tea-sipper select Send Message

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – August Tea #1 -A tea you’ve never tried before

Looking at the fresh challenge list, this tea that I have been drinking for days just happens to fit for this prompt. From derk a LOOONNGG time ago, thank you derk!  I debated about putting the entire BIG piece of this in the infuser, figured this poor tea has waited long enough, and I’m glad I used the entire piece.  It was a slow unraveler.  I may have steeped this the most of any tea, over three days, six big mugs making sure to put the steeped leaves into the fridge for that third day, as I don’t usually steep the same leaves for THREE days. I think it could have kept giving. The flavor was definitely shifting and changing, but it was also difficult for me to tell what those flavors were.  It was also never too strong in flavor.  I steeped delicately at first, then really going for boiling water and long steeps towards the end. The last steep brewed for ten minutes. At first tasting like minerals. Towards the end, the color and flavor of autumn leaves.  I’m not doing this fantastic white tea justice.  But I sure enjoyed it!
After I wrote the above, I read derk’s note on this tea and was pleased to see derk also mentioned it tasted like “minerals” and “autumn leaf”. I feel like derk has the superior tasting ability, so there you go. :D
2022 sipdowns: 91

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – July Tea #10 -A tea from a US company

Last prompt for July!  So judging by the couldn’t-be-more-obvious name, I guess this is a US company…  and a prime time to finish this tea.  The flavor is faded at this point.  It’s an interesting tea when it’s fresh.    This sample was mostly green tea with a muddled fruit flavor.  It’s not aging well, so I’m glad it’s gone.  I wouldn’t mind having more in the cupboard when it’s tamer though.
2022 sipdowns:  90

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – July Tea #9-A tea paired with a biscuit/cookie

I don’t really have cookies around at the moment, so I will go with one of my many COOKIE teas for this prompt.  I always like this one… it’s one of Frank’s blends but it seems like it directly translates into the kinds of teas Anne makes for 52Teas, going for more of the natural route with lots of ingredients to create flavor, rather than earlier teas from Frank which relied on flavorings.  Such a unique blend of white tea, spices, almonds and marshmallow root.  I’d say the almonds should be better chopped for more flavor, but other than that I’d love to see a reblend!  Also, none of my cookie teas were ready for a sipdown, so this is not a sipdown.

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – July Tea #8 -A tea you’ve forgotten about

BUT how do I KNOW if I have forgotten about a tea unless I haven’t actually forgotten a tea?  I’d have to randomly stumble upon it while looking for another tea.  I think I’m just very aware of my tea collection at this point, regardless of its vast ridiculousness… so I don’t think I forget about a tea TOO often.  But this is a sipdown and I haven’t written a first note for it yet, so I’ll go with this one. I “forgot” to write a note for it?  It’s a good idea for a prompt anyway…  I only had a bit of this in one of the David’s samplers I bought a while ago. Let’s just say this tea was not the reason I bought the sampler.  This is one of those David’s blends that SAYS there is white tea in it, but it’s probably a very small amount because it looks like mostly other goodies.  I have never had fresh pom before, so to me this blend just tastes like tartness. And probably pom flavoring if I’m stretching my imagination.  Not bad, but more white tea would have kept it interesting and not tart overload, where I feel like hibiscus is doing most of the job for the pom.   There is a syrupy quality that keeps it pleasant enough for a couple cups, but grateful when it’s a sipdown.
2022 sipdowns:  88

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – July Tea #7 -A tea flavored like your favorite ice cream

Another sipdown I have been dreading.  I have never had spumoni, so it can’t be a favorite ice cream, but this tea WAS a favorite. I miss this shop! Of course I don’t know if this tasted like spumoni, but the flavors here mingled amazingly.  Even steeping it up this final time.  The flavors are still very nuanced and balanced, and I completely forgot there was even coconut here, as it isn’t ruining this.  Three glorious steeps to send this to tea heaven.  Yesterday while thinking of this prompt, I DID drink 52Teas Chocolate Marshmallow Spicier chai.  I would say most ice cream is my favorite, I don’t really have a preference,  but Chocolate Marshmallow might just slightly edge out the other flavors IMO.  But the chocolate marshmallow tea itself was not close to a sipdown, so I’m counting this spumoni tea, simply because it is an actual ice cream flavor.  I bet I’d love spumoni if I had it anyway!
2022 sipdowns:  87

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – July Tea #6 -A lime tea

Time for this one to go!   A rich black tea flavored with lime, yum.  It held up considerably well. But Della Terra had a couple lime/lemon teas that were better. This one was tasty but I think I’d stock up on Tea Gschwendner’s Kaluna Lime instead.  I liked that one even better.   It’s good to know these things after all these years of tea taste testing.  But now it’s a problem of wanting to stock up on one or two teas from each tea shop… which wouldn’t be a problem if shipping wasn’t a problem. 
2022 sipdowns:  85

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – July Tea #5- A blueberry tea

I never did get around to seeing blueberry and coconut as a flavor combination, but I guess it isn’t a terrible idea.  This tea doesn’t taste like much at this point anyway, being so old.  It doesn’t really taste like blueberry OR coconut.   What really is the point of old tea notes from me, other than to say SIPDOWNNNN.   Some teas probably don’t deserve a last sad note saying the flavor is faded when it is very obvious at the number of years the tea has aged that it won’t taste like what it is supposed to taste like.  ah well.  I still remember that amazing package of teas from Nicole that this was included in (as I remember most of the amazing tea packages over the years from you all. :D) 
2022 sipdowns:  84

In unrelated crap news, it’s surprising to me to see that monarch butterflies are now on the endangered species list. Lordy. And the milkweed in the yard has never been better than this year. I saw a monarch land on some of the milkweed yesterday…

OH looks like I have to make a note for this one as I sip it down.  I thought I already did.  Thanks very much for the sample, AJRimmer!  I like that the description for this tea mentions popsicles, as that is what this definitely tastes like – but without sugar.  But maybe I only WANT it to taste like popsicles and really it’s mostly tart.  But today is so hot I was craving a tart hibiscus tea.  So a “popsicle” tea is perfect right now.  Every time I steeped this up, it had the perfect balanced flavor for tartness.  So if I were looking to stock up on a hibiscus tea, I probably wouldn’t mind stocking up on this one.  So I must like it! 
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for full mug // 24 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep?
Steep #2 // just boiled // few minute steep
2022 Sipdowns: 83

I bought a tin of this years ago, have it at least once a year and never get around to writing a note for it. Probably because it’s underwhelming for me.  The leaves look so chopped.  I guess I liked the idea of peach and jasmine for an ultimate summer tea, but the peach isn’t my favorite and the jasmine is never there.  I definitely make sure not to oversteep this.  At least the tin is almost gone already?   At least there isn’t stevia in it?  

Another from Tiffany:)!   Thanks very much.   I have ALWAAYYSS wanted to try this blend and I know how rare it is to snag Necessiteas blends.  So I was especially appreciative of seeing this one in that amazing package of teas.  The blend itself looks good enough to eat with big peanut butter chips and tiny marshmallows.  Also some banana to go with the honeybush.  I will say I have always been a fan of banana & peanut butter sandwiches, and also peanut butter & fluff sandwiches, so this tea has a lot to live up to.  Really, it’s a great dessert tea with all of these sugary ingredients.  A little nutty, a little bit of banana, a lot of sweet.  I really wish for more of those flavors though.   I could try going dry leaf overboard, but I don’t want to go through this tea that quickly! I’m glad it’s one of those teas I have been dreaming about I can check off the TRY list though.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 19 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 10+ minute steep