Featured & New Tasting Notes

Squeeeee! My 52teas order came in today, prompting squeals of joy, immediately followed by choice paralysis. Which do I try first!

I actually decided to go with this one first. (Decide? Not draw randomly? Moi? I know it’s weird, but I actually put some thought into it. Read on, true believers!) Reading people’s reviews of it is what basically put 52teas on the map for me, and made me realize that I would HAVE to order from them even though they do not do samples which is usually a huge turn off for me. >:|

I LOVE black currant, I have mentioned this before, but I’ve found black currant black teas to be largely disappointing. It just doesn’t fit properly, if that makes any sense. But white tea, white tea could be PERFECT. So, high hopes here!

I have to thank 52teas, because I don’t get to use the word redolent often, but when I opened the packet, that is the first thing I thought of. The leaves were redolent with the rich, overripe fragrance of currant. When I poured water over the tea, the fragrance intensified, but now I was smelling fresh currant. That’s right, this tea has power over TIME AND SPACE. Well, maybe just time.

So obviously, by the time I sit down to actually drink it, I am totally stoked. And you know what? This tea totally delivered. The black currant complements the white tea SO well, it’s like the two flavors were made to go together, and somehow even though the currant is very strong and present, it doesn’t overshadow the white tea. Instead, they work together to ROCK MY SOCKS OFF.

I have GOT to try this iced.

The first time I had this tea, I guess I didn’t shake up the bag enough because I ended up with a good fruit flavored green tea, but not much of a genmaicha presence. Today, however, I was a bit more careful when making the tea and am presently drinking a tea that is slightly sweetened genmaicha. Fruity, slightly sweet, nutty, buttery. Almost like the Kettle Corn of tea. I’m really enjoying this as an alternative to traditional genmaicha. I could see myself wanting this tea every so often just to switch things up a bit.

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 4

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
Romeo and Juliet, Act II scene 2

Envision this scene: this tea steps out onto a balcony (go with me here), and I’m on stage looking up at it. Just substitute the word “Rose Keemun” with “Juliet” in the above famous speech and that sums up how I feel about this tea. This tea is my Juliet.

I had pretty much given up on rose teas; they have never lived up to my expectations. Oh, but this tea was a revelation! I am utterly besotted with this drink and how it makes me feel. I’ve had lovelier teas out of the Shakespeare box, but most of them are out of my reach for now (i.e. from France) so I have resigned myself that it’ll be awhile before I can get more. This, on the other hand is just a click away and I very much want more and anon.

This tea is absolutely lovely. It’s the most subtle rose tea that I’ve yet to have. While drinking it it’s a subtle floral Keemun, but then it’s in the aroma where the magic happens — right after the swallow. It’s like a lightly scented rose is just floating through the back of my throat and up into my nasal passages. Well, that doesn’t sound very pretty, but it’s a wonderful sensation. I wish that I could describe it better. It’s very smooth without even a hint of astringency. All other roses that I’ve experienced have been almost harlotesque in comparison to this lady. It’s what I’ve been looking for in a rose tea. TG

TTB Tea #12:

I do believe this may be my 1st bagged white tea.

1 bag (1.91g)/6oz water. I really toned down the water temp for this. Boiling? I don’t think so.

The liquor is… well… apricot color. A muted, dull orange w/ tints of amber, brown, and tan. It’s very rare that a tea’s liquor so closely resembles the flavor.

The aroma is mainly apricot which makes it have jello-like qualities, but the white tea base comes thru to tone that down.

Interesting. It tastes virtually nothing like hot jello which is good. I’m quite picky about fruit flavored teas, especially those w/ a white base, for that very reason… but this is nice. The white tea base is light, but still solid enough that the apricot only sneaks thru instead of yelling “HI! I’M AN APRICOT TEA!” Exceeded my expectations of both a flavored white and a bagged tea of low weight- the weight concerned me since 2.25g of white tea can be over 1TB worth.

This is an ideal dessert/after dinner tea. The box says it is vanilla and caramel flavored, and I was concerned that these flavors might be overpowering or too artificial. Not so. Just a good, smooth cup with a subtle sweetness and nice nuttiness (I think that comes from the rooibos)? I actually didn’t notice the spices until I saw the ingredients here on Steepster. This isn’t a notably spicy tea, just nice and mellow. I like it with soy milk and maybe a bit of sugar, but it doesn’t need much sweetening to bring out the flavor.

While this is not the 100% most fantastic black tea in the world, it carries a lot of memories with it, and that bumps its ranking significantly. This was the tea my husband drank when I first met him and this was the tea that I always remember seeing in his flat when I would visit to keep him company during a health crisis. He would pour boiling water to half-fill a cup and then the rest would be grape juice. This would then have a teabag tucked in it to brew and it was a fabulous drink for both winter and summer. I liked it chilled or kept hot. It became a travelling tea and we would pour it into a jar and take it with us on trips. It appeared at our reception tea. Though I often make the mistake of brewing it too dark, the memories and comforts that this tea brings far make up for any deficiencies it may have in quality or taste. It is a solid tea, good for mornings and for taking on the go, and it is very convenient to find on a store shelf.

Oh, and the figurines are just fabulous. I have so many little pairs of dogs that I’m not sure what to do with them.

Yesterday, I came to the realization that pu-erh and I will never be more than passing acquaintances. There is just something about the strong earthy, hay-like sweetness that comes across as cloying to me. But the citrus in this along with the gingery tingle (one that reminds me of my super-yummy Midel Ginger Snap cookies) gives fantastic balance to that super-sweet pu-erh-ness. The sweetness is there but it is lurking in the smell and under the ginger citrus. In fact, that now-subdued sweetness reinforces the ginger snap feeling. The aftertaste – sweet with a strong ginger tingle and a certain freshness – is the same aftertaste I get from my gingersnaps.

So yeah, this might smell a bit like citrus-scented dirt when brewing (though it smells like delicious citrus-peel citrus when dry) and that just isn’t the most appetizing thing, but this is gingersnap cookie tea for me. So I like it.

PS – I used my entire sample (which was around 5g) in my 10oz cup, so I did go a little heavy on the leaf. Dunno what exact difference that might make but I’d be all for repeating the heavy leafness in the future to make sure I get ginger snap tea.

ETA: The second steep is mostly ginger and pu-erh which is a little disappointing. I miss my clean, fresh ginger snaps.

Well one thing I was curious about was how long the red hot would last and after inspecting the leaves it is gone after one cup. have not made a second cup yet but if this tea is anything like the others from 52teas it will still hold enough flavor for a second cup. Pretty much like the original cinnamon tea I have purchased in the past from them. Not sure the cinnamon red hot candies make much of a difference

I was a bit at a loss on how to brew this one up – I’d never done genmaicha in a bag before, and Den’s steeping guidelines for loose tea of this variety call for boiling water and 30 seconds. In the end I went with boiling water and 90 seconds, and found it flavorful without being bitter at that stage. The aroma is wonderful; really nutty and toasty, with a grassy scent in there too.

The flavor follows that lead, with roasty and toasty up front; reminds me of puffed wheat cereal. Mild astringency, very subtle grassy note. I’ll be interested to see how this compares to Den’s loose leaf of the same variety!

The dry ingredients smell Marvelous!!!!

Most of these ingredients I wouldn’t normally choose in an herbal because I usually don’t care for full flavor tarty herbals…but…I’ll try anything once…

Based on the ingredients and being able to see everything obviously when looking at it…and the powerful smell I really thought this would be tart, but, altho it’s quite juicy and fruity it’s more of a smooth and pleasant herbal and it just maybe because of the green rooibos pairing!? Not sure…but what ever da.u.de did with this blend I sure do like it! So much so that I might just have to say this is my FAVORITE Fruity Herbal I have ever had…and guess what…it has hibiscus in it! BUT…it doesn’t seem to be bothering me! WOW! I’m so surprised with this one!!!! Great job on this!!!! I’m drinking it hot but KNOW it will be great cold/iced too! Again…I just can’t get over how much I like this one (based on the ingredients and my previous attempts with other brands and ended up being not so good) WOW!!!! I’m liking this :)

I’m adding more points to my rating because I’m so blown away by how much I like it based on the ingredients!!!! Seriously! I’m shocked!!!!

We’ve spent the past 24 hours being horridly American, over-eating without remorse. vegetarian Ethiopian last night (with good, thick coffee), vegetarian Chinese for lunch with completely insipid jasmine green tea (in bags?!), and Japanese for dinner tonight (sushi and tataki for me) with excellent shaded green tea (and saki). Now I am sitting on the couch, and groaning quietly to myself, and drinking decaf before rolling my fat butt into bed.

First time having hashiri shincha — first impressions…
I noticed the loose leaf was a nice, dark green color, of mostly whole (rolled up) leaves. Little or no leaf particles. Once steeped, the leaves opened up fully and you could see many veins or stems (I don’t know if I can tell the difference between the two, but I’m pretty sure it was mostly the veins between the leaf and not stems (kuki)).
I steeped it three times for my wife and I, and experimented a little on the 2nd two steepings.

The first steeping I did according to instructions (3 oz water per cup for 1.5tsp leaf). It tasted SO fresh, brisk/astringent, with just a tad bitterness (not too much at all in my opinion, just on the edge). The main flavor was freshness though. I read on his website that they try to process it as little as possible to maintain its fresh flavor, but I had no idea how that would actually translate into the tea…yes, one wouldn’t be exaggerating to say it tastes like spring! (Yes, that is a very ‘artsy’ phrase that I don’t very much like, but it isn’t an overstatement). The description says this has a very young flavor, as if you were picking the tea and steeping it right in the field — though I am no tea expert, I don’t think it could be described any better! The flavor surprised me in that way, even though I was expecting a ‘fresh’ flavor.

The 2nd steeping, I wanted to have a little more sweet flavor, a little more full/umami flavor, so instead of increasing the temperature, I left it at 160, and left it to steep for 1.5 mins instead of just the suggested 30 seconds. It didn’t have as much fresh flavor/astringency, and had a hint of sweetness that was very nice.

The third steeping was good too (I think boiling for 15-30 seconds), but the flavor wasn’t particularly strong.

I look forward to trying this out more and experimenting with the brewing. But for a first try, I liked it a lot and am not disappointed. If I can extract more umami/sweetness from it, then I will be impressed by it’s range of flavor.

This cuppa is a little stronger than normal because what I had in the sample bag amounted to about a teaspoon and a third – so not enough to get two uses out of it. I ended up just shrugging and dumping the whole thing in my mug.

This time I added some skim milk to the tea as an experiment, as many teas have been improved by adding milk or milk substitutes to them. In this case the results were a bit disapointing. The milk make the tea taste very…ordinary. I’m not picking up those berry-like notes anymore and the honeyed/burnt-sugar flavour is somewhat dulled. It’s not bad – it’s still a smooth, nice-tasting Ceylon – but it’s lost much of its uniqueness.

This is the end of my sample, which saddens me. Although I guess really it just means I need to buy more. Anyway, after seeing Rabs’ log from a while back, I decided that I also have to try this iced. I had kind of a stupid amount left in the tin, enough for like, one and a half cups, so I decided to just dump it all into the teapot and dilute it a bit with ice water.

The first steep made me decide against continuing the dilution. It was just “all right.” Pleasant enough to drink, but not some sort of revalation. The second steep, though, I didn’t dilute at all, and HOLY BUCKETS is this good. I would never have guessed that this stuff would taste so good cold, but there’s this sweetness to it now that just goes perfect iced. I’m not getting very much in the way of maltiness, but, come to think of it, when is the last time that you saw sweetness and maltiness in the same room together?!?! Could it be….they are the SAME PERSON? and THEY, which is to say HE (it/she), STOLE DUCHESS MCSNOOTY’S DIAMOND NECKLACE!

Ahem, got a little carried away there at the end. Also, I am now getting malty notes in the aftertaste.

Brewed this in a gaiwan. It’s amazing how much it really does smell and taste like sticky rice. The first steeping was a bit too astringent but all of the other ones (I think I must have done around 6 or so) were very nice.

This is one of my favorite Dragonwell Teas. I did not brew it “traditionally” – that is, I did not allow the tea leaves to become turgid. I have found that when I brew Dragonwell tea, if I brew the first infusion just 1 minute, I am able to get quite a few more infusions out of the leaves, and I prefer the flavor of the short steeped tea much more than that of the traditional method.

I’d like to think that my relationship with Dragonwell has come a long way since I first tried it some 10 years ago. My first experience was not a positive one, to say the least, and since that time, I’ve learned more about myself as a tea drinker and my preferences, and have experimented a bit to find that Dragonwell is one of my favorite green teas!

The flavor is sweet, only slightly vegetative (not nearly as vegetative as most Japanese greens), and has a very pleasant floral note. It tastes … like spring!

Even though I had said I won’t be rating teas numerically while I am sick, I have chosen to do so with this tea, because… my stores in this tea are getting quite low and I don’t know how long I’ll be sick vs. how long I’ll have this tea to rate it when I’m well. Even if I weren’t sick though, I would rate this one very high, because it is so good and worthy of the high rating.

My husband dislikes flowery teas and won’t drink many herbals, but he likes this tea. He was having trouble sleeping due to stress at work, but this tea helps him sleep like a baby! He doesn’t feel groggy and it doesn’t put him out, but when he falls asleep he said he sleeps deeply and awakens feeling rested.

While browsing the tea aisle at Whole Foods (aka “Whole Paycheck” :P), I tossed this and Rishi’s Ginger Pu-erh into my basket.

I’ve read good things about the restorative powers of tulsi as well as these amazing properties:

“…reduces stress, enhances stamina, relieves inflammation, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, protects against radiation, prevents gastric ulcers, lowers fevers, improves digestion and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients. Tulsi is especially effective in supporting the heart, blood vessels, liver and lungs and also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar.”

What a magical herb, eh? ;)

The scent is spicy like cloves and cinnamon but the taste is so mild—mild but not wimpy—there’s a nice peppery, tannic bite. It’s slightly sweet with just a hint of clove-like flavor. I sense licorice too.

I like this. Even in its mellowness, I find it pretty good. I love the aroma. And, perhaps it’s the power of suggestion, but I can feel myself unwind already. The stresses of the week seem to be melting away… :)

I bet this would taste even better (and stronger) in the loose-leaf version. But, sadly, it wasn’t available at the store.

This tea is summertime in a cup. Not a weary hot and steamy summertime, but a beautiful Maine summer. Imagine sitting on the back porch of a quaint Maine cottage that looks out over a sunlight dappled harbor. There are hummingbirds flitting about while a faint breeze causes delicate wind chimes to sing. This is the tea that befits this setting.

I’m not a huge blueberry fan, but my favorite pie of all time is a homemade Maine blueberry pie. I’ve had two in my lifetime and no pie or blueberry has come close to that level of awesomeness. Until now. This tea is just wonderful. It’s not crazy-sweet like a pie, but there’s a wonderful natural sweetness.

My enjoyment of this tea begins with when I opened the sample packet. It’s just pretty. You have the pretty leaves, some violet petals, and then tiny dried blueberries. I’m rather sad that they didn’t include the sweet little blueberries in the photo.

And my enjoyment has continued into the second steep. I didn’t change anything to the preparation because I was concerned that it would get bitter with more time. It’s not as vibrant as the first, but it’s still lovely. I don’t know if it’ll stand up to a third. But let me tell you: I think this brewed as an iced tea could be a 100. I will be buying a larger quantity of this asap. I’ll still try to keep my self-imposed tea buying ban for May, but Overlords as my witness I will buy this in a heartbeat if there’s a Steepster Select featuring the Tea Guys before then. TG

ETA: It wasn’t until I placed a second order with Tea Guys that I realized that they use the same generic pictures over and over again for different teas. It was sort of like they went “eh, it’s close enough.” That made me sad, but at least here on Steepster I’m able to have some accurate pics uploaded. So you can now see how colorful this blend is (and there is a small blueberry near the lower righthand corner) :D

I have been drinking this for the past three or four days (multiple bottles, I admit) because it was the only non-sweetened iced tea available in the area. Imagine my surprise when I came on Steepster to see a fresh review of it…

The color is light, the aroma is faint jasmine. Enjoyed cold from the bottle. Drinking straight from the bottle interferes slightly with the bouquet from the tea, but I do not think it hurts the flavor. The flavor is faint jasmine but not obtrusive, it is light and airy, green tea, no vegetal just jasmine. The unsweetened is also very enjoyable, the jasmine brings enough to the slightly floral jasmine that it is all the sweetness you need without any additives. Overall, very good.

OMG this smells so irresistible! Chai spices, vanilla… something else too that i find so mmmm. Hope it tastes like this :D Rooibos and chai spices combo sounds quite compelling.

Color is turning pretty orange-red, not very clear…
Tastes yummy. Quite fruity. Quite vanilla. Just a hint of chai. Not spicy really. Normally i’d leave it unsweetened because i’m kinda loving it like this but ill try it with honey and milk as they recommend on their website.
First honey… well for me was better without because it’s sweet by itself but its still very good.
Now bit of milk… yep yep very yum again :D Becomes quite mild. Think i found my perfect evening caffeine free tea.

I’ll give it the perfect rating today just because it surprised me so nicely…

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 7

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Sonnet 116

Oh the smell of the sampler when I opened it: a fruity ever-so-lightly smoky fragrance. I actually thought that this would make an excellent perfume. I have yet to throw out the bag: I keep sniffing it.

I was a bit concerned with Samovar’s instructions. I tend to make larger cups of tea using about the same amount of tea (if not a little more). What if I destroy my first experience with Samovar? And I was still concerned after I went for it and had my first few sips. I felt like it really wasn’t that remarkable of a tea. Then the magic happened.

I’ve never had lychee before (I now suspect that there’s some in the Nil Noir that I had yesterday), but I think it’s absolutely delightful. As I sipped my first steep I began my now almost ritualistic pondering of where this tea would fit in Shakespeare’s works. I got a lot more sweetness than smokiness out of this tea. It’s as if the tea blender just happened to be in a room where a fireplace was in use. Just the subtlest hints of smoke.

During my musings I kept coming back to Hamlet, but Hamlet the character or the play? It just wasn’t sitting well with me. This tea is elegant in its simplicity, but I think that my Hamlet tea will be complex as all get out and still be one of the best cups of tea in my life. It may be years before I stumble upon my Hamlet. Then I tried to think of sweet/masculine characters: Romeo? No. That’s not right either. And then the glimmer of an idea came. I should look at sonnets. I realized that if I felt like writing a poem to the tea that I’m drinking, then I should peruse the sonnets and see if one fits. And one did for this tea.

Sonnet 116. It’s got it all: the declarations of love, beauty, and most importantly it is very masculine. I didn’t study much of Shakespeare’s sonnets in school, but I thought that I recalled that these are written from one man to another. So I did some research and found a great site that helps put the sonnets in context. Here’s the link to Sonnet 116 in its entirety as well as its commentary for those who are curious: http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/116comm.htm You’ll need to scroll down a bit to get the sonnet and its commentary. This tea truly is a beautifully sweet masculine sonnet. TG

Now that I have solved the Mystery of Which Breakfast Blend Ewa Likes the Most, it is time for Earl Grey.

Oh Earl Grey, I will dabble in other teas, but I love you best!

Blue Flower Earl Grey continues to be pleasing to me. Will probably buy more of this.

First time I try a tea, I always go off the instructions on the front of the package. This has gotten me into trouble (I’m looking directly at you Samovar Royal Garland*) a few times, and this was one of them.

I was making 16 oz of tea, so I added slightly over 2.5 heaping teaspoons per directions (1 heaping tsp per 6 oz water) and brewed for the 5 minutes it noted.

It smelled like a fishtank and the hubband poured his cup down the sink after two sips. In protest. I just didn’t finish mine. I have a bunch of this – it was on sale @ specialteas. So I took it to work and tried it again. This time, not quite 2 for 12 oz of water, and about 3 minutes.

Much more palateable. The orange does add a nice note, and it doesn’t smell like a fishtank anymore. However, this is not my favorite pu-erh, by a long shot.

(*My container of Samovar Royal Garland called for 2-3 tbsp to 6 oz of water. It was not pretty. I haven’t reviewed yet because I haven’t gotten over that, even though I know I need to try it with a much more reasonable parameters.)