1373 Tasting Notes
2024 sipdown no. 54
This is a really lovely EG. The yuzu is mostly apparent in a slight peppery scent once steeped, though I didn’t find a lot of it in taste. The bergamot is mellow here and doesn’t have an edge, which is quite nice. The base is smooth and overall this tea steeps up very well.
Thank you Cameron!
Preparation
2024 sipdown no. 53
Lupicia really knocked it out of the park with this tea. The blueberry has never been more real <3. The black currant falls more to the background, but adds complexity and a subtle hint of tartness. I adore this tea, actually. Goodness, now I’ll have to make a list towards a Lupicia cart.
Thank you so much for sharing Cameron :)
This is very much strawberry and Nutella at first sip! It stays that way throughout the whole cup, hot to warm to cool. A said she could taste pancake, though I didn’t pick that up. Nonetheless, we both loved it!
Thank you for sharing Cameron!
Preparation
Love this one!
It’s so lovely! I miss B&B now that shipping is so expensive.
I have 20g pouch I just recently rediscovered with original box. Where also invoice was and apparently it was a freebie.
However either never tried it, or Steepster ate my note; but this pouch is two years past BB date, never opened though and available as I am not a fan of Nuttela.
I’m not huge on Nutella either (though I enjoy a less over sweet chocolate hazelnut spread) but the tea is quite nice. :)
2024 sipdown no. 52
Thank you Cameron for sharing!
The steeped scent is coffee and cinnamon. Coffee and cinnamon are at the forefront and the base adds depth and smoothness overall. There is perhaps a subtle hint of banana towards the end of the sip, though I wish it was a tad more banana-forward.
The second steep was just as flavourful with a touch more sweetness. A lovely cup overall!
2024 sipdown no. 51
Thank you Cameron for all the teas! <3
This one is maple-y, though I’m always left wanting with these maples teas — I wish for proper maple, not ‘maple flavour’ (perhaps too maple snobbish on my part) :P. The base is smooth enough with no noticeable atringency, though there is no cranberry or apple to speak of.
I like both, but I agree that I wish there were more teas with a more authentic maple syrup flavor. There are a couple from Dammann that I thought got close.
I suppose I could add maple syrup, but it’s just not the same. Ooh, which ones from Dammann?
I think it was the Noël à Manhattan one? It has a ton of other flavors too, I just remember the maple part being rather authentic.
<3
We spent two wonderful weeks in California and although I indulged in iced coffee excess, I also made it to two tea houses.
This one I had pre-planned in my research ahead of time. The dry scent of this is very watermelon, and not cloying at all. Similar to a diluted watermelon drink made of fresh watermelon. The tea has dried watermelon and papaya and the taste is very light, yet very ‘watermelon burst’. The base is green oolong, light and airy with little flavour of its own.
Preparation
2024 sipdown no. 49
I used two teabags for my 15oz mug of this tea. This one has that similar apricot-perfume scent as H&S, but more toned down. The flavour is subtle apricot and the base isn’t as bitter as the Murchie’s blackcurrant. This one isn’t bad, perhaps not overly memorable.
I cold steeped a single teabag in a smaller mug and the apricot is more washed out, resulting in very little flavour and a relatively un-noteworthy black base (no bitterness).
2024 sipdown no. 48
My colleague shared a few teabags with me of this (and Apricot). I steeped two teabags for my 15oz mug and it’s underwhelming. There’s a bitterness with some blackcurrant in the background, but more like dried blackcurrant that’s been sat in the back of the cupboard for too long. As far as a bagged blackcurrant, H&S has this one beat.
I cold steeped a single teabag in a smaller mug and it tastes very similar, though with less bitterness. This variation is overall a nicer cup and more refreshing.
I didn’t really get yuzu from this either, but loved the extra citrus notes! :)