Indigobloom

mmm I like this! thanks so much for the sample Kittenna!
This is good. Now, I accidentally steeped it at near boiling so there is a good chance I burnt the leaves… but it tasted great. Like… fruit! but not your average fruity green. No it went much deeper than that. and yet it didn’t entirely cover up the tea.
Need to try this again with proper conditions. oh and a kettle that is NOT brand new. It’s possible that some of the new plastic scent got into my cuppa, even though I boiled it out atleast four times.
Oh and it did require a teensy bit of agave to bring out flavour
Rating: 86

Yes please!! wow. It’s been a loooong time since I liked a Sheng. Uncooked is usually too light for me. I prefer the heavy stuff!
But this… was so good! The first infusion was amazing, with so many notes to it I know I’ll miss some.
First off, it was very sweet, and bready. but not like any bread I can name. Something about it was familiar, I just cannot pinpoint how!! agh, drives me nuts. I’ve been trying to figure it out all day. It had a certain depth to it as well, that I really enjoyed.
My fave part though, was the menthol. Oh yes, it was very refreshing and yet mild. Highly enjoyable.
Tao tells me that this is a limited edition, aged since 2007 so I feel very lucky to have tried it. Esp since I almost put it back when I saw that it was uncooked!
Thank you Tao for sharing your favourite tea!!
Anyhow, I must try the last of this in a Gawain. It deserves a Gawain. Seriously folks.
Rating: 96

On a side note, I’m still grinning from my tea date with fellow Steepsters yesterday… but I’m also a little freaked out by the motorcycle accident that happened right in front of us. Spun out swerving to avoid a turning car maybe fifteen feet from us and bounced on the pavement like a rag doll. The rider was ok, he got up and walked around, nothing broken and only a scraped knee. Still, my heart was on overdrive for almost an hr after. See, 20+ years ago, my cousin, passed away because of just such an accident and ever since, those machines have given me the creeps. Even now, I can’t shake the feeling that it could have been SO much worse. The motorcyclist had excellent reflexes and did just what he was supposed to do based on what friends who drive have told me… and yet here I am imagining all sorts of terrible scenarios. and today… I am missing my cousin.
Sorry for the essay. I just had to get that off my chest. Anyone who drives, please be careful!!

Thanks so much for the sample Kittenna!
Date nut muffin… interesting. I’m not sure where I stand on this. I keep flipping between hate and meh!
I think it’s that the flavour and scent reminds me of Monk’s Blend, which I severely disliked, but it’s not entirely the same so I am wavering on that stand.
Also, it’s a little flower-like, which I find doesn’t go all that well with a rooibos. IMHO.
Milk and agave spruced it up a bit, but I’m still having trouble getting through the cuppa. Oh well. Another 52teas check off my list! thanks again Kittenna :)
Rating: 65

Ok so I like matcha. I love flavoured matcha… and this was great!! just not my preferred flavour. I could tell that it was a quality brew, as it was oh so smooth and fresh tasting. Not at all fishy or rough like the DT version I bought a few weeks ago (not picking on DT, it’s just the last one I had so the comparison is easy to make) Just, a little to sencha-like for me. I had a hard time finishing the last of it. *shrugs
Rating: 82

Milk, some honey… golden assam tea… this was very good! it wasn’t however, what I expected. The fruity aspect was something I’ve never experienced in a black tea. A floral sort of fruity. Cherry perhaps? that’s all I can really pinpoint at the moment. Would have to try it again to really “get it”.
Not sure I’d actually buy any for myself though.
Rating: 88

Interesting!! cocoa, malt… and something I can’t quite put my finger on. Carob?
Three steeps and it was still going strong. On the last one I started to get a slight tingle, an inkling of the spice to come should I have the time to do another steep. But… it’s almost bed time so sadly it shall have to wait for another day. Perhaps a Gawain experience? So far, not my fave tea but it is superb and worth the extra expense. No questions about that! in my memory-lapsed brain, it reminds me of Golden Monkey, but then I’d need to do them up side by side to be sure.
Sorry for the short note. I’m pooped after spending the afternoon with the fabulous Kittena and Sil!! (in alpha order only, they are both amazing!)
I came away with just as much tea as I doled out, so sadly my purge tea mission backfired, but then on the plus side… I have more tea to try. yay!!
Rating: 90

Backlog!!
I’ve left my notes at work and my memory is fuzzy so bear with me.
This was… quite interesting. Rich and sweet, toasted, fruity and complex! with a note of… pineapple? peach? something along those lines anyhow.
As the steepings went on however, it became more and more like a white tea. I started noticing crisp vegetal like notes coming out, in a pleasant way. Reminds me very much of the Mango White base actually. I wonder if the leaves were from the same region. Hmmm I wonder.
Rating: 87

Backlog!!
Yum! I didn’t expect to love this, but I do! very flavourful without covering up the white base on the first steep. Most of the mango is lost thereafter but the base is lovely enough that I don’t mind. The depth and natural sweetness there is comforting, and has that freshwater note that always calls me back for more. Definitely something I am considering ordering more of(I have a sample), but we all know I won’t because there is SO much out there to try. Still, I wouldn’t turn down a cuppa this gem :)
Rating: 88

Holy Heaven!!! LOVE THIS!
It’s like drinking honey wrapped around honey comb and laced with more honey. Only on the first steep now.
Underneath the honey, I can taste a faint green Oolong note which I suspect will come up more as my infusions grow in number. That mineral aspect is there as well but given that I haven’t got much experience describing it, I’ll have to wait til I am more familiar.
I love that this is such a complex tea. Mineral and honey and green oolong, mixed with that rich base that combined makes me think of sitting on a porch with a view of the snowcapped mountains and a green meadow beside me.
Now I just need to find a way to mainline this…
Rating: TBD but as it stands now, 98

So… I had trouble finding the pecan here. It was mostly rooibos with a faint hint of something nutty, most likely pecan and something creamy like pudding.
I added almost a teaspoon of sugar (boo!) and a splash of milk, and it was much better! Definitely pecan notes now and some very mild spice. Cinnamon? I am finding it rather rich and satisfying. though I did get distracted and brewed it for almost ten min.
Not exactly pie, but pretty darn good.
As for my rating… I say it gets an 85/86.
Thank you so much for the sample David from Kiosque!

What is this delicious concoction?! dark chocolate mint and chamomile??? I think this is tea heaven.
Well… colour me impressed! this is amazing. SO worth the investment.
At first sip, I tasted mostly mint and some chamomile and I was thinking… where is the chocolate? but wait for it, the cocoa builds and by the time you are halfway through the cup, dark chocolate sings like a bird true and clear. Really good chocolate mind you. Like that 75% cocoa bar you get at specialty shops. Wow.
Soon, by the time I finished one sip, my tongue was crying out for MOAR MOAR NOW!! and it’s not very often I find a brew like that.
Second steep was great as well but not as sparkly. Third steep… well I never found out because our kettle broke at work. We are supposed to have a new one by Monday.
I am in love with this tea. Might even be a cupboard staple. Thank you, David Duckler/Verdant for your genius innovation!
Rating: 98

Had this with dinner tonight. It was certainly interesting. A little mixed up with my meal so I couldn’t be sure whether I was tasting coriander or basil or some sort of mint… whatever. It was tasty! supremely.(I know it wasn’t mint, but I saw other Himalayan teas with mint on steepster and started to doubt my senses!)
Anyhow, it was pretty sweet on its own but I added a punch of sugar anyhow just to see what’d happen and turns out it didn’t do much! shoulda left it bare.
The black base and spice were perfectly blended. Next time I go, I’ll try my best to remember and ask what this has in it that I find so addictive! mmmmm.
Rating: 87

Thanks Azzrian for the sample of this tea!! it’s rather perfumey and fruity all at once. I knew right away that I would either looooove it, or meh it.
I’m kinda glad that it was a “meh”! as I don’t need another tea necessity in my cupboard :)
Still I’m so glad to have tried it. Another one off my wish list!
As for the tea itself… this was far too floral for me, and not enough cherry (more general fruity/medicinal)
I can see how this might appeal to some EG lovers out there though, maybe enough to loooooooove ;)
The base was a little too clouded for me to determine much about it
Ok yah I’m a little overtired right now. Sorry about the random review!
Rating: 72

A friend gave me 100g of this and I found that it’s a solid black tea with no frills. Great! for blending muahahahaaaaa.
So I decided to start off with mixing a smidge of this and some Lapsang Souchong, and a pinch of Queen Catherine. Guess what? it tastes just like Queen Catherine! SCORE!! even got a decent second steep outta the leaves.
This tea and I, will have some good times :)

Sip down!!
Wow it feels good to get rid of a packet. With a whole bunch of them coming in this week, it is a small relief!
Though I must say, this tea will be missed. One day, I will get some again. The sugary almond goodness is just so tasty. How can I resist?!
Rating: 90

Tried the bagged version today. A serious MEH! compared to the loose one. I got alot more “earth” and less of everything else. Perhaps next time I’ll break open the tea bag. Still very good for a bagged tea though
Rating: 79

WOW this was SO sweet today, no sugar added. Ahhhmazing! like berry cotton candy.
Actually, it reminds me of the Cotton Candy tea by 52Teas, only with a white base and a bit creamier
Rating: 92!

Yum!! thanks again Ninavampi.
Getting even more marshmallow today. Not so much “cracker”. Oh well, it’s super tasty! On my third steep now. Gave the second one to Dad, not sure if he liked it yet though

Have you ever received/bought a tea that for some reason, be it fear of not liking it or some silly notion that it needs to be saved for a special occasion, and then end up never drinking it until it’s almost stale?
Well… that is this tea for me. The ever so generous QuiltGuppy sent this one my way eons ago and its been sitting in my sample bin ever since! Thankfully it was in a vacuum sealed foil pouch so it seems to be relatively fresh, considering.
And, as feared, the tea falls into an odd category for me. Pleasant. but not my style. Lychee often translates to “flowery” for me, and this is definitely that. Fitting, when I am in the mood for it, but I prefer the “rose” flower flavour over Lychee.
The tea itself is very smooth though, and light. That part, I really enjoy. I know my Mum would love it, so I’ll save some for the rare occasion she is in the mood for a spot of tea with me.
Thank you so much for sharing QuiltGuppy!! what a treat. I know of many Steepsterites that’d fall madly in love with this beaute
General tea rating: 89
My Tea rating: 84

I’ve been craving Pu’erh lately but always feel that it deserves more attention than I can reasonably give it at work, which is where I drink most of my tea. and the only pu’erhs I have are tuochas, so I figured a bagged tea would solve my problem. It’s quick, and I’ll feel less guilty about just grabbing it when on the go!
So when I walked by the Ten Rens shop yesterday, I was compelled to ask the “tea lady” if they had any. On busy days, they have a lady dedicated to selling tea, separate from the bubble tea line-up. Well!! she invited us (me and my friend) to sit down for a tasting. She obviously thought I was a newb and went on the whole shpiel about what pu’erh is and it’s benefits etc. But then I started asking questions. Was this a shou, or a sheng? (this was prior to my tasting the tea, or seeing the cakes) _{She had no idea what I was asking… so perhaps it has another name that I’m not aware of?}
She blinked in confusion. I’m a white girl! how do I know about tea!? so she asked me. and I told her, my best friend growing up, she is Japanese. That explained it. She needed no further details lol
Oh and the lady was so pleased to see a “non-asian” girl knowing about tea(she’d gone over to a co-worker, gesticulating happily towards us) that she gave me two free tuochas! score!! I think I’ll save them for a rainy day, let them age a bit.
Anyhow, the tea! it was super tasty! earthy and rich. and smooth. A little sweet on its own. Bready, in a way I don’t often see with Pu’erhs. With each steeping, it got a little richer and deeper. We went through atleast three.
Now, we didn’t stay long and and the place was hopping so paying attention to the subtle notes was difficult. The bagged version will surely be a bit muted, but if I notice any other points of interest, you can be sure I’ll update this.
For the price, 31c per bag… I’d say it’s a deal. Most likely anyhow, since I haven’t been back to work yet so that I can try it out in it’s intended setting.
ALSO, my friend that was with me, she likes tea but will drink anything, esp EG. So when she told me afterwards that it tasted like “earth”, but in a good way, and she didn’t know what to make of it… I was grinning from ear to ear. Folks, I might be breeding a convert here. muahahahaaaa
Raitng: 88 looseleaf, bagged tbd!

On another note… do you ever feel that tea is a secret? I mean, it’s SO good, and so many people seem to have no idea how amazing it can be. They go about their lives drinking bagged crud and have NO IDEA what they are missing out on. I feel so privileged to have been let into the club. I’m not sure what’s gotten into me now, but I am grateful to have tea.

yumminess!! like eating berries dipped in sugar. Yes’um!
Thanks so much Azzrian, I had a blast with this tea today. Only… I didn’t make it past two steeps because we had a power outage in the office. Since we had no way to heat up water, I went to wash out my tea mugs and head home when the power came back on! but my tea had already been dumped :(
Sadness. Oh well, it means I got to make MORE TEA!! :P
Rating: 85

Thanks for the sample Azzrian! so glad I got to try it:)
This is a nice solid tea!! but… I couldn’t find any lemon in it? hrm. This is the second time I had a cup, just to be sure, and still, no flavour. Don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoy the earthiness and natural deepseated sweetness there, but that’s all I got. but then, I’ve found that with most lemon flavoured teas lately. My lemon receptors are missing. Ha!
Thanks again Azzrian!!
Rating: 75

Ehhhhhh, this is an odd one. Not sure I like it. Something about the flavour combo was offputting, but I can’t put my finger on why. It was almost as if a big bag of garbage leaked all over the counter, and someone wiped it down but the smell is lingering faintly in the background. and the taste… except you don’t know that the garbage was ever there and it’s so faint that you can’t quite pinpoint where it’s coming from.
That said, if you can get past the awkward initial part of the sip, the berry-ness is quite nice! but that’s about all I’m willing to say. It didn’t leave much of an impression beyond that, though it really does taste like berries, not just overall “fruit”.
Rating: 72

I believe it was you, Ashmanra who sent me this beaute! thank you for the generous sample!!
Just a quick note today. I am so sleepy…
This one is strong boy! whew. Not for the faint of heart. but it is good. Heavy on the coconut, and spices… it has tons of flavour. and caffeine to.
However… Because of the in-yo-face factor, I think I really need to be in the mood, which I was when I had my cuppas :)
Also, it’s very sweet on it’s own. No sugar added! I guess that is the coconut’s fault huh!
Thanks again Ashmanra
Rating: 83