Various Artists

Dude how do you log a tasting note through mobile without rating it like what.
Okay well I’m going to go ahead and reset it when I get access to a computer but yep! Earl grey, vanilla green blend today!

I have friends visiting me tonight for dinner and I made a roast chicken with potatoes and veggies and everything else good and as I was preparing the chicken, I decided to drink tea, of course!
I made an Arthur blend on Adagio and that’s what I’m drinking now. Earl Grey, vanilla green, and just a bit of oriental spice. It’s pretty good! The vanilla turned the earl grey down a bit to make it not as robust :)

Today in Professional Cooking Lab, we did our chicken and starch portion and WOW THE FOOD TURNED OUT GREAT!! (http://instagram.com/p/j0X5bdvhD7/)
As we were cleaning our kitchen up, this girl was making thai tea for herself and her friends and it smelled soooo good. I’ve had thai tea in restaurants before and it was okay? But she used some thai tea mix and it was pretty good!

((didn’t catch the brand of the mix. Don’t know if thai tea would even be in Steepster because it’s a mix? But the mix looked like leaves and things? I don’t even know. I don’t know how to make thai tea but I know it’s good!))

I am still feeling sick today. Medication and its side effects. I spent about an hour and a half at 3 am examining the contents of my stomach in the toilet. This morning I didn’t want to drink anything, but I threw a couple hunks of fresh ginger into boiling water to help settle that empty sore feeling. It worked alright, but I want that ginger drink mix that they sell at Asian markets instead. All I feel is green :(

I have a tiny jar of tea on my desk at work, and the label on it has somehow fallen off, leaving me with a case of “unidentified tea”. I’m pretty sure that it’s a roasted oolong, likely something from Whittards, and probably even Formosa Oolong from them, but I’m not 100% sure, so into Random Steepings it goes. It is clearly a roasted oolong in taste – much more delicate than a black, and it has the same fruity taste that Whittards’s Formosa has. In any case a nice afternoon sip.

this one’s rather simple but delicious: Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile mixed with their Sweet Apple Chamomile.

the Honey Vanilla has been a favorite of mine for years & i wholeheartedly love it’s wheatish-apple honey sweetness. it has a heady vanilla note: the kind that billows over your head in a cloud.

the Sweet Apple Chamomile is similar, although with no vanilla. it has a nice fresh apple-y taste, as advertised.

when u mix the two, you get a warm honey apple chamomile flavor with a rich golden liquor. simple yet dreamy.

Realized I haven’t written about my past few teas >.> Bad me.

Anyway, tonight I brewed up a blend I’m super happy with.
1 teaspoon (plus dried orange slice) of Winter Spice by Fava Tea
0.5 teaspoon (plus an extra clove) of Aries by Adagio
8 oz of water, 4 minutes.

I can’t tell you the exact temperature of the water as I had to put it in the microwave on beverage mode (cries) as our electric kettle 2.0 seems down for the count.

Anyway, this tea is absolutely delightful, delicious and soothing – something I really needed tonight. Rating somewhere in the 90s (it’s been a rough day so I don’t feel like particulars) and would definitely recommend.

Today I experimented…I wanted something caffeinated but also good for an ouchy potentially crabby self.

Here’s what I ended up with:
1.5 tsp honeyroo vanilla (my own blend of honeyroo by spice and tea exchange and honeybush vanilla by teavana)
1 tsp chocolate by adagio
1 drop vanilla
8 oz water, 200 degrees, 4 minutes

My honeyroo vanilla is starting to lose its vanilla notes and the rooibos is becoming more prominent. It smelled quite medicinal when I pulled it out. Hence why I decided to add an extra drop of vanilla. The nice thing about this tea though, is it’s great for the achy ouchies…especially PCOS fueled ones.

The chocolate was just because I needed a) something caffeinated, b) to work through the chocolate I have and, c) because I thought it would blend well with the vanilla.

I’m pretty happy with the results. I think half the reason I like it is because it’s strong and hot and it’s crazy windy cold outside, but yeah. It’s tasty enough, I’m slightly more awake and a bit less achy.

16oz water + 1 bag Afternoon Blend + 1 cube crystallized ginger, sliced + 1tsp raw sugar + 1/2 tsp honey at 200F for 1 min (leave ginger in a few minutes longer for more flavour)

I’m not going to say that this is amazing, by any means, but the addition of ginger gives an otherwise bland (and unenthusiastic) tea enough kick to make it drinkable. Yay, me.

The tea in question: [http://steepster.com/teas/keep-calm-and-carry-on-beverage-company-ltd/40331-afternoon-blend]

1tsp Caramel Oolong (Della Terra) + 1.5tsp Da Hong Pao (Teavire) [after one steep] + 1tsp raw sugar for 2min at 185F

And oh my gods, this is a very good mix…the da hong pao adds a smooth and rather comforting depth to the sweetness and smokiness of the caramel oolong that’s completely amazing. It’s a damn shame that this was the last of my da hong pao, as this is something I would absolutely mix again (and again and again).

Time to buy more of both these delicious teas, I think.

1 tsp Irish breakfast, 1 tsp English breakfast, solid sprinkle of powdered clove. Steep 3 minutes and top off with a generous splash of V. Sattui Angelica (fortified dessert wine).

I’ve always been a fan of both English and Irish breakfast teas and combined their subtle differences complement one another very well. The Angelica is a nutty wine – fortified with brandy, I think – and the cloves were a last minute addition to attempt to spice it up a bit.

Overall I’m really pleased with this mix. It’s rich and rather dry on the beginning, opens up into some spice and sweetness and finishes with a lingering nutty note from the wine.

I’ll definitely have a go at this one again.

i had a bit of ‘little litchee raspberry’ from yyz and an assam from MissB, no time and deadlines everywhere i look. chucked them together and wunderbar! back to the grind.

bye!

Happy Earth Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy British National Tea Day!!!

Hi Tea Friends!! Hope you are doing well!!

Happy Earth Day!!!!

Happy Year of the Sheep!!!!! 2015!!!!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Holidays with Lots of TEA!!!

Happy International Tea Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got back from Seattle and Northwest Washington state. We even crossed the border into Canada for a bit. It was so nice and cool and it’s tea and coffee country so I had a blast!!!!
Here are my tea notes from the week!!

6/22 classic chai tea latte hot Starbucks/Teavana PHX Sky Harbor airport
Nice tea and spice blend…not too spicy but very sweet additives so I would like less sweet

6/22 Vital Tea Leaf in Pike Place Market- Seattle- sit down tasting —http://www.vitaltealeafseattle.com
They have tastings complete with bamboo tray and gong fu style brewing. Everyone gets a little cup and you get to experience some of their most popular teas. We tried a sheng that had been aged in bamboo, a five year old shu, jasmine green tea, and a ginseng oolong. I loved all of the teas and I bought some of the ginseng oolong to take home. It had a sweet flavor and the energy and focus that it gave you was crazy awesome!!
They have cool apothecary jars filled with teas, osmanthus, giant tea pearls, flowering teas, Chinese medicine herbals for health, and so much more. They also have a wonderful selection of yixing pots, cups, bamboo gong fu trays, tea pets, and tools.
It was so fun and will definitely go to this tea room every time I am in Seattle.

6/22 – they have a big Dutch section in the grocery store in Lynden Washington,, I found a fun Fruits of the Forest tea by Pickwick that I can’t wait to try at home. I brought an infuser with me for morning tea and I have been drinking Rishi White Peony and saving the teas I buy for when I get home so I don’t open all the packages and make a travel mess in my suitcase lol.
6/22 Hotel evening- Farmer Brothers herbal tea Enchanting Moments- teabag with ingredients: chamomile, hibiscus, peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, and orange blossoms. For a tea bag from a commercial delivery coffee co.. This was really really good.. Very good balance with no overpowering from any of the ingredients. Had a natural sweetness and a plum hue from the hibiscus.

6/23
Wood’s Coffee right by Canadian border in Lynden, Washington- iced blueberry white tea – delicious, refreshing, and you can taste the white tea with a sweet accent of blueberry. Very yummmm! Woods coffee is so nice too..staff so nice and interior is like a Cabin in the woods with dim lighting; huge, comfy leather chairs, evergreen tree, moose, and rock fireplace decor.

6/23 Hotel Farmer Brother’s herbal tea Lively Lemon teabag with ingredients: rose hips, lemongrass, lemon peel, lemon Verbena, natural flavors, hibiscus, peppermint, citric acid.
The scent is definitely lemongrass and the hue is light pink punch color from the hibiscus. Flavor is not a fruit lemon but rather a lemon more close to citronella. But hey,,this is a tea bag from a commercial delivery coffee co and I’m on vacay so it’s still pretty darn good !
Later the citronella note steps back and allows sweetness from the rose hips and hibiscus to step up. There was a refreshing feeling (but not flavor-which was good) from the peppermint so it develops into an enjoyable cup:)

6/23 Hotel Farmer Brothers herbal tea Misty Mint tea bag with ingredients: peppermint, lemongrass, spearmint. Dark golden color. Nice creamy spearmint flavor with a tiny tiny bit of a lemon accent. Nice cleansing after dinner tisane.

6/26 Starbucks Teavana shaken iced tea
ParTea!! They had half off their new shaken iced teas today and I tried the shaken green Blackberry Mojito iced tea w/o lemonade. Very good blackberry flavor and the green tea had an herbal quality to it with the mint Mojito flavor.
Then I tried the green tea iced peach lemonade . Very good peach and lemonade flavors , sweet but not too sweet. Third flavor will have to try next time, it is a Black tea lemonade

6/26 found fun teas at the local Haagen grocery store which are nice. I found Huckleberry tea from the Northwest and Harney and Sons Vanilla Comoro
Fun can’t wait to try at home

6/27
Camano Island coffee and tea shop
Apricot Black tea. I could smell the apricot but by this part of the trip,, I had caught a bit of a cold and the type cold where u can’t taste which is my big hate in life. I hate not being able to taste. lol We are flying back tonight so luckily I didn’t catch this until last day lol. This tea is a dark black tea with apricot scent. It has a creamy texture and hint in the taste. I can detect a touch of bitter but my cold is not making tastes come thru correctly :( Very good even though I can’t taste it completely like I want :). The tea is making my cold feel better tho so yay! The decor in the shop is red crabs and it is close to the Skagit Bay and Puget Sound,, very cute. It is drizzly & nicely chilly outside too which, being from the desert,,, that’s what I’m here for!!!!!!!! It’s awesome!!!!!!!!
Then I tried English Breakfast w/milk. Got my two cups for the day and my cold sort of started going away. I feel lots better. yay! Attached gift shop so cute too with sea and crab items plus garden stuff,,love!

Assam Marangi
OR-187 Black Tea
by: Camellia Sinensis

I got a sample with my purchase from Camellia Sinensis (thank u C.S.!!) a few months ago and have not tried it until today,,,I am putting it into Random Steepings bc I can’t find enough info. on it (especially which flush it is) and it is out of stock now on their website so not sure which year, probably 2013.
Well I can see why it is out of stock! Deliciousness!!!

Origin: I do know that this is from the Marangi tea estate, India. I think it is a second flush but I have not had enough Assams to know for sure and am still learning.
Dry Leaf: Scents of roasted chocolate Malto-Meal cereal, dark dark brown and golden twisty threads.
Method: Western – 22oz classic shaped teapot – 1 tsp tea per 8 oz H2O – brewed 2 cups at a time at 200F for 3 minutes 10 seconds.
Wet Leaf: Roasted Idaho potato peel, dried apple, chocolate, and cherry scents. Leaves are chopped buds and young leaves all turned milk chocolate brown.
Liquor: Deep, rich amber color. Scents of chocolate, dried apple, cherry, smells delicious!
Flavor: Deep, rich, smooth, touch of cream, tiny tiny bit of orange peel, malt, hint of chocolate.
Very well balanced. As it cools, more malty goodness. I feel alert and ready for the day. So good and I like the tour of India I have been taking this last couple of days. I am definitely interested in this type of tea and this estate. Yumm.
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6/15/14
Having most of the rest of this sample this morning,,,yummmmm. Going to get some more from this estate.
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7/5/14
Having the last bit of this sample today. This is really delicious, especially with a splash of milk. I only had 1 tsp left so only got to have one cup and am very sad it is gone. Gonna order more in the fall.

Today is The Buddha’s birthday!!!! :) I love the lotus lanterns they hang in Korea in his honor. I am eating fresh strawberries (yay!!! in season!!!) and drinking Fo Mei (Buddha’s Eyebrow) 2013 Organic green tea from Seven Cups which I have already reviewed and I keep in my cupboard.
Have a nice day!!!!!!!! Namaste!!!!!!

Made some of my fresh Turmeric Tisane tonight. It is a small piece of fresh turmeric (about 3/4 inch), fresh lemon, and a bit of honey steeped for 4 minutes in 170F water. Then I pour it without the turmeric pieces into one of my tea cups.

The turmeric turns the water a pretty daffodil yellow but I only sliced it. I bet if you grated it that it would turn the water even more orange like the color of the turmeric.

Fresh Turmeric has a very distinctive flavor and it is zingy to me. It is not bitter but has a sort of muted ginger flavor as they are relatives. It’s like ginger and orange and carrots sort of mixed together but even then you must taste because I don’t think anything tastes quite like it.

I love this when I am not feeling well or feeling stressed. Tonight we were in a crowded area that was sort of stressful so it was nice to relax with this homemade herbal. This is completely calming and I feel the turmeric de-stressing my head and giving me vitamins and minerals :)

Note: I get the turmeric at Whole Foods and it is very staining when working with it so don’t have any of your nice towels laying around! lol