AmazonV

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp, one entire sample bag
Water: 2 Zarafina cups
Tool: Zarafina Oolong-Loose-Medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: milky (dairy), vegetal, sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, vegetal, milky (dairy)
Flavor: smooth, silky, smooth, vegetal, astringent, sweet
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: a touch bitter and astringent
Liquor: Translucent light yellow-brown

This tea was one of 5 samples I received from thepuriTea. It arrived well packaged in pretty pillow boxes (see pictures for a side angle of the pillow box if you are unsure what I mean) with packing peanuts and business cards.

Resteep: Zarafina Oolong-Loose-Medium, a milder vegetal taste, still smooth and sweet

At first there were barely 2 tsp of tightly rolled leaf balls scattered across the steeping basket of the Zarafina. They were a little smaller than most jasmine pearls I have seen, but not by much. After steeping the basket was stuffed full of large, gorgeous, but a bit ragged, green leaves. The leaves expanded most impressively!

Oolongs and I have a hit or miss relationship, this one I did enjoy. I think I should have tried “Mild” on the first steep though. The second steep was more enjoyable than the first as it was a lighter vegetal taste with the same sweetness and smoothness of the first steep. Unfortunately I had to run so I did not get to try further steeps but the flavor was still very strong and I fully believe it would have easily supported another steep if not more.

This is not so impressive I am running out to buy it right now, but it is a sure addition to any thepuriTea order I place in the future. The flavor itself is a high quality enjoyable flavor but it’s the mouth-feel and body that make it memorable.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/thepuritea-loose-leaf-oolong-tea-milk.html

Tried iced; it was juicy and then warmed by the cardamom and cinnamon
not a cool you down iced tea but a very interesting iced tea

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: 750ml 212°
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (Black, custom)
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: a root beer tropical floral explosion! I can’t put my finger on the smells, but I enjoy sniffing it
Steeped Tea Smell: warm, spicy, fruity
Flavor: warm, spicy, fruity, smooth
Body: Full
Aftertaste: cirtusy sweet and cinnamon
Liquor: Dark opaque orange-brown

I saw LiberTEAS talking about ordering a PersonaliTEA, so I ordered one too.

It arrived in a box decorated with cute teacup stamps. Inside the box was red tissuepaper wrapping up a bag of tea and a card. The card talked about creating my blend, and what the inspiration from my survey was. Everything was done up very adorably, I love when packages seem wrapped in care.

I wonder if the coloring was done just for me, or if they’re all red.

I think this would do well prepared as a latte.

It has less of the WAKE UP than I was hoping for and the name implied, this is more like a brunch cup of delicious warm and comforting.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/mad-pots-of-tea-loose-leaf-blend-tea.html

1000 ml in breville one-touch, herbal, custom (212, 10 min)
YUM

Grande (16oz) no-water soy chai latte from concentrate
prepared in store

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 8 ounces filtered boiling water
Tool: Adagio IngenuiTEA 16 oz
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: honey, wood
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet wood
Flavor: smooth, sweet
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: woody
Liquor: dark orange brown

I got a small sample pack from Samovar since everyone always sounds so pleased with their teas. I also could not recall having a plain honeybush and wanted to try it unflavored.

It is not something amazing, but I can see how it acts as a wonderful base for so many flavored teas.

There was a fine dust sludge in the bottom of my teacup when I was nearly done.

Resteep: 7+ minutes, lighter translucent orange-brown color, light taste, weak

I am disappointed in the resteep.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/samovar-loose-leaf-honeybush-tea.html

3 tsp, hot spigot water 16 oz, paper tea filter, a very long time and left it in
see prior notes for flavor etc

3 tsp, 16 ounces hot spigot water, paper teabag, 5+ minutes and left the teabag in
1 stick honey
medium body nutty chocolate ish drink, wish it were a bit bolder

Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: honey, sweet, floral
Flavor: honey, sweet floral, is there is green tea in this?
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: citrusy sweet, hint of green tea
Liquor: pale translucent yellow-green

I bought this to have with my lunch, sushi, from the company cafeteria. I was expecting a sweetened green bottled tea. I got sweet honey and citrus water with a hint of green tea. I didn’t mind drinking it, but it’s more like a soda or juice than a tea.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/sobe-bottled-green-tea-sobe-energize.html

Grande (16oz) no-water soy chai latte from concentrate
prepared in store

I am hanging out in militiaJim’s office this afternoon
So we decided to have some tea
TEA FAIL
2tsp – 1 mug of water
the catch
he said “go flick the switch on the electric kettle it’ll give you hot water”
I walked into the kitchen, missed the electric kettle, saw the water filter, it had a flip switch on the spigot, i flipped it, steeped my tea (in warm filtered tap water) for 3 min
and got
nice mango juice ?
i mean wow, it was drinkable and yummy, not tea but juice
but yea i’m blind (give me credit i have 1 eye!)

so then since it wasn’t a hot steep, he added a touch of PG Tips and real hot water and steeped for 3 min+
and apparently the PG Tips kicked the mango teas a$!
it was bitter and icky and required cream

not to bad for the abuse we put that tea through!

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 500ml filtered 185°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (White, Custom)
Steep Time: 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: light white peaches
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet peach, a little vegetal
Flavor: peachy, orange? citrus, light, sweet
Body: Light
Aftertaste: a little citrus tart, but not in a bad way
Liquor: translucent honey yellow-brown

Gift from the loverly SoccerMom I had it on my shopping list so she sent me some.

It’s yummy, but very light, luckily this, my first cup of tea for the day, was around lunch time. This is not a kick you awake tea, it’s more a sip while nibbing something and relaxing tea.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/rishi-tea-company-loose-leaf-white-tea.html

4tsp, 16oz hot spigot water, steep forever (left paper teabag i made in)

Grande (16oz) no-water soy chai latte from concentrate
prepared in store

tried iced: a little better, but not much

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 packet
Water: 8 ounces cold water from drinking fountain
Served: Cold

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: blueberry, matcha
Steeped Tea Smell: blueberry, grassy
Flavor: grassy matcha, a little gritty, blueberry hints
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: blueberry
Liquor: murky olive green

Gift from Janefan

Well, it’s not great, it’s not bad, it’s meh. It dissolved fairly well in cold water with a bit of stirring.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/stash-instant-powder-green-tea.html

last cup of this, de-cupboarding
sugar and non-dairy creamer
plain black tea, astringent and a touch bitter
nothing special but not bad

16oz hot spigot water
sweet, tart skin, and i am getting a hint of that metallic taste Rabs mentioned

Grande (16oz) no-water soy chai latte from concentrate
prepared in store

Steep Time: not sure, too busy watching it unfurl
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
Steeped Tea Smell: floral, vegetal
Flavor: floral, vegetal, smooth, indistinct
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: nutty, astringent
Liquor: translucent green-yellow

This tea was one of 5 samples I received from thepuriTea. It arrived well packaged in pretty pillow boxes (see pictures for a side angle of the pillow box if you are unsure what I mean) with packing peanuts and business cards.

I’ll admit, I bought the IngenuiTEA specifically for this tea. I used to have a pretty glass De Chine teapot that was a gift from my boss, but I broke it one day while cleaning it.

Since then I have had enough teapots that I haven’t had the need to replace it. I could have used my Breville One-Touch, but I wanted to try an IngenuiTEA / gravity-teapot and this was a good excuse to try it.

I was a little sad it decided to be upside down, as it was fascinating to watch it unfurl. It was pretty to look at as well when I was done steeping.

Not a tea I think I’d want to have every day, but certainly a fun treat every now and then.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/thepuritea-loose-leaf-white-tea-royal.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: 16 oz filtered boiling
Tool: Adagio IngenuiTEA 16 oz
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: not much
Steeped Tea Smell: funny, a sour kind of tart
Flavor: sour, apple, hibiscus, citrus
Body: Full
Aftertaste: apple, citrus
Liquor: opaque dark red

Thanks to Meghann M for this tea.

I like how the apple pieces float at the top while steeping.

I like hibiscus, I like hibiscus and apple. I do not like this tea, there is an odd citrus note in it. I like sour apple candies but this is more layered – lemon then hibiscus then apple as opposed to a solid sour apple flavor.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/argo-tea-loose-leaf-herbal-tea-hibiscus.html

1 bag, 12 oz hot spigot water
i still like it, but i love hibiscus

12oz hot spigot water, 1 teabag, 1 stick honey
green-tea like, grassy, a little gritty (not smooth)

12oz hot water spigot, reminds me of the holidays