Featured & New Tasting Notes
Sipdown (170/176)
So it appears whatshesaid and I are both embarking on our Firefly journey alongside one another as we both drink Adagio’s character inspired teas!
We also both had this one tonight, though I think I had a very different experience with it than she did. I should note that I added milk to my mug of it because once I saw it had Strawberries in the blend I thought this would be awesome with milk!
For me, I picked up heavy notes of strawberries and cream as well as notes of chocolate although they were more background notes. The hibby in this was really hard to detect for me; not that I’m complaining. Something about hibiscus and chocolate just doesn’t sound right to me. Drastically different from whatshesaid (and apparently everyone else who has reviewed this) is that I got a lot of licorice taste in this! Huh. I’m wondering if maybe there was some flavour contamination? Although I can’t think what possibly from. I don’t know; I thought it tasted good with the weird licorice notes, anyway.
This seems like a good blend for Kaylee; I like how flavourful and fun it is. Plus, I’m only on episode four and already they’ve focused on Kaylee eating strawberries twice. This tea kinda reminded me of her ruffle-y pink and white dress too which kinda looked like a strawberry and cream layer cake.
Anyway, pressure’s on to finish the series because I told Tyrell that if I finish it by Sunday I’ll start watching Game of Thrones with him, and he seemed really excited about that.
Next up I think will be one of the Tams or Captain Mal? I don’t know; I guess we’ll see tomorrow night. Thanks again VariaTEA for the sample! I liked this one better than Inara.
Flavors: Cream, Licorice, Strawberry
I’m loving this tea lately. It’s kind of like a cross between our Premium Taiwanese Assam and our Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black except that it would be a much stronger version of PTA. It has a bit of a stronger maltiness but yet also has the sweetness that is present in the Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black. Very interesting. I overleafed a bit so I am getting a nice burst of malt, very close to astringent but not quite. There are some lovely honey, stone fruit, dark chocolate, and fresh baked bread notes. I’m also getting a slight earthiness and some raisin notes. Absolutely delicious!
Lately, I have been all about gardening. This year I planted a nice box of cabbage, basil, tomatoes, and arugula. I also planted a smaller raised box of jalapenos, tomatoes, basil, and arugula. Each year, I will be adding a new box and fruit tree in our backyard until we have too many fruits and veggies. I also planted a pear tree and a bunch of flowers this year. Yesterday, my first jalapeno was harvested and I made some nachos with homemade salsa and guac. So good! Will be starting composting soon. Very excited to get back into gardening after taking a break last year. Anyone else into gardening?
Oh, this tea sounds so good Stacy, added to my shopping list!
Your garden sounds awesome! You seem to have a very green thumb :-)
I am a plant serial killer, everything I touch dies :-( I seem to have a bit of success with herbs (that’s because they kind of take care of themselves!) but that’s it!
I LOVE gardening! Finally figured out how to do it successfully in Texas after many years of fail. Lately I have been taking off for the summers and leaving my garden, so my neighbors get to reap what I sow instead of me. I dream of having a small orchard someday! Your garden sounds awesome!
I love gardening! I’ve got a ton of tomatoes as usual, but I’ve had to switch to F1 hybrids because we have a bad fusarium fungus problem in our soil. I will miss my special heirlooms :( I am also growing several kinds of basil and arugula (already ate all the arugula though) mustard greens, lettuce, kale, radishes, okra, cucumbers, habaneros, thai chilis, eggplant, many flowers, a few strawberries, and blackberries. I put in a grafted tree with half plums and half peaches a couple of years ago but it isn’t producing yet :)
Your tea and your guac both sound fabulous!
A. I now want this tea. B. I like “gardening” but I’m limited to house plants because I live in an apartment. I now have plants at work too…they’re spreading lol
TheTeaFairy-I think this one might by your type of tea. Thanks. I used to be a plant killer but I’m getting better every year and reading up on gardening. Also, I’m very lucky to get advice from my dad and one of my good friends is a crazy gardener. Her backyard is just boxes of veggies (no lawn at all) and her husband is a computer engineer so they built an automated sprinkling system for their boxes. So, I get lots of good advice.
Dustin-I bet Texas would be a very challenging environment. That’s pretty sweet for your neighbors. I’m trying to work on the small orchard. Our yard isn’t crazy large but maybe 10-15 fruit bearing trees would be awesome.
Stephanie-Oh no, sorry to hear about your fungus issue. Wow, sounds like you have a nice selection of fruits and veggies.
mj1851-Hahaha, plant spread. :)
I’m not particularly garden interested, but Husband is. Because we bought a house, he now has his own garden for the first time, so he’s very keen. Personally I’m mostly interested in the prospect of growing our own nearly free food. He’s starting out slow, though. There are a few herbs and some courgettes, which are doing well (this is good because we eat a lot of those and they are relatively expensive) and some beans with sweetpeas mixed in. Four squares with those. I keep an eye on the bean (and that was the bean. Singular. Only one showed up, boo!) daily, but it doesn’t look very healthy. I think it looks like it’s been nibbled. About a handful of the sweetpeas have come up, though, so those are doing a little bit better. Not much, though.
This remains the best Keemun ever for me cause it’s different from any others I have tried. There’s no smoke at all, yay! It’s all about the tea’s glorious floral and fruity fragrances.
No wonder this makes such a great morning tea, it will awake all your senses in no time.
The floral part is not an “in your face” bouquet, but more like the subtle taste you get when rose petals are added to a blend. It’s just very soft and delicate.
There’s a nice little tang in this cup, tastes a bit like a good quality apple cider.
It’s sweet and malty, slightly earthy, and I notice a certain saltiness at the end of the sip.
It’s not a “heavy” black tea, it feels very clear and clean to me.
This was my last cup, as I just used what I had left but it’s a definite restock!
Oh, and Dexter (my dog) gave it the “sniff of approval”! It’s so funny, cause he couldn’t care less about some of the teas I drink, but some will have his nostrils go berserk! I guess he knows something special when he smells it! A true canine tea sommelier extraordinaire ;-)
I love the way “canine tea sommelier extraordinaire” sounds. :D
;-)
Does Dexter desserves this :http://www.lefigaro.fr/sortir-paris/2011/03/22/03013-20110322ARTFIG00678-luxe-ces-enseignes-qui-ont-du-chien.php
?
I’m sure it’s a real dog and real tea sommelier :)
Lol, Ysaurella, that was hilarious and completely ridiculous! I think Dexter prefers his mistress’s comfy rustic bedroom to those fancy hotels…even if they’re in Paris!
(A Cavalli coat might be something to consider though ;-))
I had Indian buffet for lunch and ordered a chai with it. Not the best tea ever but it went really nicely with the meal. SO FULL NOW! Buffets are dangerous!
hehehe, but so good ;)
probably a good time for a nap ;)
Now I am back at work and you’re right Terri, all I want is a nap. Buffet was a BAD PLAN! :P
You got some mint tea around?
I just dug through my tea desk. No mint…I’ve got straight ginger tea, or some shu. Those are my best bets I think!
you can even mix them up
Yeah, I think I might try that :)
Indian buffets are the best! The hubby and I are meeting some friends out for Dosa night tonight. For $12 you get all you can eat dosas, with 25 varieties. I’m going to be feeling like you soon. Hahaha.
I love Dosas! My husband and I made them once. They were trickier than most Indian dishes :) But so good and thin and crispy once we finally got it right!
Oh you gals made me hungry…now all I can think about is eating Naan bread dipped in Dal!!!
Stephanie-Nice! I’ve always wanted to make dosas but they look tricky and we don’t have a great flat grill.
TheTeaFairy I think lentils are my favorite part of Indian food. I love beans and lentils and Indian dishes are the BEST.
Stacy, my husband has a cast iron pizza “stone” (our ceramic ones kept breaking) and it worked perfectly for dosas.
Was it the place by the mall?
Nope, Marzipan that one is no longer a buffet :)
Stephanie-That sounds like it would work perfectly.
Buffets are the best way to go in my opinion! Love the choices.
Good morning my tea slurping darlings!!
I’m in a really mood today! I woke up early during a thunder storm, drifted back to sleep until 9ish, had a hot headache (I ate at Qdoba last night, so probably from some preservative or other chem in their salsa), did some yoga & deep breathing, & although I can still feel something in my head, I decided I wanted an awesome breakfast. Pancakes, berries, maple, & homemade turkey apple maple sausages (let me know if you want the recipe, piece of cake to make).
I wanted a simple pot of black to tea to drink while prepping food, so I went with this one. I love the boldness, the smoothness, & the light smokiness. Now for breakfast!
A good mood? ;)
LOL, yep, A really good mood! Just feeling really happy for some weird reason I have yet to figure out. Why bother trying? I’m just gonna enjoy the day!
Haha, that’s great – enjoy!!
You too! :)
I love being called a “tea slurping darling” ;-)
I knew you would! :)
Thank you, Angel & Teavivre for sharing a generous sample of this tea with me!
I sampled it this afternoon, using my test tube steeper & short steepings. The tiny long leaves opened up nicely & the resulting tea was wonderful, to my taste. The most noticeable quality was a light smokiness, a thick mouth, lush vibrant green taste, & awesome chaqi!
This tea is almost like drinking a raw puerh.
Wow.
This tea is creeamy, eggnoggy goodness.
Dry, it smells amazing. While steeping, delicious. After my timer goes off and I take that first sip….OUT OF THIS WORLD YUMMY
It is truly the creamy eggnog of the name, comforting, enveloping, deliciousness.
And I really needed it today.
On the way into the office, I was involved in a car accident. I was not at fault in the least, but my car is damaged, and is now sitting at a body shop. The girl who hit me, her car is much worse off than mine, and I’m pretty sure she got a ticket. Today was a beautiful day, and apparently this means people get into lots of wrecks on the interstates. Because there were no injuries, we were at the bottom of the list for the police to come write a report. (I needed that report for my insurance.) I spent over two hours this morning waiting on the side of the freeway with cars just whizzing past at high rates of speed. I’m glad everyone was okay.
But this meant that I didn’t get to drink more tea until mid afternoon. I am glad I picked this one. Thank you so much, lolainred for sharing this with me.
I almost forgot. This does one resteep well, slightly less eggnoggy but still good. The second resteep is the nice green base.
Preparation
Glad you are OK! I love this tea, too :)
glad you were not hurt!
What an ordeal! D: Thank goodness nobody was hurt.
Glad your okay.
Thanks, everyone. I’m really glad that no one was hurt, too. It’s just been a long day, and not nearly enough tea was drunk.
Sorry to hear his happened but the big question… did you have any tea with you :-D
Hahah! I’d finished my iced matcha latte and I had a bunch of loose leaf with me, but nothing I could drink.
Sorry for the accident, so glad you weren’t injured…
Oh wow now I want to try that. Going to have to look it up.
Eggnog is one of my guilty pleasures every Winter.
And wow sorry about your accident :c That sucks. I would have been a nervous wreck sitting on the side of the highway that long. >_< At least you had a nice tea to make your day better afterwards!
I was in a mood for sheng today. If somebody told me that I would become puerh obsessed last June I would think that person is crazy. Yes, I see puerh cakes in my dreams and I also place orders in dreams and real life. A lot.
Back to the tea.
5g 150 ml gaiwan 195F
Rinse/ 5/5/7/7/10/15 sec
Nice sweet like bell peppers, juicy and some tobacco.
Later I decided to increase temp to 200F. I like it even more. No bitterness, dried persimmon, some spice and very smooth. It has some orangish tint compare to other young sheng I tried ( those are yellowish-greenish usually)
Im so happy I picked another cake to hoard before it disappears.
Preparation
This is a really excellent Sheng!!!
Best sheng I’ve had so far…except maybe Butiki’s new one!
Yay! This makes me happy! The 2014 version is a delight, too. At first, I was resistant to it, I’ll admit… thinking it could not live up to what I had expected as far as energy and zing from the spring-picked 2012 leaf from the same farm. But I was wrong. Did another session with it on Sunday and was grinning from ear to ear by the 5th infusion, ready for yoga, ready for anything.
Good stuff for sure!
Lol, is there little clouds and little sheep with your little pu’erh cakes in your dreams?
TheTeaFairy, in my dreams I’m stacking bricks and cakes. And I wake up because its not enough space. Haha ( actually its not funny , I ran out of space)
I’m scared of pu’er.
DT – what scares you about pu’er???
donkeytiara, i think you are a black tea lover, so shou maybe more palatable to you than sheng. You shouldnt be scared, just try. rinsing tea and short steeps(like seconds) are essential. you dont even need a gaiwan or Yixing. You can brew it in a steeping basket.
I’ve tried a mild pu’er (I don’t know if they get any milder than Lupicia’s Chocolate & Strawberry Pu’er) :) and it just kind of had this “barn floor” taste to it….. it seems like they are like very complex wines, but do they all have that “barn floor” taste to them?
Special Dark by Mandala has no barn or fishy taste or smell. its one of my favorite.
You tried A&D Yunnan Golden tips and you like it, so now you should find shou with golden tips. This one i liked a lot
http://www.dragonteahouse.biz/golden-buds-mengku-pu-erh-tea-cake-2009-150g-ripe.html
I also like Haiwan recipe with dried fruit notes and leather.
I feel the same, donkeytiara. I’ve only tried one pu’er which was from verdant and although it wasn’t “barnyardy” it was very earthy and seaweedy, and not something I am used to or really like. The mandala special dark always seems like a favorite – I have a mandala order planned in my head with this one on the list.
donkeytiara good puerh rarely has the off taste to it. A blended puerh like you have had will never compare to a full on one with nothing in it. A shot of Special Dark would probably change your mind. Dayi and Haiwan and BoYou brands are good shous also.
mrmopar, I agree with you!
The past two months have been rough medically speaking, I have TMJ from being intubated twice in eight weeks, and doxycycline is making it interesting after meals trying to keep food IN.
Time for the Queen. The is the most comforting tea I think I have ever had in my life. I can not hear the song, “Good Life” by One Republic without thinking of this tea.
Down the hatch and feeling fortified.
I’m so sorry about everything you have been through recently. Hopefully your medical struggles are over and you are well on the road towards recovery. Sending you warm thoughts and wishing you a smooth path ahead.
I’m so sorry, and hope you’ll be feeling well soon.
Massive hugs to you and I hope you feel better!
Past 3 months have been terrible for me as well but at least I’m on the upswing. Get better soon. :)
Wishing you speedy recovery! My father was taking some holistic stuff after chemo and radiation. It did help him.
Delicious! Thank you Boychik!
So bold, yet not too astringent or bitter in any way.
I’ve been so impressed with all of the Damn Fine teas so far. It seems you really can’t go wrong with them! Not sure which has been my favorite so far…maybe the Spring Keemun.
Oh I’m do glad you like them. I’m very happy with A&D. I’d say I drank Caravan the most. Just ordered a new tin;)
Spring is different fro other Keemans I tried( not too many). I like saltiness in it.
I almost tried Caravan today…it was a toss up between these two!
It’s excellent breakfast tea. I wouldnt sample it without food.
I have decided to break this small 100g cake tonight, time to give it some love.
It’s been sitting in its fairy box for a little while now…for real. I was given a special box from a special tea friend. It really moved me cause I like all things fairy and needed a box to store some cakes. When I saw it, I knew right away it would be perfect for my little Mandala cakes. Thank you friend, I think of you every time I look at it :-)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14310294606/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14331713972/in/photostream/
Now the tea. I’m using 5g for my little 5oz glass Gongfu pot.
It’s very clear in colour, beautiful pale yellow.
Seriously, this is almost to good to handle.
I don’t know if there’s something wrong with me, but I’ve been getting lots of peachy notes in tea lately. I get that again, bright unripe peach flesh. There’s a nice bite at the end of the sip, quite strong for a first steep, I like that very much, it tingles my tongue. It’s not on the sweet side, maybe something I’ll get later.
I lost the peach in the second steep, this time I get woody notes, but no smoke. A nice citrusy astringency is developing and keeps my interest growing. I closed the tv and instead, put on the beautiful piano-guitar-violin and baritone voice of The National to better savour the moment. (I promise if you listen to this song till the end, you’ll get chills)
That’s what tea moments are all about for me.
I’ll be sipping my night through this tea, as I know it’s still holding many surprises in its leaves…
I love the box, you are right its just perfect for the cakes. i think you need Autumn Song in there as well.
Thanks boychik, I will keep that in mind for next order :-) I love the size of those little cakes…
I am so afraid of cakes now, after having read a thread in the forum about mold. lol
I love the art on those cakes. That song is sad…
Such a pretty box – I love fairy things too! :)
Sherapop, I’m no expert, but I wouldn’t be afraid of mold if the cakes are bought from a reliable source. If it’s stored properly and never in contact with anything wet, I don’t see how it can grow mold. I’m not aging my cakes so I know they’ll be gone soon. If I was, I’d be asking more advices for storage. Lol, I must have missed that forum discussion.
Boychik, I agree, everything about those cake is artsy, I feel bad when I brake one!
(Sad songs are a necessity sometimes…)
Caile, I see lots of fairy lovers manifesting themselves on Steepster, awesome :-)
(I meant “break” lol)
You supposed to rinse puerh. Some recommend twice for shou. Boiling water kills everything. If you notice some mold discard the tea.
Sherapop, mold is from “excess” humidity and poor storage. If you need to know the good ones to get cakes from just message me with what you are looking for. I keep close check on sellers and prices of cakes.
Sherapop: I know there are other places for info but this has some good info on how to store. http://verdanttea.com/how-to-store-tea/
P.s. I live in Florida and I don’t have any mold on my cakes; they are a couple of years old.
Love this tea! Thanks for reviewing it, my friend! Every time I taste this one, or heck, or even just think about it, I am transported back to the land where this tea was grown. Being able to sip of the various grades of mao cha that were picked there and then make the purchase of their best leaf to make this cake with was a true pleasure.
I really like buying tea from these small producers and will be doing as much of it as I can until I can’t do it anymore.
Things have to be pretty wetly stored for mold to occur. I have only seen mold on cakes once and it was from a water pipe break in a warehouse in Kunming. That’s not to say that mold isn’t an issue – improper storage (in areas that already have mold) and improper curing of cakes can mos def lead to mold problems.
Yum yum yum, thank you Boychik
Sorry I am not feeling super verbose today. I am at Real Job but still recovering from all day outdoor vendor fair yesterday selling my fine art. WHEW SO TIRED!
Good shu helps, though :)
How did the sales go?
You are right, good shu is to the rescue!
Sales were so-so. My first time at this event. Made $100 after booth fees and whatnot. You can never tell what the crowd is after at these mixed events…there were crafts, art, and vintage stuff. Seems like vintage and crafts tended to do a little better. I need to seek out more all fine art related events! I could make a lot more money if I could do out of town shows, probably. Only so much of a market in this small midwest city.
do you have any pictures of your art?
Yeah, TeaBrat I made this for Stacy’s tea art contest in the fall http://twitpic.com/dgw0vg
I blog my printmaking at littlelemonpress.com and sell on etsy at evilducky77.etsy.com :)
how cool! I used to do printmaking back in college, that was over 20 years ago. :)
Ever think of etsy?
Nice TeaBrat! I miss the printmaking press I got to use in college. I can’t afford a big press. My college days were over 10 years ago. Time flies!!!! Now I work graphic design full time.
Marzipan check out www.evilducky77.etsy.com
I don’t get many online sales though. Mostly just use it as a portfolio of sorts.
Origin: Spring 2014. From Feng Qing area of Lincang prefecture. This wild tree varietal grows in the mountainous areas, west Feng Qing township near the Da Si village at an altitude of 2000-2200 meters.
Dry leaf: Very beautiful, appear blackish brown with a purple tint. Look flattened and then twisted. Scents of malt, cocoa, dried fruit.
Method: 4 oz Gong Fu pot 190F 4 grams tea
20” rinse / 45” / 45”
Wet Leaf: More flattened ribbons of dark brown with a smoky cocoa scent.
Liquor: Deep Golden
Flavor: Bright, fresh, lighter flavor than expected. Not too thin or thick on the mouthfeel, just right. Citrus, cream, tiny hint of smoke. Cha qi,,, SHENGadelic !!!!
Absolutely delicious, beautiful, complex, fragrant, fantastic!!!
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7/24/14
Have had this lots of times now, gong fu style but today I tried it Western style in a new little Western teapot that is cup size with an infuser the same size as the pot so it really lets my leaves have room. This tea is always delicious and one of my top ten favorite teas. It is just as good Western style. The flavors are so balanced. You have a lovely citrus note up front, then a creamy note takes you to a smoky effect but very subtle smoke on the nose. This tea is really fantastic to me.
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7/30/14
Brewed this Western style again today. I am waiting for my Gong Fu tray from China to come to me in the mail and I should only brew this tea Gong Fu style. This tea is delicious Western style but it is so perfect to me that it deserves Gong Fu as all teas do really. As soon as I get my cool and large tray,,,I really don’t want to Western brew too much bc Gong Fu is the way!!!!!!!
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8/8/14
My favorite day, my favorite tea. Gong Fu style with my Yixing dedicated to this tea!!!!!!!!!!
Ye Sheng is the tea varietal. Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze var. assamica (J. Masters) Kitam." is a primeval varietal that pre-dates Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica and is a naturally occuring non hybridized varietal. (from Yunnan Sourcing)
ye (Ye4) = leaf (叶 or 葉), or whole-leaf grade of hong cha
hong (Hong) = (红 or 紅) 2 Red, usually in hong cha; or (烘) 1 Bake[d]
Flavors: Citrus, Cream, Smoke
Preparation
Lol, Hurray for “Cha qi SHENGadelic” (also known as tea orgasm)
I am totally loving this post, & TeaFairy’s resulting comment as well!
:D
lol
Oh, just realized this is one of the Teas I got in my recent YS order! Yippee!
Because this has “sheng” in it, does it mean it’s like a pu-er?
This is a fermented black tea. Sheng in Chinese means raw or alive. I am no expert,,,these are just things I have read. This could be material that they could use to press into cakes if they would want but it is loose,,mao cha (translates to unfinished tea).
Ye Sheng is the tea varietal. Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze var. assamica (J. Masters) Kitam." is a primeval varietal that pre-dates Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica and is a naturally occuring non hybridized varietal. (from Yunnan Sourcing)
There’s so much to learn!! :)
I’m back to San Francisco after spending a portion of my weekend at Harbin Hot Springs. The sun and splashing around in the hot water definitely seemed to make my arm feel better. Coming back to SF, it feels foggy and FREEZING! High temperature today of only 61 degrees?!
Anyway I thought I’d brew up some of this sample I got from Verdant. I don’t remember how long I have had this, it could have been years already. I usually appreciate yunnans and this is good this morning, very mellow, no astringency just lots of malt and chocolatey goodness. See previous notes for more details.
Preparation
Bi Luo Chun how I love you. This review is for the spring 2014 production.
When I first met this tea from Teavivre it was in January 2012, so it must have been a 2011 tea. I was blown away. This was a light bulb moment tea for me. I had been drinking bagged grocery store stuff prior to this. I had no idea green tea could taste so amazing. I likened the scent to Cheerios and the leaf to the appearance of upholstery stuffing. I remember resteeping it until it literally had nothing left to give.
Today the leaf is even more beautiful to me with its green and white fuzzy leaf. I notice the temp has been revised upward to 185 F. Pretty sure it was 176 or so before. I went with a 1 1/2 minute steep. The cup looks like white wine and the wet leaf is so aromatic I want to dig in with a fork and chow down. I resisted.
This is buttery creamed corn in a cup with the good kind of lightly bitter bite at the end. The flavors is light and refreshing. It does not overpower the senses, yet you don’t have to search for it either. Very near the top of my green tea favorites list.
Now for the awwww part of my note. Yesterday, as some may have read, we got a Chineranian puppy, which is a mix between a Japanese Chin and a Pomeranian. It is a little 2 pound fuzz ball. I was concerned how Spike our Chihuahua/Russell mix would react. He goes berserk when the cats even walk into the room when he has a toy or a rawhide treat in the floor. Within just a couple hours Buffy the Chihuahua Slayer was allowed to examine and play with both.
My son brought his big 60 pound dog over to meet Buffy. JJ is blind but he could smell her. So he wanted to nuzzle and sniff her up close. Spike growled. Protective and jealous. I think he is smitten. This morning I noticed Spike hanging half out of his bed to make room for his new puppy love. He gave me a pathetic “What are you gonna do” look that us guys understand. I laughed at him. Tell me about dog.
Glad to here all the family members are getting along.
Awwwwwwwwww indeed!!!
Great doggie narrative! Also, glad to hear you love this tea. I have had a number of Bi Lou Chun Teas over the years, and although the flavor of this particular one is not my favorite (I’ve tried both of Teavivre’s 2012 and 2013 harvests), it certainly does have a beautiful appearance.
I like so much about this post. The first loose leaf tea, the description of this year’s fresh tea, the canine experiences. :) I’m glad the new puppy is fitting in so well.
I love puppy stories. :)
That dog story makes me happy :)
Spike and Buffy. Brings me back to my BtVS days, that does. ♥
Buffy and Spike!!! :D
Oh my gosh, I’m awwwing just at the Buffy & Spike names!
When we got the chihuahua, he fit in the palm of my hand. I named him Spike so he would have a tough name. Never made a Buffy connection at the time. The new little fuzz ball should be a blonde but she is black and white. The name was a joke but it caught on.
No real review here, I’ve already written plenty about this tea.
I’ve been enjoying multiple steeps, hanging out in my PJs with my man, having a much needed day off.
That’s all.
Good for you both!
Enjoy both you man and the PJ day :-)
So far, so good!
Sadly, the St. Louis Cardinals are already not looking good in the 1st inning: 4 – 0, San Francisco…
And it’s my favorite pitcher, Lance Lynn
I went out and saw music last night (as I do a lot). The band was one of my favorites I saw at SXSW. The opener was a soul DJ from St Louis who had ALL the great old soul 45s – some Ike & Tina Turner that I don’t have. It was awesome.
PJ days are the best days. :)
Priss, any idea who it was?
(not that I’d probably know…)
Yes, his name is The Soul Selector Tom “Papa” Ray. He talked a lot about music in St Louis
We do have a pretty awesome & varied music scene here!
Yes, so I hear. And also in Springfield right? A couple of friends of mine were in a cool band from there. I love living in Austin because we have great music pretty much every night of the week here. I used to be a DJ for a community radio station and it was soooo much fun.
I have this sample from Dexter3657 from a while back. I tried it when I first got it, didn’t like it hot that time but kept it just in case. I made some iced chai latte a couple of weeks ago using a different chai, and it worked great, so this morning when I read that TheTeaFairy made herself some iced chai latte I thought to myself "yes, yes, that is what I am going to do right this moment. "
So I used the remainder of this sample. Ok, so what I found is that I liked this one iced with almond milk way better than I did hot. Alas, maybe sugar and coconut or almond milk is the great equalizer. That, and a breath of cardamom was the ticket this time. Same steeping method I always do. Steep the chai in hot water as I would any other black tea and then pour it over ice. 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup sweetened chai. Bam!
Haha! We’ll drink cold chai non stop if we keep inspiring one another like this ;-)
For a couple of years I had an iced Chai habit. I think tonight I’ll start of pot of my crock pot chai & strain & chill it for tomorrow. Yeah, that sounds wonderful!
Yes, I have crockpot book here somewhere and they have a chai recipe. This was before I was into tea and found the whole idea quite dumb at the time. Like… Can’t you just do it on the stove? Who needs a crockpot-full of the stuff. Now I’m thinking we are onto something.
I want that recipe! LOL
8 cups water
8 bags black tea
3/4 cup sugar
16 whole cloves
16 whole cardamom seeds, pods removed (optional)
5 cinnamon sticks
8 slices fresh ginger
1 cup milk
Combine everything EXCEPT milk in pot. On high, 2.5 hrs. Strain. Add milk before serving.
*Rival Crock-pot Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes. No publication year available.
Mmmmmm, sounds good and so easy in crock pot, I love no supervision cooking!!! Too much sugar but that’s easily fixable. I have everything right here, might try it tonight…thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I’ve been making mine is the crock pot with only almond milk, no water. It’s pretty damn good, but I’m using a pre-blended Chai (mostly Verdant), & even though I made my own chai a long time ago, who knows where that recipe is?
And I agree, that’s a lot of sugar. I’ll leave it out & then sweeten lightly with either stevia or (more likely) a little maple.
Welcome to the final day of little terri’s Ultimate Sipdown Extravaganza!
31 days of emptying envelopes, baggies & tins! I did a preliminary tea count yesterday that takes into account all of the new teas I ordered this month, & I’m pleased to announce that I will still be under 401! Of course, you can never have too much tea, right?
I saved this final serving of Anxi Fo Shou for today. This is, in some ways, a sad sipdown.
This is such a rich & awesome tea. The first couple of sips don’t seem quite so, but then this chocolate-ness starts building & filling your mouth with every sip, & then lingers on, long after the cup is gone. I steeped everything I could get out of this, & now it is gone. Probably forever…sigh…
But, gratefully, I’ve encountered many amazing teas since I first fell in love with this one. When it comes to men, I’m happy with only one.
When it comes to tea, I guess I’m kind of a …well, lets just say I’m a little wilder in the free love department when it comes to teas, especially black teas. I have many lovers…
“Love the one your with!”
Farewell, Anxi Fo Shou.
I have loved you, but our romance has ended, you are gone.
Fear not, for although there will be many others,
Your memory will linger on…and on…
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So the commotion last night that kept waking me up turned out to be someone being shot to death across the street. I left my house to a swarm of police.
Yesterday was a very surreal day, with me sort of floating through things, unsure as to what was going on, and, when I turned the news on, seeing my house as the backdrop of police activity.
Eeeesh. I’m unsettled. Last night was calm, but I think the whole neighborhood feels a little off right now.
But life keeps going. I have tea to drink, and to go to work, and see a friend, and generally feel odd all day long.
Not my most cheerful steepster post.
<3
So sorry, what unsettling, sad and horrible experience.
Wow! Sending good vibes for you & your neighborhood. And a hug.
Sorry for this terrible event…we’re here for you…
hope police will resolve the case soon as you can feel better and more secure
Oh my gosh, I was wondering what had happened – that is awful!
Thanks guys. Its gonna be very weird this week, I think. Thank you for your vibes and cyber hugs.
Oh, my. Praying for peace and safety for you!
Don’t you hate it when you are awakened at dawn by your phone beeping because the battery is low? I tried to ignore it for awhile. sigh.
I haven’t had much tea lately. I’ve been engrossed in a project – moving the church website. It was made extra complicated because it was on Wordpress with Godaddy and all the wonderful plugins, but it was getting expensive, now it is on Blogger which is free but limited gadgets and not really a static site platform. I made it work anyway.
I went looking for a tiny whisk yesterday to use with my morning cup of matcha milk. Couldn’t find one in our little town. I’ll look when I go to the big city. We do have a sort of small one that I used this morning. It made a nice frothy drink with everything dissolved. Giant improvement over the spoon I was using. My morning addiction has been fed.
Looks like my wife is going to win. I’m going to take her to town this morning to pick up a Chineranian. Apparently a cross between a Japanese Chin and a Pomeranian. I really don’t think we need another dog. She thinks Spike our Chihuahua/Jack Russel mix needs a playmate. I thought that was our job. What do I know. I joked the dog should be called Buffy. My wife liked the idea. I was just kidding
Let me know if you find a mini-whisk at a retail outlet that might be in MO. I am looking for one, too.
My wife is convince Bed Bath & Beyond has them. If you get there first let me know.
Target/WalMart have had them when I’ve been looking for small ones. Not sure what you mean by “tiny” though. My small whisk is about 3 inches long (whisk part only). And I’m almost positive that I have seen the flat whisks at BBB – not sure what they are called but they are generally with the barware? Those flat metal disks with the circle of whisk attached? Seems like those would work well for matcha, but I’ve never tried it.
And Buffy & Spike are of course excellent names for a dog duo. :)
Mini whisks are hard to find, I got mine at Homesense a little while ago, don’t know if they still carry them.
A new puppy! Joyful times!!!! (And patience :-))
The whisk I started to buy at Walmart was nylon. Bamboo and milk can’t be a good combination – and I like the nylon idea with a ceramic mug. The Walmart one is the same size as the one we already have at home but ours is metal. If BBB doesn’t have something thinner and a little longer I’ll pick that one up next time.
Buffy is now kicking butt all over the house. Spike is not sure he is amused. Hope I survive.
May give BBB a try tomorrow; close to church and hey, if I happen to wander into Michael’s, there might be paper crafting stuff on sale, and…
Hope your husband contains his glazing over in Michael’s better than I. Usually I stay in the car and listen to the radio. We both prefer it that way. BBB I like. Lot’s of cool stuff to play with.
Ah, I married an enabler with a somewhat artistic eye. He points stuff out to me :)
I can do Hobby Lobby. Lot’s of fun stuff to play with in there as well. I just bought a dog that already pooped in two rooms. I get enabler. :)
It’s just a puppy, right? Just testing boundaries. I hope to room pooping stops soon!
Training usually doesn’t take too long. I actually find it funny.
The moment has arrived, people. Today is the day I try Port for the first time.
At $22 an ounce, this tea is dressed to impressed. It wears a garment made of pure Madagascar vanilla beans and colourful saffron. (Spanish saffron, not the cheap imitation stuff)
Yep, that’s how Brenden rolls apparently.
But will all that glitter hold enough substance or will it fall flat?
I really want to like it and do it justice, so I decide to meticulously follow the master’s instructions.
Alright, alright, alright … The smell. Oh my, that smell. I could bathe in this. Miaow.
Torture, now I have to wait until it cools down? Or should I burn my tongue just a little?
Ok, I wait.
What I taste is beyond description cause it tastes like no other tea I’ve had before. The first thing that hits me is that creamy exotic vanilla. So different from your generic vanilla flavour. So organic.
Then, the unusual…a fresh eucalyptus mouthfeel is shinning through the base tea. What is this black tea from Dehong, China? I’d be really interested to try it on its own. There’s a certain earthiness to it. Sophistication meets rustic.
I will make sure to extract every little bit of flavour left in these very special leaves.
This is a pure delight, so happy I went with my gut and purchased it, well worth the investment…good job on this special creation of yours Brenden :-)
Omg this sounds divine. I should try. I have a sample but I need a special time for a special tea
Yep, it’s something special…but don’t wait too long, enjoy while it’s fresh :-)
But YS has sale few hrs left. I just can’t think of anything sigh…
Don’t.need.to.know.this.
Haha
No new order…… :))
I’m just going to keep saying it…
(Go fix yourself a cup and forget you saw this…)
This does sound amazing.
Your opening line worked because when I read it I was like “Well, holy HELL!”
Lol!
This is a sample from the wonderful Dexter3657.
Oh, this is a good one.
I keep Bailin Gungfu from Teavivre in stock at all time, I drink it often and it’s easy to compare the two for me without having to do a side by side. Teavivre is more chocolaty and this one more caramely.
It’s grainy and bready with very sweet notes. It’s almost a dulce leche kind of caramel, it lingers in the mouth. I made a strong infusion and there’s no astringency whatsoever, very smooth.
How do I know I really, really enjoyed a cup? In no time, it’s empty, so I run out of words for a proper description cause it’s all gone.
Thank you Dexter3657 for allowing me taste such a wonderful tea :-)
dulce de leche, just had Haagen-Dazs last night. Guilty…
I should try this one. I like Teavivre Bailin Gong Fu, but it’s not my favorite. The only black from my Norbu order that I’ve tried is Ye Sheng Hong Cha – I didn’t really like it… This one sounds more my style. LOL pretty sad when I’m reading your reviews to decide which of MY teas to try….
Boychik, don’t temps me…I’m not a dessert freak, but ice cream is a big weakness…Haagen Dazs rocks…chocolate cherry…mmmmmm!!!!!
Lol, Dexter, try to remember that before placing your next order (look at me giving you advices!)
They also make green tea, but i cannot find it in the supermarket . Pineapple coconut was very good. i only eat 2-3 tsp. just to taste
http://www.haagendazs.us/Products/?utm_campaign=Google|Branded|Exact&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content=haagendazs+portfolio&utm_termhaagen+dazs+green+tea
Btw, have you tried Shang Bai Lin?
Balanced but exploded cupboard = NO MORE ORDERS ;))
Dexter, i say it to myself every day,when i open my eyes. Like mantra, no more orders
Boychik, stop trying to corrupt me with both ice cream and tea!!!!
:-) :-):-) (haven’t tried shang bai lin)
Oh Dexter, Dexter, if only things were that simple…
Boychik – I’ve been saying it for six months now, doesn’t seem to be working for me. I wish you all the best, and if you figure out a way to actually stop ordering, please let me know.
Fairy – LOL it really should be that simple. Just don’t order, but it just doesn’t seem to happen. Paypal is just WAY too easy….
Lol, think about your Paypal annual statement…SHOCKER!!!!!
I’m in denial about my annual Paypal statement…. it couldn’t possibly have been correct. What’s really scary is that I didn’t really start ordering online/Paypal until about April last year – I will have four more months on this year’s…… I’m not even going to look at it.
I think I’m in more trouble because I have puerh addiction. I see tuocha and bricks and cakes in my dreams. It’s serious, no joke. I need help.
You can do group orders. Cheaper and less tea to consume.
At least, if stored properly, those puerh cakes will get better with age!
You are right Steph, time to build a pumidor
My husband has a special fridge for beer, only seems fair ;)
The Ben & Jerry’s limited edition cotton candy ice cream is really good.
dexter – i have a few from norbu you can steal some of :)
Thanks Sil but I have an entire Norbu order here that I haven’t tried yet. :)) I have TOO MUCH TEA!!!!
Welcome to day 30 of little terri’s Ultimate Sipdown Extravaganza!
Yup, my month long festival of sipdown is coming to a close! I’m actually glad, because I have new teas to drink, special teas that I miss drinking, etc. Tomorrow will be the final day of clearing my shelves of anything old, small, or just unloved.
I’ve been working on updating the database, & as I’ve said before, I’ll probably end the month with more tea than I started with, haha. I started with 401, & although I didn’t set any actual goal, I think I’ve been kind of aiming for 250.
This is a really interesting tea, & if you let it warm up in a hot cup, the aroma of plums is outstanding! I could sit around just huffing this, & I did for a few minutes. Something nice to wake up to. Going with short steeps, the tea itself build through layers of Congee rice, sweet plum, a little tartness, & an amazing chaqi. Some of the steeps make me think of Plum Sake, even though I’ve never had anything like that, LOL.
It also really reminds me of a sweeter sister to Master Han’s Wild Picked Yunnan. It has a very similar energy, & a rustic wild quality to it, but coupled with a lovely sweet aftertaste of plums.
It’s silly for me to count this as a sipdown, as I have a new shipment en route, but the newer version is from Spring 2014, so there you go. It’s legit.
277
plummy stuff is great :)
Oh, i do love this tea! It is absolutely outstanding gong-fu style. Never did get the 2014 harvest. i noticed that the 2013 i have has chaged character quite abit since it was “fresh”, it matures very well so dont drink it all at once :)
June is going to be a sipdown month for me….
Stephanie: Yup! Did I send you some of this one?
Dag: I agree whole heartedly with everything you said!
Sil: Good luck with that! :D
yep, kind of reminded me of Dancong :D
Just got 100 grams of this one in. Mow I am glad I did. Nice review Terri, I look forward to trying this one.
MrM, my YS order arrived today, & somebody probably needs to take me out back & shoot me, LOL. I must be crazy, this order is ridiculous, but I’ll enjoy sharing the teas with my BBBB sisters, & can’t wait to start drinking them! :D
i need to place a YS order…or you can do it terri..and i’ll place the verdant order and we’ll swap quantities lol
That’s a real possibility! I’ve already placed the huge order, so anything I bought that you want(pretty much all of their 2014 black teas, & a few puer samples) is an option…
Wow, all of their blacks!?! Thats a huge amount of tea :D
Terri, did you order fr US site? My order fr China is in transit for 2 months already. Not that I have nothing to drink…
Dag: well…maybe not ALL of them…but I did have quite a bit of money in my Playpal account from people buying my songs off iTunes, so lets just say I went a little nuts…lol. I won’t need to order anything from there again until Fall, and really only because I’ll want to try out some of the Fall teas, right?
Boychik: I have ordered from the US site, which comes very quickly, but I usually order from the China site, because the selection is so much bigger, & yeah, it can take awhile, especially if you go with the cheapest transit method. If you’re like me, you’d rather spend your money on tea, rather than on shipping, so usually by the time the box comes I’ve sort of forgotten about it. That makes it like a surprise present!
This time I actually paid for the next to cheapest shipping & the box came in a couple of weeks, but I think my first china order took a couple months.
Anyway, it’s not like I don’t have plenty of tea to drink while I’m waiting!
In case you were wondering…
1) steepster is awesome – you all deserve a kickass YOU ROCK! from everyone in your lives..
2) My tea sister terri made this weekend full of moving and other assorted crap, the best time ever. Lots of mail this week that was like getting cupcakes and fresh gelato for free! and then terri came along and made this tea the icing.
My beloved LB is here again to tie me over until my order gets here. I have a feeling i’ll be blowing through this like nobody’s business but thank you so much terri for the thoughtful accompaniment to the BBB Box. :) I really do appreciate it.
(so of course i’m having it today while i work and move and clean when all i want to do is go for a ride on my bike..in the sun….)
GAME OF THRONES IS AWESOME!!! You are getting to experience some great television :)
Sounds like you enjoyed it! The milk was probably a good idea.
I like your comparison to her frilly silly layer cake dress, I just watched that one actually :)
<3 Kaylee. And GoT! :D I hope you enjoy both shows!