Popular Tasting Notes

I agree on the price. I always want to try the new “vanilla dreams” teas, but they’re just too expensive for me.

don’t get me wrong, i can appreciate that quality sometimes costs more, but i’m not sure i can personally justify it, at least not as often as i’d want too :(

Absolutely. I just feel that I would rather buy multiple teas or more of a tea I love for the same price. :)

But I haven’t tried any of the expensive ones, so if I had I may have a different opinion! Lol.

Im HOPING to be able to make my more expensive teas available as 1/2oz in the next few weeks or so. It’s ridiculously laborious to blend the teas that contain Tahitian Vanilla…takes about 30 minutes per ounce. :/

I really want to try this one.

Does the multiple steep make up for price? I hardly ever re-steep “flavored” teas (I understand this is blended not flavored). If you can multiple steep it, does that help offset cost. (I haven’t tried this one yet…) Happy that you like it. :))

Mmm good point…I always get at least 4 steeps from this one.

Dexter….so yes and no hahaha my dilemma is that sometimes, I don’t WANT 36+oz of the same tea
Brendan – totally understand, and this one is lovely…I can appreciate the time and effort that crafting a tea can require.
Cameron – if/when Brendan has the half ounce option, I suggest trying it at the very least as a little splurge :) it’s quite lovely with the vanilla… This is more what I was hoping for with the verdant blends this month a la vanilla style

Sil, I will definitely consider trying this one and Cocoa Amore if there’s a half ounce option. :)

And those stupid Verdant blends angered me! The vanilla was such an afterthought in all of them except maybe the tieguanyin…

I understand that Sil – I agree don’t always want 4 big cups of the same tea. To save leaf/cost, should we be making 4 steeps of small cups. Make four 4oz cups rather than four 8oz cups? Do we need to change our habits to save money and make these more affordable?

Dex….probably…but I find unless I’m doing gongfu…I want my big delicious mugs of steaming tea….or else it cools too fast for me lol

You could always halve the leaf amount and add infusion times together :)

But yes, I’m hoping that a 1/2oz option will make these more accessible.

1/2 is a good sample size. Is that one the two awesome black teas?

Not sure what you mean?

A blend of two awesome black teas?

Ahh yes, it’s Imperial Gold Bud Dian Hong and Ailaoshan Black :-)

What?? Those are two of my WP faves! I might have to splurge on this (and Cocoa Amore, naturally) in October for a birthday present to me…from me….I just won’t think about it too hard ;)

Yay for October birthdays. This blend sounds good for that season too. (I rather liked the Ailaoshan Black, almost as much as Fujian S’mores… I mean Black Tea.)

Interesting discussion here…my own personal reflexion on it, is that for me, each buck is well spent only because those vanilla dreams teas make me happy beyond what they cost me. And I’m at a point where I like to drink less of everything, and more of my favourites. So in the end, again for my own personal situation, it’s not more expensive cause I have stopped ordering from many other companies and stick to the very few I want to drink tea from like forever!! Having said that, I understand that they do not fit every budget. But I will happily cut somewhere else, before I cut on my WP orders :-)

I’ve always wanted to sample the WP teas too but since most are black I doubt I would stock them on a regular basis.

TeaFairy, I know what you mean about drinking more of your favs. I’ve been reaching for lots of my favs lately too.

Ubacat, you can order a sample pack for $5. Not all of the teas are available as samples, but a lot of them are :)

Teafairy – totally understand that, and i’m pretty sure that’s where i’ll end up once my life isn’t so hectic. For right now, i hate to waste money on teas that are a “luxury” if i know i’ll struggle to find time to actually have time to myself to sit and enjoy them, instead of the teas i drink while at work to make work more enjoyable with happy tea moments. Work tea sometimes gets forgotten, and i wouldn’t want to do that to my special teas :)

I’m with you, Sil. I need to have a stock of teas that are great in travel mugs or if left to cool, plus some teas I adore that I can just sit and sip on when I get home from work or have a lazy morning. :)

The samples are good, but a bit small.

I did see the samples. I might have to order some of them to try BEFORE they have a sale. Then I will know which ones to order. Thanks.

«One of these days, she’ll be swept off her feet by someone that I know won’t be quite worthy of her…» this is such a statement of your love for her…
This review made me shed some tears…for totally different reasons, I can relate about this review, you know why I think :-)
Bonnie, I wished I could spend a Christmas eve in your company, you could teach me how to bake, and we could share a few cuppa togheter!!!

hugs If i was closer, I’d come visit for the holidays! :)

I never lie when I say that you are welcome!

we have tea date at some point, i do believe, though e haven’t nailed down a date and time, lol.

You talkin to me James?!!!

i am! i thought you invited me down last year to try out your local brilliant tea house….

this day sounds like heaven to me—hanging out together in a warm kitchen that smells of cake baking away in the oven, festive and special tea in pots to share, music from another time that makes one nostalgic, and a beautiful home with a loving grandmother. i am jealous of your granddaughter (my grandparents passed away quite some time ago…i miss my grandmother’s kitchen to thi day, more so than ever around the holidays).

I did! You should come here! Besides…there are other tea places to go to if you’re one of the secret Celestial Seasonings Tea drinkers (factory close by…), and tea houses in Boulder (Ku Cha, Dushanbe).

augh, now i’m thinking about her and well, hello there unexpected afternoon crying. thanks Bonnie (i do NOT mean that sarcastically). your posts are a treasure.

there’s alot of that going around i think…. tis the season for a bit of weepy, ifjuly. nothing wrong with that. i miss my gran horribly. i have a whole jar of tea i’ll likely never drink because the smell reminds me of her… and the tin she made my last xmas cake in……

Every Christmas, it would be nice to share these memories on Steepster and with friends. Some people adopt an older person who’s alone. (The tea community seems especially kind to elders) I hardly know anyone my own age. 65 isn’t ancient, but some of my disabilities at times makes me feel 85 and then I snap back to 65 going on 30 again. Become the moments you enjoyed with parents and/or grandparents. Bake, put on music and sing. If you went to Church, Synagogue or some event this time of year with grandma, do so again and remember that love. You can become what you treasure.

Thanks JustJames. I know exactly what you mean about those smells and the tin, things like that. I’m sorry (but also happy in a way) you miss your grandmother too!

Bonnie, you’re right. The first few years I was on my own I kind of treated holidays like any other day—often worked overtime, didn’t cook or decorate, etc.—and in retrospect I think it was because I knew it would be painful, the contrast between what I could do just starting out alone with what I remembered. But slowly over the years I’ve become more festive, and I get a lot of enjoyment out of fashioning my own domestic rituals to look forward to seasonally and gradually cultivating my own family life. Trimming the tree, hanging and stuffing stockings, making certain dishes only once a year, and waiting until just the right time to play certain music, visiting people when we’re all cheerful because of the festive season…those things do make me feel like I have a home in this world.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! <3

Thank you! Not to be morbid, but one day (not too far off) my life as it is will end too. My treasure is measured in how much I love and the memories I leave with others. I am ever mindful of how precious time is. My life is Blessed every day with discovery and wonder!

I wish I would have known my grandmothers. I never got the chance :(.
I enjoy your beautiful stories of spending time with your grandchildren. They are so lucky to have a grandmother like you. They will cherish it forever.

i consider myself lucky because I knew my 3 great grandmas and 2 grandmas. unfortunately I have only one now, she is 89. I cherish those moments when i come visit her. its almost everyday. i think i love her more than my parents

I share stories to say..“Hay everybody, you will be where I am some day maybe…this is what you can do too. And if you don’t have a grandma, find one!” My own grandmother’s were dud’s. Really. I decided to be what they were not…like watching Hallmark Christmas Movies or It’s a Wonderful Life and deciding…“I want to create that kind of experience for my family!” You don’t wait for it, you make it happen.
When my mom was alive…the whole family went caroling in her neighborhood, pushing her wheelchair down the street. NOBODY came to their door to hear us!!! After awhile we began to giggle. It was so strange that nobody wanted to listen to us caroling that we sang even louder and laughed as we sang joyfully up and down that gloomy street.
You make it what it is in your heart no matter what is happening around you!

“You don’t wait for it, you make it happen.” and “You make it what it is in your heart no matter what is happening around you!” Such an awesome outlook, I agree. It reminded me of some of my lady friends who, when I got married and started packing bento lunches for my husband, were all like “I wish I had a wife to pack me awesome lunches I could look forward to every day!” And I said jovially “you can always be your own wife!” It’s easy to forget sometimes.

This is why I always have tea in my purse to share even when I go to my tea shop. Today, the owner shared a blend he created…then the manager made a free pot of tea with some spice and puerh. We’ve become family. I stopped in the cheese shop and bought a chunk of Earl Grey dusted cheese and ginger chocolate (I know the little shops around the tea house). I haven’t lost my sense of wonder and delight…the joy of life. Believe me though, it’s challenging at times to overcome depression and loneliness. I have to work on celebrating life.

Bonnie, move to Toronto. I’d have tea with you all the time LOL

Thanks I heart-bloom! Thanks a look at my little grandsons who came over for tea at 8:30 AM this morning (man that’s early) on my Facebook Bonnie Johnstone. Merry Christmas!

This sounds so lovely ;~}

Smiles back to you! ;]

Awww. You have an awesome fam Bonnie!!

We’re kinda all family here…

How true is that! :)

I am glad you liked it. And yes, your prof may have accidentally (or perhaps not accidentally) accused you of not having a life.

thank you so much for sending it! gotta love a prof that puts up with grading extra work and then calls it like he sees it…. politely! lol!!!
yours should be there soon i hope!

Maybe he’s a little envious. I remember some of my undergraduate profs (mostly department heads) complaining that 70% of their time was dedicated to finding funding/politics, 20% to their own research and grad students, and 10% to the classroom.

well, he might be indulging me a bit because i appear to be the only tech savvy student willing to work with networking software for the NGOs, not just mine. also the fact that i have over 100 hours in and it should be more 36 and i’m trying to make it self-sustaining for after i leave as well. my classmates are just starting now, i’ve been at it full time for a month. (no sleep, lotsa tea…. that’s why no reviews!)

Goodness, with that amount of work in, it would be nice if you could at least get a tax receipt for your volunteer time. Sounds exciting, but don’t push yourself towards burnout!

you say what i think…. and yet there’s no one else with my particular spray of skill sets: art, language, people, programs, photo editing with a strong real world network as well. it’ll be fine…. probably. lol.

Anyways I feel for you…

thank you! xoxo…. are you enjoying your bits and pieces?

I am.. So far I have revisited Hepburn, and Toffee Dream, I was kind of too busy to give a tea proper attention today. I wm planning to explore something new tomorrow, looking forward to it!

i’m crazy busy, if you don’t have time to review i’d be the last one to gripe. just thought i’d ask!! =0)

No harm in it, James they all look fabulous! I think I’m going to have to close my eyes and reach in, to decide where to begin. I’ve also been wasting time contemplating a Betjeman order.

i did NOT just read that. i have enough tea… i have enough tea… i will not look them up online!! lol!

It’s a little bit more effort. To get decent shipping you have to do a phone order from Fouvrac in Montreal. They carry the full line, but don’t have a webstore. So you have to check out the teas at the Betjeman and Barton site. Shipping they said was cheap, someone had an order sent to California for $10.

Fouvrac seems to carry a lot of companies. They have Betjeman, and a lot of Kusmi, but I have also seen Fauchon, Compagnie Coloniale, and Marriage Frères tins in the pictures on their Facebook page.

I saw Montreal and perked up. I suppose I have another store to check out now.

Also this is a list (granted an incomplete one) of the tea companies they have: http://www.lefouvrac.com/grocery-product/en_tea.html

https://m.facebook.com/lefouvrac?id=220918191303544&_rdr. They have 2 locations. I’m not sure which is better but the Betjeman site lists the Fleury location. http://www.betjemanandbarton.com/en/content/9-world

They have really cute teaware as well!

The other location is closer but realistically the difference is insignificant unless you are driving there.

I AM COVERING MY EYES!!!!!! i am not reading! i have been SO well behaved. CURSES! lol.

Looks like you’re fine going to the Laurier location anyways. They apparently have an annex to the store dedicated to the Betjeman teas. http://voir.ca/voir-la-vie/art-de-vivre/2012/12/06/home-sweet-home/

Yeah. Damn. I really shouldn’t be buying more. It is just so tempting though.

Beware, according to the fleury St description they carry 48 companies teas.

And it’s smaller than the Laurier one

Hahaha. This could hurt my wallet. Perhaps I should avoid the store.

True, it does look dangerous. If you go set a limit, but it looks at least you can buy 50g.

James, we kind of hijacked this discussion, but you know when I finally get around to placing an order, some samples will be coming to you.

ha ha ha ha…. hijack away! i am a man of mettle! i’ll misbehave- i just have to save it up for next semester is all =0)

Oh wow, yyz, that is a serious thing to consider! I could get a lot of things I’ve been wanting to try all with just one order. :D

Does it actually taste like cotton candy though?

Not even remotely. Here is what I think it tastes like: http://steepster.com/clareborn/posts/227538

Haha! Hilarious, yes we are a bunch of enablers, aren’t we? Like I spent my entire day under a blanket, reading a book and sipping oolong because of TeaTiff! ( yes, I proudly play the blaming game!!)

IT’S EVERYONE’S FAULT.

So it seems like my first thoughts about this being similar to DAVIDs Birthday Cake is probably right. Thank you for sharing :)

LOL. I can’t believe that you reading “frozen girlfriend” from my gf lasagne made you HUNGRY.

THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS GIRLFRIEND LASAGNE OKAY.

Also girls are totally tasty.

And VariaTEA – I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m going to try to trick Sil into getting some for me for our swap!

No need to trick Sil because I have lots and am happy to share. Also, I will be by David’s tomorrow and can pick stuff up :)

Aww, thank you. You’re the best. <3

hey! i need tea to send to her! don’t steal things i can go get for her! lol

Sil, I am sure there is plenty to send and this way I save you a trip to DAVIDs.

No, because Sil must go there and get me the Movie Night she LOATHES BEYOND WORDS AND COMPREHENSION.

It’s pretty funny.

Also I love you guys.

Alright. So I will leave this for Sil to get you unless instructed otherwise prior to our eventual swap

lmao…. it’s all a vicious plot to make me go to davids…but i’m ok with that… though honestly, we should all just get together and make one GIANT BOX for anna that takes like 2 ppl to carry…

I’m packing my box as full to 500g as possible. Scale is out, and everything. :D :D :D

…uh that’s anna’s box right?

lol

Yes. My box for Anna, I meant. Clarification achieved. Although your box is a little bigger than Anna’s, Sil.

Sil, we should!! Just combine everything and it will be a cupboard explosion of tastiness.

Bigeger…but lighter? hopeful

Lighter only due to Anna’s non-tea contents, I think.

I’ll weigh before I finally manage to send (next week now because I’m visiting family this weekend) and report back. :D

Aaaaaaaaaah THE REVENGE OS SIL.

Wait, I just read this whole thing – OMGsrsly, what are you DOING?! What is in this box? I DEMAND TO KNOW. No, wait I don’t want to know. Or… no. But. NO. ARGH.

I am not in the box. Do not fear. (I do not weigh less than 500g.)

It would be so awesome if you were in the box and I opened it and you came walking out and it turned out YOU’VE BEEN THAT SIZE ALL ALONG.

Also, you’re lucky you don’t weigh less than 500g, because otherwise I would never let you out of my purse and that might get boring for you.

I guess it would depend on what you have in your purse! Any interesting books? :)

I would build an entire kingdom for you in my purse.

i’ll need to add this one to my next order

I went for the one that came with a tin. It’s a really nice tin too. Double lid and everything. :)

Yay! Glad to hear that you love this one.

I do! I slurped it all down in big mouthfuls. I just couldn’t stop!

Wow – I know nothing about any of these teas, and I’m craving this one so much now! :) Love the whole tasting note.

Hallieod, go forth and introduce yourself to Tan Yang. :D It’s my favourite type ever and if you enjoy Keemuns or the Laoshan Black from Verdant, I think you would enjoy Tan Yang as well.

I will obey! I will benefit from your kind words and not try to imitate your restraint in buying! (I have a sample of the Laoshan Black from Sil, and have been keeping it for the perfect sampling occasion, but now I have a mission, so will try it tomorrow. And then order from Teavivre!)

As soon as I read “Tan Yang,” I knew where this review was going. :) Glad you’ve found another one to love!

Ordering!

LadyLondonderry, sometimes I suspect that people who have followed me for 30 seconds would guess that. :p

Ashmanra, you won’t regret it. (But if you do, I’ll drink it for you)

Angrboda,
Just to confirm your suspicions, the first thing I knew for certain about you was your love of Fujian black. :D

LOL! :D Hardly a secret, is it. :D

Angrboda, quite a while ago, as a direct result of reading one of your glowing reviews of the Tan Yang Te Ji, I added some of it to my TeaSpring order.

I have since become thoroughly addicted to that tea. Each time I replenish, my supply of Te Ji disappears so very quickly. There is not a single tea in my stock that I go through so fast, and sadly, I cannot re-order it as often as I’d like. Sigh.

So yeah, now you’ve got me coveting another Tan Yang….

Mwahahaha!! My work here is done. :D

Love the post, I really enjoy your passionate writing and plan on trying one of these soon :o)

THIS needs to go in the Tasting Note Hall of Fame!

Hahaha love this review. The ending definitely made me laugh :)

Yikes! Hope you catch your squirrel.

LOL! I’m gonna have to get some of that! I love black teas, but I really have a problem if I drink them after noon (which I did today…oops!)

This is the best tea note I’ve ever read. Thanks for the laugh :)

Hilarious wow haha

awe…doug

“Oh, please, oh, please, oh, please be my prisoner!”

Caffeinated reviews are always a good read.

Awww…thanks everyone! My caffeine high is finally starting to wear off…whew! (Judging by my last 2 sentences, my love of exclamation points is still going strong) I received my newest order from 52teas today – I can’t wait to crack into those babies :D

Hahahahahaha :P

….yep yep. that squirrel had it coming.

DRAT! I’m going to have to get some matchas from them and soon! It’s driving me nuts! I couldn’t see it on the website is there a free shipping offer if you buy so much – your overall total, I mean?

1,162 words – are you going for some sort of record?! J/K!

I’ve been leaning more toward Fallish-type flavors lately and your review is very tempting. I’ll probably cave and make an order today, but will most likely be for two other flavors… We’ll see how long I can hold out on the Pumpkin Pie Matcha… ;)

Free shipping I believe if you spend 75 I think. As you put things in your cart you will get a message in the upper right side that says your shipping has been adjusted.

LOL curious to see what you decide on!

Nice

For matcha, 60 grams will get you free shipping. Doesn’t have to be all 60 of the same matcha either. :)

Okay that is more what I thought based on that usually once I have two small matcha in my cart it adjusts to free shipping! Thanks!

NO prob. :) I have no idea how Red Leaf is making a profit here either. I really hope he is though!

Me too! I guess it is the cost of getting your business off the ground and truly this IS the best advertising there is! But I do hope he is not going broke!

Thank you for the review. :-)
Here are some of our comments:
1. To promote our new line of flavored matcha, instead of paying Google for advertising, we decided that word of mouth will be a lot better strategy. We get reviews + links and our reviewers get some free matcha. Win – win situation. At some point we’ll have to stop this promo, but we’ll let you know in advance.
2. After lowering the prices at the beginning of the year, we could not offer free shipping for all matcha teas, but still wanted to make it available somehow, so we decided to make it offer for larger purchase. Any purchase of matcha (only matcha) for amount larger than $47 will qualify for free shipping.

So – if I bought – say $50 or more of numerous/various sizes and flavors of matcha’s I would get free shipping? As long as it was over $47 and Matcha’s ONLY, right? Just wanted to know for sure! Thanks :)

Excellent thank you for the clarification :)

From my experience you CAN also get regular teas but your MATCHA total has to be 47 or more before the other teas are added into the total.

COOL. When/If I do place that order I have been wanting to place it will ALL be matcha! Bwahahahahah! MATCHA….ahhhhhhhh!

Speaking of which – Red Leaf Tea – I posted a note for you in the Vegan or Not Vegan Thread in Discussions :)

I think I’m going to order again today too. I know I shouldn’t, but, I want to get the boysenberry matcha while it is still on sale.

TeaEqualsBliss: Yes you are correct, you can buy many different matcha teas and if the total is over $47, the shipping will be free. That’s the promo right now. Not guaranteed it will not change in the future for some other variation.
Azzrian: If you but Matcha and some other teas, your total needs to be at least $75 to get free shipping. If it’s not, it will have to be adjusted.

Oh no. Sorry to misinform people on that. Thats too bad because it kind of dissuades people from buying other teas then unless they plan to spend 75 anyway. Its nice that you offer to adjust it though!

Here’s how their free matcha program works: Azzrian, you almost single-handedly have made me decide to order from Red Leaf TODAY! Thanks for all the great reviews, now I just have to make the hard decision of what to get.

sigh I did it again. I bought more matcha just now. Bad me. Bad bad bad me. (shakes head) I’m very bad.

Check out the Orders thread and see what I just got for 47 cents!
AMAZING!
LOL LiberTEAS once you see how much you can get in return if you get your reviews up fast before the special promo ends you will have made money!
:)

devyleys – its a hard decision but you can’t go wrong they are all really really great!

That sounds really good…I might mix it with some almond milk to make a latte. I haven’t tried Red Leaf but the program sounds intriguing.

@Azzrian: I know. The deal is too amazing to not take advantage of, seriously. I’ve already been taking advantage of it. :)

yeah hehe you do already know about it :)

Ohh I’m holding out for autumn for this matcha, but it sounds SO good! I’ll probably get the gingerbread one too :)

That is another one I considered but decided to wait until autumn or until it goes on sale.

I need this tea!

I know what you mean about syrup… my hubby always goes with the Aunt Jemima or other maple flavored syrups (sugar free) and even when they aren’t sugar free (I can’t have aspartame) these syrups are just icky. There is such a difference between those grocery store syrups and the real maple syrup. This blend sounds amazing, it is one that I definitely MUST try soon!

Oh yes this is a must have!

Oh I must try this soon! :D

Agreed, another order is in my near future!

Sounds GOOD. Adding to my shopping list!

Sounds GOOD. Adding to my shopping list!

Oh! I definitely have to try this tea. YUM.

LiberTEAS-I don’t know anyone can do those syrups. Ick.

I’m so glad this tea is sounds good to everyone.

Oh my gosh I can’t wait to try this one. I LOVE grade B maple syrup. When I was little I rarely used syrup either because I only knew of the high fructose version and it made me nauseous every time I tried to eat it. I’ll put grade B on and in everything. It’s great in tea!

This will be on my next Teavivre order!

I hope he responds soon!

Good luck :)

Exciting!

Holding my breath for you! :P

Sigh, totally shut down… Not that I really expected any different! C’est la vie.

aw boo! oh well it’s better to know than not :)

His loss!

Boooooo!

I use 6 pearls of this in an 8-10 ounce cup. Teavivre recommends 3-4, but I don’t think that is enough.
I like to put the pearls straight into the bottom of my glass cup to watch them unfurl, then pour the tea through the strainer into another cup for drinking.

aww I was going to wish you good luck until I read all the comments. Better luck next time. :D

Thanks for the support, guys :D He was just too damn perfect, I knew I didn’t stand a chance!

@Scott – I will try 6 pearls next time (I assume I have that many left). It seems that I only found the first infusion a touch weak though, so we’ll see what sort of difference one more pearl makes!

Aww Krystaleyn – no one is perfect. And never think someone is better than you, as they might then start believing it themselves and then you won’t stand a chance. You are a strong, beautiful woman who deserves the best. He just didn’t know what he was missing out on.. or maybe it was just bad timing. Either way, ever beat yourself up about it. You were so brave! Way more than I have ever been. I am so proud of you tea buddy! :D

Oh… he is so perfect though! (I am hoping to find fault with him soon so my heart will be free again, hahahaha!) He was incredibly nice and honest about everything… yeah. I’m glad I tried :) Even though I feel like an idiot :D

His fault is that he has terrible taste in women. ;)

Just look at him and think…ASPARAGAS!
I would have taken all the pearls and OD’s on all of them at once after that! Death by chocolate tea pearls! Drowning…

Listen, my ex-husband was gorgeous…when we married…women used to come up to me and ask me how I got him. Flirt in front of me and come right up and get in between… Disgusting! (He always just smiled…he had been a football star!) When he had a heart attack, I was there. I cared for him. When I got sick, he dumped me! Give me an average guy who loves me and not just himself any day!

Ahaha, seriously guys, he is so ridiculously nice (I’m trying to make that into a fault… who wants to date a guy and always be the meaner one of the two?!) He actually let me down very easily, and just said that he hadn’t felt a “spark”, but thinks it would be fun to hang out. The girl that lands him is going to be very lucky.

Bonnie – had I still been drinking the pearls when I got his message, I probably would have drank them a little crazily :P Your ex-husband sounds like a jerk… pretty sure wedding vows include ‘in sickness and in health’. :(

Good luck, Kitenna. You sound very nice yourself. The right guy will find you (or vice versa). Hang in there.

Thanks Stoo :) Hoping for the best!!

I feel deprived…I’ve never had a ginger cookie. :(
But on a good note, I have like 12lbs of Kenya tea that I have yet to indulge in, excited to dive in now! :D

You’ve never had a Ginger Cookie! :O You haven’t lived! lol

I love all things ginger, yum!

I must research this ginger cookie you speak of… :)

Ohhh, it’s short for a gingerbread cookie. lol…i hadn’t made that connection. Yes, I hav lived…and now I have to go buy some because tis the season, right? haha :D

No no! Like a ginger snap or ginger molasses cookie! They are chewy and amazing!

:O wheree can i find these things?!

Some stores carry the larger semi soft ginger cookies which are very nice. You break off a bit of cookie then drink some strong black tea (malty tea’s go well with these too) and eat and sip. This way, I don’t sweeten my tea at all but if I want to, I add cream to my tea. Some brands of boxed ginger snaps are nice and spicy. OK in a pinch.

do you have a Starbucks nearby? up in Toronto, they have them in the shop and are seriously tasty!!

No, I live in the middle fo nowhere. Haha. But I’ll definitely find some :)

Squash banana. :D

if you like supporting tea farmers in Kenya…and love really amazing tea…go find Royal Tea of Kenya…truly amazing…especially the Royal Golden Safari…wow

I’ve had other Kenyan tea’s. This one is a very strong tea for people who like super strong Irish or Scot’s Tea or Keemun, this would be one for you!

Hehehe, the picture you gave me with your words, Bonnie…you at the bar…tea canisters behind the bar, the boys wondering if it would be strong enough or too strong, and you…“Set ’em up, Sam!”
Its like a wonky old western film;)

Well, that’s my life. Sam is real though. Everyone in the shop is involved with tea and charities.

nice…sounds like a wonderful spot

Ha! I finally tried Ginger Snaps and they are awesome! :D

Great! Spicy cookies with black tea is a favorite sin! Especially malty black tea’s.

I was dipping them in my lapsang, Ashes of Autumn :D

Did you have this in a gaiwan with a little piece of the peel? I’ve only had some with no peel and it it wasn’t burnt tasting but light and delicate with a citrus scent.

I used a stainless steel strainer AKA brewing basket. I had a bit of the peel, yes. Oddly – I kind of like the semi-burnt rice flavor…that might be weird…lol…

Not at all. In Puerto Rico the rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot is called “pegao” and is crispy and tasty and a favorite. It’s usually toasty brown and sometimes almost…but never…burned. One of the things I learned to make when I lived there.

Meeeehhhh. I’m from Puerto Rico. Pegao and burnt are miles apart lol. But I’m glad you know about that Bonnie! I miss that. I think it was because of the ‘caldero’ used to make the rice is hard to make it so it doesn’t stick, after hundred of years I guess people went “Rice cracker!”. LOL

Neat!!!!

I like the semi-burnt rice flavor too! My mom’s parents were from Spain, and my grandma’s paella always had sticky-crunchy rice at the bottom of the pot. I loved that stuff.

Love Paella. We have too much of our food thanks to the Spanish influence so it might be part of it. Now I’m hungry again :P

OKAY…now I’m on the hunt for a solid Vegan Paella Recipe :)

vegan paella! word up!

Here’s one
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/stovetop-vegetarian-paella

Another while googling :)
http://www.ketzel.com/2010/08/paella-fit-for-vegan.html

http://www.spain-recipes.com/vegetarian-paella.html
Another!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/vegetarian-paella-recipe/index.html

http://www.jazzyvegetarian.com/products-group-87.html

I might try this one! What do you all think?
http://www.vegalicious.org/2007/05/19/vegan-paella/

Sound nice! I would add some mushrooms to have something else going on. The food network one with zucchini… I’m not sure maybe it will work but I wouldn’t make it myself. Good Luck and Enjoy!

TeaEqualsBliss: I have an awesome vegan paella recipe around here too, I’ll dig it out & send it to you.

I’ve been wanting to try these tangerines filled with puer! I saw them on ebay, & they look interesting!

Terri – that would be awesome if you could send me the recipe!!! Thanks!

T=B – I dug around & found several, & I posted one (that I know was a favorite) over in the Discussions area on the recipe page. I’m thinking there may be another one that’s even better, & if I find it, I’ll post it too. Meanwhile, I also posted an awesome Tabbouleh recipe that I love. It’s pretty different from your usual version. Enjoy!

I can’t wait to get mine!

So excited!

Yay, glad you guys are excited! By the way this is the first of our holiday blends series! This one represents Christmas. Still have Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yule, and Diwali (even though that holiday is over) to go!

I pretty much hate egg nog but coming from you I’d be tempted….good thing I can probably steal a sample rom kittena lol

Sil-Do you like cake batter at all? If so, then this might work for you.

Sounds so good!

Do I like cake batter…. So doesn’t! Lol half the fun of baking is eating the raw batter and dough…just don’t tell my mother lol

Well then, you might like it. A sample would probably be the way to go for that one.

Thanks Bonnie! :)

Yummm, your description makes this new tea sound so decadent!

Thanks TheTeaFairy! :)

I’ve said good things about Bigelow’s bagged eggnog elsewhere, but this sounds great, too. You used the magic words…cake batter!

Mmm…

That’s all, just mmmm… =)

Cilantro?! Ack!

Looking forward to trying this one

WHAT??? I want!

Azz – it’s the custom blend that IB had made. :)

D: WANT!!!

Hmmm, maybe I should consider making this one. We will see. This was done for a special art project that I was working on but ended up losing out to another tea that is even better than this one. I had to borrow some of Indigobloom’s cilantro that I had special ordered for her mango blend and I figured I would send her the rest of this as a way of thanking her for letting me use the cilantro.

oopsy lol thanks for the correct Stacy…totally blanked that this wasn’t mango silly-antro

it sounds delicious… hint hint

Wow, this one sounds pretty intriguing.

Sil-Haha, well maybe. We will see. We do have a pineapple blend already but nothing with cilantro.

cough stacy…your current pineapple is also an oolong grin course i’m not sure what this one is..but you know how me and oolongs are :)

I want to try this too!

Wow comment explosion! This is awesome hah
My sample is very generous but I’m not sure there is enough for everyone!

oh and Sil, I believe it is a white blend

It is a white tea. We used the same Organic Bai Mu Dan base that is in our Cantaloupe & Cream. This one is hitting our website in the next few hours.

i’m waiting stacy… not that i’m allowed to get more tea yet..but i can pre=order for when you send my strawberry rhubarb lol!

Actually Sil, if you are ordering this, instead of me picking up a whole bag, would you be cool with either splitting it with me, or giving me a sample? I do suspect I’ll like it, and I’m dying to try it, but I really don’t need more tea!

Hahaha, Sil. Well, I just finished pricing it, so not I’m just coding it and it will be up pretty shortly. Probably within an hour.

er, I meant “now” not “not”.

Ok, its officially on our website. http://www.butikiteas.com/White.html Big thanks to Indigobloom who inspired us to make it publicly available.

Kittenna sure thing. Ill get back to you in our message thread when I get sorted

It’s gonna be a huge hit, I cannot wait to see the rave reviews :D

boooooo i wanna know naaaaoooo! lol

Mean of me, isn’t it? Maybe I should give you all a hint…

i like hints!

hint hint hint hint!! (chanting)

Well, I will neither confirm nor deny any guesses, but feel free to guess away; if you’re wrong it still might be an idea worth pursuing in the future. HINT: It’s based on a popular cocktail.

Strawberry Daiquiri? oh man, please let it be so!!!

Sex on the Beach tea, yea!

i dunno…there have been a lot of strawberry blends in the recent past. I’d much rather like a lime marguerita or something…that being said i won’t guess only because i don’t enough about what frank’s had in the past lol

Is it bad that I just googled “popular cocktails” because I have no life? lol

@boxermama….hell no!

Oh, I hope it’s a Mai Tai tea!

Blue Hawaiian would be nice

Bahama Mama sounds good!

May I have a peach bellini please?

Does it have coconut in it?
Is it a green rooibos base? (don’t think you have done one of those at least not lately)
Will it make our toes curl?

LOL BoxerMama I did the same. Really hoping it isn’t Mojito… which is why I’m pulling for Daiquiri :)

ooh yeah peach bellini! my husband inserted there should be a Coconut monkey tea http://www.barnonedrinks.com/drinks/t/the-coconut-monkey-5074.html eww.

I call for an EARLY release!!!

I second!

I’m going to cross my fingers that it’s NOT a caesar tea…

Good Call, Kittenna !

Caesar tea? What would that be?

It’s here:

According to Bacardi:

The world’s second most popular drink was born in a collision between the United States and Spain. It happened during the Spanish-American War at the turn of the century when Teddy Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and Americans in large numbers arrived in Cuba. One afternoon, a group of off-duty soldiers from the U.S. Signal Corps were gathered in a bar in Old Havana. Fausto Rodriguez, a young messenger, later recalled that Captain Russell came in and ordered Bacardi (Gold) rum and Coca-Cola on ice with a wedge of lime. The captain drank the concoction with such pleasure that it sparked the interest of the soldiers around him. They had the bartender prepare a round of the captain’s drink for them. The Bacardi rum and Coke was an instant hit. As it does to this day, the drink united the crowd in a spirit of fun and good fellowship. When they ordered another round, one soldier suggested that they toast ¡Por Cuba Libre! in celebration of the newly freed Cuba. The captain raised his glass and sang out the battle cry that had inspired Cuba’s victorious soldiers in the War of Independence.

Organic cola and rum flavors combine with our premium black tea base to create a sweet-tooth treat with a twist. I’m very happy with the way this came out. I’m more of a 7 and Ginger guy myself, but this is delicious. I hope you will agree.

Our Tea of the Week for the Week of February 25, 2013

Just $8.99 with FREE shipping to the US!

http://www.zoomdweebies.com/Cuba-Libre-Black-Tea_p_290.html

Very nice, Lucky you :)

Thank you for sharing your story :D the military life can be rough but not just on the soldiers but on the families as well.

I love military stories, although yours seems rather sad. I hope things have looked up in life for you along with this tea.

Everyone’s life has up’s and down’s. There isn’t anyone who’s immune. What you do with it is what counts. I love life.

Bonnie thanks so much for sharing this glimpse into your life! It’s so interesting to hear about your personal/familial experiences with and in the service.
Oh sounds like an interesting tea as well!

Wow, a 1953 tea! I am of the same vintage! I’m glad to hear that it is holding up much better than I am!

I am sorry that you had to go through those injustices. Hopefully we, as a nation, have advanced beyond that today.

I’m of the opinion that older people should share stories. TV is impersonal. I think it’s helpful to know that life can get pretty dark and dangerous (and you have no idea how much more dark and dangerous the stories in my life are…) but you come out the other side not forgetting, but able to have a happy life. I stand for hope!

thanks for sharing Bonnie, loved this review as everything you write !

Bonnie, you should start working on your bio. Really. With such a life, we need a book!

I second TheTeaFairy!

OK you two come help me!

I think this is a new tea based on a 1953 recipe. There were many for sale on EBay

I think we should invest in a recorder, sit down have some nice tea and listen to you stories!

Charles- Don’t know, mine was faded, crumbly (dusty) and looked more like a sheng but was a shou. Often though old and new are blended together (a common method or creating Pu-erh if people are not aware). This was a gift and I’ll look into it.

Invader Zim, count me in!

that sounds spectacular Bonnie, I absolutely adore cherries! soon you’ll be an international tea consultant ;)

Hahaha! Me?! I’m laughing…like nobody needs my opinion,I don’t know why I give it in the first place except my daughter says writing on Steepster and drinking tea has really improved my health and she’s right!

Ooh man, that sounds like one I need to try :)

Not cheap…but they sell by the half ounce and take phone orders until the online is running.

hey ya never know, and you have so many followers and people who love reading you here… don’t doubt yourself :)

This sounds really neat! When will their website be up and running?

look who’s talking! I’ll have to find out when the site will be up and note it here.

Oh dear Please PLEASE let us all know when this goes on sale! I really want some of this ! :)

I was very curious to learn about how the event went at Happy Lucky’s as it was not posted via FB as I will be hosting a cupping of the teas from Nepali Tea Traders at Staufs in Columbus, OH and I wanted to know how people responded and what teas were shared…love to hear about it

i got to call happy lucky’s

45 people attended the tasting…I just sent a couple pictures…and the star has been this tea. People were very excited about these tea’s. I’ve never seen that many people come in on a weeknight in the cold! This isn’t New York City! There were half ounce packets of all the tea’s available for sale after the tasting also already made up which was nice. Here’s some pictures…me with my nose to the wet leaves too. http://flic.kr/p/dPvBYZ

nice pics…looks like an interesting spot and glad it was a success. Great to see so much youth. The display tray is a great idea, but I have to think so close, finding subtle nuance might be difficult. Hope everyone had a great time.

I am so PROUD that Nepali Tea Trader’s chose this review for their kickstarter campaign! (I would have corrected my grammar had I known)
As of this comment, less than $850 is still needed for the goal of $20,000 to be met.

kickstarter? do you have the link bonnie? Happy to check it out and possibly help fund!

Look up their website for the link (I’m not on my computer)

Kickstarter FULLY FUNDED!!! $26,000 raised!!!

Congrats on 500 Bonnie! Keep it up, I love reading your reviews and the stories you share!

Yum Bonnie! Congrats – toot toot! :D

Congratulations on the 500th review!

Congratulations Bonnie on 500 reviews! I’m looking forward to reading 500 more. :)

Happy 500!

Way to go Bonnie! 500 fantastic reviews from you!

Happy 500!!!

Wow!!! 500! Congrats! Time has flown!

Happy 500 and Happy Thanksgiving!

way to go we look forward to the next 500!!! keep going!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Congratulations on 500! I look forward to reading all the delicious recipes and wonderful stories yet to come. :)

Yay, Bonnie! Here’s (at least!) 500 more!

Happy 500!!! And I hope you have beautiful Thanksgiving with your family.

Happy 500! and I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving back and thank you all for the kind wishes!

Wow…I see that my daughter Annalisa hit the ‘like’ button…
thanks daughter!

Wow, congrats! 500 reviews in less than a year? I wouldn’t have time to …err … well, tea goes in… Seriously though, congratulations and thank you. I always enjoy your stories and descriptions.

Congratulations, Bonnie. =) Thank you for all that you share with us. It sounds like this blend is much improved and I can’t wait to try it.

500 reviews! Here is to the next 500 :)

Loved the story, Nik. It reminded me of a story my grandpa told me once: he very much wanted to get into the air force in WW2, but his eyesite was bad. Someone told him carrots would help his eyes, so he proceeded to eat so many over the next few day that he turned orange. :)

Yes! lol! Oh, that cracks me up, such a sweet story.

Great story! Wow, what a compliment! :)

I have been desperately wanting to try this tea since I heard about it just a few days ago! Great review, Nik!

Nik I LOVED your story!!! Please write more like this one!!! And I know about more mango’s just living for a short time in Puerto Rico where there are apple mango’s, pear mango’s, mango’s with all sorts of different flavors and sizes. Who knew?!

Thanks, everybody! Oh, Bonnie, I wish I had fun stories to share all the time like you do! But I will try and share more as I think of them. =)

Two words: Mango. Pie. http://www.holycowvegan.net/2012/11/mango-pie-because-cow-turns-five-only.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HolyCowVeganRecipes+%28Holy+Cow%21+Vegan+Recipes%29

Great story, Nik!!
I also love mangos, plain, in salads with avocado, and also in a bowl, drizzled with coconut milk & crystallized ginger…yum. Now I wish I would have included some of the Mango Lassi tea in my latest Butiki Order!

Namaste Nik! You and Sita must be kindred spirits when it comes to mangoes. I love mango lassi as a treat when we eat Indian out. Nothing quite like the heat of India is there? I’ll have to pick some of this up for Sita to try.
Great review.

Serenity, I’m going to need to add that to my list of pies to try! The list now contains two: the mango pie and the one that started it all, Terri’s vegan chocolate one. Thanks for the link! =)

Terri, thanks! I’ve never had it drizzled with coconut milk and crystallized ginger, that sounds quite good. Jason, thanks for the kind words, hope Sita ends up liking this as much as I do.

There’s an awesome dessert they serve at a local Thai restaurant called Halohalo, which is a bowl of sweet coconut milk with little cubes of coconut milk jello floating around, jackfruit, different kind of coconut & other mysterious, but delicious, things in it. I’ve made my own version that includes mango, young coconut flesh (after I drilled holes to drink the juice…I have a drill bit dedicated for coconuts), etc.

Then there’s that awesome mango sticky rice dessert…

Nik I love this tea cause I’m with you on it. T only disturbing thing for me is that its hot. However I did try cold brewing it and its uh not as awesome as the hot brew. So yeah. Lol

Terri, Halohalo sounds amazing, I’m definitely going to have to look that up!

Sil, you know what? Drinking fruity teas hot totally weirds me out. Every single time, I think to myself that it’s weird, what I’m doing, and that I want to try it cold-brewed or iced and see how it is. Even with the Blueberry Afternoon tea I tried recently, even though I realised that I actually liked it hot, I still had that moment where I was like hmm, this is weird. Except with Mango Lassi. I was so busy nomnomnom’ing after each sip (literally—I think I was starting to get on Mum’s nerves) that I actually didn’t even get a chance to think heeeey, nobody drinks mango lassi hot, this is weird! So that’s another huge point in this blend’s favour. :D

I love the story!

Thank you!

Great story Nik, it makes me want to go out and buy mangoes to eat. Not so many that I turn orange, but maybe one or two…at a time. The best mangoes I’ve ever tried were in Trinidad. They were so juicy that I couldn’t eat them without it running down my arms. I’ve never had the ones that you eat with a straw, but oh yum, that sounds fantastically delicious. Thanks for sharing your story.

Mm mango and mango lassi really are some of life’s treasures…Thank you for this wonderful story!

Nik, it’s a long time now we haven’t see you on steepster, hope everything is ok and to see you back soon

I miss Nik!
I’m gonna go over to FB & tell Nik, “we miss you”

i sent a note to Nik the other day and never heard back…guess life is busy or something

Please tell him I miss him on here too!

MISSING NIK!

me too! I miss his stories

happy to have you back!

Thank you Sil! Don’t think I’ll be able to catch up with your 1200 notes, but I’ll sure try:-)

nice to see you back and with a so beautiful tasting note

Welcome back! :) Oh wow, that sounds crazy scary. Good thing your intuition kicked in.

Those are some awesome pics! Would you consider entering them in our photo contest? http://www.butikiteas.com/Contest.html I’d love to post one of them on our “community” page.

I love that silk ribbon feel. I know exactly what you mean.

Merci Ysaurella! Great to be back :-)

Thank you Stacy, didn’t know you had a contest, I guess I missed a lot about what’s going on here! I will definitely look into it, which one would you like me to post?

I am so sorry that happened to you. Some people criticize the concept of intuition but I’m with you. It’s definitely there. I’m lucky to be ultra intuitive and perceptive too.

The gaiwan is beautiful. Congrats on the win! I have been eyeing Stacy’s paisley gaiwan.

TheTeaFairy-Ooh, well I think number 4 is my favorite though I do like the others and number 3 is great too! You can certainly submit as many photos as you like.

Incendiare-I agree it is there and is so important. I’ve had some times where I’ve felt a horrible pit in my stomach and a deep sense of dread and this overwhelming feeling and I’ve listened to my intuition then but there are a few times when I’ve met a couple people where I instantly didn’t like them and felt very negative towards for no reason (and I’m the type of person that likes everyone) and not listened to my intuition and they turned out to be a really bad person. I had this when I met a good friend’s new boyfriend. He seemed really nice and was very conversational and a good listener but I felt really negative towards him. I remember having a conversation with my husband where I was convincing myself to like him. A few months later we found out that he was pretty much a horrible human.

@Incendiare and Butiki:

Yes, we all have it inside but some of us are hypersensitive to it. Many years ago, human beings needed it for survival, but as we evolved in modern society, we don’t need it as much and for most people, it is just buried. This is fact by the way, it’s not a theory. I say this cause I’m a super sceptical person, I don’t believe in many things, especially supernatural stuff.
Stacy, what you wrote illustrates just that. Our brain is designed to catch signals by perception, we just don’t listen or pay attention to them most of the time, cause we don’t focus on that. Our mind is so busy with so many distractions, who has the time, right? But that little voice told you this man was bad news, cause his composure probably sent some signals that your brain was able to catch. I studied body language a little, and I find this stuff fascinating. I hope your friend didn’t suffer too much from this bad relationship…

As for the photos, if there are no restrictions I’ll post them all then :-)

Wow so glad you are safe and that you listened to your gut!
Welcome back, you’ve been missed!

Huh, I’ve never thought about intuition from a science-y perspective. I always assumed it was more on the psychic-y front. I wonder what it was in his body language that my brain picked up. Unfortunately, she did suffer but she was able to leave the relationship immediately. A few years later, we found out that his violence had escalated towards women and he ended up killing his current girlfriend.

I would love to learn about body language a little more. I bet its a very fascinating subject.

Nope, no restrictions. Send in anything you want. :)

What??? Holy crap, now that was a signal! I have chills… how right you were!

I don’t think the signal was as strong as some situations I’ve been in that I’ve left but I think that was because I was in no immediate danger. Its pretty creepy to know that I’ve hung out a few times with a murderer.

I wonder if one can go as far as connecting intuition to introversion. People who are more introverted have sensory processing sensitivity, so they’re more sensitive to stimuli. I wouldn’t be surprised if introverts who can easily read others also have a strong intuition. I, for one, am quite introverted and my perceptiveness always freaks people out.

Stacy, that is so terrifying. I am really glad your friend got out of that relationship, but still tragic that someone else ended up being a victim instead.

Incendiare-That’s an interesting theory and it does make sense.

incendiare, it is an interresting theory. I for one wouldn’t qualify myself to be introvert, but I am very sensitive to my surroundings at all times, I do focus a lot more on my entourage than on myself. For instance, I often feel other peoples distress before they ever mention anything. Then I get the « How did you know?» comment and a weird look sometimes:-)

Beautiful review & I love all the comments too.
I have a sample of this, waiting to be sampled.
Drugs of choice: tea, music, food (growing, preparing, eating).
Intuition: couldn’t live without it!

Thanks Terri! I hope you won’t be disappointed with this tea, I tend to be over the top enthusiast when I love something, that’s just who I am :-)
Wish I could grow stuff, but aside from basics such as tomatoes and parsley (cause they basically grow themselves!) I suck at it, always end up being the serial killer of my own garden!

I used to tell my friends that giving me a houseplant was like writing it’s death warrant! That was a long time ago, & luckily I’m better with plants than I used to be! Not all of my gardening experiments are successful, but years of gardening have helped :)
I love walking out my back door to see what I’m eating today!

Thanks for sharing your story. Your gaiwan is gorgeous. And I too do not have a green thumb except when its covered with matcha!

@Terri: I won’t give up then :-) Must be awesome to go grocery shopping in your back yard everyday!
@Chelle: Matcha green thumb, hilarious :-)

This is also one of my favorite teas. It’s hard to find a good aged oolong.

I’m with you Doug, this was my first aged oolong, but I have tried a few since then, and none have provided me with the same level of enjoyment! Having said that, 1991 Da Ye Aged Oolong is my second favourite and is ALSO from Butiki. I just sampled it, it’s really good, sweeter, but I prefer my 2003.

Thanks for the tip! I’ll try the 1991 in my next order.

I love chocolate oranges! This sounds like it should be a thing.

Very much yes. I think the original blend does taste like chocolate oranges to some people, but both Sil and I were picking up on a strange flavouring/base note that was ruining the experience for us (other than that, it tasted amazing). A swap of the base, and removal of marshmallow flavouring, and it’s now perfect.

Glad this versions worked out for you lol

Oh man. So good.

Kittenna-I don’t think we are going to make this one available on the website but I would be happy to make you a small batch for you anytime.

Stacy….was going to ask you about doing that possibly heh

Also…caramel vanilla here I am! Lol

This sounds yummy!!

How small is a small batch [I’m seriously considering this]? Also – I’m curious as to the base! I know it’s assam, but which one is it?

Kitttena-Whatever size you wanted. Its the regular Premium Taiwanese Assam.

I was suspecting that, since I was enjoying it so much. I shall be in touch, heh.

Kitenna – we should pick a size! :)

hmmm, I might have to get in on this action!

Terri-Let me know if you are interested. If I make a batch for them then it would be less work to combine it.

Sil – I hadn’t read your comment yet, but just came on here to say that yes, we will be ordering some of this. I am pretty sure I want PTA as the base for EVERYTHING now…

Sounds yummy! I am a huge chocolate orange fan.

SO GOOD.

I was coming on Steepster to make the exact same review! I just got my Timolino a few days ago and already it’s perfection.

LADIES: I WANT ONE SO BADLY!

What would the difference be between this and a Contigo from Costco? (minus the basket for the leaves)

I just got a bunch of Davidstea gift cards for my birthday so I’mm all over the idea of this

Timolinos keep your tea hot longer. Mine actually has a mesh screen instead of a basket, so I use it for long steeps (green jasmine pearls, herbal teas, some puerhs, etc) when I’m hiking. The contigos don’t make you unscrew a lid before drinking, so I find them easier when on the go.

Thanks for the comparison!

Not sure about the Contigo, but I like how the Timolino is leakproof.I want to put it in my purse and not worry about my kindle!

omg i love my kindle too! but there is love for both in my heart. timolino meet kindle, kindle meet timolino. now double high-five all of us!

i mean i love my kindle so much that i immediately went and bought my boything and my sister each one. like when you love a song so much that you want the whole world to hear it really loud so they understand!

Hahah, yeah I totally understand those feels! I bought my sister a kindle for her birthday and she just… neglected it. :O Then my boyfriend bought a Kobo reader but he barely uses it either. OMG PPL IDEK.

Double high-fives!

Oh, I recently took up knitting and someday I hope to create a tardis cover for my kindle. That’d be SLICK. (and bigger on the inside)

well my boyfriend neglects his too. BUT my sister uses hers enough for all 3 of us so it all balances out :) (yay english major)
the doctah + kindle cozi = just too much

I put mine in my purse with my ipad! I usually have lunch and a reusable shopping bag (for padding) in there too, so all my mugs stand upright. I have started to carry 2 in my purse and one in my hand…

Agreed with OMGsrsly – Timolinos have better heat retention, which is good and bad. Contigos are still pretty good though! Timolinos are also smaller (at least, I haven’t seen them in bigger sizes), and they are easier to clean – the Contigo has bits up top that are irritating. Contigo – definitely easier for on the go, and although both are leakproof, and I’ve never had a problem, I’m more concerned about the Contigo than Timolino. I’ve heard mine slowly taking in air if the vacuum got to be too much.

That’s it you guys, I’m buying one this weekend!! Davidstea gift cards ftw!!

one other note about timolinos…(and i feel this way about beer or wine too)…if i am going to fully appreciate and enjoy the drink i need to be able to smell the liquid as i drink. meaning it’s best to have a somewhat open top to my drinking container. (thus a travel mug with one little drinking hole or a beer bottle are not ideal. phooey).
i like that the timolino has a strainer type top so the scent of the tea can still easily reach my nose. but i also often times just twist the whole lid off so i can really get my honker in there.

I didn’t end up buying one because I didn’t like the plastic basket, wouldn’t it absorb the smell of every tea you made and get dirty really quickly? It seems sort of cheaply made which made me nervous. For $30…

I got the pink/purple one last night! eeee! am using it right now.

YAY! welcome to timolinoland Ellyn

Ellyn, Where did you buy it?

I bought it from the david’s store in the south end of boston, Mass.

So no one else finds the plastic basket thing questionable? Does it get all stainy?

Whatshesaid – I found my older one has a few stains on the basket, and along the rim, but I don’t think it interferes with the taste. I didn’t take very good care of that one though – I think the stain was from leaving a full tumbler of tea in there and forgetting it but to be fair I wasn’t getting a lot of sleep at the time. Also I drank coffee in it. (Don’t do that!)

My new timolino has been taken care of much better and I don’t see any stains. But even with the old one I don’t notice that the stains impact the flavour of the next tea. Hopefully Shmiracles can clarify.

I have to second that it’s important to be able to smell the tea too! I’ve been steeping both timolinos, and then taking turns drinking out of both by pouring the tea into my little bubble cup. Lets me enjoy the tea, without it getting cold, and then I can switch back and forth too! I find I waste less tea now because I’m not dumping cold cups down the drain.

I love your picture btw. I just want to grab all those timolinos and hug them. #YesThatsAStrangeThingToSay

you said it Covocorax!! no more cold cups down the drain ever! and i can brew a different tea for each timoliono and just cycle through them as slowly as i want! you said it!!

(sorry but i can’t say much in regards to the brewing baskets. i’ve gotten lazy and i’m always running late and i basically only use disposable tea bags these days.)
(i’m not sure who but somebody mentioned using unflavored denture cleaner for removing stains, and it seems to have worked nicely for my one super stained one. i’m gonna try it on some of the brewing baskets later this weekend.)

I still have a gift card to Davidstea so you never know. I do find them kind of small though! But I am a tea guzzler, haha

I totally advocate for the use of unflavoured denture tablets. :) It might take a few goes, but they really help loosen the stains (and smells).

Wow! Multiple timolinos so you can sip different tea throughout the day? utter and complete genius. Wow wow wow. I’ve actually been lusting after the white one, and now I feel justified in pursuing this temptation.

I finally got one, keychange! I actually got the white one, and today right after I opened the box and cleaned my shiny little Timolino, I saw on Facebook that Davids now has them in 16 oz. Now I really really really want the bigger one! I figured that I’ll use the 12 oz one to make sure that I at least like it instead of mailing it to exchange it. If I like the 12 oz I’ll just buy a 16 oz. :)

Haha Josie jade, don’t you just hate buying something only to realize something else has appeared that you want even more? How much do you want to bet that within a month or so, you’ll own a 16 oz one and I’ll have it in white? hahaha! Do you think the white one will get dirty/fingerprints on it easily? I want one!

16 oz?! haha oh no!
i don’t want it but i want it. i still use mine every day, in some combination or another.

Kittenna,

Have you thought about writing a review of the Contigo? I for one would be interested in learning more about your experience with it and how it compares to the Timolino or Zojirushi. Thanks!

http://steepster.com/teaware/contigo/46360-autoseal-16-oz-stainless-steel

Bonnie – positive affirmations coming your way love. Hang in there and stay safe. ((Virtual Huggs))

I’m ok…just all the news for weeks and the being shut in and now 2 more cities on fire. All the news is homes on fire. It’s awful!The Airforce Acadamy was just evacuated. I haven’t heard from Jason…he works there. Chadoo lives in Boulder and theres a fire there. Eeks!

Im glad your holding up Bonnie please keep us posted on how you are. I figure as long as you are tea logging your okay. Don’t disappear on us!

I won’t but I’m just upset…having a hard time doing reviews. I need to gather myself together!

:( I’ve been reading about the fires on news websites, and it sounds quite bad. Keep safe and keep us updated as best as possible. Hugs.

2 Hrs ago friends evacuated with just minutes to gather photos and leave!
They posted their pictures …so sad!

Oh Bonnie, this breaks my heart! for so many reasons. All those lost houses, and the forest animals to… I’m with Kristaleyn, keep us updated!

We’re thinking of you, Bonnie, and all of those affected by this terrible summer! Please stay safe.

Bonnie, you are in our thoughts. And everyone in the surrounding area – I hope for their safety and strength to stick together and support eachother through the fires.

Does anyone know how the fires started?

Lightening! It’s been over 100 degrees too. This afternoon we’re expecting lightening again and the winds come up to 30-50 miles per hour. You can imagine…fire and wind. There was a beetle kill of trees in the mountains last year so that’s dead wood tinder and the monsoon season is yet to come so the forests are super dry. Everything is going up in smoke super fast. The fire by me is the biggest ever in State History. The others are new…just began.

Wow. How close are the fires to you? Hopefully many many miles! :(

Dear Bonnie, we are thinking of you here, and send all of our wishes to you and everyone affected. While there is little I can think of to make things better from Minneapolis, I do hope that you, like me, find joy and strength in tea, and in the community built around it.

Bonnie-You are in my thoughts. I hope things start getting better soon. So sorry to hear about this.

Thanks everyone! I’m ok really. The danger to my home is over (looks ok now), just more storms and smoke which makes me ill. It’s the others still in danger and friends, even Steepster friends in harms way. People I know being evacuated. Weeks of this type of tension behind my house, smoke like fog, lack of sleep, migraines, high heat and now new fires just made me spew here on Steepster! I have no other voice! Sorry everyone, and thanks! Hope for those fighting these blazes!

I’m sorry… I hope you get some relief soon

Stay safe and prayers sent to all.

I hope all the fires get under control soon! So sorry that you and yours are going through this!

I’ve actually been really worried about you, but I’ll keep the others in my prayers as well. Stay safe!

Oh…don’t worry. I know who has my life in His hands! I care more about the others. I’m really fine. I just stress and can’t rest.

You and all those close to fires are in my thoughts. Get some rest friend. Some times relaxation exercises help me, maybe they will work for you.

Bonnie, also sending good thoughts your way…

I know, I know…amazing! Pavlovs dog…yes…it gets you! And you crave it! So bad! Then the feeling you get from it…shush! (we could sell this on a street corner in Beverly Hills!)

ha – I need to get this soon!

Oh no you’re right – I am so going to crave this one… I added a new note to the bottom on how I was naughty like Bonnie ;)

Yes Amy – it is the bomb!

My order is due tomorrow. I could live with 3 tea’s in my life. Laoshan Black, Xingyang 1998 Puerh and this Laoshan White. Nothing more.

Lovely – and your life would be full and vibrant with them in your life :)

Wha? Naughty? Moi? Oh yes I am!

You are a naughty girl…vixen DaisyChubb…we have a bevy of naughty tea vixens here I’m sure of it!

Oh most certainly, no doubt of it!

Argh, I badly want this one. August. Please let there still be some left in August.

DaisyChubb and I are going to buy out all the stock…hahahahahaha! I’m mad…crazy…mad! Bowahahahahaha!

O: Bonnie! I thought eet was a seecret!

Are you French now? Eeet Eees a Seecret…Tais-toi!

Also love to go to heaven any day of the week!!!

Oui! le petit chat. en francais.

Today is Friday now – so I will most certainly go to tea heaven all night looong

I will be receiving some today teafairy will get a little with the Laoshan Black…Black and White!

So, are still talking about tea or something else……lol. I think I need to place a Verdant order based on this review alone!

I must say I usually go to a different kind of heaven on Fridays…along with my significant other… we call it «Le Paradis»!!!

Ok! Enough! Poor me! Noone for years! Waaaah!

Is this what’s known as “Immortal Springs Laoshan White” on the website? It has the same photo…

YES!

Beautiful pics! I am so excited that this tea is waiting at the PO for me:-)
Also, your new mug is pretty.
I also wish I could rock a bob haircut like you can.

ah that is exciting! You will LOVE it, I can’t wait until you try it! lol
Thank you! The bob is definitely taking some getting used to – but I’m pretty easy going hair wise. It always tends to grow back! :D

I can’t wait to try this :)

Such a cute photoshoot! Good tasting tea! Tomorrow is Stacy’s Birthday…Happy Birthday Stacy!!!!

It’s true! Happy birthday Stacy, woop! We all get to celebrate :D

Oh! thanks for letting us know, Bonnie.
Hope you have a awesome birthday tomorrow, Stacy!!

Thanks for the birthday wishes guys! :) DaisyChubb-Great review & those pictures are fantastic!

Can hardly stop drinking it to write a review, definitely a sign of good tea!

Is that a David’s tea perfect mug? if so do you like it? they are on sale right now :)

Indeed!

Helena, I personally LOVE the Perfect mugs! I would go get 2 more if I wasn’t so broke – I love their size and the strainer inside is the best I’ve ever had (doesn’t let any rooibos fall through, for example).

So if you’re in need of some awesome mugs, I say go for it personally! I have 2 :3

they are on sale 2 for $30 if that helps you until July 28th

I’ve got this one coming to visit me and I can hardly wait. Love th review!

I ordered this tea and can’t wait to try it and the others :D

These look great!