Steepster

Sip down!

From my Steepster select box! I drank this one at work yesterday. It was so slow because of the weather that I was waltzing around drinking it from a wine glass. Which, I have to say, is probably the best way to drink this, ‘champagne of teas’. I really liked the malty, dark berries and the smooth and rich mouthfeel. I haven’t had a Darjeeling in a while and it was a nice change of pace.

February ’15 Steepster Select:

It’s fine. I made it and then got called away from my desk, so I’m drinking it at a little closer to room temperature. It reminds me a little of Teavana’s Golden Monkey, or whatever the super expensive one they pawned on me the first time I went there was. I agree with the “malt, toasted honey, and stewed fruit” description on the package. Maybe not so much the stewed fruit, but definitely the malt and toasted honey. Very nice mouth-feel, too.

Pretty good, I don’t really like Jasmine teas much since the jasmine is so strong. This one was ok though. It was light and not too floral for me, kind of citrusy so it was a nice iced tea too.

From my Select box this month:

When it was steeping, it smelled a bit like the farm I grew up on. I made everyone in my lunchroom smell it and they agreed on the farm smell. It’s a good smell, though. Like sweet hay and earth.

It brews to a golden color and has a very subtle floral taste. Not a barnyard taste, thankfully. I don’t specifically taste peony, though, but I would definitely buy a couple ounces of this to keep on hand.

Diving into my Steepster box today, and it presents an interesting idea (at least to me): tea with food! Tea has always been a stand-alone thing for me, so sitting down with it at a meal is novel. :) I happened to have a bit of leftover steak with mushrooms and onions, and figured I’d girly it up with a hot cup of tea! The steep time is really short—just 1.5 minutes. I have no way to check my water temperature, which recommends 205 degrees, so I just heated it to boiling, and let it sit for approximately 28 seconds before dunking in the tea bag. It’s a science. xD

Talk about a fantastic pairing, this tea was the perfect compliment for my meal. Happiness! It’s really smooth, and reminds me vaguely of one of my favorite swimming spots—it tastes like the water smells. Earthy, river weed, and the very faintest hint of fish. :D This is actually the first tea I’ve had where that hasn’t deterred me. I’m glad I can steep a couple cups from each teaspoon, too. What a fantastic tea! I already have a great loose leaf Yunnan Pu-erh, so that means I get to postpone picking a favorite until I run out of the one I have.

Interesting flavor- hard to put a finger on any one of them (I’m a noob, lol). I taste the dry leaf, though, or atlas smell it; roasted sweet potato is a bit tough but I can get it a little. Overall- not bad. Good to give a try. Non-astringent.

This is my first yellow tea, and I have to say, I really like it! I’m not picking up any of the stone fruits mentioned in the description, but it’s vegetal, satisfying, and rich in the mouth. No astringency, and a little sweetness lingers in my mouth.

num, just right for a quiet evening in catching up on my CW (LOVE The 100!) with the fam. this is the first yellow tea i’ve had, and it is hitting the spot. it is reminiscent of a rich sencha, but nowhere near as brothy. i do quite like it, although i don’t know that i’d buy more of this particular brand – i’d be happy to try other yellow teas, however.

I haven’t tried a lot of Darjeeling teas before and I wasn’t a big fan of the ones I sampled. But this one was really good! It’s strong and malty (my favorite flavor profile for a black tea) with a taste that reminds me of fresh-baked bread with honey. I didn’t notice any bitterness or astringency, but there was a slightly sour note to the aftertaste that I wasn’t a huge fan of. I’m going to try it with milk next time to see if that mellows it out. Still an enjoyable cup of tea to start my day. Thank you to Kyla for the sample!

If you like yellow tea, then this is one you have to try. I was so happy when this arrived in my Steepster select box this month. Brews up a beautiful light yellow, and if you leave it for the full 2 minutes recommended brew time (175 to 185 degrees F ) it yields up some amazing flavors and aroma. Although subtle, I definitely get tones of baked fruit and light vegetal background. I have never had a tea that actually has such a silky texture. Warm and soothing all the way down.

Smells very vegetal with a light yellow color. Has a light body. Tastes soft and mellow. Very bland. No hints of fruit at all.

This is a good yellow tea. It isn’t super astringent for me, however I find that it isn’t the most fragrant tea.

Been a while since the last post. Hoping to get back in the rhythm this week.

A memory from Steepster Select’s first shipment, Iron Goddess Dark Roast sips harmlessly. But there’s a protective malice behind its stone-faced facade. Steam rises up. The water poured torments the tightly curled leaves. Bring your face close to the heat and divine steep. Little hands with tiny palms and grey fingers tear at your nose, seeking refuge and a home. Recoiling, grasp the mug with both of your cold, hardened hands. It’s searing – the emanating heat pierces your hands like tiny spears that soon withdraw. “Poor heat insulation!”, you decry.

The little fortress that is this Iron Goddess Dark Roast places divine emphasis on the procedure that is tea drinking. It reminds us why this little ritual is so important to our rote lives. A little respite that wakes us up: but truly awakens our eyes with those unconscious lids. Give Life Back to Music! Neglected by the world, Franz Schubert died at 31 with only a few close friends that were able to see his genius emerge and depart from that world. Romanticism is dead.

Schubert is not the only genius of our time to have died impoverished and neglected. Some crackpot Van Gogh of post-impressionism fame (not of the chocolate, cafe liquor variety) only sold 1 painting before he shot himself in 1890. Kafka wished for his ill popular work to be burned at his death. Jodorowsky’s Dune. I’m not sure who Emily Dickinson is so I’m going to skip that one.

What’s the point of immortality that is posthumous? Can art only achieve fame when it has laid down and died? With little, groping hands does living art rise up and try and wrest open our minds, yet we struggle, we instead almost unconsciously fight back with fists tender yet firm. After the work cools down, however, anyone can begin to consume the precious fluid that the Goddess had protected.

Iron Goddess Dark Roast is a thing of intrigue. Nutty to the scent yet sweet to the palette. Sometimes paradoxes are only truths that we have yet to comprehend.

As a caution, I wrote this while baking a sweet potato so I’m not sure how it will read in totality.

Oh, this is nice. It’s grassy and sweet with a strong mineral note right at the end. There’s a hint of a seaweed note, but it is soft and just barely noticeable. The sweetness of the tea is nice. It’s sweet the way spring grass or new hay is sweet. It’s a soft but lingering taste, and I really enjoy it.

The resteeps of this are even smoother than the first cup. Very, very nice.

Wow, I loved this tea. It’s buttery, green flavor was just wonderful.

From Steepster Select Box: November 2014
The leaves are very fine. They are long, fuzzy, and thick for a such delicate leaves. The smell of jasmine is heavy on the dry nose. The leaves are fun to watch steep in my glass gaiwan. The liquor is full and bright. I can feel the smoothness from the downy hairs slide down my throat. The scent of jasmine is there at the top, but I still get the hay or corn silk aroma that comes with the silver needles.
I got over the taste of jasmine tea a while ago. It used to be my favorite flavor EVER in tea. Now I see the name and just go, “Eh.”
I liked the white base. I would have liked it more if it was just the base, and not the jamine.

This was a beautiful tea. The nugget shape was intriguing, and the smell was lush. I didn’t taste any actual licorice, but the sweetness was definitely there. I wish this one was available in the store.

This was very earthy, almost like hay, and had some fruity tones to it. It was just the tiniest bit astringent, but not to the point where I didn’t enjoy drinking what I had of it. Darjeelings for the most part just seem to not be for me. Like many of them, don’t love them.

I am really glad this isn’t bitter – it is super flavorful and smooth. I drank it with almond milk, and it was perfect to wake me up this morning.

Okay, I am really surprised by this tea. I do not normally like teas with added flavors but this tea is nicely prepared and the licorice flavor is subtle, yet it blends extremely well with the oolong. The dry leaves look a little strange at first but finally start to open up after the 3rd steeping—instructions say 3 steepings, but I went to 5 with good flavor.

So glad I joined Steepster Select. I NEVER would have purchased this tea independently. Now, I definitely plan to get some!

This one doesn’t have much flavor. It’s a very lightly roasted Dong Ding. Nothing super special. But I’m glad it’s not overly roasty. I really don’t like overly roasty oolongs much anymore. ><
But this one is more drinkable. Thanks for the sample, LiberTEAS! Always happy to try another oolong!

This one is from Thain of Buckland’s Christmas card. Thank you for thinking of sending me chai! Brewed both servings (two tsp in two filter bags) on the stove-top. Brought to a boil, simmered for five minutes, added 2% milk and white sugar, brought to a boil again.

The dry leaf smells delicious – I’m able to discern cinnamon, ginger, and orange rind. Reminds me Constant Comment. The aroma is a pleasure to savor as the leaf is simmering.

This is an alright recipe. Good spices, good ratio. It’s definitely spicy, though not biting, more on the tamer side. On the down side, I wasn’t able to find notes from the Assam, and I didn’t particularly find the citrus/orange zests appealing.

However, my dad, lover of masala chai, approves. Check plus for him! (The rating is mine.)

I’m not convinced that this is Tea, maybe a leafy vegatable from a distant planet dried to look like Tea.
Whatever it is, its not too bad
I kinda like it and I kinda don’t, kinda glad I have another sample to try.
I’m not sure what to think of most darjeelings tho,I’m not sure what it is about them that make them odd to me but they are, I think I’ve never had a really good Darjeeling.