New Tasting Notes
Beautiful fruity high mountain oolong. First steeping gave almost-soapy floral notes, I got hints of peach blossoms and just a touch of citrus leaves. Not as aromatically stunning as the Wu Ling Oolong from Tea from Taiwan, but quite enjoyable nonetheless. The unfurled leaves are very pretty and quite large. The brew is straw colored—darker than the Wu Ling. Three subsequent brewings reveal notes of granny smith apple, honey, and toasted marcona almond. The initial aroma of peach blossoms remains and manifests itself on the palate as well.
Drinking this one at room temperature today! Delightful. This is the first green I have really liked, but it doesn’t “fit” where black tea does for me. It doesn’t satisfy my longing for TEA but I do like it. I feel noble drinking green tea with all the benefits they tout but I do have a philosophy on that. They say black tea has the same benefits as green, just in a smaller amount. So I will drink MORE black tea! :)
Preparation
This smells like Mint, Chocolate, Rooibos, Orange, and Apple.
This ‘brews’ dark and fast.
The ‘other’ ingredients do a great job of giving it ‘more than your average rooibos’ taste. I will say NOW…I am a fan of this!
I can taste the mint, apple, and chocolate, and the yogurt gives it a smooth and creamy dessert-like quality. This is nice! REALLY NICE!
2nd infusion…
still very good! Less charcoal still extremely malty! A little more sweet on the end sip! I really like it! :) YUM!
Two infusions- nice! Did you make this in a big pot, or did you do it more personal-size / gong-fu / gaiwan style? I guess I never though of doing this one more than once in a big pot, since I tend to make a really big pot, and them I’m too comfortable and sleepy-satisfied to make another giant pot.
8 ounce with a stainless-steel strainer :)
ehhhh, not as good as Teaopia. (minus serious points!)
There’s something missing, that certain malty depth that makes tea so satisfying for me. It’s smoky, but still weak. I almost wonder how this one would taste with milk(minus points). The teaopia one was just fine on its own but I had to add some agave here(minus points!!)…
Not much else to say about this one, not when I’ve had so much better. If it wasn’t for that I think this would get maybe five extra points from me.
EDIT: ok so I may have been quick to judge… I tried this with milk and it’s a bit better. Bumping it a few notches. The Teaopia version would be terrible with milk so I assumed the same for this one!
I use this in everything I cook. My wife calls it our “Frank’s Red Hot”. Anyhoo, I recently made a potato soup with this and it is amazing. Completely out of this world. It tastes like a loaded baked potato soup with bacon, but there’s no actual bacon in it! I don’t drink this tea, but if you’re looking for a way to add a lot of flavor to cooking without adding sodium or calories, this is definitely one to keep around!
…I sound like an ad >.>
What an interesting idea, I will try it!
oh my, that is a great idea!! I’ll try it one day soon :)
i agree with you, IB, there is definitely something missing with this version of the tea. the malty depth is a good way to describe what’s missing. thanks!
heh, glad I could help Amanda! :)
I find it a bit scratchy to. Like I need to clear my throat constantly.
scratchy…hadn’t noticed that yet. i’ll have to brew another cup :)
Just after kind and loving tea friends helped to re-stock my pantry, we hit a hot weather stretch that makes hot cuppas a little less appealing. HOWEVER, this tumbler-full got neglected at work (our school district had seven buildings tornado-damaged, so it’s chaos professionally too) and after icing it down at lunchtime, I discovered a real treat! Almost milkshake flavor. SimplyJenW, thanks!
Why can’t I stop thinking about buying this beautiful machine? Why must it haunt my dreams? I think I may need it … N E E D it!!!!
Update: I now own this this glorious machine and I love it! I don’t have a single complaint.
You need it. ;)
I love mine and use it every single day.
Not helping :)
when I get my own place, this will be one of my first investments! haven’t got the space now… *sighs
It’s one of my biggest motivators! lol
I tried to convince my husband to agree to my ripping out our microwave in order to make room for a dehydrator. That didn’t work so I have just decided to embrace appliance mayhem. I have my eye on an ice-cream maker and a whipped filling injector as well. Embrace the mayhem :)
ah I intend to! eventually… but the ’rents are not so tolerant of my tea ocd as Steepster folks :)
fingers crossed I hope to order my breville (finally) in a week or two.
Indigobloom, ahhh roomates. I tolerate action figures and an entire room dedicated to video games, so certain husbands have to suck it up when it comes to my tea OCD ;)
LiberTEAS, you’re a lucky gal! May I ask where you’d be buying it from ? The best price I found was through Williams Sonoma at $245.
If I order it by 7/4/11 I’ll be ordering it from Samovar, because I have the $50 gift certificate for them (otherwise, I’ll have to spend that on tea!) If not, then we will probably go to Sur La Table in Portland and pick one up (or possibly Williams Sonoma).
Jenn: that’s not such a bad deal! Then again, I don’t mind action figures lol
—Mum actually thinks that all this loose leaf is killing my immune system cuz it’s not regulated and who knows what they put in there! Oi….
Indigobloom, mothers find the strangest things to worry about! My mother-in-law gave me a bit of fertility advice the other day. Apparently, all of my moving around (working out) isn’t helping me get pregnant and I need to eat a steak. sigh
oh dear… well, if you like steak, it IS tasty! not sure how it goes with tea though. Maybe a nice Lapsang? :P
They say Mothers know best… but in this case, I’m too much in love (w/ tea) to care!!
I decided to give this tea another try this morning, and it’s just on the meah side of okay. I don’t taste cherry or vanilla, but the black tea isn’t completely objectionable. I drank it. I don’t care to drink it again anytime soon.
I feel a little guilty about my run of negative Republic of Tea reviews lately. I really do think that they have some good blends, I just haven’t been drinking any of those lately :/
OMG! I think I found a way to use up my peppermint!! I got a big bag of it awhile back and have been adding it to some of my teas as a pick-me-up but 50g of peppermint goes a long way….
I hadn’t tried it with Rooibos because I disliked the mint chocolate rooibos, and of course I’d never considered that it was the chocolate part I disliked! ha!
This was an actual “peppermint rooibos” sample so I will have to see if my homemade version works just as well.
Peppermint on it’s own is too much for me, so this is a great way to cut it. and the rooibos adds it’s own sweetness to.
I wonder if the organic part makes that much of a difference? we shall see…
This is a mood tea so no doubt this rating is inflated a bit.
I can’t help it! This is so very soothing, and smooth. Maybe I’ll try it before bed next time instead of my chamomile.
I need to pick up some regular (roasted?) rooibos as well.
Haha, 50 g of peppermint lasts me a couple of days.
lol lucky you! I have so many teas I can’t drink them fast enough. My eyes are so much bigger than my appetite.
Well, I generally have the same problem, but peppermint is just too good not to have a ton of it a day!
EXTREMELY Malty! Very smooth! It also has an interesting charcoal or roasted marshmellow likeness to it! I can also pick up on the honey notes, too! I am going to do multiple infusions of this one to compare…first impressions of this is DARNED TASTY!!!!!! 2 thumbs up!
Thanks to Indigobloom for sending me this! I needed a black tea this morning to wake me up, and decided on this one. I have found ceylon teas to have a pretty sharp citrus taste that can go astringent really quickly. This tea was very identifiable to be of a ceylon black but the strawberry complimented it quite nicely. The super fruity Earl’s Garden from David’s was one tea that did not do it well, and the result ended up pretty bad. Strawberry flavour was not overpowering, which was great, and a hint of cream followed. I felt this one did not need any sugar or anything, and should work pretty well with milk.
Preparation
Many thanks to Lady Londonderry for this tea!!!!!
I had a wee bit of this before with Rose Scented, but this morning is the first time I’m tasting its true character.
It’s really nice! Wine-y, a sweetness – I’m getting that pastry cinnamony flavor I get with some teas – but it’s a little thin. I think I was wimpy with the leaves. I also let it brew a little longer than I usually do (5 min) and I’m getting the teeniest bit of astringency.
I need to make this again with a bit more leaves, and stop the steeping at 4 minutes. If I can preserve the pastry notes – mmmm! This would be a super bargain, and it’s organic to boot! I could see this as being a wonderful everyday drinker!
Oh! And before I forget – completely unrelated to tea – I have another guest post at the blog I wrote the Bronte tea post at. This one is about John Adams and…mushrumps!
http://unputdownables.net/2011/06/10/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-mushrumps/
Preparation
I had a feeling you would like this one! And do try it with a pinch of the Keemun Mao Feng sometime; they blend together beautifully.
P.S. I enjoyed your post and the recipe! I agree that sherry is wonderful in soups. My favorite lentil soup recipe (tomato-based) calls for a quarter cup of dry sherry added at the very end, and that addition gives it a certain je ne sais quoi.
Mushrumps it is, from here on out! We dined at The King’s Arms tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, and loved that the waiter gave us a great lecture on the foods and why they were served as they were, what the colonials would have cooked and how. I also LOVE their ingenuity – folding tables, hidden drawers, convertible furniture! What a time!
any chance the vendor is likely to disclose where the tea actually comes from in China or what varietal leaf it comes from? China BOP sounds like a generic mix or a low grade tea that they are blending for profile….but I bet it makes great cold steeped iced tea
I assume it’s a blend, and Upton lists it in the category “Other Congou,” to distinguish it from the Keemuns. Full description:
“Well-twisted leaves with golden tips, producing a liquor that has the character of a non-smoky Keemun. The Burgundy-like flavor notes end with a sweet, clean finish.”
Don’t dismiss it on the basis of the generic-sounding name; this one is well worth trying. It is a staple in my cupboard.
I dont’ dismiss the tea I question the nature of those who would keep us from truly appreciate its origins….golden tips is usually an indication of the ‘dayeh’ varitetial of camillia sinesis sinesis….though not always…..‘congou’ means ‘finely crafted’ …
Kashyap All of my dealings with Upton have been very good. I’m sure if you asked, they would be forthcoming with more information. I don’t think they are trying to hide anything – I see them more as no nonsense New Englanders :)
I love a single source tea, but blends have their place as every day drinkers for me. I really like this one, Queen Catherine from Harney, etc. I work at an art school and take classes too – I can’t drink $24 a tin Keemun Mao Feng every day (although I’d like to. I dream about it every day to tell you the truth!)
Didn’t wow me as much as I thought it would… The price is steep but the leaf appearance and taste are very similar to Jade Tie Guan Yin, only a little less floral and a tiny bit sweeter. The brew is very mild and tame tasting overall. Nothing spectacular. I was able to achieve three infusions.
