4337 Tasting Notes
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2023 Tea #10 – A tea you won’t repurchase
I am usually a fan of Harney’s fruit black teas, but not so much this one. I can live without this one. Personally, my tastebuds only find fakey cough syrup cherry here, when I would love to find all the other stone fruits that should be here. So it is usually a disappointment. Not quite a sipdown.
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2023 Tea #9 – A favorite herbal tisane
I think this tea was the entire basis for a swap with AJRimmer a LONG time ago. So thank you, AJRimmer! I also haven’t written a note for it yet, even though I’m finishing it now. Really, any herbal blend with marshmallow root from 52Teas is probably going to be a favorite (or even any marshmallow root blend at all from 52Teas.) I love the sleepy idea, love the name. I love lavender & lemon combo idea. This might be the reason I haven’t written a note— I’m always ready to dive into this cup of mallow/lemon/lav but then I get a very strong note of MINT. And I always check the ingredients and it isn’t supposed to be there. Maybe it is just my sample? No other teas that AJRimmer sent seemed to absorb mint, and I can’t imagine it would take over this heavily. I put each sample in reinforced packaging when they arrived. So I’m not sure if it’s the sample fault or the blend itself. But that mint kind of ruins it for me. And if the other flavors that SHOULD be there are this subdued by secondhand mint, then I guess the blend just isn’t strong enough for me anyway. Luckily the mint flavor seems to disappear in the second steep somehow but then it is mostly chamomile flavored. But others have mentioned the mint, so I don’t think it’s the packaging for the sample. That mint is just unexpected, and I wish the other flavors were stronger. (Note: this blend is from 2020.)
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 17 minute steep
2023 sipdowns: 40
2023 An Ode to Tea – Z
A fitting and delicious end to the alphabet challenge. This time it tastes a bit like a lighter keemun. Has that specific keemun flavor but maybe with a bit of fruit. Plum. Lychee. Lots of starch. But then also like a Ruby. This did seem much different than my last steeping session, which I doubt I did much different and it also wasn’t very long ago, so who knows? Tea is weird!! But I love that it’s always different. For the alphabet challenge 17/26 teas were actual sipdowns.
2023 sipdowns: 39
2023 An Ode to Tea – Y
Another ancient favorite – time to go! I can’t wait for the day fresh nuanced Yunnans are back in my cupboard. Whenever that might be, I hope the harvests are fantastic.
2023 sipdowns: 38
Oooooo, this IS ancient. They had some great tea. What a loss.
hah, yep, ancient it is. I’m glad someone else remembers Nature’s Tea Leaf!
AND this might have been one of the oldest teas I had.. they hopefully don’t get much older than that. :X
I wrote novels about their Fujian Congou and have yet to find an equivalent. (Locating nostalgia-flavored tea is often a challenge.)
From Kawaii433 a while ago, thanks very much! This is the most neon of buckwheat – wow is it a bright neon yellow in the cup. The flavor is a bit harsher than other buckwheat I have tried. It has a bite? Instead of pure toasty smoothness I am accustomed to. The buckwheat itself seems smaller than others I have had. With the second steep, it did seem to lose some of the bite to the flavor, even though I steeped it for about half an hour. Not the buckwheat I would choose over other buckwheat — it seems to have a lightness to the flavor (not that full mug of toastiness) and with that bite, I’d rather steep up other buckwheat. Next time a sipdown, so I totally don’t mind trying a Just OK tea just twice. :D
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 30 minute steep
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2023 Tea #8 – March 25 – The end of American Chocolate week
The no-caff chocolate option for the day! A favorite! I would love to restock this when it’s finally sipdowned. (Though now it seems the blackberry leaves might be taking over the flavor.)
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2023 Tea #8 – March 25 – The end of American Chocolate week
Second tea I will be sipping today because chocolate. My actual chocolate stash is running quite low at this point (I consider chocolate a staple, along with Cheez-its.) Nothing new to add about this tea though.
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2023 Tea #8 – March 25 – The end of American Chocolate week
I had to take out the sunflower seeds before finishing this. The sunflower seeds were a super innovative idea in theory, but probably only if you drink the tea within a year. So luckily I know Anne has changed the sunflower seed idea for us hoarders. Otherwise, I would never say no to a chocolate black tea (WITH COCOA SHELLS.)
2023 sipdowns: 37
2023 An Ode to Tea – X
My only tea for ‘X’, so again, not a sipdown. I would never think to drink this, if not for the alphabet challenges. It’s a sheng that I actually like, so I’m sad I never remember it. Not much left though! The third steep really shines when I expect it to taste overdone…get that bitey sheng quality, but it seems creamier than most sheng.
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2023 Tea #7 – A single origin tea
A sipdown I REALLY didn’t want to do. I love this tea. I feel like harvests just aren’t like this anymore. New harvests of black teas from anywhere just don’t seem to have the depth and nuance that even these faded ancient teas STILL have. Three solid, amazing cups to finish this lovely.
2023 sipdowns: 36
I liked this a lot as sweet iced tea, but like you, I never did repurchase. I keep thinking I should it again and see how I feel about it now, but I would probably only get the sample pack.