derk Send Message

199 Followers / 153 Following

Not Recommended

derk drank Green Tea by Bigelow

1650 tasting notes

Another Bigelow tea pulled from the coffee bar at Holiday Inn Express.

My first note 3 years ago — “Nutty, earthy, toasty, old vegetation, buttery tone. Bland. I’ve never liked this one. It’s dead tea.” — still stands but now it has the added detractor of being so freaking drying that it has evaporated all the saliva in my mouth. Swallowing makes me feel like my little uvula’s gonna be ripped right from my sandpaper throat. 1.5 minutes at 175F shouldn’t produce this result.

Urgh. Lesson learned.

I don’t know what the heck is going on with me and tea this week, but almost every tea I’ve had except for some matcha and cold-brew sencha have left my mouth absolutely parched. I’ve been so non-plussed by my choices this week that I went on a little spree despite limiting my tea purchases this year.

Flavors: Astringent, Butter, Caramelized Sugar, Dry, Dry Grass, Drying, Earthy, Hazelnut, Nutty, Stale, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Toasty, Vegetal

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 30 sec 10 OZ / 295 ML

I Like This

16 likes

2 comments

derk
Delete

I won’t even water my tea plants with the cup minus 4 sips it’s that bad.

Mastress Alita
Delete

It always reminded me of dried lawn clippings. Blech.

People who liked this

Comments

derk
Delete

I won’t even water my tea plants with the cup minus 4 sips it’s that bad.

Mastress Alita
Delete

It always reminded me of dried lawn clippings. Blech.

Profile

Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

bicycle bicycle bicycle