100 Tasting Notes
How i got it: Bought it (Current everyday green tea)
Experience: After I ran out of my loyal Te Supremo Green Tea, i chose this one to take its place for my evenings. Its aroma is very marked by the blueberry scent, with acidic notes similar to straw/raspberry and the vanilla scent in the background. Almost no presence of the tea aroma. On the taste side, this blend is very smooth; the sip begins with the green tea and vanilla flavors and ends with berries notes, along a little tartness (probably berry-induced) and some astringency. It reminds me very much of Basilur’s Spring Tea, but having superior quality due to being a loose-leaf. Good duration and complexity, enjoyable and very relaxing. Quite good!
Would i buy it again?: It has good possibilities
How i got it: Bought it (Twinings’ Classics Collection Pack)
Experience: LG is the last tea left to try in the Twinings’ pack. Its smell is very unusual, like orange pancakes, or orange jam, with some hints of ginger and cinnamon. On the flavor side, it follows the line of the aroma: i can taste mainly orange with some cinnamon in the background. Not a bit acidic, this blend results in a enjoyable mix, though the base tea is almost imperceptible and the orange scent lacks some naturality. Aside from that, I’m surprised… this tea turned out better than I thought.
Would i buy it again?: Has some possibilities.
How i got it: Bought it (Twinings’ Classics Collection Pack)
Experience: Well, new experience here. I don’t remember to have tried something similar in the past, so this tea got my attention quickly. It smells quite like a Ceylon (somehow the OP variety comes to my mind) with acidic hints and some bits of almonds. In the flavor side, it begins smoothly, but gets stronger and a little bitter-y to the end of the sip. It also has some almond-nutty notes in the background, giving it a sweet side. Maybe one of the best descriptions I could give of this tea is something like a “Ceylon Breakfast”, as redundant as that term could be, hehe. New sensation, good experience.
Would i buy it again?: Maybe, it’s a nice variant to add to the cupboard. Why not?
How i got it: Bought it (Twinings’ Classics Collection Pack)
Experience: Maybe the first Earl Grey I tasted, I think I can appreciate it better after some years, hehe. It has a well-balanced aroma, to the point that the tea is equally present than (and not overriden by) the bergamot scent. However, its smell isn’t very intense or vibrant. I can sense some orange-candy hints too. In the flavor side, this tea has very evident, mild-intensity lemon notes, although you still can taste the base tea. I’d liked a bit more of duration. Very good tea, but needs a bit more to be among the greatest.
Would i buy it again?: There are better options out there, but this is still a valid one.
How i got it: Bought it (Twinings’ Classics Collection Pack)
Experience: In the aroma side, Prince of Wales has a spiced-nutty smell that reminds me to a Yunnan tea, but without the smokey notes. Could it be that actually this is the typical aroma of Chinese teas like Keemun? On the other hand, its flavor is light and slightly nutty, similar to Twinings’ Russian Caravan, but a little more sweeter and herbal. I miss a little bit more of duration in its taste, but anyway, very good tea.
Would i buy it again?: Has good possibilities
How i got it: Bought it (Twinings’ Classics Collection Pack)
Experience: After all that Basilur, let’s begin now with a new pack of Twinings teas. This English Breakfast smells very similar to a Ceylon, but without its typical fruity/crisp notes, somehow going more to the Kenyan side. It has a smoother taste than other Breakfast blends I’ve tried, too, and doesn’t show the soft-bitter notes i usually notice in them, but keeps the character and the body. As in the aroma, its flavor is very similar to a Kenyan tea. Mild intensity. I can sense some caramel/nutty-like notes too. Not a very complex tea, but a nice one however. Quite good.
Would i buy it again?: It has some possibilities. (Maybe I’ll get the whole pack again, hehe)
How i got it: I got some good references to this tea, so i bought it when i had the chance (Too bad Basilur doesn’t have a “Oriental Collection” variety pack =/ )
Experience: My good references were indeed very accurate: this is a great tea. It has an intense aroma, with Basilur’s classic caramel/toffee notes and a little touch of toast smell. Its flavor reminds me of an intense Assam, but keeping the classic crisp Ceylon character. It has some fresh and wooden notes in this respect too. In addition, i can sense honey, toffee and a bit of muscatel at the end of the sip. Really good.
Would i buy it again?: You can bet
How i got it: Bought it
Experience: Again, another tea with a bunch of ingredients with an intriguing result from Milagritos, hehe. Its aroma is intense, but difficult to describe; maybe my best description would be something between peach, passion fruit and some coconut. Basically, like a mix between Stash’s Coconut Mango and Ahmad’s Peach & Passion. With respect to the flavor, i can’t describe it to my satisfaction, either. I taste peach-like notes with a coconut base and herbal touches similar to mint. The papaya’s almost imperceptible. The result is smooth and relaxing, with a good duration. Curiously, I got a little tartness in the back of my tongue, too. Not bad at all, the only ‘but’ would be that i miss a bit more character. Aside from that, another nice cup for the record.
Would i buy it again?: Maybe, but currently i’m not that enthusiastic about it.
How i got it: Bought it (Milagritos is Santiago de Chile’s oldest and biggest tea shop, so this was a required stop in my tasting adventures)
Experience: With all these ingredients, is somehow difficult to distinguish individual smells and flavors, but well… Its aroma has mainly anise-like notes, but I can sense two other components: one is sweet, maybe due to the orange or raisins, while the other is nutty, maybe from the pistaccio. Its taste goes from light to mild in intensity, and is very relaxing. It has a good duration, and has notes of anise, orange, some of ginger’s spiciness and some of the base tea’s flavor. It has a nutty component too, which reminds me a little of Twinings’ Russian Caravan. As always, I would have liked something a bit more intense, but this tea has its ‘something special’ anyway. Very good.
Would i buy it again?: Has some posibilities.
How i got it: Got a bag in a swap with my wife (part of Basilur’s “Specialty Classics” Pack)
Experience: This is the fifth and last tea from Basilur’s “Specialty Classics” pack, which i can say, has very few low points, and this time was not different. It has a mild to intense aroma, with very clear and natural bergamot notes. Its taste is intense as well, but gives a smooth sensation, has a good duration and a fair balance between the tea flavor and the bergamot scent. The typical caramel notes of Basilur teas make an appearence once again, helping make this tea one of the best Earl Grey’s i’ve tasted. Very good.
Would i buy it?: It’s a real possibility