chrine

Needed more caffeine and this one is SOO good! A bit more leaf and slightly less time than normal. Two steeps.

First time in awhile that I haven’t started my day off with a moka coffee latte. Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling it and had a strong cup of this. It was as enjoyable as I remember it. Two steeps.

The Barb & Bob Backlog – last tea for this week! Returning next Friday.

This one was Wednesday night’s late night tea. I had given my mom a few bags of this because she enjoyed a green mint tea she had when we were out in a restaurant and I’m trying to get her exposed to teas other than plain and flavored black teas.

Anyways, Wednesday evening was opening night of the season for the weekly wine strolling outside in the gardens of the plantation where my youngest sister works (she was recently promoted to daytime GM of the fine dining restaurant there and I’m very proud of her). Since it was the first night they did a sparkling wines and caviar theme with doubt the amount of wines to try as normal (and a higher price lol). Needless to say, I drank quite a bit and came home fairly drunk. Ate two delicious chicken enchiladas then promptly fell asleep on the loveseat.

I woke up feeling a bit of a queasy tummy and settled it quite well with this one. The minute and a half brewing time definitely produces a mintiness of a level I can handle.

The Barb & Bob Backlog continued.

This was my Tuesday last night tea. Much better than the peach of the previous night. Again, five days later I cannot remember my brewing time lol.

The Barb & Bob [my parents] Backlog for this week.

(I stay at their house a few nights a week most weeks. They live about 20 minutes away from me. They mostly have bagged teas.)

This one was Monday night’s tea during my late night online, gaming, and chatting time. I wish I could like it more, but it’s always got that note of sourness, no matter what temperature it’s at. I even tried brewing it for 30 seconds less than the recommending minimum time. But no luck. Thankfully, this is the last bag they had of it.

After my moka coffee latte yesterday morning, I believe I either needed more caffeine or something hot to sip on because I was cold or possibly both. So I made this with a pinch of A&D’s Caravan. So Good! Two steeps.

Friday morning, I need the caffeine but don’t want to put the overly strong caffeine of moka pot coffee into my still feeling overly full tummy. So I reach for this for a less stronger punch. Two steeps.

I had a cup of this late Thursday night after a slightly too large pile of nachos too late at night. They were so good though. I am finding a lot of things to love about my broiler lol. Though I may not love this tea, it is soothing. And at 30 seconds less, there is a bit less mint and maybe some green tea taste. As with last time, I didn’t temp the water, just eyed it, but it was less than boiling both times.

I drink this Wednesday afternoon and even though it’s my first time logging it, it is not my first time drinking this. I believe it is my third. I remember the first two times this coming off like a creamy (from the marshmallow root) mint tea. Since I’m not the biggest mint fan, I thought this was a nicely done tea but wasn’t fond of it. This time however amp up the marshmallow/creaminess of it and liked it more. Think I may find myself reaching for this again soon.

Yesterday morning, I had a single cup of this with honey because I still had the stomach blahs. I’ll confess that it was reheated twice and I didn’t entirely finish it.

In other news, I got a moka coffee pot and I am loving it! Yes, I am one of those people who loves both coffee (Counter Culture coffee!) and tea. I’m unsure how this will effect my tea drinking as I’m finding I really need to caffeine buzz that coffee gives me this winter.

Also, who is our pickling Steepsterian? I’ve wracked my brain, I know I follow her.

I’ve given up completely The February Backlog which had leached into becoming The March Backlog.

I drank this tea Sunday night after a weekend of too much food and sweets, which I normally don’t eat very much, for general stomach blahs feeling. I see I haven’t logged it yet though I’ve already drank over half the box. This tea was my replacement for Red Wellness which was always very soothing to me. It’s a nice minty tea. I cannot taste the green tea. I think at this point I’ve concluded that I don’t really like plain mint tasting teas themselves. I do not mind it in some blends though. So, for me, this tea does not make an adequate replacement for Red Wellness. Though it is a decent mint tea if that is what you are looking for.

Backlogging. 10 days ago. Thursday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

This one was my original smokey fruity black tea idea. And boy, did it live up to my expectations! I can’t decide if I like this one or the smokey peach black tea from yesterday better. Two steeps.

Backlogging. 10 days ago. Thursday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

Valentine’s Day with the Captain. Two steeps.

Backlogging. 10 days ago. Wednesday afternoon.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

My second time having this, my first time logging this. First time I had it I liked it so much. I got root beer, cream soda, and buttery. This time I got more black tea taste with those flavors. This tea is sooo good.

Backlogging. 10 days ago. Wednesday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

The night before I had been thinking it was time to try the smokey earl grey again. But then I thought why not smokey with other fruits. My initial thought was smokey Black & Blue but I went with smokey peach first. Omg it came out really good. Both steeps. Some slight ash tasting at points when cooled too much. But so good overall. I used normal amount of leaf to make a mug of this and 1/4 that amount of Caravan.

Backlogging. 5 days ago. Tuesday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

Since I removed Jackee from my steepster cupboard, I figured it was time to add The Captain to it. The first steep was watery tasting as I started to sip with the hearty strength I wanted at the end of each sip. As it cooled some and I sipped more slowly, I began to get that taste throughout the sip. Second steep was lighter though flavorful throughout. I like him, this Captain, and I think I will have more to say about him after I have him another time or two. I’m rating him a 74 to begin with, solidly in the middle of my good range 70-80.

Backlogging. 7 days ago. Late Sunday night.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

I haven’t had this one in quite a while. I remember it being not really a fave but also liking it decently okay. Warm and spiced with a touch of fruity, it was a nice enough cup to drink late at night.

Backlogging. 7 days ago. Sunday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

My morning mug Sunday morning last weekend. And my last serving of Jackee. I don’t know why I chose this day to finish him off. It wasn’t a special day nor was it a bad or anything else negative day. I guess it just felt like the day to. Being from an Andrews & Dunham limited number series, I cannot get anymore of Jackee and am quite sad to see him gone. If I were not quite cold and blah feeling today, I’m sure he’d get a better last tealog from me, which he deserves. I’m not changing the rating as I think he still deserves it. I had two steeps. I will miss this tea and I don’t like having to click the remove from cupboard button.

Backlogging. 8 days ago. Late Saturday night.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

Back at my place that night, I chose this for my late night cup with gaming, online, emails, steepster, etc. Definitely more blueberry when brewed on the lower end of the recommended time but it gets sour when it cools to anything less than lukewarm.

Backlogging. 8 days ago. Saturday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

My first cup of the day at my parent’s. My dad’s a plain Lipton’s black bagged tea kind of guy. I had asked him if he wanted tea the night before and he’d said yes. When I saw they were out of Lipton’s, I asked him what he’d been drinking and he said this. I was surprised because there was stuff in it other than just black tea. So the following morning, I chose to brew up a cup out of curiosity. The verdict? It was interesting, I think good interesting. I would try it again. It tasted like black tea with stuff in it and I’m not sure how to describe how the stuff tasted. I’ll have to pay better attention next time I drink it, if my dad hasn’t finished off the box. I cannot remember how long I steeped it for. I think around 4 minutes. I’m rating it a 54 (nice bagged tea range 50-60). I had wheaty/grainy of some type waffles with peanut butter, banana, and a drizzle of maple syrup after.

Backlogging. 8 days ago. Friday late night.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

Enjoyed while gaming on laptop in bed after a mini bag of buttered popcorn. I don’t know the water temperature – it was barely steaming – and cannot remember the steep time again.

Backlogging. 8 days ago. Friday evening.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

I drank this one in the evening at my parent’s an hour or two after we’d returned from an early dinner that involved a Mahi Mahi BLT, cumber and tomato salad, and two apricot IPAs followed by a short nap.

Backlogging. 9 days ago. Thursday late night.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

Still enjoying the longer steeping time on honeybushes. Yum! Enjoyed both steeps of this one.

Backlogging. 9 days ago. Thursday early afternoon.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

I’ve had these teas since last February but this was my first time trying this one. Maybe that is why I am getting more smoke and less chocolate. The chocolate is just a little bit in the background. Still this tea is good. I drank a second steep as well.