Featured & New Tasting Notes

86

Tea of the morning here and it’s a sipdown. Okay, I only bought 1 oz. of this but it’s gone anyway. :)

I find a lot of teas are fine in smaller quantities unless I really love them, odds are I will get sick of drinking them before I finish an entire tin. I forgot to set the timer for this one and I walked off and left it steeping. It got a bit oversteeped but still drinkable, especially with soymilk and sugar.

Preparation
Boiling 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Sil

agreed! I wish all tea companies would let you purchase small orders

Cameron B.

Definitely! Unless it’s a tea I’ve already tried and know that I like, I don’t want to buy 100g of it. :P

Sil

sometimes i don’t even want 100g…i’d rather get 50g and be able to buy it again and have fresh-er tea later.

Cameron B.

That’s true also, probably a good philosophy to have unless the shipping is ridiculous or something.

TeaBrat

50g is usually plenty for me!

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drank Paris by Harney & Sons
3986 tasting notes

Taking a wee little break from tasting all of my new Kusmi teas and relaxing with this. From all the first-time notes I’ve been writing the past couple of days, it’s nice to just sit back and sip without thinking too hard about the flavor profile. I’m having it with sugar and whole milk this time around, and I think next time I try this I might do two sachets if I’m going to put milk in.

Do any of you lovely people have a good method for making hot or cold tea lattes? Please share if so, I have several teas I would like to try this way! :D

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Cheri

I have my comfort teas that I like when I don’t want to think to hard or I just need something stable and normal and to turn out right.

But I am curious to hear the answers to the latte question.

boychik

Sometimes i add condensed milk. But i can eat it right out the can. pls dont judge…

Cameron B.

Hah, I am definitely not one to judge when it comes to indulging! I have the most horrible sweet tooth ever, especially for creamy things. :P

boychik

Drooling…

Cameron B.

I haven’t tried it yet but I might have to… I never though of adding it to tea! What have you done?! :P

boychik

i think its better than milk and sugar, and i never buy cream. its the best consistency. but dont overdo, while its hot it seems not enough and when it cooled could be sickening sweet. in my country we dont add anything to a tea, drinking on a side with cond. milk, or preserves,or pastries. BTW many yrs ago i was in Russian Tea Room with my hubby. thats where i got my first cup of Prince Vladimir with red currant preserve on a side.

Skulleigh

I use half & half and splenda. I put them in the bottom of my cup and then froth them with a battery powered milk frother. Once it has frothed up, I add the tea.

Cameron B.

@boychik – Yeah I noticed that the sweetener is more and more effective as the teas cools when I was trying all those Russian blends. Luckily they all tasted better warm anyway!

@Skulleigh – Do you use less water when you brew the tea or do you do it normally? I could see it making sense to reduce the amount of water proportionally to the volume of the milk you’re adding.

Skulleigh

Not generally, but I tend to use a little more tea than I really need to, so it’s probably stronger anyway. I use big mugs.

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Having a nice cup of my favorite tea today on my anniversary. Today the hubby and I have been together for 20 years and this Sunday will be the 12 year anniversary of our wedding. Woo hoo! This week is really packed, we have a good friend’s birthday, our anniversary, father’s day, and a wedding. This week will certainly be busy but for now I’m relaxing and enjoying this delicious cup of chocolaty, caramely deliciousness. In other news, I noticed that the CDC came out with a list of Powerhouse (nutrient dense) Fruits and Vegetables. That’s pretty awesome, but ugh watercress, really. Guess I will have to look into some recipes that kind of hide the watercress. Here is a link for anyone interested: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/pdf/13_0390.pdf.

Rosehips

Happy Anniversary!

boychik

Happy Anniversary!!!May the happiness that you share grows deeper with each year

caile

Happy Anniversary!

Cameron B.

Have a wonderful anniversary and many more years of happiness. :)

Cheri

Happy Anniversary!

Stephanie

Aww, Happy Anniversary <3

Butiki Teas

Awww, thanks guys! :) The hubs and I are going out to our favorite vegan restaurant (Vedge) in Philly to celebrate.

Stephanie

That CDC link was interesting too. I wonder which chinese cabbage they used in the study exactly. Aren’t there a billion of them?

Cheri

I have heard wonderful things about Vedge. Enjoy!!!

Butiki Teas

Stephanie-I was wondering about that. Some of the categories are rather vague. Maybe Bok Choy? Another thing that left me with questions was using B12 as a basis for determining nutrient density. I thought B12 couldn’t be obtained from veggies or fruits due to the depletion of B12 in our soil. Maybe I’m wrong but this is big issue with vegans since we need to supplement B12.

Thanks Cheri, we love Vedge. Some people don’t love the small plate sizes but for me that just means we get to order more dishes.

Angrboda

Happy anniversary. In Denmark you’d wait another 6 months and celebrate your copper wedding at 12½ years, possibly with a larger do for friends and family. Half way to silver wedding, you see. :) (Husband thought this was bizarre)

TeaBrat

Happy anniversary!

Cheri

Angrboda, that is a great idea! I love it. (Ours is coming up, and that would be a blast of a way to celebrate it.)

Butiki Teas

Angrboda-Love that! :)

Thanks, TeaBrat!

Tea Pet

Happy Anniversary!!

TheTeaFairy

Aww, so glad I saw this post, Happy Anniversary!!!

And thanks for that awesome link! The addition of banana and pear help to reduce that watercress taste in green smoothies, it works for me at least, just thought I’d share :-)

Butiki Teas

Thanks, Tea Pet!

TheTeaFairy-Thank you! Hmmmm, that sounds like a wonderful way to mask the watercress. I will have to give that a try.

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100

Tea of the morning. This tea is insanely good. Today there is malt followed by a sweetness – kind of a non specific frutiness – and then salted caramel at the finish. So. Very. Yum. After I get my youngest to school I’ll resteep it. One thing I like about this tea is the flavor profile changes ever so slightly from cup to cup, so tasting it is always interesting.

I have been hoarding this tea, but I’m giving myself permission to drink it with the belief that I’ll be able to order more in the near future. Brenden, please tell me that’s true! :)
Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Angrboda

Is this tea related to the Laoshan Black that Verdant has? Or is the name similarity a coincidence?

Veronica

I don’t think they are related though I could be wrong. I believe the Laoshan Village is in the Shandong province and the Ailao Nature Reserve is in the Yunnan province.

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Shan means mountain. Laoshan is named after Mount Lao I believe, and Ailaoshan translates to Mount Ailao…the nature preserve is quite perfect for tea production :) http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BAFuwKa5zMo/Um4UtKhvo1I/AAAAAAAAVCM/TfMwMMwWlKo/s1600/yuanyang-terraces-2.jpg

Veronica

Wow, that picture is gorgeous! Visiting China is definitely on my bucket list.

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89

Queued post, written May 4th 2014

The last of my JW teas to try! The safe bet too. I’ve already mentioned how LS is so well known to me at this point that I don’t need to sample before buying. If I need a fresh supply of LS, I get one wherever I’m shopping. Sometimes I get one close to my preferred balance of body and smoke and sometimes I don’t, but they’re all Close Enough.

And every once in a while you run into one that hasn’t actually been smoked. It’s the same tea, it’s still an LS. It just hasn’t gone through a smoking process. I’ve had very good experiences with that variety too although it is a somewhat rare beast. I mention this now because sniffing at this cup, I’m not actually finding much smoke at all. It’s grainy and sweet with perhaps a little bit of smoke at the periphery, but that’s it. There’s a thick and sticky sort of note to it as well that makes me think of caramel. That note is quite strong.

At this point I read the label on the tin. It doesn’t actually say anything about smoke anywhere at all on the label. At all! Could this be an unsmoked LS, I wonder? I does actually say caramel, though. HA! I totally called that.

Further reading on the website mentions smoky undertones. UNDERtones! That implies a naturally occuring note of smoke, doesn’t it, rather than something added to it. It’s a Fujian black, so a natural smoke note would not at all be unusual.

The smoke note is relatively strong on the flavour, but again not at all as strong as it would be if it had been smoked. At least not if it had been smoked to the degree of the LS I’m used to drinking. I suppose it coud have been smoked very lightly to enhance the natural note. I’m a little in doubt now about whether or not I think it’s gone through a smoking process. Interestingly, I was reading what other people wrote about it and a couple of people felt this one had heavy smoke notes. What have they been drinking? I’m finding it quite mild! Or am I simply too familiar with LS at this point that I can no longer view it objectively? (Not that tea tasting could ever be objective, but I think you know what I mean. I can’t find a better way to express it.)

It’s still quite grainy and sweet, just like it smells. The caramel note is not as strong in the flavour as it is in the aroma, though. I believe it’s the smoke note that tempers it somewhat. It’s a very dark sort of caramel, not a milky one. Caramel sweet as opposed to fruity sweet. That’s a new one. I’ve usually found LS quite fruity-sweet.

The more it cools, though, the stronger the smoky note gets. I take it back, this is definitely not unsmoked. It’s just… trying to pass itself off that way.

Smooth and strong. A good way to start the day.

Skulleigh

I happened across a LS review yesterday with a comment on it that unsmoked LS is becoming more common because of import restrictions/pine smoke bad or something, but I don’t remember what I was looking at in order to refind it, and google is failing me. I remember thinking “baroo?” at the comment, as it didn’t mention where they were that such restrictions were happening. Oddness.

Angrboda

What about your browser history?

I seem to vaguely recall having heard such a thing before, but if smoked foods in general are bad, well… In Denmark we smoke all sorts of things. Fish, sausages, meat, even a certain cheese. We’d be in trouble if restrictions were introduced! O.o

Skulleigh

Yeah, in the US we like smoked salmon, ham, sausage, and cheese too. It doesn’t seem like a restriction that would actually be implemented successfully!

Skulleigh

Oh, re: browser history – I was on like 5 different devices/machines yesterday. I are technogeek. I have no idea which device I was on :D

Angrboda

I can see that would be a bit difficult to check then. I don’t even have that many devices. :)

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drank Fleurilège by Dammann Frères
437 tasting notes

I found myself scoping cadeau-deco-vendome ( A Dammann reseller) so I figured that this is as good a time as any to dig into the samples that Sil sent me.

This tea smells like butter, roasted hazelnuts and vanilla and has a light maple wood coloured broth after steeping at 1tsp/225ml/4min/95°C.

There is a lovely roasted hazelnut note with a touch of a wood in the flavouring, as well as a touch of butter caramel and a warm vanilla tone. The flavouring blends well with the base tea which is slightly fruity with a cocoa note and is relatively innocuous except for providing a light astringency and a medium body. The flavouring is light and subtle as is the tea itself.

Thanks for the treat Sil

TheTeaFairy

My experience with cadeau-vendome was so awful…brings back bad memories. Guess I was just unlucky though cause everyone on Steepster seems so happy with them.

yyz

Sorry about that was it the service or the tea?

TheTeaFairy

Both!!! The whole thing was surreal, really, maybe all their regular staff was on vacation or something and an unexperienced employee took care of my order. I know it’s overseas, but the box that it arrived in was so damaged, it was made of very thin cardboard and nearly got destroyed in transport. The tea was poorly packaged, not sealed, and not even labeled as Dammann Frères, so it could have been anything really. The worst was the smell: believe it or not, the tea was wrapped directly in smelly newspaper, the smell was so strong it took over the entire box! The tea not being sealed, it got compromised. They all tasted like cigarette ashes! I wrote them twice, they never answered back… I decided to let it go cause the whole thing made me too angry, didn’t want to think about it anymore, lol.

yyz

That’s awful. My experience was awful, but I have noticed that some of the less popular teas can taste a little weak. My experiences with them were good, but I did notice that in the shipping notice they say to refuse acceptance of the package if it appears damaged. Any ways my next French tea purchase is used to be Betjeman and Barton from fouvrac in Montreal, but I always get sidetracked by other things.

TheTeaFairy

B&B teas in Montreal? Do they sell online?

yyz

At the moment no. But they claim to carry the whole line and as a bonus I think you can order 50g. So, if your interested build an order from http://www.betjemanandbarton.com/fr/ and then you order over the phone at http://www.betjemanandbarton.com/en/content/9-world

If you have any questions first you can contact fouvrac through Facebook first https://m.facebook.com/lefouvrac?_rdr. They sell the teas at both locations.

TheTeaFairy

Thank you so much :-)

yyz

Your welcome!

OMGsrsly

I’m guessing people at Fouvrac would speak some English? Because my spoken French is not good enough to place a tea order. I could email them in French, but…

yyz

They do. I wrote them on Facebook and they responded in English. As well, a member of Steepster, I think they were in California ordered this way with no problems a number of months ago.

TheTeaFairy

OMGsrsly, I’m pretty sure they do, I don’t know many merchants who don’t in Montreal, businesses are 99% at least bilingual. Sometimes, it’s even the other way around, they don’t speak French, lol.

OMGsrsly

Excellent. :) I’ll add them to my list. Did you get any info on shipping costs?

yyz

I haven’t placed my order yet. It cost $10.00 to ship 200g of tea for the US order. I was just told that shipping was reasonable when I mad my original enquiry.

OMGsrsly

Perfect! Thanks so much for enabling, yyz. :)

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70
drank Cotton Candy by Della Terra Teas
303 tasting notes

Seriously, guys, you are all just a bunch of enablers. OMGsrsly peer pressured me into having a small evening foods, I made a pitcher of Jardin Sauvage because of TheTeaFairy, and then DTT posted about bringing old blends back into stock and I remembered this and absolutely had to have it.

And yes, this sample is still alive and there is enough left for one more cup. I was going to have some on my birthday, but I ended up having so much other good stuff there was no room for more tea.

This is still so tasty.

And I still feel dirty for liking it so much.

Considering possibly nudging it up five points. Shhh. Tell no one.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
VariaTEA

Does it actually taste like cotton candy though?

Anna

Not even remotely. Here is what I think it tastes like: http://steepster.com/clareborn/posts/227538

TheTeaFairy

Haha! Hilarious, yes we are a bunch of enablers, aren’t we? Like I spent my entire day under a blanket, reading a book and sipping oolong because of TeaTiff! ( yes, I proudly play the blaming game!!)

Anna

IT’S EVERYONE’S FAULT.

VariaTEA

So it seems like my first thoughts about this being similar to DAVIDs Birthday Cake is probably right. Thank you for sharing :)

OMGsrsly

LOL. I can’t believe that you reading “frozen girlfriend” from my gf lasagne made you HUNGRY.

Anna

THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS GIRLFRIEND LASAGNE OKAY.

Also girls are totally tasty.

Anna

And VariaTEA – I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m going to try to trick Sil into getting some for me for our swap!

VariaTEA

No need to trick Sil because I have lots and am happy to share. Also, I will be by David’s tomorrow and can pick stuff up :)

Anna

Aww, thank you. You’re the best. <3

Sil

hey! i need tea to send to her! don’t steal things i can go get for her! lol

VariaTEA

Sil, I am sure there is plenty to send and this way I save you a trip to DAVIDs.

Anna

No, because Sil must go there and get me the Movie Night she LOATHES BEYOND WORDS AND COMPREHENSION.

It’s pretty funny.

Anna

Also I love you guys.

VariaTEA

Alright. So I will leave this for Sil to get you unless instructed otherwise prior to our eventual swap

Sil

lmao…. it’s all a vicious plot to make me go to davids…but i’m ok with that… though honestly, we should all just get together and make one GIANT BOX for anna that takes like 2 ppl to carry…

OMGsrsly

I’m packing my box as full to 500g as possible. Scale is out, and everything. :D :D :D

Sil

…uh that’s anna’s box right?

lol

OMGsrsly

Yes. My box for Anna, I meant. Clarification achieved. Although your box is a little bigger than Anna’s, Sil.

VariaTEA

Sil, we should!! Just combine everything and it will be a cupboard explosion of tastiness.

Sil

Bigeger…but lighter? hopeful

OMGsrsly

Lighter only due to Anna’s non-tea contents, I think.

OMGsrsly

I’ll weigh before I finally manage to send (next week now because I’m visiting family this weekend) and report back. :D

Anna

Aaaaaaaaaah THE REVENGE OS SIL.

Anna

Wait, I just read this whole thing – OMGsrsly, what are you DOING?! What is in this box? I DEMAND TO KNOW. No, wait I don’t want to know. Or… no. But. NO. ARGH.

OMGsrsly

I am not in the box. Do not fear. (I do not weigh less than 500g.)

Anna

It would be so awesome if you were in the box and I opened it and you came walking out and it turned out YOU’VE BEEN THAT SIZE ALL ALONG.

Anna

Also, you’re lucky you don’t weigh less than 500g, because otherwise I would never let you out of my purse and that might get boring for you.

OMGsrsly

I guess it would depend on what you have in your purse! Any interesting books? :)

Anna

I would build an entire kingdom for you in my purse.

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87
drank Two Tigers by The Devotea
359 tasting notes

Those two tigers are head to head and create magic in my cup this morning!

Thanks to the wonderful and very generous Terri Harplady, I finally get to experience what Devotea is all about.

I chose this tea first cause with the name, I assumed it would be a good tea of the morning. If this stuff is an accurate representation of the company, well I am impressed!

The smell first. My grandfather was a farmer and worked really hard. At noon, he would come to eat lunch and my grandma always prepared a nice pot of strong black tea with sugar for him, just the way he liked it. The aroma took over the whole kitchen and I loved it so much as a child. My grandpa would let me have a few sips, winking at me.

The smell of this tea just reminded me of those special days, and I am already thankful for that…It’s super fragrant.

It says “a blend of Indian and Chinese teas” in the description…Assam for sure, and I am assuming Yunnan cause this tea offers boldness and mellowness at the same time.

First I taste a “bang” from the Assam and a light astringency, but I immediately get some comfort and softness from the earthiness and sweetness of the yunnan, (if that’s what it is).

There’s a very light touch of smoke in this tea, and though I’m not a fan of that usually, in this case it’s not offensive, it rather brings all the flavours together.

I am delighted I got to try this wondrful tea, thank you so much for choosing it for me Terri :-)

boychik

this story is beautiful. My grandpa has a special place in my heart.
Im in love with this tea. Do you know that AmazonV decided to make it tea of the month because of my constant whining.

TheTeaFairy

Haha! Didn’t know it was a favourite of yours, now I’m gonna read your review…

Plwa

Please excuse my lack of knowledge but what is AmazonV? (Lol, I’m Canadian, remember?) Is that a special place for tea on Amazon that I’m unaware of???

TheTeaFairy

(Haha, What the heck is “plwa” and what is it doing in my comment ????)

boychik

AmazonV is a Steepster member. She works for Devotea US

Cameron B.

I’m going with “perfectly lovely wonderful assam”. Yep.

TheTeaFairy

Lol, the minute you said Amazon, I was like, OMG more tea available to me please!! I know who you are talking about now :-)

Cameron B.: Hahahah!!!

boychik

pls read the comments of my note TheTeaFairy. you, Canadian friend is cracking me up (good laugh only);-)
http://steepster.com/boychik/posts/245567#comments

boychik

OMG more tea available to me please!! " you are priceless ;-)
you need more tea???!!!!i can send you some. i now have an experience

TheTeaFairy

Boychik, I read all the comments, lol, it’s good to be persistent :-)

Noooooo!!!! I don’t need more tea!! (345!!!) I just want more all the time, it’s a curse!!!

boychik

i dont think im far from you, i didnt log all the teas. i dont want to scare myself with the number

Sil

….i just got more tea. i’m afraid…

TheTeaFairy

Lol, how much more???

boychik

Sil, don’t be afraid. Just accept it and enjoy. And we all know how good you are at sipdowns.

Sil

teafairy… i WAS at 205…aiming for under 200 by this weekend… bonny put me back up at 231 lol boychik…yes but sometimes sip downs are solo tiring…especially when you have like 131 small cups to drink hahaha

Sil

…and uh i might have one more swap, two travelling tea boxes and uh two orders still on their way bwahahaha

Sil

(i also really wanted to place a WP order tonight but i’m still sick and so sleep is taking over lol)

TheTeaFairy

Poor girl…will you ever get rid of that flu/virus??

TeaTiff

You made this one sounds wonderful!

TeaBrat

I thought they decided to discontinue this one??

TheTeaFairy

Thanks TeaTiff, it’s a wonderful tea…

Teabrat, I got it from a swap, but read the comments on boychik’s link just above.

Terri HarpLady

I love this one too. What is this about it being the tea of the month?

AmazonV

@terri harplady i re-blended it for the tea of the month club – the website appears broken so i can no longer handle orders outside email until i have time next weekend to find a new host. :( 1 left i think

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97

My favorite leafhopper tea! And I got a BUNCH of it for my birthday! :D

Tastes like rich and sweet like waffles…yum yum yum.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 15 sec 3 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML
Cameron B.

Waffles?! Wow I need to try this one… With maple syrup… >>

Stephanie

I think syrup would dull the complex sweetness it already has going on…but to each his own! ;)

Cameron B.

You’re probably right… But I will definitely add this one to my Butiki list! Yum yum yum is right.

TheTeaFairy

This tea is dessert in the morning…

Cameron B.

Oh here comes TheTeaFairy, whispering Butiki in my ear again. What a rascal.

Cheri

I’m actually really happy I decided to place my last Butiki order…and then I stuck myself on tea buying hiatus for a while because I perhaps ordered too much. I love Butiki teas, so I have no regret over the order. I just wonder how I’m going to drink all the tea in my pantry. I now have tea on 3 shelves.

Stephanie

Cheri I am in the same boat…I have way too much delicious tea ;)

Cheri

And yet….I want more, different teas. All the teas!

TheTeaFairy

Cheri and Stephanie, I’m with you..more, always more!!!

Cameron B., ROFL!!!

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91

Before I start playing with this tea, I have to say I’m pretty sold on it, as I usually love Dancong oolongs.

It’s always interesting to see how very light and clear the infusion of such dark leaves produce.

Oh, if this tastes half as good as it smells like, I’m in for a treat!

It unmistakably smells like unsalted cashews, really, who doesn’t love cashews?

The taste is also very nutty and creamy, think marzipan. That nutty richness is cut by a brisk orange citrus taste, a characteristic flavour of this tea.

The second steep doesn’t smell as nutty as the first, now the orange blossoms are really shinning, taking control of the cup and it really lingers in the mouth.

On third and fourth steeps, I get citrus, peppercorn and cilantro. It’s a different tea.

I stopped at the fifth infusion cause I like a strong tea and to me, it was getting watery.

You can easily get to 15 even 20 infusions Gongfu style with this type of oolong, but I promised myself I would follow the WP recommended brewing method this first time around.

I am happy I did, I got many good cups western style, but I can’t wait to spend a full afternoon with it using the Gaiwan.

Another lovely tea from Whispering Pines…my experience with them has been flawless so far :-)

Flavors: Citrus, Coriander, Creamy, Marzipan, Nuts, Orange Blossom, Peppercorn

yyz

I like this type of Dancong, the one I love has this really interesting liqueur tones that reminds me of this whisky based liqueur that my cousin brought back from Scotland.

TheTeaFairy

Mmmm, sounds really good yyz!

yyz

It is… Curious about what notes you’ll get when you gongfu it.

chadao

Sounds lovely! I’ve tried two different Huang Zhi Xiang wulongs, one from Seven Cups and the other from Verdant. The former was so sweet, it was as if I was drinking straight mango and passion fruit nectar. The latter was more mellow, still juicy and sweet with oaky notes. And yours, well, again, it sounds completely different! That must go to show how even on particular tea can change character from purveyor to purveyor.

TheTeaFairy

Chadao, I have verdant also, you are right, it’s very sweet in an almost fruit juice kind of way. I will have to see how different this one is Gongfu style. I am expecting sweeter notes that way. And I agree, it’s amazing how different tea can be from on estate to the other, or from one harvest to the other. I’ve had a Da Yu Ling oolong recently that was so muted in taste compared to the regular brand I normally drink.

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Did you ever end up making the in the gaiwan? :)

TheTeaFairy

I did! Didn’t I review it a second time?
Its more boozy and orangy with short steeps…I much prefer it that way, it keeps changing from one steep to the next…that’s why I like gongfu brewing so much…did you try it yourself?

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Yep, I have. I like it more that way too :) I think you did review it now that I’m thinking about it…hmmm…haha

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Hmm…appears not! :P But yes, super nommy :)

TheTeaFairy

Lol, no worries, I can’t remember myself…But I drank it many times this way already and it’s much more complex, my favourite way for pretty much any oolong. I bought a nice Yixing pot for them, just can’t decided if I should use it for green oolong or more oxidized like this one…big dilemma.

Dexter

Normally I would comment something like – just get another then you don’t have to decide – BUT I would be remiss of me not to bring up the fact that you’ve agreed to go on an yixing buying hiatus…. ;)

TheTeaFairy

Haha!! Dexter, thanks for keeping an eye on me…but let’s not give that story to the world…not my finest moment, oops :-O

But, but, I was just on Zen Tea’s website cause my heart is just like my little pumpkin pot…it’s broken :-( what to do???

Whispering Pines Tea Company

:) I just bought two yixing pots (my first ones) last week! I’m stoked!

I’ve got a set of yixing cups for yunnan blacks, shou puer, and lapsang…so I bought a 120ml red yixing pot to match my yunnan black yixing cups and a 150ml black yixing pot to match my shou puer cups :)

If only they made 50ml yixing pots…i would be ALL OVER THAT. I can’t get over small teaware. It’s just so…adorable and perfect. :P

Dexter

Remember that number you quoted not that long ago (but long enough that you’ve placed more orders since) – THAT NUMBER – you know the scary one – and it didn’t include any of the tins for you organization project…. I have no problem with you replacing your pumpkin pot – just trying to look out for you….

TheTeaFairy

Brenden, that’s so cute! I love tiny teaware too but a 50ml pot?? Lol, that’s one sip! Have you seasoned them yet?

Oh, but Dexter, I just want the pots!! No tea. Lol, Brenden seems to be getting all my business lately anyways :-)

Those Zen Tea pots are going to disapear very soon, unbeatable quality for the price. I was thinking of replacing the broken one + the one the boychik got, the orange one. Then I’m gonna lock them up so I don’t break them no more. What do you think?

Dexter

If I told you what I really thought (you should use and love them not lock them up) – you would laugh hysterically and tell me to take a look in my own cupboard, no right to give you advice etc. I would say something like do as I say not as I do – you would smile, pat me on the head and buy one anyway. :))
LOL you can do what you like, I’m just trying to do my job as the “voice of reason”.
(For those that don’t understand – I have four yixing pots, I’ve only seasoned one – not using any of them – I have no right to tell anyone that they should be using and enjoying their teaware…)

TheTeaFairy

Lol, we know each other too well by now, scary!! The thing is, before I went to “breaking” mode, I was using them on REGULAR basis….but now my confidence is shaken…I’m wondering if they are better off being just “looked at” instead of end up cracked on the floor!!!

(Smile, pat on the shoulder… I just bought them!!)

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Nope, they’re still on the way to me, but I’ll be seasoning them right away when they arrive!

Lol, Dexter…I can’t imagine having teaware that didnt get used!

I would highly suggest creating a tea space with thick fuzzy carpet under the drinking area. I personally have a nice big carpet under my tea table, which is only a few inches taller than my knee. I’ve dropped many cups off of the table and none of them have broken :)

Dexter

Brenden are your yixing cups porcelain lined? or are they just clay? How do you like drinking out of them? I have a yixing mug (I understand that’s not what you have) and I don’t like the roughness of the clay to drink out of – don’t like how it feels in the mouth, against teeth. I have itty, bitty, teeny tiny clay tasting cups, but have never used them – too small, and afraid of the clay feel. Just wondering if proper sized cups would be better?

Dexter

Fairy – I am not surprised. :))
It is scary, don’t need to actually HAVE the conversation to know how it would go. Enjoy your new pots!!!
One of these days I’m going to take a me tea day and actually spend some quality time with some of my GOOD teas and GOOD teaware – just need to find some time…

TheTeaFairy

Brenden, i had a phase of uncontrollable clumsiness…let’s hope it’s over now. But the carpet is an option to consider ;-) i’d love to see your pots when you get them!!

Dexter, You know I hope and pray everyday for that to happen for you my dear friend :-)

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Dexter, totally unglazed. I love drinking out of them…when I first got them, I didnt season them and they felt and tasted rough, just like you explained. After I seasoned them they began to feel smoother on the lips and produce much better tasting tea. I didn’t think I would notice much difference, but after using them for a few months I definitely started tasting a difference. All of the teas I make in them are so much smoother and cleaner tasting. I have a set of clay cups that are really low quality and i couldn’t stand to drink out of them…after seasoning it was so much better…but still definitely not as good as a good quality cup.

TeaFairy, I will definitely be posting pictures on here. Excited! :)

Also, I like to pour my first cup of the session into the yixing cups and let it sit for a minute before drinking. This seems to “open” the teacups up. Could just be my imagination though :P

Dexter

Thanks Brenden – now that you say it – makes perfect sense. I did let tea sit in my mug a couple of times when I first got it to “season”, but I didn’t submerge it. That’s what I need to do, build up some patina on the lip and outside to cut down the rough mouth feel. I really want to love my yixing mug – I’m way more of a coffee mug rather than tiny cup kind of girl – this seemed like the best of both world. I’m going to submerge my mug a few times and see if I can’t get it to “smooth out”. Thanks for the advice. :))

TheTeaFairy

(I’m both a super large and super tiny teaware kind of gal…I’m want ALL things tea!!!

Whispering Pines Tea Company

What you need to do is boil it in a pot with the tea you want to use. Add like a half ounce of the tea and boil the tea for 20 minutes, then add the mug and boil for an hour. That initial seasoning is what really makes it start to taste good :)

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The tea smells fabulous with sweet potato,cocoa, the brighter tones of malt and the spicy tones of gardenia, sharper tasting sweet berries and a touch of honey.

The dry leaf is mostly chocolate brown broken leaves with scattered golden tips

Once brewed it yields a red toned broth

There is a light flavour at first that is slightly vegetal with the bitter tones of malt, but this quickly dissapears and you get the heavier tones of malt, cocoa, and gardenia, that then sweeten into fruit, honey and cocoa notes. As it cools sweet potato is present in the first notes as well as a citrus note, and a hint of floral. Allowed to cool further the fruit notes come to the forefront with the sweet potato and the berry notes are more distinct.

The tea resteeps quite well, with sweet potato, citrus and malt notes more apparent.

I brewed this tea at around 92°C for three minutes and there is a mild astringency and a cooling feeling at the top of the mouth. There seems to be more caffeine in this one than Tiger Assam as I feel it buzzing in my upper arms. I am quite enjoying this mix of floral spice, fruit, cocoa and bitter tones. I might actually prefer it to Tiger Assam.

Thanks Sil this was a perfect first cup for today!

boychik

i wasnt impressed at first time i tried a sample. im so glad i picked a tin on NYC Fest. The more i drink it, the more i fall in love with this tea.

yyz

I think it might be a tea that might be easy to over steep, it does have those bitter tones. Others have found it to be astringent thats why I used a cooler temperature. The very first sip when hot was kind of vegetal and thin but as it cools it transforms to something really pleasant.

TheTeaFairy

Yyz, you always make me want to drink whatever you’re having, but it’s rarely in my cupboard :-(
This time, it is!! I recently received a huge sample from a generous tea friend, I think I will try it tomorrow morning…

boychik

You are right. 200-205F and no more than 3 min for me.

Sil

yay! glad you’re enjoying it. it’s nice to be able to try these before committing to a whole 4.4oz tin!

Sil

and yes… keep it a little lower on the temp side with this one

Sami Kelsh

Ooh, this sounds so nice! Man, I really need to invest in these tea people, for reals.

Sil

sami just poke me sometime…happy to send you samples to try before you place an order since shipping will be a nightmare

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90

thank you Angel of teavivre for sending me this tea. As most of you know, greens are not my go to tea. That being said, these teas from angel are almost enough to make me want to change my mind. :) This is a fabulous dragon well. it’s tangy and very much GREEN but without that overly vegetal taste that i dislike. there’s a buttery sweetness to this as well that i am loving! i drank more than a few cups of this today. I may need to see if a joint order is possible since i DO love these teas but i can’t get through a 100g bag fast enough to keep the freshness!

Cameron B.

I would definitely be up for that! I’ve heard so many good things about Teavivre but I haven’t tried anything from there yet. I don’t know which teas you’re interested in but I think I’d be willing to trust your judgment. :P

caile

You can buy this one in a 50g bag as well. :)

TheTeaFairy

(I told you before Sil…me think you are slowly leaving Dexter behind and joining forces with me to the “green side”, muahahaha!!!)

Sil

cameron – have to wait a while before i can pick up more teas sadly, but i’ll keep you in mind. heh teavivre has some incredible teas, and it seems like i am loving their green teas when it’s their blacks that are one of my go to places.

Sil

teafairy! NEVER!!

TheTeaFairy

Don’t forget I have Fairy powers….

Cameron B.

Sure thing, I’m in no hurry either so take your time. :)

Dexter

(green side = scary. It’s nice, warm, safe over here in my “dark” corner. Happy on the dark side….)

TheTeaFairy

(Haha! But Dexter, It’s a lot more fun when you play on both sides!!)

ohfancythat

I’m with you guys on the dark side….haha. But so far I’ve actually enjoyed the green tea from Teavivre!

TheTeaFairy

whatshesaid, that’s how the transition starts….

boychik

it may sound strange but i started to appreciate green or white teas after trying some good sheng

Sil

to be fair i do like green teas, i just don’t crave them like i do black teas…so if i buy too many of them, they end up losing their freshness…which is part of my operation to get to within 6 months of tea purchases…

Plunkybug

I think that this is one of the ones I got too. Looing forward to trying the two dragon wells I got.

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74

Part two of the date involved coming back to my place (because he actually lives 20 min. outside of town so that didn’t seem like a better option) to watch Game of Thrones. I’ve never seen GoT until today but I decided to give it a shot since he really likes it, and it seemed like something fun to do together and he was on board with the idea.

We actually didn’t get to watch much GoT. And get your heads of the gutter; it was just ‘cause my computer was being really shitty and videos longer than three or four minutes ended up being heavily problematic when it came to loading them. Boo to that. So, we watched two episodes: my impression thus far is that I like Tyrian, Daenerys, and Joffrey. Of course my impression on these characters is formed around two episodes of content; but Tre and Tyrell seem shocked I like Joffrey. I get he’s a total asshat, but I think that’s why I like him? I don’t know – I always fall for the most despicable characters.

Anyway, I sorta took Tyrell being around as an excuse to just make whatever teas happened to tickle my fancy, so I brewed up four teas at once; kinda as a “test” to see whether he could wrap his head around my “tea crazy” and he was pretty shocked_ just how many cups I was having in one go – but he was also on board with it and kinda just embraced the tea crazy. I think that’s a very good thing. Also, four cups at once isn’t that much of a stretch for me though two or three is closer to my norm. Didn’t want to get up to make tea mid episode, though.

I’m trying to finish this up which is why it was picked; but also I kinda just wanted something peachy too. I’m close to getting rid of the bag of this though; probably two cups left?

It was really good actually, peachy with sweet snap pea notes, until it began cooling off and then it just got crazy bitter crazy fast. That’s not cool. Boo to that! But oh well; it was nice for a while and I guess I’ll take that…

Flavors: Carrot, Lemongrass, Peach, Peas

Cameron B.

You like Joffrey?! o.o

Stephanie

I know someone who made “adorable” fan art of LittleFinger….barf, LOL

Cameron B.

Total barf. XD To each their own, I guess!

mj

Ok, it’s crazy that you like Joffrey. I hate him so much! But Littlefinger… I kinda like him, aside from the creeptastic behavior towards Sansa.

VariaTEA

Oh tea twin, your feelings towards Joffrey is something we definitely do not share. However, the character gave me a whole new appreciation for the actor as he captured him impeccably well.

ohfancythat

You’re not allowed to like Joffrey. It’s a rule of humanity. :)

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Oh wow! I don’t think I’ve had this one with cream before. It’s so good this way! Apricot and orange are NOT a flavour combo I thought I’d fall for, but I did.

Still, I think the 100g tin will be enough. Fauchon teas are expensive even in Europe, I think mostly for the seriously lovely tins. (I’m still looking at Madeleine de Miel, just because I’ve never seen these flavours before, and… honey tea! <3 http://www.fauchon.com/en/the-madeleine-au-miel.html)

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 15 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Cameron B.

Madeleine de Miel was the one that caught my eye when I was browsing their website! You’ll have to tell us how it is if you do decide to try it. This one sounds delicious as well, I’m a sucker for anything apricot.

OMGsrsly

Someone has offered to send it to me, but it’s still $22 plus shipping. Almost as much as my beloved Chandernagor costs locally!

Cameron B.

I just discovered Fauchon from other Steepsters posting about it, and I am so sad that it’s not available in the US. I signed up for Vente-Privee and I’ve been checking it every day like some kind of weirdo. >>

OMGsrsly

They don’t ship to Canada, so I’m safe. :)

VariaTEA

I want L’Hiver but I really don’t know if I am ready to spend $20 on 50g. So I definitely understand your hesitation about buying Fauchon.

OMGsrsly

Yeah, I was looking at that one too. It’s just so much, especially for a tea I haven’t tried. But MF Chandernagor? No problem, I’ll buy it even at $25 or $30 a tin. :) That’s what happens when a tea is a favourite.

VariaTEA

I tried L’Hiver and liked it a lot but I still have issues paying $20 for 50g cuz that price is insane. I also would love to try the MF Gourmand teas but same problem of a huge price and a not so large amount of tea. I understand willing to spend for a favorite though.

OMGsrsly

The most expensive tea I’ve bought was just over $1/gram. So… :) If I loved it, I’m sure I could justify it somehow.

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Sucky tasting notes abound…sorry team…just trying to track this so I can get back to sleep. This is another courtesy of variaTEA and a decent one at that. It still can’t compete against the pumpkin tea that Terri and I love but this was a nice enough visit with the pumpkin spice :) thanks for sharing VT!

Terri HarpLady

Hopefully in about 4 months we’ll be able to get more of that awesome pumpkin tea!!

Dexter

Jealous of that special pumpkin tea. Hope you feel better soon Sil.

Sil

dexter, when there is more to be had, you will get some!

Terri HarpLady

We’ll have to place a seriously ridiculous bulk order :)

Dexter

Seriously ridiculous bulk order sounds like a good time to me – especially if I can get even a small piece of it. :))

Sil

yeah…i’d do at least 200g…

Sil

have you even tried it yet dexter? lol

Dexter

No I haven’t, but I’ve tried a MOUNTAIN of pumpkin teas and Della Terra Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie is my favorite. That should tell how excited I am to have the opportunity to try this one. Based on your comments I anticipate making everything else seem like warm swill water….

Sil

ew..no this one is better than della terra’s…though to be fair it’s got ginger, so if you’re a ginger hater, it won’t be for you :)

Dexter

I don’t mind ginger if it enhances rather that obliterates the other flavors. :))

TheTeaFairy

I.love.pumpkin.tea.too. Just saying…

Sil

hahahaha

boychik

ok ppl, i need this what you are talking about. i dont know what tea is that, but based on your conspiracy … very intriguing…

Sil

terri sent me some, i feel in love with it…it’s terribly delicious and fresh and made with love and real pumpkin chunks… and it’s gone…and it’s a sad time because it’s pumpkin AND ginger..and i love it.

TheTeaFairy

(Boychik, I don’t know, just tried to infiltrate the thread also…)

boychik

good to know. i put it on my want list:)
TheTeaFairy ROFL

Dexter

So really we are right back where we started with Terri needing to place a seriously ridiculous bulk order for us. ;))
Notice how I too just assumed my way in.

Sil

that’s how it goes.. and all i have to say is…as long as i get at least 200g…you ladies are all welcome to share in the joy of a giant order. lol otherwise…BACK OFF! (i kid i kid! but i wish i had this one to add to the GCTTB)

Terri HarpLady

OK Peeps, don’t get too excited, because it is only available in the Fall. The gal who makes it used locally grown org pumpkins, which she roasts & then dehydrates, & that is the basis for the tea! Maybe I should plant pumpkins this year…it’s been awhile since I grew them.

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87

I am afraid I just ruined my nose by making my hair coloration this morning. This is a new one and I had a heavy scent of amoniac which just lingerates for 1 hour now.
I cannot really enjoy the tea as it is probably regarding smell but my taste is intact and I really enjoy sipping it.
I get all the things I love so much in Laoshan Black + a roastiness quite heavy to me. This is very lovely. Even if I tend to prefer the black version because I didn’t really get the Oolong-iness I was expecting from it.
Thank you so much Dexter for sharing.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 30 sec
Anna

It’s probably just a very temporarily ruined nose. And hopefully your hair looks good enough to be worth a few hours of Temporary Nose Disorder!

Ysaurella

thank you Anna for the support. Yes my nose came back but I am quite impressed a simple coloration can be so chimically nuisible, this is the first time I experience this.

Anna

Did you switch to a new kind of hair dye?

Ysaurella

new line yes and I think I won’t rebuy this one :)

Anna

At least that’s better than when they change a product you’ve used for years, and you open it, and it’s all, ‘Aaaah! This smells WRONG!’

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89

I love how “shabby chic” White Peony tea looks like, unstructured and lacking in formal rules. The leaves look like they just woke up and didn’t have time to fix their hair yet!

Fluffy, some large and some small, oddly shaped, it’s beautifully disorganized.

Brewing it never fails me. It’s one of those I always go «Ahhh, yes, here you are, it’s been too long…» cause I usually shy away from white tea during winter but drink lots of it during summer season, cold or hot.

I am using the Gaiwan, I don’t measure or weigh it cause it’s too light, I just completely fill the vessel, it’s simpler.

It smells and tastes like hay warmed by the sun. It has beautiful notes of stone fruit, maybe apricot, and I also get some cucumber.

The second steep is always the best, it bursts with sweet melon juiciness, more stone fruit, hay still present.

Very relaxing and warming, a solid tea I can always rely on.

Welcome back to my life Bai Mu Dan!

Cameron B.

I really enjoyed the Bai Mudan I tried and I will definitely be trying this brand as well. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Teavivre. :)

I’m very interested in the whole gaiwan / gong fu mechanic but I really have no idea what it entails. I guess it’s something that I will have to do some research on and try in the future!

sherapop

Good description of this “bad hair day” tea! ;-)

TheTeaFairy

Cameron, I don’t think you can go wrong with Teavivre!
Here’s a link I like a lot for an introduction to Gongfu brewing methods. I love it cause it also shows non formal methods to make it accessible to anybody, (if you don’t own a Gaiwan or a gongfu pot). All Verdan’t videos are fantastic, I have learned a lot with them. Hope it helps you and gives you a direction :-)

Lol, sherapop, I always think “bad hair day” when I look at it ;-)

TheTeaFairy

Always nice to see you Mr. Draper ;-)

Cameron B.

Thanks so much for your help, TheTeaFairy, I really appreciate it! :3

TheTeaFairy

Awww, you are so welcome Cameron, anytime :-)

chadao

Sounds delicious! If you like bai cha (true “bai hao” white tea) like Bai Mu Dan, then you might also like its cousins, Shou Mei and Bai Hao Yin Zhen. Shou Mei is usually more robust, but still with that hay and delicate fruit flavor. Yin Zhen, you may have tried it, its delicately sweet and luxurious.

TheTeaFairy

Thanks chadao :-) I love Silver Needle…I bought Shou Mei only once in form of a cake (also from Teavivre), it reminded me of some Sheng I’ve had. Was that what you were referring to?

chadao

Not quite, I’ve never actually heard of Shou Mei in cake form. I was thinking more along the lines of this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoumei_tea
http://www.sevencups.com/tea_shop/Shou-Mei-Organic-White-Tea-2013.html

TheTeaFairy

Thanks for the links…here’s what I’ve had before, just FYI:
http://www.teavivre.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Shou+mei

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It’s my birthday!!!

I’ve had a nice relaxing morning so far. Woke up and made a cup of Laoshan Black (yum) and made a Dutch Baby with fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar on top (also YUM). Then my husband gave me some of my gifts…all were tea so far LOL!

He got me the Starbuck’s matchaccino copy from RedLeaf, and a HUGE box from Butiki including-

The Black Lotus
Blackberry Lime Guayusa
Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black
2009 Banchang tree Puerh (having that one now, SO GOOD!)
Kenyan Silver Needle

Stacy also threw in some excellent samples! Birthday cake (totes apropos) the NEW Chocolate Espresso with Strawberry Cream frosting (OMG can’t wait) and the phase one butterscotch chai trial, and a new Taiwanese Black! Thanks Stacy!!!

Tonight I’m going to a neat local event the call Zoo Brew. They close the local Zoo for the evening and people pay to get in and there are a TON of booths with food and beer samples of all sorts. My husband is actually in the local homebrew club so he will be there with 5 gallons of his donated beer (an Amber Ale) serving samples to the masses. The homebrew club booth is always the MOST popular…these guys are fantastic brewers but they can’t SELL their beer without the proper licensing, but they CAN donate it to events like this! People go nuts for their unique and tasty beers :) Anyway should be a great time if it doesn’t get rained out!

Anna

Happy birthday!

Dustin

Sounds like a great start to your day! Way to go hubby on the gifts! And I love Dutch Babies, especially with honey. My mom has always made them for her kids on their birthdays. Wish there was a way to make them delicious without half a stick of butter.

Skysamurai

Happy birthday!

yyz

Happy Birthday!

inranger

Happy birthday, enjoy your tea. As an ex-homebrewer I’m sure the Zoo Brew will be a fun change of pace for your taste buds. Have fun!

TeaBrat

Happy birthday!!!

TheTeaFairy

Happy Birthday Stephanie, have fun tonight :-)

Tealizzy

Happy Birthday!! Sounds like it’s already off to a great start!!

SWApilot

Happy Birthday!!!!!

carol who

Happy Birthday! Sounds like a lot of fun!

KiwiDelight

Happy Birthday, Stephanie!

Stephanie

Thanks everyone!

Dustin I will PM you my Dutch Baby recipe, we can compare notes :)

caile

Happy birthday! Hope you have a great time at the Zoo!

Butiki Teas

Happy Birthday! Hope you have a fantastic day! Your hubby happened to mention that the teas were for your Bday, so had to throw in a sample of the Birthday Cake. FYI, the Butterscotch Chai is not going to happen. Just feel as though it is not right but it tastes great with sugar. Have fun at the Zoo Brew! That sounds awesome!

boychik

Happy Birthday amazing tea friend!!!! Have lots of fun !!!!

tea-sipper

A late happy birthday to you! Butiki for birthday – perfect! We have something for kids called the Zoo BOO around here. haha.

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84
drank Brioche Organic Tea by American Tea Room
15074 tasting notes

another backlog from yesterday, this one courtesy of VariaTEA I’m a little worried that i’ll get my teas from swaps mixed up so apologies if i miscredit someone with a tea they gave me. I’m trying to get them all separate since the house is a complete mess but who knows how well that will work. It was lovely to have this back in the house again. it’s one of the few teas from ATR that i really enjoy enough to want to purchase but they are a pain to get to canada. thanks for putting this back in my cupboard!

VariaTEA

You’re welcome. NayLynn got 3-4 oz for me so I was more than happy to share as I haven’t been able to get to my cupboard teas lately, what with all the swaps, and I would hate for all that tea to go stale.

TeaLady441

Ha! We both had this yesterday! It’s so good. I think I got mine from VariaTEA too! highfives

Sil

both of you…all your tea is packed up and ready for pick up (beyond anything you want to “shop” for at my place)…anytime is fine by me – my tea is one of the few things really organised in the house right now lol

VariaTEA

Haha. I see you had your priorities straight. Tea first, everything else later. When I moved home, I insisted my box of tea go in the van with me as opposed to the moving truck and it was the first thing I unpacked.

OMGsrsly

Yay for having at least one thing organized! :)

Sil

Tea was organized day one except that I still had swaps that came in, in their own boxes…now it’s all unpacked and sorted etc….and I split up your teas etc… Today I packaged stuff to go out as well…. I’m stupidly sick so I’m not very productive but that made me feel good.

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85
drank Melon Oolong by Lupicia
303 tasting notes

Really, now. All the talking I do about this tea. All the references to the delights of the melon oolong. All that swagger. And yet I barely ever log it.

The main issue is that I’ve given most of it away, so I’ve been hoarding the rest of it, just a little bit, for summer. But now summer is here! 33 C in the shade, and Em and I have to go groceryin’, and Em is all but the heat and I’m all I love when it’s warm and Em is all noooo please carry me and I’m all well, if you’re a very very good little puddle of sweat i will buy you a gelato and I could go on but you get it.

This tea is gorgeous. I’ve been in doubt after all these melon white discussions – did I really note such a big difference between the two? Was I mistaken? I am very happy to announce (ha, classic hog) that I was not. This is so much better than the melon white, in my opinion – ripe, fruity, smooth, complex. This is really, really, really good.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 30 sec
ohfancythat

Yayyyyy! Come onnnnnn July.

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88

Backlog:

LOVE!

Some time ago, in the forums, I commented on the thread that asked what Dragonwell people were going to get this spring. This is one that I recommended. It’s an OUTSTANDING dragonwell.

Then again, you can’t really go wrong with Teavivre.

This is a very fresh Dragon Well, and it’s a freshness that can be tasted. Sweet, mild, fresh, pure, clean, nutty and buttery are all words that come to mind when I sipped this tea. It’s an invigorating and refreshing green tea.

A delightful chestnut flavor with a hint of steamed veggies. As I continued to sip, I could pick up on some apple-like flavors. Savory notes toward mid-sip: a little salty. A really, really good Dragonwell!

here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/04/21/organic-nonpareil-qian-dragon-well-long-jing-green-tea-teavivre/

Jillian

That’s an impressively long name for that tea.

Anna

This sounds great, I look forward to getting to the dragon well portion of my green tea project.

ashmanra

“You can’t go wrong with Teavivre.” One of the truest statements I have ever read.

LiberTEAS

They are a company that continues to impress me. I was blown away with how good this Dragon Well is.

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73
drank Kirara Rice Tea by Lupicia
6444 tasting notes

Thank you Dexter for sharing this with me. It is a good genmaicha – roasty with a little bit of butter and grass from the base. A very pleasant cup, though, there is nothing particularly outstanding that I would go out of my way to stock it. I am glad I got to try it out though so thank you once again :).

Dexter

Interesting – I like this one…. Can I ask what’s your favorite genmaicha? LOL If there is one out there that is significantly better than this I should be looking for it. ;))

VariaTEA

There is not one that I can think of that I like more that is not flavored but to me, most genmaichas are similar with just subtle differences. This one is very good but Lupicia isn’t exactly the most accessible so I don’t think it is unique enough to warrant placing an order just for this. I would maybe add it to an order if I was already making one though.

Dexter

OK fair enough. I just thought maybe you knew of a SPECTACULAR one that I didn’t know about…. :))

VariaTEA

No I don’t but if I find one, I will let you know. Honestly though, I tend to prefer the flavored genmaichas like Japon.

Cheri

Japon was the first flavored gemaicha I have had and it is delicious, but I also have a special place in my heart for plain genmaichas. I’m always looking for new ones to try.

Dexter

I LOVE Verdant’s Loashan Black Chocolate Genmaicha – that’s probably my favorite. Plain genmaicha, I too keep looking for one that’s the right balance of toasty roasty to green. I really like genmaicha, but I think in my heart I know that my favorite genmaicha is a hojicha. Or what I’m trying to say is that I think if I’m in the mood for that style – hojicha works better for me…

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Drank a resteep of this while I was watching the local news coverage this morning about how the RCMP caught the psycho cop killer who shall not be named.

What a relief it’s all over, just knowing he’s not out there anymore and no one else had to die because of this scumbag. Now we focus on the healing of our city and trying to feel safe again.

There’s a vigil tonight for the 3 RCMP officers who lost their lives at the hands of this guy whose name I shall not speak.

But three names I will speak, because these names are important:

Const. Dave Ross
Const. Fabrice Georges Gevaudan
Const. Douglas James Larche

Thank you for protecting our city. May you all rest in peace.

This review wasn’t about the tea, but I don’t think it needed to be.

TheTeaFairy

Thanks for posting this…

Kat_Maria

Okay, this is largely off topic but does your Steepster name have anything to do with this song: http://youtu.be/8cMmCtLLHGg ? Because every time I see it, I hear this song in my head :D Which is great because The Smiths are one of my favorite bands ever.

ohfancythat

Yeah, I was an angsty teen/20 something but the name still stuck :)

mrmopar

+1 and agree totally. Prayers for their families.

mrs.stenhouse12

Thank you for focusing on the brave fallen souls rather than the killer, I feel the media spends far too much time talking about the bad guys and don’t talk enough about the good, happy someone shares my sentiments! And ptayers to all affected <3

MzPriss

So very sorry for those families.

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86

I went to the hospital this morning, and I saw great beauty.

There was an older man sitting next to me in the waiting room. He told me he had a brain tumour and only 6 months to live.

I asked what were his plans for the next 6 months. With tears in his eyes, he pointed at the little boy next to him, his grandson. His daughter was also there. He told me he was going to spend as much time as possible with them.

Then the little boy, (three years old) got up, gently took his grandpa’s face between his two miniature hands and stared. He said with a big smile on his face: «Don’t be sad Pappy, all the pain is gone…»

I cried. His daughter cried. Then we all looked at the little boy, and laughed. It was one of those moments where you can’t help reflect on your own life. It was special. That little boy will be forever in my heart and so will be the old man.

When I got home, I was exhausted, but grateful. Grateful to have time in front of me to love and cherish those who are important to me.

I chose to dink this tea for its beauty and purity.

It’s clean, and it gives me some peace and quiet inside. It’s very sweet, brothy and slightly vegetal. It’s milky in a rice milk kind of way. It’s soothing. It’s what I need.

I don’t have much else to say, just thought I’d share this beautiful story with you all :-)

Christina / BooksandTea

That’s lovely. So lovely.

TheTeaFairy

Yes, We sometimes meet the most wonderful people at the most unexpected places…

caile

Thank you for sharing that – so very touching and beautiful!

Doug F

Beautiful. A good reminder to be in the moment so that you don’t miss experiences like this.

inranger Thanks, you reminded me to reach out and keep in touch with my sister.
Stephanie

Wow, powerful stuff

Kat_Maria

This is the day when Steepster made me cry. Thank you for the story, TeaFairy!

looseTman

Very poignant and a great reminder of what’s truly important in life.

TheTeaFairy

Thank you guys, I’m glad I’m not the only one who was touched by this little boy today…

Inranger, that’s what it was all about :-)

mrmopar

It’s the little things that mean so much. And words from a child the purest and most honest sayings.

mrs.stenhouse12

Thank you for sharing this lovely story! A great reminder to enjoy every moment in your life, especially with loved ones

MzPriss

I’m sitting here sobbing. This so beautiful and so heart-wrenching. I lost my very beloved Daddy to brain tumors much, much too soon. I want to hug that little boy and that man so hard. It’s Father’s Day next weekend and that is always a bittersweet time for me and he’s been gone for years now. Thank you for sharing this.

TheTeaFairy

MzPriss, so sorry this post brought back sad memories…I’m very sorry for your dad.

MzPriss

It’s OK really. I still miss him a way lot. My Daddy was hilarious and and loving and I was the light of his life. I got a lot
From my Daddy and I have great memories.

TeaVivre

moving story. Be happy even in the darkest days, and always find something that can bring you peace or cherry you up.

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