Popular Tasting Notes

This sounds super yummy! I love my grandmother’s strawberry rhubarb pie and it’s such a unique taste. In a tea?! Sounds heavenly!

GAH.

I want this!

Posts like this make me wish I wasn’t allergic to honeybush

I NEED THIS!
Strawberry Rhubarb pie is my fav, next to Pumpkin!!

it’s not honeybush hun :) this has a black base

52 teas was a honeybush and it made me sad. Though i DO need more non caffeinated teas…this is all black tea!

I love that Stacy does custom teas. That’s AWESOME! =)
This one sounds yummy.

Really, black tea. This may cause my first order from Butiki. Does it have much cinnamon in it?

I honestly can’t recall if we ultimately decided to add cinnamon to it (it’s been a long process) but if there is, it’s very subtle. It’s not up on the website yet as Stacy was waiting for it to get to me so that i could taste it etc.. but it will be :) I highly recommend her teas! If it’s going to be a while, i can always send you a small sample star :)

A sample would be great, though I do have enough tea that I can definitely wait for it to be put up on the website. Trying before I buy might be preferable, I don’t remember if butiki does samples.

Stacy does samples with orders…rather than samples as orders if that makes sense. Though you can often order just a 1/2 ounce which is nice.

omg I want to try this one SO badly!!

Well there’s a giant bag at my place waiting for the end of the month :)

Sil… one of many reasons I’m looking forward to that weekend!! :D

Have I said yet how jealous I am that you guys are all down south? :( now I wanna go pout

March 23. Come on over!

Totally missed this note. Doh! Glad you are digging the tea! I’m so happy we went with the hibiscus too. Not too much, just enough to give it that rhubarb taste. Let me know your final notes and if you think any other adjustments are needed and I will be sending you those questions.

I’m going to try and have more on Sunday so that I can focus on it. I HAVE however, dolled out samples here and there that will be sent to a few people in the near future. haha

Great! What, you’re not saving all 168 cups worth? :P

weeellllll i figured 160 would tie me over. grin

This is really yummy!
I LOVE Strawberry Rhubarb pie and this is the Uber Perfect tea version :-)

glad you love it celebriTEA :)

So sorry to hear about your aunt passing away. We’ll keep your tea spot warm until you get back.

Blessings to you and your family and prayers for her soul progression. Take all the time you need!

I’m sorry to hear about your aunt, take care of yourself during this time!

So sorry to hear about your aunt. I hope that you and your family can find comfort in each other at this time. : (

My condolences on the loss of your aunt.

that’s sad about your Aunt, we’ll miss you :)

Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts!

My thoughts are with you and your family during this time.

I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. May she rest in peace.

Thinking of you <3

I’m sorry to hear about your aunt. Hope you have a safe trip.

Thank you all :)

Very sorry to hear about this. Take care.

Sorry about your aunt. You and your family are in my prayers.

I am so sorry about your Aunt. The best of wishes for you and your family.

So sorry. Safe travels.

Sorry to hear…drive safe and enjoy the time with your family. Cheers, Brenden.

Condolences to you and your family. Stay safe.

So sorry to hear that hugs
Drive safely!

*hugs *

You and your family will be in my thoughts.

I’m so sorry to hear about your aunt! My thoughts will be with you and the rest of your family.

I’m excited for this one!!!!! Especially after your review! I got my reserve samples yesterday :D

I have yet to sample this. It terrifies me, but I will try it, and it will be the first Lapsang I will try. Reading you and Paul’s tasting notes on it calms me, and makes me more curious than terrified.

Invader Zim the Brave!

I took some to Happy Lucky’s for my tea guys to try. They were amazed! The best they had ever had too…and the second steep you can really taste the roasted oolong. Delicious beyond what you think of as Lapsang. Almost a new category.

Okay if I wasn’t jealous already I’m certainly jealous now. And there was a moment that weekend when my husband said oh go ahead an subscribe, but I felt guilty, should have leaped on that moment of weakness. Sigh.

i already love lapsang. i want this tea so badly!

I’m hoping that this will eventually become available to everyone since I can’t afford the subscription either. I’d love to be able to buy this!!!

This one terrifies me because I don’t like black teas to begin with (does that make me a black sheep or a non-black sheep of the tea community?!) and I’m not a big fan of smokey teas. But the way you two (Bonnie and Paul) describe this, it sounds amazing and I’m less apprehensive about trying it. Although, I’d much rather go bobbing for apples…I like apples :)

Do you like oolongs Zimmie? Do you like bacon?

Is the sky blue Bonnie? lol yes, I like both!

TeaFoold, you are a troll. Please stop harrassing my good friend Bonnie. You are taking her words out of context. What she means (as I understand it) is that some companies are new or want to grow, and deserve to have their delicious teas shared with the world and the HYPE she gives them will help achieve that.

Lol, I guess I missed some drama! Always interesting since I get comments emailed to me ;) Silly trolls!

Kittenna, yes…someone was calling me names here and on another review. Then, the comments were deleted. I took mine off also in the interest of less confusion for everyone and it’s Christmas.

Hi Bonnie. You seem like a nice person with interesting reviews and that’s why you were one of the 1st people I “followed” when I joined Steepster. Thanks for taking the time to post! And Merry Christmas.

Thank you Donna…Merry Christmas to you too!

I like this type of Dancong, the one I love has this really interesting liqueur tones that reminds me of this whisky based liqueur that my cousin brought back from Scotland.

Mmmm, sounds really good yyz!

It is… Curious about what notes you’ll get when you gongfu it.

I love this one :)

Sounds lovely! I’ve tried two different Huang Zhi Xiang wulongs, one from Seven Cups and the other from Verdant. The former was so sweet, it was as if I was drinking straight mango and passion fruit nectar. The latter was more mellow, still juicy and sweet with oaky notes. And yours, well, again, it sounds completely different! That must go to show how even on particular tea can change character from purveyor to purveyor.

Chadao, I have verdant also, you are right, it’s very sweet in an almost fruit juice kind of way. I will have to see how different this one is Gongfu style. I am expecting sweeter notes that way. And I agree, it’s amazing how different tea can be from on estate to the other, or from one harvest to the other. I’ve had a Da Yu Ling oolong recently that was so muted in taste compared to the regular brand I normally drink.

Did you ever end up making the in the gaiwan? :)

I did! Didn’t I review it a second time?
Its more boozy and orangy with short steeps…I much prefer it that way, it keeps changing from one steep to the next…that’s why I like gongfu brewing so much…did you try it yourself?

Yep, I have. I like it more that way too :) I think you did review it now that I’m thinking about it…hmmm…haha

Hmm…appears not! :P But yes, super nommy :)

Lol, no worries, I can’t remember myself…But I drank it many times this way already and it’s much more complex, my favourite way for pretty much any oolong. I bought a nice Yixing pot for them, just can’t decided if I should use it for green oolong or more oxidized like this one…big dilemma.

Normally I would comment something like – just get another then you don’t have to decide – BUT I would be remiss of me not to bring up the fact that you’ve agreed to go on an yixing buying hiatus…. ;)

Haha!! Dexter, thanks for keeping an eye on me…but let’s not give that story to the world…not my finest moment, oops :-O

But, but, I was just on Zen Tea’s website cause my heart is just like my little pumpkin pot…it’s broken :-( what to do???

:) I just bought two yixing pots (my first ones) last week! I’m stoked!

I’ve got a set of yixing cups for yunnan blacks, shou puer, and lapsang…so I bought a 120ml red yixing pot to match my yunnan black yixing cups and a 150ml black yixing pot to match my shou puer cups :)

If only they made 50ml yixing pots…i would be ALL OVER THAT. I can’t get over small teaware. It’s just so…adorable and perfect. :P

Remember that number you quoted not that long ago (but long enough that you’ve placed more orders since) – THAT NUMBER – you know the scary one – and it didn’t include any of the tins for you organization project…. I have no problem with you replacing your pumpkin pot – just trying to look out for you….

Brenden, that’s so cute! I love tiny teaware too but a 50ml pot?? Lol, that’s one sip! Have you seasoned them yet?

Oh, but Dexter, I just want the pots!! No tea. Lol, Brenden seems to be getting all my business lately anyways :-)

Those Zen Tea pots are going to disapear very soon, unbeatable quality for the price. I was thinking of replacing the broken one + the one the boychik got, the orange one. Then I’m gonna lock them up so I don’t break them no more. What do you think?

If I told you what I really thought (you should use and love them not lock them up) – you would laugh hysterically and tell me to take a look in my own cupboard, no right to give you advice etc. I would say something like do as I say not as I do – you would smile, pat me on the head and buy one anyway. :))
LOL you can do what you like, I’m just trying to do my job as the “voice of reason”.
(For those that don’t understand – I have four yixing pots, I’ve only seasoned one – not using any of them – I have no right to tell anyone that they should be using and enjoying their teaware…)

Lol, we know each other too well by now, scary!! The thing is, before I went to “breaking” mode, I was using them on REGULAR basis….but now my confidence is shaken…I’m wondering if they are better off being just “looked at” instead of end up cracked on the floor!!!

(Smile, pat on the shoulder… I just bought them!!)

Nope, they’re still on the way to me, but I’ll be seasoning them right away when they arrive!

Lol, Dexter…I can’t imagine having teaware that didnt get used!

I would highly suggest creating a tea space with thick fuzzy carpet under the drinking area. I personally have a nice big carpet under my tea table, which is only a few inches taller than my knee. I’ve dropped many cups off of the table and none of them have broken :)

Brenden are your yixing cups porcelain lined? or are they just clay? How do you like drinking out of them? I have a yixing mug (I understand that’s not what you have) and I don’t like the roughness of the clay to drink out of – don’t like how it feels in the mouth, against teeth. I have itty, bitty, teeny tiny clay tasting cups, but have never used them – too small, and afraid of the clay feel. Just wondering if proper sized cups would be better?

Fairy – I am not surprised. :))
It is scary, don’t need to actually HAVE the conversation to know how it would go. Enjoy your new pots!!!
One of these days I’m going to take a me tea day and actually spend some quality time with some of my GOOD teas and GOOD teaware – just need to find some time…

Brenden, i had a phase of uncontrollable clumsiness…let’s hope it’s over now. But the carpet is an option to consider ;-) i’d love to see your pots when you get them!!

Dexter, You know I hope and pray everyday for that to happen for you my dear friend :-)

Dexter, totally unglazed. I love drinking out of them…when I first got them, I didnt season them and they felt and tasted rough, just like you explained. After I seasoned them they began to feel smoother on the lips and produce much better tasting tea. I didn’t think I would notice much difference, but after using them for a few months I definitely started tasting a difference. All of the teas I make in them are so much smoother and cleaner tasting. I have a set of clay cups that are really low quality and i couldn’t stand to drink out of them…after seasoning it was so much better…but still definitely not as good as a good quality cup.

TeaFairy, I will definitely be posting pictures on here. Excited! :)

Also, I like to pour my first cup of the session into the yixing cups and let it sit for a minute before drinking. This seems to “open” the teacups up. Could just be my imagination though :P

Thanks Brenden – now that you say it – makes perfect sense. I did let tea sit in my mug a couple of times when I first got it to “season”, but I didn’t submerge it. That’s what I need to do, build up some patina on the lip and outside to cut down the rough mouth feel. I really want to love my yixing mug – I’m way more of a coffee mug rather than tiny cup kind of girl – this seemed like the best of both world. I’m going to submerge my mug a few times and see if I can’t get it to “smooth out”. Thanks for the advice. :))

(I’m both a super large and super tiny teaware kind of gal…I’m want ALL things tea!!!

What you need to do is boil it in a pot with the tea you want to use. Add like a half ounce of the tea and boil the tea for 20 minutes, then add the mug and boil for an hour. That initial seasoning is what really makes it start to taste good :)

You must not have seen my wiki matcha fail… just add more water til you can drink it.

Will do next time.

I think the 3 scoop measurement on wiki is accurate… but if I go by weight it’s actually 7! You could start w/ 1 scoop in 3-8oz of water and either increase the matcha or decrease the water till you get a good ratio you like.

Oh, I wiki everything for the quickness of it all! However, I say the same thing to the kiddies ‘wiki does not equal research’ when they are homework-ing. Hehehe now that I write it and look at it, sounds a bit double-standard-ish. But, then again, they also google everything!

I always use wiki…:)!

i use wiki for things i would ask a neighbor, for things you must have right i use encyclopedias or other things i can blame for my wrongness if needed

Matcha virgin here, too. I’m saving myself until I get up the guts to whisk…

I love it Morgana, that sounds really wrong.

All these comments are making me laugh! AmazonV – I agree! credible accountability is a must!

Morgana- All I can say is use lots of water, my matcha to water ratio was not to my tasting. Next time I’m going to try at least 8 oz of water to one flat teaspoon and work my way up from there.

Woo, matcha! I have three pouches of Mandarin left, so I didn’t order this one. But my tip is to try 1/2 to 1/3 of a teaspoon of matcha in 4 to 6 ounces of hot but not boiling water at first…as you get more used to it, you can start increasing the amount of matcha. But yeah, 1 teaspoon in 2.5 ounces of water is intense, especially if its a low grade matcha like the kind 52teas uses (I presume).

Shanti, Thanks so much for the experienced advice. I will try this method, are you the one (Shanti) that I read about in Ricky’s post that stole all the Mandarin Matcha?? :)

Yes, that’s me :) Or, actually, my evil alter-ego that swoops in an buys too much tea, Shantea haha :)

LOL

I tried 1tsp of powdered sencha in 6oz cold water (8x stronger than they suggest). It was, of course, VERY strong- but by no means undrinkable, helped by the addition of 2TB lemon juice. I also know that this is not matcha, but I thought I’d throw that out anyway.

Seems we’re all confused as to how to prepare this matcha ;)

I’m going to turn this into a latte next time, hmmm or make some ice cream with it? Hmmmm…..

No, I just think everyone likes it a little different. And I’m no help cuz I don’t measure w/ a tsp. lol. It’s funny, I don’t like matcha and milk, but I’m TOTALLY grooving putting some of the this on chocolate frozen yogurt. And yes I know “grooving” sounds really stupid, but hey matcha makes me act weird lol.

now i am nervous eyes matcha perhaps I’ll start with the yogurt plan first?

Matcha + Milk, delicious. Matcha + Chocolate milk sounds strange to me =P

Matcha + frozen yogurt… hmmm… now that’s a plan ;)

AmazonV, you could- it’s up to you. But don’t be nervous. Ya know… LiberTEAS is gonna shoot me lol, but are people having problems because they’re using a teaspoon to measure it? I use a matcha scoop and have very few matcha fails. Just curious.

Ricky, I got the matcha + ice cream (or frozen yogurt) idea from Den’s! (still waiting for their e-newsletter)

Ok, correction- I’ve only had one matcha fail (pertaining to ratio of matcha/water)… and that was completely wiki’s fault lol.

We’re going to start a Teaspoon Matcha club, who needs the bamboo scoop!

Hmm, I have to look that up on Den’s website when it gets warmer again.

Ricky… Maybe more people do? I’m not about to tell people how to make their matcha (although I do think a chawan or bowl of some kind just has to be done lol), but it does seem as if people who are displeased w/ it or have ratio problems are using a tsp. Just an observation. At least it’s a cheap accessory/gadget.

I got a matcha banana smoothie/shake from garrett yesterday that sounds awesome – soon as I find all my blender pieces, I will let you know how that goes! http://steepster.com/Shojikoto/posts/35069

Yea, teaspoon club! we’ll crack this case – no way am i investing in more tea gear….i don’t have anywhere to put it! ok and i went a little tiny bit crazy with orders last month, just a little…

lol, that’s actually what I like about scoops- ~$5 accessory that can fit in pretty much any nook and cranny. Very portable for travelling. I’ve noticed 52teas matchas (at least the one I’ve tried) don’t need much whisking so measure, dump, swirl, and drink:)

Where on Steepster can you find a Steepsterite who hasn’t gone just a tad bit crazy in the last month or so on tea orders, I ask? He/She would have to be one very self-controlled restrained person in the face of all these yummy tea posts/reviews! LOL! But, AmazonV, I love tea gear/tea ware … they are so pretty and functional and absolutely a requirement !?!?!

Haha, I’ve been very good lately. I’ve been trying to clear my cupboard to make room for summer tea. I even restrained myself from ordering DFT Series #2! Now I have a gap in my A&D tea collection, uhoh.

i gotta put together a little picasa on all my teaware….it’s a lot for a tiny apartment (2 dragon teakettles, 1 china, 1 porcelain, 1 cast iron, 1 glass, dozens of bone china teacups, 1 shelf of mugs, 1 shelf and 3 boxes of tea, 2 Russian tea cups, zarafina, breville water kettle, brita water pitcher, mr. iced tea maker, and more i don’t even want to unpack) that of course doesn’t even get into my coffee obsession…and a galley kitchen

Okay – you win! that is a lot of teaware! and if memory serves, you have some nice china teacups from mother-in-law, too! sorry for the awkardness of comment – now on iPod touch and am not that good on keyboard yet.

~lauren you are a better person than I – I keep trying to use steepster via Blackberry and end up with the most awful typing! half the time i give up and don’t post it

She’s a Steepster addict :P. I can’t even stand logging into Steepster from my iPhone. It’s dreadfully slow :(

TEAM CHRINE has changed sides. Just came to the Strawberry Matcha page to tealog and was reading your tealog. I did 1/4 tsp in 8 oz of 180° F water. I cannot believe the difference. I thought there was no way I’d ever like matcha. Anyways, I’m about to post a tealog about the matcha surprise so you can read all about it there!

PS I also used Wiki the first time I prepared it. Bad Wiki!

I know chrine! Where do they get that 3 scoops weighs that much? If you go by wiki’s # of scoops and not weight, you’re good.

I have no idea. It was WAY too much matcha for me.

I know! The thought of the 7 scoops of matcha I used makes me gag… :)

Oh, yay, I just noticed your update :) Yeah, I also tend to just eyeball the amount of matcha, and usually only make 3 or 4 ounces of it when I need a shot of something to force my eyes open. The bitterness (and of course the caffeine) are great when I’m feeling kinda “blah” and need to be jolted awake. I don’t know if I could handle 8 ounces at a time (plus the matcha might settle since I’m a slowish drinker). But yeah, maybe fiddling around with the amount of water might make it more palatable. :)

Oh, so it does settle? I thought I might not be mixing it enough still. (I just had some!) I noticed the perking effect and was wondering if it was in my head since I associated the super bitterness of the first attempt with high caffeine content. But it is a mellow perking, not a jittery perking.

chrine, take it from someone that often makes 8 (and on a rare occasion 16)oz at a time that it does settle if you don’t drink it quickly enough- it’s a suspension, not a solution. I prefer to take my time to enjoy it so an occasional whisk or two while drinking it does the job and I’m not forced to rush.

Thanks Cofftea, that’s good to know.

Another lovely review!

What, may I ask, is a tea noodle? LOL

Tea noodle: a long and and relaxed thing that absorbs tons of tea…. (Myself on a couch, reading and steepsterising while drinking tea…lots of it)

Lol, I love that term! :P

OMG… that’s too cute! I had a rough night, but now I am back in the tea saddle and I’ll join you in this tea noodle status, if you don’t mind!

Picturing you in the fairy jacuzzi again! With cherries floating around! Teehee.

Hahaha! One day I might just do that cameron, bring a ton of cherries in the pool with me and let them float around me :-)

Sarsonator, tea noodles love company, you are always welcome to join me :-)
(Sorry you had a rough night though…)

Thank you!

Weren’t you or MzPriss (or both) talking about the Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant? I put it on my wishlist and I think it was because one of you lovely ladies mentioned it. Or am I getting senile?

Noooo!! Not crazy!! Look at Cameron’s review just now, lol. (Cough, I just bought 8oz.)

(Cough, Honeybelle bought even more I think)

LOL. Cameron’s review just made me think of it. I am not ready to get 8 oz, but I did order 2 oz.

It must be good if you and HoneyBelle would buy that much! I also got the Laoshan Black and the Lady Gaga blend. Why not? :)

I WANT THE LADY GAGA! QQ Let me know how it is!

Well here’s the thing. I already have a sample to send you, but my little zippie tea sample bags have not arrived yet. Verdant usually ships quickly, so since you’re already waiting so patiently, I’ll add a little Lady Gaga when I send you the other sample. Then you can decide if you want to buy more!

Psh, that’s amazing! Can’t wait to try it, all of the ingredients sound delicious. Thanks so much! :D

No problem! I like tea sharing. :)

I’m also a LB Chocolate Genmaicha hoarder. It’s so good it makes me appear to have tourette’s syndrome when I take the first sip

Hahaha! Totally a Tourette syndrome tea!!!

Oh my! Now I am extra excited to try it!

It tuns on the mega twitch switch on.

Best taken while wearing a negligee

Terri – I’m with you on the Sudden Onset Tourettes when drinking LBCG. And LTF – I didn’t order hardly much more than you at all – but it’s not HERE yet.

I did offer to send you some, you should have said yesssss!!!! :-)

I know and I love you for that. But it will be here soon. Right?

OMG I just thought of a song for LBCG!!!

Almost time for the moon to come up in St. Louis…

LOL – I just said that on your Elderwood note – about 30 minutes and I will be on my porch with my tea

Me too!!

Great review. This is may be in my next order.

Thanks SWApilot, it’s really worth trying.

Yay, glad you are enjoying the tea! Your review made me smile. Just had received the meanest customer email I’ve ever received and it was bumming me out. It probably wasn’t that bad but that was my first negative customer email ever.

Whaaaaaat??? I have no idea what someone could possibly have been grumpy at you about :(

LiberTEAS – I have been dreaming about this tea all day…. it was SOOOOOO good last night. I don’t think my tiny 0.5 ounce package is going to last very long!

Kittenna-It was from the Black Friday sale. I guess it wasn’t that bad. A customer was $3 away from qualifying for the bonus $20 in tea. I emailed her and she said she was interested in doing the sale. I’ve been occasionally reminding her that I was still holding her teas (since I didn’t know what bonus teas she wanted or the regular priced tea) and she would occasionally get back to me with additional questions. Then today I got an email saying how frustrated she was and on the verge of canceling the order and that ordering shouldn’t be this difficult and listen up, here’s the deal kind of thing. I guess I got more upset since I thought I was being extra nice.

Glad you guys are enjoying the Creamy Eggnog. I really love that tea! I think I will be bringing this one over to my families for X-Mas.

Sounds like she just has some of her own issues… the sale was quite easy to figure out. I’m sure it stings even if it’s not all that bad, especially if it’s your first irritated customer! People are silly!

butki i think you just set a very high mark for excellent customer service. i wish she had understood. i think personal attention like this will result in great merit for you.

Kittenna-Yeah, it was bumming me out. I like to keep my customers happy. I’m trying to turn this one around. I’ve had 4 other orders with issues in the last 4 years but in those cases the customers were nice about it and I fixed the issue and added a little bonus.

mrmopar-That is very kind of you to say.

@Butiki Teas: I agree. Your customer service has always been exceptional, and I think that this must just be a case of a misunderstanding on the part of that customer … and I hope that it gets resolved for you.

And yes, this tea rocks. I would rather drink this over real eggnog any day.

butiki you are quite welcome i think personal customer service is lacking in many aspects of todays society. it is often overlooked, but i am old fashioned and the idea of personal service will always take precedent in most of my dealings in any matter. the thought of you keeping the old hand shake tradition alive is lost in much of todays world.

I’ll add my 2 cents worth, Stacy. You are awesome, & even though my order was a little complex, I thought you were super easy to work with and we got it all figured out. And your teas are awesome!

Stacy, I have to say of all of the tea ordering i do, yours is pretty much tops and the service to which i compare all others. I’m sure someday as i branch out i may find other companies who are as awesome as you but you set a pretty high bar. You always have your customers in mind and often do things for them that make me go “see this…this is how all companies should behave, because it’ll keep me coming back” which of course then devolves into thinking about attractors, and detractors and other such nonsense since that’s part of my day job lol

Thanks LiberTEAS, TerriHarpLady & Sil! I’m glad you guys are happy with our service. Its one of our top 2 priorities (the other being quality of tea).

mrmopar-I agree. It is so hard to find any type of store with good customer service. My father goes to this Italian food store where the owner knows all of his customers and what they like to buy and has conversations with everyone. The owner even created a vegan soup especially for me, although later he developed a line of vegan soups because this one soup was doing so well. That’s the type of business I aspire to run. I like to know everyone and do a little extra for my regular customers, whether its adding in bonus samples, offering special deals or adding some samples of blends that aren’t available yet.

Stacy – liiiike a blend with caramel? grin

Sil-Hahhaha. Is this going to be like the grapefruit incident? :D Well, I am working with toffee but I suspect that won’t be good enough. I think you are going to have to supply me with some good caramel ideas to win me over. Caramel almonds? Caramel & Brandy? Caramel cheesecake? Caramel drizzled vanilla ice cream? Caramel cream candies? Caramel poached pears? Caramel Raspberries?

Hmmm, maybe a spiced caramel puerh.

caramel poached pears just sounds like something i need to eat. and ice cream…man i haven’t had ice cream in forever…. caramel cheesecake would be neat to see your take on it compared to say 52 teas heh.

^^ Agreed!

Oh and if making it like the grapefruit means we get a caramel tea…I can do that Stacy lol

Hmm, if the caramel cheesecake has been done before than I would rather not do that. I’ll think about it. I do like the idea of caramel poached pears.

Sil-Hahahaha.

LiberTEAS-Sorry for hijacking your review.

LOL no need to apologize. It’s been a fun read. :)

I think hijacking reviews is part of what makes steepster fun! You never know where the conversation may lead!

That does look lovely. Why must you tempt me so! I told Steepster and my entire family that I wouldn’t buy any more tea until September!

So pretty in that glass. Do you love that steeper? I’ve been thinking about one…

Christina…just give in…september was way too ambitious ;-)

MzPriss, I love my test tube! Short steep for the lazy…works really well for green and shou but not so much for larger leaf like oolong, it gets too jammed packed.

I like the pictures you post :-)

Thanks mj :-)

@TeaF I’ve been eyeing one at I think Verdant. What I need to be eyeing is where I’m going to put everything that is either alresady here or coming to my house.
@Christina – she is a total temptress…

Oh, I hear you on that…massive shit load of tea coming our way…i have 2 yixing pots on the way also. Sigh.
(I did buy my test tube at Verdant…totally worth it…you should seriously consider…just sayin’)

Maybe when the Laoshan Choky Genmaicha comes in. I have massive shitloads still to come, but I’ve been putting Madala in tins this morning and it makes me happeh :) I have also been LOLing at my messages this morning but now I want chai, so that will be my on the way to work tea…

2 yxings??? LOL. I LOVE you.

Hahaha! I don’t blame you, I cold brewed some right after that conversation!

Well you obviously don’t know my relationship with yixing pots…I buy them, I break them…then I buy some more, and I break some more….CLUMSY!!!

I a breaker too. Well more of a chipper actually. Although, my sweet little cup w/infuser that I reviewed on here recently? I had it for a week and a half before I broke the mug :(

’scuse my typos. not enough sleep :(

Off to work (with my chai) Have a good day

Lol, you too :-)

Why don’t you have a blog? :)

I love your pictures!

Lovely pics as always, & we have matching test tube steepers :)
I love that thing, wouldn’t dream of brewing green teas in anything else!
On the topic of breaking things (rolls eyes dramatically), my desk & studio are both littered with chipped tea cups, because once I chip them I won’t serve tea in them. So they become holders of things: pennies, paperclips, a wet tea strainer, the weird little Bingo keytags that I write my daily tasks on (in hopes of actually getting them done), etc.
I have a fantasy of rounding them up this fall & planting a small succulent jade plant in each on, to give as winter gifts to my students.
Gratefully, I haven’t broken any of my yixings (knock on wood). I would be heart broken.

I love that jade plant idea! Teacup planters are adorable and I have a very handsome jade plant that I enjoy a lot. It’s one of my favorites (shhhh don’t tell my other plants)

Yixings? From where ? Links ?
I love the pics and you should blog, telling ya

Thanks you guys, but no need for a blog, Steepster is my tea-home, I’m way happier here with you all :-)

Terri, what a great idea!

Boychik…dunno if you remember, but when you were buying yours from Zen Tea, I told you I had purchased the pumpkin one and that IMHO, their prices could not be beaten for signed handmade pots. Well….I cracked it. It’s not conpletely broken, but can’t be used anymore. I liked it soooo much that I repurchased it…

http://zentealife.com/yixing-teapot-siji.html

And…couldn’t resist this one in the process…does it look familiar?

http://zentealife.com/yixing-teapot-songdan.html

Oh I love the pumpkin and second looks very familiar. I just checked prices went up, mine was $29
Oh well, it’s worth every penny.

Lol, yes, it’s totally worth it…I have bought lots of teaware from them and I know they are 100% reliable. I don’t know any other places where you can get a certificate of authenticity for such low price. Kenneth, the owner had told me it was his last batch in inventory, he wouldn’t be able to get them anymore. So I made my move before they’re all gone :-)

Mine are all very plain, but wonderfully functional, all from Mandala. However, there are others I’ve been drooling over for awhile…

I got 2 fr YS some time ago but they are 200 ml. At that time I didn’t realize that they are huge. I really want them to be 100-130ml .

You are so funny.

Oh thank you! :)

I’m drunk on sheng and watching Ghost Shark now. This tea is yummmz!!!!

Ghost…Shark…?

>>

You can blame ost for telling me about it. :p

Can we add this to my list Sarsy?

Absolutely, pumpkin pie!

<3 !!! I just had some Teavivre gold bud thingie out of my newly seasoned pot and it’s deeeeelicious! I’m not excited about the way my pruple pot starts off pouring though. Maybe I’m doing it Rong?

WHY Steepster? WHY? Why do you eat entire sentences?

I was telling you I just had some Teavivre’s gold bud-thingie out of my newky seasoned purple pot and it’s so so good.

sigh. Newly. But at the beginning of the pour it is not good – maybe I’m doing it wrong?

You mean the pour is not good?

Too much c.

It is once its going but at first it goes everywhere

I have one other one that does that. the other don’t. It’s probably me. Marz – c?

LOL MARZIPAN! Too good.

I tilt the cup to meet the teapot a little. Usually works. If it’s still being funky, maybe post on the forum? Someone may have a suggestion.

It does it even when it’s not full >.<

And I still haven’t eaten dinner

I had a veggie burger. Yumz

Oh I have some of those. And some corn and cheese tamales in the freezer

But right now I’m eating chocolate

This tea sounds great, and you guys are silly and making me laugh. I love it.

You got yourself the tea qi.

Oh it was nice, too!!!!

Yah Ima-addict. :P

LOL @ this thread. Want to live in Sarasonator’s tea forest a la Swiss Family Robinson: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gSvAoHjnktM/TKxjXlna9OI/AAAAAAAABW8/FF0q0qnaLTk/s1600/Tobago+Swiss+Tree+1960.jpg
Cuz I don’t rough it

Lol, mj, that’s totally our fashengista in her tea forest, you are too funny!!!

:p Cwyn

OMG mj!!!! That’s perfect!!!!

I am already shenging this AM, Foxy. We will see where I end up today :)

That will be it.

I’m a bonafide space cadet!

The Chairman ha sent his approval of your tasting notes. He was read this since he can’t personally read and sent a 2 meow response.

When are we getting a pic of the Chairman Meow-er?

Here’s my Chairman. Mrmopar has his own Chairman :)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14742665251/

Oh and mrmopar… I tried to get my Chairman Meow to pick my tea the other day. He gave me a stare that said, “whatever human. Bow down to your kitty overlord and get me some treats”

So it didn’t work out well…

That is a corporate executive cat! He definitely has some personality, had to laugh at the lion pose he has got there.

I call that his “Most Interesting Cat in the World” pose :p

I know what you mean about syrup… my hubby always goes with the Aunt Jemima or other maple flavored syrups (sugar free) and even when they aren’t sugar free (I can’t have aspartame) these syrups are just icky. There is such a difference between those grocery store syrups and the real maple syrup. This blend sounds amazing, it is one that I definitely MUST try soon!

Oh yes this is a must have!

Oh I must try this soon! :D

Agreed, another order is in my near future!

Sounds GOOD. Adding to my shopping list!

Sounds GOOD. Adding to my shopping list!

Oh! I definitely have to try this tea. YUM.

LiberTEAS-I don’t know anyone can do those syrups. Ick.

I’m so glad this tea is sounds good to everyone.

Oh my gosh I can’t wait to try this one. I LOVE grade B maple syrup. When I was little I rarely used syrup either because I only knew of the high fructose version and it made me nauseous every time I tried to eat it. I’ll put grade B on and in everything. It’s great in tea!

Heh. Glad it was something to look forward too

I am crazy maybe, but I always get a coconut-y vibe from Wedding Imperial. I like it nonetheless, though it is a tea which keeps me on my toes, must pay attention when brewing it!

now that you say it, yes, perhaps a roasted coconut? a very decadent treat to celebrate the ending of my scariest course!!!! tomorrow i will celebrate again =0)

oh, congratulations, here is to a great celebration! This sounds like a good tea to celebrate with!

THANK YOU THANK YOU! i think fauchon’s naissance is the route to go…. =0)

i really need to try my fauchon teas…maybe this weekend…

I really need to try Fauchon teas, period! LOL
congrats, James!

i only have 2, but i can send samples terri =o)

justjames… i can take care of terri…we have an ongoing box that travels and maaaybe she’s getting some in the next round as my christmas treat to her and tastybrew heh

also..did you know that 13 teas from MF only comes to about 16$ per 100g CAD which is like the same price as bad tea from david’s tea as well lol

Sil! 13 teas! That’s 1300g.

i did! it’s the shipping that (i’m going to go the polite route here…) ‘attaches one to another object by an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis.’ =0)

i will keep you guys posted…it’s only a matter of time before i crumble one way or another… after all there’s still my stupid “real” bonus to come this year.. in addition to the “fake” bonus they already gave me lol

Hmmmm…. I wish I had money…

(Just sitting here smiling & enjoying the conversation, especially the part about people (mainly Sil) sending me tea, lol)

see this is where there difference between money and credit blurs for me. mmph, financial responsibility. credit rating. tea. risk. pro/con. dammit.

dammit!

terri…. not nice to make fun of trying to be responsible mostly grown ups, lol.

is it bad that when i’m in the modd to splurge on something like this..the 1300g of tea that i’d be getting doesn’t phase me only because it means that i can share? lol I’ve had bags of tea i bought, love but then only have like 2 cups out of because i get to excited to share the tea lol

Oh yeah, I spend like a blind fool when I’m buying tea. Sil, are you ordering directly from mf? isn’t shipping going to…impale you unpleasantly?

keychange – both MF and the o dor have shipping that sits at about 25 euros. If i get 10+ bags, because the teas aren’t terribly expensive in the grand scheme of things, it offsets the cost of the shipping without making the price per bag exorbitant. 13 teas brings the cost per 100g to about 16 CAD, which, as i mentioned is about the same price as a number of david’s teas – a company that i am not overly a fan of. heh

Well I’ll be damned!

Sil, that is my plan for my next order. Buy sufficiently of the loose leaf teas so it offsets the shipping, so one just big order. Though next order will be no sooner than November (ok, october, but totally definetely!) 2014! For this winter I am shamefully well stocked

okay, now i read your 16$, but i didn’t realize your number included/justified/explained/finessed shipping sil, lol.

james..oh yes..i always look at total cost to get to my greedy little hands. my first order of DF teas arrived today and i AM SO DARN HAPPY OMG YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! however i also received my verdant BF order AND teas from omgsrsly…so um i have some drinking to do before i can order lol

it sounds like a day totally appropriate for the season….. enjoy =0)

sooo supposed to be doing work..but totally organising tea now lol

I haven’t tried any of their teas, but I’ll have to add that one to my ‘list’.

@Terri: You really should try their teas. I also loved the Double Knit blend … that would be a really good breakfast blend, I think. This one is a good “kick in the butt” tea whenever you need one of those.

I will also say that this tea disappeared astonishingly fast from my teacup.

I’ve looked at their page before, just haven’t ordered any…yet!
Have you tried the Caravan or the Hot Tea on the High Seas?

I’ve tried the Caravan long ago, when it was part of the 3rd limited edition series. I am not sure how the Caravan Resurrected compares to that, but when I did try it, I was still very anti-smoky teas, so I wasn’t too fond of it. I have the Caravan Resurrected (as it was part of the group of three that were available on Cyber Monday), and I’m hoping I will have a new found appreciation of it.

The Hot Tea on the High Seas is limited edition series 5 (I think!) and I did try both of those teas. They are amazing. I especially love the Oolong as it is a Magnolia Oolong – it’s fantastic. Captain Assam is an exceptionally smooth Assam, if I remember correctly, and perhaps a bit less harsh than some other Assam teas that I’ve tried. It’s not quite as “kick you in the butt” as this Tiger Assam is. Both are stellar, in my opinion.

I’d LOVE to try this one!

This seems overpriced – do you think it is worth $20 for a 4 oz. tin?

@Amy oh: Yes I do. I also think that with this company, you’re not just paying for the tea but also the overall experience. The tins are beautiful, solid, and airtight. You get a bonus button with this particular tea … not a huge deal, but, I think it’s part of the fun.

However, given that this is one of the very best Assam teas I’ve ever tried, I’d say it’s worth the investment. That doesn’t mean that I don’t wait until they have a promotion, because I generally do. I purchased this as part of their Cyber Monday deal that they had going on, which was a 20% discount, and covered the cost of my shipping on the three tins of tea.

What is you current King of organic Assam teas? Thank you!

looseTman: I guess I’d have to go with this one: http://steepster.com/teas/arbor-teas/14049-organic-rembeng-assam-black-tea

Arbor Teas is a fantastic source of organic and fair trade teas.

Agreed, Arbor Teas is great! However, Remberg Assam is not currently offereed. Their current black tea choices are found here: http://www.arborteas.com/categories/organic-tea/organic-black-tea/. What’s your next favorite organic assam? Thanks!

I guess I’d go with Malty Assam from Tao of Tea: http://steepster.com/teas/the-tao-of-tea/12030-malty-assam

Thanks! I read your review of the Malty Assam from Tao of Tea. I can see why you rated Assams from A&D, SST, ZTL & Arbor Teas higher than it. Since Arbor Teas no longer offers Rembeng Assam, how does their Organic Greenfield Estate Ceylon Black Tea compare to it as well as the SST & ZTL Assams? Thank you.

Since I don’t have any more of the Greenfield Estate tea, and it’s been a while since I’ve had it, it would be difficult for me to offer a proper analysis for it now. However I will say that Greenfield Estate is an EXCEPTIONAL Ceylon, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys black teas. However, how it would compare to an Assam … since they are two different teas … and given the time that has lapsed since my last tasting of the tea … it would be difficult for me to offer a fair comparison.

I understand. Thanks!

You can’t fool us, we all know you’re the Whispering Pines cheerleader! :)

Oh well, I can’t be blamed for not trying ;-)

You are so cute!

Hehe…;-)

HHHHHHhhhhhmmmmmm is someone moving over to the dark side…..

Lol, I’ve ALWAYS had a daaaaark side ( using my Darth Vader voice) I keep it for rainy days :-)

:)

Hahah. I love this note.

I think that was a EXCELLENT try (and the tea sounds good too:)

LOL, don’t hide you’re enthusiasm! I like your notes and you’re not very good at hiding it anyway :-P

@mj THAT made me LOL

Haha this made me laugh! This is also on the list to try. It sounds amazing.

Thanks sweet people, guess I’m not to good at “muting” myself ;-)
TeaTiff, I was definitely thinking of you when I drank it…will be a good one for your roasted oolong journey!

This tasting note is almost as adorable as your dog :-)

@Brenden – her dog is way way adorable. And so is yours, give that smiley boy a headscratch from me

Hahahaha, I love this note. You are so adorable.

And @Bonnie, where did you go? Gah. I had to look you up a few days ago just to see if I it’s seed your notes or there just weren’t any.

Shoot. I’m hijacking this comment thread. Stupid autocorrect. I meant to say “if I missed your notes or there just weren’t any”. My apologies, people.

@MzPriss, headscratch accomplished! :)

@Bonnie, welcome back! :D

Aww, thank you Brenden, that’s a great compliment cause he is quite adorable…and so is that Prana of yours :-)

And thanks nxdoor….don’t you worry about hijacking, there’s been plenty of that lately…fun hijacking that is :-)

And see how people have missed you my dearest Bonnie??? XOX

Yeah, Ms Bonnie, it’s great to see you face around here!

Absolutely. We missed you Bonnie!

oh my what fun!!

Hmmm….I don’t know that shredded book pages would taste very well steeped and I’m sure that would show up in my T-quiz!

I had not heard of this. Sounds fun!

Wha – so unique and so you!

I had not heard of this either! I will try this once I have money again! :)

sounds interesting….

I love Maddam Potts! Her blends are AMAZING! I did a company profile on her last year and I’m still in love with my blend. If anyone ever wants to swap tea blend samples, PM me! :)

http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-had-rough-week-so-imagine-my-surprise.html

KeenTeaThyme – That’s so neat that she hit your nail on the head, too!

I love the name of this company!

Oh my! That sounds fun and amazing! LOL!

OK, I went for it. I’ll try to remember to come back and report!

Barb – please do! I would love to hear!

That sounds beyond lovely! :)

I did it, Jacqueline! I am so excited….how long does it take for it to come?

Sorry! Just re-read your post and saw it is three weeks!

ashmanra – the anticipation is definitely part of the fun :) Every time I would wonder what in the world my tea would be like, I’d get butterflies!

What does your tea station look like?!

Show us! Show us! Nice! Give him a big smooch.

YAY!

Haha I certainly will ashmanra! As for pictures, it’s the last one in the photo album below:

https://picasaweb.google.com/117543481218540418474/MyTeaStation?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I love it so hard.

Oh, it’s so well organized and nice! I love the setup and I’m getting pretty jealous of the Breville. The wheels make it even more epic.

Jealous of your station! It looks awesome :D

That’s so organized! You must be thrilled.

You had posted this a little while back…i totally went to ikea and picked up 3 solid doors to hide my stash behind since my tea is also in an expedit bookcase. :) However mine lives in a 2×3 lol someday i’ll condense it down to 2X2

Thanks guys! @ Sil, I love the Expedit so much. I haven’t seen a 3×2 though – the one in Atlanta only has 2×2 or 4×2 options. You’ll have to show pictures! :)

Nice! It was great before, but the wheels add a lot of style in addition to making it easier to move. I think it looks really great with the added elevation!

haha oopsy i meant 2×4 apparently i’m having issues counting today :)

I really would prefer what you’ve done, but right now we don’t have the space for a little one in the house. the 2×4 is actually a room divider for us too heh.

It’s so nice!! Sil do you have a pic of yours? Now i’d kill to see how you store your stash, lol

http://instagram.com/silaena

the first tea cupboard looking picture is how it’s all stored, i just left the 3 doors open so you can see behind them. the two next pictures is 98% of all the tea in my house on the table, had to go int two shots lol my tea takes up 5 cubes.

I’ll take a better picture eventually lol

Awesome! In the pic with everything on the table, where’d you get the tiny square tins? I think they’re orange

teaopia when it was closing down. there are 16? little ones that go into a big one and because they were closing out it was like 4$

Ohhhh nice find!

yeah i hate the colour but can’t complain over the price – perfect sizes for samples from people :)

Yeah it would be nice if places sold those! I don’t want giant tins, no room for them!

Absolutely epic tea station!

Oooh Caramel?? I need to order this after I figure out if I like matcha lol.

I’m telling you…you will haha especially if the other flavours at redleaf are even close to this

Very well written descriptions. Interesting!

Nice review!!! Welcome to the fray of matcha enthusiasts! Soon you can order another flavor for FREE – how cool is that!?!?! :)

Yah even though its a long weekend red leaf has already given me my credit…just in time for me to order cheesecake this weekend! Yay!

I pretty much suck at this whole matcha thing but I’ll keep on it until I learn. Just need one of your masters to show me the way haha

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making matcha for a while now, and your review has given me that last push. Unfortunately, I still have to wait for payday…

Missmyin – on the plus side red leaf looks to be continuing their matcha sales so you may luck out with a flavour you adore being on sale near payday :)

I’m in the same boat you were in. I really want to try a matcha, but I have so many teas as it is. I’ve never tasted a matcha before, so I’m a little nervous about making this purchase. Have you had any other matchas since this experience? If so, would you recommend this flavor or another flavor for the beginning matcha drinker? I’ve read so many reviews on how there is an acquired taste to matcha, so I want my first experience to be good.

Tealover-follow me so we can pm. I’m happy to provide you with some insight, my thoughts on the subject :)

Your review is so incredible. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to dive into the world of matcha, but I can’t get this review out of my head. I want so badly to try it, but I already have so much tea ordered that hasn’t arrived yet… >>;

awe! that’s so sweet! thank you so much :) I think redleaf stopped their referral promotion but if not, i can pass you my code for 50% off your first order

I love matcha but can’t stand caramel, so I’m not sure if this tea is worth trying for me. I have to admit, I am curious though, since it’s so highly rated.

:) :)

haha way to resurrect my note from 3 years ago. can’t believe it’s been that long!

I’ve heard pu’ be called a lot of things, but cake-like has never been one of them!

Is this the new one…oh please say yes! If so I am envious!!!

Darn! Now I want to try it, and I was going to ask for the spring oolong. Now after reading vanilla,caramel and cinnamon I want to try it.

Oh Oh Oh I just looked at my order and I DID order this…it should arrive tomorrow…I’m a CRAZY woman! I can’t remember what I’m doing one minute to the next. I ordered the Laoshan Black that’s supposed to taste like Chocolate also!

Yes, it is one of the new ones.

This sounds amazing!

It sounds really awesome. I’ve been playing with the idea of getting some; now I’ve read this entry, I may have to.

Haha, I’m the same as smartkitty; it’s been sitting in my cart for days as I contemplate what to buy, but I think you just pushed me over the edge :)

I got this one with my order and I was just wondering what your brewing parameters where? I only got half an ounce and I want to make the best out of it and your review was one of the things that made me order this one!

were* oops :P

I eyeball the amount of tea that I use, I would estimate that i put about 2 1/2 nuggets of the tea in my gaiwan. I rinsed for 15 seconds. The first infusion was 45 seconds, the second 1 minute. I combine the first and second infusions in one cup, and add 15 seconds to each subsequent infusion, combining two infusions in each cup.

Hahaha, Ian – I mentioned to David that LiberTEAS review swayed me towards picking up an ounce (or half ounce?) of this! And I was only a couple days away from asking about her infusion methods too :D The power of a positive review!

Oh… I forgot to include the temperature. For this, I used 190°F for the rinse and the subsequent infusions.

Great minds think alike Krystaleyn:D

Is this a record for “likes”?

Interesting method!

Yes, I find I’m not achieving the results I,m seeking with short steeps if I use less. I know this tea is good no matter what, but this method elevates it to the tenth power for me!

I still haven’t tried that with this tea…yet!

I have no doubt time will come, Terri!

Reading anything good?

Well Teabrat, I just finished Rebecca from Daphne Du Maurier and I’m now contemplating either Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth’s sequel World Without End or Camilla Läckberg ‘s Ice Princess. Hard to choose sometimes isn’t it?

Interesting! I will have to try that. I usually fill the gaiwan about half way full.

Stacy, I know, that’s what I do too with regular teas (meaning other than pu’erh and oolongs, those I weigh instead) but I wanted a bolder flavour and that’s what works best for me, very short steeps, lots of leaves. (Which I’ll be running out of real soon!!)
I would’t recommend it to someone not like a strong brew, but I know you do!

Are doing a 10 second steep on that? I’d like to try it how you recommend. :)

OMG i would never dream of recommending ANYTHING to you on this tea, madam!!!

But 10seconds is probably what I do, I never really count, I “estimate” to give people and idea. So yes, I would estimate 10sec for the first 3 steeps and increase by 10 also for the subsequents. And as I often do, I read while brewing, so I forget it and it becomes almost syrupy…But call me crazy, I still like it!!!

I haven’t tried this with your Wild mountain yet, but i will.

Well, I would love to try your method. I will give it a try tonight. For this tea and the TWMB, I normally just do a 1/2 gaiwan filled steep for 30ish seconds. I like the first steep to come out a bit strong. It will be interesting to try it this way. :)

Whoa, the 10 second steep with a full gaiwan is delicious! Excellent recommendation. Very malty but still sweet.

Phew! thanks for letting me know, lol, i was a little nervous that you might think I’m just a fool!!! So happy you liked it this way. Is it possible to ever mess up this tea i ask you???

It was absolutely delicious! Very different than what I normally do but I love how different it is. It reminded me of coffee a little bit in flavor though only what I would imagine coffee would taste like since I’ve only tasted like maybe twice in my life.

Yay! You’re right Stacy, it does bring more of coffee almost mocha feel to it!

Guess I’ll have to give this a try…

I loved this review! It is making me wish I had put an order in over the weekend!

Wow, this sounds really great! I just got this in today, but I opted to try a different tea first, and now I kind of regret my decision. While Shui Xian is nice, tasting an unknown tea is so much more fun!.

Anyway, I’m glad that you enjoyed it, and I can’t wait to try it in the near future.

Thanks for helping me remember to remember. This one brings me home. <3

Nice review, as always, Bonnie. I just got a bunch of new teas in today, including this one, but it was late in the day and I have to get up early, so they all have to wait until tomorrow afternoon. Oh, the agony…

It will be fun to hear what everyone else experience is with this tea since we all filter through out own taste buds and experiences.

sounds yummy!
Bonnie, will you take me to the mountains please?

I-Bloom, sure…but those are at the other end of Canada at the border with the U.S. Just hop on a ferry in Vancouver or Victoria…the San Juan Island and Puget Sound area’s are gorgeous (the Canadian and U.S. Rocky Mountains are beautiful too). Sure…come to the mountains any time!

I went to Calgary once, visited Banff and it was stunning! can’t wait to go again one day

beautiful review

Oh, my…what a calming review! I think I need you to come read me a bedtime story :)

I need to try this!

I’m jealous! I’ve been dying to try this but when it was restocked I didn’t know about it until it was too late. It’s on my wishlist so hopefully nexttime!

Same here Cavocorax, I just placed my first WP order and it was the one tea I wanted that was out of stock. :( Yes, next time.

The needles for this tea are harvested on the first of each month, and the amount of it available is based on how much I can sustainably harvest…There should be about a pound available on the first of the month :)

Gmathis, wouldn’t that be fun ;-) it’s hard for me to relax at night and this tea did the trick yesterday, it has a very claming effect, just made me feel so good.

Cavocorax and inranger, I sure hope you get the chance to try it eventually :-)

Brenden, the first of the month is maked in RED on my calendar!!

oh I was just thinking about how I had been trying to find a good jasmine before I got side tracked with travel (and some truly awful tea experiences). I MUST try this one! I often drink green jasmine until nearly bed time. this would be better.

bizbee, the base of this tea is our River Rain green tea, which I LOVE for before bed. It’s a blend of mao jian and jasmine yin hao teas from China. :)

well Whispering Pines as soon as you get more in I’ll be “there” I have a whole relationship with bears theme in my life, raising funds for the fortress of the bear is Sitka AK and avoiding bears during my AK swims (I was recently told this year’s proposed route ends near some bears that like to swim out to fishing boats) sleeping bears are a good thing!
So is pine for remembering the bears when I am amongst the palm trees working!

:) Bears rock! It’s too bad the Legend of the Sleeping Bear is not a happy one :(

Bizbee1, that sounds amazing!!!

(Brenden, If the bear dies in the end, I don’t want to know!!)

Well, it IS just a legend… http://www.nps.gov/slbe/historyculture/stories.htm

But yes, there are dying bears involved :(

well to counteract the sadness here is a happy place for orphaned baby bears (htough it has little to do with tea unless we make a tea and use it as a fundraiser). The family that runs the fortress have dedicated their lives to these bears but they give a lot in return! http://www.fortressofthebear.org/

Arrgh!!! I knew i shouldn’t have read the legend…it takes two words to make me cry: cub and death. What a sad story…but I’m sure the dunes created in their memories are beautiful…

Bizbee1, thanks for posting this, it warms my heart to hear about such amazing people :-)

Oh they are more than just beautiful! ;) http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/best_places_USA/sleeping-bear-dunes-michigan-voted-good-morning-americas/story?id=14319616

Awww! You’ve got it all my friend…it’s gorgeous.

And Mario Batali? And cherries, my favourite fruits in the world???

This will be available for purchase in an hour and a half!!! :D That’s 2pm EST, right here: whisperingpinestea.com/the-sleeping-bear-blend.html

ok I want to get some for me and some for a care package going out to a friend so I’ll waaiitt :)

Very limited quantity…so be ready! :D

@Fairy, yes…the best cherries you could ever imagine. I can’t even eat cherries from anywhere else :)

Also, I’m having my first cup of this harvest now. It’s AMAZING. I changed my processing slightly on the pine, so now there’s much more pine flavor and a light roasty hint in the background. Also, new jasmine in it, which is WAY better than the old one. I keep saying this, but I don’t think I can make this tea any better!

Have my order in :)

Yay! :) Congrats, and thank you :)

Oh, I’m SO tempted to grab this, but I just got my WP order in a few days ago, and don’t want to pay $12 shipping for 2 oz of tea. :P Guess I’ll have to wait until it’s restocked later on. Is it always the 1st of the month that you bring it in? I can plan a future order based on that!

Cavocorax, I’ll message you :)

And yes, to answer your question, I harvest on the first of each month. Usually there’s about 10 ounces available, but I’m trying to make that a pound in the future.

I could do a special harvest for anyone that wants 4 ounces or more though :)

http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_15&products_id=899

I’m drinking a Xiguan as I’m reading this and loving it. Why do I always smell the gum that came with baseball cards with most Sheng? Weird

I have one similar to this,Very Nice :)

Did you try it with yak butter? :)

Goat milk butter ;)

I am impressed you sought out what you were doing wrong rather than just saying this is nasty and moving on.

Amy oh & Tommy the Toad – You guys need to share the info behind this yak vs goat milk! What am I missing here? lol

KS – that’s the only way. Some teas demand more attempts and time to master developing the best taste from its leaves.

Charles Thomas Draper – that’s a great observation! I think you may be right and I have know idea. Now you got me anxious to taste some more and search for this taste. :)

I have no idea why I typed “know” instead of “no”. lol

lol, I make Butter tea with this type of tea sometimes, I was just replying to Amy Oh that I use Goat Milk Butter cuz We don’t have any Yaks on our “farm” lol I think I got a post about Butter Tea here on Steepster somewhere. :)

like ks said great job on further exploration till you found the comfort zone. tommy gave me a butter tea recipie that i can’t wait to try!

In Tibet, they add salt and yak butter to their puerh! I understand the salt helps replace minerals lost sweating as they climb about the Himalayas, and the butter provides much needed calories and fat to keep warm in the brutal environment.

Yep, In Tibet they have to do it that way, thats exactly what I read about on the internet, thats how I ended up stumbling upon Butter Tea recipe lol I’m sure ours tastes way different from real Tibetan tea but I try :) I guess I could have explained what it was was, Thanks Ashmanra! Sorry Pureleaf didn’t mean to jack your thread ;)

I have a butter recipe and tried it before and like it very much. Nice on a wintry day with snow outside. Comforting like a broth. I was talking to a friend in California, an older woman almost 70 who went to Mongolia this year and drank a bowl of yak butter tea. She was offered another bowl but said the bowls were so big, she couldn’t drink two. I think she had guts! She spends all her time helping the poor, visiting the sick, doing without frills in her own life for the good of others.

This sounds fascinating… Inspires me to try butter tea myself!

Hooray! Isn’t it wonderful when something works out as well you hope? :)

YAY!!! that’s fantastic!

Awesome! I’m so happy for you! I’ve been contemplating buying one of these myself, and you may have just swayed me! You mention you can’t submerge it in water to clean it between steeps. Is it hard to clean?

JEALOUS!

I use my Breville one-touch to make rooibos, and I don’t have a problem at all. It’s a little more work to clean the basket after brewing because the rooibos try to get lodged through the holes, but, it’s not that much more work… it’s relatively easy. However, I have made a point to keep a strainer by my tea maker and run each cup through a strainer as I pour it. It’s a small step, and now that it’s habit I hardly realize I do it. It picks up any small, tiny floaters that might have made their way past the filter on the lid of the tea maker, and I really don’t catch much of anything … but very small, miniscule bits. But, I like the miniscule bits to be in my strainer vs. in my cup.

I’ve been wanting this one for ages. So jealous. My problem isn’t so much the price (I could definitely save up for that) as it is the space :/

I’ve been using a Breville One Touch Tea Maker for over a year. I love it! It truly does make a perfect cup of tea every time!

I am sooo happy! It is my best spent money, space and effort ever! :)

I have the variable-temperature kettle Breville made before this one came out. I’ve been happy with it for a long time, but recently I’ve been thinking that I’d like to heat only as much water as I need, and for that I don’t need this massive kettle. The most I’ve ever made at once is probably about three cups. There are other shortcomings: there is a “minimum” mark on the kettle of 500mL, which is quite a lot of water to heat (and waste) if all you need is about 175mL; and while it’s a variable-temperature kettle, unlike the one-touch, it’s limited to the built-in presets and doesn’t allow for any customisation. Both models have a “keep warm” function, which is great; the one-touch’s is much longer at 1 hour than my kettle’s at 20 minutes.

There are two things that concern me: I am wondering if the one-touch also has a minimum, or if it is happy simply heating 1 tsp of tea and 6ish oz of water at a time. Also, the video I watched says that during the “keep warm” cycle, the tea continues to brew. If that’s true, that kind of sucks. Nobody wants the basket of loose tea sitting in the water for an hour! I wonder if it’s possible to manually raise the basket so that the brewed tea can be kept warm without continuing to brew.

I have to read more about it, but I think I’ve just talked myself into this upgrade. =)

Hi Nik! Yes, this one still has a minimum at 500 ml, but I find that is is enough to make a big cup of tea, and have a tiny bit more to top it off.

As for the keep warm feature, it automatically takes the basket out for you! So you don’t terrible oversteep. I love it!

Ah ha, that’s good to know. They should correct their video, then, as it’s spreading incorrect information. Thank you! :D

Wowza! Only by reading your experience {which I relate every time I travel to the U.S. & smuggle back my goodies} I want it now! I’m currently using a Zojirushi water boiler with 3 different temperatures {so handy for white-green-black teas} & so far so good, but I was thinking of giving myself a nice upgrade since I would looove to keep my tea warm & leave the over brewing back in the past.

I am so happy to read good things about the Breville, it will be here in a day or so. Was not so sure I wanted to spend that much on (the practical me) boiling water, then I learned about tea, and suddenly it seemed like a very good idea!

oh, this sounds good!

Yum!

I want my order naaaaoooo! Stupid Canada being so far away.

I want to try this right now.

Bonnie, so glad you are enjoying this one! I am super impressed that you won a pie contest with your pecan pie! I bet it tasted amazing.

By the way, my first Maple Pecan Oolong customer was my mom. I told her about the tea after I had made a large batch and she asked me to bring a $20 bag worth of it over her house and a sample of it to try. I made her some tea to try and she loved it and I asked if she wanted the bag of tea and she said “oh yeah”. She then proceeded to try to pay me. For like 5 minutes she wrestled with me trying to pay me and stick money in my pockets. I wore her down and told her no and she agreed but when I got home I found $20 stuffed into my purse. Hahaha.

I remember you mentioning winning a pie contest but the pecan pie is winning is new to me. Did you win more than one contest? Yes, my mom and I are a lot alike. Its funny because as a child I remember watching my parents and their parents arguing over who gets to pay the bill and I always thought that was funny but now I do that with my parents all the time.

I started entering contests for a few years and won for the town of Paradise Johnny Appleseed Festival for Apple Pie, Then in San Jose Black History Month for Pecan Pie, then Cinco de Mayo for smoky salsa….hey, I have a multi ethnic family!

Bonnie-That’s awesome. Mmmm, smoky salsa.

You roast mild Anaheim peppers until they’re charred, put them in a blender for a rough chop. Make a chunky salsa (tomato, cilantro, onion and a little garlic, salt and pepper) and add some of the roasted pepper to taste. You can add some lime too, baby shrimp and chopped avacado. If you want hot salsa add jalapeno.

Great job on the contests Bonnie!
This tea will definitely be on my next order!

Oh I bet everyone here has their recipe specialties. We could all write a cookbook together I bet. What a great bunch of people.

Ooh, I may have to get some of this for my grandmother. Maple Pecan is one of her favorite flavor combinations! :)

Your welcome. That was a few years ago. The only rule really is to use the best ingredients, no skimping! Real butter in the crust, real everything! It matters!

Is this a good first oolong? I’ve honestly never had an oolong in my life and all the flavors (maple and pecan) really appeal to me, as I’m crazy about anything maple, and I do love me some pecans.

It is seasonal, and I saw it in stores again.

Hahah. - Good job!
Also, I like the idea of me lurking out there, ready to tease at a moment’s notice.

So for now, you actually have more teas than me!

Thanks lariel…wonder if we have it up here….

Terri…what’s your number? I can beat it tonight..just give me a day haha

LOL! I’m starting the day at 269, can you believe THAT? LOL!
I haven’t been that low since…uh…June! :D

Great job Terri!
How much of that was transferred from you to Sil? :P

I’ll never tell…shhhhh…

cavo… at least 20 samples from nofars….

Yeah, but I did drink half of each sample before I sent it, so those sipdowns were legit! :)

Yeah…my cupboard disagrees lol

ok….269 you say…. ponders

are you there yet?
Maybe we should have a sipdown duel tomorrow? LOL

We’d have to start with the exact same number of teas to do it…

i’m at 266? i think… need to double check haha

I didn’t have any sipdowns today, since I spent the day drinking multiple steeping-type teas. However, I packed a few boxes for friends, & one of them included the last of a couple of my teas, so I may be at 266 too. I’ll check too. ;)

I just added mine up, & I’m at 269.

oops, guess what? Since I don’t have the teas from our TeaVivre order yet, I took them off my list, & now I have 266 also!! WooHoo! So we are both starting the day at 266!
Sipdown Duel! It’s on!

haha i’m actually at 270 after my first sipdown today lol.

I thought you were at 266?
dammit woman, I’m trying to be twinsies with you! LOL

OK….I’m doing one sipdown now. That will put me at 265.
If you get it down to 265 today then we can have a sipdown Duel tomorrow, or the day of your choosing :)

haha ok. I’ll see what i can do tonight. I know i have LOTS of little samples i can probably drink tonight to get to 265. heh

Oops….make that 264, LOL, I just polished off another tea…accidentally of course…

Hahaha. You guys are great. <3

suuuure….“acceidentally” mm hmmm