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Gmathis noticed me raving about one of my favorites — the many variations on coffee puerh, so she sent over a sample of this one!  Thanks very much (and also for the super cute card! Books!  Tea!)   This might be the first tea I am trying from TeaMaze?   I could tell even before tipping the kettle over, the scent of the dry leaf could not be better.  This blend should have been called “The Best Coffee”.  At least to this coffee novice!  Then again, this is being marketed to tea people and not coffee people!  The flavor couldn’t be better here, the best parts of coffee — it’s coffee, but sweet, mocha, and a hint of cocoa.  Three steeps with great flavor. The twenty minute third steep was almost the same as the second steep.   However, the base is a little too weak for me, no matter which steep it is.  As a combination of puerh and black tea, I love the concept, but the result of the brew is so light in the mug. (The description says “robust” tea and I disagree.) But where I rate this tea so highly, is the perfect flavor that lingers through all three steeps:  IT’S COFFEE.  Delicious coffee to someone who avoids actual coffee. So I will allow the base here to take a backseat as the carrier of this perfect flavor I’m craving all the time (while not actually craving coffee).  Yum.
Steep #1  // 1 heaping teaspoon for full mug // 22 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 //  15 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 20 min

From AJRimmer QUITE a long time ago — thanks very much!   Honestly, even the scent of the dry leaf had something a bit offputting to me, an odd scent, which might be why it has taken so long to write a note for this. It’s just a mystery — not sure if it is flavoring they have added or one of the ingredients that is creating that scent. It’s nothing TOO bad, just unique.  It also transfers to the flavor.  I probably majorly overleafed here to use up the rest, and wow it is a LOT of tartness in a mostly hibiscus blend.  But then there is another element that gives it a syrupy sweet note. Not really any noticeable fruit?  Not terrible if you are actually craving a tart cup of hibiscus!  
Steep #1  // 2+ teaspoons for full mug // 23 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 5+ min
2024 sipdowns: 32

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – April 2024 Tea #1 -April 1 – April Fool’s Day  

Don’t have tea today? ha ha, ashmanra.  This is a fun one —  It’s colorful, it has star sprinkles, even the sunflower petals are fun AND it’s a tea inspired by ice cream!  What could be more fun than ice cream?  This is too tart to be ice cream inspired IMO, but I can live with it.  Definitely not close to a sipdown here though.  Happy April!

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #8 – An unflavored green  

I THOUGHT I had written a note for this a long time ago, so I’m glad I chose it for this prompt today!   Let’s see… this one was from Nicole a LOOONGG time ago. Thanks!  In that case, the flavor is still quite delicious.  Dusty gray twisted leaves.  The flavor reminds me of a cup of matcha.  I almost couldn’t tell the difference in a taste test, other than the texture of matcha would be different.  Flavor wise, it’s spot on.  I’m sure it was much more complex back in the day, but this is a delightful cup.  TWO delightful steeps.  Today, I’m also drinking my yearly Easter Egg Nests and Hot Cross Bun from Bird and Blend.  

Album:  Sun’s Signature (my fave album of 2022 had a deluxe edition in 2023)
Song: Golden Air https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN1fTs15jD4

From Cameron B!  Thanks!  Another cute wrapper.  The apple flavoring on this decent black tea is much like apple flavoring I have had before on other teas — not great, not bad.  But I would definitely guess apple in a taste test.  Seems hard to accomplish any flavor here, when teabags usually have such a small amount of leaf in the bag! An acceptable apple tea!
Steep #1  // 23 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min

From Meowster a while ago! Thank you! Despite its age, this is a flavorful oolong. Neither too delicate and light or too roasted and harsh. I actually steeped it four times (rather than my usual three with most oolongs) as I was getting along with it so well. The flavor notes are hard to find, but it’s agreeable and tasty. It’s GOOD OOLONG.
Steep #1 // 23 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 3 min

additional notes: I had to check my other notes to make sure I hadn’t already said that I seem to forget about this GEM in my tea collection. It is aging so so well. I really wish more of you were able to try this one. I think it is one of Anne’s best creations. Though I know the problem with that is since it is a mix of white tea/houjicha it will probably never find its way into an advent. It’s so so good though. Even still, it tastes just like a maple cream filling of a candy. A perfect blend. Raising the rating from 89! (I think I raise it every time I have it!)

One of Martin’s notes reminded me of the stash of puerh from Michelle that I should be trying!  Thanks again, Michelle! Looking through the samples, I was looking for “golden buds” specifically, as I recently realized that might be the trick to my favorite shou.  Put a big chonk in the infuser.  To be fair, the leaves don’t LOOK golden at all.  It’s all quite uniformly dark.  The flavor is lovely!  Sweet, so sweet.  No negative qualities here.  I almost want to call it the most breakfast shou?  But that is odd, since I would consider most shou for breakfast… and it could be lingering cinnamon from the last tea in the infuser.  The second steep is the same, quite deep, quite sweet.  Coffee, bittersweet chocolate, rich.  Everything I like about a shou.  Four solid steeps, a very slow unraveler.  I love it.  I actually tried a FIFTH steep, for 20+ minutes, but the brew was relatively weaker, so I don’t think I would bother with a fifth steep again.  This cake really does support my theory that it’s all about the “golden buds”.  Sadly, I can’t find a cake of this anywhere (I suppose streetshop88 doesn’t exist anymore either.)  Interestingly, Rich’s original note from 2015 says he paid only $20 for it!!! Rich also originally noticed a lot of golden buds in the cake which must have changed color by the time it arrived to my infuser! 
Steep #1  // 23 minutes after boiling // rinse // 2 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10-11 min
Steep #5 // just boiled // 20+ min

Album: Gaz Coombes – Turn the Car Around
Song: Not the Only Things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl2NQ8lK0k0

This is from MiepSteep, thanks very much!  This flavor type was calling to me today, so here we are.  The leaves are absolutely lovely, a rainbow of colors.  Huge and twisted.  The flavor is what you might expect.  Sadly I have already had this sitting for another year since MiepSteep has sent it over, so the flavor notes will not be as distinct as they could be.   I bet it was real flavorful back in the day.   I wish I could be more specific!  I will just have to appreciate its greatness from a distance of time….
Steep #1 //  1 1/2 teaspoons for a mug // 21 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2-3 min

additional notes: I’m really enjoying this one and then remembered that it’s one of the blends that B&B took out of their rotation. Dang it. Why. I remember they culled so many of my favorites back then, and I’m less thrilled with the blends that have stuck around on the tea wall. meh. I guess David’s blend is quite similar to this, and I do have some of that left.