AmazonV

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer – not all the way full just enough to cover the tea
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: I can see golden raisins, and smell hibiscus and currents?
Steeped Tea Smell: hibiscus (inhales deeply) and spice
Flavor: hibiscus, spice
Body: Full
Aftertaste: tangy
Liquor: opaque deep red

Thank you for the sample SoccerMom!

I love hibiscus, but if you’ve been following my posts long you know this.

DELICIOUS, but all the other flavors get stomped, that is the one thing holding this back from greatness. If the spice was more prominent, or other flavors also strongly present with the hibiscus I would be in love with the lover’s kiss.

I will take this as is though. I think if I had more I’d try some honey or sugar or perhaps try it iced.

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 4, 9 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon, apple, vanilla, MilitiaJim also gets caramel
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon, apple, vanilla, MilitiaJim also gets caramel
Flavor:
4 min: light, watery, cinnamon, vanilla
9 min: bitter black, cinnamon, vanilla, hint of apple
Body: 4-Light, 9-Medium
Aftertaste: 4-sweet apple 9-bitter black tea
Liquor: 4-translucent light reddish-burnt orange 9-darker reddish-brown

I think I need a steep in between what I did, however I was distracted by dinner.

The smell delivers on the pie. I assume “a la mode” = vanilla (assuming target was vanilla bean ice cream but I am not getting creamy or dairy so no vanilla bean ice cream).

The taste on the first steep was very weak, but held promise of being a light, but not too subtle, spiced black. The second steep went off the deep end because I forgot to watch it and it turned out very bitter keeping me from appreciating it.

I am going to give this tea another shot some other time as I think it has promise.

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar-brought in more the sweetness I expect from pie, I also like sugar

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/52teas-loose-leaf-black-tea-apple-pie.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 8 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: make your own paper teabag
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes (tried 1 and 2, too weak)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cherry, floral, sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: vegetal, cherry, fruity
Flavor: bitter, vegetal, floral
Body: Light
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: translucent yellowish-green

I bought this tea because I am in love with The Republic of Tea Memoirs of a Geisha cherry green tea. That was a limited edition tea.

Since I have been trying so many teas, this tea is not on my “loved” list anymore…it’s too finicky to make properly, and not enough cherry for me.

I think 1 or 2 minutes would have done the tea better, less bitter, I’ll try that next time.

I am dropping my rating because it is finicky and I have found so many better teas as I have branched out

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/teavana-loose-leaf-green-tea-japanese.html

Steep Information:
Amount: entire sample, 3 heaping tsp
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: andes chocolate mints
Steeped Tea Smell: andes chocolate mints
Flavor: mint, woody
Body: Full
Aftertaste: mint with a hint of chocolate
Liquor: deep opaque black-red

This smelled similar to 52Teas Loose Leaf Black Tea ‘Chocolate Mint Flavored Black Tea’

Both were strongly mint.

This tea has two advantages (for me) – no bitter black tea flavor, and it’s rooibos (I need more caffeine free teas I love in my cupboard).

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: 7 minutes, medium bodied, still the same profile, lighter coloring

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/jade-teapot-loose-leaf-rooibos-tea_2874.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp at first, then entire sample (approx 4 tsp)
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 12 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: barely a scent of caramel, and perhaps a re-heated burned caramel
Steeped Tea Smell: none
Flavor: woody rooibos
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: the burned caramel is there, like an after thought, not heavy but lightly
Liquor: dark red

After the first 7 minutes and 2 tsp of tea I found it to be a weak woody rooibos flavor, so I added the rest of the sample and steeped another 5 minutes.

I was not tasting the apple or smelling it. The cinnamon and almond surprised me as I would never have guessed they were there had they not been in the ingredient listing.

You need to like rooibos to like this tea as it is a very prominent flavor. The apple and caramel are too subtle for me.

Post-Steep Additives: 1/2 tsp German rock sugar, more caramel flavor brought out

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/jade-teapot-loose-leaf-rooibos-tea_17.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 3 cups filtered boiling water (1 cast iron teapot full)
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Raisin bran cereal, sweet raisins
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon and tea
Flavor: black tea, smoky, astringent
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: tea
Liquor: translucent light reddish-brown

I started with 3 minutes, it was too weak, went and kept sipping, the tea was not yet bitter at 7 and I think it could have steeped longer.

The tea smells very much like cinnamon and tea. I was not getting toast (or was the smoky flavor supposed to represent crispy toast?) or butter.

The raisins was only present in the dry leaf smell.

To test the quality of a steeped golden raisin I took some of my golden raisins from the cupboard and steeped them a few minutes, very grape. So apparently the tea doesn’t have enough raisins for my liking.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this tea, it’s smooth and not bitter and really just fine. But I have done something wrong or it’s too subtle for me.

Next steep I will try adding sugar, cream separately and together while tossing in extra raisins. It may end up getting a higher rating once I fiddle with the preparation, it has potential.

I am interested to get MilitaJim’s thoughts on it – he’s out celebrating St. Patty’s Day. Bobbie agrees with my tea that smells like cinnamon assessment.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/52teas-loose-leaf-black-tea-buttered.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp (entire sample)
Additives: none
Water: 26 ounces filtered boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 10 minutes (7 was too weak)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Pears, Woody, and something else I can’t quite place
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, pears, and that odd something else
Flavor: funky (marigold?)
Body: Light
Aftertaste: sweet
Liquor: translucent reddish-orange

I realize I should have done less water, but that was the pot that was out and it needs at least that much to cover the tea.

This was a free sample from The Jade Teapot, which I really appreciate in my quest to find good caffeine free tea.

Sadly this tea is just too weird, there is that flavor I can not place, and the pear is a very light flavor, although the sweetness was wonderful, no additives needed!

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/jade-teapot-loose-leaf-rooibos-tea.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 5 tsp – the entire sample bag
Additives: none
Water: 1 cast iron teapot full of filtered boiling water
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 8 minutes (did 5, it was too weak)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: strawberry, kiwi
Steeped Tea Smell: strawberry rhubarb pie
Flavor: Strawberry, sweet berry
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: slightly tangy (hibiscus)
Liquor: store bought cherry pie colored

Purchased this sample to help find a tea to fill my nightly no caffeine niche.

Where are you hiding my kiwi? I can’t find it. And I am not sure why there are rosehips in there, and not sure I could find them, but I wonder if there would be less weird ‘other’ in this tea without them.

I was happy to drink the whole pot, but it was straightforward strawberry so not interesting enough for me to purchase more of.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/thenecessiteas-loose-leaf-herbal-tea.html

28 ounces tap water
Sunbeam TeaDrop Hot tea Maker
4 tsp tea
medium setting
2 sugars
still a good black tea…but not any kind of wow

Steep Information:
Flavia machine

Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: fruity, floral, citrus, hibiscus
Flavor: lemongrass, hibiscus, sour tang
Body: Full
Aftertaste: sour tang
Liquor: dark red

Apparently discontinued, I am not surprised. The tang was unpleasant and not fully describable. The tea was almost likable….almost and then at the end of the sip that odd flavor invaded and lingered.

Drinkable, but barely.

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling water
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: citrus
Steeped Tea Smell: citrus, floral, woody
Flavor: lemon, hibiscus, floral, roobois
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: lemon, sweet
Liquor: red-brown translucent

I am not sure where I was getting the citrus from. The hibiscus flavor gets stronger as it cools. I was not getting the peppermint or blueberry.

It was a nice flavorful tea, I think I need to have a few more glasses to decide of I like it or really like it.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/republic-of-tea-teabag-rooibos-tea-get.html

see previous notes; summary: delicious and buttery cookie flavor! no additives needed and no fuss (1 bag, 8 ounces hot spigot water at work in paper cup)

had one cup no sugar, enjoy it very much, see previous note, tried to resteep and failed so added a second bag and enjoyed

1 teabag
8 ounces hot spigot water with one flavia latte packet
3 min

The result was a weak chai, I should should have steeped longer

It was very smooth, more spice after the sip than at the start of the sip

I will try again longer with a latte and some honey or sugar and a longer steep

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: 8 ounces hot spigot water
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: ginger, cinnamon, clove, spice
Steeped Tea Smell: tea, generic spice
Flavor: generically spicy tea
Body: Light/Medium/Full
Aftertaste: slightly bitter and astringent aftertaste with hints of spice
Liquor: deep dark reddish-brown

This was better, spicier and bolder, than I was expecting from a bagged chai made in the office, but not one that really WOWed me.

Post-Steep Additives: 1 packet sugar = smoother, better
2 packet sugar = spicier, better

think it needs milk/cream

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/stash-teabag-black-tea-chai-spice-black.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 Teabag, 3.5g
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling water
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Sweet spice, lemongrass, fruity, minty
Steeped Tea Smell: Lemongrass
Flavor: Something trying to be sweet, a medley of flavors, never settling on one, not blending the flavors they are each unique
Body: Light
Aftertaste: Ginger-lemongrass burn on the tongue
Liquor: Cloudy yellow-brown

There were popping noise while steeping! It was surprising.

This was a sample pack I choose when I placed my last order online.

I believe it may have done better with a bit of honey, it wasn’t as gingery as I was expecting from the name and was a nice tea to keep me on my toes as it cycled through various pleasant flavors.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: very light, mainly lemongrass water

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/mighty-leaf-tea-teabag-herbal-tea.html

good strong rooibos…with chocolate sludge in the bottom?
i made 1 cup at a time this time, 2 tsp, 4 min

4 minutes
1 cup, 1 tsp
honey
splash of almond milk
good sweet and spicy chai tea shrug tasted nutty but could be blamed on the almond milk.

Steeped 2 min, too weak, 3….stopped
minty black tea
not what I was looking for but a good minty black tea
(still looking for that chocolate)

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 2 zarafina cups
Tool: Zarafina Black-Loose-Medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon imperials
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet cinnamon bark
Flavor: syrupy sweet cinnamon candy, hints of woody bark
Body: Full
Aftertaste: warm sweet cinnamon, less bark
Liquor: translucent but dark reddish-brown

Gift from SoccerMom (YEA) in order to help me see which is the most similar to cinnamon imperials as part of my quest to take over the world…or something similar

I have had the bagged H&S black cinnamon spice at one or two restaurants before, but this was before Steepster and my desire to try all the teas and find which I like best (IMO you can’t find the best because everyone has different tastes).

The tea is very thick syrup, as if you had made cinnamon imperials into a liquid. Delicious! Though I must say the Green Hot Cinnamon is a lighter, more tea like version, it’s not as thick and not as sweet. I think each has their place.

Strangely I couldn’t find the black tea!

Post-Steep Additives: none, though i bet this would stand up to milk well. Whatever you do, do NOT add sugar as you would become diabetic on the spot.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/harney-and-sons-loose-leaf-black-tea_13.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 2 Zarafina cups
Tool: Zarafina Green-Loose-Medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: floral, honeysuckle (weird I expected Jasmine)
Steeped Tea Smell: Jasmine, honeysuckle, floral
Flavor: liquid flowers with a bit of green tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: tingly tongue, I can feel floral perfume filling my mouth
Liquor: light apple juice yellow, translucent yellow-green-orange

I should have used 2 tsp and not 4, I have no idea what I was thinking.

Post-Steep Additives: honey
more green tea, less floral, enjoy it much better this way

Resteep: Zarafina Green-Loose-Medium
I should have done mild? Bleh too bitter to drink, tossed it, very vegetal, very floral, but also very bitter

Rating: 1/3 I fully expect this to become a 2/3 when I try again with the proper amount of pearls

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/two-leaves-and-bud-loose-leaf-green-tea.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Andes Mints
Steeped Tea Smell: Junior Mints
Flavor: mint, hint of chocolate
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: bitter tea, the only time the black tea makes an appearance
Liquor: dark brown, slight red tint

I was expecting liquid girl scout thin mint cookies based off other reviews. I got mint tea. Perhaps I need to try a shorter steep and cream and sugar next time? I am so disappointed I am not sure I am even willing to give it a next time.

Both MilitiaJim and Bobbie also soundly rejected this tea and wanted nothing to do with it.

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar
Changes the profile to that of black tea followed by a bitter mint, chocolate is more pronounced.
The sugar makes this a different tea but not much better of a tea.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/52teas-loose-leaf-black-tea-chocolate.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 2 zarafina cups, filtered
Tool: Zarafina Green-Loose-Medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon imperials candy
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet cinnamon, sweet sugary cinnamon, a slight bit lighter than the leaf smell
Flavor: cinnamon, sweet, sweet cinnamon candy, where is the green tea?
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: cinnamon bark-woody
Liquor: very clear light yellow-green

Gift from SoccerMom (YEA) in order to help me see which is the most similar to cinnamon imperials as part of my quest to take over the world…or something similar

I have had the bagged H&S black cinnamon spice at one or two restaurants before, but this was before Steepster and my desire to try all the teas and find which I like best (IMO you can’t find the best because everyone has different tastes).

Anyway the tea was delicious, I love it dearly, deliciously sweet even without sweetener.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: (2 zarafina cups green-medium-strong) weak, cinnamon but weak, sadness.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/harney-and-sons-loose-leaf-green-tea.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 1 cast iron teapot, filtered, boiling
Tools: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: graham crackers, ginger snaps, peanut butter, girl scout cookies
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon and clove
Flavor:
AmazonV: smooth spiced chai tea, a small hint of peanut butter
MilitiaJim: hot but flavored like cold sesame noodles
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: sweet spicy ginger
Liquor: cloudy reddish-brown

Not enough peanut butter flavor for me, I love peanut butter and I love chai. I believe this is a good chai, but that isn’t was I was expecting so I will need to try this again expecting a chai and not peanut butter and see if I enjoy it then.

Also perhaps a shorter steep time, and steeping one cup at a time might help with the peanut butter flavoring.

I need to give this one another try as it has promise.

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar
really the same, I should have perhaps also done a bit of milk

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/52teas-loose-leaf-black-tea-peanut.html