New Tasting Notes

89
drank Gunpowder by Adagio Teas
52 tasting notes

Backlogging from last night.. Bad, I know.

I wasn’t sure whether to log this under Honeybush Mango or Gunpowder, since I went half and half with the two teas. This is now my new favorite blend. I think however, in order to get a better balance, that you should use more of the honeybush mango than the gunpowder. I liked my first blending experiment better, where I used 2 teaspoons of the Mango and 1 of the gunpowder. The veggie taste was still there, but it had an overall sweeter flavor since there was more Mango after all.

Wow. What a week. I don’t know if I’ve just been working too hard or if I’m getting sick, but I’m just exhausted by about 4 pm everyday. Perhaps I just need more sleep. Being a music major is harder than it looks! 4 hours a day just practicing, on top of another 2-3 hours of rehearsal on some days is just killing me. Oh yeah, and 8 AM classes. BOO. Luckily just one more week until spring break.. I can finally relax, sleep in, and even take a shower without shoes on.. you know. The dorm life. Also, perhaps I’ve been listening to too much folk music. It puts me in such a relaxed, tired mood. MORE GUNPOWDER I SAY!

Cofftea

Haha I love how you’re looking forward to taking showers w/o shoes. Awesome.

SoccerMom

Yeah the shoes in the shower thing made me laugh too. I was imaging a pair of ugly crocs LOL.

I ♥ NewYorkCiTEA

Matt, what instruments do you play?

mattscinto

I’m a viola major but I play piano as well. And yes I wish i was kidding about the shower shoes haha

I ♥ NewYorkCiTEA

Nice. Piano, clarinet, and flute here. I don’t play anymore but I did for years. It’s better to take a shower with shoes than to be showing in a dorm shower without them. Ewww!

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51

It looks a lot and tastes a little like (a sour) Hawaiian Punch. My feeling about this tea is much like my feeling about Raspberry Darjeeling Black by Numi was. Too strong on the hibiscus, and perhaps the pomegranate as well, which makes the tea too tart and masks the other flavors. The taste isn’t altogether unpleasant, but it isn’t what I expected from the name of the tea. I’m not getting the raspberry I did from the Numi, even in the finish, and I’m not sure where the pomegranate is, other than in the tartness (but I should say that though I’ve eaten pomegranate seeds I haven’t had pomegranate juice so if that flavor is in here I wouldn’t be able to identify it as such). Instead it’s a generic tart fruitiness (as opposed to fruit tartiness, heh) that I’m tasting, which does seem as though it could be good iced.

If I concentrate really really really hard, I can pick up a green note in the aroma. But I can’t taste it.

As an aside, my boyfriend told me his company has this in their kitchen, and as he’d been eyeing mine he had some the other day at work. His reaction to it was much more positive than mine, but though he’s been a tea drinker for much longer than I have and pretty much always chooses iced tea to go with his meal when we eat out, he hasn’t been participating in my tasting endeavors and experiencing the really excellent teas I’ve had lately. Also, as it turns out he tells me they have an extra zorijushi which they’re talking about giving away. To which I responded first “how Silicon Valley start up of you” and second “gee, I wish you’d told me that before I sunk the bucks into buying one…”

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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86

Calling a tea “wuyi oolong” is a bit redundant. But in this category of tea which has such a wide spectrum, confirming that this tea is a center of the bell curve kind of oolong (much like TeaGschwendner’s Formosa Superior Choice that I reviewed the other day) is not necessarily a bad idea.

This tea lacks, perhaps, some of the three dimensional sparkle of the TG FSC, but do you always want “wet stone and dried apricot”? I don’t either. Sometimes you just want that rich, nutty, comforting cup, and these leaves will deliver every time.

This tea is certified organic, which is a good thing.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
SoccerMom

Yea! Another fellow Houstonian that’s TWO in one week and one that likes Oolongs!…and the answer is NO I don’t always want “wet stone and dried apricot”. LOL In fact I cannot say that I’ve ever craved “wet stone”. I LOVE the Formosa Silk Oolong at Te’ House of Tea (it’s located here in H-Town) and I’m sorta stuck on that right now ( as far as oolongs go). Enjoyed the review and please go review some tea places in Houston! :P

Jim Marks

We’re big fans of Te House of Tea as well as The Path of Tea.

SoccerMom

Us to. And the good thing is there both so different.

Jim Marks

We used to live in Chicago and went to the TG retail shop a lot, including for private tasting events. So, we’re pretty spoiled.

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61

Backlogging.

When we last left Chrine Tuesday night, she had just tealogged the teas she drank that day and was about to go into the forum for a certain chai recipe she’d see and make stove top chai from the last of her Rooibos Chai…

Oh.my.gawd. It was SO good! I used Takgoti’s chai recipe which teaplz posted in the forum using Lena’s suggestion of brown sugar (to spread the credit around for this wonderful experience). It didn’t even come out as good as I could make it and it was still so good.

With the Rooibos Chai at least, I could have added more tea cause I would have liked the chai flavors to be a little stronger. I also could have used less sugar. But this is the last of the Rooibos Chai that I had so I will be moving on to trying it with Rishi’s Marsala Chai. I also covered the pot when I turned off the heat to left it sit and steep so it would stay hot and it bubbled up out of the pot a bit. Next time I won’t cover it or at least won’t cover it right away.

I also got to use my big big lavender and gray swirl pottery mug which I got when I was around 11 visiting my grandma. I don’t use it much anymore cause it holds two servings of tea or coffee. Although, it is cavernous and round and stays warm really well for a long time.

I am sure I will be steeping my chais this way from now on for the most part. Although, not too often because of the milk and sugar.

1 c boiling water. 1 tbsp brown sugar. 1 tbsp Rooibos Chai. simmer 5 min. 1 c milk. bring to boil. turn off heat. steep 10 min.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more
takgoti

Yay chai! It works really well with soy milk, too. Samovar has this new sugar they’re going to start using that’s pretty phenomenal. If they ship it, I’ll be using it unless I can find it out here. It’s pretty tasty. http://bit.ly/coZw3I

I ♥ NewYorkCiTEA

Oh neat, and interesting. I’ll look for it next time I go to Earth Fare. They might carry it. Any odd taste or after taste?

takgoti

Not really. It started off like brown sugar and then it was WHAM BAM hitcha with the flavors. Pretty awesome stuff, actually. I didn’t try it in anything, just plain, but I’ve found myself wanting some since I’ve been back.

Pyroxy

Wow…that recipe sounds far too good. I’ll have to try it with my next cup of rooibos. :)

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66

This tea is helping to clear the cobwebs from my brain after completing a 30 slide powerpoint for my grad class and reading a few textbook chapters….and there is still more…sigh….good tea though.

Preparation
3 min, 0 sec

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77

It seems the people at TeaGschwendner already have a knack for accurate descriptions of their teas so here’s a poem . . .

A gentile rainfall
through translucent garden mist.
Moss grows on a cloud.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 30 sec
I ♥ NewYorkCiTEA

Like your poem for tea description

~lauren.

Inspired! :)

cultureflip

i counted the syllables on my fingers

Shelli Meyer

This is my favorite tea at the moment. Lovely poem!

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drank Pu Erh Dante by Adagio Teas
176 tasting notes

I went ahead and prepared this one before reading Cofftea’s note. I was supposed to rinse the leaves? Whoops. The only other Pu-erh I’ve ever had is Maiden’s Ecstasy by Samovar, and I had to rinse those, so I guess I should’ve known.

The smell is fishy, like how Maiden’s Ecstasy was. It is a very dark brown color, almost like coffee. It tastes like dirt, and not in a good way. I’m going to abstain from rating this one because I didn’t prepare it the right way. I’ll try it again another time and then give it a proper rating.

Payton

I’ve had the Dante before and I agree that it’s not the most flavorful of teas and certainly not representative of puerhs in general. My recommendation: near boiling water, 10-25 seconds per infusion.

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65
drank Gunpowder by Adagio Teas
20 tasting notes

No notes yet. Add one?

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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88

Found this tea in the local grocer’s organic section today. I was impressed that they also carried a few mighty leaf teas, although not loose.

I bought this to compare with the Thai tea (Teavana) and Thai Chai (Adagio). This tea has a light orange brown liquor with a spicy aroma. I really can smell the coconut in the dry tea, but once steeped, I’m not getting much smell or taste of coconut. I definitely enjoy this blend of Chai better than my Tazo Chai. It gives me that spicy tickle in the back of my throat. I added just a spash of Vanilla Soy, and think it may be better without it.

AmazonV

try doing 2x bags with a splash of soy and honey (8 ounce mug) – or if you have it coconut milk instead of soy

Meghann M

Think I’ll put my kettle back on and try what you suggested. No coconut milk, but I’ll try with just the honey and 2 bags first. Seeing I’m using a 12oz mug, 2 bags will probably be better!

Meghann M

Loved this the second time around with just a touch of honey, no cream. Good kick of spice and a bit of sweet base (maybe from the coconut, but doesn’t taste like coconut smells). Much better now.

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85
drank Breakfast Blend by Samovar
911 tasting notes

I meant to grab Scarlet Sable to bring with me to work but this one is in the same size and color container so… oops. But my Russian blend caffeine ran out about an hour ago so I need something else to perk me up. Sadly, my office has not instituted nap time. (Item #762 on the list “Things to Enact When I Rule the World”).

Smells thick and chocolaty. And raisin-y. The smell is cuddly. The taste is happy. Bright. Snuggly. Sweet. Brisk. And hopefully the caffeine content will lead to the ability to write full sentences.

This tea boldly states, “I AM TEA.” It makes me think of standard teabag tea. If standard teabag tea was actually good. It reminds me of the smell that comes from the Luzianne bags as I make the husband’s gallon o’ iced tea. They strike me as being in the same taste family. But this one? This is the heights to which a standard teabag blend like Luzianne can only hope to achieve. This is a typical, normal, standard, plain tea blend made good. No. Made GREAT. Full, round flavor. This is tea.

And caffeine. Please. Let there be caffeine.
3g/8oz

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec
Angrboda

I AM TEA. I’m feeling a little unfulfilled that there isn’t a HEAR ME ROAR! on the end of that one. :p

Also, I like the sound of that item for the list. I would totally vote for you as world ruler.

Auggy

Hahah, I’ll have a little talk with him and see if he wants to add that next time. ;) And thank you for your support in my desire for world domination. I promise low taxes, quality health care and nap time for all.

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72
drank Ceylon OP1 by Teas Etc
104 tasting notes

It’s not the most exciting description in the world, but this is just a GOOD black tea. It’s simple, but the flavors are distinct and enjoyable, and there’s a subtle sweetness that rounds out the experience nicely. There’s also just a hint of bitterness that grabs at the edges of your tongue, but it doesn’t linger long, and reminds you that the tea is there and doing its thing.

The leaves themselves actually don’t have a strong aroma, though the steeped tea has a simple smokey/woodsy smell that’s pleasant, though very light. As such, the taste is a bit of a surprise, since the aroma would have you believe that this is going to be a very mild tea, but it does pack a little punch.

All in all, a very enjoyable tea that should be on any black tea fan’s list.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
JustDuckyInNE

Terrific; complete description of the experience and the tea itself when tasting. Thanks!

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89

sweet and yummy. Didn’t overdue it in any way for a change! LOL
I’m thinking about trying this iced soon…bet it would be good…

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77

Finished up what was left in my stash…doubly strong…still good!

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85

I’m on my 3rd infusion and the bite’s mellowed out quite bit (of course).

It goes surprisingly well with a blueberry scone!

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100
drank Silver Needle by Adagio Teas
227 tasting notes

this one deserves a perfect score. its the tea i ended up liking most. i keep wanting to drink it. and its so easy to drink and so delicately delicious. just really does it for me…
i must order more so i don’t run out of it. that would be bad…

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 7 min, 0 sec

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64

This was a nice, solid blend. Every part was well balanced. It tasted like a nice black tea with hints of cinnamon. It was nice and mellow. Not bitter. I don’t like bitter teas! I added a little sugar to it. Good tea overall.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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82
drank English Breakfast by Twinings
227 tasting notes

made a huge cup of it today. and its better to make a little cup of it. its just enough like that – like drinking coffee – less is better… i mean still good its just better to make less and a bit stronger and sweeter…

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 15 sec

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drank Palm Court by Harney & Sons
111 tasting notes

I was feeling really tired (even after two cups of Florence) so I decided to open my sampler pouch of Palm Court another Harney and Sons Tea that I have been dying to try based on the reviews from fellow Steepsters. I opened the pouch and the smell of Tea hits me bold just Tea smells (but they are good tea smells) and so I think this is going to be just what I need to wake me up and get me going. I take my first sip and I think wow it’s pretty good I really don’t know how to describe the flavors other than they taste like tea a strong black tea, I can say I smell the oolong which is never a disappointment as I love me some oolongs but the other teas are I think Assam and Keemum which I have never tried on their own so I cannot give a tasting note on that portion. It’s full bodied and so I thought this tea needs a little sweetener so I then added a little german rock sugar (I normally do not add sugar to my teas) so then I took another sip and I think WOW that’s sweet maybe I overdid it with a teaspoon of sugar it’s pretty sweet now so I do not think I can give an accurate review of this tea at this time because of the sugar but I will say that it does seem to be waking me up which was the point after all. Oh and I almost forgot the color of this tea is beautiful, it’s a red orange color I am so glad I bought this glass mug because I did not realize all the beautiful tea colors I had been missing out on the colors really bring a new dimension to the enjoyment of Tea! Back to the review as with all the teas I’ve tried from Harney’s this seems to be of outstanding quality and the brewed leaves unfurl and you can see the different types of leaves quite nicely.
This might sound weird but this tea now that I have sweetened it would probably be really good iced. Hmmm come on summer months I am ready to start icing me some teas!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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90
drank Dawn by The Simple Leaf
69 tasting notes

Rich cocoa aroma and taste. It is not a one note tea, but the cocoa impression is so strong that I’m having trouble sussing out the nuances. A little charcoal, maybe a little cherry. Very smooth with only a hint of astringency and no bitterness. Coppery orange in the cup.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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71
drank Keemun by Teas Etc
596 tasting notes

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90

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 teabags
Additives: none
Water: 16 ounces hot spigot
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
Steeped Tea Smell: sour, berry, floral, defiantly getting hibiscus and blackberry, if i sniff and think hard i get the citrus note at the end lightly. Not getting the apple or rose at all.
Flavor: delicious apple berry hibiscus punch! a little tangy, starts sweet, then sour/tang, then sweet again. I love it, it’s like a fruit cocktail.
Body: Full
Aftertaste: sweet berry with lingering apple
Liquor: deep dark opaque purple-red

See my company review here.

I love this tea, it’s delicious and full of flavor, and the flavors and a blend, you can pick them out if you try (well i can’t find the rose) but not the weird teas that the flavors seem to be separate and not mesh.

I need to cut back on my caffeine so there will be plenty more herbals coming up.

This packaging is excellent for at work, the individual packs keeps it fresh and i don’t need to keep the box when it gets low (and my drawer will still be clean). Also teabags are just so convenient at work.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/two-leaves-and-bud-teabag-herbal-tea.html

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 6 min, 0 sec
AmazonV

resteep fail, bleh colored water

Meghann M

I never seem to get a good resteep out of herbals, unless they are minty herbals, but then I don’t usually want the 2nd cup!

AmazonV

i know :( but i keep trying, sometimes i am pleasantly surprised

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