807 Tasting Notes
WOW! This really is quite different!
Full review on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 14th but here are the snippits:
I will confess, I am getting a bit of a tea high while sipping on it. Either that or I just need a nap but I am feeling quite laid back and cozy in this sipping moment.
The aroma is a sensory explosion! Sweetly floral, and fruity, peppery notes, and the aroma of a wooded place. The aftertaste is so very familiar – what IS that flavor? Savory, vegetal, something buttered perhaps, GAH what is it? … Squash, Zucchini perhaps. I will come back to that another time it may drive me batty. It is delicious regardless!
Ah the second infusion really brings forth the fruit notes! Now I get that raisin note that another reviewer had mentioned on Steepster!
I am also pretty sure this is the type of oolong served at a couple of the local Asian buffets here local to me. Now granted I do not think they are near this level of quality of an Oriental Beauty Oolong but hey at least its not Liptons!
Oh and if you order from The Mountain Tea Company be sure to look for the button on their item pages that says “Tweet for Discount” if you have a twitter account you can get a code for 5% off your purchase.
Full review coming on the 13th here: http://sororiteasisters.com/
But in the mean time here are my snippits:
Morning Tea from Lupicia is quite soothing and deep. The vanilla is only a mere hint at the flavor note, so don’t expect this to be a typical vanilla tea. Also if you wait for the tea to cool a bit the vanilla peeks out a tad more, but not a lot. I get more of the vanilla note on the aftertaste which is a lovely little surprise.
There is a slight smokiness in the tea but nothing like a Lapsang Souchong whatsoever. Just a very faint hint at what may remain from a campfire that has been smoldering out slowly. The tea does remind me somewhat of the early fall months, when it is still quite lovely out and not too cold but you can feel the air changing around you, there is a crispness, a slight bite to the air, yet the sun is still shining and all is well with the world. That is the feeling this tea evokes for me!
Now if you desired, you could absolutely add milk and or sugar to this tea. It is hearty enough to handle it and I think would make it quite yummy, however I prefer teas on their own merit without additives usually. I may give it a go with this one though as I really think it would be delicious and maybe pull out the vanilla note more.
I will be keeping this in my morning rotation for sure. Mmmm, more vanilla just peeked through! I love that sneaky vanilla!
A Tea from my Lupicia Happy Bag
I got this one in my happy bag too, you make it sound so tasty!
It really is very nice! I like it when a tea can be subtle in flavor yet still really good as I tend to really like those STRONGER flavors :)
This one is a keeper! :)
hmm this sounds like something to try if we didn’t get it in our bag.
Full Review will be on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 12th. Its a lengthy review but here are the snippits for now:
I have mixed feelings about my Libre Tea Glass n Poly Original.
To begin, there is one strong point about this tea glass that I want to point out. I have no idea why it is not highlighted more on their site, perhaps it is and I have not found it, but it is one of the most breathtaking parts about this item so if I were selling them I would have it very easy to find on the site. The part I am talking about is the lid! (stunning photo will be included in the full review on http://sororiteasisters.com/ )
More on sipping: Maybe it is me, maybe I really do have a drinking problem, a tea drinking problem that is, but sometimes if I am not being mindful enough, when I take a sip there is a dribble, usually ending up on my shirt. I feel it has to do with the small sipping radius of the opening, and the threads where the lid screws on. The opening radius is small – my entire nose more or less has to go into the glass to get my lips around the opening. That makes it even more difficult to sip while the tea is still hot. No worries though that does not last too terribly long. Also due to the radius it is difficult to get enough of my mouth in the right place for proper sipping. Granted I may have a big mouth but it is something I have noticed. Due to it being a travel glass however I really don’t want the hassle of having to be all that mindful while sipping on the go. Ease of use could be far better.
Size: Yes it does matter. I got the original size Libre. Its a decent size. Fits my small hand perfectly. If I liked it more, if it retained heat better, I would probably also get a larger size for longer travels as I can sip a tea down in light speed. However I will pass on getting a larger one due to the issues I have with this one.
For me the downfall is I truly do not ENJOY sipping my tea out of the Libre Glass n Poly and tea should be enjoyable to sip.
I address heat retention and other issues as well so don’t miss the full review! :)
finding the right mug or travel mug is hard to do. I use Contigo autoseal travel mugs and now I don’t really use normal mugs or glasses anymore…
http://www.gocontigo.com/autoseal-stainless-steel-travel-mug.html
http://www.gocontigo.com/autoseal-aria-stainless-steel-travel-mug.html
Nice Review! I have a question. I don’t have one of those. I have a ‘Fuguang’, I’m sure one is based of another. The infuser was designed to have the tea on the ‘lid’ portion, but I never use it like that at all. I use it to brew tea on the Glass portion and pour out, I feel it works a million times better that way.
I had the same problem you mentioned where it seems like is perfect to steeps but when drinking it has it’s flaws. Have your tried other versions that have middle glass portion on the ‘lid’? I recently got one of those, it works a lot better for me now. Similar to this one http://www.aliexpress.com/item/260ml-Fuguang-luxury-crystal-double-wall-cup-and-Two-Lids-with-china-picture-for-tea-with/499161835.html
Both of those look intriguing!
Thank you for the links BOTH of you!
I second Helena’s thought. I use two of those every morning. Go go Costco 2 packs haha
Also, strangely my comment from last night isn’t here…but thanks for the review! I’ve been tempted to pick one up, but I jthink it would just end up only being something for cold brewing things…
I have a Libre tea glass, the larger one and I like it very much. I mostly use it at work and brew the tea in the lower portion of the glass. I leave the loose leaves in there and add water when it gets low. A few times, if I didn’t drink very fast, the tea might oversteep a bit, but this has not bothered me much. It stays hot about an hour and I tend to rest the lid on top of the glass betwseen sips and that seems to help keep it hot. For using at work and in the car, I am pleased with it. The first one I received had a crack in the top of the container where the glass and polycarbonate meet and the strainer screws on. That leaked miserably. They replaced it within a few days and I have had no more leaks. A couple of tips that are helpful…. I always screw the strainer portion on before I add hot water. Otherwise the heat of the water makes the bottom expand enough to where screwing on the strainer is a challenge. Also, I watched the video on the Libre website and I definitely let the steam escape for the first few minutes of brewing before I put the lovely golden leafed top on. I tried putting the leaves on top of the strainer a couple of times and turning the glass over for steeping per their directions and I gave up on that. The glass would leak a bit if there was still steam and the leaves clogged the strainer and kept the water from going through to the bottom if I poured the water over the leaves. It was too messy and tedious for me. Usually I use loose tea or sachets in the bottom. The sachets are easy to remove to avoid oversteeping. I simply leave in loose leaves and resteep. I have given two as gifts and they liked them very much. I drink with the strainer screwed on and have no problem. With the strainer off, the bottom portion alone isn’t comfortable for me to sip from. Overall, I would buy it again, but I am also interested in the Fuguang glass JC mentioned in another comment.
Thank you Cissystix for the really nice follow up review! I agree on several points you made. The lid IS gorgeous isn’t it! I have no idea why they don’t show it more on their site.
I really do not like to leave the leaves in the glass but its just a personal thing. I don’t like over steeped tea and since I don’t drink my tea as fast when out and about that usually ends up happening.
You are right drinking with the strainer on is better – I don’t spill it on myself as much but I only get to do that when I take out the steeped leaves before leaving home and I often don’t have the time or want to do that if I am adding water elsewhere. Regardless – its a great idea but still I stand by there are some issues to work out. I just want THE PERFECT on the go steeper.
Sipdown – one of my first teas – not THE first but a close first. Still really like this one a lot – may reorder one of these days. :) Upping rating a bit since it is still good after all this time!
This is also one of the first teas I ordered when I started getting into loose leaf! GMT is a great starting point I think
I have been wanting to try this one. sounds like a sweet one I may like. good to know it has a staying power.
One of my first loose leaf teas as well. Love it, but very pricey for an intro tea.
Indeed it is pricy – I was lucky to get some through one of those flash sale sites and I had credits :)
wow… coconut is my fave.. I could imagine how this one would taste like.. where did you buy ’em? sorry, i jaz joined Steepster this am and its overwhelming to be part of this “communitea” :) lotsa info and lotsa tea ..me soo happy …
MATCHA TIME!
Seems like FOREVER since I had matcha so I HAD to go for this one today!
I really don’t think I can one up my previous tasting note here but I will have a review posted on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 10th and here are my snippits:
The matcha base is excellent! I normally go with a basic grade of matcha but for boysenberry I selected Royal Matcha base as I really wanted this boysenberry matcha to be a true treat, and let me tell you – it sure is!
I just can’t get over how succulent this flavor profile is. Sweet, yet tart, savory, yet sweet, tangy, mouthwatering, dark berry goodness! Then we have those grassy like earthy notes form the matcha which if you love matcha like me, are just simply divine!
Don’t be afraid of the boysenberry! If you are looking for a new fruit adventure grab some of this and give it a go! I can’t see how you could be disappointed in this one. It is so fresh, so refreshing, ripe, and juicy you will swear you are eating the berries themselves!
Reducing rating a tad as I have had better darjeelings now.
Full review will be on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 9th
Here is a brief Snippit as I am still writing it now.
It is a smooth tea, perfect for morning or afternoon with some tea sandwiches. I am having cucumber sandwiches with mine today and it is lovely. I think however the reason it is so lovely with my sandwiches is because it is fairly bland and does not compete with my otherwise mellow food flavors.
SUCH a pretty tea!!!
Tastes wonderful!
Here are snippets from my review to be posted on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 10th
What a beautiful looking tea! When looking at Curled Dragon Silver Tip from Zen Tea Life, the leaves are all curled and have variegated colors of light to dark green. The appearance is almost fluffy. Its a fairy tale dreamy sort of tea that makes me feel like a Princess.
Regardless, this tea has an equally lovely aroma of sweetly steamed veggies perhaps caramelized in a honey butter, white flowers, and summer grass. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy sniffing it.
I really appreciate the masterful art work of this hand rolled tea.
Check out my full review on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 8th but for now here are my snippits:
Nutty & Sweet SororiTEA from Uniq Teas is a blend of two of my favorite things, Genmaicha and Strawberries!
If you are looking for a strawberry flavor that is intensely sweet to the point of almost cloying, or an artificial soda pop flavor of strawberry then this tea is not for you. This is something very natural tasting, very refreshing, and of course add to that the genmaicha, which is savory, nutty, green, etc … its just delicious!
I love my blend and now you have a chance to win a custom blend of your own! Check it out here:
http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/01/04/were-back-with-another-giveaway/
LOVE mine!
Full review on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 7th but here are my snippits:\
The sifter comes with this scoop like tool that helps you push or drag the matcha along the screen to sift it.
Its easy to clean as well which for me is a HUGE plus!
The canister is quite large. I have sifted a full 60 grams of matcha and had plenty of room to spare.
I find it far more convenient than using what I had in the past which was just your basic kitchen strainer. I always made messes when using that and wasted some good matcha!
Please visit the blog to find out more!
a matcha sifter?! love it!
Yeah its really quite handy! :)
Yay! I have been wanting this for a while!
Are you going to get one?
I hope so! I have a friend who is just getting into matcha so I sent her a link to see if she wants to order with me.
Nice! Hope you love yours as much as I do mine! If I had fewer matcha I may get one for each flavor but well you know …. too many matcha :)
It is good to see these online, I have been wanting one since I was a kid, seeing them in stores on trips to CA with family.
Glad to help point them out! :)
can’t wait to order this one!
Sweet, summer and a citrus fruit…. = watery mouth here.
got three good steeps out of it before I wanted to try another. Really good stuff.
Now you make me want to go to Lupicia!
i’ve added this to my shopping list. there’s something ethereal about it and it speaks to me.
I agree Shmiracles it feels that way when you sip it!