3010 Tasting Notes
This smells wonderful, sweet, and fruity … but I am approaching with caution because of the plentifulicity (good word, don’t you think?) of the h-word.
However, I have it steeping in the sun on the porch of Shabby House and we’ll see how the experiment progresses.
(and later…)
After running errands and grabbing lunch at a funky little retro soda shop called the Bradbury Bishop Deli (very Route 66 in atmosphere), I came back to find a beautiful ruby-red jar of steepness on my front porch.
The thing about sun tea is that it’s not a very exact science. Proportions and steep times aren’t very uniform. So this test run tasted pretty heavy on the hibiscus, and all the potentially wonderful fruity flavors were kind of mushed together. I couldn’t pick up on anything separate like banana or cherry. A little sugar tamed the tart, and it’s still a nice fruity cooler on yet…another…stiflingly…hot…afternoon.
Just wondering, how do the rest of you feel about drinking fruity teas like this hot? I can’t seem to get past the notion that these flavor blends are summer-only.
Much gratitude for Doulton, the sponsor of this treat and front-porch laboratory experiement.
Ashmanra, who has patiently withstood more whining and mewling about current life conditions that any online acquaintance should ever have to do :) recognized that I need some bucking up and sent the Queen to do the honors.
This tea has backbone. I am a lover of good, stiff black teas and this is, but the subtle coffee-cocoa-smoky-floral chaser I’ve read about in many of these reviews keeps Catherine from becoming a merciless harpy. Perfect with no additives, but I can see that a little milk would tone this down nicely for afternoons.
(Is it a sign that you’ve gone completely over the edge of your saucer when you start attributing human qualities to your teas? I’m blaming on the heat!)
Oh, I hope not! That would mean I went completely over the edge of my saucer ages ago ;)
I love Catherine with milk and sugar in the mornings, but plain in the afternoon. She is a versatile lady! Hope she helps you face the day as much as she helps me! It has been a pleasure and privilege to be your ant buddy!
It is named for the Queen for goodness sakes, what is more human than that.
I think anyone who endured an F-5 can attribute human characteristics to anything they choose. Just my 2 cents. :)
Indeed, teawing! By the way, did you know that autocorrect changes your moniker to teasing every time I type it?
shhhh! That is supposed to be top secret! lol!
Husband got a bottle of this strictly for guzzling purposes — I think we’re on day 10 or 11 of 100+ temperatures — and let me take a test swig. I have a general bias against sweetened bottled teas to begin with, but this at least doesn’t have that chemically-sweetened whang to it. Reminds me more of crystallized ginger.
Review’s up … another one I miss from days gone by:
http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2321/tea-review-distinctly-tea-pear-cream-supreme-2/
My maiden-voyage cup of this one today. Tried not to peek at the tea description before guessing what was creating the sweetness … I was leaning toward something flowery instead of honey. Regardless, this is a nice blend that lightens up the Assam-itude for warmer weather. A very good off-season breakfast tea.
Oh, this is nice iced! I am generally not a tart tea fan; prefer flavors that don’t make my eyes water or my tongue shrivel. But the honeybush is such a nice smooth, mellow balance to the lemon zest and lemony herbs, sour isn’t an issue here. Was great after a hot and frustrating afternoon waiting to get my car inspected. (Five hour wait for a ten minute process.)
eeek, I think I would need a cup of something strong to get me through that! and then maybe chamomile to calm myself ha!
In all fairness, we weren’t sitting at the inspection place the whole time, but having to cool our heels within proximity in 100-degree weather wasn’t exactly what I had planned for the afternoon.
Full review of this one is up at
http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2313/tea-review-tao-of-tea-golden-monkey/
Been a while since my initial sample—I’d forgotten how good it is!
Following the example of many of my esteemed colleagues here, when one has a particularly challenging day ahead, one enlists the help of a Queen. Today’s challenge—traipsing up and down a three-story, two block long church campus with a troop of fourth graders. (Let Vacation Bible School begin!)
And thus, something strong and substantial and bracing was needed. I started to type “thick” but that wouldn’t be correct; this is still light enough for me to consider it a summer-appropriate tea.
