Popular Tasting Notes
A friend of mine is going through something awful and there isn’t much I can do to help and it makes me sad…
So I turn to Laoshan Black this morning cause it seems to be my comfort go tea whenever I feel life is being unfair.
Its beauty and craftsmanship reminds me that there will always be beauty in this world no matter how bad things get sometimes.
Thanks for the welcoming and warming feeling LB, that’s just what I needed.
(Sorry, see some other notes for “real” description)
I love popcorn. I love tea. I love popcorn flavored Jelly Beans. Yet, somehow, popcorn flavored tea is a no go for me. I should have figured this out after trying 52teas popcorn tea. But, reading reviews made me want to try it. Oh how stubborn am I…
The dry tea smells strangely fruity and has a suspiciously large amount of apple and tiny amount of green tea leaves. It also has a few large “popcorns” in the mix. I have to admit that the lingering smell does somehow remind me of candied popcorn.
Brewed, it is a beautiful pale yellow… that smell just like popcorn. I kid you not. Popcorn all the way. I am still at awe at how apples, scarce tea leaves, and a piece of popcorn produce this popcorn brew. The taste is exactly like caramel popcorn. Sadly, I didn’t like it. I couldn’t even bring myself to go past a few sips. Popcorn should not be in tea form. That is my conclusion. Though, some people seem to really enjoy this concoction. Good for you liquid popcorn enjoyers!!
I honestly wish I enjoyed this, the flavor is really well obtained. I am not going to rate it because it is well made, I will acknowledge this, but I did not like it all…
Needless to say, I have a nearly full 50g pouch if anyone is interested in swapping. : )
I love how you are able to put a positive spin on your tea tasting experiences no matter how much you don’t like it!
I didn’t care for 52 teas popcorn either :( I really wanted to.
@SimpliciTEA- Aww… Thanks! : ) I try to keep tea positive. There are enough things to worry about… Lets just enjoy tea and writing about it!
@Azzrian- Yeah… I think that in my case, I have a mental block that prevents me from enjoying tea that is flavored with things that I relate to salty.
Initially I was put off by this tea as well.. but then I read a review that suggested adding a touch of rock salt and raw sugar. I did this and oh my gosh! Delectable. Maybe that would work for you? =)
I know how you feel about popcorn! I’m totally the same way! And actually, I liked this one. :P
I liked the 52teas one too, although it was more of a risk for me because I like tea sweet… I found it “interesting,” basically, as a straight, black salty-popcorn taste, and found it actually worked well paired with a hearty starch-and-protein-type meal.
But I also tried adding double the sugar I normally use, and discovered that it transformed it into a sweet-and-salty kettle corn flavour, which I can totally get behind. So. Uh. What was the point of typing all that… I like popcorn teas? But they can’t be too salty for sure, tea which is too salty starts to seem weird.
Nina…….Have you tried lowering steep time & temps? That might transform this tea into a very likeabke brew. :))
Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!! You have inspired me to give it one more try…. I’ll let you know how it goes! : )
What an interesting tea! If you do not like Popcorn tea, then perhaps you might like Genmaicha, which uses brown rice. It’s taste is unique, and should be better. Just a suggestion.
@Scharp- Thanks for the suggestion! : )
Actually, I have tasted quite a few Genmaicha. I have the same problem with it as I do with this popcorn tea. The cereal popcorn aspect just doesn’t work for me. I really want to like it, so I keep trying it, but so far I haven’t been able to get through a cup of Genmaicha either…
With Genmaicha, for me it can be too nutty/popcorny, so I ……. [please read my above suggestion]. :))
I know what you mean. The corn, or as in the Genmaicha’s case, the rice, detracts a little bit from the taste of the tea. It is definitely an acquired taste.
Hahahaha, I absolutely love your tea reviews!! You’re always so entertaining, and I agree with other Steepsterites that your positivity is simply infectious!
Do you still have this to swap?
I feel like I’ve been avoiding this tea subconciously. As if it’s too much of a big deal or something… I went ahead and order 2oz of it, but I don’t want to mess it up or anything. I mean, those two ounces cost me a pretty penny. But I’m going to go for it now, and I’m going to steep it western style (following the instructions on Verdant’s site) because it’s somehow less stressful to me at this point.
The dry leaf is beautiful and smells like very fragrant sweet potato chips. I took a big whif and was like, woah! sweet potatoes! Someone came into my office moments after I poured the water on these leaves and asked if I could unlock a door for them, which put me in a panic because I only had a minute to play with. I had a moment of indecision: do I tell them to wait one minute until the steep is done, but the door is just around the corner and that would sound odd anyway. So I walked briskly and I arrived back at my office with 5 seconds to go! Whew.
The steeped tea has some of that sweet potato-y aroma, and maybe the slightest hint of vanilla and spices. First sip, after it’s cooled a bit: woah. woah. Sweet, like brown sugar on a baked sweet potato. Sooooo smooth. Just a luxurious, silky, creamy feel to it. With a little tingle in the aftertaste. In the first part of the sip its straight up sweet potato, one that’s been baked to perfection and still has those fresh notes. Then the brown sugar and spices come sliding in… I mean, not spices so much as the faint hint of allspice perhaps. The after taste is light, and more of a sensation than a taste, a light tingling that is really intriguing. Really an amazing Dian Hong, and if you are a fan of that varietal you owe it to yourself to get a bit of this tea. Can’t wait to gong fu this one and see its performance there!
Preparation
I see your hesitation. At $30/2 oz. I’d be afraid of messing it up too! I just might have to make a purchase too though…your tasting note has sold me, and I love Dian Hong!
The price tag of this scared me away…
So worth it! I’ve gone to a movie and spent money in 2 hours that is less satisfying and gone faster! $30 for this…it really is special! Some new tea’s are coming out…a White and a Pu-er.
I have a serious need to slash my tea budget unfortunately. Need to stay away from the fancy pants stuff until I drink more of what i already have. :-/
This sounds so awesome. But it really does put things into perspective when you start comparing the price to how much people would spend when going out to a movie and/or restaurant. Sounds like it would be money well spent here.
Yeah, I haven’t been buying new tea lately (or much of anything, actually!), so I didn’t feel so bad about dropping the money on the tea. There are certain teas that are just worth it.
Yep!
Hey, no judgments here… :)
Hello steepsterites!!
Honeymoon is nearly over and we are leaving Norwich after breakfast. I’ve ticked a few more of those Very English things off my list such as fish’n’chips and brown sauce with breakfast sausages. Also banoffee pie and a large number of J2O flavours.
Most importantly though, THIS was as close as I got to a real proper cream tea. I could have had it. I was supposed to have it. But I’d had a large lunch and I don’t know if you are aware of this.steepsterites but cream tea involves an awful lot of food. There are little sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and cakes, and I just couldnt eat all that without bursting, so we went for just tea and cake instead.
So clotted cream and cucumber sandwiches are still unticked but i saw someone else having it so I was definitely close.
I hope you all have been behaving yourselves in my absence. It was the plan to try and keep up womewhat with the phone but the B&B wi-fi is dreadfully slow.
Oh yes a proper cream tea is WONDERFUL! I had one at The English Tea Store last time we went to St. Louis. I don’t think we will have time or funds to have one this time around but I so loved it! I did a review under places here on Steepster with photos! :)
It sure IS a ton of food!
You can get clotted cream on many tea sites just FYI and it is SO SO GOOD! I got some from Harney and Sons recently.
I LOVE that stuff! :)
There is Clotted Cream and Double Devonshire Cream – similar but a little different. I think I prefer Clotted. A little sweeter I think.
Thanks, Azzrian! I bought Double Devon Cream in Raleigh and thought it was great, but I didn’t know if it was the same as clotted cream. Next time I go up there I will get some more. You can buy it here in town but it is $2 more. Then maybe I can put some colored cream on my next Harney order and compare.
Clotted cream! Stupid autocorrect.
LOL its okay … I pay about 6 bucks or more USD for mine in mail order. How much is it there?
Some Whole Foods stores carry it too. My local King Super has a large British food section with clotted cream…(they have a whole long isle of european food) . City Drugs in Old Town carries Dutch and Russian goodies (kind of odd) .
Yeah, there’s a place not far from here that does ‘High Tea’ that Sandy is pretty fond of. I’ll make it there one of these days… :)
I’m surprised you’re on here at all if you’re on your honeymoon! Best wishes for a long and happy life with your new husband!!
Yes, our Angrboda is one dedicated tea lover, posting from her honeymoon!:)
Thanks everybody. Unfortunately no second chance for cream tea arose, so I’m still unticked there. Will probably invest in some imported clotted cream eventually, but it’s just not the same. I’ve also seen a recipe for making it myself, but I’m not sure I can bring myself to actually boil cream. O.o
This is officially a favorite and something I want to be a staple. Clearly, a few other people get it in bulk and make it their staple too because it keeps selling out. It is no wonder, though, because the tea is that good. I guess everyone wants to commit cremes. It’s pretty flexible under my tumbler, and less is more with the approach. It can actually gong fu, but western serves it well. I know the jin xuan is flavored too, but there are natural florals that blend seamlessly with the violet, and it’s not an overly spinachy base either.
I’m not sure what to rate it since I’d almost do a hundred, but I’m doing 95….for now. My friends have also deeply enjoyed it. It’s really more of an late eventing tea, but I can drink it any time.
Earlier this year my friend Marika bought them out of it entirely – it’s definitely a favourite of us both.
It’s always been sold out any time I’ve checked the site…
How many grams? I got 2 2 oz to have some lol
I think she bought something like 400g of it
Shit.
One day it will be available again and that’s when I shall try this company. One day.
I joined the mailing list to get it. I stalked the website for a month until it restocked.
I feel your pain…
Is this a Whispering Pines level of desperation?
Thanks for tip about the mailing list :|
Close. Brutaliteas is not as expensive or snobby as Whispering Pines, but I had that level of Desperation as I did for frickin’ Rivendell. There are good teas for the bases though. This is actually not an expensive tea at all-like $13 for 2 oz, and Evoolong is actually a really good pure Jade Oolong.
I’ve made peace with never drinking Rivendell again… But I want to partake in Voilet Cremes with all of you :P
Same lol
I’d ask for a small sample of this in our swap, but you’re probably hoarding it. :P
I’ll put it in. Luckily, I got 4 oz worth in two bags, so it will be easy to share.
Thanks! :)
I too am stalking the site for this one to place my first order with this company.. someday y’all we will all get to try this!! :D
There may be some available right now, fyi! ;)
I’m not sure I can order any in time because shipping to Canada is iffy apparently (I should’ve inquired directly sooner, I guess), but the rest of you should go for it!
Damn that went fast.
Reached out to them and sounds like there’s more coming in a few weeks. Trying this once and for all is now my tea priority, haha.
If those Violet Cremes are as good as they smell, getting them is indeed a good tea priority. :) You’ll have to let us know what shipping is like to Canada.
Have you tried the amount I’ve sent yet? I may have repacked it yet, but I don’t remember.
No, I haven’t tried it, though it smells lovely. I’m focusing on the teas I’m putting into my swap boxes so I can finally send them out. You’re getting two Baozhongs that I think you’ll enjoy. :)
YES!
Yes! I’m curious to see what you think when you eventually get around to trying it, Leafhopper :)
I was one of the peeps that decided to snag some thanks to the restock announcement, so thank you!
I’m so far on the backlog….
Since I’ve been teaching so much on the computer, I’ve been trying to take breaks from technology. Now that I have a moment of respite, I wanted to get back some reviews of some of the teas I’ve hoarded from whiteantlers.
There’s one black tea that I’ve deeply enjoyed, but don’t know quite what it is. It’s only got Mandarin on the package, but if I were to guess, I think it’s either a Tongmu/Wuyi or Tie Guan Yin type black since the leaves are smoothened out with few to little gold tips and a longhan aroma, or it could be Taiwanese because it’s sickeningly sweet and fruity. I have had fruity Chinese and Fujians for sure, but they are usually limited to apricot, citrus, berry and cherry for blacks while the flavor is usually more savory. Taiwanese blacks in my experience are thicker and fruitier, especially leaning into more tropical and stonefruits.
Going into this tea, it’s a sugar bomb-I’ve questioned whether or not it’s been roasted with sugarcane because it’s that immense. Lychee, Longhan, Chocolate, Cherries, Brown Sugar, and Light Malt is what I get, but then it dies off after steep three western, and five if I really take the time to gong fu it. There were times were I’ve wondered if the tea has raised my bloodsugar because of how sweet it is.
I don’t know how else to describe it in terms of notes, but it’s one of those teas that I want to drink all the time, but I get overpowered by cloy if I do. I LOVE it, because it does have some depth and layers underneath all the sugariness, but it pack a punch. Whiteantlers, you might be able to define it?
Anyway, it’s one of the teas that I’ve drank the most so far. I’ve been occasionally trying my new teas if its a sample, but I’ve mostly drank Hugo’s Jasmine Green, What-Cha’s Li-Shan Black, Hugo’s Earl Grey, What-Cha’s Amber Gaba Oolong (SO SMOOTH), Unytea’s Jasmine Black, and Whispering Pines’s Imperial North Winds…which I’ll add today for notes. The rest I’ve already added from what I’ve listed-go check them out!
Selfish side note-Heavily missing my lack of Alice…
Hey Daylon sorry-have no idea what that one was. When I was packing your tea box, I tried to put in as many oolongs as were fit to drink, then just some random things that would fit in as filler. I don’t even remember a packet with ‘Mandarin’ written on it…
Aww it sounds amazing, I would love to know what tea it was!
Oh man, this sounds so good!
Agreed! I wish I knew what it was as well.
Yes! I also wish I knew what that tea was. Sounds like something I’d want to pick up. Sadly, What-Cha’s Li Shan Black was out of stock when I tried to buy it, and I hope it comes back next year. I want fruity black teas!
Are the leaves all whole and needle-like? Twisted, shiny and hard? I had a big envelope of mystery tea from White Antlers with characters that looked Mandarin. I remember one of my first thoughts was “this smells like it was pan-fried in sugar.” Haven’t brewed it yet, though.
YES! That’s the one
I could be wrong in that they are Japanese characters-it’s hard to tell since it’s using calligraphy. Now how to use a translater app on my phone…And yes, derk. The are black, twisted, and pretty shiny. Some have small gold tips, but very few. And man, does it smell like pan fried rock sugar.
If anyone can get a good, CLEAR picture of the characters, I may be able to translate.
How do you post pictures on here? I’ve tried copying an pasting mine, but it would not let me. I’ll forward you a message with it.
Crap. It won’t let me do that either. I’ll just have to add a note with it’s picture.
Post a link to where the picture is uploaded?
Hmm… I do manga scanlation in my free time, but admittedly am used to dealing with type-printed text over hand-written/stylized which makes it harder for me to pick out some of the kanji. Will try to call in some phone-a-friends and see if any of them can fill in the ones I’m still blank on.
So the calligraphy is Japanese then? Thank you for taking all this time and effort for a simple translation. Let me know if you need me to take another picture.
(Although I know Kanji is Japanese use of Chinese based characters, too)
That’s the tea, Daylon. Martin Bednar might have the original packet in his possession unless I had sent it to somebody else.
I wonder if that came from Bitterleaf…
It’s Chinese. Japanese imported a good deal of Chinese characters into their language (as well as having their own characters as a phonetic system). I have my ways of dealing with them when I’m transcribing manga… but then, I’m usually dealing with typesetting, and not hand-scrawled calligraphy which is a whole different beast, ha!
Well, the consensus seems to be that the large text is 純手工制作 … but from what I can see that doesn’t appear to be the tea’s actual name, but “handmade” or “handcrafted.” And the smaller text is just a bit too small in the picture to try to make out.
Thank you. Is it bitterleaf’s sugar glider, maybe?
Daylon I believe so.
I looked at the package. The description is close, but it’s more decorated. It does taste like a Bitterleaf tea, though. I do have the Ya-Shi I’ve been saving from you. I’ve held back on the fruity Dancong oolongs lately. I’m not sure what it is, but they tend to slam me with a different punch of energy. I used to crave the sweetness, and I still like sweeter teas, but the ripeness of it all….intense.
I think our tastes, and not just in tea, change with the seasons and where we are at particular times in life.
Sad, sad sipdown. (157)
My caffeine-free options seem to be dwindling by the minute. This is one I really enjoyed. the marshmallow leaf base makes this fluffy and sweet and helps to keep the mint from being over powering. Furthermore the chocolate in this is a nice milk chocolate flavor that helps make this creamy and smooth.
I may have been checking Butiki’s website daily (okay, hourly) waiting for Nutmeg Cream and Eggnog & Pralines to be posted. Once that happens I can place an order and get more of this tasty treat. Hopefully, I will also be able to add a fair amount of Birthday Cake to that order as well. Then I would be in caffeine-free heaven.
Flavors: Chocolate
Preparation
i’m guessing new teas may not be posted until stacy gets back from vacation
I know but I can still dream :P
Yea, last I heard it’ll be a bit before she can make some more Birthday Cake.
Then I will just have to stock up on this to hold me over
So, I am probably not supposed to mention this but the new teas will be posted on Monday. Monday is the last day to order before my vacation starts. So, it is possible to get teas before I leave. The birthday cake will probably be after vacation though unless I can get an accurate account of how much is needed to make today.
hahahaha
Oh? I’d sent you a note via Steepster Stacy, saying 8 oz (if I remember correctly? It’s been a bit). Was more wondering still if we needed to all order it through one person, or make our own orders. For me though it can wait – perhaps it can’t for VariaTEA! ;)
I do miss it but luckily I am a patiant person so I don’t mind waiting.
MissB-Just sent you a message. Sorry, my Steepster messages are kind of a nightmare at the moment. I just sent you a message. I’m trying to coordinate with a few other people that sent me private messages saying they would like to purchase some Birthday Cake.
Oh, would Hello Sweetie be showing up any time soon? :O
Cavocorax-We are doing a special preview for the month of February where anyone that purchases one of the Amoda blends will receive a 2 cup sample. Then starting in March it will be available full-time.
Awesome! :D Thanks
I am so thankful for Teavivre’s review contest, I have won a 5 tea sampler pack and that makes me really happy this morning!
So to honour them, I have decided to drink one of my favourite of theirs.
This is my best everyday Tie Guan Yin. By everyday, I don’t mean this is average tasting, I mean it’s affordable enough to drink on an everyday basis.
Cause this TGY is absolutely fabulous, it competes with some of the most expensive ones I own, for a fraction of the price. It is everything I love about high mountain oolong. Floral, buttery and sweet, but also juicy and refreshing. There’s a pure crystalline mineral quality about this tea. I get hints of vanilla also, which makes this cup so very creamy and yummy!
Its name is representative, it truly is a TGY King!
I searched a long time before settling on this tea, I tried lower grades TGY to see if they could make a decent cup for a daily basis. But I quickly came to the conclusion that quality is proportional to the $$ you are willing to pay. That was until I got to try a sample of this wonderful tea.
It is almost at par with another one I buy in much smaller amount but would cost $60 for the same quantity!
Thank you Teavivre, no wonder I keep coming back for more :-)
And congrats to all the other Steepsterites who have won something in the contest!!
congrats! I reckon I’m still too much of a rookie…entered once…got a $3 coupon….reckon they didn’t like the smoking monkey vision I created during the review! :)
Congrats! And this sounds like an awesome tea. I’ll have to add it to my list.
Congratulations. :)
Was there a contest? LOL, I never know about these thing until I’ve missed them!
Congrats!
Thanks :-)
Congrats!!
Mmm, I love this tea too.
Shoot, I missed the contest as well
I’m sure everyone enjoyed the break from my avalanche of tasting notes while I had the Butiki traveling teabox. haha. This was certainly the first tea I wanted to try once the teabox was traveling again. MzPriss sent me a few things even though I’m eagerly awaiting her teabox that seems like it only has the best teas!
THIS tea is the highest rated on Steepster and well deserved. It’s better than I expected, and I expected greatness. I haven’t given a tea a 99 rating in a while. I used 2 1/2 teaspoons. I was able to get three really nice steeps by waiting for the first cup after boiling a few minutes, the second a couple minutes, the third just boiled. This is exactly my sort of tea. Just look at those flavor notes. I had to check the ingredients list to make sure there actually wasn’t chocolate of any kind. There isn’t. I realize that this is a Yunnan Dian Hong blended with a Fujian, but this is the kind of flavor I look for whenever I try Verdant’s Laoshan. I’ve only tried steeping one teaspoon of the Laoshan though – maybe I should try 2 1/2 teaspoons at least once. This actually tastes like melted chocolate though. With some crunchy vanilla beans. I can see how WP compares this to cherry, but I wished there would have been more of that flavor. The third steep was still very good, but it seemed more like sweet potato than chocolate. Absolutely none of that cedary oversteeped flavor. This blend is absolutely amazing and I would love to try everything that WP ever blends!
My sample recommended half a tablespoon, which would be 1.5 teaspoons… Their website says the same thing. Maybe yours was written in error?
OH I must have read it wrong! I’ll change it in the tasting notes so no one tries steeping that many teaspoons. It was really good at 2 1/2 though. :D
Yeah I bet it was! :D I’m an overleafer generally.
I also use close to a tbsp per cup! I just can’t get enough of that taste…
:D I overleaf as well. I’m glad you loved it so much. It’s hard not to love. And it just keeps getting better. The vanilla keeps infusing the leaf and it gets yummier and yummier and smoother and smoother. It’s the middle of the night (sigh) but I think I need to have some of this right now.
Hehehehe :D I will not be held responsible for you guys getting zero sleep!
It’s not your fault Brenden. We just don’t sleep. So when we are not sleeping already in the middle of the night – we have to be really picky about middle of the night tea. Sadly middle of the night came extra early last night :( but I have ALL the good tea so :)
Oh no, sorry you had another bad night MzPriss….mine wasn’t very successful either so I finished my book and drank tea, the perks of sleepless nights :-)
Oh, insomnia…no good. Have either of you tried Kava Kava?
Awww sorry Fairy :( I SHOULD have finished my book. I got up and cooked.
@Brenden – I use valerian sometimes. Aren’t there some liver issues with kava?
Thanks, but my insomnia is related to stuff that plants can’t do anything about unfortunately….but I’m working at it, some day I will get my beauty rest :-)
I shouldn’t have been posting tasting notes on this one in the middle of the night! It could certainly replace a chocolate dessert though. I’m sorry you guys aren’t sleeping. :/
Hmm, haven’t heard of liver issues, but possibly! Luckily I don’t generally have trouble sleeping since I started cutting out caffeine at 9pm. :) haha
@TeaFairy – we shall overcome and we will sleep :)
I wish I could share my sleeping ability with you two :-(. I am a champion sleeper. I fall asleep pretty much instantly and left to my own devices, I’ll usually sleep about ten hours a night. But I also don’t drink caffeine after about 6 and that helps a lot.
I’m so jealous…
I am revisiting this tea this afternoon, using the same measurement of leaves from last night, and steeping them yet again. And again! This tea just keeps on going, like the Energizer bunny.
The flavors today are remarkably smooth, noticing only a trace of the mineral-y taste I experienced yesterday, sweet, a little bit of the honey-esque tone but more of a floral sweetness.
This is one of the most incredible Puerh teas I’ve encountered.
Incredible and yes, an energizer bunny!
sounds great!
I agree this is one fine Puerh.
Hmm. I might need to get this someday!
is it considered a sheng or shou? what year/harvest?
Sheng 2011…6,000 ft.
thanks!
It doesn’t even seem anything like what I know Puer tea to be. Interesting.
Wow! I was so confused in the beginning of this cup but found myself IN LOVE!
See full review here http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 13th.
I just want to say thank you to Invader Zim for sending me this GENEROUS sample!
I would not NEED to order more but I do want to get some so I can have the tin for it to have a deserving home!
I love the tart lemon (not sour) and the grassy flavor for the floral notes to rest on.
There is a shy sweetness about this tea that is NOT cloying at all.
Its so perfect!
YUM!
oh man… sounds more and more like i need to try and find a way to place a H&S order. damn canadian shipping lol
Is it that expensive or does H and S just charge far more than necessary?
the blend itself is so beautiful on the picture, it’s like fireworks of flowers !
It is so very pretty – gorgeous! And smells amazing!
i don;‘t think it’s that expensive… other companies can offer canada free shipping or like 3-6$ theirs is 15 under a certain dollar value and it goes up from there! it’s not as bad as the persimmon tree tea (starts at 23$ and goes up) but as soon as you reach 8$ that’s a decent amount of tea from somewhere else!
What is odd is I can’t get their site to load at all ever since I did the review on Sororitea Sisters lol. I want to put it in my cart but it wont load at all. Bizarre.
I’m glad you like it! I like this one a lot, it’s great iced too. I like to keep it in a mason jar just because it’s so pretty!
When people come over and I offer tea they either pick jasmine pearls or see this one and want to try it. It;s definitely a crowd pleaser, if I held tea parties I think this would be a good one!
aw, yeah Sil, every time I made a fakie H&S order the shipping is well over 30 bucks and then I stop and cry lol
Daisy – wish there was a place i could just pick it up here
They are in Millerton, NY and there is a store in Soho.
It is running for me now – geesh I thought I had broke the site lol
I love coconut and am always on the lookout for a nice coconut green tea. Key word being green. I’ve had a few coconut oolongs and pouchongs which are all fine and dandy, and some red rooibos which aren’t for me, but I wanted a green tea. Now Teavana came out with a green coconut cream tea that’s exclusive to their website, you can’t get it in the store. I bought some thinking I was going to like it, I didn’t. It was sencha with coconut and white chocolate pieces…I don’t like white chocolate and I certainly don’t like it in my tea and it was too much and too creamy for me.
So, I go to Zen Tea and find this gorgeous little yixing teapot that grabs my heart and I don’t find too many teas that grab my attention. Then I see this coconut green tea, again coconut with sencha and figure why not. I thought of grabbing just a sample but did 50g instead. Glad I got 50g instead of a sample! The yixing pot is too cute at 3.72 oz which will be dedicated to dancongs.
And this tea is so simple and delicious! It’s a nice sencha base with dried coconut pieces and apparently some flavoring which I can only imagine to be more coconut. Upon opening the bag I smell the sweet grassy sencha and the sweet coconut. This coconut is different from oolong or pouchong in that it is much lighter. It reminds me of sweetened shredded coconut used for baking, the kind that I will sit down and eat straight out of the bag…I like coconut :) But the greatest thing about this tea is that it was green tea and coconut and that’s it, no extra anything! No pineapple, no lemongrass, no rhubarb, no mango, nothing! It’s great I love it! The sencha is the perfect base for the coconut and the neither the coconut nor the sencha overpowered the other, well balanced. If you like coconut and green tea go try some!
Pics of new yixing! You can see my cup of the coconut green tea on the table.
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s410/feralanima/Yixingteapot005.jpg
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s410/feralanima/Yixingteapot002.jpg
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s410/feralanima/Yixingteapot003.jpg
Preparation
Cute yixing! Did you get any special cups to drink out of?
I did order the small flower pattern porcelain cup from Verdant the first day they started selling teawares. That should be shipped out the middle of this month. But aside from that I don’t have cups smaller than 5 oz yet. I’m working on it, my teaware collection is starting to grow!
since it’s going to be a dedicated yixing you could get yixing cups!
I could, but I really like the look of painted porcelain cups a lot. I don’t know if I really need to get a lot of cups though, it’s not like I have a lot of company, and what company I do get doesn’t really drink tea, and those that do just like their bigger cups. Essentially, it’s just going to be for me, we’ll see though, I have time to decide!
Sooo cute! I have a couple Yixing cups and I had to season them which was easy since the instructions are on Verdant and Youtube etc. If you don’t season them, the taste is ick! Clay! At least, I can smell the clay.
I get what you mean Zim. I’m a tea enthusiast but must people I know just give me a grin and a fake British accent when I tell them I love tea. LOL. But to each its own. I will get a Yixing cup but for all general Ripe Puerh.
Bonnie, this happened to be. Though is not the case for all Yixing, some ‘High Quality’ Yixing wears almost no scent whatsoever… but I can’t really afford those lol. But the taste part is true 100%. The pot takes 60% off the taste if you don’t season it. This was my mistake with my first pot. If you get a Yixing that has a heavy scent do one or two ‘washings’ which is just letting it sit on hot water and dry and then season like you would normally do.
Bonnie: The Verdant site has such a great video for seasoning yixing. I’ll definitely be looking at that while trying to do mine. Perhaps this weekend I’ll do it. Give myself a whole day to play around with it.
JC: I’m pretty certain my family and friends will just look at me weird at the small size of gongfu style brewing. Do you have a larger cup for your ripe puerhs or do you use a gaiwan and pour into the smaller yixing cups?
Yep, that’s what I did. Now they’re fine. I just use them with my Yixing thermos for pu and my purple clay gaiwan for pu.
I have several porcelain cups. a set of 6 1oz cups, two 4oz cups and normal cups for when I’m just in the mood for drinking tea and relaxing. For the ripe puerh I use the small ones when tasting the large ones when just drinking, but I saw a 4oz yixing cup that I’m interested in. It sounds great to have a cup that will season just as your yixing.
I might get a gaiwan and some 4oz yixing cups once I know what teas I’d like to dedicate them to. I wonder how people who have so many yixing items can remember which ones are dedicated to which teas?!
Curious, where did you acquire your porcelain and yixing cups JC?
Adorable pot! I love the teaware at Zen Tea. I have several things from them on my Christmas list!
the pot and the mugs are really cute
Several places. Some I’ve loved some not so much. I have the really small cups from a set that Silk Road teas used to sell (not so good, descent). I have the two larger Porcelain cups from Phoenix collection with I use most of the time. They are small enough to help me pace myself but large enough to keep the liquid warm while I write notes. And I have a ‘aroma set’ from Yunnan sourcing. These are all Chinese style saucer-cups. My normal cups I’ve bough from etsy directly from different artists. When I get home today I’ll send you a link with a picture of them so you have an idea. :)
Thank you ashmanra and Ysaurella! I like another 2 or 3 of their yixing teapots, but I’m starting with this one to see how I like it.
JC: I’ve seen the ones from Yunnan sourcing and the Phoenix collection, they didn’t wow me. I prefer the ones from JK tea,at least the porcelain cups and the unlined yixing cups, even if they are a little more expensive . I’ll have to check out Etsy and your pictures when you send them. Thank you for helping!
I know what you mean. I prefer simpler tea ware because I feel like for (at least tasting new teas). Colorful cups don’t let you enjoy the color of the tea itself. I know Phoenix collection has several painted porcelain cups but I haven’t seen them yet. Yunnan Sourcing has some beautiful saucer-cups that are painted or have calligraphy. But I’m not sure if you are looking for a cup meaning a tall one or a more traditional flatter/saucer-like one. If you are looking for taller then yes go for JK tea. Or search for artists, I have some cups and they are beautiful and basically unique since they are hand made and this doesn’t make them expensive at all. I have a few and all of them are under $20. My only recommendation is… get a glass pitcher! Nothing beats being able to see your tea in its natural state. :)
I definitely plan on getting a glass pitcher, especially if I’m going to get small cups. As for cups I was looking for the smaller ones, not the taller ones. I like the ones with small designs on them, not calligraphy or paisley style. I’m a little unfamiliar with etsy, never bought anything from there, what artists would you suggest?
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Hey Zim! Well etsy I recommend more for taller cups. I haven’t really found Chinese styled there. If you post a link of a cup that resembles what you like I can help you look.
For now http://www.redblossomtea.com/teaware/accessories.html (go the the tea accessory tab); http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/category.php?id_category=19009153 ; http://purepuer.com/puer_tea/do/category/all_teaware (a bit pricey but some cups are at good price); http://esgreen.com/products-page/tea-cup-mug/ ; Hope this helps. I’d recommend looking at purepuerh, yunnan sourcing and esgreen.
The ones from esgreen are beautiful and just what I’m looking for! I’m not sure which I like more! Thank you for the help!
http://esgreen.com/products-page/tea-cup-mug/hand-painted-blue-and-white-porcelain-tea-cups-seasonal-flowers/#!prettyPhoto2611/0/
I was looking through etsy earlier and found that if you type in sake cups that you will find some nice small cups you could use for tea.
I’m glad it was helpful. And great find with etsy. I’m looking in there myself. I’ve seen some beautiful cups. Esgreen has a blue/green celadon cup set and a ‘translucent’ porcelain cup set that I just go there, put the pictures and stare. (I must have you) I think. lol If I find anything else I’ll let you know.
Lol I’ve been staring at the porcelain-ware from esgreen too. I’m might ask for some for the holidays, but I’m undecided as to which ones I want!
THIS IS A MONUMENTAL POST! DO YOU HEAR ME?! MONUMENTAL!!!!
This is a landmark for many reasons:
1.) THIS IS MY 100th tasting note! I can’t believe I’ve made so many!
2.) I have exactly 70 followers now! Thank you to everyone that puts up with my incoherent ramblin’s!
3.) This is my first 100 on a tea! Ironically on my 100th tasting note! Whuddathunkit?
So, thank you to everyone that’s stuck with me this whole time, I’ve already grown exponentially in my tea experience and I look forward to growing even more! Sorry that I haven’t been on for a few days, I’ve had a lot to do this week AND I wanted to make this note special because, it is afterall a landmark post. Also, I am sad to say that I most likely won’t be on for the rest of the week/weekend because I have the Vermont AllState Music Festival tomorrow through Saturday and then we are having a family dinner for Mother’s Day because my family from out of town are here visiting! Super exciting! You best believe that I will be drinking tea though!
So, onto this tea! Thank you very kindly to Angel and the rest of the Teavivre team, this tea is without a doubt one of the best blacks I’ve ever tried. I know that this will be a repeat of what I have said in the past and what other’s have said, but I love it so much. Last time I reviewed this I was going through a “moody I’m questioning what I like and how I like it” phase, but now I’m back and I can say fully that I love this one to death.
It has all the perfect characteristics that a Fujian should-it’s got a very nice, fresh baked bread taste (rye perhaps?). Alongside that is an extremely dark dark chocolate note that adds…… Not necessarily sweetness but rather a nice accent to the bread. Like a Pain au Chocolat, but a little bit of a grainier bread and a really dark chocolate.
In the second steep (unfortunately all I got to with this session today, although I know for a fact that it could have been steeped AT LEAST one or two more times) a realllllly yummy caramel taste came out. The grain started to back off a little in this one, though it was still definitely there. There was absolutely no astringency in either of these steeps!
This one is definitely going on the repurchase list! Thanks again to Angel and Teavivire for this sample as well as to all of my lovely followers for supporting me and reading my rambli-I mean reviews! Happy Drinking!
Preparation
Hooray for you! Today you are a man (well not exactly but you are on the way!).
I think you’re taller also! Yes, I see it! Taller and with a glow about you! Fine chap that IAN! Congradulations fine Ian! Hear Hear for you’re a jolly good fellow!
Congratulations Ian! Nice choice of tea for a milestone BTW.
Hahahaha Bonnie! Thank you very much! I am very flattered :D
@kOmpir: Thank you so much! I love this one so much!
Taking note, I will look into this one!
I agree – this is really good!
Ah, I remember this tea. Good times. If I didn’t have such a large stockpile, I would buy some, but alas, that will have to wait until July…
Congratulations!
I got a sample of this from Azz (and now a sample from Teavivre), and I’m pretty impressed with it as well. I’m torn between drinking this second sample, and sharing the love for someone else to try, since I know I’m going to buy a mount of it later!
Congrats! This is definitely a milestone worthy tea, and I love reading your reviews. Keep ’em coming!
I should have this tea at my door step very soon! can’t wait to try it!!
Golden Fleece round 2, fight!
As I mentioned in my last note, I cold brewed my leaves from yesterday. I did 4 short steeps in my fish gaiwan so I knew there was more than enough flavor left in here for a cold brew! And I know some people must be thinking it’s crazy to cold brew leaves like this but let me tell you, I am a cold brew addict. I do it to almost every tea that crosses my path, and 90% of the time I prefer them that way! Teas can taste quite different with this brewing method and I tend to like the sweeter, softer notes that it brings out.
The liquid after a 12 hour steep is… well, it’s golden! My steeps last night were much darker, a murky brown even with super short steeps, but this time it’s a stunning color. Liquid gold!
And the flavor… oh my. Hello, Golden Fleece! It smells like fresh pastries, brioche buns hot out of the oven. I think I am finally seeing (well, tasting) what all the fuss was about! This is liquid honey, soft and floral (yes, floral, from a Dian Hong!), faint notes of citrus and malt. Orange blossom, and the end of the sip is almost custardy. This is Fabulous with a capitol F. I think I’m in love… which is unfortunate given how pricey this is and, you know, the fact that even if I could afford it, Golden Fleece is sold out!
Your description makes me swoon.
It’s coming back soon though….start saving your money!
When I’ve finished with my ‘special leaves’ I don’t throw them out either! Into a container of Spring Water they go for cold brewing. (I just finished some Earl of Anxi, yum!)
Did you see the note about Golden Fleece being shipped and on the way to Verdant?!
Oh noo! As happy as I am that it’s coming back, my wallet is crying silent tears
I have been saving my $10 off reward for its return if I can keep myself from getting more than a full ounce of this…ha
I have a $5 voucher at Verdant that I was going to use for the Laoshan Black Genmaicha, but now I’m torn! By the way, does the amount come off automatically or do you get a coupon code for it? It’s only been about 2 days since I redeemed my points but I haven’t gotten anything.
Coupon code…sent to email.
Huh? I didn’t get one of those?
See Alpha, I knew you’d come around! I haven’t tried it cold brewed…what’s your ration of tea to water?
I didn’t get my coupon code either! Maybe it takes a while.
@Terri: I am not very precise in my cold brewing, usually it’s about 4 grams to a glass, mine hold about 2 cups I think.
That’s about what I did, using a pint jar. I’m gonna try a cold brewed Golden Fleece tonight!
Sometimes it takes a few days for someone at Verdant to email out the coupon code, so don’t worry!
Hi there!
@Alphakitty- Thanks for the great tasting notes! I’m now imagining a hot cup of Golden Fleece fighting a cold-brew jug, Mortal Combat style. :)
I just wanted to follow-up on the Reward Program coupon codes. These get e-mailed to the address associated with your Facebook account (I know for me, that’s an older account from college that I don’t check very often!), and sometimes get caught by spam filters. If you haven’t received it yet, just send me a PM and I’ll make sure it gets re-sent!
Take care,
Lily Duckler
I got three steeps out of this today. The first one was perfection… fruitiness coming out in all the right places. The second was ok, not great but ok. And the third, well it was weak and had an odd taste that made me dive for some water. Another one steep wonder, it seems. Kindof expensive for that, with the heavy fruit chunks and all… boo!
So… I think I need to take a break from Steepster for a few days. Too much going on for me right now… I’ve had a bunch of emotional upsets and there is an illness in the family causing all sorts of drama.
Not to mention that I’m dealing with the trauma of a big milestone tomorrow, and Friday. One that I’d really rather not face but am getting dragged through anyhow. So yeah. I need to make some space in my head, clear out the cobwebs and tears.
Could really use a hug right now.
Virtual hug! Hope everything gets better for you soon!
(((((HUG))))) I am sure things will start looking up soon. Sorry for your struggles. Hang in there. We will still be here when you come back.
(((big hug)))) …it will get better. Hang in there.
Just keep remembering Sunday!
Hugs to you!
((Hugs!))
thanks everyone, it’s so nice having friends who share kind words xxx
feeling a bit better already
((hugs)) I hope everything sorts itself out soon and that tea offers some comfort. We’ll miss you and await your return!
Krystaleyn: very well put.
Indigobloom: Take all the time off you want, and know we’ll be here patiently waiting for your beloved reviews and posts!
dear Indigobloom…be lovely and who you are, heal, gain strength, and recover…find peace and when you need a reminder, draw in a breath of tea…wordlessly and without evaluation…just be. Having lost a mother to ALS…I am familiar with illness and drama in the family…should you need to share a word…feel free to reach out…. disembodied hugs…namaste
Hugs!
keeping you in thoughts and prayers
Hope things look up soon! Hugs!
Hugs!! Positive thoughts and wishing the best possible out come with the most hugs possible!
Oops… Wrong post… But still send you hugs and possitvie thoughts!
Sorry to hear this, hang in there, hugs, and best wishes.
Feel better soon, dearie
<3 Sending good energy your way <3
Sending good energy your way!
I really hope things get better for you. :) ((virtual hug))
thanks so much everyone… I’m feeling loads better today. I have the best tea friends a girl could ask for!! <3
Hope all gets better soon!
thanks STM, it is much better now :)
The last of my samples just arrived today from Teavivre – thank you again!
I know it seems like I was the only person on Steepster who was bothered by this, but I’m glad my samples all came in one large envelope this time instead of the little prepackaged samples each in giant envelopes. Yes I am fussy, what can I say. Go Mother Earth! heh…
I was glad to see this tea came from the Wuyi mountains and it has the characteristic smoky aroma that i have just come to love… yay! I did end up steeping this at a slightly hotter temp than what is suggested on the bag, they suggest 194F. The cup is a clear reddish/brown and was steeped via regular infuser mug method.
This is really nice! The smokiness is present but is definitely not overwhelming to me. The tea has a lovely, lingering sweetness in the finish which I really appreciate. If you don’t want to be overwhelmed by tons of smoke this would be a really nice one to try. I also feel like this has a slightly fruity element, a bit of peach albeit a pine smoked peach… yum. A bit of honey also and perhaps some cocoa? I would definitely purchase this one and may need to, soon!
If you’re not a fan of smoky teas, I doubt this will make you a convert, but I’m enjoying my afternoon cup very much. Compared to the Harney and Sons L.S. tea this is downright dainty.
I also got a respectable 2nd steep out of this, which is not as smoky but still good.
Thanks Teavivre for the cool samples. :)
Preparation
Since you said it’s cool in S F today (like that’s rare!) L S arriving is Perfect!
Very much so!
Ooo, I got this one, too! And my samples came the same way as yours. Everything was in perfect condition, even the outer box. I am looking forward to this one. My youngest daughter likes smokey tea – she and I will probably have a special tea time for this together!
I am a wimp. I turned this one down. If it has smoke in the name I get scared.
Nice, I wish this had been in my samples, I love a good Lapsang!
KS – I used to be like you but now I have converted!
I dreaded my first Lapsang, but really wanted to try EVERYTHING. It surprised me, and I like many of them now. My fourteen year old loves smokey tea. Go figure!
I got this in my free sample pouch today too-can’t wait to try it. Also broke down and bought Mark T. Wendell’s Hu Kwa.
@Scott B – I love the Hu Kwa & hope you like it!
Thanks, Amy. The Hu Kwa smells wonderful and unique, I will try it very soon!
Thank you Teajo Teas for this generous Sample!
With open arms I’m enjoying the first Spring arrival of high mountain rain.
Next to my desk as I was looking outside the window the very bottom of the Rocky Mountain’s settled their jagged bones and smoothed out to a gradually descending plain.
I am in love with the drama of Frontrange weather! The romantic in me wants to pair the right tea with what’s happening in the atmosphere.
Black Manas arrived in the mail right on time for my imaginings.
With black and billowing clouds rolling overhead, I prepared a pot of tea and a 3.5 minute steep (I am a dark brew lover).
Taking my tea-tray to the largest window, I sat watching the sky. Tea is part of what is outside after all, more than what is in my heated, electronic filled house.
When I poured, the tea was very dark. I expected a strong and malty flavor, but was pleasantly surprised with a light, sweet and brisk taste that wasn’t very malty. Huh?
“What’s this?”, I asked myself. Had I assumed from the reviews that this was going to be a malty tea like so many other’s? This wasn’t the case.
For me, the tea was barely malty and had a clean citrus essense with delicious rose and butter cookie flavor.
The tea was strong, full bodied… yet gentle and smooth.
Sweetened and with cream…Superb!
As much as I love very strong Kenyan Tea when I need my jolt of caffeine, I really like the floral background in this tea very much!
For strong black tea lovers like me who want smooth superior flavor, this has it all!
For a rainy day, nothing could beat a tea like this one!
can’t wait for my sample! 90% sure i picked this one too
I drink lots of very strong tea’s that some people think are way too strong like Ajiri…but I love them. This is very good in my opinion, and I can pick out the difference from other’s I’ve tried.
I think it is great how different people experience teas in different ways, like looking at something from many angles, nice post :)
This sounds like something I should be sampling…
Just ask for the free sample Terri!
naturally floral black tea? Hmmm!
I too enjoy Black Manas from Teajo. If this is one they use as a base for some of their flavored black teas, that may be one of the reasons why I have enjoyed those too.
The right base tea makes a huge difference. There are a couple of companies that use a base tea for everything that I don’t care for at all and it just ruins the experience to the point that I don’t purchase from them. This is a wonderful black tea with rich flavor but not overpowering so that it’s blendable. If it was too malty, it wouldn’t be a good choice.
I have reviewed this tea 57 times already. Why do it again today? Several reasons!
First, we had this yesterday at tea party. We tried a new recipe for French Silk Pie which my guest promptly renamed “Death By Chocolate” and said we needed to put it on the rotation and this was the unflavored black served with it. We followed with Dark Obsession Chocolate Rose.
But I had made a lot of it and we had eight ounces left, which I heated and put in my Thermos and took to the Cancer Center with me. I wasn’t really thinking when I did that, it was just the first tea handy. But Catherine has given me fortitude through some though times. She was with me every morning after radiation and kept me going strong. So how fitting it was that she was with me this morning when the doctor released me – FOR GOOD – from coming to the Cancer Center! I am not officially at the five year mark but he said he felt that my primary care physician could take of things from here on!
Nice to have her there for my celebration!
In addition, I noted some changes in flavor from drinking it in the thermos. The maltiness seemed amplified and there was also an element of hearty green tea about her today. Back in the day when I used to put her in a thermos I also added milk and sugar but I don’t use them anymore. So it was a pleasant little surprise to discover the little change of nuance in my reliable Queen.
That’s great news! Congratulations. Tea is indeed more than just a drink.
So good to hear! Tea is a great companion :)
Congratulations! I’m glad you have a tea to have kept yourself going.
I just did an out loud Woot! Awesome news.
Congratulations! That is amazing!!
Congratulations! That’s absolutely fucking amazing news! It’s lovely how tea will always have connections and ties to positive memories like this one – now every time you sit down with The Queen you’ll get to relive the feeling of hearing that great news :)
I am astoundingly happy for you!
That’s awesome! Congratulations!
Congrats!! That is wonderful news! It’s always great to have a great tea by your side for excellent news! I am very happy for you :D
Congrats!!!
Fantastic news! so happy for you!!!
How wonderful! Congrats!
Congrats God has blessed you again!
Fantastic! Congrats!
Thank you, everyone! I was pretty excited when I went in, thinking this was my next to last appointment and that I would get released from the center next February when it was officially five years since the end of treatment. It was really neat to get “set free” today!
What awesome news! Congrats!
That’s great news!! :)
Having a nice cup of my favorite tea today on my anniversary. Today the hubby and I have been together for 20 years and this Sunday will be the 12 year anniversary of our wedding. Woo hoo! This week is really packed, we have a good friend’s birthday, our anniversary, father’s day, and a wedding. This week will certainly be busy but for now I’m relaxing and enjoying this delicious cup of chocolaty, caramely deliciousness. In other news, I noticed that the CDC came out with a list of Powerhouse (nutrient dense) Fruits and Vegetables. That’s pretty awesome, but ugh watercress, really. Guess I will have to look into some recipes that kind of hide the watercress. Here is a link for anyone interested: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/pdf/13_0390.pdf.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!!!May the happiness that you share grows deeper with each year
Happy Anniversary!
Have a wonderful anniversary and many more years of happiness. :)
Happy Anniversary!
Aww, Happy Anniversary <3
Awww, thanks guys! :) The hubs and I are going out to our favorite vegan restaurant (Vedge) in Philly to celebrate.
That CDC link was interesting too. I wonder which chinese cabbage they used in the study exactly. Aren’t there a billion of them?
I have heard wonderful things about Vedge. Enjoy!!!
Stephanie-I was wondering about that. Some of the categories are rather vague. Maybe Bok Choy? Another thing that left me with questions was using B12 as a basis for determining nutrient density. I thought B12 couldn’t be obtained from veggies or fruits due to the depletion of B12 in our soil. Maybe I’m wrong but this is big issue with vegans since we need to supplement B12.
Thanks Cheri, we love Vedge. Some people don’t love the small plate sizes but for me that just means we get to order more dishes.
Happy anniversary. In Denmark you’d wait another 6 months and celebrate your copper wedding at 12½ years, possibly with a larger do for friends and family. Half way to silver wedding, you see. :) (Husband thought this was bizarre)
Happy anniversary!
Angrboda, that is a great idea! I love it. (Ours is coming up, and that would be a blast of a way to celebrate it.)
Angrboda-Love that! :)
Thanks, TeaBrat!
Happy Anniversary!!
Aww, so glad I saw this post, Happy Anniversary!!!
And thanks for that awesome link! The addition of banana and pear help to reduce that watercress taste in green smoothies, it works for me at least, just thought I’d share :-)
Thanks, Tea Pet!
TheTeaFairy-Thank you! Hmmmm, that sounds like a wonderful way to mask the watercress. I will have to give that a try.
And why have I not tried this tea before? Because I’ve been stupid, that’s why!
Using 7g for medium gaiwan.
It’s such a beautiful leaf. A mix of pale green, gold, and dark purplish brown.
http://instagram.com/p/rc29iYwhy8/
Oh, that’s a big wow…I’ve been drinking it two days in a row. It’s probably one of the best pu’erh sheng I have drank so far.
It’s so sweet! Really, at one point during the session, it felt like I was drinking honey. It has none of the acidic astringency sometimes found in sheng.
It’s just a tad smokey, and that smoke seems to fade away as the tea gets sweeter. Cause yes, it keeps getting sweeter. I taste sweet corn…and buttered green beans.
it’s also a little woody, some cedar and fresh camphor notes at the end of the sip make my tongue tingle and my body warm. I love that feeling…
It’s so juicy, and it’s as if it sparkles in my mouth like fine champaign would.
20 + gongfu steeps and it keeps on giving…
Happy mouth. Happy soul. Happy fairy.
Pic of the brew:
I am so jealous that I can barely stand it. I had some less than amazing purple tea experiences in the past, so I skipped this one. Now I am kicking myself!!!!
That makes two of us…I’m kicking for ordering so little!!!
Blaarrgghh.. maybe I will just order some. I want more Foxy Roxy also, Foxy Roxy.
Lol. Who the hell is foxy roxy???
(Innocent face)
She’s some girl I know. Cute. Fun at parties. You know the type. :p
Haha!!
Wait a minute… Fun at parties? Fairy, you holding out on me?
Lol, i invited you but you didn’t come silly!!! Moon parties, sheng parties…RIGHT HERE ON STEEPSTER :-)
Excellent tea.
The fact that you like it, makes me like it even more mrmopar :-)
Excellent descriptive review!
We used to sell 2010 and 2011 harvests. The smoke note didn’t really start until 2012, which shocked me a bit when I first tasted 2012. This is one of my special teas that I only brew when I know I can dedicate at least 10 steepings to.
Last night, after my four hour hike in the wilderness, I indulged into an Offley 10 years Port wine and some good quality dark chocolate, the one that snaps when you brake it.
But since a girl can’t stuff herself with that kind of goodies everyday day, I chose WP Mint Chocolate Chip to satisfy my chocolate craving today.
I’ve said it before, I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but dark chocolate is my weakness.
I could not pass the opportunity to buy this cause I’m also a mint lover. The combination of both mint and chocolate is to die for.
Oh, this smells wonderful, and tastes even better. Just the right amount of peppermint freshness and natural sweetness from the excellent Fujian black base.
I love that there are only two ingredients in this: peppermint, black tea. No fake candies of any kind, my idea of the perfect flavoured tea :-)
Oh, and this is my 200th Steepster note!
Woohooooo! Grats on 200! C’est magnifique!
Haha! Merci ma chérie :-)
Oh, felicitations! :)
Ah, merci, vous êtes bien mignonnes de pratiquer votre Français pour moi ;-)
Oh mais tout le monde parle francais! Moi aussi je veux parler francais! :D Haha
Lol, I love this place ;-)
Hey! You’re near MTL and I’m in MTL! Cool! :D
Virginia, I,m actually in the Laurentians, so it’s not that close but I go to Montreal a few times during the year, we could arrange for a meet up at Camellia Sinensis someday :-)
Sure! I’d be happy to share tea with you the next time you are in town :D Let me know!
J’ai beaucoup besoin a practiquer parler Francais, haha
I was never very good, especially at speaking it
happy 200!
Your French is good enough for me Whatshesaid :-)
Thanks TeaBrat!
Congrats on your 200th note! What are your favorite chocolate brands? Have you ever tried Raaka chocolate? They have one that is vanilla rooibos flavored :)
Thanks Kat_Maria!
To answer your question, no brand I’m afraid. There’s a nice chocolate bakery near by, they make the perfect super glossy 80% dark chocolate, that’s where I buy it all the time. Nothing compares to it IMHO. But I do have occasionally some Lindt sea salt dark chocolate, I love it too.
I don’t think we have Raaka chocolate around here. I don’t like Red Rooibos, but it’s interesting that they would make a tea chocolate :-)
I suggest the Lindt Madagascar bar….can’t get enough ;)
Another quick note…
Having this with virtual friends tonight, long distance sheng party!
It’s sweet, peachy, clean and fresh with a nice light astringent citrusy finish.
Love this tea! It’s fun “shenging” with friends :-)
(mzPriss, we’ll do this again when your taste buds behave!! )
:(
Shengtastic!!!!!
They will be back missy, don’t worry!
I wanted to fall immediately and directly in love with Hot Cowboy
Oh, you know cowboys are trouble…he’s just playing hard to get!!
Sometimes love grows slowly!
Cowboys are definitely trouble
Ooooh yeah
Hee Haw!
Me: Do you want to do yoga?
Hubby: Do yoga or have tea?
Me: Well, both are good for us. Do you want to do yoga or have tea?
Hubby: I’ll have tea.
Me: Okay. What kind?
Hubby: Ummm, platypus picked!
Me: You are not going to believe this, but I don’t have any platypus picked. So you know what that means.
Hubby: You need to buy more tea!
Lol! Welcome to tasting note number 1,000! If I were commemorating the tasting note by myself, I would drink Queen Catherine symbolically, as she has seen me through much, but since hubby is joining me I will have one that is a favorite of his as well! That is something to celebrate, too, because not so long ago he would not have touched a green tea. This note marks a lot of changes in tastes, likes, and habits. Here’s to the next thousand cups together!
I loved this review! Happy 1000!!! Hubby and you should go on a cruise to celebrate! Here’s confetti ********!
yay!!! That’s pretty impressive. :D
Yay congrats on 1000!
Congrats!!! :)
Yay 1000!
Wow! 1000! Waiting to read the next thousand. :)
Happy 1,000! Platypus picked for me, too!
Congrats on 1,000!
Happy 1,000!! That’s amazing!
Congratulations!
Did you ever, in the beginning, think you’d have 1000 things to say about tea? :)
Thank you, all! Bonnie, I wlll throw that confetti during cup 1,001! I have three boxes of tea on the way that should give me a good kick start on the next two thousand posts!
Holy cow! congrats on 1000 notes!
Hilarious! Happy 1ooo :D
Something tells me Mr. Ashmanra is not taking it all suuuuuper seriously. :p Awesome milestone! Still some 80 or so posts away for me.
You are almost there, Ang!
It’s probably the Best Earl Grey I ever had.
It’s an easy tea (after my adventure with Wedding Impérial, I appreciate)
Bergamot is very present but does not “overtake” the floral note offered by blue cornflowers.
The fruity citrus note is delivered with a majestic and harmonious touch.
The tea base itself is very mellow, light but tasty.
This is an euphemism to say I loved this tea.
The funniest is that it wasn’t the one I wanted to purchase : I asked at Mariage’s desk : I want the French Blue Earl Grey, the one with lavender… the Earl Grey Provence was the one I wanted but I can thank the salesman for not reestablishing the correct name of the Tea I first wanted.
Preparation
Your reviews make me want to try all the Mariage Freres teas!
We can arrange this if you want Nicole, I can share some with you
This looks so beautiful! I love blue cornflowers in tea.
I’ve been lurking at the Mariage Freres sight myself, contemplating teas I’d like to try.
Oh Terri, go for it, they are excellent. though sometimes my favorites are sort of unexpected. And if you like Lapsang Souchong, theirs will ruin every other version for you.
Hugs to you and the friend, both. It’s hard when you can’t fix it.
Feeling powerless is an awful feeling, especially when it is in relation to a situation that is affecting someone you love. I am sending of positive chi, warm hugs and sloppy baby kisses and smiles from my little one. Hang in there to the both of you.
All the good vibes!~
You guys are just the best, thank you XOX
Aww…sloppy baby kisses… Will try to channel all the good vibes towards my friend…thanks.hugs I’m thinking a good thought for you and your friend
Big hugs to you and your friend. Seeing someone you love struggle is never easy. I wish you and your friend lost of peace and comfort.
Hope things get better! It blows having to watch people you love struggle, but sometimes just for them to know they have your support is a big help!
It’s awful to feel so helpless in the face of someone you care for struggling through something awful. All I can say is that your support and love probably means more to them than you can understand. Hugs.
I can tell you are a wonderful friend, TF, & sometimes that is all one can be, & sometimes that is all one needs. I’m sending some good vibes from St Louis, on the wings of plucked harp strings.
I hope things turn around for your friend. I’m glad they have someone nice like you to stand with them.
Thank you so much for your kind words all of you…I am in awe at how nice and caring this community is…I’m sending all the good vibes to my friend, she really needs them.
@ all y’all – my cobbler is smelling pretty dadgum good
:)
I can smell it all the way in St. Louis!
It turned out really well Terri – it works really well with the blackberries. I mad some coconut whip to go on it and its great! Thanks for the recipe :)
Now I’ll need to make some this week
Maybe I’ll make some coconut milk black raspberry ice cream to go with it!
Oh that sounds so good