714 Tasting Notes
Steep Information:
Amount: ~1.5 teaspoons
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: woody, spicy, followed by mint
Steeped Tea Smell: woody, followed by mint
Flavor: spicy red tea, mostly cinnamon and cardamom
Body: Full
Aftertaste: mint
Liquor: dark reddish-brown
I was fortunate enough to grab the last two serving of this from the Steepster Traveling Teabox.
The smell is a bit different than the normal Chai I drink because of the mint.
The taste is a smooth, well balanced, spicy tea. The mint follows the sip.
The spices are a mellow and don’t stand out individually, they also are not very strong (think medium versus mild salsa).
This was not a bad tea, it was a nice sold red spiced tea. I am glad I got to try it, and would drink it again, but it is not my preferred chai so it won’t become a cupboard regular.
Post-Steep Additives: lactose free fat-free milk
It didn’t really make much of a difference. Perhaps if I had steeped it in the milk it might have?
Post-Steep Additives: honey
Tempered the spicy, but the spicy wasn’t a strong spicy so I don’t think it’s really needed.
images:http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/02/tao-of-tea-loose-leaf-red-tea-red-bush.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 2 heaping scoops (i didn’t want to use all 3 in case i messed it up)
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling 1 teapot, set to cool a few moments until it was around 195
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet baking coconut
Steeped Tea Smell: baking coconut (not like fresh coconut milk), grassy, vegetal (like some kind of buttered stewed leaves), maybe even a little nutty
Flavor: watery vegetal, again like buttered stewed leaves, very silky smooth mouth feel though
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: coconut, sweet
Liquor: nearly clear, yellow-brown
This was a gift from SoccorMom!
I have never had a Pouchong before. Pouchong – Wikipedia suggested following the directions for Oolong tea.
The tea was very natural tasting, not like two distinct flavors (tea, coconut) being put together, but one flavor that was both tea and coconut.
The vegetal that I dislike in greens was not a negative thing, it was more a nice cooked side dish of greens doused in butter and silky smooth.
The steeped leaves unfurled into beautiful green full leaves! I could swear they were just picked.
I am glad I got to try this as it was good and different, but not a favorite that I would stock up on, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having it again.
I never even knew there was such thing as Pouchong before, and I think I preferr this to green now that I know it exists!
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/02/golden-moon-tea-loose-leaf-pouchong-tea.html
Preparation
well, this was my lunch break tea, i’m working at home today (snow) and i was hungry but don’t have anything interesting so i had gummi worms, the tea pairs very well with them….really
Oooh, I haven’t had those in AGES. When I get around to ordering this tea, I’ll need to try that.
there were the fruity worm flavors…i was kinda surprised but it made a nice tropical coconut mixed drink flavor
resteep – 5 minutes, it still is silky smooth and delicious, but the vegetal taste is more prominent, the butter is gone, and there is a slight bitter tang at the end of each sip.
resteep 2-8 minutes ? i lost track i kept steeping a bit longer, it still is silky smooth and delicious, but i think it is weaker, MilitiaJim just came home and thinks it’s tropical and fine. interestingly this one is not bitter. I tossed the leaves anyway though b/c it’s late and i don’t want any more caffeine, and I’m getting bored of this one tea flavor all
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag 6 ounces / 2 teabag 12 ounces
Additives: none
Water: filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon, clove
Steeped Tea Smell: spices, tea, orange, apple (not sure where the orange is coming from)
Flavor: citrus spice and tea, smooth and mellow (not sure where the citrus is coming from)
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: spice
Liquor: translucent dark brown
If you are expecting a spicy chai you will be disappointed. I have had this tea in the past however and find it a nice smooth flavored black tea.
I also enjoy this tea with a bit of honey and milk as it’s flavor is strong enough to stand up to that without being lost.
Post-Steep Additives: none
images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/02/republic-of-tea-teabag-black-tea.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 3 heaping teaspoons (very hard to scoop from that little tin when it was so full)
Additives: none
Water: 1 teapot full filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: black tea, chemical
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, maybe banana
Flavor: black tea, bitter, a hint of banana
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: fruity, bitter
Liquor: translucent orange-brown
I have my head cold still, perhaps this was over brewed? regardless I can’t find the banana and there is this weird fake chemical tinge to it. I am glad this was a small sampler.
Next time I will have to try less leaf and / or less steep time.
This time around I ended up tossing the rest of the pot after the first two cups.
The leaves themselves look full and high quality, but the flavor has that odd chemical tinge I am not liking.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 2.2g teabag
Additives: none
Water: boiling filtered
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: red, pepper, clove, cardamom, woody, spicy, earthy
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon, red tea, woodsy
Flavor: red tea, woodsy
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: ginger, pepper, cardamom
Liquor: translucent reddish brown
A Steepster Traveling Teabox Tea!
I can only have so much caffeine per day, and adore chai so I was excited by this tea. The smell was very potent and promising, but the cup turned out OK, it was a solid red with some spice to it, but I prefer chai with a bit more spice/kick.
Post-Steep Additives: none
pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/02/allegro-coffee-company-teabag-red-tea.html
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: 135 F hot water spigot, 1 mug full
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: jasmine, floral, grassy
Steeped Tea Smell: jasmine, floral
Flavor: Smooth floral, followed by grassy
Body: Light
Aftertaste: grassy, vegetal, slightly bitter
Liquor: dark translucent honey brown
Still have the stuffy nose / head cold so things may be stronger than I think.
This was a gift from Janefan.
Not too bad, I also wasn’t expecting much from a bagged tea. For a go to bagged tea at work this is a good green tea. I don’t think I’d buy this – but I am glad to have a stash of it for now. Next time I think I may sweeten it and steep 2 minutes instead of 3.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: 150 F hot spigot water, 1 mug full
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes (using Steep.It)
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: candy cane, mint
Steeped Tea Smell: mint, spice
Flavor: minty
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: warm spice
Liquor: light translucent yellow brown
Still have my head cold, so smells and tastes may be more potent than described. I am not picking up the orange or vanilla. The cinnamon and clove come in more toward the end, as the mint hits you first.
Now that I hunt for it, I can bring out the orange, not getting it strongly though.
This tea does as advertised and does bring to mind Christmas (with all the mulled drinks and cookies and candy canes).
I would say you need to want a mint tea, and like mint tea for you to enjoy this. The tea does bring in some spice to the end but it’s a complimenting note and not the main flavor.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 3 scoops
Additives: none
Water: 12 ounces filtered boiling water
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: strawberry, floral
Steeped Tea Smell: citrus fruity
Flavor: sour berry hibiscus
Body: Full
Aftertaste: citrus sour berry
Liquor: deep dark opaque red
This is my first tea from the Steepster Traveling Tea Box!
This was the first interesting herbal I came across while unpacking the box and decided that I needed to be trying a tea as I selected my new teas.
I was expecting much more strawberry and kiwi and less hibiscus based on the name, luckily I like hibiscus because the tea was a hibiscus tea with strawberry and citrus flavors. I didn’t really get the kiwi flavor, but I am also recovering from a head cold.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Resteep: weaker, less sour, but still a strong hibiscus and berry tea, I won’t try another steep though.
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 5 teaspoons
Additives: none
Water: 1 teapot filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5:55 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: militiajim: caramel amazonv: floral
Steeped Tea Smell: citrus, floral, vaguely fruity
Flavor: lemony, fruity, dry
Body: Light
Aftertaste: citrus for a moment
Liquor: translucent reddish brown
Thank you SoccerMom for this gift.
I have a head cold and have slept through the past two days entirely. I hate wasting vacation to sleep but I didn’t have much choice. As a result I can’t hear, smell or taste very well and I’m woozy. So take this review with that in mind. Usually we prepare this with sugar and jasmine pearls. Being sick i was not in the mood to fuss with anything, nor to have caffeine so I decided to try this plain. MilitiaJim made it for me so I didn’t sneeze on it.
The tea had a lot of particulate in it – not a bad thing, just a note, we were using a mesh wire infuser basket.
I enjoy this more with sweetener and the jasmine pearls, but I think it might just as well be improved by sweetener and iced.
Post-Steep Additives: none
Resteep: too tired to try
Rating: 2/3
Preparation
Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag, 3.3g including paper teabag and plastic wrapper and paper tag.
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Amaretto
Steeped Tea Smell: tea
Flavor: black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: Very bitter
Liquor: nice translucent brown
This was one of two samples I ordered from design a tea. The tea was lackluster and smelled much stronger and interesting and delicious than it tasted. It tasted weak and plain with a lingering bitter aftertaste. I didn’t even steep it as long as the packaging suggested.
Post-Steep Additives: none
resteep-tasted like a quality flavored black tea? odd since it’s a red tea, still smooth but the spice is very very mild and so is the mint.