3294 Tasting Notes
This tea is like a miracle! I mean, how could a tea taste like this? The smell is awesome too, & it is one of the most beautiful teas I’ve ever seen. This is one of 2 teas I’m taking with me to the bubble bath, & I love it. I’m still fairly new to Butiki teas, but Stacy is an amazing artist, & I need to sample more of the wonderful teas she has to offer.
Good morning Steepsterites!
This is my first cup of the day. I’ve been on Steepster for about 5 weeks now. Previous to joining this community, I drank a lot of tea, but it tended to be mostly teas I could source locally (at Teavana, Whole Foods, The London Tea Room). I had a pretty nice collection that I rotated through, heavy on the black teas. This was one of those teas.
Then I started reading & writing reviews, visiting tea websites, & drinking things like Laoshan Black & Puerh. Now my kitchen is full of samples of all kinds, my rotation of breakfast teas has gotten longer (really longer!), & I’m drinking a wide array of brews! I actually ordered the “Farewell Ponds” blend from Adagio, even though I’m not really into flavored teas much, don’t really care that much for Bergamot, & I really almost never like anything blueberry flavored (although I love real blueberries). I just had to have that one to drink with my son (age 23) when we watch that Dr. Who episode…LOL
So I’ve finally rotated back to the Kenyan. He is still tall, dark, and handsome! A deep brew, with a blackberry acidity that becomes more prominent as it begins to cool. This is a bold tea that would satisfy lovers of Assam & Irish Breakfast types. I’m thinking it might also be tasty with some vanilla bean blended in. hmmmmm…I think I need a 2nd cup…
Guess who has vanilla beans? So…I’m having a 2nd cup with finely minced vanilla bean & stevia. This tea doesn’t re-steep well, I already knew that from previous experience, so I used fresh leaves too.
The vanilla is adding a nice dimension! It’s not something I’ll do all the time, but kind of a fun thing to do for a 2nd cup, just to change it up a little. This tea does have a sharp berry-like acidic edge to it, & the vanilla adds a mellowness.
Sitting here in my pjs, soaking up a little morning sun in my sunroom with my plants, sipping this tea…little Terri says, “It’s Bubble Bath time!”
Dear Ms. Bonnie,
Little Terri wants you to be her Gramma! She wants to dress up in one of her fairie outfits & come have a tea party with you. I’d also like to have a tea party with you someday! We are both thankful for this sample of yummy tea.
This is a robust & amazing black tea with highly fragrant rose petals, safflowers (I was looking at the tea & thinking, "Is that saffron in there?), & some mystery fruit (who cares what it is, it’s delicious).
Little Terri was complaining that we’ve been drinking entirely too much ‘grown ups tea’ lately, & I realized that she was right, plus I still have lots of interesting samples to try. We were in the mood for something sweet, & this hit the spot! Plain it is good, sweetened it is phenomenal! It’s flowery & fancy enough for little T, & bold enough to satisfy me. It looks like I’ll be having a cleaning party tonight, as I can also verify that it pack a punch in the caffeine department.
You are funny Terri! I forgot to tell you that some of these Russian tea’s are the best when you put tart tablespoons of Cherry jam in the cup, stir and drink your tea and nibble some jam from the spoon. This is the way it was served to me at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church by Fr. John.
Little Terri would like the jam!
Oh, I didn’t send you the other blue label Czar Nicholas. I like it the best. (You can find these big bags on Amazon. The importer is in Sacramento, CA but you can’t buy directly.
What’s the blue one like? The St Valentine was pretty good!
Renaissance is the name and it’s more strawberry floral.
Czar Nicholas ll Renaissance.
I had a nice lunch at the London Tea Room with my friend today. I drank a pot (including resteep) of Shu Puerh, she had a pot of Ginger Lemongrass. Of course, we sampled each others teas. She didn’t care much for mine (& admittedly, it wasn’t my favorite puerh either, but acceptable). I wasn’t really too excited about her selection, but I do love ginger, so I gave it a go. Unsweetened it was just ok, but with a little stevia, it was really very tasty! Ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, licorice root.
I’ve been home teaching for a few hours, sipping the Light Roast Anxi Tieguanyin. It really reminds me of the sticky rice dessert you get at Vietnamese restaurants, with a mild floral scent & a slightly salty taste. I followed the western brewing suggestions & am currently enjoying the 4th infusion.
I have to admit to being more interested in your friend’s brew. Ginger and lemongrass are two of my favourite tea things! They’re both so healthy, too, and haldi (turmeric) is also really healthy. A powerhouse of a tea that sounds yummy.
Want a sample, Nik? I bought some!
Put one in my box too, I like the sound of licorice root in this.
I’m overstocked at the moment, Terri, but thanks so much for thinking of me. =)
Thanks to Azzrian for this sampler!
This is an interesting blend, tart & tangy. It was my first cup of the day, & the sample Azz sent me was generous enough that I can try a 2nd cup later, which will be lightly sweetened or or cold brewed…still not sure which!
Now I’m off to meet a friend at the London Tea Room!
Enjoy the day, everyone!
I really enjoy this tea, with it’s blend of Black, Puerh, & chocolate. It’s bold & beautiful, deeply satisfying, & it can stand up to the BAB (that’s Paleo-speak for Big Ass Breakfast) that I’m having today.
I have a gig today, playing a mix of classic rock & jazz with vocals at the Schnucks Grocery store. I know it seems like a strange place to play a gig, huh? They have a coffee shop in there (with a limited selection of teas), & I’ll play my electric harp & sing my heart out for 4 hours, while people squeeze produce, sip coffee, & smile! I love it, I get paid well, I love my life!
This is the last of this tea, so I guess I’ll have to start contemplating an order from The Tea Spot, because I like to keep it in my morning tea rotation. Enjoy the day, everyone!
That sounds amazing! Classic rock with an electric harp?! I would love to be there!
That sounds like a lot of fun! I’m a piano player myself, and I’d love a job like that!
Awww, you bring beauty to the world, that is so cool
Adding Schnucks to our must-visit list next St. Louis run ;)
(We go to Dierberg’s recreationally every time.)
Did you get this at the Rocky Mountain tea festival?
@gmathis – next time you’re coming to town, check my gig calendar at www.harpsinger.net, hopefully I’ll be playing somewhere. Where are you, down around Springfield?
@Rachel, nope, I got it at Whole Foods, but they aren’t carrying it now, apparently. I’ve been through a couple cannisters, & I’ll have to order some more!
@everyone else, thanks! I have lots of fun playing! You can hear a few samples at my website www.harpsinger.net
So yesterday I spent most of the day running around, & during the evening I played for a wedding & reception. I like to bring my own beverage to gigs, and I wanted to use up the rest of this tea, so I steeped it up strong with a little stevia to bring out the flavors, iced it down, & filled my Starbucks awesome iced beverage cup. It was a decent iced bev to keep me sipping between tunes, and now I can remove it from my pantry list.
I’ve already logged this one before, & I usually drink it straight. The cool weather is making me crave a sweet taste, & I’m sick of stevia, so I put a little honey in it. I like it better plain, so I’ll resteep it that way.
I’m eagerly awaiting the unveiling of a Verdant Imperial Breakfast Winter Blend. I don’t know for sure if there will be one, but a girl can hope, right?
I’m enjoying a pajama day with Tony. It’s cool enough that he brought in some logs & built a fire. I just earned some extra brownie point by steeping some of this beautiful colored tea. It’s a bright, tangy & flavorful blend, which I’m enjoying today with a little local honey.
Here’s Tony’s guest review: “fragrant, beautiful color, with a mild fruit after taste”
