788 Tasting Notes
I visited Tbar on St. Patty’s day (no way was I going to a bar) and ordered a bowl of matcha to drink while I read my 2600 and relaxed a little.
I blame Cofftea for my recent fascination with Matcha. I am not much of a green tea person but she loves it so dearly and describes it so deliciously in her Steepster tealogs I want to love it.
Paid 9.00$ for a bowl of matcha
Smell: Not much, slightly vegetal
Taste: Sweet, smooth, thick, vegetal, creamy
Color: Murky green with green sludge on bottom
After taste: Gritty, vegetal, sweet
It isn’t the same kind of bitter grassy taste I fear in most greens, it is sweet and nice to drink. This also holds true for the matcha I had at Radiance tea house.
So although it is pleasant I don’t love it, and think I may give up on it. It isn’t bad, I just prefer other things, especially at the cost.
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/tbar-prepared-matcha.html
Steep Information:
Amount: 2 c
Additives: 2 c lactose free milk
Served: Hot
Bring to boil, a little too much it formed a skin I had to skim off.
Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: woody, vanilla, sweet
Flavor: delicious woody rooibos, sweet, vanilla
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: woody vanilla
Liquor: opaque cloudy brown
Delicious, I love this tea! To me vanilla and rooibos go very well together, and I’m always a sucker for a tea latte.
MilitiaJim and Bobbie only are getting vanilla sweet milk.
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/tazo-tea-concentrate-rooibos-tea-liquid.html
Steep Information:
Amount: 1.5 tsp
Additives: 1 tsp German rock sugar, 2 sprinkles powered cinnamon, 10 raisins
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling water
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Raisin bran cereal, sweet raisins
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon, raisin, smoke
Flavor: raisin, cinnamon, a little too sweet, bake-y/cardboard astringent (is this the toast?)
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent, bitter very briefly
Liquor: dark reddish-brown
Well I, and Bobbie and MilitiaJim like this steep. I don’t like that I had to doctor it so much to get what I wanted.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Resteep: weak, watery, even after leaving it in after the 5 min were up, cinnamon and raisin came through but nothing else, dumped it
Preparation
You added extra cinnamon and raisins but no butter? Now that is a review I’d love to read=D
i was thinking about adding butter, but then i figured it would be a weird oily film on top, i almost added some coconut pouchong because it is so buttery, but i love it so much i didn’t want to use it if the tweak turned out awful
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 tsp
Additives: none
Water:6 oz filtered boiling
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet caramel
Steeped Tea Smell: tea, hint of caramel
Flavor: smooth, astringent, with a hint of sweet, no bitterness
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: briefly bitter
Liquor: translucent orange-brown
Steepster Traveling Teabox Tea
I am like strong not subtle flavors, this does not meet my needs in a flavored black tea.
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/mcnultys-loose-leaf-black-tea-caramel.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Chocolate, vanilla – where did that chocolate come from?
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, chocolate, vanilla
Flavor: black tea, astringent
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: nice dark brown that I forgot to take a picture of
Steepster Traveling Teabox Tea
The leaves were very pretty with their golden colors mixed with brown.
I am not sure if the chocolate was a cross contaminate or if it was supposed to smell chocolaty?
Too bitter for my tastes, maybe I should have done less time? I brewed it at the lower end of the suggested range.
The vanilla is too subtle in this tea for me.
Post-Steep Additives: +1 tsp German rock sugar, made no impact
+ splash of almond milk, no change
Resteep: 4 min, not bitter (1 tsp German rock and splash almond milk) I liked this steep much more than the first, but it was a little on the weaker side, and no vanilla.
I am giving it the rating for the resteep, the first steep would have been lower. If I bought this I would plan to steep it shorter, and immediately add sugar and milk.
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/premium-steap-loose-leaf-black-tea.html
Preparation
I always have this one with milk and sugar. Now that I made my own vanilla tea, I think this one is going to fall out of favor with me! When we meet for tea I will give you some of my vanilla assam (and some berry rooibos from Samovar – I think you’d love that one!!)
squee, this makes the week after next even more exciting!
I saw your custom vanilla tea – I keep saving my vanilla beans for making homemade chai, it’s my long term tea project, but i always get too tired and lazy :( i need to kick my own butt to do it sooner or later, then maybe i’ll have an extra bean to try making my own!
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag 1.2 g
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, woody, and paper probably coming from the bag
Steeped Tea Smell: woody, sweet
Flavor: watery, woody
Body: Light
Aftertaste: short but sweet, wood
Liquor: translucent light reddish-brown
Steepster Traveling Teabox Tea
I like rooibos, and usually find it a strong woody sweet flavor. This one surprised me by being so meek and mild.
Although I am amused and happy I got to try a tea from Denmark, I won’t be trying to get my hands on this one again.
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/gemi-te-teabag-rooibos-tea-sydafrikansk.html
Preparation
1 tsp in make-your-own teabag
hot spigot water
8-12 ounce ceramic mug
2 minutes
1 stick honey
mild, sweet, slightly grassy/vegetal, hints of cherry
I do not love you tea, I wanted to love you so much
if you like smooth green teas that aren’t very vegetal with subtle flavors this is for you
Sorry about your tea, but today, the names of all the teas are catching my eyes – JacquelineM drank Green Snail Spring, Kristin drank China Hairy Crab Oolong, and your tea, Japanese Wild Cherry conjures up visions of Washington, DC – all those lovely cherry trees in bloom during spring by the water!
I know, it sounds so spring pretty pink lovely :) we’re all glad to see the sun apparently?
The name does make it sound like it would be spectacular.
YES YES YES vote YES for sun & spring – even I who like the rain and cozying up with a good book and a great cup of tea – am tired of the dreary days leading up this year’s spring!
Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer – not all the way full just enough to cover the tea
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: I can see golden raisins, and smell hibiscus and currents?
Steeped Tea Smell: hibiscus (inhales deeply) and spice
Flavor: hibiscus, spice
Body: Full
Aftertaste: tangy
Liquor: opaque deep red
Thank you for the sample SoccerMom!
I love hibiscus, but if you’ve been following my posts long you know this.
DELICIOUS, but all the other flavors get stomped, that is the one thing holding this back from greatness. If the spice was more prominent, or other flavors also strongly present with the hibiscus I would be in love with the lover’s kiss.
I will take this as is though. I think if I had more I’d try some honey or sugar or perhaps try it iced.
Preparation
Resteep: oh woe is me little tea, at 7 minutes you were a very pretty pink, but watery drink
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/path-of-tea-loose-leaf-herbal-tea.html
Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 4, 9 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon, apple, vanilla, MilitiaJim also gets caramel
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon, apple, vanilla, MilitiaJim also gets caramel
Flavor:
4 min: light, watery, cinnamon, vanilla
9 min: bitter black, cinnamon, vanilla, hint of apple
Body: 4-Light, 9-Medium
Aftertaste: 4-sweet apple 9-bitter black tea
Liquor: 4-translucent light reddish-burnt orange 9-darker reddish-brown
I think I need a steep in between what I did, however I was distracted by dinner.
The smell delivers on the pie. I assume “a la mode” = vanilla (assuming target was vanilla bean ice cream but I am not getting creamy or dairy so no vanilla bean ice cream).
The taste on the first steep was very weak, but held promise of being a light, but not too subtle, spiced black. The second steep went off the deep end because I forgot to watch it and it turned out very bitter keeping me from appreciating it.
I am going to give this tea another shot some other time as I think it has promise.
Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar-brought in more the sweetness I expect from pie, I also like sugar
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/52teas-loose-leaf-black-tea-apple-pie.html
You’re welcome!!!
… but $9???
yup, per the menu, Radiance was $5, Tbar isn’t known for being cheap, do you ever get matcha prepared while your out? how much does it run you?
and is the matcha supposed to settle to the bottom like it did?
The only time I’ve had it out (my 1st matcha experience) it was $2.50. Matcha can separate if not drank in a timely fashion because it does not dissolve in the water. The Rishi matcha I had at Kavarna never did, although it did slowly get thicker as I got closer to the bottom of the chawan. I do not believe in rushing something as wonderful as matcha so when I make it at home it can separate a bit so I just rewhisk it w/ my chasen a bit.
I have been dying to try matcha too! It’s definently because Cofftea is always talking about it and everytime I get to a teahouse (which isn’t often) I think today is the day I am going to try matcha and the person working at the teahouse always looks at me and says “okay, you want Matcha?” and I say well what do you think is the Matcha good here do you recommend it and they say “it’s okay” or at Teavana they said “we have some made up in the fridge” and I say don’t worry about it give me ______________ please. So I am going to be a Matcha virgin until I see 52Teas update that Strawberry Matcha is for sale. So hurry up already 52Teas. :)
SoccerMom, you could always buy some and make it yourself:) The only place that serves matcha anywhere close to my house is an hr. away and we went there not even knowing they have it.
i don’t want to go buying all the stuff to make matcha before i know i love it, more tea stuff i might not need….if i do find i like it i would buy a set which is why i’ll try when i hit a tea shop
You can get by with a kitchen wisk and a soup bowl. That’s what I did when I tried it for the first time. I ordered some online from Teavana. If you don’t like it the traditional way, you can also add it to smoothies, etc in a blender. It can be used for baking as well, just add a teaspoon or so to your favorite cake. You can even mix it in with the pre-made vanilla frostings to make green tea icing for cakes.
fcmonroe I love those ideas! Thanks for sharing. AmazonV I’ll send you some strawberry matcha from 52Teas when it comes out. Of course you’re going to have to whisk it which is what I had planned to do anyway but it was a relief to see fcmonroe give me the “okay” LOL :) AmazonV you might have to remind me to send you some since it might be awhile.
sweet, i have wisks and i am going to teavana today…..
AmazonV you have to tell us what you pick up at Teavana today!
gah, most disappointing visit, they were out of matcha and wegman’s didn’t have the spring cherry ROT green :( so all i came home with was more my morning mate as we were running low
I love my morning mate I drink that almost every morning I don’t let my stock run out of that one! We don’t have a wegman’s but I have seen some ROT at our World Market I’ll stop by there tomorrow and see if they have Spring Cherry.
none of the other stores around here carry it. i’d usually just order it but i have two orders coming in soon so i’ll be full up again. today was just blah, they put my mom’s cat to sleep, and yea, time to go make some comfort tea
Awww……poor kitty and Mom. :( Will she be getting a new kitten anytime soon? My grandma lost her yorkie and we got her another about a month later and it seemed to help ease the mourning (a little). Sorry to hear it.
well she lets most pets find her, strays turning up in the back yard and all, so they don’t plan to look around. but my grandparents plan to get a cat or kitten from the local shelter soon so there will be some kitty soon to go get smothered with love for everyone needing a kitty fix.