Lady 0f Spaydes

Lady 0f Spaydes drank Cozy Chamomile by Bigelow

I received this tea from Teaequalsbliss and I am backlogging from I want to say Tuesday. This is an excerpt from my tea journal:

After a long day of riding the bus it is finally time for me to settle down and do some homework in well earned quiet. :)

I was torn between two teas, this one and Mount of Olives’ Sweet Apple Spice. I chose the latter, but I guess it did not desire to bue consumed as the bag was rotting through and the staple rusted onto the paper. Poor packaging is often won’t to do so.

The moment I dropped the cozy chamomile into the hot water I was greeted by the oh-so-familiar scent of chamomile. Mmm. :) The packaging suggested sweeterner and although I am not the biggest fan of sweets, I do adore sweet beverages so I oblige with a sprinkle of sugar.

… and I forgot what chamomile tastaes like. The flavoring of this herbal has a nuttiness to it that I am not sure that I am fond of- kind of unpleasant, but I am not one to not finish a cup. Either way, the aroma is pleasant which I think is the majority of the experience of a chamomile anyway.

C’est la vie. :)

2013-02-24 17:57:36 -0500

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A casual tea drinker since my childhood; I recently began to truly explore international tea culture in my search for the perfect tea ritual in my extremely hectic lifestyle. I am a young pantheist college student pursuing the science of medicine with a minor in bioethics (philosophy) and I firmly believe that having a ritual for relaxation and meditation is crucial to physical and emotional wellbeing. I recently hosted my first afternoon tea party and hope to assemble a routine arsenal of tea and literature enthusiasts to share my teatime. My tastes are international and I embrace styles and ideas of different cultures across the centuries. I look forward to tea and literary recommendations from you all!

So I know there is no proper way to truly gauge teas as the best or the worst, but like with education, a standardized rubric system is very important to communicate certain aspects of a quality before one has a chance to read in-depth reviews.

It is with this in mind that I strive to follow the proceeding guidelines and rubric:

1. I shall not provide a grade based upon an improperly brewed tea. This includes: experimental blending, scalded leaves, oversteeping/understeeping and insufficient amounts of leaves provided.

2. All rated teas must initially be steeped in accordance to the guidelines provided by the tea company. Addendum/reevaluation may occur if properly documented.

3. I shall try my very best to leave personal preference out of the scope of grading. However, I shall endeavor to be very clear of my opinion of the teas that I rate.

Grading Rubric
100 point scale:

- Clearly and concisely conveys the flavors of the artist’s intent with no supplemental explanation if the flavors are within the taster’s experience (20 points)
- Requires menial ingredient adjustment (i.e.: milk, sugar, stevia, etc.) to achieve the flavors intended by the artist. (15 points)
- Is completely consistent in flavor and quality from batch to batch. (15 points)
- Requires little to no adjustment to preparation (sans accounting for regional differences in altitude, airpressure, etc…) for a full flavored steeping (10 points)
- has a very high quality tea base that compliments the blend (note: does NOT require whole leaves)(10 points)
- Re-steeps at least two to three times strongly if able. (if bagged, re-steeps twice well) (10 points)
- Stores very well (No flavor diminishment when stored in a dark, cool and airtight space for short periods of time). If bagged, is packaged promoting optimal infusion, ease of use and freshness. (10 points)
- has a clear explanation of ingredients, allergens and preparation instructions. (5 points?)
- Is very well priced in relation to the quality of ingredients and quantity provided. (5 points)