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Took again a tea bag from my big bags section and I haven’t took a bag from those for long. Mostly because most of the blends doesn’t sound good, or I would rather try something loose leaf than those old tea bags. But while searching for a needle in a haystack I found foilwrapped this tea bag, a tea I always wanted to try.

I steeped it for 3 minutes (there weren’t any steeping parameters on the wrapper), with boiling water.

Definitely a better base than MlesnA uses in their bags. Malty and lightly citrusy and certainly not bitter base. Combined with fruity and sweett cranberry flavour, just top-notch of those berries to keep it fruity but not tart.

In conclusion, a wonderful cup, but for calling it winter… I miss something. Probably some spice hints.

So, I took again this one and have decided to brewing gongfu after long, all day study of mathematics (next Saturday an exam). I decided to use quite lots of leaf — 6 grams + 1 gram of gourd in my 125 ml gaiwan with 10 seconds rinse.

I can’t help myself, but smelling roasted peanuts after the rinse, followed with sweet dates and prunes, with hints of char and those smoked/roasted scents.

1st steep, 10 seconds — it’s very nutty aroma, very complex taste. It’s nutty, with some bittersweet note (I guess it’s that gourd) and some kind of cooling aspect. Tastes wondefully, “full” taste — not watery at all. But all round and tends to be a bit on the sweet side, than rough and roasty.

2nd steep, 20 seconds — gives me a salted peanuts impression, with roasty aftertaste, round and pleasant.

3rd steep, 30 seconds — bittersweet note with roasty aftertaste.

4th steep, 40 seconds — I will try a bigger increment, as this steep is just roasty and nothing much else. Watery as well.

5th steep, 60 seconds — That worked well, I got similar taste to third steep.

6th steep, 120 seconds — Huge increment, and I know it. But it doesn’t help much with the taste. Probably the tea is done. But those first three!

Instead of Alice (see derk’s note) I decided to brew this one today.
And honestly, I was afraid this one would be too dessert-like to me, though I was craving some sweet one this afternoon. But I have hoped it won’t be that bad.

After opening the pouch, I needed to let the tea “breath” a little as it was highly aromatic! I took about two teaspoons, with quite a nice combination of black tea with contrast white and yellow safflower petals.

It was just right amount for my 300 ml cup and I steeped it for around 3 minutes but haven’t measured exactly today. It has got similar colour as pictured.

I am not sure which note is stronger, if the bergamot one or vanilla. But they work very well together nad both are very nicely present.
The citrusy note of bergamot is tingling a bit, but feels natural and not artificial. Kind of pleasantly sour too. On the other side of spectrum there is sweet vanilla note, coating whole mouth with vanilla custard; while it’s hot drink. Again, a natural feeling of it. Kind of unfortunate, the base is so hidden of flavourings and thus I haven’t noticed that much. But this tea is one of the dessert ones I will drink when craving for some sweet one. Similar as Lemon Kandy.

Teabag from Izzy and slowly drinking those winter related blends. And I wished for something highly in caffeine, so black tea with actual coffee in sounds high in caffeine! Thank you!

Brewed and steeped for 5 minutes; and result is quite typcial for ETS teas. It is correctly named, I certainly noticed coffee and creamy note; but that’s all. It’s not extremely flavourful, rather on the weaker side.

Not amazed in any way; though it is tasty cup, again something I miss. Probably longer taste and stronger base tea, because it felt quite weak, even after 5 minute steeping mark.

So yeah, Steepster frozen again, again on Friday. Oh well.

My oldest tea in my stash (aged); and sipdown 67. Soon I won’t have teas to sipdown I guess. No, just kidding, still lots of tea over here. But much less!

I drank this tea for last time when I was celebrating my 24th birthday. Like really? Does the time fly that fast? I was thinking I could finish those small puerh samples much earlier.

I used 8 grams, which was quite a lot! And my faithful, 125 ml gaiwan. I didn’t wanted to keep some funny amount worth grandpa brewing only… And there was approximately half of “loose leaf” and half in chunk. I did fast rinse and steeped with 10 seconds increments.

I have to say, this tea is thick. And I have to agree with Togo, its scent is interesting and I would say I have noticed the bell peppers in aroma after the rinse. Now, after first steep it’s indeed more raisiny, nutty and buttery; while taste is quite weak and not lasting much. It is fruity somehow though, with herbal undertone, but not impressive in any way. The rating I gave this tea almost 2 years ago, 96, is certainly too high, but I just hope I don’t have to lower it below my average. As for price… I can’t tell as it was sent to me for paying shipping only from France.

2nd steep, brought more of the herbals, and honestly very sweet, gaiwan is full of autumn leaf pile which started to decay. I noticed resin last time and maybe it’s that herbal note I declare with something added. It truly gets the vegetal note as well.

3rd steep and in gaiwan I feel I have truly bell peppers. It is certainly that. Kind of unfortunate they are in tea bowl as well. Yep, I completely get this note. Highly vegetal note. It’s smooth at least. No idea where I brought up the pine.

4th steep; honey-ish taste, sweet. Something lacking. Certainly I have been expecting a longer aftertaste, that is in this tea almost non-existent.

6th steep. A nice cup, but nope, it is way too similar to previous. I am truly missing the aftertaste. There is almost none. And that is sad about this tea. It is tasty, completely unoffensive, but lacking that typical puerh note.

Result: Lowering rating from 96 to 88 as it certainly lacks some long taste; some steeps were indeed boring. Sad to see it go, but ageing doesn’t help and maybe I was just hyped about that tea back then. Certainly it doesn’t deliver any astringency or bitterness… as they say. Even 88 could be considered very high. I know and I have to agree. But as I had it just two times, and once I was truly amazed and now I am considering rating it around average (which is around 75 in my case), I would keep it this way.

Thank you Dustin for this tea as well; and only one remains that I haven’t tried yet.

To be honest, it’s biggest dismal from THEODOR; it smells very nice, but brewed it isn’t that great at all. It’s pretty much basic, although nice green tea base and hints of cherry flavour. That fruit note is though very weak and I haven’t noticed anything from other flavours added nor coconut that should be in. No rhubarb at all. Sad!

Song pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za05HBtGsgU (could I pick anything else? :D)

SIPDOWN 63
Thank you Izzy for this new for me tea company and nice apple flavoured tea!

It’s no fuzz tea bag of black tea with nice apple flavour. Both well present; apples are indeed red and quite sweet with pleasant sourness aftertaste. Again a nice bold base, with very nice taste without bitterness.

One of the finest apple flavoured teas I had; well, combination of Japanese and French teamasters brings a nice results I guess. See Lupicia, right?

Received a bag from Dustin, thank you!

It’s quite classical Ceylon tea; pretty much okay, lighter than usual. Not much malty, rather citrusy, lightly on malty + sweet side.

It’s better than MlesnA teas I have in previous days. Somehow more round. I wonder if it is because more quality leaf is used, or what.

Decided to brew this tea from derk, thank you!
And as I am curious person by nature I turned on VPN for my university and looked to the databases.

“The decoction of dried fruits of Ternstroemia pringlei (Rose) Standl. (Theaceae), commonly known as “Flor de Tila”, is used in the Mexican traditional medicine to diminish insomnia and fear.” (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.05.035, I have whole article available)

Enough of science, now to find out my own thoughts. I let it steep all time long, as there aren’t any steeping parameters. So, it could be around 25 minutes steep.

It brews lightly pink/red and thus certainly not similar to any Linden (Tilia sp.) tea! Tastes slightly berry like and quite pretty much nothing else. Quite drying aftertaste, I needed a gulp of fresh water afterwards.

Good to know it’s kosher, haha! I would rate after drinking the second bag.

Apparently they tweaked the recipe and it’s much less fiery than you guys noticed. I certainly received a pouch with peach (which isn’t that super fresh as on Izzy’s picture and some ginger, but much less of it than in pictures.

But in taste it isn’t a trouble! I notice both — a juicy peach with little fiery aftertaste of ginger. Bold and malty tea base. Well done! I can imagine being it blast for ice tea.

Again an example of well blended tea, because it delivers my favourite way of blending… there is the flavour expected, but as well the base tea. 4 minutes are a bit too much, I need to tweak it a bit. Not sure if I want to drink this tea in cold days (as today, it’s sunny, 11°C, spring-like) or prepare it cold-brewed and then drink it iced.