2816 Tasting Notes
I accidentally typed this note in the Orange Spice rooibos section a moment ago, so I’m going to try again!
Herbal blends can be difficult to do well, or creatively. This is a very earthy cup with orange, cocoa notes and a bit of citrus from the lemongrass. The cocoa element I found to be fairly light but lends some depth to this blend. It is fairly well balanced but also hearty enough to be a nice substitute for coffee. I am not feeling too overpowered by the spices in this blend, but I like my teas kinda spicy.
I liked this a lot and would definitely reorder.
This is nice when you cold brew it, I tried that last night. But not so nice with a shot of Captain Morgan’s Rum added… ;-)
LOL Oh Amy :) I used to love the Captain.
we used to drink it all the time in college but I haven’t had any for years!
Heh, old song I used to listen to when I was younger called ‘El Capitan’ by OPM about Captain Morgan rum. I haven’t heard that song in years, and it’s stuck in my head now. Good song :)
Got sick drinking rum & coke. I too, haven’t had it for years! ;-))
Sometimes it really taxes my poor brain trying to figure out what kind of tea to drink…
I had a cranberry muffin for breakfast and this darjeeling is going very nicely with it… a bit flowery and fruity. I am enjoying it!
Preparation
Do you feel that the Premium Blend is worth the $$$? I’ll bet the cranberry muffin(s) are! I heart cranberry things (plants and birds and rocks and things….sands and hills and rain)! Laaa La La Ahhh La La Laaa…….
So what d’ya think sister golden hair?? :))
Eh, it’s just ok. Probably would not repurchase this again.
OMG! Opening chords to SGH & G. Harrison’s MSL are too close!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=XIycEe59Auc
You are dating yourself now : )
HeHeHehehehe…….:))
I really can’t rate this one for now… upon smelling the wet leaf and the tea I could not place the aroma, then it reminded me: OMG! Indian food! To me this smells exactly like a curry dish. I even had to check to see that there was no turmeric in this. A bit of sweetener was a must but I still feel like I should be dipping a samosa into this.
I tried a bit of the wet steeped fruit in my blend and there must be something spicy in this besides ginger, maybe even cayenne pepper? Wow. I generally like spicy herbal teas but this is potent! I did not overdo it with the leaf but perhaps next time I will try slightly less?
I will check back soon with the Steepster crowd to make sure I am not losing my mind….
Preparation
I found that if I steeped this at a lower temperature for a longer period of time it takes on some different characteristics and this really brings out the sweetness, while retaining a woodsy almost spicy quality.
Preparation
Do you think this is worth buying? Based on your first review I thought about getting enough to ut aside for a few years and keep some out for now.
How much experience do you have with green puerhs?
I have only had one, and that was Harney’s Ziyun Puerh Maocha. I have only tried about six shu puerhs, but I liked them all pretty well, except for fishy parts! Rishi’s shu was boring. Shengs are very different different from shus, yes?
yes, they are more like green tea when they are young but they can be kind of bitter and sour. These are pretty good but I don’t know if I would buy more… see if you can get a sample. :)
Good idea! Thanks! I have bought a lot of teaware from that company, so maybe they will out together a diverse sampler for me. I liked their Osmanthus Shu Puerh.
If you wanted to swap for one, I think that could also be arranged…. :)
Ooo, what would you like to try? I will also have some new tea in a few days. My daughter is bringing back some Dammann Freres , Pickwick, something unpronounceable and the fore unspeakable from Hungary, and some from Northern Ireland that I don’t remember the name of! LOL!
I’ll check when I’m back at home & PM ya.
Now that I’ve decided I don’t hate rooibos after all I thought it was time to try this blend because carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts. This was steeped for around 8 minutes at 208 F.
First off, this smells amazing in the cup as I am sitting here, it’s like maple heaven! With my first sip I’m getting the traditional carrot cake spices like cinnamon and maple. I am picking up on a touch of clove and ginger as well as a slight raisin element. I added soymilk to mine which definitely has upped the creaminess factor. I did not feel this needed sugar at all. The base of this tea is a honeybush/rooibos blend which works well here, I think. The aftertaste here is very “clove” which I don’t mind at all.
I did not pick up on a lot of carrot or coconut but no matter, this is pretty yummy. I would definitely drink often this as a dessert tea, as it’s a bit one the sweeter side even without added sugar. It is certainly a bonus that this tea has no sour aromas that I so often associate with rooibos.
I think I’ve discovered a new favorite vendor for herbal blends. Not a dud in the bunch so far with Fusion Tea Room, I’m excited to try the others I got!
Preparation
The after lunch pu-erh. :)
These mini coins unfurl so beautifully to display long and sweet smelling leaves. The resulting brew is earthy with a lingering sweetness and a faint creaminess. see previous notes for more info…
Preparation
This is my first experience with guayusa – I only got a small bag of this because I wasn’t sure about it but am open to new caffeinated beverages since I quit drinking coffee over a year ago due to heartburn.
My first impression is good – I like this! It’s earthy and slightly sweet and is definitely not as herbaly and bitter as mate. The apricot flavor is a nice touch here, it is fairly subtle but that’s much better than being overly fake or cloying.
I did do a resteep for about 8 minutes and although the apricot flavor has diminished quite a bit it is still a very pleasant drink. Glad I tried it!
Preparation
This sounds mouth-watering… I’ve been dipping into guayusa myself but haven’t been too excited about the varieties. This one sounds like a must-try! :)
well, it’s the only one I’ve had so far but I thought it was quite good. :)
I added it to my list. I love Butiki Teas anyway. Gotta support those local/small/women-owned businesses! (I can justify purchasing tea for anything…)
KeenTeaThyme-I’m open to flavor suggestions. I’ve been working with guayusa a bit trying to perfect some flavors. I had done a cider flavor guayusa that was fantastic but it sold out so fast that it never made it to my website. Cider works really well with the natural flavor of guayusa but unfortunately the specific flavoring I worked with is seasonal. I’m definitely open for suggestions though. I’d really like to have a well rounded line of flavored guayusas.
Cider?! I LOVE cider! Maybe you could do a blend for Autumn 2012… I would buy it for sure! :) I’ll have to think about other flavors to add…
Cider worked perfectly. I will definitely be doing another cider guayusa. I was contemplating doing a tangerine creamsicle in guyausa but will have to see how it comes out. The earthiness of the guyausa might not work.
I would get the cider too! Or anything resembling apple pie. hee hee.
Mmmm, apple pie.
going to have to try this one!
Just wanted to add that I have a recommendation for making this guayusa. I usually make a pot of this for guests and it goes over super well. I use a 4 cup teapot and add 2 heaping tablespoons of guayusa, 3 tablespoons of brown crystal sugar and 3 cinnamon sticks. I steep for 6 minutes but leave the cinnamon sticks in the pot to intensify the cinnamon flavor. The combination of the sugar, cinnamon, and apricot is fantastic with guayusa.
