Feedback, please!

[juliejonesme]

I would love for everyone to check out my blog and give feedback on how I can improve and posts you would like to see!!

I will have more tea reviews, another review of tumblers, sweeteners...and a little here and there about me. Let me know what else I can do to make it the site you want to see!

www.juliejones.me
IG @juliejonesme

[ethan]

You are a blogger who is not usefully experienced w/ tea. Why go to your blog to read about tea?

You take good photographs & are generous w/ details. In fact I did not remember that Adagio's tumbler had a handle. Your blog made it clear to me I would like this product of Adagio while Adagio itself did not convince me. Your comparison of tumblers is useful & thorough.

So, if you learn about tea, your comments on tea could be worthwhile & rise above narcissism, the key component of so many blogs.

[juliejonesme]

I feel like not everyone is an expert on tea and I know more than the average person. I am not a sommelier or someone who has spent decades with tea. I think my opinion is enough for people to decide what they will or won't like enough to try or not.

Also, I think it's unfair for you to know nothing about me and claim on my experience with tea. I didn't claim to be an expert, but people value my opinion enough to send me samples and ask me to review them. People are always learning, and that isn't a bad thing. I posted asking for constructive criticism, not someone to tell me my opinion means nothing because they don't think I know enough.

[ethan]

Miss Julie, You have taken offense. I did not expect that you would be so vulnerable after asking for feedback. Of course, I did not stay within the confines of what kind of feedback you wanted; however, I think your specific requests & your reaction to my reply argue my point about blogging being mostly a narcissistic endeavor. (Holy hell I spelled the noun & adjective correctly though I never had used the words in print before).

Nonetheless, TeaChat, is about sharing & not about me being snarky (another new word for me to write). I noted why I liked your review of tumblers. I did not get into specifics of why I feel your tea experience is not useful. I am just someone who posts here & don't want to scare away nor offend newcomers. But since I started this paragraph w/ "nonetheless"...... I will share what I feel: I don't respect Teavana & don't want to see photographs of its tea tins nor read about their teas. I don't respect blogs that write about that company as if it is worthy of respect. Also, impressions of flavored tea don't seem useful to me.

TeaChat is for everyone, but I think it is special because there are some people (not me) who post here that do comprehend much, much more about tea than how they react to a tea flavored w/.... or combinations of flavors--&, most importantly, these people stop posting when TeaChat gets too much of subjective response on that stuff. (I enjoyed drinking it for ages & all that I learned is that someone prefers one company's Earl Grey over other companies' Earl Greys, etc.)

I don't want to offend you. You directed me to your blog to get feedback. You got it; &, yes, I don't know you; &, it seems you have not read many posts here. I reacted to what I know about you: one post here & your blogs. How many threads have you read at TeaChat?

It's raining in Boston--fresh air, welcome to TeaChat! I'm sure there is lots for you to share & enjoy here; though posting here does not get one free samples from vendors looking for reviews or any other such perks blogs may encourage. Cheers!

[MIKE_B]

You may want to spend time reading through the threads here. I think you'll find that many users here aren't really interested in the types of tea you seem to be blogging about.
I'm not knocking your enthusiasm for flavored tea, I'm just guessing you won't find many takers here.

[teagenesis]

You should try some different whole leaf teas. Maybe Chinese teas, as these are typically the tastiest and most beneficial. Gong-fu is a great foundation for tea.

[juliejonesme]

@ethan If you had read my posts, you would know that I don't like Teavana, either. But, those were teas a few people had asked me about. I also posted reviews on teas that are NOT from Teavana. The butterfly pea is not available from Teavana. I bought it from Thailand. My Gyokuro is from Japan. Almost all my teas are from other tea drinkers and haven't been posted yet or Asia. I tried a couple of their Honeys because I never got any recommendations for honey...for those three days a month I use it.

@Mike B That's a great suggestion! Thanks! I'll make a list from the forums. I might have some already in que to review, but it will help me see what I need and organize which teas I post and when. I don't like flavored or blended teas, but was asked to review one. While it wasn't my "cup of tea" (had to), it wasn't bad. Thanks!

[juliejonesme]

@teagenesis I have a ton of those, just haven't reviewed them, yet. I'm thinking I might just come back after I get a lot more posted.

Thank you for the suggestion.

[Chip]

I am moving this to the TeaBlog forum of TeaChat where it will be more at home.

[juliejonesme]

@chip I actually already posted one there, so you can delete it. I don't want to post in the wrong forum.

Thank you!!

[teagenesis]

@teagenesis I have a ton of those, just haven't reviewed them, yet. I'm thinking I might just come back after I get a lot more posted.

Thank you for the suggestion.

I did see the whisper dragon tea. Pearls are some of my favorite teas. From creamy green oolong pearls, to jasmine green pearls, to these dark dragon pearls. I haven't tried any rolled, pearl-shaped red teas. Mine have all been tips leaves. So, I appreciate seeing something a little different from what I usually drink, as long as it's a good whole leaf tea.

It seems to me, though, that rolled teas are intended for gong-fu style brewing. Why else make the tea into pearls if it isn't going to unfurl gradually during a multiple infusions? Anyway, if you haven't tried this more concentrated method of tea, with shorter steeping times, you should give it a try. It seems like you would do well with making some teas that way.

[juliejonesme]

@teagenesis I have been looking at sets, but the one I ordered came broken and I had to send it back. I have been kind of particular about what I'm looking for (some were just gaiwans and cups but no fair cups, I also wanted an aroma cup...but everything together is impossible to find for under $100). I definitely plan on getting one soon and doing just that! I have all of those in my cupboard, I will work on reviewing them soon, since it is something you want to see.

I've been using the cupping standard that World of Tea and Rishi use, but if there is any other information about the teas that you think would be helpful, let me know. I've been working on a review sheet for the teas I post and would love to include as much information as is needed for it to be a good review!!

Thanks for the feedback!! I really appreciate it!!!

[kyarazen]

It seems to me, though, that rolled teas are intended for gong-fu style brewing. Why else make the tea into pearls if it isn't going to unfurl gradually during a multiple infusions? Anyway, if you haven't tried this more concentrated method of tea, with shorter steeping times, you should give it a try. It seems like you would do well with making some teas that way.

because pearls stay fresher and more aromatic over long term storage