1402 Tasting Notes
This one turned out perfectly this morning. The lower temperature really is the key I find. This one has been finicky for me in the past, but when it works out I absolutely love it. I’ll definitely be ordering the reblend, and possibly more of this one before it’s gone. Does anyone know when this blend is on it’s way out?
Also, this is my first tasting note to check out the upgrade and all these options are handy! The amount of tea and water volume are a delight.
Flavors: Cream
Preparation
TeaVivre arrived today! I should also add in a thank you to caile for introducing me to TeaVivre.
Because this tea name is so close to “Balin”, this tea will forever be a dwarf from The Hobbit in my mind.
Preparation
Nice!
Yay! : ) That arrived fast!
I know! I was so impressed with the shipping time.
Did you get the free shipping? I think often it depends on customs etc, how often a package arrives.
I meant how quick a package arrives
Yep! I made sure my order was just over the threshold haha. Oh it definitely depends on customs. It came through Canada in MB actually.
haha, that’s great!
I was really hoping Fjellrev would maybe be wrong, or more sensitive to smoke than I, but alas, I could taste it. This tea is not for me. Sigh.
On the upside though, I see another order may be delivered today!
Preparation
Glad i’m not insane. this was NOT a smokey tea originally…but the batch i had the other day for SURE had smokiness to it.
I mean, i’m ok with that and love it..but it’s a totally different tasting tea than the first time i remember having it.
Pout. I was so looking forward to the “sweet potato” flavour.
Bummer! It sounds theoretically awesome…
yeah…i’ll need to try this again on the weekend but i remember thinking woah..this is like a tasty keemun!
The only thing I’ve ever gotten sweet potato flavor from was the Golden Fleece…mmmm
I haven’t tried this lately, but I think Verdant may have included a sample in my last order, so we’ll see.
The dry scent of this tea made me quite wary, but steeped the scent is much more inviting. The cinnamon is coming through most clearly now.
The taste is pretty light, which is both good and not so good. There isn’t any of the almost offensive dry scent taste going on, but the cinnamon scent isn’t that clear in the taste. I’m getting the subtlest hint of orange in the background. Hopefully more flavour will come through as it cools.
I’m thinking this one needs a bit more leaf.
Preparation
i think i usually do this one at 1.5 per “cup” though with my size mugs it’s 3 since they’re twice the size of normal cups
I have a 14 oz. mug and I generally do the recommended for 8 oz. This didn’t work out in my favour here haha. Lesson learned!
oof I did NOT like this one.
So I got some of this in a swap from Cavovorax a while ago (I’m pretty positive it was Cavo), and I just sent it along to my friend. Once she tried it, she couldn’t stop raving about it.
My Verdant order arrived today, so this was the first tea I wanted to try. It kind of smells like the forest. The taste matches up well with the scent. Like pine trees. Pine tree tea.
I think I need to fiddle around with the steeping times and temperatures, because this one is tasty, but I don’t think it’s keep-around-in-my-cupboard tasty. Any suggestions on steeping parameters?
I also need to find space in my cupboard for the five other orders on the way.
Preparation
I got the yabao snickerdoodle, and yes! Pine trees! So interesting. I think I steeped at 185 for 3-4min.
Nice! And…wow at five other orders! ;-)
I didn’t see that one OMGsrsly! I did pick up the Eight Treasures Yabao though. Perhaps that will be my next cup.
I’ve been so out of hand this month with order caile. :|
I’m so glad that I’m not the only one that has trouble fitting their tea orders into the cupboard. :-)
Haha! I had to rearrange drastically sundaysipping. I’m only “allowed” one tea cupboard, so I’m going to need to get creative.
gross. silver yabao and i do NOT get along… blech. in so far as cuboards go… i need a day to rearrange..my unopened teas are taking up too much room in me “open once you’ve finished some other stuff” cube
Sil! I got the Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Smoked Wuyi as a sample in my order – are you interested? I kind of despise smoke in my tea haha.
of course! looooove it! that would be awesome
Part of the deal with my fiance and I moving in together was that he got a fish tank and I got a tea cupboard. It’s the smallest cupboard in our kitchen, meanwhile my fiance has a 55 gallon fish tank. I’m considering taking over the (much larger) spice-and-sundries cabinet for my tea. After all, tea is so much more important than things like canned tomatoes. And I’d still only be using one cabinet.
Do it, sundaysipping! :D Courtney, the tea was part of the Verdant Blends christmas box.
OMGsrsly, I am so tempted. Only think keeping me from doing it is that he cooks most of our meals and I’m afraid he’d dump some of my Lime Gelato into pasta sauce, thinking it was oregano or something. What a horrible thought.
Courtney, that is so weird about the fishtank and cabinet! Maybe I can trade my fiance if I offer to let him get a bigger fishtank … (he thinks I don’t see him eyeing them when we’re in the fish store but I totally notice). I think that you should convert your kitchen cart into a tea cart! Also: I love the idea of a kitchen cart — we have no storage space and barely any counters so this might be a good solution for us. Hmmm.
That’s exactly why we got the cart. It is so handy. I may be able to convert one more drawer in it at least. Mwuahaha.
That would be a waste of good tea, wouldn’t it, sundaysipping. :)
This is another lovely sample from caile – thanks!
Yet another great black tea. This one doesn’t have that natural sweetness, but it’s still quite tasty. I decided on this for my morning cup this morning and it did not disappoint. It comes off as fresh and clean tasting.
I would say I prefer the Bailin, because I really enjoy the honey-like sweetness, but I certainly wouldn’t say no to this being in my cupboard from time to time.
Preparation
I’m getting the Bailin soon as a sample for review. SUPER excited!
Yay! I also had chosen the bailin over this one, although both were good. Glad you enjoyed them!
Thanks caile! This swap has been so informative haha. I now know TeaVivre teas will most likely be a staple in my cupboard.
Stephanie the Bailin was wonderful! I ordered some a little over a week ago and now I’m even more impatient for it to arrive.
You’re so good at trying all the samples, Courtney! lol I’m so slow. :-P
Haha I get overly excited with swaps and I always want to try all the new teas. :P
Haha! Me too… (except I’m a slowpoke)! ;-)
Haha. :P I’m excited to see some of your tasting notes – especially the Taiwanese Wild Mountain, I might even say that is my all-time favourite.
Yes, I’m really forward to trying this one!!
Another awesome sample from caile!
This tea is fascinating! The smell is that typical comforting black tea scent, but the taste is different altogether. Is that a berry taste? It’s also a bit woodsy. Not like the forest, like wood. I’m quite enjoying it, and the different taste for each sip is keeping me on my toes.
Preparation
Another sample from caile :)
I smell smoke. Okay so that smokiness isn’t strong at all in taste, but it’s there. Subtle, yes, but still too much for me. It’s not actually in the taste, but seeing as my nose has to come pretty close to the cup to take a sip, I don’t think I can quite handle it. Thank you for letting me try this one out caile!
Preparation
This one has that natural honey-like sweetness going on. I love that flavour. The taste isn’t overwhelming, but still a lovely strong black tea.
Thanks for sharing caile! I’m thrilled I have some of this en route.
Update: The second steep of this is delightful with plenty of flavour. (1.5 tsp/14 oz.)
Preparation
I’m glad you like it!! :-)
I know what you mean by lower steep temperature being more trouble than just letting the water boil – do you have a variable temp kettle?
I don’t! Pout. I do love my kettle though, perhaps my next one will be a variable temperature.
I recently received one and really like it! Before that I used a stove top kettle with a whistling spout.
That was my one before the current one. Now I have this one: http://instagram.com/p/YBKG2SuZB9/
Now that I have a variable temp, I don’t steep anything but herbals at boiling. :) I find the black teas so much nicer plain with 195-200F water..
Neat OMGsrsly! I’ll have to try a few of my favourites at lower temperatures now. :)
Agreed – I steep most blacks at 90-95C
I just noticed that this is listed as the organic version; the one I sent was the regular one. ;-) I was interested in trying the organic version but it was out of stock.
Whoops!
Lol Sorry I didn’t notice it until now for some reason.
I did the same thing for the note I did when I got my TeaVivre order. Wow, fail haha.
Haha! They are almost the same, so easy to do. :-)
Don’t give me the rest of yours then! Keeeep it :)
I so rarely reach for it, I was searching for a perfect replacement for Taiwanese Wild Mountain for my morning cup, and then it steeped up so perfectly. :)
I didn’t know Stacey was reblending this. Any idea what she hopes to do differently?
I’m really not sure keychange – here is the link to her note on some upcoming changes :) http://steepster.com/butikiteas/posts/218750#comments
The current batch is already gone. I really like the flavor combination but I think this tea is really too picky and perhaps a little too aggressive for most people so I will be looking for a more agreeable base. I’m still undecided whether I want to choose another black tea or perhaps take it in a different direction. We just got in another Assam (not the Hattialli) but one that is similar to our Dinjoye but even more chocolatey. I will be trying that as a base and a few other teas as well. We are always open to suggestions.
Ooh that base sounds like it could be tasty. I look forward to whatever you come up with, I’m sure it’ll be delicious. I personally love black teas, so I’m all for a black base haha.
That new Assam could be a winner. I’m definitely picturing it now and also possibly our Keemun which is a pretty gentle black tea though I was also thinking about maybe trying it as a white tea.
I’m all for the Assam. :) Although both your Cantaloupe & Cream and Watermelon Xylophone are quite tasty with the white base. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Keemun tea – does that have a smoky element to it?
This particular type of Keemun is not smokey. Its actually somewhat sweet.
The all sounds promising. I can’t wait to see what you end up choosing, I’m already planning out my next order.
Good to hear that they all sound promising. :)