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I returned from my trip to Boston today and I’m glad to be home. It was a cool city with a lot of interesting things, but I have to say that I am NOT a city person. Being in big cities just makes me feel so crowded in…too many people, too many huge buildings towering over me, too much noise, too much traffic. I’ll take a quiet life in a small town instead. :) Still, it was great to experience a new place. I also took a little day trip up to Maine while I was in the New England area and saw some cool beaches and lighthouses. Sadly, I never got the chance to visit the tea stores that Michelle told me about.

After a six-hour car ride, I’m finally in Boston to visit some family. They had a few teas in the house, most of which weren’t loose leaf, but this is one of the ones that was and I thought it sounded like a nice calming tea after a stressful day and it certainly was. I’m turning to white teas for moments of calm more and more recently, and this blend was very good for that purpose. The subtle flavor of the white peony blends perfectly with the light floral notes of the jasmine pearls and rosebuds (of which there is just the right amount to make it a light floral accent rather than an overpowering aroma). Very nice. I’ll have to see what kinds of tea shops I can find around Boston.

My samples from Amanda came today, thanks so much to her. This is one of the ones that she gave me because she didn’t like it, and I have to say I’m glad about that because I think it’s great (though I can understand why some people might not like it). It’s definitely smokey and full bodied, with hints of chocolate and a little sweetness to round out the smokiness. I love it, thanks Amanda.

I sun brewed a big jug of this today and iced it, and let me say that plain ol’ green rooibos is a must-try for iced tea this summer. It’s crisp, light and extremely refreshing with a little bit of a natural fruity flavor. To make things even better, this stuff is CHEAP. I paid around twelve dollars for a full pound on Amazon. Great iced tea for summer.

I’m liking this one a little better tonight, I guess I just wasn’t in the mood for it last night. Smooth Chinese green tea flavor with that sweet rice flavor accompanying it, not bad. I’ll bump the rating up a little bit.

I’m in need of some new teas, is anybody feeling generous and willing to send me some samples? ;)

Drinking this as a bit of a celebration cup, I just got my scores back for the SAT’s and I scored in the 86th percentile. I’m so happy and relieved and the deep and refreshing vegetal flavor and caffeine kick of this tea are making for a very happy me.

I was surprised to see that Ito En also carries some Chinese, Indian and other teas besides just Japanese green tea. I thought this sounded interesting so I took the plunge and bought some. Smelling the dry tuocha, it reminded me of the smell of Verdant’s Cornfields Shu Tuocha which I absolutely LOVE. So I brewed up the tea, let it cool a little bit and started sipping. I’ve gotta say that I was a bit bored by this tea. I’m sure there are other people who would enjoy it because it did seem to be good quality, I’m just not sure I’m a big fan of sheng pu-erh. It tasted like a typical mellow Chinese green tea with a little bit of a salty taste to it along with the flavor of rice cakes and a little sweetness. Now that may sound good on paper, but to me it was just “meh”. Like I said, this is a quality tea and I’m sure that other people would enjoy it, it just seems a little boring to me. It’s the oatmeal of the tea world.

I bought this and four other Japanese greens from Ito En recently and this is the one I keep reaching for because it’s just so much better than the rest, it’s not even fair. Light and fresh with a subtle creaminess, bright citrus notes and a little bit of sweetness. This is a vibrant, juicy tea that induces feelings of calmness and joy. That’s just what I need right now too, because I’m currently in the midst of withdrawal from a severe nicotine dependence that I finally decided it was time to end. I’m trying to implement a lot of positive changes in my life right now, and my beloved camellia sinensis will help me every step of the way.

Man, I just love Japanese green tea. It can transport me to many different places in my mind. Through the sense of sight, its rich, deep green colored leaves evoke images of sprawling green forests untouched by the modern world and brimming with exotic wildlife and rich cultural history. Through the sense of smell, it brings me to Japanese oceanic shorelines. And through the sense of taste, I get flashbacks to buttered vegetables and Japanese sushi bars. Rich, deep and divine…you’ve just gotta love a good Japanese green.

This one has been a long time coming, I’ve missed Japanese green teas dearly. From what I’ve read, this is sort of in between a sencha and a gyokuro because it’s shade-grown for a shorter period of time than gyokuro. It’s light and of course vegetal, with notes of citrus, cream and a little bit of sweetness. Delicious.