576 Tasting Notes

100

Yup. It’s Monday. I’ve got a migraine so I am enjoying a cuppa.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

99

Oooh, cool. I’m the first to review this awesome tea, courtesy of Naomi at Joy’s Teaspoon. (Thank you!) I am a new fan to Joy’s Teaspoon, although I wonder how I survived without some of these teas, specifically this one!
South Sea Magic has the perfect blend of subtle tart and smoothness to create a tropical escape. I enjoyed this tea, which brews up slightly pink (awesome) at the end of a long day. It is also tropically aromatic; so pleasing.
As a personal note, this tea reminds me of San Diego, my hometown, which I miss dearly, especially in the wintertime. So I am renaming this, in my mind, as “Slice of San Diego.” :)

JoysTeaspoon

ooooohhh…I love the idea of naming this slice of San Diego. Hmmmm…now my wheels are turning….

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

99

Thanks to the awesome Naomi at Joy’s Teaspoon for this sample. I am in love with Joy’s Teaspoon!
The teas at Joy’s Teaspoon have a knack for being aromatic and tasteful – a tough job. But someone’s gotta do it, and Joy’s Teaspoon does!
I am a nut for anything almond so this almond tea, naturally, will be a cupboard staple. I taste the black forest notes, but it’s not black forest overkill. The almond comes through naturally and the aftertaste resembles toasted almonds. This truly is enchanting – a very appropriate name for an utterly blissful tea!
P.S. I accidentally over-steeped this one the second time around, but the tea handled itself well. The almond taste was even stronger so I was OK with my tea taboo.

Preparation
4 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

100
drank Riesling by Joy's Teaspoon
576 tasting notes

Thanks to the lovely Naomi at Joy’s Teaspoon for my free sample. I never thought I would find a tea that could claim a 100 rating spot next to my beloved Awakening and Shanghai Orchid, but Riesling stole my heart from the very first sip!
First off the aroma is so pleasant and calming – just like a glass of chilled wine. I’m more of a beer girl myself, but Riesling is a wine I enjoy. And this tea matches the taste of Riesling to a TEA! (couldn’t resist the pun)
The flavor profile is fruity, flirty and utterly smooth. I imagine this would taste delish chilled too, but I never even got to enjoy it warm, let alone cool. I gulped this hot and went back for more. The second steeping was just as delicious.
I love the aftertaste too – the light sugary grape flavor stays with you.
This is a new cupboard essential. I have a friend who loves wine and is skeptical about tea; I’m getting her this so she can enjoy the best of both worlds.
This is a new favorite, a Friday tea. Absolutely divine and utterly luxe! I’m in LOVE!

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Nichole/CuppaGeek

I ordered some of this. . .I can’t wait to try it!

KeenTeaThyme

You’ll love it! I’m ordering some myself. :)

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

71
drank Valentines by Adagio Teas
576 tasting notes

I wouldn’t say this one is my favorite from Adagio, but it’s not my least favorite either. I enjoy the playful chocolate-covered strawberries taste, but agree that there is a bitterness to it. I can’t figure out if it’s bitter because of the rose petals or because of the ceylon base, although I didn’t steep any longer than 3 mins. For me this is a fun tea to enjoy in February to get in the V-day spirit. (My wedding anniversary is Feb. 13; I didn’t get to pick the date, I won a wedding in Vegas, but that’s a story for another time.) I recommend as a fun tea, but don’t take it too seriously, or think it represents chocolate tea everywhere.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

I created this blend of cherry, chocolate and cream black teas, so I am completely biased. :) I love it! Each flavor can be identified in each sip and the medley of all three is deliciously sweet. I added one Splenda to enhance the flavor profile, but honestly this tea is sweet enough on its own.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

I really like how this one turned out! I’m completely biased here, folks, as I am the creator. But I blended this for the first time at home with samples, and then decided to try it here.

I’m not a huge lapsang souchong fan, but the smoky tone works well with the vanilla and cream flavors. The original percentage was 30 percent lapsang souchong to 20 black and 50 vanilla oolong, but I think even 20 percent lapsang souchong would work.

The lapsang souchong is smoky just like a campfire. And the vanilla cream combo tastes like a marshmallow. I’m pretty pleased. :)

P.S. Careful with brewing. I’m not normally too picky about brewing times, but this one can’t go any longer than five mins without tasting bitter and horrid.

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 4 min, 15 sec
KeenTeaThyme

I updated the blend today to 10 percent lapsang souchong and the remaining a split between the cream black tea and vanilla oolong. While I like the original version, the updated blend should be truer to its name.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

91
drank Mellow Moments by Stash Tea
576 tasting notes

A coworker attempted to stress me out so I brewed a cup of this. Mellow Moments is one of my favorite bagged teas; minty and refreshing, yet calming as well. Nice to enjoy with my office door closed…

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

54

This is just OK. It’s your standard tea fare – bold, strong and outspoken. But not a lot of flavor or lasting power. It’s got a hefty dose of caffeine (hence me drinking it today) but that’s about it. I usually add a flavored syrup or honey to it, or pawn the leftovers off on my office.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

100

Yup. Drinking this one again. Infused just once, though, as I like a strong tea and this delivers.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Hello fellow tea fans!
I’ve been a tea enthusiast for years but just recently started brewing my own. I’ve created some blends, and enjoy researching about new teas. I combined my love of tea and writing to create a tea-devoted blog, Keen Tea Thyme. I have been writing for most of my life and am a former journalist with a degree in Communications and Social Psychology, and a minor in Writing. Journalism is in my blood, so that means I’m inquisitive by nature, will double-check sources and/or get a second opinion as needed, but also fair and balanced in my reviews. If my reviews seem more positive, energetic and have high ratings, it’s because I love tea. :)

If you are a tea company, I’d love to review some your tea! Free samples are always welcome so I can fully enjoy the freshest selections. I’m also open to tea swaps as I always have too many teas on hand to drink & would love to share with other tea enthusiasts! :)

My Simple Rating Scale (as of Feb. 2011)
>50: I’m NOT a fan. I could barely finish the cup, if I even did. I wouldn’t even recommend this to my worst enemy. Not worth my time nor yours.

51-65: Good aroma, good flavor. Just nothing pops to give the tea that special kick. Recommended to try; our tasting palates differ.

66-79: Yes, finally, tea – unique flavor profiles, great aroma & flavor. Recommended to try; our tasting palates differ.

80-99: These are cupboard essentials – delicious, aromatic and perfect everyday teas. Re-steepable (beyond at least one steeping). Highly recommended, fun for all ages.

100: These are my favorites, the ones I would take with me if stranded on a desert island. Beyond Highly Recommended.

Just Launched: Keen Tea Thyme @ Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KeenTeaThyme

Check out my shop at Tea Trade:
http://keenteathyme.teatra.de/

Be “keen” on tea at Keen Tea Thyme, my blog:
http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/
Reviews, blogs, tea leaf readings, puzzles, contests and more.

And check out some of my blends from Adagio:
Toasted Marshmallow
http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=15394&sid=0349b21a92100a51134eea7fc2b52f2d&scrollTop=0

Vampire Lemonade
http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=15766&SID=01971e73a2cbaa7c0b09962b355fdeb8

If you have a signature blend you’d like me to try, we can swap teas! PM me for details! :)

Happy Brewing! :)

Location

Frederick, MD

Website

http://keenteathyme.blogspot....

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer