166 Tasting Notes

88
drank Diamond Jubilee by Harney & Sons
166 tasting notes

My favorite Earl Grey thus far has been Harney’s Earl Grey Supreme so I was very interested in trying Diamond Jubilee which is a skillfully blended Earl Grey with a twist. This selection has a hint of grapefruit essence, which is a wonderful addition to the black teas and citrusy Bergamot. I initially steeped it for 4 minutes, but preferred it at 3 1/2 minutes. I liked it a lot warm, but also think it would be very nice cold, and I recommend it to Earl Grey lovers.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec
BoxerMama

I love this one!

Donna A

Had this again this evening. Really nice with the subtle grapefruit addition.

Donna A

Realized that I still had a little Diamond Jubilee left. Though I drink mostly unflavored black teas, this is definitely one I’ll buy again. The grapefruit notes are very appealing. Though it is different than Earl Grey, if you like Earl Grey, you should try this. There is free shipping on H&S for gifts in US today.

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91

I am using my last sample of this excellent pu-erh from Tea Vivre. I got it as part of the Pu-erh sample assortment. My initial tasting notes from last summer indicated at least 9 steeps which I enjoyed hot, at room temp, and cold. Nice and earthy, and especially good with a little stevia. Today, I had 7 gms which I rinsed twice to open up the leaves, then steeped in 6 oz boiling water at 30, 60, 120, etc. I haven’t had pu-erh in awhile, but wanted to share this with my son while he is home from school. It really hits the spot, and I highly recommend it, especially if you haven’t had pu-erh before. There is no fishiness, and I think it is a great example of what a good ripened pu-ehr is like. The Teavivre site shows low quantities of this. If you haven’t dealt with Teavivre before, I can recommend them as a company that provides excellent service and they offer free samples with your order.

Preparation
Boiling

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82

I appreciate the opportunity to try Immortal Springs Laoshan White as a sample with my order. I prepared it as advised on Verdant’s website and enjoyed 6 steepings. It may have been possible to get more. I would agree with the product notes which describe this as silky with honey and sugar snap-pea flavors. The taste is sweet and vegetative, reminding me somewhat of some green teas I have had. There is no bitterness whatsoever. If you are a white tea fan, take advantage of the fact that it is currently on clearance. I think you will enjoy it a lot.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C

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82
drank Tower of London by Harney & Sons
166 tasting notes

I tasted Tower of London side by side with Paris, and they are quite similar, at least in my opinion. I’d be curious to know what others think. Tower of London is supposed have a bit more of a honey taste, but both have bergamot, vanilla, and fruit. I detect caramel in Paris. I think anyone who likes one would like the other. As for me, I’m not sure which I prefer, maybe the Tower of London. I prefer unflavored black teas, but this is a nice change of pace and is growing on me now that I’ve had it a few times.

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89

See my previous note. I haven’t had this in awhile, so while my son is home from school for the holidays, I made us both a cup and was reminded that this is a really well done blend. Though it is a flavored tea, the tea flavor does come through. It is not strongly vegetal like some green teas, and is not bitter. My son does not sweeten tea and thought it was great. I add just a little stevia, but it doesn’t require much. Really nice in the evening. I’m going to do the re-steep as a cold brew like someone else suggested.

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drank MateVana by Teavana
166 tasting notes

I’ve had this for awhile as part of a purchase where I was trying to see what mate was all about. Its okay, but I’m not wild about it, but that’s probably because it has a strong presence of red rooibos in it which I’ve learned is not a favorite for me. Some Teavana teas that I enjoy quite a bit are Peachberry Jasmine Sutra and Lemon Lime Kampai, which have green rooibos in the blend rather than red. As far as Mate, I love Teavana’s Raspberry Riot Lemon Mate iced, and it has no rooibos in it. Samarai Chai Mate as I recall is pretty good, but it has green rather than red rooibos in the blend. I need to try more Mate without red rooibos.

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70
drank Paris by Harney & Sons
166 tasting notes

I love the name of this tea-Paris-I am thinking this has to be a fabulous tea to match up to a name like that. I’ve brewed it up a few times so as not to make a snap judgment. I love Earl Grey, but this for me doesn’t have much of an Earl Grey taste. Is it fair to say that I love a good straight up black so much, that it’s hard for a flavored tea to measure up? A really good Earl Grey is an exception to that, but Paris doesn’t rise to that level for me. It is not bitter or astringent. It has more vanilla than Earl Grey, so if you like vanilla, try it. It is nice enough, but not anything I would crave, and therefore, with all the choices out there, I probably won’t re-order it.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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drank Swampwater by DAVIDsTEA
166 tasting notes

I got this last summer as a sample with a David’s Tea order. I like real tea so much that it was not a high priority to make this, but eventually, curiosity got the better of me. As its name suggests, it is an unappetizing murky green like a nearby pond in my neighborhood. Surprisingly, it smells pretty good after brewing it and the taste is better than expected, and different from anything I have previously had to drink. But the crazy thing is that to me, it tastes like Play-doh smells! As a child, I loved the smell of Play-doh, but I somehow knew it wouldn’t taste the way it smelled. This was decent warm, but best iced. Its a fun tea that I think kids would like, and it’s pretty healthy with the green rooibos. I would never have ordered this, with all the other teas out there, but it was an interesting experience.

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97

Will have to do a full review later on this wonderful 1st flush Darjeeling. I just finished my sample that Stacy sent. It is a chilly, rainy day in Atlanta and I am enjoying a delicious bowl of homemade soup which includes carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, kale, fresh parmesan and chicken. My husband found the recipe on the internet. I love homemade soup and tea on a rainy autumn day! I just wish I could spend the rest of the day checking out my new teas from Butiki instead of going to work. But if I don’t work, I won’t have any money for tea!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
Butiki Teas

Oops, forgot to add this to the database. Thanks for adding it! Don’t you just love homemade soup? Last night I made a huge pot of my world famous veggie soup for my hubby since he was feeling sick.

Donna A

What a nice wife! Sounds like the perfect medicine for your husband, and hopefully you gave him his favorite tea as well. I’m sorry I didn’t put the picture in, but I’m glad to see you did. I am not that tech savvy.

Butiki Teas

Aw, thanks! He is pretty spoiled. I make him all sorts of tea but told him no sugar when he is sick, so he had our Creamy Eggnog sugarless and some genmaicha. Tonight I will boil him a pot of water with grated ginger for a good 30 minutes then add some tea at the end. No worries, its really easy for me since I have the original picture on my computer. :)

Butiki Teas

When he gets sick, I pamper him so much. I used to give him a bell to ring so that I would bring him whatever he needs but he abused that privilege so no more bell for him. Hahaha.

Donna A

You are funny Stacy. I’m not going to tell my husband about the bell idea! He’s the type you have to pretty much leave alone when he is sick, which is a little tough for me, since I’m an RN and my natural instinct is to be nurturing to sick people. BTW, I’ll have to try the Creamy Eggnog on my next order!

Butiki Teas

I am a nurturer too but there is a limit. The bell would go off every time I just settled in downstairs. Sometimes it was a legitimate request for water, food, tissues, etc but then he would also ring the bell for a hug, kiss, to talk, etc. After about 20 rings, I said this isn’t going to work out. Mmmm, I really recommend the Creamy Eggnog. Its one of my current favorites.

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Profile

Bio

Tea became a passion for me a year or so ago. I fell into it almost by accident, but now I would say it has captured me. Tea is more than something tasty to sip on, it is an experience-it helps create a mood and is quite interesting to read about and study. I discovered loose tea at the tea store at my mall. I was looking for alternatives to Coke Zero and white wine. Say what you will about that mall chain, but I’m sure it has raised awareness about tea where I live, in the land of bagged mass produced black tea prepared with lots of sugar, Atlanta, Georgia. That’s what happened with me, and then I started perusing the internet and found Steepster.

When I take on an interest or a hobby, I go into it full force and become a little obsessive about it in the beginning. I have always been adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, and once I discovered there was so much more out there than the Lipton tea I saw my mom drinking when I was growing up, I started trying many different varieties of loose tea. I have discovered I like all kinds of tea. I I veer a lot toward straight teas, especially blacks, but occasionally drink flavored also, especially Earl Grey. I like flavored Matcha lattes too. I’ve completely given up diet cola, which was becoming too much of a habit. I think tea is a lot healthier. When I rate a tea, it’s just my personal taste, so I don’t tend to post on things I don’t care for. Also, I tend to sweeten my tea with natural stevia (a no no for some!) I am a married Registered Nurse, with two kids in college and one in medical school. My husband is not hooked like I am, but he often enjoys a cup with me. I enjoy many other interests, including reading, gardening, and the arts. I’ve taken up hiking in the past year too. Anytime I can include tea in these pursuits, I do! It has become a bit of an obsession for me.

Location

Atlanta, GA

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