17245 Tasting Notes
A little bit more of a simple and straight forward blend, but I felt a bit like I was having a caffeine crash out over the weekend on Sunday and I really just needed to steep up something caffeine free with a more grounding, direct sort of taste to “offset” the buzz I was feeling. The woody, minerality of the rooibos combined with a low intensity, well rounded red fruit note was exactly what I needed to feel a little more anchored again.
This is basically just peppermint tea with vanilla flavouring, so I wasn’t totally sure how significant the impact of the flavouring addition would be. I wanted to try it anyway because I’ve had some other good experiences with buttermint flavoured snacks and tea blends from London (looking at you Bird & Blend’s Buttermint Matcha).
Well, it turns out the flavouring does make a big difference because this was a REALLY stand out cup of peppermint tea. Very, very smooth with a lightly cooling finish. The crispness you sometimes get from a peppermint tea was replaced with a silky flavour that was sort of equal parts butter, sweet cream, and French vanilla. It reminded me loosely of these Scottish Caramint candies I used to buy from a tearoom I used to frequent when I was still living in Regina. Much more peppermint forward in the tea, but similar vibes.
Like, at the end of the day it was just a fancy peppermint tea and there is for sure a ceiling of quality when it comes to something like peppermint. Didn’t make me like it any less in the moment, though!
We don’t really have Dunkin’ Donuts in Canada, so when I saw this RTD at one of my favourite local “exotic snack import” shops I decided I had to try it…
For a zero sugar iced tea, I found this quite sweet and in a really mouth-coating and lingering way. I’m kicking myself for not actually checking what sugar substitute they were using, but with the aftertaste and the sort of film-y feeling it left on the palate I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an artificial sweetener like erythritol.
Peach is one of those flavours that really bugs me when it’s super fake-y and artificial tasting. Especially when it’s white peach like this one, because then it usually has a floral undertone to it that doesn’t do so well with the intensity/sweetness that often follows that strong peach taste. It just builds and builds on the palate. For me, that was the case here and I just couldn’t get into this…
PS. I wasn’t totally sure whether to make the company for this “Dunkin’ Donuts” or “Dunkin.” But I went with Dunkin’ in the end because that’s how it’s stylized on the bottle of the RTD and when I went back and looked at the online listing for the snack shop they had the company/vendor listed as Dunkin’ as well.
As I revisit these Mateina RTDs I’ve basically been drinking one each morning during my commute to work. They’re very convenient grab and go drinks, and I like the idea of starting my morning with something a little more mentally stimulating as I head in to work.
This has been my favourite of my retaste, and I’m honestly not sure if it’s because it’s sparkling and the other two flavours I’ve had more recently were non-carbonated of if it’s just that the juicy, fresh raspberry flavour is so much stronger/more enjoyable. Maybe it’s a not so secret third factor, which is that the carbination and intensity of the citrusy berry flavour both mask the more metallic notes of the mate I’ve tasted in the other drinks while not totally covering up the rest of the grassier and more rainforest-y flavour…
Sipdown (2925)!
I liked this a lot. The lemon flavour is really, really bright and lively with such a pleasant mix of sweetness and light acidity/sourness. It’s not too artificial and certainly not cloying, but it did make me think a bit of lemon gummy candies or something like a lemon lollipop. Just really juicy and lemonade-like in a way that immediately made me wish I had more of this in loose leaf format (this was a tea bag) so I could make it iced or cold brewed. Delish!
Sipdown (2926)!
I was hoping that this would be a little bit of a stronger orange flavour, either in a more creamy and dessert like sense or just juicier and more bright. Instead it’s, well, just a kiss of orange in an otherwise incredibly chamomile forward cup of tea. Not unpleasant tasting, and I think the soft note of orange does compliment the almost honeyed florals of the chamomile blossoms. I just don’t reaaalllyyyy like chamomile a whole lot, so it didn’t make a super strong impression on me personally and isn’t something I’d really feel compelled to revisit…
Gongfu!
This fragrant, full-bodied black tea is an explosion of sweet, juicy fruity and floral flavours. The osmanthus contributes such a fresh ripened apricot or peach-like flavour with undertones of persimmon and golden honey. The finish is slightly nut, but still retains much of the sweetness present throughout the rest of the sip. It makes me think a little bit of almond extract or amaretto. Overall a wonderfully summery feeling and well balanced tea!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJhAoSbtg31/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSswmFErgxc&ab_channel=daisyveacock-Topic
Gongfu!
This mini had such a thick and brothy liquor once steeped up. Though woodier in its undertones with a bit of a subtle “brown” burnt sugar sweetness like the torched top of a creme brulee, I mostly was reminded of bouillon while drinking this tea, with an especially umami finish that made me think of soy sauce. It’s a beautiful dance between rich caramelized goodness and a more unctuous savory flavout. Miso caramel, in some ways, but heavy and dense. I’m glad I took the time to revisit this ripe pu’erh as it was a very grounding way to start the day!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJkLKAhSueh/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJFTh_QlOgU&ab_channel=DavidDeanBurkhart
Gongfu!
I love a bud heavy black and the bright, coppery liquor practically glows in the sunlight. It’s quite a sweet black tea, with a velvety smooth mouthfeel and more of a medium body. As expected, it tastes a lot like honey, with warm floral undertones that make me think of wildflowers. More unexpected are the sweet, airy, and creamy confection notes – like marshmallow fluff! They don’t eclipse the honeycomb that takes center stage, but they’re an undeniably present supporting role. It’s probably one of the more standout black teas I’ve brewed up as of late.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJmacE0Nja2/?img_index=1
This set looks right at home out here among the grass and stones; AKA my favourite spot for outdoor tea as of late.
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRBa34X5Hwg&ab_channel=SayaGray-Topic
…aaaannd finished off the last RTD I’d stocked piled while grocery shopping a little while back. I think I will probably take a break on this one since drinking it so bunched together is just starting to make me feeling a touch sick of the tropical flavour. However, I am sure I’ll probably revisit this in the future. It’s quick, easy, and perfectly fine for the type of tea it’s trying to be.
