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Cameron B. drank Valkoinen Karhu (White Bear) by Nordqvist

4160 tasting notes

Nordqvist seems to really like naming their teas after animals, ha ha. Although I’m not sure what a blueberry muffin has to do with a bear. Maybe a cozy bear in house, like in Goldilocks? I could see Mama Bear baking some muffins for breakfast, surely she tires of porridge…

This is definitely a very subtle tea, the white base and the flavoring are both light. The blueberry here reminds me of the dried blueberries in Blueberry Morning cereal (or Blueberries & Cream instant oatmeal, take your pick) – it’s sweet and concentrated, a bit jammy but not artificial or candylike. I don’t think it necessarily tastes like a muffin, but I can see where they were going with it, and it is slightly desserty. The white tea has more of a straw flavor than hay, and perhaps almost veering into autumn leaf pile territory.

A nice tea for the afternoon, but a bit too light on the flavoring to be a reorder for me.

Nordqvist Adventure teas tried: 4/20

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Blueberry, Creamy, Dried Fruit, Dry Leaves, Grain, Jam, Oats, Smooth, Straw, Sweet

Preparation

185 °F / 85 °C 2 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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2 comments

Roswell Strange
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Maybe playing off the fact bears eat a lot of berries in the wild? Or a (bad) play on words, like blue bear-y.

Cameron B.
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Not sure ha ha, there are three other white teas in the series, I’ll have to see if those animals make any sense. :P

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Comments

Roswell Strange
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Maybe playing off the fact bears eat a lot of berries in the wild? Or a (bad) play on words, like blue bear-y.

Cameron B.
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Not sure ha ha, there are three other white teas in the series, I’ll have to see if those animals make any sense. :P

Profile

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… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 9
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 152

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.

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