New Tasting Notes

Maybe it’s too strong, but this does not pair well with cantaloupe.

I would have to say this is in my top 3 favorite teas. I think it has great qi and makes my cheeks pink when I have it first thing in the morning. It is probably my favorite tea to have first thing in the morning. When I taste it I can see the leaf bud on the plant taking in the dew of spring. I really like the sweetness this tea offers. It is high in amino acids and low in catechins which is why it has such nice sweetness. The sweetness of amino acids to me in synonymous with the fresh taste of spring.

I use more than the recommended amount and higher temperature. I like to get a rich mouthfeel and extract all of the goodness from the leaf. I let it infuse until I have a deep yellow infusion. (Over night cold brew is also delicious!)

Just opened a new bag, so smooth.

I just made it and it is super fruity!

I really like the taste of the pure black tea in this but only because it is balanced so well with the lemonade. I would say this is more of a lemon flavored black iced tea (not too much lemonade in it) but it works great. I added a packet of sugar to cut the tartness a little, but it is not so sugary as to overwhelm my palate and detract from the flavor or to dominate the tea flavors either. I don’t think Starbucks specializes in iced teas or anything, so this seems like a beautiful accident. Plus, I’ll generally reach for a cold drink before a hot drink, so this worked out well for me.

Surprisingly this is better than the Sencha I had the other day from Silk Roads…It has a fuller flavor, more grassier and stronger. I brewed this particular cup for about 30 seconds. I think the steep can go for even longer. I still would like to try more senchas. This one is good, but I know there’re way better ones out there.

Nice and light. Drank hot but I know it would be tasty iced, too!

I drink this tea most often as an iced tea. Rooibos makes a great iced tea because its rich and smooth.

Giving it another whirl…

Grassy, sweet and bright.

This is a pretty good daily tea. I can see me drinking a lot of this in the summer. It’s pretty cheap which is always good. Light, crisp and refreshing if not overly complex. I’m on cup 6 in the first half an hour.

I did three steepings of this. All three were good but the second was the best. Very, very green, rich and grassy and smooth with hints of other things beneath the surface taste. This is a tea that I’m going to enjoy exploring until my limited supply runs out. Two teaspoons of leaves per cup, steeped for 45 seconds in water at 68C.

Steeped 2 tbs in 8 oz for 6 minutes in french press. Added 1 tbs local honey.

I drink this tea almost every morning with milk and three sugar cubes. When I put milk in Indian black tea I usually steep it 5-6 min. This gives it a slight tannic bite, which is softened by the milk.