278 Tasting Notes
Method: 1 tsp, 8 oz, 182 degrees, 2.5 minutes, ForLife Brew in Mug Strainer, Dr. Who mug
Dry Aroma: MMMM Grassy pistachios.
Brewing Aroma: Grass, pistachio, general nutty flavors, sweet grass
Flavor: Nuts and grass. This has a sweetness on its own without needing any additives. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this flavored green tea, because I haven’t had much luck with them in the past, but I did enjoy this cup. I didn’t really pick up any creamy flavors. I added a little rock sugar, just to see what that would be like, but that was a mistake. It just added an odd dimension. I think this tea was better on its own. That being said, I would love to try the pistachio flavors in a different base.
Preparation
Method: 1.5 tsp, 208 degrees, 8 oz, 5 min, French Press
Dry Aroma: The elderberries are center stage. I don’t even smell any cinnamon, which surprised me.
Brewing Aroma: Now there’s the cinnamon, but the elderberries are gone
Flavor: Cinnamon is the most obvious flavor. I don’t taste the elderberries outright, but the tea has a light fruity flavor and a sweetness that I suspect could be from the berries. I didn’t add anything to this one, and it was still quite sweet. I just wish I had realized it was not caffeinated when I picked it this AM. :)
Preparation
I found my favourite cinnamon tea in this one :-)
It’s an interesting one. I’m not huge on cinnamon, but I didn’t find this one to be overwhelming. Sometimes the cinnamon just tap dances all over your face. It’s a bit much!
But this was mild and smooth. I think I’ll enjoy it even more in the cooler months. I was thinking it might even make a good cold brew. Ever try it like that?
Actually no, cause I had only a sample, and well it’s all gone now…will be part of next order in july. But I can totally see how it would make an excellent cold brew!
I found my favourite cinnamon tea in this one :-)
Lol, Steepster is really acting out, my comments are posting in double now!
Actually no, cause I had only a sample, and well it’s all gone now…will be part of next order in july. But I can totally see how it would make an excellent cold brew!
Steepster is being very naughty this evening!
This morning’s project was S’mores with S’mores tea! I think it was a huge success!
I used 1 tbsp of tea per cup, 208 degrees, and steeped longer this time (5 min). I added about 1/2 tbsp of cacao nibs to the steep also, because why not?
I used salted chocolate for the actual s’mores, and since I am not camping and don’t have a gas stove, I toasted the marshmallows in the oven. Broil on high, ONE min per side. Seriously, time it.
I melted the chocolate on a graham cracker for about a min in the micro. That was too long. 30 secs should do it. It may not look completely melted, but it continues to melt after it comes out. Don’t ask me how I know.
The tea and s’mores are amazing together. Salty sweet chocolate smokey creamy goodness.
I had some extra marshmallows, so I threw one in each cup of tea. They weren’t melting fast, so I just put the marshmallow in my mouth and drank the tea. Yumz.
Here are pics of the operation:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14500425813/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14479086634/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14500425323/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14293852837/
Preparation
Oh yum! Those look awesome! And I love your Weeping Angel mug. I love the ones I got from that lady – I got a baby sloth doing yoga and a Ganesh. sigh I want s’mores now.
I’m such a dork with that mug. I have one at work, and one here. Exactly the same. It is my fave mug for sure, LOL. I really love her work, but I don’t think I’d ever use another mug now. :p
Come over and I’ll make ya some s’mores :)
BTW – your tea should be there tomorrow…
I’m a dork with all of my tea stuff.
That is super. Thanks for sharing! I hope your trip went well. Are you home now?
Those look fabulous.
Is that the BonaVita gooseneck kettle? How do you like it? I was looking at one but I worry that the long spout would lower the water temp between the time it leaves the main pot and enters my mug.
Haha this is awesome :) Do you mind if I share one of these photos on my Facebook page?
Kaylee: It is, and it’s the love of my life. Don’t tell my boyfriend, though I suspect he already knows. I haven’t noticed any temp issues. If you were concerned, you could always add a degree or 2 to compensate. That is the greatest thing about this kettle. If you’d like 178 or 207 degrees, instead of the standard presets, you can have exactly that!
Brenden: I never deny photo usage to tea mixologists. Feel free! :)
Yay! :) Thanks so much! And I totally thought I was following you already. Weird…
Yes, I’m home and my trip went fine, thanks for asking. I travel a lot for work and also for pleasure – this was a work one. I hope you like the Zhu Rong. You too Brenden.
:)
IOU some tea, MzPriss, so if you see anything you like in my notes or stash, let me know! :)
Hahaha, s’mores tea & S’mores at the same time, now that’s true decadence!
I have that exact same kettle in my office, & I SO love it! My old electric kettle is around the corner in the kitchen, & it’s great for when I first wake up & want a full boil, but I love the variable temp so much.
Awesome, now I crave them as well. Maybe I’ll bring them up North next weekend!
Nice idea! I will have to try this tea at some point.
We have the same kettle! :)
I’m actually already nearly out of the s’mores tea, so I have to order more soon. See what you started, Brenden!
Variable temp, FTW!!!!!! I wish it had a bell though, so it would ding when it’s done!
Yum!
Don’t tell anyone, but I kind of wish my kettle would die so I could get a new one :D It’s finicky about letting you do variable temp and the buzzer is just annoying. Does the Bonvita have an annoying beep?
no beep on the Bonvita
I was able to get one because one of my sons gave me aa Amazon gift card for my Bday back in January
Oh good. I will put it on my Amazon wish list for when this one dies. Mine is a black & decker one, and the beep sounds like a server hardware error warning, so it gives the husbeast a twist.
The Bonavita is totally quiet. Too quiet, maybe. I think it’s up to something….
Method: 1 tsp in 8 oz at 208 degrees for 3 min, tea ball
Dry Aroma: fruity and sweet. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a real passion fruit. This smells a little like mango to me.
Brewing Aroma: Same as above
Flavor: yum yum yum. Lightly sweet and fruity, and even better with sugar. The base tea isn’t bitter and lets the fruity flavors shine. Nice!
Preparation
Not sure about this one. It smells fruity, but to me, the aroma is more peachy than apple! I suspect this would be an excellent cold brew; however, I just had enough for one cup. It had a hint of bitterness, but that was easily cut by a little sugar.
Preparation
I really want to go camping…
Method: 1.5 tsp @ 208 degrees for 3 minutes in 8 oz., French Press
Dry Leaf Aroma: Smoke, Ginger Ale, and Cream Ale. Not ginger or cream. Specifically ginger ale and cream ale. Crazy!
Brewing Aroma: The smoke calmed way down. I can smell the black tea and a very subtle sweetness.
Flavor: Smoke & Spice, with a hint of sweetness. I didn’t get any chocolate from the scents or flavors, but I still enjoyed this tea very much. The smoke wasn’t out of control, though it definitely feels like making s’mores at a campfire. There was a nice zing to this. I would have sworn it was ginger, instead of cinnamon, but I guess I would be wrong. I saw that another Steepsterite mentioned oversteeping. I’ll try that next!
Preparation
Love this one so much! The smoke is done just right.
Oh, and I will try to think “ginger ale” next time I have it ;-)
I want to drink this while eating s’mores!
And yeah, get back to me on that ginger ale thing, pls. Because I was really baffled. Happy, but baffled. LOL. It was only in the dry leaf aroma! :)
I drank this with s’mores once. It was so perfect that I couldn’t taste the tea at all. Haha :)
I’m totally trying it. I have to run to the store this AM, and I just put supplies for s’mores on my shopping list.
:) Hehe, enjoy!
I love that my teas inspire others. That’s the goal!
OMG, so I got supplies, barely, b/c it’s not easy finding vegan marshmallows.
Anyway, I found these amazing salted chocolate bars, when I was buying the chocolate for the s’mores. I don’t think they’re a new thing, but I hadn’t noticed them before. I just made a faux s’more with some (no fire), and it was incredible.
Have you tried Sweet & Sara? They make amazing vegan marshmallows. I’ve seen them most consistently in Whole Foods and some natural foods stores. http://sweetandsara.com/
I haven’t seen those, Kaylee! The ones I tracked down here were from Chicago Vegan Foods. They’re called dandies. The flavor is spot on, but they aren’t as fluffy as non-vegan marshmallows. I just read that I can toast them without a campfire in the oven, so I’ll try that and hopefully they’ll melt nicely!
I’ve made s’mores by putting marshmallows on a fork and toasting them over the flame on my stove
You fancy peeps & your gas stoves. :p
Mine is electric (blah!), but the oven worked great. I put them in a cupcake tin and broiled on high for about 1 min each side. I’m about to post pics!
Picked May 18, 2014
Method: 1.5 tsp in 8 oz at 205 degrees for 4 min, French Press
My boyfriend made this as our breakfast tea while I was getting ready for work. There are no instructions on the bag, but I think he did pretty well, considering.
I’m basing my review on his method, but I will try this again using the instructions on the site for the tea, and update as needed.
Aroma: I did not yet experience the dry aroma, but the finished tea aroma was STRONG. I walked downstairs into the kitchen and I immediately smelled a very roasty aroma. For a minute, I thought he brewed a genmaicha, but when I looked in the mug, I saw that the tea was too dark for that. The tea smells like toasted rice and dark malts. I did not pick up any of the sweet or fruity flavors from the description.
Flavor: To me, this tastes like it smells. Toasted rice and dark malts take center stage. I did not find the tea to be bitter of astringent when hot, but it did pick up a tinge of astringency as it cooled. Nothing outrageous. I am hoping to try this again when I get home from work, using short steeps. Maybe some of the other flavors will come forward at that point. I’m not unhappy with the tea, but I feel like it has more to give.
Update 1: Dry leaves smell like burny chocolate. Tried this brewed western style to the specifications on the website. I think it was 1 tbsp to 8 oz at 3 min in boiling water. That was a mistake. I called this brew: THE BURNINATOR. Burned malt, burned chocolate, burned molasses. I wasn’t sure if it was the increase in tea leaves or the temp until later, but it was definitely the temp because…
Update 2: Tried 5 g in a small gaiwan at 205 degrees. 20 sec, 25, 30, 30, and 35. Poured those all in a mug. The smokiness is there, along with a little chocolate and molasses, but it’s definitely better this way.
I think that heavily smoked/burny teas just aren’t my bag, baby. This reminded me of brewing a porter, with the dark malts that impart a smoky flavor.
Preparation
Mine came today. I haven’t tried it yet, cause my taster is a little out of whack right now, but am looking forward to it.
Super. I’m interested to see what you think. I had intended to do this again when I got home, but my Whispering Pines order came today, so I dove right into the new Golden Orchid. :p
Doesn’t the new GO smell incredible? I haven’t tried mine yet, but it smells even more creamy-dreamy if that is even possible.
Indeed. I will be posting my review tomorrow. I’m too beat for that tonight!
Method: 2 tsp @ 205 degrees in 8 oz, grandpa style
Aroma: Dry and Steeping aromas smell sweet and candy-like. These are a type of date, and that’s just what they smell like.
Flavor: I added a little rock sugar from the start because in my mind, date tea should be sweet. It was only 1/2 tsp or so, and the sweetness is very pleasant. The tea tastes warm, and I don’t mean the temperature. It definitely tastes like the dried dates I like to purchase. I wonder if I can make a tea out of those!
Preparation
Method: 1 tea bag in 8 oz at 205 degrees for 3 min.
Impressions: The color was lovely and the aroma was nice, but the tartness of the hibiscus was overpowering. After adding about a tsp. of rock sugar, this was much better. Even with the sugar to soften things, I didn’t taste anything past the hibiscus.
Preparation
Method: 1.5 tsp @ 208 degrees in 8 oz, 4 minutes, French Press
Dry Leaf Aroma: Cocoa and light malt
Brewing Aroma: Strongly malty
Flavor: I was really hoping to pick up some of the honey flavor from the description, or at least some sweetness, but this was pretty neutral. I enjoyed the malty flavors, and I didn’t find the tea to be overly bitter or astringent, but I also did not find many interesting notes. I think this is a good tea, but not my fave.
Preparation
Heyyyy, wait… I think I have a French press I got for the husbeast which he never uses. I should bring that to work! If it gets lost or broken, I won’t particularly care… well this opens up some possibilities!
Do you put the leaves above the press to pull them out, or under and press them down?
Husbeast. Awesome!
I put the leaves in, then put the top on, then press down when done. I never thought of putting them on top, which is kind of genius if I want to make a whole pot, but drink some now and some later. Normally I only use the french press when making tea for 2 or 3.
I am going to try the pulling tea leaves method later!
:D
I will definitely bring it to work if I still have it hiding in the top of the pantry! I hope I didn’t inspire you to try something that will cause a big mess, lol!
Jinjunmei is worth experimenting with! You may get more honey notes with shorter steeps. In fact I have one jinjunmei that I regularly use just a little more leaf than treat to 5-15s initial steeps in boiling water sounds weird but it will brought out the sweeter notes in that particular tea.
