Steven Smith Teamaker

This was a very refreshing tea. The mrytle was a bit more than was strictly required, but was not so out of balance that it destroyed the tea. In general it was a nice well-rounded cup.

Beautiful high quality oolong. Wonderful peachy flavours and light on the palate

This is for the tea sachets, not loose leaf. I spent the weekend in Rochester NY, and my son had mentioned that he was in Wegmans Pittsford store, and there was a huge tea selection. Anyone who knows Wegmans knows they rock. I was already familiar with the brands they were likely to carry, so jotted down a few things to look for before going. Since Pittsford is their “Super” (mega super duper flagship) Wegmans (they are based in Rochester), this was written on my list, since SimplyJen found it at a store here in Ohio. And they had it !!!! (did I mention Wegmans rocks?). I wasn’t expecting the Harney ones (maybe 8 choices) but none I recognized as ones I wanted to try. I managed to leave the store with only 2 teas (very proud) lol. I did put 3 back, after remembering my cupboards back home. For the record, I’ve never seen Steven Smith or Harney at any of the other Wegmans (from smaller to bigger ones). That one also had a “Tea Bar” serving tea by the cup, with what looked like 20-30 selections. Was there after driving all day from Ohio (not in mood to explore further).

Anyway! This tea! Testing with honey (no coffeemate, which is usual for Earls). Fearing bitter, I only steeped 4 minutes, instead of their instructions for 5. There is no bitterness, and the tea manages to be strong and obvious. I’m not picking up strong bergamot flavoring with only sweetener, and I would prefer it stronger. Halfway through cup, going to add some coffeemate sweet cream …

Since I’m used to drinking my morning Earl Grey with honey and creamer, this is a fairer comparison I think. Now I can taste the bergamot “playing” with the cream and giving it more emphasis. I like, but don’t love. But it might be steeped too long for my tastes (the Assam is booming the most). Will re-try at 3.

Wegmans price for 15 sachets (boxed) was $9.99 … does anyone know how the loose leaf compares?

Earl Grey is my favorite tea. That’s why my family bought me this lovely tea. I had tried it long ago, and couldn’t remember the name. Thank goodness for family giving it to me again! The tea leaves are of a better quality than that of other “Sacheted” teas. The aroma of Bergamot was quite strong as well. However, the brewed tea itself was not very strong, and was actually weak. Aside from this, the tea was well rounded, not very malty, and over all a mild-tasting Earl Grey. I would get this tea again, however, it is not my favorite Earl Grey.

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 afternoon…..

I have been checking out all of the produce markets in my area, and to my surprise, one of them stocks a few Steven Smith teas. Score! I was so hoping this was among their offerings, because I am a sucker for a good Earl. Or, I guess it is a Lord for this blend! It has been on my list because my picks for Earl Grey seem to line up pretty well with what LiberTEAs likes in an Earl, and this was one of her favorites. This is the first I have had with an Assam in the base. I quite like this. I can tell a good amount of effort was put into this blend so that the bergamot does not overpower the base, nor the bergamot get lost in the heartiness of the tea base. Could it be in my favorites? Quite possibly. And I have 14 more sachets to figure it out! I will have to check out the other Steven Smith teas I can get locally. (Mustard Seed Market for those in the area…)

Travel mug method…..boiling water, about 14 oz, one individually wrapped sachet (unwrapped, of course!), 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened. YUM!

I’m finishing off the last that I had of this tea in my stash, it is one that will be missed. One of the nicest Assam teas I’ve had. Lovely, rich, malty … caramel-y. YUMMMM!

I’ve tasted many Assam teas during my time as a tea drinker, but I can’t think of any that I’ve enjoyed more than this one. It is amazing. Rich, malty and possessing the most incredible caramel-y tone. YUM! Full bodied and energizing.

When I placed my most recent order from Steven Smith, I wasn’t sure which tea I would choose to accompany the Lover’s Leap… I mean, I couldn’t just order ONE tea, right? Ultimately, this is the tea I selected, and before tasting it I was constantly thinking maybe I should have chosen something else… but no more. I am so very happy with this tea.

This is the king of Assam teas.

I love Green Tea’s and Sencha happens to be my favorite variety. When you first open the bag the tea perfumes your nose with hints of sweet grass. It’s amazing. The tea has a smooth vegetal taste with a hint of steamed rice. It is the perfect drink if you are looking for a pure green tea.

An amazingly balanced Chai Tea. The Ginger and peppercorn add just the right pop to the deliciously earthy Assam Tea. A

I am in love … with this tea!

Oh my goodness. Steven Smith never fails to exceed my expectations. I’m actually all giddy about how good this tea is.

The black tea base is brisk and moderately astringent, well-rounded but not too aggressive. Mellow. Medium-bodied and delicious. The rose adds only a barely-there hint of flavor to the cup: I can taste rose, but it is ever so subtle. The chamomile doesn’t add a lot of flavor to the cup either, but I don’t think that the blend would be quite the same without it. The citrus is the strongest flavor just after the flavor of the black tea itself, but it still has a light crispness to it. It is bright and gently sweet and so delightful.

I am in love.

This tea is not too fruity and not too rooibossy – it’s very smooth and well blended so that not one flavor stands out.

This tea became a good friend of mine over the past few days while I had the flu. It really was comforting, and because I could keep resteeping, I didn’t have to do a lot of work when it came to brewing another pot of it.

This is definitely one of the nicest jasmine teas out there.

I notice that many who have tried this tea have tried it in Sachet form … mine is loose leaf.

This is an excellent jasmine green, but then, that should come as no surprise, as everything that I’ve tried from Steven Smith has been awesome. Sweet, lovely floral essence, but not too overpowering. The jasmine is gentle. The green tea has a lightness to it… after my Keemun just a bit ago, which I would consider to be a very winter-y kind of tea, this tea is very much like springtime, when everything is fresh, green and new.

Loving this.

This is the perfect black tea. With just a dash of 1% milk, it tastes creamy and rich. It goes perfect with breakfast. Yum!

In general I rather dislike bergamot, so was quite surprised to learn that I really enjoyed this brew. It’s smooth and mellow with a citrusy nose and a slightly sweet finish. The assam is definitely in there, but is not overpowering and gives the cup staying power.

Not recommended for resteep.

This oolong is gorgeous. The dried tea leaves look like little bundles. It smells very similar to a good genmaicha (Japanese popcorn tea): slightly sweet, woody, delicious. Once brewed, its flavor is hard to describe, just like the last oolong I tried (Townshend’s Tea Company’s Wuyi Mountain Oolong). The color is lighter, but the flavor (after the first brew) is pretty similar. I’m looking forward to the next steep.

Laziness in action is having a ton of tea to choose from…and going with one you brewed yesterday. Even further laziness in action is brewing a tea tailored for icing – hot. I brewed a pot of this just as a normal tea. Strong yet smooth, lightly bergamotty, and a bit of a head-rush. Perfect for the lazy sort running on five hours of sleep on his day off.

I’ve had this stuff for quite awhile, but the only time my brother/roommate and I ever brewed it up was in order to make sun tea. While it handled that A-MURR-ican like a champ, I figured it was time to do it like the instructions said – brewed concentrate, topped off with cold water, then poured over ice.

I think I almost got it. Something tells me I brewed it a little light. However, even with my flub-up, it was still just as “exceptional” as the presumptuous name suggests.