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Tried a long time ago hot and did not like it but did not take notes. And then it sat untouched for a couple years because I did not like it and didn’t want to drink it again just for notes.

I finally gave in and though I would try to sip it down via cold brew .

Nope, no way, no how.

Into the trash it goes.

More catching up on notes.

The ingredient list on this sounded interesting. White tea, lavender, almond, vanilla. It sounded nice and delicate.

The lavender really isn’t standing out. This is surprising, but I do appreciate, as florals can be too much for me. I can detect hints of it here and there, primarily in the aftertaste. So thumbs up in this area.

But I’m also not getting much else either. I guess I was right with delicate, but just not in the way I imagined. It could be I’ve just had too much strongly flavored tea today, so I do plan on trying again another time to reevaluate.

Last time I had this, there was a strong sweet flavor that was really just too much and made me feel kind of queasy. Today I didn’t notice it while the cup was hot, but as it cooled, here comes the sweetness/queasiness.

One thing I find funny. I spilled a little on my hand and now I can smell a hint of vanilla on my hand, but still not in the cup.

I can absolutely see people loving this, but I suspect its just not my thing.

More catching up on notes.

I really wanted to like this a lot more than I do. If someone gave it to me and asked me to guess what’s in it, I wouldn’t have a clue.

Its got a scent that makes me think of maybe some sort of alcohol flavoring. It also feels somewhat weak in flavor and watery in mouth feel.

It really needs more oomf of some kind. I think it could be improved with a better base with a thicker mouth feel. That would help sell the idea of caramel better.

Oh, and I can’t detect the salt at all, which I consider a good thing.

But honestly, the flavor just doesn’t match its name for me. I guess its ok, but its really not something I enjoy drinking.

Catching up on some notes.

I’ve had this one a few times now over the course of the month. Its not bad. Its got a decent balance and no one flavor is dominating the others.

There’s an interesting little spicy note at the end of the sip that I found unexpected given the ingredients list

Its pleasant, but definitely a have to be in the right mood type tea.

Other than the orange element, there is no way I could not tell this is supposed to be like gingerbread. Which is odd because I don’t normally pair orange with gingerbread. But Orange and Ginger is a really good combination. The after taste is wild how much this gives gingerbread vibes. There’s a faint sweetness, but not too much.

As it cools, the flavor becomes significantly more orange and clove with a bit of ginger. Not a fan of the combination of orange and clove.

Second steep, sweet orange and ginger when hot, orange clove when cold.
The feeling of gingerbread has died out as well. I think because the ginger is fading and the orange and clove are standing out more. I could do with more of a hint of orange than the strong orange I am getting. And the clove could go jump off a cliff.

I got excited right after the first steep, but the feeling I got then changes so much as this goes, and its moving into a direction I don’t enjoy.

Not what I initially imagined from reading the ingredients list, though I am still finding this quite enjoyable.

I’m not really getting any pumpkin. The ginger is the predominate flavor. I expected more of a raw ginger flavor, but I think I prefer how it comes across here. The cinnamon is more in the back of the sip than you might expect. Its so common for cinnamon to dominate, but that is not the case. The maple and vanilla are more in the aftertaste, rounding everything out. I don’t think I am getting much in the way of caramel, though it may just be blending with the vanilla and maple.

Overall, I am quite enjoying myself. I’ve been looking for ages for a spiced tea that was neither so strong there was no sign of the tea anywhere nor smacking you in the face with clove. This appears to be filling that niche quite nicely.

Second steep still has a good amount of flavor, though the base is standing out more now. As a flavored tea, this is not unexpected. But still, likely will not go well with my steep the same leaves repeatedly all day method of making tea.

Third steep and I have ruined my sense of smell sniffing all of the new flavored teas I picked up. I’m no longer sure what I am smelling from where at this point and my office is smelling like a craft store at Christmas. But it is confirmed. Two steeps seems to be all this tea can realistically give. I let it go a nearly 10 minutes but the flavor is decidedly anemic at best.

I opened the packet and took a sniff and I immediately thought this is a familiar smell, but not of anything in the ingredients list. I seriously suspected citrusy and floral, but that was not it.

Let it steep for a while, not sure how long because I got distracted, but once I poured it into my cup and took another sniff that familiar scent just stood up and screamed at me. And then I could identify it, the smell of air popped popcorn. Completely unexpected.

The first sip and wow, that was harsh. My sense of bitter is a bit off, but I get the impression that the lemon and orange zest I was expecting is in fact the entire peel including the pith. In fact the ingredient list says peels, not zest. I agree with the description, I suspect this could use a touch of sweetener to help it along. Sadly, I don’t like putting sweeteners into my drinks.

I let it cool a bit (more distractions) and when I came back, that air popped popcorn scent has died down. The flavor isn’t quite as punch in the mouth as it had been really hot, but that orange and lemon pith is still there and its impossible to ignore it.

Some more sipping and I can get a sense of the sweet/sour from the rosehips. That’s actually quite enjoyable. But man, what I am assuming is the pith from the citrus peels is just too much for my tastes. Really a pity since otherwise I’m really enjoying the rest of the flavors.

I am wondering if that bitterness would be mitigated if I tried a cold brew.

2021 Tiltshift

7g mini in my 8oz pot steeped western with boiling water
First steep is very light. I let it steep for longer than I would normally and the ball had barely started to break apart and was still floating on the top.

Flavor is light as expected with an interesting sweetness in the aftertaste that brings to mind fruit, though not a specific fruit. Maybe a bit of a hay flavor as well. Its difficult to say.

Second steep, now the mini has broken up and I’m getting a lot more flavor, though its still delicate. Sweetness is now in the back of the sip as well as in the aftertaste. The maybe hay like flavor is also stronger. The mouth feel has a bit of viscosity. Its not heavy, but it is noticeable.

I’m not as fond of the direction the flavor goes as it cools. It does get stronger and drying and not so much sweetness in the back of the sip. The scent in the cup is absolutely hay like.

I’ve been looking through notes from others to see if they can kick start a vocabulary for what I am tasting. I don’t know if I would agree with cucumber, but maybe green melon might in the aftertaste.

Third steep and loosing flavor now. Dryness is now the dominant sensation and its lost that viscous mouth feel. It literally feels like all moisture is being sucked out of my tongue. Sweetness is down to an aftertaste. Might be some hay in the scent, but flavor is mild. The green melon vibe is also missing in flavor and scent. I don’t think this resteeps well, at least not for western style.

Aroma gives me the impression of cereal. I’m smelling it even as it sits on my desk beside me.

As I’m sipping, there is another scent that comes out stronger than the cereal, but I can’t put a name to it.
I’m having a lot of trouble describing the flavor.
As it cools, that cereal scent dies away. The flavor also becomes a little more harsh I think. Still can’t really describe it.

Second steep. Cereal scent not as noticeable. The other that I can’t identify/name stands out more.
Flavor is definitely better when its hot. Kind of reminding me of a keemum I had once.

By the third steep, flavor had really rounded off and became more muted. Doesn’t have the harsher notes I had noticed in previous steeps.

Sadly this is when work got hectic, its quitting time and its still half full

Well they said that its a hint of cinnamon. I go more with barely perceptible. Maybe not even that.
The base is also not my kind of thing. Its more towards a breakfast type vibe, though not as harsh/brisk.
I may finish up this sample with a cold brew. Might work well.