Sipdown (115)!
This is my last sample from A Quarter to Tea and turns out I saved the best for last! This is definitely my favourite blend from A Quarter to Tea to date; it’s already back on my wish list. Someone please reassure me and tell me it’s not a seasonal one?
I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ve never had Sweet Potato Pie. It’s just not really something we do in Canada the same way it’s done in the US. I’ve always wanted to try it though ’cause I freaking LOVE sweet potatoes. And sweet potato tea? So good.
Basically, this blend has the best and most natural sweet potato flavour I’ve experienced in any tea. Ever. But not only that, the slightly savory/umami aspect of the sweet potato is in my opinion perfectly counter balanced with a lovely array of confectionery type notes: brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, marshmallow! The amount of spice, as well, as really well done for me as someone who doesn’t like spice at all. I tasted warming cinnamon, a little clove, and definitely a tiny touch of anise in the finish. Not really much peppercorn though, despite definitely seeing it in the leaf.
As well, the idea of a mostly Keemun base works for me here. I’m not a huge fan of Keemun in reality, but the jammy and fruity sweetness works well here and I definitely can say I tasted the natural smokey notes of the keemun too in a way which works for the ‘grilled sweet potato’ flavour that Lauren was going for. What I didn’t taste, actually, was the Lapsang Souchong (or really any of the other base teas used in the blend). I don’t know whether the absence bothered me because I still got some smoke notes but I find it interesting I didn’t detect it when Marzipan definitely pointed out that was the flavour that killed the blend for her. So yeah; not overly smoky but that’s more an observation than a criticism.
I do have one criticism though; the finish here is awfully sweet – and I don’t mind sweetness but with how long lasting that finish is (and with fairly strong anise flavour) I just found it on the whole to be a touch cloying. Not enough to ruin the cup for me though. It was still phenomenal overall, though I definitely seem to be in the minority in thinking so based on the couple reviews I’ve seen (from Marz and I think TeaTiff).
EDIT: And it turns out this is limited edition…
