Virtual Tea Tastings FREE!

180 Replies
Erika M. said

Yea. I rather participate in this discussion board than twitter too!

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We will be discussing on all 3 forums Steepster, Twitter and Facebook. So you can feel free to discuss it anywhere you wish to. Considering everyone involved is aware of this particular thread on steepster it will continue to be the one used. A message will be posted to start the discussion. Talk Soon.

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Bonnie said

9 minutes till start…

Did you have any comments or suggestions?

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Sare said

Is it just me or is there smokey mountain in all the teas or is it on the bags cues its just soo strong ?

Lapsang Souchong is bad about doing that.

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Hello,

This is Janet the owner of sTEAp Shoppe ready for our tea discussion.

I wanted to start a few thoughts and get some feedback on how the tasting went first…
I believe going forward teas involved in the tasting should be chosen by each person and should only consist of about 2 teas. It seems a bit fruitless to have people taste teas that they wouldn’t want to try to begin with.
My initial concept was for everyone to try the same one so we would be on the same page but I believe that was a bit off. What do you think of this?
I also wanted to know if everyone received their teas?
Any question or comment you want to make that is tea related please do.

Erika M. said

I received my teas a few days ago. I think that it would be easier to receive two teas for a virtual tea tasting as well as make sure that everyone receives the same ones. Besides, it’s easier to discuss two teas as opposed to 4(which I received). I very much enjoyed the teas that I tried so far(3/4).

K S said

I like the idea of all of us trying the same tea in theory, but understand not every one has the same tastes.

Nik select said

When people attend a whisky tasting or a wine tasting or a cheese tasting, the participants don’t get to choose what is offered to taste. In keeping with that standard, I would suggest keeping the format and sending all participants the same tea(s).

That said, I understand that there are shipping and preparation costs involved, and you don’t want to send tea that people may not like. To avoid this, I suggest deciding beforehand what the next tasting will entail. For example, you could say hey, we want a focus group to try these two teas. You can find their descriptions on our web site. If you’d like to try them, sign up and if you’re selected we’ll let you know when your samples are on their way.

In this way, your overhead is kept to a minimum, you’re sure to attract mostly people who are really interested and almost certain to participate and provide feedback, and you’re guaranteed a variety of folks, since not everyone will sign up for every tasting. For example, if you said that you wanted to try these two new “smokey” teas, like a lapsang souchong, I know that I wouldn’t sign up. If you were testing two new rooibos-based teas, I know a few folks who would skip that one, but I’d jump at the chance.

Just my tuppence. =)

I love wine tastings also and in that thought what would you think about suggestion food to go with the tea?

Nik select said

I love the idea of food pairing suggestions. Drinking tea is a standalone activity for me, but I’ve seen people request food/cheese/whatever pairing suggestions before, so I’m sure folks will find it useful.

I do think some teas are just meant to be savored by themselves but I am also a baker so food is one of the ways I come up with tea flavors

momo said

I didn’t get mine, but that is not your fault, I think someone at the post office thinks I wouldn’t miss a package if they “accidentally” lost one.

Watch it show up tomorrow, of course.

so sad ): what is taking them so long?

momo said

I have no idea, sometimes stuff is a day or two later than delivery confirmation says it will be, which I find absolutely bizarre because I live in Atlanta and not on a farm in the middle of Wyoming. The other most recent time I thought they lost a package, it showed up a couple weeks later so I’m hoping that’ll be the case here too. I’d sure love to know if the problem starts elsewhere or is the local post office.

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ChaMei select said

I want to know what the percentage of the mint tea is stevia. It is not overly sweetened to my tastes and I hardly ever sweeten anything. Healthwise, is the leaf better/less processed than liquid extract?

Yes,
As with any process of natural ingredients the more likely you are getting more than just the stevia. The leaf itself is very sweet but it does have a leafy tone to it which is why we only add it to green teas because the flavors combine well. Though I do not know which liquid extract you are using but I can tell you that most do add either alcohol or water to extend the product because extracting flavor leaves you with very little product and it is not cost effective to sell it like that.

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I just had so much fun reviewing the Smokey Mountain! Should we paste some of our tasting notes in here? Mine was quite long and with a broken finger I would be happy not to have to type too much :)
As to in the future, I liked being surprised by the teas. You got me out of my comfort zone trying mint which I usually don’t like and the green apple I unexpectedly loved.

K S said

I agree. But I am pretty open to trying about anything twice.

Erika M. said

I agree with the getting out of comfort zone. I was never fond of mint so enjoyed the Mint boosting tea was great! It’s great to be surprised with finding out with samples we get when we open it but it’s important to have some input on the flavors. some people have allergies to certain foods. I recently suspect that I am allergic to raspberries(although it seems to be mild). I’m not completely sure yet.

sorry to hear about your finger my wrist is broken so I sympathize. What would you think of trying one tea you pick and one we pick?

I like that idea – it sounds like a good compromise between surprises and playing to individuals tastes.
Broken bones are no fun :( I hope you heal up fast – it must be hard not being able to use that hand. I had a bigger whole hand/arm cast the doctor wanted me to wear but I hate the immobility and keep using my finger splint (bad BlueKitty).

Erika M. said

@ BlueKittyMeow-Oh wow…a broken finger. I hope that it heals quickly for you! I’m curious about what you thought about Smokey Mountain. I’m definitely going to check out your review.

@ steapshoppe- I think that it’s a great idea. That way we would all be able to discuss/comment on a specific tea but it also allows us to try something new and by doing so, our fellow steepsters can review and share what they think about a tea. I personally enjoy reading other people’s reviews. Some of their reviews have helped me find a tea that I want to try next.

Well I’m glad you like the idea of one chosen and one surprise. As for the splint thing it’s funny I did the same thing after a week I told the doctor he had to take off the cast so he gave me a cast cut in half and I use that and a splint cuz immobility sucks. (bad Janet)

K S said

“What would you think of trying one tea you pick and one we pick?”
That sounds like an excellent approach.

sounds good

That’s nice that they listened to you! My mother broke her foot a few days before I broke my finger (okay, yes, we kind of can be klutzes), and her cast bothered her foot so much that they had to take it off for her. They gave her a walking cast and told her to wear it all the time. She, of course, then decided to take it off every night. Someone else commented that they probably over-cautioned her figuring if she would wear it all day it would be a win situation.
I hate not being able to do things. I’m a dog groomer which requires serious lifting and moving. I guess this is just a vacation.
… a lovely vacation filled with tea tastings! Right? :)

this just got posted in Toadmans Tea facebook group love it. There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.

Erika M. said

I agree with this. Tea always has this calming effect on me. It can also make a good day better and a bad day good enough to help me at least manage a smile. :) Do you have a link to the facebook group?

Erika M. said

Yes! Thank you! :)

Thank You Janet for the sharing of my Tea Lovers Group, I just now saw this, made me Happy :)

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Sare said

Well I have tried Smokey Mountain and Antioxidant Berry Burst And i must say I really liked the Berry burst the soft fruity flavor was a Great add to my morning i was not feeling up to par and it really seamed to have Lifted my spirits :)

I am about to drink the Green apple which is taking its time steeping lol so more on that later

Smokey mountain was my first tea ever like that and i must say i feel like its a Bit too much for me And it seams to be taking over my other teas:( it gets stuck in my nose and i cant get it out! i feel i will need to put this in its own special can so it don’t play with my other teas i did enjoy this tea! i just think i would like it blended with other flavors best!

I enjoyed the different verity’s As i am new to tea Smoky mountain was Out of my comfort zone and i liked it …

Erika M. said

I really enjoyed the Antioxidant Berry Burst. I think that it’s my favorite,although I haven’t tried the Green Apple yet. Yes, I agree that the Smokey Mountain was a strong blend.

I was drinking that every morning until 2 days ago when we created a new flavor milk chocolate caramel and now I am drinking that but the berry burst is my favorite green tea!

K S said

Honestly, I was confused by the Anti Berry Burst. It was my own fault. I was expecting something different. I did not look at the ingredient list first and I could not figure out what I was tasting. It wasn’t bad I just didn’t relate. I was going to brew it again today but stupid me grabbed the wrong sample when I left work Friday. I try it again Monday.

Sare said

Ok now I want the chocolate caramel lol!!!!

Erika M. said

Me too!

Well I was considering it for the next tasting.

Nik select said

Mmm…chocolate caramel…[slurp]

Sare said

Yea i want in on that one!! lol

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K S said

Smokey Mountain
Yeah this is a pretty hefty cup. The smoke is much heavier than I expected. It was not ashtray smoky but good smoky. Strangely the bite at the back of the throat blended with the smoke reminded me of rooibos. Though they taste so diferent.

Interesting stuff. I never thought of it that way. I love hearing peoples taste buds!

K S said

Strangely after a few more sips, the next image I had with this one was sawing lumber with a dull saw – the wood kind burns slightly resulting in the smell of burnt sawdust. Manly stuff.

Is that a good thing?

K S said

On the second cup the oolong comes out of hiding :)

Alphakitty said

I got a few steeps out of my Smokey Mountain, and I agree that the oolong comes out and the smoke lessens a bit on each steep, it’s nice to get a bit of a different flavor profile each time.

K S said

@steapshoppe, yes, it is a good thing. This is different than standard fare. It is a hefty cup but unique. So my description is just my warped mind trying to tie down what I am tasting.

I totally hear you on the sawdust kind of scent. For me it is more campfire, but you’re right… I personally love the scent of sawdust, hot and almost sparking. This tea seems to really have brought out a lot of different associations for people!

You have a great way of expressing yourself stay interesting it’s the best way to be

KS, love the description

ChaMei select said

I get the wood dust description. Our smoker burns compressed wood dust pellets so smoke is associated with meaty flavors for me.

Cha Mei, nice I agree

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Kiaharii said

Waiting for my water to cool to try the berry one. :)

sounds good do you have any good tea stories or sayings in the meantime? I love this one “come along inside we’ll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place” wind in the willows

Ooh, butting in – I do!
In Doctor Who, I love how when one of the doctors regenerates, no one can figure out what he needs to stop being ill and finish his transformation.
It turns out, it was a nice cup of tea :)

Kiaharii said

No stories, I do like the sayings that come on some of the teabag tags or bottles. :)

Blue Kitty thats a good one

Kiaharii, Can you think of any off hand

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