AmazonV select Send Message

Steep Information:
Amount: ~6g
Water: 150ml boiling filtered water
Tool: Adagio IngenuiTEA 16 oz
Steep Time: a little over 1:30 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: vegetal
Steeped Tea Smell: honey, sweet, floral, vegetal
Flavor: buttery sweet
Body: Light
Aftertaste: vegetal
Liquor: translucent pale yellow-green

Sweet, buttery, delicious – but not as good as the Zealong Aromatic.

An excellent oolong.

Resteep (2) Information: 150ml, boiling, 1:30 – sweet, vegetal, a little nutty

Resteep (3) Information: 200ml, boiling, 2:00, vegetal, a little nutty, a little bitter

Resteep (4) Information: 200ml, boiling, 2:00, vegetal, a little nutty, a little bitter

Resteep (5) Information: 200ml, boiling, 2:00, vegetal, a little nutty, bitter

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/08/chicago-tea-garden-loose-leaf-oolong.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: 16 oz boiling
Tool: Adagio IngenuiTEA 16 oz
Steep Time: a little over 6 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: rum, nuts, woody
Steeped Tea Smell: nutty, sweet
Flavor: amaretto, nut, sweet
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: floral
Liquor: translucent reddish-orange

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.

Post-Steep Additives: Rock sugar, more amaretto flavor

Resteep: weak, tossed

Nice dessert tea.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/08/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-rooibos.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 heaping tsp
Water: 500ml filtered 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: citrus, smoke
Steeped Tea Smell: earl grey
Flavor: smooth bergamot black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: citrus, smoke
Liquor: translucent orange brown

I bought this when I visited the Kusmi store in NYC, it’s a tiny tin part of the Russian sampler. It’s smooth, not bitter, and enjoyable but it doesn’t grab me and demand I keep it stocked.

I think the Kusmi teas, like the french teas, are subtle flavors and I prefer bold.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/08/kusmi-tea-loose-leaf-black-tea-troika.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: 750ml filtered water, 185°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: just like a freshly made strawberry shortcake
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, strawberry
Flavor: I would have believed it a black tea with hints of strawberry
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: strawberry
Liquor: translucent orange brown

The smell was divine, the tea was surprisingly full for a white tea. This was a swap from LENA who had the teas each labeled and i adorable tiny Tupperware, she included amazing notes for each tea!

I failed to read the Steepster notes first and am surprised everyone else tasted cake and not berry.

If it tasted as amazing as it smelled I’d get it again, but alas the taste is pretty standard.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/08/thenecessiteas-loose-leaf-white-tea.html

had the last of this tonight
3 tsp, 750ml, 212 F, 3:30
black tea with the smell of fig
oh the subtle flavors of the french

Steep Information:
Prepared in store, with 2 tsp Rock Sugar, unknown parameters, using a Teavana® Perfect Tea Maker
Served: Cold

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cherry, floral and raspberry
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet berries
Flavor: vegetal, sweet, berry
Body: Full
Aftertaste: sweet, vegetal
Liquor: translucent bright pink-purple

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/07/teavana-loose-leaf-oolong-and-white-tea.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 500 ml filtered water at 165°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: potpourri, like a floral one you’d find in a bag at the store, looks like it too!
Steeped Tea Smell: rose, lemon, floral
Flavor: lemon, rose, floral
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: lemon, floral
Liquor: translucent orange-green

I won this in a SororiTEA Sisters contest (a tea review blog, you should go give it a look).

It’s a very frou frou floral tea, not vegetal at all. I wish there were a bit less lemon flavor though.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/07/liber-teas-loose-leaf-green-tea.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 29 pearls, 4 g (~twice the recommended)
Water: 175°F 500ml filtered water
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (green, custom)
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: feint jasmine
Steeped Tea Smell: barely jasmine
Flavor: a little floral and sweet, barely there
Body: Light
Aftertaste: floral
Liquor: translucent honey colored yellow-brown

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.

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar, a little sweeter not much more change

Perhaps I should have steeped longer?

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/07/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-green.html

Steep Information:
Amount: ~6g
Water: 8×3oz filtered boiling water
Tool: Swivel Teapot
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: black tea, fall leaves
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, sweet, reminds militiajim of orange pekoe
Flavor: crisp, clean sweet black tea
Body: medium
Aftertaste: fall leaves, in a good way
Liquor: translucent orange brown

It’s not remarkable, but is it a crisp clean black tea that reminds me of fall.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/07/thepuritea-loose-leaf-black-tea-red.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2+ heaping tsp – one whole sample bag – it was hard to measure by the teaspoon these long, wide, flat leaves
Water: 2 Zarafina cups
Tool: Zarafina green-loose-medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: nutty, vegetal
Steeped Tea Smell: nutty, vegetal
Flavor: ICK, hmm, at first I thought it was bitter, but it isn’t bitter (as MilitiaJim pointed out) it’s bold, bold in this vegetal prickly way. It prickles my tongue. Tangy. Astringent.
Body: Full
Aftertaste: Almost a citric acid feel.
Liquor: translucent yellow-green

This tea was one of 5 samples I received from thepuriTea. It arrived well packaged in pretty pillow boxes (see pictures for a side angle of the pillow box if you are unsure what I mean) with packing peanuts and business cards.

I felt bad for thepuriTea and for the Dragonwell when it arrived. I keep trying to like green teas, but I rarely do enjoy them.

So here goes, I probably used too much leaf, and the tea punched me in the tongue. It’s strong, full bodied, no nonsense, earthy, savory green tea. Now that I cautiously sip at it I find it savory, and not unpleasant, but I do not plan to finish the other half of the sample. MilitiaJim seems to be enjoying savoring this tea, so he can bring it to work.

Post-Steep Additives: Honey – it added a sweet layer to the earthy vegetal flavor, it didn’t chance the flavor just added another layer of flavor.

Resteep: Zarafina green-loose-medium now this time it is bitter, astringent, vegetal, bold green tea with a roasted not fresh nut flavor. Nope definitely not my kind of tea.

Iced: Less tingly and more refreshing, but still a strong earthy vegetal tea.

Pictures: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/07/thepuritea-loose-leaf-green-tea.html