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Kelmishka drank Tangerine Dream (formerly Arabesque) by August Uncommon Tea

329 tasting notes

My partner doesn’t drink a ton of tea and tends to be pretty ambivalent about most blends, but he did really enjoy August Uncommon’s Psychocandy when we tried it last autumn. That was all the encouragement I needed to order another packet this year! And then AU sent out a 20% coupon, so I added a few more teas to my cart. Then I was sooo close to the free shipping threshold that I had to add one more. Which is how I ended up with a sample of Arabesque. :D

After a swampy, humid summer, the weather is beginning to cool off and the humidity has diminished ( for now). Today is absolutely beautiful, and I’m enjoying an afternoon cuppa without feeling like I’m going to overheat. Yay! I used to love heat and humidity, but the meds I’m on post-cancer put me into medical menopause, and my poor body cannot handle the heat very well anymore. (TMI?)

So! Arabesque called to me and I brewed it up for the first time. It smells really wonderful, just like a creamsicle. And it tastes… like a creamsicle! Wow, I really love this one. The first steep was a perfect blend of orange essence and marshmallowy vanilla; the second has more of a woody note, presumably from the jatoba. The sencha base is pretty unobtrusive, which might or might not be a good thing depending on your tastes. (It’s probably why AU’s teas are popular with non-tea-drinkers.) I’m OK with it here, though I wouldn’t say no to a stronger green tea base. I also would love a bit of a sharper, zestier orange.

I do find the second cup a bit drying, but not terribly so.

Flavors: Creamy, Drying, Marshmallow, Orange, Vanilla, Woody

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(she/her)

I was an anxious child who didn’t like change, so when my parents flew across the country for my grandfather’s wedding and left us kids with my aunt and uncle, I was a nervous wreck. Our first night at their house was tough. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and padded into the kitchen, where my aunt was puttering around. She could tell I was distressed and offered to make me a cup of tea. It was just Celestial Seasonings’ peppermint tea, but it was exactly what I needed. The tea itself, the comfort it represented, the ritual of making it… I was enchanted. I’ve loved tea ever since.

I’m partial to strong, intense flavors and prefer loose-leaf to bagged, but I also appreciate the convenience of bags and sachets. I mostly drink my tea straight but once in a blue moon I’ll add a little plant-based milk, generally oat.

I live in Maryland, USA, with my partner, three dogs, and one cat. I’ve actually been a Steepster reader for years and years, but only started posting in late 2021. :)

When I’m not drinking tea (or sometimes WHILE I’m drinking tea!) I’m reading, rewatching comfort shows, going for a run, knitting, embroidering, hiking, or puttering in the garden. You can find me on Instagram at @kelmishka. (My account is private, but feel free to send a request!)

Favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Maple (all-time fave flavor!), vanilla, caramel, and all things dessert-y

Jasmine, lavender, violet, and most floral flavors

Most spices, although I go through phases and sometimes get bored of generic-feeling winter spice blends

Most fruity flavors

Matcha and other vegetal flavors

Not-so-favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Bergamot (I tolerate it, but it just doesn’t do it for me)

Hibiscus

Overly artificial flavors (banana, coconut, mango)

Overly herbacious blends, although this varies!

Stevia, monkfruit, and other sugar-alternative sweeteners — blech

Chocolate — it’s hard to get it right in tea, though I love real chocolate!

Animal products, including honey (long-time vegan checking in!)

My ratings

90-100: The best! Will almost definitely repurchase.

75-90: Really good, and potentially worthy of a restock.

60-75: Decent, if not terribly memorable.

50-60: In the “meh” range, but possibly for personal taste reasons.

35-50: I’m not a fan, and this is not very good tea.

20-35: Varying degrees of bad.

1-20: Actively bad. Like really bad. I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing.

Location

Maryland, USA

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