Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Black/dark brown leaves of medium size with a few twigs
Color: Amber (dark orange-brown)
Smell: Earl grey- strong smoky, orange/bergamot smell
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, honey, sugar, iced
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Personally, I'm so and so on this tea. It's a good Earl Grey, but its' Keemun base adds a bit of smokiness and earthiness that I don't really like. The citrus/bergamot flavor is amazing, however, and actually balances well with the keemun flavor (some of the other Earl Greys I've tried have a very, very strong citrus taste that isn't as pleasing as this). Overall, it's a good, smooth tea, and I wouldn't mind drinking it every day (and I already did for a time!). I think I might need to drink more loose leaf Earl Grey from different brands first to see how this stands up though, since I've only had tea bags given to me by other people.
Other notes:
With the advice of my friend, I changed the formatting of the blog a bit (just font and colors so it isn't too terrible on the eyes- I still haven't found the time or motivation to learn HTML yet).
As for yesterday's activities, I'm both happy and kind of disappointed at the same time. I got most of my work done, biked a couple of miles, and had the Earth Day scholarship submitted. Filming for the Japanese commercial couldn't happen because the person who is in charge of getting us all together slept in until 1 PM and didn't contact us until super late, and when he did, he told me to text him when to meet (which kind of pissed me off a bit, but it's all good since I got a bunch of work done).
I also watched Ikiru/To Live (1952) by Akira Kurosawa, and I think its now one of my favorite movies. If you don't know, it's a movie about a middle-aged Japanese City Hall worker who's diagnosed with terminal cancer. It follows his quest to end with a meaningful life, after he realizes that he's wasted his whole life working in his office. The message of the movie is great along with the way the scenes were shot, and I really liked the plot & premise. One of my main gripes with it though is that the pacing is really slow and I didn't really agree with how the third act was presented, but overall I'd suggest that you should watch it if you have 2.5 hours to spare.
I have nothing about today, since this is another morning post (other than I feel like my reviews are a bit shorter lately, which I need to fix- I just can't find ways to describe teas anymore without feeling like I'm repeating myself a whole bunch. I've started reading up on more reviews & ways to describe tea to fix this, however). Also, holy crap I forgot to mention that I'm now a 3rd of the way through! Woooo!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Tea Break
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
Day 34: Sencha "Matsuri"
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, 75-80 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Olive green tea leaves; the majority are crushed or very small (probably because its a tea bag), but the larger leaves are very needle-like
Color: Mantis/bright green
Smell: Grassy with hints of seaweed and sweetness
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Man, the color of this tea is great. It's a brighter green that most of my green teas (which are usually yellow green, but this one really is light green). The smell is a bit average, but it has a bit of sweetness I can't seem to find in the previous teas.
As for the taste, it's strong with a bit of grassiness and saltiness. It's very brothy and vegetal however, and the sweet smell is nowhere to be found in the taste. There's little astringency or bitterness to be found, and its just a very flavorful tea in general. I would prefer it to have a bit of sweetness rather than a taste similar to soup, but it's still a decent green tea. The strength of this might have been from the leaf (it was really broken up), so I think it wouldn't be as bad in the actual loose leaf version.
Other notes:
Since I did this review in the morning today because there's no school, I can't tell you if anything interesting happened today (other than hearing about the death of Leonard Nimoy- rest in peace you wonderful actor). I can, however, tell you about a conversation I had with a friend last night.
He was telling me about how he's wasting his life playing games all of the time and because of it, he can't do any of his work. It stresses him out to no end since he knows that if he keeps it up he won't get into a good college, but he can't stop since all of his friends are the same. I tried to tell him that it'll get better if you tried, but he told me that he'd already tried (many times) and had given up each and every time.
I know my words probably don't hold a lot of weight since most of my time now is still spent indoors, but I know that I've changed a lot since last year and the year before. In middle school and freshman year, my out-of-school life consisted of getting home, and since I had little to no work (I did it all in class), I just played video games. For hours on end. Until I had to sleep. I did meet a lot of people who I'd say are my friends now, but until this year, I didn't really get close to many, except a small handful. Going to hang out with those that I wasn't close with (aka most people, or anyone not from the small group of my guy friends from middle school) gave me huge anxiety, and I had almost no idea of what I should be doing with those people (as in, how to act while hanging out) and what I should be doing with my life. I will admit that playing games gave me some of the best friends I have ever met and talked to, but it's just sucked so much out of my life that playing them for long periods of time just filled me with regret and self-hate. Eventually, however, summer and sophomore year came around. I gave myself some goals: get a different hobby (and I think you can guess what it is now), join a club, just whatever that would help to get me out of the house. It worked, to some degree, but I fucked up a lot on the way. I like to think now that I'm at least better, socially, and meeting up with people outside of school doesn't scare me so much, but then again, there isn't much to prove that I am.
Anyway, the point that I'm trying to make is that if you want to make at least some change, you have to actually try. It'll take a super long time (even I'm not the person I want to be yet), since along with trying, you have to take it slow. Making a big life change won't happen overnight (I tried, and failed horribly), but if you have the motivation and make small changes over time, you'll at least feel different. It's a good thing too! But if you make all of your big life changes at once, you get a feeling that you're not getting anywhere, and eventually, you just give up. I'm not the nervous social wreck I was last year, but I will admit that I still am pretty bad at social things. I've actually been sort of excited for next year now, since I know I'm going to actually get stuff done that's not just academic. Just remember this: "Let your life be shaped by the decisions you made, not the ones you didn't" - mylasttie (a 24 year old guy on Reddit who was just diagnosed as terminal and has accepted that he will be gone soon- he's sort of the inspiration for this big block of text).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Earl Grey
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, 75-80 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Olive green tea leaves; the majority are crushed or very small (probably because its a tea bag), but the larger leaves are very needle-like
Color: Mantis/bright green
Smell: Grassy with hints of seaweed and sweetness
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Man, the color of this tea is great. It's a brighter green that most of my green teas (which are usually yellow green, but this one really is light green). The smell is a bit average, but it has a bit of sweetness I can't seem to find in the previous teas.
As for the taste, it's strong with a bit of grassiness and saltiness. It's very brothy and vegetal however, and the sweet smell is nowhere to be found in the taste. There's little astringency or bitterness to be found, and its just a very flavorful tea in general. I would prefer it to have a bit of sweetness rather than a taste similar to soup, but it's still a decent green tea. The strength of this might have been from the leaf (it was really broken up), so I think it wouldn't be as bad in the actual loose leaf version.
Other notes:
Since I did this review in the morning today because there's no school, I can't tell you if anything interesting happened today (other than hearing about the death of Leonard Nimoy- rest in peace you wonderful actor). I can, however, tell you about a conversation I had with a friend last night.
He was telling me about how he's wasting his life playing games all of the time and because of it, he can't do any of his work. It stresses him out to no end since he knows that if he keeps it up he won't get into a good college, but he can't stop since all of his friends are the same. I tried to tell him that it'll get better if you tried, but he told me that he'd already tried (many times) and had given up each and every time.
I know my words probably don't hold a lot of weight since most of my time now is still spent indoors, but I know that I've changed a lot since last year and the year before. In middle school and freshman year, my out-of-school life consisted of getting home, and since I had little to no work (I did it all in class), I just played video games. For hours on end. Until I had to sleep. I did meet a lot of people who I'd say are my friends now, but until this year, I didn't really get close to many, except a small handful. Going to hang out with those that I wasn't close with (aka most people, or anyone not from the small group of my guy friends from middle school) gave me huge anxiety, and I had almost no idea of what I should be doing with those people (as in, how to act while hanging out) and what I should be doing with my life. I will admit that playing games gave me some of the best friends I have ever met and talked to, but it's just sucked so much out of my life that playing them for long periods of time just filled me with regret and self-hate. Eventually, however, summer and sophomore year came around. I gave myself some goals: get a different hobby (and I think you can guess what it is now), join a club, just whatever that would help to get me out of the house. It worked, to some degree, but I fucked up a lot on the way. I like to think now that I'm at least better, socially, and meeting up with people outside of school doesn't scare me so much, but then again, there isn't much to prove that I am.
Anyway, the point that I'm trying to make is that if you want to make at least some change, you have to actually try. It'll take a super long time (even I'm not the person I want to be yet), since along with trying, you have to take it slow. Making a big life change won't happen overnight (I tried, and failed horribly), but if you have the motivation and make small changes over time, you'll at least feel different. It's a good thing too! But if you make all of your big life changes at once, you get a feeling that you're not getting anywhere, and eventually, you just give up. I'm not the nervous social wreck I was last year, but I will admit that I still am pretty bad at social things. I've actually been sort of excited for next year now, since I know I'm going to actually get stuff done that's not just academic. Just remember this: "Let your life be shaped by the decisions you made, not the ones you didn't" - mylasttie (a 24 year old guy on Reddit who was just diagnosed as terminal and has accepted that he will be gone soon- he's sort of the inspiration for this big block of text).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Earl Grey
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Day 33: Piccolo
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Herbal (Rooibos)
Brew Time & Temperature: 5 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark red/orange rooibos; there doesn't appear to be anything else added other than what looks like flower petals
Color: Bright orange
Smell: Fruity (mainly oranges and some berries) with the smell of cough syrup
Recommended with/as: As is, honey
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
When I first read the description of this tea, I was a bit interested since the flavor combination is different than the usual fruit tea. The Japanese on the packaging says there's honey, berries, and apricots, and that you should try the tea with milk (which is a little weird for rooibos).
Anyway, when I opened the tea bag, I started second guessing myself since the loose leaf smelled a lot like cough syrup (which is probably the rooibos), and barely like the fruits listed in the description. Brewing it made the smell a little better, but I was still getting hints of the medicine smell.
The taste, I thought, was decent enough. There's little astringency, which is to be expected of rooibos, and it was relatively smooth. The fruit flavor was a bit lacking, however, and instead the medicine taste overpowered it. Sadly, I couldn't try it with milk, as was suggested, but I did try it with honey. The honey brought out the taste of the fruit a little bit more and mostly got rid of that cough syrup taste, but I still wouldn't recommend it. Overall, berry flavor + medicine taste of rooibos = a tea that I'm not too fond of.
Other notes:
Nothing today, other than more science fair stuff, a birthday, and piano. There's no school tomorrow, but I'm probably going to be stuck filming a bunch, editing (both the video and some essays), and homework.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha "Matsuri"
Type: Flavored Herbal (Rooibos)
Brew Time & Temperature: 5 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark red/orange rooibos; there doesn't appear to be anything else added other than what looks like flower petals
Color: Bright orange
Smell: Fruity (mainly oranges and some berries) with the smell of cough syrup
Recommended with/as: As is, honey
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
When I first read the description of this tea, I was a bit interested since the flavor combination is different than the usual fruit tea. The Japanese on the packaging says there's honey, berries, and apricots, and that you should try the tea with milk (which is a little weird for rooibos).
Anyway, when I opened the tea bag, I started second guessing myself since the loose leaf smelled a lot like cough syrup (which is probably the rooibos), and barely like the fruits listed in the description. Brewing it made the smell a little better, but I was still getting hints of the medicine smell.
The taste, I thought, was decent enough. There's little astringency, which is to be expected of rooibos, and it was relatively smooth. The fruit flavor was a bit lacking, however, and instead the medicine taste overpowered it. Sadly, I couldn't try it with milk, as was suggested, but I did try it with honey. The honey brought out the taste of the fruit a little bit more and mostly got rid of that cough syrup taste, but I still wouldn't recommend it. Overall, berry flavor + medicine taste of rooibos = a tea that I'm not too fond of.
Other notes:
Nothing today, other than more science fair stuff, a birthday, and piano. There's no school tomorrow, but I'm probably going to be stuck filming a bunch, editing (both the video and some essays), and homework.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha "Matsuri"
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Day 32: Silonibari BPS (CTC)
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark brown CTC black tea (I have no idea how to explain the differences between CTC teas, since they all look relatively the same to me)
Color: Golden orange
Smell: Smoky and earthy- the usual smell of Indian black teas- with a bit of sweetness that makes it less harsh
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Unlike most Indian black teas, I actually like this both with and without milk (I usually have them only with milk). It's smooth with little astringency, and with its taste, I think you could brew this for much longer than the recommended time and it won't become too bad. The smell is great and the color is surprisingly lighter than I expected it to be, especially since its a CTC tea. The words I'd use to describe this tea are earthy, creamy, and sweet (it's also malty, but I haven't really drank enough beer to know if I'm using the word correctly)- which is different from most of the Indian teas I've had. Overall, I really like it, and it made late night studying much better. I would suggest it as an everyday tea, with milk, and with honey (it's fine either way, however).
Other notes:
Holy crap, this is the latest I've written a review so far (11:45!). Homework took a really long time today (math, ugh), and I had to sanitize a bunch of science fair equipment since we're resetting the experiment tomorrow/Monday. Also, I had too much fun playing piano, which is weird for me.
My piano practice schedule has jumped from 15 minutes to 45, just because I found the sheet music of one of my favorite pieces: Schroeder's Failure (from the Darwinia OST). Someone finally made it after 9 years, and it is super fun to play. I started last night, and I can already play the first page which is surprising considering how long it usually takes me to learn a piece. If I can get to the end of the second page by the end of the week, I think I might actually try to convince my piano teacher to let me play this for my recital.
In another news, I've started making the video for the Earth Day scholarship thing. It's probably going to just be me talking about the importance of the experiment and what I personally think about Earth Day, with clips of us setting up Trial 3. I have 72 hours to make it, which is going to be interesting since I only have Windows Movie Maker to edit with (and I have little experience using it).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Piccolo
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark brown CTC black tea (I have no idea how to explain the differences between CTC teas, since they all look relatively the same to me)
Color: Golden orange
Smell: Smoky and earthy- the usual smell of Indian black teas- with a bit of sweetness that makes it less harsh
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Unlike most Indian black teas, I actually like this both with and without milk (I usually have them only with milk). It's smooth with little astringency, and with its taste, I think you could brew this for much longer than the recommended time and it won't become too bad. The smell is great and the color is surprisingly lighter than I expected it to be, especially since its a CTC tea. The words I'd use to describe this tea are earthy, creamy, and sweet (it's also malty, but I haven't really drank enough beer to know if I'm using the word correctly)- which is different from most of the Indian teas I've had. Overall, I really like it, and it made late night studying much better. I would suggest it as an everyday tea, with milk, and with honey (it's fine either way, however).
Other notes:
Holy crap, this is the latest I've written a review so far (11:45!). Homework took a really long time today (math, ugh), and I had to sanitize a bunch of science fair equipment since we're resetting the experiment tomorrow/Monday. Also, I had too much fun playing piano, which is weird for me.
My piano practice schedule has jumped from 15 minutes to 45, just because I found the sheet music of one of my favorite pieces: Schroeder's Failure (from the Darwinia OST). Someone finally made it after 9 years, and it is super fun to play. I started last night, and I can already play the first page which is surprising considering how long it usually takes me to learn a piece. If I can get to the end of the second page by the end of the week, I think I might actually try to convince my piano teacher to let me play this for my recital.
In another news, I've started making the video for the Earth Day scholarship thing. It's probably going to just be me talking about the importance of the experiment and what I personally think about Earth Day, with clips of us setting up Trial 3. I have 72 hours to make it, which is going to be interesting since I only have Windows Movie Maker to edit with (and I have little experience using it).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Piccolo
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Day 31: Uva Highlands BOP
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very small, broken up dark brown leaves; it's slightly larger than fannings (BOP)
Color: Dark, golden orange
Smell: It's very earthy, and a bit roasted/smoky
Recommended with/as: As is. milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
On its own, it's a bit astringent and bitter. It has a strong earthy taste, with a light mint taste (if you've eaten a mint leaf, it tastes like that- a tiny bit tart, a little bit bitter, and, well, minty). It's decent enough, but it doesn't really have anything that 'pops' out at me. It would make a good morning tea, but I'd personally prefer an assam or even Earl Grey instead.
With milk and honey, it's a bit better. It gets rid of the astringency and mellows out the tea. The mint taste is still there and noticeable, but is less tart and more minty. Overall, I prefer it with milk and think it's a good enough tea, but it's just not my cup.
Other notes:
Nothing really, other than I got a bunch of work I've been procrastinating on done, and actually tried practicing piano (my goal is to increase my practice time by 5 minutes each day, and I started with 15 today). Also, I'm sort of an idiot because I just realized, a week or so later, that the data I have for my science fair project follows exponential decay rather than a line.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Silonibari BPS (CTC)
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very small, broken up dark brown leaves; it's slightly larger than fannings (BOP)
Color: Dark, golden orange
Smell: It's very earthy, and a bit roasted/smoky
Recommended with/as: As is. milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
On its own, it's a bit astringent and bitter. It has a strong earthy taste, with a light mint taste (if you've eaten a mint leaf, it tastes like that- a tiny bit tart, a little bit bitter, and, well, minty). It's decent enough, but it doesn't really have anything that 'pops' out at me. It would make a good morning tea, but I'd personally prefer an assam or even Earl Grey instead.
With milk and honey, it's a bit better. It gets rid of the astringency and mellows out the tea. The mint taste is still there and noticeable, but is less tart and more minty. Overall, I prefer it with milk and think it's a good enough tea, but it's just not my cup.
Other notes:
Nothing really, other than I got a bunch of work I've been procrastinating on done, and actually tried practicing piano (my goal is to increase my practice time by 5 minutes each day, and I started with 15 today). Also, I'm sort of an idiot because I just realized, a week or so later, that the data I have for my science fair project follows exponential decay rather than a line.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Silonibari BPS (CTC)
Monday, February 23, 2015
Day 30: Strawberry
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Medium-small, very dark black tea leaves. There appears to be nothing added; I can only see the leaves.
Color: Dark amber
Smell: Fruity and sweet; it smells exactly like strawberry candies (namely hi-chew)
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I love the smell of this tea. Usually, if it smells artificial (and this certainly does), I usually don't like it, but this tea is an exception. The strawberry smell is not a sickening artificial smell and is very sweet and light, similar to many Japanese (or at least, Asian) fruit candies. It's unmistakably strawberry, but not a realistic smell (which isn't bad at all!).
The taste was also very pleasant, too. The tea is very light, with little astringency, and has a lot of sweetness. When I first drank it, it was a slight bit tart, but it quickly changed into a nice mellow flavor with strong strawberry aftertaste. It does taste a lot like how it smells- like a very sweet candy. I'd suggest this tea sweetened and with milk, since I found that it brings out the flavor very well. Overall, I really like it (and if you haven't noticed yet, I'm a pretty big fan of strawberry flavored stuff), and in my opinion, it's way better than the first strawberry tea I had from Lupicia (Strawberry & Vanilla).
Other notes:
Today, I was putting together a resume for the Earth day scholarship thing, and I realized that I have absolutely no extracurriculars so far. I have great grades/GPA and academic stuff, but really the only things I have for extracurriculars are: I was a tutor for my middle school for a year, and I'm part of the fencing and aviation clubs. Hopefully I can fix this by next year, since I want to try and get internships or volunteer jobs over the summer and open a tea club (I tried this year but I got rejected for bs reasons, so I'm making a strong counterargument right now) and host fencing club once school starts. I'll give updates on how all of that goes.
Other than that, nothing much other than that English essay taking up a bunch of my time and me screwing up (like I usually do) at piano class. Starting tomorrow, I think I'll try to begin a semi-strict practice schedule since recitals are coming up and I don't feel ready at all. I'll also post updates on that, so I have at least some motivation.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Uva Highlands BOP
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Medium-small, very dark black tea leaves. There appears to be nothing added; I can only see the leaves.
Color: Dark amber
Smell: Fruity and sweet; it smells exactly like strawberry candies (namely hi-chew)
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I love the smell of this tea. Usually, if it smells artificial (and this certainly does), I usually don't like it, but this tea is an exception. The strawberry smell is not a sickening artificial smell and is very sweet and light, similar to many Japanese (or at least, Asian) fruit candies. It's unmistakably strawberry, but not a realistic smell (which isn't bad at all!).
The taste was also very pleasant, too. The tea is very light, with little astringency, and has a lot of sweetness. When I first drank it, it was a slight bit tart, but it quickly changed into a nice mellow flavor with strong strawberry aftertaste. It does taste a lot like how it smells- like a very sweet candy. I'd suggest this tea sweetened and with milk, since I found that it brings out the flavor very well. Overall, I really like it (and if you haven't noticed yet, I'm a pretty big fan of strawberry flavored stuff), and in my opinion, it's way better than the first strawberry tea I had from Lupicia (Strawberry & Vanilla).
Other notes:
Today, I was putting together a resume for the Earth day scholarship thing, and I realized that I have absolutely no extracurriculars so far. I have great grades/GPA and academic stuff, but really the only things I have for extracurriculars are: I was a tutor for my middle school for a year, and I'm part of the fencing and aviation clubs. Hopefully I can fix this by next year, since I want to try and get internships or volunteer jobs over the summer and open a tea club (I tried this year but I got rejected for bs reasons, so I'm making a strong counterargument right now) and host fencing club once school starts. I'll give updates on how all of that goes.
Other than that, nothing much other than that English essay taking up a bunch of my time and me screwing up (like I usually do) at piano class. Starting tomorrow, I think I'll try to begin a semi-strict practice schedule since recitals are coming up and I don't feel ready at all. I'll also post updates on that, so I have at least some motivation.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Uva Highlands BOP
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Day 29: Tsugaru Green
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Broken up, light(er) green tea leaves with bits of dried apple
Color: Bright yellow-green
Smell: Fruity/strong green apple aroma with hints of grassiness
Recommended with/as: As is, iced
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
To be honest, I've already tried this tea, and it's one of my favorites (probably because apples are one of my favorite fruits). The tea leaves are admittedly of low quality, but I haven't found any other apple green tea that tastes this close to real apples yet.
As for the taste, it's very light and sweet. The apple taste isn't too strong, but rather stays subdued underneath a mild grassiness. However, it does leave a taste exactly like fresh, green apples. The aftertaste, on the other hand, is a bit astringent and tart. I'd suggest cold brewing it to get rid of this problem (it would probably taste much better cold, anyway). Overall, it's a good tea and I like it because of its apple taste, but I'd much rather prefer a different tea if I could find it.
Other notes:
I feel pretty good. Got a nice nap today, had this tea, and went to the Japanese market. There, I got some pretty good katsudon, croquettes, sushi, melon bread, spaghetti-pan (? I don't know what to call it), and yakisoba-pan for cheap. Other than that, though, I didn't really do much other than spend a couple hours writing an essay on FDR (which sucked, especially since it was 7 paragraphs and we have no format to go off of).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Strawberry
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Broken up, light(er) green tea leaves with bits of dried apple
Color: Bright yellow-green
Smell: Fruity/strong green apple aroma with hints of grassiness
Recommended with/as: As is, iced
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
To be honest, I've already tried this tea, and it's one of my favorites (probably because apples are one of my favorite fruits). The tea leaves are admittedly of low quality, but I haven't found any other apple green tea that tastes this close to real apples yet.
As for the taste, it's very light and sweet. The apple taste isn't too strong, but rather stays subdued underneath a mild grassiness. However, it does leave a taste exactly like fresh, green apples. The aftertaste, on the other hand, is a bit astringent and tart. I'd suggest cold brewing it to get rid of this problem (it would probably taste much better cold, anyway). Overall, it's a good tea and I like it because of its apple taste, but I'd much rather prefer a different tea if I could find it.
Other notes:
I feel pretty good. Got a nice nap today, had this tea, and went to the Japanese market. There, I got some pretty good katsudon, croquettes, sushi, melon bread, spaghetti-pan (? I don't know what to call it), and yakisoba-pan for cheap. Other than that, though, I didn't really do much other than spend a couple hours writing an essay on FDR (which sucked, especially since it was 7 paragraphs and we have no format to go off of).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Strawberry
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Day 28: Caramele
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with bits of almond and yellow flower petals added
Color: Amber/medium brown
Smell: Light, baked caramel smell mixed with almonds; its very sweet
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Man, this tea smells great. The smell is very similar to Lupicia's cookie tea (one of my favorites), and doesn't smell artificial at all. On its own, the taste is not as strong as the cookie tea, but still pleasing nonetheless. The caramel flavor is strong and is complemented by the almond very well. The tea base adds a bit of earthiness to the tea, but isn't too noticeable. I prefer this tea with honey and milk, since the sweetness of the honey brings out the taste of the caramel and the milk mellows the entire tea. Overall, it's a very nice, smooth tea that has a sweet taste that isn't too overwhelming. However, Lupicia has better teas that are similar in taste, so I wouldn't recommend this too much (I like it though!).
Other notes:
Welp, I'm now technically done with the first month because 4 weeks (if you're going by the calendar, however, I'll be done with the first month end of next week). To be honest, I'm surprised I've stuck to this project for this long, and I'm actually pretty proud of myself. I'd say I've improved in identifying tastes (since I've read over some of my reviews, compared them to other people's reviews, and we've said similar things), but I'm not sure about my writing yet. Sorry if it's a bit boring right now (both the reviews and my life), but I'm trying.
Other than that, there's nothing much other than life becoming increasingly shitty these past few days (and its not just because of the girl thing). I won't go too much in depth about it since one of my life rules is "no matter how bad it is, someone somewhere has it worse than you, so just accept it and move on". It's kind of stupid, I know, but it helps.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Tsugaru Green
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with bits of almond and yellow flower petals added
Color: Amber/medium brown
Smell: Light, baked caramel smell mixed with almonds; its very sweet
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, honey, sugar
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Man, this tea smells great. The smell is very similar to Lupicia's cookie tea (one of my favorites), and doesn't smell artificial at all. On its own, the taste is not as strong as the cookie tea, but still pleasing nonetheless. The caramel flavor is strong and is complemented by the almond very well. The tea base adds a bit of earthiness to the tea, but isn't too noticeable. I prefer this tea with honey and milk, since the sweetness of the honey brings out the taste of the caramel and the milk mellows the entire tea. Overall, it's a very nice, smooth tea that has a sweet taste that isn't too overwhelming. However, Lupicia has better teas that are similar in taste, so I wouldn't recommend this too much (I like it though!).
Other notes:
Welp, I'm now technically done with the first month because 4 weeks (if you're going by the calendar, however, I'll be done with the first month end of next week). To be honest, I'm surprised I've stuck to this project for this long, and I'm actually pretty proud of myself. I'd say I've improved in identifying tastes (since I've read over some of my reviews, compared them to other people's reviews, and we've said similar things), but I'm not sure about my writing yet. Sorry if it's a bit boring right now (both the reviews and my life), but I'm trying.
Other than that, there's nothing much other than life becoming increasingly shitty these past few days (and its not just because of the girl thing). I won't go too much in depth about it since one of my life rules is "no matter how bad it is, someone somewhere has it worse than you, so just accept it and move on". It's kind of stupid, I know, but it helps.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Tsugaru Green
Friday, February 20, 2015
Day 27: Chai Bag Ginger
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 6-7 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small (CTC) black leaves with chunks of ginger added; there is other stuff added, but I can't really see it due to the teabag
Color: Light, golden brown (with the milk)
Smell: I'm getting a strong cinnamon smell, with a mix of various spices (imagine going into an Indian restaurant- that's what it smells like for me). Surprisingly, I don't really smell the ginger
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, sugar, milk
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
To make this chai, I followed the recipe given by Lupicia (short version below):
1. Boil 150 mL of water
2. Add tea bag and brew for 2 minutes
3. Add 150 mL of milk
4. Brew for 3 more minutes
Since this was the first time I've ever made chai, I have no idea if it turned out well. However, I do think that it had a really good color and it smelled great, so there's that.
I drank the first cup without any sweetener just to see how it would taste, and I'd say it's decent enough. It was a tiny bit bitter (the milk masked that for the most part) and tasted how it smelled- spicy. The ginger added a really strong kick to the end and stayed in my mouth a while after drinking, but it wasn't really noticeable in the actual taste.
As for the second cup, I added a bit of honey, which I think made it so much more better. It brought out a lot of the flavor and cut down on the ginger aftertaste. To be honest, I like it much more like this than unsweetened. Overall, I like it enough and I think it turned out well, but I think I'll just brew the next chai bag (I think there's 2 more) the usual way, add milk, and then add sweetener after. I can't really give this a proper review until I've had more chai, but it's not horrible and actually a bit nice (it's different!).
Other notes:
Nothing really, other than I think I've given up on trying to get that girl for now, at least. I've been trying to get closer to her (or at least be friendlier), but I'm getting nowhere and I'm getting the feeling that she doesn't feel the same way at all. I probably need to keep going at it (and stop being so damn awkward sometimes), but for the past few weeks I've been walking home alone and hating myself for the rest of the day for not doing more. I think I'm probably just going to take it slow right now, try to be more confident, and if anything happens, let it happen.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Caramele
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 6-7 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small (CTC) black leaves with chunks of ginger added; there is other stuff added, but I can't really see it due to the teabag
Color: Light, golden brown (with the milk)
Smell: I'm getting a strong cinnamon smell, with a mix of various spices (imagine going into an Indian restaurant- that's what it smells like for me). Surprisingly, I don't really smell the ginger
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, sugar, milk
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
To make this chai, I followed the recipe given by Lupicia (short version below):
1. Boil 150 mL of water
2. Add tea bag and brew for 2 minutes
3. Add 150 mL of milk
4. Brew for 3 more minutes
Since this was the first time I've ever made chai, I have no idea if it turned out well. However, I do think that it had a really good color and it smelled great, so there's that.
I drank the first cup without any sweetener just to see how it would taste, and I'd say it's decent enough. It was a tiny bit bitter (the milk masked that for the most part) and tasted how it smelled- spicy. The ginger added a really strong kick to the end and stayed in my mouth a while after drinking, but it wasn't really noticeable in the actual taste.
As for the second cup, I added a bit of honey, which I think made it so much more better. It brought out a lot of the flavor and cut down on the ginger aftertaste. To be honest, I like it much more like this than unsweetened. Overall, I like it enough and I think it turned out well, but I think I'll just brew the next chai bag (I think there's 2 more) the usual way, add milk, and then add sweetener after. I can't really give this a proper review until I've had more chai, but it's not horrible and actually a bit nice (it's different!).
Other notes:
Nothing really, other than I think I've given up on trying to get that girl for now, at least. I've been trying to get closer to her (or at least be friendlier), but I'm getting nowhere and I'm getting the feeling that she doesn't feel the same way at all. I probably need to keep going at it (and stop being so damn awkward sometimes), but for the past few weeks I've been walking home alone and hating myself for the rest of the day for not doing more. I think I'm probably just going to take it slow right now, try to be more confident, and if anything happens, let it happen.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Caramele
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Day 26: Menghai Puer
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Pu-erh
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Curled dark brown and gray leaves of medium to large size; there are a few twigs but not many
Color: Dark rose, mixed with a bit of orange
Smell: Very earthy and fishy, with very light floral notes; it reminds me a bit of the smell of sushi or seaweed
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
First off, let it be noted that this is the first time ever that I've had unflavored pu-erh. I've tried flavored pu-erh with chocolate and strawberries and I liked that well enough, but to be honest, once I smelled this tea I was kind of put off. The smell is super strong and a bit intoxicating, even though I only used a tea bag and a large amount of water (1-1.5 liters).
As for the taste, it surprisingly did not taste as strong as the smell. However, I found the taste pleasant, in a way. There is a distinct muskiness and smokiness to it, with a very strong salt taste (which isn't bad- it's more like ocean air). It has earthy undertones, and it finishes with a somewhat mellow aftertaste. There isn't much astringency either. Overall, I thought it was good (the flavor surprised me), but I think I need to try more raw pu-erh before I give this one a proper score.
Other notes:
To be honest, I have no idea what I will do for tomorrow. This will be the first time I'll be making chai (there's instructions on the back of the tea bag, though), so I don't know if it'll turn out good or not. I'll probably make a regular pot and use that to make the chai, rather than doing the recommended microwave way. We'll see, I guess.
As for school, there's nothing much other than tests. I've been getting scores lower than I would like recently, so I need to start working on that.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Chai Bag Ginger
Type: Pu-erh
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Curled dark brown and gray leaves of medium to large size; there are a few twigs but not many
Color: Dark rose, mixed with a bit of orange
Smell: Very earthy and fishy, with very light floral notes; it reminds me a bit of the smell of sushi or seaweed
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
First off, let it be noted that this is the first time ever that I've had unflavored pu-erh. I've tried flavored pu-erh with chocolate and strawberries and I liked that well enough, but to be honest, once I smelled this tea I was kind of put off. The smell is super strong and a bit intoxicating, even though I only used a tea bag and a large amount of water (1-1.5 liters).
As for the taste, it surprisingly did not taste as strong as the smell. However, I found the taste pleasant, in a way. There is a distinct muskiness and smokiness to it, with a very strong salt taste (which isn't bad- it's more like ocean air). It has earthy undertones, and it finishes with a somewhat mellow aftertaste. There isn't much astringency either. Overall, I thought it was good (the flavor surprised me), but I think I need to try more raw pu-erh before I give this one a proper score.
Other notes:
To be honest, I have no idea what I will do for tomorrow. This will be the first time I'll be making chai (there's instructions on the back of the tea bag, though), so I don't know if it'll turn out good or not. I'll probably make a regular pot and use that to make the chai, rather than doing the recommended microwave way. We'll see, I guess.
As for school, there's nothing much other than tests. I've been getting scores lower than I would like recently, so I need to start working on that.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Chai Bag Ginger
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Day 25: Sencha 'Uji'
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes 45 seconds, 70-75 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Thin, rolled, dark green leaves of varying lengths- they are somewhat needlelike
Color: Light green
Smell: Grassy and vegetal
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
A couple months ago, I actually gave 50g of this tea earlier before to my AP Bio teacher for Christmas and a tea cleanse without tasting it before- the Lupicia near me doesn't really have a good green tea selection, and I really like the appearance of these tea leaves.
Anyway, I really like this sencha! It starts off with a very light sweetness and grassiness, but quickly turns into a brothy, savory tea. It finishes with tart or somewhat sour notes. I don't know if it was the temperature I brewed the tea at (I had to guess the temperature) or if its just the tea, but there was a bit of astringency that left my tongue and throat dry after drinking. However, it's not bitter at all, and was very pleasant to drink. The price is a little bit on the high side (online, it's $13, but its a bit cheaper in the stores), so I'm not sure if I would drink this tea often. Overall, however, I recommend it very much.
Other notes:
Woo, 1/4th of the way done with the Book of Tea and almost done with the first month!
In other notes, apparently I'm sick again. Went to the doc since my lymph nodes started swelling, and (if, hopefully not) they get infected, I'll start having fevers and all of that jazz again. Woooo. Also, for the teas in Week 3- they'll be occurring on random days when I feel like it, or I'll just add them on at the end of this project (Day 100 + 1-3, or something like that).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Menghai Puer
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes 45 seconds, 70-75 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Thin, rolled, dark green leaves of varying lengths- they are somewhat needlelike
Color: Light green
Smell: Grassy and vegetal
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
A couple months ago, I actually gave 50g of this tea earlier before to my AP Bio teacher for Christmas and a tea cleanse without tasting it before- the Lupicia near me doesn't really have a good green tea selection, and I really like the appearance of these tea leaves.
Anyway, I really like this sencha! It starts off with a very light sweetness and grassiness, but quickly turns into a brothy, savory tea. It finishes with tart or somewhat sour notes. I don't know if it was the temperature I brewed the tea at (I had to guess the temperature) or if its just the tea, but there was a bit of astringency that left my tongue and throat dry after drinking. However, it's not bitter at all, and was very pleasant to drink. The price is a little bit on the high side (online, it's $13, but its a bit cheaper in the stores), so I'm not sure if I would drink this tea often. Overall, however, I recommend it very much.
Other notes:
Woo, 1/4th of the way done with the Book of Tea and almost done with the first month!
In other notes, apparently I'm sick again. Went to the doc since my lymph nodes started swelling, and (if, hopefully not) they get infected, I'll start having fevers and all of that jazz again. Woooo. Also, for the teas in Week 3- they'll be occurring on random days when I feel like it, or I'll just add them on at the end of this project (Day 100 + 1-3, or something like that).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Menghai Puer
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Day 24: Sakurambo Vert
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, rolled (blade-like) dark green leaves with bright red peppercorns and long, yellow pines
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Grassy and like cherries (it smells especially like cherry pits, rather than the fruit as a whole for some reason); its very refreshing and the aroma has a bit of bite to it
Recommended with/as: As is, iced (cold brew would be amazing for this tea), honey, sugar
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
If I had to pick between this tea and Sakurambo (the black tea version), I would pick this tea hands down. The cherry flavor is much more noticeable and combines well with the subtle notes of the green tea much more than the black; as a result, it creates a very refreshing and fresh cherry tea. The tea base gives off light brothy and vegetal notes and has little astringency, making the tea very smooth. The aftertaste too is nice- it ends on a nice sour note, and stays in your mouth long after tasting. I really like it, but for some reason, I feel like I couldn't drink it every day (flavored greens just don't add up to a good shincha anymore).
Other notes:
I think I might start the retasting of last weeks teas (I have vanilla, sakurambo, and darjeeling the autumnal) tomorrow, since I have spares of the tea bags. I'll just post it underneath, probably in this section and make it quick and concise. Otherwise, I'll just put them in on random days when I have the time (probably the weekend).
Anyways, it went pretty good today. We got almost everything set up today for the experiment (just need to fix some more wiring for a control group and add the algae), made some awesome curry rice which almost failed because of no stove, my friend really liked the banoffee pie and banana bread, and I got some of the commercial filmed for Japanese. All in all, a pretty good day.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha 'Uji'
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, rolled (blade-like) dark green leaves with bright red peppercorns and long, yellow pines
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Grassy and like cherries (it smells especially like cherry pits, rather than the fruit as a whole for some reason); its very refreshing and the aroma has a bit of bite to it
Recommended with/as: As is, iced (cold brew would be amazing for this tea), honey, sugar
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
If I had to pick between this tea and Sakurambo (the black tea version), I would pick this tea hands down. The cherry flavor is much more noticeable and combines well with the subtle notes of the green tea much more than the black; as a result, it creates a very refreshing and fresh cherry tea. The tea base gives off light brothy and vegetal notes and has little astringency, making the tea very smooth. The aftertaste too is nice- it ends on a nice sour note, and stays in your mouth long after tasting. I really like it, but for some reason, I feel like I couldn't drink it every day (flavored greens just don't add up to a good shincha anymore).
Other notes:
I think I might start the retasting of last weeks teas (I have vanilla, sakurambo, and darjeeling the autumnal) tomorrow, since I have spares of the tea bags. I'll just post it underneath, probably in this section and make it quick and concise. Otherwise, I'll just put them in on random days when I have the time (probably the weekend).
Anyways, it went pretty good today. We got almost everything set up today for the experiment (just need to fix some more wiring for a control group and add the algae), made some awesome curry rice which almost failed because of no stove, my friend really liked the banoffee pie and banana bread, and I got some of the commercial filmed for Japanese. All in all, a pretty good day.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha 'Uji'
Monday, February 16, 2015
Day 23: Apricot
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled black leaves with yellow flower petals mixed in
Color: Dark orange/amber
Smell: Sweet and lively; it is surprisingly close to the actual smell of the fruit
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, honey, sugar
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Unlike a few of Lupicia's teas, this tea actually really tastes like what its supposed to be. The apricot flavor is strong, and has an added kick with a little bit of spice. The tea base adds a bit of earthiness and astringency and is more noticeable for this tea, but it complements the apricot flavor nicely. Overall, it's a nice, mostly mellow tea and one of my favorite fruit teas so far (which is surprising, since I wasn't expecting much out of this tea at all). The apricot flavor is really good, and it makes me want to actually eat one sometime.
Other notes:
Surprisingly, I actually got a bunch done today (it helps that there's no school too). Woke up, got all of my homework done, downloaded a bunch of music off of my old iPod (it had a surprising amount of songs that I thought I had lost forever), went to piano class, and then baked banana bread and banoffee pie. I'm pretty happy about that, and I'm also super hyped about tomorrow since: I get to start a video project of the science fair stuff (for a scholarship thing), reset the experiment (aquariums broke, so we're switching them with jars), and eat the food I made (and make curry rice in japanese class!).
On another note, god damn the Welcome to the NHK soundtrack is great. I don't really like the metal/heavy rock tracks, but the other tracks make great music for chilling.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sakurambo Vert
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled black leaves with yellow flower petals mixed in
Color: Dark orange/amber
Smell: Sweet and lively; it is surprisingly close to the actual smell of the fruit
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, honey, sugar
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Unlike a few of Lupicia's teas, this tea actually really tastes like what its supposed to be. The apricot flavor is strong, and has an added kick with a little bit of spice. The tea base adds a bit of earthiness and astringency and is more noticeable for this tea, but it complements the apricot flavor nicely. Overall, it's a nice, mostly mellow tea and one of my favorite fruit teas so far (which is surprising, since I wasn't expecting much out of this tea at all). The apricot flavor is really good, and it makes me want to actually eat one sometime.
Other notes:
Surprisingly, I actually got a bunch done today (it helps that there's no school too). Woke up, got all of my homework done, downloaded a bunch of music off of my old iPod (it had a surprising amount of songs that I thought I had lost forever), went to piano class, and then baked banana bread and banoffee pie. I'm pretty happy about that, and I'm also super hyped about tomorrow since: I get to start a video project of the science fair stuff (for a scholarship thing), reset the experiment (aquariums broke, so we're switching them with jars), and eat the food I made (and make curry rice in japanese class!).
On another note, god damn the Welcome to the NHK soundtrack is great. I don't really like the metal/heavy rock tracks, but the other tracks make great music for chilling.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sakurambo Vert
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Day 22: Matcha Kirara Rice Tea
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green (Genmaicha blend)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Green tea leaves that look like blades of grass with somewhat large roasted pieces of rice, all covered in matcha
Color: Bright, light green
Smell: Strong smell of roasted rice with a bit of sweetness
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Despite my taste and smell not being what it used to, I still liked this tea relatively well. The roasted and nutty taste of the rice is very strong, and the green tea/matcha base is nice with little astringency. It's sweet with little bitterness, but I found that its a little hard to taste the green tea (genmaicha) in it, since the rice overpowers it. Overall, I really like it (especially since the loose leaf is super cheap- I might pick up a pack some time).
Other notes:
Nothing really happened again today other than 1. I interviewed my grandfather for a project, 2. got stuck waiting to film, which never happened because people, and 3. went biking. For some reason, I can breathe through my nose fine (for the most part), but I can't smell very well at all. Hopefully, this'll change soon since it's already been a week of me guessing or spending a super long time smelling a single cup of tea.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Apricot
Type: Green (Genmaicha blend)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Green tea leaves that look like blades of grass with somewhat large roasted pieces of rice, all covered in matcha
Color: Bright, light green
Smell: Strong smell of roasted rice with a bit of sweetness
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Despite my taste and smell not being what it used to, I still liked this tea relatively well. The roasted and nutty taste of the rice is very strong, and the green tea/matcha base is nice with little astringency. It's sweet with little bitterness, but I found that its a little hard to taste the green tea (genmaicha) in it, since the rice overpowers it. Overall, I really like it (especially since the loose leaf is super cheap- I might pick up a pack some time).
Other notes:
Nothing really happened again today other than 1. I interviewed my grandfather for a project, 2. got stuck waiting to film, which never happened because people, and 3. went biking. For some reason, I can breathe through my nose fine (for the most part), but I can't smell very well at all. Hopefully, this'll change soon since it's already been a week of me guessing or spending a super long time smelling a single cup of tea.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Apricot
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Day 21: Alphonso Mango
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Long, rolled black leaves with bits of dried mango
Color: Dark amber
Smell: It has the smell of a ripened mango (but the smell just isn't too strong)
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar, honey, iced, milk
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
First off, I'd suggest brewing this tea longer than the recommended (or even better- use more loose leaf if you could find it), since it was a little weak after 3 minutes with a tea bag. As for the taste, I thought it was kind of lacking. You can certainly taste the mango, but I thought it tasted unripened, unlike the smell. It was a little bit sour and bitter- adding some sugar helped. There's little astringency however (making it very smooth) and the tea base is nice and light. Overall, it's okay, but I'd prefer if the mango was sweeter and much stronger.
Apparently, the tea IS supposed to taste like really sweet mangoes, but I can't tell if it's because I used too much water or my taste is still suffering from the sick (I'm getting better though!). Like most other teas this week, I think I'll try going for a re-taste later on.
Other notes:
Nothing really other than I think I'm almost done being sick (there's really coughing now). Valentine's day was less eventful than I hoped, since all I pretty much did today was sleep, eat, play video games, watch a movie, and buy groceries. Hopefully tomorrow or Monday will be better since my friends will be free to actually film that commercial I was talking about yesterday.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Matcha Kirara Rice Tea
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Long, rolled black leaves with bits of dried mango
Color: Dark amber
Smell: It has the smell of a ripened mango (but the smell just isn't too strong)
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar, honey, iced, milk
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
First off, I'd suggest brewing this tea longer than the recommended (or even better- use more loose leaf if you could find it), since it was a little weak after 3 minutes with a tea bag. As for the taste, I thought it was kind of lacking. You can certainly taste the mango, but I thought it tasted unripened, unlike the smell. It was a little bit sour and bitter- adding some sugar helped. There's little astringency however (making it very smooth) and the tea base is nice and light. Overall, it's okay, but I'd prefer if the mango was sweeter and much stronger.
Apparently, the tea IS supposed to taste like really sweet mangoes, but I can't tell if it's because I used too much water or my taste is still suffering from the sick (I'm getting better though!). Like most other teas this week, I think I'll try going for a re-taste later on.
Other notes:
Nothing really other than I think I'm almost done being sick (there's really coughing now). Valentine's day was less eventful than I hoped, since all I pretty much did today was sleep, eat, play video games, watch a movie, and buy groceries. Hopefully tomorrow or Monday will be better since my friends will be free to actually film that commercial I was talking about yesterday.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Matcha Kirara Rice Tea
Friday, February 13, 2015
Day 20: Darjeeling the Autumnal
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled, broken up blackish brown leaves with flower buds and twigs
Color: Golden orange
Smell: From what I can smell, it seems to have an earthy smell
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
This darjeeling is somewhere in the middle between a black and a green tea. It's not too strong (if you view it as a black tea), with some astringency. The taste has a tiny bit of spice, which is rounded out by sweet, fruity tones. Overall, I like it well enough, but I think I'll need to try different darjeelings (I think I have first flush and second flush in the book) before I give this one a proper score.
Other notes:
Woo, my smell is sort of coming back! I'm only coughing and my nose alternates between runny and stuffy, but I feel like I'm getting better every day. Valentines Day is tomorrow, and I have nothing to do (didn't ask out that girl yet because sick and I think most of my friends are busy), so I think I'm just going to do work and get some filming done for a Japanese commercial. I might make also some sweets tomorrow too since I found a good recipe for Baked Alaska and I had a random craving for some banana bread. We'll see.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Alphonso Mango
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled, broken up blackish brown leaves with flower buds and twigs
Color: Golden orange
Smell: From what I can smell, it seems to have an earthy smell
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
This darjeeling is somewhere in the middle between a black and a green tea. It's not too strong (if you view it as a black tea), with some astringency. The taste has a tiny bit of spice, which is rounded out by sweet, fruity tones. Overall, I like it well enough, but I think I'll need to try different darjeelings (I think I have first flush and second flush in the book) before I give this one a proper score.
Other notes:
Woo, my smell is sort of coming back! I'm only coughing and my nose alternates between runny and stuffy, but I feel like I'm getting better every day. Valentines Day is tomorrow, and I have nothing to do (didn't ask out that girl yet because sick and I think most of my friends are busy), so I think I'm just going to do work and get some filming done for a Japanese commercial. I might make also some sweets tomorrow too since I found a good recipe for Baked Alaska and I had a random craving for some banana bread. We'll see.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Alphonso Mango
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Day 19: Kamairicha "Gokase"
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, 85-90 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Dark green, small, curled/rolled leaves (their appearance makes it obvious that they're fried, rather than steamed)
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Still can't smell (uuughh), but I have the loose leaf of this tea so I can do that later
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Compared to the other green teas I've had so far, this one is not as grassy or fishy. Instead, it tastes sweet with a slightly sour aftertaste. There is a little bit of astringency, but overall the taste is not too overpowering and not too weak. Personally, I'd prefer a nice shincha to this (since it tastes kind of average in terms of green tea as a whole).
Other notes:
Oh man, Darjeeling tomorrow! Hopefully my senses come back by then, because I am really looking forward to that tea. As for my sick, I'm still coughing a bit and my nose is still stuffed. Getting better, though! As for school, I got a WWI test (one of my favorite wars!), AP biology essay (biotech and that's pretty easy), I have to start to repair an aquarium (turns out that carrying an aquarium filled with water and rocks can crack the glass on the bottom because structural integrity and all that jazz), and COOKING CURRY RICE WOO.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Darjeeling the Autumnal
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, 85-90 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Dark green, small, curled/rolled leaves (their appearance makes it obvious that they're fried, rather than steamed)
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Still can't smell (uuughh), but I have the loose leaf of this tea so I can do that later
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Compared to the other green teas I've had so far, this one is not as grassy or fishy. Instead, it tastes sweet with a slightly sour aftertaste. There is a little bit of astringency, but overall the taste is not too overpowering and not too weak. Personally, I'd prefer a nice shincha to this (since it tastes kind of average in terms of green tea as a whole).
Other notes:
Oh man, Darjeeling tomorrow! Hopefully my senses come back by then, because I am really looking forward to that tea. As for my sick, I'm still coughing a bit and my nose is still stuffed. Getting better, though! As for school, I got a WWI test (one of my favorite wars!), AP biology essay (biotech and that's pretty easy), I have to start to repair an aquarium (turns out that carrying an aquarium filled with water and rocks can crack the glass on the bottom because structural integrity and all that jazz), and COOKING CURRY RICE WOO.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Darjeeling the Autumnal
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Day 18: Vanilla
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, rolled black tea leaves with a few twigs only (nothing else added)
Color: Dark amber
Smell: Can't do this today at all, for reasons stated below
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, sugar, milk
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
When this tea came out of the number generator, I was kind of dreading it. Vanilla, to me, is nice when matched with other flavors, but on it's own? No thank you.
However, when I tasted it, I was mildly surprised. I was expecting an intoxicating vanilla syrup taste and smell, but it was mild enough from what I could tell. The vanilla I could taste was somewhat like vanilla ice cream or a vanilla milk drink- like a float. It's sweet and not too strong, smooth, and for sure a good vanilla. I'd suggest it with milk or mixed with another tea (chocolate or sweet teas seem like a good pairing).
Other notes:
Getting better, but still sick. Coughing isn't as bad anymore, taste is sort of coming back, but my nose is so stuffy I couldn't even smell the tea well. To be honest, I didn't even account for this when I first thought of the project and set it up (this is like, the first time I've been sick in around 6 months). Luckily though, I've already tried most of the teas this week or have extra tea bags of them, so I might double up on reviews next week and re-do these.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Kamairicha "Gokase"
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small, rolled black tea leaves with a few twigs only (nothing else added)
Color: Dark amber
Smell: Can't do this today at all, for reasons stated below
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, sugar, milk
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
When this tea came out of the number generator, I was kind of dreading it. Vanilla, to me, is nice when matched with other flavors, but on it's own? No thank you.
However, when I tasted it, I was mildly surprised. I was expecting an intoxicating vanilla syrup taste and smell, but it was mild enough from what I could tell. The vanilla I could taste was somewhat like vanilla ice cream or a vanilla milk drink- like a float. It's sweet and not too strong, smooth, and for sure a good vanilla. I'd suggest it with milk or mixed with another tea (chocolate or sweet teas seem like a good pairing).
Other notes:
Getting better, but still sick. Coughing isn't as bad anymore, taste is sort of coming back, but my nose is so stuffy I couldn't even smell the tea well. To be honest, I didn't even account for this when I first thought of the project and set it up (this is like, the first time I've been sick in around 6 months). Luckily though, I've already tried most of the teas this week or have extra tea bags of them, so I might double up on reviews next week and re-do these.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Kamairicha "Gokase"
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Day 17: Sakurambo
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with peppercorn or small cherries (I can't tell) and long needle-like yellow pieces
Color: Amber/golden orange
Smell: I can't really smell it, but the only thing that I can notice is a very slight cherry smell.
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, sugar, iced
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Although I can't really taste right now, this tea was surprisingly flavorful. It has a nice tart cherry aftertaste, and the initial taste is a bit strong. It's only a bit astringent (but that might just be me being sick). Overall, it's sort of a sour tea but it fits with the cherry- I like it.
Other notes:
Welp, still sick. However, the group test went pretty well (we didn't finish 1 problem because we ran out of time & we were missing a group member), and our science fair experiment is showing data that confirms our hypothesis (oh my god I'm so hype), so I have that going for me.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Vanilla
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with peppercorn or small cherries (I can't tell) and long needle-like yellow pieces
Color: Amber/golden orange
Smell: I can't really smell it, but the only thing that I can notice is a very slight cherry smell.
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, sugar, iced
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Although I can't really taste right now, this tea was surprisingly flavorful. It has a nice tart cherry aftertaste, and the initial taste is a bit strong. It's only a bit astringent (but that might just be me being sick). Overall, it's sort of a sour tea but it fits with the cherry- I like it.
Other notes:
Welp, still sick. However, the group test went pretty well (we didn't finish 1 problem because we ran out of time & we were missing a group member), and our science fair experiment is showing data that confirms our hypothesis (oh my god I'm so hype), so I have that going for me.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Vanilla
Monday, February 9, 2015
Day 16: Happiness
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Blend (rooibos and green)
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Green tea and rooibos with a large amount of flower petals
Color: Light yellow
Smell: Sweet, floral, fruity
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, sugar, honey
Rating: 7*/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Overall, I thought this tea was average. Unsweetened, it's astringent and bland. There's little fruit taste- despite the smell, the tea is a bit flavorless. Sweetened, it's a bit better, but I still don't like it. Not at all. Apparently, it's supposed to taste like grapefruit and peach (and maybe even wine) but I don't taste any of those. Rather, it tastes more like licorice.
Other notes:
*Okay, so I am super sick today (the flu, I think), so this review will have to be short and probably not accurate since I can't really smell or taste. I'm coughing, all of my joints ache, I've been lightheaded all day, and I can't even write decently. The thing that sucks is that I HAVE to go to school tomorrow because I have a group test and I can't miss that. Anyway, I'll let you guys know what happens.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sakurambo
Type: Flavored Blend (rooibos and green)
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Green tea and rooibos with a large amount of flower petals
Color: Light yellow
Smell: Sweet, floral, fruity
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, sugar, honey
Rating: 7*/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Overall, I thought this tea was average. Unsweetened, it's astringent and bland. There's little fruit taste- despite the smell, the tea is a bit flavorless. Sweetened, it's a bit better, but I still don't like it. Not at all. Apparently, it's supposed to taste like grapefruit and peach (and maybe even wine) but I don't taste any of those. Rather, it tastes more like licorice.
Other notes:
*Okay, so I am super sick today (the flu, I think), so this review will have to be short and probably not accurate since I can't really smell or taste. I'm coughing, all of my joints ache, I've been lightheaded all day, and I can't even write decently. The thing that sucks is that I HAVE to go to school tomorrow because I have a group test and I can't miss that. Anyway, I'll let you guys know what happens.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sakurambo
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Day 15: Sencha "Nara"
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, 85 to 95 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Long, rolled green leaves with some fannings
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Fishy/seaweed smell with grass
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Compared to yesterday's tea, this doesn't have that much of a roasted taste, if any at all. Rather, it's more sweet with a bit of sourness. It finishes off with a light grassy taste. Not too strong and not too weak- it's a very mellow tea. It's good, but compared to yesterday, it doesn't have that much of a complex flavor.
Other notes:
I feel like random.org (the number generator I've been using to pick each day's teas) has been picking a lot of high numbers, so I've been drinking only greens and flavored blacks. I think if this doesn't change soon, I might have to adjust the way I pick each day's teas. Also, for the Tea Reviews section, I'm torn on if I should keep houjichas and greens separate; they're both technically green teas, but I feel like houjichas are different enough that they should be in a different category. By that logic, should I keep rooibos and herbal teas different? I don't know! Decisions!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Happiness
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, 85 to 95 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Long, rolled green leaves with some fannings
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Fishy/seaweed smell with grass
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Compared to yesterday's tea, this doesn't have that much of a roasted taste, if any at all. Rather, it's more sweet with a bit of sourness. It finishes off with a light grassy taste. Not too strong and not too weak- it's a very mellow tea. It's good, but compared to yesterday, it doesn't have that much of a complex flavor.
Other notes:
I feel like random.org (the number generator I've been using to pick each day's teas) has been picking a lot of high numbers, so I've been drinking only greens and flavored blacks. I think if this doesn't change soon, I might have to adjust the way I pick each day's teas. Also, for the Tea Reviews section, I'm torn on if I should keep houjichas and greens separate; they're both technically green teas, but I feel like houjichas are different enough that they should be in a different category. By that logic, should I keep rooibos and herbal teas different? I don't know! Decisions!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Happiness
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Day 14: Sencha "Ukiyo Ippun Gorin"
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, 75-100 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Green and yellow fannings and dust; the large pieces look like blades of grass
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Roasted and nutty; similar to a houjicha, but not as strong. Earthy too, with a little bit of fishiness.
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
For some reason, the tea leaves smelled roasted, somewhat like houjicha (but not as strong), rather than the usual strong fishy or grassy smell green teas usually have. Since I used more than the recommended amount of water, I had to brew the tea for 30 more seconds than recommended- as stated before, since I am using tea bags, my green tea reviews (and possibly my oolong reviews) may not be as accurate as they should be.
As for the taste, it has a somewhat salty taste (a bit like the ocean), with grassy undertones and a nutty aftertaste. There is little astringency, but it does leave the mouth a bit dry after drinking. A more of a savory green tea- I recommend it. If I can get my hands on the loose leaf (it looks like its only sold in Japan), I'll do a proper review in the future.
Other notes:
Valentine's day is coming up and man,I have no idea what to do. My friend recommended that I ask her out before then so I can do something with her (and it won't be too cliched) but I don't know. I know she likes me back (I can't say why because of reasons), so I have that sort of going for me. I'm thinking of maybe doing stuff with her that weekend and seeing where that goes, but setting that up is gonna be hard.
Anyway, I'm thinking of adding a new section to the top description- (Fancy) Words to Describe This Tea. I might, but I'll need to increase my tasting vocabulary first. If you can't tell, I usually spend a time before each review looking up words to describe teas or wines (heh).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha "Nara"
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute 30 seconds, 75-100 degrees C
Leaf Appearance: Green and yellow fannings and dust; the large pieces look like blades of grass
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Roasted and nutty; similar to a houjicha, but not as strong. Earthy too, with a little bit of fishiness.
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
For some reason, the tea leaves smelled roasted, somewhat like houjicha (but not as strong), rather than the usual strong fishy or grassy smell green teas usually have. Since I used more than the recommended amount of water, I had to brew the tea for 30 more seconds than recommended- as stated before, since I am using tea bags, my green tea reviews (and possibly my oolong reviews) may not be as accurate as they should be.
As for the taste, it has a somewhat salty taste (a bit like the ocean), with grassy undertones and a nutty aftertaste. There is little astringency, but it does leave the mouth a bit dry after drinking. A more of a savory green tea- I recommend it. If I can get my hands on the loose leaf (it looks like its only sold in Japan), I'll do a proper review in the future.
Other notes:
Valentine's day is coming up and man,I have no idea what to do. My friend recommended that I ask her out before then so I can do something with her (and it won't be too cliched) but I don't know. I know she likes me back (I can't say why because of reasons), so I have that sort of going for me. I'm thinking of maybe doing stuff with her that weekend and seeing where that goes, but setting that up is gonna be hard.
Anyway, I'm thinking of adding a new section to the top description- (Fancy) Words to Describe This Tea. I might, but I'll need to increase my tasting vocabulary first. If you can't tell, I usually spend a time before each review looking up words to describe teas or wines (heh).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha "Nara"
Friday, February 6, 2015
Day 13: Houjicha "Oni no Baisen"
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green (Houjicha)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Light and dark brown leaves; they're small and broken up
Color: A nice golden orange
Smell: A roasted, burnt aroma. A little bit nutty, too.
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
This tea tasted more like a hybrid between houjicha and a sencha. It had the roasted taste and smell of houjicha with the grassy notes of a sencha. It had a bit of astringency (could probably be fixed with an even shorter brew time), but overall was very mellow. Compared to the previous houjichas I've had, this one isn't as strong or harsh- it certainly tasted toasty, but not too overwhelming. Overall, it's one of my favorite houjichas so far.
Other notes:
Ugh, I've been trying to get close to a girl and man it's hard. It's working when I act like myself in person, but man, I feel like anything I say could screw it up. I'll give updates if anything happens.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha "Ukiyo Ippun Gorin"
Type: Green (Houjicha)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Light and dark brown leaves; they're small and broken up
Color: A nice golden orange
Smell: A roasted, burnt aroma. A little bit nutty, too.
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
This tea tasted more like a hybrid between houjicha and a sencha. It had the roasted taste and smell of houjicha with the grassy notes of a sencha. It had a bit of astringency (could probably be fixed with an even shorter brew time), but overall was very mellow. Compared to the previous houjichas I've had, this one isn't as strong or harsh- it certainly tasted toasty, but not too overwhelming. Overall, it's one of my favorite houjichas so far.
Other notes:
Ugh, I've been trying to get close to a girl and man it's hard. It's working when I act like myself in person, but man, I feel like anything I say could screw it up. I'll give updates if anything happens.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Sencha "Ukiyo Ippun Gorin"
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Day 12: Strawberry and Vanilla
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Green tea leaves (broken up? They're not really rolled), rose petals, and some other fibrous bits of a flower or fruit
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Floral, with a strong artificial (candy?) strawberry smell. The vanilla is also slightly noticeable.
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, milk (?)
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
The artificial smell is strong with this tea. The taste, too. Even though it smells like candy strawberries, the taste is closer to vanilla with an essence of strawberry (which is light, but I would prefer a bolder strawberry flavor rather than just vanilla). I would say it tastes like a candy or drink I've had before, but the taste is just so odd that I can't seem to figure it out. I thought the the tea base was nice with the added matcha- its very light with little astringency. The rose petals were a nice touch too (for the tea's taste and color).
The tea is recommended with milk in the Book of Tea pamphlet, but I don't really know how that would go nor would I recommend it, since it's a green tea. If I could try it, I would, but I've been out of milk for the past week. It's fine on its own without any sweetener since it's already sweet. Anyway, I ended up feeling a bit sick after drinking my 3 cups for this tea, since the tea just tastes too vanilla-y and artificial. It also gives off a (in my opinion) bad aftertaste. It would make a good latte, though!
Other notes:
I should really stop eating crap so often. My diet lately has been consisting of white bread and random snacks since I'm sort of broke and don't have enough time to cook a decent meal. Seriously, everything has taken up so much of my time that I've been eating dinner and doing this past 10 PM. I really want to change, but I don't have the space in my budget to get decent food. We'll see.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Houjicha "Oni no Baisen"
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Green tea leaves (broken up? They're not really rolled), rose petals, and some other fibrous bits of a flower or fruit
Color: Light yellow-green
Smell: Floral, with a strong artificial (candy?) strawberry smell. The vanilla is also slightly noticeable.
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, milk (?)
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
The artificial smell is strong with this tea. The taste, too. Even though it smells like candy strawberries, the taste is closer to vanilla with an essence of strawberry (which is light, but I would prefer a bolder strawberry flavor rather than just vanilla). I would say it tastes like a candy or drink I've had before, but the taste is just so odd that I can't seem to figure it out. I thought the the tea base was nice with the added matcha- its very light with little astringency. The rose petals were a nice touch too (for the tea's taste and color).
The tea is recommended with milk in the Book of Tea pamphlet, but I don't really know how that would go nor would I recommend it, since it's a green tea. If I could try it, I would, but I've been out of milk for the past week. It's fine on its own without any sweetener since it's already sweet. Anyway, I ended up feeling a bit sick after drinking my 3 cups for this tea, since the tea just tastes too vanilla-y and artificial. It also gives off a (in my opinion) bad aftertaste. It would make a good latte, though!
Other notes:
I should really stop eating crap so often. My diet lately has been consisting of white bread and random snacks since I'm sort of broke and don't have enough time to cook a decent meal. Seriously, everything has taken up so much of my time that I've been eating dinner and doing this past 10 PM. I really want to change, but I don't have the space in my budget to get decent food. We'll see.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Houjicha "Oni no Baisen"
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Day 11: Muscat
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled black and brown leaves with twigs
Color: Golden-orange
Smell: Mainly grapes; it's very floral and fruity. The grape doesn't smell artificial at all (like many fruit candies), but is surprisingly close to the actual fruit.
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, honey
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Lupicia is great at doing a realistic grape flavor (if you'd like to know what would be artificial grape flavor, see grape Pez or most other American fruit flavored candies). The tea tastes exactly how it smells- it has a strong, muscat/grape flavor. It's sour with a little bit of sweetness and earthiness. The black tea base is nice and smooth, with a bit of astringency. It might be the way I brewed it, but it made my throat a bit dry after drinking. Surprisingly, I like it with sweetener as much as the tea on its own (usually, I only like one or the other).
To be honest, though, not many of the flavored teas so far have really surprised me (this one is no exception) because a lot of Lupicia's teas taste somewhat similar, especially in the fruit department. If you really had to get a muscat flavored tea, I'd suggest Lupicia's Muscat Oolong over this.
Other notes:
Since I haven't mentioned it yet, here is how I do my taste tests:
1. Clean all equipment (kettle, pot, cups, etc.) and drink a glass or 2 of water.
2. Boil the water and warm up the tea pot (I use a steel coffee pot, since I'm making tea for multiple people and I don't have an actual teapot).
3. Open the tea bag packet and smell and examine the leaves.
4. Once the water is done boiling, let it cool (if applicable) and brew the tea for the desired time (usually the upper end of the recommended time).
5. Once brewed, pour the tea into a teacup (I use a Sango Versailles cup) and smell the tea.
6. Let it cool until it's at a drinkable temperature, and then begin tasting.
7. Drink a minimum of 3 cups before final scoring and review.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Strawberry and Vanilla
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled black and brown leaves with twigs
Color: Golden-orange
Smell: Mainly grapes; it's very floral and fruity. The grape doesn't smell artificial at all (like many fruit candies), but is surprisingly close to the actual fruit.
Recommended with/as: As is, iced, honey
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Lupicia is great at doing a realistic grape flavor (if you'd like to know what would be artificial grape flavor, see grape Pez or most other American fruit flavored candies). The tea tastes exactly how it smells- it has a strong, muscat/grape flavor. It's sour with a little bit of sweetness and earthiness. The black tea base is nice and smooth, with a bit of astringency. It might be the way I brewed it, but it made my throat a bit dry after drinking. Surprisingly, I like it with sweetener as much as the tea on its own (usually, I only like one or the other).
To be honest, though, not many of the flavored teas so far have really surprised me (this one is no exception) because a lot of Lupicia's teas taste somewhat similar, especially in the fruit department. If you really had to get a muscat flavored tea, I'd suggest Lupicia's Muscat Oolong over this.
Other notes:
Since I haven't mentioned it yet, here is how I do my taste tests:
1. Clean all equipment (kettle, pot, cups, etc.) and drink a glass or 2 of water.
2. Boil the water and warm up the tea pot (I use a steel coffee pot, since I'm making tea for multiple people and I don't have an actual teapot).
3. Open the tea bag packet and smell and examine the leaves.
4. Once the water is done boiling, let it cool (if applicable) and brew the tea for the desired time (usually the upper end of the recommended time).
5. Once brewed, pour the tea into a teacup (I use a Sango Versailles cup) and smell the tea.
6. Let it cool until it's at a drinkable temperature, and then begin tasting.
7. Drink a minimum of 3 cups before final scoring and review.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Strawberry and Vanilla
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Day 10: Grapefruit
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled black leaves with bits of dried grapefruit
Color: Amber/dark orange-brown
Smell: Sweet; the grapefruit smell is there, but not that noticeable.
Recommended with/as: Honey, milk, as is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Personally, I don't really like grapefruit (the actual fruit). But this tea wasn't that bad. It certainly smells very fruity; the aroma is sweet and not too overwhelming, and I wouldn't be able to match it to the fruit if I tried. The grapefruit taste is there, but it's sweet with a slight bitterness- rather than being super sour. The citrus taste is also very light, which rounds out this tea nicely. I prefer it with honey rather than as is, but it certainly is good on its own.
Other notes:
Nothing really. The reviews lately have been a bit short, since schoolwork has picked up and I end up doing this at 10:00 PM- a time that's not really ideal for tea tasting, but I guess it works. I am set in doing this for 100 days non-stop, so even if I have to wait until 1 AM to do this, I will get a review done.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Muscat
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Small, curled black leaves with bits of dried grapefruit
Color: Amber/dark orange-brown
Smell: Sweet; the grapefruit smell is there, but not that noticeable.
Recommended with/as: Honey, milk, as is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Personally, I don't really like grapefruit (the actual fruit). But this tea wasn't that bad. It certainly smells very fruity; the aroma is sweet and not too overwhelming, and I wouldn't be able to match it to the fruit if I tried. The grapefruit taste is there, but it's sweet with a slight bitterness- rather than being super sour. The citrus taste is also very light, which rounds out this tea nicely. I prefer it with honey rather than as is, but it certainly is good on its own.
Other notes:
Nothing really. The reviews lately have been a bit short, since schoolwork has picked up and I end up doing this at 10:00 PM- a time that's not really ideal for tea tasting, but I guess it works. I am set in doing this for 100 days non-stop, so even if I have to wait until 1 AM to do this, I will get a review done.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Muscat
Monday, February 2, 2015
Day 9: Houjicha "Shigaraki"
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green (Houjicha)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Dark brown leaves of various sizes with a few twigs
Color: Medium golden brown
Smell: Strong roasted smell (for some reason, the smell of houjicha always reminds me of rice)
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
This is a very strong tea (stronger than most houjicha I've had, really). If I could compare it to anything, I'd compare it to coffee. The roasted taste is nice and rich, without being too bitter. There's a slight sour/tangy aftertaste, which I enjoyed. The smell is great too! There isn't really much I can think of to describe or say about this tea, other than I recommend it if you like stronger, unflavored teas.
Other notes: Man, first kitty0706 and now Monty Oum. Something tells me this is going to be a crappy month (rest in peace, you guys).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Grapefruit
Type: Green (Houjicha)
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Dark brown leaves of various sizes with a few twigs
Color: Medium golden brown
Smell: Strong roasted smell (for some reason, the smell of houjicha always reminds me of rice)
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
This is a very strong tea (stronger than most houjicha I've had, really). If I could compare it to anything, I'd compare it to coffee. The roasted taste is nice and rich, without being too bitter. There's a slight sour/tangy aftertaste, which I enjoyed. The smell is great too! There isn't really much I can think of to describe or say about this tea, other than I recommend it if you like stronger, unflavored teas.
Other notes: Man, first kitty0706 and now Monty Oum. Something tells me this is going to be a crappy month (rest in peace, you guys).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Grapefruit
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Day 8: Jasmin Mandarin
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Rolled, mostly brownish leaves
Color: Golden yellow
Smell: Floral (mainly jasmine)
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Despite its name, this tea does not actually taste like mandarins. In fact, it only tastes like jasmine. However, do not despair! I thought that this tea was actually pretty good, for what it is (a standard jasmine tea). It's mellow, the taste isn't too overbearing, and it has a nice floral flavor. The green tea flavor is light, and the jasmine complements it nicely. Despite this, I thought that the tea doesn't really have much going for it, other than what I've said above. You could probably get a comparable tea for much less than what it's sold for at Lupicia ($5.50 for 50g of loose leaf), so I'd recommend against buying it. It's good, though!
Other notes:
Nothing really. I made some cans of Dulce de Leche (note to self: boil on high, rather than medium for 4 hours), and had some really good Sencha (Tanegashima asamushi from O-cha) too. After I'm done with this project, I'll probably get to reviewing that. Also, NEW EPISODE OF ALDNOAH ZERO WOO
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Houjicha "Shigaraki"
Type: Flavored Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling water
Leaf Appearance: Rolled, mostly brownish leaves
Color: Golden yellow
Smell: Floral (mainly jasmine)
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Despite its name, this tea does not actually taste like mandarins. In fact, it only tastes like jasmine. However, do not despair! I thought that this tea was actually pretty good, for what it is (a standard jasmine tea). It's mellow, the taste isn't too overbearing, and it has a nice floral flavor. The green tea flavor is light, and the jasmine complements it nicely. Despite this, I thought that the tea doesn't really have much going for it, other than what I've said above. You could probably get a comparable tea for much less than what it's sold for at Lupicia ($5.50 for 50g of loose leaf), so I'd recommend against buying it. It's good, though!
Other notes:
Nothing really. I made some cans of Dulce de Leche (note to self: boil on high, rather than medium for 4 hours), and had some really good Sencha (Tanegashima asamushi from O-cha) too. After I'm done with this project, I'll probably get to reviewing that. Also, NEW EPISODE OF ALDNOAH ZERO WOO
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Houjicha "Shigaraki"
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