314 Tasting Notes
I drank this all day yesterday (one teaspoon in 12 oz. lasted me up to three infusions each). Its sweetness really help curb my trips to the office candy jar at work. But, in a moment of weakness, I actually fished out all the white chocolate chips out of the packet and ate them! :P
I’m happy to say that the the lack of chips does not affect the flavor at all. They’re there just for looks, really.
The scent is wonderful—very dewy and fresh! Almost like honeydew. The taste is only faintly melon-esque. I taste mostly the white tea overlaid with a suggestion of melon. The white tea itself seems outstanding—just slightly vegetal, no bitterness or astringency. I think I detect some creaminess?
This is a very refreshing tea, overall. But it’s so ephemeral it’s almost “not there”. Like a dream of a tea.
(…did I drink this…or not?…)
My sample was starless too! :(
But even with its lack of stars, the black tea itself is yummy. It tastes very vanilla-creamy, almost like a buttermint! There is a woodsy, smoky aftertaste that is not unpleasant and seems to add some depth.
Very, very smooth. With little astringency and only a hint of bitterness. An exceptional tea to enjoy with something sweet at breakfast—preferably french toast with lots of cinnamon (freshly grated), butter and maple syrup!
But -1 because of absent stars!
Preparation
You’re very generous:) I’d give it at least a -50 for not having any stars.
starry night tea. Booooo! Dark rich black tea.
Yeah, they should name in “Non-Starry Night Tea”! Cofftea, you’re right, maybe I should lower the score huh? :) But I think a 79 is more heartbreaking—it’s like being just one point away from “average-ness”. “So close and yet so far!”
50 is average for me so maybe that’s why.
I love those buttermints that melt in your mouth! Is that the “buttermint” that you were describing?
Yep! Like those pastel colored sugary ones.
Okay that means I have to add this tea to my shopping list. Thanks for the info!
Sad. Just sad. I agree about the taste, though.
The dry leaves in the packet do smell like fruit and nuts….and wood—reminiscent of a fruitcake nestled in a cedar box.
The flavor seems a little thin, to me. And bitter. Almost like unripe grapes on the vine. Or like grape seeds—bitter and green with a woodsy bite.
The tea mellows out and becomes more “floral”, as it cools. Floral like gardenias. It seems like a white floral notes are common to tea leaves.
This was my first Darjeeling. It was okay, I guess. I’m not sure if I’m intrigued enough to seek out more.
I love Darjeeling!
Maybe I’m not ready for Darjeelings yet. I still need some sweetness, maltiness or smokiness in my teas to make me like them.
I love Darjeelings too, but I haven’t had that many of them yet. The ones I’ve had had some definite sweetness to them, though.
The scent is like Thomas Sampson eating grapes! A grape-y Thomas Sampson. Must be the Darjeeling in the mix.
The taste is kind of “thick” and malty with just a hint of sweet. I think I’ve steeped this beyond 5 minutes (close to 6!) but it’s not overly astringent or bitter at all.
This breakfast blend is pretty delicious, overall—it has plenty of body and is strong enough to hold up to milk and sugar, but I like it fine on its own. Although, If I were to change anything, I would make it just a bit stronger, add a bit more “punch”.
And it tastes more biscuit-y as it cools. Biscuit-y is always good.
Preparation
This tea smells suprisingly like warm honeyed biscuits! The taste is a bit like milky, toasted oatmeal— yummy!
I’m really enjoying this tea, although I wasn’t so sure I would. I’m kind of prejudiced against Ceylons because, from the few I’ve tasted, I’ve found them too mild, timid and non-descript—fit only as bases for flavored blends.
But this “French Breakfast” is opening my mind. It is mild, yes. But it’s mildy elegant . The flavor is present but in a soft and comforting way.
The harsh glare of morning may be too much for this “temperate” tea. It would be better suited for a lazy, luxurious brunch. Or as an afternoon repast—with plenty of milk and sweet nothings.
Drinking the last of my tin. I loaded up two heaping teaspons into my 12oz. mug. The taste is so potent it’s almost like I’ve added hazelnut coffee creamer to this! But it’s so much healthier.
Until we meet again, Bogart! This was only the beginning of a beautiful friendship. ;)
I can’t wait to try this!
I think I’ll need to buy this one.
I think this was very good for a hazelnut flavored tea. Very rich-tasting. But it was my first hazelnut tea so I couldn’t say if it is the best. But there were raves on Yelp about it and I just had to get it. So, Morgana and Doulton, if you get this I still recommend it highly! It’s kind of addictive—it surprised me on how often I reached for this!
I just placed an order. I couldn’t get your review out of my mind. And that name—-so very clever. I get easily hooked by names.
I hope you enjoy it! I loved the name too and for some reason, the tea conjured up images of grainy b/w films and trenchcoats!
If the chips are just for looks where does the white chocolate flavor come from?
I’m quite impressed 1tsp in 12oz wasn’t really weak:)
Your moment of weakness reminds me of how when I was little, on the rare occasion that my mother would buy Lucky Charms, I would go through the box and pick out all the marshmallows!
@Erin, I did that too! I loved Lucky Charms marshmallows!
I believe the flavor actually comes from the flavoring oils. Any other additions are added for aesthetic reasons only. Ask Libertea, she can confirm this. :)
Or better yet Frank, he normally notices frequent commentations on his teas’ tasting notes:)
It’s true… the additions such as chocolate chips, fruit bits, and other things do very little to the flavor. Really, the chocolate chips add slightly more flavor than say fruit bits or other things… but, even then it is a very slight addition of flavor to the overall cup. One thing that chocolate bits DO add… is a slight murky consistency to the cup (in other words, the tea is less clear than in a tea without the chocolate bits). The main flavor from the flavored teas comes from tea flavoring oil. The tea leaves are extraordinarily absorbent and absorb the flavor of the oil rapidly… and this is how a flavored tea is achieved. That’s why you can taste flavor in a tea that may not look flavored (that is, without any “bits” in it)
There is one significant exception, and that would be spices (or herbs)… they add a considerable flavor to a tea…
@Liberteas: Because of your comment (on another note), about flavoring teas, I was confident that my eating all the chips in advance wouldn’t change the flavor. And you were right! The flavor was just as strong (only without the melted chip murkiness).
Stephanie – having a smiling moment picturing (a non-specific) you picking out the chocolate bits! It’s been a while but long time ago, I read a book by Susan Elizabeth Philips that had the heroine mad at the book’s hero and her way of getting back at him was to take his favorite Lucky Charms cereal, take out all the marshmallows & reseal the cereal bag/box so it didn’t look tampered with. He was soooo mad when he couldn’t find the marshmallows, hehehe! I think I got the details right on the book…. so funny!
lol! I have to look up that book!
Note to self: don’t order this tea, or your weightwatchers points will be history!