4170 Tasting Notes
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #5 – An evening tea
I think a no caff- chai is a cupboard staple for nighttime drinking, so this one was acceptable! Hopefully last night was one of the last colder nights for the year. That wind was fierce. Fun fact: one of my oldest teas around here looks to still be available!
2024 sipdowns: 25
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #4 – A breakfast tea
Never could tell why this was a “breakfast tea”. But now in my scoop, I’m seeing tiny pieces of something… I wonder if whatever that is contains caffeine? Maybe the Ashwagandha or Gurana? And maybe I didn’t get these tiny particles in a scoop previously and just had the bigger pieces in the infuser? I think it’s hilarious they changed the name of the blend to LIGHT breakfast boost. Still ain’t a breakfast blend IMO! Helpful tasting note, I know.
Album: Tiny Ruins – Ceremony
Song: In Light of Everything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAvaiIoMnXE
Guarana is often considered a stimulant, and is one of the main ingredients in energy drinks like Redbull.
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #3 – March 8 – International Women’s Day
Had to go with a Butiki tea today for this prompt! I hope Stacy is succeeding even more at whatever she is doing now, than when she was as a tea genius. (I would probably know what Stacy was up to if I followed any social media other than Steepster, but here we are.) If Stacy ever wants to start blending some tea again, I will be first in line and she can take all my money. Anyway, this is an ultimate favorite I like to occasionally break out, with its spectacular base and perfect flavor combination. I have a couple steep sessions left, to treasure in the future and I feel very grateful for that. Somehow for a tea I enjoy only once in a while, will pair best with the new Glasser album. She hasn’t had one in ten years!
Album: Glasser – Crux
Song: Clipt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Ift8eoISE
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #2 – A floral tea
I realized as I was unwrapping the tuocha to finish this today that there is “flower” in the name, so I’m counting it for this prompt! The flavor isn’t much, isn’t spectacular, so I’m glad I’m clearing it from the cupboard.
2024 sipdowns: 24
Album: Will Johnson – No Ordinary Crown
Song: Along the Runner (No Ordinary Crown) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwByxoDfsks&list=OLAK5uy_nwHzFgnwPcCNu4vVxRilt5eLqmJB3CWNM&index=1
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #1- Your tea with the shortest name
Oo, I like this prompt. It required some thinking! I’m guessing at six letters, this is one of the teas with the shortest names. And it’s a good excuse to dig it out of the stash. It’s such an interesting looking leaf! Wish I had enjoyed it in its prime, but it isn’t bad now.
Album: GRETA – Portals
Song: First Weeks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuTUT-D4tIg
If you didn’t see my rant a couple weeks ago, they made these tuochas on the new batch I bought, they didn’t taste the same. This time, I was attempting to cut one mini tuocha in half, to steep with a full tuocha (for 1 1/12 tuochas) but it was too much of a pain/ made too much of a mess, without actually splitting in half, on the verge of injuring myself, so I just threw TWO tuochas into the infuser, just for this session! The second steep is DARK. Throughout all the steeps, I would say even with two tuochas, none of the steeps quite had the COMPLEXITY of the previous 2022 purchase of the bigger tuochas, which is odd, as two of the smaller ones are definitely much more leaf than one. So I’m wondering if the leaf might be slightly different, and it isn’t just the size of the tuochas that matters here. Drinking two tuochas was certainly better in flavor than just one! But again, not as good as the old batch, either way. So not sure if it is worth it to steep two together in the future? A fifth steep for 15+ minutes had some nice depth to it, at least…
Steep #1 // TWO tuochas for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min
Steep #5 // just boiled // 15+ min
Album: Helena Deland – Goodnight Summerland
Song: The Animals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo_c7NJxWe8
Bonus Song: Bright Green Vibrant Gray https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA12STWhAZ4
Mainly posting this to see what is happening with steepster…. I liked this more than I previously thought! Maybe the flavors are melding with age. I even like how rich the rooibos is.
The dashboard seemed to be lagging earlier today, but notes are showing up now. Maybe people just aren’t posting?
This is the first time I’ve logged in for a year. It seemed like everyone migrated to instragram, but I got tired of looking at pictures of tea (Spoiler: they all look pretty much the same after a while). I’ll try to start posting again but haven’t bought tea in years. I have about a 5-lifetime supply of puerh.
Dr. Jim: I shouldn’t buy tea but I do, especially after 10 pm when I am weak. I, too, have a lot of puerh, but I think I can get to it all in this lifetime! Ha ha! Maybe that could be the Steepster benediction – may you live long enough to enjoy all your puerh!
From Tiffany a while ago, thanks very much! I had this tea yesterday, so this note won’t be great. It’s a middle of the road earl. Sadly so, as it looks like a great quality black tea leaf. I’m not sure if it’s worth saying it has silver tips though… I only see one or two of those sickles in my sample pouch. The bergamot used here is just okay. Not my favorite, not terrible. Maybe hints of grapefruit. Always happy to try all the Earls!
Album: Buck Meek – Haunted Mountain
Song: Paradise – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RdRqZTLce4
Bonus Song: Haunted Mountain – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv8uI2VXppA
From Daylon R Thomas a while ago, thanks very much! Can’t believe only Daylon ever wrote a note for this. Must have been a quick offering from Whispering Pines and then disappeared. The dry leaf looks absolutely my jam: twisty with lots of gold… what I can only describe as a beautiful mess of twisted leaves. :D It’s quite the golden cup! Might be a little light for me, but it’s great for a light tea. Lots of mineral notes. I think the lingering aftertaste might even be better than while drinking it: like a tomato soup that is mostly cream. Then maybe some pine sap and BBQ sauce spices. The second steep is almost FULL buttermilk or cream. Very odd and unique! I don’t think I have noticed buttermilk in a tea before? The leaf looks fierce in appearance, but the flavor is so delicate, I almost wouldn’t guess it was a black tea. Definitely a tea I might occasionally crave, if I’m not in the mood for a strong cup…
Steep #1 // two teaspoons for a mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min
Album: Wye Oak – Every Day Like the Last: Collected Singles
Song: Fortune https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNBjdcxB9J4