Teabook

This was a tasty departure from my usual kick-your-fanny-out-the-door black tea rut. Somewhat lighter than a builders’ tea—had a nice toasty, bready feel to it. My sample from K S came in a little pre-measured packet, probably measured for a slightly smaller mug than I used today; a little extra strength/less water would have made it even more pleasant.

I received a few Teabook.co samples from K S this week! Thank you, K S!

These teas are sent in a subscription box. The first box included a double walled glass steeper. An assortment of individual serving pouches is included. When you open the little wrapper, you may expect to pull out a teabag but it is loose leaf, measured and ready to pour in your steeper. It in intended for grandpa style steeping.

The leaves of this one were very fine and I don’t have their steeper, so I used my Stump pot which has a very fine infuser. It worked quite well. I only filled it halfway since it is larger than their steeper.

The tea smells good and tastes good, not bitter even though it is fine. Baked bread that has a touch of molasses in it might be a good description. The flavor does have a little staying power, lingering for a while.

There is sediment at the bottom of the last little cup of tea from the pot, but it didn’t make it bitter. I resteeped the leaves and the color is much lighter now even though I forgot about it. The resteep is noticeably less flavorful , so I think the grandpa style would be better on the greens.

I think this would be a great setup to buy for a tea newbie who wanted to try lots of things and be able to make tea at work easily, while having a nice selection that can be neatly stowed away. I just bought a similar steeper for hubby to take to work.

This would be a good gift for the workplace tea drinker who doesn’t want to resort to cheap bagged tea and can’t have a ton of tea accoutrement around them.

Teabook is a monthly subscription service. What I think is cool and different about it is the tea is in individual serving envelops. The November box that I sampled has 9 dragonwell labelled green, 9 wild black tea / Dian Hong labelled red, and 1 honey sweet green labelled special collection. Also in the first box is a double walled 10 oz glass tumbler. The idea here is to use an individual packet with the tumbler for grandpa style sipping throughout the day.

That’s a cool idea. How does it work in reality? Pretty well once you get the hang of it.

Having never used a double walled tumbler I heated the water appropriately for the dragonwell. Emptied a packet into the tumbler. Poured in the water, replaced the lid and waited for the steep. Opened the lid and burned my lips. Ouch. Safety tip: Leave lid off so it can cool to safe drinking temp. I’m a weenie when it comes to really hot drinks. I like them cool. The tumbler holds the heat well once the lid is in place.

The dragonwell aroma from the tumbler was very inviting. I was afraid the vessel would hide the scent. It actually seemed to concentrate it. Leaving the leaf in the tumbler made for a strong taste but it was not bitter. There is a metal screen in the top to keep the leaf in the tumbler.

Today I am having the red tea (Dian Hong). The dry aroma out of the envelop is just what one wants from Dian Hong. Wonderfully fresh. Having learned my lesson, I left the lid off while it steeped. The brew color is a nice caramel. The leaf sank to the bottom so not sure the screen is so much necessary with this one. The scent is honey malty caramel. The taste is sweet potato and honey with a touch of malt. There is no bitterness. My wife just walked in the room and asked what I was cooking. She said the tea smelled like I was baking something. Yep, delicious tea.

I haven’t made it to the special collection tea yet.

Based on this one month’s box, I would recommend Teabook if you are into subscription services. I do not know if the subscription cost includes shipping.