Popular Tasting Notes
Yay! I’m in New York! After the horrible hurricane my flight got cancelled. I was comming because I had been invited to the marathon race directors program and was super excited…. Eventually thing worked out, flights started leaving again. I finally got to New York, only to find out that the racewas cancelled the next day. I am really sorry for all the people that were affected by the hurricane, I hope that everyone is OK! But I am also really sad for all of the runners who worked really hard to be able to run the race and payed to get to NYConly to find out the race was cancelled 2 days before the race….
On a positive note, I made it into my first David’s Tea shop!!! I had to really control myself and be frugal… Or as frugal as you can possibly be when you love tea and walk into a David’s Tea Shop!!! After I finally picked out my tea, I got a free cup of this. Oh my WOW vanilla and smooth sweetness. I have never had anything like this. It is by far the most enchanting and well achieved flavored vanilla oolong I have ever had.
I didn’t get to go through the entire brewing process on my own, since it was made for me in a paper cup, but I think that I managed to pull out the little Baggie in time for it to not oversteep. The little bit of scent that made it through the opening in the lid was incredible. Pure vanilla with a hint of oolong to remind you that you aren’t drinking vanilla extract, but true delicious tea!
Each sip was increasingly smooth and the vanilla wrapped around me in the cold of the wind on NYC in November. I was in tea heaven… The vanilla was a vanilla bean ice cream sort of vanilla. The kind that promises to be sweet, smooth and provide instant smiles.
All in all my trip to NYC, while not productive, has been great fun and great for Christmas shopping. I will surely enjoy my last day here!!!
Also, I have to share this, I bought a BREVILLE ONE TOUCH!!! I did it! I gave in and bought the last one they had at William Sonoma!!! I even got 10% discount on it since it was on display! I can’t wait to go home and try it! I will take it with me carry on… Wish me luck with the trip and it getting through security! I would be devasted if it didn’t!
This would be the first cup of the return of an old favourite recently returned to my collection backlog.
And actually, slightly unfair to the tea because it’s a really good tea, today it’s just a decoy cup.
See, something interesting happened to me this afternoon, involving me getting proposed to.
If you can guess what I answered, you win a cookie.
♥
(Edit: Oh my goshy-wosh, this is still every bit as excellent as I remembered!)
I hope I am the first to give you and your husband-to-be (do I win the cookie?! Of course I win the cookie!!!) the very best wishes!!!!
Apart from our parents, yes. :)
Congratulations!!! Best wishes!
Congrats!
Ooh, I’m happy for you!! Best wishes to you and the groom-to-be!
Congratulations!!!!
Congratulations!
Congratulations!! :)
Thanks everybody. :D
Proposals always make me think of the sage advice my mom gave me when we broke the news to her (and no, I’m not making this up): “Just remember, you’ll be washing this man’s dirty underwear for the rest of your life.”
Here’s to happy boxers, briefs, and other unmentionables. Be blessed!
Ha, actually his underwear goes in the kind of loads that he usually washes. :D I get to wash his handkerchiefs, though…
Congrats. We want details on how he did it though. You can’t just tell us you were proposed to and not tell us how. LOL
Well, he said, “will you marry me?” and whipped out this ring: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hUyvZSFX3Kt1Pi3cbvN89Tt0rtk7VScRcTAqR2hWR8Q?feat=directlink
I said, “yes.”
And then after a little while he said, “I can’t believe you said yes so quickly! Are you sure you don’t want to think it over?”
So I offered to take it back and think about it if he would like, but he said that was against the rules.
All in all very straightforward without a lot of romantic nonsense and what not involved which is how I prefer it, as all that stuff with hearts and roses and whatnot mostly tend to make me a little uncomfortable.
And also, FYI, that’s just a place holder! If you consequently answer ‘a pony’ to all questions about whether you need something from the supermarket, apparently you get one of those. :p
The real ring will follow. We are going to go look at some next week and then I get to choose my own.
Congratulations! I actully love the pony ring. I know you will cherish that one, too, even when it is replaced with a real one.
Congrats!!!!
The pony ring is too cute. Did you ever watch Gilmore Girls? It reminds me of that. One guy proposes to his girlfriend with an Elk’s Lodge ring from the pawn shop and after he gets approval from her mother and asks her again the mother says “Here is your grandmother’s ring. That one you put in drawer so it doesn’t scare the children”.
Congrats! And I’m glad you’re still enjoying this tea. It’s still one of my personal favorites.
Congratulations! The pony ring looks perfect.
Oh my gooooosh!
Congrats so much! That pony ring is amazing, what an amazing time for the both of you! Many years of happiness!!
AAWWWW! If he gave you that pony ring, then he is a great guy! Many happy years to you…we are about to celebrate 25!
:O Congrats!!! I bet you’re super excited!
Congratulations!!! :D
Thank you again, everybody!
Congratulations!
Aw congratulations! Here’s to many many more happy years. :-)
Congratulations – that’s wonderful news. :)
Awwww yay! Muchos congrats!!!!
Congrats! Best wishes for many happy days to come!
Thanks again, everybody. :)
very awesome..my best to your future and your present may one inform the other and both wedded in growing laughter, love, and connection….
Wow, so exciting!!! Best wishes!!!
I saw this elsewhere and was running out the door so I didn’t get a chance to offer congratualtions. I’m thrilled for you two.
D’awwwww :) Every time I navigate to this page I read your post and feel all mushy because it’s sweet and makes me smile.
Thank you Krystaleyn. :) Little over two months left now. :)
Gather round, Steepsterites, because I am going to have probably one of the most interesting teas of a long time now.
I have a colleague, a turkish girl, and she asked me, “Have you ever had Turkish tea?”
I told her I had once. I’ve never been to Turkey, but I’ve studied with a turkish girl and once when we were writing a paper to do with some questionnaires she had asked her uncle to take a stack with him to the mosque next time he went. He invited us for tea, so she could explain to him what the questionnaires were about. Her aunt made traditional turkish tea for us.
Then we talked about about how to brew it and my colleague told me that while they do drink a lot of that apple tea, they also drink a lot of plain black tea, taken with sugar. They brew it so strong that it’s nearly undrinkable without sugar, and my colleague gave me this that she had and never drank at home and explained to me how to brew it like a turkish person would. Of course I didn’t write it down at the time, thinking it was easy enough to remember, but when I came home I still had to google it. I found this site (http://turkish-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/turkish_tea) which has guidelines for brewing. It rang a bell, so I feel pretty confident that this is also how my colleague told me to do.
_QUOTE
1. Prepare a small teapot by adding about one heaping teaspoon of good, black tea (Keemun, Assam, Russian Caravan, English Breakfast all work well) per cup.
2. Boil about 1 cup of water per cup of tea (either in a samovar – or on a stove top).
3. Pour HALF of the steaming water into the teapot and let it steep for at least 15 minutes, keeping both the teapot and the remaining water piping hot. (Without a samovar, you can accomplish this with a good tea cozy for the pot and a very low flame for the water. (I almost hate to admit it, but a microwave works pretty well, too, for keeping the water very hot…. but I “didn’t say that…”).
4. Pour the tea into a small glass cup, about halfway up, and add the water to fill the remainder. Add sugar to taste – BUT NEVER MILK OR HONEY.
Read more at Suite101: Turkish Tea: Brewing and Drinking Tea in Turkey http://turkish-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/turkish_tea#ixzz0chWxExdO
END QUOTE_
So now I’m wondering what sort of leaves she has actually given me. They don’t have a very strong aroma. Ever so slightly smoky-ish is about the only characteristic I can pick up. It’s a quite large leaf size for a black though. Since my colleague actually travels to visit her husband’s family in Turkey at least once a year, I wonder if I could be so lucky that it was actually a tea produced in Turkey. Think about it, it’s not that unlikely. It would be cool if it was. I may have to interrogate her some on this matter. She gave me a relatively small amount. Big for a sample, but small for an amount to have lying around when one never takes tea. I’m not sure if that was what she meant but it did sound like, if I liked it, she had more that I could have. Anyway, the leaves look a bit faded in colour, so they’re probably getting a bit on in age. With this method of brewing, though, I can’t imagine it would spell disaster.
Five minutes still to go of this extremely long steep!
Okay, ready for the next step! Obviously, I don’t own the proper tulip-shaped tea glasses, so my cup with the farm animals on it will have to do. I tried a sip of the tea before adding more water to the cup. It had a nice reddish amberish colour and while it did have a strong flavour, it wasn’t undrinkably strong. Not at the one small sip, anyway. Quite astringent, but it didn’t taste bitter or oversteeped.
After adding water the taste was a little less astringent, but still not undrinkably strong. I was expecting something almost tar-like here and I’m actually wondering if I didn’t add enough leaf. I think I was supposed to have made it with another spoonful.
I feel pretty certain that I could easily have taken it without a grain of sugar and enjoyed it, but I’m trying to be authentic here. I did wonder about whether the type of sugar used was important since the instructions said to not use milk or honey. I’ve decided they probably would have said if it was, so I used cane sugar.
The aroma is very similar to the dry leaf. Not as smokey, though, which I think must be because of the sugar in it.
It’s definitely sweet to the taste. If you want a dessert tea, forget about any odd additives and flavouring, because this is a dessert in a cup. I can’t really pick up anything underneath the sweetness though. It’s a flavour where you’re aware that there is tea there, but apart from a light astringency, I can’t really tell you anything about it. I know it’s odd to my colleague that I can drink tea at all without sugar in it, so it’s supposed to be very sweet, but the unobtrusiveness and the lack of strongness of the black tea, only strengthens my belief that I should have used a spoonful more leaves.
Still, I used a third more leaf than usual (should probably have been double) and I steeped it for a quarter of an hour. I’m shocked that it didn’t turn out stronger! I’ll have to try again though, but for now… I don’t know if I’m really a big fan of tea turkish style, but I think I might rather like it as a rare treat rather than a regular occurence.
eta: why is it the quoted bit refuses to be in italics? What am I doing wrong? squints at it
Preparation
Thanks for taking one for the team.
Hey, it was fun. :)
There was a lot of good stuff in this review! I’ll have to come back to it later and read it a 2nd time to let it all sink in. I wonder what she’d think of UTI’s turkish apple?
She doesn’t really drink tea much at all, so she probably wouldn’t be particularly interested. I gather it’s mostly something she drinks when they’re visiting or when they have guests in a more formal sort of way.
Super-interesting! I love how it’s so super-concentrated that you need sugar!
It worked a lot better on the second cup, but then that one had had a half hour steep. :p
This is where the making 2 teas at once would come in handy. I can’t wait that long between infusions lol.
The second one had steeped longer because of the way I brew. I always have the leaves loose in the pot, so when I don’t drain it completely, there will be some stewing while I’m drinking the first cup.
Gotcha. I do that too, but I have a reverse french press so there isn’t any left. I do have a problem getting my pot from Dr. Tea’s Tea Garden to drain completely though.
Huh. This sounds incredibly interesting. I’ll try this sometime when I’m feeling brave.
Also, I’m unsure on the italics, but perhaps try removing the colon? Or maybe the URL is throwing it off. Just thoughts.
You should, it would be fun to see what you think. :) I’ll have to find out what sort of tea this is, since it would be so cool if it was turkish grown, but since you can use any good black, there’s lots of room for experimentation. :)
Yes! Suggest a good Turkish tea for us:)
According to the website I quoted above, Turkey grow tea in the Black Sea regions, but the production is all for the home market. So you would probably have to go there to get some.
boo :(
I found this for turkish tea: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_sq_top?ie=UTF8&keywords=turkish%20tea&index=blended&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0002DQYGE&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=00JPK7HGY0VAQ470SDY3 both the tea itself and the glasses.
We’ve been gathered! =], I LOLed at the end. I stupidly put my face close to the screen and started staring or maybe squinting at the words squints at it OH, I think I was thinking it was a command. Sort of like, come closer so I can finish the story. =P
Ricky, LOL! No, I put it in *s because that’s how I’ve always been used to denoting an action. It disturbs me a bit that that’s also how I make it bold here. I suppose I should try to get used to using ::s at Steepster, but it just looks wrong to me. I like the *s better. (And it’s probably going to make a large portion of this comment bold now too)
And yes, you have indeed been gathered. :D I don’t recall any of my posts ever having been this popular before. O.o
Speaking of which, I meant to click the heart. Today is not a good brain day for me.
Bad brain days suck. I hadn’t even noticed you hadn’t clicked it the first time you were here. :)
That sounds really neat. My friend’s boyfriend is from Iran and that’s how they drink their tea there aswell.
It’s probably a general middle eastern thing, then. I had a colleague from Iran, who said that the next time she went to Iran, she would get me some Iranian grown tea. Unfortunately she was in a temporary position and left before she had the opportunity to do so. But then again I’ve since read somewhere or other that the iranian grown tea has a little trouble measuring up to the quality we’re used to from India, Sri Lanka and China.
Interesting! Why did my updates not clue me in about this? It sounds fun. This is going on the To-Do list!
It was definitely fun to try. I’m not done experimenting with this method of brewing by far, but I’ve decided that it would be awesome to have a real samovar in my living room. :D The brewing method after all is pretty similar so far as I can tell. A real old-fashioned russian one, that would be so cool. But I’ll have to keep dreaming. :)
They’re very pretty. I was in NYC recently to visit friends and went to the Russian Tea Room, and the ones they had displayed were gorgeous…I was sort of disappointed that they didn’t actually have any samovars in use, as I’ve only ever seen them from afar.
I only googled briefly and apparently you can get some electric ones that have that oldfashioned look, but you would have to shell out some 2-400 dollars for it. I tell myself they probably use a dreadful amount of energy anyway. ;)
I’m having this tea because…the long tentacles always reminded me of black spider legs.
Disclaimer: there will be some spider content in this note.
When I woke up this morning, I saw something staring at me above on the ceiling. It was black and the size of a dollar coin. In my world, this is what I call a big fat one.
So as much as spiders scare me, I can’t hate them cause they are useful and I admire them for their complexity. I think they are beautifully terrifying . And since my inner Buddha refuses to kill stuff, here I am standing on the mattress, Mason jar in one hand, trying to maintain my balance while stretching and reaching as high as I can… It’s not going to work…I mean, I’m 5"6, I’m no basketball player.
So I go quickly in the basement to get the stepladder. When I get back…it’s gone. It’s freakin’ gone people. Where did it go? How will I ever be able to sleep in that room again I ask? It’s going to crawl on me at night, it thinks I tried to kill it. Oh, Karma!
So anyways, that’s why I thought of having my spider tea this morning. That, and because it’s gorgeous and scrumptious.
It smells like waffles, tastes like baked bread, honey, raisins and sweet potato.
It’s also a little boozy and fruity, with a tang of cinnamon in the background.
You can’t mess up this tea…it takes the abuse very well. I oversteep it just like I do with Premium Taiwanese Assam.
So good, no wonder it’s in my pantheon of best black teas ever.
Now back to spider hunt!
Oh god… shudder. I once woke up and there was a spider looking at me from the other pillow. I don’t think I’ve ever flown out of bed so fast! I couldn’t sleep again until I’d washed all my bedding
Oh I HATE when that happens. My place has loads of windows I like to keep open for loads of fresh air, but the side effect is the constant terror of finding a giant spider on the ceiling! :(
I’m laughing into my tea, but I’m laughing WITH you – not at you. I don’t mind spiders. I mind snakes. And scorpions, I really really really mind scorpions. A scorpion bit me in my bed one time. I don’t kill things either but I really wanted that scorpion OUT of my house.
I’d move all the furniture out of that room and vacuum everything! lol
They say you swallow 8 per year. Okay I couldn’t resist. I have a healthy respect for spiders. They do a good job at what they are here for, but man could they be anymore creepy looking? Spiders don’t bother me nearly as much as other bugs. For the most part it seems like they really just want to leave you alone. On the tea front, this is one of my favorites. I need to enjoy another cup of this in my near future and try not to think of spiders while drinking it.
Mj: that is scary!!!
Sami, don’t you have nets in your windows?
Ok, MzPriss, that is no fun…scorpions and snakes? And how did you ever deal with a scorpion bite? Shivers here. I guess there are perks to be living in Winterland!!
Lol, Ubacat, I don’t think that spider “fits” in my vacuum!!!! (Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little…)
TeaTiff….not funny. Did.not.need.to.know.that.
And yes, the tea is spectacular!
My inner Buddha has found the perfect solution – I scream like a little girl until my warrior wife slays the evil beast. Seriously, I don’t do spider. They can be all useful outdoors. Once they are in the house their only purpose is to return to the dust.
I just snorted some of my tea into my nose @KS that is funny!
The scorpion bite bite HURT. Really hurt. And the way I dealt with the snakes and scorpions is that I moved out of the country and into the city where I haven’t ever seen either one. Although I hear a snake occasionally visits the garden. I haven’t seen it so I don;t have to move again. Yet.
Love it, KS! Superanna, my daughter, isn’t allowed to kill spiders because she and her husband are equally freaked by them so he insists on doing the killing because he is afraid she will miss and it will get away and come back for revenge.
I have always kept a “kitchen spider” as long as it stays in its place. We get moths otherwise. And when we find a spider elsewhere, youngest insists it must be captured and carried outside. We once had to relocate a baby copperhead to keep her happy….
OMG “relocate a baby COPPERHEAD???”
My standard response to spiders is to scream like a girl and get either my mom or husband to kill it for me. This sometimes is difficult, as it seems in my house that the shower is the preferred lurking spot for our spiders. Once, last month, when I was sick, I was just so tired and pissed off that I left the spider on the shower curtain while I was washing up – better than tracking a frenetic trail of suds throughout the house!
Thank you for the spider warning. As curious as I am to your response to this tea I’ve avoided reading your review and all comments to avoid being traumatized this early in the morning ;)
I’m arachnophobic. I have so many stories that I wrote an essay about my phobia. I think what I currently hate about spiders the most is that there are species that eat birds and/or bats. Number one: I love birds and bats. Number two: those spiders are monstrously biiiiiig ;^;
@ Christina, I actually let a spider live in my shower for a while as long as he kept a respectful distance. I live at “garden level” which is a nice way to say halfway underground, so bugs are a problem for sure. My spider shower seems to have moved on though. As long as they’re not in my bedroom, I’m ok with them.
@KiwiDelight: I love bats too! I tried to convince my parents to build a bat house in their backyard to help the brown bats, which are being decimated by this fungal infection. They live in Florida, so I told them that the bats would help with the mosquitos, but they wouldn’t go for it :-(
Well, that’s terrifying. shudder
@mj Oh no those poor bats! I didn’t know Florida had the fungal problem also. Maybe if you told them bats don’t harm humans, even animals :(
I love bats. Awesome creatures. Snakes, I respect, but I’m not afraid of them. Spiders, I know its irrational and I don’t care. One day my wife came flying up out of the basement to grab a ball bat and the bug spray. As she ran by she yelled, “Don’t go down there!” Apparently there was a big hairy one nearly the size of a tarantula on the wall. She knew had I gone down there we would be moving – immediately.
@KiwiDelight, yes because my parents live in the panhandle of Florida. I don’t think they have the fungus problem in Southern Florida. I did tell them that the bats won’t hurt anything but bugs, but they still declined. It’s ok, I’ve already had a discussion with my boyfriend and he’s agreed that when we A. move in together and B. have a yard, that I can keep a beehive and have a bat house :-)
I have severe arachnophobia. Like one time this little ant sizes one was web stringing it’s way down towards me and I was so paralyzed by fear and I was yelling at my boyfriend to get and he couldn’t see it and I started crying. He finally found it and I just couldn’t stop crying.
I’ve also made him pull over on the side of the road while I had a panic attack in the street in the middle of the night because I saw one crawl across the window and he couldn’t find it. I sat in the backseat knees up rocking and crying until we got where we were going.
I used to tape my mouth shut every night when I was a little girl because my mom thought it was a good idea to tell me that you eat an average of 8 a year.
I skipped school one day when I was in middle school because I saw one by the front door and it ran away before I could spray it to death so ran into the bathroom, shoved a towel along the bottom of the door and sat on the counter until my little sister found it and killed it.
Even the idea if a spider can set me off. One time I was sitting on the couch with my now ex, and thought it would be funny to stop and stare sort of freaked out at my neck like there was somethig there. So of course I freaked out, jumped up ad clawed at my neck. As of course started crying. I couldn’t stop even when he said nothing was there. It took almost an hour for the adrenaline to wear off so I could stop crying.
I’m not the type of person to cry, in fact the only times in the last year that my boyfriend has seen me cry have been spider related. I would love nothing more than to get over my fear but even thinking about going through the therapy makes my heart race.
Also I will never be able to drink this tea since you made that comparison.
KS The great thing about having a family or living with someone is that you can make them take the spider away.
mj Sounds like a great plan, having both a bat house and a bee hive! Wonderful. Bee keeping sounds difficult, but if I could ever get around to it I might just do it. Save the bees!
Mandy My arachnophobia is not so intense is yours, but I also cringe at the thought of therapy. Not ready for that immerision stuff. Have you ever considered exploring how you came be phobic? I blame TV. (no, really, Jumanji and James and the Giant Peach partially have something to do with it). This kind of understanding helps me cope, in such a way the phobia isn’t as so mysterious anymore.
Man we really hijacked this thread….darn spiders.
Kiwi it started out because my mom. My uncle had but a dead black widow in her bed when they were kids and when she freaked out he was like oh they die after the bite you. So she was always afraid of them which rubbed off on me. She’s gotten more immune to them and I’ve gotten more afraid of them when I started into my teenage years. Before I used be afraid but would kill it and be fine. Now if I can stay calm enough to kill it it’s a miracle. Speaking of I really need to get some hair spray. That’s my weapon of choice for them demons. Completely drench them until they curl up and die. It’s quite effective actually. The hairspray is sticky so once you start spraying it gets stuck and cant go running off in a corner. Not that I’ve been brave enough for that in a while, usually it’s my boyfriend I make do it now. Haha
Oh my!! Had no idea that my spider ordeal of this morning would stir so much emotion!!!!
I’m so sorry for those who are arachnophobic…I guess my disclaimer didn’t work…oops.
KS your comment was so hilarious, I now have a mental image of Strong and fearless Wife Warrior and scared little KS screaming like a little girl behind her. Thank you that was priceless!
Mandy That’s……..a really cruel prank. It’s gotten worse for me too. Occasionally, I vacuum the cellar spiders that reside in my bedroom. I’ve been seeing them all my life, so I’m very used to them unless they come too close (they keep their distance in the corners. Sometimes I’m merciful and leave them be, but if they persist living here once I vacuumed their webs away, bye bye…That’s as far as I get with dealing with spiders and I still feel bad >_<
Yeah, I guess we all felt like sharing. Solidarity.
Save the bees indeed! We depend on them for a lot of our food production
TheTeaFairy Sorry for taking over your note, haha. Your disclaimer did work, but I want to get over my fears, and words are much safer than pictures or the real thing. When I was looking up treatment options, they said that for patients whose fears are too strong, or are impossible to treat with immersion, that allowing themselves to think about the fear is the first step. So reading through is my way of treating it in a way.
Kiwi Yep, she was a little girl and he was a young boy so he thought it was funny, and she got a fear of spiders. My old house had them in the bathroom all the time, and if they were in there, so long as I wasnt showering when I saw it, it wasn’t so bad, because I knew I had my trusty weapons near by. Even when my phobia got worse, the safest place to experience one was the bathroom.
Then we moved to a new house in the middle of the woods, and with the sharp increase of the bigger ones, my phobia reached the crying uncontrollably level. Moving off to college was such a relief because I some how lucked out and didn’t see any for almost a year.
Then moving off campus and to a less pest controlled area, the sudden shock of spiders again shocked my system. So even when I see the littlest of spiders,and even when I tell myself its teeny tiny, it can’t hurt me, I’m being irrational, I still panic.
Middle of the woods….nope. Unless the house is well insulated. I take it when you move out you’ll be living in the suburbs or a city? I bet you had a lot daddy longs legs, which love the woods for some reason. I hate those too, even they aren’t spiders. Tiny spiders are fine for me (I actually think they’re kind of cute…), mostly because, I think, I have never seen anyone freak out about them, as opposed to the larger spiders. Anything bigger than nickel triggers me (unless it’s cellar spiders).
I don’t know if Florida woods are different but I actually haven’t seen a daddy long legs in years. I know that I wasn’t afraid of them before but idk if that’s changed. And middle of the woods might be a little of an overstatement. They’re “woods” within a town. ~5-6 minute drive down a dirt road, into woods. But still completely surrounded by trees. I’ve lived in Orlando the past 2 years though so yes city haha.
I don’t know what a cellar spider is and I feel like I don’t want to know haha. I used to be fine with wittle baby spiders before but I swear in the last 5 years or so it’s like my body disobeys me when 8 leggeds are around. I say calmly kill it and my body interprets it as curl up in a ball and cry. There must be some kind of miscommunication or something haha.
Hahaaha. I do the same thing with spiders. I catch them in a cup and slide some cardboard under them. Once I get outside though, I tilt the cup and run. I would like to think that the spider knew you were trying to help him outside and left on his own.
Lol, stacy let’s hope you’re right, but so far so good, it hasn’t visited my bed…yet!!
Happy to see I’M not the only one trying to save them…(I totally run also once I release them outside, haha!)
See, he did leave. The last spider I caught was a jumping spider. Super aggressive little guy. I ran so fast back inside and left the cup out until the morning.
The dry leaf aroma = ecstasty! O-M-G! Seriously, this is what ecstasy smells like. It’s not good, it’s not fantastic, it’s ecstasy! In layman’s terms, it smells like caramel hot off the stove. Mmm, caramel toffee with a bit of sea salt. I can totally get that from the aroma. Oh, I can’t wait to brew this up!!
The package of my sample says to steep this for 4-7 minutes. Seven minutes is a little long for a first steep, so I’m going with 4 minutes. Wow, the aroma of the brewed tea is exactly like the dry leaf! It also brewed up really dark and opaque. Ah, my mouth is watering! I just want to drink this right now!!! The whole room has been flooded by this tea’s aroma. My fiancé even asked if I was making food, haha! Why can’t you just cool off faster?!!
Finally, it’s not too hot to sip and it is LEGEN-wait for it-DARY!!!!! AHHHHH!!!! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!! It doesn’t even need milk or sugar! I can drink this straight! Wow!!! I can’t believe how extraordinary this is!! Like eating a caramel toffee and then drinking a great black tea! Oh so sweet and delicious! If it were Christmas, I’d call this a Christmas miracle!
I didn’t actually see coconut flakes in the blend nor do I smell or taste it. If coconut’s in there, it must be toasted coconut flakes because everything in the dry leaf mix is brown or golden. Nor is the salt individually identifiable. I think the coconut and salt in this tea just contribute to the overall rich, buttery, awesome flavor.
Even the aftertaste is ecstasy! There’s no astringency and maybe just the tiniest hint of bitterness as it begins to cool. But I’m very sensitive to bitterness, so I don’t think most people would notice this. And honestly, it doesn’t bother me in the least. Second steep for 8 minutes, and this time I added skim milk and Truvia right away. Now it’s a much sweeter caramel tea and much more liquid candy-like. But just like with Love Tea #7, the first cup is my favorite.
This is just the perfect caramel tea! This is what I wanted the caramel tea from ESP Emporium I recently purchased to be. Perfection!! Right here! In my cup! Yesss!!!
I feel like so many new teas I’ve tried have been getting extremely high ratings from me lately. But this tea truly does deserve it. DAVIDsTEA is quickly becoming my new favorite tea company! Everything I’ve tried is a hit! These people know what they’re doing! I’m definitely going to have to order more of this when my sample is gone!
Preparation
Oh wow, I can’t wait to try this one!
Damn I want some of this and by the way you cracked me up! “LEGEN-wait for it-DARY!!!!!” I just finished my marathon watching this and now I want to know WHO IS BARNEY MARRYING???? I don’t have access to the last season yet Ugggggggggggggg
Seriously! I have no idea either.
I love Barney! And yeah, his future wife is such a mystery!
Well,I saw the last show, and it is certainly strongly suggested of who she is…
I heard about this HOWEVER you know how this show is – she could be marrying someone else. SIGH I can’t wait. I am that person who wants all her gifts before the holiday lol
Spoiler alert, Hesper June! Hahaha, let us be surprised!
I know, thats why I didn’t say it yet;)
It’s the old lady in the window he slept with that night he had to hit 200.
Ugg my daughter corrected me – that was not the same episode…my joke failed!!! LOL
Oh My Gosh! You are so funny:)
Yes because I am AWESOME! Some would even say … LEGEN… wait for it… DARY! Seriously though I can’t wait for the last season to come out on DVD or netflix. SIGH
The Awesome Azziran! That is what I shall call you from now on…
And THAT is AWESOME lol
Barney is funny, but Marshall is definitely my favorite character. I just love him! XD
He really is a sweetie – the kind of guy anyone wants their daughter to marry.
Yes, I like Marshall too.
I have family from Minnesota, so I always crack up at the Midwestern references they make (like the Mayo, Gummy Bear Potato Chip Salad;)
Plus, Lily and Marshall are such a cute couple!
Hesper really? NO! Do Minnesotans really eat stuff like that? LOL
Well, its greatly exaggerated but there are some interesting casseroles I have partook in.
And, just so you understand my family…My Minnesotan Grandmother calls Hamburger Helper a “snack” food!
Hahahahahaaa!! That’s hilarious!
Hahha! Awesome!
Well I make a salad some say is odd but I think it is normal.
Apples, Cheddar cheese and mayo. (there are spices too)
Is that odd?
I don’t know, but I just had Swiss cheese fondue last night and dipped Granny Smith apples in it. OMG!! Sooooo good!
No,Azziran, that sounds yummy!
But, then again look at my heritage;)
Yes, Charoma, if you go to her house, her exact words would be “Oh, well, it is gonna be an hour or two till Supper, But I will whip you up a Hamburger Helper to snack on”
LOL!! That is so cute Hesper! I want to visit your granny! :)
CHAroma and Hesper – glad it does not sound too bizarre. My daughter and I LOVE it.
Good lord I need to find food now.
Steepster break till later.
Damn, I didn’t send you Creamy Nut Oolong, so I can’t force you to compare the two. Grrrr. I need someone to back me up on how similar the flavour is! Also, the coconut appears to be finely chopped.
Haha guys, your convo is amusing! I have seen the last ep of season 7 and while it does seem to indicate who the bride is, I’m skeptical since they like to do a lot of misleading!! I’m sad though; I read that the eighth season may be the last. Either that or they continue to the tenth season (I don’t think this is a spoiler, but it sure looked like Ted had a kid in… 2015??)
I know the show is all about Ted and how he meets his future wife, but I honestly think he’s the least interesting/fun character.
Awww, I kind of have a crush on him! But I agree that the other characters/actors are fantastic and I love the Marshall/Lily storylines, etc.
I read my above message and realized that I clearly forgot my train of though to saying that last bit – I meant to say that at least we’ll soon find out who Ted’s future wife is, because if he has a kid in 2015, which one ep seemed to indicate, he’s gotta meet this woman prior… and there’s only three years left!
I think Ted being the least interesting has a purpose though – I mean the show is about him but really its about his life and experiences with the other more leading characters. Still you can’t help but love his romantic ways SIGH I have a crush on him too Kit – yes Kit that is what I am calling you. LOL
Hahahaha, I can handle Kit ;) I thought that at least if I kept a long-ish name that began with ‘K’, people maybe wouldn’t get quite as confused! I know someone else changed their name on here recently, and I was super thrown!
I probably have no idea who that is. I am not “with it” on those things.
You realize your photo by your posts is still the same right?
Azzrian, you have to clear your browser cache for the photo to change.
Oh okay – wait – what – the photo has changed now. Okay well ummmm I was going to clear chache but it changed anyway but yes that makes sense.
Today was not a very good day. I’m very physically and mentally exhausted and the weather has been so cold and dreary. My arthritis has been acting up and I think driving today seeing the damage in my neighborhood has dragged my mood down a bit. Tonight I went to a viewing of an old best friend. It was very tough. Even though I hadn’t seen him in 10 years, I feel like a chapter of my life has closed and I feel like I had missed out by not reconnecting.
I just needed something to cheer me up and help wake me up so I can catch up on some work. This is definitely my cheer me up guayusa. The smell and the taste of the lemon, creaminess, and earthiness make me smile and the caffeine is helping me make it through this long day and get some work in. Think its time for another cup of Helena’s guayusa.
Lol yes “Helena’s” tea :) that made me smile a lot after hearing about your crappy day. I’m so sorry to hear that things have been a bit of a struggle today. I can’t imagine what it must like to be around the destruction from the storm and a viewing on top of that. A least, there is still some comfort to be found in tea. hug
I totally think of this guayusa as “Helena’s guayusa”. Might as well be called, “Good Morning Sunshine, Helena”. There was some novelty to the destruction at first. It was interesting to see things, such as this wooded area that the trees are now leaning all in one direction and about 10% of the trees had fallen and seeing these massive trees completely uprooted and knocked into things. Now its kinda settling in a bit as reality and how lucky we are. The viewing was tough and there were a lot of unresolved issues but I like to think about all good times and positive things. Tea can be very comforting. Thanks, I can use the hugs. :)
You could use Helena’s 100%! I’m sorry for your physical and emotional pain my friend! Memory Eternal for the old best friend. We all have those people who we have let drift a bit. I’ve often thought the only people who would know I’m gone are Steepster’s. So strange. If you ever need a break you are welcome here!
I am sorry for your grey day.
I hope tomorrow brings more sunshine in your cup as well as in the sky.
A big hug for you, Stacey.
Feel better, dear <3
Thanks guys. hugs for all you for being sweet.
Sorry to hear it was a tough day, but kudos on the guayusa. Unlike yerba mate, I think it blends with things very well.
Oh no, I am so incredibly sorry. :(
It’s a new day! Good morning to you, and here’s hoping it’s a much better one than yesterday. I’m sorry for your loss—unresolved stuff sucks. I admire your focus on the positive! Sending you good vibes and keeping you in my thoughts.
What a tough day! May there be sunshine inside and out for you today.
A tough day, and of course the only cure is Good Morning Sunshine!
Wish I could give ya a hug. :(
Definitely feeling much better today. There is some sun here and things are looking up. Thanks for all the kind words. :)
Guayusa definitely seems to work great as a base.
Yes, I agree it’s been tough in NJ lately. Very
So very sorry to hear this! Sending positive thoughts your way. I hope the clouds open up and you get some sunshine… and I’m not just talking about the weather =)
Big big hugs Stacy… know that your tea cheers me up on a daily basis… Since you’re «the creator» I’m glad it can return the favor to you by giving you comfort :-)
I just wanted to say thanks for the comments everyone, they really did cheer me up. :)
Thank you David Duckler for this great Sample!
Attempting to review this Pu’er is like me auditioning for “So You Think You Can Dance”!
All the equipment I used was glass…pot, cup etc. I used spring water, made sure not to eat first, no perfumes or lipstick, just everything clean! Steeping time 2-3 minutes.
I recorded 3 infusions but this 1 tsp to 4oz water method can go 12 infusions (gulp)!
The Pu’er is so intense that I felt like I was in an old movie and this is how I am going to discribe the experience, in scenes.
The color of the Pu’er liquor remained a beautiful shimmering light gold.
Scene (steep) 1. If you picture an old movie set…a cloak and dagger type by Agatha Christy then I’m the old lady in the library and a gentleman (David Duckler) has handed me a glass with a golden liquid. He disappears.
Unaffraid (or stupid) I take a sip of the liquid…it reminds me of linen…and my grandmama’s attic long ago…when I would sneak vanilla wafers. I can smell the vanilla far off down in the kitchen. My tongue tingles. My tongue feels quite furry and I taste earthiness with the sensation that I’m about to be buried in a cave. I feel different. Is the golden statue in the corner of the room watching me?
Scene 2. The earthy flavor makes me feel like a Greek goddess…yes…like I have taken a big bite out of Corfu! Corfu tastes really good, not muddy whatever and salty! Wait now, put your nose in the cup and there’s coffee toffee latte! BREATHE DEEPLY! INHALE!
I need my fan! I need my lounge chair and a nap! My mouth is tingling and juicy and where is everyone? This is not natural! The room is askew!
Scene 3. Must have dozed off. My cup refilled itself…peculiar. A hand, leather gloved and looking like Geoffrey’s hand, has slipped some more golden liquor into my glass. It smells faintly like a fruit…pineapple? A flower perhaps? My tongue tingles like fire and then turns into a silky creaminess. NO! It almost tastes like coconut water and earth.
My desire to be or do anything else has disappeared like a vapor.
Have I been drugged? The elixer is too enjoyable to resist.
Where is David Duckler and Geoffrey to tell me what to do next. I must have more!
This was all in fun…I loved this Pu’er! I hope you don’t mind my playful attitude!
To Sum it up:
Sweet, Tingles, Salt, Linen, Earthy, Pineapple, Creamy/Silky, Vanilla Cookie, Coffee Toffee Latte, Coconut Water, Some Flower, Furry, Cave, Higher than a Kite!
I give this Pu’er…a standing ovation. It is fantastic and mystical. Thank you to David for the opportunity to drink this Pu’er!
http://youtu.be/21NCH2sPlhc You’ll never guess!
awesome.
Glad you’re not mad!
AWESOME review! Just amazing! :)
Now I want to listen to “The Friends of Mr. Cairo” by Jon and Vangelis. Geat review!
Wonderful! I need a second session with this tea before I review it. I had it after Two Elephants Tea Trail, which was a lot more intense. After the first three infusions I just didn’t feel like I could listen closely enough, though I could tell it was really lovely.
Perfect review for a tea like this. I have never had this with friends without the conversation immediately moving towards the fantastic the surreal and the realm of memory. There is a realm of tea that is only accesible through those darker and more obscured channels, the realm of tea that can be profoundly moving. This one belongs squarely in that realm. (Also- I am happy to play the gentleman in this scene)
Your steeping is right in line with Xingyang Workshops recommendations. The tea is a totally different experience worth trying at some point done in a gaiwan or yixing with shorter 5-10 second infusions, limiting to 4-5 ounces of water. Not as rich and grounded, but more lunar and sparkling.
Thank you! I almost trashed this review fearing that I would offend the purist tea lovers! Something about this Pu’er takes you over though. I will try the other method…maybe not by myself!
Yes I fixed something here and I didn’t think it was going to put it up at the top, but it did. Crying out loud! I thought the boys in the think tank fixed this.
My first time seeing this, I LOVE this review Bonnie!
It really is an awesome tea, and now I wish I’d bought (even) more of it. This is a tea I want to drink for years!
I hated matcha the first time I tried it. It was uber BITTER, foul, and disgusting. I couldn’t even bring myself to rate it because I didn’t want to do that to 52 Teas.
I’d been thinking about the matcha since then. I was sad I didn’t like it at all. I had wanted to like it. I’d even thought about trying it again on a few days but pushed it off when the time came. Finally, yesterday evening I gave it another go.
I followed Cofftea’s recommendation using a very rough conversation from weight to volume. I figured it would at least be a place to start. All was pretty much the same as far as smells and looks until my first sip. ??? Was this the same tea I used the first time? I CANNOT believe the difference in taste using 1/4 the amount of matcha and nearly double the amount of water. I had thought no matter what I did it would still be horribly bitter.
The Strawberry Matcha was smooth, light, definitely green, and strawberry. Like “Hey! I’m GREEN! You want to make something of it?”. Unlike the smell, the strawberry wasn’t kiddie breakfast cereal marshmallows. It was distinctively strawberry and I could noticeably taste it. Last time, I could barely tell it was there. It was a little weak and there was lots of matcha sediment towards the bottom so maybe I need to whisk it more or perhaps use a bit more matcha. I have rated it but I suspect the rating will go up as I refine how I like it.
So complete 180. Matcha is good!
1/4 tsp in 8 oz water.
Preparation
On one hand I think I need to just stop reading these cuz I’m so upset mine still is not here- but on the other hand I’m ABSOFRICKIN UBBERLY EXCITED that you figured out a better ratio!:)
Chrine, I didn’t hate my S.M. the second time around either. SO I’m still on TEAM CHRINE!! Lol
So glad that you figured out the right ratios!
Yours STILL hasn’t come?? It’s nearly two weeks now. It needs to come! I want to read your tealog on it and see how it compares to other matchas. I’m thinking positive thought for a Wednesday arrival!
I know! I was so excited too. I’m trying to convince my husband to try it again. He’s extremely skeptical. I made some for him the first time I made it and he thought it was awful.
lol
GO TEAM CHRINE!! MATCHA SUPERSTARS!!
Chrine… I’m VERY upset w/ 52teas… and at this point I don’t care if Frank reads it here or not. I’ve placed 3 orders w/ them and they have all taken 2 weeks. I’m in WI. There’s no way that should happen. The reason he gave for my previous order being so late was because of a computer problem or something… but that was ONLY after I complained… he said he was trying to get the problem fixed “before anyone noticed”… um… HELLO! It’s been two weeks, I’m gonna notice if my tea isn’t here. So I’ve been dupped, decieved, and taken for stupid. And all I got was an apology that, from as much as I could tell online, didn’t sound very sincere. I do realize that my matcha was free (I won their contest), but that’s no excuse for the crap I’ve gotten from them. I placed another (and most likely my last) order on the 8th, so we shall see how long that one takes.
P.S. sharing matcha w/ your special someone is an awesome experience!:)
Chrine, Was it just me or did you feel like this tea might be okay cold like maybe iced? Call me crazy and maybe it’s the strawberry that has me thinking it may not be bad iced.
Oh and uh GO TEAM CHRINE!!
I might have to try this tomorrow!
Do it Ricky! Torture me!
Well that was the idea ;)
It shouldn’t have to be that way, but that’s the only choice cuz you should not deprive yourself.
Haha, you’ll get yours soon, don’t worry! Just have some Mandarin matcha instead in the meantime or grind up some Tencha =]
I’m getting low on my mandarin so I’m trying to ration it. And I have no matcha mill so I steep and decant my tencha.
Cofftea – Don’t get mad at me but I think what you have is a case of Matcha Envy! hehe
SoccerMom- oh I always have matcha envy! I will be the very 1st to admit that. But this is case is just me being pissed at a company:)
Okay Cofftea I’m sorry to be the one to call you out on this but why is it okay for you to say pissed (which doesn’t bother me BTW) but you won’t order A&D because it has “Damn” in the name. I’m only asking because I’ve noticed that you’ve said you won’t buy A&D a couple of times because of the name yet I notice that you curse too.? Am I missing something about A&D product labeling. I would be mad too if my tea took two weeks to get to me but most of my tea orders take like 9 days anyway.
Dear Ms. “Cofftea”,
As I told you via private message earlier yesterday, I do not know what happened to your package. I am 100% positive that it shipped out on the same day with the first big batch of Strawberry Matcha orders. Apparently, it has been lost by the USPS, which is not my fault, however, (as I stated in my PM) we are going to send a replacement package to you right away. I am sorry you have had to cope with this inconvenience.
I am also sorry you feel the need to insult me (when you insult my business, you insult me). I take pride in what we do here at 52teas. I think we provide some of the best and most unique tea blends on the market. We are a small business, and frankly, we do not have the resources that some of our competitors have to spend on order processing and fulfillment. Sometimes I drop the ball; I am human, it happens. All I can do is try to do better the next time. But to say that we have duped you, deceived you, or taken you for stupid is hurtful in the extreme as is intimating that my apology for your inconvenience was somehow insincere.
Somewhere along the line, people are being taught that the nastier we can be about a situation, the better results we will get when it comes to resolving the problem. Well, maybe this is contrary to good business sense (and you can insult me for this too), but I don’t work that way. If you sincerely believe that my motives are so evil as to require such a public verbal scourging, then perhaps you shouldn’t order from me any more.
Don’t get me wrong, I need customers. But I would rather go out of business than have customers who assign such terrible motives to me. I have been working at this business for three years now. I have used up all of my savings and borrowed every penny I could get. I haven’t paid myself one thin dime. But I am still doing it—because this is what I love. I do it because I love reading these reviews on Steepster and knowing that people are enjoying our teas all over the world. For you to say that we have duped you, deceived you, or taken you for stupid makes me seriously question why I am doing this.
Frank, I’m sorry you feel that my stating facts is insulting you or your company. Perhaps then you should change your practices so my statements are no longer fact. Maybe you should question why you’re doing this. It’s odd that I seem to be the only customer that has had several poor experiences with your customer service (except for my groundhog order where a computer glitch which you tried to hide from your customers delayed my order… I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing… If it is truely the fault of USPS (except when you have computer problems whether you hide them or not), then perhaps you should speak to someone there about it. My advice from a business stand point would be to start giving tracking numbers- that way you know and the customer both know exactly who is to blame for delayed/lost packaging.
Be nice children ;)
@SoccerMom she refuses to purchase from A&D due to a religion thing. Nothing wrong with that. People have their beliefs.
@Frank Sorry, great post, but I just laughed when I read the word Frankly. Frankly, Frank, sorry, bad joke. It was just funny.
Actually Frank, I recall you use stamps.com to ship out a package. Tracking #s for first class packages are only 50 cents more. Why not add an extra option to let them have it if they so choose to.
Ricky, I do not appreciate being refered to as a child. I am simply stating facts and defending myself in the most polite way possible, but this is not a pleasant situation and my emotions are not positve.
It was a joke, did you not see the smiley face. =]
Some things are not funny no matter if you add it or not, I view it as an insult. (Just ask Jason, I’ve gotten in trouble for the same thing).
Cofftea ~ Does your boyfriend share your love of tea?
SoccerMom ~ Hmm, I don’t know what I’d think about it iced. I’ve be interested to read your tealog about it if you tried it though! I did think a splash of milk might be good in it.
Ricky ~ TEAM CHRINE says you should try some Strawberry Matcha today! TEAM CHRINE firmly believes you will enjoy it.
lol @ matcha envy!
Chrine, not so much- just sweet tea.. and you know my personal opinion of sweet tea lol. I bought his mom the decaf (which is really herbal… grrr) adagio sampler plus some extra decaf samples. Thanks for reminding me, I need to find out what she’s tried and how she likes them. I’m hoping I can convert Grant as easily as I converted my ex:)
And Ricky- try it the plain way… aren’t you w/ LiberTEAS in that easier is better? A matcha smoothie/latte is too much work!=D
I never thought I’d see this day…
A smoothie/latte is not too much work – but additional gadgetry would be required to make a smoothie or a latte, so I would not prepare a smoothie or latte for myself on a regular basis. But I do occasionally prepare these things for myself when I want to.
It’s not just that it’s extra work, in fact, that is the smallest of the issue. It’s that I keep the extra gadgets stored away… not on my countertop for easy access. We have limited kitchen space and I have three other people in my household, not to mention that a good part of my kitchen space is used for my business. I don’t think it’s very fair to have ADDITIONAL tea gadgetry everywhere you look. My family lives here too, and I’m the only one using the tea kettle.
And WHO said tea drinkers were boring??? We got drama too. :)
Tracking is now availble for your 52teas orders:
Thank you so much 52teas! Are plans to have it available for Manteas as well? Possibly for free since there’s no place to add "STEEPSTER for a $1 off our order like you have generously provided at 52teas?
LOL. “Give an inch…” I’ll see what I can do with Manteas. Running out of time today. Too much work to do. Just finally got the email newsletter trivia challenge resolved (check your inboxes—someone is going to be happy), and I STILL desperately need to update my 52teas In-Stock page. (I’m so far behind.) And I have packages to take to the post office (Including yours, Cofftea—you should have your tracking number in your email inbox (tho it hasn’t been scanned yet)).
I don’t see it as the “give an inch” addage- I see it as you should give the same (good) customer service to all your customers no mater what website they order from. I won’t have the $ or the space for my 1lb Mayan Chocolate Chai order any time soon so it won’t affect me personally if you don’t get around to it today- it is, after all, mid afternoon. “As soon as is convenient” works for me. I want that chai, but I don’t want risk anything happening to it so I probably won’t purchase it before tracking is available. Tracking recieved, now just waiting til it gets in the system. Thanks:)
@SoccerMom Life would be pretty bland without drama in it :D Think about all the drama movies that wouldn’t exist!
Ricky, I disagree. If there were no drama life would be a happier place.
Chrine- your positive thinking didn’t work. :(
@Ricky I do like (watching) drama after all I’m totally addicted to The Real Housewives of New York. I mean who couldn’t not like drama and like that show.
o.O whistles
i love this tea…. go figure, it was made for me! but it’s not just the blend i love…. it was the whole process.
stacy is brilliant. we all know that, but working with her one on one that is absolutely reinforced. we tried tons of combinations. we were all over the map! she listened to every idea i had and added in her experience, what did we get? a delightfully NOT tropical coconut/baked banana praline invention that makes me feel like i’m eating dessert even though i have very proudly (and honestly!!!) been off sugar for 2 weeks now.
the banana level is deep, very reminiscent of when i make baked bananas with butter, lemon juice and a pinch of brown sugar. the hint of lemon is there, i swear. the coconut is beautifully balanced by the banana and praline. not to mention the taiwanese assam! i love that the blend has a brilliant tea to back it!
if you have dreams of tea i cannot recommend stacy lim highly enough. the person, the process and the result. she even allowed for my particular fondness of cream and sweetener (formerly known as sugar, lol). it’s great with, without. hell, it’s just great.
thank you so much stacy…. i have sent a bunch of it out, though only two know it’s coming, lol!
of course it gets 100%! oh, and in case you need the reference that stacy and i geeked out over: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-q3_XoS2T8 …. believe you me, there were many, MANY discussions about dr. who tea names!
Preparation
Sounds delicious!
it was alot of fun. at a certain point stacy said ‘it needs a fruit balance’. i disagreed. i finally conceded with ‘bananas’ to which she disagreed but agreed to make up a batch with prejudice (LMAO) then she wound up loving it and so did i. which is amusing because i usually have a hefty banana bias. it was awesome.
I might have to request some of that sometime.
absolutely! i have an immense amount, lol!
That sounds delicious!
truly my friends…. PM me your addresses, i’ll shove a sample in an envelope and shuffle it your way. i have a ton of tea, no swaps, but you are more than welcome to try it. i have zero problem buying some US stamps and sending a sample your way. obviously same for my fellow canadians. =0)
that does sound really good!
OMG, a River Song tea. Are the bananas from a grove in Villengard, by chance? Heh. PS I want to try some, and apparently we live in the same city? How’s that happen? :P
I JUST NOTICED THAT 30 SECONDS AGO, lol. yay powers of observation. well, we’ll just have to meet up so i can hand you over a sample. not sure about the origins of the bananas, but i can tell you this much….. if stacy has access to a TARDIS or an atypical presentation of time and space in any way whatsoever then i want in!
Yep. Anyhow, it won’t be in the next week, since I am traveling stateside to visit friends, family, and go to Long Island Who. :P But after that, for sure.
This blend was soooo much fun to make! This was the first time working with someone where we just let the flavors go wherever they wanted to go. The only two requirements were coconut and complex flavors. We even tried a lime, rose, coconut. In my head that one sounded so good but in reality it tasted like musty curtains.
HAHAHAHAHA….. that is an awesome taste metaphor!!! i have sent a bunch out. i will be sending more. appropriately my dear you are brilliantly appreciated and not just by me! xoxo
I’ll PM you too in a bit but we also live in the same city. Maybe I’ll snag some off of Heather :P
whichever is easiest for you =0)
We can plan something when I get back. :)
i might just love you a lot for making this tea.
I don’t even know how I got to this tasting note but this tea sounds amazing
i’m not sure if i get to say thank you or not….. my wishlist our con-joined fussing, stacy’s work? lol!
justjames..i want it all. I’m so excited for our swap heh
me too!! am i waiting for nina’s to arrive? or am i sending today/tomorrow?
Send it whenever lol. I’m in no rush. Like i said, I don’t need Nina’s :) stacy teas on the other hand…
This sounds amazing!
it’s quite excellent! stacy is amazing =0)
Can’t wait til I can try some.
Stacy will be selling it soon, it sounds like. :) Then we can all get our fix.
Something really important happened this weekend… Something important enough to keep me away from tea and Steepster for a weekend! … It was my 27 birthday!!! 27… Wow… I feel like I was just graduating from University… Time flies… In celebration, my boyfriend took me to a resort at the natural hot springs here in Ecuador (Papallacta) and we spent a great weekend there. We even got massages and champagne! I think it was a surprise worthy of a tea break, though I am thankful that I got to have my cup of birthday tea today!
Pancake is such a happy flavor. This tea captures it perfectly. I have bought it so many times, and I will keep on doing so until Frank gets tired of making it. I go through it too quickly. Sweetened it fools your mouth into thinking you are eating pancakes. It never fails to amaze me.
I sipped my cup while sitting with Sencha (my dog) and just enjoying the tea. I got no bitterness, just a tiny bit of astringency. The tea flavor shines through the pancake flavor just the right amount to make it a tea and not just a cup of hot water that tastes like pancake. Tea is wonderful like that, it magically turns a cup of water into a delicious beverage that makes every moment brighter!
Now, off to have my second cup of tea for my birthday after a long and positive day at work! :) Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday!
Thanks Amanda! :)
Hope you had a wonderful birthday!
Happy birthday! =)
Happy Birthday!!! sounds like it was a fun one :)
Woot! Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! ^^
Happy 27th youngster!
Happy 27th!!
Happy Birthday!!!
Happy birthday! :)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!!
Happy birthday! (P.s: Awesome name for a dog.)
Happy Birthday!! your a little older than me :D
Bonne Fête Ninavampi!
Yay Happy Bday!
Happy birthday! You chose a wonderful bday tea!
Happy Birthday!
Thanks everyone! It was like having a second birthday celebration from all of my friends here on Steepster! :)
Happy birthday. :)
Sooo….Haven’t had much of an appetite lately…been skipping meals and what ends up happening sometimes is I get certain weird cravings late in the night. Like my smoked salmon at 1am the other night.
Another thing that you may or may not know about me is that I don’t eat junk food. I am a bit of a health freak. But….I have my weaknesses… And one of them hit hard last night. My last encounter with it was about six months ago and I did report it in a pu’erh review. I even found out then that there were fellow steepsterites suffering from the same addiction. Somehow, I feel like I need to confess whenever I succumb to it.
Forgive me Steepster for I have sinned…
Last night, 12:30am, I was just sitting pretty on the couch, doing a little bit of reading, a little bit of Steepstering. The tv was on in the background. Then it happened.
I saw someone eating mac & cheese!!!
Damn it…
Some of you might remember that I keep a small emergency supply of…KD mac & cheese. Yes. Guilty as charged. Now…I make a mean REAL healthy mac and cheese from scratch with tofu, avocados, red bell peppers, an yes, some cheese. But…KD has a sentimental value…I just need to eat it occasionally. And when I do…I eat the whole god damn thing!
So I got my but off the couch and I made some….I gulped it down as if there was no tomorrow.
And again, I had some pu’erh to avoid major bloating situation.
This was one of the first pu’erh I ever drank…I really like Butiki’s mini tuochas. I ordered a bunch of them a long time ago, love how handy they are and that you can keep them forever.
This mini tuocha is different from others I’ve had. You must steep it a very long time. Like 7-8 minutes after a quick rinse.
It gives a very interesting mouthfeel, it feels «chewy», you know that feeling you get in your mouth when eating raw mushrooms? Hard to explain.
It’s also sweet and smooth, rather on the light side for shou.
It’s very forest-like, damp soil, wet autumn leaves. It has a wintergreen fresh finish, just lovely.
And…it most certainly took care of my bloated tummy!
Thank you pupu for the rescue!
i know what the chewy feels like :P
Oh you know what is funny, the “KD” thing isn’t used in the US, I remember seeing on a show that it is marketed that way other places. Just trivia!
I love the from-the-box mac and cheese too! I haven’t had it in FOREVER
I ate some last night too.
Oh I remember, I first heard it called KD on Top Chef Canada.
I think I got one of these in the sale, just to try. Glad it made you feel better!
+1 for the smoked salmon! Now if they just had a lower-sodium version!
Oh, but is this is supposed to be about smoked salmon, mac & cheese, or a tea tasting … ;-)
+1 “love how handy they are and that you can keep them forever.” Excellent point!
“…interesting mouthfeel, it feels «chewy»” “…also sweet and smooth”
Sounding very good!
However, “…rather on the light side for shou.” You almost had me …
rich ppl dont eat fancy mac n cheese they just eat twice as much kraft
(I went to buy some real food people…no more boxed mac & cheese…and yes…I got some cherries!!)
Kirkoneill, glad you understand what I mean by chewy ;-)
Thanks for the fun fact marzi, did not know that!
mj, it’s time to have some!!
Sars, I really like it, but let it steep a loooog time!
LooseTman….so sorry I lost you there :-(
But I know I’ll get you back with some other stuff :-)
There’s probably some truth in that apt!
OH MAN I miss KD. It’s so dirty and so wrong and a massive rip-off here when you can find it (upwards of £4.50 a box? Forget it!) but sometimes it’s the only thing that does it, man.
I actually have no idea what KD is, but I don’t eat cheese, so I’m just playing along. :)
Sami, that’s expensive, wow! They are only $2 here…
Haha! Sars, it’s Kraft Dinner boxed mac & cheese!!!! You play along just fine :-)
No cheese???? Preposterous!!!
Oh kraft. That’s a classic here. Grew up on it.
Nope, no cheese. It’s one thing I miss in my vegan life. And also bacon.
I eat Kraft Mac & Cheese everyone in awhile, but it never ever has the same taste I remember from childhood – that tart cheesyness. I don’t know if they changed it or if my tastebuds changed from childhood.
Oh, did not even know you were vegan! I’ve got nothing but respect for you…
Skulleigh, I think you’re right, maybe that’s why I like to add a little lemon juice in mine :-)
Lemon Juice to KD?
Yep. So good. And so much pu’erh, lol, I ended up drinking 3 cups from the other one i told you yesterday, and 3 cups of butiki. I was so pu’erh’d up! But no tummy ache :-)
You are Foxy Roxy, Queen of the Midnight Pu’erh. You henceforth shall be known as: FRQOTMP
I feel like there are quite a few vegan/vegetarians on here..lol:)
Christeana1-mwahaha, we are everywhere. : D
I can’t hear you guys from behind my big juicy burger.
I was a vegetarian for the second 8 years if my life (from when I was 8 till I was 16, being a kid vegetarian was hard 10 years ago man), and then only ate chicken and sea food until I was 18, when I discovered that beef can actually taste good if it’s not massively over done (love my mom but she can’t cook meat to save her life and so I always thought all meat was gross). Still don’t like pork, hate bacon with a burning passion, but give me a good bloody steak and I’m yours.
This is all so interesting to me…
Was vegan until expecting my son and I started craving hamburgers, he was over 11 lbs when born. He took a look at a bean as a baby and wouldn’t eat it. He’s 23 now and still won’t eat a bean. He needs meat. My vegan days were pretty much over though I don’t eat much red meat myself, it is very rich to digest for me.
my it’s been a couple of days! brilliant because of classes winding down and very satisfying grades being locked in place…. but sad with the death of nelson mandela. i wonder if it would have hit me as profoundly before one of my majors had me studying people and the influence that we outwardly have on one another on one another in my human geography class….. there is no way for me to answer.
perhaps it is a lack of faith on my part, that as the old guard ages and passes (mandela, the dalai lama, mother theresa) that while there will always be good people, i don’t see any obvious stand ins for these outstanding individuals. brangelina? bono who got a TED award? i don’t think so……
SO i wrote that bit about 9 hours ago. stopped after the dot dot dots. dropped. wound up in an ambulance and at the hospital. KIDNEY STONES.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? so, surgery on one eye coming up…. and a stone IN ONE KIDNEY???? they’re asking me about pain levels in the ambulance ‘out of 10 sir’. 10? make it 20 and it would still be 21!!!!! OMG.
the tea. okay…. this was more of a frustrated rant and less a review. i don’t remember the tea. but i have another sample from stephanie.
=0(
Whoa! I am so sorry. I hope you can find some comfort soon. Kidney Stones suck.
As for outstanding individuals the first person I thought of was
Ok… I can’t type. Anyway, I was going to say Malala. I know ahe’s young, but she’s also using her voice in a powerful way.
woah hope you get back to better soon mister…sorry for the crappy times :(
malala? i will look her up. thanks veronica.
Seconding Malala. Very bright young girl, although I worry about the pressure that is currently resting on her tiny shoulders. and my dear James, rest up! I’m worried about you, and am sorry you were in so much pain!
Ow James! I’ve heard that’s horrible. Malala the first that came to my mind as well. Another person that comes to mind for me is the Bangledashi man who started the micro financing movement. I forget his name, but micro financing has changed many peoples lives in huge ways.
i just keep thinking ‘um…. final project? final exam? HELLO?? B.E.T.T.E.R. things to do!’ but i can’t even think because they gave me a really good drug. NOT an opiate (wouldn’t let em’….. by IV? nuh uh) but a really good anti inflammatory….. but it’s still making me fuzzy.
GEEZ!
Oh my gosh, that is awful! I hope you feel better soon!!
yes, grameen…. that’s true, yyz.
i know there are brilliant minds on TED… and i know there are good people every place i look. genuinely. but i find it disconcerting when the people that i have spent my life admiring start popping off.
thanks caile. it has just been a STUPID month health wise. absolutely ridiculous!!
It does sound like a terrible month! A big hug for you!
I think I have had to deal with the knowledge of death since I was very young so it bothers me a little less. It’s still sad and the passing of great persons seem to in away acting as book marks or closures to great era’s, but my family tends to have children late and the men at least live long lives so this cycle seems a little expected and natural to me. My grandfather knew Dali, Hemingway, and Castro. Having said that Mandela was truly a great man.
yyz…. someday i think we should meet. for tea. someplace. i have a feeling you are a story keeper….
ackackack, i am sorry to hear the bad news. i’ve had friends tell me kidney stones were the worst pain they’ve ever felt, like worse than childbirth or any other medical malady they’ve encountered. you are tough!
:( I’m sorry. I hope you recover quickly!
well, miss july, i am nursing my kidneys (i’ve been told to drink and drink and drink….. i’m thrilled about the tea part, less so about if things get blocked again part) back to health with your awesome fruits d’alsace sample. it makes me feel better.
i don’t feel tough. i feel distinctly whiney, lol. makes me wonder if it’s been brewing for a few days though because i’ve been in a rotten mood for a few days without explanation.
}=0[
Oh, sweet goodness! I REALLY hope that this gets resolved soon and you recover quickly. Kidney stones are the opposite of fun. :/
i just wish i knew if there was anything i could do to make sure this one goes AWAY and that it’a a one time occurrence!
There are dietary things that you can avoid to reduce the chances, but I’m not sure about guaranteeing that you never get them again. :/ You kinda need your kidneys, so it’s not like you can take them out like you can a gall bladder! :) I haven’t had them, but an ex did. I don’t remember what was recommended, sadly.
all they said was ‘drink’…. which is great…. but wow it hurts! i asked every question my addled brain could think up…. boils down to: many studies, no definitive answers. drink.
not sure how i’m going to pull off my exam of tuesday: can’t see, and now pain meds. greeeeeeeeeeeeat. hmph.
Haha, and you’ll be asking to go to the washroom every 5 minutes if you’re drinking enough, too. :D
well, i have a note from the ERP. this month is ridiculous!!
Awwwwww, I bet that was so painful! Feel better JustJames! :(
Oh James, so sorry you have to suffer this :(
Here comes the woo-woo esoteric view: kidney stones are the physical manifestation of the sorrows/griefs we hold/repress, because the are painful to express. Sound like you are in the process of letting go of something, hence the stone is on the move!
The only pain in change is our resistance, I like to say, although sometimes it hurts like hell! Sending some Reiki your way!
I’m so sorry and I hope you get better soon
terri….. that is a remarkable thought! i have never heard that before. fascinating! not woo-woo, lol…..
boychik, i’m feeling a bit better today…. stressed to the max. i have until 11:59 pm to finish a massive project and then an exam tuesday. no idea how this is going to work. none.
stephanie, i’m so sorry i couldn’t comment on your lovely tea! i don’t remember it at all =0(, but i have another bag =0)
Drink, yes. You should be drinking enough to urinate about 2L a day – when you’ve got kidney stones, output decreases dramatically, and it’s how I know I’ve got to start drinking more liquids. Increase your fiber intake slowly and keep it there – it helps get rid of the calcium and oxalate (sp?) that turns into kidney stones. Reduce salt where possible. Also, find teas with (or add yourself) some nettle leaf, which will promote urination and help flush things out to reduce the pain. I actually have a tea for this somewhere with a horrible name and okay taste, and it usually reduces/removes the pain for me in a day or two. I’ll see it has any of your known allergens in it, and if not, I’ll send some your way ASAP.
You’re going to have a bad association with this tea now, I bet! And don’t apologize! :)
Oh my. Feel better!
thanks Kaylee….. it’s been a stupid month, lol. random beyond random.
Geez…so sorry for all your pain :-(
I have had kidney stones before
(In the hospital with projectile vomiting from the pain)
I have also had many serious eye issues, torn cornea,
ulcers on cornea, cellulitis in my eye (hospitalized AGAIN)
I just said a prayer for you, and now I am going to drink
a cup of tea in your honor ;-) Creamy Earl Grey (DT)
the most relaxing version of my favorite tea.
Seriously, I pray tou are 100% feeling good way before Christmas
You not tou…lol…sometimes I type dislexic
thank you for such kindness CelebriTEA. i am really not a happy drug person normally, and i refused opiates….. but they gave me torridol? which is an awesome anti inflammatory…. that helped alot. i was still foggy, but it could very well have been from pain.
going to make tea now. and study. one last exam. tomorrow.
=0)
GM sample #2/31
The boyfriend requested something “fruity” from the GM sampler, so this seemed like the one to try. This is… interesting. Not what I expected. The honey is the strongest flavor, but it’s not sweet exactly – like someone separated all the honey flavor from the sugar and just added the flavor. Well, the ingredients do say “pollen” so I guess that makes sense. The black tea base is actually a little harsh for my taste – even at 3 minutes I can taste some bitterness. The pear comes through more as the tea cools.
Will try this chilled next. Used 1/3 of the sample (~1.3g, hooray for tiny scales) with 3.5oz water.
ETA: Very good chilled, on the second and third infusions; the sweetness comes through more. The 3rd infusion was looking pretty weak though, so I’ll stop here
Preparation
I enjoyed this tea from Golden Moon. I think I liked the second infusion even better than the first, because some of those harsher notes you mentioned in the black tea soften a bit and the pear and honey flavors become a bit more prominent.
Wow this is one of the bigger samples then! After being REALLY disappointed w/ adagio’s white pear, I have some hopes for this.
Pear is a difficult flavor, because it is such a subtle fruit that is easily overwhelmed. Which reminds me, I purchased the white spiced pear tea from 52 Teas – but I haven’t yet tried it. Perhaps later this afternoon, I shall open the package!
Very true LiberTEAS, the black base concerns me for that reason- not just cuz I don’t care for blacks.
I’m doing a second steep now – will update the post after trying. I’m optimistic, for the same reasons you mentioned LiberTEAS – second steep is usually mellower, and the flavors seemed strong enough to last. Cofftea, I just got the scale a couple days ago, so I’ve been measuring everything. The White Persian Melon sample was only 2g, this one was 3.8 :)
Other people have measured these samples- some are as light as 1.8! :( Mine goes to .01.
Tea Bird – which tea scale did you get? I’ve been looking on Amazon for some but haven’t come to any conclusions yet. Also looked on Upton’s website for theirs ….
Lauren, I know you didn’t ask me but I hope you don’t mind my advice. I got this one and LOVE it. http://www.amazon.com/WeighMax-Precision-Digital-Pocket-Scale/dp/B001QB2N1G/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1271032415&sr=1-16 I, too, looked at the UTI one when I was looking at their matcha sets… but they don’t have the precision of .01g accuracy. W/ low density teas there are is a lot of leaf that goes into .1g or even .05g. Whatever scale you decide on, I would strongly suggest getting one that has a sensitivity of at least .01g. I looked for one even more sensitive but couldn’t find one. I take mine everywhere- it just can’t go thru the xray at the airport.
Mine also goes to .01g, with a max weight of 500g – maybe got the same one?. I’m liking it so far, but obviously have no idea how it’ll do over time. It uses two AAA batteries, which were included. For $15, I’m quite pleased. Link here http://tinyurl.com/y52fga6
Bah! Humbug! All this talk of scales! LOL!
LiberTEAS, no one said you had to like or even use them. But some people do.
Where were you guys when I spent, like, 4 hours on Amazon the other night on scales? Thank you both very much! The more I get into teas, the more I think I need this kind of equipment – I’ve been using my measuring spoons and am a bit disappointed with the highly inaccurate nature of it for tea leaves.
Tea Bird, same brand but slightly different model. I love that yours has a place to put an extra battery! Great for going on vacation.
lauren, my love for whites especially, but also oolongs made me get a scale… measuring them is SUCH a pain in the butt. It also came in handy when my friend gave me some dried spearment and lemon verbena from her garden because the leaf size was not altered in any way. A tea scale probably wouldn’t be as neccessary for someone who drinks mostly blacks.
Tea Bird, I’d love to hear the details of your theory on having a different scale for every type of tea. As much as I LOVE mine and am a complete tea gadget addict, that seems to be over kill even to me lol.
Cofftea: I know that. I was joking. That’s why I included the LOL in my comment.
I am just so anti-gadgetry when it comes to tea… I like it to be simple. This is why I don’t drink as much Matcha as I think I would like to – because I don’t want to get my chawan, chasen and sifter out. LOL! It took me a couple of years before I actually broke down and bought myself a tea kettle, and now, second only to the refrigerator, it is the most used appliance in my kitchen! hehe! The truth is, that if I were to get myself a scale, I probably would find it just as indispensable. I just cringe at that thought though. I don’t like it when gadgets become indispensable. Simple, simple, simple…
The more I get into this new-methodical-way-of-tea-ing, the more I appreciate the posts where the steepsterite posts oz/g to water ratio along with all the other tea parameters (water temp & steep time)! It’s so very helpful to me when I am trying a new-to-me tea!
I don’t have different scales for different tea types; not sure where you got that from, Cofftea. I do actually have a second scale, but it’s for general kitchen purposes with a 1g-5kg range. I wanted a little one for tea in general, and large leafed teas in particular, because trying to measure white tea by the “teaspoon” was driving me crazy.
LiberTEAS, that’s fine… but then why do you even have a chawan and chasen? It seems like a waste to buy something and then not use it.
I’m very into authentic/historic preperation so I use it a lot. That and it’s just my opinion that if I’m going to invest in anything, I want it to come out the best possible… and I am ABSOFREAKINLUTELY horrible at winging it and having it come out both good and consistant.
~lauren, that’s why I do it! If someone loves a tea, I always want to know exactly how they prepared it so that I can try to replicate their parameters. Also so that I can replicate my own, when I get it right ;) Making tea is just like any other recipe to me in that respect.
I think I understand your position, LiberTEAS, afterall teas have been around since 2737 BC (I wiki’d this a while back) and simplicity really does have it’s draw but then again, I am so new to this methodical tea drinking, it does help me define the way a tea is supposed to be in theory (without any guessing on my part). Today, after deciding to drink Jasmine Pearls, I searched hi & lo for some idea of how many pearls I was supposed to put in for 10 oz of water …. LOL.
lauren, I can help you with that… or at least I can tell you what parameters work for me. For EVERY tea that doesn’t have unique steeping parameters (i.e. every Japanese green is different) and chai, I use the ratio of 2.25g of leaf/6oz water… so the number of pearls used would depend on how heavy they are. P.S. this is another tea thats a PITB to cram into a teaspoon:)
Lauren, I got the upton scale and I’m happy with it. It may not be as precise as the other one mentioned but it’s fine for my needs. I tend to experiment with putting in a bit more or less anyway from try to try. It’s the right blend of simplicity and method for me at this point though I can see myself becoming more anal about this as I go along. ;-)
Thanks y’all for the advice, insight & tea scale suggestions! Keep ‘em coming, I’m a learnin’!
Lauren: For me, seven is the magic number when it comes to pearls. That is for my 8 ounce glass tea mug – another “gadget” that I don’t like getting down to make tea. LOL! But I do get it down for jasmine pearls because I do enjoy watching them unfurl and I do get it down for blossoming teas for the same reason.
Cofftea: I have the chawan and chasen because I do enjoy matcha very much. I just don’t enjoy the ceremony/ritual of the gadgets. But, the chasen does give my matcha a nice foamy consistency that I appreciate and I love my chawan… I collect teacups and teapots. I just don’t like to get all that stuff out a lot, because then I have to clean it and put it away. If I were by myself in this house, I’d probably have this stuff out and not have a problem with it… but, hubby kind of loses it when my tea stuff “spreads” LOL
I hate cleaning (anything really) as well. But drinking from a bowl is just way too fun lol. And I also get your point about the spreading… but those things help me enjoy my tea. I found I don’t like my matcha cold, but I have a suggestion for you if that’s something you like. Pour cold water, milk, or a mix of the two in a water bottle, add matcha, and shake- I made cold matcha lemonade (unsweetened) last nite and was shocked at how much it foamed! Being able to screw on the cover really made it easy to shake it good. You could try it hot as well but you’d have to be careful to not melt the bottle. If you’re gonna buy water in a bottle, might as well use it more than once.
I finished watching a movie and I come back to check my mail + steepster and I see about 36 emails in my inbox… it seems it all came from this thread and the talk about scales =]
I have a similar tiny scale like you Tea Bird =]
That’s my fault, Ricky – I solicited their expert advice (if I had done it earlier, I would’ve saved myself a LOT of time perusing Amazon & Upton the other day) on tea scales. Sorry about the inbox explosion! But then again, it’s us! it’s fun! it’s much better getting mail from us than all that spam!
Hey, he’s the one that sets his email settings LOL.=D
Hahah, it’s okay. I don’t mind all the emails. I’m slowly working my way through them =], but they just keep piling up!
For the most part I just delete them and go off my notices.
Notices, notices, notices…. uhoh 1961 notices remaining
Don’t you EVER click on them to clear them out??? LOL at least the number doesn’t go down as you read them (I wish they did though), click it once and it starts over.
Haha, I click on it every once in a blue moon =P
For the most part I only use dashboard, recent/all and email notifications.
LiberTEAS – I just saw your comment – SEVEN for 8 ounces? Oh, I used too many of my precious pearls today! OH NO! I wish I thought to PM you or something and ask your advice … I knew that you really enjoyed jasmine pearls from some comment you had made earlier in one of your posts. Sigh. SEVEN, huh? BUMMED NOW I used 34 for 10 oz.
LiberTEAS… you consider a glass mug a gadget?!
Lauren: Yikes… yeah, that’s a bit too many. Seven has always been my magic number for pearls. If you like a tea a little stronger, you can up by a few, but 34 is a lot for 10 oz.
Cofftea: Yes, because it is not something I use on a regular basis. I have 3 mugs that I use on regular rotation, they hold about 16 ounces of liquid. This is just perfect for my smart brewing system, which brews about 16 ounces of liquid (simplicity at it’s finest) These are a breeze to clean because I can put them in the dishwasher. (simplicity) My regular, essential devices that I use are my mugs, my smart brewing system, a tea spoon for measuring, and my tea kettle. Any variation from these devices are additional gismos or gadgets – niceties that are not absolutely necessary to get the job done – but are nice to have and occasionally give me a little variety on my normal routine. Example: If I want Matcha, I suppose I could simply stir some matcha into my mug with hot water, but, it makes for a better matcha to get my chasen and chawan out and use them. But, I don’t want to have to get these things out every day.
I believe that tea should be as simple as possible. For some, that means weighing on a scale to get just the right measurement of leaves. For others, this means winging it. I’m the kind of gal that likes to wing it. Now my hubby, he’s a planner, and he would – if he were a tea drinker – want to weigh and be precise. I think that’s why we balance each other out so well.
I realize I may have come off as snarkly when I talked about gismos and gadgets, but honestly, I truly have a great respect for it. It’s just not in my nature to be like that. But, for those of you who are, that’s great. I say, keep doing what you’re doing. If it makes your tea more enjoyable that way, that’s cool. For me, it would make my tea less enjoyable and more like math. And I hate math. LOL
Haha LiberTEAS I hate math too. And I’m normally so extremely not type A (I’m not type B either as I have no creative side/talent so I have no clue what the heck I am), but a recipe I can follow and a method for making tea is just a recipe. I normally only make 1 serving of tea at once (I have the ingenuiTEA and love it as well) so I actually don’t do that much math…. only when making chai- and I know I like 4g of leaf in 6oz water for chai so I’ve committed to memory that a 16oz serving would be 10 2/3g.I can be type A, get my tea perfect and not really do much math- yay! lol.
Cofftea: I don’t follow recipes either. LOL
How do you get anything to taste good? Are you just lucky? Maybe if I had your luck I wouldn’t be so tea anal. LOL
I guess I’m lucky. I like to play around with spices and stuff… so I get a general idea of how something is made or what goes well with it and I just play around with it. I have a family with three pretty picky eaters, and I’m the only one cooking, so I must be doing something right because nobody is starving!
But then, cooking is so very much like art for me, and so it’s like a passion. But… baking… that’s another matter all together, I don’t like to bake because measuring and following recipes is essential to successful baking. I can bake, and do very well with it, but I don’t enjoy it as much as cooking because of the need of being precise with baking.
Go figure… I can wing it when it comes to blending, but when it comes to the preparation I need formulas lol.
Baking n cookin by winging. Uhhhh I’m scared :P. Just a tad. Well I can understand winging when it comes to cooking but baking. Hmmm how’d those cookies turn out =P
I am sorry if I was misleading in my post… but I don’t wing it when I bake. I measure, I follow the recipe to the letter. And I don’t like doing it. That’s why I bake far less often than I cook. :)
The scene in Shawshank Redemption where Andy Dufresne comes crawling out of the tunnel into the rain.
That is me today. Crawling through foot after foot, yard after yard, of metaphorical sewage to reach the cleansing downpour of sweet, sweet FREEDOM.
Yes, Steepsterites. I am free. I. Am. FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
At least until mid-January, when the whole process starts anew. But for now, I am going to savor this unadulterated sense of not needing to do…anything. I have big, big plans for winter break, part of which include trying to catch up with what I’ve been missing on this site [I can’t even fathom how long that’s going to take] and inundating you with tea logs [FUN FOR YOU]. Because yes, in true tea dork fashion, I TOOK NOTES when I knew I wasn’t going to be able to write logs on here. If you would have told me a few years ago that I would be jotting down things to remember about a tea in a moleskine so that I could semi-accurately log it later, I would have laughed at you. Just laughed and laughed and laughed. And then apologized, and then probably laughed some more.
So, after being released from my last final of the semester, I turned the kettle on and began an impromptu dance party. Some Ting Tings, a little Modeselektor, a bit of La Roux, a slice of Roisin Murphy and an Under the Influence of Giants track later, I was drinking this tea and laughing madly. Partially because I was so giddy with being finished with school, and partially because of the enormous lack of sleep I have had these past few weeks.
There are very few teas that I would reach for in lieu of this in such a moment of intense celebration. I luckily got my Samovar package in the mail right before studying for finals commenced in earnest, so I replenished my stash of Four Seasons and I drank a fair amount of it while trying to cram every bit of information I could into my already bursting at the seams brain.
It is, far and away, beyond a shadow of a doubt, four monkeys on top of a giraffe, my favorite oolong. It is buttery, and washes into a lightly floral finish as it progresses through the steeps. I will admit that is more expensive than other oolongs I have chanced upon, but considering that I get about 5 cups on the regular [more if I’m feeling patient] from it, it ends up being not that bad.
It is a tea that just makes my inner being sigh and melt into a daze of pleasant complacency. Delicious, intricate, complex, and balanced. Coupled with the unshackling of my SOUL, it made for a singularly fantastic afternoon. [It also motivated me to spend a couple of hours cleaning my car.] I cannot think of anything that would have been more appropriate.
So, brace yourself Steepster. Hide your children and iron your pants, because I’M BACK!
Preparation
YAY!!!!!
irons pants s great to see you back. :D
And half my comment disappeared. Again. Apparently Steepster doesn’t like it when I draw arrows like this <—-
WHEEE! YUMMY TEA AND HAPPINESS. re finished and back among the living and sane and drinking tea! :D Missed having you around, tak-tak. Srsly.
Whooo! The Return of Takgoti!!!!! XD
Sheeee’s Baaaaaaccck (ominous tone). UTIOG FTW
YAY! Go to see you again!
Congratulations. I have always said the best days are full of get-to’s, not have-to’s. Hope you have many over your holidays.
Welcome back! Can’t wait to see what you’ve been sipping on. Already this review has me ready to buy more tea! Technically I guess I should be dreading the slew of tasting notes that are incoming, but…who am I kidding?
P.S. I LOVE SHAWSHANK. Just thought I needed to get that out there. But I think we’ve discussed this before. :P
welcome back! always glad to read your notes. ps: i <3 utiog.
Welcome back!! Great re-introduction. Officially shop’listed. Prepping an epic Samovar order for the new year…
@Mike, I’m doing the same. They’ve been on my list for some time!
@Auggy BOOKOOYASHA! [Sorry, they were saying that on Top Chef and I’ve been itching to say it all day.]
@Angrboda Haha, that’s happened to me as well. Anyhow, thank you! De-wrinkling FTW!
@teaplz Aw, I missed being around, teepee! [Blerg, I cannot think of anything as cute as tak-tak. I really love that. I’ll work on it and get back to you.] Oh, and Brooks was here. So was Red.
@Jillian Coming to a theatre near you in 2072.
@Jason Heeeeere’s takgoti! UTIOG FTW INDEED.
@TeaEqualsBliss Thank you! Good to see you too!
@gmathis That’s fantastic. I see myself using that phrase a bunch in the future. I hope you have a lot of them as well!
@sophistre Thank you so much! And hehehehehe I drank a LOT of tea, so dread away!
@Laura That gives me warm fuzzies! I absolutely love your avatar, by the way. [And utiog is one of those bands that can make me happy in almost any given situation, so when I’m ALREADY elated it just gets ridiculous.]
@Mike Danke! EXCELLENT. Samovar just came out with a BUNCH OF NEW TEAS, too, so I expect my next order is going to be epic as well.
@Bethany WOOHOO! I love domino-ing Samovar love! It gives me much pleasure.
You all rock. Thank you for making a girl feel loved! I’m about to dash to try to finish my shopping but I foresee much Steepster activity in my future.
@Bethany, cool! I was partially persuaded by ms. takgoti’s constant raving but also this video: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2009/08/25/sbiz_tips_samovar_tea.smb/
OK…it was mostly Takgoti’s fault…
That’s it! Anyone else wanna take a field trip to SF????
@Auggy Would love to, but that’s waaaay outta my budget….would make it the most expensive tea around for me. :D
And to think that my wife and I were getting nostalgic about our college days. Thanks for slapping us back to reality. Kinda like a good Assam in the morning.
Yay! You’re back! I’ve missed your tealogs (and you).
@Mike I only do it because I love them so. You will understand soon.
@Auggy YES PLS.
@East Side Rob It’s what I do.
@chrine Aw, hugs! Prepare yourself for the onslaught, I’m about to start diving into what people have been up to. Your dashboard shall be stormed. To quote one of my favorite movies, “At my signal, UNLEASH HELL.”
RE: Samovar
They have the ryokucha, finally. I have been waiting and checking. If you are out, or you have also been waiting, then…probably now is the time to storm the gates. ;)
Also? Reading the blurb for a specific tea on their site, I found myself totally in love with the flavor profile described, only to discover as I was about to click that it would cost me $250.00 for 1.41oz of tea. I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t help but feel that my lifelong love of spicy foods has resulted in a palate that will never, ever be able to properly appreciate the value of quality to quantity that price tag is describing. ;)
Ah, yes. I like to bug Samovar’s owner via email every now and then and he mentioned that their out of stock issue with teas should be more or less cleared up by 2010. Not necessarily that they’ll have everything available all the time, but that they should have either the small can or the large can in stock for teas pretty consistently.
And haha yeah, the Inoka Hill? It’s more affordable in the lounge because you can just get it by the “cup” [though still not inexpensive]. My understanding is that if you don’t really like gyokuros or aren’t very accustomed to Japanese greens, you’ll want to stay away until you are. It’s very strong. I guess it’s similar to trying a super aged pu-erh before getting your palate used to pu-erhs. It’s kind of a waste and unlikely that you’ll enjoy it.
Anyhow, it tickles me so to see more people looking into Samovar! They truly are my favorite tea company. The Ryokucha should be in stock for a while. [Watch it sell out tomorrow.] Fingers crossed, it won’t disappear again anytime soon if at all!
You have me looking into Samovar as well now! All those tealogs / reviews about it, argh. I took a look at it and the ryokucha caught my eye even before I saw you guys posting about it. Samovar doesn’t offer samplers =(, oh if only…
Shh… You may be getting your wish soon.
Haha, have you become their number one customer? ;D
HAH, no, I just like to poke at Jesse with questions from time to time and he is kind enough to answer me.
Maybe I should get you to harass them about better International shipping fees more often. ;D
@Jillian Haha, all I can tell you is that they’re aware of how they rate against other companies and are doing what they can to lower costs. Not much else I can do on my end, unfortunately!
First. Love La Roux! I discovered her at some point in September and listened to her all semester. Go team!
And I desperately need to get more tea…. I’ll have to see if I can get my hands on some of this oolong.
@Micah She’s pretty amazing. I am in love with her eponymous album. And if you get nothing else from Samovar, you should get Four Seasons. I am that dead serious in love with it.
I have had a very productive day, and I think I may just take a little nappy soon. I had some delicious Elderwood and Autumn Song for breakfast, then the mail came and brought my Verdant order! So I packed up all the samples I owe to Cameron B and started on my first seasoning!!! Because THIS arrived today, and it will be my straight black tea teapot.
http://www.shizentea.com/collections/japanese-tea-pot-kyusu/products/banko-yaki-tea-pot-takumi
Obviously you can’t season a teapot without something to drink, so I brewed this yummy offering from Verdant, the LBCG. After I boiled the new houhin, I used the Verdant Zhu Rong to season it. It’s still in there, just soaking up all the goodness!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14689863484/
So for the LBCG-
Method: 1 tbsp, 8 oz, 205 degrees, 30 sec, strainer & mug
Aroma: Dark chocolate, rice, toasted things
Flavor: Wow, this is stronger than I expected! It’s really good, but it’s not meek at all! This has a strong black tea flavor along with the roasty goodness you’d expect from a genmaicha. The chocolate is the only quiet thing about this. It’s there, but its more like a hint that you get once in awhile. I seem to be feeling very Terri-style today, so I added a little maple. Om nom nom. :)
Preparation
Oh, and I’ve read that some people season banko clay and some don’t, and maybe it’s not really necessary, but I don’t care and I did it anyway. :)
Looking good Sars!!! And hell ya, you season if you want girl!
And this tea is full if yums…
That pot is gorgeous! I love the texturing. And hooray, I’m excited for Lady Gaga! :P You’ll have to try it today and tell me how it is.
I was surprised when I saw that you only did 30 seconds. I wonder if I should try it that way and see how it is! I think I did 2 or 3 minutes last time…
Foxy: I figured it couldn’t hurt, ya know? Plus now I have pot seasoning training for when my yixings arrive. :p
Cam: thanks!!!! I will try Lady Gaga next! I did a 30 second, a 45 second, and a 1.25 minute with this one. All were good!
I think it’s good that you seasoned and with Zhu Rong – one of my favorites! And yeah the LBCG sigh – so so good
I find if you steep this western style lower water temp, longer steep – the chocolate really comes forward. Something like 3tsp/16oz 90C for 5 minutes…. tastes like chocolate puffed wheat cake (at least the version I had did – I haven’t gotten my new supply yet – Canada Post has decided that I don’t need it)
I always do this western
I figured that MzHoneyBelle would approve of seasoning a pot with ZR. So there ya go. :)
Dex: chocolate puffed wheat cake?!?!?! What is THAT?
I’ll try this one low and slow next time. 190 for 5 min sounds good!!!!
I also would like to hear about this chocolate puffed wheat cake! :o
I’m making some lemon elderflower thingie in preparation to have before I try my GO in my newly GO-seasoned pot
Lemon elderflower!!!!???!!! Do tell!!!!
You guy don’t know about puffed wheat cake…. !!??!!!
http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2009/10/ooey-gooey-choclatey-puff-wheat-squares.html
I thought it was one of those childhood things that everyone does.
Never heard of it. Looks wonderful though!!!!! I’m saving the recipe :)
Looks sort of like a crispy rice marshmallow treat, but chocolatey! :D
Yes Cameron, it’s sort of like that – you use puffed wheat rather than rice crisy – and corn syrup rather than marshmallows, but it’s the same idea (you can add cocoa powder to crispy rice marshmallow treats – it’s really good..)
Dexter, I like them with peanut butter. My grandma calls them “hooker pookers”, lol!
Whoa!!!! LOL
LOL See I like peanut butter with cornflakes in a similar application. Oooy gooy crunchy cornflakes with peanut butter…mmmmmmm
Sars – my local grocery has a really decent tea section (including Harney) and I saw this brightly colored box by someone named Dr Stuart. It is teabags and I chose the Elderflower and Lemon and it is surprisingly good. Especially for nighttime. Not lifechanging, but I liked it fine. I REALLY like Tea Embassy’s Lemon Lavendar tisane a lot, though I know there are those who do not love the lavendar – I do in that tea. I can send you a couple bags of the Elder-Lemon if you want to try it.
Sure, thanks MzP! I love elderberries/elderflower!
I am totally making those puffed wheat thingies Dex!
I think I will try barley malt syrup in them.
Boiling the corn syrup with the sugar etc makes like a “candy” it’s the glue that gives it the sticky and hold it together. As long as you syrup as the same properties, I think it will be awesome. I still a little in shock that you guys haven’t had this.
Where did it originate, Dex?
Shrug – Mom made it for us as kids, and so did all the other Mom’s in the area – all the kids had it in their lunches at school. I think it’s one of those things that because you grew up with it you assume everyone is doing it.
It’s like honey dill sauce – in my world if you order chicken fingers in a restaurant they will ask – do you want plum or honey dill sauce? Apparently honey dill is a Manitoba thing, one of our little secrets that the rest of the world is missing out on. Is puffed wheat the same thing? Am I the only one who grew up with it?
Plum sauce? Honey dill sauce?
I should have been Canadian.
Plum sauce is the stuff you get with egg rolls and dive Chinese restaurants (in my world we use it on chicken fingers/nuggets too).
http://www.vhsauces.ca/product-detail/Plum-Dipping-Sauce-18.aspx?lang=en
Honey Dill is more of a home made thing – I can only think of one brand of it that you can buy, but most people don’t. It’s quick and easy to make and most people/restaurants just make their own.
http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/blog/2011/11/14/honey-dill-dipping-sauce-recipe/comment-page-1/
That sounds awesome! And I do like plum sauce too. I’m suddenly sad that the only options we get here are barbecue, honey mustard, and sweet & sour. I want plum sauce and honey dill! No fair! :P
I think you guys should start a revolution – honey dill for all!!!
(I can’t even imagine putting barbecue or sweet & sour on chicken fingers – it just seems wrong to me…)
Thanks for the great ideas, Dex! I gotta try that sauce!
Nah, I’ll just go live in Montreal. It’s not a very long drive. :P
LOL there’s no honey dill in Montreal….Poutine you will get in Montreal, but no honey dill…
Ooh that’s the fries with cheese and gravy and stuff all over it, right?
That would be correct – med thick cut fries, fresh cheese curd, light brown gravy = traditional poutine.
That sounds fantastic… I’ll come over to Manitoba once I’m done stuffing my face. ;)
LOL if you came Golobki, Pierogi, and Kielbasa would also be high on the list of must haves…
Mmmmmm food….
(I really want to go to NYC to do the real Jewish deli experience. We just don’t have that here – sure you can get a corned beef sandwich but I don’t think it’s the same…)
italian delis are where it’s at though
apt, my boyfriend is Italian and there’s an import store near us that has a deli. So good! And they have desserts too. Really good cannoli. :D
I miss my Nana and her amazing pierogis. So. Good!!!!
Ok, you know by now I’m a notorious insomniac.
Been drinking this tea every night this week and it has helped a lot sending me into Morphée’s arms. (Morpheus in English?)
I’m not saying I sleep all night, but it induces a certain sense of euphoria, calmness.
This tea was meant for me… I am the restless type, always doing something. I exercised today and did too much. Overachiever, I do pretty much everything “too much”.
This whispers “STOP” to me. Forces me to pay attention and let it invade me with its soothing effect.
It’s a a tea that says “relax, everything is going to be ok”, and I just let go…
It’s jasmine but with such a twist…who knew pine tasted so good. Now I want to go outside and hug all my pine trees to say thank you! Have you ever hugged a tree? If not, I strongly suggest you do.
I lost count of how much I ordered recently…did I get enough? Hope I did, cause I now NEED this, powerful stuff, really…
If you read my profil, you’ll see that music is one of the most important thing in my life with tea and art. Listening tonight to the beautiful music of Black Dub…that voice, instant shivers. (MzPriss, hope you enjoy ;-))
So notorious ;-)
Lol….that’s how we meet at night :-)
Can’t wait for mine to get here!
Mandy, you’re lucky, you’re in the States, it’ll get there in no time!! I have to patiently wait for Canada post to move their butts :-)
Good thing I’m a night owl then :-). Totally love to stay up late, but we can’t all be fairies so I also need my beauty sleep
Lol, I need it too, believe me, not such a glorious fairy after all!!
That sounds exactly like what a glorious fairy would say….your “hiding in plain sight” strategy does not fool me at all!
Hahaha! you are just adorable mj :-)
I got me an oz of Sleeping Bear yesterday. Lets see if it will work on me. Good night ladies;)
Hope it does boychik :-)
Go to bed!
Haha! Kaylee, doesn’t work like that!! How bout yourself?
Well, it’s 3:25am and I’m checking my dashboard every 5 minutes, so it’s possible that I have a bit of a sleeping problem myself.
Haha! Well, I feel less lonely already…although the tea did relax me a lot, it did not send me to bed tonight :-\
Aww, sorry to hear that. But hey, relaxed and not-so-lonely is good too! We should start a Steepster Insomnia Support Group. It will probably have some overlap with the Late Eating and Impulse Purchasing support groups.
Lol.
Reddit is good when you have insomnia, it goes all night.
(I LOVE that song!!) I did actually go to sleep for a change. I’m hoping all y’all are still sleeping
Good to know Marzipan, thanks..but I usually devour books during the night… And wander around Steepster a little :-)
MzPriss, So happy you got your beauty rest for a change!
MzPriss,
(Now it typed your name twice? What’s wrong with my posts lately? Steepster keeps playing trick on me!!)
my dogs are rioting all over the bed. I’m not all the way awake- only had two sips of tea and they’re play-growling and barking
Oh wow, Black Dub is Daniel Lanois and has Brian Blade in it too. This is good!
Black dub was kind of Daniel Lanois’s music project…The signer is Chris Whitley’s daughter. Im glad you know Lanois, not everybody does.
Lol, it must be quite a riot indeed with two dogs in the morning!
Oh yeah, I love Daniel Lanois’ Acadie record – his song The Maker is so beautiful. I love Emmylou Harris’ version and Willie Nelson’s but I love Daniel Lanois’ the very most. I really did like Chris Whitley as well.
Wild dogs.
thanks for sharing music teafairy. really enjoying this, this morning
Happy to give you some of my music vibes with Sil :-) nothing like dancing with a cup of tea in hand early in the morning!!
TheTeaFairy, thanks for the compliment of eight hours ago :-). I went to sleep and just saw it lol
That’s because you ARE adorable mj :-)
Oh wow, sounds like an amazing tea. I wonder if the pine needles open up the lungs. I have asthma and been looking around for alternative supplements and teas.
Ubacat, I don’t have asthma but I have severe year round allergies. I will let you know when I get it if it helps open up your air passages. You know also when I tried some sheng with camphor menthol notes, I felt so much better. White2tea White Whale was unbelievable. I need to write a note for it
boychik – really… hmmmm
shmiracles! I will have your little tea babies for this one :) i think there IS magic in this box after all.
So part of the reason i REALLY wanted to try this tea is that there’s an ongoing joke in my family about mousse au chocolat. My grandmere? She was from belgium and back in the day was one of the few woman in her day to train at le cordon bleu. It was there that she learned to make mousse au chocolat. As the story goes, she taught my dad to cook and shared with him the family recipe for mousse au chocolat. My entire life i have heard about my grandmere and her famous mousse au chocolat. Which my dad promised me when i was about 7, he would teach me to make…which he has never made in his life for us…which he still has not taught me how to make. And folks? i LOOOOOVVVEEEEE real mousse au chocolat…not to be confused with “chocolate mousse,” that they often serve in restaurants here in canada…which never seems as delicious as it ought to be…as the mousse au chocolat that i’ve had in france.
So when i found out about this tea via shmiracles, i had to try it AND coicidentally my parents were in Paris at the time. So my dad got an email from me: If you can manage it, i’d love for you to pick up this tea while you’re in Paris. I figure it’s the least you can do since you refuse to share grandmere’s recipe with me. :) All in fun of course. So now they’re back…and i suspect they found it somewhere in Paris, since i clearly challenged my father, but i won’t know until i see them again.
So for now, i’m content with this sample from Shmiracles…which is downright amazing! I lost track of steeping it..but this is delicious. It’s not sweet, it’s more like a rich dark chocolate mousse. i think with a bit of milk and sugar, this would turn into an amazing cup of chocolate goodness, but i love this the way it is. Dark and sinfully delicious.
Edit: resteep of this in the morning is also delicious!
Preparation
I want some!
If shmiracles isn’t sending you some and my parents DID manage to find some, i will for sure share with you.
Salivating
Man that sounds good!
i’m so glad i got to share this tea with you! i’m gonna totally savor the portion i have left xo
Wow yum
Sounds awesome. Except no, I need to focus on drinking what I have. Haha.
That sounds amazing! :-)
Oh this one sounds tempting indeed – and I have been coveting these tins, so an excellent souvenir from France indeed!
Any chance you can get the mousse au chocolat recipe? If it´s the official recipe from the Cordon Bleu school, it must be known! Good luck with it.
cteresa, i’m hoping to see it someday :)
And just noticed, Héritage Gourmand is absolutely perfect to describe your family´s history with the chocolate mousse!
The MF Héritage Gourmand teas sound pretty amazing. If only the MF site worked on my computer, I’d be in tea ordering heaven. It’s probably a good thing for my bank account that it keeps freezing on me, although I’d love to try some of them one day. Yum! That’s all I have to say.
i wish shipping/duties etc for france to canada weren’t so ridiculous lol
haha Sil I JUST added this tea & the macaron one to my chart & got as far as the payment to see how much it would be. With conversion $99.
UGH I want these.
i think someone had mentioned there are charges added on when they arrive here too. So the only reason i have any MF teas is because my parents or friends have gone to Paris (or through swaps) I DID find a place online that you can order from but it’s a limited selection and obviously doesn’t have any of these special ones. I can share that when i’m home later if you like.
$99 for 2 teas?
Yeah, the other downside is I’ve heard rumors that the tea MF sends to distributors for North America is sort of their…leftovers, like, the surplus selection. Explains why the choice is so limited at the places that do carry it over here. Alas.
Yup Terri, the teas are $25 euros each & $25 euros for shipping.
Sil I did find one site, but this one & the macaron are the only ones I’m interested in.
I like Mariage Frères very much, they are so very reliable to me though they price things at precisely the top end of how much I would ever consider paying for something. I have never ordered from their site though, because I can find their teas locally, including (luckily) a few of their teas by the weight which is so much more affordable. I pay from 7 to 11 euros per 100 grams for their teas by the weight. The regular black and gold tins are usually from 16 to 19 euros though I lucked out on a half price promotion once and got a stock.Their shipping costs usually start at 25-30 euros though they seem almost flat rate, whether you order 200 grams or 2 kilos, it makes little difference to price.
Heritage Gourmand or the yearly Sakuras, or the new Lily of the Valley or the colored cannisters for destinations (Maharajs) or the totally droolworthy glass apotechary style cannisters for teas to do iced (40 euros! 40 euros) are a different thing from their regular tea and priced much more than their loose leaf teas- I think they are geared for tin collectors (they know me very well, b**tards) or as gifts, so they are very expensive IMO, 25 euros and more for a tin of 100 grams of tea. I have so far resisted.
And if you are likely to be tempted, never ever ever check their teapots and teaware. I am ignoring it all, and pretending never ever seen it.
But weird as it is, how expensive their collector tins and teaware and fancy stuff like jellies and all; the loose leaf by the weight regular teas are priced OK indeed – or better said they are priced high-endish for the sort of tea they are, but are usually top quality for the kind of tea they are and worth it IMO.
Oh don’t even get me started on their teaware. So beautiful
Agreed. My jaw dropped the first time I looked at their teaware. First in awe of the beauty, then the price tags, ha.
I’ve never looked at the tea wares, & now I probably never will!
Tony & I have talked about taking a trip to Spain & France. I’ll just have to wait & buy their teas then…whenever that happens…
A few weeks ago, I was invited to a friends birthday party…I brought this tea among others for her to try.
I bought a cute little tea pot for her cause she just started drinking tea. Everyone had to try to come up with the most creative idea to wrap her gifts. My wrapping won, here’s a fun pic of what it looked like:
http://instagram.com/p/rXbVauQh-r/
When she saw this tea, she said the same thing as I always do (Mandy, close your eyes): Spider legs.
http://instagram.com/p/rXvsgEQhw7/
Beautiful long strands of yummy goodness.
She’s not used to this type of straight tea, but she was blown away by it. She said it tasted like baked goods and honey! I praised her for that :-)
It also tastes very fruity to me, like raisins with some kind of boozy notes. (And yes Stacy if you read this, I will submit that!)
Having this tea in the Gaiwan is the best way possible IMHO. I like to brew it “Fairy Style”. But since I have quite a few yixing pots coming my way, I am thinking of dedicating one just for my beloved PTA and TWMB! Cause why shouln’t they have their own brewing vessels?
They certainly deserve it!
WOW that vegetable wrapping is amazing! I love the radish and grape rosette. And I can’t wait to try this tea, I’m supposed to get my order tomorrow! :D
And I love the “spider leg” teas… They remind me of the branches of some dark and ancient gnarled tree. :3
Cameron, this tea is REALLY special! So fragrant… And the veggie wrapping was a lot of fun to do :-)
You’re so right about the ancient gnarled tree :-)
veggie wrap? WOW!
How are you so good at EVERYTHING? lol Nice pics, as usual!
“quite a few yixing pots”…
Just when I think you can’t get any cuter, you wrap a gift. :p
Missy…dunno what hou mean.
Sarsy, eating the grapes was part of the unwrapping :-)
Mj, you should try that some day, the person’s face who you give it to is just priceless :-)
Stephanie, all I needed was fresh produces some toothpicks and a glue gun!
“quite a few yixing pots”… I have failed miserably at my duties. :((
OMG! Don’t beat yourself over this…dex, if it weren’t from you, things would be so much more out of control!!!
(I may have done “things” since yesterday though)
She didn’t do it alone * blushes *
(shaking my head and heading back to my corner to play with my spread sheet – I’m going to be good and not buy more stuff…)
Dexter, i got help from an outsider too, a yixing guru. Oops. i think I may have forgotten to tell you about him.
Yixing guru? Can he/she tell me if my mystery pot is safe to drink out of? I see a whole collection of them in your future ;)
Lol, send me a picture again. Will ask him. Dunno if he can tell from a picture though :-/
Dexter, I’m not guru, but I want to see a pic. I’m quite obsessed with yixing lately
The veggie/fruit wrap is priceless. You are so creative.
Boychick
I have this set from Teavivre…
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/5233884c-3414-40aa-a60f-c5669f922a88_zps0cdbac01.jpg.html?sort=2&o=5
I have this one from Camellia Sinensis:
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/SpecialDarkPot1_zps46ba2ef9.jpg.html?sort=2&o=37
This one from Mandala:
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/mandalaPot_zpsc586f652.jpg.html?sort=2&o=39
This one from Mandala:
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/IMG_2833_zpsac226e36.jpg.html?sort=2&o=47
And this one that I bought locally and I’m not sure if it’s real or not….
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/IMG_27791_zpsc83eabc3.jpg.html?sort=2&o=41
Fairy – I’ll take some better photos and the stamp on the bottom and send them to you some day soon. I agree not sure how you tell from a photo…
I was must gonna say that, thanks.
And thanks boychik…my imagination runs wild sometimes :-o
Dexter, I think it’s safe, it’s looks like purple clay, no weird color. Again I dunno. it looks big. What about smell, sound?
My Camellia one is HUGE – but I seasoned it with Special Dark so that’s ok.
The one in question is about 200 ml. It looks ok, and smells ok to me. The clerk at the store wouldn’t commit to anything other than “clay” – but there was a language barrier. I know it’s not that well made – the lid doesn’t fit completely tight – can’t stop the pour buy blocking the hole in the lid.
It was cute, I was having a bad day – needed some shopping therapy, and I was just excited to have found one locally – so I bought it…
I have 2 new yixing en route…
I love my tiny teapots!
Dexter, I’m more concern with quality of clay than craftsmanship. It’s ok if lid is not tight, doesn’t effect
I understand that it’s the quality of clay that’s a concern – but I’m thinking crap craftsmanship = crap clay… maybe…? I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it yet – it’s cute – it sits on a book case… maybe one day I’ll season it and see if it tastes funny…
Dexter, don’t forget to send me the pics. Try to also take a pics of the inside, it can tell a lot. Also, don’t wait too long, i might not be in contact with yixing guru eternally :-) he was so nice with me, I’m sure he might be able to tell us something if the pictures are clear enough.
Thanks to Magic Carpet Tea for offering a great deal so I could try this. Oolong is my fave. Dates are a weakness. This sounded perfect!
Unfortunately, I learned that there was date sugar in this blend as well. And, upon receiving it, I could see it looked like quite a lot of date sugar. One, I’ve never put sweetener in my tea so am not used to it and thus don’t like sweetened tea for the most part. Two, I have type 1 diabetes. When I have to make calculations for everything else I put past my lips, I definitely don’t want to worry about how much insulin I need when it comes to tea. Tea is my refuge. I’d might as well go eat a piece of bread or a bowl of rice! One of my pet peeves is beverages that include sweetener and aren’t up-front about this. I find it a lot in flavoured matchas.
Another grievance is that this came really, really crushed. I can’t really even identify tea leaves at first glance since it is all crushed together and dusty. It also made it hard to strain. I’m not sure to what extent this is how the tea is blended because the package (an envelope) came pressed alarmingly, uniformly, completely flat. I’m wondering if it got sent as letter mail, which really isn’t acceptable for tea.
It is moderately enjoyable. There was an earthy date flavour that I expected from the combination, but it was a lot more muted than I expected. Especially with all the date sugar! I’m sure I’ll drink the rest of this but it won’t be a re-buy, unfortunately. I think it’s not the kind of experience I was expecting from an oolong blend.
Thanks for the info!
I’d take issue with your statement that date sugar doesn’t contain any kind of “actual sugar”. It is naturally processed from dried dates, which means it’s certainly sugar. It’s comprised of sucrose, glucose, and fructose. As you mention, dates are very highly glycemic (they’re actually what I keep on hand to correct hypoglycemia, since they’re so tasty and act faster than fruit juice!), so of course dried, granulated dates are also. However, steeping dates doesn’t cause a caloric or carbohydrate content in the tea that’s anything more than negligible. Added, granulated sweeteners that will make it into my cup are the worry. You must have added it to the blend for sweetness, so there’s no way around that. But, something being natural does not make it sugar-free or healthier for someone with diabetes. This is why the marketing around agave nectar really bothers me. It contains more fructose than corn syrup but because it’s advertised as natural, people believe it’s not harmful.
The new blend sounds great, and I would definitely be interested in trying a sample. Just to clarify: I don’t have a problem with there being date sugar in your blend, at all. I just wished it had been clearly stated as an ingredient. :)
Wow. I will actually opt out of the offer of a sample after being accused of “libel” by a company from which I bought tea.
You know, this conversation kind of cements my admiration of DavidsTea. There was recently a similar issue with one of their winter blends, and as soon as it was brought to their attention, they apologized for their mess-up (instead of “I’m sorry you had an issue”, which isn’t really an apology at all), offered to make things right, and immediately fixed the issue in all of their stores.
And, frankly, I’m going to take Jessie’s word on what affects diabetes, seeing as how she spends her life watching out for such things, over a company that admits to not knowing the addition of date sugar needed to be mentioned. It kind of makes you wonder what else is being added that they think doesn’t need to be mentioned.
Seeing as how “date sugar” contains, you know, sugars, I see absolutely nothing wrong with her review. Though I had been tempted to try this tea, the behavior of the company here has convinced me that my money would be better spent elsewhere. If nothing else, this should have been handled in a DM or e-mail.
I agree with aisling of tea, especially the part where it should have been handled outside of the comment section, and I should think the company would have had an interest in that as well. This can’t be good for publicity.
But since it IS out here in public, I also find it very problematic that a company requests a customer to CHANGE THEIR REVIEW because the customer doesn’t like the way it was phrased.
Jessie’s review is not an objective opinion, nor should it be. It’s a subjective post about how SHE experienced trying this tea, and from what I can tell she did explain in it and in following comments exactly what her problem with it was and WHY it was a problem.
Jessie doesn’t have to change a thing is she doesn’t want to, because her review is all about HER personal experience of it, and it doesn’t affect anybody else.
The company’s information on the other hand is something that directly affects their customers because the customers have to be able to trust that that information is as correct as possible.
Jessie, good for you, refusing that sample. I wouldn’t have wanted one either if I were you.
I just blows my mind that there is no sense of “We’re so sorry we put your health and potentially your life at risk” coming from the company. They asked others to change their reviews too….it all just strikes me as shady.
We’re a mom and pop operation. Literally, two people who sell one, single blend of tea
This does not mean that you have an excuse to not have your information in order!
Also, I would like to know exactly where it says anybody urged others to shop elsewhere. Because I can’t find it.
(And no thank you, I personally am not interested in your blend, but that’s because I don’t like dates)
I didn’t compare you to DavidsTea, I compared your reaction to an issue to their reaction to the same issue. I would expect their reaction out of any company that mislabeled their teas, no matter how small they are.
I didn’t urge anyone not to buy from you, and neither did Angrboda. I simply said I wouldn’t be willing to buy from you. Others can make their own decisions.
The plug at the end of the comment combined with the “my wife was in tears” comment that was obviously added to make us feel guilty as well as referring to Jessie as “him” kind of cements my decision not to buy or try this blend.
There is something to be said for Public Relations….this thread is doing you absolutely no favors.
The plug at the end of the comment combined with the “my wife was in tears” comment that was obviously added to make us feel guilty as well as referring to Jessie as “him” kind of cements my decision not to buy or try this blend.
This. Also, no, nobody here is being ‘inconsiderate’. If you guys didn’t like Jessie’s honest opinion (and she’s a she, by the way!), that’s not really her problem. It is NOT the customer’s job to mollycoddle the company, no matter the size of said company. If the customer chooses to post a review of the product, it is the customer’s job to do so by describing their experience of it honestly. Which Jessie did.
Why is it inconsiderate to voice an opinion on something one believes is problematic?
Thanks, aisling and Angrboda. This was actually also handled in e-mails, which were rather accusatory.
The initial mention in my review in fact termed it date sugar. From there on out I shortened it to sugar since this is an informal review format and the ingredient in question is sugar. That’s really not misrepresentation.
While I appreciate your suggestion that “obviously dates are going to effect your diabetes,” I understand my condition and what affects it very well, having spent every day of my life from the age of seven observing it. As I previously mentioned, infusing dates or any type of dried fruit doesn’t contribute significantly to carbohydrate content. That’s one of the reasons flavoured tea blends are so great. Consuming granulated dehydrated dates is a lot different from consuming an infusion of dates. My concern here was the labelling, and I’m really glad you updated that and that I could clarify how granulated dates used as sweetener and chunks of dates act differently.
I indeed learned that there was date sugar in the blend before choosing to try it, and wasn’t in danger. But, that was after two emails from me and a mention of it in a discussion on Steepster and not before I bought it. I mention this in the review. I’m not upset that there is sweetener in the blend, since that was an executive decision of the blenders. I just give my opinion on the inclusion of date sugar and suggest that this should be explicitly stated.
I love supporting small businesses, but part of the reason why I respect them is that they have to contend with the big guys. You can’t really expect to be held to different standards, and you shouldn’t advertise your tea on a community like Steepster if you’re going to take issue with customers voicing their opinions. I wasn’t malicious in my review and my intention was certainly not to make anyone feel bad, but as Angrboda stated I gave my subjective opinion. Everyone reading it knows this. I’m not advertising this review and even after all this, I’m not discouraging people from buying from you. Nor have the others commenting here.
You know… this whole thing sort of reminds me of an issue with another company that posts pretty regularly on this site… a company that I personally refuse to buy from now because of my witnessing the treatment of the customer by this company. (Not going to mention any names, but I am sure that some of you probably know which company I’m talking about).
Having been a “mom and pop” operation before (actually, it was just a “mom” operation, just me.) I too poured my heart and soul into the blends I created. I spent nearly a year perfecting my chai. Almost that long with my caramel. My “perfect” chocolate blend took years to create; although I admit that before that, I sold “near perfect” chocolate blends because they were still better than any that I had come across before. That blend was always in a state of being perfected until I reached the perfection point.
Anyway, my point is, I know what it’s like to pour one’s heart and soul into a blend… and how hard it is to read harsh words about the blends. But, you’re in a business, and you have to develop a tough skin and realize that not everyone is going to love your blend the way that you do. There are going to be some people who don’t enjoy it. That’s the way it is. It was a difficult lesson for me to learn as well.
Another difficult lesson for me to learn was how to still treat the customer (even the disgruntled ones) with the respect that they deserve. As a company, the customer is your lifeblood, and it is better to bite the tongue and accept the criticism without taking the stance of “I’m sorry that you have an issue with it” (which makes it sound as though the customer is wrong and you are right) and changing that stance to a more gracious “I’m very sorry. How can I make this right?” This second, more gracious tone validates the customer’s complaint, and makes them feel as though their input is valued, and that is incredibly important. You may not be able to resolve the problem with this particular customer (since dates, date sugar, or date crystals or whatever … is a no-no for a diabetic) but a gracious stance may earn you more customers in the long run.
There are a lot of people out there selling tea. Some may sell it cheaper, some may not have as good a product, but what will keep me coming back is not necessarily these factors but the customer service I receive. If I’m treated well by the company, I’ll be a returning customer.
I do feel the need to point out that I have ordered from companies simply because they handled issues with other customers well. Or like Verdant Teas, they make an effort to listen to their customers and connect with their customers. My wife and I are huge supporters of their teas because of the personal touch.
I have also cut all ties with certain other companies (one of which I was prepared to spend over $150 on) due to poor customer service/relations.
I have to say, I admire Jessie. But I also have to say that if any of my tea friends are considering ordering from this company, I do plan to refer them to this post and let them make their own decision.
Classy.
Hmmmmm… I wonder who “X” might be.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is called a “flounce”.
@LiberTeas, X is just http://steepster.com/Magic_Carpet_Tea with a renamed display name.
I think this whole ordeal, with the deletion of the shop and trying to cover up the Steepster details could have been easily avoided.
http://iheartteas.teatra.de/2011/11/magic-carpet-tea-oolong-date-blend-review/ my review of the very tea in question. :) Thanks!
Thanks Rachel! :)
I feel like you were inappropriately bullied into an apology, though. You say you were corrected and that the tea contains “date sugar,” not “real sugar.” They’ve acknowledged that they understand it is sugar. I can’t believe we were both e-mailed with accusations of being “guilty of libel”. It boggles my mind that they would actually make legal threats when we simply offered our opinons. Your original review didn’t say anything inaccurate, though it may have been in wording that they didn’t like.
And, sorry for the drama, everyone! I hate causing a fuss.
Probably true. I have also just noticed that they are no longer on Steepster, Twitter , and Tea Trade. Crazy huh?
You were just giving your honest opinion on a tea. Which is what this site is all about. Thank you for giving it.
@Dorothy: I knew that. I was just being snarky.
Oh… and Jessie… the drama is not your fault. You were giving an honest review, it was “X” that chose to blow it out of proportion. Not you. :)
That is crazy, Rachel. I didn’t want to discourage them from selling tea or make it difficult for them to do so. But as aisling said, there’s something to be said for PR!
I can’t believe they removed their store over one disagreement. Steepster is a good place to write about your tea experiences, because not everyone has the same tastes. I am sure that someone out there would read Jessie’s review and buy the tea anyway because they love oolong and date sugar. To each their own.
And on the note of libel… really? Dislike and making up amazing claims is something different. I’m sad to see that word being toss around on a tea review site filled with our honest opinions.
Sorry I didn’t catch this sooner. I didn’t realize when the delete request was made that this was the reason. At least everything seems to have calmed down now. If you need any more admin-y things, give me a shout [email protected]
Oh, I have no doubt they’re still watching this thread. I hope they enjoy it! I agree with Jessie, Rachel, you were both bullied into making apologies. All of their stuff, the Twitter, the Shop, the account here, they were all gone within seconds of their flounce. They’re just pouting in the corner like any other three year old not getting their way. I have no doubt that they’ll be back.
And, frankly, at the base of the matter, it seems like their tea was really low-quality anyway, so I’m not exactly counting this as a loss for the tea world.
Also, can we all agree that date sugar is, in fact, a “real sugar”? If it weren’t, then it would be called “granulated dates” or something like that.
This is interesting….
This is something that came extremely fast today and is certainly, in some senses, not a surprise and in some respect, I feel that I owe the tea community something of an apology.
We, at Tea Trade, hosted the Magic Carpet store. I personally assisted them in getting their operation going. We have a number of excellent sellers (many of whom you know here on Steepster), who provide great products and service to their customers. However, the principal person behind Magic Carpet was a known quantity. There were members of our community that were publicly attacked and I had more than one tense conversation with the owner of the company about his manner. We originally hosted two sites (a blog site and the store) for them, but after an incident in the early fall (the second incident this year) we deleted the blog site and I deleted the user account from our system and told him he was no longer welcome on Tea Trade.
The owner and I negotiated a deal, however (though I was told it was primarily going to be Mrs. Magic Carpet, with whom I had very little contact with) to host their sales site. We did so warily but vowed to monitor their activities, knowing full well what Mr Magic Carpet was capable of. Our thinking was that since they (more he) was now in the tea business, there was an ethical burden to behave under pressures of running a good business.
There was a rather public, and shocking, incident that occurred on Twitter about 2 weeks ago that caused us to think again about continued support for their business. That incident came and went and evidence of it has been deleted. And we’ve had no chatter with them on Tea Trade recently, with them only logging in to check orders. From our previous arrangement, they were forbidden to use any of the social features of Tea Trade.
Anyhow, this thread was brought to our attention and, quite frankly, I’m not surprised. I am aware, having watched them for the last 6 months, of what is possible and of the causes for it. I am not at liberty to talk about them, because those are private to the people involved, but they do not excuse inappropriate behavior.
For myself, and my wife Jackie, with whom I operate Tea Trade, I am sorry that the community was subjected to this. I do feel some burden of responsibility for this because we enabled them to operate their business and I am saddened that he was not able to keep himself in check after the chances and help we gave him.
I have personally seen the types of insults that he is known to send at people, some of it has been actually disgusting. I am disappointed that the community even had to put with it and I am deeply sorry to any of you who may have been insulted or offended by him.
Pete Davenport
Tea Trade
Holy monkeys, this blew up BIG while I was sleeping!!! O.O
I’m sorry about all the drama, Jessie, it probably wouldn’t have got this bad if the rest of us hadn’t stuck our noses in where it technically didn’t really belong. Sometimes it’s just impossible to ignore it when we see one of our own getting an unfair treatment.
And Pete, I don’t think you bear any guilt in this. You were willing to give someone a second chance to correct their behaviour, and I think that’s a good thing even when it doesn’t work out.
Wow…yeah, since this whole mess went down, several people have come out to tell about their bad experiences with this particular person. I just don’t understand how someone like that can get into tea, it’s such an awesome, calming, good-vibe kind of thing.
I agree with Angrboda on several points, the first being that it’s hard to ignore it when we see one of our own getting unfair treatment…it’s called a community for a reason. I can just remember being bullied by companies or people and wishing someone else would speak up and show support. My wife read this when it was all said and done and she said “Wow. That was the nicest gang-up I’ve ever seen.”
The second point I agree with is that no one, Pete, Jessie, or anyone else, bears any blame in this except for Magic Carpet Tea/The Tea Show.
The Tea Sh- what, them again??? Are they involved with Magic Carpet? Or are they the same? I’m missing something here…
As I understand it, they are one and the same.
Ha, that doesn’t surprise me one bit. I distinctly remember a certain debacle.
Yeah, that’s what everyone seems to be saying. I don’t know that much about them, but what I’ve seen, I don’t particularly care for.
I agree with you both that no one’s at fault but those in question. And, wow, has it been interesting learning more! It all makes sense now.
I also agree with “the nicest gang-up”! Perfect way of putting it. Thanks for chiming in, everyone. What a great community Steepster is.
Yes it is! Sometimes we come across someone who’s not very nice, but for every annoying person there are at least fifty nice ones. I wouldn’t want to be without. :)
This pair have a massive history of this:
Here’s how they tried to shake done a tea company : http://westiseast.co.uk/blog/weird-seo-twitter-scam/
And here’s how I picked a fight with them
http://thedevotea.teatra.de/2011/10/05/fine-china-as-a-stabbing-device/
But Jesse, you missed a golden opportunity. You should have adopted THEIR methods, and asked for $10 for a good reveiw
GOSH! That guy is seriously scary. That rather makes the debacle I ended up in seem like water in comparison. All we got were a few fatty comments. Oh, and we were all internet newbies. That has all been deleted now, so I can’t link to it. (I possess screenshots, though. Sadly I didn’t think to take any of this thread before the Great Magic Carpet Flounce, but I’ve still got the comments in email notifications. Right now I’m thinking I should hang on to these.)
Wow! This makes their statement in an email that “As a tea reviewer myself, I don’t review teas if I have as many bad things to say about them as you did, because nobody sets out to blend or grow bad tea” even more ridiculous.
In this email they also quoted part of my review in order to complain but ALTERED it to fit their argument. Also in this email? “I’m sorry if you’ve had a nasty experience. If it makes you feel better, we did too. With the coupon that you used, we made no profit off of you.”
I had been curious why the seller’s name(s) weren’t anywhere on their site and they seemed to purposely not sign emails. No wonder!
Angrboda: good call. I’m hanging onto my email notifications too.
Sending good energy to everyone!
Some people scare me, but the amount of totally amazing wonderful people, the nicest people I have ever had contact with, are on this website. Gracious, kind, honest and passionate. That’s you! :)
Wow, I am not wholly surprised that this is the same user as the Tea Show. The bullying techniques are the same.
It appears there have been more than one incidents involving these people, but only those directly involved in each know what had happened.
I am not sure I agree with the “delete the whole thread” method. Would it not be better to flag the threads/comments as potentially offensive, but leave them up so that others can see who these people are – and maybe prevent someone else from being scammed / insulted / bullied?
I agree with DaisyChubb, it’s a truly beautiful thing to see how much honesty and integrity there is here in our little tea-loving community and in the vast majority of the people here – and how the community really comes together to protect/defend one of our own
It depends on whether or not their account gets terminated though. I think when it does, either because someone gets the boot or because they choose to have it terminated themselves, in most places everything they’ve posted would disappear as well.
I’ve seen some places on the internet though where you can get points for good and bad behaviour. Not sure how that works though, seems like it would be an enormous admin task keeping an eye on everybody, but in principle it sounds like a good idea. Then you can get an impression at a glance if someone is being less than nice.
Their argument that nobody sets out to grow and sell bad tea is leaking like a sieve too. Nobody sets out to make a bad cd or a bad film or open a bad restaurant or provide a bad customer experience, yet there are negative, even scathing reviews of such things in the papers every day. A review is, in my opinion, all about the experience of the customer with a certain product, and if that experience is not a good one, that means telling it as it is. A low score and negative adverbs. I was surprised to learn yesterday that there are tea review sites out there that won’t allow mostly negative reviews. I don’t understand that. If you know that everything they say HAS to have a positive spin on it, are they really being honest? Can you really trust anything they have to say about a product? I can’t see why the product of tea has to be ‘protected’ this way. I remember the owner of Golden Moon posting on the boards about how he had taken some of the negative reviews his product had received to hearts, looked for trends in them and used them to try and make a better product and that he felt he had succeeded in that.
Me, if I was given something date flavoured to review and I wasn’t allowed to say anything negative in it, I’d probably have to resort to, it’s tea. It has an aroma and a flavour. It came in the mail. The stamp on the box was pretty. How useful is that?
Finally, yes, Jessie, I’m holding on to mine as well! Gmail is awesome that way. Lots of space and they’re easy to find again later. :) Did you ever change anything in the original review? Shame we didn’t get a screenshot of how it looked at first.
Oh, and DaisyChubb, thank you, you’re very kind. :)
Angrboda, I have a friend who wrote music reviews for a while. The site she contributed to made her revise at least one of her reviews for being mostly negative. It is really confusing, and doesn’t really serve the purpose of a review. That’s why Steepster’s format is helpful to consumers.
The only thing I changed was that my original mention said “date sugar” and the second and third mentions said simply “sugar”. So I added “date” in twice. I wish I hadn’t now, but I was trying to get them to calm down while explaining to them that, in fact, saying “sugar” and not “date sugar” does not constitute libel. This was so silly!
Yeah, I know. Clearly every mention of sugar afterwards, unless otherwise specified, links back to that first mention. If you’re writing something about say gluten-free all-purpose flour, you don’t put in ‘gluten-free all-purpose flour’ every time you mention flour. You just put flour, right?
My boyfriend, when I showed him all this yesterday, (which led back to rereading those other screenshots) stated that clearly this guy has some anger management issues. Me, I get the impression that he’s trying to be a manipulative bastard, only it’s not working because we’re not letting ourselves be manipulated. We’re just getting annoyed. :p
And to put a positive spin on things, look how we’re all being brought together and bonding and stuff! Isn’t that awesome? I think it is. :D
Last 2 days i spent on Planet Jingmai by Crimson Lotus Tea. I think its my 3rd orb since i got it last April. its developing nicely. its thicker,leaves are getting darker. so sweet,almost no astringency, just barely. i used off boil water, that what i do for any sheng, young or middle aged. It was opening slowly and i was patient. ive had some other teas in between. it made me very mellow and relaxed.
i started in 90ml shiboridashi and ended up in 150ml yixing pot. i had to give a room for the leaves explosion!
https://instagram.com/p/BAapeHdBwga/
https://instagram.com/p/BAatmxZBwn3/
Preparation
shiboridashi? what is that? :)
its basically a japanese gaiwan….
Or easy Gaiwan
I still have the two balls I got in the summer. I’m thinking this weekend I’ll finally have one…
@Brian, awesome!
I’ve spent the last three days on one ball in a Jianshui teapot. They’ve got some long legs. I mistakenly started one ball in a 50ml yixing. It just fit so cute in there. Big mistake! :-)
@ Crimson Lotus Tea its still in my Hanwa, its spilling out of it and its 150ml lol
I had two cups in the morning and had to go to bed for a nap ;P
So do I need to find a bigger teapot for it, boychik? How does 18oz sound?
OMGsrsly lol that’s extremely big. 6-8oz pot is fine. If you don’t have that size fill your 18oz in half. Otherwise it will be thin
@Crimson Lotus Tea, what is the gram amount per ball?
Hahaha. :D Yeah, I know. It’s thermos size. I think I have something ~200ml. :)
does anyone know the gram amount?
@kirkoneill 1988. I think they are about 6g more or less.
@Boychik, hmm… weird that it could get so bitter :/
@kirkoneill it’s not bitter, I didn’t say that. Have you tried it and was it bitter for you?
I really appreciate your advice! I have my 4oz porcelain gaiwan, but also a 6oz glass tea pot. Those should be fine, right?
@Kirkoneill1988 they’re about 8g per ball. It varies, but the average is around there.
@ KiwiDelight yes, start in smallest vessel. Then you will have to transfer, leaves would just explode. Like oolong.
@Crimson Lotus I never weighted them. You are right they are bigger than 6g
@boychik, i must have misread it somewhere :/ i apologize
@Crimson Lotus Tea, i see :)
@ Kirkoneill1988 cool , apology not needed . I thought you’ve tried and it was bitter for you. Misunderstanding
:)
My 100th tasting note on Steepster! Thanks to everyone for making this community what it is: a friendly and fantastic hangout for tea fanatics. I visit this place at least a couple times a day (usually more) because it’s just a great place to be!
This was a sample I got with my last Verdant order, and I tried it gongfuish style in my tasting cup, with subsequent short steeps. Like the Laoshan black, the little curly dry leaves gradually unfold into full tea leaves. On my first sip I was immediately hit with asparagus! Thankfully I love asparagus. Next there were green beans. On the second steep the beans were still there but also a bit of toast flavor. Third steeps and after it got really creamy and buttery, almost like the bi luo chun I had a few months back but the sesame oil flavor was not quite as strong. Unfortunately I didn’t try the summer harvest while it was available, but this is a really delicious and well-made green. What can I say? The He family just makes fantastic tea.
Warning: this ended up really long!
I’ve been swirling something around inside my brain for awhile now on the nature of snobbery as it relates to tea and literature, and I think I will finally share it. Without going into too many details, awhile back someone came on the Steepster forums and said something about a much loved tea company that was not nice (or true), and it was pretty snobby too. It got me thinking.
At the time I was working on a paper comparing Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” to Thomas Kyd’s “The Spanish Tragedy”. I had a couple of thoughts on how I think of snobbery, and I think Shakespeare serves as a good example for both of them. First, that sometimes people make things highbrow or “fancy” when the original creator did not intend for it to be highbrow or fancy. Second, that being able to appreciate what is “fancy” does not necessarily take away from one’s enjoyment of things that are not. (Can you tell I just put on my academic writing hat?)
To tackle the first issue, let’s think about Shakespeare and “Titus Anddronicus”. Our society absolutely views Shakespeare as highbrow entertainment. In part, this is an issue of language; the English language has evolved quite a bit since the Renaissance. However I think Shakespeare is largely thought of as highbrow because academia has made him so. How many times have we heard Shakespeare referred to as the greatest author that ever lived? And yet, Shakespeare was far from highbrow in his own time. In later years his troupe performed for royalty on occasions, but if you were a Londoner in Shakespeare’s day you could see one of his plays for a penny. You could also see a bear-baiting for a penny, in fact those took place right down the street. Shakespeare wrote from popular demand; playwrights had to keep up with popular opinion if they did not want to lose a sale to bear-baiting. “Titus Andronicus” is a prime example of this; it’s full of revenge, spectacle, and dead bodies. Revenge tragedies were very popular when he wrote it. People wanted to see revenge and dead bodies, so Shakespeare gave it to them. It’s only now that we make it highbrow entertainment. Likewise, I do not imagine that all tea makers think of making tea as a “highbrow” beverage, but how often do people make it so?
Secondly, I understand that as we enjoy better tea, our tastes change. As I have learned more about literature, I’ve gained a better appreciation of certain authors and books. Five years ago I would not have written a six page paper based off of four lines in a Shakespeare play. However, this knowledge has not made me only happy to read Shakespeare or classic authors. In fact, many of the books I read for enjoyment are new and popular books. I may not feel they are as complex as Shakespeare, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like them. However, there are limits to this; there are some massively popular books out there that without naming titles, I just think are bad. Likewise, there are many teas I might have enjoyed years ago that I now think are bad. What I hope is that I continue to find a balance. I want to be able to appreciate very fine teas as well as the ones that are decent, or middle of the road. I hope that I also always appreciate fine literature, as well as the books that are just decent. I think sometimes we can like things that are not “highbrow”, and things that are fancy don’t have to be fancy.
And if you’re still with me after all that, I award you five gold star stickers.
Preparation
Thanks Bonnie! :)
HOORAY FOR YOU 100!!! As the winemaker at Mondavi told me, he sometimes drank Gallo Reserve which was inexpensive but tasted good even though his wines were more expensive and highly desired. To be a tea ‘snob’ is to have a lack of humility. When you lose humility, you prove that you have failed to learn from tea. You have made a good point.
Congrats on #100!
Congrats no 100!!!
Claire! Amazing, first of all – congrats for 100!
Second of all, I would like to redeem my 5 stars ;)
That was wonderfully written – I’m a theatre student so I followed the whole way (while kicking myself as to why I had never thought of it that way before ;) ) Thank you for opening my eyes to a way of thought that I’ve been struggling with ever since the little forum kerfuffle.
Thank you for putting my feelings into words :)
Very interesting thoughts. I got my bachelor’s in nursing, but took Shakespeare as an elective and when I found out I would be having to write even just a page or two on a few lines in Shakespeare, I was very anxious to say the least! Anyway, I think you make some great points regarding both tea and books.
Congrats on 100 Claire! Now where’s my 5 stars?! You write well enough that even I, a wildlife science major, was able to follow and understand. I agree with Bonnie in that the nature of snobbery/highbrow is the lack of humility.
Loved reading this! What an interesting comparison; I found myself nodding along with you as I read – there are so many things in food, literature, and culture in general that have humble beginnings but somehow stumble into the realm of highbrow, which I find pretty amusing. Lobster and foie gras come to mind as dishes that started out as poor man’s food but evolved into delicacies. Really makes you wonder!
Thanks everyone and 5 gold star stickers to all my readers (and I hope you all have some good tea too)! :)
I wish we could all have afternoon Tea, go to the Theatre for Shakespeare then have a dinner of Lobster and Foie Gras with some good Wine.
That sounds fantastic, Bonnie. I’m down for all of that!
I agree with your thoughts about the snobbery. When I first started really learning about tea, I turned completely super-snob for a while? Tea bags? No thank you. Cream in tea? Gosh, no! Always milk if anything. That sort of thing. All. The. Way. Now, however, I have learned even more and I’ve come to realise that life is just too short for that sort of thing, and if I occasionally drink the odd teabag when there’s nothing else interesting available, then so be it. I can always go home and make something else afterwards. I can’t be bothered to be a snob. It’s way too energy consuming, really.
Totally agree with your thoughts Claire. Well said.
Congrats on 100, Claire! Loved reading your thoughts on tea, literature and snobbery. I agree with Angrboda: life’s just too short. For me, drinking tea is less about education and health than it is about yum. Every cup of tea is made in search of the almighty yum. Your yum may not be the same as my yum, and that’s okay. If my yum is achieved with the help of milk ‘n’ sugar, condensed milk, honey, maple syrup, ‘nog, whatever, that’s okay too. And if other tea drinkers don’t agree with me and cringe at my list of potential additives, well, that’s okay too. =)
Well said.
Thanks again everyone for the kind words. Recently my friend Lauren wrote a post on being inclusive vs. exclusive and it summed up a lot of my feelings on the subject: http://www.falconesse.com/2012/11/14/theres-room-for-everyone-in-the-nerd-house/
I forgot to add there is a lot of swearing in that post, so if swearing offends you fyi!
I think Lauren has the right idea. Why not be inclusive (as long as no harm is being done?)
I agree, there’s no need to make fun of someone because of their interests or lack of knowledge of something. Introduce them to it if you are interested in it instead of excluding them!
A lot of my professors didn’t care for Shakespeare that much. If I remember correctly, a lot of his stuff is basically updated Greek plays? There are all kinds of crazy conspiracy theories involving him too. I liked Macbeth and his psycho wife quite a bit.
Many of his plots were adapted or taken from Greek works, and Shakespeare was particularly influenced by Ovid’s Metamorphoses. While today we see this kind of writing as largely negative, this was the standard for the 16th and early 17th century. If you read a lot of Renaissance literature, you’ll see that authors commonly borrowed from one another or mimicked another person’s work. For some interesting examples of borrowing, read Kyd’s Spanish Tragedy and then Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, or Shakespeare’s Hamlet and then The Revenger’s Tragedy (author unknown). Other fun facts: Shakespeare was not the only writer of his time to write plays called “King Lear” or “Hamlet.” His telling of King Lear has some shocking changes compared to other playwright’s versions. Unfortunately Kyd’s version of Hamlet got lost.
Oh my, this tea…
Ok, I have to admit: this is hands down one of the best friggin Dancong I have had to date.
It’s all citrus essential oils. Orange and clementine’s breeze, rounded by a roasted nutty cashew creaminess.
There’s a peppery finish, the way a good olive oil can be. I also get cilantro notes.
(Ok, note to self: make an orange, cashew, cilantro olive oil salad and drink this tea next time)
The citrus lingers forever and ever. Amen. Get this.
In other news, it’s that time of year here when tons of dragonflies gather above my rooftop, forming a big cloud. There’s literarily hundreds of them. It’s quite a phenomenon. They are so beautiful and whimsical. Iridescent blues and greens…just stunning.
This will last for about a week, every evening just before it gets dark.
You’ll guess, I have a thing for dragonflies. There’s just a mystic aura about them, so intriguing and fascinating.
I’m not superstitious, but I’d like to think they bring good luck. If not, at least I know for sure they bring me joy and happiness, just like this tea does :-)
Pic:
I really liked this tea. A lot.
I love this review! Any chance we could get a pic of the dragonflies? They sound amazing!!!!
Thanks sarsy. I tried. Its does’t come out nice at all, looks more like a blur. But it was very dark due to clouds tonight, will try again :-)
sounds amazing, i hope its not floral.
No, this one isn’t boychik, all roasted, nutty and citrus :-)
I remember the first time I made this…I was in my living room and had all the doors open…brewed it and then went outside for a few minutes and was really confused when I came back in because I knew I had forgotten to buy oranges but smelled them. The citrus notes are fantastic. :)
Yes, it’s unmistakably orange…what’s so amazing is how long the taste stays with you… Like I’m done drinking for a good 15 minutes now and the citrus is sill in my mouth.
Oh I should get it. Especially with free ship I don’t have to think what to include in my order;)
Citrus? UhOh…. I’m not going to like this.
Really happy that you do!!!!
OMG want
Did you buy this one? It’s not lemony though, just very orangey dex…but I know you’re not a fan of anything citrus :-o
Stephanie, it’s really worth trying :-)
Boychik, don’t rub it in please….I’m in Canada, remember? :-(
I need to start saving for a WP order
I’ve heard good things about the Huang Zhi Xiang from Seven Cups
Your first order Stephanie?
But you have awesome Tao Tea Leaf. If not Marzipan I would have to pay &14 in ship ;-)
Lol, I did pay $13!!!! It wasn’t free due to the sale and shipping here was almost as expensive as for you guys,,,,find another argument haha!
No kidding, I don’t pay shipping with WP anyways cause my orders always go over $75 …sigh. Too many good teas!
You had me until cilantro.
Don’t let that stop you marzi, it’s just a very subjective note that someone else would not necessarily find. If you like citrus, chances are you would love this.
TTF, really? but you are in Canada. i didnt know that. I thought those rate for US customers. I know, we have much better ship option almost always. Cilantro? i hate it. its like soap to me. just tell me no cilantro. i dont mind cilantro seed
Lol, cilantro totally tastes like citrus to me, so maybe that’s what my reference is :-) and like I just mentioned ^ ^
, it’s just a subtle note I got, not a “flavour”.
Disliking cilantro is genetic, I just learned that not long ago.
2,000TH!!!!!
That’s right!!! This is my 2,000th tasting note!!!! For those of you who participate in the discussion threads and saw and participated in the contest I was holding…THANK YOU ALL!
I also want to thank each and every one of you for following my notes, liking or commenting on them, feeding my habit, and of course, the Steepster Founders for creating this site. We are a family or some may say a cult even…jk…regardless I LOVE IT here!!! Here’s to another 2,000, eh!?
I thought I would make my 2,000th Tea Note a tea that is used to celebrate something…a flowering or blooming tea.
I decided to try this one and when I took it out of the wrapper that was vacuumed sealed it was in the shape of a heart. This is the first time I have had a flowering tea that was in the shape of anything other than a ball. WOOT!
It completely and perfectly opened in less than 5 minutes.
It had a strong aroma of rose and almost a champagne type smell…maybe…I was just THINKING champagne in celebration of my 2,000th…not sure…but still…it was highly scented for a flowering tea…oh yeah…and JASMINE…it also smelled of Jasmine.
The color of the tea liquid is a light yellow brown.
It is a medium strength type flowering tea taste. It’s NOT bitter AT ALL…it’s not even overly floral tasting which is totally fine with me. It’s a sweeter type taste! It’s very nice. Pleasant. Satisfying. I really like this.
You know…it’s even quite juicy. I REALLY like this. Lovely.
I am going to shoot for multiple infusions on this as well as ICED attempts. YAY! I made it to 2,000!!!!
Now for some AWARDS!!!
The person who guessed the correct DAY was EWA…Congrats!!! That was quite a guess!!! You are the GRAND PRIZE WINNER…lol…that seems so weird to say…what I mean by that is I am going to send you a Mystery Mailing with at least 20 random samplings from my own personal stash!
Katie Cooper…you were so darned close and such a good sport I would like to send you a little something as well. It’s just for FUN!
AND…AmazonV…you took it upon yourself to post and keep track of everyone’s entries! WOW!!! That was AWESOME!!! No one asked you – you just DID it!!!! Thank you! You are such a wonderful Steepster! I would also like to send you a little something in the near future!
So…if you 3 would be able to PM me with your snail mail info that would be great! Thanks so much for participating and for the encouragement! It means the world!!!!!
Now…let’s see how many comments we can get in this tasting note…shall we!?
Thanks again EVERYONE!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
Way to go…you did it!
Congrats! I was only 5 days off. Lol.
Yay!!!! Congrats!
Congratulations! What a milestone! Great name for a 2000th tea, too :D
congrats!
EWA…YOU WON!!!! Woot!
Thanks Jason, Ewa, Caitlin, Morgana, Rachel, and Rabs!
Knew I shouldn’t have changed my date- but I figured I always miss epic things like this so I figured you’d reach it the day I left on vacation. PERFECT choice. I’m definitely gonna make some sort of rose/white wine combo as soon as I get a hold of some dried rose petals. I think Ewa should get this in her package:)
DOH!!!!! I only had 1 HEART! It was a sample! I don’t have any left of this…sorry EWA…that would have been awesome tho! DRAT! :P
This is awesomely insane. 2000 notes… I have a long way to go! I don’t even have a decent picture up yet :-P Congrats.
Congratulations! An achievement we can all aspire too…
Ok, the fact that it was in the shape of a heart is just insanely cute and I am kind of glad you only had one because I might have died from cute overload if I saw it in person :P
Man, I can’t believe I won. I CAN SEE THE FUTURE: There will be trouble in the middle east! You will meet a mysterious stranger! Now is a good time to try new things! Your luck numbers are 5 26 2000 32 3 and 10!
Woot, go Ewa!
Congrats to Ewa, Katie Cooper, and AmazonV as well :D
Caaan you feeeeel the Steepster looove toniiiiight?
Woah 2000! Thats so amazing, congratulations!
I’m half tempted to delete my “like” and all my comments… When I get up in the morning I’m gonna have 2,000 notices! …just from this tasting note alone! =D
Congrats, Ewa!
Congrats!!
Congrats Ewa! You little fortune teller you! ;)
Holy monkeys and congrats! So much tea! :)
Congrats Tea=Bliss on 2000th! Way to go girlie!
Congratulations! You’ve set the TeaBar for us all to aspire to :) i wish there were pictures of this pretty, and fabulous, 2,000th tea. And thank you squeek
Congrats on your 2000th note! Look forward to another 2000!
Big congrats! Can’t wait to see another 2000 notes! ;-)
Might I mention if you follow one more person you’ll be following 1800=D
COngratulations!
All you Steepster peeps rock! It’s stuff like this that makes us happy to work on Steepster :D
Oh! Cofftea…soooooo observant! :) Thanks for noticing!!! :)
Well I have been stalking your profile for the past 75 tasting notes or so lol!
WOWZA, girl! :P
The tea sounds amazing. And definitely congrats on the 2k notes! Can’t wait to see you hit that 3k milestone as well! haha
weeee congrats to both of you :D would really like to see a photo of this flowering one if u maybe took it…
You drink so much tea it practically boggles the mind. I joined the site not too long after you did, I think, and I’m still creeping up on my 1K mark! XD
Congrats to Ewa, Katie, and AmazonV. _
Happy 2,000th tealog TEB!! Now imagine a singing voicemail of that to the tune of happy bday. =)
Congrats to Ewa, Katie, and Amazon! Can’t wait to read your tealogs and see what TEB send you.
Congrats to TeaEqualsBliss and the winners. Now we have to get ready for the 4,000th tasting note. I still say the day after tomorrow.
LOL @ Dan!
Thanks everyone!
Congrats! You deserve it! 2000 tasting notes! That’s crazy, I make it my mission to catch up to you someday haha :D
Congrats on 2000 and what a beautiful tasty tea to celebrate with! Also, congrats to Ewa, Katie and AmazonV! Look forward to reading the many tasting notes to come!
If you never had this tea before, I apologize for what you are about to read…
A bowl of toasted cereals with chocolate and malt. And raisin cinnamon bread toasts…with Nutella spread on top. In a cup. That’s what this is.
And I just drank the last of it… Verdant order, wherever you are, you better show up at my door. I ordered a shitload of this tea and I’d like to have it now please. Thank you.
LOL My order is still in Chicago – so several days away yet, but soon you will have MOUNTAINS of this soon!!!
I’ve never even tried this and I kind of want mountains.
Ah! My order came in today! Probably won’t have a chance to try it till next week though xD oh well. This note makes me even more excited though!!!
Your tasting notes are great. You had me right up until you mentioned Nutella. Not a fan of Nutella. :)
I love this one very much, too. :)
(Noooooo!!! That was not helpful Dexter….considering we did order at the same time.)
Mandy, it’s really, really, really good!
Ost, not try it until next week while it’s sitting in your house? you are a master of self control, I admire you :-)
Roughage, lol, it’s just a tiny little note of hazelnut and chocolate I get, hence the nutella reference, don’t let it scare you ;-)
Nightshifter, hard not to like this one, right?
I got my shitload yesterday and right after I finish this cup (my last cup until the mail gets here) of COCOA AMORE, I’m going to make some of my very own LBCG!! Very happy!
MzPriss, Did you open the pouch and sniff it yet????
Of course! I got this awesome ceramic canister at TJMaxx on Sunday (big enough to hold it all) and I’ve already put it into the canister an I lifted the lid and smelled repeatedly and I’ve just had it since yesterday evening. It’s gonna be a chocolate morning
Haha, this cracks me up! So I have to ask. What amount quantifies as a “shitload”? I am so glad this finally arrived. Can’t wait for the rest of you to get your orders!
Haha, this cracks me up! So I have to ask. What amount quantifies as a “shitload”? I am so glad this finally arrived. Can’t wait for the rest of you to get your orders!
hardly a shitload…8oz?
And MzPriss might have gotten slightly more…
Slightly more…not a lot more. LTF – you don’t think 8 oz is a shitload?
Well, since I use 1 big tbsp per cup, it’s almost as if it was just 4oz really…
Well that’s true – I like the way you think LTF
Yay, mine is coming soon! And if I do love it as much as I remember (I needed a refresher), I am buying mountains of this too.
I have a shitload of this…I always buy the 8oz option, & I think I have 2 backups in the attic.
Maybe I should drink a cup now?
I say yes! And I will as well :)
ok, then it’s next in my Q
Meeeee tooooo!!!!
My kettle is on
YAY! LTF – Sars is a huge enabler…..
Are you not at work?
Nope. I’m home. I was too tired and I’m doing some work here
maybe we should try that Google + tea party I’ve been talking about
Terri, I’m almost “tech illiterate” for these things…would have to learn how it works first and that could take a looong time :-O
It’s the kind of chat we hear each other talk?
I don’t know much about it either. I want to try it. I do need to try and see if I really can’t get even a 30 minute nap so I can try to go in
I feel like that should be in the commandments of tea or something : When you fall in love with a particular tea, thou shalt order shitloads of it.
TeaterTotter….I fully endorse that commandment.
I second that motion!
How exciting! I am sorry your plans went awry, but to get to go in a DAVIDs Tea! You make this tea sound mouth wateringly good.
Congrats on the Breville you are gonna love it!!
enjoy your journey in NYC Ninavampi, but it seems your wallet will remember it ;)
Congratulations on your Breville purchase, and on your first visit to DT. How exciting! =) If it weren’t such rotten timing, what with Sandy and all, it would be great fun to gather the few of us regulars who live in the area and have a little tea party. Maybe you’ll get invited to the marathon directors’ programme again next year and we can plan something then?
Enjoy the rest of your stay, and have a safe and pleasant journey home. =)
Hurray for the Breville! You’re going to love it!
I can’t wait to try this one…I smelled it on Halloween, just before it was released, and I haven’t had a day off to go and try it since. Soon though, soon…
I just landed back in Ecuador with my BREVILLE in one piece and through customs!!! Waiting to go to my city, currently it is pouring rain… Fingers crossed that I will make it today!! Can’t wait to sleep in my own bed, sip my tea and cuddle with hubby and dog!!!
And yes… My wallet will remember this trip well, but it is for the best!
I got some today…made it to the store after work, just before closing. All I can say is <3<3<3!!!
:)
Bummer about the situation but Yay for shopping in new-york!
yay for the breville one touch! i’m buying one tonight, as long as there’s still some in stock. i’m so grabby hands for it!! i can’t WAIT!