Popular Tasting Notes
I decided that I needed a treat for my birthday so opened the sample of last thoughts I bought during the moving day sale.
The tea is amazing. Far and away the best tea I have ever had. The tea equivalent of Ch. Lafitte Rothschild wine.
Where to start? First steep was sweet, smooth, and grassy. Lots of cha qi. Very rich and powerful. Complex. Flavors drift slowly into a very long, lush finish. I’m flying high. Wouldn’t want to drive right now. 3rd steep: Nice nose: wood, with a hint of straw and smoke. Flavor is light straw and wood seems to move around my mouth as it activates different areas. Long finish and huge cha qi. I’m totally out of it after 5-6 ounces. I would need 3 times as much wine to get the same effect. This is more like whiskey.
At this point I took a break because I was afraid it was unsafe to go up or down stairs if I had any more. 5th, 6th steeps (2 hours later): Smooth and pleasant but not complex as before. Toasty nose. Rich toast/straw flavors, but weaker than before. Less finish. As it cools it devloped more flavor and complexity, displaying a syrupy, viscous texture. Still really powerful qi.
I went back to the tea about 24 hours later. Still gorgeous. Sweet smooth and complex. Silky in the mouth with excellent finish. This may be better than the earlier steeps because it is so well integrated. I’m seriously considering a cake for $439. The biggest problem would be that if I drank this regularly I would have trouble going back to normal teas.
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So I’ve been craving a smoky tea for days now. I keep thinking of brewing up some more of my Verdant reserve lapsang souchong, but I don’t have much of it left…. (Ok, I should just brew it up before it loses flavour!)
Anyways, I have a pouch of this from LiberTeas, and also acquired a pouch during one of 52teas’ sales, so I figured I should try to drink it down. I don’t recall liking this tea much straight, but to me, smoke goes incredibly well with milk + sugar. In this case, heavy cream and sugar, because we happen to have cream in the fridge from some culinary experiments last week.
Aside from the fact that this is absolutely decadent due to the cream + sugar… this is perfect. Delicious smokiness. Not tasting chocolate per se, but all I was really after tonight was the smokiness.
When I got in on an Upton order a while back, I ordered both their Lapsang Souchong Dragon (??) and Baker Street Afternoon Blend, which IIRC has something smoky mixed in there. I’ll have to try them and see if either’s something I can drink straight, as having my tea doctored is not a good routine option for me (the only tea I allow that treatment with is Mayan Chocolate Chai, because it’s smoky too, and because it’s a chai).
ETA: Had an amazing second infusion too. Soooooo good. Holds up to additions so amazingly well.
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the 12 days of christmas tea i picked up from majesteas is a really nice smokey tea that has a unique profile to it. If i end up picking up more i’ll pass a sample off to you.
That would be awesome! I seem to like smoky teas, but need to work on finding ones that are smooth. The Verdant one is so good, I wish it was available for purchase :(
Tealux has a very smooth maple-flavored Lapsang Souchong, I have no issue drinking that one straight (but I do love smoky blends)!
Maple-flavoured??? Heck yes….. searches
More details, please? :)
noooooo alphakitty! no recommending companies that aren’t on our existing lists lol Kittenna! don’t you dare do it! lol sooo many teas to order still..
http://steepster.com/teas/tealux/27381-russian-maple-souchong
They have sample sizes so you don’t even have to invest in a large portion! Maple and smoke go perfectly together in my book
Too late…. :D :D :D :D
PS Thanks Alphakitty!
OMG. I might need to place another tea order! Russian Maple sounds amazing. Thanks Alphakitty! (I’ve ordered from there, and my parcel took forever after Christmas. They were very quick authorizing a trace and offering to re-send if it didn’t make it.)
maple lapsang souchong? hmmmm….I might like that…
Soooooooo thanks entirely to you, Alphakitty, I now have a wish list of like 20 teas, totalling like $40, and will be making an order very, very soon. Thanks….. ish? :P
Haha, sometimes I think Steepster is the worst thing that ever happened to my wallet. We’re all enablers XD
Wallet, space in my room….
Yes, we probably all need a 12 step program…if only we were willing…
I wish I knew more locals who were into tea, since I pretty much want sample sizes of everything to try, but $60 of samples is just too much.
just find tea friends! kittena and indigobloom and raritea and i found each other :)
Know anyone on the site in or near Vancouver, BC? :D Ooh, or maybe there’s a Discussion thread…
Actually, I think there are a bunch of Steepsters in Victoria? I know, not the same place, but neither are Guelph and Toronto :D
Victoria is easier to get to, AND there was a post for a meetup that I have hijacked! So awesome.
I like genmaichas, but I don’t drink them a lot because I never really have a craving for them. The only time I really want some is when I go out to an Asian restaurant (usually because it still tastes decent after they boil it). But I figured I would give this one a try. I got a mere ounce knowing that it would last me a while, and it is, although I’m starting to go through it a little quicker now!
It’s been a cold, rainy, dreary day. I woke up at 6am this morning to go stand out in the (literally) freezing rain for three hours to learn how to do tree plots. I needed something soothing and warm pronto! I grabbed this. The first cup I downed just to get some warmth back into my body. Sometime during my second cup I started to get feeling back in my fingers and toes. Then I slowed down and actually tasted the tea!
This tea is incredibly smooth, creamy, and buttery. It’s reminiscent of buttered popcorn…heavy on the butter. The toasted rice isn’t the normal toasted rice you find in genmaichas. This one is sweeter and nutty. This tea is thick and savory, I feel like it should almost be viscous (not a bad thing, I promise).
I love the movie 16 Candles, and I have this scene stuck in my head:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS7s3Wq2ggk
Because today, it’s my birthday! Oh and guess who just got a monthly reserve tea package in today!
ETA: I lied, the package I got was actually the free David’s Choice reserve samples I got from accumulating so many points on the Verdant site!
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Happy birthday and enjoy the monthly reserve package!
A big warm HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! (I sung that! Honestly!)
Happy Birthday!!!
Happy Birthday! Don’t get too tea drunk! :P
Thank you everyone! And tea drunk was yesterday!…maybe again tomorrow…I still have time today yet :)
Happy birthday! And what’s a tree plot?
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Thank you all!
CupofTree: What we did for a tree plot was go out in the middle of the woods, put a steak through loggers tape and measure out so many meters in a radius (we started out at 4.7m, and went up to 17.8m). Then, you measure all the trees within that radius. We then calculated the height, their canopy cover, canopy density, ground cover, etc. It’s tedious work that was made less fun by the weather.
Sounds like a memorable birthday, if not a warm and cozy one!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Oooooh, I’m so curious about the contents of the David’s Choice package! Mine is in the mail to me right now! Also, happy birthday! :D
I’m playing Happy Birthday for you on my Harp!!
Thank you everyone! And Terri, I’d love to hear you play one day!
Of course it’s the case that this tea is no longer available and I made the creamiest, most delicious cup of it I’ve pretty much ever had. It was a most delightful cup of creamed white chocolate and peppermint milk. I still have the rest of the tin to get through, and it’s not a tea I reach for as often as I should given how much I like it when I do have it, but still: there’s something about approaching an eventual sip down knowing that you perhaps won’t be able to restock this tea again. ever.
In other news, Mr. Keychange and I, along with a few family members, went and looked at wedding venues today! I intended on drinking much more tea than I did, but that’s also because I woke up like twenty minutes before our wedding planner arrived to whisk us off. But we’ve chosen our venue, and have reserved a date! so so excited!
Oh, and i’m a complete tool and sent sil the timolino without the steeping basket in it! the poor girl was ridiculously polite and didn’t even say anything about it, when all at once it struck me last night while I was in bed. Definitely an ‘oh shit’ moment. Anyway, rectifying that one, obviously. LOL
Yay! That’s awesome!
Thanks! I’m getting so excited.
Ooh, would you recommend milk with this? How do you steep yours?
Yeah! Congrats on finding a venue! Sounds like a great tea on a great day :)
Congratulations on the venue! So exciting!
So excited for you having secured a venue. We’re still trying to decide if we even want to do much of anything. I’m sort of a let’s go to city hall and then make everyone come bowling with us for the afternoon sort of thing lol
Thanks guys!
Memily, this is fantastic with milk! I steep for about ive minutes (anything longer and a bitter note creeps in) with a generous helping of milk and sugar. So much nom in one cup!
Yeah sil, it can be hard to decide on what to do. weddings are so insanely expensive and can easily ge tout of control. Bowling and city hall sound much less high-maintenance though, and you seem like a fairly low-maintenance kind of person.
keychange, yay! finding a venue and setting a date makes things so much more real.
Sil, city hall and bowling sounds like a great way to go.
Both of those said, this tea sound delicious.
This tea is wonderful! and yes, weddings in general are so so exciting! It really does feel so much more real now.
It’s been almost 12 years since mine, and I still dream about it. <3
sometimes i wonder if we’ll regret going with a more low key thing, especially given that our friends are all sort of doing the bigger thing…but hey..i figure if we do…then we have a 10 year vow renewal with our dog?kid(s)? money from careers that are doing well….lol something like that…
This tea sounds delicious!
And congratulations! That’s one thing that is a big relief to get checked off the list!
My husband loved the whole big wedding planning and organizing, I did not! We compromised though. We had about fifty people and reserved a room for private dining.
It was perfect for us and I think that’s the most important thing. Finding something that matches you guys as a couple.
Sil, everyone I’ve talked to who did the huge wedding has said they wish they did something more intimate. Again, it comes down to the couple. Like you said though, there’s always a vow renewal option!
Cheri, that’s lovely that you still dream about your wedding. And sil, it’s hard to say what we’ll regret later, but like you said, there are so many opportunities to celebrate your relationship. Or maybe you guys could do something a bit more formal but not overly grand?
Ian wants to make everyone go to chicago to have our reception in the museum so we can sleep with the dinosaurs lol
Sounds fine to me. Plus then you can go to adagio and other assorted tea stores!
We did relatively low key for ours. We had the city hall (Husband blankly refused a church ceremony and I was fine with that as none of us are religious people) at about 11 o’clock, then photos, and then a lunch buffet at a restaurant. No dancing, as again, none of us are really dance-y people much, so we skipped that. We had nearest English family come over and then a second do (a good meal, but again, no dancing) in England with the rest of English family a couple of weeks later. It sounds bigger than it was. I know it wasn’t the most expensive part by far, but I still feel like the biggest splurge was the hotel suite in town for the wedding night. I don’t know what that cost, but I know it was a lot, because Husband told me not to stand too near while he paid, because he thought I probably didn’t want to know. :p
For something relatively formal but not HUGE, I can recommend the lunch buffet approach at a good restaurant. Everybody had far more than they could eat, there was a lovely cake and once we had organised it with the restaurant we chose, we didn’t have to do anything other than show up, since we decided against table plans and that sort of thing. Some of the guests found that odd, but I quite enjoyed that people could pick their own seat at both dos. At the second we encouraged people to find a new seat for the dessert so they could sit with some other people, but that wasn’t mandatory.
Sil, that sounds awesome! :)
Thank you mrmopar for this fantastic Pu-erh Sample!
I really should read up on Puerh’s before I go off brewing up on my own. Somehow, a purist will probably be horrified at my methods here.
I was enjoying myself, having a great time with this Puerh!
I have a lovely little seasoned purple clay Gaiwan that I use for Puerh. A pick, strainer and cup is all I need for a good session.
Usually I use less leaf than other people because fibromyalgia has made me very sensitive to taste. I make quantity adjustments because of that and use 3 grams of Puerh when others use 5 grams with the same taste results.
Today, I wanted to try a larger amount of leaves. I used 5 grams, which is a huge quantity for me, then did 2 quick washes.
(I poked the hard nugget of Puerh during the first 30 second steeping to break it up a bit.)
The liquor was dark golden brown with a hint of red throughout.
Steepings 30 seconds unless noted otherwise.
1. First steepings are usually not my favorite. They can knock you down with a fuzzy cedar or redwood taste and texture that’s very strong and sometimes bitter.
But this Puerh…HA!
This tea was extremely Smooth, Juicy and Semi-Sweet, with a light cocoa, sugar date flavor! I was pleasantly surprised!
2. The second steep flavor was like Bittersweet Chocolate or a light Pinot Noir. There was no grit or earthy flavor, but a thick mouth feel that made me think of sipping chocolate.
I added a few grains of sugar and the caramel flavor came up with a richness that I had suspected was hiding deep in the thick, smooth tea.
3. As an experiment, I tried a quick immediate steep.
The color was dark, the flavor…a bit dryer and spicy on my tongue like cinnamon and clove. The creaminess wasn’t as strong and the richness was lighter.
There was more of a wood cedar taste than when I steeped the leaves longer. I liked the longer steeping better.
4. Returning to the longer steeps, this time at 40 seconds, the Puerh was spicier.
Cinnamon, clove and allspice. A bright Paso Robles Zinfandel with Sunshine and Ripeness in the bones of the flavor.
This tea was beginning to remind me of…a Chai base, or Sangria.
It’s the Holidays…and I remembered that the person who sent this Puerh to me…who has become a true friend…has at his side the love of his life. She is fond of Chai.
So, I did what anyone other than me would NEVER do with a great Puerh! I made some Puerh Chai in honor of her, hoping that this is something that he’ll try. Here goes…
I made 2 steepings of Puerh, added half and half, then a little sugar and a little honey (I don’t like too much honey because it can overpower the taste of the tea). Stirred it up…and YUM!
Caramel, smooth, spicy, creamy…(Hey mrmopar, you have 5 cakes of this Puerh, so tell me if you make this for your sweetheart!)
This Puerh is great stuff! Probably the smoothest I’ve ever had and the closest to the experience of drinking wine.
Thanks again mrmopar my friend!
that sounds incredible Bonnie! YUM. I hope we get a chai review from mrmopar ;)
Me too if he doesn’t boop me on the head for screwing around with such a fine Puerh. It’s a super fine brew!
This is one of the ones I’ve been wanting to try! It sounds wonderful!
Mrmopar says it only is sold in 100gr cakes so it shouldn’t be too expensive or hard to find. It’s really good though! Very smooth.
i wont boop you in the head! it is all about the enjoyment of the tea. everyone of us has our own way to prepare it, and yes i may make a chai out of this one. terri it is pretty easy to find and not too expensive. if you look to pick some up i will find a good priced one for you. keep me posted.
I saw it on Beryleb’s page on ebay. Do you know if there is a place to purchase a sample size of it? I know the 2 of you love it, but I’d like to try it before I buy a cake.
I only have a couple grams left. Need to buy some myself. The small 100 gram cake was under $8.00
jas-tea has them u.s. 7.99 yunnan sourcing usa 7.50 or pm me your address i will send you a sample.
I didn’t see it at yunnan sourcing, but saw one on jas that looks similar, listed as
2009 Menghai Hong Yun Ripe Pu-erh -100 grams
is that the same tea?
yes that is the same one. it is just described a bit differently on the yunnan sourcing site.
Thanks, mrmopar. : )
you are quite welcome!
This white should be lo-caf enough for the evening. Lupicia are just too good – whenever I open this bag, I have an instant, irrational, want-to-turn-around-and-check, ‘But where is the melon hiding?’ type reaction. It’s just that melony. I honestly can’t think of anything that could make this better or more melon-esque.
And to continue my general praise of Lupicia, I think I could probably pour 300C water on their most delicate teas and let them steep for five minutes and they would still taste good. I mean – every single tea I love of theirs have boiling/1.5-minute steeping instructions. And they taste fresh, natural and amazing.
I swear they’re not paying me to say this. It’s more like I’m paying them, and I still say this.
(Lupicia, I love you.)
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Excellent! I just placed my first order and now I’m even more excited!
Oh, was that the one where a bunch of you ordered together and they were out of Cookie?
How do you feel this compares to the melon oolong?
Here here. This one is excellent.
Or hear hear, even. Geesh.
Oh, just be honest, Morgana – you were trying to lure my melon tea over there.
Well, you definitely caught me on that one…
Pfff!
Yeah it was! But we ended up with a bunch of other exciting ones so I’m not too upset about it. :P
also…. Katiek was awesome…and she sent me a WHOLE BAG of cookie teabags… so cavo will get to try cookie after all with me :)
No, don’t be – I think it’s always best to have a good excuse to order again and again and again.
Was this one in the order, or was it the melon oolong?
kitenna and cavocorax split melon oolong.
Aww, that’s awesome! I am so, so curious about what else you got now. Totally living vicariously through other people’s Lupicia orders here, haha.
We already know he’s a tea prodigy and does things like no one else does.
He decided that dried mushrooms should be incorporated to tea…and that’s exactly what he did, as if it should have been done all along. Cause this is what you’ll think of when you taste this little marvel for the first time: where have you been all my life oh mushroom tea!!
Don’t think this resemble Mirkwood, his other mushie tea, cause it doesn’t…not even one bit.
Mirkwood is more brothy and savory. This is desserty!
Candy Cap Mushrooms, who knew??? They smell like maple candies! My whole kitchen smelled like candy after I opened the pouch, to the point that it got me worried, I sure don’t want my tea to taste that sweet.
But just like all the blends he creates, this tea offers the perfect balance. Dried fruits plus woodsy and cocoa notes. The star here though: natural maple goodness. And no worries, this ain’t Aunt Jamaima type of fake sweetness. This is gloriously tasty, with only two ingredients: Premium Chinese black tea and mushies.
Having said that, I don’t taste mushroom so please mushroom haters, don’t deprive yourself from this little gem. This variety brings sweetness, woodsy notes and layers of complexity. No damp or earthy funk.
Brenden sure is Michigan’s National “Teasure” , he likes to think outside the box and it pays off. Bravo!!
Pics:
http://instagram.com/p/yaozePQh6k/
if you want a mushroom tea try this one: http://steepster.com/teas/hung-phat/43331-lotus-reishi-senshi
also i have some tasting notes there
awesome tasting note though :)
Thank you Kirkoneill, I do know reishi tea, very healthy, no camellia sinensis tho. Willow is actually real black tea with the addition of mushrooms, that’s what makes it unique in my humble opinion :-)
well i don’t see any point of adding an ingredient if one cannot taste it. (unless…. its to make the main taste unique) :)
Lol kirk it DOES bring something unique: MAPLE!! That’s why this variety of mushroom is called Candy Cap. It’s also a bit woodsy, and like I mentioned, it brings layers and complexity to the mix :-)
Candy cap mushrooms are delicious probably Lactarius fragilis or L. camphoratus. Really good addition to food. Also, adding Clitocybe odora to tea would be very interesting as well.
Clitocybe odora would be neat for sure! :)
Are you two tea makers bonding over mushrooms? That’s adorable. :)
Hahahaha, mushrooms are just…sigh…so beautiful.
Wow, Tea Fairy, great pictures. I love how you captured the detail in the dry leaf. Of course, I love all your tea ware too! So glad I took a chance and ordered this tea. Just got an email a few days ago that it is on it’s way!
I picked up this sample tea to try with my latest Upton order. The description of it sounded nice and relatively mild for an Assam. It was steeped for 4 minutes this morning in a glass teapot.
The tea liquor is a very dark orangish-brown. I was worried a bit that I had steeped this for too long, but it is very good. A strong cup to be sure; dark, sweet, traces of honey, a smattering of cocoa, and a tiny bit of pungency at the end. I’m not sure I am getting red apple but there is a natural fruitiness of some kind here. Not much bitterness or briskness to be found in the cup at all. You can drink this plain, but it also accommodates a splash of soymilk very well. Does not need sugar at all, in my opinion.
A very smooth and gentle Assam, and a great selection by Upton. Sometimes Assams can be too assertive and rough, especially for people with sensitive tummies. In my experience, finding a milder one is the key to success and since Upton has so many Assams, there is certainly one for everyone. I will certainly consider buying a full size of this and the price is certainly right: 125g for $7.80 at the time I am writing this.
On the [ever expanding] shopping list it goes!
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I might have to add this to the growing Upton order.
The sample is only $1.50. :)
Awesome!
I think I should add this to my latest order. The I’m coffee-free order….
Charles – you should at least get the sample. :)
I was wondering if anyone makes a fuss over the arrival of 2nd Flush Assams, since it seems to be the preferred flush.
@ScottB not that I know of…
Sounds nice. I just finished my stash of Goomtee estate Assam from Upton which was also mild and very tasty.
I can only speak for myself, and I do not make a huge fuss over Assam flushes Scott B, at least not like Darjeeling teas. :))
Amy, thanks for listing the price. Upton’s has so many Assams I tend to overlook some of them. Now with a good review and a decent price, I may give this one a chance.
@ScottTea – I picked this based on their description, they do a great job describing their teas without all the pretentious bullshit.
I agree completely.
Or pseudo poetry….
It’s funny; I have all these great Chinese black teas but I find myself opening my cupboard and going for the Assams and Ceylons lately. I guess sometimes it’s comforting to have a nice “traditional” cup of black tea.
Doug – I agree. I like Chinese black teas but also like a good Ceylon or an Assam, especially in the morning as a breakfast tea. :)
I would just like to point out that I’m not actually around at this point. Well, I’ll probably pop in for a bit here and there, but not properly. I likely won’t be again until in a couple of weeks time when we have returned from our honeymoon.
Only two sleeps now! Best man and his girlfriend have arrived safely from the UK and we have fed them dinner this evening. We had also bought them dessert, but as it had to thaw out and we forgot, they didn’t get any. So we’ve shown them where we live and how to get here so they can get here bright and early on Saturday morning. He will be going with the boyfriend into town while I’m at the hairdressers (we think) and she will be helping me into my dress and then going into town with me.
They brought us two pouches of Whittard of Chelsea as a present, this one and a first flush Darjeeling (which annoyingly doesn’t state the estate on it, so I just put it under a generic Darjeeling already in the system). sigh Well, they weren’t to know that both of these are pretty much non-hits with me. Particularly the Darj, which I’ll try, but it will probably be one mostly for the boyfriend.
Anyway, they just went back to their hotel about twenty-ish minutes ago, so I put the kettle on so we could try one of these new ones before going to bed. The EG was requested, so that’s where we’ll start.
As I was spooning out the leaf I noticed a fair bit of aroma. At that distance from my nose, it was suprisingly sweet and it reminded me rather of that Girlie Grey I had from Jeeves and Jericho some time ago. TeaEqualsBliss, you might remember that one, I believe I shared some of it with you.
This of course made me curious, so I put my nose closer to the bag to get a better idea of it, but then it was just all sharpness and sort of dusty turqoise bergamot. From a distance though, it smells a bit like a citrus-y pudding.
This makes me hopeful.
After steeping, it’s more or less the same thing, although the bergamot is softer and retains that dessert-y touch to it, even when my nose is closer to the cup.
This makes me even more hopeful.
I did oversteep it a bit, but only by a few minutes, so no real harm was done, and it doesn’t seem to be showing up in the flavour. It tastes very creamy and smooth. If I didn’t know better I would think it had a smidge of cream-y flavouring added or perhaps a touch of vanilla. It says nothing of the sort on the box, though.
I actually like the EG! I think it’s because it’s not just like being pelted with bergamots. It’s not so sharp and dusty like they can sometimes get. It has that extra dimension of creamyness which makes it slightly pudding-y. Not very, just ever so slightly.
I’m suspectly, actually, that this may have more to do with the base blend (unfortunately not elaborated on) rather than the flavouring process, because it is indeed very very flavoured. For once it’s just not completely offensive. I feel certain we’ll get through this tin with little trouble.
Oh yes!!!! I was a fan of that one! I really enjoyed the teas from that company you sent! Thanks again!!!! I’m starting another box for you, btw…when it’s full I will send it your way! Might take me about a month or so – hope that is ok!
You sound like you are floating on a cloud of earl grey cream…and ….could it be ….anticipation!?!
Be blessed!
May you have joy!
Ahhh, I’m so excited for you!! Have a wonderful wedding and honeymoon! :)
Happy Uniting in Love and Marriage Day…and Life! <3
Enjoy it all!
Thanks everybody.
TeaEqualsBliss, a month or so would be preferable actually, as I’ll be out of the country for most of the next three weeks anyway.
1 more sleep, and the last breakfast pancakes of freedom!
LOL @ “the last breakfast pancakes of freedom!” Have a wonderful wedding day and a delightful honeymoon, Angrboda!!
Love this post! That is so exciting =) Congratulations. Haha ‘last breakfast pancakes of freedom!’ Have an amazing time and I am so happy two tea drinkers are getting married!
Hope your wedding day is as wonderful as you imagined, and your marriage even better. Will wait patiently for stories upon your return :)
Whittard of Chelsea does the best Earl Grey blend…that is my opinion and I am happy to read your good review.
Thanks again, all.
Aaahhhhhh!!
The damage:
-one spring tea sampler set
-one matte white Nordic mug with shellfish and pale green interior.
-I can’t believe that was all. I just can’t. I saw and fell in love with the lime green timolino, and think it will be mine very very soon, just not yet.
I also saw their new travel mug, which is said to be leak-proof. It seemed nice, although for some reason I wasn’t crazy about its esthetics, or maybe it was just the way it felt in my hand. It’s a rubberized textured type of metal, and it just feels wide and clunky, and I’m not sure how I feel about the handle on the lid yet.
But yeah, this tea, sorry!
I got it to go as a soy latte with agave. This tastes pretty comparable to what a peaches and cream flavoured oatmeal tastes like, minus the grainy taste of oats. The peach is a soft, rounded peach as opposed to the fresh juicy variety, and is not even remotely tart or tangy, although this could be due to the vanilla, which gives more of a cream note than a distinctly vanilla one. I also didn’t get any apple at all, which whatever, fine by me.
This is a solid tea, and makes a fine latte. I’m pretty excited to play around with the sample I have!
Wizard. I love peachy oatmeal tea!
Yay for new tea and teaware!!! althought I must admit I’m a little disappointed you behaved so well, lol, would have loved to hear more!
I, too, am disappointed with the show of restraint. I expected actual damage, darn it!
I haven’t opened my computer in hours, and scrolling through my feed now, I see lots of David’s purchases haha. Nice choice!
Yay new tea stuff! :)
Haha guys I still spent like sixty dollars!! It really is a wild wild world out there. And, um, I think I’m going back tomorrow. Because whales. Whales!
WHALES! :D I’ll probably get whales on Friday.
waaa waa waaa me too!
Ahh thanks for the review on the new mug I saw it online, Im sure ill purchase that lime timolino…omg did u see that lime steeper?! And might push it for the mason jar…lol
Oh, I nearly lost it over the timolino-glad you want it too! and I own and love love love the mason jar. Amazing and wonderful and perfect. And omg yes the steeper! but it’s massive.
I hope they come out with more colours in the smaller steeper. :) That would be PERFECT.
I too showed restraint lol only 2 mugs, the glass octopus and color changing lobster, and both with my bf in mind!! The octopus one is Def for him and I might test the lobster one, I think I will be returning for the shell bubble cups and teapot though haha :D and I also got 8 teas lol so still a fair amount
Sounds like you had fun shopping today. I love reading about all the excitement about the new teas and tea ware.
Whales!!! I’m getting the color-change mug next week. I tried really hard for this week but only got cleared for $20 because, ya know, responsibilities and bills. Blegh! Doesn’t my mortgage company know the Spring Collection is out? How dare they?
Sounds like a good shopping experience! :)
It was awesome!
This sample was provided by Teavivre – thank you!
I wasn’t sure how many pearls to use, I have a mug that’s about 10 oz. and I used 4 pearls but it sounds like other people may have used more. The aroma of the wet leaf is fresh and malty with a touch of sweet tobacco.
The predominate notes I am picking up here are of malt, but it is definitely a lighter and sweeter sort of malt than one would find in an assam, for instance. The tea liquor is a clear reddish-brown. There are also subtle notes of chocolate present and I’m picking up on a bit of fruitiness. I maybe crazy but I am getting plantains… ha.
The tea does not have much astringency and is fairly sweet and pleasant. To me it’s a bit reminiscent of a golden monkey.
I did get a very respectable second steep out of this with a slightly longer steeping time (4-5 minutes).
Preparation
I love that plantain malt flavor…can’t wait for my Teavivre to arrive with the LS in it too! You’re driving me nuts with the reviews Amy! ; )
hopefully yours will be coming soon!
Another must buy…….when I order from Teavivre. Did you get a decent sample?
Scott, yes they do give you nice sized samples. I’d say this is somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-10 grams
I love this one! I ordered it without sampling. I have some samples coming soonish, too, that will include the LS!
Lol you guys are driving me crazy too because I can’t wait to try this one and it is in my next sample package! This sounds so good
Oh yes! I got a nice sized sample of this, too!
It may depend on what samples you get, but I weighted my 5 samples out of curiosity and the individual bags were 25-25-25-21-16 grams-very generous samples. You don’t have to worry about making a mistake and having nothing left and you are free to experiment with brewing parameters.
Yes…this is in my cupboard. It’s an oolong. and i LOVE IT! Stacy sent me a sample of this a while back and after drinking it, i tried a couple other pineapple oolongs and this one was at the top of my list! So i bought some more…and then forgot about it…until this morning. YUUUUUUUUMMMMYYYYY!
It’s the " flowery" part that would scare me. :)
I don’t think it is that flowery. More so pineapple, with some light floral accents. Its not floral like jasmine, I think of it more like honeysuckle floral.
This is my favorite Butiki tea!
nxtdoor. i despise floral teas. hate them. gross. ick. this is just a deliciously pineapple tea. it’s really light…i love my blaks teas and puerh but this is delicious when you just want something a little different. resteeps nicely too
Nxtdoor…me too. I have to be very careful with floral teas.
Heather….but this one is really really tasty. If you like pineapple
I’m glad to know it’s not super floral. I wonder if it might sell better if she changed the name so it wasn’t “Flowery”? Seems like a few of us are nervous about floral teas.
cavo – i can share a sample with you…just remind me. i really like it and you know how i hate floral teas…bleh
Cavocorax-I’ve thought about changing the name to Hawaiian Pineapple but wasn’t sure about it. The floral aspect only comes from the Wen Shan Bao Zhong. No floral flavorings have been used and the only other floral is a little bit of calendula that is often used in our other blends.
Good to know…I do like pineapple.
So, lately I have been thinking about making a Philippino tea. Our company name is a Tagalog word and it seems weird that we haven’t come up with a Philippino inspired tea yet. I decided on coming up with a dessert tea based on the Philippino dessert Palitao. Palitao is a vegan and gluten-free dessert that is essentially a boiled rice cake that is chewy and warm and is then dredged through coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and sugar. It’s freaking pretty delicious. I spent a day at my in-laws and I cooked a batch of them with my mother-in-law and father-in-law. Since I can’t have sugar, I made mine sugar-free though I did sneak a bite of a sugar one just so I knew what it tastes like. Here’s a pic of our creation: http://instagram.com/p/dnswvelfIi/# . The tea will mostly be just a brown sugar, coconut, and toasted sesame flavored tea though it will not have any sugar added. I’m very excited about this. We will also be doing a blog with the recipe to make these treats at home. It’s super easy to make and so delicious. Also, we are very close to having our limited edition Carrot Cake tea complete. Excited about that one too. It’s very fall-y.
I’m very happy with how The Black Lotus blend turned out. I tried about 20 different combinations looking for the very best English Breakfast blend, something that would completely obliterate our previous English Breakfast and something that would stand out among other EBs. Once I was down to the final 5, I let my mother-in-law choose. She works with me a lot and helps out and is a big tea fan. She chose this blend. I said to her, that’s the most expensive one, are you sure that’s the one you like best. She replied “it tastes expensive, I want this one”. So, this is the one we went with. I really love this, I wouldn’t exactly say that it tastes like other typical English Breakfasts. I’ve noticed that most are pretty citrusy or astringent, but this one is very malty and smooth. Both the Premium Taiwanese Assam and the Congou Keemun add that lovely malt to it. I prefer drinking this cooled. There is a lot going on and you can taste all the notes at a warmer temp. I can taste the earthiness, the chocolate, raisins, almonds, as well as a gentle citrus and lingering floral, mainly jasmine. There is a wonderful sweetness too. It works really well and I have been drinking it quite a bit. The directions we set are strictly for drinking it plain, however, it does work well with additions if the leaf requirements are upped a little bit.
Also, this tea is 29% off now until the end of September.
Ooooh! Drooling over the sesame!
Fuzzy_Peachkin-Me too! I’m real excited about this one! crosses fingers that it turns out right. The sesame won’t be very strong since the coconut and sugar are the most apparent flavors in Palitao.
Drooling over the dessert and the thought of it as a tea! I’d love a recipe for the dessert itself, ha! Sounds unbelievable :)
Now I want to try Black Lotus as well. An English Breakfast with PTA in it, now that sounds like something I need! Was it in the store already? I can’t believe I missed it when I placed my order in earlier. I would’ve jumped on it if I noticed. I guess I just zoomed down to the ones I wanted too quickly and didn’t take the time to browse.
Chizakura-We will definitely be adding the recipe to the blog. Its really good. I brought some home to my hubby and he has been asking if we can make more.
It has been on the website for about an hour. Message me, if you would like to add it to your order. We can always invoice you.
I am “Filipino” and yes, that’s how it’s properly spelled :) and when I first saw your company name, I told my husband what it means in Tagalog. I thought it has another meaning in another language :) It would be really nice to try something like Palitao/Palitaw flavored tea. Looking forward to it :)
That black lotus is sounding really good too.
RogersCK-I’ve had a few debates over the spelling. My in-laws spell it Philippino, so that’s generally what I go with though it seems like Filipino is so much more common spelling these days. I used to see Philippino a lot more a decade ago but I’m stuck in my ways. Yep, we are “Lizard Teas” though there is a bit more meaning behind it. We even have our logo of a butiki holding a tea leaf with its tail admiring the leaf. I’m crossing my fingers that Palitao comes out good. Sometimes I have these awesome ideas and they just don’t translate well into tea.
Wow, shows how much I pay attention to logos, lol! Well, I hope that works out well too. And for Filipino desserts, you might want to check out “maja blanca” (if you haven’t tried it yet), it’s a corn and coconut pudding. Tastes pretty good too.
I still need to try more of your teas, only one I’ve had so far was Good Morning Sunshine, and that tea is really good!
RogersCK-Next to my name, my avatar for this site is our logo. My friend painted that lizard for us. I don’t think I’ve had that dessert before. It sounds amazing! I don’t eat desserts anymore, since I can’t digest sugar but I used to love these bright different colored balls (like pink and green) that I got from street vendors. I can’t remember what they were called. Also, watermelon seeds are amazing! Every time a relative comes to visit I request bags of them. Glad you enjoyed the Good Morning Sunshine! :)
Yep, I definitely see a butiki and a tea leaf :) I think you’re talking about “puto” and if you are, they are pretty good. Sad to hear that you can’t digest sugar :( Filipinos sure love their sugar and their salt and pepper. But hey, at least you can still enjoy watermelon seeds! :)
Well, will definitely make sure I try more of your teas. Been reading a lot of good reviews about them :)
RogersCK-Yes, puto! I loved that treat so much! I’m fine with the sugar thing. After being off sugar for a while, it is actually pretty awesome. I feel a lot better. Mmmm, watermelon seeds. Might have to make my way to a Philippino store soon. Glad to hear you have seen some good reviews about our teas!
Oh man! My fiance is Filipino and he’s going to LOVE the palitao one. And wow I am so excited to hear you’re coming out with a Carrot Cake tea! I’ve tried many different ones, and they are never quite right. I’m sure you probably blew them away.
Andie-The carrot cake will be a limited edition but so far, I’m really liking this one.
Totally excited for that palitao tea! I’ve never had it, but asked my husband, who’s Filipino, and he knew it. It sounds delicious!
Tealizzy-I’m glad that the palitao sounds good! :)
That sounds very good!
Thanks Nicole! :)
Serious edit!!!
THANK YOU AZZ FOR THIS WONDERFUL SAMPLE. Please forgive that slip. In a rush to get through some notes I spaced the most important part. Then after that I grabbed some teas without researching what I was drinking and made three in a row I had already done notes on. Better luck today.
I’m going to try to do several short notes to catch up on all the samples I’ve recieved from several of you generuos tea lovers out there.
Golden pale color. Smell fantasticly of coconuts. The drink first only hints of coconut, but rather plays with my palate with notes of vanilla and maybe nutmeg. The coconut slowly makes it’s presence known, but he brings a floral friend with him. The creamy smooth mouthfeel is probably the most prominent feature. This stuff is good. I could drink it all day, but I suspect I won’t get too many steepings in that the second has already lost some of the crisper notes. It’s still good, just not as grabbing as the first infusion.
tunes-Dave Mathews&Tim Reynolds=Typical Situation/Ants Marching/Warehouse/Jimi Thing
Preparation
This one is nice iced by itself, or mixed with a good black tea.
This sounds amazing! I’m going to have to get my hands on some :)
Oy vay! A $20 order would cost me $30 in shipping!! What the heck?!? Guess I won’t be trying this anytime soon :(
I miss this tea so much! Your note is yet another reason why I should stop putting off ordering more. At least I still have my old tin of four months ago which still “smells fantasticly of coconuts”. :/
Awee Im sorry I missed this! I was just going to note my sipdown of this tea – I am so glad you enjoyed it! :)
I’m shenging again! Woo!
Method: 3.3 g, 3 oz, 205 degrees, rinse & 15-20-25 seconds, filigree gaiwan and Dr. Who mug
Aroma: Wow. The dry tea smells just amazing. Grapes and some other delicious thing that I can’t quite place. I bought a sample b/c the cake is pretty pricey. I kept sticking my nose in the bag!
Flavor: Smooth and sweet. This is a little fruity, but not with the apricot flavors I normally find in the shengs I have tried. This is harder for me to determine, but I really like it. It’s so pretty and comforting. It leaves my tongue tingling a bit, also. There weren’t any reviews for this one, so I think I just picked it on a whim. Go me!
Edit: And I lied! I did another set of steeps at 20-25-30 and the apricot IS there! These steeps are more brothy as well. I’m watching Sharknado 2 with this really excellent tea. Sheng happy!!!!!
Preparation
Nice!! Also sheng high fives :)
High fives, eh? I thought that if I drank enough sheng, ya’ll might show me the secret handshake :p
(That’s because it’s a teacret handshake…)
Glad you’re enjoying your first YS sheng :-)
Ha! I am going to keep shenging on until someone shows me the teacret handshake! I will not be deterred!
(Been shenging for a while and still don’t hold the teacret hanshake. Some say it’s mystic, that you must reach the level of Sheng-Jedi to obtain it…)
OK, I shall forge ahead!
Have you gotten the sheng “Sweat” yet. I know it sounds crazy but the good ones will cause it.
Noooo! What phenomenon is this????
Tell us Mr Mo!
You will just kind of break into a little sweating with a powerful sheng. It usually happens in the later steepings as I think the leaf gets really hydrated and puts forth some of it’s essence.
I usaully sweat on the forehead and under the chin/neck area.
Interesting!
LOL! I freaked out the first time this happened to me. I think I was having a Lao Man E blend. It was winter, my apt(DC) has really big windows so the apartment was cold, at the end of the 4th steep I feel light headed. I was similar to getting of from the bed really fast in the morning, but lighter. Then I realized I was sweating and shaking my hands a bit and I felt hot in a cold apt. :P
Lao Man E , Bulang and LBZ seem to hit the hardest.
I’ve definitely felt some physical effects, but I don’t recall any sweating. The lightheadedness has definitely happened.
I’ve gotten a little light headed before, but not noticed sweating. Neat!
What is it in sheng that does this to us, exactly?
I don’t know what causes it but do a 10 gram steep with 10 oz. water for about 30 seconds sometime.
will do!!!!!
I’ve learned about so many scary things about pu’erh these past couple days, it’s ridiculous.
Are you talking about the “what’s in your pu?” Thread?
That too. Pu’erh is such a beast.
I just tried my first sheng. It made me feel very caffeinated for about 15 minutes and then I literally could not stay awake. I feel asleep in my chair in the middle of analyzing data at 5 in the afternoon. After 45 min or so, I woke up and felt normal. It was a weird experience.
Ooohhh… interesting mj. I haven’t experienced that before!
I got a sample of this back n March and am finally giving it a go. I am steeping it up in my perfect tea mug for around 3/4 minutes-ish. I love citrus teas BUT find they are usually not done well, so I am eternally on the search for a good one. I am not a fan of green teas in general but find they do work well for citrus, so I hope I don’t regret this decision.
The dry aroma is very sharp, like the zest of a clementine, tangerine or other sweet orange-like fruit. The steeped liquor is much more muted, with more of a green tea aroma than anything else. by that, i mean sweet hay or grass. Fields after the rain, that sort of thing. : )
In terms of taste, the citrus is not very forward. It is nicely disguised in the background of the green tea and is actually really pleasant. I would like a bit more citrus, but this really works. Especially to the idea of a tangerine tea, since there is the sweetness from the green. Definitely suitable but not a re-buy.
PS – The beau is now the fiancee. After eight years, we’re now “official.” I’m so excited! Now to plan and pay for (what we hope to be) a small intimate country wedding. We shall see..
oh wow congratulations!!! so happy for you :)
ahhh congrats so much!
congratulations!
Oh yay! Congrats!
Congrats!!! :)
Congrats!
Ooooh congratulations! Everyone’s getting engaged/married it seems! My sister just got engaged a couple weeks ago, so I have wedding fever too :P
Congratulations!!!
Awesome! Congrats!
Congrats!
Congratulations!!! :D I wish you every happiness with your tea and your fiancee
Thanks everyone! We’re very excited!
Congratulations!
For some 15 (or more) years of my life, my wonderful neighbor went to Germany to visit her children for the spring months. While she was gone, we watched her home, brought in the mail and other things for her. She would always return with a box of Lebkuchen as a note of gratitude. What is Lebkuchen you ask? A wonderful German gingerbread cookie, rich and moist in texture with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and orange.
This tea mirrors those cookies. Brewed hot with no additives. It is rich, full-bodied, earthy and sweet. It blends the same ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus flavors of the cookie, though they may not be present in the tea, it is wonderful. The spices blend in perfect harmony with a note of chocolate to deliver a naturally sweet and truly delicious treat.
Highly recommended.Preparation
I’m drinking this tomorrow! Jillian surprised me w/ a bag=D
OoOoOo, enjoy! It is fantastic! I have only steeped this is small doses though. 1 minute was good. 2 minutes was good. 3 minutes was good. Never more than that though (especially with the collective pu-erh fears).
In reply to your statement “It blends the same ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus flavors of the cookie, though they may not be present in the tea, it is wonderful.” they actually are all there, except for the ginger.:) Really? 3 min max? That’s completely different from the way I tried it the 1st time I had it. I went the full 5 min.
Hahah! I rarely if ever read descriptions of teas, I just try them and see if I can figure out what is in it. :) Did you overpower any of the flavors? I sipped one brewed at five minutes, I thought it was too dark and lost all subtlety of the spices. I shall have to brew a full 5 mins and see!
No, not really. Then again I didn’t really want the spices other than to add to the complexities of the chocolate. It is after all, not a chocolate chai or chocolate spice pu erh. It’s a personal annoyance of mine when a tea is labeled as x flavor but then they add all these other things to it. I steeped it in 8oz last time, but tomorrow I’m going to make it even more concentrated by only steeping it in 6oz. I’m contemplating adding milk, but that may be a pu erh crime in China or something LOL:)
Haha, I’m not sure if adding milk to a pu-erh is a crime, but if it is, I’m sure adding chocolate is too!
Naw, not a crime. Golden moon has a pu-erh chai =]
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that one Ricky and I’m not sure how to hand that one… I can’t bring myself to add milk to Kashmiri chais either.
For me it was a different sort of cookie, but other than that I agree with everything here. Everything. Right down to the very last period.
:D I’m rationing the rest of the bags of this, but I am going to try some varied steepings, especially the most recent one from @Cofftea, but I think honestly, my rating on this has risen to 99.
Cinoi, really the only reason this one isn’t 100 is because it has other ingredients in it besides chocolate and pu erh. Chocolate Pu Erh ice cream?
I can’t give things 100, that would mean I would never get sick of it, or ever want anything else :) And, mouth = watering at the thought of chocolate pu-erh ice cream.
100 means I not only crave it, but I get REALLY cranky when I run out. And by REALLY cranky I mean like pitch a fit and cry lol. Oh I wish I was exaggerating…
Understandable, 93 to me means scour and search to get some before impending blizzard snows you in the house with none. Then while rationing my two tea bags because none of the five stores I braved had any, I will creep the rating up because I savored them so much more. Probably going to have to do this challenge thing, I mean, two weeks of chocolate pu-erh, I can’t see any flaw in this plan.
Especially when you get 2 boxes @ 75% off plus more free… I mean free and discounted tea? OK I’m way too good at rationalizing things lol.
it barely even tastes like a pu-erh… yes I picked up a box from whole foods today… sooo yummy
I bought 2 online today!=D
WOW! WHERE?
www.numitea.com- they also have a loose version.
Cofftea did you order loose or bagged? I am interested in how the loose compares.
Unfortunately the sale was on bagged only. Next time I will get bagged though.
oops, I mean loose leaf.
I knew what you meant :D would love to hear how the loose is, see if it is any stronger
Revised note;
Dropped the temp to 185. I had this tea AGAIN tonight yet didn’t remember that I had it before until I saw my score on the Steepster reviews page. It’s funny to go back and see what I was writing my first few days of being on here. I don’t see anything that I think is wrong, just not enough of it. I shall correct…
Normally I like to do my tasting withn a fresh palate before eating (not sure if it makes a difference), but today I could not help myself. I made my wife scrambled eggs with sweet onions, sweet banana peppers, jalepeno, and tomatoes (Mr Stripey/Ruckers) all pulled fresh from the garden. Wow fresh is good. Only wish I woulda grabbed the brown eggs I considered stopping for the other day.
On with the tea. Pale green color. Unfurling brought good sized leaves. Nice aroma that I soon found hinted at taste to follow. Initially I was impressioned with a green, but not grassy, slightly minty flavor. There were delicate notes of floral sweetness and little to no astringency. The buttery creaminess was so good and it hung with me for a little bit, coating my mouth and leaving a pleasant aftertaste indeed.
Second steeping the sweet remained though not as sharp or minty. The creaminess was still present too. The flavor became bolder but the astrigency remained nuetral. It’s very refreshing and, truthfully, hard to put down. I ended up steeping this one maybe 7 times, backing off the amount of water and bumping up the duration a little each time. I found it to change slightly each time with the final cup leaving me with a salty soup like flavor that was still holding on to a touch of the sweet notes. A splendid drink I would suggest to anyone.
Tune;The Glorious 9th,by Ludwig Van
I did not listen to this tonight, we were actually playing the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Edition of-Risk, though I left it to see if anyone knows what I meant by it…
Preparation
Beethoven’s 9th, I’m assuming?
You want to see if anyone knows what you mean by the tune you posted?? Beethoven’s 9th? I’m confused :P
Clockwork Orange!
Try cold-brewing this one
BRAVO! Rebecca Lynn!
Interesting! I was thinking that there’s no way you were fishing for just what I wrote :D
Milk oolongs are so delicious, aren’t they?
GOOD GOD IS THIS LAVENDER.
Holy… what the… oh em gee.
First off, my hat’s off to Harney for the sheer beauty of this. The lavender blossoms are an absolute joy to look at. Seriously. The prettiest tea I’ve laid eyes on. They feel silky and petal-like, as if they were just plucked. A gorgeous, violet color. And the smell… it’s so in-your-face lavender that it’s almost spicy and pungent. I used a scant teaspoon for fear of my life.
So I steeped this one up, expecting the water to turn a brilliant lavender-blue, as shown on Harney’s website. Blue is my absolute favorite color. Instead, sadly enough, the tea remained very, very clear. Only when I poured it into my porcelain mug did I see that the clear-looking water was actually tinted purple. Hilarious-looking. And smelling ridiculously of lavender.
Don’t think this is some dainty, lady-like tea. It seems like it at first glance. You’d picture this tea as a beautifully dressed Victorian woman, nibbling on crumpets and flouncing around the town square. Well, if you thought that, YOU’RE WRONG.
This is STRONG. This is so strong it’s practically manly. It could probably drag freight trains by its teeth alone. So fearsome that it would guzzle Everclear – straight. And wear a lumberjack shirt. And possibly appear in Inglorious Basterds. It’d best Rocky in a fight. It farts in bacon and beer’s face. That brawny. The lavender gives you a one-two punch of spicy floral insanity. This lavender means business. Serious business.
I mean, for as clear as it looks, it’s just lavender. Very, very lavender. The spicy, heady beginning fades into a taste that’s akin to… lavender bath products. And then that fades into an overall very sweet floral note. We’re talking chamomile sweet here.
I’m so fascinated by it. I keep taking sips and mentally going “WOAH” and then shaking my head, trying to clear the taste out of my mouth. It’s almost peppery at points. It’s intense.
I have no idea where to go with the rest of the review. This tea is ridiculous. I doubt I could ever stomach another cup again, but if I decide to get in the ring with this beast again, I know for sure that it’ll win.
Preparation
Manly lavender? Interesting. I love jasmine and rose when I never thought I would, but I don’t think I’m sold on lavender yet.
That is…completely bizarre. I mean, I like lavender, but do I really want it that intense, in a cup of tea? …I’m not sure. I can’t even imagine what that would be like.
I want a cup! =]
I do not like lavender flavored or scented ANYTHING…but this tea looks so pretty. I was laughing out loud reading this at my cube. :) This is a review you will NEVER see on H&S’s website or catalog. HAHA! Especially the farting in bacon and beer’s face! LOL! Holy crap, dude.
I feel like this would burn my nose or something.
After a review like this, who doesn’t want to try it? Keywords >> Purple, Strong, Fascinated, Ridiculous That sounds amazing! =]
Great idea Ricky.
Keyword reactions? I know! A few words to summarize a tea. For the quick casual reader =P
Hahahahaha. Those are pretty good keywords, Ricky!
I’m glad I could make you laugh, Lena! It was that insane. I was giggling through what I drank of the cup. And through most of my review.
Samantha, this almost did. It was pretty crazy, honestly.
sophistre, yeah, it was like… FLOWER POWER.
I cannot breathe from laughing so hard at this review!
(And of course now I have to buy it)
(Very) late to the party here; as a fan of lavender, the scent, and lavender, the occasional ingredient in the great carousel of dessert, I was curious about purchasing this tea, and so I looked it up on Steepster, and, lo, I found your review, which may be the most amusing tea review I’ve ever read, and so madam, I doff my hat to thee.
Please excuse my long, 1800s-inspired sentence. :)
Similar to ambientqueenie I was looking at this tea to buy it…then I read your review. Congratulations, the first time I actually laughed out loud at a review. I need to go see your other tea reviews now haha. I might still consider buying this though, just for fun.
Your review was awesome…. it gave me giggles. I know have an image of a personified lavender man who is overly muscular going around asking people if they even lift….
Oh man, this was one of the funniest reviews I’ve read of anything, ever! Having actually tried it out of curiosity after reading this, I actually didn’t find it that strong, I might not have used enough lavender. It definitely is an odd kind of herbal taste going on though, like really weird floral mint. And it puts me right to sleep, like insta-nap, more than chamomile ever could. You mentioned that it was similar to chamomile, maybe there’s something to that? :P
Mmmm, the bready, grainy, malty, honey attributes of this tea pair so well with this yummy aged smoked gouda I’m eating right now!
It’s still in my top three favourite black tea everrrr. And I drink LOTS of black tea people, so I’m not just saying that!
I’m also munching on some black olives… I’m an olive maniac, I eat them like peanuts..I’m allowed folks, I just did a crazy HIIT work out!
Indulge, it’s all about pleasing myself tonight :-)
Olives? No thank you. ;))
Haha! I had a feeling you’d say that!
Mmm smoked Gouda . Do you like olives stuffed w/almonds? My favorite mix olives, cornichons and marinated garlic. Omg I’m gonna run to Turkish grocery right now…
Oh, I love olives! I even have a small olive tree in my sunroom, with my first crop of olives on it! I haven’t decided how I’m gonna cure them yet, but I still have time to figure that out.
I’m really jealous about the smoked gouda, BTW. One of my favorite cheeses, if only I wasn’t allergic to milk.
Enjoy!
(dexter, don’t read this)
Boychik, I never came across an olive I could resist. And yes, I buy the humongous almond stuffed olive jar at Costco…and it’s mine, all mine!
OH yeah, for stuffed olives!
Yummmmm!! I’ve been eating kalamata olives like candy lately :)
Terry you so lucky to have olive tree. Your sunroom setup is awesome
Terri, i had no clue you could grow your own, always thought it necessitated a very special climate, kudos to you ;-)
Don’t want to rub it in, but the cheese is spectacular!! So sorry about your allergy though…
I’ll try to remember to take a pic of the olive tree & put it on my FB next week. It’s much smaller than the kumquat, meyer lemon, & key lime trees, but I’m sure it ill catch up :)
You’re amazing!
Not really, I just like growing things :)
olives are my stars especially black ones but I know someone loving them more : my cat ! he becomes crazy each time he can smell an olive 45 miles ago…
I love olives of any and all sorts. I REALLY love them stuffed with jalapenos. The Texas Hill Country has a climate similar to the Mediterranean and they are beginning to grow lots of olives here and are pressing olive oil – they are selling the oil at our farmer’s market. I love the fact that I can get local olive oil.
I had a lime tree but the drought took it out. I love growing things too and it’s hurting my feelings that I can’t have a big garden right now. I’m watering my blackberry bushes which are LOADED right now with the water drained from the washing machine and I have one wee flower bed. My first dahlia of the season just bloomed though – so I’m happy :)
I just got the olive leaves herbal from Harney and Sons. You should try it! I really like it.
Good to know, for some reason i didnt even want to try olive tea. They have oolong sale 25% off btw
Haha! Seems like lots of Steepsterites are very passionate about their olives ;-)
Ysaurella, my cats do weird things around olives too, the smell drives them nuts, hilarious!! Didn’t know European cats suffered from the same affliction, lol!
MzPriss, we don’t have jalapeños stuffed olives around here, sounds awesome! Texan olive oil, really? Wow, It’s such a plus to be able to buy locally…
ashmanra, thank you, I was really wondering about that olive tea, will try it for sure on next order. Can you compare the taste to something just to give us an idea?
Made icing with this Matcha!
Madagascar Vanilla Buttercream. I almost wept!
There is no bitterness at all when you make this into an icing for a chocolate cupcake. Just saying – if you want to try it, I will high five you.
Here’s the recipe/pictures!!!
http://www.daisychubb.com/recipe-chocolate-cupcakes-with-matcha-buttercream-chocolate-ganache/
wow – looks great!
Sounds fantastic!
Totally droolworthy.
Tasty beyond belief!
looks absolutely delicious!
I’m super tempted by the flavored matchas from RLT…but the only matcha I’ve had was the stuff in a Starbucks green tea latte & I thought it was a bit too spinachy. Bad experience to gauge by?
So how do you feel about a guest????
@Missy – anyone is welcome to my home for cupcakes – I just need a few hours notice if you do decide to visit ;D
@Owen – that’s a very good question! I’ve had the starbucks latte you speak of, and to be honest, I also found it extremely spinachy in flavour (almost like a characture of a matcha) but I kind of enjoyed that!
I think RLT is more mellow in the flavours you’re describing – and their flavoured matcha is really delicious. The nice thing is, if you’re a bit wary, you can choose how strong you want the added flavour to be! I’m told the higher flavour levels hardly taste like matcha at all, so maybe you could give those a try and wean your way down if you do enjoy it!
Hope that’s helpful! :D
Thanks Daisy! I think I’ll give it a shot then.
Aww you are so nice Miss DaisyChubb. :D
Oh no, the pleasure would be all mine!
Awesome Owen, I look forward to seeing your future tasting notes ;D
OMG! How are you so amazing?!
@DaisyChubb- have you ever tried adding your own flavoring to Matcha – for example vanilla extract?
Oh no I haven’t Amy! I have some real vanilla extract from my last holiday so I should try that – I bet it would work
it’s January 31. My goal at the end of December was to get to 150 by the end of this month. I was also trying to stick to a budget of 50$. I am currently sitting at 172 teas, having spent basically 175$.
I think for February, i’m going to aim for 150 again, and though i’ve budgeted 50$, i suspect my spending will be closer to 100$.
I’m off to the Toronto Tea Festival tomorrow, so there will be more added to my stash, but it’ll hopefully just be smaller sizes. Tonight, I’ve emptied my entire cupboard, puerh and all on to the dining room table so that i can reorganise my cupboard when i get home tomorrow. it’s much smaller looking than it was a year ago, so i can live with that. :)
Have a blast at the festival! I’m sure you will!
You are so lucky that you are going tomorrow . I have to wait almost 2 months. Have fun;)
should be a great time! Looking forward to seeing some of the new vendors this year and maybe taking in a few more of the workshops
boychik – yeah but the NYC one is WAAAAAAY bigger (if you’re referring to the nyc one heh) toronto’s is still small
Well it will be my first and I can’t wait no more
Tsk tsk, SILLY. But nevermind the count for now and enjoy the festival! I also sent out your package today so let’s hope it’ll be there before next weekend.
My cupboard is having trouble staying organised…..that’s the only reason I care lol running out of room because I have so many bags
Yay for goals. ;-)
Sil I have a big box full of teas with your name on it! I’ll probably mail it next week, along with the BBBB, which arrived today!!!! Have fun at the Tea Festival! I’m looking forward to hearing your report! :)
If it’s any consolation, I didn’t stick with any of my goals for January, & also spent way too much money :)
I really don’t need any more tea but still placed two orders in January, lol!
Sorry Steepster, I’ve been in such a blah mood lately, I kind of deserted everything around me, even my dear Steepster friends, so sorry :-(
Today was a YAY day as I received my Verdant order. I was impatiently waiting for the new Laoshan Black. For sure, it was going to be the first one I try. But I had to open the box first.
I don’t know what type of “tea box un-wrapper” you are:
Type A) you carefully open the box with a sharp knife, and take out the pouches one by one, checking and matching everything with the packing slip, then, happy with yourself, put everything away in a very tidy manner. You WILL NOT open the pouches until you decide to drink your new tea, which might be in a couple of weeks or even months from now.
Type B) you literally rip the box open, I mean with your bare hands. You fetch everything out in a very frantic manner. You don’t care if it matches the packing slip or not, it’s new tea and it’s all you care about. You gather all the pouches in one big pile and you circle them with your arms, eyeballs out of their sockets, you whisper to them “all mine, all mine, my precious!!”
You will not wait any longer to open all the pouches, no method whatsoever to your madness, you just go from one to the other, trying to figure out which one smells best and which one should land in your cup as of RIGHT NOW! By the end of the evening, you’ll be tea drunk and will have tried them all.
Well, maybe you guessed already…I’m type B. This is how I roll and I won’t apologize for it.
Now back to the order and my tea choice. After a spectacular type B grand opening, I throw myself on Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha cause the smell, oh my, the smell…freakin unreal!!!
It’s so chocolate, so Laoshan Black, so nutty and crispy toasted rice, it’s the bomb people!
It,s like having Laoshan Black with Rice Krispies squares, just in a more fancy and sophisticated way, so yummy!
Enough said, just try it for yourself :-)
P.S. Thanks again Verdant for such a pleasant shopping experience as always, you guys are wonderful!
Ok, to answer your survey I’m type b;)
Lol, Go team B :-)
Type B – especially with Mandala and Verdant boxes
I’m type C. I do a little of A and a little of B. :-)
I loved this note and am glad you’re back!
MzPriss, Agreed!
Haha, Morgana, didn’t think of a type C, you are so balanced :-)
Thank you my dear Keychange, missed ya ;-)
I’m going to have to get a fresh batch, clearly!
I haven’t tried this yet – but since I’m almost sobbing over the fact that regular Laoshan Black is currently out of stock, maybe I should try some of this because yeah I NEED another tea to obsess over
Yep include me in the B section also.
MzPriss you should definitely give it a shot, new tea obsession is always a good thing!!
Hope you have more luck with a new batch whatshesaid :-)
Mrmopar, though I do enjoy being a type B, I so admire type A for their restraint and self control!!
Hmmmmmm – am I the only A around here?
(I love this tea – Laoshan black with Rice Krispy squares is a really good comparison)
Hi! I’m also B. :)
Haha, I’m like Morgana – a bit of both, type C
B, B!! :D I do go back and match teas up to my packing slip/order, but only after I roll around in them.
Dexter, don’t feel bad, you’re in a league of your own and we all want to be like you when we finally grow up :-)
Haha! Omgsrsly, I forgot about the “roll around in them” part!
I’ll have to say I’m a bit of both as well… so call me type C. :)
What a fun conversation this turned into!
I have enough to build a small house around me!
Suziqzer, yes it quite funny :-)
Mrmopar, more realistically, I’d go for a decent size cottage…but that’s just me.
Yep Type B over here! haha
Now I also want to try this tea! I haven’t ordered from this company before so I should give them a try.
I don’t believe I’ve had a Huang Guan Yin before, but I like wuyi oolongs and was looking forward to trying this. Because I was at home today, I decided to do more of a gong fu preparation.
I used my little yixing teapot devoted to wuyi oolongs and did a quick rinse of the leaves.
Steep #1: 30 seconds. I got a very sweet, honey-like tea liquor that’s a medium yellow. I feel like there are some peachy notes in here as well as a slight roastedness. Definitely has a nice lingering aftertaste. Norbu compares it to a graham crackers but it reminds me more of toast with a bit of marmalade. Definitely liking it so far!
Steep #2: 20 seconds. Now the graham cracker flavor is definitely coming to the forefront. Definitely much less mineral-y and plummy than other wuyi teas I’ve had in the past. Still getting lots of honey and orange marmalade notes. Not a trace of bitterness in sight, which is great! I have to say I am finding this quite delicious.
Steep #3: 10 seconds. The lighter steep has brought out some lighter, fruitier notes, more peaches and apples seem to be present as well as a bit of butter. This is one non finicky tea.
Steep #4: Still insanely good although getting a bit lighter in flavor. Like a honey drizzled peach over a graham cracker crust. Heavenly! Flavor is still great.
I happen to like light to medium roasted oolongs and this was definitely a surprise. I was expecting something quite different but the result was great. Gets high marks from me for flavor, resteepability and non-astringent/bitterness.
I did like this quite a bit better than the Fenghuang oolong I had a few days ago. This isn’t as aromatic and flowery, but you can’t have everything in life. I have been fairly impressed with Norbu tea so far.
Final verdict: YUMMM! I’m not sure how this could get any better for me personally, so I’m just going to ahead and give it 100 points.
Preparation
Wow! This sounds so Delicious!
Yep – I definitely loved it though I know some people don’t really like roasted oolongs as much as I do.
AMY! YOU NEVER GIVE 100! (Well, not easily!) This must have caused another earthquake!
OMG I have to get this NAOW! Graham Cracker!!! WOW!
@Bonnie – I just checked my ratings and I’ve given 10 100’s but I also have 1,003 tasting notes!
@Azzrian, if you decide to go for it, I also thought the
Feng Qing Gold Tips were good!
Amy, you single handedly make my wishlist grow daily (others contribute). Keep on keeping on :)
ohh this is going straight to my shopping list after such a review!
Thank you I will go look up the Gold Tips too!
I have never ordered from this company!
So one more to the list of not just teas but companies to try! LOL Oh boy.
ROFL its already on my shopping list! Haha
Hey…where’s Scott?
@Bonnie, I don’t know but I’m sure he’ll be back. :)
Nice review. Unfortunately you confirmed my own fears. Haven’t stepped up to try mine yet for I fear that I will enjoy it too much and then not want to go back to all my other teas. ;-)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. JIM!
I’m already thinking of what I could find in an intermediate price range, but recently tried If you are reading this.. and Colbert and they are very good but not in the same league.
It’s pretty good :).
+1 Excellent review
Happy Birthday Dr Jim.
Hope your birthday was a good one!
Happy Birthday!!!
Harpy Birthday!
Every time I read another awesome review about this tea it makes me really want to try it. That said, I fear I’m not ready for it!
Happy Belated Birthday! This is one of my top teas I’ve ever tasted :)
What a review! I love it. And Happy Birthday
Happy birthday. Excellent review
Note: My first score was a 100, but I had a subsequent tasting that I rated “only” 91 so averaged down.