Steven Smith Teamaker

Uh oh. I got home, started my work out, and then went, my throat feels a little sore.
Uh oh. I cannot be sick right now. Firstly, I just finished being sick, and second, I’m still on my own in the office, until next week!
So quickly I am brewing, and drinking, a bunch of delicious, soothing teas. Come on, peppermint, help a girl out.

This is, simply, the most sophisticated mint tea blend I have. If this tea was a person, it would be a really cool architect sort of person, with bold geometric glasses and a taste for spare monochrome. Its just so modern, so elevated. Not at all a sweet or cuddly mint (not that there is anything wrong with a sweeter mint. In fact, I love them dearly). This makes a fascinating blend on a winter’s evening.

Backlogged from last night.
I sometimes have mixed feelings about limited edition teas. Usually I’m pro. I love seasonality, and a new and exciting variety in flavors, and so on and so forth.
And then I run out of a beloved seasonal tea, and I rethink my entire philosophy.
Oh Silent Night, you cunning mint tea. Shall we be parted? Alas! We shall, until the winter rolls around again. I shall be watching like a hawk, come December, for your triumphant return!
Sad, sad sipdown.

Backlogged from last night.
Jury duty took all day, and then we were finally dismissed. I never even saw the inside of the courtroom, or answered a single question.
Well, I’m glad I brought a book.
Oh well. I’d really like to go through the jury services, but alas, it is not to be. Not this time anyway. And back to work today!
I’m almost out of this, which is both progress, and a tradgedy. I love this mint tea, and will be so sad when its gone!

My collection of sachets are starting to get disturbingly low. That’s going to be a bit of a problem, as I really like this, and its a seasonal tea!
It would be too simple to say that this is a mint or peppermint tea. Its so much more than that, full of a wonderful layer of lemon, and then a hint of licorice. The most sophisticated mint tea I’ve ever owned.

There is a very modern sweetness too this. Not an old fashioned, sugary sweetness, but something crisp and cool, and a little unexpected. It makes it much more than a mint tea, with the flavors running around and making themselves hard to identify.
I have a headache, and ate too much dinner, but this tea has helped take the edge off. Good!

Backlogged from the other day.
I brought this and a few other mint teas of mine over to my friends house, for a tea and knitting date. It was good! I’m getting so much progress done on the very basic scarf that I am learning to knit.
She picked this one, and so I had another chance to mull over my thoughts.
Still like it! Complex and layered. I think it will be great if you are not feeling well, which may sound clinical, but I think is a high bit of praise. You don’t always want something this good when you don’t feel well.
My friend was a little more meh about it, but thats alright!

So, I was starting to feel slight pangs about the amount of mint and peppermint based teas that I ordered from the Black Friday sales. Had I ordered too many? Would I get sick of similar flavors?
I was feeling slightly worried about this one, as I’ve jut discovered a love of the ROT Peppermint Bark. Would this taste the same?
I should not have worried. This is worlds different.
The smell was very light and sweet, and, when sipped, proved to be the most complex mint based tea I’ve ever had. Is that cinnamon in it? Orange? What were those other flavors? Whatever they were, they were fantastic. I will need many more cups of this fascinating blend to really pin it down.
Sophisticated may not always be the word used about peppermint tea, but it can be used without hesitation of Silent Night.

Thanks to boychik for this sample. I ended up steeping it for 3 minutes at 205 f and that was definitely overkill because I got really intense tobacco notes that made it difficult for me to drink this without milk. I also noticed spicy pepper-y notes and a bit of the sweet potato type of flavor that seems characteristic of yunnans.

I tried a 2nd steep for 90 seconds and now it seems like it doesn’t have enough flavor… it could be I steeped all the flavor out of it at the 3 minute mark. :) Anyway the 2nd steep isn’t bad but I’m still getting tobacco notes with some caramel. Tobacco isn’t really my favorite flavor in tea.

this doesn’t seem to be my favorite yunnan to date but it isn’t terrible. If I had more tea I feel like I could hit a sweet spot with the brewing parameters. I wish I had more to play around with but probably not worth placing an order.

Very sweet, with a hint of raisin and lots of caramel. I can see why this is a favorite for so many on here, but, weirdly, I prefer my black teas on the harsher side—this Assam actually reminds me of some of the popular Chinese blacks I haven’t cared for on grounds of having too much in the way of sweet dessert notes going on, though I can’t think which ones exactly. Thanks for the sample, Cameron B.! I’m happy to be able to knock this off my wish list, since it’s a tea I’d been curious about for a while.

This was a bonus sample from scribbles. Mine is in sachet form. The leaves inside are black and somewhat thin, and surprisingly not very broken. Dry scent is sweet and malty with hay and molasses notes. I let my sachet steep in 8 ounces of 200 degree water for 3 minutes. The string escaped into the cup, harumph!

This one is pretty “meh” in my opinion… The main flavor of it is generic black tea, and I don’t know how else to describe that. It’s somewhat malty and quite astringent, especially as it cools. There is a bottom note of molasses-like richness, and a touch of dried apricot-like fruitiness, and these help to balance it a bit. Still not very impressive for me.

This is going to be a lazy note for a lazy morning… Boychik sent me this sample, thanks dear. The leaves are fairly broken and dark with only a few scant golden pieces. I did my general black tea steep.

Meh, this one is just okay for me. It’s fairly generic with just malt and some bread notes, along with a fair amount of astringency, which I do not enjoy. Maybe just a touch of honey sweetness on top. Overall, it’s drinkable, but not something I would reach for.

Thought I’d have this one again since they have a free shipping deal again. Had to see if I needed more. :P This really is a wonderful assam. I really do enjoy it. But I don’t think I need more than 2oz for now. Maybe once I sip these 2oz down I’ll be ready to buy more!
Still a very strong, malty assam. Enjoying this one!!
If you haven’t had it yet and like malty teas-you should definitely take the free shipping offer up now and get some! It’s not super expensive too!

Decided to order this one since Steven Smith Teamaker is having a small sale, and since i’m working again I have more money! Glad I took a chance and got this one.
It’s delicious! :O
Rich. Strong. Malty. Fruity. Honey.
A lovely tea!
And guess what! NO WOODY TASTE!
Yah! I’m so excited! :D

i learned the bad news today. Steven Smith lost his battle with cancer. I love his teas.

This one is one of my favorite Yunnan Black( Red ) tea.
i brewed it Western today. my usual parameters 3g 8oz 200F for 3min

This tea is wonderful. its smooth and sweet but not overly. Im getting tired of sweet potato notes. thankfully this is not this kind. Some floral and savory. very enjoyable cup.

http://instagram.com/p/0ng01XBwvc/

http://instagram.com/p/0nhp8FhwhC/

this tea is excellent. made gongfu method
6g 100ml glass teapot 205F
rinse/5/10/10/15/15/20sec etc
its rich, malty with stone fruit notes. Surprisingly no sweet potato note, i expected it. tell you the truth im getting tired of all Yunnan blacks having sweet potato profile. Nice and very potent.

Tea of the morning here in a pyramid sachet. It’s difficult to believe I am the first person to log this particular blend.

When it comes to ceylons, I am a bit fussy. I’m not a big fan of this (Sorry Steven Smith). The flavor seems kind of muddy and brisk and if I am drinking a plain ceylon, I like them to be more flavorful and fruity. I believe this might be the base for their Lord Bergamot, which I do like. It just doesn’t do a whole lot for me when it’s plain. Perhaps I will try this as an iced tea before I give up on it. I’ve had it a couple of times prior and it’s just a solid “meh” for me.

You have to really love hibiscus to enjoy this tea – the name does not lie, it is certainly big. 1 sachet can make a whole pot of tea in fact. I love hibiscus and Steven Smith brings out the flower’s tart cranberry flavors.

Drinking the last of this sample from Terri. Thanks, again, Terri. This was super tasty. And I followed the instructions to the letter, regarding the playing of opera in the background, while the tea is brewing.

Yesterday’s two cups were accompanied by “Faust” and “La Boheme,” respectively. Today’s cup is accompanied by “Le nozze di Figaro.”

Thanks to Terri HarpLady for this sample! I really enjoyed it.

An excerpt from my full review:
“The aromas of mixed Ceylon and Assam are touched by very gentle citrus. Truly, the smell of this infused tea does not remind me of Earl Grey in my experience. When I start sipping No. 55, the complexity of this not-Earl Grey surprises me. I say it is complex due to the different flavors, which I notice as separate but cohesive. It is at this point that I ‘lose myself’ in thoughts and tea. When my mind returns to the present, half of the mug of tea has been consumed – a sure sign of enjoyment.”

The full review will be available, later today, at CreateWriteDrink.com.

4 oz. Sipdown: I thoroughly enjoyed this caramel-flavored assam. Please see my previous review & its comments for brewing recommendations as appropriate parameters are essential to enjoy it: http://steepster.com/looseTman/posts/259294.
I won’t promptly restock as I’m currently well stocked, there are a few Chinese teas i enjoy more, & there are so many other black & pu’er teas I want to experience!

I’m very pleased to present a multi-morning review of No. 49 Assam FTGFOP1 from Steven Smith Teamaker, Western style without sweeteners, milk, or cream.

Intro: I confidently ordered this tea based on LiberTEAS excellent recommendations 2 years ago:
- http://steepster.com/LiberTEAS/posts/104708
- http://steepster.com/LiberTEAS/posts/135003

After placing my order, I saw that boychik cautioned 7 months ago that the recent batch of this tea maybe on the bitter side: http://steepster.com/boychik/posts/211831#comments. I then began to wonder … Does this Assam have a consistent taste profile from year to year? … Should I have blindly ordered 4 oz.?

Per: http://www.smithtea.com/shop/black/assam
“Preparation
For best flavor, bring freshly drawn filtered water to a boil. Steep five minutes. A good time to practice the sitar.”

Note: The incomplete instructions do NOT specify how much tea or water. Is one supposed to assume 1 tsp. (level, rounded, heaping?) and a 6 oz. teacup, an 8 oz. cup, or something larger?

Given boychik’s warning and the incomplete brewing instructions, I was now less certain how much I would enjoy this Assam.

Leaf: Thin twisted dark chocolate-brown leaves 1.5 cm long or less with many golden tips.
Fragrance: Rich high-quality pipe tobacco
Liquor: Clear brilliant copper
Aroma: Malt, caramel & sweet potato – ah!
Flavor: Malt, caramel, honey

1 tsp. (2.6 g) / 8 oz. / 212F / 5 min:
Aroma: Robust and malty.
This is a smooth, rich, malty and satisfying Assam. However, the malty flavor overshadowed any hint of caramel and there was woodiness at the end of the sip.

Having not yet achieved the same results as LiberTeas, I then looked at previous tasting notes for this Assam and tried the following brewing recommendations:

Scribbles: 1 tsp. (2.6g) / 8 oz. / “just off boiling” (I used 208F) / 5 min:
To my taste buds, the bold malty Assam still overshadows the caramel. Near the bottom of the cool cup, the sweet caramel was more obvious. There was a dry finish with some astringency near the front of my tongue. Fortunately, the woodiness was no longer present with the lower temperature.

Resteep:
6 & 7-min. – not yet. 8-min – ? 10-min. produced a light-bodied cup with a similar flavor profile.

Nicole: 1.5 tsp. (3.5 g) / 10 oz. / 205F / 2.5 min:
Aroma: Malt with hints of both caramel & sweet potato – ah!
This preparation provided a bold, rich, and malty with a definite caramel sweetness and a dry finish. The cup was very invigorating.

Terri HarpLady: 1 tsp. (2.6g) / 8 oz. / 212F / 3-4 min:
3 min. produced a rich, smooth, full-bodied malty Assam with a yummy caramel sweetness. There was no hint of bitterness and minimal astringency. As the cup cools there is a honey-like sweetness. Very satisfying! Now we’re talking!! Terri’s experience reviewing this tea 12 times truly paid off!

Resteep: Not recommended.

Impression: I’m very pleased to have finally found exactly what LiberTEAS so accurately described in her tasting note. No. 49 is apparently consistent and definitely Carmalicious!

Thanks to all who contributed detailed brewing tips in their tasting notes or the comments of the No. 49 Assam FTGFOP1 thread. Your guidance was very helpful for this tea especially given the incomplete brewing instructions.

Recommendation Not having to discover the optimum brewing parameters through “trial & error” would be very helpful and greatly appreciated. Having to do so is very inefficient, wastes valuable tea, and IMHO impairs the progress and joy of tea exploration. In retrospect, it’s a very good thing that I ordered 4 ounces!

My favorite tea suppliers evaluate each crop / batch of tea every year to determine the optimum brewing parameters. This insures the best possible first impression of their tea, greatly increases customer satisfaction, and thus increases word-of-mouth advertising – the best form of advertising that money can’t buy. You never have a 2nd chance to make an Outstanding First Impression.

Method:
RO water re-mineralized with an Aptera filter http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/39532-puregen-aptera-alkamag-water-filter
http://steepster.com/teaware/teavana/39311-perfect-tea-spoon
http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/37731-my-weigh-durascale-d2-660-digital-scale
Brewed western-style conveniently in a tea mug with a brew basket http://steepster.com/teaware/royal-albert/45581-old-country-roses-afternoontea-mugs
http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/29177-finum-brewing-basket
http://steepster.com/teaware/teavana/39312-perfect-preset-tea-timer (for 212F brewing)
http://steepster.com/teaware/davidstea/36677-thermometer-and-timer

I decided to kick start my day with a cup of this malty caramelly deliciousness. I haven’t been wanting assams very much lately, and I have quite a few of them to get through. I think once I finish up the last of my assam I’ll leave them out of cupboard for a while. I find sometimes they are a little too much for me.

This morning, however, this one hit the spot. I can’t believe how much caramel is present. If I added sugar, it would probably come across as a little syrupy. I found some floral, but more in the aroma than in taste, and it went away after a while. Or maybe I just got used to the aroma.

The first steep I let go for 5 minutes. I thought it would be too long, but it turned into a quite a flavourful cup. After such a long first steep I wondered if I would get a second steep out of it, but it was just as delicious. I kinda forgot about it, and steeped longer than 5 minutes. I noticed some bitterness in the second steep as the cup cooled, but I kind of expected that.

Gratitude and thanks to looseTman for providing the sample.