Popular Tasting Notes
It’s been a week since I received this sample and I’ve only just now got around to drinking it. I was feeling a little under the weather when I got it, and I didn’t think those were the best conditions to have it in, having promised to do my best with it. And now a week has gone by and I still haven’t got to it. I was beginning to feel a little guilty about it, so I decided that today was The Day, especially as it would come in handy as a pick-me-up after the c25k torture of the day. (Horrid today! Horrid! A marked difference from Friday which was a 3.2 km running, no walking, powering through triumph! But horrid today.)
Nuvola Tea approached me by email, asking whether I would be interested in receiving a free sample and posting about it. That’s the first time I’ve been approached with such an offer, so it felt rather special to me for them to do so. Like my opinion mattered. Kind of flattering and humbling all at the same time. I know some of you others have tried this several times, so you probably know what I mean. After having asked a couple of questions, I eventually agreed and promised to do my best. So this is it.
I don’t normally pay any attention to recommended parameters. Water temperature, yes, leaf amount and steeping time, no. I know which strength I prefer my teas to have and which length of steeping normally produces the best cup for me. The person who wrote out the recommendations may not share my particular preferences, and so tea brewing becomes every bit as subjective as the actual flavour experience itself. So most often I go by my own experiences first. If that doesn’t work, then I might start looking at instructions and get some inspiration that way.
With this particular tea I thought I owed it to Nuvola Tea to try and follow their instructions as closely as I could, since they were providing the leaf for free in order for me to post about it for them, and there only being enough for the one go. As it turns out, though, I do actually still get to do it my way, as these instructions fit pretty closely into the procedure I was planning on following as mentioned above. I would have have made the steeps a wee bit longer initially, but the difference here is fairly small, so I might as well follow theirs. Coming that close to their instructions based only on my own experience and educated guesswork makes me feel all validated and smart!
Now, when I received the sample there was also a leaflet included which showed a table of the different teas Nuvola offers, sorted according to strength and degree of oxidation, with a small one sentence description of each. That was pretty inspiring. I found a couple more things in that table which I would like to try at one point, and at least one of them was a tea that I don’t think I would have otherwise even looked at.
More importantly for me, however, the leaflet also has a map of Taiwan with the origin of each tea is drawn in. I love that! I love knowing where a tea comes from in slightly more detail than just ‘Taiwan’ or ‘Sri Lanka’ or whichever tea producing country you can think of. There will be differences even within the same country and that makes for half the fun of exploring a region. This particular tea was produced right in the middle of the island
Okay, enough with the introductory chatter. The actual tasting begins here.
So now, the first steep was given 30 seconds as according to Nuvola’s oolong brewing recommendations, because in spite of all intentions to do my best, I still managed to botch the temperature. It has a very sweet aroma, quite caramel-y, and with just a smidge of something kind of floral waaaay in the background. It mostly cararmel. Actually it rather reminds me of that Jade Orchid Oolong that I liked from Shang Tea. The one that tasted like creme brulee! Could this actually be something similiar to that? It would be awesome if it were!
The initial flavour I’m getting is a something mineral, but it’s fleeting and quickly gives way to a mixture of floral and caramel. This is indeed caramel-y. If I didn’t know any betting I might have thought it had been flavoured. There are some slightly dry-ish cocoa-y notes as well but they seem to stay mainly on the edges of the flavour, letting the caramel really take the lead.
To tie off the comparison with the Jade Orchid Oolong from Shang Tea, yeah, this really does remind me a lot of how I remember that one to be. All sweet and dessert-y.
For the second steep I made sure to go by the recommendations for a black tea rather than an oolong. All this really entailed at this point, was giving the temperature a notch upwards, but the steeping time was the same. This time the caramel note has stepped back a bit and the cocoa-y note is coming more into the mix. The primary note, though, is nother caramel nor cocoa but something vaguely fruity. I can’t tell which sort of fruity, but I think it seems most like some kind of stone-fruit, like nectarines or apricots. There’s a slightly floral top note here as well.
Again, there is a fleeting note of mineral and then it’s gone all fruity! It’s definitely a stone-fruit, I think. Plums! In the background the mixture of caramel and cocoa-y-ness, which provides a sweet and smooth aftertaste. Like just having eaten caramel-flavoured sweets.
Hey, this is going rather well in spite of my initial confusion!
The third steep combines tea drinking with one of my favourite things in the world: Being sat on by a cat. Especially one of mine as they are so adorably cute and they purr! I just have to be really careful not to spill hot tea on her. The aroma of which has now taken on a wooden sort of oolong-y note (oh, and now my cat went away. Boo. I can’t compete with the lure of the water bowl apparently) with cocoa and that same fruity, plum-y note underneath. No caramel at this point.
The flavour is the same as the aroma. AGAIN that one fleeting flavour of minerals, which is odd, actually because it’s always there in the first sip, but only the first sip. I don’t get the logic of that, really. Perhaps it has something to do with temperature or something. Anyway, after that initial misleading sip, the flavour is largely fruity and cocoa-y-wood-y. There is still a wee bit of caramel left, but only on the aftertaste. Something tells me I’ve seen the last of that caramel at this point.
The fourth steep is had after a few hours break with a puzzle (and a cat halping me). I do loves me a good puzzle, but they never seem to last long enough. I’ve got one 4000 pieces one which I’ve taken out now. That ought to keep me entertained for a while, but I’ve only done it once before and it’s quite difficult, so here I am for a bit of liquid courage. It took a month the first time around! O.O Not sure what I’ll do with it in regards to hoovering, but I’m sure I’ll think of something.
Anyway, my liquid courage has an aroma that is very much like the one in the third steep and therefore shan’t be commented further upon. The flavour is all smooth and slightly cake-y, and to my surprise the caramel bottom note is there again as strong as ever. It was just that the other notes were covering it up some before. Those have receded, though, so I’ve got caramel-y smoothness which even tastes ever so slightly thick and milky. That’s funny, I was certain the caramel note was finished.
The fifth steep seems to be the last. For one thing, I’m running out of day. For another thing, I’m also apparently running out of flavour. It’s still quite caramel-y, but that’s the only flavour note left to me. Maybe if I had increased the steeping time more than I did it would have been a different result, but I didn’t.
In that event, I shall pee, post, have dinner, watch The Pirates and go to bed. In that order.
Sing it with me now, Steepsterites!
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I’m gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
Cupboard status down to 27! Boyfriend beginning to fear there won’t be any tea left. :D
That does sound kind of tea-famine-y.
Haha Dylan. It’s true.. that does sound a bit like a tea-famine. Though I am very happy you are achieving your goal of reducing your cupboard Angrboda =)
Actually, I finished off another one since. (There is now NO vanilla black in the house! GAH!)
oh noes! I feel like I should rush out and send you a care package containing just a vanilla black tea. ;)
It’s a tea-mergency! I could come up with puns all day…
Oh no worries. As soon as all this wedding business, and particularly the honeymoon business, is over with, I shall stock up to a ridiculous degree. The further down I can get the current supply first, the more I’m allowed to get in later. :D
I wish there was a hope for me diminishing my stash that much in a reasonable amount of time! But I have wayyyyy too much for that to happen…
I found that there were more than I thought where there was only enough for one or two pots. I must admit though, I also weeded out those that I knew I would never drink or like. Either tossed them because of age or put them aside to give away with swaps. I had great success in getting rid of some Darjeeling that way. :)
lol; so cruel we are. Play nice. still lol ;-) ;-)
I’m following in your footsteps, Angrboda!
And this was as low as we got. Am home now and have started repairs. First wave is from TeaSpring and from Sing Tehus in Copenhagen for testing purpose of their (considerably cheaper and easier to get Panyong. If it’s up to scratch the Tan Yang Te Ji will be a more special occasions and weekends tea)
Zo and I – as I am affectionately calling him have just had our maiden voyage. Okay I have not made tea with him yet but he got a first boil clean out.
So far I love this thing!
Handy as all get out, cute musical alarm to tell me the water is ready, four heat settings, reboils water SUPER fast for those small repetitive infusions of tea, a nice nifty handle to move from one room to the other with if need be, and small enough to sit on my coffee table to enjoy pu-erh all day long!
I am going to be in heaven with this thing!
YAY!
Been considering this for a while. I don’t like the notion of maintaining high heat of water for any serious amount of time but I can’t really say I could call out a difference between a Zoji and freshly boiled in my heavier teas. This review is swaying me more towards the “I should buy this” mindset.
Well the reason I did this – as I do have the breville as well – is that I know I will not only drink more pu-erh but ENJOY it more with this. I mean to sit at my coffee table on the floor with a bunch of pillows, or take it into my meditation room / exercise room and enjoy it … quickly having the water the right temp RIGHT NOW for another steep – with the steeps being so small and frequent. Just could not see myself doing this with a stove top kettle or breville.
We have one of these at work and it is convenient, but I swear my tea tastes better at home when I use boiled water from the tap…
Do you think it is the office water or the machine?
Both the water from my apartment and from work come from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir which is supposed to be very clean. Honestly I have no idea. Maybe it’s just that everything is better when I’m not at work, or maybe the water tastes better when it’s freshly boiled rather than sitting in the water heater for a period of time.
For most teas there’s definitely a difference in flavor between water that’s kept warm for a prolonged period and fresh cool water brought up to temp since most gasses dissolve in water more easily at lower temperature. Most people will tell you it’s oxygen but I don’t buy it since O2 is tasteless. Dissolved CO2, however, forms an equilibrium with carbonic acid which produces a crisp taste. At the extreme end of carbonic acid saturation there’s carbonated water, to give you an idea of the effect it has on taste (try both freshly opened and after a few hours as it bubbles out of solution as carbon dioxide, going flat).
Yeah I can understand that concept – I don’t plan to let it sit around all day though – I hope at least to have an hour sitting time with my teas then I will either dump the water or at least change it over.
I have been using these for 9 years! Love them! At home, at our tea shop, these things rock! Funny that you called it Zo because that is what we call it, too!
You also don’t have to let it go through its boil mode and then cool back down to say, 175. Let’s say you set it for 175. As the temp is heating up and it gets to 175, you can simply unplug the Zo for 4-5 seconds and then it will switch off from “reboil” and hold it at the 175. It’s quicker that way, too!
We do a lot of tastings using the zo. Pretty darned convenient. And unless that water has been sitting along time, we have a hard time discerning a big change in the waters qualities. Quality water to begin with is a huge contributor to that, as is not using the reboil mode, especially using it frequently.
As the old Chinese tea books say, one can also add more fresh water to an old pot of water to bring it back to life. Or change the water completely.
Great! Someone reviews the Zojirushi and we are out of stock on them!! Sheesh :) We are waiting for a new shipment.
Garret – how do you clean it? that maybe part of the issue with the one in my office as well.
Hi Amy! Not with vinegar!
This is the only way to fly with it:
http://shopmandalatea.com/tea-wares/water-heaters/zojirushi-water-heater-cleaner-descaler.html
Or find citric acid and follow the Zo cleaning instructions. It makes the Zo more efficient and gets rid of all the calcification and funk.
thanks!
@ Garret yeah that is a bummer that your all out :( Maybe you should set up a Pre-order on your site so people can get them and you can ship them as soon as they come in! Just note that they are not in stock yet maybe.
Azzrian -If I wasn’t about to take off on a 5 day meditation retreat, I’d get on that. I soooo need to back away for a few days from my business and have some solid meditation and qigong time. I am going to be without electronics and computers and phones. Need some serious recharge time. I’ll get all the Zo stuff taken care of next week. But you have a great idea there, my friend!!!!!
We are having a major heat wave here right now. Local tea sales ground to a halt yesterday. Funny thing is, I drink hot tea no matter what the weather. I’m sure our locals are icing their teas right about now!
Enjoy your time Garret – sounds wonderful.
I will post updates to my Zo experiences though to keep the love alive :)
I would expect nothing less, m’dear, nothing less :) I leave this evening and will check in throughout the day today, though I’ve a few massage sessions to do. Drinking some incredible wild arbor gong ting pu’er right now. The cakes just arrived yesterday!!! I had 200 of the 250 gram cakes pressed of this amazing material. After 3 months since commissioning the pressing, they arrived yesterday and it was like Christmas in July for this young man!! It is tea-licious!!! While it is quite tasty now, I really look forward to what 2 and 3 years is going to bring to it. It’s gonna open up wide in 2014/2015!
Oh I bet you were so giddy having them all come in! Are they on the site yet? I can go look – ignore this post and go enjoy your retreat!
Not on the site yet! It’ll have to wait until I get back. I’m going to put them up for a special price for the first 25 cakes. I’ll post it to Steepster once I do.
Nice! Will keep my eyes open for it!
Thank you Stacy (Butiki) for this sample tea!
(I’m Whispering…
…..we all know how good Stacy is at creating tea’s that
are…
not nasty and artificially flavored…the really special tea’s that we love! Shhhhh, listen up!…..
…..This one is my favorite Butiki Tea Flavor of all!)
I want a pound of this tea already. I ONLY HAVE A SAMPLE! STACY!
The wet leaves had the softest aroma of green beans and sweet grapefruit as though the clock had been turned back and Spring was here once again.
I had just enough tea leaves for one precious mug full.
I took a sip of the pale yellow liquor and was amazed at the restrained taste of the grapefruit next to the more robust but smooth savory bean flavor. This was a juicy tea.
I added a little sweetening (as Stacy suggested) which brought more of the grapefruit flavor to the forefront, still perfectly complimenting the savory base flavor of the tea.
I used to make a grapefruit salad years ago with ruby grapefruit, carefully removing segments of ice cold fruit from it’s membrane, then mixing it with chopped avacado, salt, olive oil and lemon. The acid and sweetness of the grapefruit with the smooth creamy avacado were perfect compliments to each other. (It was an 1980’s popular California salad.)
This tea embraced that idea of combining crisp grapefruit and the creamy savory tea in a similar way. It worked really well!
There was that Umami thing happening in my mouth when I added some sugar (but without the bitterness, and the sour was just the normal grapefruit tang).
Yes, this was/is the best flavored tea in my Butiki book! It hits all the marks for me! Bravo Stacy!!!
oh man this makes me SUPER excited to get my teas already!!! Stupid living in canada taking forever! I’m so ready to place another order with Stacy but since I know i’ll be picking up larger orders, I want to try and get them all in one go…plus i really shouldn’t order anything more until i get back from vacation with the timing of shipments.
I couldn’t even tell you WHY i’m so excited about grapefruit tea….it’s not my favourite fruit but the idea of grapefruit tea just makes me happy…
oooh, I am getting a sample of this soon!
Nice review, Bonnie. That salad you’re talking about is still very popular here in the Maplewood area of St. Louis, at least in this house! Grapefruit and avocado were made for each other!
So glad you are enjoying this one Bonnie! Mmmm, that salad sounds amazing. Avocados are one of my favorite foods.
Lot’s of people taking certain medications can’t have much GRAPEFRUIT, it increases the potency of the med. ME for instance. And I’m allergic to BEANS! This tea allows me to indulge in two! favorites without worries or illness!!! So wonderful! Yeah Tea!
I’ve never heard of the grapefruit salad but it sounds delicious! I love grapefruit, although it is a pain to eat.
In between some work and wanted to make a quick note on this one.
I have to first state I have been so sick of honeybush and red rooibos for ages now HOWEVER I really would like to get a decent nights sleep (not gonna happen) and I only have a little more work to do before I can attempt that. Caffeine does not tend to keep me awake – its ME that does – my mind does not slow down. Regardless I figure I may just not tempt fate tonight. Besides I really did want to try this.
So … its quite lovely. Taste like creamy smooth lemon! It also tastes like honeybush though. Its not that I do not like honeybush its just that I don’t really care for the way it tends to change the flavors that I keep wanting to have in a black, or green, or white, etc…
Della Terra does 95% of their teas to perfection and those that are not perfection they re-blend until they are. I totally respect that.
I would not say there is a thing wrong with this tea and am giving it the rating it deserves even if I am snubbing my nose at honeybush and red rooibos right now.
ooh that sounds kinda good. I had thought about this one, so might have to try this one next
Azzrian, I think we may have been separated at birth, because I have a brain like that! I actually DID go to bed at midnight, as opposed to 2am, but woke up twice with my brain “thinking”. It’s like my brain’s a computer with an automatic “on” switch, and I don’t sleep during the day, because if any light shines on or around me, my brain switches to full ON mode.
Regarding honeybush & rooibos: I remember the days when tisanes didn’t have them, they hadn’t been discovered yet (at least not in the US). Now they are in everything, they have taken over the world of non-caffeinated teas. I’ll admit that in certain blends they lend something, but jeez, you can’t get away from them! I think Tulsi (Holy Basil) is starting to do the same thing…it’s a conspiracy of some kind…
Welcome in the club of the night shift brain lol working during day and overtime during night i hate that stupid brain of mine buuut i find some years ago that sleeping with music shut it up ( my mind fix itself on listening to the music and forgot to think )
Zoltar – indeed I fall asleep often to the Aura or Indigo music channels with the new age tunes. :)
Terri – I hear you on both counts!!
Sil if you like honeybush I would say go for it!
Azz, I like Zoltar, can we keep him?
I agree Zoltar seems pretty awesome, love the user name too! Reminds me of the Zoltar fortune telling machine! :)
Yup, from the movie, “Big”. I love that one!
Terri there is also one in a new age shop that is located in the town next time mine about 20 minutes away. I took a photo of it lol .. so they exist in real life too :) haha pretty cool I would love to have it in my house :)
It is from Big ! a site web exist where you can actually buy a zoltar machine :P( probably more than one but well where to get a zoltar machine if not from a site called zoltarmachine ) the economic one is around 5500$ lol so i will stay with my avatar for now :P or i could buy a costume and tell my self my fortune but i kinda having a hard time with the red eyes thing lol
They have contacts for that! :)
LOL!! Or you can start telling our fortunes!
Hey thats my job haha.
Since I’m Zoltar my credibility come from my red glowing eyes and the fact than when people see me working even when im not plug in they freak out and believe me for the red eyes it’s ok i can just throw sand in it they will not glow but they will be red :p but the not plug in would not have such effect when they will see i’m human .
The only job i still can do with that costume is a Aladdin movie
LOL!
:D
Good Lord! I am kicking myself for not trying this before now! SERIOUSLY!
This oolong is out of this world!
I am on steep three and I am sure I could get at least two more if not more than that.
The leaves still have dryness and tons of aroma!
The cup is still colorful and flavorful!
When I smelled this steeped tea – before even taking the fist sip I knew I was going to be angry for not trying it sooner and I was right!
Peachy yes, woodsy yes, Juicy, apple flavors, almonds, yes its all in there but there is this wonderful mouthfeel that is outstanding – sort of syrupy in a way.
My full review will be on http://sororiteasisters.com/ later this month.
Yes, syrupy! Isn’t this amazing??
YES! Did you get that too?
I got ice wine, and syrupy fits right in there. Loved it.
Now I’m excited. I just put in my first Butiki order a few days ago, and this one happens to be on it! (Stacy suggested it to me)
Seriously, Butiki has some of the most amazing teas, many of which are blends, but this and the Mi Xian Black are IMO top notch straight teas.
Kittenna, besides the Gui Fei Oolong last week, I ordered the Mi Xian Black too, so sounds like I’ve hit the jackpot. Other items on the order are 2003 Reserve Four Season Oolong 1oz, Grapefruit Dragon 1oz, and Pistachio Ice Cream.
I LOVE the Four Seasons Oolong!!
donna a – Great choices! I also like the other oolong you ordered. I have yet to try Grapefruit Dragon, and am not a fan of Pistachio Ice Cream, but they are very popular on here!
Kittena, Grapefruit Dragon was on sale and had good reviews. Pistachio Ice Cream is a free promotional item they did if you ordered a certain amount,and sounds interesting to me. I’m usually willing to try something new.
I feel that part of maturing your “tea pallate” is trying a whole lot of different teas. Trying to do this has lead me to a bunch of new teas and tea sellers. But, regardless of how many teas I try, there will always be a softspot and a nice little warm and welcoming place in my heart (and tongue…) for favorites that no matter how many times I drink them, will be favorites!
As I said yesterday, I have been through a rough time. So old favorites it is. This black tea with creamy blueberry goodness is the epitome of delicious relaxation in a cup. The leaves scent has actually grown stronger and more blueberryish during this period of sitting my cabinet. I have gone through my pound rather quickly… I fear that I might have to order another pound in the near future!
This particular cup had a rather large blueberry in with the tea leaves. So large, in fact, that my tea basket is stained purple! This is a happy thing for me! Large blueberries that bleed the right color and taste delicious can stain as many pieces of tea ware as they want! They make my tastebuds dance and party! I added a tiny bit of sweetener today just for it to taste even more like dessert and sweet guilty pleasures.
This is my favorite tea ever. I finished my cup of blueberry creamy goodness way too quickly… The creamy sensation and blueberry aftertaste is all that I have to remind me I did in fact enjoy my entire cup of tea and it didn’t just disappear.
Hmmm… Maybe this tingly feeling is actually relaxation? Could it be!? … I am not going to let myself give in to feeling calm until the weekend comes and all the craziness of organizing the race has finally passed… Can’t wait for the weekend!
Sorry you’re having a bad go of it. The season’s will soon change and I hope things will smooth out for you. Nothing stays the same in life. Real joy is in God, family and friends. You have friends here too that care about you!
Thanks Bonnie! I love being able to lean on all of you Steepterites!
It’s not a lean, it’s a mutual hug!
:)
Hope things will start looking up for you soon! This is one of my favourites. So darn yummy, and I completely forgot that Frank can whip up a pound of tea. I just may need to follow suit someday. :)
Mouth Watering….
Weird, I’ve had 4 tea’s from 52 tea’s and that’s all. All were
ick so I never bought any more. I’m glad this is a good one.
@*Bonnie* Which ones have you had? I would be glad to send you some samples of my favorites for you to try! :)
Ok, if opening this sample doesn’t make you say, “Oooh!” out loud, then just box up your stuff, send it to me, and go back to drinking soda or coffee or whatever else you were drinking before tea. This is so fragrant with caramel, honey, and fruit. So fresh smelling. The leaf is tan buds and darker brown leaves. Gorgeous.
I used an extra large scoop, simply because I could. 12oz of heavily steaming almost boiling water and my press. The steep was a little less than two minutes.
As soon as the water hit the leaf, the already wonderful aroma came into full bloom with a scent like wine. It was also malt but not heavily so. Oh My Goodness this smells good. In my press this is deep golden in color. It is more orange as it pours into the mug. The wet leaf looks like chocolate shavings.
The sip is so rich. It is even more fruity wine-like in the sip than in the scent. It is caramel and honey. It is malt and sweet. As the cup cools I notice a wheat component. It is not real yammy like Golden Tips, or heavily chocolate like Bailin Gongfu. Yet it is kind of in that same flavor range. The aftertaste is strong and lasting. It is sweet, wheat, and maybe yeast. It does seem a bit drying, which is as close to a negative comment as I can make.
I had time for three cups. Amazingly, the first cup was the lightest and the third the darkest. The fruit like wine taste fades after cup one but the other flavors intensify. I don’t know how many cups this would go. I may try to continue with the same leaf tomorrow and see.
This is simply perfection in a cup. I haven’t looked at the other reviews and frankly it doesn’t matter. Maybe it is just my mood today, but by my scale this is as close to a 100 (my first) as I have ever tasted in a black tea. Bravo!
Glorious sample supplied by Teavivre.
This was served at tea party two weeks ago. Based on my guests reaction, I HAVE to order it! It was fantastic.
This is an awesome tea. I had to order some
OOh, I was adding teas to my cart for my Teavvire order tomorrow because I need more dragon pearls and they are on sale tomorrow. Now, I added this sample to my cart too! Thanks
Thank you for your review. It really wet my appetite, so I ordered some from Teavivre today. Actually it was my very first purchase of loose leaf tea anywhere, along with some samples of other teas (just to get free shipping, of course: I wouldn’t want to waste money on shipping, when I could be buying tea with it.
Brett: did you see that you can sign up on the page for free samples? They send lots of them, too! They have so many excellent teas.
Brett, reading your notes it looks like you are on much the same tea path as I have been travelling. I still enjoy my Ahmad tea. I think you will love this one. Frankly almost everything by TeaVivre is excellent.
K S, Kudos for a highly detailed wonderfully descriptive review. Just reading your tasting notes for TeaVivre’s Golden Monkey is enough to cause one to salivate and grin from ear to ear in anticipation of what is yet to come! Well done!
looseTman, thanks. I used to think I didn’t much care for straight black tea. TeaVivre really changed my mind. I pretty much have loved every China black tea I’ve tried. This one hit that sweet spot for me of combining everything I like into one package.
You’re welcome. Your review was obviously inspired and a pleasure to read! It’s also a great example of how to write a tasting note!
A friend of ours passed away last night following a massive brain hemorrhage.
Steepsterites, please PLEASE look after yourselves and your bodies and PLEASE learn the warning symptoms of stroke and brain hemorrhage. I cannot stress enough how important this is. It can strike like lightning from a clear sky and every single split second counts.
Then toast with me, please.
To Janet.
I’m very sorry for your loss.
Oh Ang, I’m so sorry to hear that. My deep condolences – to Janet.<3
I’m really sorry for your loss, Angrboda. :(
I’m very sorry about your loss. A toast to Janet.
My condolences to you and her family. Thank you for reminding us all of the importance of life and making every second count. This cup is for Janet.
To Janet. To her friends and family. My condolences, and may your memories be a balm.
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend. My thoughts go out to you and your friend’s family.
My deepest condolences. To Janet.
that’s so sad. I’m sorry your friend died.
I’m so sorry, Angrboda. There’s a chain email that sometimes goes around that is actually true, and worthy of paying attention to. If you think someone has had a stroke, when they are conscious: ask them to smile, ask them to hold their arms up, ask them to speak a simple sentence ie, the sky is blue. It’s not an all-encompassing approach but it covers a lot of symptoms of a stroke. Even if someone can do all three, they might still need medical help ASAP, but the information can make it easier for a dispatcher to get an ambulance out sooner too.
Memory Eternal for your friend.
You are so right.
Women especially don’t know the symptoms and they can be different than the ones for men. It’s a good idea to look them up. In case of stroke you have very little time to get help so time is important. There is a book I read called My Stroke of Genius written by a lady brain researcher who was alone and had a stroke and describes what it was like. I had a TIA which is like a stroke but no damage.
I am so very very sorry. To Janet …
My sincerest sympathies. My grandmother died of a stroke, when my older brother was 2, she never got to meet her three granddaughters. Meanwhile her husband out lived her but have dozens of major and minor stokes, as well as three heart attacks, he lost his speech, his mobility and his independence, was no life at all. So the women in our family are very aware of the signs. To Janet.
I’m sorry Ang. To Janet!
I am sorry for your loss! I hope things get better. Your warning is heeded. Those are very serious medical conditions.
Sorry to hear. To Janet!
I’m so very sorry. My heart goes out to Janet, her family and loved ones. ::hugs::
My condolences. To Janet.
So sad… sorry for your loss. To your friend Janet.
My condolences. To Janet!
Thank you everybody.
Oh yum. I wanted to wait to try this one until I had a day when I needed something to wake me… today is that day. My daughter’s wedding was Friday, yesterday I was practically a zombie but I didn’t want much motivation yesterday, I was just kind of enjoying the fact that I didn’t have anything that I had to do. I didn’t have to make cupcakes, bouquets, programs, or anything else. I just pretty much vegged out yesterday, wrote a few reviews but that’s basically it. But today, I need to wake up and get back to the normal routine. So I’m looking for a little Guayusa turbo charge.
Mmm… I love the way that this tastes fresh and citrus-y, but there is enough of a creamy note so I’m not getting that acidic taste of the citrus. Just the sweet, bright flavor of it. This is really quite good, and I can already feel it start to energize me.
It is incredibly smooth and delicious!
Congrats to your daughter!
I hope it was a magical day to remember :)
Yay! Happy for you all!
It was a wonderful day. I am really proud of the young woman she’s become. And she’ll even drink tea now. LOL (There was a time when she rebelled against anything “mom” … including tea)
Congratulations on your daughter getting married! :)
Congrats on the wedding and yay for enjoying having nothing you have to do!
She sounds like a wonderful young lady. Joy to your whole family.
Congratulations on surviving the wedding! Glad that you got to recover with a yummy tea :)
Thank you everyone. My daughter was breathtakingly beautiful on her special day (and I’m not just saying that because I’m her mother!) and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier. I know that her husband is a good man and will treat her right, he adores her and really, what more can we want for our kids but to find that kind of happiness and joy with the right person? She’s got herself on track with her career (she is a cosmetologist, and she’s loving every minute of it) and she’s on track with her personal life too. And while she’ll always be my baby girl, I am so proud of the young woman she’s become.
You sound like a very proud mother!
I love this stuff! Stacy of Butiki Teas sent me a sample a while back that accidentally had some vanilla added to it but I loved it SO MUCH that when I ordered this she included a bag of vanilla powder for me to incorporate into my blend! So I did and let it sit a good long while and now it is bliss!
That is one thing I love about Stacy – she lets you doctor up your blends when possible and is not afraid to divert from her regular blends to suit your taste. Such as the time she left out lemongrass from one of her teas for me since I dislike it so much.
She is working on a special ordered blend for me right now and I am excited to try the first sample run soon!
Thank you Stacy for always being so flexible and inventive!
As for Tamarind Pop with Vanilla. OH YEAH its GOOOOOD
Also a huge thank you to Aplhakitty who inspired this tea!!!
Now I really want to try this with vanilla! I can imagine it being soooo good.
Azzrian-You are way too kind! :)
Alphakitty-The vanilla that I sent Azzrian is pure vanilla bean powdered with no fillers. I can send you a little pouch of it if you would like to try some in your Tamarind Pop.
Wow that is so nice of Stacy! Seriously … I was going to offer a sample of mine but she beat me to a better idea!
Oh, I’d love to! Thanks so much for offering!
No problem. I still have your address and should be able to send it out on Monday but definitely Tuesday if I can’t get it out tomorrow.
Oh maaaan! Now I want this one even more!! Vanilla sounds lovely! Something you could offer for sale on your site, perhaps??
Also – I’m so curious about your blend, Azz! Is it one with hops and such?
Yes – Peach Hoppity! Or something like that is what I will call it I guess lol unless Stacy comes up with some cool inventive name. I have not tried it yet I think Stacy is sending me some tomorrow or tues. I can’t wait to try it. Peach Flavoring Hops, Peach Pieces, Guranse. YUM!!
Azzrian-Oooh, I like Peach Hoppity. That’s a great name! I will be sending that out on Monday unless I can get an emergency doctor appointment for Monday. I broke a toe on Friday and its pretty blue.
Kittenna-I probably won’t be adding the vanilla to the website. Its very expensive. I remember you mentioning placing a larger order sometime in the late summer, so definitely feel free to ask me to throw some vanilla in a pouch for you.
Peach and hops sounds delicious! And with the guranse base too? YUM. I agree that Peach Hoppity is a good name, cute and evocative of the taste I assume it will have.
Thanks ladies!
Stacy omg OUCH you poor thing! Hope you DO get into the doc! The tea can wait!
Thanks Azzrian! I’m just so clumsy. I hope they have an appointment available on Monday. The blue makes me worried that the toe isn’t getting enough oxygen.
Are you sure you don’t need to go to the ER Stacy?
Thanks Alphakitty! :)
Too late for that I guess.
Man breaking a toe really sucks, the little toe on my left foot is permanently misshapen now :( Hopefully you get into the doc soon Stacy.
I am definitely curious about this tamarind pop, next order I guess!
Am I the only one that can’t say the word “s’mores” without thinking: “Please sir, Can I have s’more”?
I love how dry genmaicha looks so fun with the popped rice, kind of like Lilliputian popcorn. It also makes me think of the Muppets Swedish Chef doing his rendition of the popcorn song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvDvTnTGjgQ “de poppity corn!” Alright, enough random snapshots through my mind’s eye…onto the review:
When I ordered this tea I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for me. A couple of years back, I got a ginormous bag of genmaicha for Christmas. I enjoyed it at first but I eventually drank it so often that I grew tired of the taste. In the end I was handing out samples of the dry tea to friends and family just to be able to get through it all, and on more than one occasion I used it as one of my ingredients in a homemade face scrub. Yes, I was literally bathing in the stuff! It was like a bottomless chasm stuffed full of genmaicha – you’d think that would be wonderful, but I’m all about the variety when it comes to tea.
I finally made my way to the bottom of the bag before we moved last summer, at which point I said “it’ll be a cold day in hell before I buy another bag of genmaicha”. But then Frank had to go and make this tea. Roasted Cacao nibs and Marshmallow root?! Sign me up!!! The genmaicha base is evident, but the additional ingredients give this tea just enough depth and character for me not to get the genmaicha nightmares again.
What can I say?…I’m drinking my words, and loving it.
GAH I WANT MINE NOW!
Hehehe – I do that too.
Glad you are enjoying this. Mine just came TODAY!
Oooh, and you are in Canada, too… right?
I saw that mine cleared customs on the 19th. I am just so dang impatient.
I’m eagerly awaiting my order~ I only was able to get on this when he reblended it. Dang did this stuff sell out fast.
Me too Jessiwrites! I am also eagerly relating my order….
@Ramvling – Yes, This tea sells out uber-fast! I’m glad I managed to get my hands on it this time around. I hope yours arrives soon.
@jessiwrites – Yep, I’m in Canada I ordered mine on March 05th and it arrived yesterday (March 20th), but I live close to the Canada/US border so that may shave some time off of shipping? Ooooh! How did you find out when yours cleared customs? is there tracking? Hope you get your order soon.
@Cavocorax – I look forward to reading your tealog – I hope you enjoy it too :)
I think everyone’s shipped about the same day, because Frank is busy with other work atm and can’t get things out as soon as they are ordered. I am in London, ON and as far as I know mine hasn’t come today, but our mail is not that good….once my package sat in the postal depot for 3 days before they attempted delivery :(
@Sweet Canadian – I find the postal service is sometimes great where I’m living, and other times it’s a tad slow. I imagine for the most part it would depend on how busy they are. I definetly lucked out this time. Hope you get yours soon
Yes, mine shipped on the 13th. I did get a tracking number, but it wasn’t updated at all between when it left Wichita and when it cleared customs. I have absolutely no idea where it is right now.
Well, I guess I know that it’s somewhere in Canada.
I am also fairly close to the border, but in Saskatchewan.
Mine came today :D It was in the mail when I got home.
@jessiwrites- I never noticed that there was a tracking number before, but I just checked my old email for my order and there it was. Neat-o! Fingers crossed that this feature will improve over time.
@Sweet Canadian – hooray! I look forward to reading your tealog!
Review:
Brewing Method: 4 oz Gaiwan
5 grams leaf
208 degree filtered water, 1 rinse
5-6 sec. each steep increasing by 2 seconds each round
(although 18 steeps can be done at 5-6 seconds, I’ll comment on 5)
Liquor Color: Consistantly very pale yellow-green
Wet Leaf: Vibrant varigated deep greens, small curled leaves which unfurled slowly with each steep. Salty, savory, sweet aroma becoming more spinach scented as it cooled.
I think it’s wiser to give an overall impression. The tasting wasn’t static, so I don’t want to approach it as though it was some sort of school project with an outline.
When nobody is around, I can slurp, spraying the tea to all the tastebuds even the top and way back.
I was at first nervous, which is pretty common with a new tea, nervous with excitment and nervous that I would miss something.
It’s odd that I judge myself that way…but I forge ahead until the tea takes over and my brain stops thinking so much.
Sweet, Summer white corn, lightness…and mountain water.
I began to think about the fresh ‘spring’ that blesses Laoshan Village’s farms. You can taste the freshness in these leaves.
The corn changed to pale green summer squash with butter as it cooled, coating my mouth.
The scent of stargazer lilies in a distant place caught on the thread of a light breeze was barely there, but I was aware of it coming back …like flickering light.
As soon as I thought the tea was clean and fresh, cool as cucumber and edgy, it rose up filling my mouth and nose with an intoxicating, dense aftertaste as though I had been injected with tea, rolled in tea leaves and eaten them!
Every pore was Laoshan Green Oolong!
There was a morphing from light to bright, thin to full, green to gold. And I loved the changes!
Tea that takes me to unexpected places, turns my head and surprises me is a rarity.
Teasing taste…wait for the punch at the end! The finish is lush, fat and savory.
The 5th steeping was the best at 30 seconds.
My lunch was an Italian chicken salad with lemon, fresh basil, olive oil, chopped spinach, grated parm and the Laoshan Green Oolong tea leaves (no salt). Oh yes, they can be eaten!
This is my favorite of the two new Oolongs!
Bonnie’s comments: OR Tips from Teama…Teagrandmother
I’ve always loved driving along country backroads, buying fresh eggs, fruit and vegetables from local farms.
Back in the 1970’s, I took my children strawberry picking in Watsonville, close to the Pacific Coast, where the fog would come in and mist the berries.
It was fun picking a few berries then popping some in our mouths. We did the same with raspberries and blackberries. We didn’t think about GMO’s or any other bad things on fruit back then! We just had fun!
On our many drives we bought brussel sprouts on the stalk, bags of artichokes, apricots and cherries. The bounty of fruit and produce in Northern California was outstanding.
We moved to Paradise, further North past the Delta rice fields to farms of walnut, pecan, peach, olive and apple groves. Salmon came from the Sacramento River or local lakes.
Half the fun was going home to fixing what we picked up at those farms.
Halved fresh brussel sprouts in olive oil and butter, mixed with garlic and bread crumbs (to make the garlic butter stick to the sprouts) is still a favorite of all the kids!
If you want to learn to ‘taste’, reduce sugar and salt, and eat fresh food! Everything that you eat, becomes relevant to tasting tea.
I’m convinced that my appreciation for tea was born from the appreciation for how things grow. Loving the Earth. It makes sense.
Love this tasting note!! Thank you, Bonnie
Thanks to you and David for “bringing”,most literally, this tea to us for our enjoyment.
Thanks Bonnie!
I’m looking forward to the TOMC Bundle Box! :)
Nice
This quote spoke to me personally:
“I was at first nervous, which is pretty common with a new tea, nervous with excitment and nervous that I would miss something.
It’s odd that I judge myself that way…but I forge ahead until the tea takes over and my brain stops thinking so much.”
I love your way with words!
Oh, and all around lovely review, of course:)
Gracias…
i always eat the steeped green laoshan leaves as well, lol. excellent snacks…. but now i have visions of chicken and massacring my basil shrubs, lol.
lovely bit of writing.
I had these leaves in my salad this afternoon after reading your review. Went nicely with the cranberries and almonds!
only just trying this now. i can definitely see the corn and mountain water flavors! and i so, so agree with and appreciate this statement: “As soon as I thought the tea was clean and fresh, cool as cucumber and edgy, it rose up filling my mouth and nose with an intoxicating, dense aftertaste as though I had been injected with tea, rolled in tea leaves and eaten them!”
OMG ITS SOOOO GOOD
New favorite tea omnomnomnommn
I get the box with 25g of each tea in it. eep excite!
This one is thick, in such a good way. Edit: Okay folks, this tea tastes like pumpkin. No fakes, no extract, it tastes like pure real pumpkin goodness.
I make my own pumpkin chai by steeping regular chai in milk and adding pumpkin spice & a can of pumpkin. This is totally on par, and way less work.
I actually can’t wait for fall so I can drink this all day every day. I can wait for winter, however.
Sigh what am I saying, I have to enjoy the hot weather while it lasts!!
(In Saskatchewan, where I live, the summers reach a high of +40 C and the winters a low of -50 C ) Convert that to F and then come talk to me. haha
I don’t like pumpkin and was so sad this tea came back again. I’m glad you like it though!!
To be fair to both you and the tea, it is the only tea I haveever tried that actually DOES taste exactly like pumpkin!
The other teas in the fall collection smell AMAZING though, maybe one of them will make you even happier ^^
You added….. A CAN OF PUMPKIN?! Oh dammmm
Now for Halloween I want to roast a pumpkin in the oven and use it as a punch bowl. I see that ending in disaster, though.
You could use a pumpkin as a punch bowl if you didn’t roast it. It’d be less likely to fall apart on you. : )
yes agreed! If you scrape it out deep it could be a good punchbowl. Just need a strong arm and a big spoon
But uncooked, wouldn’t it affect the taste weirdly?
Probably! haha but when I think of a cooked pumpkin I think of when they sit on the counter and get all mushy. But I guess if you get all the meat out it would harden hey?
This calls for an experiment….
Uncooked would definitely be more firm and less likely to explode everywhere. If you let it dry a day or two, it seems like it might be less likely to affect the taste? I honestly don’t know!
I NEED A PUMPKIN. gets labcoat and crazy scientist goggles
pictures or it didn’t happen >_> haha it’s not pumpkin season here yet but maybe I’ll give it a try for my Halloween party! As long as I don’t forget and carve a face in it first. I love carving punkins ^^
My wife does too, when I get one, I’ll have to hide it from her XD
I only buy one pumpkin a year and it is always for carving. Luckily, the beau likes to eat the seeds. He always wants me to make a pie, but I like to look at my carving too long and it tends to mold. Ugh!
I roasted my own pumpkin once, made a cheesecake with it, enjoyed it, and promptly went back to using canned pumpkin XD
hahaha amen to that!
homemade pumpkin pie, delicious but way too much work.
I feel the same about thehomemade pecan pie I made. I spilled thick syrup all over my oven and floor and it tasted just like a bought pie. So eff that. I’m buying them from now on too.
Oh no, now, see, I’m from Tennessee. You don’t buy pecan pies. You just plain don’t. You make them from scratch or by god, you do without! XD
haha I was hoping someone from the south would set me right!
Pecan pies aren’t something you find around here anyways, hey wait you’re in Canada now correct? Mind if I invite myself over a few provinces for pie? :)
XD Absolutely. Next time you’re in Toronto, let me know .
I apologise for the store bought pies, I didn’t mean to shame the good pecan pie! I just shame the sticky floor and burnt sugar in my oven n_n
I live in Saskatchewan as well and I totally agree that this tea is awesome on a really cold day, especially as a latte!
Oh, a fellow Reginan – yay! (Although I like in soggy Vancouver now) I just had to add that this tea is awesome on a cold, sopping wet day as well :-)
Yay hello fellow Reginan!
My bf and I were sooo close to moving to Vancouver too! Instead we’re moving to Halifax in 3 months. Yay no more -50 winters :D
Whoa. Moving to Halifax, you say? It’s not so bad here, though very rainy in the last few years. Welcome (almost!) to the Maritimes!!
ee thanks! I’m definitely looking forward to a change of environment (although I will miss the land of living skies)
Living in Winnipeg I can feel your winter/summer pain.
Breaking this out to compare to the ‘Classic Tuo’.
Got about 11 grams of this out as well. I gave a rinse and let it sit a while before brewing to absorb some of the water.
I did short steeps and compared the color of mine from the website. The one I have brews a bit darker that the picture. This one is softer and a bit silky in the mouth. There is a touch of minty cooling with this one and the sweet that lingers is more pronounced. It gives some hints of a touch of a bitter bite only briefly. The damp aroma led me to believe there was some smoke in it but it doesn’t come across the palate. There is another note I am trying to figure out. Maybe just a hint of wood in there. Solid to have and drink and I am going to be sure and save the wrapper and red ribbon inside.
Flavors: Bitter, Mint, Smoke, Sweet, Wood
Preparation
Sounds like a tea which, given the chance, will really shine in another couple of years.
This is one of my two “learning how to brew raw pu-erh” teas. The other being Midwest Nice. I’ve been experimenting with all sorts of brew times, temps, leaf amounts, etc…
I have the Bamboo and a Midwest sample as well. I hope to get to them sometime…… Got a bunch ahead of them it seems.
Not a terrible problem to have!!!
Well sometimes I get in trouble if I get caught with the inbound.
you need to start a underground operation. I’ll help for a share :P
Does that mean that the guy living in the bachelor pad is the sensible drop spot?!
That would be a good option. I think the grand-son idea is about to go bottoms up.
I’ve been boring for what feels like months now, where I just want to dwell a bit on old favorites every day and rediscover why I fell in love with them in the first place. Means a dearth of logging but wonderful tea time as some I feel I almost appreciate more upon revisit. This is a good example. What an excellent tea. This morning was slow going for no good reason at all, and one of those where you wake up having to do approximately a billion little tasks before you can even make your first cuppa. When I finally had a second to do so I wanted it to be failproof satisfying and this fit the bill and how. I’ve had something like 6 cups—I figured I’d waited so long I deserved to do this in the gaiwan and set myself free for 15 minutes, whee—and it’s still going strong, smooth and sweet and clean but rich bordering on hearty. Present but refined. Delicious. Teas that offer so much flavor and depth in a matter of seconds when it comes to steep time still amaze me.
You could never be boring. Also, you’re totally fancy.
oh you! i love the idea of “fancy” becoming an injoke. :D
i am amazed someone who sees me prattle on on FB about hair buns and cat puke can say such a thing. but grateful too. <3 goodness knows it’s quite a shock coming from a lady who jetsets and gets her hair did splendidly and can talk theory and feminism with the best of ‘em. it’s been a pleasure running into you on the internets. (:
Aww. Aww. AWW!
oh, my heart ate my comment. this is what text cache is for!
oh you! i love the idea of “fancy” becoming an injoke. :D
i am amazed someone who sees me prattle on on FB about hair buns and cat puke can say such a thing. but grateful too. (heart) goodness knows it’s quite a shock coming from a lady who jetsets and gets her hair did splendidly and can talk theory and feminism with the best of ‘em. it’s been a pleasure running into you on the internets. (:
…ok. internet group hug with bouncy curls. ha!
OMG I DIDN’T THINK IT COULD GET MORE BEAUTIFUL BUT IT JUST DID
teaspoons all round!
You want to be the big teaspoon, the small teaspoon, or the middle teaspoon, keychange?
… is wondering whether the hair buns and cat puke were somehow related? Heh.
Best pet related hair styling product EVER.
I cannot stop laughing. Thanks, Anna.
Yes, this is how I like to introduce myself to new people on Steepster, Cheri – cat puke jokes!
In case you can’t see my profile picture, it’s one of my furry kids. In fact, he’s the pukey one. I know all about cat puke and cat puke jokes.
just last night i found out something i kind of wish i could unknow, that all those bouffanty ‘40s hairstyles were accomplished with the use of something known as a “hair rat”—women collected their shed hairs and made them into a little sponge like filler for their up ’dos! i mention this weirdness because now i’m imagining cat puke as a result of one finding one’s hair rat and taking it as a snack. eugh.
cat puke. it’s what brings people together. that or an immature/gross sense of humor.
haahaha, “the pukey one”…oh feline terms of endearment.
Does every home with more than one cat have “pukey one”? And here I thought we were the only ones.
I think so, yes.
I think every home with no cat also has a “pukey one”, to be honest.
Our two share the pukey duty equally it seems. Luckily they don’t do it very often. Mostly during shedding season.
ours share it too. unluckily all the time during shedding season. and worst of all, their favorite time of day to do it is while we’re asleep at night at like 3am, either right on the bed or right where i put my feet when i get out of bed. :b the first time that happened, husband was in the shower and heard a loud curse word from the bedroom when half awake i stepped in it. now i know to check before getting out of bed. oh cats. “you’re lucky you’re cute!” i only-half-jokingly tease at them.
Our pukey one is majorly pukey. The others do it much more rarely. We took him to the vet and the vet said there’s really no medical explanation. I suspect bulemia.
A friend was just telling me that she read somewhere that if you raise up their food bowl up about 6" or so, so that they don’t have to bend over all the way to eat, and it helps with the puking. She said it worked for her. I’m thinking about trying it. Pukey Penny was puking only occasionally for a while, but he’s back to puking a lot again.
Interesting. We’ll have to try that.
yeah, thanks for the tip! i will try that…
It could be over-eating, maybe. Luna has done that when she was younger, eating far far too quickly and then the whole thing came up again and you could easily see how some of the pellets had just been swallowed whole. They have a ‘food maze’ now, where I pour both their portions in at the top and then they have to use their paws to get the food out. Slows down the eating pace a lot and entertains the cats. It’s a bit noisy while they eat, but it’s cute to watch.
“Good for you you’re so cute!” Oh I know that statement well. It was directed at Luna when she attempted DIY surgery by removing all her stitches two days after having been spayed so that we had to go and have her re-stitched. By the emergency vet. On a Saturday evening. In the next town over. By taxi. And pick her up again the next morning. By taxi. (We didn’t have a car then and public transport would have taken three times as long) That little adventure cost almost as much as the intial spaying and ear tatooing of two cats!
What a beautiful tea this is tonight…gives me the clarity I need on certain decision making. Tea does that for me.
They say “sleep on it” when uncertainty hits you. Well, I’m not much of a sleeper, I’d rather have tea and reach for a nice cha qi moment, that warming feeling that makes everything seem brighter and gifts you with its silent lucidity.
I’m loving this tea. It’s robust, not for the faint of heart. It’s the solid type you can rely on, it welcomes you and embraces you when you feel weak, a hugger. A deep black sea once brewed, I just stare at it with gratitude.
I know I’m weird, but often, tea has a “gender” for me. Leathery, and earthy, very manly, this on is the “Stetson and Chaps” kind of guy. Masculine and yet, it works its magic on the girly girl that I am…
Thanks Sil for this last sample, simply wonderful…and thanks Mandala for providing such a tea.
YAY! i’m so glad you enjoyed it my dearest teafairy
I liked most of the teas you sent me my dear Sil :-)
oh man.. that’s a hard act to follow lol
Lol, no pressure…I had a few misses with the flavoured ones, but really, I pretty much liked all the straight teas :-) we’ll have to do this again, but I must bring that humongous stash of mine down first!!!!
I’ve thought many things of my teas, but never gender. I find that concept fascinating and will have to reflect on that. Thanks :)
Haha! TeaExplorer, maybe this just works for my crazy mind, but yes try it, you might be surprised :-)
i totally agree with this whole note! it is a very masculine tea. makes me think of a classic old man type library with leather upholstered furniture and musty old books and a window opening out to a wet forest. this was the first pu erh that ever blew me away and i think it’s still my favorite (granted, i’m still a pu erh newb though so take my excitement with a grain of salt maybe, ha).
TeaExplorer, when i had this one the first time it made me want to do a tea party where “gender” was a theme…floral things like victoria-type earls, the french perfumed blends, but also these leathery pu erhs and smoky chinese teas.
How is it possible that I haven’t tried this one?
So happy that you enjoyed it!!!
When Grace first introduced me to Mandala (THANK YOU GRACE!!) she referred to Noble Mark as a gentlemanly pu’erh – interesting that ifjuly thinks this one is an old man type. Love you guys and your interesting comments. :))
This is what makes patty cake if I remember right. I’ll put some in your box dexter
Loved this review so much that I am brewing this one up in the shop today for sampling, gosh darnit! Grinning from ear to ear with your postings!
Sil… yes, the Phatty Cake is made with this exact same material. Phatty Cake II is this same material with the addition of some slightly larger leaves to switch is up a bit. They were steamed and pressed 2.5 yrs apart or so.
Wishing everyone a very joyful day!
Ifjuly: love your description!! I’ve been reviewing with “gender” in mind for a long time, glad to know there’s other people in my “tea gender club”! And a tea “gender” party sounds awesome, what a great idea :-)
Thank you Dexter, we love you too!!!!
Garrett, thank you and a joyful day to you also :-)
it has a minty quality to it, subtle but cooling and clean, as a heads up Dex. at least i think so. i love it—it’s what sets it apart and to me takes it over the top—but i know you have an uneasy relationship with mint, so i thought i’d mention it. i don’t know yet if phatty cake retains it (i mean i suppose it should, but it’s funny how things work sometimes), haven’t broken into mine yet…
tea gender club! hee. it is nice to know i’m not weird. or, if i am, i’m not the only one. ;)
Yes, I had only a sample of Phatty (from Dexter actually), and I checked my note, it does seem to retain it as I wrote «a minty fresh finish». Lots of good quality pu’erh have that finish I find, but it’s more a fresh feeling in the mouth than an actual mint taste most of the time for me, so maybe Dex could tolerate it? So thoughtful of you to mention it…
I think we should all fully embrace our weirdness together :-) :-)
http://steepster.com/Dexter3657/posts/198968#comments
That’s what I wrote about Phatty cake… I didn’t think mint at the time.
I think WE are perfectly normal – it’s the rest of the world that whacked…. :))
Lol, Yes Dex, it’s us against the world…and I bet we are having more fun than they do!!!
I’m drinking this today basically because cats are jerks. Mine woke me up 5 times this morning by meowing in the hallway. Every time I came out she ran into our room for purrs and cuddles, and then an hour later she was at it again.
So I picked this tea. I bet Tigers are jerks too.
My cat’s a jerk too. I finally caved and bought an electric mat to put in front of my bedroom door. I feel terribly guilty about it, but it worked miracles overnight. I hear tell there are air blasters which have about the same effect.
LOL They may be jerks but we love them anyway…
We have 2 cats, & by ‘we’ I mean Leif & Ari. Gizmo, Leif’s cat, is fairly innocuous. Squishy, on the other hand, likes to do things to intentionally piss me off. I do not allow cats in my bedroom, ever, because I can’t stand to have cat hair on me, & for some reason cats always want to piss on my pillow. I guess they want to mark my room as their territory (none of the current cats have ever actually done that, but previous ones have). So neither of our cats have ever been in my room, although Squishy tries, regularly, to get in there. Not ever gonna happen!
Terri – that sounds like quite the challenge. Are they boy cats? I’ve never had to worry about her peeing, thankfully!
And she is totally allowed in our room – we even sleep with the door open (so the cat and the toddler can both wander in), but the cat mist be playing hard to get or something as she cries outside for attention. (Stupid cat – just come in and cuddle! )
I love those names, by the way.
My cat is Mika, aka Meeks, or Mika Mikerson the Third if she’s bring particularly royal.
Your cat sounds like my cat. I don’t think I’ve heard anything more true than ‘All cats are jerks’.
adorable little jerks! :)
Terri – If it makes you feel any better I had a cat pee on my feet while I was sleeping once. I was sleeping over at a friend’s house. The cat made it clear that I was not welcome to invade his space.
Stephanie – His cuteness is the only reason my cat hasn’t been kicked out on his furry behind a dozen times over. Also the fact that he’s an awesome cuddler.
On a related note, has anyone seen My Cat From Hell? I think it’s a TLC show, but it’s also on Netflix now.
This might be the most entertaining comment thread ever. More evil cat stories, pleeeaseeeeehh.
A good book is ‘How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You’.
Also my cat peed on my mom’s duffel bag that she lent me. It probably smelled like her dog and so my cat was marking his territory. Another time though he got mad that I took away his food (he overeats sometimes) and peed where his food goes.
Cats rule; dogs drool.
pops in to look at the cat conversation..leaves before she offends people :)
Sil, does that mean you’re a CAT?!
cats and i agree to not get along. my dad used to tease the neighbourhood…uh NM lol so yeah… cats and i. we don’t mix. except for the one cat that followed me up the mountain that one time…
Once upon a time I had a friend named Suz who raised silver persians. She really wanted to give me one of her kittens, which were very expensive. I told her no thanks because I wear black to gigs all the time & the silver fur would show on my clothes. The truth is, I didn’t want a cat. She had farmed one of her cats out for stud service, & a gal who raised black smoke persians owed her a pick of the litter. Next thing you know, Suz gives me a black smoke kitten for my birthday, who I named Opal. I didn’t really want a cat, but what do you say? “Thank You”. Opal was beautiful & dumb as a post. Except she was smart enough to figure out how to get out the doggy door before I had a chance to have her spayed. End of part I
Part II
Opal had a litter of kittens, & we found homes for 4 of them, but Leif begged to keep Gizmo, so we did. Opal disappeared.
Ari’s cat Squishy is a cat she got for her son, but then she moved into an apartment that didn’t allow cats, so squishy moved in with me. Now Ari & Ky live at home too, & so really, I guess he’s Ky’s cat.
Part III
Gizmo is a boy. Squishy is a girl. I don’t hate cats. I’m just not into them. They tend to irritate me, I can feel their hair touching me. The cats I have now don’t pee on my things, but in the past I’ve had cats that did. I’m a dog lover, especially big dogs. I don’t have a dog right now, but I love dogs. They are awesome.
My cat keeps head butting me off my pillow at night… He hooks his paws over the bed rail things, and heaves. And his name is Princess Shadow. He came with Shadow, and I added the Princess! :)
Gizmo is a great name. (I love Gremlins. I would totally have a Mogwai for a pet.)
sipdown(183)! I needed a tea to cleanse my tastebuds but wanted to try and get another sipdown in. So i picked this one since the flavouring feels very natural. While not a huge fan of oolongs, this is one that i can get behind whenever i’m craving that strawberry flavour that isn’t artificial. This tastes like the strawberry aftertaste of freshly picked garden berries :) Always love this one from teavivre!
hehe Great multi-taskn
Lol – that posted without me.
I meant to say great multi-tasking! Cleansing your taste buds and another sipdown. :-)
i have to! my cupboard ran away from me! lol
Already down to 183? You’re a real tea vacuum!
I’m at 366 now, hahaha…although I did manage 7 sipdowns since New Years day!
teafairy yea it helps the samples dexter sent me are fairly small considering i drink double cups most of the time. :)
:)) I sent you a “taste” of all of them, rather than quantities of a few. If you would like more of any that you liked, just let me know.
hey i’m not complaining dexter! it was perfect sizes to try them all out :)
Sorry I didn’t mean to imply that you were complaining – I was trying to say “my cupboard is your cupboard” – if you would like more :))
haha just making sure you didn’t think i was upset :) i’m sure i’ll be poking you at some point for samples of things heh
Poke away!! I think I need to go and buy more tins to deal with that box I received today…
i haven’t quite figured out what i want to do about tins…i bought clips from taiwai tea crafts that i like for bags that you cut. I just want figure out what i want my cupboard to look like. Tins = harder to figure out what is where for me…so i like bags. but samples from friends = little mini tins i found when teaopia went out of business..small enough to hold things and keep flavoured smells from mingling, but they all fit in their own bigger container heh.
I like the color coded ones from Davids. As long as the correct type is in the correct color all is well. I leave most teas in the resealable package – unless it’s permanent in my cupboard, then it will have a tin. The box I got today has a lot of “quantity” tea in zip bags (that’s fine we split orders). I can’t just leave them like that considering I might not get to them for a few months. I’ve bought cute little spice jars from the dollar store with colored lids – those also work for me for smaller quantities – but I haven’t taken the time to paint them, so they have to go in the cupboard to prevent light exposure. Uggg – I need a month vacation to organize and do all the projects I have planned….
i like the David’s Teas tins too. but i use whatever tin i have and color code using magnetic labels. i’ve bought some of the colored ones, but also use the plain ones they send free. old pic, but you get the idea http://instagram.com/p/Uh6GZyIc-N/
i love organization discussions!
Awsome pic! I wish I had drawers like that – it looks so organized and easy to see everything!
Shmiracles – I need to hire you to come and organize my stash….My house looks like a tea store exploded…
i accept payment in TEAAAA!!
LOL that seems win- win to me….
if i had drawers i would do that, but i’ve got a bookcase type set up with doors on them
LOL this is what mine looks like right now…
http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/Dexter3657/media/IMG_2732_zps064ab7cf.jpg.html?sort=2&o=30
hahaha my other half took one look and went YAY! someone else that makes a way worse mess than you ever do!
I’d love to have those teas in my house though..
also…i totally just started looking at the pics to see what might interest me haha
I posted more in the Tea Buying Hiatus Support Group thread
OK, here’s my – man Dex are you ever strange – thought for the day.
I don’t understand most peoples thoughts on French Toast. I don’t get the powered sugar, syrup, heaven forbid whipped cream toppings on French toast. French toast – in my world is eggs and bread (yeah I know beat in a little milk it makes it “fluffier”). If you were eating scrambled eggs and toast (bread and eggs) would you cover it in sugar and syrup? If you were eating poached eggs on toast….? So why when you dip bread in eggs and fry does it suddenly become a dessert? I will never understand this. In my world French Toast is savory to be eaten with bacon and ketchup – thank you very much.
Having said all that, this is not French Toast tea (at least not in my world) this is pancake tea. It’s really subtle on the maple, really heavy on the sweet, and just a hint of cakey. I don’t really like it, those aren’t my favorite flavors, but is ok. Will play with the rest of the sample – am thinking of adding hazelnut. Thanks ifjuly for the sample.
ETA: 1 1/2tsp French Toast, 1/2 tsp Adagio Hazelnut, 16 oz water, wait 3 minutes, pour into travel mug, add 1/2 tsp splenda and a splash of milk. All is right in my world….
=0) i’d do bacon and thyme…. no ketchup for me. i save that for grilled cheese, but that’s just me.
LOL bacon and thyme make sense to me…. you add thyme to omelets so why not french toast… will try that some day. :))
It really depends on how you want your eggs that day ;). We’ll often do a slighty sweetened cream cheese and fruit filling in an omlette as a weekend breakfast treat.
Maybe I was a little harsh – of course to each their own, and I understand that I am really in the minority, it’s just one of those things that everyone does that I don’t understand. If you like sweet and fruity with your eggs – that’s awesome ;))
Yes… yes, I would put maple syrup on poached eggs on toast, especially if there was sausage in there somewhere too. Salty-sweet. :)
you know… bread, squishiness, fried…. it’s all a win really……
Cora’s does a cinnamon brioche French toast that I used to be addicted to, but outside of that I usually go the savoury route for French toast also. Though I suppose it is like tarts and crêpes. It can go both ways.
Dexter, felt good to get it off your chest, didn’t it?
James, ketchup with grilled cheese??? Uh, no thank you. But that’s just me :-)
I’m working on expressing my uniqueness….
Grilled cheese with ketchup? Oh yes! Dessert French toast? Nah… although I’d be willing to try… Pancake tea? Maybe! I love pancakes but never had them in a form of a tea… :P
But Dexter, people put jam on toast and that is adding sweetness to breakfast. Although I do see where you are coming from. I personally love syrup or cinnamon sugar on french toast but then again, I have put syrup on eggs, bacon and hash browns before :P However savory french toast also sounds tasty.
ViriaTEA – ok I get the jam on toast part – but I don’t want it with eggs. I think it’s the eggs and sweet that messes with my head. Or maybe I’m just not that big of syrup fan. Dunno…
Kamyria – 52 teas also does a Pancake Breakfast tea. I think this is really similar to that. http://steepster.com/teas/52teas/19081-pancake-breakfast-black-tea
Butiki also does a Potato Pancake and applesauce tea. http://steepster.com/teas/butiki-teas/33339-potato-pancakes-and-applesauce-holiday-series-hanukkah
there is nothing better than grilled cheese and ketchup unless is grilled cheeseS made with havarti…. oh, and you’re dipping in ketchup btw.
@Kamyria pancake tea rocks!
Dex, I’m totally with you. My mom’s french toast was always very savory, bright yolky yellow with toasty brown marks, super eggy, not sweet until/unless you put maple syrup over it. The pillowy-fat-fluffy sugarbombed type you usually get in restaurants is alien to me (not a judgment, my husband loves that kind and so do most of my friends who brunch out with us, just noting you’re not alone!).
JustJames, you have made me hungry. boo! (:
I want to try this tea so badly it hurts.
i’m back. I was really excited to be able to come home after work and sit, drink tea, organise my cupboard and catch up… however after 3 hours of sleep, followed by an 11 hour work day to come home and fine no food in the house, laundry all over the house to be put away and my other half having apparently done nothing today except washing the laundry…let’s just say i get no time to myself tonight…and i’m a grumpy bear. Oh and my other half? gone for the evening to dodgeball…won’t be back for another hour.
this was my morning tea…and apart from this and my other tea, i haven’t had a chance to eat all day. On the upside, at least i had this tea and my other morning tea…which was a welcome cup of warmth and comfort now that we’re back in the cold.
Get some sleep. :-)
have to put away all the laundry before i can….it’s all over the bed sigh
Poor grump. Hope the trip was excellent, even if you are now back in the polar vortex of doominess. Sigh. I’m not even in the worst of it and I’m ready for no more cold!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
Welcome back!!
I’m excited you’re back, Sil… but not quite as excited as Terri.
I don’t think anyone could be Anna lol
TERRI ARE YOU OKAY
ROFL! Terri is blowing up all our notices
oops!!!
HAHAHAHA, I AM glad to have Sil back, but that happened last night, on my ipad. I swear to you all, the button wasn’t responding. There will probably be a couple more snaffoos before it’s over with. I think there were a couple other comments that I tried to send that my screen didn’t appear to be responding to either.
it’s ok terri…we know you really just missed me lots.
that’s because you’re my awesome tea sister (((hug)))
This tea is perfect. I am hoping so, so hard that I never get sick of it the way I can with many a tea, because it really is as perfect as its “back story” makes it out to be. I read the back story last night (about how it was part of a project to improve Portugal’s image and is the only Western tea to be featured in the Chinese tea museum) and dreamed really, really big.
Last night was perhaps the first night in a long while that i’ve had decent sleep, and although I’m still feeling a bit tired this morning, I actually slept through the night and woke to the sound of my alarm, and excitedly got out of bed because I’d planned for this tea this morning.
The dry smell of the leaf was actually a bit misleading. It sort of has an earthy, barn-yard-esque quality to it that was reminiscently evocative of the keemun I sampled from art of Tea and didn’t quite like, although the barnyard factor was significantly less pronounced in these leaves. I brewed it up as per keychange, so about five minutes and my usual cream and sugar, and was blown away.
This is perhaps the first tea I’ve ever tried that tastes sort of like a campfire, with sweet hints of maple and a fresh, rain-soaked wind that has whipped through a dense forest. It is not astringent in the slightest, and I can absolutely see what all the fuss is about (which is a relief, let me tell you. I always feel like a bit of a failure when I don’t get what the fuss is about over a beloved tea on steepster).
Seriously, if any of you guys want to try some of this, let me know. It’s amazing. I want it in my collection forever!
I like this one a lot, too. :)
Isn’t it so wonderful? I knew upon drinking it that I wouldn’t be able to do it justice in a tasting note, but my god it’s perfect.
Yay! I recently fell in love with the Queen too, and now we hang out regularly. (:
So do we! She is so graceful and inviting and perfect!
Hooray for the Queen! (beautiful with a teaspoon of the Harney Rose Scented mixed in as well.
oh man i’m gonna have to try this one soon! your delight is contagious.
Try it try it try it! Want me to send you some?
and shmiracles, so does that equal two tsp of tea? one of each? it isn’t too strong?
sorry, that question was to rosehips!
Hehe I love this one. Glad there are some fellow Queen admirers around now… there was awhile there when nobody was posting about her!
We should always post about her! she deserves it!
Right?! Dang I’m craving a cup now lol
Me too!!
I use one tsp of the queen with one of rose scented for a small pot of tea, and it turns out beautifully.
That’s good to know! I usually brew a mug at a time, so maybe i’ll do half a tsp of each an see how that goes. I have yet to try rose-scented, but I have it in my cupboard, so it won’t be long!
That sounds like a good ratio. I cant wait to hear what you think of this combo.
You’ve sold me on trying this – love your description and tasting note.
I would love love love to try this one if you are up to send!
This is a dearly beloved of mine. I always have some Catherine on the shelf. When I was having radiation for breast cancer, my daughter had a pot of Catherine ready for me when I came in the door, and it really picked me up. Just reading the story of the real Catherine, her courage, and her very different kind of honor and love than we are used to hearing in today’s love stories, really are inspiring and worthy of thought.
I’d love to send you some, Haley D. Send me a pm if that’s even still a feature here (haven’t been on in ages!). I should have the Queen with breakfast tomorrow!
Yes, I’m drinking this again! It’s my birthday, so I can drink anything I want! Of course, I can drink anything I want any day of the year, but this seemed like a perfect start today, & it was.
And Dag, after giving it some thought, this is from the spring harvest
Happy birthday stinker hugs
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday! May it be a lovely day.
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day! i hope your trees are still blooming for you
Dear Terri, for you’re birthday, I am offering you a performance. I have re-written the famous song “it’s my party” just for you. Here it goes: «It’s myyyy birthday, I can drink what I waaant to…drink what I waaant to….drink what I waaant to…..Laaa-o-shan Black, you’re my favourite to-daaay!!!»
Thank you, thank you very much… ( good thing Steepster is not in 3D sound just yet, lol!)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! :D Only the best teas for you today!
Happy birthday!!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!! Enjoy!
Yay! Happy Birthday! :D
Happy birthday! ♥
Happy birthday!!!!
Yay, happy birthday!
What a great way to celebrate your birthday! Congratulations :-D
Happy birthday!
Thanks everyone!!!
Tea Fairy, I feel really special, thanks for sharing your talents!
;)
Happy birthday!
Woohoo! Happy birthday! :)
Happy Birthday!
This is a really nice Fujian tea that had a great mix of bright fruit and sweet cocoa notes. It is very similar in flavour to a tea I love and may not be able to replace, so I am grateful to Dexter3657 for this sample as I’ve been curious about it for some time.
Below are my observations. I steeped it 5 times.
This tea brewed into a medium amber brown.
Scent longan, cocoa, honey, malt. Both bright and rich smelling.
1.5 TSP/200 ml/95°C/1 min
Nice balance of bright citrusy longan, honey,with cocoa in the finish. Slight hint of dark bread crust, cherry and spice.
1 min scent similar to above but stronger sweet cocoa note.
Long an, stronger cocoa with honey underrneath
1:30. Longan honey, cocoa in back again but still quite present.
2:10 longan dominant other flavours present underneath. Becomes sweeter as it cools
4 min slightly tart sweet potato with cocoa honey note
Altogether this is really a nice tea that I will purchase in the future. Thanks!
I changed the picture and description of this tea as this is the only King Pin on their website and it is described as a staple at the tea shop.
Beautiful notes in there!
Thanks! I meant jing pin;)
Glad you liked it. This is my favorite black tea, and I share it quite often – I don’t think others love it as much as I do – but it’s nice to read other’s reviews. :))
Sounds very nice!
Love this one!
oooh, longan! I love zhenghes and have enjoyed everything I’ve tried from TTL, so onto the list it goes!
ifjuly did I not send you any of this? I can if you would like to try it. :))
you did, and I’m a total doof! I went to add it to my wishlist and saw it was already in my cupboard! hahaha my bad.
(more shameful “your stash is out of control” symptoms…)
i bought this one after dexter shared it with me..love it as well!
Hahah love the ending, and love the cat sitting on you comment! :) I have one of mine on my lap now! :) HE actually came to sit on me JUST as I was reading about YOUR cat!!!
cats are psychic, you know!
Nice review! I’ll have to check out their website…
lol great review! Enjoy Pirates! :)
nice review, very lengthy. I could not do this type of recording. Good of you to, that is all.
Azzrian, awwww kitty! Maybe he thought he might get to meet Charm. :D
Terri, oh do! I really enjoyed this one, and I think I would have liked it even better had I done it Western style. I will definitely be back there at some other point in the future. I would like to try their other black tea as well. Taiwan is such a blind spot on my tea map and now I think I’ve been missing out.
Yogini, I did! It was good. I’ll have to watch it again because I’m sure I missed a lot of detail. Hooray for blu-ray. :) It makes me want to read the books again too, and that’s never a bad thing. :D
Seule771, thank you. :) It did take several days to write though. I spent all day writing the tasting bit one at a time with some breaks in between and I wrote all the introductory blather on a different day. :)