. Maybe these sachets were older and had calmed down a bit! I would consider having some of this on hand, especially for sore throats, upset stomachs, or sickness in general. But it seems DT doesn’t offer this tea anymore anyway.

Result: Finished Off

Flavors: Earthy, Ginger, Ginseng, Herbaceous, Lemon, Lemon Zest, Lemongrass, Spices, Sweet, Turmeric

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 16 OZ / 473 ML

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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… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 0
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 156

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.

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