The Tea Merchant

OH MY! ok this was just delicious. A perfect balance a very light tasting Oolong. vanilla is one of my favorite flavors and this delivers perfectly. It not overpowering and you can still tell its an Oolong but the vanilla is so good and compliments it so well. After multiple steeping you lose the Vanilla but its still slightly lingers but then you have a great Oolong to drink! Perfect this will be a staple in my collection

The last of this sample from the summer is keeping me company over a late night. It’s the third steep, and it’s still going. Thank God.

This is the first time I’ve ever really had Hell Week for a show. Sure, I’ve had rough weeks, but I’ve never had a show this bad: a props-heavy show where I’m not allowed to help with set changes because I needed to be on book until the week of the show; the biggest scene change occurring as quick change because you “can’t break for intermission there;” a director who’s so obsessed with being perfectly period she wants us to print out paper labels and tape them onto beer cans so that the label is right.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m crackin’ up.

On the plus side, I love my cast to death. I’ve never had a Hell Week before but I’ve never loved my cast as much as I do now. Sigh.

Tomorrow’s going to be absolutely awful. I have my 7:30 class and then I have to teach until 3, and then I absolutely have to meet my professor sometime between 3:30 and 4:15 because I missed the meeting I was supposed to have today, and then I have one rehearsal, and then I go straight to this rehearsal… It’s gonna be horrid. And I’m doing it all completely exhausted.

Sorry.

Tea.

This tea is getting me through the night. It’s so creamy and smooth, and it’s a darker oolong but it’s not especially rocky. The vanilla tastes so natural that originally I didn’t think I tasted any vanilla. I don’t taste any vanilla flavoring, that’s the difference. Bravo, Tea Merchant. Bravo.

This came as a free sample from The Tea Merchant – thanks!

The more I drink this, the more I seem to like it. It’s rich and creamy and develops over several steepings. I don’t really have the energy to write a ton about it at the moment (in between talking to The Boy and doing Education homework, my mind is a bit fragmented) but it’s nice and soothing.

I like! This Earl Grey does not have as strong a bergamot flavor as some Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried, but, I think I like it for how smooth the flavors taste here. It is very nicely round, not at all sharp, not soapy or perfume-y either. Very pleasantly flavored, with just enough tangy citrus notes to keep it lively.

This would be the Earl Grey I’d serve to someone who thinks they do not like Earl Grey because the bergamot tastes too soapy to them … the bergamot here is mellow enough to not come off like that, but, not so mild that it is not noticed. A nicely balanced Earl Grey.

Very nice. Smooth creamy vanilla and light citrus notes.

My final sample from The Tea Merchant.

Wow! Thanks for this one. The sip on the first cup is vanilla. No surprise there. The aftertaste is a lingering green oolong. There is just a hint of citrus that I catch high up, to where I can’t determine if it is a taste or a smell. This has a creamy feel to it. This is a really nice cup. The more it cools the more the mix of flavors is making sense. Each sip is a blast of vanilla that slowly fades through citrus into floral oolong that lingers until you take the next sip You can gulp this, but don’t. Slow down and enjoy journey.

The second cup is very different. This starts out plant like. My brain immediately thought geranium, but since there is marigold in this, maybe that is what I am sensing. This changes quickly into green oolong. Just as quickly it changes to vanilla briefly and then back into the long lingering floral oolong aftertaste. I would swear this is a different tea, had I not prepared it myself. What a roller coaster ride. Totally different than the first but also a really nice cup.

The third cup starts with the plant/flower notes mixing with the floral oolong. The vanilla is light and mixes with the creaminess. The whole thing ends with the lingering aftertaste. The sweetness of the cup, mixed with the floral oolong flavor, reminds me a bit of watermelon.

This is an interesting cup. If at anytime you don’t quite like what you are tasting (though I don’t know how that is possible) just wait until the temperature changes of for the next cup and it will be something else. This is definitely worth trying.

I have been waiting to review this tea, because frankly, it baffles me. I have never tasted another tea with quite this flavor. Not having experienced Ti Kuan Yin ever, I cannot compare this but to different types of oolongs. Having said that, it is quite a tea. The aroma is very vegetal bordering on almost fresh paint notes. (which I like btw)
The smooth yet hardy roasted flavor is more intense than most oolongs I have tasted. I want to say the flavor is almost metallic but not in a bad way. It makes me feel I am drinking something extremely healthy. This is a very complex very good tea. This will definitely become a staple for me.

Thanks to The Tea Merchant for this sample!

Hm. It’s a really pretty peachy orange color. I cold-brewed it overnight. The dry smell is really fruity and great. The tea liquor definitely smells like apricots. But I’m not sure it tastes like them. I mean, I’d definitely go with fruit, but I’m not sure I want to jump straight to apricot – blood orange and nectarine, maybe?

It’s good, though, I’ll grant it that. It’s been crazy hot here in NY, so I’ve been drinking iced almost nonstop!

I’m starting to think white tea may be my favorite after black tea. There’s just something about white tea that makes me not want to sweeten it, and I love not having to sweeten a cup of tea. Mostly I’ve had flavored white so I wonder if I’d like pure white tea. Must explore more.

This tea is awesome. The dry smell in the bag is incredible and I’m not quite sure how to describe it fully, other than it has a very scrumptious coconut scent. I love seeing the fuzzy white leaves and brightly colored flower pieces in this blend.

It’s an extremely relaxing brew. Light, creamy, coconut goodness.

Thank you to the Tea Merchant for being awesome and letting us at steepster try some of your teas!

The sample from The Tea Merchant is huge! I actually added this one to my cupboard just because of the size of it. I do not normally add samples to my cupboard!

This is a light, fruity, sparkling, darjeeling. I do not have much experience with Darjeeling yet, not nearly as much as I have with some other teas. I am very much enjoying this cup!
It is of a high quality, very easily sippable, and a nice light black tea!

As I said there is a sparkling sensation in the mouth, and a very bright mouthfeel.
I get notes of malt but very light notes, there is a flavor and aroma of hay fields, some peachy notes that peek out bashfully now and then which then change to an apple note in the aftertaste. I also get an almost floral flavor that turns to a woodsy one. LOL this is a wonderful experience!

I would keep this in my stash! Going on the shopping list.

Oh and as others have said – their packaging is darling!

The last of the sample. It is about a year old. This is still really good. I over steeped on purpose to see what would happen. It is astringent but not heavily so. Despite this it is very smooth. My brain is too shot today to write a better review. This is a solid offering.

I was thinking white tea today. Then I remembered drinking a lot of very flavored teas yesterday. Just in case some lingering remnants might be hanging around in my press, I thought I would start with something that could easily overcome any cling-ons. This was a great choice. The dry leaf smells wonderfully strong. It is up to the task like Kirk on Klingons. The cup itself is smooth and mellow. Not bitter but has enough astringency to make the tongue tingle just a little (yeah!). Has a very good fruity aftertaste.

Live long and prosper.

This is my third sample provided by The Tea Merchant. I need to look this up on their website as I don’t know what they mean by ‘biodynamic’, anyway my experience with Darjeeling is a bit limited. I have a bagged Darjeeling from Mother Parker with Saturday breakfast, and I used to drink loose Ahmad Darjeeling. I view the opportunity to taste this tea today as continuing education.

Removing a scoop of leaf from the bag reveals this is CTC, but as has been discussed before, that is not an indication of quality. It is actually a very typical production method for black tea. The scent reminds me of unscented pipe tobacco leaf.

Steeped for 3 minutes with almost boiling water resulted in a golden amber color brew that appears more orange as I pour. The sip is a bit different than I expected. It actually does have an apple like character. When hot it feels brightly tart (astringent?) on the sides of the tongue. This disappears as the cup cools. The apple flavor becomes more apple wood as it cools. Then the traditional muscatel flavors I was expecting begin to show through. At one point I thought I caught cinnamon hints. This seems a bit drying. A really nice cup with no bitterness. It has me craving breakfast.

I wanted something fun, not fussy, but good. Rummaging through the tea drawers I found I had just enough of this for one last go. It was just what I needed. More vanilla than earl grey but tasty all the same.

I remember now why I don’t steep rooibos in my french press. I had to dismantle the whole thing and scrub it this morning. Ah well, it sparkles now so thanks for the motivation (sarcasm implied).

So after the cleaning ordeal I decided to peruse the stash for something not requiring a lot of attention, intellect, or clean up. Found this tucked in the back of a drawer. Its Earl Grey with vanilla. Shoot, I could probably brew that with my eyes closed whilst and at the same time toasting a bagel.

The bagel was delish and the tea spot on. Sometimes I amaze even me.

Very vanilla with lighter notes of bergamot. I can feel the tea base on the insides of my cheeks. A good first cup. Bonus – I still have enough leaf for next time.

And I thought yesterday’s morning cup of creamy earl grey was aromatic. Wonderfully strong vanilla and black tea. The bergamot is barely detectable until the cup is cool then it still remains in the background. Though I prefer my EG with much more bergamot this is still a very nice cup.

Oh man. The smell coming out of the bag reminds me of orange slice candy. Brewed the aroma gives off this root beer – grape soda vibe. This is an Earl Grey Crème using French vanilla.

If you love French vanilla this is going to please you. The description on the sample says, this is ‘estate black tea hand blended with fragrant oil of bergamot and a hint of French vanilla.’ Now I think their idea of hint and mine are a bit different. When the cup is hot this tastes highly of French vanilla. It isn’t until the cup cools that the bergamot and black tea can be more easily separated out in the sip. After you figure out the differences you become aware that you were tasting them all along. The aftertaste has a bit of a licorice twang to it that I liked.

The second cup is a little different. The aroma off the cup is black tea. The taste is a much more balanced blend of all the flavors. The aftertaste leaves a lot more black tea on your breath. This is an excellent cup.

I’ve noticed since being out of work, the last 4 months, that tea hasn’t tasted as deep or amazing to me. Which is odd considering I have tried some really deep and amazing teas lately. So it got me wondering. If it is not the tea, then what? Is it my attitude? I really don’t think so. I am actually adjusting quite well. I am making plans for the future – something I haven’t done in years. It can’t be my brewing equipment since I brought it all home.

That leaves one thing unchecked. The water. I used tap water at work and had great tea. I am using tap water at home but it is a different source. I have always complained of microwaved water at home – maybe it is not just the microwave. So I am using bottled water today.

Unfortunately after that long introduction, I can’t yet determine if it made a big difference. I think I got the water too hot for this white / green blend – or just maybe I am going to have to adjust how I brew things. Wouldn’t that be fabulous. Leaving the rating alone because I can’t redo this cup as it is a sipdown.

I was looking at my teas thinking I want earl grey. No, I want something more gentle – like white or green tea. Enter Silver Jade. I can have it all, well sort of. This is NOT Earl Grey. The bergamot is so light even you bergamot haters (you know who you are) could not complain. It adds only a hint of citrus to the white tea. The green also has a supporting role giving the tea more heft. This is really hitting the spot.

A blend of white, green, and bergamot. The bergamot is pretty non-existent except as possibly the very faintest citrus note. However the white and green mix is really nice. Tunes: Black Sabbath – War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man.

I have been anxiously awaiting my turn to review this companies tea. Today, they finally worked their way to the front of the line. I love the way this is packaged. Others have mentioned it as well but it is a nice touch, making the experience seem more special.

Silver Jade is a white and green tea blend. When you open the bag that is obvious as there is white downy buds mixed with darker green leaf. It smells and looks fresh. Mostly I am picking up on the scent of white tea with just the lightest hint of citrus from oil of bergamot.

I steeped a large scoop for about 3 minutes in steaming water. The result is a golden green cup. The taste is mostly what I think is white peony. The green I can’t really separate out but it does add heft to the cup. It reminds me slightly of White Monkey. Late in the sip and far in the distant background is the faint touch of citrus. The more the cup cools the more the citrus is sensed, but it never reaches a point where you would think ‘bergamot’. As another review noted, it seems more a part of the tea than an addition.

It is slightly milky and sweet with notes of honey. They call this cup a smooth, mellow, fresh taste. I would agree. A nice refreshing take on white tea.

This is my third sample from The Tea Merchant, one of the two I selected for myself – Thank you TTM! The aroma of this one after opening the bag was powerfully blueberry. I was sold by the scent right away. Underneath the blueberry there is a hint of white tea – crisp and fresh but a supporting aroma. Steeped approximately 3 minutes, I have a surprisingly bold yellow liquor which maintains strong berry aroma, but the white tea is in competition. The steeped aroma isn’t blueberry, per se, but it does remind me of them. Sort of like a (mild) blueberry candle or candy.

The leaves on this one were broken up a bit more than I would like to see (much like the darjeeling) but it doesn’t seem to be enough that I think it would impact the taste. The leaves are still at least 1/2 an inch to an inch long but they have clearly been broken. This could be due to shipping or it could have started that way, I’m not sure.

The taste of this one is impresssively bold. The pomegranate/blueberry flavour hits you right off the bat and then subtly transforms into the white tea. There is a bit of sweet hay at the end which is supported by the berry flavours which don’t ever fully disappear. I am impressed at the strength of flavour in this one, I tend to find whites a bit of a let-down. This is what I want from David’s Tea’s White Tiger. As the cup cools I lose a bit of the berry, I think it is best drank quickly but that’s okay. I feel that way about whites and greens in general, before the tea has time to take over the flavouring. This one is very impressing, I must say!

Finishing up this sample today (in almost record time!) and wanted to share that I am getting a cuppa peaches and cream corn today. That is the smell and that is the taste – the dry smell actually makes my tummy a little upset (some greens and oolongs don’t agree with me) but the taste isn’t having that effect. It’s interesting how vanilla can lean so many ways in terms of flavouring – thankfully this isn’t coconutty vanilla, but more baked goods style. And apparently corn. : )

Wow, that’s some vanilla! I received this sample from The Tea Merchant and am steeping it up while at switchboard. Thanks to The Tea Merchant! The dry aroma is in your face vanilla, it reminds me of vanilla pudding in a way. THere is something hiding behind the vanilla that I can’t quite place. Steeped for three minutes, the liquor is a pale yellow and the immediate aroma is of corn. Wait, what? Yep, corn and vanilla. I gotta say, this makes me worry. I don’t like green tea or really green oolongs. We’ll see!

The flavour isn’t as aggressive (yay!) but I do get a bit of that corn I was smelling, and then it’s a smooth vanilla right after that. I enjoy vanilla, but I’m very specific about it. This is yummy, but getting dangerously close to too much vanilla (when it starts reminding me of coconut, which I loathe). I also am getting a weird hint of mint which I want to blame on my mug, but I haven’t had mint in it in ages. Very strange.

As I progress through the cup (and it cools) the flavours are coming together more and a hint of the oolong is peeking through. It’s a bit green for my preferences, BUT it works. Very light and refreshing though there is a creamy aspect from the vanilla. I think the beau might really like this one, I’ll have to get him to try it. Overall, this is a yummy tea but a bit overdone on the vanilla. I might like to see a bit more oolong in the taste OR change the name to Vanilla Explosion or something, hah! : )