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Cameron B. drank Raspberry Garden by Shanti Tea

4308 tasting notes

Sipdown! (107 | 204)

Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge (August) – “A raspberry tea”

Yay, I made it! I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish this last prompt in time, because my only raspberry teas were both full 50+ gram pouches, and I had a TTB and a lot of other sipdown strategies going on. But I did it, and with two days to spare! :P I did enjoy this tea, which helped.

I ended up liking this one more than I expected. The base is a generic cheap white tea, shou mei probably, and it has some hibiscus in it. However, the combination of the raspberry with a bit of rosemary and just the right amount of hibiscus tartness is refreshing and unusual. The hibiscus helps the raspberry seem more realistic and doesn’t make the blend overly tart. The white tea isn’t contributing a ton of flavor, but I like the lightness of it and it lets the flavors take center stage. I’m sure this would be tasty cold brewed as well, but I always drank it hot.

Apparently I like raspberry with savory herbs, which is interesting because I’m not usually a big fan of rosemary or sage, but I’ve liked both of those in tea when they were combined with raspberry. Anyway, I would consider picking some of this up in the future sometime.

Flavors: Hay, Hibiscus, Pine, Raspberry, Rosemary, Savory, Smooth, Sweet, Tart

Preparation

185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 25
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 25

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing