The Devotea

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Recent Tasting Notes

drank Lady Devotea by The Devotea
35 tasting notes

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70
drank Ti Kwan Yin by The Devotea
16 tasting notes

No notes yet. Add one?

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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57
drank Ti Kwan Yin by The Devotea
485 tasting notes

With boiling water, a different flavor profile comes through. Less herbal, more nutty. Or almost kind of like bread. Leaning towards bitterness, but not there. Still getting a bit of sour tang in back of mouth, seemed to be more of a problem with shorter steep times. Boiling water with longer than normal steeps seemed to produce good flavor. Body still not particularly impressive.

Flavors: Bread, Herbs, Nutty, Vegetal

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec 5 tsp 3 OZ / 100 ML

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57
drank Ti Kwan Yin by The Devotea
485 tasting notes

The aroma of the dry leaves was mostly vegetal, maybe a little herbal. Once they were wet, the roast was the main smell. The flavor of this tea was herbal and had a very noticeable menthol-cooling effect in the mouth, at least for the first five or so steeps. The flavor was also vegetal, moreso towards the end of the tea. The body was not particularly notable. The leaves seemed pretty beat-up upon inspection, though I didn’t look at them too closely. A tasty tea, and the first I’ve had with such a noticeable cooling effect. Looking forward to sessioning this tea some more.

Flavors: Herbs, Menthol, Roasted, Vegetal

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 30 sec 4 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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70

Sipdown (133)!

Thank you VariaTEA for the sample! Just based on the name I would have assumed this one would’ve been a flavoured blend but I guess it’s not. That’s cool though.

The description said this was built for milk/sugar – I don’t add sugar to my tea, but I can definitely do milk! So, that’s how I prepared this one. It definitely takes the milk well; that’s for sure. I think it’s a little monotone though; I’m almost entirely just getting malt and while it’s tasty, it’s not satisfying. I’m at the point where, with straight blacks in particular since I’ve had more of those recently, I need to pick up multiple flavour notes to stay interested. Otherwise, things kinda start to feel repetitive even if the teas are different. I think that’s why, as a generalization, I’m still more captivated with favoured teas right now and why I drink way more of them.

Also; I’m having a hard time focusing on writing my tasting notes tonight – Tre had a date tonight which I’m assuming must have gone well because I came home from work at 10:30PM (their date started at 6PM for reference) and I can very clearly hear girly laughter coming from Tre’s room. It is now fifteen to midnight and they have yet to emerge.

Good for him – hopefully the success of tonight will cheer him up a little and make him stop feeling miserable about his love life (especially since we saw his ex today – she came in to my store to buy stuff with her current BF). However, they could try to be a bit quieter…

EDIT: I just ordered a pizza, but before I placed the order I knocked on his door and asked if he wanted me to add anything for them. They opened the door and were just hanging out on his bed (in the dark). But hey, at least they have the courtesy to not fuck while I’m in the house?

But hey; how come I don’t get an introduction! He got an introduction to Tyrell…

Cameron B.

Ugh, girly laughter… cringe

Cheri

That was very kind of you to offer pizza. AS for the tea, maybe a little sugar would have brought out those other flavors? It’s hard to say, but I find that if a tea suggests adding sugar, I will try it without, and the add just a little teeny bit. Surprisingly, it can make a huge difference. (Butiki teas are this way. I find if Stacy says to add sugar, I will add sugar and it will round out the flavors. But that’s also usually only for her flavored teas.)

boychik

I love this tea without additions. 205F 3 min

Robert Godden

Thanks for trying it. I’d suggest teaming it with porridge (‘oatmeal’) or toast with jam. Something about breakfast foods really brings this tea into it’s own. It is probably our least complex tea, it’s designed to kick start your day. Also AFTER the pizza, you might find it helps smooth out the feeling of ‘one more piece than I should have had’ which is pretty common with pizza.

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73
drank Finbarr's Revenge by The Devotea
6444 tasting notes

Thank you Cavocorax for the chance to try this tea. It is enjoyable and pairs beautifully but milk but I think it is a touch too bold for my tastes so I don’t think this will be joining my cupboard anytime soon. Still, it was fun to try. 168.

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73
drank Finbarr's Revenge by The Devotea
6444 tasting notes

So Cavocorax snuck this into a box of teas she gave me and tbh I have been putting it off because for some reason I thought it might be astringent or harsh. I am guessing either the name or the fact that it is recommended to be served with milk and sugar is the reason for my thoughts but I decided it was time I tried this out. Now that I am drinking it, I realize I had nothing to fear. It definitely is more brisk than what I usually go for but at the same time it is smooth and has a nice hint of honey sweetness at the end of each sip. I added a touch of skim milk as per instructions but realistically it didn’t really need it. Thank you Cavo for sharing! This tea is good, and I will enjoy my sample though I don’t know if this is something I will seek out more of once its gone.

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drank Star Spangled Chai by The Devotea
2291 tasting notes

SSTTB #14.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m out of cream and having this with almond milk, or what, but nope. This is very drying, and the spice flavours have blended together to be quite licorice-y, with a bit of burnt flavour. IDK.

If I really needed another chai, I’d try it again once I got some cream, but this one is going back into the box for someone else.

Flavors: Anise, Drying

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Robert Godden

I could’t imagine this with either almond milk or cream, so I bought both and tried it. Not good with either.
Works best as a straight black, particularly iced , or made up on a stovetop with 100% milk and some honey.

OMGsrsly

I’ll have to try it iced. Just an FYI, cream is 18-35% pourable milk here. I usually use 18%. I can’t do milk, definitely not 100% milk in a tea! It’s why I prefer almond milk for most tea-applications. :)

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drank Lady Devotea by The Devotea
2291 tasting notes

Had the last bit of this from the SSTTB this morning, with a splash of milk. I still quite like this one, I do find that when taken occasionally, bergamot and lavender do go together quite well. :)

I spent the day out with my mom, and did some, umm, shopping. I got a yoga towel (it’s sticky! and also it’s more grippy than my mat, so I don’t slide everywhere!), nail polish (Spa Ritual! Woo!), tights, 4 t-shirts ($5 each, so yeah), a sweatshirt material maxi skirt, and groceries. Haha. Oh man, I didn’t need to spend all that money. But most of that was on my to-buy list, so I feel pretty good about it.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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drank Lady Devotea by The Devotea
2291 tasting notes

SSTTB #6.

A really nice earl grey! It was more floral because of the lavender, but the orange helped balance that out a bit. Nice and sweet, and took cream really well. Just what I look for in an earl grey.

Definitely a tea I’d consider picking up if I were to do an order. Unfortunately, I have limited myself so I probably won’t keep it. (Besides, there’s Paris in the box! My favourite EG of all.)

Flavors: Bergamot, Floral, Lavender, Orange

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Robert Godden

Glad you enjoyed it!

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74
drank Persian Princess by The Devotea
1598 tasting notes

Thanks Sil for sharing this with me! It WAS strong so I added milk and maple agave to and it was really delicious that way!
(161)

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Cup of the morning graciously offered by the lovely Terri Harplady.

Oh, me and Terri, we do love our black teas don’t we?

Haven’t checked if they ship to Canada yet and if shipping is reasonable, but I’m this close of placing an order…

It had me at Persian Princess, what a pretty name!

It’s supposed to be a blend. Not much info on it, except for that sugar cube thing, nice fun fact. Not going to try it though, I know it takes a special kind of hard sugar and really, who needs it?

Cause this tea is so naturally sweet, I wouldn’t dare add anything to it!

It’s rich, malty and full bodied…Assam and Keemun maybe? Slightly earthy with hints of smoke.

I used the whole sample in my brand new 24oz mug…so big, it’s like drinking directly from a tea pot ;-)

FABULOUS BREAKFAST TEA!!!

Terri, I knew our swap meant trouble :-)

Cameron B.

I remember reading the description for this tea and thinking wow that must be really strong or bitter or something if they have to drink it with sugar in their mouths… So strange that it’s naturally sweet anyway! Hah, now I’m picturing a fairy trying to drink out of a 24 ounce mug… Lul.

TheTeaFairy

Haha! Maybe I’m just sitting on the rim :-)

Or maybe this is how it would look like :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14496218871/

Cameron B.

I don’t know if you’ve seen Bee Movie, but I kind of imagined it like that.

http://www.celwalls.com/large/201301/2708.jpg

TheTeaFairy

Awww! Loved Bee Movie!! So cute :-)

Robert Godden

The idea of drinking it with milk does come form the same culture that will stew a tea up to several hours until it is a thick black paste and then add hot water. In that case, the sugar tends to be more necessary!

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87
drank Two Tigers by The Devotea
359 tasting notes

Those two tigers are head to head and create magic in my cup this morning!

Thanks to the wonderful and very generous Terri Harplady, I finally get to experience what Devotea is all about.

I chose this tea first cause with the name, I assumed it would be a good tea of the morning. If this stuff is an accurate representation of the company, well I am impressed!

The smell first. My grandfather was a farmer and worked really hard. At noon, he would come to eat lunch and my grandma always prepared a nice pot of strong black tea with sugar for him, just the way he liked it. The aroma took over the whole kitchen and I loved it so much as a child. My grandpa would let me have a few sips, winking at me.

The smell of this tea just reminded me of those special days, and I am already thankful for that…It’s super fragrant.

It says “a blend of Indian and Chinese teas” in the description…Assam for sure, and I am assuming Yunnan cause this tea offers boldness and mellowness at the same time.

First I taste a “bang” from the Assam and a light astringency, but I immediately get some comfort and softness from the earthiness and sweetness of the yunnan, (if that’s what it is).

There’s a very light touch of smoke in this tea, and though I’m not a fan of that usually, in this case it’s not offensive, it rather brings all the flavours together.

I am delighted I got to try this wondrful tea, thank you so much for choosing it for me Terri :-)

boychik

this story is beautiful. My grandpa has a special place in my heart.
Im in love with this tea. Do you know that AmazonV decided to make it tea of the month because of my constant whining.

TheTeaFairy

Haha! Didn’t know it was a favourite of yours, now I’m gonna read your review…

Plwa

Please excuse my lack of knowledge but what is AmazonV? (Lol, I’m Canadian, remember?) Is that a special place for tea on Amazon that I’m unaware of???

TheTeaFairy

(Haha, What the heck is “plwa” and what is it doing in my comment ????)

boychik

AmazonV is a Steepster member. She works for Devotea US

Cameron B.

I’m going with “perfectly lovely wonderful assam”. Yep.

TheTeaFairy

Lol, the minute you said Amazon, I was like, OMG more tea available to me please!! I know who you are talking about now :-)

Cameron B.: Hahahah!!!

boychik

pls read the comments of my note TheTeaFairy. you, Canadian friend is cracking me up (good laugh only);-)
http://steepster.com/boychik/posts/245567#comments

boychik

OMG more tea available to me please!! " you are priceless ;-)
you need more tea???!!!!i can send you some. i now have an experience

TheTeaFairy

Boychik, I read all the comments, lol, it’s good to be persistent :-)

Noooooo!!!! I don’t need more tea!! (345!!!) I just want more all the time, it’s a curse!!!

boychik

i dont think im far from you, i didnt log all the teas. i dont want to scare myself with the number

Sil

….i just got more tea. i’m afraid…

TheTeaFairy

Lol, how much more???

boychik

Sil, don’t be afraid. Just accept it and enjoy. And we all know how good you are at sipdowns.

Sil

teafairy… i WAS at 205…aiming for under 200 by this weekend… bonny put me back up at 231 lol boychik…yes but sometimes sip downs are solo tiring…especially when you have like 131 small cups to drink hahaha

Sil

…and uh i might have one more swap, two travelling tea boxes and uh two orders still on their way bwahahaha

Sil

(i also really wanted to place a WP order tonight but i’m still sick and so sleep is taking over lol)

TheTeaFairy

Poor girl…will you ever get rid of that flu/virus??

TeaTiff

You made this one sounds wonderful!

TeaBrat

I thought they decided to discontinue this one??

TheTeaFairy

Thanks TeaTiff, it’s a wonderful tea…

Teabrat, I got it from a swap, but read the comments on boychik’s link just above.

Terri HarpLady

I love this one too. What is this about it being the tea of the month?

AmazonV

@terri harplady i re-blended it for the tea of the month club – the website appears broken so i can no longer handle orders outside email until i have time next weekend to find a new host. :( 1 left i think

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79
drank Assam Halmari by The Devotea
1598 tasting notes

Sil knows I’m experimenting with unflavoured teas, so she’s been super helpful sending me tons of teas to experiment with. Thank you! :D (219)

This was a nice assam – slightly malty, with a little bit of tobacco – but oh, so smooth. I didn’t even need to add milk or anything to it! I need to drink a few more of my loose samples down, and then it’s time to dive into my Lord Petersham bag!

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78
drank Two Tigers by The Devotea
1598 tasting notes

Oh man, this is so strong! I ended up adding milk to it just so I could sip away at it, and it tastes like smoke, and ash, and dark black tea. I was ready to fall asleep so we’ll see how zippy this makes me!

Then it’s time for Orange is the New Black!

Thanks Sil! 225!!!

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95
drank Finbarr's Revenge by The Devotea
493 tasting notes

revisiting. This is a perfect Assam. very smooth. no additions needed. i would call it elegant. it was comforting. no astringency, no bitterness. perfect !

http://instagram.com/p/yM2EDtBwoF/

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 8 OZ / 236 ML
DeliriumsFrogs

Oh, i LOVE your photo! Elegant, indeed! :D

boychik

thank you DeliriumsFrogs. i tried lol

juliebeth

that IS a nice photo! and your description sounds like an impossibiliTEA, i mean, an assam that doesn’t cry out for milk and sugar? hmmmm. i may have to check it out.

boychik

ok juliebeth, the temp was 200F and 3min. it works 99% for all Assams and Darj. This particular is extra smooth.

Mike

A blend of Assam and Ceylon, nice. I’ll have to try this one out! Thanks for the recommendation!

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95
drank Finbarr's Revenge by The Devotea
493 tasting notes

This is my cup of tea. Bold strong malty but no bitterness or astringency. No milk or sugar for me. probably if you steep it longer it may need some additions. Some wine notes. this is so good, i gulped the cup less than a minute.
1tsp 205F 3min
Thank you so much Terri HarpLady for sending me such fine teas

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Robert Godden

Wow, what a rating! Thank you.

boychik

I’m so glad that I was able to try your teas. And it’s only because of Steepster and our great sharing community and particularly Terri.

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drank Persian Princess by The Devotea
493 tasting notes

Morning cup. Sample came from Terri HarpLady – thank you.
This tea is very fine and smooth, feminine. I think it would be great as afternoon tea. Not robust, gentle kick of caffeine. No sugar for me. But I remember drinking tea with sugar cubes when I lived in Russia. The sugar has to be like rock, that it wouldn’t dissolve quickly but give just slight sweetness. It’s a peasant way of drinking, they didn’t have any desserts.
Thank you so much Terri for introducing me to such fine teas, I enjoy them a lot

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Cheri

It sounds outstanding.

Robert Godden

I’m pleased you have experienced that way of sugaring your tea. I must admit I had a slight obsession about that for a while, hence this tea. I also made a samovar out of an old kettle and an urn and this tea works really well using it. Glad you are enjoying all of our teas. (PS when we deleted Two Tigers, this one was on the chopping block as well, but a campaign by some tea bloggers and also some people on this site convinced us to keep it.)

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Breakfast tea. Nice bold malty, something I would love to drink in the morning. It’s my 3rd tea fr Devotea courtesy of Terry HarpLady. I have to mention that all the teas I tried fr them are very finely crafted quality teas.
Thank you so much Terri for a chance to try these wonderful teas.
PS Two Tigers is still a leader. 1910 is a runner up
PS1 Sil, it does have some smoky notes, probably from Keemun.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Robert Godden

We’re glad you are enjoying the teas, and enjoying your thoughts. And yes, the last point is correct!

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drank Lord Petersham by The Devotea
493 tasting notes

This is a sample from Terri HarpLady – thank you.
This tea, it’s a breakfast tea . It’s 8:30pm and I just felt like I need something strong. It’s bold blend, malty and sweet , with citrus coming fr Ceylon. Some roast and nuts fr Chinese teas. As it cooled some astringency creeps up, but it’s pleasant. I like it a lot. I think I like Two Tigers more. Unfortunately for me Two Tigers are retired. Bring it back,please!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Robert Godden

There is a constant argument here at Devotea HQ about whether this tea is a ‘breakfast tea’ or “afternoon tea”. I seem to be losing the battle. Glad you enjoyed it!

Terri HarpLady

I agree that it is a breakfast blend :)

Sil

2 tigers was retired? didn’t terri just buy some a “short-ish” time ago?
and yes..breakfast tea!

AmazonV

It was recently retired and after being retired I still had a bit of stock I sold. I am always willing to re-blend a tea if you can muster up enough people to purchase a whole batch. Bit sadly despite being enjoyed I rarely sold any TT here in the states.

Terri HarpLady

Amazon, how much would we need to buy in order to have you make a batch?

boychik

I would love to get some 2 tigers, but what’s the minimum?

AmazonV

@Terri batches are 5 lbs here at Devotea USA ~25 aka 3 oz packets, so if you get enough converts on steepster for a mass order i’ll blend it up and mail it out to everyone so no one needs to worry about getting my large 1lb bags and splitting them up.

AmazonV

in fact 5 lb batch applies to anything reblended (tea of the months etc)

Sil

ponders

Terri HarpLady

So we’d need 25 or so people willing to take a 3oz bag.
I’m sure I’d take 1. That’s a start

AmazonV

let’s just say you might have influenced an upcoming tea of the month, and there might be some limited overblends available soon for a limited time

boychik

Yay I’m so happy. Will you start a new thread AmazonV?

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93
drank Two Tigers by The Devotea
493 tasting notes

this is a sample from Terri HarpLady – thank you.
Afternoon tea. yes, i needed that cup not to fall asleep, it gloomy outside. I wish i could nap. this is how i felt before my cup of Two Tigers
http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMi00YWVmYjk3ZGQwNTQwMjFm
But this tea is amazing. its the best of the both worlds: Chinese Black and Indian Black.
This tea is incredibly smooth and sweet with some smoky notes. I love smoky teas. this one is not harsh but rather welcoming to put all flavors together. Like a final touch. lovely tea. Goes to my every day growing shopping list.
Thank you so much Terri for the opportunity to try this wonderful tea.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
boychik

i cant find it on US site. Was it retired?

Robert Godden

I’m afraid it was retired a few months back, both in the USA and Australia. Whilst very well reviewed, it was not a big seller. It may well re-emerge one day as part of the Tea of The Month club or as a special one off.

boychik

please, bring it back. i love it!

AmazonV

two in stock – leftovers from tea of the month http://us.the-devotea.com/store/products/two-tigers

boychik

Cannot checkout problem with PayPal message problem to connect to PayPal
Help pls

Terri HarpLady

Boychik, I had that problem once. I sent the devotea an email, & they sent me a paypal invoice, so I was able to sign in & pay.

boychik

Terri, AmazonV came back to me. So, now Im a proud owner of Two Tigers and Finbarr’s Revenge;) Thank you for giving me a chance to sample, i’m very happy to discover them with your help

Terri HarpLady

Yay! Glad to bring happiness & tea your way! :)

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81
drank Finbarr's Revenge by The Devotea
14991 tasting notes

Another one from terri, that is still really tasty, but just slightly less so than the other couple i’ve had. This one leaves an after taste in my mouth that i’m less a fan of. HOWEVER, i wouldn’t turn this one down, nor would i discount the possibility of picking it up again because i can see it being just what i need on cooler winter mornings :) strong, smooth with a little reminder left over of what i was drinking heh. thanks terri!

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84
drank Persian Princess by The Devotea
14991 tasting notes

mmmm i figured that i’d better start my morning off with a few cups of bold/stronger tea. I’ve got to go wedding dress shopping today and i need something to get me through it. I hate this sort of thing, though i’m sure i’l have fun with my friend and her 6 month old lol those bridal ppl have no idea what they’re in for! thanks again to terri for sharing this one with me. I think i’d be likely to pick this one up again in the future. I still love lord petersham, but this is a pretty tasty one as well

VariaTEA

Hope wedding dress shopping is more fun than you expect it to be. I’m sure it will be and if not, at least you got to spend time with a friend so that is always nice.

CelebriTEA

The name of this tea is intoxicating.
Have lots of fun dress shopping.

Sil

we had a really nice time together. My friend is a sweetheart and it meant the day with her little one (7 months old)

Terri HarpLady

I like this one! It has a ‘shiny’ quality to the taste, like obsidian.

Sil

i haven’t tried obsidian yet..but i have some in house now!

Robert Godden

“Shiny like obsidian”. You don’t hear that every day.

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84
drank Persian Princess by The Devotea
14991 tasting notes

Another tea from this morning, but sadly, there is still a little too much left in this sample to burden cavo with…but maybe tomorrow! haha. This was a good strong cup for me this morning, and if it’d had sugar cubes i totally would have held one between my teeth while drinking it, JUST BECAUSE! Thanks again to terri for sending me all these lovely teas. I’m certainly looking forward to placing an order with the devotea in future because of them :)

Robert Godden

Do it! You need rock sugar or crystalline sugar.

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