1186 Tasting Notes

84

Hey Steepster, are you back? Looks like the discussion boards and cupboard are still a bit messed up lol, well I should at least log 1 note while it’s up and running. I am having a cup of this this morning at work, and I think this tea has changed! It has a more noticeable honey flavor today but is still rich and bold. Interesting, I think the honey note is new? I’ll have to look back at old logs of this haha. It is good anyways, a lot of caffeine but I am drinking it slowly lol. See previous notes on this tea!

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83

This is an older tea in my cupboard that I stocked up before it was gone last year lol. It was only +5 C here this morning, so definitely a spiced tea day! This tea is still quite good, nice spice flavor, warming, and the vanilla in the aftertaste is present today. Mmmm cozy cozy. It’s Friday! Getting my hair cut today and then probably chilling with the parents all weekend. Should be a good one :D see previous notes on this tea!

mj

Good lord, where do you live that it’s that cold already??

mrs.stenhouse12

Haha Alberta..we have such lovely weather here lols, not

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81

I haven’t had this in ages and it is the perfect tea to warm me up in my ridiculously cold office…like seriously my hands are slow moving. Gahhhh. Anyways, this tea is delicious and I will be drinking more of it in the coming fall/winter season. I did underleaf today as I remember how strong this one gets (CTC assam base) but it still has a nice spicy, vanilla tinged flavor, albeit a little weak. But still helping me stay awake at work lol, I have a tough time around 2 in the afternoon, I think my body finishes digesting lunch and wants to have a nap at that point every day lol. Anyways, back to work! See previous notes on this tea :)

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89

Starting off the morning with this lovely tea. It’s rainy and grey outside and I can finally start wearing fall sweaters on days like today, so Double Knit Blend fits the mood haha. Malty, delicious, lightly smoky, I’ve reviewed this tea before in much greater detail lol, but it’s still really good. One of my favorite black teas – the perfect ‘old standby’ when I don’t want anything too honeyed, too sugary tasting..just straight up good black tea. See previous notes!

Oh, and I still have this horrible cough. I think my asthma is back from the forest fire smoke this summer, other family members are also having the same issues..ughh will probably need to go back on daily meds for it. :( will find out tomo at my yearly doctor appointment..ah well at least I won’t be coughing continually then hopefully! It’s been a bad summer for allergies/lungs. At least tea seems to help my throat a bit!

Cheri

I’m so sorry to hear about your asthma. It’s better to get something to help than to keep coughing and risk more damage or potential infections from the constant inflammation.

mrs.stenhouse12

Thanks Cheri, the doctor didn’t seem too concerned but she did prescribe a new inhaler for me that is longer lasting so I will be trying that out and hoping it helps!

Cheri

I hope it helps. Asthma is AWFUL!

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92

Andd I’m having this one again today at work, smothered in honey lol..yes I know, it is a wonderful tea on its own, but since I am down to a total of 2 ginger-heavy blends (this and my Soothing tea by Epicure), I don’t have much choice for burning out this cough haha. This one is also SO GOOD with honey haha. Super sweet and helpful for this darn cough, I think it might be asthmatic bronchitis or something, since it was triggered by cleaning and pet hair. On the bright side, I am less wheezy and just coughing more today? Lol. At least the tea is helping and tastes good – spicy, sweet, yums. See previous notes on this tea!

Cheri

Feel better!

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89

Good morning caffeine..you are required today. I didn’t sleep well – whatever is up with my throat made me wake up around 4 coughing uncontrollably..needed my asthma puffer, etc..so yeah, we are going to change the cat’s litter back to the old variety as I think it’s the new one that’s triggering all this coughing. Blargh. So not 100% awake at all at work today. This tea should rectify that though, with it’s malty, rich flavor and rather large amount of caffeine haha.

Also was staying up late watching Jumanji…I am so saddened to hear of Robin Williams passing. He was a superb actor with an amazing sense of humour, and any one of his movies would brighten your day. My thoughts go out to his family during this time :( depression and mental illness are difficult things to deal with, so please, if anyone is suffering from them, please seek out help! Also if anyone here on Steepster needs someone to talk to, my inbox is always open and I’m willing to listen :)

Here’s to a great man and actor all around, who made my day more than once, and had a classic sense of humour that could make anyone laugh. I raise my teacup to you, Robin Williams, you will be missed. :(

mj

Lovely toast clinks teacups. I feel the same way about him!

Nxtdoor

Yes. Well said. I am so saddened by the news. It is a heartbreaking loss but also hard is knowing how many more are out there struggling. It is deep and dark and to not see the way out must be terrifying.

mrmopar

My kids grew up watching him and I as well. A great loss all the way around.

mrs.stenhouse12

Yeah I just couldn’t believe it :( at least his legacy will live on, and it’s a very positive one!

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92

Happy Monday and Happy 900th note for me! I am having this tea this morning to help with my allergies, my throat has been plugged up for the majority of the weekend and I have been hacking away…blargh, hoping the peppercorn and ginger can help clear out my sinuses! This tea is tasty and providing a nice flavor and caffeine hit for a Monday morning :) see previous notes on this tea!

mj

900! Congrats :)

mrs.stenhouse12

Thank you! I feel like I write too many reviews lol, I’m almost at 300 teas rated too :D hooray for tea!

Ysaurella

Bravo MissLena pour la 900ème note :)

mrs.stenhouse12

Merci beaucoup Ysaurella! :D

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83

Second Nina’s sample of the day! Thank you again Laurent for the opportunity to try your teas! So far they have not disappointed!

The dry smell of this was caramelly and good, with a hint of toast. I steeped for 3 mins with 175 degree water, the whole sample again, and the steeped scent is caramel genmaicha. I love genmaicha and haven’t had any in AGES, so this is a nice change and now I want to order some plain genmaicha too lol.

As for the flavor, this is quite good, although I admit, my expectations were VERY high after reading the reviews. It mostly tastes like genmaicha, a good quality one, and then the caramel flavor comes in at the end of the sip. YUM! It’s roasty, popcorn like, nutty and caramel. Probably closest in flavor to a toffee, good stuff.

Overall, this is a tasty toffee like tea, but it is fairly sweet, and I do find it interesting that genmaicha, generally a savory tea to me, is paired with the sweet flavors of caramel and vanilla. It is tasty and good, but I am still a bit undecided on whether I would order more of it in the future. It definitely is sweet and delicious, but not an everyday tea, more of a treat one haha. Caramel popcorn reminiscent! Thanks again Laurent and everyone at Nina’s Tea for the free sample of this tea!

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A huge thank you to Angel at Teavivre for another round of free samples! :D this is the first of the bunch I decided to try, as I’ve only had one other white tea cake (from Verdant) and loved it.

The dry aroma of this one smells much like a sheng, a bit woody and fresh. I steeped for 7 mins (!) With boiling (!!) Water! Very different parameters for a white tea, as it was recommended to do 6-10 mins, but hey I’ll roll with it! The tea brews up quite dark too, and the steeped scent is grainy and woodsy, a sheng crossed with aged white tea to me.

As for the flavor, initially I thought it was pretty strong, almost like a black tea! But as it cools it mellows out into a grain taste (actually a bit like hay) with some malt, a bit of astringency, and a sugared sweet aftertaste. Man, I don’t think I’ve had anything like this one! It’s a variety of teas in one – black, white, sheng..so interesting. The overall flavor is definitely of an aged white though, with the grain, hay-like notes and malt with a sugar (not honey) endnote. Also getting quite the little buzz off this lol, some good sheng-like cha qi!

Overall, this is an extremely interesting tea to try! I will need to have a few more cups to be able to fully grasp what’s going on in here lol, but it’s tasty and unique and I am quite enjoying this while sitting out on the deck with the fountain running. Today I felt a tangible change in the weather, a cooling in the morning, the difference in sunlight, saw some orange fallen leaves. The season of chai and lattes is arriving soon, so I will soak up the sunlight and warmth and enjoy my white teas while I’m in the mood for them! Don’t leave yet summer :(

Once again, thank you Angel for this sample! No rating yet because I’m on my phone, but this first cup feels like an 84 to me. :)

Flavors: Grain, Green Wood, Malt, Sugar

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78

I’m at a sipdown for this and I haven’t reviewed it yet lol, well I have mostly been making this in my iced tea pitcher (brew it half full of tea and top up with water) and it has been quite good that way! Refreshing and sweet, the watermelon is artificial watermelon flavor (that candy like stuff) but it’s good, I don’t like regular watermelon lol. The mint adds a coolness that pairs nicely when iced. If I recall correctly, it was a strange one to drink hot, but once it cooled it was good. A good tea while it lasted, but not one I will purchase again, I have too many other teas I enjoy more.

mj

I don’t like actual watermelon either! People always think I’m crazy for not liking it (love watermelon candy though)

mrs.stenhouse12

Haha yay I’m not the only one! I will eat it if it is offered to me but I don’t willingly pick it off a fruit plate..it’s too watery or something lol. Watermelon candy is amazing :D

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Profile

Bio

Hello all, I am an electrical engineer (read:NERD :D), who is a bit obsessed with tea! I discovered loose tea in 2011, DAVIDsTEA in 2012 and it took off from there. I really started drinking/enjoying tea because it was excellent to take to class in the morning and because I can’t handle coffee! (unless it’s a really good cappuccino or latte, or decent decaf haha)

I enjoy a variety of teas – current favorites being ripe and raw pu’erhs, chinese black teas and herbal/green rooibos blends. I also enjoy white, green, and oolong teas, although I tend to drink them more in the warmer months. I have also tried matcha and guayusa, but I don’t drink them too often as I am a bit sensitive to caffeine. As a result I don’t drink black teas as often as I used to, but in moderation I can still enjoy a wide variety of teas.

Oh, and I have a severe peanut allergy and try to avoid most other nuts, just to be safe. Limits my tea choices a bit, but that’s ok. However I have tried almonds and found out I can eat them, so I have been trying a few teas with them in them.

mrs.stenhouse12’s rating system
(as of 04/19/13)

95+: Absolute favorite, will try to always have it in stock, and when I don’t I pine over it!
90-94: Awesome teas, will probably purchase again a few times
80-89: Very good tea, may restock at some point
70-79: happy to have tried and will gladly finish, but not restock
60-69: not horrible, but not the best, will finish if I have some though
50-59: not a favorite, probably will have a tough time finishing the bag
-50: yuck. I don’t want to have it ever again.

Location

Canada

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