Erika M.

I was very excited to try this Green Apple Tea from sTEAp Shoppe. As past of their Virtual Tea Tasting that was held yesterday(9/23). I received four samples and this was my last one. I personally love green apples yet I wasn’t sure how a tea with apples would taste which made me all the more intrigued to experience this.

I steeped this Green Apple Tea at approximately 175 degrees approximately. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The tea liquor was a light to medium yellow color. My first sip was a vegetal taste very much associate with green teas,which I enjoy. It also tasted grassy. I had a challenging time finding the taste of green apples,if anything it was a very subtle presence then I expected. If you are expecting an “in your face taste of green apples tea blend” this isn’t it. As the tea cooled down, the taste became more astringent.
I enjoyed having another tea experience, as each one is very special and unique. I try to learn from each and every one. I continue to learn and surprise myself to find out which flavors I love and enjoy. It’s like life…It’s always full of moments of unexpectedness, and everything in between.

I would like to once again thank sTEAp Shoppe for giving the opportunity to participate in their Virtual Tea Tasting. I hope that I will have another opportunity to participate in the future.

sTEAp Shoppe has been generous and sent me this sample for their Virtual Tea Tasting for today (9/23). Thank you so much!

First and foremost, I would like to say that I am not an individual that is fond of or love mint in anything besides a peppermint candy. However, recently my mind has been slightly changed so I was actually curious about how I would like this one.

The name of the tea intrigued me and I decided that I would especially save this for this morning. I brewed it to approximately 175 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The fragrance was of a wonderful and irresistible scent of mint, which I must say that I became excited to taste it.

The taste was lovely; a fresh mint taste without being overwhelming. There is a sweetness,which I enjoyed. Drinking this tea made me feel more calm,which is good because this weekend has been a rollercoaster of emotions and late nights. Today is a cool but bright sunny autumn day, which is definitely cheering me up after experiencing cloudy and rainy days; days of inconsistent weather here in New York.
The tea liquor is a light/golden caramel color. It was a smooth cup of tea that I drank. I very much enjoyed this experience and I must say that I find myself officially converted to enjoying a mint tea. Who would of thought that I would ever say that?! I guess it’s true when people say “Never say never.”

Once again, thank you sTEAp Shoppe for being so kind and sharing this sample with me. I am forever grateful at your wonderful customer service as well as impressed with how quickly I received my samples. I would also like to say that I love the packaging of your samples, that contain clear instructions/information on your tea label.

I was sent a few samples from sTEAp Shoppe for their Virtual Tea Tasting tomorrow (9/23). This one is called Smokey Mountain and it definitely lives up to it’s name. This tea blend contains Organic Lapsang(which it was my first experience tasting this), Organic Assam and Organic Se Chung Special Oolong. It also contained organic cocoa nibs and organic vanilla bean.

I brewed Smokey Mountain to approximately 195 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The tea liquor was a medium brown color to a dark brown color, it resembled the color of coffee.
It tasted very smoky as well as rich and astringent that also reminds me of a characteristic of coffee. It also possessed a bit of sweetness. I believed that this tea blend has complex flavors that make this very unique. The scent was a scent of smokiness. My friends commented that the tea smelled like bacon or beef jerky.

I had a wonderful experience drinking Smokey Mountain. This is my first experience drinking a tea with more of a smokiness to it. I love having the opportunity to expand my tea drinking experiences by trying a range of flavors.

I would like to once again thank sTEAp Shoppe for giving me the opportunity to try their wonderful samples! Thank you!

I think it’s officially fall/autumn. This is one of my favorite seasons. I think of the beautiful views of the array of colors of vibrant leaves of the shades of reds, oranges and yellows. I think of apple picking,pumpkin patches, chai teas and wonderfully blended new teas.

sTEAp Shoppe gave me this wonderful opportunity to sample four of their teas and I must say that my experience with the first one has been a success! I tried their Antioxidant Berry Burst. I brewed it to approximately 175 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The tea liquor was a light yellow color. The taste was a bit of cinnamon(which I love), a wonderful taste of a blend of berries and a bit of a vegetal taste from the green tea. I very much enjoyed drinking this tea.

I would like to thank sTEAp Shoppe for being very generous and sending me some samples. I am very excited about participating in the virtual tea tasting tomorrow. Thank you! :)

First and foremost, I would like to thank Nicole for sending me this tea! :)

I brewed the Decaf Earl Grey to boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five minutes. The aroma is a wonderful scent of bergamot. I personally love Earl Grey blends. The fact that this is decaf allows me to drink it without worrying about consuming too much caffeine. I think that it’s the right blend. It has the essence of what makes a “Earl Grey” blend.

I enjoyed drinking Vanilla Comoro.
I brewed the tea at boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five minutes. The aroma is a sweet,vanilla fragrance. The taste is a more subtle,mellow vanilla flavor. The tea liquor is a chocolate brown color. This tea has a balance; it’s not to sweet or overpowering like I usually associate with teas that contain vanilla, while still being able to notice the vanilla taste. It was a smooth tasting cup of tea.
What I love about drinking Vanilla Comoro is that it’s decaf. I particularly love drinking this as my last cup,especially during late nights.

I was very curious about trying this tea blend. It contains organic green rooibos, holy basil, licorice, indian sarsaparilla, maca root, acerola berries extract and natural orange and vanilla flavor.
I brewed the tea to boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five to six minutes.
While drinking this tea, I tasted sweetness as well as a tangy flavor. The liquor was an orange color. The aroma was a strong fragrance of licorice, a bit of vanilla,probably the maca root and the holy basil.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about about the taste of complex flavors. It was completely new to my taste buds. I didn’t have such a good experience when drinking rooibos in the past,so I was hesitant. After taking a few more sips, I started to enjoy drinking it. It felt more energized that I usually do and definitely more alert!
I would say that this tea blend has made me realize that I would like to be more adventurous in the tea that I choose to try from now on. The adventure continues.

I would like to thank the Tea Merchant for sending me this sample of Yunnan’s Fable. I was so very excited to try Pu-erh for the first time, as I have been very intrigued about it since I’ve heard of it.
I brewed Yunnan’s Fable to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately four to five minutes. The aroma was earthy and also had a richness from the cocoa bits. While I was drinking the tea, it was a smooth and very rich flavor from the cocoa,however I personally couldn’t taste the coconut. The liquor was a medium to dark brown color. It actually reminded me of the color of coffee. Once upon a time, I used to be a huge coffee drinker; oh how times have really changed. I think this is a great alternative to having hot chocolate, since I don’t drink it anymore.
I re-steeped the tea, and it was still a very rich and flavorful cup. It was just as good as the first steeped tea. I must say that I am amazed and delighted at how much I truly enjoyed this tea.

First and foremost, I would like to thank The Tea Merchant for their tea sample of White Coconut Blondie. Personally, I have a love for coconut, so it’s practically impossible to resist trying a tea blend that includes coconut.
I brewed the tea to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately two to three minutes. As I looked at the tea leaves, it looked like it included toasted coconut flakes. This is my first experience drinking white tea and I very much enjoyed it. The aroma was wonderful; it had a wonderfully strong fragrance of coconut.
While I was drinking the tea, I noticed the flavor of a more subtle coconut flavor,very different from the aroma of the tea leaves that I expected. It was a smooth and delicate taste, which I very much enjoyed and savored. The liquor was a light, yellowish color.
The tea samples came packaged in a brown tissue paper with a sage green wax seal. I must say that I was very impressed at their presentation.
Although it was not what I originally expected, I would like to say that I enjoyed their White Coconut Blondie tea. I would like to say that I am glad that I have had the opportunity to try their tea samples and that I am excited to try my second sample, Yunnan’s Fable.

This is my first Darjeeling that I’ve tried. I would like to thank Nicole for sending me this loose tea. :)
I brewed the Decaf Darjeeling at 195 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately four to five minutes. I personally have a preference for black teas, so I was excited to try this tea. I also thought that it would be perfect for times when I do not want to consume less caffeine.
I enjoyed drinking this tea especially during mid-day. It has a calming effect on me while giving me just enough alertness. The flavor of the Darjeeling was a smooth, while having a bit of an astringent taste.
The liquor was a shade of gold/champagne. In the future I would love to try this tea, iced.

I was so excited to try Dragon Pearl Jasmine after getting recommendations of Harney and Sons teas from fellow Steepsters,when I first joined. I must admit the first cup that I brewed, I wasn’t too fond of it. I felt that it tasted too perfumey,if that makes any sense. I actually got a headache from drinking it. Since then, has been stashed in the back of my cupboard for a few weeks. So I wanted to give it another chance and I finally did!

I brewed the Dragon Pearl Jasmine to 195 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately five minutes. I found it fascinating how the tea leaves were rolled to look like pearls.
The aroma is a nice fragrance of jasmine that reminds me of a nice soft perfume or being in a beautiful garden filled with jasmine flowers on a beautiful warm and sunny day.
The taste was a very floral taste with sweetness.
The liquor was a golden color.
Overall, the Dragon Pearl Jasmine has a great flavor and great quality tea especially for tea lovers that enjoy floral teas,including jasmine. I found that while I was drinking the tea, it felt very calming and soothing.

Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, Organic Lavender Flowers, Organic Flavorings

I had bittersweet feelings about trying this last tea sample from Epi Tea.I felt nervous about trying this sample because I have yet to find a floral tea that I have enjoyed, however I am always excited to try a new tea.
I brewed the Lavender Earl Grey to boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five minutes.The tea came in a pyramid sachet that is biodegradable.
When I was drinking the tea, I noticed that I could barely taste any bergamot compared to what I usually taste in Earl Grey blends. The taste of lavender is definitely noticeable but not completely overpowering.The aroma has a fragrance of lavender and subtle hints of citrus from the bergamot.The liquor is a dark brown.
I would say that I would love this tea blend if they added a bit more of bergamot. I know that some tea drinkers love this because it’s different from the usual Earl Grey blends,but I believe that without more of a balance of the lavender and bergamot, I feel like it loses the essence of what I consider “Earl Grey” to be.

I would like to once again thank Epi Tea the opportunity to sample their pre-launched tea blends. I think that it is great that they are launching their company in a few weeks and that they value the opinions of tea drinkers, including our community at Steepster.
First and foremost, I would like to say that I love drinking English Breakfast blends, so I was excited about trying their Irish Breakfast.
The Irish Breakfast came in a biodegradable pyramid sachet. I brewed it to boiling temperature and it was steeped for approximately five minutes. The liquor was reddish-brown.
I personally believe that this blend makes an adequate cup of tea, however it lacks a “wow” factor. I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but it’s missing something that would make this blend fantastic.

Ingredients: Organic Black tea, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Ginger, Organic Cardamom, Organic Red Pepper & Natural Vanilla,Cinnamon and Ginger Flavorings.

I brewed it at boiling temperature and steeped it for approximately five minutes. While pouring my tea, I noticed the aroma of spices, including the red pepper. Honestly, I was a bit hesitant to take a sip and I’m glad I tried it. The liquor was a dark brown/black.
Well I must say that surprisingly, I kind of like this tea. I wouldn’t say that this was a taste that I would normally associate with chai tea but it’s interesting. I would say that the first sip, it tasted weird. The more that I drank the tea, I guess that it grew on me slightly.
I would say that when I looked at the ingredients on the label, I wasn’t sure if this blend would work. I personally think that maybe it should be renamed because I’m not sure that it would be considered to capture the essence of what most people consider to be a “chai tea”. I’m glad that I was able to have a new experience,which I would like to thank Epi Tea once again.

Berry Rooibos
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos, Organic Hibiscus, Organic Rosehips, Organic elderberries, Organic Black Currants, Organic Cranberries and Organic Flavorings.

I brewed the Berry Rooibos to boiling temperature. I steeped it for ten minutes as it specified on the sample label. First and first foremost I would like to say that when I have the opportunity to eat/drink organic foods or drinks,I love it. I with that I could do it more often.The tea came in a pyramid sachet that is biodegradable.
Honestly, this is my time drinking rooibos so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m definitely still learning.
Personally, I didn’t really enjoy drinking this one. I’m sorry. I’m a bit disappointed. I’m not sure if I’m biased because I’m not really a fan of black currants of raspberries or maybe the blend of these berries don’t particularly work great together.

I really appreciate that Epi Tea has sent me a few samples to try. Thank you.

This is my last Harney and Sons sample that Russel, from Harney and Sons, had sent me. I must say that this is my favorite! This is my first experience with drinking Oolong, but I doubt that it will be my last.
I brewed the Ti Quan Yin to 195 degrees fahrenheit. These tea leaves were neatly rolled up into tiny balls. I was amazed at how much they expanded after the leaves were steeped.
I steeped it for approximately four minutes. The aroma has a lovely floral scent. The liquor was a light yellow/gold to a medium gold. The taste was a fresh taste that reminds me of green tea with a floral taste that isn’t overpowering. I also tasted a slight vegetal flavor but there is a sweetness that balances it out. This was a smooth cup that I really enjoyed. I would recommend it.

I would like to thank Russel from Harney and Sons for sending me this sample. I really appreciate it!

This was the first time that I tried yellow tea. I brewed the Hu Shan Yellow buds to 175 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for three and a half minutes. It has a similar vegetal taste that I experienced when I drank green tea. It also has a slight sweetness with a nutty taste with a bit of spice.The liquor ranged from a pale yellow color to a bit of golden yellow.

The first time that I tried this sample was for my first cup of tea in the morning. I’ve drank it a few different ways: with milk and sugar, without milk and some sugar and without milk and sugar(that time I ran out of sugar that day).

I brewed the Mangalam to 208 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped the tea for about 4 minutes. I added approximately one and half to two teaspoons of loose tea.

What I experienced was a smooth yet brisk flavor. It has complex flavors to it; from having a bit of honey to being reminiscent of the experiences that I used to have when I was a coffee drinker( the nice dark and richness in taste).
The liquor was a caramel color(when I drank it with milk) to a deep brownish-red color. The aroma was a mix of fragrance,which included light honey.The body this tea was a medium, fullness.
This in my opinion has the possibility of being an alternate of my much loved English Breakfast blend in the mornings.

Russel from Harney & Sons sent me this tea sample.Thank you once again. :)

This is the first loose tea that I have tried. Previously, I have drank tea in sachets by Harney & Sons and I have gradually made the transition to starting to drink loose tea. I have been told by many that they prefer the taste of loose teas and believe that it is better quality and provides a better taste. After this experience, I agree.
When I opened the tea sample, I was a bit fascinated by the sight of these tea leaves. They were long thin leaves. Most of the leaves with a nice bright green and a few had a bit of yellow in the leaves,which might be as a result from the fixing of the leaves via hot woks during production.
I brewed the Huangshan Mao Feng to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.I steeped the tea for about 3 minutes. The first flavor that I tasted was a grassy flavor. While I continued to drink the tea,I tasted vegetal flavors with subtle smoky flavor. I also tasted a bit of a toasted nutty flavor. The liquor was a light green to a light greenish yellow. I believe that the vegetal flavor is complemented by smoky and nutty flavors that I tasted.

I appreciate Russel from Harney & Sons for sending me this tea sample. Harney & Sons continues to offer it’s customers great quality tea. Hopefully I can visit one of their shops soon. :)

This is my absolute favorite tea. This is the first tea that I bought from Harney and Sons. I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve always loved cinnamon so this was just amazing! It has a very strong taste of cinnamon, orange, and sweet cloves with Black tea. It has such a great taste. I don’t even add sugar because the tea doesn’t need it.The taste is smooth with just the right amount of spices. The aroma is alluring and the liquor is a light brown. I would definitely recommend it!

This is my first tea review. I am a huge fan of Harney & Sons tea,so I was excited to try the RMS Titanic Tea. I bought the 20 ct. tea tin of sachets. 5% of the sale goes to the Ocean Observancy,which is great.
I brewed the to boiling temperature. I personally have a preference to black teas.
This tea is a blend of Keemun, Assam, Ceylon and Oolong. I steeped the tea for a few minutes. While I was drinking this tea, it had a nice, full rich taste. Eventhough it has a rich taste to it, it has a bit of sweetness to it, so it’s not bitter. I enjoyed my cup of tea from the beginning to the end. The taste was consistent,which I love. I would recommend this tea .