Popular Tasting Notes
Thank you mrmopar for this Puerh sample
When I open a box of samples and inside there is all Puerh’s…it’s Christmas in July in Colorado! Wha a treat!
This has never happened before! I am so thankful to mrmopar who must have read enough of my reviews to know that I would be appreciative (which of course I am!).
I’ve been talking to myself about Pu-erh’s lately.
“Self, I said, What do I need to know about Pu-erh and what is just going to make me crazy.”
Here’s what’s important and what’s not for me as a Puerh lover.
1. I am not a collector or a tea professional.
2. Tea companies receive lots of tea samples and only release a small amount for sale. They should have sorted out what’s best for the consumer. (Companies with a direct relationship with their source are my favorites)
3. I buy tea, I drink tea, I write and look for the good in tea.
My job is to find companies that I can trust to bring me the best quality tea experience for the money that I have to spend.
Long lecture I know…but for a reason this time.
I will be reviewing 9 puerh’s from mrmopar over the next week and I have no idea what the year of release and numbers mean. I will drink and write about the tea. It’s all I know how to do.
I was instructed to Rinse this Ripe Shu 20 seconds and Steep 30 seconds.
(Measured 1.5g dark brown bark in a 4oz gaiwan)
Wet Scent:
This was one of the most interesting wet Puerh’s I’ve SNIFFED. (Now that’s the non-snobby way to put it)
1. I do not lie when I say that on the first rinse the wet bark smelled like mulch and chocolate chip cookies. Oh yes!
2. Second steep the scent went to espresso, sage and mild leather.
3. Herbacious
4. Puerh bakery bread, comfy light and warm.
1. Steeped 30 seconds as instructed:
Lovely light amber liquor with a light Puerh earthy sweet scent.
The taste was dry and tarte but not sour. I noticed a cooling late in the sip like camphor. As the cup cooled the classic earthy Puerh richness, sweet and cloaklike bubbled up in a juicy finish. All was light and teasing.
2. Steeped at 30 seconds and the liquor became a quite dark amber.
As soon as the Puerh touched my tongue I could feel the tingle of spice and the furry thickness that I sometimes feel with Puerhs. Something like the bark of a Redwood tree which is pourous and fuzzy. There was a flavor that filled my mouth all tangy like quince paste (membrillo) and lingered on with a tingling sensation and peppery heat.
I put my head back for a moment and thought about the Mission District in San Francisco where I would go to buy long rectangular blocks of Membrillo in regular quince or orange flavor (orange was my favorite). I would serve this almost jell like fruit paste (sounds wierder than it is) cut into 3in x 1/2in rod shapes and stack them with mild white cheese (also cut into rods) in a cross hatch pattern and serve them as dessert at the end of a meal with espresso and chocolates (I was a coffee drinker back then). (Very Latin American treat for the end of a meal). I digress again… (Oh, my kids used to love seeing the pig tails, snouts and heads in the butcher shops in the Mission. Sheeps heads too. Cool kid gross stuff. And the stuff in Chinatown…hanging ducks and black eggs…more cool stuff for kids!)
3. I went off instructions to Steep 1 minute!
This was a pretty dark honey amber coffee brown liquor.
The shot of liquid in my mouth was pure energy first and then a taste just shy of bitter, like the bitterness in coffee beans. An awakening for the taste buds.
The next flavor was cedar, then dryness and after that something astonishing happened.
What should not happen, did happen.
The Puerh became silky smooth and like a wave that hit a wall..reversed coming back forward… spreading the silkiness to the front of my mouth all the way to my lips. I swear it did this! I don’t know what to say?
4. Steeped on a going for broke 3 minute ride!
Nice dark amber colored liquor, earthy scent, sweet and mild.
This should be a Dead Mans Brew. I was thinking that going for broke would be daring and bold.
When I took a big drink, the energy was in the liquor but the tea was surprisingly smooth, sweet and juicy.
This was an elegant sophisticated Puerh that completely caught me off guard. It bore little resemblance to what I was drinking earlier.
The journey through the previous steepings to this one had been like being on a train and stopping at various platforms until arriving at the final destination. A new Country opened up with a vision of it’s own.
Everything about this place took me to my memories of walks at Point Lobos in the Springtime along the Monterey Coast just South of Carmel. Sea Otters playing in the small bay, Cypress Trees all twisty trunked with horizontal branches pointing every which way. The smell of the meadow with new flowers and wild sage. Sea salt, Ponderosa Pine, Redwood and Sand.
Why would a Puerh take me to this place that should be better suited for a Sheng or Dragonwell? Good question!
The sense of a certain place in the memories of a scent, sound or colors….a particular feeling of peace… not just the taste of a particular tea can evoke the connection which is what happened here with me. http://youtu.be/mLtPHZOLKBc
This is a young Puerh from what I gather and is supposed to get better with aging. Oh My!
I think it’s pretty outstanding right now! I understand how aging works and I never could let a good bottle of wine last for more than a year.
Thank you for this lovely Puerh mrmopar!
Golden Orchid, I wrote a haiku for you:
Rich silky liquid
Flavours blossom in my cup
Indulge. Joyful mouth!
It’s really that good. Cocoa and vanilla, what a taste.
I loved the base tea as well (North Winds), but the vanilla is the secret. Vanilla makes everything taste better, literally, everything.
First two steeps were very rich and dark, third a bit weaker but still worth it.
I’d tried this yesterday in the middle of painting but didn’t have time to sit and properly enjoy it and take it all in, so I had it first thing this morning again, so worth it.
I also used bottled water, what a difference….
Definitely a restock!
Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla
Preparation
:)
After reading this I am SO pumped to get my order! Well I already was. But now I’m on a whole other level.
You are a poet #_#
Dangit, man. I just get my first Butiki order after months of people raving about them and now everyone’s raving about WP and I’m so desperate to try them now. I CAN’T WIN.
Added to wish list.
I still haven’t tried anything from WP. I guess I’ll have to get with the program. :)
Memily Steepster is a dangerous place!
Yeah you guys all need to try some WP. I see another order in my future for sure. I love reading everyone’s reviews!
Terri how is it possible that I’ve tried a tea you haven’t?!
Haha! It well deserves its own inspirational haiku!
Can I quote your awesome haiku on my facebook page? You’ll get credit, of course :)
Yeah, go for it!! :)
whatshesaid, I have no idea! LOL
Aaaahh… I see we have finally received our WP order! I love this review. :)
:) IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!
/capslock
I love this tea! It’s such a great tea for a really busy but awesome day.
Some of you know I work at a special makeup effects shop. Well they need to make a toddler for a tv show and I volunteered my child as a model to make the mold. So we set up a swimming pool, filled it with toys, and then spread warm goop all over her (arms, legs, whatever we could get a hold of) and then distracted the heck out of her so she wouldn’t move while it set. And it worked! Who know a 23 m.o. could be so still! :D I can’t wait to see how the molds turn out and how the finished toddler looks. :D
(So that’s why I haven’t been logging today. It’s been a long busy day)
Your job sounds super fun :-)
That is so hilarious! Glad she was able to be still. :)
It is! Some days definitely more than others! :D
I just got this picture of the first results: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=488591CF5D9E872AAHSUEl5REszhWP0&v=3&ithint=photo%2c.jpg
Wow, that is awesome! The little hands are so cute! I really wanted to go to special effects school in LA for a while, but I never ended up making it happen. So what worked to distract her so thoroughly? I’m about to fly with my little one and could use any suggestions to distract!
We had a few strategies – new toys, gumky candy, people to talk to her and distract her, and my tablet with Kung Fu Pands. I’m not sure that’d work for your flight, but I wish you the best of luck on your flight!
You work at a special makeup effects shop!? So cool!
Hubby and I are obsessed with watching Face Off, it’s so my dream job!
Just saw the pic, awesome! How did you get into a job like that?
Thanks! And it was mostly luck. I have a lot of history with Admin/Office Manager roles and my sister-in-law works at a shop that needed an Office Manager. So she gave me a recommendation and I was in after a short interview. I don’t do any of the hands-on stuff – I just order supplies, clean-up, make sure we get paid, and I had to create the website (http://www.mindwarpfx.com/)
I think if you’re trying to be a special fx technician you have to go to school for it? There a one-year course in Toronto, but I don’t know the name of the school. Seems like a lot of people do that, then get hired as an intern to get experience, and then it’s’ ALL about reputation and word of mouth to get recommended for other jobs.
It’s really cool what they do, but it’s not at all a lifestyle I’d like. With the Hannibal tv show we had 2 weeks at most to build everything for each episode and that lead to a lot of days where those guys worked 24 hour days, or only had 5 hours sleep total over several days. No thank you! And it’s all contract so you don’t have as much stability as you would elsewhere. But you get to create the best stuff so that is such a huge plus!
You got to see them work on stuff for Hannibal? Awesome!
Yeah I know the reality of it isn’t glamorous but it sure is cool :)
Sounds like you have a good view from your position!
It is always nice to get a reality check on “dream” jobs that never came to fruition, so thanks for that! I don’t think I’d like that schedule or the instability. I have been a body piercer by trade for a long time and the unstable income gets tiring after a while.
It is really cool. :) I even got to go check out the set for Hannibal, although most of it was locked up so I didn’t get any pictures. :| Hopefully we get Season3 and then i will. hahaha.
Yeah, it’s a tricky one. If you’re the type of person that just wants to work until the job is done, then it’s the perfect industry for you. I was very clear that I need to be 9-5 for my role and they were happy with that so it worked out extremely well!
(And I’m so freaking obsessed with Hannibal. Was before I started on the job! haha)
If I move to Toronto can you get me a job as your assistant?
Lol I will make you tea alllll day long ;)
Oh that looks so awesome! I have a friend who’s in specialFX, and it’s a long hard slog for new artists. She’s done a bunch of internships, worked on a few movies, but it’s so hard to find work. Especially if you move cities. It is ALL about networking.
Hello everyone, I hope you’re all having good weekends! I decided to do gong fu with this tea today because I felt like I wasn’t getting the full potential when I tasted it western-style. I mostly used TeaVivre’s parameters, but adjusted the amount of water to 4 ounces and then used 4 grams of tea, which turned out to be 4 pearls. I also used 200 degree water instead of boiling.
The method: 4g tea per 4oz water, 200 degrees, 10s rinse/30/50/70/90/120s
Rinse (10s): very light, woody, golden raisins (the pearls puffed up but held their shape)
Steep 1 (30s): strong bitter cocoa with some woodiness, burnt sugar (the pearls fell apart completely!)
Steep 2 (50s): very earthy in a mineral sense (licking a rock comes to mind), bitter cocoa
Steep 3 (70s): mellower earthiness, autumn leaves, dark but not bitter cocoa
Steep 4 (90s): very similar to steep 2, earthy and highly mineral
Steep 5 (120s): similar to steep 3, mellow earth with autumn leaves, buttered toast!
So, I was not a big fan of those highly earthy and mineral steeps… In fact, I didn’t finish either of them. Just blegh. My favorites were the first and last steeps, which suggests to me that maybe I should try this again with shorter steeps? Or maybe I’ll just stick to western-style with this one.
Any suggestions for a gong fu method that won’t bring out so much earthy/mineral flavor would be greatly appreciated! I only have enough of this left for one more cup or session… So I want to get it right! :P
I also noticed that there’s a tad bit of water left in the bottom after I drain the leaves. I’m assuming this is okay, since I don’t see how I would get all of it without dumping into a strainer. Would love to be corrected if I’m wrong!
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Burnt Sugar, Cocoa, Earth, Mineral, Toast, Wood
Preparation
This is a great tea! Hope you are having a good weekend too! I’m at work actually, boo.
Thanks Stephanie! What’s your favorite way to brew this one? And I’m sorry you have to be at work! :(
I like it semi-western! Long and super rich steeps for me :)
I usually only get 2 or 3 steeps that way though. Sorry it’s not tasting like you’d hoped!
How long do you usually let it go for? The website recommends 5-10 minutes, sheesh. :P
4-5 mins usually
It DOES take a while for those pearls to unfurl!
I am dying to try this!!!!
Oh Sars – I have a shitload and I don’t love it so I can send you plenty
MzPriss, I don’t love it either so far. Going to try the Stephanie method last and hopefully that makes it for me!
I can try the Stephanie way – people seem to love it, but I havent so far
Cam sent me some, MzP. I’ll try it and report back. :o)
It sounded like just the kind of thing I would love so I got one of those Teavivre tins of it. I can’t get it to the point where it tastes the way others describe it tasting.
Luckily mine was one of the free samples I chose, so I didn’t pay for it. It’s not bad, but it seems fairly nondescript to me, and I don’t seem to get chocolate like others do. :(
I used 4 pearls in 6 oz. for 5 min. Seemed to work pretty well. I thought it was good! I definitely found a little cocoa.
Interesting that everyone’s experience is so different!
Stephanie it always surprises me how differently people experience tastes and smells in tea
Short note.
I love shou. and I think shou loves me.
It gave me a bunch of hugs and kisses this afternoon, yes it did!
I spent good quality time with it, all rolled up in a blanket. It’s been a rainy day here again. This shou was the perfect companion.
This is leathery, I love leather taste in shou.
It’s a little musty, spicy and woodsy.
It’s rich, thick and syrupy…smooth and mineral.
It’s a reliable dude, and I’m glad I purchased a cake.
Here’s some Phatty shou in a blanket for you:
Every time I think you can’t get any damn cuter, you manage to get cuter. I don’t know how you do it!!!!
Lol
Now I want some shu, but I didn’t bring any to Tony’s, so I’m going with some oolong instead.
Oolong are excellent huggers Terri ;-)
TTF…took me long enough, but I get it now. Merci Beaucoup.
…for being you, and being unassuming. Ttrs bien :)
I have that cake. Have not tried it yet maybe tomorrow.
looks wonderfully roasty! yummy dark coffee color. and your tasting note is adorable! ;)
what about a shou haiku or onomatopoeia??
I love shou (and I love THIS shou) and I love you too
Scribbles….dunno what to say…thank you :-)
Allan, break that cake open!!
Pyarkaaloo: a shou haiku would be adorable!
Missy, you know I love you too!!
I am going to try this one, now that I no longer fear the shou!
That was my very first Mandala tea.
OMG I HAVE A VARIABLE TEMPERATURE KETTLE WOOOO!!! Thanks, Nxtdoor!
Ahem.
Now that’s out of the way, I brewed this one up at 158C (as per my kettle! Eee!!), and it’s WAY nicer. Not bitter at all. The strawberry flavour is still super mild to me, but that could be due to the cold. Still not a super fan, but that’s because I’m not in love with most green teas.
So. Brewing at the proper temperature makes tea nicer. It’s also a LOT easier to brew tea at the proper temperature when you have a kettle that takes care of that issue for you.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/2/Appliances/Kettles/PRD~0430284P/T-Fal+Thermovision+Digital+Kettle%2C+1.7-L.jsp?locale=en
It’s even on sale! Just make sure you CALL your local store and get them to put it on hold for you! My local store didn’t have it, so I called another and went there only to get the last one on the shelf! They said they had NINE.
Preparation
Lol Grats.
It’s exciting! Now my green teas and oolongs won’t languish in the cupboard unloved…
That’s now on my list of things to pick up this week. Hope they have one in stock near me :)
:D
The downside is it beeps a lot. It beeps when it reaches temperature, it beeps when you set it on the base, beep beep beep. It’s not too loud though.
You will love your kettle! I am rather lost without mine when I go to my parents place now, I have to wait about 10 minutes for water to cool for greens/whites, no idea what the temp is when I do that, but I don’t want to burn them! Var. temps make life so much easier :)
Oh, you totally have a point! Oh well. My parents pretty much only drink black teas, and my mom uses bubbling-boiling water for everything, or else it’s “not hot enough.” Yeah. No wonder she doesn’t like green tea!
The microwave in our apartment already does lots of beeping. No one will notice a kettle under that. :D
LOL. HOw did I miss this? Hahahaha. I love it. Glad you’re happy. I feel exactly the same way. I am now certain I am not abusing my teas. Am trying this tea for the first time today. We shall see.
:D I still love it. Especially the “keep warm”, because I can get up, stumble into the kitchen, put the kettle on, go get ready, then come back and make my tea! I think one of the Zojirushi water heaters would be awesome too, but this works well for me. :)
I’m so excited to get mine! :O I hope there’s not a huge difference in quality in the $60 range for kettles. I’m not super big on researching. I just want it to work. (I’ll check the forums though)
I got this one because 1) Nxtdoor recommended it, 2) COLOURS! It lights up!, and 3) it was on sale. So happy with it so far. Just remember that to return stuff during the 1 year warranty at Canadian Tire, you need the box. So keep it with the receipt, just in case.
Cool. I’ll remember that!
There were some stupidly good deals last year in kettles. I know. I gotmybreville for next to nothing heh.
I saw brevilles on sale for $189 I think last week. Still too expensive for me. :)
Naw mine was under 100 heh only reason it came home with me lol
Dude that’s amazing. The tea maker one?
Naw just the regular variable. The tea making one seems like and xercise in having to clean way more than I want to for the amount of tea I drink.
The only reason it tempts me is it has a timer and can have tea ready for me to stumble into the kitchen and drink when I first wake up. :D
Yeah it’d be nice to have tea waiting for me, but I think it’d require too much cleaning too. :( Sometimes it’s hard enough to get the taste of the last tea out of my cup – don’t want to worry about the whole pot!
I’m hoping to get one that’ll boil it to whatever temperature I want, while I’m in the shower, and then I can run out and start steeping my teas while I pack up my lunch/put my shoes on etc. Then I’ll still have time for my tea! (Because waking up 10 minutes earlier probably won’t happen)
LOL. The keep warm function is so nice. I basically do the same thing.
having a couple of my “green” teas before i switch to some of the caffeine free options i have tonight. Not because caffeine bothers me but because i feel compelled to also drink those up. I just finished looking at my cupboard list/spreadsheet and it turns out that i’ve tried 1600 teas! (well that i’ve logged anyway). I like even numbers… I’m also having a great night because the snow has been falling all afternoon and it’s fluffy and beautiful outside tonight! And i might just work from home tomorrow…so that’s always a good tea time! I’m seriously itching to place an order but i am TRYING to hold back. It’s hard….i want more cacao…and some verdant staples…and mandala…and damn fine tea and new companies… sigh resistance IS futile…but maybe i can manage to hold out for one more week to get me into late march! Especially since not having samples (though some are inbound in swaps) has me able to focus on my older teas! Only 14 teas left before i’m within 6 months of my oldest tea…i won’t make it for the end of March i don’t think…but it’s always a possibility :)
2-May
2-June
6-July
2-August
2-September
Oh the games i play with myself to encourage me to do this, that or another thing and have fun doing it!
I’m so confused by all the math involved here, but HOLY CRUD 1600 teas. I’m just going to sit here in quiet awe.
admires
It is fun, though! I’ve never actually counted how many teas I have including samples, and I shudder to think of the number! and omg at 1600…that’s insane!!
Oh and LOL at a rating of 85 but “not recommended” hehe.
Sami – no math on that, steepster tells me when i look at my tea ratings haha
keychange – i started a spreadhseet most just so i could keep track of my older teas. And when my teas come in, i toss the month on the bag so i can see it when it’s in my cupboard too
(steepster being weird..it also set this to 100 and not recommended…)
I have 76 teas, unless I’m forgetting some, which I probably am. And I nearly ordered another five today. Whoops.
Oh yeah, I was slightly confused by the rating/recommendation combo, too ;)
And to be fair, I keep a spreadsheet for all my blends, to keep track of flavour profiles and tasting notes and caffeine levels and tea types and all that good stuff. And it really is fun.
That’s impressive! I have teas that are over 1.5 years old.
You spreadsheeters are so organized!
swedish chef…well when you drink crazy amounts of tea, as everyone seems to think i do…it’s easy to keep rotating through things :)
Oh yeah, totally! I think if I’d be more into swapping, hence breaking up and divvying out the stuff I buy faster, that would aid in rotation too. Instead, I have a tin of H&S SoHo just sitting there sloooowly disappearing since the fall before haha.
swapping can be stupidly addictive! so much fun.
i love swapping… giggling
Mini sipdown. I have officially finished up the last of my first package of this one. I have an unopened package still sitting in my cupboard but i’m fairly certain that will just be tossed into my swap box for someone who really loves this tea. Because i don’t. Not even really kind of sort of. Frank’s blueberry zabaglione is better and even that one was not the blueberry pastry/dessert tea i was hoping for. It makes me sad…i had such high hopes for this one..
(on the plus side? I’m down to 210!! I could totally make it to 200 by next weekend…which would be a week early! go me!)
10 sipdowns in a week is nothing for you! You’ve got it. You’ll be under 200 before your Verdant teas arrive. :)
Also, I totally didn’t get the fuss about this tea.
SIP! SIP! SIP! SIP! SIP!
Haha ze – thanks!
Cavo – I’m waiting on kittenna to try the sample I gave her so I can find out if its another instance of reblend sucks syndrome :)
I’ll get to it :P
Wow, congrats! I need some of your determination.
WOW! This is special. Its one of those teas you have for the first time and wonder how you lived without it for so long. The smell is intoxicatingly caramel. The leaf is so pretty with little bits of caramel and goodness here and there. Not sure what some of those little chunks are but they look pretty. :)
You absolutely can taste the green tea in this even with a nice presence of caramel.
So I really REALLY love caramel but more often than not caramel teas seem to disappoint me for some reason. Maybe I expect too much or perhaps the flavoring is too artificial in some cases. This tea delivers a true caramel flavor and a lovely green tea base that compliment each other wonderfully! Maybe somehow the rooibos helps in this blend.
I realize I have been a Persimmon Tree Tea fan girl as of late and there are a few flavors I have tired I did not care for but today has been a perfect 10 for their blends!
Oh and I got this for only .59 cents with my loyalty points and free shipping!
:) Yay!
I used three teaspoons for 16 ounces – you could go 4 teaspoons.
Preparation
I can’t believe I neglected this when I ordered from them! Thankfully their samples are $1 with free shipping.
Yes but if you request a specific sample for them to add to an oder they always accommodate. I usually get three samples or so with each order! I love this place!
Bugger… I was looking at this one too! Just drank Coconut Creme and was happily blown away!
Oh this is WAY better!
I believe you. Their site appears to be down atm, otherwise I would be compiling a shopping cart full…….
(I was also thinking that whenever I send someone, be it you or whomever, an order from Persimmon Tree, I may also order from say, Upton, and get things from 52teas…. I’m planning this, I am. :D)
Yeah I have not been able to get their site to load all night.
You can send whatever here Kitt … will get it resent to you – is it better on your end to get one big box or several smaller ones? I am off to bed soon PM me which is best.
This sounds great. There is just not enough caramel in the world.
I agree!
Oh, I so have to try this!
Last tea of the evening as I’m having a pretty rough day today. I was good for the most part until my other half came home and made me talk about why i was upset lol. Good on him of course (and nothing to do with him) but now i’m all cried out and dehydrated. So after having some more water and some food, i wanted a comforting tea to end the night with. Something that would be enough to put a smile on my face without me having to venture into a new tea or find a sample to sip down. As i flipped through my cupboard it was this one that first caught my eye – likely since i try to stay away from blacks this late in the evening, even if the caffeine doesn’t affect me.
So now i’m sipping on this creamy cup of happy. I enjoy that even though this is sweet and creamy, i can still taste the green base in the tea. I’m also chuckling a little at Ysaurella who also had a cup of this tonight who doesn’t enjoy this as much as i do. Perfectly alright of course, but just a reminder of how different things work for different people. :)
Hope tomorrow is better :)
Hope you feel better!
Tomorrow is always another day. My cup of tea is helping :) appreciate it guys
Feel better soon! Thank goodness for tea :)
Hope things improve :)
I like this one, enough that I re-ordered it. Its especially nice in the evening.
Hold your chin up! I hope you’ll feel better too.
absolutely agree Sil, and as the ratings were so high for this tea I know I will retry it (I am always doing several try with teas anyway this is often a question of personal taste and personal arrangments with steeping times, amount of leaves etc…)
Good man, your bf! tell him I approve ;)
Sorry to hear that you aren’t feeling so great. I hope today is treating you better.
yeah. My other half wins for being awesome. today is a better day. i have new teas i’m trying.
Nothing like new teas to try to make it a better day!
Creamy cup of HAPPY is right on target…mmm
This was my birthday tea on Friday. It was the tea I woke up with, and it seemed to be the theme of the day. My husband called tieguanyin my “birth tea” (like a birth stone, only tea!), and I find it’s more and more appropriate as time goes by. He’s certainly right, if only for the fact that the time of year lines up perfectly: the past couple of days, the big lilac bush has bloomed and it literally hits on in the head with that delicious smell every time we walk in the kitchen door, leaving us craving Guanyin’s nectar..
I woke up with this tea. My husband woke up before me (to decorate the living room with streamers! and also herding our cats so they didn’t /eat/ the streamers) and he brought up our raku tea bowls filled with this beautiful spring tieguanyin. Drinking it was like coming alive. At first, I could only smell. Opening sips were warmth soothing my throat and, gradually (as my sense continued to adjust to the waking world), that gorgeous creamy texture. Aahhh.. spring. Finally, around sips ten or so, my tongue came fully online and started sending me information about all of the lovely tastes. Definitely a great way to wake up to your birthday day off in the spring time: coming alive again with this tea, sense by sense.
Breakfast continued on the theme with perfectly ripe cantelope melon, apples dipped in local MN honey..so floral and wonderful.. and a selection of light cheeses from the Seward Coop. Yummm. We didn’t eat these with the tea, but the textures and particularly the melon/honey/apple flavors synergized extremely well with what the tea has already laid out. Home-made (did I luck out or what??) lunch included an incredible piece of salmon, marinated in soysauce-wasabi, cooked up just so with cilantro and ginger.. the texture- it just fell apart in your mouth! So sweet and mouthwatering, with a real feeling of nectar.. you wouldn’t think it would be so, but it still fell very in line with my tieguanyin day.
We continued drinking tieguanyin throughout the afternoon, and we could do so freely, because my birthday present included 8oz of this spring picking!! It makes me feel free to indulge and have the good stuff more often. Instead of saving it for a special night, we will have it and make the night special as a result. Open the windows, let the lilac pour in, drink it up from the thimble cups.
This tea makes me think of many things. With the fan running on low, it makes me want to play hooky all day and lay out in the freshly cut sweet grasses. It makes me feel like I’m in a spa, and I want to light candles and run a lilac bubble bath with intense moisturizers. It is so fine fine fine.. a classy lady that’s just gorgeous /and/ sweet. Dessert. The creamy flavors, the smooth and lovely textures that feel like you’re being wrapped up and taken care of… It could only taste better if I were drinking it in Hawaii.. on the rainy side of Kawaii, looking out over ocean cliffs, plumeria in the air.
It’s decadant nd fine, but it’s not blowing loud and brassy horns in your ear. Instead, the flavors are all soft (yet strong and impossible to ignore), full and bouyant: melons, creamy whipped florals, exotic melon-berry nectars (juice is too thin and tangy a word). It’s downright sensual. Be careful- you might have to resist the urge to kiss whoever’s drinking with you.
Spring spring spring. How lovely. How do these TGY’s keep being so good? It’s ridiculous. As chadao wrote a little while ago, these tieguanyin’s feels scandalous- like you’ve been slipped a sample of something that should have cost a fortune and is instead just under the price of Rishi’s Citron Oolong (in a tea shop… $10). I think I’ll always prefer autumn TGY’s secretly, just because they feel a little more complex, but not in this particular situation. It has all the oomph and depth I would want from Autumn, but wrapped in the lovely honey-soft touch of spring. Ridiculous. I am so lucky to be able to drink this whenever I want, plus I still have several ounces of Autumn left.
Wow, amazing review! And an amazing birthday celebration. I have to go make a cup of this right now.
Too bad my wife doesn’t drink tea.
Happy birthday!
Sounds like a wonderful day. Decorations and decadent tea :)
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday! Triumph, I understand what you are saying! This is a prelude to…at least a kiss one would hope. What a marvelous day! And Hawaii, well I could imagine the Northern rainy end of Kauai with numerous full waterfalls plunging down from prehistoric volcanic peaks all jagged and so tall, after a rain. You must read this to that fine husband of yours if you haven’t already. He should be pleased!
Happy Birthday! Great idea to have amazing TGY and a wonderful person to share it with on such a special day.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! I was thinking about trying the sample of this that you sent me today actually. :)
Well, the autumnal equivalent, really, but you know what I mean.
Thanks all!
@Triumph- I know what you mean. But things are prone to change..
@Bonnie- :)
@Ang- hope you enjoy it when you do have it. I find that while this texture is a billowy creamy soothing layer of blankets .. comfort and coddling, the autumn is more of a gripping, edge of your seat feeling, and the textures take control of your mouth. Spring and autumn are certainly different creatures, but they’re a lovely pair of sisters to be sure.
@ DaisyChubb- I just noticed while reading your blog that you and I were probably drinking this at the same time!
Love it! Spring must have been in the air that day ;)
WOW I love this green! and for me to say that… well, that is big.
This is right up there with the Kiosque Dragonwell. Oddly though, Steepster has eaten both of my reviews, for both this and the Dragonwell. Odd!
SO this is definitely creamy, in a green way, not milky at all. Reminds me of creamed spinach. Only on my second steep, so will update with whatever emerges in #3!
Oh and I just made a cup of Golden Fleece for my boss. She said “It’s sooooo goood! I’m a fan!” Yay! This totally made my day :D
Anyhow, my head is spinning this month, I haven’t been sleeping well at all and I’m so busy trying to get my career straightened out that I feel my notes have been lacking. Sorry for venting here. I just needed to put this out there, anywhere…
Vent away! It makes posts interesting, and a bit more human. I like it when the person comes through.
aww thanks Camiah. I am so glad to have this place where I can talk about my life… the good and the bad :)
a good vent makes everything feel better even when it’s not so vent away :D
Oh man, I just looked up Golden Fleece on Verdant’s website. I bet it was amazing. I’m going to have to stalk them to see if they can get more.
Helen: yup!! it really does. I feel a bit better about the job sitch already :)
Camiah- are you up for a swap? :)
I agree with Camiah… Sure I’m here for to learn about, read about tea, but to be honest, I stay for the personal stories! :D
Agreed!
It’s good to hear you like this one. My wife and I just finished the last pot of the early-summer Laoshan green tea from the 2011 harvest, and we both feel it was good to the last drop.
it really was wasn’t it?! yummm. I hope next year’s crop is just as tasty :)
I was recently given 2oz of this tea from my Reddit coffee and tea exchange partner which beats the 10g sample I had in my cupboard. So it’s time to use this sample and see if I like this tea since I now have so much of it. :)
Holy kitty …. it smells just like maple syrup when it’s steeped. The rooibos is not detectable in the scent (thankfully). Wow I’m so surprised as the raw tea was not this potent.
It tastes like maple syrup too. I have a family friend that lives in Canada and when my mum visited a couple of years ago she bought me back a bottle of real Canadian maple syrup so I do have the basis for comparison. It’s sweet with dark sticky tones and a mellow smoothness. The rooibos base works very well.
Leaving this one short as I just found out my best friend has a brain tumour. Just got off the phone with her, been waiting for the news for a while but didn’t expect this. Shall review this properly when I can think straight.
hoping for the best and that it’s benign.
I’m sorry about your friend. I hope that this is an operable kind since I do have friends that have had successful surgeries.
So sorry about your friend, sending good thoughts your way
Sending well wishes!
Oh my goodness. Sending my thoughts and prayers to you.
Sorry to hear this scary news! Hopefully it will all turn out ok. Sending good vibes for you & your friend.
I’m so sorry to to hear that :( HUGS
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully it will be okay in the end.
Sorry to hear about your friend, sending many well wishes your way!
sending hugs and prayers to you and your friend
Guess what arrived today! I was very surprised (happily so!) to receive my package from 52Teas!
The strawberry flavor is a bit tart. Or it could be that the slight bitterness from Matcha brings out the tart of the strawberry. The sweeter strawberry flavor arrives on the palate in the finish as sort of a low note. The strawberry flavor is a really nice addition to the flavor of the Matcha. I think I like the mandarin matcha a little better though. Overall a very pleasant Matcha.
Preparation
you post made me go tearing out of the apartment to go check my mail, sadly nothing from 52teas, but at least a swap was there so it wasn’t a total let down. hopefully it gets here soon!
Mine arrived today too! I’m just staring lovely at it right now—I’m almost hesistant to disturb its vacuum-packed glory!
No fair! I want mine! What matcha/water ratio did you use?
Jealous!!! Mine won’t arrive till sometime next week!
I’m jealous too! Who knows when mine will arrive.
Maybe Chelsea likes me better than the rest of you. (evil grin)
FYI, all of the initial Strawberry Matcha orders went out the same day, so it’s all up to the post office now, but I would bet that everyone in the US should have theirs Monday.
Maybe the postal service likes me better than the rest of you. After all, my father is a retired postmaster. (giggle)
By the way, Frank… how about a peach flavored Matcha? Yum… or… maybe do a Chelsea special to the matcha and make it chocolate covered banana matcha! Chelsea’s rooibos is still my favorite from 52Teas!
I actually think the next one might be a tuna melt matcha. :)
oh… yummy! Can’t wait for it.
lol!! :)))
i vote for plain tuna salad actually, celery, tuna, mayo ;)
onion too, please… I love onion in my tuna salad.
While I totally believe that 52teas is capable of tuna melt or tuna salad matcha, cheese and mayo flavors scare me. Can they be done w/o needing to be refrigerated like the real thing?
@Cofftea – yes! well at least the tuna http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/product/dried-tuna-flakes-3-52-oz haven’t found a dry mayo yet
waiwait not what i wanted: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/saladdressings/ss/mayonnaise.htm so mayo is eggs (comes dry powered) and oil….so i think it can be done flavor-wise
Man, I wish this was still on their site.
Yes, it’s sad it’s gone, but the other ones are equally as good!
I was eying the cranberry matcha.
Do it!
@Geoffrey – the cranberry is probably my favorite of the three most recently released flavored matchas from 52Teas – I really like this one. Although, the other 2 are very good also.
Peer pressure really works on here.
Haha! Ooooh yeah.
Eeeee so exciting, I just made 32 tubes of Pumpkin Chai lip balm. It feels SO NICE on my lips but I can’t really smell it anymore, everything smells like spices and pumpkins. Now I just have to figure out how to make labels and then I’ll put them on etsy! But probably not before I make more. I am addicted to the process. The next batch probably won’t even be the same because I think the best part was the trial and error of getting the perfect consistency. It involves a lot of spoons in the freezer.
I actually went into the kitchen to make this tea, and ended up making the lip balm. Welp. After filling all the tubes, I finally did so. Do you ever notice that tea steeping time is the perfect time to empty your dishwasher? I hate doing it, but somehow it always ends up emptied and then I fill it with dirty stuff while the tea cools a bit. Before I was drinking tea, I just hated dishes. Now, it’s okay!
Since I had the persian melon tea last night, I wanted to have this one again today, plus I have a decent sized order coming in from Butiki tomorrow so better drink up. This one is indeed better, just based on the melon flavor alone. It tastes like a fresh, perfectly ripe melon, dipped in cream.
Ahhh looking back at my first note, I put some coconut milk creamer in. I don’t want to open up my carton but that was so good.
I ended up making my labels and let this get cool. I think the second steep might have to be iced. YUM.
I definitely do the dishwasher-emptying-while-steeping too! Thought I was the only one :p
Can’t wait for those lip balms to be up on etsy — mm, pumpkin chai :D
haha I do that too. I do so many household chores while steeping.
MMMMMMMMMM Pumpkin chai. I bought I pupmkin candle today $1.99! :)
Mmmmm, Pumpkin Chai lip balm sounds awesome. Yes! I always empty the dishwasher while the tea is steeping.
Oh wow, sounds great! The tea, too. Is it weird that I though “I should totally ask Amanda to show me how to make lip balm some time”, but then remembered that we live on opposite sides of the planet….
It always feels like it’ll take forever, and then you realize you’re done before even 3 1/2 minutes is up!
Out of Cupboard and into shopping list. This is a staple – my daughter and I both love it – she craves it! I am shocked it lasted this long!
Its especially good cooled down!
Grapey oolong taste – perfection!
Also its my 6 month anniversary here on Steepster! YAY! :)
Yay!!
Wow! I feel like I have “known” you longer than that! Congrats!
I know!! Me too! Its a nice feeling as well. <3
yay! congratulations. :D
Thanks Missy! :)
If it’s your 6-month anniversary here, it must be right around mine too! Exciting, haha.
Weren’t you here before me?
My tealog informs me that my first tasting notes were written 7 months ago? So I guess I was. Bad memory! :D
Ohhh wait seven months ago on what day? :) I thought you were here before me :)
Happy six months Azzrian, I can’t believe it’s only been so long!
Happy Six months Azzrian! :D and hopefully many more months to come :D
Happy 6 months, great to have you around :-)
Happy 6 months! I always enjoy reading your notes
Awww thank you so much everyone!! :)
This is my tea of choice for this evening. Thank you so much ifjuly for sending me a sample of this very popular tea.
I LOVE the coconut in this. Amazing true, natural coconut flavor. I’m not so crazy about the oolong. It’s a bit too floral for me – it is much better than the other coconut oolong she sent me – but still a little floral. It is better as it cools. This is really really good, and I understand why others adore it, for me it’s good but not perfect.
(Just for the record – I’m now down under 300, not for long – there are more teas on the way to me – but for now yay 299)
Yay for 299! Celebrate the small milestones haha
Mmmm…
What was the other one?? I’m still hunting for the holy grail of coconut teas!
Coconut is the best. Woot, 299!
The other one she sent me was Coconut Oolong by American Tea Room – that one was REALLY floral. I’m not sure what my favorite coconut oolong is but Coconut Bongo Tealish is really good and so is crazy coconut oolong Steep This. Just my thoughts….
Hmm. I believe I’m been considering Coconut Bongo actually. And I do need more Winter Blend from Tealish. My tea orders have been out of hand this past week though.
I might check out the one from Steep This! I have heard lots of good things about the one from Tealish but I just can’t bring myself to pay the $16 shipping to the US!
(Hahaha, 299, I know why I’m laughing, mwahahaha!)
Sucky tasting notes abound…sorry team…just trying to track this so I can get back to sleep. This is another courtesy of variaTEA and a decent one at that. It still can’t compete against the pumpkin tea that Terri and I love but this was a nice enough visit with the pumpkin spice :) thanks for sharing VT!
Hopefully in about 4 months we’ll be able to get more of that awesome pumpkin tea!!
Jealous of that special pumpkin tea. Hope you feel better soon Sil.
dexter, when there is more to be had, you will get some!
We’ll have to place a seriously ridiculous bulk order :)
Seriously ridiculous bulk order sounds like a good time to me – especially if I can get even a small piece of it. :))
yeah…i’d do at least 200g…
have you even tried it yet dexter? lol
No I haven’t, but I’ve tried a MOUNTAIN of pumpkin teas and Della Terra Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie is my favorite. That should tell how excited I am to have the opportunity to try this one. Based on your comments I anticipate making everything else seem like warm swill water….
ew..no this one is better than della terra’s…though to be fair it’s got ginger, so if you’re a ginger hater, it won’t be for you :)
I don’t mind ginger if it enhances rather that obliterates the other flavors. :))
I.love.pumpkin.tea.too. Just saying…
hahahaha
ok ppl, i need this what you are talking about. i dont know what tea is that, but based on your conspiracy … very intriguing…
haha boychik – this tea: http://steepster.com/teas/traveling-tea/42210-pumpkin-ginger-spice
terri sent me some, i feel in love with it…it’s terribly delicious and fresh and made with love and real pumpkin chunks… and it’s gone…and it’s a sad time because it’s pumpkin AND ginger..and i love it.
(Boychik, I don’t know, just tried to infiltrate the thread also…)
good to know. i put it on my want list:)
TheTeaFairy ROFL
So really we are right back where we started with Terri needing to place a seriously ridiculous bulk order for us. ;))
Notice how I too just assumed my way in.
that’s how it goes.. and all i have to say is…as long as i get at least 200g…you ladies are all welcome to share in the joy of a giant order. lol otherwise…BACK OFF! (i kid i kid! but i wish i had this one to add to the GCTTB)
OK Peeps, don’t get too excited, because it is only available in the Fall. The gal who makes it used locally grown org pumpkins, which she roasts & then dehydrates, & that is the basis for the tea! Maybe I should plant pumpkins this year…it’s been awhile since I grew them.
Wow. It’s been so long since I’ve written a note on steepster that I…don’t really know what to say. I feel as though I first fell off the tasting note bandwagon, and then as the summer sweltered hotter and hotter, I sort of fell off the hot tea bandwagon as well. And as my samples continued to pile up around me, I just turned a blind eye to it all (har har) and chugged water. What a mistake it was to abandon tea for so long. I had this as a latte yesterday while at DT (where I of course picked up the green carry mug, omg omg omg), and made it again for myself first thing this morning. Nothing calms an anxiety-ridden heart like a cup of tea, and that, my friends, is a scientific fact.
What this tea tastes like: my goodness, I don’t even know if I have a tea vocabulary anymore. I get the thick, almost waxy and candle-like (in the best way possible) breadiness that lends this tea so, so well to having milk or cream in it, and the flavours I generally associate with pumpkin. I am no expert on what authentic pumpkin tastes like, but I know I like this tea for it’s pumpkin flavor, chai spices (although those aren’t too strong for me, I don’t think) and the candle-y breadiness that I love so much.
Let’s see how long it is until I write again! I’ve missed you guys!
Har har! I “see” what you did there! We have missed you – welcome back. :)
Keeeeyyyccchhhaaannngeee! :)
I’m baaaaaaaaaaaccccckkkkkkkkk!!!! yaaaaay!!
Welcome back :) :) :)
Hi!!!!! :) :)
HELLLOOOOOO!!!!! :)
Holy man, I’ve got some of that spearmint oolong I’ve been saving for you in a swap. I need to send you that!
how’s the wedding stuff going!?
Oh my gosh, guys! I feel so loved! Christina, you had that set aside for me? wow, that’s so sweet! and my wedding is next week, guys!
insane! so jealous! i wanna see FB pics! :)
Excited for you. I hope everything goes well and you have a blast!
Eee! That’s so exciting! I hope you have so much fun at your wedding. :)
We’ve missed you too, so nice to have you back :-)
Backlog from last night.
I’ve been waiting to dig into my sample of this since getting it, but I didn’t want to have all my matchas samples open because I thought that would probably A) be bad for the matcha and B) be a little overwhelming. However, I’m done to about 2 cups worth of Pineapple Matcha and maybe 3 worth of Eggnog Matcha now, plus I was having an awful day yesterday so I decided it was finally time to try this one out. I love caramel and that is definitely what I was in the mood for – plus, Tre had made brownies to make me feel better and I thought cold, caramel milk would be something that would go fantastically with that.
I guess that you’re supposed to use 1 tbsp. of MATCHAccino for a cup as opposed to the about 1/2 tsp. one would normally use with regular matcha. To me, that seemed like a lot so I just went with 2 tsp. to kind of compromise.
Sweet baby Jesus, it was yummy! It was very, very smooth and like drinking liquid gold! I never want to be without this ever again! For a caramel lover, I was just in absolute heaven. That said – despite being super delicious it was a little weak, but that’s probably completely from my being stubborn and under leafing – so next time I’ll go with the proper instructions and measurements.
Just… Mmm!
I have always wondered how the MATCHAccino differs from just plain matcha. I thought about picking some up to try but then saw it was like 50something calories and decided not to.
Yeah, it has some sugar in it. Not a lot (especially compared to a Starbucks unsweetened green tea latte), but some.
When I have an income and finally break hiatus (maybe sooner than later – my birthday is March so hopefully there’ll be birthday money), my first order is likely gonna be Red Leaf for some flavoured matcha. I think I’d likely get Caramel Matcha over MATCHAccino because that’s quite tasty too – I just know I need at least one of them in my life at all times, hah…
OMG ROSWELL STRANGE MY BIRTHDAY IS MARCH TOO!!! WE TRULY ARE KINDRED SPIRITS!! Okay I will stop with the super-over-excited-caps. But I saw “my birthday is March” and sort of stopped reading to come write my excitement.
Now I have finished reading and I definitely understand needing matcha in your life. Honestly though, I think I could forgo the caramel matcha in favor of the caramel popcorn because it is amazing!
Also, I only ended up placing an order with Red Leaf Tea because a friend of mine was going to order on her own regardless so I suggested if we ordered together we could get more flavors and split them so we went in on an order together. It is nice because now we are getting about 9 different matchas between the two of us that I can review and get discounts for. Then we can place more orders in the future. Without her I probably would have struggled with placing an order for such a long time given their prices.
I wonder what the odds are that your Birthday is the same day as mine? I guess 1/31…
My first matcha experiences were SO bad (sorry Lala), that had I not received some samples from Red Leaf free, and then the samples from you I probably would have written matcha off all together. Now I think I have eight different kinds on my “HAVE TO TRY THIS” list (though, I’ve had three of those eight already).
I have been lucky to have only good experiences with matcha and thanks to numerous people on steepster I have been able to try a bunch of different flavors and figure out what I like best. I think that is why I was not too anxious when I finally committed to placing an order.
Also I am born March 15. The ides of March and also fertility day in Japan (on which they carry around GIANT wooden penises).
Ah, so close! March 13th for me… And that is certainly some very fun trivia about your birthday! I don’t know if there’s anything significant surrounding the 13th.
So close indeed! My mom is the one who told me about fertility day. I would feel special that there is significance to the day if it not for the fact that my mom is born New Year’s Day and my brother is born Christmas day. Ides of March/Fertility day just can’t compete. On the plus side, I can go out on my birthday because stores/restuarants/etc. are actually open :P
My mom and Aunt (not twins, 11 year age difference) are both born Christmas Eve :P
Every day is a holiday, even if some are obscure ans weird. As a Pastafarian, I am pleased to be born on International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
All praise be to the FSM, for his noodly appendages have touched us all! R’Amen.
R’Amen.
okay 1.5 teaspoons in a new ‘normal’ teacup. 5-6 minute steep….. not melon, full on fig. i’ve been snacking on the fig since the steep….. OMG.
AMERICAN TEA ROOM HOW DID YOU DO THIS?!!!!!!???
I ADORE THIS…… must buy more. dammit, think i missed your sale too…… sigh. number’s going UP. wow!
Yum. Want!
Oh yum…The name of the tea sounds exotic and delish ;-)
they really did knock the ball out of the park with this one.
Oooh, how intriguing!
i actually have a hard time drinking it- all i want to do is walk around sniffing it. get to the stage where i add water takes me an age, lol.
lol @ Just James ;-)
=0D it’s true!
Ha ha! Funny! It’s kind of like me and with Butiki’s Golden Stars sample I had…they were so pretty to look at. It took me ages to actually brew them.
golden stars? …..oh! now i need to go and look. and seeing as i have’t even heard of that one i bet it doesn’t exist anymore. lol.
This sounds utterly fantastic.
i find american tea room usually has a different approach to blends- i don’t always like them, but i do appreciate the variation. this one is is mind blowing.
Thanks JJ – we freshly source most of the ingredients for this from our exclusive grower in Morocco – they make some amazing sesame and the dates and figs are the best anywhere.
again, thank you for all your extra work for helping to make this order happen. So much appreciated…. i believe i will be placing an order for this brilliant tea shortly (no intention of waiting as long as i did with tangier, lol)
Yes. It was a sample I got with an order…
It’s been ages since I’ve had a breakfast blend! I’m relatively familiar with the English Breakfast, less so with the Irish Breakfast, which out of the two I prefer because it’s a little stronger and a little heartier. Scottish Breakfast, however, is new to me, so I’ve been curious about it for some time. It’s the completionist in me. Getting the British Isles rounded of, sort of. (I wonder if there’s a Welsh Breakfast out there somewhere too…?)
Hesper June shared this one with me and her parcel arrived at the same time as a parcel from Auggy did. Lately I’ve taken to keeping unposted about teas on my desk, and I had just got it almost cleared from the TeaSpring order when this happened! Since Auggy in particular went completely ballistic and shared a whole tea shop with me, it seems like, the desk is now littered with tiny tins and I have my work cut out for me here. It makes it very difficult to work out where to start! O.O Exploring the selection a little, however, I found this and thought, ‘Gosh! How ideal!’
I still haven’t got any new Roy Kirkham (I’m working on it) pots, so I found the really rubbish tea-for-one pot in the back of the cupboard and resigned myself to the fact that this pot requires pouring over the sink, while trying not to despair too much about the waste.
Now, according to Hesper June this is a blend of Indian, Ceylon and China teas, which made me sigh, because really, how hard is it to be specific? I get that they don’t want to reveal too much of their secret recipe, but I just want to know which regions we’re dealing with. There are HUGE differences between regions in India alone. But then again, I expect the average consumer doesn’t really care about that level of detail, and likely it wouldn’t mean that much to most of them anyway.
Guess the ingredient it is, then.
Well, from the aroma alone I’m already suspecting the first one and the flavour strengthens that suspicion. I think there must be Darjeeling in here. It has that grassy, spicy aroma and the same sort of grassy flavour to it, along with a certain mineralness. I don’t think it’s very much, though. I can’t find it on every sip, but in the aroma, especially while I was pouring it, it seemed very clear.
Then there’s something quite sweet in the aroma as well. There is the Darjeeling note, in a sort of fleeting way, at the top followed immediately by something floral, and underneath all that is the sweet bit. It smells not like caramel but sort of along those lines. A bit malty and quite heavy too, as if the weight of it made it sink below those other notes. It doesn’t show up so much in the flavour as such, but it stands out in the aftertaste, again as a caramel-esque note. It rather enhances the impression that it’s heavier than the other notes and that I might reach it better when I get closer to the bottom of the cup. I have absolutely nothing to base this on, but get a strong impression that this note is from the Ceylon element.
Now finally, I mentioned a floral note, and here I think we have our China participant. Keemun, I think, which accounts to the malty element of what I imagine to be the Ceylon note and that floral note. You know how Keemuns, dependent on quality and leaf grade, can have either a pseudo-smoky top note or a floral one, or even sometimes both, yes? I tend to prefer the smoky one over the others. The floral element here, however, reminds me strongly of the way a floral Keemun tastes, so I think that’s what it must be.
So Keemun and Darjeeling to give it character, Ceylon to give it body, I think. I can’t really region-guess on the Ceylon, I’m far too inexperienced with that area to do that. I’m puzzled, though, as to why I can’t find any Assam in here. I thought Assam was pretty much a breakfast blend given. Of course me not being able to find it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Me being able to find something doesn’t even mean that it is there.
Now, I don’t much care for Darjeeling at all, so when I first smelled that in the aroma my initial reaction was to be a bit wary, but as it turns out there wasn’t really anything to be afraid of here. Yes, it has the Darjeeling notes that I don’t like, but they are not on their own. In a blend, they get spaced out a bit and complemented by the other ingredients. This way, I find it much more tolerable, so I’m beginning to think my dislike of pure Darjeeling is simply due to an overload of these particular notes. It seems to be going down just fine in a blend.
Love this breakdown! I’m always curious to read about what other people have found to be common to certain regions. I’d love to feel like I could pick them out; but I’m sure that I cannot, so I tend to avoid straight tea blends like the plague. I feel like I need far more experience with single types. The one Keemun I have tried indeed had floral notes!
It’s something that comes with experience, I think. I didn’t sit down and learn it, really. It all started with, ‘hey this reminds me of…’ and then I started wondering why it gave me those associations. (But yes, it does help to familiarise oneself with various regions first)
This tea had me slightly puzzled as well.
I just was expecting something of a more hearty nature.
But,was met with this tea,which I thought tasted more like a afternoon blend.
Very good review,you are much more experienced at tasting than I.
Perhaps it’s a breakfast blend for A type people? :p
Perhaps :-)
Interesting breakdown! And it is surprising to have a breakfast blend with no Assam. I thought that was standard!
Also, yes, I might have been a wee bit enthusiastic. But I had been holding on to some teas specifically to send to you but I knew I was going to wait until after my LPdT and ATR orders… so you got bits of those, too. I was a bit surprised when I saw how many ended up in the pile, though. I had more new(ish) tea than I thought!
I know! It’s totally puzzling me. And it’s not like there’s anything else equally strong in there instead either. And yet somehow it still worked, although I would agree with Hesper June that it felt more like an afternoon blend.
Well it is official, aside from Brioche, I am not an American Tea Room fan. I find their coconut a touch like sunscreen. It is not as bad as it sounds but not anything I want to have again. Oh well, can’t like them all!
Flavors: Coconut
Preparation
’aint that the truth.
Also, and completely off topic, but where in this fine gigantic country did you find those tiny very adoreable ziplock bags? Anna sent me her tea in them also, and I think they’re very cute and it made me love you guys even more. So much better than those massive clunky and bulky ziplocks I use. So yeah, where where where can I find them?
I got mine on Amazon US. Among vendors I’ve used in the past are Epacknship and Collecting Warehouse, both have been great, but quality varies substantially. Then again, they’re super cheap and only used for tea samples!
Also, I don’t think anyone has ever loved me for my ziploc bags before. It feels pretty special. This is so romantic. <3
Omg, you had to buy them online? that’s so odd. Like buying cue-tips or floss online or something…except that when I think about it, most mainstream stores probably don’t have these. But variaTea, did you find yours online also? because after seeing how you and anna package tea, I need to step up my packaging game and join the craze. Do you just type “baby miniature adoreable ziplocks” in amazon’s search field? <333!
Hehehe, ‘had to.’ To be honest, I generally buy everything that isn’t viscerally pleasurable to shop for online. Also cheap ziploc bags in Sweden? Forget it.
Haha. I bought mine at Dollarama. And it does feel quite nice to be loved for my ziploc bags :P
Ok, I was just on amazon, and there are like five thousand different possible measurements for little zip lock bags. A few other google searches yield online forums where people are talking about ideal packaging for weed….? did you look for a specific measurement?
PS: I love how we just hijacked variaTea’s tasting note…but she also has these little bags so I feel it’s ultimately all relevant.
Yes, the dollar store keychange.
really? I never would have figured!
I know, being able to pick EXACTLY the measurements I wanted made my OCD hug itself, hum gently, and rock from side to side.
Calculating exactly how big the small bags should be to fit exactly one 1.5-2 teaspoon cup sample, and how big the bigger bag should be to fit exactly two filled small bags… that was serious quality time for me. I might have drooled slightly.
You guys are so funny! And thanks for this discussion, for the past few days I’ve been wondering where to get decent non-sandwich-sized baggies for tea-swapping. It seems like the Collecting Warehouse Anna mentioned has a great variety on Amazon.
Anna, that’s great! :D I love the idea for packaging as well… I might have to copy you.
I can tell you my measurements (uh, you know what I mean)! Or just send some of my bags, because I sort of got a little too excited and ordered something like 8000 bags. Steepster SwapFest 2078 FTW!
Anna, you must have some serious packaging skills. People really seem to rave about it. You are like an expert tea swapper.
Anna, yes, please, indulge me with your measurements :D
And that is a lot of bags. If you can fit several in the swap, feel free to do so. I can’t wait to learn from the expert tea swapper in practice!
Anna, we are all waiting to learn of your measurements!! please do share, I’m getting excited! and yes guys, anna is a hardcore packager, I tell you, hardcore. even better, do you have links to your measurements?…I mean, of the amazon variety? And I’ll spare you the five million dollr shipping cost to mail me bags when you’ve pretty much mailed me my shopping list, but yeah, bags ftw!!
LOL. You guys seriously crack me up. Right, I got 4K 1.5″ × 2″, 2 Mil bags, and then 2K 2″ × 3″ 4 Mil bags.
The smaller ones are a little flimsier to fit inside the bigger ones more easily.
If you want to package large-leaf teas, such as needle teas or certain oolongs, though, you might want to go bigger.
I use a little specialty scoop (I cook a lot and use them for spices) that is sleek and angled and just fits inside the smaller bags so I never have to touch the tea, but I’m sure a tiny teaspoon or a folded piece of paper would also do the trick.
…and I’m still laughing so hard at this thread.
(‘Mil’ refers to the thickness of the plastic.)
Note to other Canadians (seeing as I didn’t know where else to put this) the Mo%5#$$f&##ckers don’t ship to Canada!! I’m determined, though. It’s on! LOL
Go, keychange, go! :D I’m trusting you to find something and update us. :)
That’s why you go to Dollarama :P
The vendors in question will henceforth be known as Collecting Whorehouse & Epacknshit. (At least until they agree to ship to Canada.)
it’s a sad state of affairs when the inevitable stabs you not in the back, but in the tongue.
i have suspected for quite some time that i was developing a sensitivity to rooiboos, not a full on allergy, but a warning shot across the bow shall we say? ‘then why would you drink it on purpose, james? (with an implied [idiot] in your tone of voice’ you might be wondering. because if it was made by stacy lim it must be an exception! that’s why!!!! ….. …… or not.
i got no mango, nor flavour whatsoever as soon as it touched my tongue i stopped being able to taste… and to swallow, not from swelling, from dryness. while stacy is almost always the exception, not so in this case.
no numbers. i failed stacy’s awesome tea. =0( BUT I GET REALLY GOOD GRADES!!!!! good thing this wasn’t a test relevant to my degree. however, on that note: i now have confirmed and very comfortable A+ averages in all my classes folks! i failed the mango lassi….. but i have my classes nailed!
Preparation
Congrats!
thank you! i had an amazing opportunity to interview some veterans in my field of study who gave me expert advice. i know what i’m doing and exactly how i’m going to do it…. it’s been quite a week!
Congrats on the school stuff and bummer on the rooibos. I don’t get this effect with it…It just tastes really bitter and gross to me. How are you with Honeybush?
honeybush i’m fine with…. no idea what the glitch is with rooiboos. =0(
I strongly prefer honeybush as well. Rooibos just ain’t right.
it tasted that way to me always…. but, but this is stacy! stacy is different! but there’s not right, wrong, and then there’s sideaffects. no more playing with rooiboos.
woo, congrats, smartypants! hopefully you can relax a bit between sessions?
uhhhhh…… you know how i was going to going to alternate semesters with hard and then easy? yeah. that didn’t happen. summer time it will though because heat makes me so sick. i was invited to a special class, i got 100% on a lab and given an additional bonus mark which was a first for the prof i got a 97 on my other major project and i’ve had some help deciding where i’m going and there’s no time to waste: doctorate of human geography with a minor in psychology. i’ll need lots of tea to sustain me, lol!
Woot! Congrats on the continued success. As for the rooibos, I was talking to someone about this the other day. Some folks have genetic unusualities (heh) that make us more or less susceptible to certain foods, flavors, tastes. For instance, there’s a fairly significant percentage of the population that tastes cilantro (the leaf) as soapy. I’m one of the few weirdos that, when eating fish, smells like it quite strongly within 2 hours, and it lasts about a day. Rooibos is also in that interesting reaction category, where some folks taste it as bitter.
really…. hadn’t heard that, but i’m not surprised. the combination of mother nature’s natural creativity along with us muddling the planet breeds confusion. mine is a result (probably) of an already exigent autoimmune disease. they tend to multiply. and while i’m not thrilled with allergies, i’ll take those over diabetes or something more serious.
Congrats on the grades James!
I can’t help wonder if green rooibos would have the same effect on you since it’s less processed. I dislike pretty much all red rooibos, but I love green. Sadly, compare to the red blends, there isn’t too many green ones available out there…maybe there isn’t enough people liking it and I’m the odd one!
Oh gosh, if anyone wants to try or have some green rooibos I have almost a pound left of it from Adagio.
in future miss tea fairy, but i’ve stumbled into a slew of sensitivities lately and i’m just steering clear of all of them until things settle down. maltitol is plain old vicious to me. stevia isn’t far behind. roasted mate….. even though i love it!!!!! makes me snarly. so i’ll just leave it all be and hope i’m experiencing some overreactions.
Yeah, cilantro sure is soapy!
Congratulations on your grades, James! That’s so incredibly awesome. I’m so glad you have a focus and know where you’re going. :)
Here’s me and rooibos…
I typically don’t like it, with the exception of a few rare blends (DT’s Orange Blossom and Alpine Punch, and this one from Stacy)…but I do know what you mean about the dry mouth because I do get that with most rooibos.
I prefer green rooibos to red (I love Swampwater) and I prefer honeybush over rooibos, in general. That said, I do try to find what rooibos I do like…which isn’t much, sadly.
Congrats on the grades, James! :) Bummer about the rooibos. I’m not a big rooibos fan either which is why we only have a few blends. Not that I don’t like it but I feel like tea is just much more complex and interesting.
i ordered it originally for our daughter anyway…. but stacy lim building juicy mangoes? hmph….. i was going to try it though!
Yikes! I got carried away! Sorry!
no sorry necessary Bonnie, love your reviews!! :)
Your reviews are captivating!
It is a great tea which leads to the great writing
It was a fun time. I do wish that I had more chances to drink tea with others since tea should really be shared. I try my best here.
yay!! i am glad you liked it and your review is much better than mine would be. i five years after it ages some more we will have to break this tea out again!
Awesome review, Bonnie. You have me counting my pennies to see if I can get some of this, now that you have sold me on it! :)
indeed nice way to unwrap the tea’s flavor
Note to self: When you go to Ft Collins, be sure to have dinner at Bonnie’s house!