Cameron B. select Send Message

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4308 tasting notes

Okay, back to Chroma teas!

Sipping on this one as my first cuppa this morning. This tea is a blend of Laoshan black, Yunnan black, roasted oolong, white tea, and shou puerh. On paper, that sounds a bit busy to me.

In practice, it doesn’t taste busy. But at the same time, I’m not sure I’m really tasting all of the components. The Laoshan black and roasted oolong are sort of melding together, and I don’t think I taste the Yunnan black? Although according to the description, they added it for texture and body, so maybe I’m not meant to. The white tea mostly shows itself at the end of the sip for me, adding a light and airy oat-y finish. I don’t get a lot of the puerh either, there is a gentle earthiness though.

It’s pleasant but I feel like I would rather just have each component individually rather than mixed together? But we’ll see if it grows on me as I sip through the packet.

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Caraway, Earthy, Hay, Honey, Malty, Mineral, Oats, Roasted, Savory, Smooth, Sweet, Woody

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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1 comments

Daylon R Thomas
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I looked at that one, and think it might come up as muddled. I’ve been hovering over the Chroma teas and really targeting the Umber more than the others.

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Daylon R Thomas
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I looked at that one, and think it might come up as muddled. I’ve been hovering over the Chroma teas and really targeting the Umber more than the others.

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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: 24
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 24

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