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Scheherazade drank Birthday Cupcake by Della Terra Teas

2238 tasting notes

I actually meant to drink and log this one on my birthday (sunday gone), but I ended up being so busy I didn’t get chance! This one was a real surprise to me — somehow, I associate birthday cake with light, airy, vanilla. This is chocolate, and I knew that, but I think subconsciously I was still expecting something else!

What’s obvious straight from the off is that this contains DTT’s “cake” flavouring. It’s that mouthwatering, sweet, buttery bakey smell that Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Blueberry Crumble have…the scent of cake fresh from the oven. Rich and heady. It filled the whole kitchen by the time it was done brewing!

I gave 1 tsp of this tea 3.5 minutes in boiling water. The leaf is really pretty — red and blue sprinkles, and white coconut, scattered amongst the brown/black leaves. It really does remind me of a decorated chocolate cupcake! Once brewed, the liquor was a very pale golden, so I skipped milk. The initial taste is chocolate — DTT’s overly sweet, fakey chocolate. Then comes the “cake” flavour, with a hint of coconut and a kind of generic sweetness to finish (the sprinkles?). Taken together, it’s a reasonable combination. There are “birthday cake” teas I prefer (Butiki, Bluebird…), but this one is by no means a bad example. The fact that it’s chocolate sets is apart, although I wish the chocolate was a bit more…real tasting. I didn’t get to drink this on my birthday, but it was a pleasant cup anyway – happy belated birthday to me!

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 30 sec 1 tsp

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.