Popular Tasting Notes
As you may know, I am on the quest for the perfect grapefruit tea. There are a lot that I love, but many of them have other flavors added that while they do go well with grapefruit (like Zen’s Orange Grapefruit) prevents them from being the one. You know, the one tea I’ll give my heart to and we’ll run away and live happily ever after in a castle by the sea in France. Uhh I really like grapefruit. And I also love Butiki, so I have been eagerly awaiting this tea for months, as soon as Stacy announced she was working on it! Of course tragedy struck and I shipped my order to the wrong place so I was supposed to get it LAST Tuesday but had to wait until yesterday when I could take a trip up to my parent’s house. Stupid paypal, why do you default to my billing address! Depriving me of tea!
In any case, I was ridiculously excited to open this one up and made everyone around me smell it including… one of my cats. My little girl (well, she’s my mom’s cat, but we handraised a group of kittens from 10 days old so I consider the three of them “mine” haha) LOVES tea leaves and was very fond of this blend. She’s always trying to eat them but I think the citrus prevented her this time, though she did take a big whiff. The smell is delicious, like fresh grapefruit. It’s not as strong as I assumed it would be, very subtle and nice.
I cold brewed this one because, come on, I can’t drink grapefruit warm! It’s like… a travesty against all that is natural. Grapefruit must be ice-cold with just a teeny teeny splash of sugar. I can’t drink sweetened grapefruit juice to be honest, it has to be the regular stuff (which no one else in my family will drink haha), BUT I did put a pinch of sugar in as this was brewing, just to bring out all the flavors.
Oooh man, this is grapefruity heaven. Sweet, tart, citrusy. And nothing else is competing with it, so it’s all grapefruit all the way! Well, of course there’s a lovely dragonwell base which adds some interesting nuttiness and grassy freshness. It’s perfect, sweet grapefruit. Ruby grapefruit! The tartness is right on point, not overpowering but also still there. In my book, grapefruit teas need a little bite. They’re just not right without it! And this is perfection. Oh grapefruit tea, I’ve found you! Never leave me! Thanks so much to Stacy for coming up with this amazing concoction. If you like grapefruit you NEED to try it. But no I won’t put samples of this in a swap, it’s mine, all mine, bwahaha! One of those treasures you guard carefully and savor every last leaf.
Aaaaah Saturday morning yums!!!
Method: 1.5 tsp, 8 oz, 200 degrees, 3 minutes, French Press
Dry Leaf Aroma & Brewing Aromas: Chocolate cake. Om nom nom
Flavor: yum! This has lovely cakey and cocoa notes. I wish it was a little sweeter, but that’s easily remedied. I am going to try a second steep and see how that goes!!!
Preparation
MMMM that’s a good morning nom
I wasn’t feeling as poetic this AM, so I kept it short, but yeah. This is great. I love that I have more to look forward to with these vanilla teas because they do improve with age. I can’t wait to get that vanilla pot seasoned!!!
Oh, great choice!! my session of this was so good yesterday…the rest is cold-steeping.
My vanilla pot will be finished in about 3 hours (I’m going longer than Brenden’s 3 that he goes) and it’s sitting on the warmer. I can’t wait!
The second steeping is niiiiice. I put in a little maple syrup because, why not?
I just went Terri-style with my GO as well. This is so freaking good
Mmmmmmm Terri-style.
I’m so glad that maple in tea is getting such good recognition :)
You don;t very much at all and it just elevates it.
Oh HoneyBelle! I missed the note where you’re seasoning your vanilla teapot. I think you may have said before, but which one did you pick for vanilla? Sometimes I’m super senile…
I’m using my “bigget” one (220) – it’s my expensive one that I got a while back and haven’t seasoned yet. But since I will be drinking the vanillas out of it, I decided to use the biggest one
If you have a pic,I’d love to see it. Hooray for vanilla teapots!!!!!
I think there might be on already up on my flikr. Lemme go look
It’s the one on the left:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/125488674@N02/14634789342/
I think my bamboo pot from Mandala may have to be my Special Dark baby
The one in the middle is going to be shou other than SD and the one on left looks a little different now as it had a long warm bath in Wild Monk and is now my sheng pot. It’s already darker.
O.M.Geeee. Those are so adorable!
I think you picked out some lovelies. I especially like the Mandala pot with the cute bamboo pattern. I can’t wait to start seasoning mine when they arrive!!!!
Oh, and we have matching laptops :)
I have a love/hate relationship with this laptop. I’m boiling my bamboo one right now and it will have a Special Dark bath later after we get back from the vet
Oh crap I mean the one on the RIGHT is now my sheng pot and looks different. I have a very adorable purple one coming that will be for oolongs
Reeeally? I adore mine. It’s the second of its kind. The last one went 5 years before the video card died.
I’m so jealous of your seasonings LOL. But soon I will have my own seasoning adventures. The vanilla houhin is scheduled to arrive Monday…
Vet? I hope everything is ok! I have to get my “kids” in for their annual checkup and shots soon.
“Oh crap I mean the one on the RIGHT”
I knew what ya meant. :)
Eeee!!!! I got one for oolongs toooooo! Uh oh. I’ve gone to multiple vowels…. must be excited. Time to make some tea…
I’m making egg and kimchi braekfast tacos and deciding on the tea to take along with me to the vet. Wee Snailys I think
One of my dogs is having (sorry) anal gland issues.
Taco Queen!
I have been hoarding the last of my wee snailys, but Brenden just said that he received a huge order, so I can happily drink them again!
It’s ok. My little princess has AGIs too. Gross, but it hasn’t been a serious problem for her. Hopefully it’ll be no biggie for you, too.
I’m hoping that as well, but we’re on the second round of antibiotics which I hate to give her and she doesn’t LOVE yogurt which I want her to have when she does the antibi-s.
Trying to get motivated enough to leave the house in search of kimchi – yes this would be MzPriss’s fault. Where do I buy Kimchi? Should I go to China town, which is sort of right here, easy to get to – OR do I need to go half way across the city to my favorite Korean market? I can proabably buy it at the HUGE supermarket too, but will that be as good as the stuff you would find in an Asian market?? I love Kimchi, but never buy it, I just eat out whenever possible….
The Korean market is probably the best bet, but I suspect you’d do ok in Chinatown also.
OK – I’m a little frightened to go to China Town, you never know what cute teaware you might run into. Thinking the Korean Market will be safer on that front. Need motivation to get up and moving…..one more cup of tea…
Either way probably. I buy it at my local hippie co-op grocer – there is a small local company that makes various kinds here in town and they sell it at the co-op. I started putting kimchi on tacos when I was out of salsa one time. Last night I just had kimchi tacos for dinner. Oh I also got this really awesome Madras Curry sauerkraut salad – so good. I like the fermented veg thing a waaaaaay lot.
Thanks, I’m going to go and venture out into the world and see what I come up with. I live in a fairly large city I should be able to find real kimchi….
Will report back later…
FYI – Mission kimchi was successful… :))
Someone is going to have a nice dinner :-)
I also had a MzP influenced dinner. Faux chicken, beans, rice, and my world famous Asian peanut sauce on a soft taco shell. I wrapped it up like a burrito b/c I do t have taco shells, but close enough. It was deeeeelish!
Dex: we need a full report on the results of Mission Kimchi!
I think you can wrap anything in a soft taco shell and it would be good. :)) Would famous Asian Peanut Sauce? That sounds interesting… like Thai peanut sauce?
While I was out on Mission Kimchi, I also bought concentrated tamarind paste? I usually buy blocks of Tamarind to make chutney – hoping that this will be good and take out a step. (Also hoping that I can just add a little to black iced tea….)
As for the kimchi – not sure yet. Probably some sort of noodle stirfry. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, veggies, chicken – and then toss in some Kimchi on the plate… that’s the plan, but things change as I cook… never quite sure what I’m going to end up with
Yeah Dex, kinda like a Thai peanut sauce.
Tamarind paste!!! Yum yum yum
How did your stir fry turn out?
Thank you Teavivre for this tea sample!
Ya’ll know I love me some Lapsang Souchong…Amen! (left over accent from living in Texas years ago!…long story…)
When I saw everyone receiving the new samples from Teavivre and chattering about this LS I was so excited! I knew this was going to be quality tea!
Sunday, I was in Happy Lucky’s Tea House chatting with Sam (one of the tea Sommeliers) about Lapsangs. I had him smell the Teavivre dry leaf. He could tell this was good quality. We discussed something that many people (including myself) often forget when considering Lapsang Souchongs. We concentrate so much on the smoke that we forget about the tea leaves. Tea changes from year to year (we know that) and LS is no exception. Smoke should not obliterate the flavor of the tea . That being said, strong smoke can be done by a master with the correct tea. This gave me more to consider.
Last night was one of my pain nights. My bones hurt and my dreams were wierd because of it. I woke up with a migraine and nausea. I had to get up. This happens too often to stop me.
Caffeine helps stop a migraine and my anti-seizure meds help block some of the triggers in my brain like light or weather change that set migraines off.
Strong tea was what I needed and fast! I wanted a great tasting tea too, tea that would brighten my morning and make me smile! I just knew this Lapsang could do that for me!
I brewed a whole 24oz pot Western Style…2 minutes! Ummmm!
The liquor was a rich honey color with a medium mellow, smoky scent.
The flavor of this Lapsang is smooth but not too strong. A medium smoky brew that surprised me right away by reveiling a coolness probably derived from gentle contact with pine smoke. I had not experienced that in a Lapsang Souchong before. There was also a dry mouth-feel and burn on the tip of my tongue. I added some sugar after sipping several small cups straight. The sweetened version was the best.
Then, I remembered some Natural Maple Syrup. I couldn’t help myself…no self control whatever! I poured a small cup and put a teaspoon of syrup in the tea. It was good! (I am imagining several people at Teavivre freaking out at the crazy lady in Colorado who has ruined the LS by putting Maple syrup in it!.. I hope they’re laughing and having a good time with it!…Love you Teavivre!). The maple dripping off my finger…lick, and the smoke of the tea, slurp…I AM CURED!
My own favorite LS from my local tea shop is smokier than this one and has more pine and burn. It is better for cooking because of the extra smoky strength. I made a batch to test side by side at the end of my Teavivre cups and discovered that my local was more layered.
The difference: Teavivre is a refined, lighter and approachable Lapsang Souchong.
My Happy Lucky’s China Lapsang Souchong is stronger with a burnt, smoky sweet pine taste.
You never want to lose the tea in the smoke and Teavivre has achieved that sweet delicious point that you want to come back to.
I continued to drink this tea and nibbled on Whiskey Cheese! I got it at Whole Foods but my local cheese store carries a Whiskey Cheese and you may find others also. IT IS AWESOME with Lapsang Souchong! Sweet and tangy…perfect to pair with the smoke! Any other sweet cheese would go well with a Lapsang too!
Now I want to go camping. Anyone have a tent?
http://youtu.be/57tK6aQS_H0 The Platters, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes ; ) I Feel Better!
ugh, I had a migraine headache yesterday too, with those zig zags of light and everything, Felt awful!
Glad you feel beter. :)) Bonnie, the Lapsang you sent me was smokey, but it was well balanced. The LS I tried so many yrs agowas from Stash. I rememeber it being more intense in a pine smoke sort of way. Keep in mind that I’ve learnedso much more about preparation too. It was more intense, and it seemed sweeter. It was one of two or three teas I’ve thrown away, and couldn’t finish it. Happy Lucky’s is better, by far. I would gladly pay you to send me some in the future. Lion and the Lamp too! =))
Uh! I’m sorry Amy! I have Atypical Migraines which are less in the head and more like flu /nausea and bone pain is fibromyalgia. The weather in S.F. Bay Area used to bother my fibro a lot! Hope you continue to feel better! One thing, no flourescent lights! Big trigger for migraines!
That’s one of my favorite songs. I just heard that the last original surviving singer died. :-((
Sure Scott they’re very inexpensive! The LS $2.95 oz Jason drove up and bought some too Sunday. The shop set up a flight of Oolong tasting and a pot of puerh. We drank about 7 tea’s! So fun! We need a Steepster Meet-up!
I saw them!
Ssssooo cool…….I mean the tea and the concert. :=))
So now you have to tell me the & teas you sampled! Didi you buy anything besides the LS??
I didn’t write them down but Jason did. We did share a Dragonwell from David Duckler that was a birthday gift sample not online. I bought a refill of a pu’erh
China Gong Ting WANG -Oz. Oh the pot of pu’erh on a tea tray with clay pot etc. Refills
$3.95! My shop is awesome!!! Sam stayed and explained and poured everything!
The refills are not 3.95….the whole pot is!
Did you take pics?? You sould join TeaTra.de!
No but Jason did. Don’t know what he took pictures of besides walking around town! Slosh!
Why join?
So you can post tea pics n stuff with reviews. It’s not as busy as Steepster, but it does offer^^^^^^^ advantages.
I told Sam about Lion and the Lamp (Lamb) LS and I think it got lost in translation! (Sam’s Cambodian) . I told him to have his wife explain! She’s a Southern Belle!
I suspect we have similar taste when it comes to LS. Distinctly smoky, but with a good sweet-y fruit-y note underneath so that it feels like the flavour has substance. :)
Hehehehehe…….
TeaTra.de = jason. Thank you Scott for feeding the insanity.
It didn’t take much food!
; ) Yeah I asked for that one
Uh huh! ;)
OK…….I’ll look you up there Jason. I like to post her, but there’s no option for personal pics ’n stuff like Teatra.de…….
Nice on the whiskey cheese I also recommend porter cheese!
Pu-erh Abuse Warning! The following maybe sensitive for some readers…
First and foremost I want to thank Garret for this lovely-crazy-huge pu-erh phatty cake! (I just like saying that…I think I will say it again!
First and foremost I want to thank Garret for this lovely-crazy-huge pu-erh phatty cake! (There…I said it again!)
I apologize in advance to the pu-erh purists out there for what I am about to say.
I have had a really hard week and today was the ‘cream of the crop’ really. I needed to release some tension. While pondering just how I was going to go about tasting this pu-erh while at work with only my cup and standard hot tea water that I use for nearly all of my daytime tea…I wondered how I was going to proceed.
A few months ago I received a very hard/sturdy mutant-like plastic tool from japan that I cannot find on any website nor do I really know WHAT it is or how I am supposed to use it. Weeeeeeeell, I ‘dug’ the heck out of this phatty cake from center to sides…just enough to get a good amount for tasting. It seemed to work quite well.
Like I said…I know many pu-erh purists are probably cringing right now…but…desperate times call for desperate measures!
I did a rinse – thankfully – because it was TAR brown/black! The aroma was a gentle pu-erh type smell. Not overly loud at all, actually.
For my first infusion…I did a super short one because of the darkness of it. About 15 secs. This worked REALLY REALLY WELL!!!!! So well that I’m rather tickled with myself!
It’s still very dark in color. The aroma is about the same intensity level. The taste is delightful! It’s malty and rich and and velvety. It’s sweet and fairly fruity! This is right up my alley! WOW!
Dare I say I LOVE THIS Pu-erh? I just might…I’m almost there…ALMOST. Regardless this is really great!!! I’m going to do an infusion test. Stay tuned for more infusions and more notes about this one, folks!
Ahhhhhh! YES! First Infusion Score…HIGH upper 90s…between 97 and 100…at this time.
this stuff is the bomb!
I agree, Amh Oh!!!!
This review had me laughing sometimes you just have to use what you got in a pinch. This stuff sounds amazing.
I was looking at this earlier on their website and thinking that it looked good too. Wish I could afford it but I’ll put it on my shopping list!!!
@Tea Is Wisdom – LOL – If you can’t laugh at yourself who can ya laugh at, eh? At least…I was hoping for that…and it did make me chuckle as I was typing it :) teehee…thanks for commenting :)
Yay!! I am so very happy that you enjoy this!! I was so excited when I had the opportunity to buy all of the raw material from a small tea factory in China. I knew when i first tasted it that I wanted to do a private label pressing of it and so pumped to see it so well received.
We now have 9 private label pressings to date and plan on doing a few more yet this year. So if you ever need to borrow money, don’t look to me. My money is all wrapped up (literally) in tea. But you know what? Even if it all came crashing down tomorrow, I’d have tea to drink and share with friends for several lifetimes!
Sounds amazing and sounds like when I broke my first brick…I watched videos read and said well here we go :)
Backlog: well… sort of. I’m on my second cup of this. The first cup was just so good that I couldn’t even spare time to type out a tasting note, I needed to focus on my cup of tea.
That is to say: Oh WoW! This is seriously GOOD!
Definitely one of the smoothest black blends I’ve come across. It’s so smooth that it doesn’t need milk or sugar to make it smooth … it just is. It doesn’t have a real “kick in the cup” type of quality that I generally look for when I consider a tea as a breakfast blend or morning blend versus a later in the day type of tea … but don’t let that fool you. It’s still invigorating and morning cuppa worthy – absolutely! It just takes a subtler approach toward the end goal – wakefulness!
It is bold yet smooth. Creamy with notes of malt and caramel, hints of chocolate in the background. Fruit notes – but the sweet fruit notes – of sweet date, grape, and even a hint of sweet apple. Now, imagine those fruits drizzled with honey. You get the idea.
By mid-cup, I notice some spices start to emerge. Slightly peppery, but very slightly, just enough to get the palate to notice something different in the background but not enough to disturb the smoothness of the cup. Maybe a hint of cinnamon.
Truly a remarkable blend. I would go so far as to say, if you had room for only one breakfast tea in your cupboard, this should be the one. I don’t think I could ever limit myself to just one, but, if I had to, this would probably be the one I chose. It’s so good… very good!!!
I was on their website the other day when they did the grand unveiling post, but was too timid to order a tin. With such a pretty website I am so glad to hear the tea lives up to the image! I am not much of a trailblazer but I am glad someone is. Thanks for the post!
Their Tins are really nice too. I really recommend this tea, and it makes me eager to try the others they have available, too.
Hmmm… I’m curious now
Good lord this sounds yummy!!!!
@Azzrian: It is! And I’ve got some already packaged up for you! :)
What a great tasting note, thanks! I know Terri is always on the lookout for yummy breakfast blends; I’m going to send her a link to this to make sure she doesn’t miss it.
Thanks, Nik, for calling my attention to this post! Although I try to read everyone’s reviews, sometimes I miss a few, due to my crazy busy life. This was one of the ones I missed.
This sounds awesome, & right up my alley as a lover of rich black malty tasty teas! I haven’t tried Hugo Teas yet, but it think I feel an order coming on… Nice Review, LiberTEAS. Thanks!
Thank you all for your kind support. The Morning’s Journey Blend was truly years in the making. About the others—we keep a limited line (never more than five), in order to keep pricing reasonable and to ensure that our teas are first-and-foremost drinkable (meaning less bitterness, natural sweetness, and smoothness).
Also, the tins aren’t just pretty—they are completely recyclable.
Hmmm, you are making me think about breaking my tea buying ban…
@Ashmanra, you are welcome to think as long as you’d like. The Morning’s Journey isn’t going anywhere…nor is Steamed Cloud…nor is Pan-Fired Pagoda…nor is Hill Station.
Did we mention that we have some of the lowest prices on Finum Strainers and Filters?
Cheers. :-)
2012 Hugo teas currently available:
http://steepster.com/discuss/5034-hugo-tea-30-percent-off?post_id=100402#forum_post_100402
I’ve been drinking this tea at work for a couple of days now. The last time I wrote about it, I thought it was finicky and “white wine up you nose” odd.
It seems to have been behaving since then, and we are friends once again. While this is not my favorite Jin Jun Mei – it has been really pleasant the last couple of days.
It knew it better behave!! i approve that you bring such good teas at your workplace :-)
(Now can I get my maocha?)
You cannot bribe me with compliments…..
If you want maocha – then that counts as EITHER your SALE tea for July OR your Aug purchase (it also pushes back sheng pot purchase). ;))
Hmmm….we do sound like a married couple, haha! Then be it, that august purchase can be pushed to September…this way I can have WP AND BUTIKI…in JULY!!!
Wow, Dex… you’re tough. Are you for hire as a Teahab Purchasing Restriction Agent? You’d know this in hockey terms as “The Enforcer” :p
I’m only half kidding. I need help.
Yes you can have WP and BUTIKI in July, but then NOTHING – NADA – ZERO tea orders in August – then back to ONE order per month starting in Sept….
Sars – I’m not sure I’m very good at this – I usually get told about the rule breaking AFTER the fact…. LOL – I usually pretty good at talking out of orders IF informed BEFORE it’s placed. LOL You are almost close enough that if you broke the rules I could come down and “Enforce” in person. ;))
Dexter does a GREAT job with me…many times she has helped me “sleeping on it” instead of clicking the evil “order now” button!!
Haha! Sars, needs you too….do you even know Dex what I can only imagine she just spent on a pu’erh starter kit???
TTF! You snitch!!!!
Snitches get stitches!
Haha! Try to find me in my woods, its full of traps!!
Dex: For realz. You need to start a business. Teahab Enforcers, Inc. You can hire agents in different parts of the country so you can physically restrain people, if needed.
And listen up, Foxy. I could find you ANYWHERE. All I have to do is follow the smell of the tea. So there. :p
Why didn’t I know about the starter kit?
I like this tea some – but I really like Yezi’s Yi Fu Chun way more. Dexter – I need an enforcer.
Haha! Then come on over my dear Sars, the kettle is on :-)
MzP: You did know! It’s not exactly a kit, per se. I just ordered all the teas you two told me to get! I just posted them all on the Today’s Mail thread. Dex… I need you…
TTF: If we lived closer, I would make you help me drink all this!!! :)
If we all lived closer we would have tea parties all the time
You guys, first, I’d I need a peeing device attached to me at all time. Just sayin. I spend way too much time in my bathroom. (Too much information???)
Aaaaw. I want a tea party! No one else I know likes tea this much.
They make those LTF – I think they are catheters.
(I want something more girly though)
(a _pink_catheter?)
Have yo’all SEEN my cupboard?!!!!?? I can’t take on anymore clients…. you mention Dex talk me out of buying this tea – hey I can do that no problem, but UMMMM I go and look at it and the next thing I know it’s arriving in the mail….
Oh, poor Dex…I do try to help you sometimes…does it count????
MzPriss – “but I really like Yezi’s Yi Fu Chun way more”
I’ve moved this into my purse for a work tea tomorrow – it will be my “inspiration tea from my dashboard” tea for tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion.
You’re welcome. I like it a lot. I bought more after I had the sample.
In a *#%$@ mood tonight. Was awesome earlier, then met up with someone I forgot sucks all the joy out of me (even as they make me laugh), and so this is why I’m eating 85% dark chocolate, drinking this tea, and winding a ball of really finicky, tangled, super beautiful and expensive yarn to knit my troubles away.
I like this tea, although I find I liked it more when it was still hot. Cooled, it’s a vaguely flavored rooibos; hot, it’s got a creamy lime tang to it. Cooled and sweetened? Slightly creamy, tangy lemon lime. Yes, I’ll finish this one quickly now.
Preparation
(HUGS)
knitting does build neural nets that help to process stress…. as does spinning.
Sorry to hear that. Hope the knitting/tea/chocolate trifecta makes it all better.
I spent all evening getting 4 rows of my scarf started, only to realize I made a mistake on that last row, and then had to frog it all. :P I’m back to my 1st row at least, and willing to try sleeping with at least that satisfaction.
Oh no! I actually started this hat last night with a different yarn, but then the intended recipient shared a different color choice, so I trekked out to a new yarn store to find something suitable. They should’ve wound it for me, and yet… sigh. I’m still working on it, three hours later. Frogged what I started, too. Hopefully I can get to row #1 like you!
Yesterday must have been a day for frogging. I had to rip back almost an entire side of the Katniss cowl because it was an inch and a half longer than my customer wanted. Argh. It’s those moments when I’m truly grateful for tea.
One of these days I’ll learn to knit or do something crafty.
I learned to knit because frankly, I had nothing else to do at the time. Once I sat and committed to it, and realized how meditative it was for me, I was hooked. Then I started going to yarn shops… drool. I want to touch everything – and I do!
I said once to a friend of mine, “I want to play saxophone.” He replied, “If you wanted to, you’d already be doing it.” He’s right. I have yet to play saxophone, but once I got it in my mind I wanted to learn to knit… I just did it. We all make time for what’s important to us. For me, knitting is me time – crucial when you’ve got kidlets, your own business, and a wonderfully crazy life. ;)
Really though, that may sound harsh, however I mean it kindly. It’s something I ask myself now each time I say I “want” anything. Do I want it so much that I’ll take action right now? No? Okay. I’m cool with that.
“Once I sat and committed to it, and realized how meditative it was for me, I was hooked.”
Haha was the pun intended?
Also, I totally get what you say, and for me, yes I want to learn, but clearly I have other priorities or I’d be doing it now.
hooking is crochet.
Darn. I got it wrong. My bad.
What’s a Katniss cowl look like?
Also, speaking of hooking – I just bought the Stitch ‘n Bitch ebook for crochet because it was called the Happy Hooker. :D I’ll teach myself crochet someday, once I’m more comfortable with knitting.
MissB- I find it super relaxing as well! Well, when it’s working.
Which is easier to learn…crochet or knitting? Clearly I know very little about either.
Cavo…. depends on the person. i’m a master class knitter. i can do it with my eyes closed and have been designing for years. ask me to crochet and i just ask you to repeat yourself over and over and over, lol.
OMG James. We totally need to do a tea and knitting meetup in Victoria. You super busy boxing week? :) Or we could do it here and include MissB and other area Steeps.
YES!!!
James – well if crochet doesn’t work out for me, I won’t be discouraged.
Also it’d be awesome if you guys met up and got crafty. I’d love to see your projects – I’m always looking for ideas.
sounds good! i think my right hand might finally be up for it!! (it’s been 8 months). i’m working on that sweater that neo wore in the matrix… the one with all the runs. =0) not in a neutral though, screaming red…. lethal looking. =0D little old ladies look at me suspiciously at first as though i’m having them on (a punk dude with a red mohawk armed with stabby needles), then we argue about technique. life is fun.
Vic or Van, you guys let me know, and I’ll be there. :)
Here’s a picture of the coel Jennifer Lawrence wore in the movie.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wNZqtl44F1E/Upt03DxU8dI/AAAAAAAAKAQ/dlbK3Uh033M/s1600/people-katniss2_zpsf54a57e7.jpg
Ravelry has several patterns for both knitted and crocheted versions. There are a bunch for sell on Etsy, too.
Ha! I can’t knit to save my life. I’ve tried several times, and even taken a couple of classes. Crochet, on the other hand, I taught myself from a book, and I picked up crochet in no time. Someday I will learn to knit! :)
Veronica – thanks! I never noticed it in the movie (unless it’s from the sequel). It looks very warm and cuddly, but it would take a lot of work too. Wow.
Thanks, Veronica! I had seen some versions on Ravelry, but hadn’t seen the original. A lot of the Ravelry ones I’ve seen are less casual and slouchy, more fitted. It’s neat how everyone interprets things for their own style. :)
all this talk of knitting and crochet is REALLY making me consider picking it back up. something i would have never expected to think about again. yet another reason to admire tea people and this site :)
I love to knit, even when I have to rip back the entire crown of a hat because I failed to read the instructions properly. ;)
That cowl is gorgeous. Just gorgeous!
I’ve never seen a cowl like that before.
interesting, that’s an amended version of an infinity scarf…. one that gives an anchor.
this is the one i’m building: http://filmschoolthrucommentaries.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/color-and-the-look-of-a-film-visual-analysis/matrix-4/
but in a really vibrant cranberry. (i’m not a neutral kind of person….. i also added way more runs, lol)
You’re welcome! It is different and much more structured than what’s been popular for the past few years, but I like how it sort of looks like armor.
OMGsrsly – I find the different interpretations utterly fascinating. This is the first trend I have followed from the beginning in a long time. From what I’ve seen the knitted ones seem to be more fitted and have the ringed neckline (which I love!). The crocheted versions seem to be looser and more casual. I’ve seen a few with a structured neck, but most seem to have a looser cowl. All the ones I’ve made have slouchy necks because they are more comfortable. :)
JustJames – Please post a picture when your sweater is finished. It sounds amazing.
I’m so glad this tea exists! I have such a horrid allergy/sinus headache. This tea is absolutely perfect for when I need something strong yet flavorful. Loving the burned chocolate, bergamot, and bread notes right now. Now if only this headache would go away. I’m trying to drown it out in caffeine and Excedrin.
In other news, we have been pretty darn busy. In case you missed it we added the following new teas:
Kenya Obsidian-wonderful Kenyan black tea
Baked Ali Shan-Lightly oxidized and lightly roasted
Fu Shou Shan-Lightly oxidized, very high elevation, very flavorful
Taiwanese Bi Luo Chun-very fresh, flavorful
Hong Yun Black-tastes like PTA & Mi Xian Black crossed paths
Lattakajoon Assam-Chocolatey Assam
Organic Sourenee Black Blossom-Like a chocolatey cross between Darjeeling & Assam
1994 Aged Bai Hao-Like a honey drizzled on top of baker’s chocolate. Another lovely leafhopper bitten tea
Blackberry Lime Guayusa-Steph’s idea for our Custom Blend Contest
1989 Suncha Blend-Mostly shou but some sheng. Very flavorful and smooth
Still to go-
Kenyan Silver Needle-Incredibly buttery, creamy, flavorful!
2009 Banchang-heavy Apricoty notes. This puerh has quite a story behind it. Rare.
Blueberry Purple-back soon!
Added back-
Birthday Cake
Crimson Horrizon
Whew! We certainly have been busy in the last 3 week!!!!!
Also, if anyone is interested we are only asking for shipping charges for these lovely wooden display cases: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1470625936506048&set=a.1383480678553908.1073741827.100006759666084&type=1&theater
I’m so sorry, Excedrin doesn’t help me w/headaches:(. I’m on Zurtec for abt 2 months. If I skip for any reason it’s a nightmare, I feel suffocated. So excited about your new teas. Feel better;)
I’m all over that Banchang as soon as you add it! Sounds way up my alley! And I will have to order more blackberry lime, too :D
And I hope your headache goes away soon :/
boychik-Thanks! :) Excedrin Migrane is the only thing that helps but only sometimes. I’ve been going to an allergist since I was 8. Have had to take some kind of allergy pill every day. I’m usually ok except when the seasons change. Then all hell breaks loose.
Steph-Thanks! :) The Banchang is delicious. There is a bit of a story behind it but I just don’t have enough room in the description. I might do a separate blog post for it. In the region of that jungle that it comes from, over 78,555 tea trees are more than 100 years old, and 9,412 are over 800 years old. It is a super interesting tea and pretty rare!
I get awful headaches when bad weather is rolling through.
Sorry to hear that Marzipan.
I wondered if that might be the same with you, but just read your post above.
Wow I would love try all of those teas! They sound great!
Thanks, Tea Sipper! :)
I’m so sorry about the allergies!!! I was super close to an allergy induced asthma attack today in the office. Gods, Spring sucks. Have you tried taking Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen at the same time? That sometimes helps me with my migraines and sinus headaches. Aside from that, I have a prescription medicine that immediately helps! I can PM you the name. Please feel better!
Side note: That Bai Hao…. ::drools::
If it’s allergies why aren’t you taking a antihistimine? like reactine or benadryl? as for teas that help I would say anything with licorice root, or dandelion root. They open up the airways and make it easier to breathe. Mint works really well on headaches if you rub the leaves on your temples the oil helps. Or just drink a mint tea. Hope your allergies leave you alone soon!
Thanks, Tea Pet! Spring is brutal. I’ll have to try that trick. For now, I’m trying to avoid prescription meds. My doctor prescribed some but the side effects are making me hold off on trying them.
Helena-I’m just taking Allegra daily. I might give licorice root a shot. Thamks for the suggestions!
It’s too bad licorice tastes like licorice. :(
I hate licorice and all licorice flavored things, but I can do licorice root as part of herbal blends! Just adds a sublte sweetness, I find.
oooh a kenyan silver needle sounds super intriguing.
Hope today is better for you! <3
Thank you Dustin for sharing this with me. I have never actually tried a sweet potato pie but it sounded like a tea that would be different from the typical fruity, caramel, vanilla teas I tend to drink. I was certainly right about that and it is different in the best way possible! It is unique but still with elements familiar enough that I can see myself drinking this often. It is buttery, it is sweet, it maybe even has a caramel-like quality but the sweet potato is also distinct and provides a nice quality to the cup. This is one I would order in a heartbeat. In fact, so is Cookie, the only other Lupicia tea I have tried. Now I want MORE! Bring on the Lupicia!!
In other news, my friend really did NOT like this tea. She felt it tasted like a mediocre plain black where as I am getting a lot of flavor. Gotta love how people can have such polarized reactions to the exact same tea :)
I need to try more from Lupicia :)
They are 2/2 so far. That definitely has me intrigued.
I am SO excited to hear that you’re getting into Lupicia. If I had to stick to one single tea company for the rest of my life, Lupicia would be it.
Dustin was kind enough to send me samples of two different teas and they have both been amazing. Also, Sil stuck a teabag of Cookie into our swap which I was very happy to have more of. Now I have a mission to try more as I really enjoyed the ones I have had so far. I guess I will add Lupicia to my list of places to order from :P. What are your favorites from them btw?
I’m glad you liked it! I just placed two orders with Lupicia recently. The first one came with a sample of their Momoko and it was so amazing I lost impulse control and placed another order the other day. I have never had a peach tea that I really enjoyed before and this one was super flavorful and juicy. They were also out of Cookie when I placed my first order, so I had to add that one… and two or three more. So bad.
My order shipped today, but once it gets in I can send you some samples of those and some of the others I have if you like. Then you will know what you like and should order and I’ll feel less guilty for buying more tea when I already have enough to fill a couch with. Man, that would be one great smelling couch!
Aw, Dustin, I’m so excited to read that! Momoko is a huge favourite of mine.
My faves are Cookie, obviously (the only tea I’ve given a solid 100 rating) and their BEAUTIFUL flavoured oolongs. Ripe mango, Momo (like Momoko in oolong form), Melon, etc.
I also really, really love their flavoured greens – Tsugaru Green is the best apple tea I’ve had, and Bravissimo! is one of my all-around favourite teas.
Oh, and their toasted teas, like that apricot houjicha.
They’re just really good, haha.
Oooooo, I haven’t had all those Anna! I haven’t had many oolongs so it isn’t a base I gravitate towards. I like that they have different base options for their flavors, but I wonder how much they differ from each other.
Have you had Nina’s Marie Antoinette? That was the most impressive apple tea I have had. I’d love to know how it compares with Tsugaru.
I have had two or three flavored houjichas before and liked them. I’ll have to try Lupicia’s sometime. I can see another order in the making already. :/
Dustin, I might actually take you up on that because I want to try ALL their teas. You are welcome to look through my cupboard and we can arrange another swap :)
And Anna, I am not a lover of oolong but Sil made their Melon Oolong sound AMAZING!
No, Nina’s drive me sort of nuts (rant starts here) because they’ve ignored my questions SIX times – I have seriously e-mailed them six times without receiving a response, which makes me wildly cranky (rant over).
And I hear you – the only thing keeping me from not ordering more tea is the sheer bulk of my cupboard. I need to swap more…
Also, I just saw the message about Marie Antoinette too and it might be my favorite apple as well.
Anna, I have only had amazing experiences with Nina’s so I don’t understand why they are being super annoying to you.
I know, everyone is head over heels with Nina’s, so I have no idea how we manage to have zero karma.
And it’s true, the melon oolong is quite something (don’t miss keychange’s review) but if you can’t deal with oolong at all, there’s a white melon tea that works as an excellent substitute.
White melon…I will have to look into that. Thank you. Also, Anna, if you ever want to swap, I am always happy to share my teas (though I am a bit far from Rome :P).
It’s very flavourful for a white tea.
And sure, I’m always up for a swap – I do more trans-Atlantic ones than European, it seems, haha.
Probably because there are A LOT of Canadians on here. Canadians and Americans seem to account for the bulk of members. Or perhaps I only tend to interact with the people from US and Canada since when I started, I only posted on the US/Can. swap board…
Well, this is highly unscientific, but if you go by internet penetration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_Internet_users) tea culture vitality, and Steepster’s location, language and average target group, it’s not overly surprising.
Haha I suppose not :P
Now I’m looking at their Japanese website to see what exclusive teas they have there! I need to stop this madness. They have Hello Kitty tea. And it looks like they had Halloween tea last year?!?!! Talk about two things I love!
Anna, I don’t know why the words wildly and cranky make me laugh when put together, but they do. Have you tried emailing them from a different address? I wonder if your emails are caught in some sort of filter and aren’t getting to them.
VariaTEA, I just saw your post in the swap thread and responded with the teas that looked interesting to me. I’m a little curious about David’s Pistachio Cream, but I’m worried that I will love it and have to buy 250g of it since that is the only size they are selling it in now.
Haha Dustin, you are serious about trying ALL the Lupicia, aren’t you? Also, did you want just samples of the teas or the full amounts? Actually, I will just send you a message.
Yes, three addresses. And Japanese Lupicia is a WONDERLAND!!!
You have SEEN it?! I would loose my mind. My husband keeps throwing around ideas of places for us to travel asking me things like “Would you want to visit Paris?” and my response is often based on that country’s reputation for tea. I don’t know how I would control myself while tea shopping in Paris.
For reals. My partner’s visiting family in Japan right now, and when he asks what I’d like him to bring back for me, I’m tempted to change my answer from “just being reunited with you is all my heart could ever ask for,” to “TEA. ALL THE TEA. PLEASE BRING ME TEA. YOU MIGHT NEED TO BUY A NEW SUITCASE JUST TO FILL WITH TEA. I LOVE YOU PLEASE BRING TEA.”
(And I am so taking us tea shopping in Paris when I, Gosh willing, get a full-time job)
I wish I had known about Lupicia (or umm maybe that a store existed where I was travelling) when I went to Japan. :)
Sami, the answer is ALWAYS tea. Always. :D
Sami, if your partner is hitting up a Lupicia store, can we place orders with him? A tea mule in Japan would be fantastic!
I’m mostly kidding about turning your partner into a tea mule btw. Mostly. :)
I got a sample size of this with a very small order I placed with Shang. Actually I ordered one ounce of one kind of tea and several samplers of others. This tea smells like honeysuckle through and through. I grew up around many honeysuckle bushes and always enjoyed picking the flowers and sucking out the juices. Actually I believe we would pull the stamen from the flower – I don’t know the actual word but I know how we did it lol. Honeysuckle has a very sweet flavor sort of like honey, but not, when you do this.
This tea is relaxing, lovely, scented, and buttery. There is almost this milky mouthfeel to it.
Its an enchanting tea.
The color is gorgeous!
A very light vegetal flavor comes out in the after taste.
Slightly nutty.
The vegetal flavor mixed with the buttery milky flavor remind me of buttered green beans. Yes I put butter on my green beans, don’t you?
This tea is a sure shot for my shopping list!
Shang tea is actually only about an hour or so from my home and I hope to be able to drop in there soon to visit and sample more of their teas but for now I have several wonderful samples here to try and this one to resteep many times! :)
Happy dance!
Preparation
Ha! I used to do that too. My mom had one in her yard. Poor thing was stripped pretty fast.
Ah… I recall I really liked this one too! :)
A lot of people have been talking about honeysuckle lately. I’m completely unfamiliar with it!! So curious :)
I found an image for you Krystaleyn. This is the flower I remember from my mom’s yard.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/k12KFNQwzYo/TG-WVTHRt8I/AAAAAAAACRI/dAlvd18f1Ew/s1600/honeysuckle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://winerecipes.blogspot.com/2008/04/honeysuckle-wine.html&h=480&w=640&sz=42&tbnid=LHH2ZnlLd9fgM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=122&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhoneysuckle%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=honeysuckle&docid=RiPAJnXZ3RIvzM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n4KXT7m7I4WziQL2it3PDw&sqi=2&ved=0CFoQ9QEwBA&dur=75
Hmm that link goes on forever, doesn’t it?
I think she means http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k12KFNQwzYo/TG-WVTHRt8I/AAAAAAAACRI/dAlvd18f1Ew/s1600/honeysuckle.jpg
;)
Although it really does amuse me what happened up there. It’s like the link is trying to run away before you can click on it. NO! NOT AGAIN! AAAAAAHHHH.
Screenshotted for Jason ;)
LOL!!!
Clicked link – our honeysuckles were yellow those are pretty white ones!
Clicked link – our honeysuckles were yellow those are pretty white ones!
It was a pretty bush. Sadly only one bush in the yard or I could have had much more honeysuckle!
Bahahahaha @ the link issues. And thanks! So you pull out the stamens and what, suck on them? Does breaking them off cause the excretion of a tasty fluid?
Yes when you pull them out – I guess it is the stamen .. its those things poking out from the middle of the flower – there will be juicy stuff clinging to them and you lick them off! :)
I used to do that with those little white flowers that pop up on the grass!! no not dandelions. The white ones where you can pull out the tubes
This tea sounds amazing! I too remember hunting for honeysuckles in my neighborhood. The first time I didn’t know how to properly extract the honey so I had to learn from my brother a few times. I need to get my hands on this tea, it would be like a trip down memory lane!
We did the same thing but with petunias! My dad taught me how. You gently tug the flower out of its sepals and hold the flower base to your lips like you are playing a tiny trumpet, and give a little sip. There is a drop of nectar beaded at the base of the pistil. Sweet! I should try it with my jasmine! It is a wall of blooms right now!
funny….I have had many white teas that resemble the ‘honey suckle’ flavor profile, even without any additional flavors or additives..but I totally gel with your memories of sucking on honeysuckle, and then there is the difference bewteen the white and the cadmium yellow flowers..my childhood (and to this day) is full of plant foraging like that…
Shang Tea has some of the best white teas I’ve ever tried.
teawade I love a tea that brings back memories! :)
ashmanra did you also make dolls out of flowers? I don’t know if they were petunias or not – I think they were – my grandmother would do that with us.
Indigo – are you talking about clover flowers? They looked like white puff balls on top of a tube stem? You could make necklaces and bracelets out of them if you tied the stems together! :)
Clover flowers are good too!
Up until last night’s discussion, I thought clover flowers WERE honeysuckle. How about that?
Azzrian: it wasn’t until I was married that my mother-in-law showed me how to make dancing girl dolls out of Maypops, also called Passionflower!
Aweee what a sweet thing for her to show you! :)
So I guess I had a crappy childhood and not once sucked anything out of a flower!! Boo to that!
Oh my yum! Out of all of the new teas, this is my absolute favorite. It is just so unique and autumny. The squash is very present and sweet, like a roasted squash and the cinnamon is sweet and slightly spicy, while the soft vanilla adds warmth. It literally feels like autumn in a cup. It’s just one of those teas that you take a sip and then another and before you know it the tea is gone. Unfortunately, we don’t have much of this since I purchased the smallest amount of flavoring but I’m thinking I might pick up more because I have a feeling that everyone will like this one.
want. naaao!
^It’s so yums!
really hope there’s enough for me to be able to pick up all the new teas in my next order! haha. stupid canada post.
Sounds good!
Sounds wonderful, but hey, no surprise there!
Thanks guys! I’m really proud of this one. :)
Can’t find it :(
Sounds very unique and tempting!!
hippiechick-It goes online tomorrow or tonight if I don’t burn out soon.
Lilysmom-I think it’s pretty unique. So far, I haven’t come across any other squash teas. It’s really delicious!
Sounds yummy can’t wait to try it!
Excellent tea!
Please do pick up some more this tea is so delicious! :)
This is the first year I decided to pre-order any shincha (a first flush sencha tea). My curiosity got the better of me and like the true tea addict I am, I had to see what the fuss was all about. There are several places to order shincha from, but I decided to go with Den’s because I have been very happy with the quality of all their products.
First of all, the dry leaves are incredible. Vivid green and vegetal with a bit of sweetness, the aroma is very fresh and delightful.
I steeped this is a Japanese style teapot which I believe is called a Tokoname kyusu – at least it looks like this one on Rishi’s website:
http://www.rishi-tea.com/product/fukugata-tokoname-teapot/teapots.
Mine is white and petite – it holds about 10 oz. of tea.
This tea liquor is much lighter than I thought it would be. I am getting lots of sweet vegetal notes like buttery cooked peas. It’s a bit brothy and a bit fruity at the same time. I’m thinking light notes of berries, perhaps? This is really nice, absolutely no bitterness involved at all. Just a delicate cup of tea. I can see why shincha is so highly prized but ack, it is expensive! This is the only shincha I am planning to buy this year and I’m sure I will enjoy it very much.
Preparation
Sounds like it is worth the experience!
It’s a great tea! I really enjoy how it’s savory and sweet, almost at the same time. I think I’m going to order some of Den’s other shinchas that are available right now.
@Susan – I am definitely tempted by the Shincha Houryoku…
Hm, I’ll have to keep this in mind for next year. If my stash wasn’t already so large, I would definitely buy some of this.
A white Tokoname…….awesome. I have been wanting ti order Shinchas for the last several years, but haven’t -and didn’t last year because of all the problems there. S this year I MUST (& I must hurry)! Hibiki-an is my choice. I have ordered from them, and really like there quality & customer service.
Wow this is sold out already. How mucch did u get -2 oz?
Yes I got 2 oz. I’m surprised it’s sold out already but I guess this is why they take pre-orders?
If I hadn’t read your Shincha post, I probably would have forgotten-and I already have so much tea, BUT, I really want to try a Shincha this year and pick up a Sencha and/ or Gyokuro. I MUST! I miss it so……………………
I think Hibiki-an is a little more expensive, but competitive. The fact that they are in the Kyoto Prefecture may have something to do with it (teas from Kyoto are supposed to be the best). Who knows….it’s all good!
@Amy oh – if you are willing to buy a larger amount of tea (100g instead of 2oz), you can get it a lot cheaper per gram (just not from Den’s, unfortunately… unless you buy from their Parent co. in Japan). However, Maiko Tea’s Shincha Kinari is only 1500 JPY (and between 400 – 500 JPY for shipping) for 100g. It is awesome! Maybe not as good as hashiri, but you’re getting double the amount of tea for about $6 cheaper (not including shipping for Den’s or Maiko).
Also, O-cha.com has several good shinchas that are also cheaper (per gram).
However, it is still worth it!
@ScottTeaMan, actually, comparing the prices of MANY Japanese tea vendors, Hibiki-an seems like (imo) the most expensive, because they do free shipping if you buy over $40 (last time I checked). So, all of their prices include a margin to cover their shipping costs.
@Shinobi-cha – thank you, for the info. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy a large quantity since I’ve never had a shincha before and I have a lot of green tea!
No problem Amy! That makes sense… if you just want a smaller amount, Den’s is probably my favorite way to get it. :-)
True Shinobi-cha, Free S & H is over $36, and They do compensate to cover their costs. I was just saying I think they are comparable to Dens-perhaps a little more expensive. I’ve never shopped at Den’s, but I am determined to get some Shincha this year. I’ll check O-cha too. :))
Day 10 of Steepster’s disaster…
I know not many will read this. But I still have to give some love to my favourite teas.
This is one of them.
Drinking this makes all the wrongs right.
Ok…it won’t fix Steepster. But that’s about the only thing it won’t fix!
Mmmm….salty caramel. I don’t really like you for real, you’re too sweet and sticky. But in my cup of tea? Yes please!
Can’t believe how a straight tea can render such decadent notes.
Aila and I… Foreverrr!
I’m reading… :)
Oh! Hi terri, I miss ya :-)
Steepster will be back…eventually…and in the mean time, we’ll get it in little spurts.
Me too;)
Hello friends :-)
Yay dashboard updated today
Has it already been 10 days…?
This tea sounds good.
Get better soon, Steepster!
Magic! It’s Hobbit Magic
It’s totally magi!!
(Magic)
Magi could have brought the Magic I suppose. I also missed you Terri <3
Chinese New Year!!!
Granddaughter Schey and I went to Happy Luckys after Church like we normally do, and hopped up onto the bar stools that we usually occupy.
“Hey, what did you bring us today?!” Preston asked.
With great excitement, I pulled out my bag of Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black Tea which caught Joe’s eye further down behind the cash register.
“Wow, is that it?!” Joe exclaimed. (He and Preston had tasted the previous small sample from Butiki but this was MORE!)
“Yep, I brought the whole bag in so Eric, Andi, and Schey could have some of this tea too!”
I’ve never seen Preston move so fast! He had a Gaiwan, 6 tasting cups and an aroma set (for me) ready in no time.
I invited a young man at the bar (he was drinking tangerine stuffed puer that the shop now carries thanks to advice from Steepster mrmopar) to join in the tasting.
Preston warmed the Gaiwan, placed the leaves inside…waited, then passed the Gaiwan for everyone to smell the aroma. Delicious waffles…this is what we all think the tea smells like!
We each held the first golden-amber pour in our cups up high as Eric made a toast in Chinese 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) for Happy New Year!
All that I heard after that were….GROANS AND SIGHS OF DELIGHT!
I’ve seldom seen so many speechless, excited tea people. It was a pleasure bringing a grand tea to my friends.
In the past month…I’ve shared 2 tea’s that have been in the top 3 that Eric and Joe have ever tasted…Master Hans Black Tea from Verdant and Butiki’s Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black.
One final word:
What takes my breath away when I drink this tea is the finish.
Just when I’ve swallowed the tea it lifts me up and I’m floating on the most gentle ribbon of lingering flavor that undulates on and on like small ripples in the water. Eventually, my whole body feels the thrill of the tea. (Hard to explain how good it is)
This was a grand way to celebrate Chinese New Year!
Awesome review Bonnie. Question, what is an aroma set? Teach me o’ wise one as I have no Happy Luckys and no Bonnie in my neighborhood.
you’re a good friend to share Bonnie! that orange pu sounds tasty as well!
http://siam-tee.de/product_info.php?cPath=14_22&products_id=120 You ahould find the pictures here of aroma sets. You pour the tea in the tall cup and place the small shallow cup over it. Next, hold your thumb on the top of the tall cup, fingers under the small cup and upend it. Lift the tall cup letting the tea drain into the small cup. Bring the now empty cup up to your nose and smell the tea aroma, rolling the cup between the palms of both hands. Finally, drink the tea in 3 sips (slurps).
The proof that I’m not wise is that I can’t spell a simple word like should!!!
A simple pinky slip that I would never have noticed.
I now understand the concept of the aroma cup. Do you find it to make an obvious olfactory difference or is it more a part of the experience of connecting and enjoying the cup? Maybe both? I love to examine the leaf and smell it both dry and wet. I love watching the leaf dance. I can almost see myself enjoying this process except for the whole tiny cup thing.
I’m not wise, I can’t spell should!
Thanks for the review, Bonnie. I’ll have to give this one a try. I’ve also been curious about the tangerine stuffed puer for awhile, having seen it a few places now.
I am glad they are having success with the orange puerh, it is a great starting point on a tea journey.
I think you just did ;)
The aroma cup enhances the experience for sure and is useful when you really want to dive deeper into scent.
I feel like I’ve just read one great love story!! Best review ever!!!!
What a lovely, lovely review! You really made the tea and the moment come alive.
Thank you. What nice things to say! I know that I talk about my tea house all the time, but what some people don’t know is that going to church and the tea house are the ONLY places I go regularly to interact with people (other than the grocery store or gas station). I feel ‘safe’. These people understand my limitations and never make me feel uncomfortable when my brain gets stuck and I can’t remember a word (which happens often in public). I use a cane in public too. One time at church I didn’t have my cane and went to cross myself and fell over,.which was really funny! Migraines and fibromyalgia play tricks on the brain. My fondness for my tea house is in my heart and in the teacup.
Wow, that is quite a compliment to have one of our teas be in the top 3 favorite teas of another tea purveyor. I love how you describe the finish. So poetic! :)
very wonderful fellowship all around!
Backlog:
Thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a sampling of this amazing tea from Chado Tea House. I love Gyokuro… and this one is remarkably good.
I am backlogging this because on Wednesday afternoon (technically yesterday, as it is now early in the AM on Thursday) I rolled my ankle and was taken to the ER to make sure I didn’t break it. Fortunately I did not, but it is still very painful. This is the tea that I drank while sitting in front of the TV trying to forget my pain with the help of painkillers. Why is it that doctors are so afraid to give pain killers when we are in pain? Yeah yeah, addiction, blah blah blah. But, when I’m in pain, I’m really not concerned with becoming addicted to something that will help me not hurt. At this point, I’d rather not hurt and run the risk of an addiction than to keep the pain at a “tolerable” level and not become addicted.
end of rant
Anyway… this was really nice. Crisp, vegetative, and soothing … and for a moment while observing the beauty of the tea I was able to forget about the pain. Just a moment, but it was a lovely moment.
Yikes! Feel better soon! A trick for the ER I’ve learned over the years, after having to go for migraines, back pain and stomach pain is to ask for morphine. If they give you enough (!) it’ll last long enough for you to sleep.
Ouch! I don’t know about morphine but I usually get Tylenol 3 and that works wonders :D
Jeeez, glad to hear it wasn’t broken. I feel your pain. I didn’t get any pain meds when I sprained my ankle either…same reason. I wanted to smack the guy with my cane! Anyway…feel better!!
Yeah, they gave me ibuprofen 600mg … and I’m like, I need something stronger than that. They wanted to give me anti-inflammatory which is why the ibuprofen, but, I’m like, OK, then give me some vicodin too. Sheesh. I HURT!
Ouch. =( When I was young I had an Ace bandage on my ankle like every other week. It was ridiculous how frequently I twisted it. It rarely happens now, but I still remember the pain. Hope your ankle heals quickly!
Ha I didn’t even get that! Doc just told me to take aleve when I got home. More like I took my last vicodin from a procedure a month ago when I got home….which led my hubbins to calling me Dr. House for the night. :p
Aweeee I hope you are better soon!!
Bummer! A year & half ago I injured my foot by thinking I was at the bottom of the stairs & stepping off, about 3 steps early or so. crash, boom, no fun. I was on crutches for 6 weeks, & had no stability on that foot for months. I’m just now getting where the stability is reliable enough to ride my Harley again. You have my sympathy, & I hope this heals fast for you, I know it’s no fun. I strongly recommend gel ice packs for pain & swelling.
Hope you make a quick recovery. Terri is right about ice packs. Was it a sprain? Sometimes those are as bad as fractures. My college daughter had an ankle sprain and had to go to Physical Therapy for a few weeks, but made a full recovery.
Ooh, that sucks! Hope you get better soon! As for the pain killer thing, I’ve never seen doctors who were hesitant to give out pain killers before…I guess it’s the area I live in. I can’t imagine telling D.C. people that they can’t have pain killers!
Sorry to hear about your ankle, but glad you got a good gyokuro brewed.
@CHAroma: they even had posted in my hospital procedure room a notification that they will basically prescribe the minimum amount and the way it read is basically: “we know you’re hurting, and we’ll help you with that, but, you’re not going to get something that is strong enough to knock out all your pain. You’ll still be hurting, just not as much.” And as I’m reading that, I’m thinking, Oh great … I’m in pain and they’re already making it clear to me that they’re not going to give me full pain relief. My husband on the other hand, he has corporal tunnel and on a monthly prescription for vicodin and they tell him that he should be taking the vicodin regularly, before he starts to feel pain.
Wow, that’s just insane. I’m one of those people that is extremely intolerant of pain. If you poke me, I cry. I can’t imagine being in real pain and having a Doctor say something to me like that notice. In my opinion, that’s absolutely ridiculous. Is it really that common for people to get addicted to pain killers? Or is it that the people who are already addicted are constantly trying to get more, so doctors only want to give the minimum amount so there’s none left over to sell to an addict?
I don’t know … I think that we hear all the sensational headlines about people – mainly celebrities – that become addicted to painkillers and I think that we’ve become such a legal action society that everyone is more worried about their legal positioning than about the job that they’re supposed to be doing. I just don’t want to hurt. When I hurt, the last thing I’m thinking is “I hope I don’t become addicted to this stuff.” And yeah, it happens and people don’t intend for it to happen and it’s a sad thing when it does. But, you can’t blame the emergency room for an addiction … they were doing what was best for the patient at the time.
Frustrating.
They should at least give you 3 – 5 days worth of something good, usually the really bad throbbing pain of a sprain or even a break is over after a few days, and a few days worth of good dope for pain isn’t going to make you an addict! Sure, it will still hurt after that, but by then you can manage it with some tylenol 3 or some such.
owww! get well hun, and rest up! xx
Yikes! I see the story now! I too wish they’d give out stronger painkillers… although I’m not sure I’d react well to them. The last (and only) two times I was given Tylenol 3 (wisdom teeth and blood clot), I fainted…
Anyways, hopefully you have a speedy recovery, and the painkillers you do have help a bit.
Oh my gosh. i read roswell strange’s tasting note on this yesterday and realized it had been ages since I’ve had this. For some crazy reason unbeknownst to me, I somehow thought I was getting over this tea, but this morning’s cup was a resounding reminder that this indeed was not the case. I nearly gasped out loud after I took my first sip, and quickly pushed the cup toward Mr. Keychange to have a sip.
“My gosh!” he exclaimed, “What flavour is this one?”
“Aha!” I exclaimed on Stacey’s behalf, “it isn’t flavoured! this is just the great Taiwanese wild mountain black! doesn’t it taste like waffles?”
“Wow, so the tea just tastes like that?”
Which is exactly my own awe at this tea. I don’t know if there’s any left to order, but I sure hope there is, as I’ll be topping up very soon. Mmm. Creamy, honeyed waffle deliciousness, with the signature taste of black tea aftertaste. I seriously don’t know what was stopping me from having this more often!
Preparation
My utmost sads on your account concerning the Violet tea. <3
Oh, I know. I’m legitimately grieving that one.
I hoped you stocked up. Plus it might come back!
Ha ha ha… I had to re read the first sentence because at first I thought there was a strange tasting note I haven’t read yet.
Waffles! That’s a great description.
LOL! and anna, I hope and hope it’ll come back, but who knows. :(. And I’m definitely stocking up.
Oh is it out of Rostock again?
It’s in stock silly….
We still have plenty of the TWMB in stock. The Rose Violent Calendula is the one that is out of stock.
errr, Violet not violent.
Now I want some ‘Violent’ oolong \m/ ;)
I want violent tea also!!
I am laughing so hard at this…
I don’t know that I would want a tea with the word “violent” in it as in violently ill but I am now picturing some tea bushes robbing people at knife point.
Everything about this note and its ensuing comments amuses me.
Hahaha! Tea bushes robbing people. These comments are awesome. It works so well with this post I found http://funsubstance.com/fun/49946/violently-inserts-title/
I would be totally down with grappling with a tea bush, as long as it wasn’t too rough and if I could steel some buds to then turn into more rvc! mmm teabush!
lmao!!! Revenge of the tea bush.
These comments!! (Dying of laughter!)
love you guys..
Very first order of the agenda here, can we all please agree that the country is called NEpal and that there is no such country as NApal? Thank you. This seems a common error, and some people do it with such consistency that it can’t be a typo. NEpal. (Sorry, but it bothers me. I can usually overlook this sort of thing, but certain mistakes just jars the eye. Same with the whole palate/pallet/palette thing. (Hint, on Steepster I can with 99.9% certainty guarantee that you want ‘palate’))
Secondly, Fleurdelily shared this one with me, and I’ve been slightly afraid to try it. I’ve tried a couple of Nepalese blacks before and found them quite Darjeeling-y. But then I seemed to see a lot of good things said about it on Steepster. Claire even had a discussion board subject. So I decided it must be time to be brave.
The leaf doesn’t look like Darjeeling and it doesn’t really smell like it either, although there is a certain note of that Darjeelingesque grassy floralness.
After brewing it smells quite flora, but not in a sharp, pointy way like Darjeeling. There is a sweet, slightly malty note and also a touch of something that reminds me of raisins and other dried fruits. It’s kind of like a much milder version of Assam, rather than Darjeeling-y.
The Darjeeling-y note is there in the flavour as well, but honestly, I would have been surprised if it wasn’t. It’s not as unpleasant as I find it to be in Darjeeling, though. In Darjeeling it’s sort of stabby and pointy and gives me a funky, sour aftertaste, but there’s none of that here. Again it’s mostly like a milder version of Assam with Darjeeling aspects mixed in.
Dooars! That’s what it reminds me of the most.
If you enjoy this, try if you can find something from the Dooars region, and vice versa. Where Dooars leans more towards Darjeeling than Assam, this is sort of leaning in the opposite direction, but it’s still giving me that same feeling of middle-ness.
It’s not my ideal tea (being not Chinese, really) but I’m enjoying it much more than I had expected I would. Very interesting
Great review! I’m going to look for a Dooars tea now.
I had been eyeing a few nepalese teas, and this is only making me more interesting.
And just saying I might appreciate having a palette of words to use while posting from my pallet!
The English lesson gave me giggles.
I like the English lesson too. I sometimes want to start correcting spelling but usually give up in disgust first. After all, it is the internet, so spelling is optional apparently! :)
Looks like I am going to be in Aarhus in mid-January if you wish to take tea with me. I was going to send you a message but could not.
Oops, and then I remembered reading your contact details on your bio. How embarrassed am I?
Sometimes I find it disturbing that I, as an ESL, can be so irritated by it sometimes. I try to remember that I don’t usually know anything about the other person and that they might have a genuine difficulty with spelling and such things, but sometimes…! (I’ve come to the conclusion lately that it’s because I’m ESL that things I know to be wrong can bother me so much. If you lot can’t even work it out, it becomes even harder for me to learn!)
Claire, I hope you can find some. It shouldn’t be impossible, I’ve seen them around a few times.
Roughage, I saw. I think it should definitely be possible. I shall run it through Husband tomorrow as well if he wants to join. I don’t want to disturb him now, as he’s watching something on tv. Warning, though, we’re both fairly shy people, so awkward silences may occur as we flounder for something to say. :) And if you (try to) teach me to say your name, I’ll (try to) teach you to say mine. ;)
It’s ok, Angrboda, I already know how to speak Danish:
http://satwcomic.com/stop-talking
Oh, and I have my own potato! ;)
Actually, I could do with working on my Danish because my nephew mostly speaks it and I only really speak Norwegian fluently, which makes communicating with him interesting. As for awkward silences, I am fine with that. We can sip our tea appreciatively and be companionable rather than chatty. I am not the world’s most outgoing person either!
:D
“palate/pallet/palette.” That’s awesome. Guilty as charged.
haha, good point with that. When working in the art field it’s very common (more like second language, hehe) to use art terms such as ‘palette’. Thank you for reminding of the other option, makes my writing much more interesting. For an ESL person new words are always a treat.
Oh My Goodness!
No I am not sorry at all that I got the Boysenberry Matcha that is on sale here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/boysenberry-matcha.html
Just wow.
You know I have been throughly enjoying Red Leaf Tea’s matchas over the past couple of weeks. Be that via friends here who sent me samples, and my own first purchase of Bavarian Creme matcha which was DELICIOUS.
But most of the flavors, other than the orange (also amazing) have been more creamy, dessert like, heavier matcha flavors. So I was eager to try this one!
Let me just say MMmmmmmmmm.
So when I first smelled the dry powder I thought, oh tart, crisp, light, berry!
My daughter’s first impression was “Mom this smells like Red Bull energy drink.”
I was like OMG you are SO right!
It does! I have to admit. I do love Red Bull. Actually I had a bit of a Red Bull problem not too long ago, before tea! Thank you tea!
Nonetheless it has that exact same tart smell to it!
Don’t worry though this is totally healthy!
Plus after preparing my matcha, adding some ice and milk, it tastes NOTHING like a red bull!
Okay maybe a little something like it in the sense that it is light, crisp, refreshing, not too tart but just a slight berry tartness but nothing that is going to make you pucker!
I love this!
I feel bad and I owe an apology to summer. Here I was craving autumn and forgot all about berries, fruits, juicy ripe tasting delights and had went totally for heavier, richer, creamier, flavors. But you know what … it is still summer and I am going to totally enjoy drinking this and many other light matchas to come!
So my set up was as follows:
Boysenberry Matcha
Size: Small
Matcha Quality: Royal (Premium Grade)
Flavor: Robust
Storage: Add Small Container (3.00 extra)
Total cost after discount: 21.58
That to me my friends is a steal for a high quality matcha like this!
Now to add to the amazing flavor of this matcha and the quality of the matcha itself I would also like to notate that Red Leaf Tea got my matcha to me in TWO DAYS time! Yes thats right and lets all face it when we place a tea order we want it YESTERDAY lol but that just isn’t possible. What IS possible is that I received my shipping notice the same day I placed my order and it was being handed to me by my always befuddled mail carrier two days later! And yes in fact I did stifle a squeee because my mother was there and so far she is not really onto my tea addiction at least not how far it sinks. But the point here is TWO DAYS! That is some super fast shipping in my opinion! It means that when I am craving the next flavors (already am) I can make my order and know it will be in my hands before the craving can end! :)
Now back to this tea … As I am sitting here in delight sipping away I am noticing this almost earthy flavor to it – no not the normal earthy grassy flavor of a matcha or green tea, but something else. The prominent flavors are still the same, tart, juicy, etc, not to be redundant, but there is something more, its one of those flavors you swish around in your mouth, tap tap tap your tongue around, make those smacking sounds trying so hard to pin point it but it is eluding me! I want someone else to get some of this so they can help me figure it out. Hey it IS on sale after all!
Yes this one is a delight and to think I almost passed it up I mean I was not too sure what to expect and didn’t want something too overly tart but thank goodness I went for it!
Oh oh wait I think I may have just figured it out! Oh I am tempted to make a second round to be sure but yes people I know what it is…. Now this may turn some of you off so I almost hate to say it but for me, its not only a good flavor, but brings back memories from my childhood. So here it is be it a good thing or a bad thing you all deserve to know…children’s vitamins!!! Yup you know like Scooby Doo, Fintstones, etc… Well I may have just lost a few of you on that but for those of you who want a trip back to your childhood then get this! Ah ha! Its the same flavor in Red Bull that is very detectable! Vitamin B!!! Oh boy, I fear I may have lost a few more of you now… the thing is I LOVE that flavor! As a former vegetarian of 7 years (don’t ask why I stopped being a veggie – long story – irrelevant – no excuse for me really) I used to take Vitamin B daily as a Veggie diet does not provide Vitamin B (I think B12 specifically) so for me this is a flavor I like and am used to. Some people do not like it so I guess if you are not sure at this price it is still worth a try! I am sure if you don’t like it SOMEONE around here – I don’t know who – maybe me, would enjoy it being sent their way. :)
Again here is where you can get your own Boysenberry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/boysenberry-matcha.html
I think you just beat your old record of 856 words. New record: 942 :D
And yes, I do have too much time on my hands – lol!
LOL awesome!
Now I have that song running though my head lol
You’re welcome…. =D
Its not a bad song so its all good :)
Anyway…those vitamins were good heh. Used to want to eat them like candy ;)
Thank you for the review. I just told my wife 20 minutes ago that I was going to quickly check a review can go back to painting a room (remodeling, don’t ask). She thinks that I’m playing games cause no one reads review for this long. Couple more reviews like this and you’ll have to send me a good divorce attorney info as well. LOL.
Don’t know if you all need this info but there’s a word count site I started using when I started this Red Leaf matcha thing.
http://www.wordcounttool.com/
Faster than opening Word just to use the word count tool. :)
Also, I have no idea what a boysenberry tastes like but it sounds luscious.
Awesome review! I’m kind of jealous of the shipping time I have to say ;)
(That’s just my inner Canadian talking ;) )
How did you know I was using Word to do word count?! LOL
Great link, tx.
Please note that we have ran out of Starter Matcha and new shipment should arrive on Thursday next week. Our loss is your gain. All orders with Starter Matcha will be automatically upgraded to Royal Matcha free of charge :-)
You’re welcome. :) you only save seconds but when brewing a finicky tea, every second counts!
@RedLeaf rofl that cracked me up! I was out eating dinner with my daughter and read that – was laughing and had to explain it to her. :) Too cute.
Mercuryhime – its sort of like a blue raspberry flavor to me anyway.
DaisyChubb – yeah I mean that was like a magical tea fairy delivered it lol
I don’t think my mailman would agree he is a magical tea fairy!
I love boysenberry… it makes me think of my home (Southern California) because I consider Knott’s Berry Farm to be the “home” of the boysenberry whether or not it really is. That’s where I got to know it, by eating funnel cakes with a dollop of Mrs. Knott’s boysenberry jam in the park, and the other treats throughout the park that have been boysenberry-ified. So, I think that this one is one of the next ones that I will need to add to my order.
LiberTEAS it is on sale right now AND with the bonus of getting the Royal matcha instead of Starter (select starter) until the next Royal Matcha shipment comes in YOU CANT beat the deal! Go for it! I do really love this one and was NOT expecting to!
I hope this sale continues a little while. I still have three matcha from them that I’ve not yet tried! I need to get busy and drink tea. LOL!
LOL indeed you do! Which three have you not tried?
I have a strawberry Matcha that I think I will try today, Pear Matcha and also Hemp Matcha, which I am trying mostly because I was a huge Hemp advocate in my college days, and I guess I still am when all is said and done. (and no, I don’t smoke it, you can’t smoke hemp … well, I guess you could, but you’d probably end up with a headache … you won’t get high from it)
Strawberry is next on my list PLEASE let me know if you like it or not! I do want to try Hemp as well in time. I absolutely a hemp advocate and totally understand what you are saying however I am also a medical M advocate as well. Anyway lol thats another forum probably :)
Oh and wanted to add – I do not smoke it either but still an advocate for those who could benefit. Just wanted to clarify I am not one of those who want it medically legalized for the wrong reasons.
I know this isn’t the forum for this, but, I personally think it should just be legalized. Why not? We have other things that are destructive that are legal … alcohol and tobacco … they can be just as destructive and harmful to the body (and arguably more so), so why not legalize it and get tax dollars from it? I do not smoke it, I’ve never done any kind of recreational drug (except caffeine), and I won’t start smoking it if it’s legal.
Hemp though would be a very beneficial product if we chose to legalize it, the first vehicle that Ford made ran on hemp fuel, and I think it could offer a sustainable fuel source if people just got their heads out of their butts about the whole thing.
OK… now I’m stepping off my soap box (tea box?) and resuming the sipping of tea.
I will simply say I could not have said it better myself. :) Back to our regular programming lol
Friends … please remind me NEVER to leave the house without tea again. I thought that today would not take as long – daughter was testing for college entrance. Apparently she did well as she was in there for almost three hours. The test is designed so that if you do not do so well you don’t “progress” thus the test is shorter. Anyway … I was without tea for what seemed like a lifetime.
It is so good to be home having this wonderful delicious amazing tea.
Previous notes on this one although I now know what kind of tea it really IS lol still please look at those Im too much enjoying this cup right now to express how wonderful it is.
AHHHHH TEAAAAAA SIGH
I have 2 different teas in my purse at all times for occasions just like this :)
I am kicking myself – I even HAD my travel thermos and some Lupicia bagged tea ready to go but then when i was leaving my hands were SO full I said forget it (I actually said something else) and left without it. BAH
The worst. Glad you were able to refuel now :) Enjoy your evening!
:) thanks Em!
Glad to hear your daughter did well! My purse contains tea, stevia, a cute little spoon, & sometimes a tea strainer, LOL.
Yes and I even HAD the bagged teas IN my purse the day before – had to take them out when I was scourging through it for something else. Then failed to put it back in. I have learned my lesson :)
long test a good sign!
Thanks! Indeed we got her scores already and they are as we expected – not the best in math – which is fine she needs the review course anyway – but English (Reading and Writing) were both excellent! She COULD take honors if she wanted to – we shall see. :)
YAAAAY!!!!!!
Hi Azzrian, I know we met once before, but if you’re in the Kansas city area anytime soon, you should stop by and see our new space on the first floor of Crown Center! Hopefully all is well with you :)
Brewed up a bunch of this quite strong for icing – I’ll see how that fares in the morning! In the meanwhile, I’m enjoying a second infusion, which, possibly because it’s more than double strength, tastes much like a regular first infusion.
Anyhow, I used 2 tbsp of leaf for about 10oz and steeped for 1 min, then diluted that with probably another 10 oz. of cold water and stuck it in the fridge.
ETA: Yum!! Not only was it pretty darn delicious cold (very dark chocolate), I added sweetener (yep, maple syrup is the current sweetener of choice for cold beverages as it’s the only liquid sweetener I currently have), and I sucked back the cup in no time. It didn’t necessarily need it, I just wanted it to be sweet. The maple syrup really brought out the dark chocolate notes, so it was very satisfying. I’ll have to try some other blacks this way! I haven’t been drinking as much tea lately (only want cold drinks) and my water/liquids intake has been dwindling… iced tea is clearly the remedy.
Preparation
Somehow, I read this to mean you were making cake or cupcake icing with laoshan black tea! Not that you were making iced tea. Ha! Laoshan black icing though, that might be good!!
I thought the same as Tealizzy! :-) Maybe we just wantt cupcakes?
I love cupcakes! Laoshan black cupcakes, please!!
Ahahahaha. Those would be some tasty cupcakes, I think! Quite dark and rich. Now I’m kind of tempted to use the tea in an infusion for icing or something, like I’ve done previously with coffee…
I saw a recipe the other day for earl grey cupcakes and I think it could be done with this tea the same way. Oh I might just go on a baking binge this weekend. I already have matcha muffins planned.
I’ve done icing with matcha…. that was super delicious!
Fuzzy_Peachkin, Earl Grey Chocolate Cake. It would be amazing with Laoshan Black instead of Earl Grey. http://www.shutterbean.com/2012/chocolate-earl-grey-cake/
That looks so tasty! Thanks, OMGsrsly! Need to get chocolate and yogurt!
OMGsrsly – YUM!
Baha, I thought of cake icing as well :D
I don’t actually use yogurt – I just make “buttermilk” by mixing almond milk and 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice. :) You can use regular milk or soy milk as well! Of course, I do use real butter…
I like Laoshan black better cold than hot. I found that cold-steeping over night in the fridge works great too. I followed the Verdant Tea website instructions.
I messed this up.
I will postpone rating this tea until I sprout a brain….
…it might be a while.
For your entertainment, here is my 34 step process of how to destroy this tea:
1. Get up ridiculously early
2. Stumble into the kitchen – eyes barely open, drunk with sleep
3. Overfill kettle and put to boil, spilling water everywhere in the process
4. Try reading the instructions, but because you’re so tired the words don’t make sense and may as well be hieroglyphics. Instead, stare at package and eventually exclaim “oooh pwitty!”
5. Proceed by guess
6. Tear open the bag and enjoy the aroma….mmmm…pancakes. Try not to eat it (I’ll let you guess what I did)
7. Enjoy the aroma for so long that your brain wakes up enough to realize that you have to pee…like right now!
8. Ignore brain – cross legs instead
9. Scoop overly generous teaspoonfuls of tea into your teapot
10. Spill a little extra in for good measure
11. Realize that wasn’t a teaspoon, it was a tablespoon
12. Shrug and carry on
13. Wait for water to boil
14. Realize that you can go pee while you wait
15. Walk into the wall on your way to the bathroom
16. Walk into the wall on your way back from the bathroom
17. Slip on some water on the kitchen floor and curse whoever spilled it without cleaning it up
18. Realize you’re the one who spilled it. Clean it up.
19. Forget that you already put tea into the teapot
20. Put in another spoonful without looking
21. Realize that there was already tea in there, and AGAIN that is not a friggin teaspoon! It’s a tablespoon!
22. Shrug
23. Now that the water is boiled start pouring it over the tea
24. Catch the edge of the strainer at the perfect angle so that it shoots everywhere, including on you. Mutter obscenities because it burns, but don’t stop pouring – that’s far too logical
25. Leave it to brew while you go to brush your teeth
26. Walk into the wall again on your way to the bathroom
27. Forget tea brewing and proceed to brush teeth, have shower, and start to get dressed
28. Realize the tea is brewing, wrap a towel around you and rush to the kitchen
29. On your way there, say to the wall “haha! Missed me this time” because you didn’t walk into it
30. While you are trash talking at the wall, walk into the cupboard door which you apparently left open earlier – mutter obscenities of your choice
31. Slip on the water that had shot everywhere in step 24 – drop towel that you are wearing
31. Cover up. Start cleaning up the water.
32. Realize the tea is still brewing
33. Pour tea which is now so black it could be mistaken for tar
34. Burn tongue on hot tea
TAA-DAA!!!
Oh dear!! Methinks you and pancake tea need a fresh start :)
I love your review ! hope you’ll love the tea when you’ll be able to prepare it as wished :)
OUCH. :s
LOL! :-P
You need to take try this tea a the end of the day next time. haha.
That squirrel must have kept you awake all night :P
Sounds like a sit-com….funny thing you are!GLAD YOU HAVE MORE TEA AND CAN WRITE!
Hahaha, best tasting note fail ever :D Thanks for the entertainment!
@Indigobloom- Meagrees :D
@Ysaurella- thanks, I’m sure I’ll like it when I manage to make it properly, the dry mix smells heavenly.
@OzlI & Barbara- :D
@Marcel- a little later in the morning might have saved me from a few of my bruises today ;)
@Lala- bwahahaha! love it!
@Bonnie – thank you – That’s quite the compliment coming from you – the great story teller
@Kittenna – Thanks -I’m glad you liked it
I agree! Best tasting note ever!! Gave me a good chuckle this morning :)
I assume the tea was a write off after that?
@TheKesser – Thanks. sheepishly no…I just watered it down and drank it. I couldn’t bear to waste it. On the up side, it helped me feel more awake. I later realized what I thought said instructions, were actually ingredients…yeah, it was a special morning :P
Oh dear. This rather makes me want to hug you. hug
This belongs in the tasting note hall of fame! lol
Yesterday, I’ve started a “purge”. Meaning, I am throwing tea in the trash. There, I’ve said it.
I know, I know, why trhow it, why not send it to someone who might want to have it?
Well see, there are rules to qualify for the purge…
1) must be a tea that’s been in the cupboard for over two years
2) the tea was given a fair chance. Meaning, it has been steeped at different temperatures, iced, cold brewed, even mixed with some other tea to tone it down. All have failed.
3) the fear of ever drinking it again must still be very present. I gag when I think of it.
4) I’ve asked someone to try it, and was later accused of homicidal intent.
5)I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
6) if I’d send it in a swap, I’d be reported to Steepster for tea malpractice and therefore, would be forced to close my account. Goodbye Fairy :-(
I tried really hard to give Sour Sap some love. Before I gave it a final farewell, I cold steeped it to comply with the list of rules. It failed…miserably.
Sour sap…there are no possible description for it. Sour bile maybe? That’s the closest to a “note” I can get.
Sorry, it just wasn’t meant to be…
R.I.P. Sour Sap. 06/19/2014
hahaha i’m the same way. There are rules to throwing out a tea..but it DOES have to happen sometimes.
Thanks sil for not judging :-)
It was good for something, it got me to look at Tea Sante’s website for the first time. :)
Haha! I enable even when I don’t want to…
FYI, They are located here in Quebec, Montreal. Good service, super fast shipping, but I was not super impressed with their teas. I haven’t tried many though, maybe you’ll be luckier than I was if you decide to give them a chance. :-)
If you ever want to try Montreal’s finest, here’s a link. Camellia Sinensis is the real deal, and one of the most beautiful and informative website I know (free shipping even in the USA!)
I’m familiar with Camellia Sinensis. One of my first tea education purchases was their book. I still refer to it on a regular basis. I do intend to try their teas someday.
That,s great. Yes, the book is really nice. I used to have tea in their shop often when I lived in Montreal. Wish I could take their tea classes, must be so interesting…
Does this mean that the icky apple one can’t be purged re not being 2 years old?
Lol, an addendum has been written for “icky apple” : must qualify for at least 5 of the 6 rules…I don’t think it will better itself with age…(IT’S NOT STAYING!!!)
I need to purge too! I’ve got a whole box of bagged teas I picked up at the grocery store and ended up not liking very much. I would feel bad sending them to people…they’re not good!
That’s exactly how I feel..I mean, I don’t want to swap my bad stuff to people, it wouldn’t be very nice. Sometimes, you just know it’s not a question of taste, it’s just BAD, that’s all!
(Nice new pic BTW mj :-))
Thanks, Tea Fairy :-). That’s me drinking butterbeer at Harry Potter World!
I’m pitching some old tea this weekend. I don’t feel bad – I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to drink it.
Haha, very cute!
mj1851 wasn’t it delicious?! I’m going back this fall, can’t wait to have some more Butterbeer :)
So dellicious, whatshesaid! I’m so jealous you’re going in the fall and you get to see the expansion and ride on the Hogwarts express!!!
Also, I have a recipe for butterbeer. It’s pretty much spot on, if you’re interested
I’d love to have that recipe!
And yes I’m super excited for the Hogwart’s Express and Diagon Alley :)
Here you go whatshesaid! It’s a total pain but fun to have every now and then
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByLDTxpzm4N2ZVRza1VJWFRpQ2c/edit?usp=sharing
I think your guidelines for trashing old and/or crappy teas are spot on! It doesn’t happen often, but I have occasionally sent a tea to the compost pile, where I feel it will be more useful than it has been in my cupboard.
So I wonder if sour sap tea is suppose to be soursop flavored?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soursop
Ooh thanks MJ!
I laughed…
really hard.
@Terri: Soursop…never heard of it but never heard of sour sap either so yeah, could be, good job on that one!
Arshness, glad it gave you a good laugh…but it only gave me a sour face!
Thank you Oh! Mighty creator of this blend.
My lullaby tea.
I was thinking today about choosing ONE favourite tea from WP… And the winner is…….at least 10 of them!!!
I just can’t make up my mind…but this sleeping beauty is certainly one of them.
It smells like a forest, tastes like the rain, feels like a cloud. It’s a hugger.
That’s why I like to drink it at night, so calming and soothing.
This tea is a light in the dark…
Here’s a pic:
The different tea every day, think of the problems of different, the tea will be with you a beautiful life
Thank you Shutao for your wise words :-)
Now I want to see your light fixture!
Haha me too Marzipan!
i want to try this one sometime heh
Wait for next month’s harvest, Sil…It’s going to be AMAZINNNG!
this is the one that sells out like day one right? I’m travelling so not sure how easy it’s going to be for me to stay on top of that..
Yep yep. I could reserve an ounce for you :)
With so many truly exceptional teas in your cupboard and so many wonderful Steepester friends, I hope the only darkness is when your sleeping.
Lol, marzi and mj: try a simple flashlight ;-)
WP, it’s ALWAYS amazing to me, but I don enjoy the difference between harvests every months :-)
looseTman, thank you, what a nice and thoughtful thing to say <3
WP, I meant “I DO enjoy the different harvests”
Brendan – I’d love that
Sil, I really think you will love this one…
I’ve marked you down for one ounce, Sil! :-)
awesome. Did you want me to PM or email you so you have my info etc? CLEARLY i’ll be adding more to my order than that haha
Nah, I have a list pinned to the fridge for tea to reserve, so when the 1st rolls around, you’ll be guaranteed to have one ounce. I’ll send you a PM at that time to let you know how to order it. Generally I update inventory based on the reservations when an item comes back into stock. For instance, if there’s 16oz available but 6oz reserved, I update the inventory so reflect 10oz, and when someone that has reserved buys their 1oz, I bump the inventory back up to 10oz. Basically unless it’s all sold out by the time you place your order, you’d just add it as usual. Otherwise I’d set up a 3-letter custom order code for you to use here: www.whisperingpinestea.com/custom.html
It’s a pretty flawless and awesome system that’s easy on everyone involved :-)
Warning, opinionated post, read at your own risk!
Today I am feeling frustrated and opinionated. Mostly because many of my clients seem like they have lost their minds. It’s the equivalent of asking, “What color is the sky” and them answering, “Giraffe.” It makes me wonder if I am speaking in tongues!
So anyway, I want you all to know that I read each and every review that comes up on my feed. I rarely “like” them, because the damn heart is so tiny and I most often read them on my iPad. I invariably hit something next to the heart and lose my place. Why can’t they make the heart huge?
So this morning I woke up and was lying in bed reading Roswell Strange’s many reviews, and it occurred to me that I enjoy reading them far more than many of the (official) bloggers (not all, don’t get your panties in a wad) whose posts I also see. Roswell’s posts are so funny/quirky/interesting, and I have two daughters about her age so I guess I relate to them in a way, but I really do enjoy reading every one of them, beginning to end. But many of the bloggers write huge long posts that really don’t say anything. /rant off, and good job Roswell Strange.
So I picked this tea (thank you Stephanie for the sample) because I had had it before and knew I would like it, and this morning I didn’t feel like gambling.
In other news, you know I run a company, and that makes us plenty of money and keeps me plenty busy, but because I’m a FREAK I always have to have things going on on the side. You probably don’t know that I own an online bookstore that has a few thousand books. And, I recently bought a bulk lot of 60 handbags to sell on ebay. Just because. They’re inexpensive Chinese made ones, but some of them are cute, and I’m sure someone will like them.
So there you go.
I’m not a blogger, but I think I may be guilty of the long posts that don’t say anything crime. Sorry Marzipan! QQ
I haven’t noticed it with you! But if I am being totally honest, every time I think “Cameron means crooked nose” because my nephew is named that, and we looked it up. (sorry!)
Just don’t read the ones that aren’t interesting to you. Problem solved. ;-)
That’s what ends up happening.
Sometimes I kind of balk when I see ye olde wall of text coming at me, but I usually try to read everything anyway. I need to learn to shorten my own notes as well. :P
Giraffe!
I skip a lot of stuff. Some people treat Steepster like their own personal diary and I just don’t have the time to read it all.
Like me on this post!
Lol… well I wasn’t talking about you necessarily. But I am following 400 people so I get a lot of posts.
I feel you on those hearts! I always have to pinch and zoom and pinch and zoom until the hearts big enough and even then I accidentally click something else sometimes. And I’m on my iPhone most of the times so it’s real tiny, lol.
And I am so guilty of using the tasting notes like a diary. I do a lot of thinking while drinking (who am I kidding? I do a lot of thinking all the time. Pretty much everyone I know thinks I talk to much but they should hear how much is going on in my head. If I didn’t talk too much I’m pretty sure my head would explode from all the thoughts), and sometimes my thoughts spill out into my tasting notes.
I’m guilty of bad tea log posts. Sometimes I have a lot of detail about the tea and nothing about life, and sometimes it’s all about life and “oh this tea was good.” I like knowing about my tea friends and what is going on in their life. I hope that the people that follow me feel the same way about me.
I understand completely about people just not listening and understanding what one is asking them and giving an answer that doesn’t have anything to do with the question. I’m dealing with that sort of thing right now at work. So I’m letting it sit and I’ll get back to it when I feel like asking again.
I actually really like the personal posts. I just hate the ones that use 1000 words to say “the tea was astringent”
My next note is going to be the word “astringent” 1000 times.
Haha!
Aww, thanks for the super kind words Marzipan! I am definitely one of those people who writes massive walls of text about non tea related things (sorry not sorry), but I do always try to include some tea related stuff as well as keep a balance between long and short notes. Hopefully my essay long posts don’t annoy everyone though. (I also typically only write the long ass notes for teas I’ve already reviewed several times).
Roswell, your long notes are usually more about personal story which is much easier to read than a wall of text about all tea. I like reading your notes too, they have a lot of personality. :)
You have a book store too? Dang! I sometimes skim notes, or if I’m really busy I might miss out on reading notes for a couple of days completely. I usually find time on my breaks at work to read most of the notes in my feed during the week though :)
Long story, but my brother used to buy big lots of books and sell them for fun. He got really sick (Crohns) so I took them over. You’re welcome to come look through! I would love to sell through them and be done with it.
I love the personal stories along with the tasting notes. :) People have such varied and interesting lives. I agree that some of the notes can be too long but I usually skim those. I only follow about 90 people and not everyone posts everyday. I find it pretty manageable at my level.
I like giving likes so I still like the notes I like even though I don’t like how small the like button is.
Uh??? Ok, what I’m saying is I think most people like getting likes on their notes, so I try to do it as long as i do like the note. But I so agree that it’s a pain, way too small with the ipad!!
I like both diary notes and tea notes, and I’m guilty for writing both! I do realize i must be boring as hell sometimes, but I don’t analyze what and how I’m gonna write a note, I just feel the moment :-)
I love how different everyone is, we all have our distinctive style, makes things interesting and fun :-)
I just love you guys!!!
Personally, I do like getting likes on my notes. But I’ve tried to like notes on my iPhone and it’s almost impossible, so I understand that. Has anyone asked for a bigger like button in that suggestion thread? It seems like that wouldn’t be crazy hard to accomplish, but what do I know. I agree that I like both personal and tea notes, but my favorites, I think, are a mix of both :-)
Also, I think TheTeaFairy wins nicest person on Steepster. She’s always so positive!
Agree, she is adorable.
A lot of times I skim the long ones but I do like everything I skim – because it’s nice to get likes and because it helps me keep track of where I am in the Steepster day. :) It seems like my likes don’t stick very often though – if I don’t click on it just right (and this is even with a laptop, not a phone), it dumps me back up at the top of the screen and none of the hearts are red. So if even if it doesn’t “take”, I do like posts. :)
And I generally like a mix of tea and personal. When I am buying a tea or can’t figure out if I’m nuts for tasting smoke in something, I go directly to the tea and scroll through reviews. So not sticking to just tea reviewing doesn’t bother me. :)
I’m not hating on the personal notes as sometimes I do those too, I just can’t keep up with all of it/them.
I almost wish there were two kinds of posts. Sometimes I want to post things to my tea friends that have nothing to do with tea.
I love the notes
Awww, that really made my day mj and Marzipan, I am humbled by your kind words :-) :-) :-)
Marzipan, I know what you mean…but did you know you can PM as many people as you want at once? You can have a group chat that way…but you probably know that already…
I could… But I don’t know for sure who is interested. :)
Oh! Book store! Can you link to it?
I think this will take you there, they are all on Amazon.
http://tinyurl.com/phddoz4
Yay, glad to hear you love this one!
You are crazy and absoLOOTly right!
i want me order!!! BAH!
I got a sample of this I need to try. :)
I have a feeling there will be a ton of reviews for this one soon haha.
woot, can’t wait to try this one! I have it, but waiting for the right day
Alphakitty-So glad you are enjoying this one! :)
Sil-I hope it arrives soon! crosses fingers
Stacy – no worries.. i’m just anxious :)
What an entertaining tealog! love it!
I’ve had a sample (thanks Stacy and loved it!)
Thank you canadianadia! ^^
So you found It? That means there is yet hope for me and the Perfect Vanilla Black. Sounds like we’ve had similar ways of going at it, knowing exactly what it should be like when found but being unable to find it.
Yes, I’ve been questing for this tea for quite a while! It’s great to finally have it, I enjoyed my other grapefruit teas but they just weren’t “the one.” If you’re looking for the perfect vanilla you might want to ask Stacy at Butiki for a custom blend—she has a way of capturing just exactly what you want!
I was just about to say that unfortunately for reasons of geography and shipping, Butiki is out of my reach. Which alone means that no matter what she came up with, it couldn’t be the Perfect One. For Perfection easy availableness is crucial. However, when I went to check, so as to avoid potentially making a fool of myself, it transpired that the shop may not be unavailable to me, although it does require a bit of research for actual shipping fees.
Angrboda-If you ever have any shipping questions feel free message us for a quote. For international orders, we only charge $1.00 above the cost that USPS charges us to ship the package and that is for PayPal fees, box & shipping supplies, time, gas, etc.
Yes, that’s what I gathered. I’ll probably have a look through later and compose some sort of imaginary order, so that I know what weight amount I would potentially be going for and see what that would come up to.
Did you change it recently, though? I know I looked earlier and I could have sworn it was North America only at the time.
Angrboda-Nope, we have always accepted international orders. Also, if you would like to estimate a little on your own our shipping packaging usually weighs about 6oz (for most orders) and here is how to calculate the price: http://postcalc.usps.com/. We usually use First Class International because it is the cheapest.