986 Tasting Notes
Sadly, I’m coming to the end of this bag. I didn’t love it quite as much as the other black tea I tried from Zen, but it’s still very nice: long, unbroken twisted black leaves that brew up smooth and malty and rich. Perfect for this grey, rainy Wisconsin morning!
Flavors: Malt, Smooth
Preparation
This one always reminds me of root beer for some reason! I wasn’t crazy about it the first time I tried it, but it has grown on me over time and become one of my go-to bedtime teas. I also had fun introducing this one (and several other loose leaf teas) to a friend in Dallas who’s normally a coffee person but has really only experienced grocery store tea bags. Her comment: “So this is why people like tea!” :)
Flavors: Herbs, Root Beer, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
I’m a Wisconsin girl, so I had to order a sample of this tea in my recent AQTT order! To be honest, my first cup didn’t impress me. It just came across as a nice green oolong…definitely high quality, with big unbroken leaves and a pleasant buttery, floral flavor…but none of the honey or cheesecake flavor I was promised. But drinking the last of my sample this morning, I realized my mistake: I drank that first cup too fast! The flavors don’t come out when it’s hot, but as it cools they begin to pop more and more. By the time it reaches room temperature, it’s a lovely rich, sweet-sour medley of flavor. I really like this one and will probably be ordering more!
Flavors: Butter, Cheesecake, Floral, Honey, Sour, Sweet
Preparation
Sipping this one at work. I have to say, Steven Smith has some of the best bagged tea I’ve tried! Their sachets are made of fabric and nice and large with plenty of room for expansion. The leaves inside are large and uncrushed and have a nice aroma. This is definitely one of the better Earl Grey teas I’ve tried (and I love Earl Grey!) Thank you to whoever slipped these tea bags into the Discovery TTB…I have a new brand to add to my list!
Flavors: Bergamot, Smooth
Preparation
I put them in, because I really like SST! They really just have bagged options for their loose leaf, since they don’t crush their tea to a pulp. Unfortunately my grocery only offers three of their teas (The Lord Bergamot, Fez, and Meadow) but I’ve tried some of their others teas and haven’t had one yet I haven’t liked. Their blends seem to work for me. I particularly like this EG!
I had never even heard of them until the TTB and I don’t think my local grocery chain carries them, but I might try ordering online. Thanks for sharing! :)
Ya, they are out of Portland and a bit “high end” for groceries; I only have three kinds in the “health food” area of Fred Meyers in my town, hardly much selection of what they have to offer. And I know of one restaurant in Boise (two hours from here!) that offers their tea, so I like eating there when I’m visiting, since I know I won’t just get Lipton or Bigelow. On their website you can get bagged or loose leaf, it’s the same tea just packaged differently.
I believe this was from the Discovery TTB. I brewed it up at work so not sure of the water temperature, but it turned out well! A smooth, sweet green tea base with a refreshing lemon mint flavor. Mint can be overwhelming, but this blend had a good balance. It reminded me of Tazos’ Zen (one of my all-time favorite grocery store teas!) but I may actually like this one a bit better.
Flavors: Lemon, Mint, Smooth
This has become a staple in my collection, because it’s one of those tisanes that even people who think they don’t like tea often enjoy. It has a strong pineapple flavor that mellows out into creamy coconut at the end of the sip. Very smooth and easy to drink. And it’s great both hot and iced!
Flavors: Coconut, Creamy, Pineapple, Smooth
Preparation
Discovery TTB #20
The purple oolong from this box was a surprise hit for me, so I decided to sample the other purple tea as well. There was barely a teaspoon of this tea left in the box, so I brewed up a single cup and finished it off. The color wasn’t as “purple” as I was hoping…more of a light, slightly blueish brown. And the flavor was surprisingly light (it tasted like a very mild green tea) and unpleasantly astringent. Not a fan!
Flavors: Astringent
Preparation
Discovery TTB #19
I’m generally not a big fan of Japanese green teas, but there was a large bag of this one in the box so I decided to give it a shot. The leaves brewed up to the brightest lime green tea I’ve ever seen! The flavor was unique: quite savory and a bit salty, reminding me of seaweed or perhaps a seafood broth. Not something I’d personally care to drink again, but it was a unique experience and I’m glad to have “discovered” it in this box!
Flavors: Fish Broth, Salty, Seaweed
Preparation
Kabusecha is sort of a tea processed somewhere between a high-grade sencha and gyokuro, but isn’t really seen very much over here. I figured it was enough of an oddity to include even though I knew it is an odd flavor, to be certain. And yes, those very deep green colors and marine notes are normal! They are quite high in theamine and amino acids. I can never drink the deeply green sencha, kabusecha, or gyokuro in high quantities, I always have just a little amount, like a shot glass worth, at a time, because that umami sea sort of flavor is so rich and not my favorite profile, but I get such an energy boost from it. I guess I equate it to those little shots of wheatgrass juice, hahaha. Not particularly pleasant to sip on, but good for you, and not so unbareable that I can at least drink a very small amount at once.
It was definitely a unique experience, so thanks for giving me the chance to try it!
Japanese Green teas are a favorite of mine! I don’t believe I’ve tried Kabusecha before though. Will have to keep an eye out for it.
