SimplyJenW

My afternoon cuppa post workout. I tried the first steap with milk. That did not work at all. The tea base is a little too delicate to stand up to milk. Drank it down and resteaped….and the resteap actually tasted more of chocolate than the first because I did not ruin it with milk. Both cups were lightly sweetened.

This tea is chocolatey and delicate. The black base is a good quality black kind of along the lines of a mid range China black. The chocolate flavor really amplifies the cocoa notes in the tea. Think a China black with cocoa notes on steriods. I am trying to decide if it is going on the rebuy list along with my Vitality Herbal from the Tea Spot.

Day 3 of SimplyJenW’s China black palate training course, of sorts:
I have about 11 samples, and I am sure it will take longer than 11 days to get through them. I decided to try one of the value teas today.

This one is a steal at under $5 for 125g. I like it so much better than the last two I tried, which I consider to be in the mid to high range for price. Is it possible that there is one area of my life where I am easy to please? Smooth, sweet, cocoa notes, no bitterness, and inexpensive. This one tastes like Upton’s Rose Congou without the rose. It is a little sweeter than Harney’s Panyang Congou, and more in line with the taste of Fujian Baroque from Adagio. The leaves are longer and thinner than the Harney’s and they are longer, thinner, and drier looking than the Adagio. I could definitely see myself purchasing this one once the collection of blacks diminishes a little….Or maybe just the next time I order from Upton!

This was a free sample in my recent order from The Tea Spot. I will admit I was a little disappointed it was a rooibos before I tasted it. This one really is pretty good. It almost makes me want to try a few other rooibos teas I have in my cupboard again, just in case I missed something with them. I can definitely taste the vanilla, and the almond is light. Sweetened, it really is a good, smooth, dessert type taste. A surprisingly good cup.

Resteeps well, too.

I have finally decided that tea is not just a passing fancy for me, and it was time to make myself an actual tea cupboard. Unfortunately, that meant cleaning out a few cabinets.

This was the tea that rewarded me, and relaxed me, once all of my treasures had a permanent home. As always, the rose and the black base are in perfect harmony…neither over-powers the other. The 5 minute resteep was equally as good.

I brewed this one up today while talking on the phone….needless to say, it had time to cool completely even though I pulled the infuser out at the right time. Rather than just reheat it, I added a few ice cubes. It is really good iced!

Ahhhh. Queen Catherine to the rescue. My previous tasting note was about a black tea that did not very much appeal to me. Now my palate is happy again, and restored. The Queen is good and reliable. She is the perfect amount of boldness, and reserve. That may sound contradictory, but she is perfect in how she fits the occasion, no matter what it might be.

Day 2 of SimplyJenW’s China black tea palate training course.

This one is malty, and really kind of flat, in my opinion. What I find interesting is that this one gets stellar reviews on Upton’s site, where not many other teas do. It makes me wonder if I did something wrong in the brewing. For me it is kind of bitter on the finish. I could not continue tasting the tea without adding something. I know that all teas are not supposed to be smooth, cocoa-ey, and wonderful for my taste. We all have our preferences, but I find this one a little harsh, even lightly sweetened. It reminds me of the days when I liked Beck’s beer….which is bitter to me now, but when you are used to the bitterness, it is pretty good. Perhaps that is the same with tea….. This one would appeal to those who like bolder tastes in their tea. And I am at the sweet and subtle stage. Sorry, but I have to dump this one….

This was my tea of the evening at my knitting group meeting. I took it in sachet form, as I keep a small tin in my purse for tea emergencies, and it is so convenient. And all of my fellow knitters call me the resident tea pusher of the group……

Perfect as always. Sweet, with a warm, creamy vanilla scent and flavor. Yum! The sachet was definitely good on a resteep. I am sure it was a 12 or 16 oz cup, too.

I am pretty sure this one will be up for repurchase. So far it is my favorite herbal. Lemony, slightly fruity with a touch of peppermint and sweetness from the licorice. Maybe it will do something for my mood, too. I am thinking the St. John’s Wort is kind of low in this, but since it tastes so good, I will still call it my happy tea.

I purchased several samples from Upton in the China black category as kind of a training course for my palate. I am just trying to train it to taste differences, and we will see how it goes from there.

This is a lovely black. The leaves do look pretty much unlike any other black I have tried. They are largish, thick and wavy. I am drinking this one straight. Yes, very weird for me, but it is good this way. It smells sweeter than it tastes, but that is probably because I normally take sweetener in my tea. As for tasting any notes in this one? It tastes lightly of red wine (which is probably why I like it!) Toward the end of the cup, I detect the slightest bitter edge. Not enough to get me to stop drinking it. Ooops. I am out of observations because I am out of tea!

I am trying to finish up about an ounce of this that I have left. It is not on my reorder list. However, it is not too bad if I add a tsp of Diet Hot Cocolate mix and a touch of sweetener.

This is the second tea I have tried with this method. And up next is a decaf strawberry. I get about three jumbo mugs of cocoa tea with one pouch of Diet Hot Cocoa mix that is 25 calories. Each jumbo mug is under 10 calories. I like the option for cocoa tea in the evenings, but like the option for just tea, too. This works for me.

Yep, this is a really good one. Too bad it is limited. Can we beg Frank to add it to the permanent collection?

This one steeps up lightly pink from the blueberry…but maybe that was just my red cup. Lovely creamy and blueberry flavor. I do have to admit this is my first blueberry flavored black tea, and it works.

Good basic China black. I see my basic black collection expanding, lately. Could it be this is where my loyalties lie? Don’t get me wrong, I love the flavored stuff. However, a good China black really makes me go weak in the knees.

This one is fairly bold as far as my tastes go, and completely satisfying. Slightly smokey, slight cocoa notes, but not as sweet as Adagio’s Fujian Baroque. This one has a slight bit more bite to it.

I am definitely liking Harney’s packaging (mine is a 4 oz tin). Very classy, and it does not add to the cost of the tea. Prices are still comparable to similar quality teas if not better. Overall, a great company in my experience.

Chocolate tea experiment:
So I made a 12-16 oz mug of this and added a tsp. of Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate mix. Please don’t judge me. Yes, this could be the perfect solution to milk chocolate tea….even if it is kind of cheating. The good news, it can’t be more than 15 calories! Yum!

This one is new on Steepster….. thank goodness I have good copy and paste skills!

I bought this one because I was looking for a little pick me up. It does have St. John’s Wort on the ingredients list, so that means it is a no no for the gals on BCPs. It is lightly pink in color from the hibiscus, and smells of lemon. I am glad the hibiscus is light, as too much hibiscus can tarten up a tea in a hurry. The lemon definitely comes through in this one. It really is pleasing, and I can just imagine it iced. Yum. Definitely a winner for me….actual rating to come later after a few cups.

Resteep at 10 minutes: Still good lemon flavor. And I do detect the peppermint…it is refreshingly light. The hibiscus is gone in this one, as hibiscus is only good for one steep. I really like this!

This was one of two that came from Frank’s Oops Week in March 2011.

I love this. I am not usually an Indian tea drinker, mostly because I have not tried many. I am guessing it is darjeeling, as I am such an Indian tea noob. The peppermint is light, which is perfect for me, and the hint of vanilla really rounds it out. The tea base is smooth. Very pleasant. I added a little sweeener to mine.

Kudos to Frank! And I just have to thank him for…well, being him, and doing what he does. He makes tea so fun!

The morning steep……this time I added milk and sweetener. Yum. Mildly hearty, and a good get you going tea.

Another new tea! This is my first from Arbor Teas. Holding off on a rating until I have tried it a few times.

As far as the tea goes, this one is pretty good and different from anything else I have in the decaf black tea category. For the first cup, I had it with milk and sweetener. I can definitely taste the coconut, but it is pretty subtle. It was good, but nothing really great to report. Need to do more research……..

Steep #2: 5minutes….I can definitely tell the intensity of the chocolate has gone down. However, the amount of chocolate left kind of intensifies the cocoa notes that are in the black tea base.

Steep #3: 7 minutes….This one is still pretty good. The color is still ambery brown and there is still the faint hint of cocoa. Three good steeps makes this a good value in my book. I am not sure this would have worked well on a lower quality base. It is nice that once the cocolate dissipates, you are left with a good quality black tea.

Steep #4: 9 minutes….I am not sure this one was worth it. I did add milk just to see if there was anything left as far as tea, and I think that was a mistake. Since this is a black that does not really need milk (except for maybe that first steep…in a yummy kind of way, and not the bitterness cutting kind of way), I think it would hold up fine without milk on a 4th steep.

Note to self: The next time you do a 4 steep test, use a smaller cup. Your jumbo mug is too big for this many steeps….

No notes yet.

A huge number of tea shipments for the day. This was the one I was most interested in trying today. I am not planning on rating this one for a while. I have come to the conclusion that I need at least two or three tastings to get a really good idea about a tea. Here goes for this one.

I will admit it, the name is what convinced me to purchase. That and the profile looked as if it was a flavor infused better black. The chocolate smell is pretty strong in the bag and brewed cup. There are no bits in this tea…just slightly shiney, curly, and long tea leaves. The leaves are mostly brown with a bit of yellow. First steep tastes chocolatey, but it is subtle. The black tea base is really good. I have this cup slightly sweetend, but it is almost begging for milk to be dessert. It is rich! Let’s hope it continues to impress.

My morning tea. Yes, I wanted to feel like a queen today. I can’t say this is my favorite black, but it is good. Definitely a keeper. I do taste a slight berry note in comparison with the Harney Decaf Ceylon I drank last night.

I am more of a taste/sight memory comparison reasoner if there is such a thing. And that probably explains why my taste in tea has changed since trying some of the good stuff. It is as hard to go backwards in your tea progression as it is with wine……

I received a few free sachets of this tea in my last Harney’s order. It was perfect timing on their part, because I had put this into my cart, you know, the pre-fill for when you are ready to order so you don’t forget? O-kay, maybe not.

Love. Need. The tea is smooth, malty, and simple. Perfect for the caffeine sensitive in the evening hours. Hmmmm. Now to brainstorm on ways to jazz it up when needed……

Second steep 5 minutes…..

This one is interesting….Earl Grey with rose. There is the light taste of the bergamot and definitely faint rose. Overall, it kind of adds a slight twinge. I can’t really describe it any other way….it cuts the sweetness and maltiness of the black tea base. It is definitely enjoyable in a purifying, spa kind of way. Not a favorite, but good.

I am willing to swap an ounce of this as I have three……off to add it to the swap thread.