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I am really liking this! Dominant flavor I pick up on besides the tea is almond. It reminds me of these almond crescent cookies I used to make along time ago when I could eat dozens of home made cookies at a time and not gain weight. I no longer make those cookies, because I can never control myself with good cookies right out of the oven. I lightly sweetened as recommended and brewed it for 4 minutes-didn’t pick up any astringency. A most delicious tea and highly recommended.

Wow, I’m sipping this thinking how unique it is compared to any other oolong I’ve had. Then I went back to Stacy’s comments on the Butiki website and saw that Gui Fei, otherwise known as Honey Oolong, is one of those Taiwanese leaf-hopper teas, just like the Mi Xian black that I like so much. I find it amazing that in nature, an insect nibbling a tea leaf can have such major effects on the flavor and aroma of a tea. Wow. And to think that an earthquake in 1999, causing neglect of tea farms and lack of pesticides and fertilizers, resulted in some great tea discoveries. I got 3 steeps brewed according to package instructions. The fragrance is very appealing, but I’m not sure how to describe it. An incredibly smooth cup with complex honey sweet flavor. Nantou County, Taiwan, is producing some mighty fine tea!

My second Butiki for the day. It is a “Ten” weather wise here in Atlanta, and I think I need to move outside for tea tasting this afternoon-perfect tea drinking weather, but then again, there is never a bad day to drink tea. Others have described this excellent Assam very accurately. I am grateful this sample came in my box from Stacy, but I regret not having more because it is a winner. I would say that this is a rich tea that does not have the astringency that I have experienced with the Indian Assams I’ve tried, but I must admit, I haven’t had a lot of Indian ones. I agree with Azzrian, this in not your mother’s Lipton. Until I tried some black teas recommended on Steepster, I didn’t even know I liked black teas because my mom always got Lipton tea bags and it never did much for me. Lately, I’ve been favoring black teas over almost anything else. My first impression is that it is a really good Assam and I plan to put it on my next order. Now, on to Butiki #3-which one will it be…hmmm…

Oh my!! I was so excited to get my first order from Stacy at Butiki. I can certainly see why Butiki is a popular company with veteran Steepsterites. I have 4 selections, plus 4 samples to try. Mi Xian, a premium black selection, is the 1st one I prepared and boy did it deliver. This for me is a perfect black tea. I have brewed it three different times since yesterday, to make sure I’m not exaggerating, and no, it is fabulous. I appreciate the beautiful packaging and clear instructions on each bag, the well done website,the free samples, and the helpfulness of Stacy on the phone. Now, back to this tea. Stacy points out that Mi Xian is a relatively new style tea. A unique feature is that leafhoppers, which tend to congregate where pesticides aren’t used, are allowed to nibble the leaves which causes the plant to initiate its healing process, making the wet and dry leaves smell like honey and lending favorably to the character of the tea. I think this is a very cool aspect to this tea. As I savor this wonderful tea, I pick up on wild honey and subtle citrusy notes with a creamy velvety body and beautiful fragrance. Especially for those who appreciate milder black teas, as I do, I highly recommend Mi Xian. I will absolutely re-order.

I don’t think I can add anything to the eloquent descriptions already posted about this outstanding Pu’er. I bought the sample size, so I will have one more opportunity to spend a day with it, and really, one does have to devote a day because it does stand up to many steepings. I used 5 gm with 4 oz boiling water for 2 min. and so far have had 10 steepings but I’m sure I’ll get a few more. I even drank about 12 oz of it iced, and it was great that way too. If I have the willpower, I’m going to save the remaining 5gm for awhile before I prepare it so it can age some more. Anyone who wants to give Pu-er a try should get some of this so they’ll know what a truly good Shu Pu-er tastes like.

This is my second occasion with Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake. I used 2 tsp with 8 oz of water, more tea than the last time so as to bring out the flavor more. I added some steamed almond milk and sweetener for a dessert experience. Like others have mentioned, I don’t pick up on the cheesecake, but nonetheless, it is a nice blend of flavors and quite appealing for an autumn evening.

I’ve noticed a few others comparing this one with the non-organic. I definitely prefer the non-organic. I brewed this one Western style, and if I get any more, I’d try Gongfu brewing with short steeps. The organic is a little stronger, so some might prefer it, but I love the non-organic and next time I order, I’ll get that one. In fact, the non-organic Bailin Gongfu is one of my favorite blacks-it is one smooth cup of tea!

As an RN, I was thinking, has anyone else noticed that what used to be considered quirky or eccentric has now been given a name and put in the United States DSM-IV ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) The next revision will appear in 2013 and will “tea obsession disorder” be in there? If so, I’m sure I have it! And you know what? I’m not looking for a cure! So after finishing my Golden Monkey tasting, I went on to Imperial Breakfast Summer Blend. For some reason, I never made notes the 1st time with this, but I’m really loving it today. Others have done a better job of describing the notes than I can, but it is a wonderful blend, great for any time of day really. I just wish I had a little more left!

It’s late so I didn’t want caffeine and remembered I had this tucked away. Arbor Teas has a handy guide with instructions on how to prepare chai latte. Following their advice, I used 3 tsp of the tea, added 1/3 cup boiling water, and steeped for 5 min. Meanwhile I steamed 2/3 cup almond milk and mixed it with the steeped tea along with sweetener. Next time I’ll use my frother for the milk, but I was feeling a little lazy. So today, being off from work, I have managed to work my way through a Golden Monkey tea chilled, 2 chilled Macadamia Nut Matcha lattes, a freebie fruit tisane mixed with Dragonwell and serve hot, and then this Chai Latte. A satisfying tea day. I don’t usually drink decaf teas, but I thought this was quite good and will be something I’ll keep in mind for a late bedtime snack.

First, a big thanks to Azzrian and AlphaKitty for their reviews on this flavor, because who knows when I would have tried it otherwise. There are so many choices! With that being said, I was very excited about preparing this today, since I have just purchased an Aerolatte, a milk frothing device. With a $5.00 off coupon at my local home goods store, this device was super cheap, and it works great! I sifted the matcha to get rid of lumps, and I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon in 2 oz water plus 6 oz cold almond milk with a splash of cream and some sweetener. This stuff really does smell good in the bag. I ordered the robust flavor, but I’m glad I was generous with the amount of matcha, because I think you need a little more when you are using milk rather than water as a base. This thing was amazing. I ended up making a second one it was so good and I wanted a 3rd! The frother worked great-so quick- and it made it so nice and foamy, which I love. I have enjoyed every flavor so far from Red Leaf-this may be my favorite, but it’s hard to say because I love Caramel, Boysenberry, and Pumpkin Pie, and Black Cherry is on the way. To me, these are as satisfying as a milk shake and a lot fewer calories.