3079 Tasting Notes
Another sample I bought from Teakruthi! I’m very glad they have sample sizes. This also had the fragrance of basil in the leaf — same as Wild Monsoon that I had the other day. So I wanted to visually compare the leaves of the two. They both look similar, but the Wild Monsoon has a bigger/longer leaf. Of course, they are both Ceylon, as all of Teakruthi’s teas are Ceylon. Do not let that fact sway you from trying their teas. I would say in the past, I was least interested in Ceylon tea as a type, but most of Teakruthi’s teas that I’ve tried have been unique and very delicious. The first cup here was so so much basil! It’s amazing there isn’t any actual basil here. It was like smooth tomato soup with basil. The brew was a bright orange. I’d say there was a lot more basil here and none of the caramelized strawberry flavor that Wild Monsoon has. This time I tried to overcorrect with the astringent second steep of Wild Monsoon and went for a much cooler brewed second steep and the flavor wasn’t anything tasty at all, even losing most of the basil, so I definitely should have went for a hotter steep with this one. I’m in love with the savory basil flavor of the first cup though. Excellent first steep, bland second. But I will try again soon to retry.
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for full mug // 27 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 16 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Looks like no one else has written up this one yet on Steepster! I bought samples of this quite a while ago now, so please consider this is not a fresh harvest I’m reviewing. It does taste the same as it did a while ago when I tried it though. The jasmine is lovely, as almost always with Teavivre’s jasmine teas. It’s also very hard to taste anything of the tea itself. These are larger green pearls that are slow to unravel. I’m really only tasting jasmine, but that is why I drink these types of tea anyway: JASMINE. Jasmine is divine in summer. If I had to choose one Teavivre jasmine tea, it probably wouldn’t be this one, as I notice more of the tea fuzzies in the cup. I’d rather have a smooth jasmine tea, without that aspect. But possibly others wouldn’t notice that as much.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug // 35 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 28 minutes after boiling // 2 1/2 minute steep
Harvest: 2018
2020 Sipdowns: 56 (Shakespeare’s Corner Shoppe – Green Cucumber Melon + Lupicia’s Assam Calcutta Auction)
I thought I had written a tasting note for this, yet another from StarFevre! Thanks again! I especially love this one because I think it’s the same as my beloved blend from Angry Tea Room, Orange Creamsicle! It has lovely orange flavoring with yogurt bits and really does taste like creamsicle. It’s also very tasty cold, after leaving it in the fridge until I drink it at night. The rooibos is VERY dark even on the second steep, but it’s very pleasant and smooth rooibos. It doesn’t hurt to have more of this around! Also, apparently Angry Tea Room carries the same teas as Tea Haus, so I really wish Angry Rea Room had that lime blend I want to restock on!
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for full mug // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 20 minute steep (then put in the fridge to cool)
2020 Sipdowns: 53 (Simpson & Vail – Tropical Papango)
Additional notes: I had some extra heavy cream, so I finally made a scone box mix I received a while ago from Simpson & Vail! (The first day of scones was enjoyed with Bird & Blend’s Spiced Pumpkin Pie tea.) The scones were GOOD despite being pumpkin and despite this being July. Then I had some extra cream left over and decided to make an East Frisian tea, lo and behold also from Simpson & Vail. East Frisian style brewed as in, sugar goes in the bottom, cream at the top, no stirring. The cream wafted around a lot anyway. Or possibly I used way too much and it seemed like a cup of cream and I could hardly tell there was tea in the mug. However, I forgot one of the crucial components to East Frisian blending of cream is to slowly lower a spoon of cream into the cup, rather than pouring the cream. Oops. It had been a WHILE. I had this East Frisian before, ages ago from Simpson & Vail and I really liked it! This harvest seems much different (as harvests sometimes happen to change.) The second steep, I tried plain. And even with two teapoons, the flavor is so one noted from what I remember. Very much just like a bland, flat, astringent tea. I will try it again to make sure, but obviously this is the perfect tea as it is, to mask the bland astringency with sugar and lots of cream. Simpson & Vail is usually consistent, even with different harvests, but they can’t be perfect all of the time. But this tea is simply supposed to be malty and brisk, I guess. If I lowered ratings, this would now be a 70.
Nomnomnom. This is just the best. It’s such a unique flavor profile, I never get sick of it. And I’m extremely happy I bought two ounces of it while I still had the chance, after I won the free teas from 52Teas back in the day. But this might be the tea I revisit the most, so I’m getting low in stock now! Would make a ‘TOP 20’ teas list from me, definitely.
So this is from Kawaii433 but I also received some from derk. THANK YOU BOTH. Not sure if Kawaii’s is also from 2017, as derk’s is noted on the sample. I thought it was time I try it, since there are two separate samples! I don’t know what I was thinking though, as I just sipped a roasted oolong the other day and they are definitely not the type of tea I want to drink often. Anything with the name “roasted” is all I can taste, which ends up being very one note and disappointing, as I know others can usually taste other flavors in these roasted oolongs. It’s always a shame! It is all I can taste: roasted charcoal. The third steep was especially off putting… shouldn’t have brewed if for four minutes, that’s for sure. The leaves are VERY dark and VERY tightly bundled. The flavor is smooth anyway, until that third steep. I think I sadly give up on roasted oolongs. They just ain’t my thing. But it’s nice to officially know that at this point.
Steep #1 // 1 3/4 teaspoons for full mug // rinse // 29 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 28 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 4 min
2020 sipdowns: 52 (one sample sipdowned anyway)
I have no idea when year it was, tea-sipper but it probably is the 2017. I’ve come to a similar conclusion concerning Dan Cong oolongs. o.O
Yes, Dan Cong oolong isn’t my favorite either. I hope all of those people you knew with Covid have recovered, Kawaii!
tea-sipper, the family of 6 with 4 little kids recovered with no issue. Thank goodness. Rusty who is in his 50s recovered and poor Sue will probably have lung damage the rest of her life. :( Thank you so much for asking and hoping all is healthy and well with you <3.
Thanks for the update, Kawaii. It’s good to know most of them are mostly okay.
Yet another from StarFevre! THANK YOU. A whole pouch of Frank’s. I guess I have been trying to focus more on StarFevre’s teas since I’m pulling out a few at a time from the box to slowly try over the course of a week, and then putting them back in the box and taking out a few more. I’m tearing up at StarFevre’s generosity (and the same for many other Steepsterers). I’m trying to write tasting notes at least once, even if these teas are quite older. I’m sure I’m enjoying the tea more than all of you are enjoying my tasting notes about them. haha. This is GOOD. I can only imagine how lovely it was when it was fresh. The green base and strawberry that is mostly like strawberry jello, but I’m cool with that as there is also some cranberry that pairs very well with it. Why isn’t strawberry/cranberry more of a thing? Even the second steep was full of flavor.
I signed up for a month of Criterion Collection movies which is one of my favorite things ever. Anyone have favorite Criterion films they’d particularly like to recommend? Maybe I missed them. I have watched most of what I love the best: Wim Wenders, Toshiro Mifune, Tarkovsky, many others here and there… but looking for suggestions! I have rarely watched a Criterion film I didn’t love…
From StarFevre — thanks so much! I had it a few days ago. Since it’s iced, I steeped it my usual method with taking out a teaspoon and brewing it like a normal green. This green tea is shreadedly SMALL. It’s like the CTC of green teas here (which I was aware of, this is intended to be iced tea.) I was expecting it to be very bitter. But waiting for much cooler water and steeping very quickly, this flavor is fine. This STILL has some berry flavor which I can appreciate. Very good!
2020 sipdowns: 51 (52Teas – Mango Pineapple Habanero)
Additional notes: So I did end up stocking up on a tin of this with my reward points a while ago. This is just dreamy on a hot summer day. Caffeine kick with lovely lingering flavors of violet and roses. Reading outside, I feel like Alice waiting to fall into Wonderland… or at the mad tea party with all this crazy news lately. But trying to enjoy my day while ignoring the news. Please everyone stay safe for this fourth of July weekend. I wish the best for all of you!
Edited to add: the second steep is just as flavorful. It’s really the perfect mix of florals and base of black tea. It might be my favorite floral black tea! Even cold, delicious.
After my first order from S&V, I wrote reviews on their website to get points, but the points never showed up, so I stopped bothering. Of course I could have emailed them for help, but their tea is cheap anyway, so I decided not to bother with the points. Seems like their reward system is fairly generous when it is functioning though.
Are you logged into your account when you post the reviews? I know it takes a couple days for them to go through and approve the reviews for the site so maybe that is why? I would e-mail them about it. Their customer service couldn’t be better, especially as they are such a small company. It’s certainly worth it when the reward points work.
This was a few years ago, but I remember that I realized that I wasn’t logged in, so I logged in to write some more, but still received no points. Maybe I’ll try again!
OH one other thing that is usually a problem for me, is S&V has a preview page before the submit button page, and sometimes I forget to hit ‘submit’ button, thinking the preview page is enough to get it through. Maybe that is the case for you?
I looked through to see if my reviews are there, and it looks like the ones where I didn’t sign in are, but I don’t know about my later ones. Oh well, I’m having a slow day today, so I could work on some!
Aha! I think I figured it out. I was logged in, but didn’t include my email address with the reviews. I just read the fine print and found out that’s required.
Yeah, I should have mentioned that. Glad you figured it out!
A full pouch from StarFevre! Thank you! I don’t know about bacon in teas, but I’m a huge fan of pineapple with ham, so I guess I can give pineapple bacon a try. Luckily, this is old, so I can hardly taste anything related to bacon. It has only a hint of pineapple fruitiness with tons of woody flavor from the rooibos. So I’m not sure if I would like this better as it is now or fresher. But this is drinkable!
