Jenn

So, life has been weird and I’ve been away from Steepster for what feels like ages. I miss my Steepster tea-eeps and I don’t care how odd that sounds. I actually think about you guys when I go about my day, and I hate that I haven’t connected with some of you in so long.

In fact, life has been so consuming that I completely lost track of time and I forgot about my 52teas 12 Day of Christmas sampler! I’m way behind in my sampling but I’m very, very, very glad that I opened today’s tea. I was unable to try Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha when it first came out. The original blend had marshmallows in it instead of marshmallow root, so it wasn’t vegan and therefore off the table for me to try. WELL, now it is vegan and I can’t overstate how excited I was to finally try this blend. I love this tea! It’s sweet, creamy, and utterly delicious. I hope that Frank offers this blend for individual sale because I’ll buy it by the case.

I have to tip my hat to the lovely SimplyJennW who coined her custom blend of Harney & Sons Vanilla Black and Black Currant “Hobbit Tea”. So, keeping in that vein, I’ve added Harney & Sons Chocolate Tea and cacao nibs to create Bilbo’s Dark Side. Bilbo’s Dark Side is regular Hobbit Tea with a tad, a touch, a smidge, a bit of evil chocolate.

You’ll loose your head over Sleepy Hollow Pumpkin Chai Tea! However, please don’t carry your head around with you after you loose it because nobody wants to see that. It’s just gross and there are infinitely better ways to get attention.

This pumpkin chai is really tasty and not overly spicy as far as chai(s) go, and that’s a-okay with me because Sleepy Hollow Pumpkin Chai is anything but light on flavor. I infused 1 tsp. of tea in 6 oz. of almond milk and this made for a wonderful afternoon treat.

My only quibble is that my sample had no trace of those kickass, colorful sprinkles pictured in the photo above. I deserve sprinkles! Fortunately, the lack of sprinkles did nothing to affect the flavor of this yummy blend despite the injury to my inner child.

This tea requires some explanation:

First, I’ve only tried a sample of the Summer Flush Darjeeling in this gift set.

Second, Golden Tips only offers Summer Flush in this gift set.

Third, most Darjeeling tea companies regard 2nd Flush Darjeeling teas as Summer Flush. Golden Tips calls their 2nd Flush Darjeeling teas Spring flush, and it would seem that Golden Tips Summer Flush Darjeeling might actually be Monsoon Flush. Of course, this is just an educated guess because Golden Tips offers little to no information about their Summer Flush Darjeeling tea.

Confusing, right? And why does this even matter? Well, Monsoon Flush Darjeeling teas are far less desirable than 2nd Flush Darjeeling teas that are often prized above all others. Monsoon Flush Darjeeling tea is often used in breakfast blends because it’s stronger than 1st and 2nd Flush Darjeeling teas in flavor and appearance, and Monsoon Flush Darjeeling is not often marketed outside of these breakfast blends.

Golden Tips Summer Flush Darjeeling is a pretty decent tasting overall. Summer Flush tastes very much like good grocery store English Breakfast tea. The leaves in my sample were far more impressive than the dust you often find in tea bags, but the flavor was much the same.

I haven’t always been a fan of floral teas. Over time, I’ve begun to develop a fondness for jasmine, osmanthus, and orchid scented teas. I still don’t care much for rose scented teas because rose tea tastes like the smell of old lady perfume… blerg.

Jasmine “Dragon Pearls” Green Tea is a damn fine jasmine scented tea. The green tea is very high quality and the jasmine flavor is distinct but subtle. I thoroughly enjoyed my sample and I’m very grateful to Angel for sending it to me.

I LOVE this tea! I can taste the cherries, apricots, and plums. OH MY! I think that SimplyJenW is right on the money with her comparison of Fruits d’Alsace to Tower of London. They do taste very much alike minus the bergamot, (that I have measured love for), and honeyed flavors in Tower of London.

AND SimplyJenW is a tea badass so there’s that too ☺

Merchie’s made this blend in honor of the recent royal nuptials, so please imagine me wearing a ridiculous hat.

This is a black and green tea blend as Merchie’s has become famous for. This is where the weirdness comes in, something about the combination of Ceylon and jasmine teas with citrus makes this tea smell like pine to me. Pine sap, that kind of pine. Trying to push that out of my mind… the infusion is a dark red and the aroma is floral-ish and citrus-y. My first sip is a bit bitter and when I expect to get a spicy note or astringency from the Ceylon, the jasmine pushes in and mellows the flavor out. There are some floral notes from the jasmine but the rose petals are undetectable. I’m left with an odd pine sappy aftertaste.

Almond milk and stevia helped my second ½ cup of tea out, but not enough to make me ever crave this tea. Bollocks! I really wanted to like this one.

Another oolong. Am I in Love? Maybe…

Tightly rolled little emerald balls of joy with the most amazing aroma of flowers and freshly cut vegetation after a light rain. I find myself sticking my nose deep into my sample bag of Shan Lin Shi just to breathe every molecule of scent in. The pale yellow liquor is soft with a flavor that is equal parts steamed spinach and osmanthus, (in the very best way). So buttery, creamy, and delicious with a beautiful sweet lingering finish. SWOON

Keemum 3 Monkey is a very interesting tea. I like my black teas smoky and this Keemum has a lovely subtle smokiness. The Culinary Teas website mentions that this tea has been said to have an aroma of a long unopened jewelry box with hints of incense. This is not an appetizing description, but I totally get it because there’s an almost cedar aroma and essence to it. The flavor overall is subtle for a black tea with a medium body and low-ish astringency. And it’s bread-y or rather toasty and cocoa-y… weird but good.

The photos off of Tiesta Tea’s website never work with the Steepster format, but I just don’t have time right now to shoot a better picture. What you can’t see in this photo is that Blueberry Wild child is a really beautiful tisane. Big dried blueberries, apple pieces, pomegranate arils, bright blue cornflowers… the works. This tisane is a tangy tornado of fruit flavor! It does contain hibiscus that works with the pomegranate to balance the sweetness of the blueberries. It’s not bitter, but if you’re a hibiscus-hater this tea probably isn’t for you.

What?! I haven’t logged this one yet? Well, I best get to it then.. Mom’s Apple Pie is pretty good. Sometimes I really like it, and other times it’s just okay enough to drink the rest of.

I have developed yet another chest cold, I have a deadline that I fear I’m not going to meet in two days, and I’m feeling generally miserable. I made an executive decision that a hot toddy was in order to turn my night around. So, I added a shot (or two) of Hot Damn! 100 proof cinnamon schnapps to Mom’s Apple Pie. Yes, it had a lighter fluid-y flavor to it at first. Then buzz took over and it still tasted like apple cinnamon lighter fluid but I just didn’t care as much. sigh

Footnote We don’t normally have Hot Damn! 100 proof schnapps in the bar. My hubby informed me that he bought the 100 proof instead of the regular one because they were the same price, and we’ll use less of the 100 proof. Yep, my sweetie is being economical and stuff :)

I haven’t always been a big fan of Earl Grey blends. It’s the pesky bergamot shaking its tiny fist at me demanding to be recognized above all the other flavors. I like the flavor of bergamot in general, but I don’t care for it when it’s being a tea-bully.

Earl Grey Supreme is a really well balanced blend. The bergamot is there but it’s not all up in my grill, and I can actually taste the organic black tea too. This one is a keeper for sure!

Margaret’s Hope 2nd Flush is one fantastic Darjeeling! I would describe it as a thin-ish to medium body tea. The liquor is bright but not overly astringent which is just delightful. I defiantly taste berry/ currant notes as promised, and in many ways this tea is rich and wine-like. However, I don’t taste the much-desired muscatel essence at all. Oh well, that’s all right by me because this tea is a joy to drink.

I’m a sucker for a good oolong and Wen Shan Bao Zhong is a GOOD oolong. I never cease to be impressed with how delectable a pure, simple, high quality tea can be.

This Bao Zhong has an intoxicating floral aroma dry, but this oolong has a lightly vegetal and almost savory flavor at first sip. A distinctive osmanthus essence with delicate orchid notes quickly takes over, and the finish is slightly creamy. Very, very, very good!

I was able to get seven flavorful steeps out of the leaves just as Naivetea promised.

AND I used this adorable little dude to brew my lovely Wen Shan Bao Zhong:
http://www.teavana.com/tea-products/teapots-teapot-sets/artisan-teapots/yixing-teapots/p/tiny-mouse-yixing-teapot

I’m over committed and a little overwhelmed. Life has officially driven me to THE DUST! Not that dust… Fairydust. Maté is my drug of choice when my energy dips and there’s still much to get done. If I close my eyes, take a sip of Fairydust, and think happy thoughts all of my troubles will still be there when I open my eyes. However, the maté in Fairydust might just give me the boost I need to start kicking some serious arse!

Fairydust is a gorgeous herbal mélange with large slices of ginger, dried lemon pieces, peppermint, green mate, lemon grass, and premium gynostemma. This winning combination makes for the perfect flavor balance of fresh lemon and cool mint. It’s as soothing as it is uplifting. Yum!

Backlogging… I can’t believe that I’m the first to log this beauty. I’m siting in my veterinarian’s office at the moment, but I’ll add the photo and description when I get home.

This flavored green tea is pretty darn great! I was able to taste the raspberry, orange, lime, and vanilla flavors individually and that’s pretty amazing to me. This tea tastes like rainbow sherbet through and through and it’ll knock your socks off.

EDIT So, I entered the description for Rainbow Sherbet off of The NecessiTeas website but there’s no photo available yet. I’m too lazy/ busy to go shoot one of my own, so I’m going to need you to imagine lush, dark green tea leaves with enormous pieces of dehydrated raspberries and orange slices. Yeeeesss, just like that!

How much do I love oolongs? T H I S much!
How much do I love orange flower? T H I S much!
So, it’s a no brainer that I’d like this lovely orange flower oolong. I’m not usually a big floral tea fan but this one was really good. This oolong has a well balanced flavor that allows the orange oil, orange blossoms, lemon myrtle, and jasmine to blend perfectly. It’s sweet and uplifting.

The smell of Black Currant reminds me of my childhood. My mother never allowed Kool-Aid in the house and soda pop was a rarity. However, she would allow me to drink black currant squash and this made no sense because squash syrup is super sugary. I was always very happy to take advantage of my mother’s clear lapse in sugar policing, and I’d greedily gulp down black currant squash whenever I could get my hands on it.

Black Currant from Harney & Sons is the perfect combination of the black currant I loved as a child and smooth, rich black tea. I adore this tea! I’m enjoying it with almond milk and stevia and it’s improving my afternoon tenfold. A big thank you (((hug))) to SimplyJenW for sharing this fab tea with me.

Also, I feel like I owe my generous Steepster friends an explanation/ apology. Many of you have done tea swaps with me, and I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for all of the glorious tea I’ve received. I carefully store every tea I get from my tea-pals so that I know who gave me which sample, but I haven’t logged every sample I’ve tried. I always intend to do so, but sometimes I become overwhelmed with “stuff” and I forget to backlog my tea tasting. Please don’t take this as my not being appreciative of the incredible tea-kindness I’ve enjoyed. I just suck sometimes :/

I’m addicted to matcha lattes, and Strawberry Matcha from Red Leaf is one tasty matcha with which to make a latte! It’s amazing how good a quality matcha frothed with a little warm almond milk and a bit of agave can taste.

Initially I couldn’t really taste much of a strawberry-y flavor, but as my latte cooled the strawberry flavor began to develop. This matcha has a really delicate, fresh, natural, strawberry essence that makes for such a treat. The only downside to Red Leaf Strawberry Matcha is the crazy high price. Matchas are known to be pricey but this one is $19.00 for a 30-gram bag. I suspect drugs may be cheaper. I don’t know what kind of drugs, just drugs man.

First, back off vegan police! There’s is no honey in Honeybee, so you can put your judgement down and back away. Bunch of judgy McJudgersons…

Second, I don’t know if I dig this tea. I have an entire tin of it because the 50g bag wasn’t available when I placed my uber DAVIDs order. Maybe I’ll give it a go iced and see if I like the flavor more that way. I’ll reserve my numerical rating until I give it one more chance. Also, Honeybee didn’t give me the jolt of energy I’ve come to expect from DAVID’s matés. Tea problems, man!

What am I missing here? My Copabanana tasted like watery nothingness and I used two teaspoons of the stuff! Did I get a bad batch? I even let it steep for eight full minutes.

Copabanana tastes like disappointment.

Kanpe is tea made for a great cause and that is reason enough to buy it. Seriously!

The first ingredient is hibiscus and that did give me pause. I’m not a hibiscus hater, but I don’t love the bitterness that sometimes comes with it. Thankfully, this tea is not bitter. Somehow the mango, papaya, coconut, and cinnamon work perfectly with the hibiscus. I’m not saying that this tea will convert hibiscus haters, but if you’re not adverse to it, this tea may be a good for you to try.

Buttercream smells divine! I could live in my Buttercream tin and die a happy woman.
This tea is creamy, sweet, and quite delicious BUT I wish the chamomile were a little less strong. I’m not a huge chamomile fan, and when this tea is freshly brewed the chamomile overpowers the other flavors for me. Once the tea cools it has a far more Buttercream(y) flavor. It’s still an overall good tea.

If you’re any enemy of fun, please stop reading now. Seriously, shoo! Go and have some dental work done, get a jump on your taxes, or simply just be gone with you. HoopLa from Indie Tea is all about fun, and I won’t have anyone who can’t appreciate the ingenious mix of herbal tea, fruit, and vegan gummy bears ruining the party! AND I don’t want to hear any nonsense about about gummy bears having no place in a serous tea. HoopLa is seriously delicious and I applaud Indie tea for making my cup of herbal tea even more enjoyable.

HoopLa is chock-a-block with dried fruit, vegan gummy bears, and herbs. The infusion is a bright yellow with a distinctive, fresh, lemon aroma. At first sip, a wonderful, uplifting, citrusy brightness washes over me. The body is light and refreshing with a sweet, lingering finish. I can’t wait to take another sip!

Indie Tea is donating 5% of their tea sales in October to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and we all know that breast cancer research is a great cause. And if you add a tin of Cranberry Boobilicious to your order they’ll make an additional donation to the cause. It’s a win-win-win-win-win situation!

Click here http://bit.ly/r8FTLz to read more…