SimplyJenW

Second pot of the day…..

Score! The last time I bought this, I purchased 100g. Little did I remember that they packaged them in 50g amounts. Here it is, I thought I was almost out. And then I found another pouch in the recesses of my stash. After having a good look at the items back in there, I have decided that waiting until September for new acquisitions of tea will not be difficult at all. I also had some Dragon Pearl Black Tea back there, 100g unopened, lots of Keemun Mao Feng, and lots of Hong Tao. Yes, my tendencies to stock up for the zombie apocalypse will pay off.

This tea is wonderful. I love the natural sweetness of this one. Caramelized sweet potato. And back on the staple list this goes (I was hoarding what I thought was my last bit of this!) After all, there are several favorites of mine that TeaVivre offers. It is never difficult to shop there, even if your tea tastes run very specific.

Usual teapot method. Yes, a whole decadent pot all to myself!

Tea of the morning…..

I have reached the end of my ‘super sample’ from my Millerton order. (I ordered 2 oz of all of the black blends I found interesting a while ago….a 5-6 cup sample just did not seem enough to get a real feel for the teas, and the 2 oz minimum at the shop came out close to the same price as a sample online.) I have some Eight at the Fort left, plus some Organic Assam, maybe even some Anniversary Blend and some Supreme Breakfast….

All I can think about, though, is that the end of this pouch as well as the remnants of my older tin of Keemun Mao Feng have altered my Franken Breakfast Blend slightly as that is where the tea goes if it is less than a mugs worth. The first blend of three teas was near perfection, which means I will probably have to order the two main teas that were in it at some point and reblend it. I am hoping to wait until September to order tea again if I have the restraint to make it that long. Yes, I do think my last version of Franken Breakfast will become a real blend in my cupboard. Time to start pondering a fun name for it. And a cool label will be the icing on the cake.

Palm Court is a good tea, but I have others from Harney that work better for me. Still an enjoyable cup.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the afternoon….

I am down to one jasmine-ish tea in my stash. Lucky for me it is my favorite one. I think once I get through a pound of this (I bet I have at least 10 oz), I won’t likely buy more as it is the only tea among my staples that comes from thePuritea. I am definitely getting lazy in my tea ordering. Efficiency is starting to come into play. Does that mean I am an old tea drinker getting set in my ways? ;)

Still choclatey with a nice, sweet floral note. Yum.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning….

I have not had this one in a while. It was buried in the recesses of my stash. I do have to say that I think the flavor has definitely gotten lighter over time.

I guess this should be a PSA: Drink your tea before it loses its flavor!

What I have left is not undrinkable, but the light floral of the jasmine is now so light that it could be mistaken for the sweetening. Fortunately, it is a good tea base and I can still drink it. I have a few other teas that are on the ‘chopping block’ this week. I am so happy to finally be getting the stash into a reasonable state, though I still have too many favorites.

Tea of the morning…..

I am onto a new Franken Breakfast Blend. The last batch got over smoked by some Lapsang Souchong (and that will permeate everything in the blend, so go very, very sparingly if you blend with smokey teas as they take over!) Right now it is 2 parts Mountain Rose Herbs Assam, 3 parts China Panyang Congou from Upton, and 3 parts Gen Ben Shi, a Yunnan from Upton. At one point, I was going to give this whole blending thing up, but today I am glad that I did not.

The resulting blend is very good. Smooth, malty, cocoa-noted, and cozy. Not a hint of bitterness or astringency. There is a slight difference in leaf size on these three teas, so I did my scooping from the bottom of the tin (the Gen Ben Shi is a huge tea!) It also reminds me that I probably need more of the Congou at some point as it is perfect for blending tea and smoothing everything together.

Usual teapot method.

Another cup of the afternoon…..

I have some very interesting samples from Upton. This is the first of about three, I think. I love Golden Monkey, so I thought this would be a perfectly fun choice for me.

The leaves are long and there are some golden leaves. The scent of the dry leaves is earthy and of dark cocoa. Brewed up it very much reminds me of the black dragon pearl teas. Dark cocoa notes, definitely toasty. Not as sweet as the Golden version, but still very good. I am not sure I need this and my black dragon pearl tea, but it was definitely worth a taste.

Usual mug method.

Second tea of the day…..

My first pot of tea today was Harney’s Hong Tao Keemun. I did not really have time yesterday to sit and enjoy it, but I did today. I am to the point where I think it is definitely a rebuy for me, and hopefully before it goes out of stock again. I remembered that I had a few ounces of Hao Ya A from Harney back in the recesses of my stash, and decided that it was time to compare the two. I know the last few times I had this tea, I over steeped and used too much leaf. Today I did it right….a little lighter on the leaf and less time on the steep. This one is over 2x the cost of Hong Tao, so I would expect there to be marked differences.

Cocoa notes, a little smoke, and remarkable body. This one definitely has the edge in body/mouthfeel. So rich tasting. The leaves are actually longer in the Hong Tao, but that could be my fault in storage as the Hao Ya A has been in my stash for at least a year. I am sure I would get a small tin of this, too, if it were currently in stock. I just love a good China black tea. I am upping the rating on this one.

Mug method, scant measures on the tea and slightly shorter on time.

Backlogging my tea of the morning…..

There is a new black tea in my stash. I loved the Hong Tao from Upton, so I knew I needed to give this one a try. This is smokier than my Keemun Mao Feng, but it does have notes of cocoa and earthiness and definitely has some body to it. It makes a great breakfast tea to get me going for the day. I am not sure it is different enough from other things I have in my sash to buy more, but I have almost 3 ounces to figure that out. Stay tuned.

Usual teapot method.

Hot cuppa the evening….

It has been a long day. Ever have one of those days where the events of the morning seemed to happen yesterday? I have not had one in a while, so I guess it was my turn. I really wanted some tea, but I know I will regret it later when it finally comes time to go to sleep tonight. This is totally working. It is filling my need of something sweet/spicy and comforting.

I am still confused how we had temps of 85 and I was melting two days ago, and today there has been snow. Please, can we have some Spring weather. I don’t like the summer to winter thing we have going right now.

Usual teapot method…heaping scoops and 7 minutes.

Tea of the morning…..

I have been revisiting a few of my black blends from the Millerton Shop. This one I can happily drink. The first one I rechecked (Anniversary Blend) is a little too strong and heavy on the Assam for me. If I have time, I will post something on the appropriate page. Often, I only post a review if I have something worth saying about a tea.

While this is not my everyday tea, I could see purchasing it again. I think it is a blend of 4 teas (Ceylon, Keemun, Oolong, Assam), and if I recall, it is the same tea they bagged for the RMS Titanic Tin. It is rich and smooth with a well rounded flavor. It is not heavily cocoa noted the way I love my tea to be, but there is still something special about it.

Usual teapot method.

Cuppa the late morning….

Every once in a while I need something kind of sweet. This helps with the craving a little, but I think there are better teas for that purpose. I am finding that my love of flavored teas is definitely waning, so take that into consideration with my review.

I get light notes of coconut and chocolate first, with just a hint of almond. I do feel that an overdone almond flavor would ruin this for me, so a hint works well. I am not wowed by this, but it is pleasant enough to finish the ounce of tea I purchased. I am very thankful for the amounts of tea Della Terra offers for sale as it makes it easy to try many teas guilt free.

Usual mug method heavy on the tea measured.

Cuppa the afternoon…..

I received this tea as a gift for being a good dog sitter last week. I have to say, I was pretty excited, even though this is bagged tea. I am thinking some loose leaf from Charleston is on my wish list. I do find it very good and satisfying. I would not call it a tea for my tea snob days, but it is a very basic black. I am thinking it would also make a stellar iced tea. It is so cool to have tea grown within driving distance of my house, even if it is a 10 hour drive!

Mug method using only 8 oz of water and one tea bag.

Tea of the morning…..

I love that Upton labels tea, including samples with the date you ordered them. I must have been shuffling this sample around in my stash since last June. It fared better than most as I gave a ton of unopened samples to my knitting friends since the kidney stone last fall. This one definitely held interest for me to keep it around that long. Unfortunately, Upton no longer has it in stock, but that does not mean I cannot enjoy this while I have it.

Leaves are pretty short like a BOP. There are a few golden tips, hence the name. It must just be a lower grade of golden monkey. Right now, I am just kind of sad I did not try this sooner, because I know I would have bought some. It is very good. Smooth, malty, cocoa noted. Yum!

I love it when Upton gets interesting black teas in. I have about 4 more samples to try from my last order and they include a black monkey, a black tie guan yin, and another snail tea. Bliss for a China black tea drinker.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning…..

This morning I am drinking my older version of Keemun Mao Feng. I think this was purchased at the SoHo store in 2010. It is very comparable to the Keemun Mao Feng I purchased earlier this week. I am very pleased with my purchase and so glad I was able to have enough of this left to compare.

Usual mug method. Resteep is just as good at 5 minutes. I might even try for a third.

Third cup of the day…..

I did pick up a sample of this one for comparison. I have not had it in my cupboard for over a year and wanted to have a more accurate view of this than just my memory. The memory is starting to go, you know. Also, sometimes experiencing tea has everything to do with your mood and surroundings at the time. If I were going from memory, the taste was just a little different than I am experiencing today. I won’t add those memories in, just because it would confuse the issue. This time around it is good, but just that. Cocoa notes are lighter than the others, and it is slightly smokier than all that I have recently tried. It is less sweet than the ZK67. In comparison to the Harney, it does have a similar light earthiness, but definitely less complex and rich, and the mouthfeel is thinner. I do get a similar astringency to the ZK91. Leaves are comparable to the ZK91 and ZK67, but they seem a little shorter. Overall, it is a smooth and wonderful tea, but I am spoiled by others. I am sure if I had not tasted the others, I would have been happy with this. Sometimes, too many choices is a bad thing. I am not sorry that I tried it again as it is the best value in a Keemun Mao Feng that I have tried.

Usual Mug method.

First cup of the morning…..

This is a review of the most recent offering of Keemun Mao Feng from Harney (end April 2013). I just recently checked the website, and it does look as if they are out of stock except for samples. It was a great score for me as they had free shipping at $25, there was a coupon code for 10% off, and they had reduced the cost of the tins of this tea by more than half since they only had a few in stock. Yes, I bought more than my fair share because this is my black tea first love even though it might be a different harvest than my first two (4 oz.) tins. I am guessing they will have some in stock again in the Fall, but only if the tea of this season is up to the standards of Mr. Harney. I feel incredibly lucky.

The Keemun Mao Feng from Harney is so complex. Leaves are long, dark, and wirey. It does have cocoa notes, slight hints of smoke, and a slight note of earthiness, all rolled up together in a smooth and very rich mouthfeel. I would say this offering is slightly more complex than the last, but it could be contributed to the growing conditions for that year. I am not sorry I bought too much. I will double check this against the last offering just to be sure how it compares in the next few days.

Can I just say I am in Keemun Mao Feng heaven? I think this and the Upton ZK67 will keep me quite happy, as they really are two different experiences in my book. Choose the ZK67 if the idea of slight smoke and a touch of earthiness is not your thing. If you are looking for something very complex, hope that Harney will offer this again in the future.

Usual mug method. Resteep coming up.

Editing to add: It looks like they have some more at $9 per tin! I have enough, but I thought others might want to know!

Second cup of the morning….

And I think I have this loaded in here right. Upton has so many offerings with very similar wording that it is very helpful to add in the stock number. I did find a Keemun Mao Feng Imperial from Upton in the database, but the description was different and it did not indicate that it was organic. My conclusion was that they are different teas.

Leaves look very similar to the ZK67. They are long, thick, twisted and there are some golden tips in there. On drinking, it has more of a dark cocoa note than the ZK67, but seems less sweet overall. It is also very smooth, no indication of the slight smoke or earthiness some KMF teas exhibit, but there is definitely a very slight astringency at the end of the sip. At least I think I have that description right. It almost feels like you need a sip of water after sipping the tea, because it has a slight drying affect on the palate. This one is a little pricier than the ZK67 and ZK98, but you would expect that for an organic offering. It is definitely a good choice for those who seek out organic teas.

Usual mug method.

First cup of the morning…..

I have several versions of Keemun Mao Feng to compare in the near future. Three are from Upton, I have two from Harney (I think one is an older harvest), and the only other one I might consider adding in at some point is the KMF from TeaSpring (this would be my recommendation for those of you who have issues with the cost of shipping as theirs is flat rate worldwide.) The versions I have consumed regularly in the past are Upton’s ZK98 and Harney’s before the price increase (maybe an older harvest? purchased in 2010).

This is the first of many Keemun Mao Feng cups. I am so excited! I do have to say that this one is pretty fantastic. The actual leaf seems much larger and slightly more golden tipped than the picture. It does not have the characteristic long and wirey leaves from the other two versions I have consumed over the years. These are thicker and twisted. It has rich cocoa notes, and is oh so smooth. The other thing I find quite remarkable is that it lacks the slight smoke and earthiness I have experienced in the other two versions. I did buy 80 grams of this. While is is no bargain, it is definitely worth it to me. With that, my cup is empty, and it is time to try another. Or maybe I will just resteep this….

Usual mug method.

Tea of the morning…..

Surprisingly, I am having a tea other than a plain black or black blend this morning. I must be feeling Spring in the air for jasmine to appeal. I do end up forgetting about this one as I keep it in my long term stash cupboard rather than the small number of tins I keep in the cupboard by my teapot and kettle. Plus, the tin is very different than the bulk of the others and easy to glance over. I have another jasmine black that needs some attention, but this one is my favorite of the two.

Notes of chocolate and of course the sweetness of jasmine. Momo was right that it reminds me of Cadbury Mini Eggs-my all time favorite chocolate (thank goodness they are a seasonal offering!) Hello, Spring?

Usual teapot method.

Late morning cuppa…..

Just like JacquelineM, I had to jump on this one. I love a good Earl, and also, love Andrews & Dunham. A complete ‘no brainer’ in my book. It got here in just a few days, and I too love the magnet they included. It seems they always include something extra cool in their orders. As always, the packaging is too fun.

Onto the tea….Wow! Bergamot! The tea base is nice and hearty/mellow. It needs to be that to stand up to the ‘pow’ of bergamot this one packs. I would put this one just a little stronger than Lupicia. I do think the black tea base is a blend, but I am having a hard time sorting it out precisely. I would guess China black with a bit of Ceylon. I think the bergamot in this one is less on the orangey side (like the Lupicia), and more lemony bergamot. Lovely! I am so happy I bought this, and that it is NOT a limited edition!

Usual mug method.

Tea of the morning…..

This one is nearing the bottom of the tin as I am making an effort to reduce the stash before acquiring more tea. I was intending to not repurchase this, but I am seriously reconsidering. I would call this more of an everyday Tanyang/Panyang, where my TeaSpring Tanyang is more of a special day tea. I know every day should be a special day, but that gets to be very taxing on the tea budget. It is just under 2/3 the price of my special day version.

I think it needs just slightly cooler water than boiling to get the best results. It cuts the slight earthiness I get when I brew according to my standard method for black teas. Heavy mouthfeel, cocoa notes, slight maltiness, and even a little roastyness. While it is not what I would call a bargain tea, it is well priced for what you get.

Usual teapot method with a slightly cooler water temp.

Second tea of the morning…..

I just love it when we have a slow Saturday morning. It does not happen very often, so I cherish it when I do. I don’t crave rose teas all that often, but on occasion they are a necessity.

This one is light on the rose (especially after eating a bit of chocolate! Yes, I am really treating myself.) I kept thinking I would be able to cut down to one rose tea, but I am not so sure, now. This one is good iced, and hot it leans more good tea, than frou-frou rose tea. I keep Harney’s Rose Scented around for my frou-frou rose tea as it is intensely rose. Why is it that I require so many specific teas for my staple stash!? I am so spoiled, yet, thankful that tea is a relatively simple indulgence.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning…..

I needed some spearmint, and Tommy’s review of this caught my eye. I was just going to buy a sample, but knowing how much I love the Golden Snail from Harney, I was pretty confident that I would love a Black Snail tea. Tommy’s review included such great pics, too. It was a no brainer for me. The price is $8 for 250 grams making it a huge bargain.

As expected, there were only a few golden tips in this one. The tea itself is still tightly rolled. One of the things that is so remarkable about a snail tea is how huge it unfurls after steeping. The usual three perfect teaspoons of tea I use to brew a pot expands to fill the whole steeping basket, where most teas I brew in my teapot only expand to about half or less.

The liquor is thick, cocoa noted, malty, and a little spicy like you would expect from a yunnan. I don’t get the sweetness that I get from my Golden Snail, but that is pretty much expected, too. The Black Snail makes a rich cup of tea at a bargain price, and I am thrilled with my purchase. Thank you, Tommy the Toad for your great review. Why does anyone need to spend a fortune for great tea?

Usual teapot method.

Cuppa the afternoon…..

This is really good, but not something I must have in my cupboard. The girl scout in me is probably screaming right now, but I think I prefer others from Della Terra over this one.

I get light notes of chocolate, and I can taste the grahm, but I think I am missing that pow of marshmallow I get from Eight Candles. Really, the marshmallow is the right level for this to taste like a smore with most of the marshmallow squished out. I prefer the double marshmallow versions of smores any day, though. I can’t say I would never rebuy this, but there are just so many other flavored teas to ‘entertain’.

Usual mug method just a little heavier on the tea.