Steven Smith Teamaker

My first cup of the day, enjoyed with breakfast.
Some teas don’t go well with food, especially with a robust breakfast like a bowl of beef, cauliflower, & collards soup (yes, that’s the kind of stuff I eat for breakfast, & my body feels fantastic for doing so).

This is actually everything a breakfast tea should be! The combination of bold Assam, earthy Keemun, & bright & fruity Ceylons gives this a very well rounded out balanced flavor. I’m not usually a fan of Ceylon teas much, especially in the morning as they tend to make my stomach hurt, so I could never drink this on an empty stomach, but with breakfast it is perfect! It really holds its own! I think this just became my favorite ‘breakfast blend’, or at least one of them. :D

This is a serious blend of teas! Very bold, very bright, very earthy. When I think of a ‘Breakfast Blend’, this is the kind of cup I’m thinking of. It’s a little on the astringent end & considerably brighter than what I usually go for, but as far as blends go, this is pretty awesome!

Sil Sample Sipdown Thanks!
I needed something a little bolder before heading out into the garden.
This tea is actually pretty intense! It has a very wine-like character to it, very bright, but also a nice bass note as well. Very tart & tangy, quite bold, but a little more astringent than I usually go for. Definitely packs a punch of caffeine, & Leif & I headed to the garden to work on the terracing project that I’ve been contemplating for a few years & avoiding, lol. Hopefully I’ll have some photos up on my FB later this evening.

Yay! Sil you are awesome!
I just got home from Tony’s. Gotta get ready for a wedding reception this evening, & there was a surprise present from Sil, Yay!
This is not my first cup of the day.
Before I drank this I had some of the 2nd flush Assam from Zen Tea that Cavocorax sent to me, but I didn’t log it because I didn’t see a page for it. Is it the Assam Mangalam Cavo?
I also had a cup of Ahmad’s English Breakfast, because Tony has some there & I figure I should drink a cup once in awhile until it’s gone.
I also drank a cup of Bilbo Brew while I was watching the St. Louis Cardinals kick the San Fran Giants’ butts! YEAH!

Then I came home to find Sil’s parcel & immediately made a cup of the Brahmin, which I wanted to try. It’s quite bold! Very full & flavorful, a little sharp around the edges, somewhat astringent, but good. I feel that it also packs a pretty good punch, as my energy field is quite lit up now. Time to load up & go play some music for the masses!

Tried this while at the teashop too. The smell is very rich and a tad smoky, the actual tea flavor isn’t all that rich and smokey, very flavorful though. Enjoyed my cup, but didn’t purchase any.

Sitting at the Steven smith headquarters sipping this with the Bean who stole my cookie! Luckily this teas is so good I don’t need a cookie. I’m very excited as there are several teas I’ve never seen here before. Sil & Terri, you’re in for a treat!

This is another one of those things I have been holding on to forever, but I wanted something robust and tasty to have at midnight so I didn’t fall asleep on my paper. Surprisingly this was REALLY good despite being old and in a zippered plastic bag.

So. Much. Caramel. Very malty too but in that ice cream malt kind of way. I noticed Whole Foods has some Stephen Smith tea, but in sachets, but I think I may have to try more anyway and that’s an easy way!

Sipdown!! 201!
LOL, I also gave her this one!
Sil, I hope you are proud of me, sister!

I came across this recipe for making iced Thai Chai. It calls for a homemade coconut milk creamer, which I had to make a half batch of, just to try it out. While I was making it, I started thinking how nice a hot latte would be, & so this tea became the first latte.

The coconut milk has a pleasant oranginess to it, which goes nicely with the Bergamot, & I added a little more sweetness to the cup. Not something I’ll be drinking regularly, but fun to try. I’ll let you all know how the iced chai comes out once everything cools down.

Someone mentioned this tea yesterday & I said that I kind of liked it, in spite of my tendency towards an aversion to bergamot. There are a few acceptable earl grey’s & this is usually one of them, but today… :p

In all fairness, I overleafed it a bit, so I’ll drink it again in a week or so, just to be nice. Sweetened with stevia & diluted with coconut milk creamer, it was better.

What I know I like about this one is the deeper Assam base, & the bergamot is natural, not some phony phlavor.

Home from my performances, I’m enjoying a cup of this. Although I’m not always a fan of bergamot, I am a fan of Steven Smith, at least of the teas from him that I have tried so far (plus, as I’ve said before, I had a crush on a boy once named steve smith, so I can’t help but feel a small bit of nostalgia). The Earl is a little bolder than most, as it includes some Assam along with the usual ceylon. All of the blacks are of high quality, as is the Bergamot oil itself, and that, my friends, makes all the difference. :)

I served this to one of my students today, & he loved it!
Without a doubt, this is the BEST earl grey I’ve tried so far, & although my relationship with the earl has been a little rocky, I’m starting to enjoy my time with him, when he doesn’t taste phony.

One of the thinks I like about this one is the boldness added by the inclusion of Assam!

In an effort to broaden my SO’s horizons, I have been providing him with samples of various Earl Grey’s, since EG is his preferred tea (although he’ll also drink straight black teas).

He loved this one! He especially liked the lingering aftertaste, & his actual words were, “Where can I get more of this?”
Win!

I don’t always get along with Bergamot flavored teas, but lately I’ve been getting them for Tony to sample, since he loves Bergamot, & sampling them myself, & some of them are better than others.
Like other flavorings, Bergamot can be aweful, using chemicals to create the flavor & aroma. I think that’s why some Earls are definitely a “NO” for me, creating an acidic feeling that I hate.

I like this Earl Grey! First off, the base is a mix of Ceylons & Assams, a really nice blend that is a malty, sweet, bright, & smooth, with more substance than your typical Earl. I like that!
Also, the bergamot is REAL bergamot oil from Italy! It says so on the package, which is nice because so many flavored teas don’t really tell you if the flavorings are real or artificial.

One more thing: I steeped this 4 minutes. 2nd steeping was 5, & for the 3rd steeping I combined the leaf from this & #49 for 6 minutes. All 3 cups were awesome, & the bergamot held up nicely into the 3rd steeping.
Admittedly, I don’t always resteep teas, especially flavored teas. I may even try a 4th…

Sipdown #49!!
Confession: I Actually drank this earlier today, but realized I had the opportunity to make it #49, so I held back the posting of it until now!
I had a crush on a guy named Steve Smith a long time ago, & of course, my secret fantasy is that he grew up to be a tea maker! I originally loved this tea, but alas, the magic is over. The last 2 outings with it weren’t as happy as they used to be. One thing about this one, although it is really bold & screams ASSAM, you really have to be careful about going over-board with the amount of tea, or it can be a little too…uh…grapepeely & bright.
Today, it was actually pretty good!

Drinking a pot of this with my breakfast, and I don’t know why, but it has taken on a bitterness that I’m not enjoying. I noticed it the last time I had it, but I thought maybe I was being a ‘bitterness supertaster’ that day. Apparently not. The sweet qualities I had previously enjoyed are also not as present. I’ve never had a tea change like this, & I’m not sure why. It’s not ancient (as in having been in my cupboard for any real length of time), it’s been in an air-tight tin as well.

Die hard tea junky that I am, I went ahead & drank the whole pot, leaving a bitter strip up the center of my tongue. I have enough to drink this a few more times, so I’ll dial back the steeping time next time & see if that helps, although I know for a fact that I’m using the same parameters that I’ve used with this tea all along. NEXT!

Second pot of black tea this morning, & although I have loved this tea originally & still like it, for some reason it hasn’t been as exciting to me the last couple of times I had it. I’m not sure why. I could be that allergies are dulling my senses, or it could be that I’ve become somewhat jaded. Or maybe it’s just that I’m so busy lately I don’t always have time to really appreciate my tea as much. Or maybe all of the above.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian Friends!!!

Tony & I just shared a decadent breakfast of Eggs Benedict with asparagus, crispy potatoes, & all the other stuff, including my kickaxx homemade hollandaise. YUM! A strong & flavorful Assam was required, of course, & this one fits the bill!

Now I’m off to go play a wedding, with a one hour drive in each direction. That will fill my afternoon, but it’s a lovely day, the leaves are starting to turn, & it’s a rather scenic drive.
Savor the moment!

Good morning Steepster!
Did you know that I had a crush on a boy name Steven Smith when I was growing up in San Diego, CA. It was during 4th grade, I think. I like to imagine that he grew up to be a tea proprieter ;)

If he did, he has done well. This in definitely one of my most favorite Assam (along with probably 10 others…they are all so wonderful in their own ways). This morning it is perfect for a slightly cool day & a bowl of breakfast. Bold, malty, sweet, & there is a bright fruitiness to it as well.

Thank you, Steven Smith, whoever you are, for this awesome cup of tea.
I can’t say that #49 is my absolute favorite, because there are just too many wonderful cups of black tea out there to have just one, but in the world of Assams, it is definitely one of my most preferred top picks, & when I woke up this morning, this was the cup of tea I wanted to start my day with. So again, I thank you. :D

This is a bold ASSAM, & today I was really tasting the wine like elements to it. It’s very fruity!

My 1000th Posting on Steepster!
I really felt that I had to pick something especially good to celebrate, but I’ve got about 300+ teas here now, & I love so many of them. I thought about going with one of the new ones, but then I decided I should go with a tea that could represent the end of the first 1000. Still, there are so many that I love LoVe LOVE. In the end, I selected this one because:
a – It’s awesome
b – It’s the first one that popped into my mind
c – It’s a sipdown! At least for that package. I just got another 4oz in the mail to split with Sil, so finishing off the last hoarded cup from the previous bag was a good reason as any, right?

This really is a wonderful Assam, very bold, nicely malty, with a deep fruitiness & sweet caramel essence.

I’ve been hoarding the last bit of this sweet bold & malty goodness for awhile, it’s just so good.
The decision has been made (my apologies to the Steepster 12-step group, I know I’m letting you ALL down, I promise I’ll get back on the wagon soon…just one more…). I’m placing an order today for more of this (for me AND Sil, heh), so I made a 16 oz pot of it to share with a student who likes bold black teas. There we sat, discussing the intricacies of harp playing, technique, etc, sipping our cups & he said, “This is really GREAT stuff!”
I aim to please!

Dear Sil,
Please forgive me, but I really had to have this today. I hope you don’t think I’m drinking it to spite you, as I know you’ve been hoarding that last cup. Drink up, my friend! Drink up & enjoy! Drink up & savor the bold malty sweet wine like awesomeness that this tea has to offer, for the world could end tonight, or there could be a zombie apocalypse, or anything could happen, & it would be a shame for this tea to have gone to waste!
No more hoarding! : D