Shmiracles

well i told myself i wasn’t going to let my tasting notes get away from me. but it’s gone and happened again anyways.
i sure can drink a lot faster than i can write about them.
i was SO LAZY yesterday! and i vowed to taper my caffeine off earlier in the day than i usually do, so from my little caffeine-free pile came this tea!
already in a tea bag easy peasy.
nothing to write home about, but not an annoying tea by any means.
i just let the tea bag be lazy right along with me.
thank you whatshesaid!!

i’m watching teen wolf. the entire season in one day basically. watching that much tv in one day is something akin to eating nothing but cake for a day. but i watched it in a half ass way at least, and fondled my teas the rest of the day. multitasking!

also

i should probably buy some more decaf blacks cuz this is a nice option. bye bye rooibos. whatevs.

oh no. now that i have tasted matcha lattes … i can’t ever un-taste them. their deliciousness will forever haunt me!
an overcast day and lots of lounging around and doing lazy chores at home.
i’ve been feeling particularly lost these days. (i thought it was the cold weather that was inducing a certain melancholy but i guess not) a cup like this is the comfort a soft soul needs. it’s such an amazing treat!
omg how will i ever choose which flavors to buy?
thank you thank you thank you whatshesaid.

Scout Niblett – Pom Poms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEuhCZrrou0

does anybody know a cute girl with some pom poms?
’cause everybody needs someone to spell out their name in a little song

this is one of those teas that i wanted to try it as soon as i saw it.
this oolong is so comforting! and the flavors are mild yet effective.
both steeps were good too!
glad i have a little more. i may even add a little touch of brown sugar crystals like they recommend.
thank to Sil for this wonderfully balanced tea!

brewed in my small glass gong fu, so pretty. half of the leaves slowly float to the bottom. expanding slightly and turning fresh. the tea is a bright greenish yellow. i even brewed a second steep and it was only slightly less green tasting than the first. very very nice. i have another cups worth and i might even just go and brew it right now. thank you very much for this tasty cup Shelley_Lorraine!

drank this at Star Trek Into Darkness. also drank Reichenbach Recovery.
Benedict owned the movie.
and i’m pretty sure i love the tea.

della terra chocolate tea. pretty much i love them all. i had this and then a lapsang after, and the chocolate scent was still in my head and nose. the della terra chocolate tones linger with me. it’s a specific kind of moment from my youth kind of sense memory thing. hard to explain.

yesterday i battled my social anxiety to throw my boyfriend an awesome birthday party. i’d say it was a success.
but today i’m sullen and irritable.
so when this tea arrived in the mail i felt almost weepy with excitement!
i created and ordered this blend on the adagio website on thursday while i was at work.
this tea did not turn out very good, but it was my first tea blend attempt.
not enough lapsang. not enough vanilla. i guess they are kinda two flavors that don’t exactly make sense so they kinda end up canceling each other out.
i’m gonna try again i think. or maybe buy one of those sampler mixer sets? idk. i’ve started this goal and i tend to get a bit obsesses in situations like these.

oh crap. i happened to look up a 50k training plan so i can KINDA get in gear for my race in 2 weeks. and it says i should do 18 miles this weekend (10 saturday & 8 sunday).
the problem is that this weekend is my boyfriend’s birthday and i’m throwing a party. 18 miles is very unlikely to happen. no matter how focused i think i might be. hell, if i run ONE of the two days i’ll be happy.
oh well. i’ll do my best! :-/ but yes i’m nervous.

the directions on this teabag say 5 min steep with boiling water. i just can’t bring myself to do that. so i did 3 min with less than boiling water. and i think that is a good steep. any longer and it would probably start to turn dry.
the scent of this tea is very strong and super peachy. PEEEE-CHEEEE.
a great summer tea for sure. what’s not to like?!?! i’ll answer you. NOTHING.
everyone will like this tea. it’s simply that easy to enjoy.
thanks TastyBrew!

“Weird Al” Yankovic – Another One Rides the Bus*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_xH1YBZRo
live ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZkouut-9RQ

“We were pretty much scared out of our minds. I was straight out of college, and all of a sudden they were flying me out to New York to perform live on national tv – The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder. And I was wearing these horrible, crazy quilt velvet pants that a friend of mine had found at a thrift shop, and, you know, barefoot, frizzed-out hair. It was quite a look. Jon Schwartz is a serious talented drummer, and I had him on his knees poundin’ on my accordion case, blowing into duck calls, siren whistles. I mean, if you’re in my band you can’t have too much of a sense of dignity. (laughs)”
- “Weird Al” Yankovic, Biography interview

a good genmaicha. and a reliable and cozy genmaicha is always a nice cup.

burnt cheese toast tea!
score. that is TOTALLY the scent. you nailed it TastyBrew haha (and thanks for the sample!)

brews bright golden yellow. and has a kinda oily texture to it also. which is probably why it lends itself to the baked cheese description so well. but don’t misunderstand, this is slight, and it’s not unappealing.
unique!! and nice as an herbal alternative. i’d drink this over rooibos anyday!

squiggle ropes. ANOTHER very very pretty tea.
hand-rolled and elegant. i need to buy a small glass globe necklace or something. so i can wear a little tea around my neck sometimes.
for me, this tea is mellow upfront. even the scent is just slightly malty. then it turns into a warmer flavor, maybe that’s the chocolate notes? ending with a little dry aftertaste, which i like.
gentle and dark. that’s my short hand.

i’m really glad i have a lot more to try of this sample from TastyBrew. i’m gonna try to wrangle my ADHD boyfriend’s attention for long enough to have him notice the leaves as they steep. cuz this is another one of the teas i’ll have to keep an eye on before he drinks it all up in a blink.

holy chunky chai. uh-oh.
it looks really pretty! but it’s intensity makes me anxious.
i wanna try everything and anything once at least. usually even 2 or 3 times. even teas i hate.
i’m very moody and who knows how i’ll feel tomorrow. :)

i loved yesterday’s chai. didn’t think i would but i did.
so today’s chai…?
i did not leaf this tea as heavy as they recommend to. i can do that on the second cup. this first cup i played it a little safe i guess. and i’m glad i did. cuz i’m liking this chai too!
i really must have just had bad chai luck in my past. too heavily spiced with no finesse or balance. but this one is bright and yummy! i still have the urge to add cream and a little sugar to the cup. but not cuz i can’t enjoy it as is. just because when i think chai i think chai latte.
i should do a soymilk stove steep.
this tea is really so very pretty.
it brings a lot to the experience.

thank you TastyBrew yet again xo

okay team tea. get ready for lots of little cups of tea today. and little notes for each.
though i will probably cut them all kinda short. lots to do lots to do!
plus i stayed up until 1:30am reading fan fic. again.

thank you TastyBrew for this tasty brew.
it smelled way stronger than it tasted. which i’m happy about. cuz the scent is STRRRRONG but the cup is very pleasantly balanced and mellow!
goes great with my vegan chocolate fudge. yes fudge for breakfast. i know i know.

ps. i accidentally let the remains of my cup cool off, and i can see this tea would make a really really delicious iced tea. nothing added. (i think i know what i’m doing with the rest of my sample!)

this is a rooibos i received in a mystery swap with Shelley_Lorraine.
truth is, of all the teas i received from the mystery swap, this is the only one i already owned. i think that’s a great ratio! i received maybe 35+ tea samples, and only ONE was a duplicate. very very cool. (great job ladies!)
it’s always good to have herbal teas around. it’s how my whole tea adventure started, and they are something to look forward to as the evening gets quiet.
i don’t love any rooibos tea. but mint helps. i don’t, like, hate it, or whatever.
this tea is similar to, but better than the david’s tea mint chocolate rooibos i have. and i drink that one pretty often, so i predict that this one will be gone in no time.

finally got around to watching the “nightmare in silver” episode of doctor who.
we still don’t know who clara is, but i admit i do want them to kiss. ;)

i decided to continue my chai journey! thanks to the yummy one i had earlier today.
but this was totally meh.

oh this chai isn’t mega chai!
as far as straight chai’s go, it’s probably the most drinkable chai i’ve ever had.
granted i did steep it on the light side, but still. also after half a cup i added some agave and a creamer from the office break room. (hah i feel so clever)
i’m sure a large part of the fun i’m having with this cup is because my expectations were so low. but this moment has persuaded me to try more chais. which i think is a good lesson for the day. :)
thanks TastyBrew!! thank you thank you!

so, do we have any Steely Dan fans in the audience tonight?
Steely Dan – Only A Fool Would Say That
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTt-URVOYos

this tea is a bummer.
it has pieces of chocolate in it and everything. i dug one out of the bag and brushed the rooibos off before i ate it. and it was yummy. but the tea steeped? idk. it’s just kinda maybe flavored rooibos. and not interesting.
sad. i really like the theme and intention behind these teas. fair trade and not jittery inducing. but alas, it just didn’t work out.
thanks again and again and again TastyBrew!
i like trying new things, and wouldn’t it be boring if everything was top notch? dodge and weave, dodge and weave.

TastyBrew to the rescue!
it’s an Assamalanche!
capital A.
big and bright and i can even taste the caramel notes. malty on the nose for sure.
big personality. a strutter.

this is a fairly simple cup of tea. kinda flat in nuance i guess. but nothing problematic or offensive. it’s kinda gentle in a way. hobbity. it has some nice damp earthiness to it. i’m sure my man-friend will drink it all up if i don’t watch him closely.
thanks very much TastyBrew! i’ll have several more cups of this i’m certain.

Jeremy Scahill/Glenn Greewald fan fic. horrible idea, or BEST IDEA EVER!?!?!!!!!

i’m gonna order a tea from Adagio, and i wanted to ask my friendly and thoughtful followers if you have a favorite Adagio tea they recommend. it’s hard to tell from the company steepster page what is actually the best because it’s opinions from the whole steepster community who i don’t know at all and may not even be active anymore. but i know the people i follow tastes quite a bit more, so i’d probably fair better with some of your personal picks. Thanks!! xo

my 300th tasted tea! i’ve reached a milestone.
i ordered this tea a long while ago and kept saving it sealed for the right time.
i woke up early so i would have time to sit with it. i used my special very British porcelain tea cup and saucer. and i read fanfic by one of my favorite authors.
it was my peaceful & quiet special tea party.

the last tulsi tea bag from my thieving spree at yogaville. :)
(don’t worry it’s not really stealing, meals are included)
jasmine mint green tea? basically yes.
a little grassy. a little stemy. enjoyed.

my boyfriend really likes maté. so basically in my mind i designate all maté as his. if i open a new bag and put it in a canister, i point out “your maté is here” so i can feel sure he will enjoy it.
the result is that all of my maté is tasted from his cup. haha (can i have a sip?) (can i have another sip?) (could i have one more sip?)
but it also means he uses and enjoys all my tea accessories, which i think would be lost on him otherwise.
this is a nice maté! i’ve never had a plain one before. so i feel extra glad that TastyBrew sent me some. honestly i like it much more than i thought i would. it’s a unique flavor. definitely the toasted-ness makes it extra warming.
and not that he’s a tough sell, but the boy seems to like it too!

thanks to TastyBrewwww for the moar teaaaa!
(this is tea tasted number 297. i’m keeping track cuz for the 300th tea i’m opening Laoshan Black and trying it for the first time.)(and it looks like that will be tomorrow morning!)
i’m afraid all this tasting is turning me into a tea snob. like in the bad way. it’s that i catch myself having some weird expectations of what i think a tea should taste like by the scent or ingredients, and then when it doesn’t match my presupposed expectations i get overly judgmental. this is not the tea drinker i want to be!!
naw no
i wanna be open to each sip. and judge it in the moment. and see what i can discern and what speaks to me (i have scarred sinuses and a poor sense of smell but i want to do my very best.)
so when i first tasted this i was all ‘meh’. but why? i really had no reason.
it’s a nice tea. i guess i should just put things in the buy or not buy categories? pass/fail?
this tea is gentle. and pretty tasty. slightly vanilla. but i wouldn’t buy more. just cuz there are other vanilla teas i’ve like more. oh that perpetual vanilla hunt.