New Tasting Notes

Teabg

The bergamot nuances I get in the regular Earl Grey are lost to orange. The two tastes blend well. A somewhat serious disposition peaks from behind the sunny face. Overall, a lighthearted tea.

2025 sipdown no. 4

I’ve quite enjoyed this tea. The peach flavour has not diminished over 2.5 years and is quite juicy, while being just on the side of candy-esque. I’ve enjoyed the somewhat mellow Keemun base, though this tea can become astringent if oversteeped.

Origines Tea Advent Calendar – Day 20
Another infusion w/o tea, but this blend of dried fruit and lemon verbena is way more complex than I would´ve expected. The dry infusion smells like a fruit compote (over the winter months this is an example of comfort food for me!), the steeped infusion is fruity in a gentle way, both in nose and in mouth…also very comforting imho.

Origines Tea advent Calendar – day 19
This is another original Xmas tea from Origines, this time combining tropical with mint on a green (gunpowder) tea base. It´s really surprising how well these seemingly completely different profiles blend in together, with the mint standing out in nose (very subtly still), but in mouth the tea tastes warm with a refreshing minty long finish.

Origines Tea Advent Calendar – Day 18
This blend is Origines´way to honour its “terroir”, the “vignoble de Bordeaux”, and I think they succeeded in their objective. It contains not only grapes but also vine leaves and a bit of marc (the dry and solid remains after pressing the grapes in the process to make wine), and this surely presents itself in the aroma´s of the dry infusion, where it blends in brilliantly with the raspberry aroma´s. Once steeped, it smells more like an elegant rose (not bad either ;-) ). In mouth the grape and rose fuse together wonderfully, with the hibiscus not overwhelming all the rest in taste. I had it warm, but I can imagine it being as nice as an iced tea, just what Origines also indicates on its web page.

Sipdown

January Sipdown Prompt – drink a lingering advent tea

This is the second to last remaining Fortnum advent tea. I am leaving Ceylon for Ashman because it is one of his favorites.

When I saw how my cupboard had swelled at the end of the year, I thought I would probably not consider getting the advent for a few years to come. Now I am changing my mind. I liked the variety and I felt free to give away any tins that were duplicates or that were teas we didn’t enjoy. (we don’t love their Christmas Black or Green, sadly.)

They added some new teas to the lineup this year and had fewer duplicates, so I got to try some new blends. So my thought now is that in November I will assess my cupboard size and what they are putting in the advent for 2025 and base it on that. A homemade advent could be a really good thing, too. I still have about 60 of their tiny tins saved from previous years that I could fill and label and have my daughter put the teas in the box so the order will be a surprise.

As for the taste of the tea – this is a good, serviceable breakfast tea. Strong enough to go with food, not so brisk as to require milk, but becomes pretty silky smooth with it. I have never tried it with sugar as I usually don’t add sweetener but I feel sure it could take it well if that’s how you like your tea. It isn’t a competition grade Keemun or Assam, but it is a good example of a well-loved type of tea and sometimes that is what we feel like drinking.

This is a serviceable black tea. Nothing stands out, but I didn’t expect too much. It has a decent amount of body, and it’s quite pleasant sweetened and warm. I wouldn’t seek it out, but I certainly wouldn’t say no to a cup. And I like the mission of Newman’s Own, so I’m glad their teas that I’ve tried so far have been not bad. I must have picked up this bag from a TTB or Airbnb somewhere.

It’s exactly what I expect it to be. The peach flavour is very distinct but not overwhelming. With milk, the blend becomes silky and creamy. Will repurchase

It has an overwhelming fruity and berry coconut scent but lacking in flavour. I added milk but it didn’t really complement it.

More catching up on notes.

The ingredient list on this sounded interesting. White tea, lavender, almond, vanilla. It sounded nice and delicate.

The lavender really isn’t standing out. This is surprising, but I do appreciate, as florals can be too much for me. I can detect hints of it here and there, primarily in the aftertaste. So thumbs up in this area.

But I’m also not getting much else either. I guess I was right with delicate, but just not in the way I imagined. It could be I’ve just had too much strongly flavored tea today, so I do plan on trying again another time to reevaluate.

Last time I had this, there was a strong sweet flavor that was really just too much and made me feel kind of queasy. Today I didn’t notice it while the cup was hot, but as it cooled, here comes the sweetness/queasiness.

One thing I find funny. I spilled a little on my hand and now I can smell a hint of vanilla on my hand, but still not in the cup.

I can absolutely see people loving this, but I suspect its just not my thing.

When the weather drops, so increases my fermentation craving. Plus this had my favorite kinds of blacks. Will add notes soon….

Now for the notes.

Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong) 4/5 Stars
I wasn’t sure if this was a smoked tea. Tasting it, maybe, but it’s got more vibes of an unsmoked one. Fruity, smooth, malty, silky with red plum notes, maybe a little bit of smoke and citrus. No astringency western. Brewed 3 times. Very good.

Golden Peony Black Tea 3-4/5
I’ve had this one in its own review. Extremely buttery and floral.

Earl Grey-3/5
Earl Grey typical bergamot. Bordering on a lime taste, but more bitter and malty. A little smokey. Couldn’t get past steep 2. Very good, but way more brisque.

Golden Eyebrow (Jin Jun Mei) 4.5/5
Easy favorite. Scotch, malt, cocoa, caramel, bready notes, and smooth florals. Soooo goood.

Lychee Black Tea 4/5
One of my favorites I have my own box of.

Osmanthus Black Tea 2/5
Peachy and floral. I’m not a huge fan of osmanthus black teas. I tried to get into it, but this kind of scented tea tastes like hot sprite to me. Smooth and floral and great black tea base, but not my preference.

Rose Black Tea-3/5
Very similar to the lychee tea. Fruity, but heady and almost perfumy. The black tea balances it out with silky malt like the osmanthus tea, but I like the rose more, almost higher than the jasmine black that I also really like.

The jin jun mei was the top. All of these teas were sachets, and I feel like I was drinking what I crave in a black tea with the Jin Jun Mei. I’d get a box of this one. I highly recommend this sachet sampler for Chinese Black Tea Snobs.

More catching up on notes.

I really wanted to like this a lot more than I do. If someone gave it to me and asked me to guess what’s in it, I wouldn’t have a clue.

Its got a scent that makes me think of maybe some sort of alcohol flavoring. It also feels somewhat weak in flavor and watery in mouth feel.

It really needs more oomf of some kind. I think it could be improved with a better base with a thicker mouth feel. That would help sell the idea of caramel better.

Oh, and I can’t detect the salt at all, which I consider a good thing.

But honestly, the flavor just doesn’t match its name for me. I guess its ok, but its really not something I enjoy drinking.

Catching up on some notes.

I’ve had this one a few times now over the course of the month. Its not bad. Its got a decent balance and no one flavor is dominating the others.

There’s an interesting little spicy note at the end of the sip that I found unexpected given the ingredients list

Its pleasant, but definitely a have to be in the right mood type tea.

At our most recent MN Tea Society gathering we had one of the representatives of Himalko Tea stop by. He was kind enough to leave me with a generous sample of this tea. This is a lovely tea.

Gong fu brewing
Dry Appearance: Tightly twisted, curling, dark brown and golden brown fuzzy leaves. Trichomes fill the air when you open the tin.
Dry aroma: Sweet wood. Muscatel.
Initial Aroma: Creamy. Milk.
Flavor: Freshly cut wood. Cream. Bits of sawdust.
Liquor color: Gorgeous light amber.
Wet Leaf Aroma: The Muscatel notes remain the same through sessions one, two, and three. It starts to dissipate a bit with four and five, which is impressive for black tea.
Mouth feel: Soft.

I bought this tea when I finally found an Ivan-chai (willow-herb) from European market and not from Russia or other places that I don’t trust enough.

I had this herb once, in a tea bag form; and since then I think it tastes like black tea, but without caffeine. Well, this one is slightly different. It’s definitely fruitier, somehow like red wine and grapes together, with smooth and round taste, definitely strong though. It is also a bit drying, especially in the aftertaste and tip of the tongue.

Nevertheless, I still like it and sadly it’s not avaiable now. I hope Moychay will have another year of harvest soon; as I think I will get another pouch for the alternative strong cup.

The suggested steeping parameters seems off to me though. I prepared today 6 grams and steeped for 2-3 minutes and… well, it’s the upper limit IMO.

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – January 2025 Tea #6 – A sunny tea to chase the Janu-weary blues away

MMMMMM… I couldn’t choose a better tea for this prompt today.  It’s a Frank blend, so it’s ancient, but on first sip, wow, I forgot how perfect, pillowy lemony it is.  Buttery with just enough of the green base to make the flavor great.  An essential tea for this below zero day.  It’s actually sunny, yet this tea adds a bit more sun.  And give a look at that pouch photo… if that doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will. :)

The spices were too weak, but this wasn’t bad. I overleafed it the second time, and it was more chai-ish, but still lacking a lot of strength.

Final tea from my TSR order. Been meaning to try this shou for awhile as it’s on the lighter side of fermentation and is well-loved. I don’t sample shou as much anymore, but I think for the price, this is really nice and I’ll probably have to get a tuo. I just need to try it a couple more times before making up my mind.

This one tastes and smells more distinct than many of the shous I’ve had. Fruitier and less earthy, with a more potent sweetness and more interesting nose. I quite like it!

Another one from my LP order. This is just okay. I’m not getting much from this tea tbh, but I will reevaluate after a rest at some point. I expected more from this famed brand!

From my first ever order from TSR. First tea I’ve tried from Haiwan, and the 200th tea I’ve reviewed!!! This one is super yummy! I think there is a lot going on here and it’s hard to untangle.

There’s a nice mouthfeel with ever so slight of an astringent note that keeps you pining for more. The sweetness is pretty good and it’s got a good lasting flavor. I need to try it one more time after a bit of a rest, but I am almost 100% positive I am buying a cake of this 7452 homage very soon (at an amazing price – $0.19/g!).

So I will say I have tried this tea twice now and after a rest, the flavor has opened up some. It is certainly on the subtle end of shengs, though. I do quite like it, but I think at the price ($0.37/g), the Haiwan 7458 is a much better purchase. However, I’m glad to try this classic iron cake recipe that I have seen on so many puerh vendor websites!

Decent longevity of 12-15 infusions. Mild sweetness with no astringency or bitterness. But unfortunately, the smell does more than the flavor, so it’s not quite what I’m looking for at the moment. Make no mistake, though: I will definitely enjoy finishing the sample!

Isn’t it a wonderful thing when a kind friend who knows you’re knotted up like a bad macrame project sends a surprise to untangle you? One of those thoughtful gifts arrived today, and this herbal blend was in the box.

It’s beautiful—looks just like something the herb granny would’ve gathered in her basket just last week. Big mint leaves, fresh chamomile. And while the flavor profile is typical of a mint-and-cami tisane, the provenance of each ingredient is fair proof that they were selected thoughtfully and deliberately for medicinal purposes.

Until I read the tea description, I had never heard of Mexican Toronjil Rojo, but I’m catching a very mild anise hint with it, as advertised. We’ll test the relaxation efficacy at bedtime (when the brain turns on the moment my left ear hits the pillow), but there’s tulsi in this little leaf garden, which is one herb that actually works on me.

Thank you, friend! <3

I had a cup of this today and it was really nice! Osmanthus is a floral flavour that I’ve maybe turned my nose up at a bit in the past and just sort of felt like it wasn’t for me, but last year I had a little bit of a change of heart and this tea was an element of that. It’s full bodied with a briskness and slight astringency from the black tea I really enjoy with woody and cocoa like notes, but also bright and lush feeling with fruiter peach, persimmon, or honey-like notes from the osmanthus. It’s one of the first osmanthus teas I’ve had where I felt like I finally got what other people had been describing when it comes to this flower…

Had this one yesterday and it was a really nice sort of rediscovery moment? I think this is probably my favourite tea I own from Thesaurus. It’s woodsy and herbaceous with the tulsi coming off probably the strongest of the ingredient. Basil-y to be expected, but with a milder sort of spiced undertone to it that’s clove-ish. I don’t know what type of tulsi this uses, but I’ve found purple tulsi has the most distinct spices notes to it in my opinion and this loosely reminds me of that.

But I think what makes the cup, for me at least, is that really soft and natural touch of maple. It’s not there to be strong and in your face, and the blend isn’t trying to hide from it’s more herbal and earthy notes but that inclusion just gives a little balance while also making this tea feel different from the many other more herby blends out there. It’s very nice.