297 Tasting Notes
Seems I’m running through all my samples from alphakitty today.
This is such a pretty tea.
I of course didn’t read the recommendations for this as, I always brew my tea how I want. Yea I’m a little stubborn, and I could probably learn a few things if only I listened. Alas I did not.
This was so light & refreshing… hot. So yummy I couldn’t even let it cool. I definitely get a melon taste but almost more of a cantaloupe taste. I can see the little ‘hairs’ in my tea hehe
Either way this is delicious. Very beautiful. I’m sure this would be fantastic iced as well.
Preparation
I also received this one from alphakitty
As I was sipping this I kinda forgot it was suppose to be cotton candy flavored. It was a nice, light, refreshing blueberry green ( but more generic berry flavour). I found as it cooled I tasted more blueberry. I really enjoyed this, but then got kind of sad after reading the other reviews and seeing everyone got the cotton candy flavour :(
Preparation
I don’t get much cotton candy either when this is hot, I think it’s best iced like the reg cotton candy blend
I have enough for another mug.
Do you cold brew, or pour over ice?
I usually cold brew, I find that sometimes the over ice method comes out a little bitter.
how long do you generally cold brew something. I lack the patience to wait for my tea & never remember to do it the night before
Usually 12 hours, I do it the night before so it goes while I am sleeping. But I think you could do a shorter steep, you can usually tell when it is done by the color.
I think you steeped it too long! In my notes, after I waited for the water to cool a while, the flavor after 30 seconds was great but I put the infuser back in for 15 more seconds and much of the flavor was lost. I’ll go for 35 seconds total next time.
I received this from alphakitty
I don’t get much in smell other than just a black tea, as it steeps I geta bit of a mango smell.
At first sip I don’t get much flavour other than some astringency.
I am tasting a bit of mango & a slight amount of cream, this tea may have benefited from a little less leaf than I usually use. and I may have steeped it a bit long.
Preparation
I received this as a prize at the tea party I went to last weekend, basically as a thank you because I spent the most money.
It smells very strongly of rooibos, but I am also getting a strong salted caramel smell.
I find the rooibos comes out at the forefront, which really isn’t my thing. and then you get the salted caramel taste.
not what I was expecting, but decent.
Preparation
I have received so many swap packages in the past week or so, that I can’t remember who this is from.
As we all know Della Terra has quickly become one of my favourite tea companies, if not my favourite. And this tea is no exception.
Chocolate teas can be hit or miss, but this is yummy. It’s better hot than after it cools, you really get the strawberry flavour when it’s hot. Very sweet & juicy & the nice touch of milk chocolate.
Preparation
I received this from fiddling
I have determine Teavana can’t do chai or cinnamon. BLECH! It always tastes like liquified cinnamon heart. I love those, but not in liquid form. This one is however less offensive than the others.
Glad I didn’t waste money on this, especially since there is hardly any oolong in it. I looked at it as I was scooping it out of the pack & thought to myself “wasn’t this suppose to be an oolong?”
Preparation
I like chai and oolong, but for some reason I’m not really a fan of this tea. Something about it just tastes off… maybe it’s the ginger. I feel obligated to not let it go to waste since I received it as a gift, but I’m glad I saved you from buying something you don’t like.
This was way way too cinnamony for me too, blurgh
See I LOVE cinnamon, but not when it tastes like liquified candy.
I think this is tea #9 of my iceday sipdown (I want another one tomorrow)
I don’t know what happened but all I got was bitterness, never experienced that with a rooibos before. must be what I ate before it.
it smells so yummy though, creamy delicious goodness
ETA: brewed up what was left & it was much better, slightly creamy, a touch of spice. Really I wish it was as creamy as it smelt. But over all very good.
Preparation
Tea #8 of iceday sipdown
Got this one from Jackie.
The dry notes are fruity, but not bananaey, a slightly chocolaty.
Steeped it smells banana like but also metal like. Which I often get from herbals.
This is delicious, very banana, slightly sweet, a touch of chocolate. So flippen good. It tastes like a milkshake.
I hope this wasn’t seasonal or anything… I haven’t seen it in my store.
Preparation
Tea #7 of iceday sipdown
I’m not sure who I got this one from.
Whoa does it smell Spicey.
Oops waaaaayyyy over steeped this, like 25-30 mins, trying to clean my daughters’ room & completely forgot about it.
It ended up being very tart & very spicey, like overkill in both aspects. Yikes.
This is a tea that could use less leaves than I usually use & a proper steep time.
I have enough left to try this again, so once I do, ill give it a numerical rating then.
ETA: Got to resteep this & decided to make a whole pot to use it up. Way better this time! Definitely a tea where you can use far less leaves. This time nicely spicy and a bit tart with a nice berry flavour.
