No notes yet.
235 Tasting Notes
This is certainly “whole leaf”…no small broken bits and no fines in my cup. I think it is a bit stronger than I’m used to thinking of English Breakfast as being. Perhaps a little strong on the Assam. You can taste the Darjeeling a bit at first, then the Assam buries it. Astringent in the mouth and later. A good morning tea for something bold.
Atacdad
drank
Joy by Tazo
Good Morning Joy! Its really cold here the last couple of days (since when is Texas colder than portions of Antartica?) and the tea is flowing. The cup is very hot, its chilly in the house and all I can get through the shock of the two is that green tea burst and the astringent taste afterwards. Maybe it’ll be enough to thaw my brain.
Backlog from yesterday…. This is a very classic, robust Irish Breakfast Tea. Brews dark and has a heavy, intense flavor (or I oversteeped it :-) Will post on it some more next time it comes around the rotation.
Interesting…The dry tea smells like dry leaves, ironic isn’t it. It reminds me of raking dry leaves in the fall and jumping into the pile. Luckily, the taste is anything but dry. Think green tea’s freshness with a finish more like a dajeeling. Just a hint of tannin’s to let you know that something was there for a long finish. I believe one other reviewer called the taste “complex” and I second that opinion! There is a lot going on here and you want to just hold a mouthful to savor the differnt flavors.
On the resteep from this morning…2 balls in a 12oz mug for 4 minutes…and the leaves don’t have anything left for the resteep, even after a good 5 minutes of steeping.
I’ve decided the adjective for this tea is “Bold”. It doesn’t have a tannic “tea” taste…it is actually very smooth. I reported in my first tasting note that it had an edge of “burnt”…I used only 2 balls this time and that “burnt” is not exactly gone, but not so in your face. I think its what makes me think “Bold”. The tea is well oxidized and about as far away from green tea as I think you can get, other than smoked lapshoung (probably spelled that wrong). This may be the source of the boldness and almost burnt.
Despite all that, this is a good morning tea…
Nice thing about this “commercial” brew….its good even after it has cooled off to room temp (although I’d swear that was “ICED tea” around the office today.
No notes yet.
A nice warming Chai. I drink them straight, no milk, little if any sugar. This Chai has a nice balance. A spicy, cinnamon smell and a peppery taste. Sip a little and you’ll pick up the cardamon and cloves. Hold a bit in the mouth and the spicy ginger will warm your tounge. All incorporated into a nice, smooth and unassuming tea base. Good Stuff!
Wow! that was my reaction to smelling the dry tea when I first opened the sampler I recieved. I am glad to say that the wow factor carried over to the brew. This tea is completely different from my usual fare. I have some keemun, a different brand, at my office, and admittedly its a bit old…been sitting on the shelf for probably at least two years, although I’ve been on a mission to finish it these last couple of months. This keemun from TeaFountain is like a breath of fresh air. Not bitter, not too light, not too heavy, FULL of flavor that lasts. I would recommend this one for a taste of something different.
Edit:
My cup is cooling down and the flavor isn’t as good as when it was hot…developing a little bitterness and getting a little heavy handed in the flavor as it cools. I don’t expect this would make a good iced tea.
Asked for tea for Christmas; my mother and her posse happened to walk into a Teavana store in Chicago (Lady’s “Lets Go Shopping” roadtrip). After a hour’s guided tour through the intracies of tea (which mom reports was a pleasure), their guide picked out three “must try” teas, this was one of them; Thanks Mom! (and Teavana guy).
I used too much in my first cup….I have a 16 oz mug and used 3 pearls, 2 would have been fine. Water was off the boil for 5 minutes or so. I brewed this loose, directly in my mug for about 4 minutes, but it took a minute before the pearls actually started to unravel and steep. From there it steeped fast! I decanted it into another cup, ditched the leaves and returned the brew to the warm mug.
It has a strong, bold flavor with no astringency. Slightly woody and an edge of “burnt” in the flavor…perhaps from oversteeping. Still, very tasty and I look forward to another cup, and another shot at getting the steep correct.
Atacdad
drank
Joy by Tazo
Saw this reviewed yesterday and then saw it on “After Christmas” sale at Starbucks this evening. I like it. Brews a nice, clear rust-brown. Has a pleasant aroma and delivers on that promise with a burst of green tea flavor in the mouth. Slightly tannic and astringent on the finish.
I’ve had this tea twice now…first in a large 4 cup pot and the second time in an single cup brew. Its “OK”. Its actually rather dull. You can see the spices in the mix, but about the only thing coming through is a hint of orange peel. The clove and cinnamon are just “ehh”. I’m not much impressed by the black tea either…it doesn’t have any character…in fact that’s the issue all around; the tea lacks character.
It will serve its purpose, something warm to drink on a cold winter day, but I’ll not be excited about it…and I won’t be rationing it out to make it last.
I ordered this from Harney & Sons in teabags…not bad..but not as good as it is when I make it from loose tea. Seems a bit weak…I’ll try a longer steep next time.
I ordered more of this, but this time in (gasp) tea bags! Seriously, this isn’t a tea I’ll drink day after day…more of an occasional, and the tea bags are convenient. I’ll say this much, Harney & Sons have their portion control spot on. I can get one reasonably good sized mug of tea out of a tea bag…a perfect cup if you will. But a resteep..not a chance. Resteeps are pale shadows of that first cup; so much so that it isn’t worth the effort. Still, that first cup is so good….
The Brown Santa Express (United Parcel Service) brought me a Christmas present early!
I like the packaging that Harney & Sons uses…a metal tin(4oz in this case) with a sealed mylar bag inside. I pour the tea from the bag into the tin for easy of use. The smell of the dry tea was fresh and earthy, without any musty or moldy hints. Very nice! It brewed up a nice, clear tan to brown, without the red tones I’m used to seeing in other Ceylon teas. The taste is mild, with no bitterness and a very slight tannin aftertaste. The “fresh” smell carried over into the tea and gives it a bit of flavor that reminds me of some high quality green teas. Overall, VERY good, this one is a keeper!
Its wet, cold, and gray outside this morning…but this tea is warm and toasty. Used the last of my sample pack. This one will be reordered for the holidays…makes a nice, sweet drink for a cold day.
I did not enjoy this tea, but I’m not surprised (I am clearly an advocate of black tea). Nonetheless, my impressions: this blend had a little of everything greenish. In fact, it looked like I had mowed the lawn and collected the dried grass clippings, then added some green tea(I think) and large chamomile flower heads. It brewed up a nice golden color with a strong chamomile smell and a hint of mint. I imagine that it was very tasty for those that like this type of tea. It would be a thumbs down for purely my tastes…but I’m going neutral because I suspect its a find blend for those more inclined to herbals and/or chamomile teas.
This is going to be my “morning brew” for awhile…I inherited a 1/2 lb of it from a friend who thought it was too mild. I’ll not bother to post more on it…save everyone the boredom.
Resteep….
No notes yet.
No notes yet.
Feeling the flu bug and can’t find my “I’m sick” feelgood tea (Lipton Orange & Spice). But I found this in the pantry. Pretty good, especially once it cooled down enough to let you get more than a sip at a time. Very subtle fruit flavors balancing a good green tea undertone. This one is a winner for elegance…not an “in your face” fruit tea.
