AmazonV select Send Message

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: boiling 16oz water
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes (http://steep.it)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: vegetal and black and sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet black and a little vegetal
Flavor: black tea with a hint of vegetal
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: vegetal
Liquor: translucent dark orange-brown

This is a seasonal tea which is no longer available online at the Starbucks Store, you may still find a tin in your local Starbucks or online retailer.

This year the tea is full leaf and in a sachet as opposed to CTC in a paper filterbag.

Starbucks Tazo Tea – ‘Tis the season of Joy – Guest Post at StarbucksMelody.com http://www.starbucksmelody.com/2011/01/03/starbucks-tazo-tea-tis-the-season-of-joy/

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/tazo-teabag-black-tea-joy.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: boiling
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, cinnamon
Steeped Tea Smell: clove, cinnamon
Flavor: astringent, spiced (cinnamon, clove) black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent, a touch bitter
Liquor: translucent dark brown

I am glad I did not do 5 minutes as suggested. I was not thrilled, it was rather ho-hum spiced black tea.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/harney-and-sons-teabag-black-tea.html

Steep Information:
Served in a teapot with a t-sac
Steep Time: over 2 minutes (I let it sit 2 minutes after it arrived at the table)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: indistinguishable spice, hints of chocolate
Flavor: black tea, cinnamon
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent, a touch bitter
Liquor: translucent dark brown (amber)

The tea was good, and the chocolate croissant was warmed and went very well on that cold night. I wasn’t getting strong notes of chocolate, but it was a nice smooth spiced tea.

Not something I would miss if it were off the menu, but I might pair it with a chocolate croissant again some night.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/tbar-loose-leaf-black-tea-chocolate.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: 1 cup hot spigot water
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: ginger
Steeped Tea Smell: ginger, lemongrass, spice
Flavor: ginger! spicy
Body: Full
Aftertaste: spice
Liquor: translucent dark yellow

5 min was too strong, I had to toss that one

3 minutes worked well, I had to add honey. This worked well for my sore throat and head cold, but not something I would drink normally.

Does not resteep well, very weak.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/tea-forte-teabag-herbal-tisane-ginger.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: 500ml 200 °F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 6 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
MilitiaJim: That’s a lot of fruit. The strawberry is kinda takin’ over.
AmazonV: It smells like strawberry and cherry. Now that I’ve dug in a bit more I’m maybe getting the lemongrass?
Steeped Tea Smell:
MilitiaJim: fruit
AmazonV: strawberry, fruity, hint of lemongrass
Flavor:
MilitiaJim: They mixed everything together enough that its a hot fruit punch, not any fruit in particular.
AmazonV: A melody of fruits, hard to pick them out individually
Body: Full
Aftertaste: strawberry, apple
Liquor: translucent dark pink

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/persimmon-tree-tea-company-loose-leaf_16.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 750ml 195°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
AmazonV: vanilla bean ice cream
MilitiaJim: Yup, vanilla, a bit of bean in there
Steeped Tea Smell:
AmazonV: vanilla bean ice cream
MilitiaJim: tea with some vanilla
Flavor:
AmazonV: vanilla, black tea
MilitiaJim: Wow. Oversteeped bitter. Nice vanilla flavor though.
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent
Liquor: translucent dark brown

Next time it needs to be steeped on the lower end of the parameters.

Post-Steep Additives: cream, sugar

Much better, less astringent, more of the vanilla flavor comes out as well.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/persimmon-tree-tea-company-loose-leaf.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (http://steep.it/)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: rooibos
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, spice
Flavor: pepper
Body: Full
Aftertaste: woody
Liquor: translucent red-orange

It was a nice and spicy rooibos! For those who don’t like hibiscus you can’t taste it.

Gift from TEB, thank you, that was mauled by the post office.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/teaspree-teabag-rooibos-tisane.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (http://steep.it/)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: raspberry, hibiscus
Steeped Tea Smell: hibiscus, raspberry
Flavor: hibiscus
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: sweet, vanilla
Liquor: opaque dark pink

Not really getting raspberry or vanilla. I was a fine cup but not something I want more of.

Swap with oOTeaOo , Thank you

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/taylors-of-harrogate-teabag-herbal.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cinnamon, hibiscus
Steeped Tea Smell: floral, plum, cinnamon, generally sweet and spicy
Flavor: sweet, cinnamon
Body: Full
Aftertaste: cinnamon, hint of ginger
Liquor: barely translucent dark red-purple

Swap with Meghann M, Thank you!

Very festive, pretty yummy, the plum is weak and the cinnamon dominates. It has a sweetness to it, not sure what from, but I am glad I taste before sweetening.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/celestial-seasonings-teabag-herbal.html

Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: honey and green mate
Flavor: bubbly, fizzy, acidic, fermented honey
Body: Full
Aftertaste: astringent, bitter
Liquor: translucent yellow-green

I think it tastes better hot than cold (left it in the car in the summer).

Got this drink at “The last hope” and “The next hope” and on various visits to NYC Resistor.

At first I wasn’t happy about it, but I needed the caffeine for the convention, and it is true you get used to it. I drink it for the caffeine and for the memories.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/01/brauerei-loscher-kg-bottled-mate-tisane.html