788 Tasting Notes
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: hot spigot water, 1 mug full
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: bergamot
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, hint of citrus
Flavor: bitter, astringent, black tea, hint of bergamot
Body: Full
Aftertaste: astringent, a bit bitter
Liquor: almost opaque deep dark reddish brown
Not a remarkable tea, but a nice afternoon caffeine wake up call while at work. I should have done a bit less time, and perhaps a packet of sugar.
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/mighty-leaf-teabag-black-tea-organic_06.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 3 heap tsp
Additives: none
Water: 22oz filtered, boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Coconut, Nut, Sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: Nutty, Coconut, Sweet
Flavor: rooibos
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: coconut, and then COCONUT CUSTARD
Liquor: Deep dark orange red brown
Thanks to SoccerMom for turning me on to this tea.
First, you smell the tea as it comes up to your nose and you smell coconut custard.
MilitiaJim is flummoxed how something can smell like a texture, but it does.
Then you sip, at first I was sad, it was rooibos. Don’t get me wrong I love rooibos but I wanted coconut custard.
As I swallow the sip I start to taste coconut shell, then coconut.
Then I swallow and there is the coconut pie! Delicious.
Strange the flavor is all in the swallow.
Post-Steep Additives: pinch of German rock sugar
sweeter, yum!
Resteep: 7 min, weak, 10+ min, weak but drinkable
Preparation
Wow, a 95?? Yay! A tea that has passed the AmazonV test! It’s been awhile since you’ve rated over mediocrity. :) I have this, and will be re-visiting it because of you. :)
LOL! yea i am pretty fussy I was one of those kids who had a peanut butter and fluff sandwich every day because nothing else would do for years :)
This sounds wonderful! Suddenly I’m craving my grandma’s homemade custard pie with nutmeg on top.
ooo, ooo! @gmathis I think perhaps i will put a little nutmeg in this with the pinch of sugar!
YEA!!! I am SOO glad you liked it!! Sometimes just because you like it (meaning me) doesn’t mean the other person you are recommending it to will. Isn’t this like one of the best rooibos blends ever?? I’ve never purchased 8 ounces of any tea or rooibos but I proudly have 8 ounces of this and I am going to make a cup right now!
I am sure it helps that i like coconut, like coconut custard and like rooibos :)
I don’t like all coconut teas though. I didn’t like the GM Coconut Pouchong. I guess that’s why I am so happy I found this one that I do enjoy.
Mmm…this sounds yummy. I saw a frozen coconut cream custard pie at the store today, but I didn’t buy it. I’m not a big fan of coconut (bad experience with coconut rum one night when I was a teenager) but coconut cream custard just sounds like it has to be good.
Shanti, your coconut rum story sounds very similar to my Riunite Lambrusco experience of the early 90’s. ;)
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: hot water spigot, 1 mug full
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: citrus, black tea
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea
Flavor: smooth, black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: slight astringency
Liquor: dark reddish-brown
This tea is not a kick in the butt, I wouldn’t use it as a breakfast tea.
I am enjoying it with my lunch at work.
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/mighty-leaf-teabag-black-tea-organic.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: entire sample
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: i forgot to sniff!
Steeped Tea Smell: hibiscus
Flavor: hibiscus
Body: Full
Aftertaste:
Liquor: deep dark ruby red
I like hibiscus, and this is a hibiscus drink. I can’t find the other flavors. perhaps I over-brewed it?
I was hoping for a bit of pineapple hibiscus tea or maybe pineapple coconut hibiscus tea. Instead it was all delicious juicy and tart hibiscus.
I think I need to order some of this, once my other others I have arrive and I drink some space into my cupboard. Then I can fiddle with the amount and times more.
It is very nice to look at with all the orange peels
Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar
sweeter, less tart, more delicious
Resteep: 7 minutes was a weak hibiscus pineapple – so close!
gave it a bit longer, orange – pineapple – hibiscus DELICIOUS but still weak, but it shows me the potential of this tea!
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/jade-teapot-loose-leaf-herbal-tea.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag, 1.9g
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Strong odor, Spearmint, chamomile, hint of Lemon
Steeped Tea Smell: mint
Flavor: mint (Bobbie and MilitiaJim indicate “gum”)
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: mint
Liquor: light brown
An impulse buy while grocery shopping at Target.
I thought it was fine, if you wanted and expected a mint tea. Apparently this is not what Bobbie or MilitiaJim wanted or like. Oh well, anyone want some?
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/lipton-teabag-herbal-tea-bedtime-story.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag, 2.2g
Additives: none
Water: 8 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: lemon, herbs, hint of ginger
Steeped Tea Smell: lemon, ginger
Flavor: barley, chamomile, lemon
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: lightly ginger
Liquor: cloudy orange-brown
This was an impulse buy at TJ Maxx, I always need more herbal teas.
I actually made this for MilitiaJim and stole sips.
I can not taste the rooibos at all, and the ginger is a mere hint.
MilitiaJim noticed it was not a real lemon, it was more lemon grass than lemon.
Post-Steep Additives: pinch German rock sugar
A bit more lemonade like
Well, we’re not tossing it but we’re certainly never buying it again. If anyone wants some let me know and I’ll send it your way.
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/davidsons-tea-teabag-herbal-tea-lemon.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 6 oz filtered, boiling, 190°
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: not much
Steeped Tea Smell: vegetal
Flavor: buttery smooth, vegetal, then black tea, complex, a little sweet
Body: Full
Aftertaste: black tea, slightly astringent, perhaps a touch bitter
Liquor: Dark translucent brown
A generous gift from SoccerMom, since I was drooling over everyone’s posts.
The dry leaves are amazing, they are long thin rolls and just neat to look at.
The smell surprised me, I don’t associate vegetal with black tea.
Sadly I am not getting the chocolate, caramel or honey others were picking up.
I must echo takgoti that it is a rich tea, yet leaves you lightly. Some teas feel as though you have drank a thick shake, and although delicious fill you up. The flavors and scent are rich with Dawn, but leave you with room for more of the re-steeps.
This is not a flavored black, yet it is rich and complex and very enjoyable! quite a contrast to this morning’s PG tips.
Although I can’t jump on the ‘favorite tea’ bandwagon, I am extremely grateful to SoccerMom for letting me try some. I am enjoying my tea and it’s re-steeps and I think if I ever place an order from the simple leaf Dawn will be included. Right now I am not going to rush and place an order just for Dawn.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Resteep: 5 min, much the same as the first, very impressive re-steep really. One leaf fully unfurled, hopefully you can see it in the picture.
MilitiaJim took a sip and made an awful face and declared it tasted like mud.
I decided everyone else found chocolate, and I was defective and had a glass with some chocolate cake. Still no chocolate found.
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/simple-leaf-loose-leaf-black-tea-dawn.html
Preparation
steep 3, 5 min, touch of german rock sugar, still a strong cup of tea…and maybe a bit of caramel brought out by the sugar?
Try a drop of milk too – that might help w the chocolate :)
JacquelineM for the WIN! +pinch of sugar + splash of lactose-free milk = caramel chocolate on steep…i lost count, 5? at 9 minutes yummy, still not so yummy it needs it’s own order, but would be a “i am placing an order here, i must get dawn too!”
Glad you like it! I am going to have to try the german rock sugar and milk (even though I don’t normally do this with any tea).
I have found blacks sometimes need sugar and milk to be their best (and they always try to be their best, dollhouse anyone?) then again i have quite the sweet tooth
The few times I’ve added milk to tea I didn’t like it because it seemed watery. Now having said that I had a BF once who drank one teabag of lipton in a cup of milk and added sugar and I found that to be lovely with toast for breakfast. I don’t do that anymore because well I don’t know why I don’t do that hmmm I guess when we called it quits so did me and his tea habits. ;)
I like it better with a dash of milk and also a couple of sugar crystals. I think they certainly bring out the range of possible flavors. I like Dawn a lot, but I would not drink it first thing in the morning. The Simple Leaf calls it a “mild” tea on their packaging.
Doulton, Agreed Dawn is not really strong enough for my morning cup. I like something stronger to get me up and going.
Steep Information:
Amount: 3tsp
Additives: none
Water: filtered, boiling, 22 oz
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 2:22 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: astringent, black tea, Assam?
Steeped Tea Smell: Bitter, Strong astringent black
Flavor: astringent black tea, slightly bitter
Body: Full
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: Translucent dark reddish brown
Yes, something can smell bitter.
I admit we bought this at the local grocery store because of the monkey commercials.
Post-Steep Additives: almond milk and German rock sugar
The tea was much smoother, less astringent and bitter.
The tea was barely drinkable before the milk and sugar.
An acceptable cup of tea, but I am not purchasing it again.
MilitiaJim – this is the bold black coffee of the tea world.
Next time we are doing 2 minutes or less.
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/pg-tips-loose-leaf-black-tea.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 6tsp
Additives: none
Water: 1 cast iron teapot full of filtered boiling water
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Berry, Woody
Steeped Tea Smell: Berry, woody, hint of pepper
Flavor: sweet strawberry, woody
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: pepper
Liquor: deep dark reddish-brown
Swap from Meghann M
This was a very interesting tea, a nice smooth fresh strawberry (not sweet like a pie or candy), with a hint of rooibos, then an aftertaste of light pepper.
I am enjoying my cup, I don’t think I’ll buy it again, but I am very much enjoying this.
The kept saying Rooibush, I am assuming this is the same as Rooibos.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Resteep: 5 min, very weak, a few more minutes and it was peppery rooibos the strawberry seems to be subdued
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/teagschwendner-loose-leaf-rooibos-tea.html
I wonder if Rooibush is a combo of honeybush and rooibos? That’s what came to mind when I read it. Although not sure how different they are?
i have had both…and i couldn’t tell the difference perhaps it’s time to wikipedia
Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Additives: none
Water: Zarafina 2c
Tool: Zarafina 2c black-loose-med
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Coco, smoky, sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: Light coco, Black tea, Sweet
Flavor: black tea, hint of dark chocolate
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: none
Liquor: opaque dark brown like coffee
If your expecting milk chocolate this is not your tea, it’s more a dark chocolate.
Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar, sweeter
Marginally better, but really, it’s lightly coco black tea, good but not amazing. Looking at the other steepster reviews got me all giddy. I was originally afraid I would love the tea and be devastated at it no longer being available. Luckily it’s a good cup of tea, but I’ll be fine without (Florence will see me though).
Resteep: same as first
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/liber-teas-loose-leaf-black-tea.html
