A single teabag from Ost’s sale! Thanks very much! I had high hopes for a bergamot blend on this blustery day. Upon opening the package, the dry leaf hardly had a hint of bergamot at all. So I guess those only wanting a hint of bergamot would like this? But I like MORE. It’s a good bergamot, so it’s a shame there isn’t more. If I had more than one teabag, using two wouldn’t help add more bergamot because this is a fairly brisk base tea. I wouldn’t use two bags. It would be caffeine overload with two teabags. I can definitely tell there is some assam in there, with its brightness and bread-like flavors, the base itself has a sunny quality. It’s a good base. I’m very glad more of the Ceylon notes were probably drowned by the assam. The dry leaf is a higher quality, nothing like a CTC that you’d find in a teabag. The bergamot is certainly tough to describe… it’s not really lemon or floral. I think it was fruity, like apricots? I don’t know, as again, it’s tough to taste. I think I brewed it as best I could. I certainly don’t suggest five minutes at boiling like the Steven Smith suggests – that would murder this tea. So not the bergamot tea I’d choose, but I wouldn’t mind having more of it when I want an assam with unique bergamot.
Steep #1 // 16 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 7 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
2019 sipdowns: 21
This is You :-D
Profile
Bio
Hi! I love tea and trying new ones – it adds a bit of variety to my day! Books, music, TV & movies are my thing… and tea, of course.
Some of my favorite tea shops (still operating):
birdandblendtea.com
teavivre.com
52teas.com
svtea.com
whisperingpinestea.com
justea.com
harney.com
Dammann Freres
fusionteas.com
Javateaco.com
Lupicia
Octaviatea.com
Davidstea
eco-cha.com
what-cha.com
singleoriginteas.com
teasenz.com
tealyra.com
Mandala
verdanttea.com
Favorite tea shops (RIP):
butikiteas.com
steapshoppe.com
steepcityteas.com
aquartertotea.com
dellaterrateas.com
zentealife.com
angrytearoom.com
theteamerchant.net
joysteaspoon.com
tealiciousllc.com
Rivertea
Specialteas
My icon photo is Richard Mayhew from the graphic novel ‘Neverwhere’ by Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey & Glenn Fabry.
Most of the teas listed in my cupboard are actually sample sizes. I don’t really have 2,000 ounces of tea around here! Many of my teas have only one teaspoon left… maybe two. But I like keeping them in my cupboard list for reference to what I could be sipping. Usually, I write tasting notes once for each tea. I’m still drinking them, just not writing tasting notes each time!
I’m always in search of: Hattialli, Qu Hao black, Jin Jun Mei, teas using marshmallow root.
My dislikes: hibiscus, ginger (unless in chai), turmeric, bee pollen, charcoal type flavors
My ratings:
95-100 – Super awesome deliciousness favorites – cupboard essential
80-95 – Also pretty delicious
65-80 – Pretty good
50-65 – Okay
1-50 – Probably won’t want to sip it again
I’m planning on being a Steepsterer as long as there IS a Steepster, so if you’re not hearing from me, that means something happened to my health… if you know what I mean. (Or as evidenced by the great computer hiatus of 2019, something happened to my computer… I have a dumb phone so can’t access internet on that. As of 12/20/21 my wifi might start getting unreliable.)
Happy sipping!
Location
USA
