Featured & New Tasting Notes

I had an awesome gig last night, but stayed up way too late & ate dark chocolate, so I woke up with a headache, which happens every time I eat chocolate at night. Dammit!

It’s been awhile since I drank this one, which is ridiculous, because like some of the other verdant teas in my cupboard, I have multiple versions of this one. I have a bag from summer of 2013 and spring of 2014, & I think fall of 2014. I’m not sure what the current version I’m drinking is, but I’m not allowed to buy any new bags until I’ve drank up what I have (that said after viewing yesterdays email from Verdant saying the new version is available…).

This is a tasty tea, different in many ways, with a tart quality, that leaves an almost perfumed sensation in the mouth & sinuses (sensation, not taste), and gives a really nice head buzz, whether I drink it gongfu, or with a more standard steeping.

Next up: I’m really addicted to butter tea right now (made with coconut oil, coconut milk, & coconut butter…see my posting from a few days ago for a recipe), so I’m pulling out the Hunan Wild Tips Ye Jian Hand Roasted Heicha (YS) again…like every day this week. Hopefully it will cure my headache!
Onward through the fog…

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89
drank Nutmeg Cream by Butiki Teas
2291 tasting notes

Oh, delicious tea. I am so sad that this is the last cup of you that I’ll ever drink.

I mean, nutmeg and strong black tea. Taken with (cashew) milk.

Doesn’t get much better.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Plunkybug

Sure was a gem.

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The leaf smells very green and strongly of authentic vanilla. It’s the smell I get when I cook with vanilla beans.

I steeped it as directed, 4 minutes at boiling. As soon as the water hit the sachet the air was infused with the vanilla smell. I steeped it sitting right in front of me so I could enjoy the fragrance for the full steeping time.

The tea was still really hot after four minutes, so I let it sit for a few minutes while I played Operation with the sachet. The leaves had totally filled it during the steep and I could almost hear them yelling, “Let me out!” So I did.
Photos and full review: https://tealover.net/2015/07/steven-smith-teamaker-oolong-ice-cream/

Nichole/CuppaGeek

Dang, I want to try this one. I’ve read a couple reviews on this one today. Sounds awesome.

Marzipan

I’ll put some in your box.

Nichole/CuppaGeek

You are awesome!

Liquid Proust

You should do that for me too :p

Sil

hey now… I’m the reason she bought it in the first place! lol

boychik

awesome review. just proved again – try. you never know you might like it ;)

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80
drank Shirley Temple by DAVIDsTEA
1792 tasting notes

This one’s pretty good. It reminds me of Redberry Tonic, but a little more tart. Half a glass in, I told my mom what this blend is called and she agreed that this is similar to an actual Shirley Temple. I wouldn’t know since I haven’t tried one before. It’s refreshing, very red-tasting, kind of like a more exciting red Kool Aid, and doesn’t have any weird aftertaste. I wouldn’t stock up but I wouldn’t mind having it again either.

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This was a nice way to wake up this morning. Malty and slightly astringent. Pretty well balanced tea. One that I’m sure I have had before, but haven’t had in a while. Not sure how much I will reach for it, but I’m glad I have it around now for a nice change of pace.

For the rest of the review and a few other goodies- http://www.cuppageek.com/index.php/2015/07/09/tea-of-the-day-irish-breakfast-from-three-teas/

Marzipan

She looks to be a repackager/reseller, you can find her teas (even the same pictures) all over the place – Metropolitan reseller maybe. So if you like one of her teas, be sure to shop around for the best deal.

Nichole/CuppaGeek

I figured that was the case. :)

52Teas

I dig her tea related art pieces though! The jewelry and the soft sculptured tea pots and tea cups.

Nichole/CuppaGeek

She sent me one of the sculptured tea pots. It is pretty adorable! She also sent me a few pieces of jewelry but just haven’t had a chance to check them out yet.

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drank Shirley Temple by DAVIDsTEA
1186 tasting notes

I picked up a couple new teas on Canada Day and haven’t logged them on here yet, although I have had them both a few times haha. So I will log this one today, although I found it to be very hibiscus-y for me today unfortunately, I steeped it a bit too long I think. Sticking with about a 2-3 min steep worked best for me, and I do recall the first cup as tasting much more Shirley Temple like (well, grenadine like anyway, not sure if I’ve had a Shirley Temple lol). Today’s cup could have also failed due to the fact I only got 25g of this, so maybe a poor mixture of ingredients as it is a heavier blend with the large orange chunks. Ah well, maybe I’ll get some more once I run out and try it again, I do like cherry teas and herbals, so it is a win in theory, just have to perfect brewing it. Happy to have tried it! No rating for now as I feel like today’s cup would not do it justice lol.

Kristal

Have you tried this one iced? Ironically, I also just did a tasting note for this tea. I mixed this tea with a weaker herbal and iced it and the hibiscus tartness wasn’t too bad :)

mrs.stenhouse12

I still have to try this iced, I imagine it will be amazing and that’s probably how they intended it be brewed lol but I have to try them hot first :D I should see if I have a weaker herbal to help it a bit if I encounter this again!

Kristal

Sounds great :)

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Man, this aint no sencha.
This is clearly a chai blend… but whatever. I am not a fan of chai and green tea trying to mingle with one another in my mouth so I will refrain from finishing this.
(I had no idea what it was, I just brewed it from my sample box)

Christina / BooksandTea

Well, at least the company is living up to its name: “Acquired Taste”. (For the record, I also dislike masala chai made with green tea.)

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78
drank Shirley Temple by DAVIDsTEA
15006 tasting notes

i am actually enjoying this one tonight. it’s stupid humid today and this is a good balance or sour and refreshing for me. It’s not too hibby like..just an interesting blend of cherry/grenadine sort of flavouring. is it totally shirley temple like? no, but it’s a decent herbal/fruit blend from David’s.

mrs.stenhouse12

How long do you steep this one for? My cup this morning smells like icky hibby water lol :(

Sil

so this one was accidentally steeped for like a day lol

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88
drank Marshmallow Assam by 52teas
737 tasting notes

Soo this is the second tea I had this morning. The name sounded amazing but I really didn’t have much hope that I’d like it since the rest of my last order from the old owner was a bust…But I was shocked at how good it was.
I really really hope that the new owners that I keep forgetting the name of…is it Annie? Or something that starts with an A? Oh goodness, this is what happens when you’re loaded on pain killers 24/7 guys. :P
But anyway I hope that she blends this one!! Like I totally smelled the marshmallow and malt from the dry leaf aroma and when I drank it those flavors were even stronger! I have had such bad luck with 52Teas, but holy crap guys! This one is a legit winner! I wish I had gotten more than one bag of this one! It’s so sweet and marshmallow-y, and yet malty from the assam base at the same time! Ahh this is a good one guys! :D :D :D Please re-blend this one, 52Teas new owner (that I think is Annie but I’m not really sure. Sorry. One day I will get it right)

Flavors: Malt, Marshmallow, Sweet

LiberTEAS

Anne – me! I’m the new owner. Actually, no, Amethyst (My daughter) is the new owner. I’m the mad tea artist. I’m the one blending the teas.

I probably will reblend this one but with a different Assam. I like the Assam that I use in my black tea blend, so I probably would do that with this.

mrmopar

Dang tea drunkards!!! ;P

Ost

Knew it was something with an A! Okay, Hopefully I will remember Anne. Well, how it’s spelled I mean. Thoughhh I’m not gonna lie, LiberTEAS, it’s gonna take a long time to get your daughter’s name down xD Btw, is she on here? Like does she run the 52Teas page or anything?

Ost

mrmopar :P

52Teas

@Ost: No, she’s on facebook as Amethyst Bussey and we both post to the 52Teas page on Facebook. She will be the one handling the Instagram account when she gets that going. She’s not as devoted to tea as I am – I’m the one for the passion for tea, she’s the one with the mind for business. :)

Ost

Ohh okay-well that makes sense. Will have to remember that! I’ll just have to keep going back to this tasting note for reference when I am blanking out on who to thank for an amazing tea! :P

52Teas

Yeah, I’m the one crafting the teas. But she does help with the packaging. But as far as the actual product goes – that’s me.

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98

My second tea from the newly managed 52teas! The dry leaf aroma is maple, coconut, and cardamom. The brewed tea aroma is maple and spices. I wasn’t so sure about all those huge cardamom pods (or the coconut for that matter) but you know what? This really does taste like French toast! Much more so than Frank’s 52teas blend from a few months back. (Strike that. Apparently it’s from a few years back. Man, time flies!)

I think the thing that’s really incredible with this one is that Anne has captured egg in the tea. French toast is many things: bread, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg spices, and EGG! This actually tastes like French toast coated in egg! Color me impressed!

The maple is very strong and there’s a little bit of everything else you’d want: butter, bread, sweetness, and overall tastiness. The coconut adds a nice sweet component that blends well with the maple flavor. I’m actually surprised and delighted that those two go together so well. And with every sip there’s that lovely bready egg flavor that just screams French toast. This is a home run!

I added some Truvia and skim milk. It doesn’t need it but that’s the way I often enjoy black teas. This is delightful! I am really enjoying this! The base is a bit strong but that’s probably because I overleafed it. Even though it’s strong and assertive, it’s not bitter. Yum! I love this so much, I wonder if I can justify purchasing another few ounces to my husband…I don’t want to run out! I really can’t though, ugh. I’ve already spent more on tea than my budget allows.

The second infusion for four minutes is still flavorful and delicious. That’s a nice bonus! I used to get only one good infusion out of 52teas’ blends. So far (and no offense meant to Frank whatsoever as I have loved the company under his stewardship as well), this change in management seems to be a change for the better! Grab this tea while you can!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
LiberTEAS

Thank you, I’m so glad to see that you’re liking this one. I was really happy with it too.

TeaBrat

sounds yummy

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85
drank Tribute by THEODOR
2201 tasting notes

I have been moving recently (up north, to take a new job), and thus not in a situation where I can easily drink tea all the time. But I have a few weeks where it will be easier, so I am going to attempt to drink more of the samples that MissB sent me recently!

I have wanted to try this one for a while, ever since people rhapsodized about how it was the perfect almond tea. Almond is perhaps my favorite flavor, yet I have never really found a perfect almond tea. Most often a purely almond-flavored tea suffers from thinness in the texture, I find. MissB was kind enough to send a bit of this my way so I could finally try it.

It certainly delivers in the almond flavor. And it isn’t as thin as say, DF’s Amande Amaretti, although it is still a little thinner than I would like. I agree with someone (Ysaurella?) that this seems like a keemun-y base. Decent, but not my fave. There is some light note that I don’t care for that is definitely coming from the base, but the almond covers it fairly well.

All in all I am very glad to have tried this one. I also think that I don’t necessarily need a straight up almond tea; apparently I like my almond a bit blended (preferrably with rose and vanilla). But this is definitely the best straight almond tea I have yet tried.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Veronica

Congrats on the new job!

Dinosara

Thanks!

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drank Milk Oolong by Capital Teas
1113 tasting notes

As I went about packaging this up for a swap, I remembered that I haven’t even drank it… so I brewed it up :)

This. Tea. Is. Epic.
Not only is the milk oolong taste present on each taste, there is a fruity note that lingers as an after taste. I’m not sure how this was done but I really enjoy it. Such wonderful tea, smooth and buttery while having that natural cream within the oolong itself.

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David Tea’s Coconut Ice and Coconut Grove mixed with pineapple juice and blueberry lemonade seltzer. Twas my bestie and I’s 4th of July celebration drink.

Kaylee

Sounds yummy!

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88

This was my morning tea and hubby shared it with me. It gave me a good energy boost. I ended up on a big cleaning spree afterwards.

There was no bitterness in this tea at all. After two quick rinses I brewed 10, 10, 15, 20, 25, 25 , 30

I think my favourite one was the first infusion when I could taste fruity but it was very light. All the infusions were great though with a nice fruity apricot flavour

Flavors: Apricot, Fruity

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 4 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
tanluwils

I opened my sample this morning. I didn’t pick up bitterness either, but found more musky sweet syrupy notes along with some apricot. There’s a lot going on in this tea, but I need a few more sessions before I can write a review.

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I am loving this tea today! I made Egg Fu Young for lunch and served this. It had so much flavor, sweet and creamy, smooth but no shrinking violet, it had lots of flavor. After lunch when I sipped, I could taste the slight smoke as well, but the food covered it with the meal.

This is fabulous, and just may join Huang Shan Mao Feng and Bi Luo Chun in my list of must have green teas.

Thank you, Teavivre, for sending this for me to try.

K S

Some 20 years ago, we had a local family run Chinese restaurant that made the most delicious Egg Fu Young. Apparently it just looks deceptively simple. I have ordered it many times from other places since, always with major disappointment. Anyway, thanks for the memory flash – Number 9 from the lunch menu (beef chow mein, egg fu young, and chicken noodle soup).

ashmanra

K S: I don’t know if mine would be as tasty to you but it is easy! I use fresh eggs from my chickens. A good bit of diced onion, some finely chopped cabbage or mung beans, sauté those and add four beaten eggs to the pan. Just divide it with your egg flipper. For the sauce I use 1/2 cup broth (I use veggie but you can use chicken), at least a TBLSPN soy sauce, a splash of Chinese rice wine or teeny splash of rice vinegar, and I like to add a little oyster sauce or mushroom sauce. When it is hot, add 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 4 tsp water to thicken. Make the sauce first and then the egg fu young. And play with it according to your taste! I sometimes add a little fresh ground black pepper!

K S

What time is supper? lol Actually tonight is meatloaf, smashed taters, and fried zucchini so, rain check.

Ever since you mentioned this I have been looking up recipes. Looks easy enough, I’m not sure why the local restaurants can’t get EFY correct. The sauce is not good and the eggs are greasy. I am no longer even willing to try their soups – just gross. I trade them for crab rangoon.

ashmanra

Ooo, I love meatloaf and mashed potatoes! Especially the second day meatloaf sandwich!

K S

I’ve mentioned before, but my wife uses chili sauce instead of ketchup, and oats instead of bread crumbs. It is a family favorite.

gmathis

Meatloaf! I missed it! (Nobody else at my house likes it so I have to go begging.)

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85
drank Assam by Joseph Wesley Black Tea
737 tasting notes

So this is the second tea from my first ever order from Joseph Wesley Tea!!! I loveee assam teas, so I got a sample of it. Well, all the teas I got were samples except their Limited Edition TGY that is INCREDIBLE!! I don’t know why I never logged it, it totally slipped my mind! D: I’ll have to do that soon.
Anyway so this is the second one I’m trying!
And holy shanghai!! IT’S ANOTHER HIT! I ADORE this tea!
Since black teas seem to be hit or miss with me these days, it felt like a huge surprise that I loved it so much! The main flavor of course is malt, which is one of my fav flavors in black tea! Tasted a bit of maybe honey…it was kinda sweet, and also kinda a bit chocolate-y. I think I oversteeped it a tiny bit so it also had a bitter note in there.
But overall it’s a total win in my book! I definitely will buy this again. And I am pretty sure it’s gonna be a staple on my shelf.
Another win by Joseph Wesley Tea!!!! :D :D :D

Flavors: Bitter, Chocolate, Dark Bittersweet, Honey, Malt, Sweet

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I am enjoying this sample from Crimson Lotus Tea immensely. The dry aroma is hay and barnyard. That used to make me nervous. Now I rather expect it. I did two rinses. The first cup was at 10 seconds. It is root beer colored with a pink tint. The first thing I notice when tasting was the thick creamy feel running along side the initial bite. Kind of opposing sensations but they work together. After the bite settles, I get mild horse tack that drifts into a sweet smooth finish. Cup two was much darker, pouring ruby red. Similar in taste to the first. The difference is this introduced a cedar note at the beginning and moved the bite to later in the sip. I also caught a light smokiness when exhaling. I only noticed the smoke after ‘testing’ a hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookie made with sugar free chips. Did the cookie bring the smoke out or add it? Who knows. Both the cookie and the tea were very enjoyable. Highly recommend both.

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94

WOW this is DELICIOUS!

I accidentally oversteeped it and it took it like a champ. Super smooth and creamy and malty and sweet but also a little savory. Addictive and so so tasty!! I can’t wait to try it again but more carefully and see what other flavors I can pull from it. YUMS

Tealizzy

Accidentally oversteeping it is the way to go with these! So yummy!

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83
drank Zhu Rong Yunnan Black by Verdant Tea
15006 tasting notes

So i was right. This + Campfire blend means i can finally work on drinking the rest of this up, since i haven’t been a huge fan of this harvest. The addition of campfire blend makes the notes that i don’t like in last years harvest soften. the two blended makes for an enjoyable cup.

looseTman

“…i haven’t been a huge fan of this harvest.” – Which year harvest?

Sil

2014

looseTman

Thanks! Have you tasted 2015?

Sil

nope. not pre-ordering any 2015 this year after my failure with 2014 last year. I’ll wait until the harvest settled down and then try them.

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Early spring material from Wan Gong (high altitude Yiwu village located near Gua Feng Zhai) which is supplemented by 10% from LBZ and Bing Dao. The cake itself is beautiful – beautiful whole leaves which have been well handled and carefully processed. Smooth and sweet from the first sip with a light buttery mouthfeel. In later steepings the bitterness increases but certainly not in an unpleasant way. There is a lingering sweet aftertaste to remind one that this is primarily YiWu area material. Nice mellowing Qi hits after the third cup. These leaves are excellent and the tea offers a very appealing mix of sweet and bitter. The tea is a winner and I definitely must give it a high recommendation. Note: I was fortunate enough to purchase one of the last 200g pressings of this cake which reduced my cost. I just checked the website and it seems they are now selling only the 357g cakes.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 90 ML

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85

Another sample from the generous Will. This one was really nice. A little bit of a kick to the chai, but not SUPER strong. The clove taste didn’t overpower (i hate that in chai’s) and the ginger was really great. I am always a fan of ginger related teas and this one is no exception. Also a really interesting constrast from the floral which has that sour pop and freshness to it. this is more heavy, spicy… i think this would be pretty great in winter, especially brewed up in some milk! thanks will!

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100

Last night was my monthly tea inventory. Thanks to my continued sip down adventures, I’m down to 292 teas in my collection.
Due to my tea hoarding tendencies, I have 3 different versions of this tea:
Autumn of 2013 – The bag I’m currently working on
Spring of 2014
Autumn of 2014
This is what happens when you fall in love with a tea, & think you have to buy it relentlessly, over & over again, because once upon a time they ran out & I didn’t get to drink it for awhile. Although it’s not the same as that first season, it’s still pretty damn good! I haven’t bought any from 2015, because I need to drink what I have.
Part of me really wants to open all three bags, and do lots of side by side sipping sessions, to document how they differ from one another. But then I’d have 3 unsealed bags.
Anyway, this is a lovely tea, which I’ve described plenty of times already. It was my first tea of the day, and I’m also using it to refill my Kombucha crock today. I have plenty of it, and I bet it will be a wonderful brew!

Sil

autumn 2013 = great….the 2014 not as much :(

Terri HarpLady

Maybe there isn’t a 2015?
Anyway, I have a pretty good sized bag of this one, and smaller bags of the others.

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drank Cup Cake by Tea Temptations
424 tasting notes

When the tea was really hot it tasted sort of thin, but as it cooled it became more full bodied and absolutely decadent. I taste marshmallow – I guess that is the crème brûlée. It also has a lovely caramel vanilla flavor. It’s like drinking a dessert that would have had hundreds of calories in it. This isn’t a chocolate cupcake, it is a vanilla cupcake – maybe a vanilla cupcake with caramel icing! The finish is long lasting, sweet and decidedly caramel. I don’t taste almond at all so it must just be in there supporting the other flavors.
Full review and photos: https://tealover.net/2015/07/tea-temptations-cup-cake/

Stephanie

woohoo sounds good

Ost

That sounds amazing! Going on the wishlist! :D

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89

Cold Brew!

So I think I mentioned in a tasting note last night that I’m spending a few days in Regina with my parents; I ‘lucked out’ (so to speak) and got three days off from work in a row so I thought I’d take advantage and come up for a trip to see their new place! It’s actually really nice; very classy layout and in a really nice part of town on a little bay-type area. They’ve got seven neighbors, and have already been welcomed to a neighborhood/community barbecue. I feel like they’re really gonna get along with their neighbors and like the area. And the backyard is just huge – there are five massive pine trees in the backyard and a huge garden space and gazebo. And with my step mom retiring not too long ago I think taking care of this huge area is the perfect project/hobby for her.

Unfortunately, there happens to be a ton of forest fires currently right outside of the city right now so the entire area is very foggy/smokey right now and the sky is this ugly shade of grey. You’d never know the fire was taking place outside of town; it’s intense. We had the window open for a while and now the whole house smells like smoke…

But that aside; I had this cold brewed on the trip into the city. It was a little different than it normally comes out. There was a surprising abundance of apple notes and a bit of a tartness from the rosehips that hasn’t been so bright in the past. The ginger and pear were both strong and refreshing though and consistent enough with past experiences that it didn’t totally feel like drinking a different tea.

PS. Before and after pictures of the city…

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11698448_10153408855814420_1321481975245094150_n.jpg?oh=e4c3405f81f6b4e10defe183c867eb1a&oe=5626310B

scribbles

Whoa! I’d be freaking! :O

Maddy Barone

I like Ginger Pear. I need to try it iced. Those fires are causing trouble waaaay down here in Fargo. The sky should be blue according to the weatherman, but they are sort of hazy gray, and the sun is a weird orange color. I’d hate to be any closer.

Kaylee

That’s a little scary! Stay safe!

Roswell Strange

No worries guys; I’m perfectly fine! Just staying in doors for now.

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