162 Tasting Notes
Sipdown & Backlog April 20, 2024
We brewed this iced after spending the time gathering loose sticks from the yard after a windy storm. I added a touch (tsp) of honey to the brew and threw it over ice, which is the best way to elevate this blend. Gnat and Bee use homegrown ingredients for their blends, so I’ve learned that the best way to enjoy them thoroughly is by drinking without sweetener or with little honey. The lady love tried to make this as a “southern sweet” tea, but the notes were muted by too much sugar. The honey really allows the dried raspberries to pop and reduce the sourness of the hibiscus (which without sweetener carries the blend nicely).
Backlog April 17, 2024
This was a relaxing cup of tea after an office day. I wanted a red tea for the caffeine, but I didn’t want anything too bold, such as an Assam blend. This is the type of red tea that one may not enjoy because it lacks the complexity and boldness one may hope to get from a tea session. Heck, I may not find myself going out of the way to buy any, but if I were to make the purchase, it’d be set aside for any of my non-tea friends who wouldn’t want a harsh cup.
Sipdown & Backlog April 28, 2024
Maybe I’m built differently because this blend works due to the lemongrass, coconut, and pineapple. Back in the days of working at Teavana, I’d have plenty of cups of their version of the White Ayurvedic Chai or the Samurai Chai. Thankfully, Adagio Teas has seemed to get the recipe spot on. I’ll probably get a larger amount of this one during the Fall/Winter on the account of that being the peak season for chai in the home. The aromatics alone make me long for wearing a sweater again! However, we are now sitting in the 80s, which is grand. Anything hotter than this, I’ll be staying inside (unless I’m in the woods hiking and carrying an insane amount of water in my pack).
Sipdown & Backlog April 28, 2024
I had dropped a review of this during the Advent season, which I noted that the rooibos was “too light;” however, that was only a small sample and there’s an opportunity for the tea to become imbalanced. After making a cup of this last evening, I noted that there was ‘too much rooibos,’ which is a-okay for me, maybe not for anyone who dislikes rooibos. I noted that this is has a nice balance between the spices and rooibos, but I’d prefer something more spicy and sweet, rather than mildly sweet and nutty.
Backlog, Friday April 26, 2024
I obtained this one during the tea swap a couple of months back. I’m finally starting to make my way through these teas. I figured it’s easier to throw a bag into the water during work, instead of making tea in a gaiwan, forgetting it, and tossing the leaves out due over brewing and bitterness. This cup held some idea of the peppermint bark. I’ll note that this isn’t too terrible for tea bag tea, but it’s nothing comparable to Teavana’s White Chocolate Peppermint (maybe no tea will ever hold that title). I tasted notes of white chocolate and peppermint, but it was light.
Flavors: Peppermint, White Chocolate
Backlog
Another bag received from the tea swap a while ago. This was less enjoyable, but not terrible. Imagine Big Red chewing gum in a weak state—toward the end of the chew—and that’s what you get with this tea. Sweet and slightly cinnamon spice.
Flavors: Cinnamon
A few weeks (months?) ago, I was invited to go to a tea swap at a local town nearby. However, there were 4 people that showed up, and one of them being the host. I dropped a ton of loose leaf samples there and swapped them for some bags of tea I’ve not tried – this being one of those teas.
While I typically drink my tea loose leaf, I’m not too big of a snob to avoid bags. I was surprised by the strength of peach flavors this bag produced. I drank it hot, but thought how perfect this would be as an iced tea over the summer. It was quite refreshing and I finished the final dregs at room temperature.
Flavors: Peach
