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Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 5

“By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.”
MacBeth, Act IV scene 1

I consider one of the best parts of MacBeth to be the witches. They cackle, plot and give prophecies that have (said like Robot Chicken’s version of M. Night Shyamalan) a tweest! Plus they inspired the title of one of Ray Bradbury’s great stories (I’m a big Ray Bradbury fan too). They’re dark and naughty, but they aren’t the ones who do all the murdering in the play. Therefore to me this tea embodies the Witches from Macbeth.

I think that Upton’s Black Dragon is the best subtle LS that I’ve had. Having said that, this tea is the most robust wicked-awesome LS that I’ve had. This is a smokier LS, but it’s the smoothest smoky LS that I’ve ever had. It also has an uncanny sweetness that reminds me of Cafe Du Monde’s beignets. The sweetness may be due to residual from my oolong marathon yesterday, but I’ll try this tea again in the near future to confirm that it’s this tea that has the sweet characteristics that I’m attributing to it. This is like the best witches brew ever. So if you’ve had Upton’s Black Dragon (or any other subtle-smoky LS) and decide to further your Lapsang Souchong adventure, then I highly recommend this one as the next step up on the smoke scale. TG

Lapsang Souchong “Cat Sound” Scale: This tea made me go back to my Life in Teacup note and drop the rating a few notches. This also wins over the “Purr like a lion” from the LiT tea.

ETA: I got 4 very good steeps out of this one, but I think the 5th would become too watery.

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 4

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
Romeo and Juliet, Act II scene 2

Envision this scene: this tea steps out onto a balcony (go with me here), and I’m on stage looking up at it. Just substitute the word “Rose Keemun” with “Juliet” in the above famous speech and that sums up how I feel about this tea. This tea is my Juliet.

I had pretty much given up on rose teas; they have never lived up to my expectations. Oh, but this tea was a revelation! I am utterly besotted with this drink and how it makes me feel. I’ve had lovelier teas out of the Shakespeare box, but most of them are out of my reach for now (i.e. from France) so I have resigned myself that it’ll be awhile before I can get more. This, on the other hand is just a click away and I very much want more and anon.

This tea is absolutely lovely. It’s the most subtle rose tea that I’ve yet to have. While drinking it it’s a subtle floral Keemun, but then it’s in the aroma where the magic happens — right after the swallow. It’s like a lightly scented rose is just floating through the back of my throat and up into my nasal passages. Well, that doesn’t sound very pretty, but it’s a wonderful sensation. I wish that I could describe it better. It’s very smooth without even a hint of astringency. All other roses that I’ve experienced have been almost harlotesque in comparison to this lady. It’s what I’ve been looking for in a rose tea. TG

This tea’s note is gonna have to jump the line in front of my Shakespeare one. Oh, what a joyous tea-drinking day! The Shakespeare tea (to be named later) was a revelation. This tea (I’m not even done with the first infustion) had me doing this (the PG tips intro for those who haven’t seen it — I’d be the monkey): http://www.pgtips.co.uk/

I’ll probaby do some editing on this note later to add info on the further steeping times and give it a rating. I was planning on having a lazy tea/book day and then I got a call to do an interview for a temporary summer library gig to help me get more hours/$. So I didn’t really do anything special with this tea. I plopped the whole packet into my large teapot (I know — sorry fellow oolong lovers, but I needed an oolong STAT and propriety flew out the window), but I did take 20 seconds to rinse the tea.

The smell was like a whammy to my scent memory (both the dry and infused tea). There’s something in my childhood it evokes. I think that I’ve narrowed it down to the church potlucks my family used to go to. They were held in a basement (sorta creepy but cool at the same time), and there was always a section of hot vegetable dishes. That’s this smell mixed with something else. I keep thinking that the something else has to do with early elementary school. I think that it may be the smell of the little boxes I used to keep my pencils, scissors and crayons in (like a cigar-box, but for school supplies). Weird, but true. If I hadn’t had oolong before, then it’d probably scare me off. But sweet baby jeebus on a pogostick: sip one and I was floored. This is oolong joy in my mouth! It’s got depth, a sweetness, a floralness, just yummy oolonginess! TG

ETA: getting ready for the 10th large cup infusion. This is ridiculous (but in a good way). I’ve been drinking this tea since around noon and it’s almost 10 hours later and it’s still pretty dang good. The flavor has definitely mellowed, but I love the sweetness that remains. ::sigh:: I love you tea!

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Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 3

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
The Tempest, Act IV scene 1

Oh, how this tea has been calling to me ever since Doulton’s box arrived. This was the main smell that I experienced when I opened the box. This is what’s been fragrancing my room. It’s sort of an intense vanilla/hazelnut tea smell. It sorta intimidated me.

Oh, this is good. I’ve only ever had hazelnut as a syrup in a latte (not my favorite) so I think that my mind picked up on the vanilla more. But wow. I think “hug in a cup” isn’t just something that Leland flippantly put in its description in order to sell more tea. It does seem like a holiday tea, but I’d take it a step further: this is more like the warm loving heart of most holidays. And Stephanie nailed the description of the second infusion: a cinnamony snickerdoodle!

This was the highlight of my day by far. I even kept the leaves for a final steep after I got home from work. Yes, three is definitely this tea’s limit. And usually I love contemplating where one of these teas fits in Shakespeare’s cannon, but this one was on the verge of infuriating. It’s not a tragedy and it should be one of his better plays. Could I call a tea “Shakespeare” the man? That didn’t sit well with me. Then I looked up a play that I’m not too familiar with: The Tempest. Aha! It’s got the family drama of many holidays but ends well. Many critics have even speculated that the character of Prospero was the embodiment of Shakespeare himself.

And then it happened. I was looking at this quote on one of the websites that I’ve relied heavily upon for these notes (enotes.com) and I read the commentary and almost fell out of my chair. They refer to Bogart’s famous last line in The Maltese Falcon: “The stuff that dreams are made of” and how Bogey had suggested this line himself (as far as anyone knows the misquote was unintentional). Well, I shall misquote intentionally: “This tea is such stuff as dreams are made on.” TG

Oh yes, this is fantastic cold brewed. The “dirt” taste of this oolong is still there but much more subdued. And please know that “dirt” isn’t a bad thing — I just don’t know how else to describe it. I feel that “earthy” is more complex than what I’m tasting here. Anywho, the orange is just ever-so-delicately there. This is quite delightful iced. And it’s how I plan to finish this sample tin. Bumping up the rating a bit, but it’s still NE.

Oh GM sampler, I have not forsaken thee! I just get distracted by other shiny teas. And puppies. Fwuffie puppies!

This simple tea called my name tonight. Yup. Simple and serene. Not quite yawn, but close. The packet smelled like…wait for it…wait for it…white teeeeea!

Maybe Shakespeare is spoiling me with awesome flavors and it was unfair to have this tea amongst such epic tastes. But I definitely still like subtle teas. Subtletea? (Yeah, I’m thinking that’s been done many-a-time, but I can’t resist teh cheez).

The taste is nice and white tea-ish. But there is the ever-so-slight hint of sweetness. It’s like a tiny powdered sugar fairy sneezed on the leaves. Pleasant aftertaste. Nothing remarkable and I don’t plan to buy more. NE

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 2

O, no! the apprehension of the good
Gives but the greater feeling to the worse:
Fell sorrow’s tooth doth never rankle more,
Than when it bites, but lanceth not the sore.
Richard II, Act I scene 3

Aha! Finally, a tea from the Shakespeare box that’s got me a bit rankled. There’s no information about the tea itself on he packet (which the Culinary Teas website more than makes up for), so it’s a mystery tea. I opened it and looked inside. Ah crap: chamomile. Does this mean that it’s a decaf? There’s a ton of smaller dark leaves and some chamomile sprinkled throughout. I sniffed and couldn’t tell what black tea(s) were in it beyond Assam. I followed the packet’s preparation instructions.

The steeped tea confused me as well. I could definitely taste the chamomile and Assam, but there’s a whole lotta other tea goin’ on as well as quite an astringent bite. Three sips in and I had to find out what comprised this tea. No wonder I was confused: Ceylon, Assam, Darjeeling, Tinderet (which is new to me), and then chamomile. I kept sipping and thinking that I disliked this tea, but then I kept getting little hints of sweet that got me to go “um”: a thoughtful and unsure “yum”. I did the second steep the exact same way as the first and this time around the Ceylon reached through with its sweetness. I wished that the first steep had been a bit more like the second. I’m rather enjoying the second steep except for the dryness that’s happening at the back of my throat. It’s quite noticable. Okay, the back of my throat hates this tea.

Therefore, I dub this tea Richard II. Not one of Shakespeare’s greatest, but not one of his worst. It’s a very “talky” play, so you get some great speeches but the action is lacking. This tea has got a lot to say and sometimes it succeeds in being eloquent. Unfortunately it also sometimes tastes like an argument. M

ETA: Third steep is water with a hint of tea.

I really don’t like strawberries. Have y’all figured out that I’m a bit of a picky eater? Sad, but true. I must admit that I fell for the story that’s attached to this tea and that’s why I selected it as one of my free samples from Teas Etc. Yes, I am a sucker for such things.

This is a rather lovely blend. It’s nice to look at and it smells all strawberryish. It tastes like a white tea with strawberries and some other unidentifiable stuff that sort of rounds it out. How’s that for a description? I’m just not feelin’ it. I was struggling to drink it at first. There was that musty taste that I sometimes get with white teas. But as the cup cooled I started to drink it faster and faster. I think that if I were to have this again (there’s only enough of the sample left for a small cup), then I’d drop the temp to between 175 and 180. If I loved strawberries, then I think that I’d buy more of this tea. As it is it’s NE.

Boy was I ever wrong about how awesome this would be cold brewed. I think that I may have used too much tea, but even so it is missing the sweetness that the hot cup had. It also has an almost minty aspect to it that I’m not enjoying. Seriously, if I’d only had this as a cold brewed iced tea then its rating would’ve been in the 50’s or 60’s. It’s that big of a difference.

Because I fear that I used too much tea I went ahead and added more water to the pitcher with hopes that it’ll be a bit more pleasant tonight. Perhaps this would be better as a hot brewed iced tea. I’ll have to save that experiment until I buy more. NE

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there (including the “Moms” of pets as well)! My mother absolutely loved this Carrot Cake tea. She did her first “dance of tea joy” when she unwrapped it and read its name. Carrot Cake is her all-time favorite cake, but she has to limit sweets and caffeine for her health so this tea was a dream come true for her :D

I was impressed with how much like carrot cake this tea smells from the bag to the cup. I asked my mom what score she’d give this tea and she said without hesitation 100. But I think she’s a little biased because of several things in this situation: 1. it’s a gift, 2. the gift is from me, and 3. it’s carrot cakey. She also made a great comment about how with coffee she always wished that she had something sweet to go with it (whether it be a pastry or some flavored creamer). But with this tea she feels completely satisfied. Hooray!

Obviously I didn’t base my rating on my mother’s love of this tea. It just has a bit too much of the rooibos present for me to like. Plus, I’m not a carrot cake fan. I’d rather eat the frosting ;) I think overall if you’re a lover of carrot cakes then you should definitely try this tea. For me it was NE.

But wait! There’s more!

I finally followed through on my threat promise to create a flickr account in order to show off the pretty tea cozy that Doulton sent as part of the Shakespeare box. Here it is in all of its glory: http://tinyurl.com/2whsc2j I had a few other shots but I learned an important lesson about photography: if you have reading glasses, then you should wear them both while taking the photos and while editing the photos. ::facepalm:: So a lot of the pics were too blury to post.

But wait! There’s even more!

My mother surprised me with a “Kitty Mother’s Day” present. It was this figurine of an angel holding a teapot: http://tinyurl.com/35rttlu Here’s a closeup of the tiny teapot: http://tinyurl.com/2wfu2o7 Neither one of us are crazy about angels, but my maternal grandmother used to collect angels-playing-flutes figurines (she had been a professional flutist). I was able to select my favorite angel figurine that had belonged to her sometime after her passing. Therefore, it was particularly sweet to get a surprise present that had many levels of meaning for me. Hoorays!

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 1

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act V scene 2

Enter Puck: the “shrewd and knavish sprite” (Act II scene 1) from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It truly is an outrageous tea that constantly catches me by surprise. I also think that it’ll be one of the most memorable “characters” from this tea box.

I went through the wonderful dilemma of picking out my morning tea with only the thought that I must have one of my “bookshelf” tea samples. When I received Doulton’s Shakespeare box it smelled absolutely divine, but there were some very bold teas that I was concerned might taint my entire tea cupboard. Therefore I took the box to my bedroom and took the smelliest of the teas and distributed them amongst the books on two of my bookshelves. So not only does my bedroom smell marvelous, but it’s like a mini treasure hunt when I decide that I want an extra-fragrant tea. The two packets that I pulled out this morning were Cocotte and a Lapsang Souchong. The Cocotte looked like a pretty and floral black tea which better suited my mood this morning. Little did I know what a trickster tea I had in my hands.

I pop open the baggie and take a sniff. What the hell?!?! This is not what I was expecting by a long shot. I couldn’t even put a finger on the scents: a sort of earthy maybe even vinegary smell. But no, vinegar isn’t right but it’s something that I should know. I stop everything and hop online to look this mysterious tea up on Steepster. Holy Oberon: this is the infamous tomato tea! The pieces of the olfactory puzzle snap into place. The mysterious not-vinegar smell is tomato. I’m not a huge tomato fan, but I’m excited to try this and share my impressions. And maybe I’ll finally get a chance to use some of the darker/nastier Shakespeare ideas that I’ve had for teas that I don’t like.

I steeped the leaves for just under 3 minutes and I’m glad that I didn’t go further: there was an astringency there that was on the verge of being too much. What a bizarre tea! For me it is like someone took an entire tomato plant (including the dirt-covered roots) and turned it into a tea. It’s a tea that demands attention. I keep expecting to be offended with every sip, but as I taste and swallow the tea it just absolutely intrigues me. This is bizarre, but in a good way.

I shortened the second steep to a bit over 2 minutes and I like it better. I get more of a sense of the Darjeeling. I’m even really curious as to what this tea would be like cold brewed. I’m also flummoxed as to how to rate this. It’s better than Nice Enough, but there was no Teagasm. I think that I shall call it a Dream. Neither a good nor bad dream, but it is so unique that it will be very memorable. And I applaud it loudly.

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Ahoy Fou-Fou! I really needed a comfort tea with some caffeine in it to start my morning. I’m going on four and a half hours of sleep and I’ve got a Saturday shift at the library. And it’s registration for the Summer Reading Program. And people are crazy. I mean, this is the most popular event at our library and people all week have been trying to have exceptions made for them in regards to registration. I even had a rude self-entitled lady try to bully me into letting her register early (apparently I’m the rude one who doesn’t want our most popular event each year have anyone attend it. I’m praying that she or her spawn do not sign up). She had called in and then promptly hung up on me when she realized that she couldn’t bully me into granting approval (which she never even let me get a chance to explain that I didn’t have the power to make that sort of decision). Oy.

Sorry, all this is to say that this is the tea that I reached for to help me get through this day. I thought that a lapsang might send me over the edge into being snarky at people (not good), so this cup of fou-fou would both help me to A. wake up and B. not kill anyone. I love a good tea that helps discourage my homicidal tendencies ;)

I also decided to try this tea at a lower temp to see if it helped with the odd and unpleasant citrus aspects I had experienced upfront the first time that I tried this. It worked! It was a wonderfully pleasant cup. :) TG

This tea is summertime in a cup. Not a weary hot and steamy summertime, but a beautiful Maine summer. Imagine sitting on the back porch of a quaint Maine cottage that looks out over a sunlight dappled harbor. There are hummingbirds flitting about while a faint breeze causes delicate wind chimes to sing. This is the tea that befits this setting.

I’m not a huge blueberry fan, but my favorite pie of all time is a homemade Maine blueberry pie. I’ve had two in my lifetime and no pie or blueberry has come close to that level of awesomeness. Until now. This tea is just wonderful. It’s not crazy-sweet like a pie, but there’s a wonderful natural sweetness.

My enjoyment of this tea begins with when I opened the sample packet. It’s just pretty. You have the pretty leaves, some violet petals, and then tiny dried blueberries. I’m rather sad that they didn’t include the sweet little blueberries in the photo.

And my enjoyment has continued into the second steep. I didn’t change anything to the preparation because I was concerned that it would get bitter with more time. It’s not as vibrant as the first, but it’s still lovely. I don’t know if it’ll stand up to a third. But let me tell you: I think this brewed as an iced tea could be a 100. I will be buying a larger quantity of this asap. I’ll still try to keep my self-imposed tea buying ban for May, but Overlords as my witness I will buy this in a heartbeat if there’s a Steepster Select featuring the Tea Guys before then. TG

ETA: It wasn’t until I placed a second order with Tea Guys that I realized that they use the same generic pictures over and over again for different teas. It was sort of like they went “eh, it’s close enough.” That made me sad, but at least here on Steepster I’m able to have some accurate pics uploaded. So you can now see how colorful this blend is (and there is a small blueberry near the lower righthand corner) :D

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 8

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Romeo and Juliet Act II scene 2

Recently I’ve spent some time contemplating pricier “hoity-toitier” teas vs. their more reasonable counterparts. I was never one to be swayed by trends in my school years. I never wanted to purchase the jeans for their brand. So, why do I suddenly covet these more expensive teas? Am I being lulled into a tea popularity contest? And the conclusion I’ve come to is that I think that I’m being true to myself. I think that if a “hoity-toity” tea didn’t taste good to me, then I’d admit it to myself and others. And likewise, if I found a tea that I love that everyone else despised then I’d feel confident in my declaration of love.

All of that is to get to my notes on this remarkable tea. This is my second French tea and I am in love. I am just astounded by the magic that is created with these teas: I open the packet and am completely overwhelmed with potpourri! Yet when it steeps and then I drink it, it has become the most wonderfully complex cup of yum. The only thought on fragrance of the dry leaves was that I thought that it must have anise in it. It is an anise-based potpourri.

Oh, but the joy in this cup! There are all these flavors working harmoniously together so that they become greater than their parts. I can’t even tell you what those parts are until I read the description and then things crystalized in my mouth. And I’m pretty sure that I’m not being swayed by the description. I didn’t have to convince myself of a single one: they’re all there and I’m in awe of how well they work together. Oh, and this tea is smooth like silk. No dryness or astringency to be found. The cinnamon does start to make its presence known more as the cup cools. But it’s still delightful. And to clarify: there is no anise in here. What I believe my mind did was confuse good cinnamon with anise. Strange, but true.

I think that I now understand “afternoon” teas. This one is too genteel for my mornings. But for the afternoon? Perfect. The thought of having this tea later on in the day would help me get through even the roughest workdays.

So this became Romeo and Juliet for me. It is heart-achingly romantic with so many beautiful moments. But then I only have enough tea left for one more pot, and thus my heart breaks. It is so tragic! TG

Oh this is nummy. Nummynummynummmmmeeeeee! I got this as a free sample from Teas Etc. I thought that it sounded interesting and I’m always looking for a good tisane for nighttime. Oh, there will be a larger purchase of this.

The color of this dry tisane is quite vibrant, kinda anti-relaxing. As I’m scooping the tea into my teapot I see some dreaded chamomile. I used to not dread chamomile, but ever since trying Adagio’s straight-up cham and their Foxtrot I’ve been kinda a non-fan. Like it really grosses me out. I brace myself.

Oh yes. This is how chamomile should be done for me. It’s floraly-sweet. I’m getting small moments of “Fruit Loops” – I don’t know what in teas gives me that scent/taste. All the components really blend well and I am delighted for the first time with chamomile. I must try this iced after I order more! TG

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 7

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Sonnet 116

Oh the smell of the sampler when I opened it: a fruity ever-so-lightly smoky fragrance. I actually thought that this would make an excellent perfume. I have yet to throw out the bag: I keep sniffing it.

I was a bit concerned with Samovar’s instructions. I tend to make larger cups of tea using about the same amount of tea (if not a little more). What if I destroy my first experience with Samovar? And I was still concerned after I went for it and had my first few sips. I felt like it really wasn’t that remarkable of a tea. Then the magic happened.

I’ve never had lychee before (I now suspect that there’s some in the Nil Noir that I had yesterday), but I think it’s absolutely delightful. As I sipped my first steep I began my now almost ritualistic pondering of where this tea would fit in Shakespeare’s works. I got a lot more sweetness than smokiness out of this tea. It’s as if the tea blender just happened to be in a room where a fireplace was in use. Just the subtlest hints of smoke.

During my musings I kept coming back to Hamlet, but Hamlet the character or the play? It just wasn’t sitting well with me. This tea is elegant in its simplicity, but I think that my Hamlet tea will be complex as all get out and still be one of the best cups of tea in my life. It may be years before I stumble upon my Hamlet. Then I tried to think of sweet/masculine characters: Romeo? No. That’s not right either. And then the glimmer of an idea came. I should look at sonnets. I realized that if I felt like writing a poem to the tea that I’m drinking, then I should peruse the sonnets and see if one fits. And one did for this tea.

Sonnet 116. It’s got it all: the declarations of love, beauty, and most importantly it is very masculine. I didn’t study much of Shakespeare’s sonnets in school, but I thought that I recalled that these are written from one man to another. So I did some research and found a great site that helps put the sonnets in context. Here’s the link to Sonnet 116 in its entirety as well as its commentary for those who are curious: http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/116comm.htm You’ll need to scroll down a bit to get the sonnet and its commentary. This tea truly is a beautifully sweet masculine sonnet. TG

I’m having trouble deciding what I think about this tea. I’m thinkin’ that the base oolong here has got to be a wuyi. It’s just got that “earthy” taste to it. I didn’t think to put the leaves through an initial rinse, and I feel like that might have helped with the first cup’s “dirty” taste. It was sort of Meh. With the second infusion the dirt taste definitely backed off, but I could still tell that it’s an earthy oolong with just a hint of orange. The orange truly is a background taste in this tea which really makes it pleasant. I’ve fluctuated my rating quite a few times: I just can’t make up my mind on this tea. I am indeedy-doodle curious about cold brewing this and will try it in the near future. NE

To use a TeaEqualsBliss phrase: these leaves are flew-fee! Flooo-feeee! (Oh yes, that is fun) :D I also have to add that I generally don’t care to see the leaves as they steep. But this one? It was amazing to stick them in the fridge the night before and then look in the morning. Very leafy leaves! It must be said: LEAF JUICE!!!!!

With this tea I’ve come to the realization that I really enjoy uber-subtle iced teas. I’ve had some aggressive iced teas lately and having one yesterday and now this one today I know that for me gentle is the way to go. This is fantastic iced. Just a hint of nectary sweetness – almost melon-ey. I’ve never really had a white tea like this before. NOM! TG

A HUGE thank you to Kristin for sending this to me! I’d avoided 52teas and other limited edition type teas because of their limited editioness. I’ve finally come around and am willing to enjoy teas while they last. :)

Oh. My. Lordy. I open the packet and it’s like Maraschinopalooza. I become worried. I smell hints of upside-downness, but to me it’s all about the cherry.

I was surprised that the instructions were to get the water to boiling. I’ve only ever done around 180 for other honeybushes. But I think, “what they hey” and go for it boiling. I’ll definitely try some at a lesser temp out of curiosity and make a note of what the differences are.

Oh yes. Me likey. The first few sips were “this is sort of like a pineapple/cherry chapstick.” But honeybush is like that for me: it always is reminiscent of the old school flavored chapsticks of my youth. However, that sensation faded. This is probably more like my imaginary Pineapple Upside-Down Cake would taste like (it’s been years and years since I’ve had the real thing). I kept drinking and drinking and drinking and now my first cup is gone! Must make more. I did start to get the Pez-like quality that Kristin mentioned, but I drank it all before it cooled too much, and for me Pez is a good thing :)

This is so intense that I won’t be able to do it every day, but if I want something bakey-sweet after dinner then this’ll fit the bill perfectly. TG

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 6

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough briar,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon’s sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats, spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In their freckles live our savours.
I must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act II scene 1

I awoke this morning with the thought of Carpe Tea-um! Cheesy, but true. I’d been holding off on this and a few other teas and realized that I should just go for it. Why wait? There’s so much tea and so little time.

I have found my A Midsummer NIght’s Dream. I swear that fairies must have made this tea! I sniffed it and couldn’t tell what was in this tea. I still can’t tell you after reading the description. The description is all about fruits, and my tastebuds don’t see it that way. Is Puck tricking me? Perhaps the most apt description I can come up with is that this tastes like the flowers of a fruit before the fruit is born. It’s this beautiful, subtle, nectarish tea that I adore. I’m on its third and obviously final steep. It’s turned almost completely to a nectar sweetness. For me, this tea is the definition of lovely. TG