The Steeping Room

Like the description says, it is a strong Earl Grey that was a bit too bitter for me. The addition of agave nectar (or, most likely, any other sweetener) showed a change from the bitter drink that I had a hard time swallowing to a pretty fantastic cup of Earl Grey. I will definitely buy it again but I’ll make sure I have a sweetener around when I have it.

What a wonderful black tea – I am a beginner at 58 years old – I used to compare Bigelow to Twinings and have now left both in the dust. This is my current favorite – I can’t discuss this in trade talk but I do know it is a wonderful cup of tea. Yea! I discovered the Steeping Room through a staffer at Starbucks over at the 1890 Shopping Center. I have thanked him more than once for sending me over. The folks at the Steeping Room are particularly patient as I ask multiple questions. Thanks for being there! Grins.

Cold-brewed this for 24hrs.

Very intense flavor. VERY floral in the back of throat and mouth. Delicious if you like such, in this case I do. Yum. But not for every day.

Brewed this after a day of a less than impressive Assam, for a nice change. Just the scent of it while it’s cooling to drink temp is gorgeous. Floral, rich, delicate, pleasing.

Again the flavor is SO good. Malty, astringent around the sides of the tongue, a tiny bit of floral off the front middle of tongue. Just lovely and exactly what I needed.

Pleasant malty, round flavor with a light apricot astringency to the sides of the mouth and tongue. Very pleasing.

backlogging from last night. So I finally opened the sample I bought. This chai is finely chopped/processed. Brews (in water) to a very dark liquor. It is quite spicey with a healthy black pepper or ginger heat. Needs a touch of sugar, IMO, to bring out the sweet spices.

a quite tasty traditional chai with all the correct spices. Can brew up strong, so would likely take milk well. I don’t drink it milked…perhaps a little touch of sugar to help bring out the sweet spices is all I’ll add. I’ve not verified what all the spices are in this Chai, so taking a stab at a couple that stood out…. There is either some black pepper or ginger…just enough to give it a little tingle and spice heat on the tongue. Cinnamon and clove…definitely a clove finish. A bit harsh and astringent at first…cut it with some more hot water and a touch of sugar and the harshness mellowed. The astringency was there, but ruined by the the sugar after it was added.

picked up some more of this. Just the thing after pulling an “all nighter”…gods, I haven’t done that since college (measured in decades ago)

Found a rock in my tea this morning. Decomposed granite from the looks of it. Insert bad puns about mineral taste in the tea :-)
This is the end of this sample. I believe I’ll have to get some more. Its a good anytime tea thats a little stronger than average.

Having this over ice this afternoon. Quite tasty. The smokiness helps it stand up to dilution by the ice.

brewed this a little longer this morning…it really pumps up the smokieness, without really pumping up the tea flavor. Not sure that I cared to learn that since I’m not a strong fan of smoke. The resteep went well though.

This is growing on me…I might have to keep some of this around as a staple tea for savory meals.

This tea is from a local tearoom, The Steeping Room. It is their “Morning Blend”. Slightly smokey, medium weight tea. Along the lines of Irish or Scottish Breakfast, without being as bold. Very smooth with little astringency and a neutral flavor neither bitter nor sour. Reminds me of Victorian Afternoon from MTW Teas. This would be a good “Anytime” tea, especially if you wanted to introduce someone to smokey tea…the smoke is understated and well done.

Excellent tea – not too strong but has a good flavor.