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2023 An Ode to Tea – E

I thought Octavia’s English Breakfast would be a sipdown, but next time. So instead, I will finish this one! I KNOW this one previously had some sort of flavor to it, but it has now faded. It’s still a good robust black tea though!
2023 sipdowns: 23

2023 An Ode to Tea – D

I didn’t rate this one very highly before, but if you’re actually LOOKING FOR an explosion of hibiscus, this is the tea for you. There is also a syrupy quality to it that I like. I guess the difference between the last steep and now was expecting that hibiscus explosion, when last time I wanted this blend to be more than that. Will raise the rating from 52.
2023 sipdowns: 22

Thanks very much, MiepSteep! I recently posted my love in a tasting note for Lupicia’s Melon White so MiepSteep awesomely offered to send me their stash of it AND a few of T2’s teabags to tag along with it. I definitely wavered many times about ordering some of my T2 favorites and some of the blends that I always wanted to try, and their breakfast teas were at the top of that list. So I’m very grateful to just try them before they were harder to acquire. Making me feel a bit better about not ordering them.
A black tea with a breakfast vibe, I’m liking this more than I thought I would with its Steepster rating of 74. Sometimes I have an issue with vanilla flavoring, but this is tasty enough. My only complaint might be that the black tea doesn’t exactly have the strength I love for a breakfast tea, but that might be because this is a teabag and if I were scooping my usual amount of leaves, I wouldn’t have the Too Light Black Tea problem. I like this though! The flavor really does remind me of what I think of as a traditional French Breakfast tea. It’s sweet, smooth, something like a pastry. The cinnamon doesn’t make an appearance until the second steep, but overall is deeper and has plenty of flavor. When I was considering ordering, I was wavering on a one pound bag. I don’t think I like it’s a top favorite tea, but I wouldn’t have minded stocking up on a bit of it. I like it’s named “Breakfast” because I agree that it is a Breakfast Tea!
Steep #1 // 22 minutes after boiling // 1-2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 4 minutes after boiling // 3-4 min

2023 An Ode to Tea – C

Finished ONE sampler pouch. One remaining from the Frank era! I LOVE these variations on the beloved marshmallow treat blends. There can never be enough of them, in my opinion.
2023 sipdowns: 21

2023 An Ode to Tea – B

Time for this one to go! Not a bad blend. Quite faded now, but not gross with the coconut. I’d buy stock up on it again… possibly.
2023 sipdowns: 20

From Tiffany!  Thanks so much!  Another odd Earl to try!   This one is a teabag that should have more energy to it.  The wrapper says along with the Orange Pekoe and the bergamot, they add “tea extract”.  Odd. Maybe that is why the leaves look oily? The brew color doesn’t look overly energizingly dark…  the flavor is just okay.  A bergamot I can tolerate but not love.  And Orange Pekoe and I will probably never be friends. I didn’t notice much more energy than usual from this tea… though I possibly am no longer noticing caffeine AT ALL anymore?
Steep #1 // 22  minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3-4 min

2023 An Ode to Tea – A

Since I have mostly finished the prompts for February, yet feel I’m behind on sipdowns so far for the year, I thought I’d do an alphabet challenge for a lightning round of sipdowns (despite needing to get other things done, but oh well.) I’m also behind on reading tasting notes again.  Here we go!

I received this in a teabox long ago.  So I THOUGHT this would be a sipdown but I’m very happy I didn’t shove all of the leaves into the infuser because WOW these leaves are like sugar!  They really mean to only use a couple leaves!  They look like a wiry oolong but the flavor is simply sugar.  Almost cloying. No, definitely cloying.  But that was from using more than the recommended amount.  The second steep was also very sweet, with a touch of “green” flavor to the leaves.  Supposedly no caffeine in these leaves.  I wish tea companies would use this to sweeten their tea once in a while, rather than fake sugars.  Honestly, it would only need probably one leaf in a teaspoon, though I’m not sure if the issue would then be the even dispersal of ingredients in a pouch of tea.  (How about these big leaves finely chopped to get an even dispersal? hmm.)   I’m glad I got to try this weird leaf!
Steep #1 // around 1 teaspoon for full mug // 10 minutes after boiling // 2-3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min steep

additional notes: I forgot about this one. Steeping it up today it’s a really nice balance of a robust dark base, with the perfect amount of smoke, ginger, and bakey flavor. Almost a sad sipdown.

I THINK this is the last I have to review from my summer order.  Despite being a few months old, I forgot that THIS is the color of what matcha SHOULD look like!  It’s such a bright green!  I really needed a matcha genmaicha in my tea collection again, as I really love the combination of the two — better together for a super power amount of flavor in one mug.  The toasty goodness of genmaicha wisping around with matcha in the mug.  So good.  I used a teaspoon and a half for a big mug, which might have even been a little too much.  Maybe one teaspoon is enough. I’m glad I have this in the cupboard and was hoping Tealyra’s version would be good — it is!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 33 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 //  30 minutes after boiling // 2 min steep

additional notes: Sipping this now and it seems Maya doesn’t have it anymore and the google search for the ingredients also can’t find it. OH NO. It’s really good. The coconut isn’t aging yet. Somehow it tastes like a coconut macaroon. Wish I had bought more at the time.