Featured & Popular Tasting Notes
I guess everyone has seen the post, either here or on Facebook, that Adagio is going to be running Steepster henceforth. I hope it doesn’t change too much! This is my 90% of my social life! Ha ha!
I can’t believe this was not already in my cupboard, as Superanna gave it to me a while back and I have drunk it many times.
This is a Keemun tea with rose flavor, slightly less rose-y than Rose Scented by Harney and Sons, and with deeper, darker tea notes due to the base being Keemun instead of Ceylon. Both are great, and this one is better for my husband who doesn’t like his tea too terribly floral.
It does not need milk and sugar to smooth or sweeten, but it is strong enough that I feel it would be really great that way if that is how you prefer your tea.
Any idea why they call it pouchong? Pouchong is Bao Zhong. This is Keemun and to all taste and appearance is black tea. I hope someone knows and will enlighten me!
It was a great pot of tea to start my day!
picked a random flavoured tea from my butiki cupboard and this was it. I have a tendency to hoard them and then need to place giant orders with Stacy, so i’m trying to get better at drinking them so that i can place multiple smaller orders and not miss anything i might love. This one appears to be a tea that will grow on me as i drink it. I love the hoppy sort of rhubarby taste to this. mmmmm
I think I’ve found that I don’t love rhubarb flavor. I liked the ruby pie, but the rhubarb kept me from loving it. Same goes for this tea.
I really thought I would hate this one, LOL, but it wasn’t bad at all! Probably not something I’d order, but fun to try.
I love that you, me, & others have a ‘butiki cupboard’, hahaha
:)
Dry leaf aroma initially reminds me of raisins, but once brewed becomes incredibly deep and floral.
Taste is just slightly malty with a wonderful, rich floral sweetness that fully remains even on the second steep. This is so lovely, and it’s like the tea has been softly scented with red rose petals; very smooth, fragrant and sweet.
Absolutely delicious!
Preparation
Eee Teavivre!
Did you order this one?
Yep, a sample size. Pretty much all their blacks tea, with the exception of anything smoky, I ordered haha.
haha, that’s good! I got one of the sampler packs that came with two samples of this. I’ll have to order a full pouch next time. : )
Oh excellent. I love hearing that about teas that are en route. Although my wallet doesn’t enjoy it quite so much.
nice to see a few more reviews on this one :)
They’ve got a number of really, really nice black teas. I just got a pouch of Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea myself that’s waiting for me in mail jail. I’ll be picking it up in about an hr and I can’t wait!! (Got one of the sample packs too and I think one of this as well, it sounds excellent.)
And it sounds like there will be even more reviews coming!! ; )
Those samplers are great, and so is the dragon pearl – I’m sure you’ll enjoy them Kirlika!
Montreal is freezing! As in I-got-brain-freeze-and-my-legs-went-numb-in-the-20-minutes-it-took-to-walk-home freezing. So, when I got home at 5:50 from class, I had to make the decision to turn around and be responsible and go to Body Pump or to walk in, start my weekend early, and drink copious amounts of tea. I chose the latter. I dumped the cold mug of Cinnamon Chocolate Brownie into a glass and started the kettle to brew two fresh cups.
While I waited, I remembered I haven’t had any milk today which meant MATCHA. Specifically this one which I have been thinking about all day! Cavocorax, I honestly don’t know how I can thank you for sharing this with me because it is truly amazing!!! I taste caramel more in this than I did in the plain caramel matcha. And the popcorn just adds a layer of butteriness and flavor that just makes this sooooooooo goooood. I am in love! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Oh and a side note. My sweats are all in the laundry so I put on the next warmest thing I own…a batman onesie. Complete with cape and cowl. So that sort of elevates this a tad as well :P
OMG THE BATMAN ONESIE IS AMAZING.
Batman onesie?! YES!
haha. It is pretty awesome. It is one of three onsies I own. One of the onesies, a sock monkey onesie, I actually got for $1 because the Target employee screwed and scanned it through as chocolate. My mom and I didn’t realize until we got home a few hours later.
Ick, Batman. I’m totally a Marvel girl (Spiderman ForEVAH). I have Spiderman Bedsheets/blankets/pillows/toques/hoodies/t-shirts/jewelry. My Onesie is sock monkeys though…
Roswell Strange, I would say our friendship is over but I too love me some Marvel. I have an Avengers sweater lying on my bed next to me and a Spiderman tee-shirt which is in the laundry. However, I grew up as the younger sister of a Batman loving brother. In fact, we call his car the batmobile because I decked it out in all things batman a few years back (as in seat covers, steering wheel covers, break light stickers so when he breaks it is the batman symbol) and we have home video of him saying he is batman at only 2 years old. I grew up with it :)
You made two, no three great decisions. 1) eff body pump when it’s cold; 2) Onesys are where it’s at; and 3) you had tea. You win.
Though I also grew up with X-men (last year I got my brother this huge Wolverine pez dispenser for his birthday :P), Spiderman, Deadpool, etc. Basically there was a lot of comic books and superheros around (the perks of an older brother).
And thank you keychange, it definitely feels like right decisions were made :)
I’ll admit to having one favourite DC “Hero” (not really an apt character description) whom I was reminded of thanks to your Monk’s blend tasting note, additionally. When I try to explain him to people, they always think I’m lying! I grew up with X-Men too; they’re right up there with Spiderman, though personally I don’t really love Wolverine all too much.
I actually wasn’t into Wolverine much either. I liked Storm and Rogue but that may have more to do with their gender than their actual powers. Though their powers are pretty cool.
Also, they actually filmed the most recent X-men movie in Montreal. I had a couple of friends stalk the set in hopes of finding Jennifer Lawrence, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, and James McAvoy.
Nevermind my large stack of Hawkeye comics sitting next to my desk.
Now this is funny because I didn’t know until today that they MADE onesies for adults. I thought of them only as the things you put babies in! Of course, living where I do now (my son wore shorts to school today… I know, I’m sorry) there is not much need for this sort of bodily envelopment except a few nights a year, but I love the idea!
I adored Rogue, Iceman, Storm, Nightcrawler, Mystique, and Azazel! No one I knew was able to understand how excited I was at the inclusion of Azazel in First Class. They just totally set it up to kind of delve into Mystique/Azazel’s plotlines with Nightcrawler – though I doubt they actually will go that route…
I felt so bad for Azazel and Riptide. They were kinda just left as background characters the whole time. Actually, I mostly felt bad for Riptide given they didn’t even mention who he was. Like if you had never read the comics, he was sorta just a bonus mutant who was there.
Never really liked Riptide ;P
Neither did I but I still felt bad that they sorta just tossed him in as filler. He really did not need to be in the movie other than Shaw needed more people on his team.
Batman onesie?! So awesome. :D
And that’s a sipdown for this one! (164)
I oversteeped it so the base is a bit more pronounced, and the banana is more liquorish than I would like, but it is still a nice cup. I haven’t ruined it!
I love love love this tea!
Were you there for the “we love Franks’s banana” discussion?
I was trying to think of something to summarize how I was there for that (yay me) and how I was laughing currently remembering it, but struggled so I’m just gonna plop this ‘Lol’ here to suffice ;)
I’m dying to try something that actually tastes like banana. This sounds delicious!
No – I think I missed this? Can someone link it? :P
And Yvonne, not only is it banana, it’s creamy coconut banana! I almost ordered some when Frank had 15% off, but it’s sold out.
Oh my, that sounds a million times more amazing. Coconut makes everything good!
Right? I wish I had had more than that little sample!
I have a thing about banana so when I saw Frank reblended it around BF I picked up a pouch. I think it is almost half gone and I actually haven’t even had a cup yet (though I have tried the tea and I know it is pretty delicious). Everyone keeps asking to try it and I am just happy to share given I have so much :). I am glad you liked it.
I’m grateful you could share it, especially since you haven’t even had it yet! :O
Haha it is okay. Better to share it than let it all sit and go bad. Plus it is always nice when you can help someone try something that they may not try otherwise. Frank’s blends are so hard to find so I always try to accommodate when someone wants to taste one.
And, it is not like others haven’t done the same for me so it is always nice to give back.
You are just beyond nice, VariaTEA. :) The world needs more people like you.
My pouch of Butterscotch Banana is nearly gone, which makes me really sad. I have about a mug worth of this and Napalm Ferret left as well. Soon I’ll be out of amazing 52Teas Banana teas :(
Attempting at a sip down. Attempting being the key word here. This as a cold brew fooled the pants off of me.
When I went to take the first sip, I initially thought that this worked way better as a cold brew. The questionable underlying floral note is virtually invisible, and I get mostly cherry. But give it just a few seconds.
Then the aftertaste hit me. COUGH SYRUP. I took a bit of a break and just poured my second glass—because I’m a masochist and all—and it’s now cough syrup through and through. I feel guilty for being wasteful, but I think I’m just going to dump the rest of the 1.5 litres I have left. Why force myself to drink that when I have 2984205845 others to try.
Lowered the rating, too.
Oh, ick :(
Cherry seems to be so hard to capture properly, it turns out icky easily I find…I’m still on the hunt to find the perfect one cause I love cherries so much…
Cough syrup usually doesn’t bother me if it is sweet enough but I’m not sure how I’d like it as tea in large quantities. Cherry flavour is really difficult apparently.
That’s just it. I actually don’t mind cough syrup either, but to drink two litres of tea that tastes like it? No thanks.
Theoretically, you would think if blends had actual dried cherries in it, the tea would have really good cherry flavour…
The perfect cherry tea…it’s got to be out there somewhere…
My wife had some of her cold brew of this today, we added a touch of vanilla agave and she seems to like it! I’ll poke her into posting a tasting note.
You too, gmatis? Let’s make sure we let each other know when one of us finds it!!!
A work friend gave me a bag of “Cherry Blossom Tea” from a visit to Washington DC; it was repackaged/relabeled from Eastern Shore Tea Co. Wasn’t entirely natural, but it wasn’t cough syrupy either. I can’t find my own review here on Steepster—I’m sure I did, but K S posted on his blog: http://theeverdayteablog.blogspot.com/2013/10/eastern-shore-tea-company-cherry-blossom.html Still isn’t the cherry nirvana I’m looking for.
Oh, gross! I think I’ll avoid making this as a cold brew then..
That’s it, I want cherry nirvana, don’t we deserve that? And so true Fjellrev, why aren’t there cherries in most cherry blends? All I seem to find is rose petals!!!
Glad your wife likes it, aisling of tea!
A friend of mine swears by a sencha-based sour cherry tea a local store here blends. I haven’t tried it yet since I keep spending my money on e-tailers, but it too only has cherry flavouring. When I get around to it, I’ll let everyone know the verdict, and if it’s good, I can send some to the Steepsterites on the hunt for that perfect cherry tea. :)
What kind of cherry tea are you guys looking for? Cherry Tisane? Cherry green? Chocolate Cherry Black?
Some of RLT’s cherry matchas are nice. I liked Black Cherry.
I’m personally open to any of the above options with cherry, but particularly a chocolate cherry black sounds good. I know of the Tea Spot’s Chocolate Cherry Bomb but shipping is ridiculous.
I’ve heard mixed reviews about RLT’s cherry matchas but Black Cherry does sound tempting.
I love both, sweet black cherries and sour. I too love to pair black cherries with chocolate, but it’s never really done right. Rivertea is not bad though I must say, but not overly cherry the way I’d want it to be.
The sour cherry teas/tisanes I’ve had always end up being overwhelmed by evil hibiscus. I love tart , but somehow hibiscus takes over everything else. But that’s just me :-)
Chocolate cherry bomb??? Don’t I wish, that’s what I’m looking for, but in a non deceptive way…
My favorite Cherry Tisane is Cherry Goddess from Tealux – I think it’s really tart – but I like that. The other one that’s really good is Pondi Cherry from NMTC – it has hibisus too but it’s not quite as in your face as the Tealux one. I add cherry tisane – which ever one I happen to have in the house to all kinds of things – straight black, green, white teas – I’ve added it too cherry chocolate teas – Cherry Cordial from Culinary Teas wasn’t cherry enough for me, but it was a decent cherry chocolate – then I added a bit more cherry and was pretty good….
Alright, tasting note 300!
This was a wonderful tea to come home to. It won’t knock your socks off; instead, it’ll kneel at your feet, remove your socks kindly, and then give you a hug. And it’ll smell of good things: home, innocence, laundry (laundry? shut up, keychange!). Ok ok, so it doesn’t smell like laundry. But how can a creamy cup of coconut tinged with raspberry not be comforting on a day that makes you feel as though winter has taken up residence in your very soul and will be there forever and ever? I hate all these layers of clothes; I hate feeling like a graceless sausage as I try to cram legs into leggings and then dress pants just so I can freeze at the office anyway. I hate having to walk so gingerly so as to not slip and fall, which given that I seem to have terrible balance at the best of times, is bound to happen nonetheless. And I hate the fact that I get cold so quickly—like I’ll be standing outside for ten seconds and then start shaking violently as if I’m having a seizure, and like, no thanks. How needlessly dramatic. But this tea really does make me feel as though a coconut and sun-screen laden summer isn’t terribly far away.
And those are my deep thoughts for the evening. Back to bitching about the cold and being annoyed at having to wake up early tomorrow morning.
Preparation
300 woot!
Yay 300!
I also despise winter. We can survive it though. Summer is getting closer every day!
300! Yay!
Congrats on 300!!
Woot! Go 300 go!
Fireworks for 300!!!!
Yay! 300! Congrats!
Happy 300! I’ve starting burning summery candles to help push those winter blues aside!
Thanks guys! We can beat this winter! one tasting note at a time!
Let me just say that I love reading your tealog notes—your comments on tea are great, but I also love your amusing anecdotes and descriptions (“I hate feeling like a graceless sausage as I try to cram my legs into leggings…” HAHA! I can totally relate!) Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts! :-D
Oh, thank you! Reading that comment just made my day!!
“This drink… I like it!”
“I know, it’s great right?”
“ANOTHER!”
…
“It was delicious! I want another!”
“You could have just said so!”
“I just did!”
against my better judgement i just brewed 24oz of this.
i think i will avoid ppl for the next few hours so i can sidestep the possibility of literally tackling someone with enthusiasm.
so much mate. so so very much mate.
I imagine that you would likely tackle people with or without caffeine. .don’t know where I get this image of you from ;)
Hahahahaha, that ^^.
ALL the EXCLAMATION points!!!!!
if only you knew me when…
when i used to do cartwheels in all the wrong places.
if alien gods were real, i would ask them nicely if they could take me back to my Amazon days.
Ah Thor, how I love you so.
I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who read it in Thor and Darcy’s voices ahha
yes, Schmiracles, it could be the exclamation points, or maybe the random use of ALL CAPS, or possible just your username, lol. It’s a good thing I am here to keep this forum balanced. I am the grumpy cat half of your excessive enthusiasm. and btw, if you read my note that referred to webkinz, and even if you didn’t, some of you may be interested to know that there will be a grumpy cat Webkinz plush released on valentines day (such an appropriate day, no?) haha.
Heehee, that’s a dangerous amount of Thor, yo.
Shelley – that’s pretty awesome. I love Grumpy Cat. Well, as much as Grumpy Cat allows.
And yesssss, where would we be without Shmiracles’ crazy enthusiasm!
Drank while watching Princess Jellyfish (I’m very, very tempted to rewatch the whole series again tonight; I’d say it’s tied with Blood+ right now as my favourite anime). It was the perfect light, kind of nutty, buttery counterpart with just enough sweetness from the apple!
Very gentle.
I haven’t watched those yet. I’m glued to my Fairy Tail manga and I am currently watching Magi, Log Horizon and rewatching Sword Art Online as the new season is coming :D LONG LIVE ANIME!
My roommate likes Sword Art Online, but I’ve been putting off watching it specifically because he likes it, heh…
if you like .hack//sign or Log Horizon than you will like Sword Art Online. It’s very good and popular. Well you could always watch Attack on Titan it’s popular… I don’t really like it that much though. Dusk Madien Amnesia is good, 11 eyes was okay, Another was AWESOME and creepy as hell. Watch out for the umbrella! (watch Another and you will understand)
I have a friend who really wants me to watch Attack on Titan, but the art style bothers me a lot… Right now I seem to be on a bit of a Bishounen/Shoujo kick, though often I lean towards more fantasy type stuff.
Black Butler (kuroshitsuji) has a very nice art style and the manga just flat out rocks! Kamisama Kiss is good the manga is Kamisama Hajimemeashita. Also I recommend Ouran High School Host Club, Vampire Knight, Fruits Basket, My Bride is a Mermaid is funny, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (FMA doesn’t count) Fairy Tail of course, and umm.. dang it I’m drawing a slight blank right now but give me time and I can list more…
I’ve seen Ouran (albeit a while back) and Fruits Basket (also one of my favourites). I watched the first episode of My Bride is a Mermaid but it didn’t really do much to sell itself. Too many angry shouting Yukuza, and I got the sense that’d be a regular thing. My brother is watching FMA Brotherhood right now, and I’m waiting to hear his verdict. Fairy Tale is on my list of stuff to watch, but not totally sure I’m in the right headspace for it atm. I also really like Soul Eater, Digimon (up until Frontier), One Piece (I watch occasionally with my roommate, so what I’ve seen is sporadic), and Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club. I also very recently finished B Gata H Kei and thought that was decent enough, though I was disappointed in the ending.
I love Ouran and Fruits Basket, and just finished a long weekend Hell Girl marathon. I’m debating what to watch next – either Sekaiichi Hatsukoi again (cute boys!) Or something new. B gata h kei did end a little soon – apparently the manga goes on a good bit yet, buf the anime just didn’t get renewed??
well of course Digimon rocks, Black Butler is on Netflix season 1 rocks but the manga is better and still going, season 2 is weird and doesn’t count. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is awesome and I’m sure you’ll like it. I can’t stand One Piece but than I can never get past episode 1, or in the manga chapter 1 because the animation style bothers me.. it looks so childish… and I’ve only seen the first two episodes of Naruto before deciding it was stupid. Soul Eater is pretty interesting but I’ve only got to Death Junior I think his name was.. the weird kid with the obsession with being perfect. Angel Beats is a good show. Magi is really good!! It is kind of addicting to watch Magi so I warn you now. I’ve seen an episode of Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club and it’s in my Crunchyroll que but between Magi and Log Horizon it hasn’t got much attention… poor thing I’ll watch it tomorrow so it stops feeling left out.
@ AnnaEA unfortunately a lot of animes get cancelled but the manga continues. Oh D Gray Man is really good but the anime and manga are both kindof in limbo at the moment but still worth it. I haven’t seen Hell Girl yet. Trinity Blood was good, Black Blood Brothers was also good if I remember correctly. GUNDAM WING rocked but then anything Gundam is usually good, Escaflowne the manga was deliberately done differently than the show and the show actually came first both were awesome though.
@AnnaEA, B Gata H Kei was supposed to have a second season but because of complaints/content and what not it didn’t happen initially. Supposedly it’ll be released sometime this summer. Supposedly. @Helena, Death The Kidd! He’s awesome. Definitely one of my favourites. The problem I have with Soul Eater is that I only like half the characters; I can’t stand Liz, Patty, and Black Star. I have a friend who likes Angel Beats and I watched the first episode with her, but I just didn’t enjoy it a whole lot.
They need to release the volumes of Princess Jellyfish faster. There are only 13. The sooner they make more of it, the sooner the anime can have a second season.
well it got better after the first episode when you figure out everything it can be quite sad. Not nearly as sad as Clannad After Story even if it did have a happy ending.
Inuyasha is always a must :D
I thought I was the only person who LOVES Blood +. #latetotheparty
Blood+ is my favourite anime (tied with Princess Jellyfish)!
Soooo good. Had a large cup of this to kick of vacation! Plane is officially going out today after yesterday’s fiasco. Sitting at the airport now, trying not to fall asleep :)
Final count: 139 (yay!)
Woot! I hope you have a great flight and vacation!
You deserve all the fun in the world, have a safe flight and a great vacation!!!
Have a safe flight and a great vacation!
Have a wonderful vacation!
Have fun!
Vacay!
Yay! Have fun!
Have a lot of fun! :)
Yay! Have fun. :)
I’ve never seen your cupboard number so low! Have a great trip :D
It was only a couple years ago that I had my first taste of puerh. A lot of people seem a little freaked by the experience but I found it instantly accessible. At first I could only tell by taste if it was raw or ripe. Slowly I am beginning to grasp the wide range of flavor of each. This one gets my award as the best aroma ever from the dry leaf. It is hay, green tea, and citrus. Really nice. The steeped leaf is minty, anise, citrus, and deep green steamed vegetal. Again, really nice. The sip reveals the youth of this cake. It is not the bright metallic taste I usually expect. This is dusty and musty. The taste is very earthy like fresh clean damp soil. It reminds me of digging potatoes as a kid with my dad. So mega-points for memory association. I very much enjoyed this cup and look forward to seeing how it changes with age.
Preparation
I reaaallly enjoyed this one as well :)
I think I may have a sample of this waiting to be sampled. :)
If you don’t let me know. I think I have more.
Looking forward to your notes on it Terri. I wish I could afford a cake!
I loved reading this note..,
That’s cuz you’re awesome, KS!
I am getting low on puerh. I might need to put this one on my next order. Sounds excellent.
I joined Steepster one year ago today. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone here for helping me explore tea, putting up with my questions, generously sharing your cupboards, expanding my knowledge, and just generally being the nicest online community I’ve run into. Thank you !!! (This also reminds me that I should update my profile – it’s not really completely “true” anymore).
I’m really working on getting over the “funk” I’ve been experiencing the last few weeks. I think I’m on the right track now and should be around more.
This was my tea of choice at work today. I’ve written about it before, and it still confuses me, but not as much as the first time. LOL I am learning – or trying to learn.
I really like Camellia Sinensis quality of tea. This one is Taiwan, and that’s why I think it’s weird. I think all Taiwan black teas are a little strange. Most of them are a little oolong esque to me. This one does not TASTE like oolong, but it’s definitely on the lighter side of the black scale. I think this is an interesting Taiwan Black, and if that’s where your interests/tastes lie, then you should give it a try. Me – I’m more of a China Black kind of girl – and that I didn’t know a year ago….
Happy Steepsterversary! Ooh, Taiwan blacks are my favourite.
Happy one year!!
awe! happy anniversary dexter! hugs
Happy anniversary!
Awesomeness! Happy steepsterversary!
Happy steepster anniversary! :)
Happy steepsterversary! :D
Yeah, I’ve realized in the last year that my tastes aren’t with Taiwanese teas either. Happy one year!
Yay! Glad you joined us. You have opened my horizon to many of the teas you drink.
Happy anniversary! :)
Aww, so happy to have you here with us, happy anniversary, many more to come I hope :-)
Sometimes just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD . For instance, just because you CAN eat four Krispy Kreme donuts in one car ride does not mean you should eat them. Or just because you CAN chug two bottles of water in under a minute, does not mean you should. I, of course, am speaking in the hypothetical here however should you decide to do those things and just happen to feel quite nauseous, you may want to drink a mint tea. Perhaps one like this tea. Just a thought.
Omg I miss Krispy Kreme doughnuts. They had them here in Canada for like five minutes once upon a time, and I could blow through a box no problem. Could have, I mean. I never did that, obviously. I meant it hypothetically.
Of course, all hypothetical here :P. And should you hypothetically be in search of more, last I heard there was Krispy Kreme downtown by the Eatons Center.
Are you serious?!?! that’s such good news…hypothetically speaking. Really good news for those people (unlike me) who enjoy sugar. Yup, good for those people.
We still have one in Mississauga, but you don’t find them anywhere else here anymore. They attempted to expand to fast, and crashed and burned.
Apparently there are two downtown Toronto: http://www.krispykreme.com/select-your-store
Are they a lot better than Tim Horton’s doughnuts? I only ever had their original glazed once and didn’t care for it. There used to be one in Calgary but it apparently only lasted a few years.
I have an insane sweet tooth so I love them but most people find them disgusting. It is hard to compare them to Tim’s though just because they are so different (as in they are all coated in sugar whereas Tim’s aren’t :P)
I only like them when fresh and hot. I find the cold glaze ones greasy and well gross. I think that’s why their attempt at selling them at other stores failed. They have some interesting flavours of filled donuts though, some of which are pretty good.
The only place I’ve encountered them is at fundraisers, and… how old are those donuts? :O
(that didn’t stop me from buying a box… OMG)
I prefer cake donuts, which is good because there are no delicious light fluffy sugary melt-in-your-mouth gluten free donuts. There is a Krispy Kreme here, and my boss sometimes brings in a box. So tempting, so dangerous.
Mmm donuts
I get my vanilla from Penzey’s, & when you get to the bottom of the vanilla bottle, there is harp of a vanilla bean in there. The main thing I used vanilla for is almond flour pancakes, so I usually squeeze out the seeds into the batter. Today I dropped the bean into my cup of this tea, just for fun.
At first I thought it might be a fail: I could smell the remaining alcohol from the vanilla, but I let it sit for a few, added a little sweetening, & it was damn right tasty! We had pancakes, so this made for an after breakfast treat.
i picked a tin yesterday on tea festival. this tea is sooo good!
i want their keemun to go up on the website
Yes, & YES!
I got Keemun but didn’t try it yet. Maybe tonight. They didn’t offer it for tasting but dry leaves are perfect gorgeous black curls
I can’t wait!
I can send you some to try
they just need to put it on the website. it will be an insta-buy for me
boychik, I’m totally open for that! Feel free to check out my cupboard to see if you’d like something(s) in return :)
On the other hand, when it comes up on their site, it will also be an insta-buy for me, as I can’t resist those damn fine teas!
I know I bought it without trying. Will message you later.
They do a Keemun?
mzpriss..they mentioned it at their FB post re: the tea festival this weekend..not up for sale yet on their website
I really really want some
now! haha
I am not aware of this tea company, but it appears I should be. I’ve been reading about their Double Knit and it looks like I might need some of that too. sigh
I have only a few more samples left from the wonderful bunch Sil sent me back in Decenber…it seems that I saved the best for last.
This has an amazing aroma…it really came as a burst as soon as I removed the lid of the gaiwan. And guess what? It tastes even better!
It’s floral but not in a bouquet kind of way, just a delicate linger…also fruity, fig like.
Some caramel as well and a subtle nuttiness that wraps and ties everything together.
It feels round in the mouth, thick and voluptuous. I think it’s one of the finest Wuyi I have had for sure.
I stopped reading just to make sure I would fully focus all my attention to it. It’s that good. I had 4 delious steeps and will now cold brew the leaves for tomorrow…
Thanks Sil, this was lovely :-)
Dog and tea story…(skip if not interested)
My dog Dexter is a snob. I always say he’s an “AristoDog”, basically he acts like he’s Royalty. He doesn’t like to get messy, spring time, he tries to avoid stepping in mud, and if he does (which inevitably is bound to happen), he licks himself till he’s got no more saliva.
And Dexter likes his comfort. Yes, he’s allowed on the couch. He has special cushions that he grabs and carefuly places at stategic spots so he can morph into a sophisticated potato couch. This is a typical illustration of his concept for comfort:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/13451905514/in/photostream/
There’s one thing missing though: his “doux-doux” (French prononced “doo-doo” in English). “Doux” means soft. In my family, we’ve been calling our favourite special throws/blankets a “doux-doux” ever since we were little children. I still love special blankets, have several all over the house and ready to be used when sitting in front of a fire, or just to lounge on the couch, a book in one hand, a cup of tea in the other. Dexter has his own doux-doux, the same one since he was just a puppy. He carries it with him pretty much everywhere. When I wash it, he looks for it everywhere.
Today was a lounge doux-doux day for the both of us… I grabbed mine, he grabbed his, and we had a cup of this wonderful tea. I say “we” cause while I was sipping, he kept trying to get into my cup, literally…totally unlike him!
But there’s something about this intoxicating aroma that tantalized his canine nostrils it seems…well I don’t blame him, this stuff is irresistible!
What a cute story!
OMG I love his eyes, sad eyes. he really looks like blue blood. its doberman right?
When you cold steep the leftover leaves, how long do you have to leave them steeping?
So adorable! And he does look pretty comfortable with all his pillows!
Thanks Keychange!
Boychik, that’s his sad puppy face, he probably does it on purpose just to get the attention, he seems to love the camera, lol! Here’s his happy face, and yes, he’s an “un-cropped” Doberman :-)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90056560@N08/10899799146/lightbox/
Marzipan, I cold brew used leaves in mason jars for about 24h, but I suggest you just taste along the way and decide when it’s enough for you. New leaves, I will normally do 12 hours, depending on the tea. Don’t hesitate if you have other questions :-)
So glad you enjoyed this. I was hoping you would :)
Caile, yes, he’s quite a lucky puppy I’d say…but I’m a lucky owner as well, he’s such a great companion :-)
Sil yep, totally my style, thanks :-)
I love the floppy ears!!!
Awww….
Puppy! :) So cute!
Dexter is so so so cute and I love that you didn’t crop his ears. My dogs like to get in bed with me in the morning while i drink tea and sniff my tea mug.
I learned a new vocabulary word! Doux-doux. Love it. We use woobie and huggy interchangeably for the same sort of item.
He’s beautiful – awesome when you get to have lazy lounging days with your pets!!!
Thanks guys :-)
Stephanie & MzPriss: floppy ears are not common for Dobermans, the breeder was pressuring me to have his ears cropped when I got him at 3 months old, but just didn’t have the heart to do that to him. I’m glad I didn’t!
Haha! I see your dogs can appreciate a good cuppa also :-)
Gmathis, I love woobie, I’ll try to remember that!
Dexter, those are my favourite days…I know you enjoy them also :-)
I have no idea what happened this morning, but this is in the running for the most perfect cup of tea ever made. It was oozing, overflowing, positively dripping with caramel vanilla goodness, and had a thick, buttery quality underlying the whole composition that made me want to snap my tongue greedily against the roof of my mouth. I also steeped for only three minutes and not four, and perhaps that’s where the magic happened? I should have known better than to doubt Stacy’s steeping instructions.
A computer guru is coming to try and remedy my computer problems this morning, and you know what else I’m going to get him to do? tell me who this recent tea box is from and help me identify each tea! someone sent me a box! I’ll find out who it is soon enough, but just in case it was you, and you used frilly-edged paper for labels, identify yourself at once! :)
I hope they get your computer all fixed up.
I hope so too!
I hope your tech person gets everything sorted out, and that he/she can also identify your tea. And this tea sounds delicious!
Oooh, everything is so exciting! That tea sounds LUSH and fixed computer and a box of tea! Wonderful times!
Yes! I feel very lucky. And hopefully a fixed computer very soon!
Yay for perfect cups!!! I get that with this tea sometimes – no idea what makes it so unbelievably good some times and ‘just’ really good other times.
That’s it! it’s always awesome, but sometimes it’s just out of this world!
Oh, I think that was me who sent you the package…
I must say that I’m feeling a lot better this morning. I felt a lot better yesterday afternoon, actually. I obviously can’t get into too much detail, but suffice it to say that the entire world seems like such a different place when you are disabled and actually have the tools to do your work accessibly. i was in a right panic yesterday morning, and was on the verge of a most unsightly meltdown (those are necessary sometimes, actually), but managed to resolve the situation without feeling like running away to some sort of Victorian novel fantasy island. But when isn’t that in the works? haha.
I’d read such amazing reviews on this tea, and charlotte0 was so thoughtful to include it in the package she sent me. I have to admit I was a bit hesitant, simply because I think I largely fall into the “if i want to be drinking chocolate, I’ll have hot chocolate with all the fixings!” category. But I also know that MF knows what they’re doing, so I took a chance. Brewed it up for about four minutes, threw in some milk and sugar, and set to work enjoying it. And my my, this is a most delicious cup of tea. The chocolate blends so perfectly with the base. By that I mean that you know how with some teas, you’re like “oh hello flavour. Oh, hello there, base!”? but with this, I knew I was drinking a chocolate flavoured tea, but the base was just there, all unobtrusive and coy, and not being like “ooooh! guess what base I am! guess guess! where am I from? what do I do? who do I know??!! come on! heelloooooo!!”. And the chocolate tasted as though it was of the highest quality and I felt quite spoiled indeed.
Thank you, charlotte 0. This is going straight on my shopping list for my eventual mf haul!
Glad you are feeling better! And this tea sounds great :D
Thanks! yes, it feels as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. And this tea is all shades of fantastic!
A victorian novel fantasy island sounds like my sort of place. Glad things are going better.
We should all go there! and thanks. I feel loads better.
Ooo… Victorian novel fantasy island. Sounds lovely today. :) Glad things are going better for you!
Yes to the island! and thank you. Thanks so much!
I totally get what you mean when you’re not sure what the base tea is, and trying to figure it out. Glad that this tea was smooth and comforting!
I’m so glad to hear that you finally got things fixed at work so you can work. :) and this tea sounds heavenly.
This tea is ideal!
sounds amazing!! what a tea.. how about a tea island?
The tea is amazing! and a tea island would be even better. No problems allowed. Not even under the guise of “learning” or “personal growth” or “maturing”. Just. No. Problems.
Tea island sounds magical. I want to go to there too.
This is the second Tazo tea I picked up. It was actually the smell of this that made me look more closely at the box… because it smelled so strongly of artificial orange candy that I suspected for a moment I’d misread completely.
Who writes this copy.
Who are you people.
This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read. It’s so over-the-top pretentious it’s offensive. Also sucky, sucky prose; please enjoy this gem: “Explore lemongrass lawns, carpets of chamomile and the living history of your ancestors.” I guess someone graduated from Alliteration U summa cum laude. And whose ancestors would that be? Are they somehow connected to the great tradition of child slave labour on tea plantations? So lofty! So spiritual! Let’s all pose in First Nations headdresses and bindis together!
The tea is… not quite as bad as its product copy. The vile orange is mostly gone in the cup, but Tazo’s apricot flavouring leaves a lot to be desired. The promised vanilla is nowhere to be found and there is a weird, filmy aftertaste that makes me think of Tang powder.
No.
Tazo, I think I have some random tea bags I’ve picked up here and there, but when I’m done with those, I’m done with you.
[Picked up at Whole Foods in NOLA, March 2014.]
Preparation
OMG. That is the most inane thing I’ve read. Wow.
Remember, Cavo, that each cup is a story, unfolding with every sip! I guess low-grade bagged tea is like a really really short story, then – like a haiku?
I offend your mouth
with my deceptive presence
of non-apricot
Hilarious.
I can’t stop laughing. I’m horrified and amused at the same time!
Hahahahaha!!
LOL thank you for this review, best part of my day so far :D
Haha, aw! Thanks, guys – you make it completely worth it drinking bad tea.
Thanks for stepping in front of the bullet on this one Anna. The Steepster community is in your debt. Also loved your tasting note. That was the best laugh I’ve had in days :D
Too funny!
As someone who earns part of their living as a writer and writes content for teas on almost a monthly basis, thank you. Thank you, Anna. This is the funniest thing that I have read in weeks! XD Now, whenever I beat myself up over my writing ability, I will think about the ‘lemongrass lawns’ and ‘living history of my ancestors’ and ROLFCOPTER!!
Ever since I was made aware of this tea’s existence, I wanted to try it. You see, I love (what I call) Dutch licorice. Love, love, LOVE it. It’s very different from black licorice, or just plain licorice, and you’d tell the difference instantly should you have two pieces one right after the other, or if you’re a weirdo like me and used to eat Dutch licorice by the handful as a child. It came as little kitties, or short and hard stubs, and occasionally (for a real treat!) it was in pastille format and had the weird name of Zout, Double Zout or Triple Zout. Yes, that’s salted licorice folks, and it’s amazing… if you’re Dutch. I rarely ate it as a child (too salty!) however I craved it while pregnant with my now 16-year-old, and if I do run into a European deli, it’s the first thing I look for. My former mother-in-law sent me some just this past Christmas.
So as you can imagine, I had high hopes for this tea. While I love licorice teas, and have had a few (So Long and Thanks for All the Licorice from Butiki comes to mind), none have been Dutch licorice.
This tea? This is obviously made by someone who knows the difference between the two, and called it Amsterdam Licorice for a reason. It’s Dutch licorice, and it’s spot on. I’ve added a bit of sweetener to it, however my next go-around, I’ll add some salt to see if it estimates Double Zout.
Thank you Cavocorax for generously sharing the last of your stash of this with me! I was so excited to get this, I literally opened it and brewed it just now as soon as the package arrived.
1.5 tsp in 12 oz.
Flavors: Cream, Licorice
Preparation
Sounds absolutely amazing!
I have some left, if you’d like me to send you some? I’m definitely ordering more at some point. Good to see you, BTW! :)
I tried out the Scandinavians’ version of salted licorice and I think you definitely have to grow up eating it or something in order to truly appreciate it haha.
I’d say everyone I’ve ever given salted licorice to has spit it out almost instantly and given me a “what the hell?!” look. It’s definitely an acquired taste.
lol @ Miss B… perhaps…
After trying my first like on a darjeeling, I can admit that sometimes
I like to try something a bit different than the norm.
I do love licorice in tea, so it sounds compelling and the added salt
makes it sound far more intriguing.
Thanks a bunch.
Good to be here.
Hopefully my life will calm down a bit SOON ;-)
I love it, but I’ve yet to find a variety that isn’t loaded with wheat flour. (Yeah, I know. Licorice root in tea = gross ick. Licorice itself = give me more!)
I’ll put some aside for you CelebriTEA.
OMG: There’s only licorice flavoring in this one.
I LOVE salted licorice! I’ll have to give this tea a try someday!
Srsly? :D Definitely going on the wish list, although I can wait to try it. I have SO MANY teas to try!
YES! I’m really happy that you loved it. It just wasn’t for me, but you seem to have been the perfect person to send it too! Hahah
Awww…Thank you…
Taste bud orgasm.
Once again, I ponder how this has such a low rating here in Steepster. It is simply the best rooibos blend I have ever tried (and I keep some pretty good rooibos/honeybush blends stocked); and I’ve yet to have anything but a flawless cup (which is why I’m bumping this up to a 100 rating).
I added milk tonight, and shit this is good. Like, you KNOW it’s a good tea because I don’t even give a fuck about all the swears in this tasting note – I’m THAT excited. Usually I try to sensor myself at least a little bit…
There were three other teas steeping/sitting in the kitchen when I made this and yet, it still managed to drown out the individual aromas of all three hour teas with its mouth watering caramel deliciousness!
I wish I had your tastebuds when it came to this blend. This and Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride. Btw, what are the rooibos/honeybush blends you like to have stocked?
The ones I feel I “need” to have stocked (other than this one) are: Butiki’s Rootbeer Float Honeybush, Tea Desire’s Victoria Mint/Sweet Toffee/Latte Macciato, Della Terra’s Lime Chiffon (but this is lower on the list), this one/Gingerbread from DAVIDsTEA (I’ll be sad once my tin of that is gone since it was limited edition), and solely based on last night’s cup Pineapple Bacon Rooibos from 52Teas. I probably (this one aside) feel the most highly towards the Tea Desire blends; I think they do rooibos very well.
And, actually, I think CuppaT’s Apple Strudel Pistachio is probably on the same level as Lime Chiffon.
Ahh those are all pretty tasty. I think my rooibos/honeybush go-tos are Butiki’s Rootbeer Float Honeybush, Della Terra’s Lime Chiffon (and Lemon for cold brewing), Della Terra’s Cappucino Caramel Crunch, DAVIDs Birthday Cake, 52 Tea’s Strawberry Pie Honeybush, and Apple Strudel Pistachio (once I get around to placing that order). Oh and I like Nina’s rooibos blends.
I used to love Birthday Cake (it was my loose leaf introduction blend), but it’s lost its magic to me – especially compared to this one ;)
It was my intro too! I think I keep it around because I haven’t found a rooibos that compares. I don’t mind Oh Canada but I prefer Birthday Cake still.
Oh Canada! made for a really rich and different sort of cold brew.
Totally agree. I liked it hot initially but then I discovered much better teas and in an effort to use the leaf I cold brewed it without expecting much. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
wonder if i should try this some day haha
I just discovered davids rooibos blends; I wasn’t so into them before, but I really love Rooibos de Provence.
THANK YOU. I have no idea why this tea has such a low rating. It is probably my favourite non-caffeinated tea ever. Up there with Forever Nuts, and waaay lighter so you get a lot more bang for your buck. MUCH RECOMMEND!
my second tea from whispering pines! and i had no idea that breaking into it tonight would come along with another celebration as i sipped…..
i hate waiting for grades; classes are done- I WANT MY MARKS! …..please. but profs get busy, sadly it isn’t a immediate thing. i was just starting into this chocolatey assam-esque tea when the message came that the final grade for the class that had me working my butt off all semester had been posted.
i could see the grades, but the student numbers had been scrambled! i was supposed to write for a code…… was i getting extra marks for this? gimmethecodegimmethecodegimmethecode.
there was a lone 87.3. highest in the class by 6%. mine. Mine. MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there were two others that were close, just a hair under 1% off. my team was 3……. this was us, i was sure. that 87.3 was MINE. i took a real beating this semester….it’s a long story. short story? that number was MINE.
gimmethecode.
-check email…. wasn’t there yet. sip tea.
-rinse
-sip tea
-repeat
-the code was in…..
second time with this prof…. highest mark in the class. he isn’t easy. he poked fun at me this semester about having no life! but he sent me a beautiful letter of congratulations….
this is an excellent celebratory tea. not malty to me, which suits me fine. a dark chocolate assam. lovely and rich…. i used some turbinado sugar and a bit of cream. i don’t miss dessert! very nice.
just waiting for one more grade =0)
Preparation
James, what wonderful news! Many congrats! So well deserved!
=0))) thank you… you know when it’s over, but it doesn’t feel over? as the grades come in i’m starting to feel it. whew!
Congratulations! and this sounds likes an awesome tea moment :)
it was an excellent tea moment…. had it been coffee i’d have needed someone to peel me off the ceiling, lol.
Congrats!!! Im sure you are going to remember that guy.
That’s wonderful – congratulations!
Congratulations!
i believe this prof is the one i’ll be mentoring with for my phd. i’ve asked and he’s already agreed. you know when you meet someone that you would genuinely like to be at the end of it all?
thank you for the congratulations! sorry i’ve been so absent lately!
This is the one I selected for the contest.
which contest?
Whispering Pines Butiki combo contest…they were supposed to announce a winner on the 15th, but I have not seen anything about the winner yet.
man…. i really need to come up for air when i’m studying.
I would have missed this too, only I saw something in my FB feed, I think from Cavo about it…
Wow. So I woke up yesterday morning with a bit of a sore throat. I thought it was odd, because it wasn’t really accompanied by any other symptoms, so I just went about my day. Not even a few hours later, I had a raging fever, was shivering as though i was naked in the arctic, and felt as though I was swallowing razor blades. I just can’t believe how quickly this all set in. I loaded myself up with drugs and went to bed. Of course I was alternately hot and freezing in the middle of the night (I distinctly remember tearing my clothes off only to scramble under the covers shivering a few minutes later), and needless to say was not in any shape to go to work this morning. But of course you know I considered it. You know, to stumble in all stuffed up, cracking voice and clammy face to be like “I’m a good employee! look at me! I’m here even though I’m about to keel over!”. I quickly realized how ridiculous that was, but still wish we lived in a world where we didn’t feel loads of guilt any time we couldn’t fulfill a commitment because of being sick. I think the key to dealing with that is to work on organizing your priorities. recovering quickly>worrying about how someone will perceive you in a split second, only to move onto other thoughts because let’s face it: we rarely matter nearly as much as we think we do when things like this happen.
Anyway, I have a bit of backlogging to do, but I had this tea when I finally crawled out of bed an hour or so ago. It felt amazing on the throat, and is such a gentle tea. I’m actually really proud I remember having it. It’s one of the few bergamot teas I really, thoroughly enjoy. I think I might get the loose-leaf version of this tea next time I place an H & S order.
“I’m a good employee! I’m here to sneeze goo on your documents!”
Feel better, sweetie.
So true about feeling guilty about commitments. I do hope you feel better quickly. :)
I’m liking this in solidarity, not because I’m happy that you are sick.
Feel better!
Thanks, guys! I feel as though if I can manage the fever, everything else will follow. and yeah Courtney, I hate those feelings of guilt. Maybe we should be self-employed in order to avoid this LOL.
I know exactly how you feel about going in to the office while sick. Presenteeism is actually much worse for an organization than absenteeism. Remember that. You’re not getting anyone else sick that way. And yet, even though I know this, I still will try to come in while sick, and even though I am able to work remotely.
Feel better, take a few days off. Drink lots and lots of tea and other clear liquids. Get some sleep. Feel better!!!
It’s really unfortunate that we often feel as though we should force ourselves to work when sick. and despite how many times we’re reassured that it’s ok to stay home, there’s that lingering guilt, because there’ll always be that ass hole who can make you question yourself because they’ll come in with their kidney hanging out of their body or something.
I agree. I often go in when I’m sick anyway, unless I’m full-blown, can’t even roll out of bed on my own sick. There is always someone that comments! “Oh, you look totally fine now.” Thank you, for making me constantly wonder if my supervisor thinks I use sick days to play hooky.
I know! If anything, we’d go in when really sick to prove that we really are sick and aren’t just effing off randomly. It’s just such a messed up system.
I hate when people turn up at the office, kidney flapping loosely in the wind. No manners. None.
I know! what is this world coming to? people wanting to be all revealing and stuff!
Hope you’re feeling better soon!!
Anna I am dying. Laughed aloud, sitting along in my house.
Thanks!
Paris always seems lovely and reliable. I hope you start feeling better!
Feel better soon!
I’ve been so busy drinking samples and exploring, I realize I have neglected my beloved Butiki teas. Stacy please forgive me, I miss reviewing them so here I am!
I have reviewed this one before, but it deserves more love.
Lazy oolong afternoon…Oh, this oolong…I’m so surprised it doesn’t get more ratings, only a few have written notes.
It’s a decadent oolong, yet so elegant. So sweet and rich, creamy and buttery, almost pudding like in the mouth, with a flowery aftertaste of lilac and orchid, followed by a minty fresh coating. Awwww! Just SPECTACULAR.
This tea is from the highest plantations in the world and it shows. When something tastes heavenly, we say in French “ça goûte le ciel!”…It taste like the sky.
I’m using my little glass Gongfu pot. Of all the pots I own (beleve me when I say I own a lot!!) this is becoming one of my favourite. Easier to use than a Gaiwan, and you still get to steep short infusions with the ability to admire the beautiful leaves unfurling.
This tea is heaven. Just buy it and try it for yourself.
“ça goûte le ciel!”…It taste like the sky.
That’s so beautiful :)
Thanks KittyLT, I think it’s the best way to describe it :-)
Goes on my wish list. And glass gongfu pot is the best. I have one in 100ml, 1 – 150ml, 3 – 200ml. I adore them. The only thing that can compete with them is easy gaiwan.
That is beautiful. :) Thanks for that description!
Thanks Cavo :-)
Boychik, I would share this tea with the whole Steepster community if I could afford it (it’s kind of expensive!!) i don’t own an easy gaiwan yet, but I foresee one in a near future, lol!
This note makes me want to taste that tea so badly! This was a great note.
ça goûte le ciel…sounds typically French Canadian – this is so lovely ! Unfortunately we don’t say that in France we’re much on C’est divinement bon…your expression is better !
Thank you MzPriss!
Ysaurella, “c’est divinement bon” works for us here also :-) But maybe you can start a new trend in France by using this new overseas expression, lol!
WHOA WHOA WHOA HOLD ON A MINUTE HERE
Gahhhhh OMG Courtney! Thank you so much for sending me a fresher sample of this!! The old one I had was clearly nothing in comparison!
I’m drinking this as I go through millions (seems that way) of photos I’ve taken of the baby girl since she was born in December, because we need to start developing them. At the rate I take photos (MUST CAPTURE ALL THE MOMENTS!!), it’s going to be a hundred bucks at least just to do a couple months’ worth at a time..
So, right now I’m trying to decide which ones from Dec 2013 and January. It’s really stressful.
BUT THIS TEA!
It’s so chocolatey and rice krispie and delicious and decadent and amazing!
I’m obviously going to order some.
Screw you, overly sweet Davidstea Chocolate Macaroon. THIS is what I want.
I’m rating it in the 90s. So there.
Flavors: Chocolate
Haha yes! Also the choosing of pictures sounds like you’ve really got it rough over there. :P
OH IT SO IS! How can i possibly choose which perfect digitally captured moments are the ones worthy of being printed!?
(digitally captured perfect moments)
Hahaha. #momproblems
haha so true
Photobooks!
Also LB + cacao is equally delicious…and you get to ditch the oolong
I love this tea WITH the oolong included :)
i don’t mind the oolong!
LB and Cacao is delicious. Just as another option, since I also enjoy this one.
Stupid oolong….get out of my tea!
seeing as how i’m debating a cacao order (thanks to you), that is a great suggestion!
haha Sil, what do you have against poor little oolong!?
Mwuahaha.
Seriously? No, I had not seen anything about management change. (I am not completely weaned, but trying to spend progressively less time on FB—tends to drag my attitude in directions it doesn’t belong!)
There is an announcement here on the discussion page, too. and I agree. Spending less time on Facebook and feel like I have to look at it with one eye closed and the other peeping.
I saw it a little while ago and honestly I’m scared they are going to change everything to the point that it’s unrecognizable. I’m waiting until my emotions about the whole thing subside and I can comment with a level head. All of the other Adagio sites that Jason mentioned look exactly the same and I don’t want that to happen to Steepster. I love the community here (my social life is mostly here too!) and I don’t want to see everything replaced by something more aligned with Adagio’s corporate brand. I do appreciate Jason and Mike keeping up the costs of the site, but I also wish they would have considered asking us our thoughts as we are the ones using the site daily. That’s probably just me being selfish, but maybe someone here would have been interested in taking over. I know I would have been glad to help with cost and admin duties, personally. Anyway, I’ll leave some suggestions in the discussion post later, but this is me venting a bit. So sorry to take over your comments with my mood, lol.
I hadn’t heard the news either… I don’t use social media, and given all the spam/bugs, I haven’t even been on Steepster’s discussion boards in ages, as well. I hated that the site had been left to rot with bugs/no improvement, but I do not like a tea company being in charge, which feels fueled with bias and creates an environment that just feels… not as welcoming to other companies/etc. Too many moods right now…
hadn’t heard. I don’t bother with the boards here most days and adagio isn’t really a company i follow for the limited time i’m on FB.
I saw the post by Steepster on Facebook first and then came here and saw it on the discussion board. I almost never look at the discussion boards, but I was specifically checking for it. It is the same as the FB announcement, no difference. Here’s hoping we see improvements and not destruction of the community we have here.
Shae: I think a lot of us would have been willing to contribute to keeping Steepster up and running. I hope it all turns out okay. I hope adagio is paying attention to what the Steepsterites want.
The latest statement on the board from Michael at Adagio:
My Adagio Teas colleagues and I are honored by the opportunity to restore Steepster as the preeminent destination for tea discussion and knowledge, especially at a time when online communities are so important to our social wellbeing. In days to come, we will listen and note your ideas for the improvements that you’d like us to prioritize as we work to make Steepster a welcome place for all.
Color me cynical :/
Haven’t heard; but noticed (and read) it after reading few tasting notes.
I am cynical as derk and many others. I don’t like the idea it is going to be owned by some tea company. It won’t be really independent. I don’t like the ownership of tea comapny, but on the other hand, I am happy to see that something will happen! That it won’t shut down just one day and nobody will know what have happened! What about collecting e-mail adresses of our group here (are we only one active, or there are more groups like us?); and if something goes “wrong”, we can be in contact somehow and for example start some new discussion board or something we can work out (for example Discord).
I know, it won’t have this nice feeling of Steepster, but I would love to stay in touch with all you!
By the way, as I can’t write to discussion board by myself, consider me, I want to save “as is” as long as possible and fix all the mishaps and after that just start adding new features, new design etc.
I like the connectivity as well. This site is a big part of my social media and the friends from here are priceless.
I like you people. Don’t go anywhere.
Hopefully adagio keeps it mostly the same Steepster, just taking care of the bugs, but I’m not sure how that might benefit adagio?
Maybe Adagio can just advertise here and keep it the same. I know money drives things, but surely supporting a site that encourages the love of and exploration of tea would be beneficial. Please be good to us, Adagio! This is our happy place!
Just sad as it seems that there wasn’t any thought given to asking the community first to see if someone here would like to take it over
I’m cynical too but something traumatic would have to happen to this site for me to permanently abandon it. You all mean too much!
I see that Adiago asked for suggestions on the forums and I back everyone else who says the bugs need to be fixed first and foremost. Countless users, including myself, can’t even make posts on the forums!
I hadn’t heard this news either! Maybe that explains why I had such a hard time logging in today (admittedly, after two years of being away, but still).
Ashmanra, to answer the question in your review of this tea, the word ‘pouchong’ is a romanization of Bao Zhong.
@White Antlers, but what does Maofeng Keemun have to do with Bao Zhong? This tea tin labels itself as both in different places.
@CrowKettle I just saw your query. Frankly I have no clue. I am not familiar with the tea tin and I am more of a wordsmith than a teasmith.
White Antlers – I had somehow missed your comment from ten days ago! Yes, that was what was perplexing to me. I love my Wenshan Baozhong and have had a jasmine pouchong that was just okay, but they call this Rose Pouchong and the ingredient list says it is keemun. If I remember correctly, pouchong means “the wrapped kind”, so I am wondering if this wrapping treatment can be performed,on Keemun tea also, and that is what this refers to? It is definitely black tea, definitely Keemun taste and that is how they say to prepare it, and the tin doesn’t elaborate on why the name is pouchong. I should contact the company and see if they can answer our query! There is always something new and exciting to learn.
@White Antlers, That’s ok! Like ashmanra, I’m also perplexed about this tea label and wondered if there was a simple explanation rooted in etymology of tea names and labels, which is something I’m not super knowledgeable about.
@ashmanra, let me know if you do contact the company about this. Every now and then I fixate on this “mystery” and that probably won’t stop until my tin is gone. haha