377 Tasting Notes
So yet another swap with Brandy3392 I must say that she has been awesome every time that I have swapped with her. This is maybe the third offering that I have tried from DAVIDsTea. I’m thinking I may have to start trying some more. There are many teas that I have seen described as coffee teas to try and emulate the taste of coffee…or coffee type drinks. For those of us love our coffee as much as we love our tea. Or are trying to get us to kick the coffee completely. Most of them I have tried are very good and equally as tasty…but don’t quite have it spot on. Until now! Spot on I am loving this tea! The chocolate is great but doesn’t take over the tea. There is a coffee essence that really makes this tea, and yes the schnozberries taste like schnozberries ;) After seeing what that means in the urban dictionary I don’t know that’s a great comparison but I’ll run with it. With all that being said the Pu-Erh is not masked either like in some other flavored Pu-Erhs. Ahem. Uh(cough) The Pu-Erh is a little more earthy/musty than others I have had but still an amazing tea. So far I been able to get 3 great steeps out this one. The fourth one is where I lost the flavoring, but the base tea was still great. Absolutely a teagasm tea! I think I’m going to be trying some more offerings from DAVIDsTea
Thanks again to Angel for sending me this sample. So out of the packaging I notice a smell of a field. Hay, alfalfa, grass like you are in the country. Not a bad thing considering that I am surrounded by farmland at my house. The leaves look like blades of grass too. Now I must admit that Chinese greens have not been my thing in the past. I tried one before and didn’t think it was too good. So with that I just a bit pensive trying it. I also shared it with a co-worker because I knew if I let it sit in the french press….ho boy welcome to bitterness city. It brewed up a pale liquor. My co-worker said it smelled like chicken broth. MMM I got that too maybe a little nutty, however I thought noodles. Insert Kung Fu Panda!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY12ELBQhQ4&feature=related I do believe I had the noodle dream! Personally I like teas that have more body to them. So drinking a chinese green or a white tea I feel like there is something missing. Very good though.
Thanks to Brandy3392 for this one. I don’t have a lot of rooibos tasting under my palette by I’m finding this to be extremely tasty. I can’t really taste the almond but the vanilla is awesome. It reminds me a lot of the Tazo rooibos vanilla which is very tasty as well. I get to the comparison to a vanilla tobacco. Very good!
I started off my morning with this today and yesterday. I’ve seen Keemun described in many ways. Woody, smokey, piney, winey, earthy, nutty, and leathery. Every time I have a cup of keemun I find myself at a loss for words on how to compare the flavor. I can pickup the keemun in breakfast blends, to some degree in Lapsangs, and in some Pu-Erh. Really I guess when it all boils down the flavor is Chinese black. Of course another great offering from Teavivre. For me the flavor of keemun is old. Not in a bad way mind you. The taste reminds me of antiquity. If that sounds crazy I’m sorry. There is a hint of cedar wood sipping keemun, a little leathery as well. Oddly enough there’s a slight hint of perfume in it. Similar to a very high hopped India Pale Ale. So maybe it’s a little hoppy as well. Overall though a very good tea!
Preparation
One word. Outstanding! This is another sample from Angel brewed in my Yixing clay cup. This is very smooth, dark, and lovely. This is very comparable to my favorite Imperial Pu-Erh from Dr. Tea just in the Tuocha format. You know when you have a good pu-erh when it does not taste fishy. Some lower quality pu-erhs that I have had are good…but you get a little fishyness to the taste. I’m starting off my day with this one going on my third steep. The first two have been great. I’m anxious to see how well this tea holds up to extra steepage. I am finding that with most pu-erh tea it’s helping after a few drinks last night while DJing. I’m not the connoisseur that I used to be of fine beer. Two Great Lakes Christmas ales…and I was feeling it. I’m such a lightweight. Truly though a great tea. I am continually being impressed by the quality of tea from Teavivre.
Finishing up this sample before I dive into the next set. When I poured the water in I thought I was making a baked potato from the aroma wafting up. Today this is very smooth almost a comforting flavor. Which is a bit of a contrast from my first review. I don’t know what it is but there is something that reminds me of going to my grandparents when they lived near Erie, Pa. My grandfather was a master craftsman in woodworking so there were a lot of things that he made in the places. I can’t really tell you why drinking this tea is taking me on a trip in nostalgia, but I’m kinda liking it. Not to mention a good tea break before I start afternoon traffic reports.
Hmmmm crazy day on the radio farm today. When we do a quarterly radiothon for a charitable organization…..that equals me running between studios like a headless turkey….oye! Pause. Brew. Share. Ok all is right with the world. As I am looking holy cow my bicentennial tasting note…woo hoo cue bells and whistles.
Started off my day with this one today. There’s nothing like the smell of Lapsang in the morning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jts9suWIDlU&feature=related I definitely like the combo of Lapsang and Assam. It make for a nice smokey breakfast tea. However, the marshmallows and the chocolate don’t seem to come through. Maybe if the tea was coated in cocoa and you threw in some graham crackers you would have it spot on. I would drink this though on a regular basis with no quarrels.
