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Second tea of the morning…… (SRP #13)

Another Teavana sample courtesy of Fairyfli. (Thank you!)

I brewed up a pot of this not really knowing what to expect, but with a word like Assam in the name, I was thinking more along the lines of hard core black tea. There are lots of things in there….some black tea, some fruit pieces, some spice pods, lots of lemongrass. Really, I think I probably should have used more leaf (but I ran out….I still used over 3 perfect tsp for my pot…). The other thing I probably should have done is not paid attention that this was Assam. I was kind of looking for a good black tea to keep the morning moving. This is not that tea. It needs to be reclassified in my mind as a black, fruit, and herbal blend. And by using a similar amount of tea blend as I do to black tea, I am left with not much black tea flavor, but a whole lot of other going on. Notes of tropical flavors for sure, but the lemongrass is probably the foremost taste.

Usual teapot method, but with much less sweetening. It is a Teavana fruit blend, afterall.

Tea of the morning……

Usually, I don’t drink green tea in the morning. However, the aroma of this one just kept calling to me. It smells just like a milk oolong. The leaves kind of look oolongish, but still somewhat like a large leaf green when they are brewed up.

First steep. I have to admit that I was not at all blown away by the first few sips, but I totally agree with Indigobloom on this one, that it draws you in more with each sip. By the end of the cup, you are so taken, that you immediately resteep it, and the process starts all over. Second steep is not quite as rich, but it is still very good. First sips are lightly vegetal, and then the butteriness kicks in. I do agree with TeaEqualsBliss that it tastes like buttered popcorn. Definitely a keeper!

Mug method, about 180 degree water, 3 minutes first steep, 4 minutes second steep.

Tea of the afternoon……

Yes, I know. All the complaining about the amount of tea I own and here is a new one. I had a friend who needed a pound of tea, and I have had my eye on this one ever since Harney announced it. So, we ordered together. This was all I ordered.

The whole Titanic story has a place in my heart because my Grandmother was born on that night. I can remember her talking about it, and how she felt like she had some kind of connection to that tragic night. I did not even realize she would have been 100 this year had she still been alive. When I saw this tea announced, I knew I would be buying some. It kind of represents a moment in time of beginnings for our family amidst the tragedy for others.

My tin of tea says it is a blend of Keemun, Assam, Ceylon, and Oolong. I think the description is kind of vague regarding the middle two teas in that list. Maybe I read it wrong. Anyway, it is good, smooth, and rich tasting. It makes a very well rounded cup of tea. No real earthiness, or maltiness, maybe a hint of cocoa, just very rich. There is not a break in the flavor from the front of the taste to the end. You know how there are some things that are almost all aftertaste (I kind of feel that licorice root is all sweet aftertaste) and others are all in the front notes (I have had some Keemuns like that). This one is good all the way through. I will definitely enjoy this tin of sachets.

Second tea of the morning….. (SRP#12)

After seeing Amanda’s tasting note on this that it reminded her of Cadbury Mini-Eggs (my all time favorite chocolate…so thankful it is seasonal!) I had to pull out my sample and give it a try. Anything close to my favorite chocolate in tea form has to be in my possession at some point!

She is right. I get notes of chocolate and the floral of the jasmine just comes across as sweetness. I have to say that I really like this. It was on my shopping list before writing the tasting note. (Usually, I do the tasting note and then put it on my list, but if you can’t catch the subtlety in the order of events from someone who is usually pretty methodical about things……) Love this. Want. (But need to wait a bit. I may make this a reward tea of some kind. Now to work out the details of my quest/task!)

Usual teapot method. 5 minute steep.

Tea of the morning…….

This is one that got stuck in the back of my tea cupboard. Ack. Once I get a handle on the samples in my stash, I need to get a handle on the larger amounts of tea, too. Maybe if I stopped buying tea for a year…..(who am I kidding?!)

I used my ForLife mug and 5 pearls. I am thinking it should have been 6, and I think I will add one for the resteep. Very good, but weak this time. Definitely a preparation error.

Off to prepare more!

Mmm. Yes. The 6 pearl resteep was perfect!

Tea of the afternoon…. (SRP #11)

My cello lesson was cancelled for today, so I had an extra half hour to burn! I really wanted Earl Grey Supreme from Harney, but I remembered that I have a few Earl Greys in my sample stash. I still have a few from LiberTEAS, but I settled on this one since it has been in my stash since last September. I think what happened is that I love Earl Grey in warmer months and can’t get enough of it then. In the colder months, I am more of a chai and spicey flavored tea drinker.

Well, I wish I could say I was taken by this tea. It is good enough. Just not something that will work for me. This is a very sweet version of bergamot, but it lacks the brightness of Lord Bergamot from Steven Smith or Earl Grey from Lupicia. And it does not have the fabulous tea base to carry it with a lighter bergamot taste like my beloved Earl Grey Supreme. It finally came to me that it is more like a candy version of what I would expect Earl Grey to taste like. I did experience that with Upton’s Earl Grey Creme when I tasted it relative to others…..Upton’s Earl Grey Creme is kind of more like Creamsicle tea to me. Ah. Definitely not a wasted taste test, but I think I am going to brew up something better. Time for sachet 2 of 15 from my Lord Bergamot box…..

Usual teapot method.

PS. The cello lessons are going well. My greatest piece of advice, you are never too old to do something big.

Tried an experiment today.

Apologies before you read further, because in some places what I did might cause a pretty good uproar.

I made this iced. I thought it would be fabulous. Not so much. All of the things I love about this tea are enhanced with the warmth.

Note to self: Reserve the pricey Premium Dragon Well for hot tea in the future. It tastes so much better that way.
Thank you for remembering!

Also, this makes me think that I will only like herbals or black teas iced. I might try a flavored green at some point.

Tea of the morning…… (SRP #10)

This is pretty much just a basic longer leaf Assam. There are definitely some golden tips, and it brews up very smooth with really no astringency or bitterness. It makes a good strong cuppa, which is greatly appreciated in the morning. (It is the second morning of waking up early to get to school after being on our own schedule last week for Spring Break…the bus comes at 6:30am….. Needless to say, my drama club teen was in rare form this morning!) The tea is dark and malty, strong and fortifying. Perfect for a morning like this one. A pulling up by the boot straps kind of tea.

Usual mug method for 3 minutes.

Second tea of the morning…. (SRP #9)

(Loose leaf version) From my foodzie box from LiberTEAS. I still have a ton of samples in that box. At least another 12, and I am sure I have tried close to 10. It has been very fun!

This is definitely Springtime in a cup. It is light, floral, and slightly sweet all on its own. I have to admit that the few things I have tried from this company have been stellar. The jasmine does not overpower the green tea base, and it is just relaxing.

It has been great to get kind of a feel for the quality before diving into a purchase because there are no samples available except for a variety pack of bagged teas, and the shipping is a little steep. I do feel his prices on loose leaf are pretty good, especially for the quality. I know there will be an order to this company in my future. I do have access to a few bagged teas locally, but I am pretty fond of loose leaf, and it just seems like a better value.

Mug method at about 175 for 2 minutes. No additions.

Tea of the morning…. (SRP#8)

I have had this one for a while. I think it appealed to me because it was likened to coffee, and I used to be a pretty hefty coffee drinker. Also, in looking at my big pile of samples, I can see that I am going to get through the black teas in my SRP-Sample Reduction Plan, well ahead of all the others. I NEED a black tea in the morning. I guess it will be a great time to use up some Franken Breakfast once I tackle those sample blacks and try the few new ones in transit (yes, I fail at ‘no buys’ for tea)….

This tea is interesting. The first thing it reminded me of is Javavana Mate from Teavana. Maybe it is not as sweet, but there is a definite note of chocolate, and the tea base is earthy and mellow. It is also a strong tea base. I do see why this tea is suggested to coffee drinkers. It could stand up to any kind of additions well. If I had gotten around to trying this in my coffee drinking days, I am pretty sure I would have purchased this. But now, I only have an occasional cup of coffee (and the occasional coffee flavored ice cream is even better!) Tea has won me over.

Usual teapot method.