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The hubby and I were looking for something to sip while we wrestled with the online tax monster. This one seemed just the thing. We steeped it twice, as follows:
1st – 170°, one minute, 16 oz. water, two perfect teaspoons of tea
2nd – 180°, one and a half minutes

Both steeps were sweetened with a little clover honey (I prefer wildflower, but clover is generally more accessible, and cheaper besides). The clover taste, to my pleasant surprise, did not overpower the flavor of the apples or the tea, although it did take away some of the tartness that I remember this tea having. A very nice apple blend, although I would have preferred a sharper apple flavor (more like a Braeburn or a Pink Lady than a Gala or Red Delicious). I like my apples to bite back. :) The base tea was a sweet hay undertone, with just a hint of something floral to round it out. Lovely!

Preparation
2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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I very clearly remember my first experience with tea. It was in a Target near my house, and my best friend handed me a cup of chai from the Starbucks inside the store and said, “Try this.” I believe I was about 12 at the time, and from then on, I was completely hooked.

Anyway, as my increasingly weirded out family will tell you, my obsession with tea has (almost) steadily escalated since then. I discovered the world of tea slowly, first with just chai, and then with bagged teas I could get from supermarkets and specialty stores, and then with loose leaf teas. I mostly shop for tea at Teavana, but I also patronize other local shops that I’ve discovered within the last couple of years. I’ve ordered a smattering of teas from a few online places, but I’m always leery of buying tea online, since most of how I select teas in person is by smell… unless I’m at The English Tea Room.

My favorite types of tea are blacks and flavored blacks. And oolongs. Right underneath that are rooiboses and whites, and then greens and herbals, and then mates. I’m always looking for a new favorite, but I appreciate rediscovering old favorites. I like to blend teas, but I never store them that way, mostly because I like to leave myself options.

I prefer nutty/sweet/rich teas to fruity/light-flavored teas or bold/full-bodied teas, but I do try to drink some of everything to widen my palate. I’m always willing to try any tea at least once (except this one tea that Teavana mercifully discontinued… the loose leaf smelled like cheese, I swear). I do perhaps rate teas a little leniently… because I’m not very picky. I will try a tea at least three times before I pronounce that I hate it, and I will always focus on the good aspects of a tea rather than the bad. That’s just how I roll. :3

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Colorado, USA

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