Tea on Tap

Pomegranate Green from Teaopia

2012-01-22T13:36:00.001-07:00

Steeped 4 min. @176 degrees

I received this for Christmas from a good friend in Canada, and when I opened the envelope, I was surprised at how fragrant it is. The scent is a nice blend of sweet fruit and savory grass, very inviting and actually kind of invigorating as well.

The tea itself looks like Sencha or Gyokuro, so I went to the web site, and it is indeed Sencha, one of my favorite greens. Surprisingly, it also includes cranberries, which explains the tart-sweet quality of the flavor. The liquor is very smooth, with a nice but subtle "zing" from the fruit. It is kind of drying, but has a good vegetal flavor.

Pomegranate Green is available online at Teaopia...and this is the first tea from them that I've tried, but I may well place an order with them in the future. I certainly enjoyed this particular offering...

Caramel Macchiato from Teas, Etc.

2012-01-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Brewed 4 minutes at 208 degrees

China teacup with a metal infuser

I’m not a coffee drinker, so I don’t have any taste comparison for this, but I can’t imagine anyone who likes sweet caramel with a hint of tobacco (pipe tobacco/sweet smell) not liking this tisane. Blended with rooibos, caramel pieces and essential oil, it is my new favorite dessert/late-night drink, hands down. Naturally sweet, it’s got a great medium texture and the rooibos and caramel complement each other perfectly.

I only had a sample pack to try, but I’m definitely going to be ordering a larger quantity soon. This will certainly be a staple in my tea cupboard from now on.

Tea Time: English Breakfast Extra Fancy from Tantalizing Tea

2012-01-08T09:01:00.002-07:00

Thanks for joining me again for weekly tea reviews. After you've read the review and made yourself a cuppa, you may be interested in checking out my weekly flash (very short) fiction at The Variety Pages. This week's story actually features tea, so it's a nice match, I think.

Also, check back this evening for a contest announcement...

Now, here's today's review:

Brewed 5 minutes at 208 degrees in porcelain cup w/metal strainer.

I'm not normally an English Breakfast drinker, but when Tantalizing Tea sent me a free sample of this with my order last month, I couldn't help but try it.The scent in the package wasn't all that strong, but that's pretty normal for most English Breakfast blends I've tried. As you can see above, the leaves are very nice looking, a sort of deep chocolatey brown that is very appealing.

Once stepped, it has a nice texture - thick and pleasant on the tongue. It's got good flavor for an English Breakfast, though it's still a little too much on the astringent side for me. It's earthy with a definite high note, but it falls just short of a full-bodied flavor, and I'd certainly recommend it for anyone who likes a good English Breakfast (or just likes tea on the stronger side - my husband liked it pretty well).

Whether you plan on purchasing this tea or not, I'd urge you to check out the Tantalizing Tea web site. Not only do that have some really nice teas on offer, their tea ware catalog is superb!

Until next week, happy sipping....

Reviews Return January 8, 2012

2012-01-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

Tea, anyone?

I've said before that I was going to reopen Tea on Tap, and then never quite got around to posting reviews. A lot of that stemmed from not having a quick, easy way to handle photos, and some from the fact that I just wasn't as organized as I used to be. But I've been writing reviews here and there for awhile now, taking photos with my tablet and using Evernote, my new favorite cloud storage program to keep everything organized.

I also have a new thermo-pot (see previous post), that makes it quicker/easier to make a cuppa late at night, so I've been drinking more tea lately (ie, more than just my normal cups at work), and more variety as well. All very good things for me, and excellent review fodder as well.

So Sundays will be the "official" tea time around here starting this week, with new reviews scheduled for the next six weeks to start. Sunday is also "story time" at my author blog, The Variety Pages, so if you'd like a short piece of fiction to read while you're enjoying your cuppa, I'll be posting links to that each week as well (and vice versa). This week's story just happens to feature tea as a prominent part of the plot, which is fun, I think.

I may post randomly at other times - I have some new teaware I'm dying to show off, but reviews will always be on Sundays. I'm looking forward to posting again, and I hope you'll join me.

Oh! I almost forgot! Adagio graciously sent me two holiday samplers this year, and I'm giving one away right here. Watch for the contest announcement next week for your chance to win!

Until Sunday, happy sipping...

New Water Pot & Tea Time

2011-12-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

I was perusing the online Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales last weekend, and Amazon (of course) had this Secura 4 liter water boiler/warmer on sale for $74.00. I should mention that I'd already just spent an hour binge-buying tea, so I was already rather susceptible to "accessories".

I'd been considering a Zojirushi for years, but never quite wanted to spend the money. And of course there's the tea purist in me that says you need fresh water each time you brew tea...which was enough to keep me from shelling out the money before now. But many other "tea people" use these types of boilers/warmers for convenience, and frankly, the only thing holding me back from a cup of tea late nights and weekends is the time it takes to let the water boil, then come to the right temp for whatever I want to brew. Yes, I *know* it's totally lazy, but it is what it is.

In any case, I decided to go ahead and get one of these Securas. It's all stainless steel inside, no plastic lining, which is good (though plenty of plastic in the top, sadly). The way it works is it boils the water (212 degrees), then allows it to cool and hold at one of three temperatures (or you can set it to auto cool, which just let's it cool gradually to room temp). It's designed to stay on for as long as you need it too, so it can run all day every day if you want it to.

If you need to heat the water to boiling again, you just hit the "reboil" button, and it will beep when the tea is boiling. I received mine Wednesday, and already have a daily routine with it.

6am - fill with fresh, cold water and set the temp to hold at 208 degrees.
8am - make tea for the morning (to take to work), set temperature to hold at 176 degrees (so it takes less time to boil at lunch).
Noon - reboil, make tea for the afternoon, set temp to auto cool (save energy, since I'll have time to wait for the boil after work).
7pm - reboil, set temp for 176 or 194 for nighttime brewing (depends on whether I feel like white or green that day).
Make tea as desired throughout the evening...or cider, hot chocolate, etc.
Before bed - drain and unplug. I'm okay with drinking water from it all day/night, but I prefer to start with fresh water every morning.

I haven't had it over the weekend yet (this will be the first, but my plan is to boil a pot in the morning and hold it at 208 for most of the day, since I drink black teas all day long (and I'm okay with blacks brewed at 208...though it takes no time to bring it back to a boil from there if needed). Then I'll cool it down to 176 for evening cuppas again.

Needless to say, with no more excuses to be lazy, I'm actually drinking more tea at home again, which is a very good thing. And honestly? I haven't noticed a difference in how the tea tastes with reboiled water...I thought perhaps I would, but I haven't at all. Maybe I'm just out of practice, but everything tastes fine to me. This is going to be quite handy for parties/entertaining too...

So there you have it - my electric kettle has been retired, and I'm pretty happy with my purchase. If the top accent color had been black like I was hoping for, I would be happier, but it's a small quibble.

Anyone else have one of these? Do you like it? Do you feel like it affects the flavor of the tea at all to reboil water all day?

On a somewhat related note, I'm writing up a bunch of tea reviews from my binge purchases, and will be posting one a week or so starting tomorrow. And if you want to see what I'm drinking on a nightly basis, check my Tea on Tap facebook page.

Happy sipping!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pu’erh from Teas, Etc.

2011-08-23T14:00:00.002-06:00

I really didn’t expect to like this at all. I mean, pu’erh tea is earthy, woodsy in some cases, and while I enjoy it very much (well, depending), I couldn’t wrap my taste buds around the melding of that incredible basic pu’erh flavor with strawberries & chocolate. Frankly, I kind of figured they’d ruin each other, and end up tasting like sweet, dirty berries.

Either that, or I figured the tea would be overshadowed by the stronger berry and chocolate flavors, completely getting lost in the mix (actually, I figured that would be the best outcome).

Not so. Not even by a long shot.

Pu’erh is still the dominant flavor, which surprised me. The earthiness is muted, blending with the chocolate (there are actual chocolate curls in the mixture) for a very smooth, sweet, almost-but-not-quite smoky taste. The strawberry is more prominent on the finish, and adds a very light, refreshing quality to what is, overall, a rather thick tea.

The really interesting thing about this tea is, the flavors just blend seamlessly, so that unless you’re really focused, you don’t recognize them as separate flavors, but just as one very mellow, satisfying taste. It does leave a dryness behind typical of some pu’erh, but it’s quite pleasant overall.

If you already like pu’erh, and enjoy flavored teas, you’ll certainly like this one. If you’ve never tried pu’erh, this is a good way to sort of ease into it…and I dare say it would be a lovely substitute for hot chocolate as well.

I only ordered a sample tin. I’ll definitely be ordering a larger quantity next time…

Flavored Pu'erh?

2011-08-13T09:39:00.000-06:00

It's Murphy's law, I tell you. I decide to open the tea blog back up, and then everything goes haywire, things break, and I suddenly barely have time to *drink* tea, much less talk about it. For a month. Yeah, I wasn't pleased either, but life happens.

In any case, things are more or less back to normal now, which makes me happy. And this week I got a shipment from Teas, Etc. including some flavored pu'erh tea that I had to order just for the novelty of it. Normally I'm not really a fan of loose pu'erh tea...I tend to prefer it right off the cake. But I could not imagine, with the already strong flavor of pu'erh, how flavors would work with that. Pu'erh is normally pretty earthy, so for strawberries & chocolate pu'erh, I'm having a hard time imagining how everything will mesh together into something palatable.

Tea tends to surprise me all the time though, so I'm game, and I've got several different flavors to try now. Stay tuned for reviews...

Have you tried flavored pu'erh? What did you think?

Ice It, Baby!

2011-07-09T17:40:00.000-06:00

It's finally summer, and while I'm not a huge fan of overly hot temperatures, I am a fan of iced tea. No sugar, please, and made with good quality loose leaves whenever possible. I haven't ordered iced tea in a restaurant for ages, simply because...well, that is *not* real iced tea.

Excuse me, my tea snob side is showing again...

I do like sun tea, but haven't made it in a long time simply due to the time it takes. My normal method for iced tea is to brew up a pot just as I normally would, with maybe half to one teaspoon more leaves than normal. I fill a tempered glass pitcher with ice, and then pour the hot tea over it, swirling it around so it cools rapidly. That's it. No fuss, no muss, and it's always fabulous.

This week I've been drinking Assam Melody from Adagio over ice, pictured above - and it makes a really great glass because it's naturally a little sweeter than, say, a Ceylon tea would be. It's very rich and full-flavored, and still very refreshing.

Another tea I've been drinking iced is Perfectly Passionate from Teas, Etc - a black tea from Sri Lanka mixed with marigold petals that somehow manages to have a very fruity, almost mango-like taste. It's excellent...and the flavor is enhanced when it's chilled, in my opinion.

And of course, if you don't want the caffeine, do try iced Rooibos. I haven't made any yet this year, but it's quite a treat - very naturally sweet, and if you use the fruity flavors, very much like a dessert cocktail of sorts. More on that later when I've made a few batches.

Are you icing your tea this summer? What are your favorite leaves/flavors to chill?

Pure Matcha Black

2011-06-25T10:16:00.001-06:00

Amount used: ½ tsp

Water: Tap water, 180 degrees

Teaware: Big ceramic cup & saucer

Ordered from: Pure Matcha

I was updating my status on Steepster last week when I saw a review of Pure Matcha Green go by. The Matcha I had here was old and not really tasting all that fresh, so I was looking for another company to try. Then when I read that Pure Matcha sold not only green, but black and rooibos matcha as well, I was very intrigued, and ordered a set right then and there.

Setting aside the fact that I had issues brewing this at first due to water temperature problems (brewer error), I really like this tea. It’s a blend of Assam and Darjeeling, and while it’s got a dryer mouthfeel than I normally prefer, it’s naturally sweet when brewed and drank at a cool temperature. Too hot and it goes bitter pretty quickly, but that’s true of all matcha. I normally prefer our hard tap water to filtered, but I may try filtered water next time with this to see if it smooths out a little.

It’s got a nice kick of caffeine to it, and a sort of tangy feel on the tongue. One cup wakes me right up, and it’s quickly becoming my “go to” tea on weekend mornings when I’m too lazy to brew a pot of leaves, but don’t want to turn to soda just yet. Because the water really does need to be pretty cool, it takes no time at all to whisk up a cup.

One other thing – this tea doesn’t foam up like green matcha (or I haven’t been able to get it too over the several times I’ve made it). Not that that’s important, just an interesting side-note.

Normally I would have used my matcha bowl for this, but I wanted to show the color, and my matcha bowl is black. Good excuse to buy a new matcha bowl, eh?

I don’t drink coffee at all, so I can’t compare this to expresso (except to say it smells a lot better). If you’re looking for a good wake-me-up tea though, do try this. I’m happy I did!

Dusting off the Cobwebs

2011-06-17T10:18:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago when I opened the door to my teaware and puerh cabinet to get a big teapot for iced tea, the scent of those lovely tea cakes wafted out and practically begged me to sit down for a gong fu session (no, that's not puerh above, that's the Kukicha I was drinking last night - it's old, and I think I'll toss it and start fresh). It was an interesting week, and the tea thing was just one in a series of events that really made me stop and think. For the past two years or so, I've been hyper-focused on getting my writing career jump-started, and it was a good thing for me at the time. I've started my own boutique publishing company, published several books now with more on the way, and feel good about the direction that's taking. I've "settled in", so to speak.

But I need more out of life than just writing & books. I need to explore other interests, and enjoy a variety of experiences in order to be completely happy. And for me, one of those things I need to experience is tea.

I never stopped drinking tea, of course. But lately my tea consumption consists of a quick travel mug brewed twice daily (morning & noon) on my way out the door to the day job. I've fallen into somewhat of a rut, drinking the same teas day in and day out - good teas, of course, but it's certainly not a "mindful" exercise, and much of the nuance of flavor gets lost in the shuffle due to the circumstances. This makes me a bit sad, and I miss the days when words like "peppery" and "earthy" and "vegetal" came to mind at the merest sniff of a particular brew. It's not really about the words so much, as the fact that tea should be an "experience", not just a beverage to help me wake up and get me through the day.

So I'm dusting off the cobwebs here at Tea on Tap, and will begin posting reviews, tasting notes & teaware musings again starting next week. I'm still working out a posting schedule, but I should have something regular in the next week or so. In the meantime, I've started redecorating a bit, and have posted my review policy, a shiny new calendar and my standard disclaimer in the tab bar at the top of the page. I have a few other things to put up there as time permits. And I have a couple orders of tea on the way that should be here soon.

I was kind of surprised (and incredibly flattered) by the amount of page views this blog still gets on an average day even after being "closed" for a year and a half. So while I'm reopening predominantly for me, I'm happy to have whoever is still around along for the journey, along with any newcomers who happen by.

Join me for a cuppa? :-)

A Quick Note...

2010-02-03T16:35:00.001-07:00

...to let you know that I've joined Steepster, finally. There's a link to the left where you can find me there, if you so choose.

I know - I said I wouldn't post anymore. It's hard to pass a blog (in this case, I was fixing the twitterfeed & reviewing some tasting notes while preparing tea orders), and not post *something*. Blogging is addictive... ;-)

Four Twitter accounts is just too much (didn't know I had that many, eh?). I've deleted my Tea On Tap account because I wasn't posting to it anyway. Feel free to follow my main account (also linked on the left) if you'd like...it's mostly writing related, but my Steepster updates are there, as well as the occasional tea-related tweet. I do follow and list tea people back, of course.

You can use the labels at to the right to search for specific reviews, etc. Interestingly, I use my own reviews when ordering tea (as I was doing today) to remember the differences between teas. That's the danger in sampling *everything* (still fun though).

I was thinking of all this today because it's ordering day. For anyone interested, here's what I ordered (linked to reviews where possible):

From Adagio:

Yunnan Noir
Keemun Concerto
Golden Spring

Interestingly, my reviews for Golden Spring and Keemun Concerto were less than stellar, but I find myself enjoying them both now. Fickle palate? Or different harvests...

From Harney & Sons

Valentine Blend (roses & chocolate)
Irish Breakfast
Florence (chocolate/hazelnut)
Lapsang Souchong

From Teas, Etc

Perfectly Passionate (hmm...flowery citrus, very smooth & sweet)
Pink Grapefruit
Raspberry Tart

(Don't mind the name differences - they seem to have done some renaming here and there)

From Andrews & Dunham

Series 2
Series 4

Happy Sipping!

Closing for Good

2009-12-17T14:07:00.002-07:00

Yes, my poor, neglected, once popular tea blog, I'm closing you down for good.

It's not you, it's me.

I've found another love - not to replace you with, but one that I have more passion for, more desire to spend time with, at least for now. I've failed to give you what you need, and our relationship is suffering for it. Tea will be a constant, continuing presence in my life, but no longer a focus.

Dear, gentle readers, I beg your forgiveness for leaving you like this. I'll be deleting my @teaontap twitter account as well, because three is really just too much. If you'd like to keep in touch, my main twitter account is @VarietyPages, or friend me on facebook. Tea isn't a prominent topic on either though, I'm afraid.

I am pursuing a career as a romance novelist, and in the ensuing months/years, my life is going to be pretty hyper-focused on that as I work at both my day job and getting published at night. It's not glamorous or even remotely easy and who knows what, if anything will come of it, but it's what I've decided I want, and thus, the trimming of this blog for more writing-related pursuits.

The only question now, is should I leave the blog here, with an archive of review links for reference? Or do I delete the whole thing, as if it never existed?

If you have an opinion, now's the time to voice it. I'll take suggestions until Dec. 28th, then either post review link lists or take the whole site down on Dec. 31st. I'll still be following all of the tea blogs I currently follow no matter what, and hopefully even have more time to leave comments.

Thank you for your company over the past few years. It's been a wonderful experience.

On Tap Recently

2009-10-14T15:34:00.002-06:00

I know - I committed to posting once a week, then walked away for two. Bad blogger. Bad Twitterer. I apologize. I'll do better.

But aside from the fact that this is the busiest season of the year for me (both at work and at home), I've also been in a bit of a tea-drinking rut, having the same cups over and over and over just because it's easy and familiar in a hectic time.

On and off again, I've been drinking:

Keemuns from both Adagio & Teas, Etc. I do so love Keemun.

Yunnan Noir & Black Pearls from Adagio (strong, wake-me-up tea)

Assam Melody from Adagion - because sometimes, you just want that malty raisin flavor.

Lapsang Souchong from Adagio - the last dregs of my big canister, sadly. I must order more soon...'tis the season for smoky tea!

Fall Decadence from The NecessiTeas - I just can't get over the caramel/orange/cranberry blend. It's odd, and oddly inviting...as well as very warming in the snowy cold weather we've been having.

Tropical Green, also from The NecessiTeas - smells like Juicy Fruit, and we drank it over ice for dinner one night. Very yummy stuff, that.

Raspberry Tart from Teas, Etc. - in my cup today.

I've been thinking about my puerh cabinet lately. I haven't done a puerh tasting in quite awhile, and every time I open the cabinet to get a teapot out or put one back, the most wonderful earthy scent comes wafting out into the room. I'm well aware that my environment here in arid Montana isn't optimal (or even good) for aging puerh, but even if it's just sitting there, that lovely aroma calls to me every time I open the door.

I'm certainly no gongfu brewing expert, but when I do get out the yixing ware and brew up several cups of puerh, it's a very centering experience. Perhaps I'll make some time next week for a session in the midst of the last minute Halloween party prep chaos.

Notes on Chai

2009-09-25T13:58:00.003-06:00

This week, I've been sampling Adagio's new Chai teas. The first thing I have to say about them is - don't expect to drink them in a traditional manner. None of them are strong enough to stand up with milk and honey, sadly. This leaves me still "wanting" the perfect, non-bagged chai. I'm afraid I'm not going to find it though. I'll note my favorite chai to date at the end of the post (teaser, no?).

Here are my basic impressions of the Adagio chai's I tried (sans milk & honey after I figured out they couldn't handle it):

Masala Chai - Good flavor, naturally sweet with cinnamon & cloves. Just a basic, average spiced tea.

Spiced Apple Chai - One of my favorites out of the bunch...the addition of apples made it more like tea's version of apple cider. I really liked it quite a bit, and with a pinch of sugar, it could easily substitute for apple cider.

Thai Chai - The spiciest of the bunch, I think, and my other favorite of this group. Very tangy, and has a lot of character. I'll keep this on hand - it will be great on cold winter days

Chocolate Chai - Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the point. The chocolate does smooth out the blend (much like when you add chocolate to chili), and adds a rich component, but it's not "chocolatey" as per say (which I think would be odd anyway).

There's a Vanilla Rooibos Chai too that I haven't tried yet - teas without caffiene tend to be put on the backburner around here until I'm in the mood for a cup late at night (and not too lazy to make one). It sure smells good though.

So now it's confession time - a secret that will make fellow tea snobs cringe with shock and horror. My favorite Chai of all time so far?

Stash Chai Spice Tea

I know! I'd actually forgotten about this until I rooted around in my neglected tea chest the other day, and found a bag. Yes, a *bag*. Stash is one of the first companies I ever bought tea from. We don't have much in the grocery stores here, so I'd order it online. That's way back when I started drinking tea, of course, back when teabags were really all I knew about. And I still have quite a few Stash bags in my tea chest, languishing under the weight of my loose tea tins now.

Seriously though? Stash Chai is strong, spicy, and it was heaven the first time I brewed up a big mug with milk & honey. Cinnamon roll in a cup, I call it, and I've been looking for a loose tea equivalent ever since. I still haven't found one. But I'll keep looking, tea snob that I am.

Back to the Journal

2009-09-22T14:05:00.003-06:00

I know - switching format again isn't cool, or kosher, or a good way to run a blog. But frankly, I can't keep up with this monster I've created. Yes, I know it's my own fault, I started it (all of them - I have 4 blogs, for anyone who's wondering *why* I can't keep up). Now I have to figure out how to deal with it. I can't even begin to say how much I enjoy blogging, but when it becomes stressful, I have to step back and reevaluate. There's no point if it's just adding pressure to my life.

This blog started as my own personal "journal" of tea drinking, steeped in the guise of reviews. I was both flattered and astounded that so many people would want to read my little notes on tea (this blog was pretty popular once upon a time, not to brag - it was just shocking). I think I let it go to my head, and then when I couldn't keep up, I bailed. Then I revamped, trying to turn it into something that would "give back". A noble idea, but just too much with all the other things I have going on.

So I'm reverting this blog back to what it started as. Just a personal tea-drinker's journal. I may post formal reviews, I may just post my thoughts about what I'm drinking on any given day. I may wax painfully poetic about tea and life at times (those times are bound to be boring, I'll warn you now). I'll probably post about teaware and tea parties and tea at parties occasionally, but it will all be random, as any journal is. The only thing I'll commit to is posting at least once per week, to maintain a record of my tea drinking for myself and anyone else who might be interested. I may post more sometimes, it just depends on the day and whether I feel compelled to make note of what I'm drinking. No pressure.

I've also removed all advertising from the blog - I wasn't making any money from it anyway. All links you might find here from now on are commission free, and to companies I personally buy from and highly recommend to anyone looking for a good cuppa tea.

If you're interested in what I'm drinking on any given day and maybe a quick note about them, follow me on Twitter @TeaOnTap. I post there most weekdays, unless I get super-busy at work.

I'm drinking the new Adagio Chai's this week, as well as some fall teas from The NecessiTeas. Notes on those coming up...

Organic Mountain High Chai from two leaves and a bud

2009-09-15T09:50:00.003-06:00

Measure: 1 tea sachet to 12 oz. water
Steeped: 4 min. @boiling
Teaware: metal electric kettle, travel mug

The first thing I noticed when I opened this package was the very small amount of tea in the bag. It didn’t seem like enough…maybe a scant teaspoon? And considering there were larger bits of what looked like spices (cinnamon & cardamom), I was worried about this black tea’s ability to caffeinate me properly for the morning. But it smelled divine, very pleasantly of ginger and cinnamon, so I took the chance and brewed it up.

The package says three minutes, but I like strong chai, so I brewed it four. The aroma coming off the cup as it brewed was very eye-opening, and I couldn’t wait to get my first taste. I took a little out before adding about a teaspoon of sugar (I’m out of honey) and a splash of milk.

The plain brew is mildly spicy, but otherwise pretty average for a chai. The leaves expanded nicely in the sachet, but unfortunately, when mixed with sugar & milk the tea just can’t really handle the additions, and the cinnamon is the only flavor that comes through (subtly). Since the whole point of chai is the milk and honey, that presents a bit of a problem, for me anyways.

If you like subtle chai, or want one to drink without the traditional blending, try this one. If like me you prefer stronger stuff for that “cinnamon roll in a cup” experience, you’ll probably want to keep looking.

Chai Reviews, and Interviews

2009-09-14T10:32:00.003-06:00

Last week was a super-busy week...sorry for the lack of posts. And as you can see, I didn't get my review done for today either. I know, slacker!

I've also been slacking on setting up interviews, which really is just lazy on my part. Those three companies to the left that expressed possible interest have still not returned their interview questions - I'm sure they're either busy, or annoyed that I post negative as well as positive reviews, or both. In any case, I'll get some emails sent out to tea bloggers, and see what we can come up with for next week. I'd really like to host some interviews with authors of tea books too, but I need to read the books first. I'll get to them eventually - I think they'll be most interesting. Have anyone you'd like to see an interview with? Or questions you'd like to see answered? Leave me a comment or email me. I'm always open to suggestions.

I have a lot of chai samples right now - all the new ones from Adagio (thank you, Adagio for finally selling chai!), and one from two leaves and a bud. This week, we'll do the Masala Chai's starting tomorrow. And I'm throwing an extra review in on Weds. to make up for the lack of interview. We'll look at Adagio's new Black Dragon Pearls, which are rather intimidating, but way cool (and tasty) too.

Stick around - lots of good stuff to come!

Orange Sencha from two leaves and a bud

2009-09-07T04:30:00.000-06:00

Measure: 1 tea sachet to 8 oz water
Steeped: 4 min. @180 degrees
Teaware: China teacup & saucer

Late on a Sunday night finishing up housework before bed, I decided to give this flavored sencha a try. I've always been partial to Japanese greens, and though the pieces of this tea were small in the bag, I still wasn't too worried. A light orange scent wafted from the sachet when I opened the package, relaxing and refreshing at the same time.

The brew is a dark golden color, with a lovely light floral-orange aroma. The overall flavor is also very light, with a drying quality on the tongue. Just a hint of the orange flavor comes through, lending sweetness to the unassuming vegetal qualities of the brew. The liquor is slightly thick and very pleasing in the mouth.It's a very pleasant and relaxing tea...certainly worth a taste.

Organic Darjeeling from two leaves and a bud

2009-09-03T04:30:00.002-06:00

Measure: 1 teabag to 12 oz. tea
Steeped: 4 ½ minutes @boiling
Teaware: Travel mug

Rarely do I find a Darjeeling to rave about – my taste buds are just not in line with most first flushes that typically tickle the average palate. I generally prefer the second flush flavors, slightly less delicate and more “earthy”. The company doesn’t mention on their web site which flush this is, unfortunately.

The leaves were all still intact in their mesh sachet, and as you can see, I cut the bag open to examine the leaves after the tea was steeped. There’s plenty of room in the bag for the leaves to unfurl, and it looks pretty much like any other quality Darjeeling I’ve had. The scent of this brew is just phenomenal as well – very fruity and light.

The flavor…ah, the flavor. It actually starts off peppery and a little earthy, with a definite zing on the tip of the tongue. Light floral notes and signature muscatel roll easily over the palate on a medium thick brew that is quite pleasing. It finishes with a slightly astringent quality, the fruity flavor lingering well after the liquor is gone.

It’s a fabulous tea – a rare and surprising find in a bagged tea. Go order some…you won’t regret it.

Tea People: MarshalN of A Tea Addict's Journal

2009-09-02T08:26:00.005-06:00

Welcome to another edition of "Tea People". Today we're chatting with one of the most popular tea bloggers on the net, MarshalN of A Tea Addict's Journal. Grab a cuppa, and settle in as we talk to a true tea expert.

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. I think my answer is similar to many others -- when I first started I felt like I should be taking better notes on what I'm drinking, and a blog format helped motivate me to do that. In the back of my mind I also thought maybe this is a way to connect with some like-minded people. Since then there's been an explosion of blogging on tea, which is nice to see.

Q. How do you decide which teas to review/blog about?

A. I drink one tea a day, so it's really a matter of whether I thought I should blog that day or not. For quite a long while I blogged every day. Nowadays I'm a little too busy to do that, so I only blog when I have time and when there's something interesting to say.

Q. Do you ever revisit certain teas on your blog? Why or why not?

A. Yes, and I do change my mind sometimes when I drink a tea for the second, third, or fourth time, which is why I do it. I'm not there to review for the sake of reviewing -- tea is too subjective for that. It's really a form of learning. You always learn something new when you drink a tea, good or bad.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. Yixing pots, small, with cups that will hold all the liquid from that pot without the need for anything else.

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. Cup & saucer. The saucer has to be heavier than the cup, otherwise I feel it's not balanced. I used to use gaiwan a lot, but I never touch them these days unless there's a specific reason. Mug is used when I have no time and have to run around or do things.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Once in a long, long while I'll do milk. I never put sugar in my tea.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. No -- I was probably four or five, in some restaurant in Hong Kong. Bitter, probably, as it was most likely cooked puerh, overbrewed in a big pot in a yumcha place.

Q. When did you make the switch to loose leaf teas?

A. I always drank loose leaf! Teabags are for foreign devils :)

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. A nicely aged oolong, a good, well made young (raw) puerh, and I always have a soft spot for well roasted Wuyi.

Q.What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I don't eat when I drink tea. If I eat it's only because I am hungry and need something to cushion the tea (otherwise I might get stomach-ache, especially if it's something greenish)

Q.Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. No. Good companies can make bad tea, and bad companies can make good tea. There are a few very small workshops that press puerh cakes that I particularly like, but they're not really available over here anyway and basically nobody's heard of them.

Q.I know you've spent a lot of time in both China and the US. How has your tea experience been enhanced by perspectives from both cultures, and what major differences do you see between the attitudes towards tea in the two countries?

A. Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of myths in both tea cultures, but of different kinds. The Chinese (and Taiwanese) tea cultures are really big on various kinds of mythical brewing techniques and effects, ranging from the beneficial use of certain kinds of cups to all types of hyping, depending on who you talk to. The biggest myth over here in the States is probably the health myth. Sure, tea is healthy, but the idea that you can only get more healthy by consuming something, rather than, say, cutting back on something bad, is rather interesting.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. Follow your tongue, smell, and sense, not the "experts", whoever they are. After you've gotten through the initial hurdle of learning the basics, it's really all about introspection and observation.

Thanks so much, MarshalN for sharing your thoughts on the enjoyment of tea with us. It's great to get to know you better. Readers can contact MarshalN through his blog, or leave a comment/question below.

Review: Thai Tea Blend from Teavana

2009-08-31T04:30:00.001-06:00

Measure: 1 tsp. to 12 oz. boiling water
Steeped: 4 min.
Teaware: Travel mug & stainless steel steeping basket

The scent of this tea in the package is remarkably like that of cherry cough syrup – the flavor doctors seem to think everyone will like, and no one really does. So I had my doubts about this after opening the package. But who could resist trying a blend of black tea, rooibos, almond and coconut pieces? Intriguing, to say the least.

The resulting liquor still smells a little like cherry cough syrup, but there’s a comforting caramel and coconut aroma as well. But when that first sip washes over the palate, all thoughts of medicinal remedies disappear into a world of complex flavors.

The cherry flavor is still there, though I’m not sure how. The black tea is slightly astringent, and leaves a dry, cooling aftertaste in the throat. The coconut and caramel flavors mingle together for sweetness and a very smooth texture, with the almond flavor coming in almost as an afterthought left on the tongue. There’s even a slight hint of peppery flavor in the brew that gives the tea a cooling, tingling property.

It’s an excellent blend – well crafted and ultimately pleasing on many levels. If you’re looking for something different, I highly recommend giving this Thai Tea Blend a try.

In the Teasphere - Videos & Tea in Boston

2009-08-28T11:38:00.003-06:00

First up this week, I just received this press release for a *free* Tea 101 class featuring Nilgiri Tea in September at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. If I were going to be in the area, I'd definitely stop in for this - anyone going that could give us a report?

Here are the details:

The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers is proud to announce the seventh installment of Tea 101, hosted by one of only a handful of Tea Sommeliers in the world, Cynthia Gold. This month’s complimentary Tea 101 class will feature Teas from the Nilgiri Blue Mountains of Southern India.

Tea 101 is a complimentary, seasonal class on everything there is to know about tea! Guests can enjoy a discussion and tasting on this month’s featured topic; including samples and recipes for home use.

Each class hosted by Gold is dedicated to showcasing different tea elements, such as: proper tea preparation, tea etiquette, tea cocktail preparation, food and tea pairings, and begins with a quick review of how to correctly steep tea. Everyone who attends Tea 101 will receive a sample of the Park Plaza’s featured seasonal tea and 25% off of their future tea experience.

“Our individual tea tastings as part of Afternoon Tea have become so popular, that we can’t always meet the demand,” said Cynthia Gold. “We thought it would be fun to offer periodic complimentary group tastings and other short tea classes to not only meet the needs of a larger number of local tea lovers and soon-to-be tea lovers, but also offer an option for those who don’t have the time to relax over a full formal Afternoon Tea.”

Tea 101 is held in Swan’s Café, located in The Grand Lobby of the hotel directly before Afternoon Tea. Reservations can be made by calling 617-654-1906.

Sunday, September 20, 1:15 - 2:00PM: Teas from Nilgiri Blue Mountains (Southern India)

Sounds like a fun way to spend the better part of an hour!

In other news, I was sent links to two videos earlier this month that Elizabeth Houston and her husband made for a scholarship competition. I just got around to watching them last night, and just had to share them with you all - they're really just too cute (the Teacup Tango is my favorite). Watch and enjoy!

Organic Assam from two leaves and a bud

2009-08-27T04:30:00.002-06:00

Measure: 1 tea bag (approx. 1 tsp) to 12 oz. boiling water.
Steeped: 4 minutes
Teaware: Travel mug

Bess from two leaves and a bud (I have to apologize for not capitalizing the company name – the company doesn’t use capital letters for their name, which I find annoying), was kind enough to send me samples of their tea sachets to try. I haven’t used tea bags in a long time, so I was a little skeptical when I saw the box of tea bags she sent. After a closer look, I was impressed to see actual tea leaves in the little pyramid sachets, rather than just tea dust and fannings.

I decided to start with the Organic Assam because I’m predominantly a black tea drinker, and love to start my day with something bold and malty. Some of the leaves in the sachet had been crushed, which is to be expected with soft packaging. I’m assuming the boxes these normally come in would protect the leaves better. The scent of the sachet when I took it out of the package was light, but definitely distinguishable as an assam.The flavor of the brewed tea was lighter than I expected, but I realized that was partially my error. When I’m making loose tea, my teaspoons are “heaping”, whereas the amount in the bag was a normal teaspoon. I should have brewed it for the full 5 minutes rather than my normal 4. The second thing is, in my experience, organic teas do typically have a lighter flavor (teas notably marked as “organic”, anyway).

Aside from the introverted tendencies, the tea does have good flavor. It’s unassuming, quietly malty, with a good pepper front and a slightly astringent finish. There’s nothing really complex or interesting about it, but it’s certainly better than your average supermarket tea, and definitely an option for travel or rushed mornings.

I’ll be interested to see how the rest of the sachets from this company measure up, and I look forward to trying their loose tea as well.

Tea People: Verity Fisher of Joie de Tea

2009-08-26T04:30:00.001-06:00

Welcome! Today we're chatting with blogger and artisan Verity Fisher of Joie de Tea. In addition to her blog, she also creates custom tea blends and tea-related items to sell in her Etsy shop. Brew a cuppa, and sit with us awhile...

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. It was almost by accident, really. I have loved tea for quite a while, and last year - as I was living in a new city with few friends and more spare time than usual - I started to explore more into the different kinds that are available, for something to do. I wanted to share my experiences with people, and it was actually my husband who suggested that I start a blog (he came up with the name too!) - prior to that I really didn't know anything about blogs in general, or tea blogs in particular. It's been so exciting to discover that there are so many other people out there with whom to share tea musings and experiences - I get a thrill every time a new reader (or a regular one for that matter!) posts a comment or otherwise responds to my blog!

Q. How do you decide which teas to review?

A. Generally the teas I blog about are ones which I've purchased myself (or that were gifts from my husband or friends) and which I happen to be drinking at the time, so it's fairly random rather than systematic! I also generally don't consider them 'reviews' per se - a review seems a little formal and I would rather have a more casual feel. That said I did recently receive my first ever batch of tea to try from a vendor - Tony from High Teas - and I've just 'reviewed' the first of those on my blog.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. Definitely a teapot - I have quite a few different ones and my most-used are my two 'Zero Japan' teapots (also known as 'Beehouse' teapots) - they're simple and elegant, have a removable mesh strainer, keep the tea warm and pour reasonably well!

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. It depends a bit on what tea I'm drinking - for a special treat, or to really get a good idea of the colour of a new tea that I'm drinking I'll use a cup and saucer (I have lots of vintage ones, and a couple of modern ones, that are mostly plain white inside so you can really see the tea). In general for herbal and black teas I will most often use a mug, though - but I have some small Japanese handle-less cups that I tend to use when brewing sencha, because they match the pot I use for that.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Usually straight up. I'll usually brew chai masala with soy milk, and occasionally nothing else will do apart from a good strong Assam-type brew with milk and a little sugar. I quite like a slice of lemon or orange in my Earl Grey, as well, or in a Ceylon black tea.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. Not specifically - but I do remember that my Dad used to make a pot of loose-leaf tea - just some very ordinary black tea brand, probably Bushell's or Tetleys or something like that - each morning and we would all have a cup with our breakfast, with milk and sugar. Dad got out of the habit of doing that eventually... not sure why. Teabags took over!

Q. When did you make the switch to loose leaf teas (or have you)?

Q. I think it was probably when I first started seriously learning about and drinking herbal teas - I would grow and dry some of my own herbs, and buy others from the co-op at my university. It's only relatively more recently that I've discovered the joys of loose-leaf black and green teas - definitely no looking back there though!

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. Predominantly for enjoyment, I would say - seriously nothing gives me joy like a cup of tea - it's nice to know there are health benefits but I'm not really hung up on them, especially when there appears to be so much confusing and potentially misleading information about those benefits out there.

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. This is a really tricky question, because it depends on so many factors, but I would say that overall my three favourite teas are: Buddha's Tears (rolled jasmine-scented tea) - the one from T2 is lovely; Ujinotsuyu sencha, which is a really nice inexpensive sencha from the local asian grocery (particularly good cold-brewed in summer - it's so smooth and clean-tasting); and first-flush Darjeeling from Risheehat Estate - I bought some of that from Larsen and Thompson last year and it was an absolute revelation, it really set the bar for an exquisite black tea. There are so very many more teas to keep trying though... I'm looking forward to discovering new favourites all the time!

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I like Japanese food with Japanese green teas, especially genmaicha; Chinese greens I usually drink on their own, and the same for white teas. I'm most likely to pair black teas with food - Earl Grey with an almond croissant is a particular favourite of mine.

Q. Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. There aren't as many and varied tea companies around in Australia as there seem to be in the US; and a lot of places seem to just replicate the same old flavoured blends, with slightly different names perhaps! I've bought or been given quite a lot of tea from T2 (www.t2tea.com.au) and they are definitely one of my favourite tea companies - they have an interesting selection of flavoured teas (particularly their rooibos blends) and are also starting to stock more fine exotic teas (and they have a great range of beautiful teawares as well, oh my!). I like Larsen and Thompson teas (www.larsenandthompson.com.au) as well - they do mainly Estate Darjeelings and Assams as well as fine Chinese teas, so they're a great company to go to for something out of the ordinary.

Q. You've started blending/selling tea and tea related items on your Etsy shop - how's that going, and what are your goals for that in the future?

A. It's going really well actually, better than I had even hoped! I have had such lovely feedback from all my customers so far, which has been extremely exciting - it's so much fun to have the chance to be creative with something I'm so passionate about and have people respond well to that! I'm definitely going to keep on with the online shop but my ultimate goal is to have a really funky, fun bricks-and-mortar tea house where people can come and enjoy teas of all kinds - that'll be a way down the track though, but I'll be working towards it bit by bit!

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. I think that's everything (but of course I'm happy to answer any questions at all!)... thanks so much for interviewing me Jamie, it's been an absolute pleasure.

Special thanks to Verity for the wonderful interview! I wish you the best of luck with your store, and your tea journey as well. You can contact Verity through her blog, her Etsy shop, on Twitter @joiedetea, or in the comments below.

Review: Caramel Dipped Apple from The NecessiTeas

2009-08-24T04:30:00.001-06:00

Measure: 2 tsp. to 16oz water
Steeped: 3 minutes @less than boiling (180 degrees or so)
Teaware: Porcelain teapot, stoneware mugs

When I opened up the package of this tea, I expected a sweet, candy-apple fragrance. Instead, I experienced a very complex roasted caramel scent with spicy background notes. There's a hint of apple in there, but not much in the initial aroma. Honestly, I was a little disappointed in the scent, and was hoping the taste would be much different.

I'm still not sure if I like this tea or not. The flavor does indeed mimic the initial fragrance. The apple flavor is merely implied, the caramel roasted on the edge of burnt. None of the Japanese green tea flavor comes through at all, which is disappointing.

There is an intriguing spicy note to this tea that just might be it's saving grace. The brew is slightly astringent, not necessarily in a bad way. I plan on adding sugar to my next cup, possibly a little milk even and see how the caramel notes play out.
I think someone who likes slightly bitter, roasted flavors (think coffee lovers here) would probably really like this tea. As for myself, I'll give it another chance with sugar, but I don't think it will ever be a favorite.