This page sets out the standards behind everything published on http://affiliate.alliceteaspot.com. It is written so that a reader — or a brand that disagrees with a score — can hold us to a stated process.
1. Independence
Timberline Steep is owned entirely by Mary Knight. No tea producer, retailer, importer or marketing agency holds any stake in the business or any influence over what we publish. No brand receives advance copy, approval rights, or notice of an unfavourable review.
2. Sourcing
Every tea that receives a numbered score is bought anonymously, at full retail price, through the ordinary consumer channel. We do not use press accounts, review discounts or industry pricing for scored products. Free samples may be accepted for context and background, are logged, and are never scored.
3. Testing protocol
- Water is filtered and measured with a TDS meter, target 38–44 ppm.
- Leaf is weighed to 0.1 g. Volume measurement is never used.
- Each tea is brewed at a minimum of three temperatures and two steep durations — at least six cups.
- Oolong and puerh are additionally brewed gongfu style across a minimum of five infusions.
- A blind re-cup follows at least seven days later, unlabelled, alongside two known reference teas to detect palate drift.
- Elevation is recorded (7,126 ft) and the sea-level correction is stated where it matters.
4. Scoring
Scores are out of 100, built from five equally weighted categories of 20 points: aroma, body, finish, consistency and value. Packaging, brand history and awards are excluded from scoring. Scores are finalised before any commercial link is added to a page.
5. Updates and re-testing
Tea is agricultural and quality moves between harvests. Every scored tea is re-tested at least annually. Each review shows the harvest year and the date of the most recent cupping. Where a score changes by more than three points, the previous score and the reason are stated on the page.
6. Corrections
If we publish something inaccurate, we correct it and say so. Corrections appear at the top of the affected page with the date and a description of what changed. We do not quietly edit and republish. To report an error, email accounts@affiliate.alliceteaspot.com; we aim to respond within two business days.
7. Use of sources and health claims
Claims about caffeine content, chemical composition or physiological effects are drawn from published food-composition data and peer-reviewed literature, and are presented as ranges rather than false precision. We do not publish therapeutic claims, and nothing on this site is medical advice.
8. Artificial intelligence
Reviews, tasting notes and guides on this site are written by Mary Knight from her own cupping notes. Automated tools are not used to generate review content or tasting descriptions. Photographs are our own or licensed for use.
9. Right of reply
Any producer or retailer who believes a review is factually wrong may write to us with specifics. If they are right, we correct the page and re-test where necessary. If we disagree, we will say so and, on request, publish a short response alongside the review. What we will not do is remove a fair review because it is commercially inconvenient.