The Spice & Tea Exchange

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Recent Tasting Notes

66

Ok… being brave tonight! Trying my first straight lapsang souchong, courtesy of Indigobloom!

I do love campfire, and smoked meat, so this tea does smell quite good. I just can’t shake the desire to eat a large piece of beef jerky .

Oh man. So smoky. SO SMOKY. Shocker, eh? Ooh, this may not be the best tea to mix with others, as the smoky flavour is lingering in my mouth. It’s pretty smooth… no astringency. Really tastes like liquid smoke in a cup. It’s not actually as strong as I was thinking it could be. I kind of like it. However, I think it’s better blended with other things… brings out the maple syrup Let’s see what this does!

OK! Added way too much. But… I like it! If I add salt will it taste like maple bacon?? Hmm, not sure I want to possibly ruin it. I like it sweet and smoky.

I think lapsang souchong will be a tea for me to mix with others for kicks, not to drink straight. This one’s perfectly drinkable, but I think adding smoky notes to other chocolate teas will be much more fun.

Thanks again for the sample, Indigobloom!

ETA: Second infusion is weaker, but I dosed it with maple syrup anyhow. I suspect the smokiness of this one could last a long time, so I think I’ll stop at two infusions. Or maybe three.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
Bonnie

You got the right idea. I was talking with my tea shop guy and he told me that Lapsang Souchongs are smoked over different woods. Pine, hickory, misquite etc. which would give different smokey flavors. Interesting. I have had a mix with Earl Grey and one with dried Jasmine Flowers and orange peel that was really good.

Kittenna

Well I’m definitely taking a page out of your book with the lapsang blending, Bonnie! You seem to have excellent ideas about different combinations! And now I have a bit to play with and add to things – need to go read your tasting notes to find out what all you said that I’ve forgotten :D :D

Bonnie

Just start with a small pinch because you can always add more if it isn’t enough. Smoke in a floral tea is nice, in Earl Grey is good. If you have Maple like Oh Canada go with a pinch of hickory or applewood salt if you have it but just a very little bit and a pinch of Lapsang Souchong. That’s about all I do.

Indigobloom

hehe glad you like it! I think this is one of my faves. The base is really sweet, unlike some other lapsangs.

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92

Awwww! Indigobloom was incredibly generous and gave me her last/close to last bit of this tea to try for myself! As part of an ENORMOUS amount of other samples! So excited; naturally I had to start trying things tonight, and clearly started with this one :D

Short note b/c I shouldn’t be on here at all. Too much work left.

It smells much like Golden Moon’s Coconut Pouchong to me. Kind of a toasty, tasty coconut flavour. Taste-wise it’s similar, but better. In which way, you ask? Damned if I know :P I suspect it’s the base, actually. I don’t recall exactly what I thought of Coconut Pouchong, but although I liked it, I seem to remember feeling like something was off. Definitely not the case here. I clearly should have brewed up about four infusions of it while I was downstairs, but now am going to have to wait until tomorrow (so tired).

Definitely leaving this on my purchase list for some time in the distant future. It is delicious. Thanks again Indigobloom! :D

ETA: Second infusion, same parameters, is pretty good. Quite coconutty. I would like to taste more oolong, but it’s quite lovely. Perhaps I’ll go for a third before I sleep tonight; we’ll see.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Indigobloom

heheeeee, SO glad you like this one!
You and Azzrian actually split the last of my last bit that I had found.
I think this is the only tea that can move me to order online. I will be doing that in a few months!

Yogini Undefined

Oooh I can`t wait to try this one!! Sounds awesome!

Lucy

Awwwh jeez I wanted to try this one soo bad! I’ve been stalking it’s reviews for a while now. And now I want to try it even more. I will hold off until next next month as I am making a trip to a Davids Tea next week!.. (my wallet hates me I know it)

Azzrian

Puts hands over eyes – I did not see what Indigobloom said. :)

Indigobloom

Okay, so I’ll do a mass order for this one eventually as well! :)

Kittenna

So please count me in on your order – perhaps we could make a joint order? Is there a free shipping threshold? I’ll totally come down to TO for another tea shop adventure to pick it up :D

Indigobloom

Oooh I’m not sure!
I’ll investigate, after May 5!! :P

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87

First Review. I’m a bit under the weather today. Being careful of what I eat and drink with a nausea migraine, I thought this caffeine free Blood-Orange Smoothie might be a refreshing departure from my usual puerh’s and malty black tea choices. Thank’s again to a gift of tea from my son Aaron.

Even dry this smells good. All my life, until moving to Colorado, I’ve been around oranges, lemons, tangerines and all sorts of citrus growing in neighborhood yards. I love the bright and sunny orange in this tea which is so fragrant and scrumptious!

I let the steep go 6 minutes. The flavor is like those orange-slice jell candies with a vanilla smoothness that reminds you of orangesicle ice cream. Intense! I can’t imagine drinking this without sweetening and cream. It would not do justice to the intention of the blend which makes a splendid smoothie. I don’t like to sound like everyone else chattering “It tastes like orangesicle ice cream” but if it does it does..OK!

As far as the other ingredients: There is an aftertaste of uh…apple slice. Look for that. Odd but true. My take on the rose and hibiscus is that while you can’t taste them on their own, they are the hidden slight sourness in the blood orange…the ‘tang’. Clever addition.

This would be a nice tea to pair with a cheese danish…um…or bagel and cream cheese.

TeaBrat

hope you feel better soon! :)

Missy

Migraines suck! I’m prone to them as well. Hope you feel better soon.

Bonnie

Thanks!

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89

I’m going to have a chocolate day today. I have a couple of chocolate tea’s and since I LUV CHOCOLATE I decided to drink them all in one day! Binge!

This has been my favorite chocolate tea. It’s rich and dark the way I love chocolate bars. The other thing I love about it is that the flavoring isn’t sour. I HATE SOUR FAVORING! But as I said, this tea is dark chocolate GOOD!

There’s a sweet little restaurant in town called The Chocolate Cafe.
I’ve taken the grandsons there one at a time for Italian Soda and Chocolate dessert. Lava Cake, Mousse, Creme Brulee to delight my little Princes http://flic.kr/p/cRDTWS. There is something magical about sitting in a lovely space, having a chocolate dessert served on a white plate that is decorated beautifully with berries or chocolate squiggles or powdered sugar, that’s far removed from picking up a cupcake at Whole Foods.
Flowers on the table, Italian Opera softly playing in the background and my little guys know that they are special to Grandma.

Chocolate is never casual like a cheese sandwich or jelly beans.

I made a pot of this tea for my morning wake-up and steeped it for 4 minutes.
My addition of cream and sweetening to this tea didn’t dilute the dark chocolate flavor but made it creamy and rich. It’s so good. I had forgotten how good. I’m totally out! I’ll have to call my son to send me more from the store at Pier 39!

(I just upped the rating on this one…something I’m not doing much on flavored tea’s these days!)
Azzrian

Those lucky boys! :) What a special grandma they have!

Skulleigh

That cafe sounds wonderful.

tigress_al

CHOCOLATE day!! Wow, yummy those desserts look awesome! You made me want some chocolate now Bonnie after this lovely description.

Bonnie

Thanks guys. Eat some chocolate for your health (yeah right!)

Indigobloom

Mine hasn’t aged well I find. Have a bit left… and it’s lost some flavour :(

Bonnie

Oh no. I had a smaller container and I keep my tea in a dark cabinet. But again, my climate is very dry too. Maybe that makes a difference. I do like the dark dark chocolate.

Indigobloom

Ah. Mine is in a cupboard to but I didn’t have a tin for it… so it’s still in the box/package. Oh well, there will be more eventually!

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89

Megan (granddaughter almost 17) and I have been watching Tom and Jerry cartoons this morning on my Big Screen TV. Don’t-cha just love Big Mice in the morning?!
Her tea of choice was…ta da…Black Chocolate! (I like it too!) My son Aaron brought it to me from San Francisco last month as a gift.

Megan’s comments about the tea? Straight up the tea is suprisingly sweet, and with milk alone…creamy. By adding sweetening delicious with an almost marshmallow chocolate flavor.

Marshmallow?
I think what she was tasting was a bit of malt that I missed in my first go around review. This time I could taste it clearly. There was a bit of what I love in malt ball candy. ( I like that candy at the movies but they taste more waxy than I remember as a child). This is a great Black (the color is very, very dark) Chocolate flavored tea, very rich and creamy without bitterness or acidity.

Big, dense chocolate flavor like a Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Bar is what I love about this tea!

SimpliciTEA

How awesome that you have the opportunity to drink tea with your granddaughter! And that she has an opinion about the tea other than just, “good,” or, “meh”.

Um, Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate!

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89

First Review. I Love Dark Chocolate! I buy a certain brand of dark chocolate that has sea salt on it… and I put the candy bar in the freezer…so that every night I can break off a square and eat it slowly all by myself…umm. I love this salty, creamy dark chocolate!

My tea cupboard was lacking a chocolate tea. I ran into a review by IndigoBloom some time ago about STE Black Chocolate…and my son Aaron was bringing me some tea from their store in San Francisco…so ah ha…I decided to put this on the “get me this one too” list.

I am fussy about my chocolate. I still was skeptical about a tea that could deliver the kind of REAL dark chocolate flavor rich enough and authentic enough not to make me gag! I was NOT looking for cocoa. NO milk chocolate. DARK CHOCOLATE ONLY PLEASE! I want a chocolate to play with… ( to add some chili, some maple bacon, some lapsang souchong, salt etc….mad scientist at work!).

Excited for tasting this morning, I brewed a nice big 24oz pot. The pour was dark and promising. First gulp…CHOCOLATE! Not malt or mocha…DARK CHOCOLATE! Yippie (sorry)…but I’m so glad that this measures up to what I desired. Rich, dark chocolate that is deep enough to add sweetening and cream to (which I did of course). There is a little malt but it is natural and very subtle, a chocolate maltiness… not the sort that resembles yam or graham crackers. Thankfully, there is no bitterness, tannin or acid. The finish is smooth vanilla. I went back later after the pot was empty (didn’t take me long to swig down 24oz of this black velvet!) to taste the cold drippings under the brew basket. The rich liquid was still not bitter.
I’m going to have to order more of this tea! 1oz will not last long!

If you notice the new picture by my name, that’s Rocky Mt. Bighorn Sheep…a little picture I took on Wed.

Indigobloom

isn’t it yummy?!? my fave choco tea, to be sure :P
Next time I’m in Florida, I am going with tins that can be stocked UP!!!

Bonnie

Yep real chocolate not fake at all!!! Silly girl, they have a store not that far from you…north of Detroit. Ha!

Indigobloom

ah that they do! but… I don’t drive these days. So when the ‘rents head down south, I’ll have to tag along just for the tea :)

Bonnie

Ah…get it!

ashmanra

Bonnie, I could raid your freezer! My daughter got me hooked on that dark chocolate with sea salt bar, and I got my friend hooked on them. I usually keep my chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer so it snaps off just so when I break off a piece. Perfection.

Bonnie

Isn’t it fantastic?! I like applewood bacon chocolate bars but thet cost a lot!

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58

I’ve been bagging samples to send off to people all day. I really mean it, ALL DAY.
For a person (me) who has no ability to multi-task (my brain misfire issue), bagging, labeling, making notes and keeping a list of who’s been sent what tea takes triple time. The only easy part is sweeping tea debris off the wood floors.

At about 5pm, I was beginning to nod off to sleep on the couch. Garumph! That would never do! “When was the last time I had some tea today?”, I asked myself. “Too long, too long ol girl.” So I rummaged around for a lonely tea that I’d been ignoring (feeling tea guilt).

Oh yes, the Green Tropical. I almost forgot about this little plastic bag. It certainly looks like it came from a spice store all green see through as though it’s filled with Rosemary or Greek Oregano. Hum. The tea had not impressed me the first go around at all.

I was very careful to steep the leaves 3 minutes. The flavor is flat at high heat…those who drink this tea comment on how much better it is cool or chilled. So I waited.

There is a strange astringency…not like a bite at the finish that lingers, but a stinging on the whole surface of the tongue. I don’t see the point since the tea is so faintly flavored. There’s hardly any pineapple to speak of. No strawberry. Almost nothing to hang onto.
The best thing this tea has going for it is a nice floral/fruity scent when dry…like a room freshener.

As a tea, not that interesting.

Really a boring, boring tea. But the caffeine will keep me awake! ;)

Scatterbrain

Boring teas are such a letdown. I don’t like when drinking tea has to turn into “Well, I don’t wanna waste it so I guess I’ll make myself drink it”.

Bonnie

Sometimes it’s been so long you forget it’s bleh!

Kittenna

Haha, I spent the last few hours bagging up tea samples! It takes a long time!

Indigobloom

I find this one depends on the water alot. and my mood haha

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58

First Review. I’m back. I’ve been staying at my daughters house for a few days with her brood of 6 permanent children and 2 foster babes while my son et al were at my condo. He brought me tea from The Spice and Tea Exchange at Pier 39 in San Francisco. (Well trained!).
A highlight of this week was our venture to Rocky Mountain National Park about 1 hour from my house. We saw 8 Big Horn Sheep close up for the first time and several herd of Elk (50-100) which are very common and often run around town (Estes Park). We went up to about 11,000 ft to the snow line where the panoramic view of the valley below was spectacular! I wish that I could show you a photo…me drinking tea 50 feet from a huge grazing Elk with a meadow spread out wide and golden…then jutting, windswept mountain peaks topped with snow blowing high above and far beyond me.

Today…family is off flying home again. I spent 4 hours driving to and from the Denver Airport. I am home. Time for tea!

Green Tropical is a low caffeine tea and the packet says that it is great iced. I Am Not an Iced Tea Fan. “I may try it some time,” I said, “but not tonight.” I do like pineapple which this has in it, so I’m hoping for goodness. Green tea is not what I choose to drink as a rule. This is light and mild. I can taste some pineapple, a tad of strawberry but no other fruit. I’m not really liking this hot all that much erh. I have to take action!!! So, change of mind will mean a change of preference.
Dashing…to the freezer for ice, I have given in to chilling the tea! Also, it needs sweetening otherwise, it is bland. The iced taste is much better, still weak, but refreshing enough to enjoy on a hot day. I get it. This isn’t my favorite tea but not the worst and better than average.

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83

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this!

I really am enjoying this blend. It is one that I overlooked while shopping the other day at the Spice and Tea Exchange. It has a lot going on, and one might think that its too much for one tisane, but, they all work together very well. The cloves start out warm, and then I notice the licorice-y tones, and by the end of the sip, I notice a crisp mint tone. The pineapple comes through with a sweet, juicy note that really refreshes the spice melange.

The yerba mate is not a strong flavor here, I notice hints of earthiness that seem to unify with the earthiness of the clove and anise, but it never becomes a strong earthy flavor.

Very lovely, I enjoyed this quite a bit.

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70

Yesterday, my husband took me to Portland to visit the Spice and Tea Exchange as I’ve never been there. It is a difficult task to convince him to take me to such a place, as he is convinced that I have enough tea and I don’t need to be shopping for more. sigh But, I had a Living Social voucher, so, he had to take me. (evil grin)

This is one of the teas that I purchased (I didn’t spend much time checking out the spices, as I already have a favorite spice merchant). The description suggests malty tones and I get those, but, the chocolate notes are a little more difficult to discern until the tea has cooled somewhat. They are more pronounced now, but, as the description also says, they are indeed subtle. I taste more of a caramel tone than a chocolate-y one.

A pleasant breakfast blend, although as breakfast blends go, it isn’t as invigorating as others I’ve tried. Pleasant, but, not amazing or anything.

Bonnie

I certainly hope you have the strawberry chocolate puerh which Indigobloom and I think is a drug! So good! My son is bringing me more from San Francisco pier 39 next Monday! I have the Caramel Oolong also. Pretty good stuff.

LiberTEAS

I did purchase that one also. I will try it soon!

Azzrian

Can you order this online?

Azzrian

Found it :)

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81

Perfume!!! In a cup!
When I saw other people’s notes about tea tasting perfumey, I didn’t quite get it. All I could picture was flavoured ethanol (never-mind the health implications! ha!)
But then this tea came along… and there it is! perfume. Rosey perfume.
At first, when the cup was hot, it was overwhelming. Almost nauseating. I was plotting ways to get rid of it almost immediately after my first sip. But then the cup cooled somewhat and before I knew it, I’d sipped away at it to the bottom! The floralness had mellowed out quite a bit, so I tried a second steep and ohh yes this was much better. Floral in just the right way. There wasn’t enough “tea” flavour in there for my liking but that’s ok, maybe I will add some after tweaking the settings a bit. Perhaps a 30 second steep would fare better than my initial 2 minutes.

Bonnie

I know what you mean about perfumy. I have this Czar Nikolas Valentine that is really floral almost perfumy that my grandkids and daughter love. It stops short of being too much. Reminds them of elegant modern manor houses and gardens. This type of tea does take you away to another place like a mini vacation doesn’t it.

Indigobloom

Oh for sure, that’s what the best teas will do for ya! :)
I didn’t try this one for the longest time because the Berry White from STE dissapointed me so much. Now I’m glad I did!!

Bonnie

Oh yeh I remember the affair with you and Berry White "Can’t get enough of your love baby! "

Indigobloom

LOLOL!! Oh Bonnie you cracka me uppa :)
actually I tried it iced today and it was drinkable. Much better than hot, which is odd because I don’t typically enjoy iced tea!

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90

Hey, I cold brewed this Oolong in the new Steep & Go (why does this name remind me of a Tupperware party gadget?) and it tasted very, very D-liscious!

I jammed a bunch of tea nuggets into a big 1 liter bottle of Dasani and screwed on my purpley/pink filter top (there are 4 colors) and stuck the bottle in the frig.
5 hours later….ZAM! Coconut Oolong Magic!

I like this Oolong hot. I like this Oolong cold. I like this Oolong!

(Steep & Go is a Tea Spot product but available many places)

Indigobloom

I’ve never tried it cold!! next time I buy some… challenge accepted :P

Bonnie

You’re on. I’m almost out myself. It’s a really good coconut oolong. If I want more I send my son to pier 39 in San Francisco to get some for me. (Bad mama)

Indigobloom

oh no good mama!! good for the kids to give back ;P

Autistic Goblin

yes but do you like it with green eggs and ham? Dr. Seuss reference :D

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90

Yesterday I cleaned out my closet and purged it of old clothes and shoes. Today, my daughter and granddaughter (who is 5’9 like I ‘was’) came over to ‘shop’ from my closet before I haul everything away. (We’re at different stages of weight loss)
We inevitably get the giggles. I have no idea what sets us off…but I end up crying with laughter, they laugh…and pretty soon we can’t stop. Every little thing is hilarious. There were clothes scattered about while we trapsed in front of the mirror like proud teenagers posing outragiously. We had no shame! The women in my family have fun together, and act crazy!

I really am a Blessed woman.

After my laughing and silliness was over and I was alone again, I chose this silky Coconut Oolong for my evening tea. It had been some time since I last tasted a fragrant, tropical coconut tea.

I let the steeping time go about 3 minutes before pouring. The flavor was exactly as I wished, floral and very coconuty. It reminded me of a creamy coconut milk. There was juiciness with very little tannin.
I added sweetening, prefering a coconut cream pie dessert tea to add the finishing touch to a good evening. I tried adding some cream then coconut milk but prefered the tea with sweetening only.

This tea is a naturally flavored Coconut Tea,…one of the things that is becoming important to me. I can taste the difference. There isn’t any sour aftertaste from chemicals. The flavors that linger are delicate, pleasant and authentic.

A Really Good Coconut Oolong!

Indigobloom

Ahhh I love this tea! mmmm

Daisy Chubb

mmmm is right

TeaEqualsBliss

Bonnie!!! I haven’t had a Coconut Oolong in a while! Now I want one!!! :) (I was going to send you a PM the other day but I couldn’t because you aren’t following me – but I’m following you! teehee)

Bonnie

OK Tea=Bliss following. (When I joined Steepster I didn’t initially follow anyone with lots of followers because I figured we couldn’t have a real interaction if I was lost in a crowd)

CHAroma

Sounds like the closet purge was really fun! I seriously need to make a few trips to Goodwill myself. I have waaaay too many clothes!

Kittenna

Interesting thought, Bonnie! I initially opted to follow people with many tasting notes and followers; I guess I wasn’t looking for personal interactions to start out?

Bonnie

I thought that if I had any questions, I wouldn’t be able to ask someone who had so many followers that they wouldn’t ever read my note.

Missy

I have a different tactic than both of you. I tried to follow any one who showed interest in teas I’m not familiar with. I thought I would be able to make a better judgement call when trying new teas.

CHAroma

@Missy, I did the opposite. I initially only followed people who had the same tastes as me. But now I like to follow people who are good writers, regardless of their taste preferences. It’s more fun when people share stories about their lives and have genuinely nice personalities.

Bonnie

I’ve changed. Listen, I joined in January this year…that’s it. After awhile I started looking for good reviewers too and not quantity reviewers. I also pick up newbees and try to send samples to get them on their way. I have a hard time multi-tasking with my brain misfire issues so I took it really slow at first. Now everyone is like family and so nice. I have much more confidence. I was surprised that anyone read my reviews and commented or followed me at all! It was a complete shock!

Kittenna

CHAroma – after my initial ‘followings’, I started following anyone who commented on my tastings notes or who responded to a comment I made, but now it’s definitely all about tasting note quality (which includes personal stories – I love when people treat this as a blog!)

Kittenna

And Bonnie – I was initially shocked that people read/commented on my reviews too! A nice sort of shocked, though :D This place is pretty great!

Tawny Kira

I was totally shocked that anyone would follow me when I joined not that long ago. I have always loved tea, but as for loose leaf and the many varieties other than the black tea and occasional greens that I drank I am still just venturing out and exploring. I found Steepster to be so much more than a tea reviewing website, but a real community and everyone I have “met” on here is so friendly and personable, not to mention encouraging and helpful! I am so glad I joined!

Tawny Kira

now onto what I had originally intended to write before reading all the comments! This tea sounds delicious- imagine blending it with just a slight hint of a dark chocolate flavored tea or a little vanilla flavored tea- it would be like drinking cake! :D

Ninavampi

I still smile and feel warm and fuzzy when someone starts following me. I love reading what others have to say about tea. I agree with Krystaleyn about personal stories! It is great to interact with such a neat crowd! :)

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90

First Review. Natural Coconut Oolong…now doesn’t that sound delicious! Um Yum! So many of us Steepsters love our Coconut Tea and I’m one of those who does also. Tricky to find a good tea has enough coconut without being cloying or artificial tasting. I was hopeful that this would be a winner so I followed my set of Oolong brewing instructions and set to the task. I failed, or should I say bombed. First I used water that was a tad too cool and steeped 4 minutes which was too long. The tea tasted like coconut but was bitter, icky. OK. This won’t deter me. Do over Bonnie! Put the Temp up to 185 and steep time at 2 minutes…much better ahhhhhh. Rich and juicy coconut, sweet without being floral orchid Oolong way I’m used to. Really nice. Creamy but not buttery. There is a slight astringent finish. As the tea cools the cream coconut thickens and coats the tongue blocking the astringency. Adding sugar or agave really brings the coconut flavor up a notch in a delightful way. This is a cuppa to sip on the beach in Kawaii! Anyone want to join me?!

Indigobloom

omg I’m SO glad you got some of this!! isn’t it amazing??? guh, I wish I had some left… well, I have some scraps, been saving them for one last cup :)

Kittenna

Yuuummmmm. This is the one you recommended, right Indigobloom? Eventually I’ll have to get my hands on some!

Indigobloom

Yuo this is the one I swoon over!! now that I’ve had it for awhile though, I only crave it once in awhile. but I still want more lol

Bonnie

Yep really good for those special gotta have coconut days!

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85

This is one of my new favorite teas. It’s the first Lapsang Souchong that I’ve tried so I can’t really compare it to any others, but this tea is perfect for me in the office. The smokiness reminds me of campfire smoke and latakia tobacco. It’s the closest thing I can get to being outdoors while still being stuck in the office.

When I first tried it, I was surprised by the intensity of the smokiness. I actually didn’t care for the first cup I made of it. I gave it another try a couple days later because the smell of it was so intriguing. I’m glad I did. Either the smoke flavor mellowed out after I opened the package or I knew what to expect so it wasn’t as overwhelming, but I enjoyed this tea immensely after the first time I tried it. I regularly grab for this one for a break during the day at the office now. I think it would be great to have outside while actually sitting around a campfire…

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90

Second Review. This is one delicious flavored Pu erh! The Strawberry is super rich and holds it’s own next to the Chocolate and Pu erh flavors. Dessert, Dessert, Dessert!
If you had a big chocolate 6 layered cake with a thin layer of mocha caramel cream and some strawberries piled between the layers and plopped whipped cream on the top (I added cream and sweetening just a bit) this is what you have in a cup of this Pu erh (well not exactly but close to it). And… being a pu erh, you get to keep pouring and have some more…(I now laugh my feverish mad laugh…wah ha ha).
You have surmised that I do in fact like this tea a bunch!

ashmanra

Ooo, I have the one from Lupicia. I wonder if they are the same? The one from Lupicia is pretty decadent.

Bonnie

You know when something is overly flavored, sweetened and sickening…well …this is NOT that way! It’s good!

Tommy Toadman

That sounds wonderful :)

Indigobloom

it IS wonderful. HEAVENLY!! :)

ashmanra

I don’t think the Lupicia one was too sweet, if I remember it correctly. It was so flavorful that the aroma filled the kitchen, though! I actually had one sample tea sachet of it and steeped it once, then resteeped it for someone else who wanted to try it because of the way it made my kitchen smell. I just got it loose leaf but haven’t gotten around to drinking any of it yet! maybe I can have some of it in the next day or two and post a fresh review!

ashmanra

I would love it if this tastes the same and costs less. Lupicia is soooo expensive!

Bonnie

This is $4.89 1oz. and $19.17 4.4oz. which is a big bag. I split a big bag with my daughter and now I asked my son to big a bag from Pier 39 in San Francisco. USE THE KIDS!

Indigobloom

but… that’s only 39c savings! might as well buy four one ouncers so that they’re portable :)

ashmanra

Bonnie, PM me your addy and I will send a couple teaspoons of the Lupicia end and you can tell me if they are the same!

Bonnie

Indigo baby…you also get .4 ounces MORE tea!

Indigobloom

yes that’s true as well! darn I wish my supply wasn’t at work… and don’t worry, I would leave some other tea in it’s place if I mugged ya ;P

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90

First review. My grandaughter Megan (16 years old) is on Spring break and came over to watch Amadeus on my big screen tv. We’re buddies…she’s a composer and has a concert choral piece coming up (previously she’s had orchestral pieces). Anyway…I made us this great pu erh and she flipped for it. Such a whoop of “Wow grandma what is this stuff”! I was delighted! The rich chocolatey creamy flavor with a little strawberry but not too much. The earthiness of the pu erh is subtle and not fishy. So nice. We had a second steep and she asked for some loose tea in a bag to take to school next week. She was so blown over with what flavor good tea can deliver.
*A few days later I bought Megan a portable 12 oz. steeper… double walled glass sipper with a retractable stainless basket and gave her some of this tea to take to school which made her very happy indeed!

Indigobloom

Yay!!!! another STE and Pu’erh convert :P
Did you try it with milk by any chance?

Bonnie

Absolutely! This and Chocolate Orange by DAVIDsTEA are my favorite flavored puerh teas!
Love as latte!

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44

this was one of the first teas that i bought and it’s been about 6 months since i’ve picked it up and tried it again. it has a very light peach smell and flavor. this tea isn’t terrible but i own other tea’s that have a lot more flavor than this one. it would probably be better iced. not a bad buy but i wont miss it when it runs out.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 30 sec

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90

Wow… I was in the mood for something creamy tonight and couldn’t decide what exactly I wanted. So I began to look through samples and I found this that seemed to meet my current criteria of “something creamy”. Special thanks to Indigobloom for sending me this to try!

It smelled deliciously sweet. In fact when I sniffed it I got a noseful of sweet followed by a hint of chocolatey goodness! By all means this was a good thing! My mouth was watering while I scooped out my teaspoons to steep it.

While it steeped, the steam smelled like a miny chocolate factory in my tea cup. The smell got stronger and stronger until it was finally time to sip it. Wow…. Creamy, chocolatey sweet, malty, slightly astringent, happiness in a teacup. With sugar added the chocolate flavor became more prominent and the maltiness was covered up a tad. Delicious. The only tiny flaw that it had was a strange chemical taste that lingered in the aftertaste. Other than that, it was great!

I believe that this is the best straight chocolate tea that I have tasted so far. They captured the essence of hot chocolate and made it blend in so well with the tea that I am sure that if milk where added it would be shockingly similar to the real thing!

I only wish I had more of it….. Oh well… You can’t always get what you want, but if try sometimes, you get what you need! ; )

Preparation
3 min, 15 sec
TeaBrat

I can’t believe I’m in San Francisco and I’ve never been to this place. I must rectify that immediately!

Indigobloom

lol sorry I couldn’t send more! So glad you enjoyed it Ninavampi :)
Amy Oh: I agree, you must you must!! It is so worth the trip..

Bonnie

Pier 39 and they have the Chocolate Strawberry Puerh…I looked them up!

CHAroma

You can buy this tea online, and it looks like they do ship internationally.

MegWesley

That sounds really interesting.

Stoo

Thanks for this review! I’ve been searching the world over to find a good chocolate tea to satisfy my sweet tooth. I’d love to give this one a try!

Indigobloom

Stoo, try their Strawberry Chocolate Puerh as well, it’s delish! :P

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92

okayyy I know I reviewed this one before. I remember specifically commenting that it was pu-erh awesomeness because with some milk it tastes like melted chocolate strawberry icecream… or rather, strawberry chocolate milk. SO good. Three steeps of this baby and I still wanted MORE.
I’m a little annoyed now. Steepster ate my post :(
The strawberry doesn’t come out much at first. It’s rather mild… but give it a chance, it will build I promise! With milk, this outbids any other flavoured pu-erh I’ve ever tried. Without… ehhh, it’s ok. A little too weak. No matter, I don’t mind at all =D
This will be one to repurchase, no hesitation about that!

Bonnie

I covet this! Sounds so great!

Indigobloom

oh it is Bonnie, it really is… and it really solved my chocolate craving to!

momo

oh this sounds good. now I feel bad that I didn’t stop in one of their stores in Florida because I want this!

SimplyJenW

This sounds so reminiscent of Lupicia’s Chocolate Strawberry Pu’erh. I will give my comparison of the two very soon.

Indigobloom

Amanda, I only have dregs left in my sample or else I’d send you some to try!
SimplyJen, ooh! I look forward to that!!

momo

It’s okay, I will be back there soon enough! I saw their prices online before I had left and thought it sounded crazy for like, an ounce of rooibos, but I did not even see this!

Bonnie

I found out that there is a branch at Pier 39 in San Francisco so I can ask my son to get this for me. Ha! You’ve got to milk the adult kids now and then…it’s good for them and he doesn’t have kids so…I’ll be his kid! (I just sent him tea samples so I’m not a bad mom)

Daniel Scott

Wow, the concept of a chocolate strawberry pu-erh is amazing.

Indigobloom

Amanda: I think this was new when I got there. When did you go?
Bonnie: LOL hey anything goes when it comes to keeping a good stock of tea! besides, it’s the best way to make a convert :P
Daniel Scott: it is so good. way better than the orange choco versions I’ve had!

Bonnie

I think you just TEAWITTERED Indigobloom (what kinda word is indigobloom…are you an oolong? )

Indigobloom

LOL I suppose I did! hehe
Indigo is my fave colour and bloom… well I was having a blooming tea when I chose it haha. Btw my real name is Adrienne!

Bonnie

That is a beautiful name…Adrienne with a cuppa tea in her hand…..

Indigobloom

Thank you Bonnie!! you are so kind.
I wish I had a cup now… but I’m about to hit the zzzs!

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86

Tea of the afternoon…..

Thank you so much to Indigobloom for this one.

This is a really nice chocolate tea. The notes are of dark chocolate which I think works so well with a tea base that is not particularly sweet on its own. I think this would stand up to milk if you wanted to add some. Very good, and it is always good to know what else to buy when you are getting your fix of Coconut Oolong!

Usual Mug method.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Indigobloom

heheeee I’m so glad you like it! definitely one to reorder I think :)

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85

This is the flavour I expected DavidTea’s Super Chocolate to be! It’s a dark chocolate flavour with hints of black tea and definitely delightful. It was a great way for me to finish off dinner tonight!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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95

Oh, my. This tastes as good as it smells. And, it smells and tastes like coconut-oatmeal cookie heaven meets fresh green Oolong. My grandmother used to make awesome oatmeal cookies with a bunch of coconut, and that is seriously all I can think of while drinking this. I’m taken right back to her kitchen!

So, yeah. This is incredibly silky-smooth and creamy. There’s a delicious sweetness that tastes like toasted coconut, perfectly balanced with crisp, ever so slightly floral Oolong. Thanks for letting me steal a little, Indigobloom! A couple sips in I was already on their site investigating what it would take to get myself some of this.

Tina S.

You’re the third person I know to fall hard for this one!

nomadinjeopardy

So good! Definitely a crowd-pleaser. I don’t know how anyone could resist it, really. It’s the equivalent of kittens and bunnies in my mug.

SimplyJenW

LOL! Kittens and bunnies in a mug…… ;)

nomadinjeopardy

Haha! That’s right. :)

Indigobloom

kittens!! and bunnies… hehe. I’ll forever think of little bunnie ears when I have this tea :P

Indigobloom

I’m glad you like this one. It’s my tea home!!

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84

Surprised. I am a bit of a purist that likes of my tea ‘uninterrupted’ by added flavors/elements, but this Bao Zhong in combination with the naturally sweet coconut is creamy, smooth and delicious. I agree with other reviews that is gives Nantou Milky Gold varieties some close competition. And it does seem to ‘sweeten’ as it cools. It holds flavor for a second cup too. Now I’m curious to try other brands & offerings to compare!

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