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Thank you Invader Zim for this generous Sample!
Tonight I decided to do a LONG brew of this Rooibos. I read the reviews first, the discriptions of the rose, lavender and strong red rooibos but I remained unafraid (pretty much). The steep time went 8 minutes…ok…reasonable and not too daring.
The liquor was fairly dark like red wheat beer. The scent is fantasticly sweet like walking into one of those le frou frou boutiques for lingerie that smell like dusting powder, lavender and roses. Of course there was no hint of old perfume flavor or acid…no, no…that would not do.
A bit of sweetening and “Voila” I want to speak French. NO!, I WANT TO BE FRENCH! (Well, maybe I can visit my Nephew in Paris one day at least!). The lavender warms this tea and is a perfect addition with the rose. The average person cry…“Beware!” but don’t fear. This is very good.
I can’t imagine brewing this tea in a weak and insipid manor…yuck! Don’t do it please! It should be a Gerard Depardieu strength brew not a Pepe le Pew oooooow.

Perfect to have with plain cookies or lemon cookies or shortbread.

Thank you to Stacy, owner of Butiki Teas for this Sample!
I have visitors this week! Last night I drove to the Denver Airport and back to pick up my ‘gulp’ 43 year old son Aaron who lives in San Francisco. Getting to bed at 2AM, I haven’t had time to review any new tea’s until this afternoon. This nice bright sample with a large plump blueberry all juicy looking appeared to be a healthy choice. Blueberry=Antioxident! I was in need of rejuvination.
The steeping time was 5minutes at 160F. The liquid pour was light brown with a hint of lavender. I made sure. I held my clear glass cup up to the window and there was a tinge due to the blueberry skin more than likely and not from the purple tea base. You smell heavenly blueberry. It is the same blueberry as breaking open a blueberry muffin all hot and steamy. The flavor straight up is very light, not astringent but a bit creamy and lighter than expected on the blueberry flavor… almost floral. I added a bit of sweetening (not too much) which enhanced the blueberry flavor adding a nectar like taste. Honeysuckle! Truly Honeysuckle Blueberry!

As the tea cools the astringency level increases. Beware. Don’t lose your cup to over cooling.
I think that I would have this again with a piece of toast spread with Creme Fraiche. It would be like having blueberries and cream…with a little bread butteriness.

Thank you Ashmanra for this lovely sample! This all came about after a review of Spice and Tea Exchange’s Chocolate and Strawberry Puer…and Ashmanra (probably others also) were wondering if Lupicia was close to the same flavor or markedly different. Generously offering a sample for a side-by-side comparison, she sent me a sample.
So, I have 2 cups by my side and have taken time to sip and reflect on what I taste in each.
To be fair, this listing is under LUPICIA and this Puer is super fresh tasting Strawberry! More than anything this is dominant. I wish I could taste some chocolate but I don’t. No mocha, no chocolate at all. I could smell Puer when I placed my nose close to the wet leaves in the steeping basket but I realize the Puer flavor as richness and body in a general soft caramel way. I added sweetening and cream which made a latte which is very delicious. I consider this bright, robust Strawberry Puer. Tasting the Spice and Tea Exchange afterwards I noticed that the Chocolate is definately present up front with a more muted Strawberry woven around it. You can taste the Puer in the background and is more complex.

Both tea’s are worth having as unique flavor profiles. They are not the same at all. I am giving a rating for the Lupicia.

First Review. I have been impressed with the flavors from Butiki Tea’s and with the customer service. Stacy always adds a handwritten note and has me choose the samples I want to try out. This current tea is not a sample but one that I wanted to try based on reviews from other Steepsters.

I made a PIG of myself FEASTING yesterday for Pascha!
At 3AM there was a light food bash in the Church Hall right after the service…then I went home for a nap.
At 9AM I was 50 miles away at St. Lukes with the grandkids for another feast (Prime Rib) followed by a:
2PM feast of Whole Roast Lamb at St. Spyridon for 350 people…OPA!
Whew! Pant, Pant, I’m not done…at:
5PM Ribs and all the fixings at my daughters home at: UH! I drove about 140 miles and ate more than I should have…BAKLAVA oh YES…and tea before bed!

So, this morning…I decided on NO FOOD…(Wonder why!) and a lighter tea. The Pumpkin Creme Brulee was calling out to me…“Bonnie, you want to try me this morning, you will feel better if you do…” like some kind of a hangover remedy. Ok tea. I’ll try you out and see if you can deliver.

The steep didn’t produce a perfume of Pumpkin that was room filling and magical. It just was mild and ok. I took a sip of the tea and noticed that it was not too overdone. Relief! Hate tea that quickly becomes nauseatingly gaudy. “I AM PUMPKIN HEAR ME ROAR!” Yuk! Not for me folks! I would rather tea like this one, subtle and refined…“Hi there cutie, I am pumpkin and I would like to move in with you. Your cupboard would suit me fine if you are pleased with me.” (I like the addition of the Hi Cutie). There is a peppery bite on the tongue to break up the creaminess. You don’t lose track of the tea…I mean that it does not get lost in the pumpkin flavor. You can sweeten and add milk without this tea becoming a mess. I hate to add milk and you end up with no tea left just milk and sugar and a spice but no tea. This blend laughs at that…ha ha…I can take it all and still be defined as Pumpkin Creme Brulee. This is one that would be good with toast for breakfast. Warm and Soothing tea.

First Review. Tea and stories. I tell stories, as anyone who has stopped to read my reviews can tell…and I ramble on many times. I come from a family where Faith was part of the daily pattern of life and I always liked that even as a child. My dad and brother went to Seminary, so I weave my personal stories in naturally…but not to preach. The stories are part of the rhythm of my life. Tea is also that to a different degree.
This morning I awoke after a LONG evening of services leading up to
Pascha ( Orthodox Easter) which will be late tonight.
So this morning…I see the Holy Basil blend. Fr. Evan says Greeks usually grow basil in a pot by the front door so that the aroma blesses a visitor to your home. Also, Holy Basil fresh leaves were used by the Priest to bless my house, which is done every year. The leaves were dipped in Holy Water and sprinkled around each room while he sang even on me (my grandkids came to join in and Fr. Even did magic tricks for them).

Tasting notes start here
What would Holy Basil Spa Blend taste like. I wanted a morning where a refreshing tea was in order. This is a good day for that. I steeped 4 minutes and took a sip. Ummmm. The mint and ginger did not overpower this blend at all and I am thrilled! I don’t appreciate having a blend where you only can taste the mint or ginger because the tea blender only cares about the major flavors and sees the supporting cast almost as fillers. Right away I am enjoying the mild pepperiness. There has been attention given to how the tea will coat the mouth and it is silky and rich. You would not expect this from mint and ginger, but the burdock root and fennel bring body that I like, giving depth and warmth not dependant on ginger’s heat. I grow basil in several varieties but this type I associate more like incense so it evokes those calm reflective responses. I love the taste and scent. I could smell the licorice root in the wet mash but it doesn’t stand out on it’s own which again I am happy for. The licorice is supporting the basil. This is juicy. The fennel makes me want to bake bread. I love the way this little addition stops you from going down the mint track and brings you back to the ginger and burdock in a circle of cool, warm, cool, warm. The pepper at the finish is nice and hot at the tip of the tongue. I added sweetening but not honey. I hate to mask the flavor of tea. Maybe next time. If I make a Mayer Lemon honey I might try that iced this Summer…sounds refreshing with a sprig of basil! I would keep buying this blend!

Great relaxation tea. No caffeine! Wonderful mixer potental! I can see this as a tea with Greek food or chicken or salad with feta and capers. Good with Greek yoghert and fresh figs and honey or berries.

Second Review. Have you ever intended to write a proper review and then something distracts you? And this distraction happens AFTER your tea steeping has begun and time has to be attended to? FREAK OUT! As the realization hit me this morning, that I had gone 4 minutes past the recommended steep time I fully expected that I had ruined my pot of tea. Only one way to check …so I poured the deep dark liquor and braced myself taking a hearty swig. Ahhhh! As perfect (yes I said perfect) a cup of tea one could wish for! Because it is morning, I added milk (no soy or artificial white stuff) and sweetening sighing with satisfaction. "Perfect ",I said out loud. I love this tea so much that I’ve ordered more (afraid they’ll run out!) .

I can’t wait to jump right into the taste of this tea…but wait…catch my breath…first things first. The aroma of the dry leaf is very inviting and sweet pastry. The color of the liquor…ah..deepest pure bright honey gold 24K.

The flavor, oh my….Wonderful!
This tea is like the best homemade, still warm from the oven wheat bread…soft and steaming (my daughter bakes all the bread for the family). You want it now and can not wait to put unsalted fresh butter on it…and finally the whole messy lump is melting in your hands. Heavenly! It is one of those best memories for both kids and grandma’s.

Now on to the honey assertions. Honey is a harder flavor to pin down since there are soooo many honey’s out there. I know what the Verdant Website discription is getting at…but in this case I think that the bread itself has the sweetness and if anything it is a sweet malt from the wheat that I taste. Perhaps further steepings may change my mind. I added some sweetening after a bit which enhanced the flavors further and was delightful.

This tea is absolutely rich and special. I would recommend it especially as a brunch or morning tea because of the toasty flavors which would brighten up the day and give an excellent start. I imagine this would go well with strawberries and cream.

Here is a piece of music I love and sing in English (this is Russian):http://youtu.be/IHtfYkL71dI

Second Steep I had great success on a second steeping with no weakening of the brew. Very hardy. I think I know what I taste instead of honey for sweetness! Yam! It is fortuitous that I had been baking yams and the scent called to me. Once cooled, I tasted one… did a double take and a lightbulb went off in my head bing…YAM SUGAR! which can be very honey, brown sugarish. This is my final answer!

Second Review. This review will be shorter because I will not be putting my nose to the pot watching the Pu-erh break apart and all that. What I’m after is taste. How does this taste on another day when I may be a whole other person…the cameleon that I am. The mists of yesterday are gone and a cool Spring morning is begging me for Pu-erh.
I did a cursory rinse and then a 3 minute steep. It is pretty nice and strong the way I like it without bitterness or any off taste. But, it’s not quite to my liking. The flavors are fighting each other for control. “Hey..buckwheat/mushroom, honey-pepper…STOP ALREADY!”, I demanded. I think I will have to tone this down into a latte, I thought, and I did…which made the flavors behave better.
Awhile later, I prepared a second steep and let it go 6 minutes. The mash of Pu-erh leaves smells like paint which some of you will like (you know who you are!) and I actually like the memory of six years of art classes and paint all over my fingers. This pour is more like it! Subtle and at peace with it’s complexity. The pepper is content to bounce off the end of your tongue. The honey is lingering in a pool at the bottom of the roundness of the other flavors and the buckwheat and mushroom have joined together as partners woven into a more gentle earthiness. You can sip this without sweetening or milk. I have a hard time saying this since I love Pu-erh lattes. But it is good straight.

Thanks to Stacy at Butiki for this sample. I recently tried gunpowder for the first time and asked Stacy for this sample because I was wondering what it would taste like with mint. Who wouldn’t right?! My mind is always combining flavors and thinking about what would go well with what. Anyway, after steeping the sample 3.5 minutes, I could smell lots of mint…fresh and juicy. The tea liquor is very golden and bright. I like mint so much that I grow lots of it…pineapple mint, chocolate mint, apple mint, orange mint, regular mint, banana mint…so I don’t usually buy mint tea since I can make it out of fresh leaves. Blends are more interesting though. The gunpowder toned down this mint flavor a great deal. Instead of a leafy green and bright minty brew this is smoove (yes smoove) and gentle in a laid back, mellow mint cuppa way. Now I do love my in- your- face mint. Zzzzz Yes I Do! But, there is something to be said for groovy and mellow!

First Review. My First Ever Assam I had to highlight this so I can find it among my reviews since I do go on and on…blah blah blah! Anyway, I was so glad to add this to my recent Butiki order since I keep running into people commenting on how much they love Assam as a staple in their Tea Cupboard or how much they dislike Assam. There seems to be no wishy washy feelings here. It’s a dramatic like or dislike. My vote on the matter was going to be cast. I was going to have to judge an Assam for myself.
I did not read any notes on Assams before tasting just to be fair to my easily influenced sponge brain.
This was my breakfast tea today and it is a very fine misty Frontrange morning.
There is first a fine malty, bready fragrance. I had steeped 4.5 minutes before pouring and added a bit of sweetening (not too much) and some cream. The liquor was nice and dark which I like when adding cream. The flavor is super rich and malty without astringency or sourness which would ruin the homemade bread quality of this tea. My daughter makes bread and the aroma fills the air when baking. Her sourdough is super fine. This tea reminds me of homemade bread but without being too yeasty or sour. I think it’s something about the crust or crumbs that I’m reminded of in the tea. I drank a 24oz pot of tea and was disappointed. Ar…I wanted more. I’m going to make another pot before going to Church later. This will keep me sharp! I am voting a YES on Assam…or at least on this Assam!