21 Tasting Notes
I was very excited to try this Green Apple Tea from sTEAp Shoppe. As past of their Virtual Tea Tasting that was held yesterday(9/23). I received four samples and this was my last one. I personally love green apples yet I wasn’t sure how a tea with apples would taste which made me all the more intrigued to experience this.
I steeped this Green Apple Tea at approximately 175 degrees approximately. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The tea liquor was a light to medium yellow color. My first sip was a vegetal taste very much associate with green teas,which I enjoy. It also tasted grassy. I had a challenging time finding the taste of green apples,if anything it was a very subtle presence then I expected. If you are expecting an “in your face taste of green apples tea blend” this isn’t it. As the tea cooled down, the taste became more astringent.
I enjoyed having another tea experience, as each one is very special and unique. I try to learn from each and every one. I continue to learn and surprise myself to find out which flavors I love and enjoy. It’s like life…It’s always full of moments of unexpectedness, and everything in between.
I would like to once again thank sTEAp Shoppe for giving the opportunity to participate in their Virtual Tea Tasting. I hope that I will have another opportunity to participate in the future.
sTEAp Shoppe has been generous and sent me this sample for their Virtual Tea Tasting for today (9/23). Thank you so much!
First and foremost, I would like to say that I am not an individual that is fond of or love mint in anything besides a peppermint candy. However, recently my mind has been slightly changed so I was actually curious about how I would like this one.
The name of the tea intrigued me and I decided that I would especially save this for this morning. I brewed it to approximately 175 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The fragrance was of a wonderful and irresistible scent of mint, which I must say that I became excited to taste it.
The taste was lovely; a fresh mint taste without being overwhelming. There is a sweetness,which I enjoyed. Drinking this tea made me feel more calm,which is good because this weekend has been a rollercoaster of emotions and late nights. Today is a cool but bright sunny autumn day, which is definitely cheering me up after experiencing cloudy and rainy days; days of inconsistent weather here in New York.
The tea liquor is a light/golden caramel color. It was a smooth cup of tea that I drank. I very much enjoyed this experience and I must say that I find myself officially converted to enjoying a mint tea. Who would of thought that I would ever say that?! I guess it’s true when people say “Never say never.”
Once again, thank you sTEAp Shoppe for being so kind and sharing this sample with me. I am forever grateful at your wonderful customer service as well as impressed with how quickly I received my samples. I would also like to say that I love the packaging of your samples, that contain clear instructions/information on your tea label.
I was sent a few samples from sTEAp Shoppe for their Virtual Tea Tasting tomorrow (9/23). This one is called Smokey Mountain and it definitely lives up to it’s name. This tea blend contains Organic Lapsang(which it was my first experience tasting this), Organic Assam and Organic Se Chung Special Oolong. It also contained organic cocoa nibs and organic vanilla bean.
I brewed Smokey Mountain to approximately 195 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The tea liquor was a medium brown color to a dark brown color, it resembled the color of coffee.
It tasted very smoky as well as rich and astringent that also reminds me of a characteristic of coffee. It also possessed a bit of sweetness. I believed that this tea blend has complex flavors that make this very unique. The scent was a scent of smokiness. My friends commented that the tea smelled like bacon or beef jerky.
I had a wonderful experience drinking Smokey Mountain. This is my first experience drinking a tea with more of a smokiness to it. I love having the opportunity to expand my tea drinking experiences by trying a range of flavors.
I would like to once again thank sTEAp Shoppe for giving me the opportunity to try their wonderful samples! Thank you!
I think it’s officially fall/autumn. This is one of my favorite seasons. I think of the beautiful views of the array of colors of vibrant leaves of the shades of reds, oranges and yellows. I think of apple picking,pumpkin patches, chai teas and wonderfully blended new teas.
sTEAp Shoppe gave me this wonderful opportunity to sample four of their teas and I must say that my experience with the first one has been a success! I tried their Antioxidant Berry Burst. I brewed it to approximately 175 degrees fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately three to four minutes. The tea liquor was a light yellow color. The taste was a bit of cinnamon(which I love), a wonderful taste of a blend of berries and a bit of a vegetal taste from the green tea. I very much enjoyed drinking this tea.
I would like to thank sTEAp Shoppe for being very generous and sending me some samples. I am very excited about participating in the virtual tea tasting tomorrow. Thank you! :)
I brewed the Decaf Earl Grey to boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five minutes. The aroma is a wonderful scent of bergamot. I personally love Earl Grey blends. The fact that this is decaf allows me to drink it without worrying about consuming too much caffeine. I think that it’s the right blend. It has the essence of what makes a “Earl Grey” blend.
Preparation
I enjoyed drinking Vanilla Comoro.
I brewed the tea at boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five minutes. The aroma is a sweet,vanilla fragrance. The taste is a more subtle,mellow vanilla flavor. The tea liquor is a chocolate brown color. This tea has a balance; it’s not to sweet or overpowering like I usually associate with teas that contain vanilla, while still being able to notice the vanilla taste. It was a smooth tasting cup of tea.
What I love about drinking Vanilla Comoro is that it’s decaf. I particularly love drinking this as my last cup,especially during late nights.
Preparation
I was very curious about trying this tea blend. It contains organic green rooibos, holy basil, licorice, indian sarsaparilla, maca root, acerola berries extract and natural orange and vanilla flavor.
I brewed the tea to boiling temperature. I steeped it for approximately five to six minutes.
While drinking this tea, I tasted sweetness as well as a tangy flavor. The liquor was an orange color. The aroma was a strong fragrance of licorice, a bit of vanilla,probably the maca root and the holy basil.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about about the taste of complex flavors. It was completely new to my taste buds. I didn’t have such a good experience when drinking rooibos in the past,so I was hesitant. After taking a few more sips, I started to enjoy drinking it. It felt more energized that I usually do and definitely more alert!
I would say that this tea blend has made me realize that I would like to be more adventurous in the tea that I choose to try from now on. The adventure continues.
Preparation
I would like to thank the Tea Merchant for sending me this sample of Yunnan’s Fable. I was so very excited to try Pu-erh for the first time, as I have been very intrigued about it since I’ve heard of it.
I brewed Yunnan’s Fable to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately four to five minutes. The aroma was earthy and also had a richness from the cocoa bits. While I was drinking the tea, it was a smooth and very rich flavor from the cocoa,however I personally couldn’t taste the coconut. The liquor was a medium to dark brown color. It actually reminded me of the color of coffee. Once upon a time, I used to be a huge coffee drinker; oh how times have really changed. I think this is a great alternative to having hot chocolate, since I don’t drink it anymore.
I re-steeped the tea, and it was still a very rich and flavorful cup. It was just as good as the first steeped tea. I must say that I am amazed and delighted at how much I truly enjoyed this tea.
Preparation
First and foremost, I would like to thank The Tea Merchant for their tea sample of White Coconut Blondie. Personally, I have a love for coconut, so it’s practically impossible to resist trying a tea blend that includes coconut.
I brewed the tea to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately two to three minutes. As I looked at the tea leaves, it looked like it included toasted coconut flakes. This is my first experience drinking white tea and I very much enjoyed it. The aroma was wonderful; it had a wonderfully strong fragrance of coconut.
While I was drinking the tea, I noticed the flavor of a more subtle coconut flavor,very different from the aroma of the tea leaves that I expected. It was a smooth and delicate taste, which I very much enjoyed and savored. The liquor was a light, yellowish color.
The tea samples came packaged in a brown tissue paper with a sage green wax seal. I must say that I was very impressed at their presentation.
Although it was not what I originally expected, I would like to say that I enjoyed their White Coconut Blondie tea. I would like to say that I am glad that I have had the opportunity to try their tea samples and that I am excited to try my second sample, Yunnan’s Fable.
Preparation
This is my first Darjeeling that I’ve tried. I would like to thank Nicole for sending me this loose tea. :)
I brewed the Decaf Darjeeling at 195 degrees Fahrenheit. I steeped it for approximately four to five minutes. I personally have a preference for black teas, so I was excited to try this tea. I also thought that it would be perfect for times when I do not want to consume less caffeine.
I enjoyed drinking this tea especially during mid-day. It has a calming effect on me while giving me just enough alertness. The flavor of the Darjeeling was a smooth, while having a bit of an astringent taste.
The liquor was a shade of gold/champagne. In the future I would love to try this tea, iced.
Me too no apples but the green tea was good enough and there was a lot of good product you can tell.
I agree with Bonnie. I enjoyed the green tea too!