Steep Stories

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • An Excellent Different Beach House Tea Party

    The Road Trip Sextet, Part 4 – “An Excellent Different Beach House Tea Party” For Part 1, go HERE. For Part 2, go HERE. For Part 3, go HERE. I think I mentioned in the prior entry I only allowed myself one day at World Tea Expo this year. It wasn’t for lack of things…

  • The “Tease” of World Tea Expo

    The Road Trip Sextet, Part 3 – “The ‘Tease’ of World Tea Expo” For Part 1, go HERE. For Part 2, go HERE. You know it’s been awhile since you’ve blogged when your mother says as much in a Facebook message. Earlier this week, my Mum sent me such a message: “So, is June 9th…

  • Nicole Sandwiches, Blogger Rountables, and World Tea Expo

    The Road Trip Sextet, Part 2 – “Nicole Sandwiches, Blogger Roundtables, and World Tea Expo” For Part 1, go HERE. Trying to plan for this year’s World Tea Expo was a nightmare personified. Even more so than last year. At least with 2013, I had a plan (sorta) set in motion by December of 2012!…

  • Dating, Darjeeling, and Drought

    This might come as a big shock to a lot of you, but I don’t do a lot of dating.   For the record, it’s mostly my fault. I don’t put much effort into looking, and I’m in no real hurry to start. That and I’m perpetually broke, I don’t take wonderful care of myself,…

  • Gongfooling Around with Charcoal and Bourbon

    Imagine my [NOT] surprise when I saw this on J-TEA’s Facebook one day a couple of months back. A brand-spankin’ new Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel from Kentucky. Okay, perhaps a little background is in order. Back in December, I wrote about a new bourbon barrel-aged pu-erh put out by Eugene-based tea company – J-Tea International.…

  • The Zen of Using Yuzu

    According to the Almighty Wiki, yuzu is a citrus fruit native to East Asia, which may be a hybrid between sour mandarin oranges and Ichang papeda (whatever that is). I first learned of its existence when “researching” Korean jarred teas. Sometimes, yuzu was used as an ingredient – along with honey – to create a…

  • My Day as a Warrior Tiger Monk

    I was first contacted by Temple Road Tea back in late-March. They were a relatively new outfit specializing in Taiwanese high mountain oolongs. The foremost oolong they wanted me to yack about was their Tiger Monk Roasted Oolong. My first inclination was to decline because…roasted oolongs weren’t really my thing. That and I really didn’t…

  • The Scoop on a Black Fusion

    I want to introduce you all to the oldest tea tool in my arsenal. This li’l guy has been in my tea retinue for the better part of five years. That’s longer than any teacup, gaiwan, electric kettle, tin or pot. He first turned up in bag of Chrysanthemum Silver Needle I purchased in 2009,…

  • Grown in Michigan

    Like any good tea drinker, I occasionally frequent teashops. There is one in particular that I’ve gone to for the better part of three years (or more?). It has a bar. Note to future teashop owners: Get a bar. People like me will hang out there. Or don’t…if you want to avoid that sort of…

  • Nan Nuo Revisited – Still My Favorite Mountain

    Of all the tea blogs I’ve written, none have possessed the traction that my Nan Nuo Mountain coverage displayed. And I don’t mean in terms of viewership. (Let’s face it, what viewership?) But rather the enormity of vendors that specialize in single origin teas who’ve contacted me in its wake; I think the count is…

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