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Steeped it for a little longer today – just over 3 minutes.

It was nowhere near as bitter as I would have imagined it being, and I even got the scent of freshly cut grass that a lot of people seem to get from green tea. I think the reason for this was the water temperature, since I let it cool quite a bit.

Very pleasant for a bagged tea.

I’ve previously had the vanilla, honey and camomile twinings a few times, which was exactly as it sounds – sweet and suitable for the winter months.

On its own though, the camomile really shines through as a floral, well balanced infusion. It bathes the tongue in easy-going notes of custard and fresh spring flowers.

I may have left the water to cool a bit too much for this tea, and it took a while for the bouquet to have much character. I think a little warmer and it could have released some sharper notes and prevented it from being a little boring.

(From yesterday)

Had a pleasant earthy taste underlining it this time. I think this may have been due to a change in water temperature, but not too sure.
It kind of reminded me of the peatiness of an island scotch.

Had my second ever Darjeeling today. Seems to be a good Twinings staple, and rightfully so.

The description on the box of the train coming down from the himalayas is so dreamlike and enticing, and so fitting for the character of the tea.
It’s a refreshing, drawn-out palette with a firm underpinning of classic black tea flavour, and a faint floral taste around the edges that unfolds in the aftertaste.

I may have over-steeped it today though, since it was a little astringent and the fainter flavours were getting drowned out a bit – so I would recommend maybe about 2 minutes 30 steeping for optimum flavour balance (although due to it being a bagged tea and made of tea dust, you’ll still get a dull, bitter flavour anyway). I might also try it with milk in the future.
Overall though, good job little steam train.

This is my go-to at work, and I drink it all day long.

Got a tough bit of code I need to mull over? Green tea break.
The boss just got off a stressful call? Better brew some teas.
Just finished my tea? Make another.

The little moment of zen you get when handling the delicate green tea flavours of a Clipper bag is indispensable for someone with less time to waste. It’s obviously not as involved as preparing loose leaves or even a matcha, but you still have to be careful not to draw a harsh or dry taste from the bag.

Today I left the kettle water to cool for about 1 minute 30, and gently placed the teabag in the mug after the water. You don’t get many distinct aromas from the ethically-chosen leaves before or after wetting them, but there’s a definite green tea character. It smells slightly sharper than the Twinings green teabags.

I leave it to cool a little before drinking, and again there’s nothing too special that I can remember today, just a slightly bland green tea flavour, slightly bitter, but still easy to drink.

To anyone looking for a green tea to buy by the barrel, Clipper is a good cheap choice. It is by no means a bad green tea, but it’s not the best either.

What to say for my first tasting note on Steepster… feels almost prestigious. I have no idea how I came across such a great site full of so many like-minded people. I suppose I can talk more about this in the discussion area and try to keep this note a note; but as my first interaction with the community, I’d just like to show my support for the Steepster team and everyone like me who enjoys the finer things in life.

Now, Yamamotoyama Oolong Tea: My first impression as I opened the packet was the pleasent scent of cigars – I’m not an expert (yet), so I can’t specify what type. I’m also a bit of a newcomer to tea-making etiquette, so I had to use hard tap water and a tea strainer to pour water into the cup. I didn’t measure the temperature but I’d left the kettle to cool for a minute after boiling.

At the start of the steeping process, it took a few seconds before any colour seeped into the water, and when it did it was a predictable golden colour. After about 5 minutes (again, I didn’t measure – a practice I’ll make sure to get into) I removed the bag – and I didn’t squeeze it since squeezing releases harsh tannins and over-steeped water – and left it to cool a little before drinking. The colour after the ~5 minutes was normal black tea colour with a green tint, which I guess is a good indicator of the partially-fermented Oolong leaves.

The first flavours all kind of weave between each other and lightly flow over the tongue. There’s the distinct, smoky and complex character that you notice first, closely trailed by a light creaminess that makes it so easy to drink. To anyone wanting to try this tea: Do not add sugar. It gets sweeter towards the end, but not in the sickly lingering way that sugar does in tea.

Before long I started to taste a round, slightly sour, slightly metallic flavour. I am almost certain that this note was caused or tainted by the water I used and any other contaminants.

And that’s the end of my first tasting note. I think that’s all the complexity I can get out of a bagged Oolong. I might update in the future with different steeping times and temperatures, but I am reluctant to try milk due to the creaminess.

Sorry for the long-windedness, anyone who has read this. I’m sure my future tasting notes will be briefer, and I hope I can get the hang of all of this and become an active member of the community.