Steep Information:
Amount: 2 teaspoons
Water: filtered 500ml °F 175
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: candy, sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, floral, a little black tea, a little green tea
Flavor: vegetal, black, floral finish
Body: Light
Aftertaste: tasty flowers
Liquor: translucent yellow-green
I add to add a minute to the steep time as 2 minutes was too weak.
I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes!
I find the labels on the tea samples to be perfect, they include the company name, tea name, tea type, and steeping directions. I have been informed that the samples that you buy on the web site, or any teas purchased on the site, will come in food safe, plastic lined, kraft bags which keep light out and keep the tea fresh for about 4-5 months. Tea is best stored in tins which are not clear and air tight, since light activates the steeping process and moisture as well. The sample bags I received were about 2-3 cups each, where purchased samples are larger.
Resteep: 4 minutes, a weak but floral cup
Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/10/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-green.html
Heh. I think you got a couple more balls in your tea that I’ve sent.
Hey, I found a picture of them.
http://www.zengardentea.com/index.php?file=productdetail&iProductId=16
Hooray! I’m off to finally do my second steep with the Toucha ball (yup, that photo confirms that it was a Toucha ball that made my teapot go ting!)
I found a toucha review on steepster from a lady named JaneFan.
http://steepster.com/teas/chicago-tea-garden/12651-jasmine-scented-pu-erh-tuocha
Janefan’s great — she does some great alcohol/tea combos :) I also just realized that AmazonV also did the Camel’s Breath review and that’s toucha as well. I’m now super-excited to try this!
Oooh. Wonder whether I got a chunk o fused thing in my sample? (I just got my beautiful prize teapot in the mail today and it had a sample of this with it. Dan the Mann!!)
You must let us know if you got one!
I’m on my third steep: it’s so yummy! After the second infuson I looked in my teapot and the little ball was all floofy and just ready to break apart. I forgot to look after the third, but I’m probably going back for a fourth.
Oh, I like the nickname “Dan the Mann!”
I didn’t have any Toucha Balls in mine…
I know there’s a joke there somewhere…lol…
LOL!
For some reason I haven’t tried this one yet. It taunts me from the tea drawer. I’ll have to peek inside mine and see if I have any Toucha balls (whoa- I think there’s a dirty joke in there somewhere). Maybe I’ll be brave and try it soon.
all my http://steepster.com/teas/chinese-kung-fu-tea-art-ebay-store/10448-18-different-flavor-puerh-tea-chatao-14-riped-4-raw look like that. i just split them up before steeping and then rinse once.
The Touchas in this mix look more like a miniature version of a giant telescope building/observatory with a flat bottom. Or an igloo without a doorway (except with a little ledge near the top dome).
A few years ago I found one of those in a green tea sold by a local shop, and I tossed it because I didn’t know what it was while swearing at the fact that it had added to the weight of the tea so I’d got less for my money. Of course I’ve kicked myself about that ever since I had my first pu-erh toucha. I’d actually got MORE for my money and threw it away. Ignorance is dangerous.
Ouch — so sorry to hear that :( I’m super grateful for Steepster since I think without this community I would’ve tossed it and never purchased this tea again (not thinking about the weight/rip-off issue, but of contamination instead). Since I have Steepster I set it aside and asked. :)