3rd steep, 3 min. I’m liking each successive steeping a bit more. This time there’s a hint of wood and sweetness, but not actually flowery. More flavor with less astringency. Smoother and richer, and finally, a thumb up.
211 Tasting Notes
Irish Breakfast, strong; / call it Super, yet it seems — / so Superfluous
Mixing black tea, a very decent peach flavor, soymilk, and stevia, I get the reliable flavor and focusing help I desire this morning. Alongside some seed and nut-rich granola, it’s breakfast.
late on this Spring night / windows open, book in hand — / mint tea pleases me
4 min in 185 degree water, glass infuser in cup. I am beginning to be able to distinguish the delicate, subtle flavors of a simple white tea. Tonight, the aroma has a bit of a tang, even as I appreciate the profound smoothness of the flavor. This is definitely growing on me.
Hooray! I didn’t over-steep it! My philosophy was to steep until I “got all the good out of it.” But if it’s undrinkable, or I have to add milk and sugar to everything, the tea journey becomes ridiculous. So I got a timer and summoned the ol’ self-discipline. And I like this tea without anything added. 2 min 45 sec, just like the man said. I’m so proud of myself ….. =)
On this 2nd steeping of 3 min, the leaves released some sweetness, with smoky undertones. I finished the cup without adding anything. Next time I do a first steep of this tea, it will be only 1 min, so it will be less harsh. As I learn how better to handle it and my palate develops, this tea might still get a thumbs up!
Monday morning is not a time to court uncertainty, so I appreciate the consistent results I get with this bagged tea — and it’s delicious. This has flavoring added, but it is done well. Oolong wonderfulness in a sachet? My answer is yes.
The dry tea is darker than it looks in the picture. First steep 2 min, light amber liquor with light mouth feel. The scent and flavors are, to my uneducated palate, more like a good Darjeeling than the richer, more floral oolongs I favor. Smooth yet pungent. An enjoyable drink, but not what I buy oolong for. The last half-cup I added milk and stevia, which went well.
This set of leaves got a 2nd dousing today, and it’s not bad. Lacks the depth of aroma and flavor of the initial steep, but that’s what I’d expect from a mostly-black tea. Okay, I saved a few centavos — now on to something more tasty.
The dry tea is light green whole leaves and as I crush it into the pot, the lemony fragrance is very notable. I add boiling water, and in 3 min I have a strong enough tisane, a clear yellowish green liquid. The flavor is vegetal, lemony and minty all at once. I got this for blending, but it is a quite fine drink on its own. I added a bit of sugar, which worked nicely.
The dry tea is visually lovely, with blue cornflower accents and aromas of black tea, bergamot, and jasmine. Boil water, 5 min steep, and strong but not bitter, the green tea being in the minority. I was a little afraid this would taste like too much of a mishmash, with all that’s in the blend, or that it would taste like nothing particular. I was wrong. Various elements come out at different moments — quite an enjoyable experience! I had mine with milk and one lump, just as I imagined the Queen and her guests doing.
2nd time on this tea bag. Didn’t get bitter — just weak and flat. Oh well.
2nd steep on a teabag, and it’s good in strength and taste — nothing added. That pu-erh is powerful stuff! My gardener son, grinning, calls it “compost tea.” The chrysanthemum does add just a bit of sweetness, without being overtly floral.
In the dry tea, I see caramel bits and yellow petals, and the aroma is wonderful, like sweet, milky mocha latte. Boiling water, 5 min, gives a clear, rosy rooibos-red liquor. I added sweetener, but no milk. The flavor seems to differ from coffee mostly in a kind of tanginess, probably from the rooibos, and I’d bet that milk (next time) would mask that. A delicious drink!
5 min in boiling water gives a medium amber liquid which is slightly hazy. Smells great. Added sweetener and milk, still plenty of tea and ginger flavor. The ginger is strong enough but does not bite. I find that ginger settles the tummy.
Newcomers to oolong, try this one. I am never tempted to add anything but water. Fine oolongs are not costly when: 1st steep 3-4 min, 2nd 3-4 min, 3rd 5-6 min, 4th 6-7 min, 5th 8-10 min. New flavors at each stage. You need a large infuser, preferably one in which the leaves can be kept between uses. So far, no spoilage — boiling water kills microorganisms.
First opening the bag, I got a sour smell and thought the tea (or coconut — there are visible shreds) had been poorly stored. Left the bag open overnight, and today I am only getting aromas of coconut and tea, though there’s still a bit of smokiness. 5 min steep yielded a clear, dark amber liquid, some astringency, not bitter. Tasty coconut tea!
To me, a black masala chai has black pepper, so i added that. Out of milk, i added powdered creamer. Then came the Equal sweetener knockoff. This is what happens when i dont get out to the store. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this creamy, spicy hit of black tea!
The first time I drank this, i over-steeped it and hated it. This time i did better, with cooler water and 2 min steep, and squeezed the tea bag GENTLY. Added some sweet. This time i like it. It cant compare with Stash’s mangosteen green with matcha, but i do love diversity.
[see my later entries on this tea. Lack of experience affected this one] Hot water 3 min in glass gaiwan. Somewhat vegetal, with no bitterness or astringency (actually kinda flat) and the aroma is mostly coconut. Medium yellow-green liquor, slightly hazy, with medium body. I’d have liked a bit more pineapple or even citrus for some oomph. All-in-all a mellow cup, mostly as described, to which I added nothing. Dont know yet if i like it.
leaves smile and they wink,
twisting in their agony —
such is strength of tea
Maybe it’s just that the pu-erh in this tea bag is extra mellow, but perhaps the chrysanthemum petals have the effect of banishing the barnyard aspects of the pu-erh. However it happens, this is a light amber liquid with nice earthiness and a subtle floral aroma. Boiling water, scant 3 min steep. I like this. Nice change of pace. Got it in a sampler — might buy it sometime.
Nice and smooth drinking. Boiling water, 5 min steep, milk and sweet’ning. I bought a bunch of assortments on clearance and shared them with a sort of tea sisterhood, including my sister, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. We fancy ourselves having daily tea parties across the miles. And I feel a bit of the same camaraderie with my fellow Steepster-ites. Well then, to tea!
