149 Tasting Notes

I was in the mood for a green this morning, and also for the pageantry of using my gaiwan (I can only hope that someday my fingers will be graceful…. it really would be a wonderful thing. lol).
I found this tea beyond lovely. :)
Vegetal and sweet, with light sugars leaving such a lasting finish. Elements of cooked spinach and broccoli (properly prepared….not the sulfuric mess of my childhood…) mingled with sugar cane and wakame. And oh that sugar cane! Long after the final sip, the lingering sweetness remains.
I have lost count of my infusions, and I’m still loving this tea.

Preparation
0 OZ / 0 ML
Cheri

Sounds awesome. I need some time to play with my gaiwan.

ifjuly

gaiwan sessions are the best!

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Ok… I’m trying the cold latte thing (even though it scared the pants off me!).
I keep going to sip it, and my brain is saying, “This should be hot!”, but them my taste buds are saying, “yeah, we know, but, it’s really good, so just go with it!”…
I used 8oz of vanilla almond milk with 1/2 tsp of tea, along with a little drizzle of honey, since I figured if I’m going to go out of my comfort zone here, I better go all the way and add a sweetner…. When my metal whisk wouldn’t do the job (I didn’t want to dirty my blender, since I already have a pile of dishes waiting for me…), I used my stick blender to mix it up, and that seemed to work great!
I can see this being something I would crave (like those weird times when I HAVE to have chocolate soy milk, and there’s no getting around it…), and I love that it is totally different from what I’m used to.
I like this matcha better cold than warm, actually…. as I keep sipping, I’m liking it more and more…..

boychik

I felt the same way. Only cold. since I hate milk, imagine me drinking hot milk. Bleh

Marzipan

This sounds almost exactly like a review I wrote not long ago, I felt exactly the same way. I was almost afraid to try it at first, but then I could totally see it as a new craving!

Cheri

It is a great way to have matcha. I keep checking out the Red Leaf Teas site to see what matcha they have on sale, just in case it’s one I want to try as an iced latte. I’ve been doing them for “breakfast” on my way to work.

Marzipan

I put some fruit in my cheesecake mix up and it made it really good.

ifjuly

stick blender to the rescue!

DeliriumsFrogs

Yeah, it’s so weird that I like it cold! I never would have expected to…ever.

Definitely stick blender to the rescue! Whenever I wonder if it will work for the job, I hear you chanting an encouragement, ifjuly. haha Seriously, I think I’d be too afraid to use mine if it wasn’t for you.

And Marzipan, your post about matcha preferences is what really pushed me to try this. Thanks!

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95

I can’t thank Stacy enough for sending this sample my way—it’s glorious!
The aroma while steeping was so chocolatey, with floral hints and warm fruits. I feel like I’ve said this a lot this week, but I couldn’t stop smelling it!
My first sip and I was in love. Caramelized peach with soft citrus notes, along with that round, chocolately base that is so, so delicious, made this a perfect cup of tea.
I could drink this every day and be a very happy lady. :)
The finish is light and bright, just enough bite to be interesting—balanced completely with each flavour progression.

I feel so lucky to have had such amazing teas lately (Butiki orders have a way of making me feel super special…like the kid that’s chosen to take home the class hamster for spring break, or something—I ALWAYS wanted to be that kid! ugh), all so good that they’ve been added to my ‘favourites’ list. This tea is no exception.
It. is. a. favourite.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
boychik

sounds delish

pyarkaaloo

sounds beautiful. lovely review :)

ifjuly

I love the analogy, haha. And I know exactly what you mean about Butikis—when they come I definitely feel that way, and can’t really explain why precisely. It’s uncanny, isn’t it?

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98

Ooooh… this is one of my favourite flavoured teas.
The maple is so natural and balanced, with hints of yeasted waffle dancing around the pecan. mmmmm!!
I was looking for a sweeter tea, since I’m trying to avoid eating the cake sitting on my counter (I’m finally beginning to realize that sugary starches mess with my body big time….), and this is absolutely perfect.
I can always trust that a flavoured tea from Butiki will never taste fake, and I love that. This is perfect. :)

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
ifjuly

i’ve been known to eat the nuts in this one, and enjoyed doing so heartily. hee.

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I’ve been drinking Butiki exclusively for days, and it’s been lovely—-ever since my order arrived, I’ve just wanted to slowly taste everything, taking my time with each tea.
Today, I chose Rolling Thunder, because I sure do love me an Oolong. :)

Oh, hello aroma! This was floral, but jammy—I didn’t want to take my nose out of my infuser basket, actually, but eventually I was able to pull myself away.
I love how the initial taste of currants and soft spice (soft!…hanging out way in the back, but that’s good!) transforms into a bright, citrus finish—it’s so refreshing and makes me want to just keep sipping.
I found it slightly astringent, but in an appealing way, so as to leave a hint of sweetness on the back of my tongue (lovely!).
This tea is complex and layered—-so fun to drink!

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Chocolatey and deep, slightly astringent (the type of astringent you WANT in a ‘breakfast’ type tea…)…..like brown sugar quick bread, with caramelized crispy edges…. smooth and bold.
This was just a sample with my last order, and I drank it as a pick me up before dinner, since my husband wanted to try it as well…. made two cups/steeps, and while I liked the first cup more (that deep chocolate note is incredible…), the second cup was really great, too, with a more pronounced citrus.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
ifjuly

my favorite English Breakfast of all time. yum!

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94

Oh, man, was this exactly what I needed today!
I’m determined to make Ryan a gluten free birthday cake… He had an awesome ice cream cake on Saturday, but his actual birthday is today, and WHAT is a birthday WITHOUT a cake?!
So, attempt one failed…. I need to learn that when a recipe says ‘do not overbake’ that I am not who they are speaking to, since I tend to underbake things anyway….When I went to put the cake on a serving plate, the whole bottom was goo….sad, sad goo.
Attempt two is in the oven now, and I’ve got high hopes. It’s not chocolate (I ran out of cocoa), but the batter was the type that once you licked it, you wanted to KEEP licking it… that should be a good sign. I WILL NOT UNDERBAKE (I need that on a t-shirt).

OK… the tea… It’s been absolutely heavenly in between my baking trials.
As soon as the water hit the leaf, the aroma was amazing…floral, but grounded and earthy. I was in love (LOVE!) with the scent…. The liquor was honey-coloured and so, so sweet…
This tea is bright and crisp, with rock candy, apricot, and buttery notes…almost like an apricot strudel, or something, but with the most lovely floral thing going on. My first cup had absolutely no bitterness at all, and when I resteeped, the notes brought forward were welcomed and so delicious (candied citrus peel!). And the aftertaste…sweet and perfect.
This was just a sample with my last Butiki order, and I am certainly going to have to order more…. this was a favourite. :)

…now, I’ll go check on that cake.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
ifjuly

ugh, i so know what you mean about being a chronic underbaker! i have had the whole “oh hey, it’s molten cake, by accident” discovery too. i suppose i’m so cautious about overbaking sometimes to the detriment of the cake because there are few things culinarily sadder than cake that’s too dry! :O

i love your description of the notes…rock candy, apricot, butter; strudel-y but also floral…YUM! i love the lingering aftertaste in a good darjeeling too; i feel like it doesn’t get enough love sometimes for that. fist bump!

if you are victorious with the cake i would love to know the recipe! i haven’t done enough GF baking…

DeliriumsFrogs

dry cake is horrible….horrible. thanks for understanding. lol

I can’t wait to try more darjeelings, since I don’t know anything about them…the variegated leaf (which is from the process, I guess?) is absolutely gorgeous….the greens and browns all floating together in your cup. :)

The cake DID turn out alright! I just used this recipe, not adjusting anything….sort of sad I didn’t have to use a scale. ha!
http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gluten-free-yellow-cake-recipe/

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It is one grey day out there—not raining right now, but wet and muddy all over, besides that one patch of snow refusing to melt by my walkway. Sooo enjoying that it’s Friday and excited for the weekend. We’re doing Ryan’s (my husband) birthday on Saturday, and I still get excited for birthdays like a little kid….but as an adult it’s extra fun, since you get to be the one throwing up decorations and making food (steak and fries for dinner….Haagen Dazs ice cream pie for dessert—he doesn’t like cake).

ok…on to the tea…. I was really excited to try this, since the description on the website made it sound right up my alley….and it was. :)
Such a smooth mouth feel! (and I love that smooth mouth feel…). Cocoa, roasted carrot and sweet potato, floral and oak (I am definitely picking up the oak note that Stacy talked about… it’s woodsy without being smokey)… and it leaves such a sweet finish on your tongue. This tea is absolutely delightful.

I should probably be nice and share this with Ryan, since it is his birthday and everything…….

*Had to come back to add more to this…. I’ve been drinking this tea ALL DAY (I was planning on trying a cold flavoured matcha, but never got around to it because the leaf in this just kept making great cups!)…. just adding time in about 30second increments. As I resteep, this really bright, crisp flavour emerges… it’s fantastic. It’s so refreshing. I absolutely love how this tea evolves as you resteep. this is a definite keeper. :)

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Butiki Teas

I think I’m more excited about birthdays now that I’m older than when I was a kid too. I hope you guys have fun on Saturday! :)

DeliriumsFrogs

Aww, thanks Stacy! :)

ifjuly

i always preferred ice cream for birthday dessert too. Ryan has good taste (naturally ;).

haha, “i guess i’ll let you have some butiki…it’s your birthday and all..” lol.

ifjuly

(oh and duh, happy Bday to Ryan!)

DeliriumsFrogs

Well, I don’t know how he can’t like cake, but whatevs. :p

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95
My Butiki order arrived this morning (a day earlier than the tracking predicted!), and I tore into the box like a crazed woman; although I did show some restraint by using scissors to get through the packaging tape and not my teeth. It was so hard to choose which tea to try first, but this one has been on my mind since it won the custom flavour contest (and I HAD voted for it…). When I opened the pouch, the scent of the lemon hit me hard, but the cream (oh, the cream!) was backing it up…soft and round, urging me to get my kettle started. The dry tea is so beautiful, as Butiki’s always are, but this one looked extra special….pretty and delicate, but so visually interesting. The scent while it was steeping was insane—like lemon ice blended with a delicate custard, or something… When I removed the infuser basket, the liquor colour was arresting: light (really light!) golden with a slight pinkish hue that disappears as your eyes remain on your cup. I felt like I should’ve been wearing lace gloves while drinking it. :) Then the taste…. The lemon is not overpowering, which was somewhat surprising considering the aroma of the dry leaf. The balance given by the flavour of a baked good—sugary, buttery, cookie-like, is complex and marvelous. I get a ‘lemon cream wafer cookie’ thing going on, but not like the ones out of the bulk bin—I’m talking about ‘imported from a European country’ type wafer cookie…..where the zing of lemon is instantly calmed by the cream frosting and borderline savory crunchy wafer.

I sipped with my eyes closed, letting my memories fill in all the answers to ‘what does this taste like?’….. it was fantastic.
I’ve steeped 4 times now, and I’m still getting a great cup of tea…

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 7 OZ / 207 ML
ifjuly

aaaaaaaaah you know i love that you’re here. yayayayay!!!! :D

ifjuly

now that i’ve calmed down: i love your note! i agree, i like the way the lemon is definitely present but it’s not astringent or overpowering at all, a very creamy soft but pervasive feel, and yes, just like a fancy lemon wafer cookie!

i’m so happy i get to read your impressions of tea now whenever i want. wheeeee.

Sil

Welcome to Steepster! So nice to have more friends of friends on here :)

DeliriumsFrogs

Thanks for the welcome, Sil!! :)
I have the biggest smile on my face… I feel like I’ve walked into a giant, never ending tea party… it’s great!

And MB, I am so excited to have quick access to your tea notes… SO MUCH FUN TO READ! (and boy do I value your opinion…)

Sil

oh it’s a party alright hahaha

Dexter

Welcome to the tea party!!!!
The fact that you might have thought about using your teeth to attack the packing tape is a true sign of your tea enthusiasm. :))

DeliriumsFrogs

Thanks, Dexter!
yeah, I couldn’t get that box opened fast enough… and with Butiki boxes, I tend to leave them opened on my table for a few days with Stacy’s packing slip sticking out slightly, so I can keep walking over to it like it’s a present….. it sure FEELS like a present. :)

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Bio

Oh, tea….
you’ve taken over my life, but I’m ok with that.

I’m pretty new to the tea scene, only drinking tea bags most of my life, but my friend ifjuly really got me into it (that sounds bad…). Butiki, Harney, and Verdant seem to be my ‘go to’ places to order from, but I LOVE trying new teas and companies. The variety is partly why I love tea so much…you can’t possibly get sick of it.
Well, that, and the transporting aroma of each cup…. I love that. It’s why I love wine, and tea does it just was well.

Really want to learn about different tea vendors out there, and about tea in general… it’s all so interesting to me.
I’m really excited to be part of this community and learn from all of you.

I don’t usually sweeten or add milk to my teas, so my notes are based on that….also, the rating system kind of throws me—I’ve always been horrible with giving number ratings to things, so don’t take those as set in stone (Honestly, I usually don’t even use the numbers…).

Everything in my cupboard has at least one serving left in it…I try to keep it updated. :) (I actually just added all my sample sizes to my cupboard, so MOST of the tea in my cupboard is of that ‘sample’ size…)

random info: music and art are pretty important in my life… i also thoroughly enjoy nerdy things like video games, anime, knitting, Doctor Who (the 10th is my favourite…), A Song of Ice and Fire, and random cartoons and such…. and i love, love, love to read. :)

I’m married to my best friend (I’ve known him since I was 15….we were totally going to be in a band together. It was going to be HUGE…), and we’ve got three kiddos. They’re pretty neat, too, even if they try to put sugar in my Verdant tea when they drink it….

Location

Rochester, NY

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