618 Tasting Notes
Thank you MadelineAlyce for a sample of this tea! This tea is pretty yummy. I love the blueberry flavor and the tea base blends very well… almost lending to the tartness of the fruit. The vanilla seems to be in the background and irons out the end of the sip. This cup has that perfect balance of being sweet and tart — one doesn’t overwhelm the other. A lovely tea!
Preparation
The leaves are the darkest black, thin & slightly curled. This is a beautiful tea to look at!
First infusion: Smooth, sweet with a tinge of a leathery note. I detect something bitter in the background, but it just stays in the background and doesn’t press forward.
Second Infusion: The scent is a bit like sweet potato. A bolder version of the first infusion remains for this cup. As I am walking to the kettle for more water, I realize the flavor that has lingered on my tongue. Chocolate. I almost missed it, but it’s there.
Third Infusion: A nice malty, chocolate note is what I primarily taste. The chocolate is a bit like cocoa – drying, not too sweet and a little bit rich. Mmm. I think this is my favorite infusion so far!
Thank you, Meeka for a sample!
This is a mellow white tea with a nice fruity tone. The melon is subtle and soft. The fruit flavor seems to be a continuation of the sweet, hay flavor of the white tea. I wish I had more sweet, juicy melon. I have yet to find a Golden Moon tea that I truly enjoy. While this isn’t horrible, it’s uneventful and not the most pleasant thing to drink.
Preparation
The scent of this tea is lightly buttery and sweet. There is something in the background that reminds me of burnt bread. It’s a little bit sweet (not exactly a caramel taste) and ends with a wheat-like flavor. This reminds me a bit of how the milk tastes at the bottom of a bowl of cereal. It doesn’t have the nicest finish as it’s a bit drying in the mouth. Thank you to lizeepea for swapping a sample with me!
Preparation
This is a nice vanilla rooibos tea that is just slightly on the verge of having that liquor/cough medicine element. I have a strong preference for rooibos blends that are more like wood and less like cough syrup. Surprisingly, I can still drink this tea and enjoy the vanilla flavor without being entirely disappointed. If the rooibos base was a bit different, I think this tea would be great! It’s a personal preference, I suppose. Thank you to lizeepea for a sample!
This is a murky, mysterious green cup of tea! I feel like I’m looking into a swampy portion of the ocean. I smell seaweed, popcorn, barley and a little bit of toast and fish. First sip: I’m extremely surprised at just how salty it is! There is definitely a heavy seaweed note paired with burnt or toasted popcorn. The finish is pure sea water. I feel like I’ve just gulped in the sea – plants, barnacles, fish & all! It’s a little too strong for me to truly appreciate, but I am impressed that such strength comes through in a teabag.
Preparation
I have to say that most of the characteristics you mentioned were to be expected. I would advice to be careful with Japanese tea in general since they tend to go around those taste profiles (a bit astringent, oceanic/seaweed ‘umami’. There are some that differ, but if you want a broader spectrum of green tea flavors go for Chinese green tea. :)
My first tea from Den’s Tea and I am so excited. I want to start drinking more green tea each day and this seems like a good place to start. The tea in the teabag seems to be of great quality and I end up with a rather murky cup of yellow-green tea. The scent is grassy, but not sharp. It’s that comforting “green tea” scent I love. Sipping, I simply taste a mellow and very slightly sweet, slightly grassy tea. This was just what I needed! There is a bit of fullness in the mouth, as well. I wouldn’t say that it’s a silky kind of fullness — just a bit thicker than some other teas I’ve had. This Sencha tea bag was easy to pop into a cup and enjoy within minutes. I hope to add this to a future Den’s tea order.
Preparation
The dry leaf smells a bit sour, but smooth and creamy. The first thing I taste is the tea base. It’s just slightly smooth and a little bit astringent. The rhubarb comes out at the end of the sip as a tart bite. The cream is more present in the scent than in the taste. I am enjoying this cup, but I think that I like the idea and the scent more than the actual taste. I’m expecting more flavor than tea base… but maybe that’s just me. Thank you to maisonlula for a sample of this tea!