1443 Tasting Notes
This is a breakfast tea that flirts with astringency, but with a lower steeping temperature, actually comes out fairly smooth. There’s a natural sweetness here that’s very clean and it’s really a lovely cup. For those so inclined, the packaging notes it takes milk and sugar well (though I’ve not tried that myself).
Background: We visited the Danish Jewish Museum in CPH last summer and naturally I had to pick up this tea. This is a recreation of a historical tea, meant to embody both modern and historical times (as far back as late 1800s/early 1900s) and be reflective of teas once sold in Denmark from Moses & Søn G. Melchior. There’s a bit more information here (scroll down to the tea): https://www.jewmus.dk/en/butik.
If you ever find yourself in Copenhagen, the Danish Jewish Museum was really amazing to see and the tour is absolutely worth it. It’s one of the smallest museums we’ve visited, but a unique and a great opportunity to learn some history.
Preparation
2024 sipdown no. 16
Thank you from Martin for this one! I didn’t make any notes, but I recall this being a really lovely fruit tea, quite enjoyable and really nice especially considering it was a bagged tea.
These fruit teas from Naturavita are really great and I would love to both I’ve tried for my cupboard.
2024 sipdown no. 7 Mountain Stream Gardenia Oolong
2024 sipdown no. 8 Tante T Grøn Ananas
2024 sipdown no. 9 David’s Cinnamon Oolong (there’s more, but polished off one 100g bag, so counting that!)
2024 sipdown no. 10 H&S Black Currant
2024 sipdown no. 11 Nabo Bäriga Björn
2024 sipdown no. 12 Georgian Tea 1847 Roasted Green
2024 sipdown no. 13 Mountain Stream Lishan High Mountain Black
2024 sipdown no. 14 Nabo Earl Tranbär
2024 sipdown no. 15 Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea, Toast & Jam Brew (sending to Martin!)
This one is quite nice. The peach flavour is prominent, definitely more flavoured than natural, but not so overly done that it’s cloying. I’ll try this one cold next. It strikes me that this would be a great summer iced tea. I’ve never been, but it makes me think of TV shows I’ve seen of the southern US.
2024 sipdown no. 6
This tea is so wonderful, making this a sad sipdown. The blueberry comes through clearly along with the maple. It’s giving blueberry waffles with maple. It’s truly delicious and I shall get more ASAP (if only the shipping across Canada wasn’t so expensive).
This one has really great reviews, so naturally I was intrigued. There is a definite apricot flavour here, very forthcoming and true. However, there is a perfume-y scent which is ruining the flavour for me. It’s hard to get past as it fills my nose when I go to take a sip of the tea. If only the flavour could remain, and the scent could be dropped.
Perhaps if you air it out briefly, the aroma will be more palatable to you! I love this one. They also have an apricot white that is pretty good.
2024 sipdown no. 4
This tea has a sweetness to it that’s more like lime and sugar, but it’s not cloying so it works. The lime is definitely there, but it’s a bit of a “battle” with what seems to be added sugar (at least it tastes like regular white sugar to me). It’s quite tasty though, and of course there’s the general fruit tea in the background that’s nice and refreshing. Thank you Martin!
Nabo 2023 Advent Day 24: Citron och Vanilj
I steeped this for 3 minutes and there’s more astringency than I’d like, but it’s giving vibes of DF’s Noël à Venise, which I do really enjoy. The lemon and vanilla come together in a creamy, dessert-like way. It’s a shame about the astringency, but not a bad cup. Perhaps I could smooth it out more if I had extra to experiment with. Lex loved this one!