tea-sipper select Send Message

Thanks again, Cameron B!  My final sipdown of 2023.   HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Sadly, though I was gentle on the brewing to produce the most from the flavoring, I was hard pressed to taste anything here other than harsh woody rooibos.  I tried and I tried — I don’t think I could have brewed this any better!   But the second steep somehow DOES have a hint of strawberry.
Steep #1 // 24 minutes after boiling // 1-2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min
2023 sipdowns: 110

additional notes: Just to remind myself that this is ultimately the tea type that is very much Not For Me. Even if this is a very quality example of the type. It’s just straight charcoal for me, even if I was gentle with the steeping. I’m so glad I don’t have many more roasted oolongs in the stash. I think I give up on them now for good. I’d just rather be drinking something else, anything else.
2023 sipdowns: 109

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – December 2023 Tea #9 -A tea you drank at the beginning of 2023

I had to check, but I first tried this at the start of 2023… which in my time, feels like it was… last week.  BUT NO there is only one day left in the year.  This is actually really good, maybe I needed to overleaf it: it somehow tastes like a few drops of coffee, despite it being a very light brew.  Then also Honey Smacks cereal (including sugar), and the popped rice of genmaicha.  I like it a lot.  I would consider buying it to stock up for the stash, so grateful you shared it Kawaii433 (hope you are well!) Raising the rating from 84.
2023 sipdowns:  108

From Cameron B!  Thanks so much for the adorably wrapped tea bags from a shop I have never tried before.  Surprise freebies tagging along in an already amazing package of tea. :D This is certainly cookies flavor, with a hint of cream on a black tea base.   The second steep also had plenty of flavor for the small amount of leaves in the teabag!  The second steep was buttery, hints of coconut. So very buttery cookies!  This flavoring certainly hasn’t been on any other tea I have ever tried. I do appreciate I was able to try a delightful tea I probably wouldn’t have been able to otherwise!  (also keeping the adorable wrapper in with my other tea packaging I don’t want to throw away.)
Steep #1 // 20 minutes after boiling // 1-2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 4 min after boiling // 3 min
2023 sipdowns:  107

additional notes: I had just washed my “big” mug and in my Next Cup is A Sipdown list, I had this one listed as “use the big mug” due to the awkward amount of leaf left, so I decided to sip this one down today. And I will miss it! It’s a good mix of flavors now. It has aged gracefully. I’m a bit sad I missed Lemon Meringue Chai (and some others) in the 52Teas box this year… it’s one of my ultimate favorites!! I hope you all enjoyed it! (I haven’t gotten that far in reading the advent tasting notes yet.)
2023 sipdowns: 106

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – December 2023 Tea #7 -A wellness tea
One of my OLDEST teas remaining, from probably my first Steepster swap, and fits for this prompt.  It’s a healthy rooibos chai and it’s gone now.  More licorice than I remember, but a LOT of this blend made it into the mug to finish it…
2023 sipdowns:  103

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – December 2023 Tea #8 -A flavored black tea
I will log this here, as it was an unlabeled little sample from years ago.  Mostly in Chinese but only says “China tea” in English.  So a Chinese tea is all I knew to expect!  Opening it, it was loose and it looked like golden monkey, so I was thrilled!  But upon steeping it… surprise!  It’s flavored with rose.  Not bad, but not exactly the best.  I wouldn’t have minded a plain golden monkey… the leaves looked great and delicious on their own!  But at least it fits for this prompt. 
2023 sipdowns:  104

From CameronB!  Thank you again!  A lone tiny mini waffle.  This MIGHT be my first mini anything from white2tea?  I’m excited to try it.  This tiny waffle fits perfectly in the bottom of my infuser basket.  I don’t know if that will help it infuse… Honestly, the amount of leaf here is probably less than I would use in a mug for a ripe puerh.  The flavor is fine — a bit starchy, nothing negative about it.  I would expect magical waffle flavor, even if in the back of my mind I know that is a stretch… but it seems like plain puerh to me.   The second steep possibly did have more waffle qualities… more bready.  The third weakened a bit.  But the fourth is rich and coffee like… just the way I like it!  The tiny waffles might lead to more expectation than otherwise, but the flavor here was decent enough if you want a cup of ripe puerh. I would say white2tea’s description is accurate anyway!
Steep #1 // 24 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 //  12 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 //  9 min after boiling // 5 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 12 min
2023 sipdowns: 101

I’m in a rush to find some low-hanging-fruit-last-session-sipdowns for the last few days of the year, to up my sipdown number….

Holiday tea 2023 #16

My Christmas tea standby at this point. I swear it tastes like EXTRA fondant frosting when I have it on Christmas day. Somehow that is the strongest flavor at this point, with the tea being so old? Maybe it’s the sprinkles.

Holiday tea 2023 #17 Simpson & Vail – Roasted chestnut

Holiday tea 2023 #15

Dashboard is of course, still down, which I knew because of the holiday weekend.  ANYWAY,  it was time to finish this absolute favorite yesterday, on Christmas day.  I really didn’t want to do it, but I also didn’t want it to get ANY older.  It would be the FIRST priority on a future DF order that will probably never happen!   Notes of raisin, plum, and what I imagine rum would taste like.  Almost like a fruity, rum infused chocolate.
2023 sipdowns: 100

Holiday tea 2023 #12

Another from CameronB!  I guess a handful that Cameron sent over were, in fact, holiday teas. :D  So they ended up as my only “new” holiday teas for the year.  This is a good thing though, as with less than a week left in the year, I have NOT met my sipdown goals!   I forgot I had this tea YEARS ago and was able to refresh my memory.  It’s an okay Celestial Seasonings blend in my opinion, then and now!  I guess I forgot it was a decaf green.  Kind of a weird base for peppermint?  But the blend works overall.  I would NOT use two teabags for a mug with this one, as the peppermint would be a bit too harsh with two bags.  Otherwise, it’s a perfect complement of background flavors with just the right amount of sweetness, peppermint rightly taking center stage.  I think I steeped it JUST RIGHT.  Second steep was also worthy. I appreciate that a billion teas later, after last trying this one, I would still rate this a 74. :D
Steep #1 // 35 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 50 min after boiling (forgot about it) // many minute steep

Holiday tea 2023 #13  Simpson & Vail – Gingerbread
Holiday tea 2023 #14  Bird & Blend – The Night Before Christmas

I didn’t have enough time for all my holiday blends this year!  Merry Christmas to all!