November Box

K S shared a little envelope of the dragonwell from this Teabook installment. Having learned my lesson (premeasured packets), I didn’t overdo on the cup size this time. The dry leaf is really powdery. Left a nice little green Christmas wreath at the bottom of my cup. A little leaf doesn’t bother me, but if you don’t like that, be forewarned.

Aesthetics aside, the tea itself is very, very good. Green tea doesn’t get a lot of attention at my house, but dragonwell is my favorite, and this is a tasty representation of that variety—summer hay and lip-lickingly sweet. This is one to save until the absolute dead of winter when you need a small cup of spring.

Teabook is a monthly subscription service. What I think is cool and different about it is the tea is in individual serving envelops. The November box that I sampled has 9 dragonwell labelled green, 9 wild black tea / Dian Hong labelled red, and 1 honey sweet green labelled special collection. Also in the first box is a double walled 10 oz glass tumbler. The idea here is to use an individual packet with the tumbler for grandpa style sipping throughout the day.

That’s a cool idea. How does it work in reality? Pretty well once you get the hang of it.

Having never used a double walled tumbler I heated the water appropriately for the dragonwell. Emptied a packet into the tumbler. Poured in the water, replaced the lid and waited for the steep. Opened the lid and burned my lips. Ouch. Safety tip: Leave lid off so it can cool to safe drinking temp. I’m a weenie when it comes to really hot drinks. I like them cool. The tumbler holds the heat well once the lid is in place.

The dragonwell aroma from the tumbler was very inviting. I was afraid the vessel would hide the scent. It actually seemed to concentrate it. Leaving the leaf in the tumbler made for a strong taste but it was not bitter. There is a metal screen in the top to keep the leaf in the tumbler.

Today I am having the red tea (Dian Hong). The dry aroma out of the envelop is just what one wants from Dian Hong. Wonderfully fresh. Having learned my lesson, I left the lid off while it steeped. The brew color is a nice caramel. The leaf sank to the bottom so not sure the screen is so much necessary with this one. The scent is honey malty caramel. The taste is sweet potato and honey with a touch of malt. There is no bitterness. My wife just walked in the room and asked what I was cooking. She said the tea smelled like I was baking something. Yep, delicious tea.

I haven’t made it to the special collection tea yet.

Based on this one month’s box, I would recommend Teabook if you are into subscription services. I do not know if the subscription cost includes shipping.