Featured & New Tasting Notes
Catching up on some Dexter, watching some tea…
It’s a pretty awesome way to start a Sunday morning.
So, I’ve been looking forward to this H&S sample since I ordered it. I’ve only had one other Yunnan (Adagio’s Yunnan Jig), and this one is supposed to be “tippy” which in the tea world signifies “better than average.” Or at least, that’s what it sounds like.
Anyway, when I opened the packet, I was a little surprised at how broken the leaves were. Yunnan Jig’s leaves are long and wiry. These were a bit more chopped up. The smell coming from them was earthy-strong, with a bit of white pepper mixed in. Other than that, the dominant aroma was black tea. Hrm.
So I steeped this sucker up, and I was pretty surprised at how dark the tea is. It’s really dark. Darker than mahogany, but not the purple-black that pu-erh has. The infusion actually has a fairly pu-erh scent to it as well. Rich earth of pu-erh, mixed with a bit of smokiness. Maybe some pipe tobacco? It’s easy to see how the teas of Yunnan are linked to pu-erh (common origin and all that).
At peak hotness, this tea is pretty malty and strong. The dominant flavors are definitely smoke and peppery, mixed with a earthiness that’s pretty interesting. Very brisk, slightly astringent, but not that complex and interesting.
As the tea cools, a sweet element begins to build that’s somewhat like dried maple, but not nearly as strong and assertive as I would have liked. It’s a tantalizing whiff, but it never builds into anything substantial.
This tea is a tease. It should be so much better, but it’s really not. It’s just fairly average. Rishi’s Golden Yunnan (of the sample I’ve tried) is loads better, with caramelized, sweet potato notes, and it’s around the same price. I like Adagio’s Yunnan Jig a lot better as well.
So yeah, a fairly serviceable tea, but it’s not going to have sparks shooting out of your eyes or anything like that.
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JacquelineM was kind enough to send me some of this in a tea swap! I decided to try this one first because it smells too good to resist! Definitely smells like a good tea for this icky, rainy day! It really does smell like strawberry shortcake. YUM.
Brewed, this tea still smells delicious, but not as much like strawberry shortcake as the dry leaves do. There’s definitely black tea in there with a hint of fruity. It kind of smells like what Thomas Sampson tastes like, but with fruit too. YUM.
Since I rarely put anything in my tea, I decided to try this first without adding anything.
:sip: OH. MY. GOD. This tea is delicious! It’s like… PERFECT. Even without anything in it. It’s got a light flavor, with a little bit of sweetness and fruitiness. It’s the perfect balance between the flavoring and the tea itself, and it’s just heaven!!
Unfortunately, I think this means I’ll have to buy it now. :P Goodbye, sweet monies! Hello, delicious tea! :D
Thanks again, JacquelineM! I LOVE IT. ♥
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SAMOVAR, have my babies.
Please.
This tea was a total shock. Seriously. Total shock. I can’t believe how much I’m loving this. Really, really loving this. Obsessed with the amazingness.
I’m officially a Japanese green convert. I heart Japanese greens.
I could drink this tea all day. Seriously.
I just… oh man. This tea. Awesome. Incarnate.
Okay, okay, I need to calm down, that way I can write a coherent review. Phew.
I’m just so excited because I really thought this is going to be a throwaway. I mean, I’ve had yuzu before. One of the restaurants I went to a while ago had yuzu salt for their steamed edamame. I’ve had yuzu sorbet at another Japanese restaurant. Yuzu is a pretty bright and clean-tasting citrus fruit, and it’s pretty tasty. Sure, I’ve never had it as a stand-alone thing, but I’m pretty sure of the flavor.
Anyway, this tea is quite gorgeous. The sencha here varies from a very light green to darker green, it’s a bit powdery at parts, and it’s mixed in with a whole load of tried yuzu pieces. The smell of it is mainly that grassy sencha, mixed with a slight citrus note.
I actually put a teaspoon of this into my warmed pot, and the smell coming off it was awesome. Almost completely sencha, but really buttery and warm. Mmmmm.
So anyway, I steeped this up quickly, and I loved the clear, light-neon-green liquid that emerged. The smell I’m getting off of it is rich and creamy and grass and so very Japanese green. And the taste… man. Let’s rhapsodize on the taste, because this was an experience.
The main flavor here is definitely the sencha. It’s light, but full-bodied at the same time, and bursting with flavor. It’s very grassy, but so smooth and peppered with notes of butter and creamy goodness that it’s pretty awesome. The yuzu is a bright afternote of citrus that’s very clean and refreshing and invigorating. It’s clearly distinctly yuzu, as well. Not any other citrus.
The yuzu-citrus-sweet-tart builds as you take multiple sips in a row, mixed with a green sweetness that tastes like you just ate the most wonderful field filled with dew-dropped delicious edible grass.
It’s seriously delicious.
The second steep (:20 secs, 160 degrees) was just as good, if not better than the first. I’m serious. Because now the yuzu and the sencha have sort of swapped places on the flavor totem pole, and the yuzu is more strongly highlighted. It’s almost lime-y sweet, not bracing or biting, but calm and smooth. The sencha notes are sublime here as well. It doesn’t taste tired or weak.
It just tastes like pure awesome.
takgoti, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways. You’ve introduced me to one of the best tea companies ever, Samovar. You’ve sent me amazing samples of tea, such as this yuzu sencha, which wasn’t even on my radar because it sounds so… MUNDANE. But it’s totally not. It’s a flavor festival of epic proportions. It’s grass shot through with sunshine and golden happiness.
I am on such a tea high right now. I am so giddy right now over this stuff. LOVE. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
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Awesome review. The mark of a truly amazing tea is when the tasting note isn’t cohearent.=D
This. Is. Adorable. <3 I’ll have to take more time to just enjoy tea this way…
Thanks guys!
tease, please do! It’s very nice to relax on a weekend and just sip the tea and really give in to all of its flavors and then be all like WOAH AMAZING all over the place. :D
oh man, what a tealog and my Samovar order (from Select) isn’t here yet….!
I hear you. Time to dig out my oolong from Hong Kong…
MMMMM, sounds good (love oolongs) but I am ‘making’ do with a black tea (ho hum) no, not really (it’s okay), but nothing to write about …
I still haven’t found the “perfect” oolong for me. Then again, I still have a lot in my house to try (include Samovar favorites like Four Seasons and Royal Garland). Rishi’s Purple Bamboo is pretty damned awesome, though.
All these great teas! And the fun in trying most of them! Nope, had a delivery today (H&S) but no Samovar … still…! But this is not as dire as it sounds, started a heavy cold (yesterday night?) nothing tastes good today and I want to savor the good stuff …!
I got this from Teaplz, who seemed quite eager to get rid of it. We’ll see if I can understand why.
This had lumpy chunks of something mixed throughout the leaves. I’m not sure if they were bananas or walnuts… When steeped, it smells lovely. I smell bananas and chocolate, not walnuts. If this tastes as good as it smells, we will be in business. I really like bananas, so I’ve got pretty high expectations for this. However, I’ve never tried any banana flavored tea, and I’ve also never tried anything from TeaGschwendner. So… here goes nothing!
Oh, nice! All the other ratings were dauntingly low, but I like this! It’s not really bananas or walnuts, but it’s good. I actually can’t tell what I’m tasting. It’s sweet, fruity, but very subtle. If I were rating this based on how much it tastes like banana and walnuts, it would get a very low grade. However, I rate things based on overall taste. And this is good! Thanks, Teaplz!
Whee! Happy I was able to give this away to someone that appreciates it! Everyone’s taste buds are completely different. That’s what makes tea so fun to share!
I think the chunks are banana? That’s what they look like to me…
But yay! Hearts for the enjoyment you got out of this!
Oh Thomas, your presence is getting scarcer yet my love for you grows with every pot…with every sip!!! You are PERFECT for me! I think I am going to put a little plea on Discussions to see if anyone does not love you as much as me- I am willing to trade Jackee Muntz or Caravan for you!!! (I’m serious! If you are reading this and are not so crazy for my darling, yet love Jackee or Caravan, let’s trade!!!
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♥ Thomas SO MUCH. So I’m with you on the fear of the bottom of the tin. Great idea on the trading – though I’d be collecting Caravan, too! :)
I know – but I have to have my priorities for my most loved love L-U-V :) I figure these will be the most attractive trades since they come in sets and are limited edition too!! although believe me, I am not exactly happy to part with them!
I’m so hesitant to spend more money, but everyone keeps raving about A&D teas…! Guess you’ll just tell me it’s worth it, right? :P
tease – let’s just say that in my eyes, they are the only company that can get away with all this no samples limited edition tomfoolery ;)
Augh, that’s too tempting, Jacqueline.. Holy crap, $11 shipping? D:
Gah! Only 14 left! I really am feeling the urge to order another S2 but I already have 1 unopened set! The fear of TS being no more is not cool!
Tease, S2 = awesomeness. For S3, I could take or leave the jasmine but the EG and Caravan are love (Caravan only if you like smoky teas). Also, if you order both sets the shipping is kind of high but (for some reason) they package them separately so it’s accurate. But weird. Why not combine? Oh well.
…Whoops my finger slipped and I ordered S2 and S3?
tease – You’re going to be in for a real treat!!! :)
Not a single person has responded that they are willing to part w Thomas so far – i think that says alot :) even tho it is terrible for me!
I hate it when that happens. >.>
Auggy – probably not combined b/c they have the special A + D awesomesauce boxes – 5 tins probably won’t fit.
I’ve not yet decided where I am going to put my patch!!! I kind of want to make a brooch out of it (put in on a backing which I can pin on) so that I can wear it as an accessory whenever I want.
Yeah, I figured it was easier for them to just ship sets out individually – probably makes it easier. And they are so freaking good that I only had a momentary “huh?” with the shipping and subsequent two boxes. Though I still wish they sold giant tins of TS separately. Hehe!
Thomas is a very new love to me, but he was like at first sip and even better the second day.
Because of your raves about him, I too am planning to date Thomas. I have ordered him: my very own mail-order groom is already on his way to my door and my open arms! True, he’s bringing Jackee with him and I don’t typically indulge in threesomes. But maybe he will have some transformative powers!
Doulton – I hope he does not dissapoint!!!
One day I do plan to try one teaspoon Thomas and one teaspoon Jackee!!! Oh I feel dirty!!!
Recovering from some kind of 24-hour stomach bug today and couldn’t find my normal go-to stomach tea (Tension Tamer from Celestial Seasonings). This is my first time drinking Yogi Tea and it’s not bad. I’m definitely not fan of licorice, so I was a little worried about this blend, but it’s okay. I am not really noticing that it’s helping my stomach yet but I’m sure it won’t hurt! Probably not anything I would drink if I weren’t feeling so crappy, though.
edit
Yeah, it definitely didn’t make my stomach feel better. Maybe it works better for tension rather than stomach bug recovery.
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Ok. I am a chocolate mint addict. I am a tea addict. And stash’s version of the predictable combo I am about to write about left me wishing for a bit something more.
And here ebay searching got the better of me. Would I dare to by a tea from an unknown company on the ’bay?
I was reluctant. And actually watching the offering dwindle to 2 boxes.
Then on a bored weekend, I did it. Sinned and bought ebay-tea.
And you know what?
It rocks!! A lot! (somuchthat i am writingthisdespitemy spacebarissuesonthiscomputer)
Grand with milk and a hint of sugar, it is in fact a subtle soft version of an after-eight mint. AbFab! And I have a whole cannister to have happy tea days with. In fact. I’d have some right now …well if I wasnt actually out of milk sniffle. :)
Y’all…
As some of you are aware, I was just out in San Francisco [or as I like to call it, my future home]. I am now back in Virginia, and yesterday, to mellow out my sorrow, I decided some Downy Sprout was in order.
If you were reading along with the insane thread of comments on Samovar’s latest feature in Steepster Select, you may be aware of the new steeping method they discovered for Downy Sprout. It not only produces a very interesting, almost completely different brew, but it’s as if someone went, “HEY! ADD Girl! You want another way to make this tea? Ok, go!” [Speaking of which, who else loves OK GO’s “This Too Shall Pass” video?]
If you missed the thread, Samovar has this teeny tiny 4 oz. glass oolong pot. You fill it with leaves [a heaping tablespoon’s worth] and cover them with boiling water for 30 seconds-ish, then pour it out.
This brew is thick, saturated with flavor, and sings of deeper sweetnesses – honeyed caramels and the darker sugars that come from hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds. At times it gives me those heavy, yet shimmering, humid notes of tropical flowers. I think of orchids in particular. This mixes in with a more rural note of hay.
I recall reading in several places that white teas only have a lower caffeine content than greens if you brew them with cooler water, so with that information in mind this probably wrings out a bit more hihellowhatareyoudoingwhatsthathihihi than your typical cup of white tea.
Anyhow, for those of you currently [or about to be] in possession of some Downy Sprout and an adorable teapot, it’s definitely worth a whirl. Especially since that tea doesn’t quit. I started steeping this some time in the afternoon while I cleaned and unpacked. Hours later, it was still going strong. I don’t know how many infusions I went for, but it must have been in the twenties.
There’s not a ton of brightness at the end of the tunnel that is coming home from vacation, but good tea certainly helps take the edge off.
Oh, and hi, Steepster!
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Oh I love this tea! I’ve only ever had a sample size, so I haven’t been able to mess with the steeping parameters too much, but I plan on reordering a bigger size eventually.
I am so going to steal that little teapot from Shantea!
[Speaking of which, who else loves OK GO’s “This Too Shall Pass” video?]
Is that the one with the marching band hidden in the scenery?
(I am awaiting my very own tiny teapot eagerly, although alas I have no Downy Sprout to go in it!)
Cannot wait to try this one when the cute little teapot comes in! Yay! I have enoguh Downy Sprout that you sent me to probably make a regular cup, and then a super-charged-oolong-little-pot-of-wonders cup. NOM NOM.
Hehehe….evil Shantea out Now I’m curious about that small tea pot….
rational Shanti No!! There’s no more room in your apartment!
How much water are you supposed to use for this new steeping method?
I’m assuming 4 oz. to go with the baby teapot?
YAY! Welcome back! You’ll have to tell us about your sit down tasting over at Samovar.
nods Lots of us missed you when you were away in Samovar-land. I’m looking forward to hearing more about your adventures!
I gotta try this!!!
Welcome back! Nice review :D
I tried this last night. In the cute little teapot (which is TINY..easy to forget how little half a cup really is when you’re drinking two cups of tea every time you steep…adorable, though). It was good! But I had wondered, at about 5 this morning, whether or not it really is as caffeine-free as one would have imagined. Now I know.
No regrets. So good.
And yes, that video is the bee’s knees. But their stuff almost always is.
@Erin Completely worth it. It’s like getting two completely different teas. Phenomenal.
@Ricky Aww, poor little teapot.
@Cait I haven’t seen that version, except in thumbnails! I’ll need to check it out. I’m referring to the crazy Rube Goldberg machine one.
@teaplz Eeeexcellent. Whee for Samovar orders! I’ll be perfectly honest and cop to putting another one through just recently. I cannot get enough, it seems.
@Shanti I just fill it as far as I can so it won’t spill over. So a little less than 4 oz., I’m guessing. I missed you too! …And oh no. I don’t know how many of y’all watch Southpark, but I have the Imagination-land song playing in my head now. Oh. No.
@LENA I shall! Maybe now, actually. Time to make my mark on the Places section of Steepster.
@Jacqueline Please do! So good!
@Harfatum Thank you! Good to be back! And unfortunately getting ready to disappear again for midterms!
@sophistre I know, right?! I used my little 6 oz. Bodum cup for it, but it still seems teeny. And yet, I’m sure that I ended up drinking just as much anyway since it’s so easy to keep steeping it. Mmm…
The OK GO video is awesome! Always impressed by those guys. Good song too :)
This came in the mail today! My first order from 52teas, but not my first experience with them. I’ve been pleased with them so far, so let’s keep the good teas coming!
This smells very strongly of raspberry. I’m not particularly fond of raspberries, but I certainly don’t dislike them. However, I love cheesecake and things with cream cheese, so I had to try this. I can also smell the honeybush base underneath all that raspberry.
It actually tastes like a danish! I can taste raspberries the most, but the aftertaste is sweet like cream cheese and frosting. Wow! I’m drinking this unsweetened and without milk. It doesn’t need sweetener, but I think a splash of milk would benefit this.
The only thing that is disappointing is that I wish there was more of a cream cheese taste. It’s barely there, even in the after taste.
Yum, the aftertaste really makes me happy. Today has been a good tea day!
YES! More cream cheese!
have you tried any teas that have a really strong cream cheese or cheesecake flavor?
Nope. Not one. :(
It’s the fat content that really makes the cheesecake and cream cheese as amazing as they are. You might consider adding some sweetened condensed milk to make it really creamy and rich.
I’d just prefer there be more cream cheese:)
You make this sound soo good! Thanks to you and Cofftea I think I may have to start trying more flavored teas.
@ Josh I agree Erin’s post had me looking for a sweet afternoon treat.
@Josh if you’re looking to try some flavored teas, stay away from Adagio’s flavored blacks. their flavored whites are really good (my favorite is their White Blueberry). everything i’ve had from 52teas has been good, plus they have free shipping!
Josh, as much as I respect Erin, her opinions, and her right to have her own tastes- I’d really suggest forming your own opinions of teas. I love trying teas that people say “Don’t try!”- a lot of the time I’m glad I did.
Second the whole stay away from Adagio’s flavored. I think it depends how strong you like your flavored teas. 52teas is a bit too light for me (light as in the flavors too weak). It definitely taste / smells like what it’s advertising, but I wish the flavor was a bit stronger. So you like Jasmine, so you can probably stand floral tea. Teavana perhaps? Or give Golden Moon’s sampler of 31 teas for $20 a try. They have a wide variety of flavored teas there.
Cofftea is right too. I mean you might end up liking Adagio’s flavored teas. They do have some decent ones.
Ricky, YES to the whole lighter thing (i.e. this one) w/ 52teas. And YES to the GM sampler which I’m still coveting. =D
Ahh, Cofftea and Ricky have made me see the error of my ways. Of course try everything; form your own opinions!
@52teas – I’ll try the sweetened milk idea. Thanks for the suggestion!
Josh, Adagio has some amazing jasmine teas.
No, no Erin. I’m totally with you. I tell people to stay away from Adaigo’s flavored black as well. The way I see it, there are some decent Adagio flavored teas, but you can get a lot better flavored teas for around the same price with another company.
Better is so flippin relevent though:) I personally don’t like flavored blacks (other than chai) so I haven’t tried a lot of them, but the ones I have tried have been good for me. So you can either take that as “She has no clue what she’s talking about” or “Wow! Even she likes this!”=D
Yes, in the end it really depends on the person =]
I second Ricky’s latest comment! And I agree with Cofftea on their jasmine.
Can I chime in with my two cents so late in the day? Josh, if you get a chance, try Harney’s flavored blacks – I recently re-discovered them and am loving them (Paris, Florence, etc).
Wow.. when I first saw this, I did a double-take. Cream Cheese Danish?! This sounds so interesting :)
Well, I think Erin is spot on with her description of Adagio’s flavored blacks, and it is completely acceptable and DESIRABLE that people on Steepster make recommendations about which teas to try (and conversely, which to avoid). Not sure why anyone would get in arms about that, especially on what is essentially a tea review site. There’s no reason why someone should have to freaking apologize for their comment about a tea they don’t like and wouldn’t recommend. Just my two cents.
@Erin Your description of this tea made me want raspberry cheesecake! Hmm…I wonder if the nearby grocery store has any…
@ Erin, Cofftea, Ricky, and Lauren
Thank you so much for the debate on flavored teas. When I think of drinking a flavored tea I really want it to pop, otherwise what would really be the point. I have been looking at 52 Teas website today for the first time and they have a few things that really stuck out to me. I also had a look at the Golden Moons Sampler but it doesn’t list what teas come with the extraordinary 31 flavor sampler. Is there a good variety of their flavored teas in that sampler? Also how many cups do you get from one of those samples?
I will most likely order some from both places just because I have never had tea from either one and just try them out for myself.
Josh, it doesn’t list what comes with it, because it’s their whole collection. They give you every single of the their teas they have to offer so browse their website or Steepster.
Isn’t that great though? All the teas from a company? =] Use coupon code Steepster to get free shipping.
Josh- Yeah 52teas’ blends are pretty amazing. EVERY one of their teas that they carry come w/ the sampler. That’s why everyone that has tried it loves it and everyone that hasn’t covets it!=D As for the size of the samples, they very- some as tiny as ~1.8g unfortunately. :(
They have plain teas and flavored ones. I think what’s great about the sampler is that it gives you a good variety / understanding of all their teas and the company. Each sampler gives you about one to two cups. Of course you can get multiple infusions from each one.
Honestly, where else can you get 31 teas for $20? That’s .65 cents a cup of tea. Free shipping too =]
Hey Josh! Golden Moons Sampler has all of them (31) – Coconut Pouchong, Vanilla Mint, French Breakfast, Nepalese Afternoon Tea, White Ginger Rose, White Tea, Imperial Formosa Oolong, Madagascar Vanilla, Lapsang Souchong, Sugar Caramel Oolong, White Licorice, Snow Sprout, Jasmine, Temple of Heaven Gunpowder, White Persian Melon, Sencha, Orchid Temple Oolong, Honey Pear, Jasmine Pearls, Kashmiri Chai, Tippy Earl Grey, Pu-erh Chai, Darjeeling, Moroccan Mint, Sinharaja, Organic Green Tea, Pu-erh, English Breakfast, Vanilla Jasmine, Irish Breakfast (Special Reserve), RoseTea. Also – just ONE serving. (just got mine this week!). I ordered from 52 Teas but haven’t received it yet :( good luck!
@Ricky, even cheaper if you resteep!=D
As for serving size, since there are mixed results. I just weighted two samplers I have laying around. So HMPH!
Pu-erh => 8.7g
Sugar Caramel Oolong => 9.8g
Anyways, a serving depends on the person. One serving to me is 12oz of water, two teaspoons of tea. I like my tea to be strong and bold. When I was talking about the samplers, I was saying you could make 1-2 6oz servings with them.
2.5g is generally a serving and that’s for 6oz of water. You can stretch that to 8oz of water if you want. I think most of us just wing it when it comes to loose leaves.
Well you guys have sold me on the Golden Moons sampler, that just seems like a deal that no one should pass up. Especially someone who is fairly new to the tea world and wants to know more and more. One to two cups per sample is perfect for me because I usually re-steep at least once and sometimes twice. I will have to take another gander at 52 Teas teas and see if anything there really grabs me.
For me the pu erh would make a ~8oz cup, but that’s a lot of leaf, so I’d get 4 2oz servings out of it. Except for pu erh and Japanese greens, a serving for me is 2.25g/6oz. Unlike Ricky, I don’t wing it. I’m very type A when it comes to my tea… which is strange cuz I’m not excessively type A in ANY other area of my life lol!
Haha, that’s why I wrote most because I knew you didn’t wing it, cofftea =]
Woaps, was it 2.25? I keep thinking it’s 2.5 for some reason. I guess it’s a rounder number.
Success! Josh will join the Golden Moon Sampler fun. Can’t wait to read those reviews.
Yeah, that pu-erh would make an 8oz cup. 1oz per g for pu-erh. Oh the complications of tea =P
Another GM sampler convert! YAY!
And that’d give you as many as 12 infusions per cup. That’d be just under 2 cents/infusion for me!=D
Ricky, yep it’s 2.25. An even 3g for an 8oz cup.
Yay! Keep the posts coming. This is going to be the most popular tea soon enough also the convert Josh to GM thread. Where’s teaplz now!?!?
How do you guys go about figuring out your g/oz ratio, or is it all just trial and error to your liking?
Erin is probably laughing at us because this did start out as a 52teas tealog!
I stick w/ the standard for teas that don’t have unique authentic steeping parameters (so far Japanese greens and pu erh are the only ones I know of that do). I’d suggest starting there for a reference point and then going up or down as need be.
Haha! Oh yeah Lauren! I forgot lol:)
Oh, that’s a general rule. I just do one heaping teaspoon for 8oz of water.
If you don’t know what to do, the rules are 2.25g (corrected by cofftea) for 6oz and pu-erh is a 1g to 1oz of water ratio.
@ Lauren
Yeah I thinking this should be a Discussion thread…
@ Cofftea
Cool, thanks.
Haha, what? I thought this was a Golden Moon tealog! So sorry Frank! We still love your teas, well some of them, drools pina colada
Shoot – sorry, I killed the buzz ….! mea culpa!
Nooooo! It’s so close from being the most popular tealog! Don’t let it die guys! Josh any further questions?
I noted your general-rule-of-thumb for my own edification, too! Thanks!
Well since this is a 52 Teas log, what would you guys recommend for some good 52 Teas to try? Some that aren’t too wild but just overall great teas.
Pina Colada (Flavored Honeybush)
Buttered Cinnamon Toast (Must get me some!) (Flavored Black)
Malted Chocomate (Flavored mate)
=] Well these are the ones I’d consider repurchasing.
I was thinking the Apple Pie a la Mode, Razzleberry Green, Pomegranate Honeybush (maybe,) Banana Peach Green, and the Banana Split sounds pretty crazy.
Josh, send me a PM, I’ll send you some 52teas.
Just ordered (7 days ago!) Cucumber Melon Green Tea, Pomegranate Green Tea, Pomegranate White Tea, Razzleberry Green Tea but have NOT gotten it yet.
Josh, back to the “how do you get your general rule?” statement… I know it doesn’t have anything to do w/ flavored teas (well only in small part), but here are great places to start for the different Japanese teas:
http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_page=perfect_brewing
Really! Wow, best day ever.
Welcome to Steepster ;) We’re here to help =]
Dens is amazing.
Oh I have that website bookmarked from one of your other posts containing it :)
@ Lauren
Hopefully you get those soon, they sound pretty good. I should be getting my Four Seasons Oolong from Samovar on Saturday, I’m super excited.
@ Cofftea
Thanks for the link.
I forgot to mention that flavored pu erh is exempt from my 1g/1oz rule, I don’t rinse it either- I treat it as a black tea (at least the one I’ve tried so far) Oh I should mention that my “general rule” for measuring teas also does not apply to chais. For that I use one heaping teaspoon per 6oz. For my absolute favorite chia EVER which just happens to be 52teas’ Mayan Chocolate Chai, that’s 4g/6oz water or milk or a combo of both.
I ordered from Samovar, too – I wonder when I will get it? Love that teeny-tiny teapot!
oops chai, not chia:)
Can’t talk about Chai’s – am utter failure at chai’s so far.
The only chai I’ve made was a Masala Chai and I used 2 heaping teaspoons of the chai in 16oz water then while that was brewing I added 16oz of soy milk. It was mighty tasty. Although maybe next time I will use more chai…
I’d personally at least double it, anywhere from 4-5 1/2 tsp (I prefer 5 1/2 tsp)- especially if you’re adding milk.
Wow. I thought it was an error that this log had this many replies. Either that or I was in trouble for something and people were upset about it. :)
I shouldn’t say this, because all of our teas are great, but since the question was asked, I’ll tell you some of MY favorites of our blends. I do, however, have to preface the list by saying that while this may sound blasphemous, I am largely an iced tea drinker. I grew up in the deep south, and I drink iced tea year round. I’m now in Wichita, KS and we get our share of cold, but I’m still an iced tea drinker whether it’s 110-degrees out or -20-degrees. So, for some really spectacular ICED teas, I highly recommend:
Pina Colada Honeybush
Banana Peach Green Tea
Black Currant White Tea
Shamrock Blend
ANY of our Pomegranate blends (I know pomegranate is kind of ho hum and not as exciting as some of our other offerings, but I personally think our pomegranate blends are three times better than any of our competitors. We use REAL freeze dried pomegranate arils in each of them (and they are not cheap, but I think it really makes a big difference)).
Anyway, those are some of my favorites.
Yes, those Pomegranate teas are very tempting indeed. I’ve never had a Pomegranate tea before but I am a fan of the Pomegranate fruit so when I go to get some stuff from your site I will definitely be looking really closely at those blends! :)
okay WHOA! i went away to put on my PJs, take off my makeup, and brush my teeth and i come back and steepster says i have 42 new notices. and they were all for this tasting note! i nearly died laughing! I’m not even going to try to respond on all the topics that have been covered here, but I’ll respond to the latest topic – 52teas. I have only recently started getting into them with a lot of help from Ricky, but so far my favorite has been Malted ChocoMate.
Also, this was my 100th tasting note! Way to make it a huge deal!!! Hahahaha!
Frank, Thanks so much for the recommendations for iced and for me getting my 52Teas order in today! It’s just starting to warm up here in Texas and I was thinking about what teas I could start making Iced so this post came in a timely manner for me.
Josh, also check out www.zoomdweebies.com and www.manteas.com (co companies of 52teas).
ahaha, congrats on the 100th note. Glad we could assist in the huge deal! You missed out on quite a bit in those couple hours you were gone.
Back from packing tea! This is Steepster’s most popular tea log now. Success!
Erin, you should totally chime back in:)
I wish there was a quick way to find that link like there used to be… :(
@Cofftea. Thanks for the links. I’m so embarrassed by zoomdweebies.com right now. We are working on a major overhaul of the site. Right now it is buggy and just not the site I would like for it to be, but soon….
And the manteas.com site almost requires a warning. It’s a bit colorful and edgy. It’s all done tongue in cheek and intended to be completely satirical, but I have had a few people tell me they were deeply offended by some of the content there. But yes, 52teas and ManTeas are both brands of Zoomdweebie’s, LLC
AWESOME! Hooray for the most popular note ever! And to think it all happened while I was getting ready for bed.
I’m aiming for 100 comments to honor your 100th post.
52teas, just consider this a multi-authored comment/suggestion form for your teas LOL=D
Hahaha that’d be really cool. But it’s kind of like cheating if we just keep posting about how this is getting really long [that’s what she said?]. I say we actually talk about tea here, to make it legit.
Absolutely- and since you missed out on 3hrs worth, that’s a lot of catching up to do=D Jason, the 2 manteas I’ve tried were smoky bacon and beer- both are amazing
One more thing, the [that’s what she said?] joke was absolutely amazing! I actually lol’ed when I read that. :)
Erin okay I’ll bite. I got in my first 52Teas order in today which consists of Malted chocomate and Buttered Raisin Bread. I can’t wait for morning so I can try them !
Josh – Thanks. I’ve been told I’m a master. [you know what to say here]
We’re working on t-shirts with the manteas.com logo. They are going to say, “Real men drink bacon tea” on the front and have our new ManTeas logo on the back. I’ve already got a few people clamoring for them.
Chelsea actually wants one in a ladies cut tee.
SoccerMom – I also got my first order today! It had the Raisin Toast (which I haven’t tried yet but I am so excited for) and the now infamous Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish. Although I’ve tried the Malted ChocoMate from Ricky and it’s one of my top favorites!
I’m gonna laugh my butt off if a 52teas/manteas/zoomdweebies tea is the SS item for tomorrow.
@52teas, How about a shirt that says “My man’s man enough to drink tea!”?
Yeah! If that ever happens I might not be able to resist!
@Cofftea – This kind of goes along with the thread about how men are now starting to drink more tea, but I never really thought of tea as being a girly drink. I know lots of guys from back home in Princeton that drink tea.
@Cofftea, no SS tomorrow. Jason is waiting on some pictures from me. We could totally do the “My man” thing too. Have you guys seen our new logo? It’s really ridiculous. I think it’s hysterical, tho again, some have been offended. It’s on the website: http://www.manteas.com
@cofftea, could you imagine if they made your saying on a pink tee shirt! hee hee
When are you restocking those matchas?
@52teas – HAHAHAHA! I just looked at your new logo! It’s brilliant! I can see how some people would be offended by it, but you can’t please everyone. I literally LOL-ed at that one!
@ Erin, I never really saw drinking tea as a girly thing either, but I do understand where it comes from. I mean little girls growing up were always having their tea parties with invisible tea…
@ 52teas, I think that manteas logo is brilliant! If you made a shirt with that logo on it I would definitely have to get one.
@52teas, you know how many times I’ve been on your site (daily) and I just now got your logo… facepalm…
SoccerMom, eh wouldn’t be too off the wall since it would be a woman wearing the shirt and not a man- well unless it was a man in a homosexual relationship.
@Ricky, some way too honest for my own good truth: I only have maybe a couple of pounds of matcha left right now, and I have an open invoice with my supplier I have to take care of before I can get some more. LOL. (I’m sick today guys, so forgive me if I’m stupid). Anyway, I was trying to decide whether to reblend the Mandarin Matcha (which would also require more freeze dried orange sections I don’t have) or create a new matcha blend. I’ve finally settled on the latter, and we got some freeze-dried strawberry powder. (Literally, it is powder). We are going to make a strawberry matcha next. I should have it on the site in the next week or so.
Ditto Ricky’s comment! Or better yet, new ones! Art of tea has a ginger matcha and there’s a Canadian company coming out w/ a bunch of flavored matchas as well.
Strawberry matcha? I am sold! Save one for me!
HOLY FRICKIN CRAP! Thank you for picking one I’d like! I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of a banana matcha. How about an orange strawberry blend?
Strawberry Matcha?? Yes! :D
Maybe after we get the t-shirts in, I can get Jason to run them as a SS item. LOL
Strawberry matcha! I want some of that. The orange strawberry sounds like it may be a good blend as well.
You should help them make some Steepster swag while you are at it =]
You know what this whole epic tasting note thing has made me realize? Steepster should have a chat feature! PMing is great, but you can’t converse with more than one person easily.
Yay Erin for 100th!!!
Okay, so I just lost my little online poker tournament (non-cash) I was playing while keeping up with this, and now I am going to take my sick and weary behind to bed. Goodnight all.
Erin, that was suggested a long time ago and I totally ditto that!=D
I just finished packing a few tea packages so I’m out as well. Erin weren’t you getting ready for bed an hour ago? Haha =P
Goodnight Frank!
HOLY FRICKIN CRAP! Steepster Select item is perfect for my type A tea self! One of the few times I will be caving.
Good Night!
Ricky, ready for and ready to go to are 2 different things:)
@Ricky – Yep! Haha I’m all ready now, but now my mind is full of 52teas thoughts and cheesy TWSS jokes. Oh well.
@Cofftea – I would, but I don’t have an iPod or iPhone!
@ Cofftea – have you checked out the Teavana app? It was free on itunes/app store.
Haha, I would aside for the fact that my darn iPhone is too slow! I use this for my mac.
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/calculate_convert/minutes.html
Comes in handy at work =]
Ah crap! I didn’t read the iPhone/iPod part… great… now I’m extremely pissed and depressed :-,<… This just may be worth buying an iPod for… It looks like the price is not a special so I don’t have do buy it in the next 24 hrs…
No mac but use google timer app on my laptop and have teavana timer on ipod.
I like Teavanas app, it just sits on my phone and it doesn’t do a thing =]
So we went from 52teas to Adagio to Golden Moon to 52teas to Teavana?
W/ mentions of pu erh (hello Bana Tea Co sampler!) and Den’s!=D
Ricky, I use that one too!
Yes, but it has pretty pictures! LOL
Ha, I was thinking of bringing Bana Tea’s pu-erh to work tomorrow and have my co-workers help me finish one off. That means I’ll have to jot down some notes so I can write a tea log later in the evening.
I have so much tea, yet also so little! I don’t know how this strange dynamic works.
If I stay here any longer I will end up sleeping at 4am, uhoh. Going to get ready for bed as well.
G’Night ALL!
Yeah, I’m going to leave now. Bye!
Night everyone, it was nice hearing all of your great recommendations for flavored tea.
Ricky’s such a party pooper! ;)
Well you said you were getting ready for, not going to bed… you are a little strange for talking in 3rd person though… hehe;)
What the crap happened here?!?! 130 comments…that’s awesome! That has to be some sort of record. Congrats, Erin!
Well we were trying to set a new Steepster World Record. Personally, I wanted to hit that 150 mark after we made it to the 100 ;)
Haha, I was getting tired Cofftea =P
Haha Jason- I actually laughed out loud when I read your comment.
@52teas, Frank PLEASE make sure you change your steeping suggestions on the packaging for your strawberry matcha (and changing the packaging to get rid of the clear would be great too), everyone knows you do not steep matcha for 3 min. That really bothered me to see that…
Awesome threads here guys, love all the comments about flavors to try of 52teas as I really want to place another order with them, but looks like I may be holding out for the strawberry flavored matcha drool! That sounds so fantastic! Great job Erin for the largest comment section ever and happy 100th tasting note!
And the post lives! I hope Frank makes an extra large batch of that matcha!=D
wow is this happening again? haha
Tonight we are trying to hit 200?
Erin, Congrats on your 100th tasting note!
Very long, individual leaves. After a short brew with almost boiling water it gives of an amber/green liquid with a very floral scent. The tea itself came out slightly bitter, but not at all unpleasant if you’re used to chinese teas where some bitterness is a desireable trait.
After varying brew times and temperatures it comes out consistently tasty. Bitterness can be controlled this way so you can reduce it if you’re not a fan.
Preparation
I’m not great at reviewing plain black teas. To me they are either good or not good. I taste them and think, “yep, tastes like black tea”. So, take this for what it’s worth. This tea falls into the good category. It is smooth and not bitter at all. Tastes malty with some floral notes in the background. I am detecting a slight sourness in the aftertaste.
Preparation
When it comes to Darjeelings, Assams and other black teas, I tend to talk in terms of “sparkle”. Is there anything in the cup that makes me think beyond “yup, it is black tea”? If not, it may be a perfectly good cup, but nothing special. What I love to find are those Assam teas that are so astringent, so dry, that you’re almost thirstier when you’re done than when you started, but they aren’t at all bitter at the same time. Those are great on a cold, blustery day.
Good advice. I’d say this one wasn’t particularly special other than is was smooth and mellow. Nothing that makes me really want another cup. There is this black tea that is served at my local vegan diner that I love love love. They sell it at their store and I keep meaning to get some. We’ll see if I love it as much at home.
I always have this sneaking suspicion that the habit of flavoring tea (either sugar, or lemon, or dairy, or spices, or floral scenting or oil essence flavoring) is all a response to someone having had a really good cup of tea from really good leaves, that had all kinds of depth and character, and when they couldn’t recapture that in any other cup with inferior leaves, they started trying to fake it.
There is just nothing like a great cup of tea made from great leaves.
Oh, I add some sort of sweetener to everything. I just like them sweet. So my comparisons are always sweet to sweet. I don’t like tea without at least a little sweetener. :)
Remind me never to send you any good tea ;-)
I understand the difficulty telling black teas apart. I have the same issue most of the time. My solution is to infuse the teas (full leaf, anyway) for less time to allow the leaf flavor to overcome the robustness of the infusion. Say, 1 to 1.5 minutes. (If it’s not strong enough, you can always put the leaves back in.)
Such great comments! I have a new appreciation about black teas now—I need to discover the “sparkle” too. The teas from The Simple Leaf seem like good candidates.
Good idea Payton, thanks! Stephanie, I’m lucky to have friends with much better tea knowledge than me. :) I’m learning a lot here on Steepster.
Not sure how well the apple comes out between the cream and the caramel, but I like it all the same. After steeping I take the apple pieces out and put them in the tea, very nice to nibble on and pretty to look at. I prefer it sweetened but it isn’t repulsive unsweetened (I had some friends try it out with me, I don’t know if they’re fond of tea, but they finished what was in their cups, and I’d hope they wouldn’t do so if they didn’t like it).
Very nice to smell as well. A good snack or dessert tea, especially sweetened. The cream and the caramel do play nicely together.
Preparation
I love this tea. It has a very VERY smooth taste. I really can’t compare it to anything else. It has a slight chocolate/nutty aroma and never becomes bitter or too strong.
In fact, to really release some of the flavour from the twigs, I bring water + the twigs to a boil. I let it all boil for about 2 minutes, remove the kukicha twigs, and then let it cool off.
You can easily infuse these twigs 3-4 times.
Preparation
Shane 元気, I am trying to find out the difference between kukicha and green kukicha by Tao of Tea. Is there a huge difference? I would very much appreciate any information you may have. Thank you.
Hey Lauren, I haven’t had the chance to try the green kukicha yet. I will ask my tea connoisseur for some help.
That would be lovely! Thank you very much! I was researching on wikipedia about kukicha and it really caught my eye. I saw your post and thought that you may be of help to me. Thanks!
Hey again, no luck on my end. Looks like we may have to be the first to try it and post it on steepster!
Thanks for trying to find out! I ended up ordering both the kukicha and the green kukicha from The Tao of Tea and once I try them both, I will post my experiences.
This one courtesy of the amazing takgoti!!
I am all mixed up today. I ate my packed lunch for breakfast, so I figured an afternoon tea is now fair game :)
The dry leaves smell fantastic!!!!
sip sip – oh WOW! Yup, this is pretty much heaven in a cup. It really does taste like Love!!! This is what the Mariage Freres Fall in Love should have tasted like if it were stronger (and in a black tea base). Baked custard and berries. I’m not getting any of the citrus. Maaaaaaybe a slight haze of it after the sip. This tea is exquisite!!! It has the Harney signature of being PERFECTLY blended. This is a must for my next Harney order (but takgoti was so kind to include enough for at least 4 more cups of Love!!!).
Preparation
I received one(!) sample bag of this for Christmas, and it was delicious. The funny part is, it really tasted like caramel and fruit to me, but online they only talk about the fruit and bergamot. I thought maybe I was going crazy, but it looks like it’s just the sachet description that’s different: “currant, caramel, and citrus.”
love love love this tea!!!
Whee! After looking through your tasting notes, I had a hunch this one would go over well with you! Speaking of which, I’m due for a Paris revisit. Maybe tomorrow…
Added about 1/4 tsp matcha powder to a packet of dark hot chocolate. Made with 8oz water and 1 oz milk, plus strawberry flavored marshmallows. Weird combo, I know, but it’s working for me today. I’m sure someone somewhere has made a matcha/strawberry/dark chocolate dessert before.
Not weird, wonderful! I’ve done the matcha hot chocolate before- but the strawberry marshmallows are a great touch- I’ve never even seen them before, a great way to add strawberry flavor w/o extra sweetness.
Yum Yum!!
Cofftea — Jet Puffed (Kraft) makes chocolate and strawberry marshmallows. http://brands.kraftfoods.com/JetPuffed/Varieties/ I bought a variety pack of small bags, despite the extra packaging, because I thought they would stay fresh longer than a big bag (I don’t use marshmallows much). I was WRONG though – I now have many mini bags of marshmallows that are getting hard and stale, even though they are only a few months old! How do they get stale in sealed packages??? Anyway, I’m trying to use them up before they get too hard. Guess I should make some fudge or rice krispie treats or something… can’t drink cocoa every day, and they don’t go in tea!
ohhh, that sounds good Shanti! I SO wish that 52teas would blend it again so I can buy some…
This tea is so yummy! When I was a kid, little wild strawberries grew all over my grandmothers property in the mountains of North Carolina. We’d go out and pick them by the bucketload and then my grandmother would make strawberry cobbler with drop biscuit dumplings. That is exactly what this tea tastes like. It’s like biting into warm cooked strawberries that are sweet and slightly tart. I only have a sample of this and I’m sure it will be gone in no time but it will definitely be on my reorder list. I have to say that I am normally disappointed in fruit herbals, but this one is great.
I added a touch of agave nectar to this before I even tasted it. It probably doesn’t need it.
Steeped 10 min as suggested on package. Used 2 tsp for about 11 oz.
Update – as it is cooling, I am starting to pick up some floral notes, but they are definitely background flavors.
Update – had to lower my rating as the whole bag that I got after this sample does not taste the same. The whole bag is much more floral.
Preparation
Just got the package from Jillian. I think I’m psychic (or have impossibly discerning hearing) because I heard the mail come in through the slot and thought, ‘PACKAGE!?’ And I had been about to head out the door to get tea at Murchie’s too.
I added all of the teas to my cupboard, even though most are just a single teabag (and I certainly don’t afford that luxury to the many of OTHER single teabags that I have) and thus will end up removing them after that single use (minus this one, because I’m using it up RIGHT NOW so I didn’t add it).
At any rate, I dubbed this the ‘Mystery Tea’. It wasn’t in a bag and it wasn’t labelled. I looked up the company on steepster under the assumption that it was one of the three that we have listed. I eliminated the rooibos easily enough, because even though I couldn’t smell anything really, it definitely had some green tea in there.
Steeped it as a green, and I could smell it STRONG for a few minutes (not very pleasant, but luckily that seems to have dissipated). If I stick my nose in the cup, it smells minty. Whaddya know, I think I know which one it is. Every so often I get a whiff of something REALLY weird (and not in a likable way) smelling, but then it’s gone.
Going to sip this. I’m afraid. Mint! But black AND green tea, and I usually like blackgreen tea blends. I can do this.
Don’t taste really any green. I got a slight black tea flavour and then a stronger mint that trailed into the aftertaste. There’s a fruityness in there too, but I don’t know of what. This almost just tastes like a herbal tea. A slightly fruity mintness. I’m basically just assuming it’s Bora Bora now. Too obviously mint. I don’t have much experience with any of the other ingredients listed, so I can’t pick them out, but maybe those are that weird smell I keep getting but can’t seem to taste.
It’s not bad. It’s actually kind of nice and refreshing. The mint isn’t overpowering (it usually is for me, but that’s probably just my bias against mint), but I still don’t get really any other flavours. Actually, there’s an earthy turmeric aftertaste to the mint. Huh.
Preparation
I got green, no black! Ahhh, did we switch?
Really? I got a sort of watered down weak black taste. Weird. Maybe we did!
Sorry, I must have forgotten to lable that one. Yeah it is Bora Bora, I had one bag left after I sent Ricky’s so I chucked it in the package with the other stuff.
It’s supposed to have tropical flavours (hence the name), but I’ve never tasted them.
Well, I ALMOST got a sort of fruity taste. But not really enough to make it seem ‘tropical’.
I’m working my way through all the stuff that Ricky sent me. I was pretty excited for this one because I love apple pie.
This actually smelled like apple pie. I could smell cinnamon and other spices, as well as a pastry crust. I’m not entirely sure what vanilla ice cream smells like, but I could smell something in the tea that smelled like what I think it smells like. [Wow, talk about a run-on sentence. I hope you could follow that.]
I took this with some milk and sugar, but not too much of either. I tasted a lot of cinnamon and some buttery pastry crust. I got some vanilla on the back end, but not a ton of apple. I would have liked a lot more apple, because otherwise it could just taste like any kind of pie (in liquid form). This wasn’t a decadent tea, but I wanted it to be. It’s supposed to be modeled after a dessert, after all. The whole thing was sort of watered down, but still delicious.
What concerns me was the killer stomach ache I got right after drinking this. I half expected an alien to come bursting out of the center of my stomach, reaching out towards the ceiling in an effort to escape. My professor actually asked me if I needed to be excused since I was sweating and gasping and grabbing at my stomach [to stop the alien?]. Now, I understand that there could be many causes for this stomach ache. It could have been the mayo I had on my Subway sandwich for lunch, it could have been the Malted ChocoMate I had in the morning (although I sincerely hope not!), I could even just have a stomach bug. So this stomach ache is not going to detract from my rating; this was still a nice tea.
Again, I’d like to thank Ricky. I hope he’s enjoying the teas I sent him as much as I’m enjoying the ones that I have received!
OH NO! I’d suggest drinking some tea to feel better, but maybe that isn’t smart…
Hope you’re feeling better and hope it wasn’t either of your teas!
Glad you enjoyed it, hope it isn’t the tea I gave you. Though there shouldn’t be anything wrong with it. I’m having some Apple Pie myself right now. Feel better! Haven’t tried the tea yet. I’ve been saving it for the weekend so I can actually sit down and enjoy it =]
I opened all the tins and smelled it though, sooo delicious =]
Feel Better Soon!
I steeped 2 bags of this tea for 14oz water @170F for 4 minutes. This tea is a beautiful light lime green color with an aroma of coconut plus something savory/spicy that I’ve never smelled before in a green tea.
This tea tastes light and buttery with an aftertaste of coconut and a bit of the ginger zip to it. I found this refreshing hot and am curious as to how it would be iced? Maybe the second steep I will try iced if I get any flavor out of it.
The leaves in these pyramid bags get almost too big for the bag, they certainly expand beautifully. May have to cut the bag open next time and experiment!
Dry leaves are fragrant with the smell of cocoa and have a fresh, roasted aroma to them. Very dark colour to the leaves. First steeping produces a cup that smells a bit like hojicha, but has a very light and smooth flavour, with a light brown liquor. Second cup is darker, almost nearer to the colour of a black tea. Also has quite an earthy taste to it. Deep, rich, and still very mellow with some chocolate notes to it. Second steeping of the leaves gave me a cup that carries much more of the roasted flavour. Almost too much. Definitely not using so many leaves next time. the normal teaspoon of leaves is too much for the small cast iron pot.
Gave my palate a rest from trying more signature tea blends. Put this in my mug, added some milk and sugar, and went on my way to study at school. So tasty. :)
Edit:
Wow this is my 200th post! I love steepster! I wanted to see how often I drink tea and to have my personal reviews of them! Before, I kept a list on google docs! Well I still do, but I just keep a list of my current vs old teas… Obsessed? Yes I love tea.
Preparation
Having a hard time rating this one, so this tasting note is going to be something of a placeholder, with a soft score.
This is a very subtle white. It’s so subtle that there isn’t much flavor to be had when the water is still hot — the ‘hot water’ flavor overrides the delicacy of the flavors in the tea (and I’m using filtered, fresh water in an all-glass cup, so there aren’t any lingering flavors coming from anywhere else to muddy up the taste). You can get a very vague sense of the citrus they mention in the aroma while very hot, and I thought I could detect what they were identifying as cloves, but everything was so humid and watery that it wasn’t easy to pull anything specific out of the cup.
As it cooled, however, it became much more interesting. It was still an incredibly light cup of tea, but instead of searching for the sweet flavor, it became immediately accessible. I’d say citrus and floral elements were the most notable. If there were other sorts of fruit in the flavor then they were elusive to me.
I think I’d prefer this tea if I upped the amount of leaf I used to increase the strength of the flavor, so with what remains of my sample, I may give that a try later this evening and see how it goes.
Preparation
Just curious: how much tea did you use for your cup, sophistre? I have this one but have yet to try it.
I…sort of eyeballed it. :O I was tired and it was late. I thought about a tablespoon (I say ‘about’ because needle-shaped whites rarely fit into an actual tablespoon)…for a 2c teacup. One of these days, I should really get a scale.
I got a huge (pound, I think) bag of this through a random sale at Amazon, so 1) there might be a lot more reviews soon, and 2) it might be a little old. I used a heaping teaspoon for 8oz water, and it was just right today. I’ll play with quantities and extra steeps later ;) A nice dark coppery-red color; the flavors are malty, round, and satisfying, with a little bit of chocolate and hazelnut(?) for interest. Drinking this makes me sigh with contentment.
Dexter + tea FTW
I’m always in search of a tea that will make sparks shoot out my eyes, I dunno about you guys…
Oooh, this last season of Dexter was just…just…phenomenal. John Lithgow did an amazing job.
I’m about halfway through the season, and seriously, he’s creeping me out VERY badly.
And yes, Erin, when this does happen to you, please report back. Also, pix plz.