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80
drank Ruby Pie by Butiki Teas
303 tasting notes

So I just took BuddyTV’s ‘Which Buffy the Vampire Slayer character are you?’ quiz, and, to my great surprise, I am Rupert Giles. I will have to somehow process this. Maybe everyone who drinks tea is automatically a Giles?

Anyway, this clearly calls for some (more) tea. This is another sample from Stacy (Happy birthday, by the way! Ha! Just kidding.) and again, I can’t remember if I asked for this or if it was one she chose for me.

Unlike all other Butiki teas I’ve tried, this doesn’t smell good dry to me – I really like the main body of it, but then this metallic note (I’m guessing it’s the hibiscus/rhubarb.) cuts through and kills everything else. Steeped, though, it smells so good – really, really good. Nothing metallic whatsoever remains in the cup.

Flavour wise, there is some hibiscus tartness, but it’s very well-balanced and goes nicely together with the base tea, which I love. There’s also a surprising amount of sweetness, which hits a perfect berry note. And finally a hint of pastry to round it off.

I love how complex this tea is. As usual, I wish for more intensity of flavour, but it’s still one of my Butiki favourites. And gah! I just realized this was the last of it!

[From my Butiki order to Santa Clara, October 2013.]
[Sample polished off in Rome, January 2014.]
Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
9 comments
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JustJames
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i am not taking the quiz… the only i would be happy being would be spike who was ALSO in torchwood =0) as a very very charming psychopath. with my luck i would wind up as the girl from band camp and i’d swear off tea in annoyance!

i loved this tea. mine came from sil! (2013…. in my mailbox)

Anna
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Spike is the ultimate antihero for sure! Haha, now I dare you to take it. Spike would never back down.

And as much as I love Rome, I’m excited about eventually getting to write other place names in my little mnemonic brackets.

Butiki Teas
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I got Spike.

Ana
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I got Willow.
I’m ok with this.
Now I need to watch Buffy again on Netflix.

JustJames
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within the quiz i would be spike…. but i am far more captain jack (torchwood) and tend more towards flagrant irreverence. =0D it’s good to want things ;0) dare away. heh heh.

TeaExplorer
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Huh … according to the quiz I’m Tara Maclay. Even though I’m a 50+ year old man, that seems about right to me.

Anna
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Haha, I love that. I’ll be Giles and you’ll be Tara, then.

JustJames
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this is too much fun…

mpierce87
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I’m Willow – which is fine with me, she was my favorite in the series. Now I must see if Buffy is on Netflix…

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Comments

JustJames
Delete

i am not taking the quiz… the only i would be happy being would be spike who was ALSO in torchwood =0) as a very very charming psychopath. with my luck i would wind up as the girl from band camp and i’d swear off tea in annoyance!

i loved this tea. mine came from sil! (2013…. in my mailbox)

Anna
Delete

Spike is the ultimate antihero for sure! Haha, now I dare you to take it. Spike would never back down.

And as much as I love Rome, I’m excited about eventually getting to write other place names in my little mnemonic brackets.

Butiki Teas
Delete

I got Spike.

Ana
Delete

I got Willow.
I’m ok with this.
Now I need to watch Buffy again on Netflix.

JustJames
Delete

within the quiz i would be spike…. but i am far more captain jack (torchwood) and tend more towards flagrant irreverence. =0D it’s good to want things ;0) dare away. heh heh.

TeaExplorer
Delete

Huh … according to the quiz I’m Tara Maclay. Even though I’m a 50+ year old man, that seems about right to me.

Anna
Delete

Haha, I love that. I’ll be Giles and you’ll be Tara, then.

JustJames
Delete

this is too much fun…

mpierce87
Delete

I’m Willow – which is fine with me, she was my favorite in the series. Now I must see if Buffy is on Netflix…

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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Bio

I’m going to try all the teas.

Then I will choose a lucky few perfect specimens, and we will live happily together in my tea cupboard.

Forever.

* *

2015

This will be a year of in-betweenness and logistics. Where to put the teas. How to arrange the teas. Which teas to replenish – which ones to say goodbye to.

Still doing Project Green.
Still doing Project Jasmine.
Still doing Project Peach.

Dr. Tea is the name, I’m ahead of my game
still, steeping my leafs, still f*ck with the temps
still not loving Assam (uh-huh)
still rock my Bosch kettle with its high-pitched shriek
still got love for the greens, repping Lupicia
still the cup steams, still doing my thang
since I left, ain’t too much changed, still

(With apologies to Mr. Young.)

2014

This year, all bets are off. I am going to drink both peppermint and chamomile and possibly suffer a little. But it’s okay – it’s for science.

I’m doing Project Jasmine, Project Peach and Project Unflavoured Green.

In terms of flavoured teas, Lupicia and Mariage Frères have become my massive favourites, and I have learned that Dammann Frères/Fauchon/Hédiard and Butiki aren’t really for me.

The O Dor, Adagio and Comptoir des thés et des épices are all on this year’s I’d like to get to know you better list.

2013

Getting back into tea drinking last fall, I was all about rooibos. This past spring has been all green tea, all the time, with some white additions over the summer. Currently attempting a slow, autumnal graduation to black teas. Oolongs are always appropriate.

The constant for me, flavour wise, is the strong presence of fruity and floral notes. Vanilla is lush, as long as it’s not artificial. Peach, berries, mango. Cornflower, rose, lavender.

No peppermint.

No chamomile.

No cinnamon.

Ever.

* *

My ratings don’t reflect the ‘What does this tea do for me?’ standard, but rather my own ‘What would I do for this tea?’ scale.

100-90
My absolute favourites. Teas I would travel for – or, in any case, pay exuberant postage for, because they simply have to be in my cupboard. Generally multi-faceted teas with complex scents and flavours. Teas with personality. Tricky teas.

89-80
Teas I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again if and when I came across them. Tea purchases I would surreptitiously weave into a travel itinerary (Oh! A Lupicia store! Here?! My word!).

79-70
Teas I enjoyed, but don’t necessarily need to make any kind of effort to buy again.

69-0
Varying degrees of disinterest and contempt.

Location

Rome, Italy

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