Bonnie

First tasting note
It is an odd occasion that this tea information was posted today May 23, 2012 and the tea arrived at my home today also, and today is my Birthday “64”! It was meant to be.

With the rain pouring down outside and a day that was going to be spent alone with no plans, the arrival of my Verdant tea was extra joyful. David (the owner of Verdant) put a little something extra inside my shipment besides the regular sample for me to try which brought a tear to my eye. The kindness of strangers as they say. More and more the people I encounter on Steepster, and several tea providers, are less like strangers and are individuals that I care about. Thank you!

I was determined NOT to do a complicated long review of this tea.
I followed the instructions on the Verdant site for Western Style preparation because it was later in the day when my tea arrived. Using Spring water I could count on a great pot of tea.

My first flavor impression was Chocolate. A big, then bigger, then huge mouthful of chocolate at first… followed by what I imagined was pecan pound cake. (Now I think the cake was not made with wheat flour but potato. I know…that sounds crazy.) The tea wasn’t vanilla, yam, cinnamon or malty tasting like so many other popular black tea’s. This was fruity (but not discernable as to what fruit) and clean. I hunted for some acid or tannin…but couldn’t find any. The smoothness was creamy and rich. The difference between this black tea and others was…well…this was like an expensive satin covered down comforter and the others are wool blankets, rough and kind of thin. Everything in a cup like liquid, shimmering amber gold.

I let the tea cool down. It was so good plain. Straight up it was sweet, genteel and smooth with NO acid at all! The finish was creamy and I am in love with it!

I love this tea! I really am amazed! This is the first Black Tea of any kind that I can and would drink straight up without sugar or cream always! I love the Laoshan Black but I think it’s a tie here. This is so mellow!

Second Steep Still amazing! I forgot to say that when I stuck my nose way down into the cup I was reminded of the fruity scent of wine inside the barrels at Fortino’s Winery where I worked one Summer but without sourness and just the sweet dry wine. The wine produced in that area of California was like liquid sunshine. Ripe sunkissed berries. That’s the fruit somewhere in the scent.
The flavor of this tea has no sourness either, but now I taste that distant berry. I feel the cedar and pepper on the front of my tongue but not at the finish so the smoothness is still good. Chocolate delight. Naked!
Third Steeping I’m not going into the flavor that much. I has all the same qualities that it had before. Such a strong leaf! What I have found at this point is another dimension. One that I stumbled upon because I had an Artist friend that cooked a fantastic dinner served outdoors in the evening served by candlelight. The end of the meal was followed by fine cigars and an aged, expensive Port. Here’s the part I want to share. This tea has the essense of fine cigars and port about it. A taste, scent…something.
There I’ve done it. I can’t explain why. See for yourself. I’m putting it out for you to tell me if I’m right or wrong! Because of this brilliance, I’ve upped the rating! I could not help myself!

It’s a beautiful cool rainy day on the Frontrange. This follows a 91F hot day yesterday so you can imagine how happy us mountain people are feeling today!
Last night my granddaughter Megan (16) conducted her school choir in an original composition that she wrote in Latin about the death of Ceasar. It was fantastic! I am so proud of all the kids…but she’s my kindred spirit.
For breakfast I decided on this Butiki Organic Assam. I love the fact that it is Organic and relatively mild. The tea is smooth like velvet…without astringency or heavy raw edged smokiness. I know there are those who want that more assertive type of robust Assam. Something akin to drinking white lightenin. I really do like my black tea’s strong and sexy…don’t get me wrong…but I like them to have some manners too. When it’s all said and done, I want to remember days later that this tea gave me a good time.

And, this tea is a good time!
(It’s my first choice today of a Birthday tea!)

I’ve been trying to do a review of this tasty tea and the review keeps erasing! That’s the kind of trouble I’ve had with Steepster the past 24 hours! Anyone else?!?

One of the things I love about this spiced Creme Brulee Pumpkin Tea is that it is Organic. The spices, pumpkin and tea are all superior to fake flavoring. You sure can tell the difference. Stacy at Butiki really knows what she’s doing! I have no idea how she has managed to conjour up the brulee illusion without any dairy or vanilla. The creaminess is insane and the spice does not cut into it with a vulgar sharpness. Adding a bit of milk and sweetening the cup is so brilliant that I would not drink this tea any other way. On my next order I want to pick up some of Butiki’s brown sugar amber gems. They would look so beautiful in a little bowl…and I’ll bet some real whipped cream in another little bowl would be delightful with buscuits and this tea some Saturday morning.
I’ve decided to raise my rating on this tea. Worth it!

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Thank you to IndigoBloom for these sample Blooms of tea!

Steepster has been misbehavin’ again and it took hours to find this tea and bring up the screen to do a review. I hope whatever the issues are will be for the benefit of all of us tea-freaks in the future. I do understand that maintinence does have to occur now and then. Oh, am I the ONLY tea freak? I think not!

This tea was like a sea urchin. Indigo-B sent me 2 whole creatures. Brown, spiny, golden tipped, silver dollar sized, sleeping beings needing water to revive them. I am an obliging woman…a nurturer always ready for doing what needs to get done. (I was ready for drinking the life out of the little critters… really… ya ha ha!)
Teavana doesn’t list this tea anymore and Indigo-B had no instructions on the packet, (she has a life apart from tea) so I guessed on the steeping time and temp. at 4 min. and 195f.
The liquor was medium brown, fragrant, tasting like chocolate malted black tea. Rich and pleasing flavors! For those who hate astringency, this is a winner because this is a tame acid free brew. I’d choose this tea as a mild, uncomplicated tea fully capable of handling both sugar and cream in the morning without losing the malty chocolate, wheat bread goodness one wishes for at that time of day. While I prefer a more malty (manly) robust tea myself, and as I read Indigoblooms comments that this was originally $40 for 4 oz. (ouch!) I know that there are better tea’s for far less money. The comment from Teavana about “you don’t need a brew basket, the tea is portable” is bunk. The tied tea bundles fall apart during the first steeping.

But, this was a good enough cup of tea.

Thank you TeaFairy for this yummy sample!

Tonight I had an early dinner of fish with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce with some Injera Bread left from the Eritrean dinner last night. I love that savory and sweet spice combination. Um.
After sitting for a bit I decided to try this Banana Oolong before having an ice cold orange for desert and later a square of dark chocolate before bedtime. Little bites of delight are how I celebrate and enjoy my life. And tea plays a big part in that picture!
TeaFairy had plastered a note on the foil packet containing this tea that said “One of my Favorites” in big purple letters. The dry tea had little dehydrated chunks of what I was assuming was banana. (Better than artificial flavoring)
My steep time was 5.5 minutes and produced a clear, light yellow brew that tasted like rich, creamy, warming oolong with a tender and light banana flavor. What a relief that the banana wasn’t a “Screamin Banana” (can you feel me here), but was gentle and true.

Since my dinner was over, I added some sweetening for that “AH” dessert tea-lishous cup, and another. It was very good.
I would drink this oolong over and over again. It is organic, and subtle. More of what I am looking for in a flavored tea these days. I seem to be changing.

(Oh Davids Tea is not entirely correct in saying a banana is an herb. It is an
herbaceous plant…a herb and a fruit….it has no woody stalk so it’s not a tree but has male/female parts, and the banana has black seeds so it is a fruit. It is BOTH)

I can’t believe that it’s only been a few months since I reviewed this pu’er blend the first time. It seems like ages. Maybe there is some time warp when you’re a tea drinker (I swear I’m getting younger and I’ve also lost 20 lb’s in the last 3 months).

This week I turn 64. Yes. Those birthdays keep a-comin…year after year and there’s nothing you can do about it. The good thing about being 64 is that you don’t have to worry about your looks anymore and I don’t have to go out and get a job or worry about getting pregnant. I can say what I want and stay up late and sleep in. Not bad. So, my daughter Annalisa took me to an Eritrean dinner (a fundraiser for African Charities) at her church last night and we had a great time…I dressed in my Eritrean dress and I danced and had fresh roasted coffee. (Ethiopians and Eritreans roast and serve coffee in a ceremony that is closer to a tea ceremony and can last all day).
Here’s a photo of Annalisa and I http://www.flickr.com/photos/disabilitea/7243230384/
and the coffee…http://www.flickr.com/photos/disabilitea/7243230558/

So this morning I was sore! My legs hurt from dancing just a bit because of my fibromyalgia but it was worth it. You’ve got to live!
I really wanted a shot of good Pu’er with a wake up kick. I hadn’t had this Spiced Elderberry Pu’er is months and it sounded just right for soothing the after effects of spicy lamb, chicken, greens and injera bread from last night. I was so right!
How soothing the ginger and elderberry would be. Now that I’ve tasted several of the alchemy blends from Verdant, I delight in the restraint used when creating each blend. There is caution used so that no one herb or spice overwhelms another. This blend is warming and sweet while comforting to my stomach (a good thing) because of the mellow Pu’er. Um, this is a blend that I should be drinking more often (making that note to self).

Second Review Less tea used and less steep time with better results!

To be honest, the first review of this tea was disappointing. All the tea’s from Teavivre have been so good that I was surprised at this one. I promised to try again to see if I had a bad day before, or if perhaps my taste buds were not feeling well. I suspected the brewing instructions were part of the bad taste the first time. In my opinion, the amount of tea and time needed for a good cup was not balanced. The tea was way too strong.

This time I followed my instinct. A scant 1TB for 24oz. at 190F. steeped for 1min.

That was enough for a stout pot of tea. The liquor was smoky, slightly astringent and very flavorful.
I had sauteed 2 pts. of mushrooms, spinach with a tiny bit of ham shank and garlic and this brought out a dark, fruity flavor paired with the tea. Yes, fruit.
There was a dried blackberry background in the smokiness that went wonderfully with my dinner.

I’m glad I gave this tea another go around. Worth a second cup! Just cut down the steep time and tea measurement quantity a bit and the cuppa is very good!

Thank you IndigoBloom for this exotic Sample!

Early this morning the lightning and thunder (the flash first) woke me up. Crash, flash and I was unplugging the appliances not hooked into circuit breakers (we didn’t have ground lightening in San Jose, CA.) then I went back to bed and woke again to gentle rain. This is my favorite type of weather for tasting puerh or malty tea’s. So comforting don’t you agree?
Indie-Bloom (I think I’ll write a Bollywood Movie for her to star in…she’s cute and young)…sent me this Nepalese tea that is a bordering Darjeeling growing territory. What would that mean for the tea flavor I wondered?
Curious like a feline, I set my timer for a 4 minute steep and waited…anticipating an interessting 24oz pot of tea! “Brrring” the timer rang ready.
The aroma (not a scent…it was much too manly for that) was very malty indeed which was sensually exiting. I do so love the malty tea’s as I’ve said over and over before.
I gulped the first taste…like I was drinking a cold beer on a hot day. (Amazing I didn’t burn my mouth). The flavor was just as malty as I wanted it to be, salty with a big rich muscat finish. There was so little astringency that it took several sips before I noticed any at all. The tea is naturally sweet from the maltiness like good honey wheat bread and still I added a bit of morning sugar and cream because I’m a spoiled woman. I like my tea my way especially in the morning.

This is darjeeling…and not. A malty black tea, and not. It appears to be both married with muscat wine sans any smoke or heavy astringency. I would like to see others review this tea and give an opinion. I think it is unique and different enough to pay some attention to.

The Finest Illam Nepal Tea Review IndigoBloom Marigold Hotel…now there’s a movie title!

OK- OK- I know, but I had to go and buy a Watermelon Tea!
It’s already getting in the 80’s and the POOL opens MONDAY and the GRANDKIDS will be over to SWIM! What was I to DO?! The reviews on this tea have been pretty good.

First off, hot tea. It’s evening…and hot brewed…this smelled and tasted like fruit salad. I swear there were banana’s in the mix but Nooooo, the ingredients said Nooooo banana’s. It smelled like canned fruit cocktail. I think the apple was confusing things a bit. Apple gives me the taste of linen to a tea sometimes. Uh, the apple here is what sent me to the watermellon rind flavor. I needed a moment. I walked away, and came back.

I got some ice cubes that were made from spring water just for tea and added it to chill a half cup. Chilling helped bring the melon flavor to the forefront. The higher heat was masking the melon before, possibly increasing the beetroot and apple taste.
I let the rest of the tea cool down a bit before drinking more and it tasted much nicer. Adding a bit of sweetening helped also.

This is a fruit infusion. Great for kids! Good mixer with sparkling waters or 7-up.
No caffeine! No rooibos or honeybush for allergic people like me!

I’d buy it again. I have a Cantilope Tea from Butiki, Watermelon Tea from DT and some refreshing Alchemy Blends with Mint from Verdant to refresh hot or chilled with the kids!

Thank you TeaFairy for this Sample!

TeaFairy made a note on the packet that says “wierd taste but good if you have a sore throat”. Eeks! I don’t have a sore throat so maybe I should be afraid!

My dad loved black licorice candy. He got the worst kind available that tasted like soap and Sen Sen breath little squares that…blech…he must have KNOWN my brother and I would never, never try to steal! Ever! He was right! I was hoping this tea was not going to be a similar experience.
The tea brews up deep gold but not very fragrant. It does not smell like licorice.
Hum.
One sip…warm in the mouth not from the water, but a heat from an ingredient which may be the Ginger or Chili. I can taste Licorice and Anise and a little Fennel…which together is pleasing. There is heat, like I said, and a coolness from Mint. Altogether, not what I thought the tea was going to taste like…and naturally sweet. I don’t think you should be afraid to try this tea unless you want to avoid the Chili. There is a kickin spicy finish.
I think DT could have gone further with the Anise. The Licorice is tame for true Licorice lovers. You could add some more Anise yourself though.

Aha Moment! When you’re sick…adding honey and lemon is soothing…so, what would this taste like?
I tried the tea that way and…WOW! A great improvement on the flavor!!! Is this what was intended in the first place? Licorice Twist, Wildflower Honey, Lemon! Fantastic!

Thanks TeaFairy!

Another thank you to IndigoBloom for this lovely Sample!

My experience with White Tea is very limited. The White Tea’s in the past have been from Teavivre, and Puripan (now known also as TeaO2) which have been super good tea’s indeed.

I steeped the furry green nettle-like leaves for 2.5 minutes in 160F water Western Style (wanting a large brew for my glass pot).
The wet green leaf aroma was super spinachy, more than any tea I’ve had to date and like steaming artichoke hearts when you’re scooping out the choke.
On the first sip my whole mouth had a gentle pop rock sensation. The salty, lightly spinach flavored tea had a juicy, mineral and slightly bitter taste. The bitterness was not a bother but I don’t really like bitterness. I added sweetening which even with a tiny bit tempered the bitterness without covering up the flavor. Note that the tea’s astringency increases as the it cools.
I wish I could agree with the other reviewer comments on Peach and Floral flavor/scent. Digging deep, I could not find those flavors anywhere! Maybe sweetened, ah yes, that is when the dessert quality came out and was delightful. I thought it tasted more like a Cream Cookie than a Peach though.

As a straight up White Tea, this was a mild, vegital variety that was best hot. Not a candidate for iced tea! It’s low caffeine (nice plus). Sweetened the tea can double as a dessert tea.

Every chance I get to try all the various types of tea is a fantastic experience for me! (although the worm pooped tea that Scott has he can keep to himself!)
Thanks again I-Bloom

Thank you IndigoBloom for this generous Sample!

My first evah Pu-erh was DAVIDsTEA Chocolate Orange. I fell in love! As time went on…I learned to adore unflavored Pu-erh, Pu’er, Puer, Pu’erh’s! (You get what I mean!)
True love none the less. I now drink less flavored Pu-erh but on occasion I go there for a dessert treat and I like to bottle it to drink cold. Pu-erh is wonderful for controlling your food cravings when you need to drop some pounds.

When I steeped this new flavored Pu-erh, I could smell a spiciness even though there isn’t spice added. The orange blossom and orange peel adds a little something extra to the scent. The taste is not very orangy but there is a bitterness at the end from the peel. I found a seed in my brew basket. There isn’t a typical musty, earthy Pu-erh flavor either. The dark chocolate, coffee and orange blossom-vanilla flavor make up the cup.

To compare this Pu-erh to DAVIDs would be way off. They are so very different. Only the name is close like two people with the same name from different Canadian families.
I still prefer my first evah Pu-erh.

This is a good flavored Pu-erh (sans seed) though. And, Teopia is the ONLY Canadian Tea Company I’ve ever actually been inside of at Metropolis Mall in Vancouver, B.C. last Sept. Fantastic Service!!! I bought my first loose leaf tea in my life there, Pumpkin Spice!

Third Tasting Note.

I keep coming back to this tea and using it in different ways.

First I added a pinch to other tea’s to smoke them up a little…especially good with a floral tea or Earl Grey.

Next, I started to steam my broccoli and cauliflower with a pinch of Lapsang Souchong in the steaming water (this works when using a steaming basket otherwise place the tea in a teaball or piece of cheesecloth). The house smells so good and the veggies taste wonderful.

I moved on to pasta. Yes, pasta water and a little tea…smoky pasta…which I used first with Cheese Tortellini. Fabulous…just add a little olive oil and some herbs and um….!

Finally I want to try cooking meat and fish with this smoky tea. I know there are people who use it with BBQ. You can google this and try out those options.

Today I made a tea I call my MUD! It’s the #1 tea I’ve hated “Carrot Cake” (just a little bit) mixed with other tea’s to get rid of the taste. Lapsang Souchong does a pretty good job of that! I added some yammy Laoshan Black Tea, Scottish Breakfast, some homegrown dry Organic Chocolate Mint (yes), Oh Canada and a dash of Applewood Smoked Bacon Salt. Shake, Shake Shake.
When I brewed a cup you could not taste the Carrot Cake!!! The tea was slightly sweet, smoky and refreshing.
I had some WHISKEY CHEESE from my local cheese shop (The Welsh Rabbit in Fort Collins) that I tasted with the tea and ohhhhhh it was perfect! Whiskey and Smoke!

That’s it for this round! I love the smoke!

Thank you TeaFairy for this big Sample

Everyone has been lovin this tea. I saved my big sample from TeaFairy for a sweet-tooth cravin day. One of those “I gotta have a candy bar right now” days when will power is gone…but TEA is plentiful. Oh yeah! Ice Cream Cake Tea!

All I have to say is…the reviews about the tea tasting like the name are all TRUE!
This tea is a great dessert! (It’s 2:30 though…when the sugar gremlins are out to get me)
I’ve foiled the plans of the sugar gremlins because this is creamy, cakey and exactly like the “I put the bowl in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it a bit” feel and flavor the kid in me loooves. I know that you can identify with that goopy ice cream cake melty in a bowl flavor too.

Sometimes, I think drinking tea is like playing dress-up. With each tea I can put on another character depending on the flavor and character of the tea. This one being young and playful…I feel like a kid again!

So good!

Second Review.
I forgot that I had this tea because I poured it into a short canning jar, and it traveled to the far back of my tea cupboard where I found it huddled with my teacups. Nice surprise to find it since it is so tasty at breakfast time.
I love malty, full and robust tea in the morning (anytime really). Listen folks, when you get older…you need a kickstart to let your system know it’s time to get moving. Tea is my axle grease! This tea does the job in the A.M.!
I’m not going to go into all the details of how I brewed this cuppa and the blah blah color of the leaves and such. That was the first review. I like this tea. Simply put, I add my cream (I don’t like grey tea so 100% milk, can milk or cream is for me) and sweetening and this brew tastes great. The maltiness is not overly heavy and the astringency is there but not too strong either. I noticed that when I got up to do a few chores…my second cup cooled down, but the tea really tasted good. Ha! Of course this was going to be a good tea to use for iced tea also. Hoot man! A Scot’s gotta do what a Scot’s gotta do! The next steeping will go into the frig!
The temp will be in the 80’s today…and when you live at 5000 feet that means the air conditioner comes on. Monday my pool opens..hooray! (Grandkids will arrive more regularly for a swim and Grandma’s tea!)

I do have so much to be greatful for! God has really blessed me!

Thanks to Stacy at Butiki for this sample!

I drink flowery tea only when I’m in the MOOD for them. The mood strikes me fairly infrequently.

This afternoon, there was (and is) a forest fire in Poudre Canyon. I noticed the air was smelling strongly of smoke. The wind had kicked up and the fire had doubled, making me concerned for the people needing to evacuate. I called my daughter to find out how the air was at her house…“Dirty, dark and soot in the air”, which I had seen from 10 miles away. She was closer to the fire, although not in the hills. Her home and 8 kids are only a few blocks from a reservoir. I felt relief.

I wanted to wipe the smoke away and bring back the Springtime. I had a sample tea that had the promise of flowers. Rose Violet Calendula Oolong. What better time to drink this tea than now.

I steeped the Oolong 4 minutes letting the fragrant buds fill me with the most beautiful heady floral bouquet. The sipping from beginning to end was a delight.

My first impression was of candied violets, not overly sweet or cloying but delicate and very juicy. The taste turned to crenshaw melon and became buttercream…almost no astringency at all present. The floral bouquet filled my mouth and the scent was surrounding me creating a complete experience. My glass cup of the light yellow liquor was filled again and I delighted in the tea. Violet stood out as the distinct floral up front but, I can’t say that there was a primary rose flavor, a jasmine flavor, a calendula flavor…but a harmony of the other floral flavors.

I added a little sugar at the end…trying to imagine a tea party…and the sugar was such a great addition for a dessert tea. I think this is a perfect, perfect tea party tea!

If you would please say a prayer for all the people in the path of fires going on in Arizona and Colorado please and the firefighters too. Thanks!

Wooo Hooo 200 Tasting Notes! Well, if you don’t pat yoursef on the back, who will?!

What to do, what to do? My 200th review should be something different. I love me some Puerh…yes I do. Today’s tea should be something different. Stacy (owner of Butiki Teas) had graciously provided me with an ounce of Wild Purple Buds Puerh (Sheng) and this seemed the right choice for this 200th occasion. Thank you to Stacy!

The dry leaf looks amazing. The leaves don’t look like tea leaves, or not what I’ve ever seen before. The leaf is large, full of spiky buds that look like wheat…green, brown, gold and lavender tipped.
The instructions are 3-5 second steep, 195F for 20+ steepings! Begin the day with this tea!!! I started today at 7:30 a.m. and I’m not going to write about 20+ infusions.

I used my PIAO glass infuser pot to watch the leaves and control time.
The liquor color was consistantly pale champagne yellow through all infusions.

Wet Leaves:
1. Floral, vegital, smoky tobacco, and brine scented. Brown, golden and purple tipped.
2.-4. Strongly vegital scented.
5.-6. Leaves were greener and not as multicolored. They opened up, especially the buds and the scent was still strongly vegital.

Flavor:
1. The first impression was on my lips, the coating of cream that I could feel like butter then spreading throughout my mouth like the flavor of creamy white sweet corn. The taste was a little salty and completely smooth and without any tannin or bitterness at all.
2. A little tannin was present on this round right up front, then sweet and creamy like new Spring green beans. There was no bitter or acidic finish.
3. This was the best pour. The buttery feel was coating my lips and the vegital flavor had become cooked greens or butter lettuce…and the tannin had jumped to the finish…leaving a slightly peppery feel on the tongue. This is a Puerh? I am not able to comprehend that this is a Puerh. No earthiness…it tastes like a green tea. But not.
4. What now? My brain was confused. When I took another sip, the flavor was mineral, sweet and juicy, smooth and buttery with a tingling…then a honey wheat bread and greens taste. Sure, how did that make sense? Was I almost discribing a salad with croutons?
5.-6. These steepings brought out more buttery, smoothness and a little saltiness. A new floral quality that I found to be vaguely like paperwhite was now present. Tannin was dry like linen on the finish making the tea very juicy.

Here I added a little sugar. The saltiness of the Puerh and the vegital quality with the tannin with a bit of sugar created a beautiful balance of sweet/salty tea that brightened the cup tremendously. Here is where I would play with this effect. It made this tea dance and sparkle with flavor.

I have been pleased with the tea’s from Butiki…the new ones that are not commonly available elsewhere like the Wild Purple Bud Puerh and the Blue Nettle and some of the African Tea’s. Most of all the wonderful customer service has been so appreciated!

http://youtu.be/PSH0eRKq1lE Bagpipes…Well! (Bonnie Cameron-Johnstone)

Before I review this tea, take a good look at the picture of the tea itself. Yes, it is hand rolled and twisted…and the leaves are whole and full of buds. This tea is from Sri Lanka, and Fair Trade…glad to say!

I wondered if my tea friends at Happy Lucky’s Tea House had ever seen tea like this one. I decided to get spiffed up and went on a short trip to Old Town. The first comment when the guys saw the tea was “Which end do you light” …ha..ha…and then “I’ve never seen a tea like that”…followed quickly by a ching of a Gaiwan getting ready for brewing of my offered Blue Nettle Tea.

Only 2 (creatures…sticks…cigars?) of tea are needed for 8oz. / 180F for 3min.
This Green Tea was floral but delicate and the leaves had a scent that was not orchid or any flower we could discribe. We agreed there was a clean sugar taste but not rock sugar. No artichoke or seaweed taste was detected. There was a bit of tannin on when the liquid cooled and a smooth buttery mouthfeel.

What a puzzle this tea was. I gave each of the 3 gents and the owner a sample of my tea. There needs to be more time and discovery but a lot of interest was generated among the group that did the tasting. We all agreed that this tea was something special!
Leave it to Butiki to bring along a new tea adventure!

I would suggest serving this tea in a glass gaiwan or small glass teapot. It is fun to watch.
We commented on how much it looked like a sea creature, a long worm ready to become a butterfly. I can’t wait to take time alone to taste this tea again!

Thanks to Stacy at Butiki Teas for this Sample!

I love, love, love the service from Stacy! Could not be better! The fact that I am able to pick the samples that I want to try is such a cool deal…I mean…who does this now days?!
And, I don’t know of any other company her size that has the amount of African teas from small or organic farms either. This is the future of tea that I want to support!

I chose the Kenya Kangaita as one of my free samples and it is a hand-picked tea.
The wet leaves remind me more of a Puer…all rich red-brown, large and woody chopped looking. The scent was even a bit earthy and vegital but sweet, a little malty and floral in a way I could not figure out.
When I tasted the tea, the flavor was clean and bright, without any tannin…and juicy. There again was the floral scent and flavor that I was having problems identifying. I had just emptied the pot of tea, so I took off the lid and stuck my nose inside as far as possible and inhaled over and over again…(like a tea nerd-nut)… and came away with some conclusions on scent and flavor.
There was orange pekoe, apricot, a little malt, licorice..itsy, pepper on the tongue, the tea was juicy and clean with tannin developing when the tea begins to cool. The flavors are also super wonderful with sugar and cream. I WISH I HAD MORE!

I really like this tea! It’s $4.00 an oz. and for me, I think it’s good to support the growth of small farms.

Thank you IndigoBloom for this big Sample

In my younger lady days (1977), I had no idea at all how to prepare tea. My neighbor was from Ceylon (Sri Lanka now) and went home for a visit, bringing home a big quantity of very superior tea as a gift for me. I ruined it…not knowing how to properly steep tea. I threw some leaves in a pot, put boiling water in and after awhile drank the tea (never removing the leaves). Of course the tea became bitter right away.

IndigoBloom has supplied me with a do-over! The forgiveness of my former tea sin!

I do love black tea. Most of the ones I taste are from China, a few from India but none really from Ceylon. This lovely tea was quite vanilla floral and cocoa smelling. There was astringency but no bitterness. Adding sugar and cream inproved the tea and increased the chocolatey malty taste. I didn’t taste or smell raspberry which others have commented on.
My response to the tea itself was that it was clear, bright, light with an almost sparkling quality that reminded me of a freshwater spring. I know that sounds strange, but it had a quality of freshness that made it a perfect tea for blending with heavier black tea’s. It was also what makes this tea perfect for iced tea. It was CLEAN tea!

Thank’s Indigo-B