Teas Etc

iced. I think I definitely like this better hot, although it does make an ok iced tea. I didn’t have much of my sample left so I made a very small glass of iced tea. I taste mostly mint. I’d love to taste the black in this a little more when made into iced tea. Not lowering my rating on this, because I did find it to be really tasty when hot. I think I like all teas better hot. :)

Oh man! I might love this. It tastes a lot like Sleepytime, but better. Much, much, better. The mint is standing tall in the front and the black tea is just a balancing component. I expected this to taste like black tea with some mint flavor, but instead it tastes like mint tea with a smidgen of black tea. I think I am going to be wishing for more than a sample of this one, especially once my husband finds it (he is the sleepytime tea drinker in our house).

Update – this has no bitterness or astringency. Also seems to be a nice pick-me-up rather than the calming effect of a night tea.

1.5 tsp to about 11 oz.

Backlogging. Drank this a couple of days ago. I made it much stronger – about 3.5 oz to an 11 oz mug. That is a lot of tea. I could still only taste the white tea. There is a hint of strawberry in the smell.

Teas Etc was so nice to give me a free sample of this one and I was dying to try it. I like it. I don’t love it. I wish it had more strawberry flavor. I taste a really great white tea with a slight fruitiness in the background. It is very similar to 52 teas Black Currant Bai Mu Dan, but with less fruit flavor. I’ll definitely finish this sample as it is quite yummy. I haven’t yet decided if I’d reorder it. I’m hoping the next cup finds more strawberry pieces in the sample. I’m worried that I just didn’t get any strawberries when I spooned it out. I didn’t see any.

This is actually my second time with this one, though I forgot to log the first. Simple and smokey. A light green liquid that for me is perfect in the morning.

These leaves are CRAZY and I like it!!!!

The morph in every way possible…they are so fun…both in shape, color, and scent!

Post infusion the liquid is a nice mellow light yellow and the scent is a mellow grassy scent but very fresh.

The taste is delicate and soothing and quenches my thirst but also makes me crave more because it is so good!!!

Smells smoky but tastes sweet. I’m ok with this one…just not sure what level of likeness yet so I am sure this rating will change….

“Back to basics” day 2. This is really hitting the spot this morning. I needed oomph, and I gots the oomph. I added a bit extra leaf to the pot and it really…took it to another level. I’m liking it. NE

This is the final tea on my “Basic Tea Trilogy” tasting. I almost hyperventilated while smelling each tin of leaves. I kept going back and forth between Keemun and Assam. After recovering from my dizzy spell I decided that Keemun almost had a cocoa smell. Assam was more planting soil-esque.

When I was pouring this the smell was like “Oh hai! Remeberz me?” I know that I’ve had this tea as a base for at least one other tea – it was so recognizable. The one I know for sure is Golden Moon’s English Breakfast where it’s a mix of all three of my trio plus Darjeeling.

So in my trio we’ve got a fairy, a gnome, and I’ll call this a troll. Not a typical troll, but more like the one in Neil Gaiman’s Troll Bridge. It seems really earthy and with a bite. Only a smidgen of sweetness. This is the most distinct “mouth feel” that I’ve had – I can’t get the feeling of having a fine layer of earth coating the inside of my mouth. It’s nicer than what it sounds like. I know that I’ll be able to recognize this one from now on.

I’m on my second steep – it’s like a different tea. The bite is almost completely gone. I thought that this tea had given up too soon. But there’s still the pleasant taste of soil, but more smooth and sweet. NE

Overall I’m really glad that I bought these three teas to try and that I did them all in a row. However, doing all of them together one time was enough. I shall enjoy them each from now on occassionally, but I don’t think that I’ll reorder any of them once the tins are empty. Oy – I feel utterly black-tead-out for the day.

Tea #2 of my “Basic Tea Trilogy.” Um, this is “deeper” than the Ceylon. It’s like the Ceylon is a flittering fluttering fairy that sprinkles sugar on people’s tongues. Keemun is an earthier gnome that bestows more of a carmelized sugar sort of sweetness. I think that as of now I’d be able to pick out a Ceylon easier than a Keemun. I think I get why Keemun’s such an excellent base for tea blends. It’s got depth without being overpowering. NE

Thought I’d go back to a very basic for my morning tea. I took the generous advice from other Steepsterites and relaxed — and it helped a ton! I feel like this will help reset my palate (at least that’s my hope). It tastes like a yummy Ceylon should :) NE

In an attempt to understand black teas better I purchased a tin of Ceylon, Keemun, and Assam from Teas Etc when they were on Select. Inspired by __Morgana__’s side-by-side reviews I thought it’d be good for me to go through these teas today before delving deeper into the Shakespeare box since there are many good black teas in there.

I really don’t know if I’ll be able to write a decent note about these teas. This is my first and all I can say is that it’s a basic black with a slight sweetness. Its a bit more complex/deeper than Golden Moon’s French Breakfast, but would I have guessed that this is an award winner? Probably not. But I think I now know what Ceylon tastes like and that’s the main point of purchasing this. NE

2nd steep…added a tsp of Youthberry. Is there anything that tea can’t do?

Last night I skipped home from work like Ralphie waiting for his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring in the mail. I slowly creeped open the mailbox to find a big white box with the Teas Etc logo on it. It was almost like Christmas Day opening my Red Rider BB gun. (Ok, not quite that cool).

This was my first order with Teas Etc and I am sure there will be more. Fast shipping and more importantly tip top tea (TTT).

I will be honest that I was a little frightened when I saw the amount of lavender that was in the blend. I was worried that the tea would come out tasting like perfume or something. Well there is a reason I don’t create tea blends, this thing is great! The liquor is an nice brown color with just the perfect level of lavender goodness. I will continue to enjoy this bad boy daily with no worries about shooting my eye out.

Okay, yes, I’m in no way shape or form being consistent on here — but life has continued to be uber-crazy for me (rescinding my resignation, putting in my notice at my new library, and awaiting a possible huge promotion at my original library etc etc). At least the weather’s getting chillier so hot tea has sounded so much more appealing lately.

I ran out of GTC’s perfect-for-summer Weight Loss Tea, have a few scoops left of Adagio’s Jasmine #9, but I have a huge stockpile of this fou-fou joy. So fou-fou joy it is! I’ve been using my JoeMO travel thermos almost non-stop and it did really well with the former teas I mentioned. I think that Rosy has trouble with that sort of confinement and long steeping times. It’s still good and I get my tea fix, but the tea seems more “flat” and almost fakey-frou-frou (like what Barbie would drink if she drank tea). But overall, it still is a great girlie drink to help me get through my hectic 2 part time job days (which may become hectic single full time job days). Overall TG, but in the traveler it’s NE.

I’ve got my frou-frou groove back! Awww yeah! TG

Oy — I’m having a heck of a time keeping caught up on Steepster and making notes on my logs right now. First family, now I’m trying to be “healthy,” and now there’s some bonus work stress :P

All of this has culminated in what I think is my tastebuds staging a revolt. I had my Black Dragon this morning and it was meh — meh I tell you! And now this is meh as well! I know that two of my all-time favorites cannot be suddenly blech. I am the only common factor. Therefore, it must be me and not my tea (at least I hope it’s just me and that it’s a temporary change). :(

frou-FROU! frou-FROU! frou-FROU!

If you don’t want a song virus in your head, then please stop reading:
I have We Will Rock You in my head with the chorus of “Cup of, cup of FROU-FROU.” That’s as far as my mind will go this morning except for “you got tea on your face, you big disgrace…”

It’s gonna be a looong day.

After my tea fail I wanted a comfort tea. I realized that my frou-frou-meter was nearing “E” for the week so I steeped up a yummy cup. I’m feeling better already :) TG

JOEmo works great with iced teas as well! I did notice that I could really tell that I had a cold drink in the thermos vs. when there’s hot liquid (it insulates the hot ones beautifully). The only thing now that I’m sort of bummed out with this is that I’ll need to get some sort of “sponge-onna-stick” to do a thorough cleaning of the inner thermos.

Oh yes, my precious we are delicious cold brewed too. The rose and jasmine fade more into the backgroud. My precious. But we are so delicate and light. And we wept precious, we wept to be so alone. And we forgots the taste of bread, the sound of trees, the softness of the wind. We even forgot our own name. My precious. TG

ETA: We are upping our ratings (originally 95)