865 Tasting Notes
Well, I wasn’t planning on placing another order so soon, but I just couldn’t miss out on this once in a life time opportunity so I ordered my 1st pouchong to get this.
The pearls are indeed small, as the description states, and I like that because it makes it easier to get an accurate desired portion size no matter if you measure your tea by volume or weight. As soon as I pop the tin I’m hit in the face w/ jasmine. This makes me question the suggested steeping time. I love their Jasmine #12 (also an oolong) which is also suggested to be steeped at 5 min, but I prefer it at 3. I also love their Jasmine Silver Needle (a white) steeped at 3 min inspite of the 7 min suggested steeping time. Oh well, I’ll make it as suggested 1st and see what happens.
2.25g pearls (~33 pearls)/6oz water. The liquor is a gorgeous medium golden color and the aroma is definitely that of Jasmine, but I can also smell the oolong in the back ground which makes me happy.
Wow… that’s surprising… This is not a “hit you in the face” jasmine that I was expecting based on the steeping time. The jasmine flavor is quite substantial, but the oolong is also clearly evident and gives this tea a smoother, more delicate flavor and mouth feel.
Preparation
My 1st honeybush and my 1st Twinings tea! For really not being that much of an orange person, I dunno what’s up w/ all these orange teas I’m drinking lately. Not only am I drinking a lot (like usual) of mandarin matcha, I’ve also had orange sencha this week- and now this.
I find it funny that this says it’s flavored w/ mandarin and orange. Isn’t mandarin a type of orange? When I take it out of the wrapper, I definitely smell orange- but I also smell a little bit of spice… is that the honeybush base?
1 bag/6oz almost boiling water, 5 min. The liquor is a reddish camel color and the aroma is almost exactly that of the raw leaf. It smells slighlty of orange jello, but there is definitely a more complex, grounded base to it.
Yay for consistancy! This tastes exactly like I was expecting it too. It still has a little jello aspect to it, but it’s also very rich and complex. If you love orange and honeybush, this is a must try.
Preparation
I’ve been feeling stomach, head, and body achey the past 2 days… just blech… This tea sounded good to my tastebuds, I just hope my stomach agrees tonite…
Preparation
I love any free tea, but what I love even more is when you get something free unexpectedly that I’ve always wanted to try. And this is one of them.
Prepared as suggested. Holy orange! The flavor of the orange instantly hits me in the face when I open the package. Once steeped, the liquor is a light yellowish green. Unfortunately the orange isn’t nearly as strong as it was when the leaf was raw, but it’s still definitely there. The flavor matches that of the steeped tea and not the raw leaf, but that’s ok. I think if it’d been as strong as the raw leaf it would have been too easily mistaken for an herbal tisane. The sencha is very much a part of the flavor profile.
Preparation
You know how a lot of adult beverages have really nasty names? Well here’s one w/ no alcohol in it. I normally can’t stand those names, but this beverage walks right into it. It is, by definition, a Dirty Pu (ok- since Pu is only short for Pu Erh, it’s not exactly by definition, but it’s pretty close). 1 bag steeped in 4oz almost boiling water for 5 min then add 2oz cold coffee concentrate and reheat if needed. I drank this w/ one of Den’s Tea’s Pocky Sticks (on a side note, why are there only 2 servings per box??? That’s like 20 sticks!).
The liquor is blacker than black and the consistancy is thick. The flavor isn’t as pure chocolately as if it were served neat, but it’s definitely rich and indulgent.
Preparation
That’s because Pocky are meant to be consumed en masse. (Actually, I’m not sure if that is their purpose, but I have never known anyone who could stop at just one Pocky stick (including myself)! :P) In most cases, the whole box is eaten at once. At least that’s how it is when I eat Pocky…
2nd infusion, 7min w/ 1tsp caramel coffee creamer and another pocky stick. Clearly weaker, but the chocolateyness isn’t completely covered up by the cream or the caramel.
Ok, I admit it. This tea terrifies me. I love cherries (bing to be exact), but I hate almost anything else cherry flavored. But… I also love things that are seasonal and since Japan is known for their cherry blossoms, I knew I had to at least give it a try.
Prepared as suggested. 2g/3oz water. The aroma of the dry leaf isn’t as strong as I was expecting and smells of cherry sweet tarts, not of cough syrup as I feared. When steeped the liquor is a gorgeous yellowish green. Surprisingly the sent of the cherry is gone leaving only that of the sencha.
Hmmm… I’ve only had one other flavored sencha from Den’s (their apple) and the flavor of this one just doesn’t compare. The cherry is very light and is more of the blossom rather than the fruit. I’m not sure I’d like it if it was stronger, but I have a feeling that a person looking for a cherry flavored sencha will be disappointed.
Preparation
2nd infusion, almost boiling water for 15 sec. Liquor is the same as the 1st although the cherry flavor and aroma are both slightly more pronounced.
Me exactly the same! Loving cherries and hating everything cherry flavored! Besides, I think the cherry used to flavor things is not the same cultivar as the sweet bing cherry we eat.
But being more blossomy this isn’t your average cherry flavored item either…
3rd infusion, 20 sec. Still very sweet, but the cherry aspect is gone.
4th infusion, 25 sec. Lighter liquor, but the flavor is the same as the 3rd infusion.
5th infusion, 30 sec. The liquor is like the 4th infusion. A lot of the sweeteness is gone, but it’s still very clean and crisp.
6th infusion, 40 sec. Consistant liquor and the flavor is back to being sweet.
7th infusion, 50 sec. Lighter in liquor and flavor, but still very good. I think I’ll call these leaves done even though they may not be.
2nd infusion of my leaves from last nite before dumping them. I have a new joint supplement powder I’m trying and I put it in this today. It covers the tea taste for the most part, but at least I get the added health benefits.
2nd infusion, 6 min. Liquor is just a bit lighter and the jasmine/oolong flavor ratio is slightly heavier on the oolong.
3rd infusion, 7 min. The liquor is slightly lighter than the last infusion and so is the jasminey flavor. But it’s also sweeter. Yay for the addition to flavor profiles!
4th infusion, 8 min. No change in the liquor, but it’s brighter. More sweetness and oolongyness, less jasminey.
Ohhh, you finally tried it. I still haven’t. I really should soon.