Oktoberfest Blend

Although I prefer assertive black tea blends this one is just too much smoke for me. However, the color is amazing.

This came in my select box. I’m not a fan. Most of the flavors I got in this was smokey- like tobacco, earthy. It’s a mix of China and India black teas – it was to much like coffee for me. Not a coffee fan at all. I’m out of milk so I did something different- I added a splash of organic chocolate milk! Never done that before but oh my! Brought a whole new level to it. I really enjoyed the cup after adding it. I’m going to say I would recommend this tea- if you are a black tea fan and like that “heaviness” with an earthy, woodsy, smoke taste then you may like it! Without the chocolate milk added I wouldn’t have been able to drink it. That’s the good thing about the steepster select boxes- it’s not a big investment and you get to discover different flavors.

I didn’t add any milk or sugar to this tea. I wonder how that would have impacted the taste. I’m wasn’t immediately smitten, but the aroma and first taste were very autumnal. It’s like all the smells of fall distilled into a cup. I noticed a slight bitterness, that may have been from over-steeping and could be mitigated by the addition of milk and sweetener, if so desired. As I drank it, it grew on me. I began to notice some fruity notes. A complex tea that I grew to appreciate!

Oh steepster. I really have been missing this place; reading peoples review, tea chatting, ect.

Anyways I got this in the steepster box, and WAS I EXCITED! When I saw the flavor announced I got really excited until my wallet said no, but YAY steepster box.

Leaf: It looks like a pile of finely crafted autumn leaves that have been roasted.
Smell: A little woodsy, hints of smoke
Liquor: autumn orange; or Sam Adams oktober fest beer color

This tasted so good! I kind of reminds me of that one tea Verdant had that was a smoked black tea from wuyi. (the one with the really long name) It has a nice rich, but not heavy black tea taste with woody notes and hints of malt; the grassy notes keep it from getting to thick. There are also wisps of spice, but more of a wood spice than spice spice.

Honestly this tea reminds me a lot of Sam Adams Oktober fest when I drink it; which is good cause that was a good beer. I have just one more brew left out of the sample which I am saving for that ultra craving for it.

All in all, it was an awesome tea the seems like the the tea version of Sam Adams Oktober beer.

sipdown! but it will be back…soon :) i had this in the morning as my wake up tea with my everything bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese. Perfect start to the morning! I love this tea. Today i drank one cup normally – this is smokey with a bit of brightness to it, some hints of cedar… soo good. Added a splash of maple syrup to a second cup and it was even more delicious. I do love my smokey teas with a splash of maple! thanks again for sharing this one lala! happy to return the favour anytime!

Bold and robust, drinking this tea makes me feel like I’m sitting around a bonfire. This is as German and manly as it gets. Tobacco and cedar are prevalent on the tongue, while the smoky note on the dry leaves does not overpower the steeped leaves. This is quite delicious and interesting blend that compliments the season perfectly

1 Year on Steepster! Woot! Who would have thunk. 418 tasting notes…. 170ish teas in cupboard, many fun swaps and tea friends. It has been quite the year. I have enjoyed getting to try so many wonderful cups and tea vendors. Hopefully Steepster fully recovers from its illness and it is exploding with liveliness again soon. My tastes have definitely changed. I like many on here started out with the mostly food teas from Teaavana. Quickly found Butiki and fell in love with so many teas there, found oolongs, roasted and milk oolongs, discovered flavored blacks, then straight black. Now, I am starting to explore whites, greens and pur-eh. I think my favorites are the darker side of oolongs, the Fijian blacks, and french flavored teas. There are so many teas I still want to try and orders I want to place. It is fun that after spending a year trying “everything” there is still so much more to try.

I am trying to make a decision on whether to purchase this tea or not. I believe it is only available until the end of October. This morning at work this cup is offering all the same, smoke, tart fruity, leather if you will, but there is almost a spice to to the tea. It is lovely, but will it be a cup I like 4.4oz of? Thank you again boychik for this sample

Thank you for the sample boychik! :D

This is a bold and tasty blend! Extremely masculine tasting. Reminds me of leather and tobacco and woodsmoke. It isn’t really smokey or anything. Just brings campfire to mind somehow. I really like this kind of kick-in-the-pants bold breakfast black tea! Quite enjoyable :)

I thought this would be very interesting as I am a fan of Oktoberfest. I really enjoyed the earthy pu-er like fragrance from the leaves and the malty flavors that developed right away. I tried to steep the tea a little longer than recommended and taste it a few times as it developed. The malty flavor definitely is up front early on and melds into the background as the black tea qualities emerge and take center stage. Overall a nice blend and worth enjoying on a nice fall day.

Good Heavens!!!!
This is why I am in the Steepster Select Club!!!!! This tea is really good and it is not one I would have tried on my own.
Delicious Delicious, well balanced, so good.
Dry leaves smell very smoky like a Lapsang, tangy BBQ smell but stick with it, it’s going to fool you.
Liquor is a deep auburn color with lots of orange to it, perfect for Oktoberfest!!
Smells very sweet and the wet leaves are multicolored just like fall colored leaves.
I poured my tea into a small white tea cup and saucer and the liquor is so orange now in my cup.
I let the tea cool a bit to really get the flavors. This is so good. It is naturally sweet and could take a touch of milk if you wanted but I wouldn’t add sugar. But it doesn’t need either.
This tea is so enjoyable that I really just got the tasting note of delicious bc it had so many enjoyable notes that came together and at one point I added a drop of milk and it was creamy heaven.
They weren’t lying, this is damn fine tea!!!!

From the Steepster Select Box; October, 2014