77 Tasting Notes

62

I am taste testing this against Taylors of Harrogate Decaffeinated Breakfast Tea tonight.
I have used one teabag per 8 oz cup. Although I normally would take lemon and sugar with these, I am drinking both black to compare them fairly.
I need to drink decaf tea at night, in order not to have it disturb my sleep. For that purpose, both of these teas work. However, I find that I prefer this Ty-Phoo Decaf, since it has more flavor, no doubt due to more tea in their teabags (3.125 g v. 2.5 g). When I make a potful, I need only use four Ty-Phoo teabags as opposed to five of the Taylors.
Seriously, they’re both pretty similar, but I think the Ty-Phoo must have some Assam, and the Taylors doesn’t. There’s more depth to the Ty-Phoo.
At this time, I like the Ty-Phoo best of whatever plain black decaf teabags I’ve tried. I do recommend it. Plus being a decaf, it won’t interfere with your sleep.

Flavors: Airy, Tea, Woody

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 3 g 8 OZ / 236 ML
ashmanra

Nice to see a comparison! Now I am curious and might try these.

gmathis

Agreed. Ty-Phoo decaf is the competitor to beat for tasting like the real thing. (That has also been confirmed with a British expat friend whom I consider an expert on British builders tea.)

Chi-Town Anglophile

So glad to hear you say this, gmathis. I take your reviews seriously, and appreciate your agreement! And to ashmanra, let me say to only try the Taylors if you prefer a weaker blend of tea. The Ty-Phoo definitely has more flavor. Thanks to both of you for your comments!

gmathis

You’re kind, Chi-town!

ashmanra

Thank you, Chi-Town!That sounds like good advice!

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50

Since I have problems with insomnia, yet like to drink tea of an evening, I buy decaffeinated black teas. For this taste test, I am comparing this Taylors of Harrogate Decaffeinated Breakfast Tea with Ty-Phoo Decaf Black Tea. I poured them both right after each other, one teabag per 8oz cup. I am taste testing them black and unsweetened.
This, the Taylors of Harrogate, came in a 50 gram box of 20 teabags. That means each teabag hold 2.5 grams of tea. Even though I have left the bag inside the cup, it does not taste strong or assertive to me.
The box only identifies it as “…seriously flavor-packed teas from the Rift Valley in Southwestern Kenya, then gently decaffeinate the blend using a natural process.”
It is mild as black tea goes. It tastes weaker than the Ty-Phoo Decaf.
Since neither brand really gives much in the way of origins for the teas in their respective blends, there’s not a lot to go on, flavor-wise.
This tea IS good for someone like me, who’s more interested in just having a nice, mild cuppa (or 3) of an evening, so I can enjoy it without worrying I won’t be able to sleep. It’s also good, blended with others. It is not a standout blend, but it works fine for a nightcap cup of tea.
Not too special, but it works for what it is.

Flavors: Tea, Thin

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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84

This is a delightful, fruity tea. I had never had honeybush tea before, so I can’t add it as a flavor to the description. But it’s lightly sweet even when unsweetened, and while the pineapple flavor is predominant, it’s not heavy or overbearing. When first opening the packet, the aroma was sweetly pleasing, and since I love pineapple, it invited me to partake. The coconut flavor was understated, and since this was NOT “Pina Colada” tea, that made me glad. It’s tropical in feel, but not in an ordinary way. This is one which definitely belongs in the “12 Teas of Christmas” pack—I want this one again! And soon!

Flavors: Apple Skins, Coconut, Fruity, Pecan, Pineapple, Summer, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 15 g 60 OZ / 1774 ML
52Teas

Thank you! I’m happy to add it to the list of requested reblends.

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35

I confess I was disappointed by this one. I let it cool, having learned from other 52Teas’ blends that when advised to “allow to cool”, it meant more flavors would be coming out. But while more richness of lime flavor developed, alas, so did some bitterness. Perhaps if it had just been dehydrated ime zest instead of dehydrated thin lime quarter-slices, the pith of the segments wouldn’t have lent so much bitterness into the blend. I think vanilla was used to help counteract that. But instead of melding together, it seemed more an odd juxtaposition of bitterness-with-sweetness, which didn’t work for me.
I even tried chilling it, adding some sugar, but this tea just wasn’t for me. A rare ‘miss’ rather than a ‘hit’.

Flavors: Bitter, Flat, Lime, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 15 g 60 OZ / 1774 ML

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68

Had half the little 15 g sample bag left from last year. The packet says “3-1/2 g to 12 oz near boiling water (205 F) steep 2-12 minutes, strain, cool 10 minutes.” When Anne of 52Teas tells you “allow to cool”—follow that instruction, it really makes a difference. Don’t drink this when hot—wait until it cools to room temp. More flavor notes come out after cooling.
This could be considered autumn in a cup. The black tea and ginger notes are predominant, but the pumpkin is very much in the background. There’s a light sweetness to it when hot, but once cool, there are deep leather and even tobacco or autumn leaves flavor notes that weren’t there before. An enjoyable cup, especially as the season approaches the autumnal equinox.
It’ll be interesting to compare it (soon, I hope) to 52 Teas’ Another Pumpkin Spice Latte Black Tea.

Flavors: Ginger, Leather, Spices, Tobacco, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 7 g 20 OZ / 591 ML

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76

I really enjoyed this tea. The peppermint is very rich, deep and pure. This one can be either a refreshing pick me up when chilled, or nicely relaxing and soothing when hot. The best all-round peppermint tea I’ve found to date. I highly recommend it!

Flavors: Clean, Menthol, Mint, Peppermint

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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62

This is my first time trying this tea. My first sips, hot and unsweetened, have a lightness, and a bit of astringency, not much apple, though it’s there in the background. Pleasant, but unremarkable.
Having added a teaspoon of sugar to the cup, the apple is now pronounced! The sweetness heightens the fruitiness, brings it to the forefront. I had bought this box of tea because apples are everywhere, it being harvest time in autumn. But for now, drinking this hot, it seems like more of a springtime, light refreshing tea.
I shall have to try it iced, to see what my response will be then. For now, it is a pleasant, enjoyable light tea, only mildly apple flavored—until it’s sweetened, and then one really tastes the apple. A nice choice for an afternoon pick-me-up. Just not a cup for something more bracing; look elsewhere for autumn!

Flavors: Apple, Astringent

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 20 OZ / 591 ML

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60

This is the third of three Camomile-Honey-Vanilla teas I am comparing tonight. CS is the one which puts Honey first in its description. This is evident in its taste.
Of the three teas I compared tonight: Ahmad, Twinings and Celestial Seasonings, this was both the darkest and most flavorful for the single cup. For that alone it deserved the highest rating of the three, since to me that means one gets more oomph for the money. I haven’t looked to see whether the teabags themselves weigh more or not—they all seemed to be of the same quantity per bag. After all three cups had steeped for 5 minutes, I sampled them in order of mildest to strongest, out of fear the weaker-looking ones wouldn’t have the same olfactory overtones if I waited for them to cool.
I have to say that of the three, the Celestial Seasonings one has the best ‘stand alone’ quality. The one aspect I didn’t like as well was its aroma: I found the predominant honey just a bit cloying. However, that was not evident in the cup.
While I prefer the aroma of the Twinings, I have to admit that to drink alone, the Celestial Seasonings wins this particular taste test. I can still mix them with White Tea for a special nighttime blend, but now I know which one to go to if I want just one cup by itself!

Flavors: Apple, Chamomile, Honey, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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58

This is the second of the three Camomile-Honey-Vanilla teas I’m comparing tonight. (The others are Ahmad and Celestial Seasonings.) I brewed each at the same time, individual cups, poured quickly, consecutively, one bag to one cup.
This, the Twinings, was the middle one in color and strength. Of the three, I have to say I like the perfume of this one the best. The accent is on the camomile, not the honey, so it has a more delicate, perfumy quality, which I like. The honey and vanilla are there as pleasant undertones in the background, but not vying for attention.
This one, too, is a bit weaker than I’d like, but not disappointing. It seems delicate rather than outright watery.
At night I like to mix the flavor of this combo with white tea, for a perfect night time blend.
This is not as robust as the Celestial Seasonings, but it is a lovely blend, and I like it.

Flavors: Chamomile, Honey, Perfume, Sweet, Warm Grass, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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Seems to me there’s a thin line between true discernment and pretentious twaddle. I’ll write what teas work for me, why I like them or not. I’m not the connoisseur some folks here are, but I think you will get a fair assessment of whatever tea I write about.

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