Samovar

Y’all…

As some of you are aware, I was just out in San Francisco [or as I like to call it, my future home]. I am now back in Virginia, and yesterday, to mellow out my sorrow, I decided some Downy Sprout was in order.

If you were reading along with the insane thread of comments on Samovar’s latest feature in Steepster Select, you may be aware of the new steeping method they discovered for Downy Sprout. It not only produces a very interesting, almost completely different brew, but it’s as if someone went, “HEY! ADD Girl! You want another way to make this tea? Ok, go!” [Speaking of which, who else loves OK GO’s “This Too Shall Pass” video?]

If you missed the thread, Samovar has this teeny tiny 4 oz. glass oolong pot. You fill it with leaves [a heaping tablespoon’s worth] and cover them with boiling water for 30 seconds-ish, then pour it out.

This brew is thick, saturated with flavor, and sings of deeper sweetnesses – honeyed caramels and the darker sugars that come from hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds. At times it gives me those heavy, yet shimmering, humid notes of tropical flowers. I think of orchids in particular. This mixes in with a more rural note of hay.

I recall reading in several places that white teas only have a lower caffeine content than greens if you brew them with cooler water, so with that information in mind this probably wrings out a bit more hihellowhatareyoudoingwhatsthathihihi than your typical cup of white tea.

Anyhow, for those of you currently [or about to be] in possession of some Downy Sprout and an adorable teapot, it’s definitely worth a whirl. Especially since that tea doesn’t quit. I started steeping this some time in the afternoon while I cleaned and unpacked. Hours later, it was still going strong. I don’t know how many infusions I went for, but it must have been in the twenties.

There’s not a ton of brightness at the end of the tunnel that is coming home from vacation, but good tea certainly helps take the edge off.

Oh, and hi, Steepster!

It’s our third day of rain and I think I’m coming down with something, so I needed a quiet start to this morning.

I don’t know what it is that I love about white tea so much. It could be that it brews into this beautiful champagne color. Or because the flavors are so light and fragile that they feel as though they might break or melt away if you try and keep them in your consciousness for too long.

For me, white tea lends itself for two occasions. 1. Airy spring days before the sun starts beating people senseless and warm breezes dictate the temperature of the day. 2. Days of light precipitation when the only sense of sunlight you get is what reflects itself off of nature’s shinier surfaces.

If I were to add something more personal to the list, it would be: 3. Days you want to approach slowly and gently, so that you do not startle them into roaring back at you with the ferocity that they have been exhibiting during the previous part of the week.

The first thing that you would probably notice about Downy Sprout when opening the tin is the leaves. They’re this light green color and COVERED in those little white hairs. They look like little snippets of silk or satin cord. It’s one of the prettiest teas I’ve ever seen.

It would be a crying shame if such a beautiful tea fell flat on flavor, and luckily this one does not. It’s got a distinctly nutty taste to it, though light, and the sweet notes of it seem to touch on parts of your tongue and then flit away. The description says there’s a honeysuckle component to this, but I get more of the peachy apricot-y aspect of it. That doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, though.

When you start the day off with a tea like this, how can the rest of it not go smoothly? Did you hear that, Today? I SAID: WHEN YOU START THE DAY OFF WITH A TEA LIKE THIS, HOW CAN THE REST OF IT NOT GO SMOOTHLY??

All right. I’m off to test the effects of Downy Sprout on Calculus.

Two of my good friends are shacking up together. It’s a weird feeling, but I’m happy for them [truly]. One of them, I’ve known since kindergarten. The other I’ve known for a few years now.

About a year ago, when my kindergarten BFF was coming to visit from Fargo, ND where she currently resides, a light went off in my head. She was feeling a little bummed about being single, and I had this friend who was single, and I had this gut feeling that some magic would happen if I introduced them.

My BFF is back in town this week for a couple of days. Tomorrow, she’s taking my friend to Penn State with her family to go to the football game and then they are embarking on the 20 hour drive to the land of ice and snow. [It has already snowed in Fargo.]

They’re both sports freaks [she works in sports journalism and he’s…well, he’s a guy] so last night we all went to the World Cup Qualifier game between the U.S. and Costa Rica. [The U.S. had already qualified, but that didn’t keep 20-odd thousand people from attending]. Me, I’m not that much of a sports fan, but soccer [football, futbal, whatever] is one of the ones I can stand. And soccer players are hot. Not to mention soccer fans, as a general rule, are cuter than fans of other sports in my limited experience. Plus, I don’t get to see her often and he’s leaving shortly, so…you know.

It was cold and raining, and we were playing pretty badly during the first half of the game, so spirits were down. I had on three layers, and then BOTH of my friends gave me their jackets because I was dancing around trying to keep warm. All I could think about was how much I wanted a hot cup of tea. And how the guy a couple rows ahead of us looked freakishly like Jon Gosselin. [I wish I’d snapped a picture. I couldn’t stop staring, the resemblance was so striking.]

Luckily, it stopped raining, and the second half of the game picked up. We tied it up at the VERY end and the stadium erupted. It was all slightly exhilarating, but I still wanted tea.

We ended up picking up some Korean BBQ on the way back, sitting in front of the fireplace in my friend’s parents’ kitchen, and drinking hot chocolate. All in all, it was a good night and a nice way to remember one of the last nights my buddy’s gonna be in Virginia.

The first thing I did when I went home was to make a cup of tea, though. I was tired, exhausted even [too exhausted to log this last night], and in the mood for something specific while I mentally unpacked the day.

I’ve had this tea for a while, but I like to save it when I want something subtle and I know I’m not really going to be doing anything else. It’s different from most other oolongs I’ve had because the leaves are loosely twisted instead of tightly furled. Opening the tin, I smell raisins mixed with dried autumn leaves.

The flavors of the tea are a bit different from oolong’s I’ve had as well. They are definitely complex, but delicate. You want to make sure of two things when drinking this tea: one, that you’ll have time to appreciate it, and two that it’s cool enough to let it sit in your mouth a bit because if you gulp it down you’ll miss all the nuances.

It’s not a heavy tea, by any means, but it’s got a thickness to it. The flavors are what I consider to be darker ones. There are kind of a sweet, grassy, vegetal tones, and a taste that’s almost woodsy. At times I taste honey, among other things that I can’t place.

It’s a tea for thinking, and one that I enjoy at the end of the day – be they good, bad, happy, sad, or all of the above.

One of the first things I did when I last was in San Francisco was make a beeline to Samovar. Their Blood Orange Pu-erh was the first tea that I tried there. I spent a good hour or so at the counter, sipping this tea and losing myself in the surreal debauchery that is Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. [GREAT read, by the way.]

When I got back home, I wanted to get a tin of that tea because I had enjoyed it so much, but it wasn’t for sale online. Months later, when it became available, I snatched it up.

It’s always been funny to me, that the sense of smell is more closely tied into memory than anything else because I most often associate music with memories. However, when I smell something that my brain has tethered to a remembrance, it always come back super vividly. For me, the purchase of this tea didn’t just arrive with something fantastic to drink, it arrived with a quick way to transport myself 2500-odd miles to the opposite side of the country. All it takes is a whiff of this to whisk myself back to that counter, book in hand, stress dissipated, in the midst of some pretty perfect weather. [I also spent each and every morning that week on my brother’s deck, reading in a chair, and brewing cup after cup of tea until I felt like getting up and actually doing something. Even I’M jealous, and I’m the one who did that. Man, what I wouldn’t give right now to be past me.]

Needless to say, I pull this one out when the stress levels are reaching critical.

Of course, I couldn’t fully enjoy this tea if I didn’t like how it tastes, but I’m happy to be able to say that this is one of the teas that eased me into pu-erh, and I continue to enjoy it immensely. It’s definitely a pu-erh, meaning that you get the same soil-like scent and taste that comes with the territory [I like it, but it’s not for everyone]. The ginger adds a spiciness and warmth, and the blood orange gives it a slight edge. The overall effect is a little stronger than most teas [you might have been able to guess that due to the flavors involved], but it makes the earthiness of the tea not quite so overwhelming. I’ve brewed this for a few friends who are looking to try a pu-erh out, with good results.

I have a feeling that this is going to be an EXCELLENT winter tea.

My, y’all are prolific. It took me a good chunk of day to catch up with your lovely words. [I say that as if it weren’t obvious by the fact that I probably now compose the entirety of anyone who is following me’s main column.] I M IN UR TIMELINE, ATTAKIN UR UPDAYTZ.

In the interest of newness, I’ve decided to log a tea that I didn’t drink today, but haven’t said anything about yet. Nocturnal Bliss is both an ideally nocturnal tea as well as blissful. If you don’t like Rooibos [like I know at least a couple of you do not] then you probably aren’t going to like this either because…uh, this is a Rooibos-based tea. But for those of you who DO enjoy a little red tea, you might have an appreciation for this one.

The lemon flavor is a little strong in this one [and in that aspect almost reminds of Earl Grey, in a strange way], notably in the aftertaste. If you breathe in after taking a sip you really get a hit of it. I wouldn’t call the tea sour by any means, but it is definitely present and would like you to know it. The corn flowers are pretty to look at, but I’m not sure what they add in terms of flavor. The stevia I can taste as well. [That is, I think I can – I’m not 100% sure what stevia tastes like but I think I’ve had it in other teas before and I’m pretty sure I tasted what I think stevia is in this tea. I am too tired to check that last sentence to make sure it makes sense.]

The final verdict is that I enjoy this one, but not as much as I like Ocean of Wisdom, so once I’m done it’s gonna be nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, you know what to this one. Definitely worth a try if those flavors appeal to you though. I have yet to be disappointed by a Samovar tea.

I had this for the first time two days ago. It was the first tea I’d had in days, and also the first that I had after my 26 hour journey from my home in Australia to my friend’s place in the United States, so it was really, REALLY welcome. I love the silky smooth almost creamy texture and sweet floral notes that you get with a really good Taiwan oolong, and this is a great example. My friend is not a big fan of oolong teas in general, but she loved this one. I think I’ve converted her. ;-)

Really enjoying this. If you’ve tried Samovar’s Maiden Ecstasy, you should definitely give this one a try. It costs a bit more, but very worth it in my opinion.

Finishing up the pitcher of masala chai in the fridge so I can use the pitcher for my Alice in Wonderland Tea Party tonight!

My after-lunch tea. <3

I’m actually getting quite fond of masala chai. I made a huge batch and just leave it in the fridge so I can get a quick teacup of it whenever I want.

Very nice Pu-Erh tea. Like it.

My favorite tea! The smell. The taste. Just beautiful.

Very nice tea. I bought this tea without knowing it and I like it very much.

Awesome for breakfast. I’m running low on my sampler tin, show how much I like it. Must order more soon.

Yes, again. Yes, again. It’s becoming a new habit

I got the Kevin Rose starter set for a gift. Trying this tea for the first time it smells like popcorn or a box or Quakers puffed rice. I enjoy the taste of the Matcha powder, almost frothy…in a way

I liked it, but wasn’t blown away. I had heard such great things, and this being my first foray into the complex world of pu-erh, came away feeling dissapointed. My feeling about it could easily have been because of my high expectations. I am going to continue exploring pu-erhs, just not sure I will order Maiden’s Ecstasy again.

Went through the process of steeping it on the stove with whole milk, water, and sugar. Well worth the effort required.

Loved it. Buttery, light, grassy…delicious.

I got a bunch of tea in from Samovar not too long ago, and a lot of it’s new. For those of you who read what I throw up here, you know that I like the words, so I’m going to be rolling out my thoughts on them slowly, even though I’ve tried…ehm…all of them already.

Before I say anything more, can I just say hats off to the Steepster monkeys who made all of this wonderfulness happen? Best update ever. Am I right?

Ok, so Wei Chi Cha. Or is it Wei Xi Cha? I’m not sure, but this tea is absolutely delightful. It’s like autumn in a cup. I’m always on the fence about whether to use ‘autumn’ or ‘fall’ because ‘autumn’ borders on snooty for me. I feel as though I should be wearing a tweed jacket with elbow patches. Fall seems much more casual comfortable, you know? It’s a little more hooded sweatshirt, which is how I roll. My quirky verbal prejudices aside, though, holy autumnal tea, Batman.

It smells like cider and cloves and cinnamon and dried leaves and log fires. I might be mistaken, but I think that this is a relatively new tea for Samovar, and when I read the description of it I had added it to my cart before I could realize that I’d clicked the button.

The taste of the tea is a little sour [I’ve been slowly discovering that just how sour is controlled greatly by the steep time – I recommend around 4 minutes, maybe 4 minutes 30, but play around with it.] The sourness dissipates once you’ve swallowed, though, and you get treated to this nice bit of sweetness that sinks into your tastebuds.

One thing that I’ve noticed is that the taste of this tea gets watered down quite quickly. If your cup is looking pinkish, you’re probably not going to get a ton of taste. You’re looking for something closer to a nice, light red hue. I haven’t had any luck beyond two cups, but there is a noticeable difference on the second steep.

All in all? A good tea. And it certainly is working well as a stand-in for me while I wait for the weather here to catch on to the fact that it’s officially fall. Right now it’s doing the best impression it can muster of a Louisiana swamp.

Love it! We should all start our day with this!

This is one of my favorite green teas. A perfect way to start the morning!

I’m not a fan of green teas, but this one was a delicious tea that grew on me. I made a green tea ice cream with this tea and the flavor was amazing after letting stay in the freezer overnight, the rice really complemented the creaminess. I need to order some more Masala Chai from Samovar, I’m certain I’ll pick this one up again.