Rabs

I’ve been following a hard-core “not allowed to buy new tea unless it’s the one I’ve been drinking non-stop for months” rule. And I’d been doing really good too — until this tea.

I stumbled across the tea after checking out the Sisters of the Black Moon’s essential oils based on an online recommendation. And I love me some smoky tea, so I bought it on an impulse. I’M SO GLAD THAT I DID!

It’s a small amount of tea for the price, but after my first cup (about an hour ago) I bought two more tins.

It’s like two of my favorite teas (Rosy Earl Grey and Black Dragon) had a tea-baby. It’s wonderfully smoky in a perfect smoky-way, but the bergamot — OH the bergamot! This is a deliciously wonderful smoky floral tea — I didn’t know such a thing could exist. It’s done the rare thing where I feel like in the after-taste the underside of my tongue goes “squee!” I just get an overall wonderful taste sensation (gosh, that sounds like a terrible tv ad) that is crazy-rare for me with tea.

If you like smoky tea and have some extra tea money, then I cannot recommend this enough. Seriously, it got me back onto Steepster after another embarrassingly-long absence from Steepster. TG

Happy Halloween Steepsterites!!!

I just received my most recent order of this tea — prompt shipping and amazing service as always. I don’t know if I can give all the credit to this tea, but so far I’ve remained the healthiest I’ve been all year ::knocks on wood:: It most likely is the combo of this tea, good vitamins, and my Adrian Monk-level of germaphobia.

I just placed yet another 16oz order of this tea — yes, I’m going through it like crazy. I made a few discoveries re: this tea this past month that I thought I’d share here:

1. You can oversteep this. I hadn’t thought you could, but the other day at work I forgot that it was steeping (either 1st or 2nd steep) and it came out astringent. Still drinkable, but it was the first time that I wrinkled my nose at it. Subsequent steeps were fine.

2. I’ve been using the Finum Permanent Filter to steep my tea — it’s great. Anyhow, I was noticing that all the green/white tea would float to the top. The easiest/least messy way to deal with that is that I really swirl my spoon around in the water to mix in the honey, and while it swirls I lower the filter in at an angle. This submerges the tea beautifully, and by the 3rd steep it’s a good blend. I also shake the filter over the cup after steeping to blend the teas more and get excess water out.

That’s all — exciting, I know ;)

I’m still drinking this almost non-stop in my 18oz mugs along with my echinacea tea — and so far (knock on wood) I’ve remained healthy despite my weakened immune system (and working with the public)! I had another blood test today, so if there’s anything worth mentioning when I get the results, then I’ll share them here. NE

Am yet again thoroughly enjoying this tea! I think that I should bump up the rating a bit from 81 :)

But here’s the photos of the tea sets that I received yesterday. All I know about them is that my grandpa brought them back from Japan in around 1945. Sorry for the poor quality of some of the images (my dad wanted his tripod back). I’ll only post three links to my photostream, but feel free to look at all of them — especially take a look at the “geisha cups.”

Set One: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/rabstea/7624243696/in/photostream

I grew up hearing about my grandpa’s “geisha cups.” I never realized they were tea cups until yesterday. I was absolutely stunned when I held one up to the light (I thought the geisha name came from the raised portion of the image which you can see in another pic in the photostream): https://secure.flickr.com/photos/rabstea/7624251968/in/photostream/

And the second set: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/rabstea/7624276946/in/photostream

If y’all have any sort of information on any of the sets (any aspect: the stories depicted, the techniques for how they were made, their name, etc) I’d truly truly appreciate it!

What can I say? I love this tea. Depending on how I scoop it, I get a slightly different tea every time. I also love how honey gives it another layer of nom. I was going to write a note on a Celestial Seasonings antioxidant tea that I’ve been adding to this tea’s steeping once this tea starts to lose flavor — I’ve kinda stopped doing that, at least for now. But this particular CS tea isn’t on Steepster yet and I just didn’t have the energy to add it — I blame my mono energy-drain.

On a side-note: I spent most of the day with my parents. They showed me a few items that they’re putting in their upcoming estate sale that I’d never seen before: two amazing tea sets. They wanted to know if I’d like them. Ummm…YES please :) So tonight or tomorrow I hope to take some nice pics of them and share them with y’all. I hope that I can capture the most amazing feature on some of the tea cups — it’s a decorative element that I’ve never seen on a tea cup. I’m hoping that maybe someone here knows something about them/their style. How’s that for a teaser? ;)

This is the other tea I’ve been drinking like crazy. It was very difficult to figure what to rate it because it’s not the most yummy tea, but it does seem to soothe me a heck of a lot. I also credit this tea with helping my lymphatic system get back to normal post-mono. And doing some reading on echinacea, I’ll need to take a break from this for all of next week and then resume for another 4 weeks (repeat sequence) to try and let my immune system start doing its own thing without the aid of this particular herb.

So, I highly recommend trying this tea if you’re feeling a bit under-the-weather. Be careful on the first steep, though, because it can be a very medicinal-tasting tea. I couldn’t tell you the temp (I’ve been heating water with my microwave: GASP), but I only let it steep 2 minutes tops for the first steep and then add a minute to each subsequent steep. I also use honey with it. Oh! And the third steep is usually the yummiest. NE

Hi Steepsterites! I dropped-off Steepster yet again, but this time around I didn’t stop drinking tea too. The circumstances of my tea drinking, however, weren’t too groovy: after three rounds of strep about a month-apart each, I was hit with a very rough case of mono. I was close to going to the hospital-type mono. As my doctor kept telling me that I needed to really push liquids and that my white blood cells were outta whack (and my immune system would be not-so-good for about 6 months) — I realized that I had a great tea to help with all of that: This Tea!!!

And then I checked my tea cupboard and there was no Cancer Fighting Tea! I’d forgotten that I had been trying to sip-down the size of my cupboard and had decided not to purchase more tea until it was under control. Well, I promptly broke that self-imposed rule and bought 2 bags of this. I just wish that I would have done it sooner during my illness!

My throat was so sore that I added honey to this and it was just so soothing. I couldn’t even tell you how many cups-a-day I had of this — but I probably had a 16oz cup every hour of the day. Between trips to the kitchen and then trips to the restroom, well, I think this tea helped start building up my strength — it was the most walking (well, more like shuffling) I’d done for weeks.

When I went back to the doctor a little over a week later — my throat was better, my lymph nodes were finally shrinking more significantly, and my white blood counts were back to where they should be (the doctor was impressed). I have to admit that at night I was drinking Celestial Seasonings’ Echinacea Complete Care (I’d read that echinacea is supposed to help the lymphatic system) so maybe that combo was what really worked.

One other note: I had a small problem with my order and I contacted the company (Daniel) via the website and almost immediately received a very thoughtful and considerate response. I cannot fully express what wonderful customer service The Georgia Tea Company provides. I’ve placed a subsequent order and it was perfect (and a bit generous on their part). I will be happily placing another order in the next month or so (since I’m drinking this tea like it’s going outta style).

I’ve finally broken into more of the “sampler order” I made with Life In Teacup and am so happy that I did! I was really having trouble putting into words how this tastes – the closest that I could get was “you definitely know that you’re drinking plant water.” But that sounds bad, and this is anything BUT bad. I really think the other reviews do a better job of breaking down the aroma/flavor of this tea. And when I read “marshmallow” I had a “EUREKA!” moment of finally being able to nail down the aftertaste. Sort of like a marshmallow that’s been over a campfire (but just barely). I may have to order more of this! NE (would be TG, but I want to spend more time with this one with better steeping parameters than I have here at work).

Wow — it’s been an insanely wonderful week in Rabslandia (hint: it involves a guy). So, I haven’t been online a whole heck of a lot. But, I have been drinking more tea, and last night this one called out from the depths of my tea cupboard. And lo! It was as good as I remembered. I still get the “suntan lotion” moments with it, but that’s kinda fun in my book. I plan on revisiting this one again soon. NE

So, it’s my second day-in-a-row to return to this tea, and I think that I figured out why I keep returning for more: it’s like a different cup of tea every time! I mean, the basic “profile” is the same, but depending on what I scoop out it tastes a little different. So today it’s more jasmine, whereas yesterday it was more red bush. I like this aspect a lot. NE

Thoroughly, truly, and utterly enjoyed this tea several times this weekend. I really need to stock up! I am upping my rating a little (from 82) since I find myself craving this. NE

Realized that I needed to reintroduce black tea into my world — especially on freezing cold mornings. Just a nice black tea. I am noticing some more astringency this time around, but it could be because of not having a whole lot of control over the prep of it here at work. Plus I’m only on my second cup. NE

Decided to mix it up a bit and bring this to work (considering how sick everyone seems to be I thought it might be a nice boost to my system). Several coworkers asked to smell the bag and both said that they liked it. This surprised me since I do find it quite a medicinal fragrance — who knew? I’m thoroughly enjoying this without honey today. NE

I’ve had this tea for awhile and gotta say that it truly is amazing iced. And that’s the only way that I’ve drank it — until last night. I have a horrible, horrible sweet tooth (yes, I’ve stood over the sink and poured a spoonfull of sugar and ate it — and then poured another. That should give you an idea of my sense of sugar depravity). So, I was having a massive craving last night and thought “hey, I should totally try this hot.” And you know what? I loved it hot too! And it saved me a ton of calories. So, bless you Frank, for this tea. There are non-children out there who absolutely love it :D

Yeppers — this was my tea of the day. I had a wonderful (if not whirlwind) Thanksgiving in Kansas City where there was a distinct lack of tea. The short turnaround made it not worth bringing all my tea-making items with me. So, these truly are the first cups I’ve had in ::mumble-mumble:: days. I checked Life In Teacup last week and they said that this tea is out of stock and should be back in by the end of November (and then they go on their haitus) – so I really need to keep an eye on their site. I don’t know why, but I had been treating this tea like something crazy-sacred instead of just enjoying it. I’m over it now, but realizing how much faster I go through the packets! TG

Oh, and yeah — I sorta broke my “no new tea until I drink some of my cupboard down” and ordered the Fortnum set from Williams-Sonoma (backordered until the end of next month!). So that gives me a month to do some sip-downs. Heh. And yeah, if you happened to notice — I’ll be breaking my “no new tea” rule for this tea as well. Double-heh.

Oh, my favoritest favorite tea — even with the sub-par brewing abilities at work, your nomminess shines through! I shall be steeping these leaves until the library closes tonight. ::contented sigh::

Last night I discovered a whole stash of tea that I’d forgotten about post-move. My new place has three kitchen cabinets dedicated to being my “tea cupboard.” I LOVE having space for my tea!!!!! Two of the cabinets are for tea alone and the third is for all the utensils/pots that aren’t on my counter :)

So I about fell over when I discovered two decorative boxes filled with teas pushed back to the back of my pantry. One contained nothing but my last Georgia Tea Company order still in their original bags — so I was very nervous about how well they’ve held up over time. Turns out this one handled it quite well!

I grabbed this one because I’m still trying to get over this nasty head cold and hey, it’s full of good stuff for me. I also did something that I hardly ever do, and I added honey to my tea (trying to help with the throat). Turns out it’s a very beneficial addition! It sort of brings out all the more fruity tastes within this very medicinal blend – so me likey. I may continue adding honey to this even post feeling-pookie. NE

I’m just gonna sorta sneak in here with my tail between my legs. I’ve finally returned to the land of tea last week when I came down with a nasty head cold. Since then I’ve been drinking this almost non-stop (still as awesome as ever). And with drinking this I naturally thought of Steepster and that I’d kinda fallen off the face of the earth here. And I really feel bad with how I’d been planning to send out gift bags of tea and utterly failed at that after people had shared their mailing addresses with me (so very, very sorry!). Every-once-in-a-while I’d think of that plan and just wanna crawl into a hole and die because of my lack of follow-through :(

Onto happier notes — I am really very happy with how much better this site is running! Six months ago — the last time I posted (eek!) this site ran like molasses for me, taking almost a minute for each page to load. I stop by this evening and holy-molie is it fast! And my stuck “Notices” have finally cleared up! So, huzzah to the Steepster overlords!

So, I’m going to try and post at least once-a-week here. Things are still hectic in my life, but I’m finally getting into a rhythm. And I think my return to tea is a nice indicator of that. However, I won’t be reviewing much new. I am determined to get through lots of my teas in my cupboard before I order any more. Uh, except for the Fortnum teas I just discovered at Williams-Sonoma. Yeah, I’m gonna have to try those. But nothing beyond that. I hope!

I have missed you all and hope that everyone is doing well!

I just had to stop by Steepster and say “HI!!!” to everyone, and apologize for my prolonged absence. I’m getting ready for a major move sometime in June and am still adjusting to the new job. And let’s not even get into the grad school fail (I need to re-apply for next year). But at least I’ll be within a mile of my work and will no longer have the 2 hour round-trip commutes to contend with anymore — huzzah!

I haven’t had a spot of tea in months :( With the hectic schedule I’ve been relying on coffee (gasp!) and diet soda (double-gasp!) to get through. However, my poor system is begging for tea — so I hope to turn it around after the move. I hope.

I miss you all and hope that all is going well!

Warmest Wishes,

Rabs

JacquelineM — how fast did you start craving this the moment you saw me post this? ;)

Seriously, it was because of a note that JacquelineM posted about H&S’s Earl Grey that I remembered that I had a handful of samples tucked away for sometime. Well, one of those sometimes is now. We had our first nasty snowstorm of the season yesterday/today, so I felt that Florence would be very appropriate on a day like this.

I think that it’s very deserving of its praise here on Steepster, and I think others have done an excellent job of describing its many charms. So, why isn’t my rating higher? Well, you may recall that I am not a fan of chocolate. Yes, I am a freak. Ever since overdoing it on M&Ms one Easter as a child I have a very low level of chocolate tolerance. Some days I like it more than others. I think that today is a good day, but it still keeps me from utterly melting over this tea. All that said, I would seriously consider keeping a tin of this on hand — not just for me, but especially for visiting friends or family. NE

Just steeped the last of my sample of this ::mourns:: I really would like to finish off the rest of the Harney & Sons samples that I have before I place an order, but I don’t know if I can wait that long! ;) TG

OLD LADY TEA!!!!!! Seriously, smells like a room in an old church where a bunch of older ladies were meeting and their musty perfume hangs in the air. Wowsa. I’m both repulsed by and compelled to drink this tea. So utterly perfumey and rather blech, but I keep sipping! I think that I have a problem. I will never purchase this again (if I try, then I need a major tea intervention), but I think that I’ll finish the box. Bizarre but true. The graphics on the box (owl in a teacup!) is the best part of this tea. M

Okay, so the packaging totally sold me on this one. The little happy wiener dog has “Ooo-long tea” printed across his long body. EEEEE! And then Jaime had a nice review of this, and I was looking for some handy-dandy tea for work, and so I bought this (plus the Jasmine Earl Grey — with an adorable owl in a tea cup on the box!, and their “Live Forever tea” which had just enough cheesiness for me to buy it).

It’s really amazing that I held off so long on A&D’s teas because their packaging is lightyears beyond this. Oy, I’m a sucker.

I was even hesitant to try another plum-type tea since my only “plum tea” experience was from the insta-tea packet that AmazonV so generously shared with me. And that was a bit bizarre. :)

Anywho, my first cup of this is surprisingly nice! It has a gentle gentle plum scent that almost comes off as floral. I think that I’m also getting a taste of paper from the bags, but I’m not 100% sure. This being at work — I had no control over parameters and of course we got busy. So I think that I may have understeeped this and it’s also now a very cold cup. Therefore I’ll be holding off on giving this a rating. I’d guess that it’s at least a 70. NE