Featured & New Tasting Notes

I think this tea must have been destiny. I won the first Sanctuary T trivia contest and decided that I had mostly enough tea leaves on hand, so I bought tea ware primarily. (I brewed this with the help of my oh-so-cute wooden sandtimer!) But this was the one tea I made the exception for, and I’m so glad I did. The flavor is a little hard to describe — if I could be completely fanciful I’d describe it as “genmaicha’s big sister”. It has a similar warm and toasty feel with a slight sharpness similar to green tea. I’m not a big green tea fan, and it’s not too strong here. The flavor reminds me of genmaicha, but a bit richer and deeper, and not quite as rice-y. For me, this is perfect. I think in addition to the food suggestions above (fried + basil/garlic) that this one would also go well with some slightly spicy foods, and probably smoky as well. I think it’ll be a great drink when I try out my Smoky Black T-Dust.

Lupicia’s Strawberry & Vanilla has a strong perfume scent coming from the dry leaf. It makes me think of Bath and Body Works’ fruity sprays. Kinda artificial, but not at all unpleasant.

This tastes like those prepackaged strawberry milk drinks. It’s very sweet and creamy. There’s barely any flavor from the green tea; it’s completely buried under the strong strawberry note, which does not taste like the strawberries found in nature. It’s more syrupy, I guess. Does that make sense?

I like this, but I don’t love it. It definitely works better as a cold beverage, but I’d drink it either way.

At last, I have reached what I hope will be the pinnacle of my coconut journey. I’m really excited to try this one given all the love it has here on Steepster.

Also excited because I can’t remember whether I’ve had Nilgiri before. It might have shown up in a blend somewhere along the line but I don’t recall ever having tasted it straight before.

The coconut in here, being toasted, looks different than the coconut in other blends I’ve tried recently. It’s in long thin strips that look a little like flower petals in tea. The Nilgiri leaves are big, dark and sort of coarse looking. The fragrance of the dry mix is intense. Very volatile, almost alcohol-smelling.

After steeping I can really smell the tea more than coconut, though there’s a coconut note there, for sure. The tea’s aroma has a really pretty floral note to it that I wasn’t expecting. The liquor is medium-light amber.

I should say that I steeped this according to Premium Steap’s directions and put it at boiling rather than at a lower temperature, which I’ve been doing with other flavored blacks, mostly because it seems sometimes to bring more flavor out. Other times it doesn’t or doesn’t make a difference. But I wanted to go according to the book the first time with this one.

And yes, there’s a difference in flavor between toasted and nontoasted versions of coconut black tea, though not as much as I had expected, and though I’m not sure how much the Nilgiri contributes to the mix since I’m rather a Nilgiri neophyte. I have to say the American Tea Room version was pretty impressive notwithstanding its nontoastedness. That said, I’m really enjoying the macaroon flashes I’m getting from this, especially as the tea cools and especially in the minutes after sipping.

To me, the most impressive part about this is the blend. It’s not a black tea with coconut sitting on top so much as it is a tea that seems to be imbued with coconut flavor. Like they can’t really be separated from each other. I’m always pretty impressed by teas that manage to do this as it seems much more difficult to accomplish than just flavoring tea (though I have no idea whether this is true, it just seems that way because it’s rarer than an obvious flavoring).

The true test of this one will be tasting it in isolation without earlier coconuts still in my tastebuds’ memories, but so far it’s in front, with the ATR close behind. I could see this and the ATR coexisting in my cupboard much in the same way I can see The du Loup and Florence coexisting as though they’re similar, they’re different enough to be… well… different.

I drank some more of the Adagio Coconut sample earlier and had intended to try this back to back but got hung up on a phone call and wasn’t able to do it. So I’m comparing by memory rather than by direct back to back tastings.

The coconut pieces in this sample are huge compared to those in the Adagio. The samples smell different too. It’s funny, today I’m getting a sort of chocolatey note from both of them, and the Adagio is sort of the milk chocolate version of Mounds while the ATR is more a dark chocolate version. The coconut in the ATR is a little more green smelling than in the Adagio and since I thought the Adagio was a bit on the green side when I prefer that toasty macaroon coconut flavor, I’m wondering whether this will hold true after steeping.

The aroma has a dark character with respect to the tea and a green character with respect to the coconut. The liquor is almost a mahogany color. I’m guessing this is at least in part a Ceylon base.

Even though the flavor isn’t exactly toasty, there’s something about it I’m quite enjoying. I think it’s the fact that even though this isn’t a chocolate flavored tea, there’s a definite cocoa note, which makes this taste more like chocolate/coconut than plain coconut. There’s a slight sweetness, especially in the finish, and a pleasant aftertaste.

I prefer this to the Adagio, though I’m still not sure how I feel about coconut on it’s own as a flavoring agent. I tend to like my coconut with something else, be it chocolate, pineapple, coffee flavor, etc. I’d probably buy a chocolate/coconut blend over this, but if that wasn’t available, this would be a rather good substitute.

Freebie teabag from Lupicia. This is fruity. Like FruitStripes gum (what I remember of it) fruity. I can’t really pull out any individual fruit tastes – it’s just one big flavor of sweet, almost candy-like fruity. It doesn’t taste synthetic or anything, so points for that. But there’s an astringency from the green tea base that I just don’t love. Maybe that dryness would work better with the sweet fruit flavor if chilled, come across as a crisp & refreshing type taste, but hot it just doesn’t mesh great for me.

Ultimately, this is drinkable and not horrid but it’s not something I’d pick up for myself. If they had this flavor with a black tea base… now that I’d probably give a try.

I always think it is interesting when you try a new tea and you like it enough, but it doesn’t blow you away….until later on you realize that you are craving that tea, so maybe you like it more than you initially thought. I was really craving this tea last night but it was late and I picked rooibos instead. I woke up today and was considering this tea when I saw wombatgirl drinking this – I knew, it was a sign, I needed to drink this tea!
Today it appears that I used more pearls than yesterday (even though I measured out the same 2 teaspoon serving, maybe I should have weighed it) and I think this is the way to go! The tea has a broth-like feel that almost has a buttery aspect to it without the butter flavor. The jasmine is very smooth and I’m starting to kick myself for not trying jasmine pearls sooner. I think I may need up up the rating, but I will not do so unless:
1) This tea can hold up nicely to several infusions (the more, the better)
2) The next time I have this tea I feel the same way – I don’t want to up the rating if my feelings about it today are a product of my mood or if I can not replicate the brothy fullness I’m getting today.

I am having a hard time writing this review. This tea makes me think of nothing more than sitting outside on a sunny day in the short grass. Sun is shining on your face, and the sweet scent of the lawn washing over you. There even may be a hammock involved. All of that in just a little cup of tea. Bliss. It’s a lovely image, and a really nice cup of tea. Very mellow, smooth, just a hint of astringency at the finish, just making you want to take that next sip all the sooner. It has a hint of sweetness in the aroma – I can see where Rishi finds the “sweetly toasted chestnut” from it’s product description. There are no stand-out notes in this tea for me – just a blended mellowness that I’m really enjoying. I have a feeling that drinking this on a cold, snowy December might instantly transport you to a very spring-like place.

Unfortunately for this review – outside it’s a beautiful sunny day, and there actually is a hammock. Both the cup of tea next to me, and the entire back yard are telling me I need to take this tea outside and sit and enjoy it in the sunshine. I don’t think I can hold out any longer.

(originally posted at http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/553/tea-review-rishi-tea-jade-cloud-organic-fair-trade-green-tea/)

I’m sticking with green teas today – Japanese in the morning and Chinese in the afternoon. Don’t know if it was coincidence or subconscious, but both of them feature nutty/roasty flavors in significant measure, so it’s been nice to contrast them on the same day. I think I may have had the water a touch too hot for this though – it was noticeably more bitter than the last time I had it. Still enjoyable, but I’ll be more careful next time.

Forgot to log the other night…thanks for this LiberTEAS! I really liked this! Wonderful blueberry and a nice amount of jasmine without going overboard! Nice relaxing tea!

I purchased this tea some time ago, but, as I’ve often said – I have so many teas in my possession that I haven’t yet tried! No time like the present to give this one a try.

The leaves are beautifully golden… and they brew a deep gold/brown liquor that is absolutely delightful to the tongue. Everything I love about a Yunnan is in this tea – Sweet with a hint of peppery spice, smooth… and absolutely delicious.

Oh so pleasant.

I love all the flavors of this tea, swirling together and creating the perfect harmony. The earthy pu-erh flavor gives a great base to the tea, while the other flavors (mint, cinnamon, and vanilla) provide depth and intrigue.

I’m also dying to try a recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate on the Rishi website:
http://www.rishi-tea.com/Recipe-VanillaMintHotChocolate.php

Has anyone tried this recipe? How is it?

Normally I would never think of trying this. I like chocolate but have never had a tea with chocolate in it…But I have a sample…so here it goes….
First, the smell is quite chocolatey. The taste is an equal combo of rooibos and hot chocolate. the chocolate taste becomes stronger if you leave it on your tongue for a few seconds. Strawberry is absent for me.
If you like rooibos and teas with chocolate in them, you may like this one.
I still maintain that chocolate and tea should be enjoyed seperately.

Another cup of this for the afternoon. Unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to bring any milk or cream into work, so I’m having it straight up. Not quite as yummy as it is with milk and sugar, but still quite good. There’s a really nice balance between the tea and chocolate flavors. I let it go a minute too long in the steep so there’s more astringency than last time I had it, but it’s still a very good afternoon tea.

I think this may be the first peanut-flavored tea I’ve tried, although I’ve had almond, hazelnut and chestnut teas before. The nuttiness is pleasant, but it is not strong. It balances with the rooibos flavor but doesn’t transform/transcend it into a truly peanut butter beverage.
I can’t detect the strawberries, so I think calling this “PBJ” isn’t quite right because there isn’t any jamminess. :(

I’m glad this is caffeine-free, because I need more evening teas, but I can’t help but wonder if the PBJ would taste better with a different tea base since the rooibos seems inclined to overpower it?

I am super excited about this tea! I’m writing this as I go…
It arrived yesterday with my kiwi berry tea, and unfortunately for it, the delicate smell was overpowered by the tisane. I’ve been desperate to get it alone! Looking at the bag, the leaves are quite small, and there are not a whole lot of jasmine flowers in there.
Tea Oh! teas do not come with steeping instructions. They recommend using steep.it
So, I boiled the water, and let it cool for about 7 minutes and then steeped a small teaspoon in a cup of water for just over 1 minute. This seems short? But what do I know! This is my first time steeping Japanese green tea.
There is a slight grassy smell, but not fresh grass. It’s like dry grass, but not hay. Eesh. I can definitely smell the sweet flowery jasmine. I can barely wait for it cool down!
Ah, it tastes almost exactly as it smells, except there is no noticeable grassiness. It is quite floral, but not too much for my tastes. It is smooth like a white tea, but heavier, and there is a little after-twinge on the tongue. Lovely!

Let me first say, this tea is delicious…close your eyes and just drink it. But, I’ve got to bust Golden Moon’s chops for relying on “spice oil”. You see, I’ve had this type of Chai from a company (who’s name I dearly wish I could remember) who used the real, whole spices to make it. GM’s attempt is more like camouflage for the “spice oil”. I searched the tea sample and found 1 1/2 cloves, five “bits” of cinnamon, four empty cardamon pods, and one cardamon seed. The cardamon pods are big and noticable, but useless…they’re like putting in corn cobs, all filler and no value. The rest of the spices were real but, in my opinion, were window dressing for the real flavoring, the spice oil.
This made a nice, drinkable tea when steeped as a black tea, and the windows were well dressed ;-)

Ahhhh my pouch is mislabeled as White tea, and I kept sniffing this bag and going ‘you know, this looks awfully dark for white tea’. Thanks for clearing this up, Steepster :) I have been enjoying my black teas in the morning and this one has made its way to the top. In the bag it smells of delicious angel food cake. The bag also says to give it a long steep time, so I am going to give that a shot.

Okay, this really is delicious brewed hot. This is the next candidate for my steeping in steamed soy milk with a touch of honey. It’s just desserty enough to be good for that. I’d love to see this flavor combined with decaf earl grey to make an amazing after dinner treat. Anyway, it retains its sweet -nilla wafer/angel food taste very well.

This is probably my favorite of all the green teas I have ever tried. Very versatile. It doesn’t taste too “green” (bitter might be a better word there). I feel it’s smooth and not too mellow. I like it iced and hot, sweetened or not. It’s a nice one to mix with florals or herbs. I have used it to make a nice remedy for sinus infections/congestion and have mixed it with clay to make a facial!

Another delightful tea courtesy of the quiet life!
Wow, they picked the correct name for this tea. It smells just like a caramel cookie – so of course I’m having this with milk and a touch of sugar (who can have cookies without milk?)

This tea is smooth, rich, and includes a hint of a crust-cookie-like taste that adds a bit of balance to all the sweet flavors present in this tea. Even though this tea appears to be mostly CTC, it does resteep decently (as long as you keep the first infusion to around 3 minutes). I can only have one rating of 100 for the dessert tea category, and Marco Polo will perhaps have that distinction forever, but this tea is a close second!

There are pink pepper corns in this? really? Except for the fact that I can see them I would have had no idea what so ever.
This tea is faintly chocolate and faintly banana. Not a strong flavor at all… but it’s ok.
I can’t believe I don’t have more to say about this one. The rooibos is fine… the flavors make sense…
There you go?

First, “Thank you” Tea Valley for sending me a sample of this georgeous tea!

I had this review posted in the wrong place. I am reposted to keep this centrally located. Sorry about the error.

I truly loved the simplicity of this tea. It is strange but although it is complex in that it is slightly sweet, a bit earthy, vegatal, with a mild roasted finish. It is simple because all the flavors are perfectly balanced and creates a delicious flavor all on it’s own. I truly enjoyed this tea and feel everyone should try it at least once. It is one of those teas that can be enjoyed every now and again as a treat. Like a fine wine it must be had on special occasions or when you just need the world to stop for a brief moment of peace. A great tea indeed!

The weather is grey. I need to recharge, so I took a bag of this out (I only have 5 left).

I am thinking of changing my rating system. Normally I just look at the smileys, check what tea I think is better or worser than the tea I am rating and rate after that.

But what tea would go to 100 points?
An extraordinary one I guess. Like this one.
I can’t pin down why it’s so good. It just is. There is so much going on in the mug. A sour/maltyness that reminds me of coffee, a saltyness that should be disgusting but instead taste pleasant. A certain depth. Someone wrote “They keep saying that this taste like wet stones, but what does wet stones taste like?” To me the taste of wetstone would be like the taste of the air in a sauna. This tea has a note of that.

If I read this: “This tea taste malty, sour and salty with a hint of wetstone”…
Well I wouldn’t buy it. But it taste great!

100 it is.

Part of the Indian tea sampler. (The Adagio black sampler taught me that I prefer Indian over Chinese, now I’ll learn which Indian tea I prefer. Good deal.)

I’ll have to remember to use one of my white cups next time, because the color coming out of the teapot spout looked much darker and more red than I’m used to, and I’d really like to see it. The flavor was very rich, very smooth and pretty malty. I’m a fan.