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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

ok
making my last 2.2g at work
12 ounces hot spigot water tempered with a bit of cold fountain water (aiming on 170)
5 min steep
tea smell: vegetal, refreshing (springy?) sweet
tea taste: vegetal, sweet, refreshing, not minty like it was last night, I blame the root beer float
it’s more a medium bodied drink than the light it was last night
aftertaste: bitter on the roof of my moth as opposed to tongue

i sorta liked the mint tang-i miss it

still a refreshing green tea, but it now has that bitter after tang i do NOT like

maybe some honey? sugar?

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling 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: Banana (MilitiaJim Fake banana) chocolate if you look for it
Steeped Tea Smell: woody
Flavor: woody, banana, sweet
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: banana
Liquor: deep cloudy reddish brown

This was a gift from Teaplz

I am sadly not getting any of the chocolate, very little of the banana (it might be a brief flirt at the beginning but then gone), the apple I think just sweetens it.

In summary, smells better than it tastes, it doesn’t taste bad it just tastes like rooibos and after that smell you expect and want something more.

I have enough left for another pot, perhaps more, I think I’ll try a shorter steep.

Post-Steep Additives: none

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

Steep Information:
Amount: 4g
Additives: none, MilitiaJim: Honey
Water: 2 zarafina cups filtered water
Tool: Zarafina Green-Loose-Medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: very light bad to get very close to smell it, vegetal and sweet
Steeped Tea Smell:
AmazonV: again a very light smell, vegetal, light, sweet, minty
MilitiaJim: medicinal
Bobbie: bengay
Flavor:
AmazonV: delicate, light, sweet, minty, refreshing
MilitiaJim: earthy like an unwashed potato, maybe dirty cinnamon
Bobbie: eww
Body: Light
Aftertaste: minty, refreshing, tingly
Liquor: pale yellow-green

So Bobbie and MilitiaJim gave me their teas to finish as they did not like this tea at all. I was surprised I liked this tea and found it refreshing as I am not a green tea person.

I did find it earthier with the clover honey. Not in a bad way though.

I think this tea came though best without additives.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: Zarafina, 2 c, Green-Loose-Medium
pretty much the same as the first steep, less tingly though

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/life-in-teacup-loose-leaf-green-tea_11.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 teabags
Water: 12 ounces filtered, boiling water
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: no scent really, paper maybe
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet honey, chamomile flowers, maybe a tinge of the licorice?
Flavor: light licorice, chamomile, very watery
Body: Light
Aftertaste: none
Liquor: deep dark brown

I blame the fact these are probably a good few years old and have only been in the waxed paper bag they originally came in. I purchased them a long time ago and shoved them into the cupboard and neglected them ever since.

Perhaps 1 bag would have been sufficient, but they were so old and not scented….alas not the comforting cup I was seeking.

Out of deference to the poor conditions and age of the bag I will refrain from rating this tea, I have memories of it being a good bed time tea.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/celestial-seasonings-teabag-herbal-tea.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 Teabag, 2.1g
Water:154° 8 ounce hot spigot water
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes, I started with 2 and kept adding
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: not much smell from the bag
Steeped Tea Smell: not much smell from the tea
Flavor: brown water, no flavor
Liquor: dark brown

This came as part of a gift and is of unknown age and history so I am refraining from rating this tea. I had very low expectations to begin with as I look down on decaffeinated teas (caffeine free is a different story) but I was expecting bitter not flavorless.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/twinings-of-london-teabag-black-tea.html

finished the TTB sample off this morning with a splash of almond milk – needed sugar and perhaps a little less steep time (4 min but a bit over 3 tsp for 1 pot)

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 bag 2.2g
Additives: none
Water:150° hot spigot water
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (Steep.It)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: peppermint, lemongrass, lemon verbena
Steeped Tea Smell: lemon verbena
Flavor: lemon, not a very tart shocking lemon but a nice soothing lemon
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: sweet floral
Liquor: medium honey brown

Gift from Janefan, yea! (only 3 more flavors she sent to try and review left)

I was expecting tart and sour and instead got nice and smooth.

I wasn’t feeling too well and was hoping this herbal would help.

I believe this is a good herbal, and recommend it as a under the weather stash.

Post-Steep Additives: honey, mmmmm delicious like a lemon candy

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/bigelow-teabag-herbal-tea-i-love-lemon.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 2 zarafina cups
Tool: Zarafina Strong-Loose Leaf-Herbal
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
MilitiaJim: It smells like root beer with a hint of overcarbonization.
AmazonV: Minty birch beer.
Steeped Tea Smell:
MilitiaJim: This tastes “funny,” And by “funny” I mean exactly like root beer. Except hot. And flat.
AmazonV: smells minty, birch beer, just like birch beer I tried to save too long and kept until it went flat and was warm…with mint.
Flavor: rootbeer, followed by mint
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: mint
Liquor: deep dark reddish-brown

I was skeptical of this tea. There have been many teas in the past that sounded good, maybe even sounded and smelled good but didn’t taste like I wanted.

So i purchased a sampler from the website. It holds about 6 tsp. I like that it comes in a nice ziplock bag.

I do not like that the website does not have ingredients listed. The sample bag does have them listed.

This tea is confusing….it’s hot root beer…it smells the part, and tastes the part perfectly. I think the float part is a bit of a stretch though.

We need to try this iced, and buy some more, it’s delicious!

Post-Steep Additives: lactose free milk, makes it creamier and hides the mint in the sips but not the after taste.

A touch of German rock sugar only makes it better.

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