1403 Tasting Notes
Every time I would pass by the Blue Hour booth at the tea festival here, I would get a sample of their freshly steeped in soy milk chai. Seriously delicious.
I’ve been off dairy, except for the occasional tiny and brief indulgence, for months. I don’t tend to use dairy substitutes such as soy, almond, or coconut milks all that often, so I don’t usually keep them at home. All that is a preamble to say that I steeped this and am drinking it straight up and unsweetened. Despite the killer humidity out there still and yet again.
Straight up, this is a swift and hearty kick in the pants spiced slightly sweetened tea. Surprisingly delicious, even without something to make it creamy.
Flavors: Spicy
Preparation
This is a spectacular cup. So very smooth with several levels of something approaching chocolate made with oodles of clotted cream.
Thank you, Tigress_al, for sharing this stellar thing. Delicious.
Edit—The first two steepings were truly truly lovely, but the third one just didn’t make it. I wonder whether it is the age or the tea. It doesn’t matter really because the first two were over the top memorable and for that, I am profoundly grateful.
Flavors: Chocolate, Cream
Preparation
How I miss this one! And Butiki in general…
Lord, but it’s THE Assam of Steepster.
Sadly, I got involved in swirling vortex of tea obsession just one month after Butiki closed. How sad is that!
I am on my third steeping, though currently it is still too hot to drink. I can’t be sure, but I imagine that the third cup will still be more than lovely.
This day of tea has enthralled me to the extent that off I went seeking a premium grade Taiwanese Assam to satisfy myself with. Any ideas?
On that journey, I discovered that that Jin Xuan you like by What-Cha, Daylon R. Thomas, is on sale. So, your time is now.
I joined around the same time: just one month after it closed. Ironically, this caused me to go on a search for high end Taiwaneese Assams beginning with What-Cha. I’m not sure if they have any in stock, but I have written a few reviews on them here. Two other places to look are Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company, maybe Zen Tea, Taiwan Sourcing, and Taiwan Tea Crafts. There might be better answers, but that’s what I can do for now. And yeah, I hoped onto that sale recently.
Apparently, I’m the only one who wrote on it so far.
http://steepster.com/teas/what-cha/68824-taiwan-sun-moon-lake-assam-black-tea
I have not idea how it will compare.
Thanks for the recommendations, Daylon! I may have to try a Sun Moon Lake Assam sometime soon.
Thanks, Daylon, for the list! And hold me back, Taiwan Tea Crafts alone has seven, SEVEN, Sun Moon Assams. Yeah, way expensive hobby.
That’s why I posted the one with the high review. If they are available on What-Cha, I’d personally go with them since you are going to get a tea good either western or gong fu. And it’s one of my favorite companies.
But seriously, the lot number is missing, so there is no telling which one it is. This will be my first order with them, but you had sent me a couple from them in your care package, which I am still enjoying.
Err, sorry, the lot numbers are on TTC, not What-Cha. I didn’t notice that What-Cha had any Assams currently in stock. Or I was blinded by the high mountain oolongs, or something.
The initial sip didn’t thrill me. The harsh orange lemon against the black tea caught in the throat and seemed mismatched somehow. After I added a spoon of honey, the flavours mellowed to caramel citrus fruit with a whisper of spices. Nice tea. Very happy to have pulled out the honey.
After a few days of lovely breezes and gentle sunny days, the humidity is creeping up from today to intolerable levels tomorrow: feels like 40C prediction. Kill me now.
Flavors: Lemon, Lemon Zest, Orange, Orange Zest
Preparation
This morning’s tea is a fifty-fifty blend of this and 52teas Pineapple Marshmallow black tea. I have approximately the same amount of both left and they are both approximately the same age: well under a year old but creeping.
The mix of the two is a successful one. Both teas are improved by the additions of qualities of the other, resulting in a smoother bright pineapple softened by both coconut and marshmallow.This cup is definitely more delicious than the one that I had the other day. The black tea base is a bit more feisty and that delights me.
I might experiment with adding a bit of a good kick in your pants black tea to delight me even further. Any ideas?If you are not looking to overwhelm your other flavours, I would add something that is more texture based than flavour based, like an Assam. I find it good for blending because it is usually. Rey smooth and not astringent, with muted flavour notes that don’t overshadow anything you add it too. Disclaimer: I have only blended it once with Vanilla Cacao, so I don’t have a ton of experience here!
Convincing nonetheless. I’ll give Assam a try. Thanks!
Like an orange vanilla cream creamsicle. I like it. It even leaves that slightly tart effervescence on the tongue like after eating an orange.
Flavors: Cream, Orange, Vanilla
Preparation
Yum!
I always find blood orange teas loose their flavour so quickly. Yummy while it lasts! :)
How quickly do you mean?
I’ve had a few. They always seemed to change in quality within a few months or so. but they’d always been rooibos (when other rooibos from the same store lost it less quickly). I’m curious whether it was the base or the flavour now
The fruit teas hang on to flavour far longer. Rooibos, I find, generally dissipates its added flavour quickly.
I need to continue being aware of this and sip down accordingly. talking to myself
Ha. I just need to stop buying so much, especially now that I drink far less
Started the day off at the local Saturday market with the buzz of children and the hum of activity. Had a stellar spelt waffle with peaches and maple syrup for breakfast with the punch of caffeinated black tea.
Thankfully, the killer humidity has given way to lower temperatures and breezy sunshine. It is so nice, so nice. I wandered around a bit after breakfast. Bought some field tomatoes and mixed greens for an evening salad. Left the market for the health food store to stock up on a few staples.
At home, the neighbourhood construction has quieted down, but the end of summer Air Show from the National Exhibition continues. These planes flying by every three minutes is such an end of summer signal. I ignore the plane tricks, but the sound alone indicates that either we are about to be invaded or school is about to start.
Chilling out here with a cup of this delight. I needed a break from the caffeine and this is just perfect. It’s like a mix between real watermelon and honeydew. Perfect thing to be sipping on a beautiful day in shorts and a tank top with the fan nearby for effect.
Flavors: Melon
Preparation
I love the sound of the planes going by. I always try to rush to a window or outside to get a glimpse of them. But you’re right. It is the signal of the end of summer. I enjoy the cooler air but do not look forward to winter.
I am hoping that we will have a few mild days before the next blast of extreme weather. Oh for those in-between seasons that we have so little of.
Sounds like a lovely day!
What a lovely Saturday for you, Evol. :)
It really was full of moments of loveliness.
I’ve been drinking this one for the past few days, trying to find my way around it as it is a tricky tea. To avoid the soapiness, I underleaf and that seems to do it.
The pineapple has become a muffled whisper. Not quite memorable.
I purchased this tea in December, so it is nowhere near a year old, or possibly approaching that age if I bought it on sale. As it is fading quickly, I am trying to move through it in the coming days.
The fading pineapple has been frustrating me, so today I added a bit of Camellia Sinensis’ One Night in Rio, a pineapple coconut black tea blend: fifty-fifty ratio. That did it. The pineapple has brightened up while the coconut and marshmallow give it a softer rounder feel. The only thing missing now is a tea base with a bit more backbone.
Yum. This reminds me of Zen’s Earl Grey Cream. Delicious for two whole steeps, but with the exception of the snowflakes in Herbal Infusions in the dry leaf and the fact that this Canadian company, in my city yet, charged me in American dollars, I don’t notice a difference. Snowflakes, yay! Charging Canadians in Canada in American dollars, wtf, boo! BOO!
Perhaps I need to do a side by side taste test. One day. Won’t change my mind about a repurchase though.
Flavors: Bergamot, Cream, Marshmallow
Preparation
I was all set to try and get some of this for my Earl Grey loving wife, but a Canadian company charging Canadians USD? Nope!
Huh, I wonder what the logic behind that is.
We have been on the same wavelength lately when it comes to tea. First Pineapple Mimosa and now this :P
Also, I love this tea but Herbal Infusions is a terrible company so when my bag of this is gone, that will be the end of it which makes me sad as this is the one earl grey I actually enjoy. Alas, shitty customer service in addition to the whole American dollars thing while in Canada is just not worth it :(
The logic is apparently something to do with the online business, not just this brand name, is running something or other in the States and the registration blahblahblan. It’s been a while since I asked, but truly, I wasn’t all that convinced with the answer.
Not Pineapple Mimosa, perhaps another one. Hive mind?
Now that the physical store is gone, they are pretty much doing what they want. The vendors are unreliable, ie. flakey, at markets too.
Lol I think in my sleepy state I confused your note with another person’s note about Pineapple Mimosa. Oops.
And the really just do as they please which has led to many customers being dissatisfied. Maybe not the best sales plan I have ever seen tbh.
Hmmm I’m not an EG girl at all but even I wanna try this one. Not badly enough to pay in USD though.
Honestly, it is not wow enough to go out of your way for though the leaf is pretty. Zen’s Earl Grey Cream is the way to go, imho. I can send you a bit of both to try if you like.
Will this blasted humidity ever end?
I went out for a brief slow walk after brunch today and feel like I’ve been wrapped up in saran wrap after having taken a steam bath. I lie here sticky and prone in front of my fan and hope for rain. Soon.
The tea is a bright spark though. Berry goodness.
The ingredients are the following: Black tea, rooibos, orange peel, dried apple, strawberry and papaya pieces, coriander seeds, flower petals, blackberry leaves and natural flavours.
Good lord, this is good. All the dark luscious berry fruits in perfect harmony underscored by all the other ingredients. All the other flavours disappear into the deep natural berry taste and loveliness. Did I mention really lovely? I am drinking it hot and lukewarm and plain, with no additives. However, I imagine that sweetened and iced, it would be a real winner as well.
Flavors: Berries, Black Currant, Blackberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry
Preparation
It’s starting to feel like we will have this horrid weather forever. It’s the humidity like this that makes me not complain about our winters. I will take the cold any day.
You and me both.
Eww, nasty weather woes.
Sooooo glad I’m missing the ’ve got a bit here but only after it rains heh.
Where are you, Sil? And lucky you! Today seems to have lightened up a bit. Hope that it continues so.
We spent a week in Vermont and now we’re in New Hampshire in the white mountains. Tons of hiking and being in the forest.
Omigoodness, that sounds glorious. Good to hear that you are having a blast. And drinking tea.
Or rather, still managing to drink tea and check in.
I’m with you about the never ending heat and humidity. I’m dreading our hydro bill as the air conditioning has been running all summer long.
No air conditioning here though this summer has moved me towards changing this despite the cost to my finances and to the environment. It has been unbearable.
Ooooooh, I may have to try and get my hands on some of this, I love egg nog.
It may not taste anything like eggnog unless you actually put eggnog in it.
well boo.
Yay! I’m happy to see Sheldon’s company getting some love :)
I think they were a bit hit here at the festival. I certainly wasn’t the only one swarming them.