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Steepster TTB 2025

The TTB is out the door and on its way to Canada, but I kept a small sample of this tea and am having it with breakfast today. Not in bed, alas — it’s the first day of my FINAL SEMESTER OF GRAD SCHOOL. I am experiencing a bit of ye olde senioritis, which will not affect the quality of my scholarship but will probably increase my grumpiness with respect to things like “doing readings” and “writing papers.”

Aaanyway. The hazelnut flavoring here is so pronounced and tasty, and it’s complemented well by the blackberry. The black base is very brisk and astringent, which honestly is exactly what I want in a breakfast blend.

I will say that the more I drink, the more I wish the hazelnut was just a smidge lighter and the blackberry a smidge stronger. The hazelnut lingers after the end of a sip in quite a powerful way!

Still, this is pretty dang tasty.

Steepster TTB 2025

This is Bitterleaf’s 2024 Shifeng Longjing/Dragonwell Green, Qihuo Grade Preming, #43 varietal, and I am too lazy to make a listing for it!

Steeps up pale yellow with a hint of peachy-pink undertones. Smells fresh and the slightest bit leafy. Tastes a smidge nutty, with a hint of sweetness and a teensy bit of buzzy astringency toward the end of the slip. Very soft, with a nice gentle mouthfeel. An easy drinker!

Steepster TTB 2025

Yes, this is my first time trying this one! Chocolate teas are not my favorite, and this blend has the typical thin, artificial, almost sour flavor I associate with them. That said, the hazelnut flavor is pretty nice, and the cup is going down easier than expected.

Steepster TTB 2025

I’m a sucker for peach tea — gimme juicy real peach flavor, or candylike gummy peach flavor, or really any variation. Unfortunately the peach flavor here is very weak, as is the black base. There’s just not enough oomph. :(

Steepster TTB 2025

I’ve been watching old seasons of Top Chef, and in the one I’m currently watching, there’s a chef who is notorious for using a LOT of ingredients in his dishes and always doing THE MOST with what he presents. I feel like that’s what’s happening with this tea. We’ve got pu-erh, orange, cocoa, apple, blue cornflower, honeybush, lapsang souchong, rose, red peppercorn, cloves, safflower… not to mention various natural flavors (cinnamon, orange, hazelnut). I can imagine this blend happening if I took my nephews to a tea-blending bar (Do those exist? They should!) and let them loose to create their own blends.

I’m not familiar with the wizard who inspires this blend — which seems unfortunate (for me), as the Black Lotus website includes this quote from him: “Well, my social anxiety is getting the best of me. I’m taking a walk; goodbye.” Been there, friend. Been there.

So anyway, there’s a LOT happening. Arguably too much. My biggest impressions are cocoa and orange, with the spices (cinnamon, cloves) warming up the back of the sip. It’s not bad, to be fair, and it reminds me of a Christmas-inspired blend. But it’s all a little muddy (…dirty?!). I think I would prefer some editing to the blend.

On a related note, that one guy from Top Chef got sent home in the last episode I watched. So there’s that.

Steepster TTB 2025

Wrapping up my time with the TTB and trying to squeeze in more samples!

This one is quite lovely — very delicate and fruity, with the hibiscus used to great effect without being overwhelming. I share *Kaylee*’s sentiment that the name is misleading, though — there are no white raspberries in the ingredient list, even though it’s described as a “smooth blend of white tea and rare white raspberries.” Hmmmm. I actually get more of a mulberry flavor!

Still, it’s nice and bright and jammy, with just a hint of tartness. Goes down easy! I finished up the bag on this cup, but maybe I’ll try to cold-brew the leaves — I bet it’d be very refreshing cold.

Steepster TTB 2025

Too intriguing not to try, and worth the sample. I’m mostly getting a candy green apple flavor with a bit of chamomile and hay, but gentle hay, not overpowering. There’s maaaybe a smidge of grassiness from the green base, and then I guess the unidentifiable note (to me) is the sweet woodruff. I wouldn’t say this is bubblegum-y, but I can understand why they included that descriptor, if that makes sense (it doesn’t)!

This might be a keep from the TTB.

Steepster TTB 2025

There’s some cinnamon, some [dried] fruitiness, and a bit of tang, but also an aggressive hibiscus sourness that mars the whole thing. Not sure I’d identify hot cross buns as the inspiration here!

Steepster TTB 2025

Drank this one on my final (!) day at my field placement/practicum — I’m sooo close to being done with my grad program! Just one more semester to go.

My hastily jotted notes indicate that this tea was a bit too sweet for me, but it did have a nice, jammy blueberry flavor to it. I wanted a little more cinnamon to really evoke the streusel element, and possibly a slightly stronger base. Not a bad dessert-y blend, though!