Steven Smith Teamaker

Very sweet, with a hint of raisin and lots of caramel. I can see why this is a favorite for so many on here, but, weirdly, I prefer my black teas on the harsher side—this Assam actually reminds me of some of the popular Chinese blacks I haven’t cared for on grounds of having too much in the way of sweet dessert notes going on, though I can’t think which ones exactly. Thanks for the sample, Cameron B.! I’m happy to be able to knock this off my wish list, since it’s a tea I’d been curious about for a while.

This was a bonus sample from scribbles. Mine is in sachet form. The leaves inside are black and somewhat thin, and surprisingly not very broken. Dry scent is sweet and malty with hay and molasses notes. I let my sachet steep in 8 ounces of 200 degree water for 3 minutes. The string escaped into the cup, harumph!

This one is pretty “meh” in my opinion… The main flavor of it is generic black tea, and I don’t know how else to describe that. It’s somewhat malty and quite astringent, especially as it cools. There is a bottom note of molasses-like richness, and a touch of dried apricot-like fruitiness, and these help to balance it a bit. Still not very impressive for me.

This is going to be a lazy note for a lazy morning… Boychik sent me this sample, thanks dear. The leaves are fairly broken and dark with only a few scant golden pieces. I did my general black tea steep.

Meh, this one is just okay for me. It’s fairly generic with just malt and some bread notes, along with a fair amount of astringency, which I do not enjoy. Maybe just a touch of honey sweetness on top. Overall, it’s drinkable, but not something I would reach for.

Thought I’d have this one again since they have a free shipping deal again. Had to see if I needed more. :P This really is a wonderful assam. I really do enjoy it. But I don’t think I need more than 2oz for now. Maybe once I sip these 2oz down I’ll be ready to buy more!
Still a very strong, malty assam. Enjoying this one!!
If you haven’t had it yet and like malty teas-you should definitely take the free shipping offer up now and get some! It’s not super expensive too!

Decided to order this one since Steven Smith Teamaker is having a small sale, and since i’m working again I have more money! Glad I took a chance and got this one.
It’s delicious! :O
Rich. Strong. Malty. Fruity. Honey.
A lovely tea!
And guess what! NO WOODY TASTE!
Yah! I’m so excited! :D

i learned the bad news today. Steven Smith lost his battle with cancer. I love his teas.

This one is one of my favorite Yunnan Black( Red ) tea.
i brewed it Western today. my usual parameters 3g 8oz 200F for 3min

This tea is wonderful. its smooth and sweet but not overly. Im getting tired of sweet potato notes. thankfully this is not this kind. Some floral and savory. very enjoyable cup.

http://instagram.com/p/0ng01XBwvc/

http://instagram.com/p/0nhp8FhwhC/

this tea is excellent. made gongfu method
6g 100ml glass teapot 205F
rinse/5/10/10/15/15/20sec etc
its rich, malty with stone fruit notes. Surprisingly no sweet potato note, i expected it. tell you the truth im getting tired of all Yunnan blacks having sweet potato profile. Nice and very potent.

Tea of the morning here in a pyramid sachet. It’s difficult to believe I am the first person to log this particular blend.

When it comes to ceylons, I am a bit fussy. I’m not a big fan of this (Sorry Steven Smith). The flavor seems kind of muddy and brisk and if I am drinking a plain ceylon, I like them to be more flavorful and fruity. I believe this might be the base for their Lord Bergamot, which I do like. It just doesn’t do a whole lot for me when it’s plain. Perhaps I will try this as an iced tea before I give up on it. I’ve had it a couple of times prior and it’s just a solid “meh” for me.

You have to really love hibiscus to enjoy this tea – the name does not lie, it is certainly big. 1 sachet can make a whole pot of tea in fact. I love hibiscus and Steven Smith brings out the flower’s tart cranberry flavors.

Drinking the last of this sample from Terri. Thanks, again, Terri. This was super tasty. And I followed the instructions to the letter, regarding the playing of opera in the background, while the tea is brewing.

Yesterday’s two cups were accompanied by “Faust” and “La Boheme,” respectively. Today’s cup is accompanied by “Le nozze di Figaro.”

Thanks to Terri HarpLady for this sample! I really enjoyed it.

An excerpt from my full review:
“The aromas of mixed Ceylon and Assam are touched by very gentle citrus. Truly, the smell of this infused tea does not remind me of Earl Grey in my experience. When I start sipping No. 55, the complexity of this not-Earl Grey surprises me. I say it is complex due to the different flavors, which I notice as separate but cohesive. It is at this point that I ‘lose myself’ in thoughts and tea. When my mind returns to the present, half of the mug of tea has been consumed – a sure sign of enjoyment.”

The full review will be available, later today, at CreateWriteDrink.com.

4 oz. Sipdown: I thoroughly enjoyed this caramel-flavored assam. Please see my previous review & its comments for brewing recommendations as appropriate parameters are essential to enjoy it: http://steepster.com/looseTman/posts/259294.
I won’t promptly restock as I’m currently well stocked, there are a few Chinese teas i enjoy more, & there are so many other black & pu’er teas I want to experience!

I’m very pleased to present a multi-morning review of No. 49 Assam FTGFOP1 from Steven Smith Teamaker, Western style without sweeteners, milk, or cream.

Intro: I confidently ordered this tea based on LiberTEAS excellent recommendations 2 years ago:
- http://steepster.com/LiberTEAS/posts/104708
- http://steepster.com/LiberTEAS/posts/135003

After placing my order, I saw that boychik cautioned 7 months ago that the recent batch of this tea maybe on the bitter side: http://steepster.com/boychik/posts/211831#comments. I then began to wonder … Does this Assam have a consistent taste profile from year to year? … Should I have blindly ordered 4 oz.?

Per: http://www.smithtea.com/shop/black/assam
“Preparation
For best flavor, bring freshly drawn filtered water to a boil. Steep five minutes. A good time to practice the sitar.”

Note: The incomplete instructions do NOT specify how much tea or water. Is one supposed to assume 1 tsp. (level, rounded, heaping?) and a 6 oz. teacup, an 8 oz. cup, or something larger?

Given boychik’s warning and the incomplete brewing instructions, I was now less certain how much I would enjoy this Assam.

Leaf: Thin twisted dark chocolate-brown leaves 1.5 cm long or less with many golden tips.
Fragrance: Rich high-quality pipe tobacco
Liquor: Clear brilliant copper
Aroma: Malt, caramel & sweet potato – ah!
Flavor: Malt, caramel, honey

1 tsp. (2.6 g) / 8 oz. / 212F / 5 min:
Aroma: Robust and malty.
This is a smooth, rich, malty and satisfying Assam. However, the malty flavor overshadowed any hint of caramel and there was woodiness at the end of the sip.

Having not yet achieved the same results as LiberTeas, I then looked at previous tasting notes for this Assam and tried the following brewing recommendations:

Scribbles: 1 tsp. (2.6g) / 8 oz. / “just off boiling” (I used 208F) / 5 min:
To my taste buds, the bold malty Assam still overshadows the caramel. Near the bottom of the cool cup, the sweet caramel was more obvious. There was a dry finish with some astringency near the front of my tongue. Fortunately, the woodiness was no longer present with the lower temperature.

Resteep:
6 & 7-min. – not yet. 8-min – ? 10-min. produced a light-bodied cup with a similar flavor profile.

Nicole: 1.5 tsp. (3.5 g) / 10 oz. / 205F / 2.5 min:
Aroma: Malt with hints of both caramel & sweet potato – ah!
This preparation provided a bold, rich, and malty with a definite caramel sweetness and a dry finish. The cup was very invigorating.

Terri HarpLady: 1 tsp. (2.6g) / 8 oz. / 212F / 3-4 min:
3 min. produced a rich, smooth, full-bodied malty Assam with a yummy caramel sweetness. There was no hint of bitterness and minimal astringency. As the cup cools there is a honey-like sweetness. Very satisfying! Now we’re talking!! Terri’s experience reviewing this tea 12 times truly paid off!

Resteep: Not recommended.

Impression: I’m very pleased to have finally found exactly what LiberTEAS so accurately described in her tasting note. No. 49 is apparently consistent and definitely Carmalicious!

Thanks to all who contributed detailed brewing tips in their tasting notes or the comments of the No. 49 Assam FTGFOP1 thread. Your guidance was very helpful for this tea especially given the incomplete brewing instructions.

Recommendation Not having to discover the optimum brewing parameters through “trial & error” would be very helpful and greatly appreciated. Having to do so is very inefficient, wastes valuable tea, and IMHO impairs the progress and joy of tea exploration. In retrospect, it’s a very good thing that I ordered 4 ounces!

My favorite tea suppliers evaluate each crop / batch of tea every year to determine the optimum brewing parameters. This insures the best possible first impression of their tea, greatly increases customer satisfaction, and thus increases word-of-mouth advertising – the best form of advertising that money can’t buy. You never have a 2nd chance to make an Outstanding First Impression.

Method:
RO water re-mineralized with an Aptera filter http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/39532-puregen-aptera-alkamag-water-filter
http://steepster.com/teaware/teavana/39311-perfect-tea-spoon
http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/37731-my-weigh-durascale-d2-660-digital-scale
Brewed western-style conveniently in a tea mug with a brew basket http://steepster.com/teaware/royal-albert/45581-old-country-roses-afternoontea-mugs
http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/29177-finum-brewing-basket
http://steepster.com/teaware/teavana/39312-perfect-preset-tea-timer (for 212F brewing)
http://steepster.com/teaware/davidstea/36677-thermometer-and-timer

I decided to kick start my day with a cup of this malty caramelly deliciousness. I haven’t been wanting assams very much lately, and I have quite a few of them to get through. I think once I finish up the last of my assam I’ll leave them out of cupboard for a while. I find sometimes they are a little too much for me.

This morning, however, this one hit the spot. I can’t believe how much caramel is present. If I added sugar, it would probably come across as a little syrupy. I found some floral, but more in the aroma than in taste, and it went away after a while. Or maybe I just got used to the aroma.

The first steep I let go for 5 minutes. I thought it would be too long, but it turned into a quite a flavourful cup. After such a long first steep I wondered if I would get a second steep out of it, but it was just as delicious. I kinda forgot about it, and steeped longer than 5 minutes. I noticed some bitterness in the second steep as the cup cooled, but I kind of expected that.

Gratitude and thanks to looseTman for providing the sample.

Pass the Stash TTB 2.0

I’ve been rather curious about Steven Smith’s teas. I have browsed his website many times and there are definitely several things I would like to try. I was excited to see that my local The Fresh Market has a sampler box of his teas, but it’s different from the one listed online and it’s missing a couple of the teas that was really interested in trying. So poo! This was actually one of the teas I was curious about. Luckily for me, there was a single individually-wrapped sachet in the box! Sorry guys, I had to try it. :P

I really really like this tea! It’s a lovely mix of the soft hay-like flavor of bai mudan and the lightly floral honey tones of chamomile. I have no idea what osmanthus tastes like, but I definitely get an extra floral element in here. I’m finding this extremely delicious with a little bit of honey! I would definitely buy this as a nice calming evening option.

Sipdown! (134 QQ)

I wasn’t planning on writing a note for this, but wow this came out so fruity today! It’s all about the raisins and dried apricot in both aroma and taste. It literally smells like apricot preserves! I’m not sure what I did different, but damn is this good… The fruit isn’t quite as extreme in the taste as the smell, but the stonefruit is extremely present compared to other Yunnan or black teas in general. I am amazed! I would absolutely order this one if it’s going to be like this every time! :O

The only difference in the preparation is that since I brewed it in a glass Pyrex cup, the leaves had a bit more room to unfold. But I can’t imagine that making such a difference considering they usually have plenty of room in my brew basket! So weird!

I wish I could share this cup of tea with everyone here! Lol.

I’m kind of a grumpface today… Our new roommate (and my boyfriend’s friend and coworker) has only been here a week, and he already bought tickets for some girl to come visit him. For a week. And they’re not even dating, and she’s 19 to boot (no offense meant to the younger people on here, but I generally do not like or get along with teenagers)… Seriously? And since he and my boyfriend generally work from about 8 to 5 during the week, I will most likely have the pleasure of entertaining this person all day long. Seriously? I am at a loss as to why this is going down… But you know, clearly my opinion doesn’t matter as long as he asks my boyfriend about it, who is never going to say no. So yes, grumpface.

So, on to the tea then. The leaves are what I would call “medium-sized” and twisty. They’re mostly dark with little spots of gold. They smell mildly malty with honey sweetness, yum. I did a 3 minute brew just out of habit.

The aroma is quite dark. Very malty, with a syrupy deep raisin note and something somewhere between honey and molasses. Wow, the flavor here is deep. I definitely agree with Terri about this being a manly tea. That dark raisin aroma carries over into taste, but it’s not sweet at all. Needless to say, this is quite malty. There’s tobacco and soft leather, maybe a touch of earthiness. There’s also an interesting almost bitterness that I feel is inherent to the tea (meaning not a result of incorrect brewing). It melds nicely with the leather and tobacco notes.

Nicole mentioned maybe a bit of smoke in here, and although I wouldn’t call it smoke, I can see what she’s talking about. It’s definitely dark and intense, and the earthy quality could definitely be described as almost smoky.

I quite enjoyed this tea. It’s amazing to see (or rather taste) the wide range of flavors and experiences that can come out of one region (Yunnan). The golden, fuzzy Yunnan teas are light with pastry and honey-sweetness, while the darker varieties can be very assertive and rich, with deep and developed savory flavors. Amazing! I’m so glad I’m getting the chance to try all of the different kinds, especially since most of them were from swaps! Thanks everyone, and Nicole in particular, who provided this sample, along with many others! :)

This tea definitely has a floral element. Floral and leather. Pleasant but not my favorite. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the opportunity to try it so thank you Sil!! (165)

Cup from last night. Made it latte style with tiny bit of maple syrup. While it was good I probably had craved something else. If only I knew…

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is craft fairs. I love getting things that were made by the people who sold them to me, and they’re such cool stuff!
So I drank a quick cup of this and ran off to a craft fair first thing this morning.
It was, almost to my surprise, the last cup of this! I’m all through. I’ve enjoyed this, it was strong and powerful, and helped me out on many an early morning. But I don’t think I’ll be bringing this back into my cupboard.
Sipdown!

Cup I drank this morning, while moving at screaming high speeds. It was one of those mornings when I couldn’t decide on anything, which is always a bit annoying.
This is really strong and bold. Its not my usual cup of tea (ha), but I like it none the less!

This is one of those teas that is useful to have in the cupboard, for the mornings when you just need to drink tea, not to pay too much attention to it. Kandy is strong, but quiet enough to stand in the background of my mind, while I’m too busy bumping into things in the morning.

Backlogged from yesterday.
I am normally crazy busy on Thursdays, but yesterday was even worse. I had an extra shift in the middle of it, and I was just flattened by the end of the day.
This was, alas, my only cup of tea. This tasty, brisk, and strong. A good get up and go kinda tea.