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Scheherazade drank Apple Strudel by Hoogly Tea

2238 tasting notes

252/365

This is a blend of Chunmee (which I feel like I don’t see very often) and Hojicha, which makes a nice change from the sencha-based green blends I’ve been drinking recently. It’s flavoured with apple, cinnamon, and clove, supposedly to create an apple strudel effect.

It’s pretty effective. I can taste the apple, although it’s relatively muted. It’s a green apple kind of flavour – sharp and crisp – and maybe not exactly suited to a blend that’s trying to achieve a baked flavour. That’s my main criticism of this one – there’s nothing that really makes me think strudel; no pastry, butter, or remotely bakey flavours, including the apple.

The spicing is nice. It’s more powerful than the apple, and sweet enough to balance out what sharpness there is. It does almost remind me of strudel filling, so it’s not completely without merit, but it’s not quite there either.

I’d try this one again, if I came across it, or other blends from Hoogly. It’s not the greatest thing out there, but it’s okay.

Preparation

180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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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.