Yes, this is as good as they all say it is. I have ever so lightly sweetend mine and plan to resteep. The cup is slightly smokey and incredibly smooth. I do get the faint hint of cocoa. A huge thanks to my ‘dealer’ JacquelineM.
Since my palate is essentially newish to tea, this tea and a few of the other more expensive types make me wonder if premium teas are lost in translation for the newbies. In all honesty, this is very good, but do I really notice a huge difference in comparison to a less expensive variety? Is the difference actually worth the price difference to me? I know there are tea drinkers out there who can very much tell the difference, and the premium teas are definitely worth the expense to them. And we all know, life is too short to drink tea that is just so-so. Still, I may have to look into this a little more for my personal information, and I might even try to get a blog going about it…kind of outlining my deals, splurges, and great values of the tea world.
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
That would make a great subject for a blog!
I have my favorites, and some are .10 a cup, and some are .50 a cup when I do the math. There have def been times that I tasted a very expensive tea and was not blown away. There are other times that I would have paid double for a certain tea! I do know that I’m a practical enough person that if I couldn’t tell the difference between two teas, I’d buy the less expensive one, but I am enough of a hedonist that if I could tell the difference, only the more expensive one would do. I would just drink it less often :)
I definitely see both sides….and will probably still indulge myself a little every now and then…and then….and then. ( Wait, how many thens? ) I am even thinking I am going to order some Emporer’s Red at some point (the Queen Catherine is already on order!) for research purposes, of course!
I have decided that the only bad tea purchase is one that you can’t drink yourself or pass along to a friend who will enjoy it…..
Yes – I think Queen Catherine is a great example of a very reasonably priced super yummy tea! :) When I fell in love with it, I bought a pound, reducing the cost even further. The other thing is that my local tea shop carries Emperor’s Red, so I don’t have shipping to pay, and the owner overstuffs my bag, gives me an ounce of something to try here and there, etc. so I always feel that even though the tea is expensive, I have other perks around it which add value.
Plus, it’s all an education :) The thing I love about all the trading we do on Steepster is that it helps with the high cost of education :) :) :) Paying back those tea student loans can be a bear! ;)
She should stuff your bag at Premium Steap. You are her dealer, afterall! Actually, she is lucky to have such a good customer who is so willing to spread the joy of her teas since samples are not available.
And you are right…it is an education. Luckily, my husband is into beer, so my budget is pretty good for tea!
That would make a great subject for a blog!
I have my favorites, and some are .10 a cup, and some are .50 a cup when I do the math. There have def been times that I tasted a very expensive tea and was not blown away. There are other times that I would have paid double for a certain tea! I do know that I’m a practical enough person that if I couldn’t tell the difference between two teas, I’d buy the less expensive one, but I am enough of a hedonist that if I could tell the difference, only the more expensive one would do. I would just drink it less often :)
I definitely see both sides….and will probably still indulge myself a little every now and then…and then….and then. ( Wait, how many thens? ) I am even thinking I am going to order some Emporer’s Red at some point (the Queen Catherine is already on order!) for research purposes, of course!
I have decided that the only bad tea purchase is one that you can’t drink yourself or pass along to a friend who will enjoy it…..
Yes – I think Queen Catherine is a great example of a very reasonably priced super yummy tea! :) When I fell in love with it, I bought a pound, reducing the cost even further. The other thing is that my local tea shop carries Emperor’s Red, so I don’t have shipping to pay, and the owner overstuffs my bag, gives me an ounce of something to try here and there, etc. so I always feel that even though the tea is expensive, I have other perks around it which add value.
Plus, it’s all an education :) The thing I love about all the trading we do on Steepster is that it helps with the high cost of education :) :) :) Paying back those tea student loans can be a bear! ;)
She should stuff your bag at Premium Steap. You are her dealer, afterall! Actually, she is lucky to have such a good customer who is so willing to spread the joy of her teas since samples are not available.
And you are right…it is an education. Luckily, my husband is into beer, so my budget is pretty good for tea!