Tabby

I didn’t mean to talk about this tea three times in a row, but at least I have an image up for it now.

You see, I started making a different tea before this. I had it steeping and went to make myself some soup. (I’m still quite sick.) When my soup was done, I turned to see half of my tea on the counter and spilling into the floor. Turns out one of my favorite mugs had sprung a leak. Rest in peace, Cruxshadows mug, as I lay thee down to sleep in the garbage can.

Just wanting to note that this is my 4th cup in a row and that it really has made my throat feel better. Also, I accidentally let my current cup steep for 15 minutes and it still tastes great. Mmm.

I got my lavender tea after all! And I’ll have a picture up for it in a few days, when I get back home to my camera. Oddly, Wystone’s official site doesn’t list this anywhere but the cafe menu.

This is EXACTLY what I wanted. But I need to disclose that while I put two ounces of Lavender Grey in the package, I also added about half an ounce of straight lavender flowers. (The tea shop has a whole section of just dried fruit, herbs, flowers, etc. to add. Amazing!) So if any of you Steepsterites were to purchase this tea, it wouldn’t be as strongly lavender flavored as what I’m drinking right now.

But like I said, this is perfect. Strong but soothing lavender paired with clean, bright bergamot. All on a satisfying, malty black tea base. I am going to go through this so fast, I can tell. I love it.

So, I’m sick and staying with family/friends in Colorado. I was craving some comfort tea from the moment I woke up. Something with lavender. So my cold-medicine-addled self put on boots and wandered across the street to Wal-Mart, where I was sorely disappointed. They didn’t even have Tazo’s Earl Grey! That was my backup if I couldn’t find anything else with lavender in it.

I returned empty-handed, but was lucky enough to find this in the cupboard. This would do as comfort tea, I thought. And it was good. An old standby. Warm spices, a hint of orange peel, and a caffeinated black tea base. But I’m still craving lavender.

This… this is lame. I usually love apple tea. And I usually really like Ceylon. But this is a weak, bland, barely fruity mess with a hint of honey. Like something Celestial Seasonings would make. It also has a sort of indistinct herbal, chamomile-ish taste. It’s been a while since I really disliked a tea. But this does it. I’ll finish the cup, but never again.

But to be fair, I tried this at a friend’s house and it was not in a sealed container. It could just be really stale.

I picked this up at Kroger after noticing it a few days ago when shopping for salad fixin’s. It’s dairy-free, which is alright with me, and soy based. I’m a fiend for chai, and the idea of not having to make it myself appealed to me today.

It’s actually really tasty. The spices aren’t particularly strong, complex, or unique, but it does taste like chai and smooth, creamy vanilla. It’s pretty sweet also, but not too much. Maybe a little sweeter than I would have made it myself, but it’s also creamier than I would have been able to do since I usually add a small amount of milk. I could see myself having this instead of breakfast on my way into midtown. I will certainly pick it up again.

And is it ever filling! The 15-ounce bottle is like a meal to me.

Alright, I’m willing to try this again as fall is approaching. It still smells like that bubblegum you used to get on Halloween from the old folks down the street.

I tried to dress it up a little with a splash of 2% milk and a dash of cinnamon on top. It’s certainly an improvement. The milk’s creaminess rounds it out, but it still doesn’t really taste like pumpkin to me. And there is still no spice at all, aside from the cinnamon that I added. How can you call something “spiced” when it’s plain? C’mon, Adagio, I trusted you!

Today I ventured back to the First Oriental Market, as I’m low on plain black teas and I wanted to try something new. This was very well in my price range, and my past experiences with black teas from the Fujian Province of China have been good. Also, I admit, I love pioneering teas that are new to Steepster.

The packaging is mostly in Chinese, so a lot of the details are lost on me. But it comes bagged, and it smells like it’s going to be a strong, no-nonsense black. I can’t detect any distinct notes just from the scent of the bag. The leaves themselves are black and crushed up like most cheap bagged teas.

It brewed up dark in four minutes, reddish amber with a malty, honeylike aroma. The flavor is surprisingly smooth and very malty. Almost creamy in its aftertaste. It’s milder than I expected, but enjoyable. Like many Fujians I’ve tried, it has a hint of cocoa in it as well. I’m happy that I have a whole box to go through, and I look forward to having this in a tall iced glass.

Finally got around to trying this flavored Keemun.

The tea itself is lovely. Dark brown leaves mixed with red and pink chunks of lychee and whole dried raspberries. There also appears to be some kind of red flower petal mixed in. It smells incredibly strongly of lychee. Like perfume, roses, and red fruit. I can kind of smell the raspberry as well, but the lychee buries it.

The flavor is similar. Lychee, lychee, lychee like a punch to the face. The rose flavor, which I believe is coming from the lychee also, is very present. Peppery almost, but not as strong as a plain black rose tea. The raspberry is there, but you have to really feel for it. Same with the flavors of the Keemun. I think next time I’ll give it another minute to see if the black tea will make more of an appearance. Either way, this is interesting, and STRONG.

So, I’ve been playing around with this tea and I have discovered something worth mentioning. Unlike a lot of Earl Greys and things that are similar, like this, Melange does NOT hold up well as an iced tea. It loses a lot of its subtle flavors and something about it being cold just breaks up the harmony. So, fellow Steepsterites, this is your warning. Make this tea iced at your own risk.

Backlogging from a few hours ago when Steepster was down.

I had been saving this tea for last, as I am a bit crazy for Teavivre’s regular, non-organic Bailin Gongfu. Upon opening the packet, I knew I was in for another treat, as it smelled just like the regular version. Strong, malty, chocolatey. And so on my shopping list.

This version is almost identical to the other in looks and taste, except that it has a slightly more “toasty” flavor. But this is very welcome, for such a hearty black tea. It would make the perfect breakfast cup, in my opinion. Powerful, dark, and bracing. This could easily be my favorite unflavored black tea. It’s what I’m going to be comparing other Fujian black teas to.

I also want to note that in the second steep, the leaves lost a bit of the cocoa flavor and tasted more nutty and toasted.

I got a sudden craving for chai tonight, so I made myself an iced cup.

This kinda another dud by Peet’s as far as I’m concerned. I was happy to see the cinnamon bark and ginger pieces when I made it, but their flavors are weak. The coarse black tea they used overpowers it. When I go for chai, I go for something heavy on the spices and complex. This will do for now, but it’s making me really miss Adagio’s Thai Chai.

A few days ago I went back to Cozee Teas because they seem to have the best selection of bulk loose leaf teas in my area. (And bubble tea!) The place was looking nicer, more organized, and was beginning to get that Decatur feel with local art for sale on the walls. I hadn’t planned on buying anything when I went in, as I mainly wanted to take a peek at what black and bubble teas were available. But two of the teas caught my eye and at a very reasonable price, and I had to have them. So I picked this and a Raspberry Litchi black. And I’ve got my eye on their Vanilla Chai Spice.

When I opened the package to sniff, I was reminded instantly of Adagio’s Earl Grey Moonlight. It smelled like a strong Earl Grey with an equally strong scent of vanilla. That vanilla was not hiding in the background. The taste is very much similar. Lemony vanilla with a black tea that stands up for itself. Ceylon, I think, but it’s hard to tell over the vanilla. Anyway, I’m having it iced and lightly sweetened and I’m really looking forward to trying it hot.

This is another one I’ve had my eye on for a few months. I was thrilled when it was offered to me by Angel at Teavivre. I’ve previously tried their Keemun Hao Ya, and I loved it. While it was smoky, this doesn’t smell smoky at all.

The dry leaves are particularly dark, almost black, and extremely thin and long. Like brittle spider legs as I measure them above my slightly cooled water. They smell very strong, pungent even. Once brewed, the tea smells like honey and wood with a hint of something that kinda makes me think of pumpkin.

The taste is intriguing and delicious. This is a rather strong black tea as far as Teavivre’s lineup has been so far. It makes me think of a malty puerh. I’m going to give it maybe three minutes and thirty seconds next, in hopes of making it even stronger. Must experiment. But for now, I think I liked the Hao Ya better.

I had to have some more this morning, so this was my take-to-work tea of the day.

The first time I reviewed this, I was drinking it hot. Today it was cloudy, but still very hot outside, so I went with iced. It takes on a whole new dimension when it’s cold! When chilled, a distinct honey flavor emerges, and the fruitiness takes a front seat. I was reminded, strangely, of pineapple at first. I’m not sure where that was coming from, but I liked it. The following fruit flavor was a little more indistinct. Fruity, but not a specific fruit I could name. Anyway, if you haven’t tried icing or coldbrewing this tea, I think it needs to be done before you run out!

My third round of Teavivre teas arrived today! I couldn’t wait to get home and get started.

This is my first Golden Monkey. I know, right? How could I be such an avid black tea drinker, but missing out on this? Anyway, I opened the packet to smell it as the water heated, as usual. Faintly smoky, with hints of cocoa, hay, fruit, and malt. So deliciously promising.

Even after only two minutes, the tea was a dark red amber. It smelled less smoky and more malty, still reminding me of fresh clean hay. The taste, of course, is fantastic. It reminds me a lot of some of Teavivre’s other black teas… they all have a distinct cocoa-like taste that I’m starting to think may come from their tea region itself. It’s delightful, and I haven’t tasted it anywhere else so far. But it’s difficult to describe. I know it may seem weird, but it kinda tastes the way a new, clean piece of printer paper smells. I’m also getting the yam/sweet potato taste others have mentioned, and I really like it. This is such a savory, satisfying black tea.

Just finished my sample. I have to say, milk really improved it. I wish I had been doing that the whole time. I’m kind of on the fence about trying this again when winter rolls around again, though. I’m sure there are better things I could be drinking…

This is another sneakily nabbed tea from the pub where my boyfriend works.

It’s been a while since I’ve had darjeeling. This one is rather peppery, especially in the scent, and sort of herbal tasting. The muscatel flavor is definitely there in the forefront, along with a taste that reminds me a bit of oolong for some reason. Like a faint nuttiness. There is a bit of fruit flavor hiding in there, too. It’s actually a lot more complex than I was expecting.

The packet said to brew it for 4 minutes, but honestly, I would maybe do 3:30 instead to cut down on the nutty, slightly oversteeped taste. It would keep it from getting harsh or bitter in the finish. Mine hadn’t exactly reached that point, but I could taste it getting there.

Ok, this was a rushed decision at 3 AM in the grocery store with the boys. I needed a plain black tea for making pitchers, and this was under $3. And somehow, when I read the words “black” and “pearl”, I thought this was going to be actual black pearls. Like tea rolled into little balls, like decent tea companies do. I didn’t read the package, okay?

But no, this is black tea that’s crushed but with little dust. Even after almost five minutes, it… kinda tastes like nothing. It’s, as one of my brothers called it, just brown water. It’s also kinda faintly bitter and astringent. It kinda smells like black tea?

Also, “long-leaf”? Is that something Lipton made up?

I gave this another go today, iced as usual. It still doesn’t taste much like gingerbread to me, but it does sort of taste like a cookie or graham cracker. It could use some vanilla, I think. And next time I make it, I’m going to add milk. Milk or whipped cream would make this pretty yummy first thing in the morning.

I wish this was more gingery, too. Hmm, maybe other brands are doing this better. I should do some research.

This is another tea I got in a trade with Spencer. I made it iced and lightly sweetened in one large batch to share with my brother.

The leaves are very dark for a golden tip. And they were really crushed up. Not by fault of the trade, going through the mail, or whatever. This was very uniform, as if the leaves had been shredded tiny before being processed. Or during the process, I’m not sure.

It’s slightly astringent, but not bitter even after almost five minutes. A little malty, with an aftertaste that makes me think of cheap tea bags for some reason. Kinda average as far as Assams go, nothing really stands out about it to me. But it packs a nice punch of caffeine.

Yesterday, I declared that I would stop sweetening my tea. I drank my Dilmah Earl Grey without it and honestly, kinda suffered through it. But I stuck with it again today and brewed this up, adding only ice.

Yeah. I can’t do this. It’s going to be some kind of low calorie sweetener from now on, because all the sugar I’ve been consuming lately has been hurting my waistline. Anyway, um, about the tea…

Got it in a trade with Spencer. This is pretty tasty. The bergamot could be a bit stronger and cleaner-tasting, but it’s not bad. I particularly like the creamy aspect. But as I drank it, all I could think was “Man, this would be good with some sugar…” Especially since I brewed it on the strong side, and it was pretty bitter. I wish I had some more… I feel like I can’t even properly review it after today…

Finished up my sample, brewing it all at once for a bottle to put in the fridge. Nothing new to add. This is still kinda lame, and will just be fodder until I brew a bottle of something better…

So, my man works for Leon’s Full Service, and this is one of the teas they carry. He snuck me into the little server station and opened a case that had all kinds of Mighty Leaf sachets. I picked this and a darjeeling while no one was looking.

Sadly, I have to agree with what a lot of you guys have already said. While this is actually pretty good, it’s just not great. I gave it longer than the brand recommends by 45 seconds, and that did make the black tea pretty strong and bitter. (But I like that.) Anyway, I prefer my Earl Greys to have a stronger bergamot flavor, and this one is on the mild side. You can smell it before you sip, like an exotic perfume, but it doesn’t translate much into the tea. And the black tea base they use is really, really standard. Boring, even.

What I’m trying to say is that Harney & Son’s Earl Grey Supreme has ruined me forever.