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This is a tea that has stuck in my brain. I received a sample of it years ago, and when I tried it I was enchanted. But it was only a sample, so I went through it quickly. I didn’t write a tea note about it here (silly me), and I didn’t order some right away (silly, silly me), and then I forgot the name of the tea. Even more years (yes, years) later I was drinking another mint tea, but all I could think about was this one. It was so frustrating because I couldn’t remember the name of the tea or the place where it was sold. After some quick google searches turned up nothing I came back to Steepster because I knew it was listed here. It still took some searching, but I found it and immediately placed an order with Samovar. Crisis averted. Thank you, Steepster! I’ve learned my lesson and going forward will write tea notes – even if it’s a very short one – on teas I like.

Ok, the tea. This is a green tea blended with peppermint and spices. It’s not a Moroccan mint, but it’s also not a green chai. It’s something in between, and I really like it. Each sip is a little different. There’s a good bit of heat between the ginger and pepper, but it’s not overwhelming. The clove and cardamom add to the balance and give a nod to all the chai teas out there. The peppermint is a dominant flavor throughout, but it never overtakes the spices completely. It’s delicious, warming, soothing goodness.

I used 1 tablespoon of tea for 12 oz. of water, and I did add some simple syrup. The instructions from Samovar say to use boiling water, but I used water around 185 degrees because of the green tea. I was happy with the results, but I might follow their directions once just to see what the differences might be. I’m not one to usually resteep my leaves, but I did for this one and got three lovely steeps.

Can’t say enough good things about this one. I’m glad I found it again!

This is the best eggnog tea I’ve found to date. It has a great eggnog flavor with a good hit of vanilla. Green/Black tea blends are often a no for me, but it works in this mix. It’s just a fun, yummy, delicious tea – even in the depths of summer.

Tea of the evening.

As far as decaf teas go, this is one of the best. The vanilla flavor is creamy and rich, and the base tea offers a bit of malt and a nice roasted note. Make no mistake, the vanilla is the star, but for a decaf Ceylon I think the base tea is impressive.

Sipdown!

Decided to finish this off for breakfast this morning. This is a tea that comes and goes from my tea cupboard with regularity. I love the slightly smokey flavor. The molasses sweetness, the malt and leather notes are all so good. It’s a go-to breakfast tea for me, so I’m sure I’ll pick up another tin this fall, once the weather cools down. Can’t happen soon enough!

It’s almost 5:00 in the morning. I’ve been awake since 3:30 thinking about the coming months. It’s looking more and more like the school buildings will stay closed and kids will have classes online. I am all for public safety, and if that’s what needs to be done so be it. I’m also exhausted at the thought of working full time (or trying to) and teaching my son full time. The idea of everything that will need to happen is overwhelming, and so I’m doing what so many overwhelmed souls have done for years and years before me, making tea.

Earl Grey is a comfort tea for me. It helps to soothe wounds and smooth away rough edges. This tea in particular has a nice amount of bergamot along with vanilla and lemon. There’s no astringency from the base tea, even with a five minute steep. It still reminds me of lemon pound cake, and that’s not a bad thing in my book.

This is also a sipdown, but this is going back on my wishlist. I have one other Earl Grey to enjoy, but then I’m repurchasing this one. That said, I’m also bumping my rating up (it was an 87). This is a true favorite.

A few sips in and I’m already feeling better.

Also, to any teachers who might read this, thank you. Thank you for doing an already difficult job under impossible circumstances. I appreciate you.

I was still in the mood for a smokey tea today, so I brought out my favorite. This is easily one of my top ten of all time teas. There’s a good amount of pine smoke, but also delicious cocoa notes mixed with malt and a flavor I always think of as baked grapefruit. It’s so good. The flavors play off of each other in the best of ways. It’s a great breakfast tea, but I’ve also reached for it in the afternoon when I’m looking for that break in the day to rest and regroup. This isn’t a tea I ever rush through. It’s too delicious for that.

I made a pot of this, and while it’s not my favorite LS, it’s decent. There’s a lot of smokey flavor, so much so that the base tea is almost hidden. What I could make out had a sweetness to it. It makes me understand why some people equate this to barbecue or barbecue sauce. I decided to add some sugar to my cup, and I enjoyed the smokey sweetness and smoothness of this tea.

This isn’t my first choice for a Lapsang Souchong, so I doubt I purchase it again. If I’m ever offered a cup I won’t say no. As with so many smokey teas, this would probably be at its best during the fall/winter months when the idea of sitting in front of a fire is most appealing. But whatever, I drink what I like. ;)

I have a few reviews I’ve been trying to write, but Steepster isn’t cooperating. I’m writing them here just to get them out of my brain.

Tea #1
Queen Catherine from Harney and Sons

I’ve loved this tea for years, and I continue to love this tea. It’s robust and rich, perfect for a morning cup. The flavor is bittersweet chocolate and raisins with a good bit of malt. Sometimes I think I taste a bit of berry, especially as the tea cools. On the day I drank this I had an entire pot, and I regret nothing. 10/10 will drink again.

Tea #2
Mist Valley Estate Second Flush (TM98S) by Upton Tea Imports

I only bought a sample of this, and I’m thinking that’s a good thing. The dry leaf is beautiful with its silver tipped leaves. Once the water hits the leaves (212 degrees for 2- 3 minutes per package directions) there is an immediate sour note that is unpleasant. It reminds me of wet, rotten wood. There is a fruity sweet smell right at the end that gave me some hope that all was not lost. Unfortunately, the sip followed the smell as there was a sour, borderline rancid, note at the beginning with a bit of sweetness and generic fruity finish.

I’m going to play with the water temperature on this one to see if I can get a better result. Perhaps a lower temp and short steep will keep the rot away. Here’s hoping.

Tea #3
Cold brew – Random Steeping

I had four random green tea bags floating around in my stash, so I gathered them all together and cold brewed them. The result wasn’t mind blowing, but it was perfectly pleasant and perfect for these stupidly hot days. But more importantly, for two whole days I WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF GREEN TEA. Be excited for me y’all because, let me tell you, that was quite a feat! Since then I’ve had an order arrive from Samovar as well as one from Upton, but both were small, planned purchases (win!).

Ok, that’s all. Hopefully Steepster gets fixed. If I facepalm anymore I’m going to have a permanent headache.

Cold brew.

Light peach flavor, but the green tea is surprisingly good. Vegetal with a bit of a sweet pea note. The peach flavor might be stronger is sweetener is added, but I like it sans additions. I’ll keep cold brewing this, but I’m curious to see how it performs hot, too.

Work tea #2.

When I know we’re going to have an influx of patients I’ll often throw an herbal tea bag into my cup. I don’t have to worry about overstepping, and I’ll still have something warm to sip once things calm down (my office is freezing!). Today it was this, and I liked it.

The apple flavor is mild. In fact, it taste a bit like slightly watered down apple juice. The sarsaparilla flavor came across more like caramel. So the end result was caramel apple tea, heavy on the caramel. I’m not sad about it, and I’m sure I’ll drink it again in the near future.