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I seriously love the fact that Auggy sent me this tea. Seriously. LOVE.

I’m busy reading and writing and doing all sorts of work, and this tea was the perfect thing to cozy up with while I’m keeping myself busy. It’s fragrant and delicious and calming. The vanilla works perfectly with the unique flavor of the Vietnamese black, and the two produce a remarkable pairing. I love the subtlety of this, the rich cocoa and the smooth vanilla. And the color is so gorgeous too. Wonderful, wonderful stuff. It tastes so natural and organic and just… LOVELY.

How awesome flavored tea can be when it’s done right! And when it’s done wrong, it’s close to one of the most disgusting things to drink ever.

Back to my work now, but I’m really happy that I was just able to luxuriate with a cup of this. If I was a cat, I’d be purring with content right now.

SECOND STEEP OF IT, yay!

Or actually, really, nay. BLECH. What is going on with this tea. I brought the time up to three minutes, and watched the leaves completely unfurl. Very pretty! The leaves are all completely intact, and beautiful. I love it when I see leaves like this in my teapot. It’s the plant itself, and then you realize how wonderfully connected to the earth tea is, and then you wax poetic on the universe and life itself.

ANYWAY, the tea this time was a slight shade darker than the first, and I’m getting a real earthy smell from the cup. A little bit of spinach, but not completely overly-green. On first taste… yeah, I’m making a face and recoiling visibly from the cup. It’s even more minerally than before, and the sweetness seems to have vanished. There’s this really off-putting bitterness to it as well. Not even the usually tea-bitter taste that sometimes comes along with blacks. Just the base flavor of bitter on your tongue.

Surprisingly enough, this cup isn’t as astringent as the first, but there’s really no reason to continue drinking this one. I’m not getting salty, but I am getting the oceanic taste that Auggy described on her tasting note. I think it’s a seaweed flavor in this. Bitter and briny. It almost tastes like liquid sand from the beach in a cup, if that makes any sense.

I actually don’t think I can finish this cup, but I’m going to try. But the leaves are already in the garbage. There’s no way I’m trying a third steep of this!

This one is… really bizarre. Another Auggy sample (YAY AUGGY YOU ARE THE BEST!). It’s absolutely adorable when dry. A deep, verdant green rolled into silky, tiny pellets. There are stripes of lighter green in there. I absolutely love the way rolled teas look, and this one is no exception.

The smell is a bit… odd, to say the least. It’s very earthy. Musky, almost. So anyway, I steeped a level teaspoon of this, and watched the show. Rolled teas always like to do the jitterbug, and this one was no exception, for the most part, the leaves looked pretty much intact, but they didn’t completely unfurl with such a short steeping time.

The resulting liquid is actually a bit pale. A bit darker than a while tea, but definitely not super-green. It’s completely clear, and now has a scent that I can’t place. Maybe a bit of wild honey, mixed with a woodsy element. I took the first sip, and wrinkled my brow. This tea is… confusing, and it’s difficult for me to describe the tastes I’m experiencing. Piping hot, the tea gives off a very mineral-like flavor. It’s as if someone has steeped a bunch of rocks for me and given me the resulting brew. And I don’t mean gross rocks, I mean mineral-like rocks. It has that sort of tang to it.

As it cooled, though, this tea got exponentially better. Sweetness started to play a dominant role in the flavor. It’s not exactly the super-sweet that comes from a white tea (that I doubt that the greens will ever match), but it’s natural and refreshing. There’s a slight grassiness that I think I just pick up on in all greats as well. That sweetness that lingers on the tongue is becoming something that I crave in greens and whites. There’s still an earthiness to offset that sweetness, but for the most part, the mineral notes have dissipated.

While the sweet flavor is definitely refreshing, the astringency definitely isn’t. This has to be one of the most astringent teas I’ve ever had. My tongue feels like a desert. Like it wants to crawl out of my mouth, book it for the nearest fountain, and dunk itself repeatedly. I’m definitely going to need to drink something else, because I have sandpaper mouth right now.

Since the leaves don’t look like they fully unfurled themselves, and since Auggy wanted to know how my mileage will be on the second steep, watch for another post later on concerning those results!

Oh my god Golden Moon, I think I’m in love with you.

Honestly, I popped this one open because I figured I’d HATE it. But I really, really wanted another cup of tea, and I wanted something white. I really, really dislike the taste of licorice. But anise is mildly better (they do taste different!). Still, I smelled the tea and shook my head. There it was. The scent.

I probably used about a teaspoon and a half of this stuff, and there’s about that much left in the little sample. These leaves pretty much look like… leaves. There are brown stems and green buds and it’s all very pretty, if not a bit rustic.

The resulting jus de tea was very pale in color, a pretty beige. I took a hesitant sniff. More anise. And then I braced myself, grimacing, and took the first sip.

Oh. My God. This actually tastes good. No, it tastes delicious! I’m actually pleasantly surprised. No, rather, I’m really shocked. The anise lends a very delicate flavor to the white tea, but doesn’t overwhelm it in the slightest. In fact, it almost tastes “scented,” which I know makes absolutely no sense, but it does to me! There’s the absolutely WONDERFUL sweet-nectar-white taste that envelops your mouth, and the anise almost makes the blend soft and warm. The tastes linger on your tongue in perfect harmony and complexity.

I don’t really know much about tea, but from what I’ve tasted so far, Golden Moon really knows how to blend their stuff. You can taste the individual components, yet at the same time, they meld together to create a unique and wonderful sensory experience. I’m just amazed. I would definitely have this again, no questions asked!

Guys, I think it’s officially happened.

That bagged tea tastes far inferior to loose leaf. I can’t believe it’s happened so fast… a complete takeover!

This peppermint does not smell particularly good. There’s a lot of nice mintiness to it, but it lacks the sweetness and pure, sweet oomph that loose leaf and even Harney & Son’s bagged variety have. It tastes… sort of stale. And even a bit murky. And somewhat bitter. And I think I can almost taste… the paper. NOOOOOO.

I’m sort of sad, because I have a lot of this and I used to really like it. But now I think I’m going to have to bump this puppy from a 75 rating down to 50. Sorry CS, you’re just not cutting it anymore!

Woah. This tea is one of the more interesting ones I’ve had in a while! COURTESY OF AUGGY, who is amazing, if you didn’t know this already. Seriously amazing. Tea goddess. Not lying.

So I had a rough night last night, and as a result, I probably only got three hours of sleep. Can you say, “BRAAAIINNS?” Yeah, nearly comatose. I needed a pick-me-up. And since Auggy’s Citron Oolong was just sitting here, looking sad and neglected, I figured I’d steep some up. Cause that’s what we do at Steepster. We steep tea. Then think we’re important enough to log our thoughts. I don’t know where I’m going with this.

Anyway, I measured out the required 1 tbsp (and my eyes bugged out at how HUGE the tablespoon looked this morning – read: I AM NOT AWAKE) and dumped it into my IngenuiTEA. The leaves are little crackled-up balls, like someone made tea spitballs and then threw them into the mix. And there are lots of flowers. Lots. They’re very cute and delicate. The tea, overall, is very pretty dry. The smell was really citrus-y but light. Not like Lysol or a cleaning agent. I can’t really describe it.

Anyway, the tea did its little dance, and boy did the oolong do its dance. The leaves wasted no time unfurling and wriggling and becoming their gorgeous, russet-and-green selves.

The tea ate a lot of water. Because when I poured, my cup wasn’t as full as it usually is. But no worries! This might be one tea that actually smells better WET than dry! Mmmmm. It smells like the iced lemon cookies (those soft, squishy ones) that I sometimes have. Bake-y and buttery in a delicate lemon way.

The buttery really comes across in the smell of the infusion itself. The smell is mostly pure lemon, with this intense butter note. Hesitantly, I took a sip.

Okay, I can completely see the Fruity Pebbles comparison! Because now that I’ve read everyone’s comments, yeah, Fruity Pebbles, in sort of an awesome way. But I definitely taste delicious lemon notes, with a floral undertone. There’s a bit of orange in there too, but it’s hiding and it only really comes out if you concentrate on it with every sip. As for the oolong part… I’m not sure if I really taste it. Then again, I have little-to-no experience with oolongs, but I’m not tasting anything that rings soundly of teaness. Other people have mentioned that the oolong doesn’t really come through completely in this tea, and I’d have to agree.

I’m almost not minding that, though, because the tea is waking me up with its clean freshness and assertiveness. For all the citrus, it really is gentle, mild, and coaxing. Nowhere near the aggressiveness of something like bergamot. It’s not even really that sour or tart. No puckering here! Nor is it astringent, which is surprising, because sometimes citrus completely dries my mouth out. I’d have to say that this tea is female.

This is really, really interesting. I don’t think it’d be a daily drinker for me, but it’s fun, fresh, and eye-opening. I’m more awake and wired now than I ever was before, and I did it while drinking an awesome tea from Auggy (who is 3 for 3 with tea sent to me [that rhymed, lawl])!

Grrrrr. I’m pretty mad right now, because when I opened my tin of this, even though I was fairly careful, I dropped about a teaspoon of the stuff all over my kitchen floor. So I just inadvertently lost a whole cup of tea. :( And this makes me sad! Although in the upcoming months I’m probably going to have so much tea that I won’t know what to do with it…

Anyway, it’s absolutely disgusting out, and a lot of the roads are closed, and I just wanted something nice and smokey. This hit the spot. I actually detected a lot more of the sweetness this time around – I think it’s because I was expecting it, and I have a little bit more experience with greens and whites now than I did when I first drank this. The interplay between the sweet and the smokey was simply amazing. And I still believe this one tastes just like Rome burning.

Dear the Earl of Grey,

We have such a complicated relationship, and it’s really beginning to make my head spin. I’m not sure if we should break it off or not. I keep coming back for more, but instead of embracing me in your earl-y arms, you just forsake me, and leave me weeping, begging for a cup of something else.

I had faith that today you would be a bit less moody than normal. After all, Golden Moon blends you with the the tips of black tea, and lavender. I figured you’d be complex and mysterious and intriguing. That your bergamot would blend with your black and that for once, everything would be copacetic.

So, with slight anticipation (because I’ve been let down by you so many times before), I steeped a cup. Your leaves this time were quite gorgeous, with lovely golds and browns and greens. And you smelled absolutely delicious this morning – more on the floral side of bergamot than the citrus side.

The infusion today was red and copper, a beautiful color. And the smell coming from the steeped cup was more black tea toasty-ness than actual bergamot. Could it be? Were you ready to embrace me with open arms?

Mr. Grey, I have to say, you were quite tolerable today. But still heavily disappointing, just because I was expecting you to be that much better. I think the lavender smoothed out your rough edges, and took a bite out of your bergamot sharpness. Although I couldn’t taste the lavender component of the tea, there was a soothing feeling about you today. Your black base was definitely more delicious than usual, and a bit more complex than normal. But then your bergamot flavors had to invade and ruin the party. Granted, you weren’t as bitter or abrasive today. You were almost soothing. But there’s still something off between us.

Maybe we’re just not meant to be together. Yet I’m still attracted to your tweed and monocle. I just can’t help myself. Maybe our next date will be better.

xoxo,
teaplz

Mmmmm.

This is another tea that Auggy sent me in a nice batch of samples, and it’s so super-yummy that I can’t stop sipping it as we speak. It’ll probably take me forever to write up this log as a result.

This tea is pure black, little scraps of tea, with some vanilla mixed in. The tea itself, when dry, smells deliciously of cocoa and vanilla. And when I say cocoa, I mean dark chocolate, unadulterated by milk. Pure, raw chocolate. The vanilla has that wonderful natural smell that I crave! The last vanilla tea I had was a bagged abomination – Bigelow’s French Vanilla, which tastes as fake as it horrifically smelled. So I was a bit apprehensive as I steeped this one. But I trusted Auggy’s judgment to lead me in the right direction.

This tea smells delicious in the cup. It’s a rich red hue, with a lovely vanilla scent that invites you to just stick you face into the cup and breathe. AHHHH. Smooth and rich vanilla.

The taste actually surprised me, because it’s deep and rich! I wasn’t expecting such a strong black flavor! At the forefront of the taste is definitely the rich taste of raw chocolate nubs. And then the vanilla hits, in a sweet, sweet wash of natural-tasting goodness. It’s gentle, but not cloying. It doesn’t talk down to you. Or try to sell you something you don’t want. It just invites you in for a stay, and wraps you in a hug.

I know I’m going to be staying up late, so caffeine is not an issue. However, on a normal day, this flavor would be perfect for night-time. My mom is really allergic to caffeine, but she can muster a sip or two of tea. She loved this one, and also wished that it was available decaf as well.

More yumminess from Auggy! She’s two for two! And this just shows me that yes, flavored tea can actually be really delicious and natural-tasting, instead of fake and disgusting.

SQUEE!

Auggy sent me an extremely awesome package in the mail of a bunch of teas for me to try. Just because she’s amazing and awesome like that. It wasn’t even a tea swap – it was a gift! Once I amass a large enough tea collection, she’s getting lots of yummy goodness her way!

Anyway, the package arrived yesterday, but I was so busy that I barely had time to tear it open and inspect all the wonders inside. I was out late last night, and I woke up super groggy and completely out of it. I was out until 4:30 am last night at a friend’s birthday party, and it was freezing out. 7 degrees with wind chill. So yeah, I woke up not in the best of spirits this morning. I wanted something delicious and strong. Something pirate-y that would be a nice kick in the pants.

And boy, did this deliver! The wet leaves smell strong and assertive, the way a proper Irish Breakfast blend should. The cup brewed up to a much darker color than Adagio’s, but less cloudy than Twinings. On first sip, I had a huge smile on my face.

Auggy knew that I had been disappointed with Adagio’s blend – that it wasn’t RAWR-in-your-face assertive enough for me to call it a true IB. The Twinings blend is such a punch-to-the-face it could almost be TOO aggressive at times. This one is the perfect happy medium to those two. The Assam gives a nice, malty kick at the end of each sip, pulling you awake by your lapels. And the Ceylon is the beginning of every tasting note, that smooth, default essence-of-tea taste. They complement each other very nicely, creating a very drinkable cup with more sophistication than the Twinings blend but still enough kickassery to really wake you up in the morning.

This is the way that I pictured Irish Breakfast loose leaf to taste. Smooth but bracing with a some astringency and spice. Auggy hit the nail right on the head when she sent this to me! I can’t wait to tear through everything else she sent me!