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I decided to continue with sampling this Peony tea, making this the second time steep. I placed a larger heaping teaspoon in the strainer and poured hot water into the cup and left to steep between 4-5 minutes.

Liquor color: Golden brew
Leaves color are full and a dark green

The tea becomes more vegetal than creamy since steep time is longer with more leaves added. The flavor is more like that of chestnuts, with a hint of smokiness since the water temperature was higher.

I find with the golden brew the taste is livelier, not mellow, with the nutty and vegetal flavor lingering as final notes.

I was able to steep this infusion three times and each time the liquor lightens there is less of a vegetal flavor, however the nutty/smoky aroma does continue to linger.

Most teas that I have been fortunate to sample as the flavor runs out or becomes tepid, I sometimes add my favorite store brought name brand green tea in a teabag to the cup. I do this as final test and since white teas can sometime be confused for green teas. I wanted to see if they could co-exist. And I am happy to say I did not note a disagreement.

With the green tea added all one could discern is vegetal green tea and no hint of melon at all.

This last sampler from the Tea Forté’s skin-smart antioxidant amplifier tea is another special reserve green tea with the tart-sweet lushness of acerola cherries and the depth of nutty toasted almond.

Steeping instructions:
Bring freshly drawn, cold water to a near boil
Place filter bag in cup
Slowly pour water over filter bag and allow steeping for 3-5 minutes.

This antioxidant beverage is golden brown in color; liquor is floral due to the cherry notes prevailing in the air. I smell the almond more so and when I take a sip of this tea it is the nutty flavor of the almond that I am met with. It is very nice. There is a hint of chocolate mingling with the almond.

Color: golden brown
Aroma: floral and nutty
Overall characteristic: This tea is nutty in flavor with the almond prevailing while the cherry seduces the palette with its sweetness. And for me the lasting taste is liken that of almond found in some fudge (almond fudge).

This marzipan is almond heaven. Yum!

I received this tea as part of Steepster’s Monthly Tasting Notes sampler pack, and
I decided to begin with this one since I had enjoyed sampling a lychee tea of similar quality.

Liquor color is gold
Leaves color are green on one side and not quite silvery but darker on the other side
Aroma soft fruit, hinting to melon

This tea is made to be refreshing and drunken easily; it is light in body with no astringent. In steeping this tea for just 2 minutes with several infusions yielding each time a refreshing, easy drinking tea that is full of soft fruit flavors and melon notes. I did not find any sweetness lingering as in description; perhaps the absence of astringent one can derive at describing it as sweet and mild.

Over all tea is very soft and does not leave any lasting impression. it is subdued tea, if there is such a thing.

Another sampler as part of the pack for the skin-smart antioxidant amplifier tea. It contains special reserve white tea with the exotic tropical notes of sweet lychee and the intoxicating fragrance of fresh cut coconut.

Steeping instructions:
Bring freshly drawn, cold water to a near boil
Place filter bag in cup
Slowly pour water over filter bag and allow steeping for 3-5 minutes

Color: is brownish
Tasting notes or teas characteristic: sweet lychee and fresh cut coconut

This tea steeped nicely; at once one could observe the fragrances rising out of the cup and into the surrounding air, hitting the nose right away, first the coconut then the lychee as they compete for attention. I smell more the coconut and with tasting I note the coconut with a hint of the lychee, having a hint of almond. Intermingling one might say and the lasting note seems to be that of the coconut.

This is not like coconut flavored water but the milk of the coconut, and tasting like a green tea; I cannot tell the difference as yet to say this is indeed a white tea other than what is stated on the teabag.

Characteristic of this tea: soft and sweet
Aroma: milky notes
Overall taste: sweet with the lasting notes being coconut. It is a mellow, light and refreshing cup of tea.

I find that this sampler pack held more promise in taste than previous ones. Thank you Cindy for sending these samplers my way.

This tea is part of the sampler pack for the skin-smart antioxidant amplifier tea. It contains special reserve green tea with invigorating cool notes of cucumber fruit and fresh mint, with taste of sweet, succulent blueberries.

Steeping instructions:
Bring freshly drawn, cold water to a full boil
Place filter bag in cup
Slowly pour water over filter bag and allow steeping for 3-5 minutes

Color: is golden dew
Tasting notes or teas characteristic: fresh sprig of mint with fruity tones of cucumber and blueberries.

I am enjoying the mellowness found in the flavoring notes of cucumber and blueberries prevailing while the fresh mint adds a coolness to the cup and to one’s palette. It is not so much that I can taste the blueberries but rather I can smell them in the aroma; floating just above the cucumber…there is a sweetness/sugary smell with hints of the cucumber.

This is a tea I would someday buy.

This was another sampler that I received from Lelias’ Tea Ware.

The leaves in the tin are neatly rolled & polished green tea; when the lid is removed the smell of the mint hits you at once; a deep breath, and yet a deeper one conjuring winter, a cold day and wanting for a hot cup of warmth. If on a hot day this tea would be most welcoming in that it would add coolness with the freshness found in the mint leaves.

This tea is smoothly rich in body and mildly nutty. It is well blended with refreshing peppermint leaves, making me think of sweet mint; not that of an after dinner drink but the kind of mint one adds to liquor enhancing the flavor which in turn enlivens the palette.

Teas characteristic: Smooth, mildly nutty
Overall tasting: refreshing cup of peppermint tea soothing and cleansing all.

I liked this tea because the peppermint leaves can be fully savored all the while rendering for a luxurious cup of tea. I will have with next cup of this tea a York peppermint patty; since now I am realizing this could be what I mean for an over all taste.

This Swiss Apple is another sampler received as part of the skin-smart antioxidant amplifier tea.

Naturally caffeine-free rooibos herb with the taste of fresh crisp apples, with the euphoric flavor of delicious dark alpine chocolate and tingling cinnamon.

Steeping instruction recommends:
bringing freshly drawn, cold water to boil
place filter bag in cup
slowly pour water over filterbag and allow to steep for 3-5 minutes.

1st steep the liquor is golden amber, reddish. I taste apple mixed evenly with cinnamon and the lingering effect of the cinnamon is heady.

2nd steep the liquor is lighter with the cinnamon lingering throughout the cup.

3rd steep seems to be as second cup with prevailing note of cinnamon; I could not discern the Alpine chocolate but then perhaps I know not what alpine chocolate is and cannot recognize it somehow.

I don’t particularly like cinnamon except a cinna-roll bun; gooey with some walnuts added on top. This tea might go nicely with that possibly but no buns I am sorry to say.

This tea is meant to support the skin and I so need blemish free skin, I would need more dose of this.

This tea is part of the skin-smart antioxidant amplifier tea that is being used as special reserve green tea with the bright exotic citron flavor of yuzu sweetened with full blossom bee pollen.

Steeping Instructions:
Bring freshly drawn, cold water to a near boil
Placed filter bag in cup
Slowly pour water over filter bag and allow steeping for 3-5 minutes.

This tea conjures wonderful aroma in the cup; the citron flavor yuzu settles or is dispensed and settled at the cup’s bottom; as if one were to take a spoon of honey and pour it into the cup.

I managed to get three steeps out of this teabag to keep consistent with original flavor: citrons with honey layering throughout. Once brewed the liquor is so enticing, warm golden color in the cup inviting one to cozy up and relax.

It is like what is stated on tea bag: Green tea for natural renewal; as this is a sampler I would need more than one tea bag to further experience this renewal.

This tea will be put on my wish list for future purchase.

One other thing to note; the teabags are like traditional tea bag with strings and leaf tag depicting the Tea Forte image. Previous samples used pyramid sachets which I did not like.

I have finished the last bit of this tea. It is as when first tasted; a very nice tea full of minerals. The tea conjures the elements to me and the ending note is that of raw pineapple.

I did steep it with lower water temperature, mildly hot instead of boiling hot and the sulfur in the cup seemed more pronounced and with each steep it lessened a bit but still could discern coppery and sulfur in the cup. I used a mug made of general stone ceramic mug. I am trying to say the sulfur and coppery elements sense in the cup is not from my mug but with the tea itself.

I am not making claim for this tea. Only that it is enjoyed immensely by this taster.

color: Golden green
Characteristic: element like sulfur, copper, and zinc
Tasting note: raw pineapple

Overall for a young tea it is quite good.

Review of 2011 Menghai Dayi (Tea Garden Tea) from China Cha Dao, Jerry Ma’s sampler

This sampler I received is a small crusty and partial cake like leaves tightly woven together. Its smell is of musty earth. I broke off about half of this and placed it at the bottom of the cup and poured the boiling water (200oF) into the cup and left to steep for five minutes.

In removing the lid, I can definitely smell its musty-earthy scented aroma in the cup and the color is a golden green. At first tasting I could not help but taste something like minerals in raw form: zinc or copper even, which is both thick and smooth to the palette with a rich flavor making me think of raw pineapple.

I do not think this is correct, yet that is what I smell or thinking of the smell…raw pineapple and it is heaven to me.

As this is a 2011 Menghai, which means “cooked” pu-erh tea, and since it is cooked, this is referred to as shou (cooked green tea), post-fermentation and good to drink at once.

The way one comes to know a pu-erh is to think of it much like wine vintage.

Classification: Year, and region of production; In that this Menghai Dayi is 2011, Yunnan, China.

Cup’s characteristic: Earthy and musty aroma rich in minerals like zinc, and copper.

Liquor color: Golden green

Taste: like raw pineapples