New Tasting Notes

87

I always forget first class mail is secretly faster than USPS makes you think…hm. I wasn’t expecting to get this until tomorrow! So of course, I had to make a cup.

I missed out on the first scone tea so I was not going to let this one go by, especially if it was going to be buttery tasting, plus I love honeybush.

I’m not sure just yet how I feel about it. I am going to let the flavors “meld” a bit more before I rate it. The buttery taste just seemed separate from the fruity taste. It was still good, but I am going to give it a chance to be amazing…cause it has to be given the smell.

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drank My Morning Mate by Teavana
127 tasting notes

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98
drank Guangzhou Milk Oolong by DAVIDsTEA
6105 tasting notes

Trying to drink myself into a tea stupor tonight, apparently. Going on about 8 cups now…

First cup (94C/2min) is VERY milky, but finishes quite nicely with a vegetal and then floral flavour. It’s very smooth and quite tasty. I find the milky flavour dissipates a bit the more I drink, so it must just be my mouth getting accustomed to it.

Second cup (95C/3min) is still quite smooth, less milky though, and the floral finish is a bit stronger. I’m getting just a touch of astringency/dry mouth/tannin feel mid-sip, but it doesn’t carry down the throat so I do find it enjoyable.

I have to admit, I did let these cool down a bit too far, but I do typically prefer my tea in the range of warm to lukewarm. They’re just… a bit closer to “cool” now. But still delicious, unlike some teas that taste odd at room temperature.

ETA: Two more steeps of this tonight. Third cup (96C/4min) smells just lightly floral and milky, but it’s not all that discernible anymore. Most of the milkiness is gone, and there’s just a hint of floral remaining, but I’m left with that absolutely delicious lingering taste in my mouth that just screams oolong to me. The same taste I’ll get in the second/third steeping of Banana Oolong. Honestly, the finish is better than the sip itself; I wish my mouth tasted this good all day! Yum. Nothing objectionable at all in this cup except that the sip initially tastes weak.

Fourth cup (kind of a shot in the dark, near-boiling water for 5min) is interesting and deviates quite a bit from the first three cups. There’s hardly any smell, but the flavour is now kind of toasty-buttery? It’s hard to describe. It’s different, but weak, although not objectionable. The oolong aftertaste is mostly gone as well. I probably wouldn’t bother going this far again, but it was interesting. No unpleasant bitterness coming out at all, so I’m going to blame user error on my boyfriend for the third-steep bitterness last time :D

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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71
drank Kirara Rice Tea by Lupicia
1629 tasting notes

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84

A good tasting chocolate raspberry flavored tea which with a spoonful of sugar makes a good desert alternative. Just like most flavored teas the flavor does not seem right without adding enough sugar to give it a fairly sweet taste.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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45
drank Mint Verbena by Harney & Sons
35 tasting notes

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82
drank Long Life Oolong by DAVIDsTEA
1759 tasting notes

I got three steeps out of this today. The first one was perfection… fruitiness coming out in all the right places. The second was ok, not great but ok. And the third, well it was weak and had an odd taste that made me dive for some water. Another one steep wonder, it seems. Kindof expensive for that, with the heavy fruit chunks and all… boo!

So… I think I need to take a break from Steepster for a few days. Too much going on for me right now… I’ve had a bunch of emotional upsets and there is an illness in the family causing all sorts of drama.
Not to mention that I’m dealing with the trauma of a big milestone tomorrow, and Friday. One that I’d really rather not face but am getting dragged through anyhow. So yeah. I need to make some space in my head, clear out the cobwebs and tears.
Could really use a hug right now.

Tea@Disney

Virtual hug! Hope everything gets better for you soon!

Cattibrie

(((((HUG))))) I am sure things will start looking up soon. Sorry for your struggles. Hang in there. We will still be here when you come back.

Cheryl

(((big hug)))) …it will get better. Hang in there.

Tina S.

Just keep remembering Sunday!

ashmanra

Hugs to you!

Indigobloom

thanks everyone, it’s so nice having friends who share kind words xxx
feeling a bit better already

Kittenna

((hugs)) I hope everything sorts itself out soon and that tea offers some comfort. We’ll miss you and await your return!

SimpliciTEA

Krystaleyn: very well put.

Indigobloom: Take all the time off you want, and know we’ll be here patiently waiting for your beloved reviews and posts!

Kashyap

dear Indigobloom…be lovely and who you are, heal, gain strength, and recover…find peace and when you need a reminder, draw in a breath of tea…wordlessly and without evaluation…just be. Having lost a mother to ALS…I am familiar with illness and drama in the family…should you need to share a word…feel free to reach out…. disembodied hugs…namaste

The DJBooth

keeping you in thoughts and prayers

Dinosara

Hope things look up soon! Hugs!

Ninavampi

Hugs!! Positive thoughts and wishing the best possible out come with the most hugs possible!

Ninavampi

Oops… Wrong post… But still send you hugs and possitvie thoughts!

teawing

Sorry to hear this, hang in there, hugs, and best wishes.

TeaBrat

Feel better soon, dearie

Daisy Chubb

<3 Sending good energy your way <3

Daisy Chubb

Sending good energy your way!

Erin

I really hope things get better for you. :) ((virtual hug))

Indigobloom

thanks so much everyone… I’m feeling loads better today. I have the best tea friends a girl could ask for!! <3

ScottTeaMan

Hope all gets better soon!

Indigobloom

thanks STM, it is much better now :)

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95
drank Ginger Ale Bai Mu Dan by 52teas
2816 tasting notes

It’s 5:00 and in lieu of a drink I’m having some of this, decided to steep it and then pour it over ice in a tall glass. It’s just missing the bubbles. :)

Scatterbrain

They come up with such cool ideas.

TeaBrat

I really liked this one, I’m sad to see it’s already gone!

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5
drank Cozy Chamomile by Bigelow
639 tasting notes

This will be my first experience with chamomile tea. I’ve never been very big on herbal teas. There’s no real tea in it! But here we go anyway.

At first blush, I thought the aroma was awful, like strong damp weeds. But I had my nose less than an inch from the cup, so maybe I was just smelling it too closely. I stood up and stared off into space while I waited for it to steep. I was breathing deeply and inhaling the tea without meaning to. Oddly enough, now it smelled good! I bent down and wafted the aroma towards me. But again, when I stuck my nose near the cup…phew! Stinky! So, who knows what that means.

The taste is similar to the aroma but stronger. When it’s actually on my tongue, it tastes great! Kind of like how the aroma is great when I’m standing over the steaming mug. But then I swallow and the aftertaste gets me. Blech! Strong, too strong. Icky. I can’t help but shake my head.

No no no. I don’t think I like chamomile. Or at least, this bagged version of it isn’t going to fly. It has potential, those little moments when I thought I liked it. But then it got squashed by yuck.

It’s really too bad. I’m so stressed out I can hardly function. I haven’t slept in 3 days. So, I thought the most recommended stress relieving bedtime tea would do the trick. Sadly, I think I’m going to have to rely on something else. I thought I could finish the cup, but I’m afraid this dirty floral tea is going down the drain.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec
TeaBrat

that’s too bad you don’t like chamomile. I find tulsi is helpful for stress. Valerian will help you sleep but it is REALLY smelly…

Ninavampi

Hugs!! Positive thoughts and wishing the best possible out come with the most hugs possible!

Ninavampi

Oops… Wrong post… But still send you hugs and possitvie thoughts!

Daisy Chubb

Oh man, try a real chamomile sometime because this bagged version is nothing like the real thing

CHAroma

@DaisyChubb, ok I will! Thanks for the comment!
@Ninavampi, You are so adorable!!! Thanks for the accidental hugs! :)

CHAroma

@Amy oh, I tried the valerian and it didn’t make any difference. :( But thanks for the tip, and the warning. Valerian IS incredibly smelly! Hahaha!

TeaBrat

that’s too bad! I hope you find some relief soon…

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90
drank Kenyan Tinderet by DAVIDsTEA
440 tasting notes

Had this with my cereal. Nom, what a great morning cup. Sadly, it is now all gone.

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96
drank Organic Cold 911 by DAVIDsTEA
27 tasting notes

I love strong mints. I think “Altoids” mints are an absolute joke, and don’t find them curiously strong at all. I’m crazy about Super-Mints that you can get from MUJI (a Japanese company) and if I had to compare Cold 911 to other pitiful mint teas that I’ve had, this is the “Super-Mint” of all mint teas.

The dry leaves smell amazing because of the eucalyptus and it is just as fabulous when it is steeped. There is a tiny hint of citrus, but only a bit. The juniper berries don’t really add anything to the tea, but it amuses me since it makes me think of Gin when I see them floating around (The French name for juniper is genévrier, from which Gin’s name is derived).

When I have a cold this tea is extremely soothing and the fact that it is caffeine free means that if I want to drink 10 cups a day, I can without getting jittery. It also makes an excellent after-dinner tea.

In an attempt to change this tea up a bit, I added half a teaspoon of pure licorice root (a rare find that I came upon in a teashop a year ago) and it makes this tea absolute magic! If you can get your hands on pure licorice, I highly recommend trying it – it brings out the citrus notes a bit more and I could go on drinking pots and pots of this mix.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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97
drank Laoshan Black by Verdant Tea
32 tasting notes

Steeped it hot and stuck it in the freezer, today. Drank it as a slushie. So good! Doesn’t even need sugar. Chocolatey, sweet, and awesome!

ssajami

Wow, that is a brilliant idea! I’ve got to try that, although not with Laoshan Black. I have so little of it, and it’s such an awesome tea that I’d be scared to experiment. However, maybe a chocolate or vanilla tea or something fruity.
Ha! Tea Slushie! I love it!

Ninavampi

Hugs!! Positive thoughts and wishing the best possible out come with the most hugs possible!

Ninavampi

Oops… Wrong post… But still send you hugs and possitvie thoughts!

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52
drank Strawberry Fields by Teaopia
26 tasting notes

Unfortunately I found this tea to be very tart. I could not taste the strawberries at all. I tried two different steeps, but found both to be disappointing since this tea seems to be very popular. I will be returning this for something else.

Daniel Scott

Wow, really? Huh, I adore this one. Is it very tart…can’t recall now! Curious to know your steeping time/temp for this?

Tea@Disney

With my kettle, I can’t control for temperature. The first steep was after boiling (I know a crime, but I was running late this morning) and I gave it five minutes (I like my tea strong). The second steep, the water was boiled, but I let it cool down to a manageable temperature and still let it steep five minutes.

Any thoughts to make it better?

Daniel Scott

Whoa, no wonder! Nooo to just boiled water. You probably shouldn’t steep a white at hotter than 80-85 degrees C. If you don’t have a tea thermometer, try putting some water in a pan on the stove. Take it off the heat JUST as you start to see bubbles forming – that should be about 80 degrees.

And 5 minutes is way too long for this one – I’d maybe start at 1.5 or 2.

Black teas I tend to like strong and I grew up leaving the bag in for 5 minutes or more. But I’ve found loose leaf – especially more delicate teas – to be stuff you need to experiment with. I remember now…when I first tried this one I started with too LOW a temp because I was concerned about scorching the leaves (68 degrees or so), so I let it sit in the water longer to compensate and make it “stronger.” It was naaaasty.

Tea@Disney

Thank you for the advice! I would have never thought about heating water in the pan.

Daniel Scott

Haha, I’m stuck doing nothing but since our kettle broke. It was a sad moment, but in the time since I’ve realized how many temps I was screwing up when my only two options were boiling (kettle) or 68 degrees (hot water dispenser).

Tea@Disney

Well at least some good tea will come out of it!

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85
drank Glitter & Gold by DAVIDsTEA
6105 tasting notes

I am drinking the most comforting tea from my stash that I could think of. And it’s delicious.

Second steep is kind of washed out tonight. Either it’s again the consumption of dessert affecting my tastebuds, or I should have brewed the tea in a smaller cup of water the second time around. Probably both. But it still smells heavenly…

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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90

I absolutely love this iced. It has a really pleasant apricot aftertaste.

Preparation
Iced

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85

See previous tasting notes for my thoughts on this tea’s flavour profile

Hmm, I take back what I said about this not being a good resteeper. I just had to scale down the short steeps by A LOT. When I short steep black tea I usually start at 30s or 45s, but these leaves infuse very quickly. Hime Fuki is also quite potent, I only needed 1tsp for short steeping in a 100ml tea vessel. I’ve tried adding more leaves previously and it was too bitter.

Overall not one of my favourite black teas, but still an enjoyable purchase. It shares a lot in common with Qimen black tea, but I prefer the flavour of Hime Fuki over that type. Generally I’m not a big fan of Qimen types though, and that is probably why this tea is not one of my top favourites.

100ml purion teapot, 1tsp, 6 steeps (3s, +3s resteeps)
(The built in filter the purion teapot had was very useful here. If you use a gaiwan you’ll need a strainer because the Hime Fuki leaves are small and broken)

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C

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58
drank Lady Grey Decaffeinated by Twinings
1120 tasting notes

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87

This tea is definitely a winner. The smell after brewing is solidly caramel. And not that cheap fake stuff either. This smells like that english toffee that you bite into and it drips all over your chin in the best and messiest way ever. (Sssh, Aisling, I already know what you’re going to say so nyah :P )

First sips definitely had a nice caramel flavour, with some backhint of chai like spices. The tea was a little light on flavour for me, so I added some sugar to see what that’d do to the tea. And wow, there was the flavour that I’d been looking for. Caramel and spice notes and just a slight underhint of apple and damn is this tea a winner. Maybe a little out of season since it feels like the middle of summer outside right now despite it being March, but mmmm I do love it!

Edited to add: They call this a black but it really is a rooibos with black added. There is no way I’d call this a black tea.

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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58

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87
drank Jessie's Tea by DAVIDsTEA
174 tasting notes

This is one of my top two rooibos. I’m not a fan of rooibos unless it’s flavored and I really love this one. The sweet, creamy coconut blends so well with the red rooibos with a bit of lavender. it does seem like there is a slight hint of mint in there as others have noted. Excellent rooibos!

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 45 sec
Drunk From Tea

I totally agree with everthing you said! This tea is actually my absolute favourite and will always be on my shelf, always! (:

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68
drank Strawberry Ginger by DAVIDsTEA
2 tasting notes

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95
drank Milk Oolong by Teaopia
1184 tasting notes

This is one yummy tea. I really liked Davids Tea brand, but this one is cheaper, so I am trying it out. It has less vegetal taste but has less of a mouthfeel than Davids.
It is still creamy and buttery.
2nd steep: 95degrees, 4 min, aroma is amazing, tastes less vegetal which I like, but the creaminess has also diminished a little. Still a very lovely cup, perhaps even better than the first.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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I’m on my second cup of this today (I made this one as a latte with soy milk and maple syrup [my new favorite way to do it], but the first was just straight up) and it is very good!

It’s pretty spicy and very energizing! It also has a subtle sweet creaminess from the coconut that I really enjoy!

I’m in the midst of finishing up last minute homework and packing because tomorrow (at 6:50 in the morning :( I have to wake up at 5:20 because the bus is 40 minutes away from my house :( times 10!) for the All-New England Music Festival in Dayville, Connecticut for 4 days! I’m excited/stressed/upset that it’s happening when it is/anxious but hey it comes with the territory of being a musician AND a full time student!

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 min, 0 sec
SimpliciTEA

Have fun!

Ninavampi

Hugs!! Positive thoughts and wishing the best possible out come with the most hugs possible!

Ninavampi

Oops… Wrong post… But still send you hugs and possitvie thoughts!

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