4354 Tasting Notes
I recently added a random weekly tea selector to my spreadsheet, which chooses two random teas when I reset it for the week. This is one of the two chosen for this week!
I haven’t had it in ages, so it was fun to see it come up. Full-size teas that I’m not actively trying to sip down tend to get neglected in my cupboard, at least until they’ve become old enough to make it into my oldest teas basket LOL. This is pretty close actually, being from fall 2022.
Anyway, I really enjoy this flavor combination. The oolong has both fresh green and toasty grain notes, and strikes a nice balance of the two. The blueberry reminds me of the dried version that I used to enjoy in Blueberry Morning cereal, and is quite sweet with a syrupy, concentrated quality. I do taste a hint of banana, but it’s mostly adding creaminess. Still reminds me of some kind of blueberry granola!
Flavors: Banana, Blueberry, Dried Fruit, Floral, Fresh, Grain, Green, Milk, Oats, Silky, Sweet, Syrupy, Toasty
Preparation
Sipdown! (5 | 82)
Wasn’t a big fan of this (and it looks like I’m not the only one). I find it a bit harsh as green teas go – it does have some beany/vegetal notes but there’s also a lot of mineral and smoky flavors going on, and a bit of astringency. It’s also a bit bland overall?
Was interesting to try, but it’s not one that I would repurchase.
Flavors: Astringent, Dry Grass, Earthy, Grain, Green Beans, Mineral, Sharp, Smoke
Preparation
This reminds me a bit of their Hawaiian tea series in that it’s definitely tropical but a bit difficult to pick out the individual flavors. Apparently it’s supposed to be mango and pineapple with “other fruits”. I do get something mango-esque, though it also leans a bit more toward peach IMO. Not sure I can taste pineapple, but there is a slight tang.
I think this is one that would be nice as a milk tea, as the base is quite strong and has CTC leaves included. I’ll have to try it that way soon!
Flavors: Astringent, Brisk, Fruity, Mango, Peach, Sweet, Tangy, Tannic, Tropical
Preparation
Sipdown! (4 | 81)
Making good progress on sipping through my matcha stash! I think after this, I have two more small Obubu pouches and then one bigger pouch of something from Naoki.
Anyway, not much to say about this one specifically – I drink all of my matcha as iced oat lattes, so there isn’t a huge difference between the different Obubu ones. They are all smooth and flavorful, with a nice fresh/grassy quality and an undertone of umami. This was no different, and made for a delicious latte!
Flavors: Creamy, Fresh, Grass, Smooth, Umami, Vegetal
Preparation
Sipdown! (3 | 79)
Cold steep. Really enjoy this one for a hibiscus-heavy, refreshing fruity blend. It’s quite tangy from the orange and passion fruit as well, so I do add a bit of sugar to the pitcher to balance it a bit. Perfect summer infusion, and one that I will probably reorder in the future. Though I think once I get through most of my current cold steep stash, I might try S&V’s fruit blends next…
Flavors: Bright, Citrus, Fruity, Hibiscus, Juicy, Orange, Passion Fruit, Sweet, Tangy, Tart, Tropical
Preparation
Favorite summer enjoyments of mine include fruity cocktails and iced teas, poolside with an umbrella in the glass! Thanks for your report on this Harney blend!
All of their fruit infusions are quite good! I can imagine this one making a scrumptious cocktail too he he.
Sipdown! (2 | 76)
Cold steeped the rest of this, and it was fairly decent. Nice tangy but not overwhelming berry-hibiscus pairing with just a dash of floral. I did pick up more of a powdery flavor than in the hot steep though, which was not my favorite.
Flavors: Artificial, Berry, Cherry, Floral, Hibiscus, Powdery, Raspberry, Tangy, Tart
Preparation
Sipdown! (1 | 75)
Still making good progress on fruit infusions for cold steeping. I do actually have another bag of this one, but finished off the first 100g pouch! A delightful bright and fruity blend, and one of my favorite discoveries from Tealyra. Sadly, they don’t seem to carry it anymore, and I also can’t find anything similar online. Maybe the wholesale distributor discontinued it entirely? Sad day. :(
Flavors: Bright, Citrus, Fruity, Juicy, Orange, Sea Buckthorn, Sweet, Tangy, Tart
Preparation
Spring subscription tea.
This is a bit of an odd combo. I actually do like their horchata rooibos and have a full tin of it – mostly it’s just rooibos with a bunch of cinnamon, but tasty enough. I assume they were going for a cozy sort of sleepy time blend with this, but I just don’t think chamomile and rooibos go together all that well. It’s not a bad combination, I just prefer them separately I guess? Either way I like that they use actual cinnamon instead of flavoring, it’s so much mellower and more cozy.
Flavors: Chamomile, Cinnamon, Floral, Pollen, Rooibos, Sweet, Woody
Preparation
It could be that they’ve used true Ceylon cinnamon which has a mild flavor, versus the common Cassia cinnamon which contains large amounts of coumarin that might be extracted into the liquor, potentially risking health. (Ceylon has only traces of coumarin.) It may account for the mildness that you notice in contrast to other cinnamons and extractives.
Sipdown! (11 | 50)
So satisfying to finish all these nearly-empty fruit infusion tins this month! I think I have one left from Harney, and then I’ll move on to my remaining Tealyra pouches. I’ve been really enjoying having a fruity cold steep every day though, so may need to restock a couple of blends when I run out completely…
As with all of Harney’s fruit infusions (except for the goji berry one, which I hated lol), this is lovely. A bit generic to be sure, but I don’t necessarily mind that when it’s a solid base. I added a small amount of raw sugar, and it has a nice balance of sweet and tangy. Not sure I get specifically mango, maybe dried mango slices? I think if I were guessing, I would say apple mixed with orange and maybe a touch of passion fruit. Really refreshing though, and would order it again.
Flavors: Apple, Dried Fruit, Fruity, Juicy, Orange, Passion Fruit, Stonefruit, Sweet, Tangy, Tart
Preparation
I don’t think I’ve ever had a tea from Meghalaya, but the leaf and dry scent seemed most similar to a Darjeeling or Nepalese black tea to me. The steeped color is quite light and somewhat golden.
I like it more than I thought I would, since I’m not a big fan of the aforementioned types of tea. This is light and airy, but not overtly floral and harsh like some Darjeelings can be. It’s smooth and a bit creamy in texture, with a mellow oat and rye bread flavor. Definitely getting some hints of fruit, perhaps stonefruit with a slight tang. There’s a subtle cannabis note in the finish, but not enough to steer me away.
It’s a nice soft yet comforting tea, just not something I would personally reach for, plus the price is a bit high for me.
Flavors: Cannabis, Creamy, Dried Fruit, Fruity, Grain, Hay, Light, Milk, Oats, Rye, Silky, Smooth, Stonefruit, Tangy, Wheat
