SimplyJenW

Tea of yesterday afternoon……

Since I am such a huge fan of Harney’s Cinnamon Spice, and JacquelineM’s review mentioned that the Market Spice Cinnamon Orange teas were very similar with the orange being more prominent than in the Harney, I had to try this. I love flavored teas in this range, especially because they are sweet without needing sweetening. I am definitely not disappointed. The cinnamon is not quite as strong as in the Harney, and the orange definitely has a front seat in the taste profile. I was wondering if the two were interchangeable, and they definitely are not. For those that are fans of orange more than cinnamon, this is the choice for you. I get mild red hots in a cup with a twist of orange in this.

EDIT TO ADD: One thing that might be a deal breaker on this….the leaves look kind of greasy. I do think it is probably a result of the flavoring oils. They recommend storing the tea in a glass jar once it has been opened (really, the packaging is marginal in clear, non-resealable cellophane…it must be transferred into something else.) I guess it will take further sampling to be sure if it is a keeper.

Teapot method, 180 water, 3 minutes. No additions.

Tea of yesterday afternoon…..

And thank you so much to narwhalclub for this sample. I have been curious about this tea for a long time.

This is a very good smokey tea. I don’t think the blend of teas in the base is quite as sweet as Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon from Upton, but it is still great. I love how smooth it is, and how balanced the smokiness is. I don’t feel like I am drinking a bitter campfire like the first few lapsangs I sampled. This one is definitely a keeper.

Usual mug method.

Tea of the late morning……

I have my last round of samples from TeaVivre. This time I requested things I am considering buying, and they were very accommodating. I am very grateful for this tasting opportunity, and I am so looking forward to purchasing the next season of teas, as I am sure I have a backlog of greens from them at home to drink before they expire. This was my chance to really explore some Chinese green teas, and I am finding that all of my preconceived notions about green tea were so wrong. I don’t know why I assumed it would be otherwise, as my thoughts on tea in general have been completely rewritten, and lean nearly in the complete opposite direction as they did before I tried loose leaf. I think the green teas I had tried in the past were low quality and poorly prepared. Now, I am surrounded by high quality green tea, and I have learned a thing or two about preparation. These things have made a huge difference!

This tea is very nice. The leaves are very long and thin. They are a deeper green than the Premium Dragonwell, but still in the green range rather than leaning brown. It is hard to measure the right amount of tea, because the leaves are so long! My first mug was a little light on the leaf, but still enjoyable. For the second infusion, I added a little more leaf, and now I have something very good. The liquor is a light yellow-green. There are very light floral notes as well as light notes of asparagus (kind of like the long jing), but there is not the buttery-ness from the long jing. I guess you could call this an addition of floral notes, but minus the buttery notes in comparison to long jing. It is still not as floral as a Tie Gwan Yin, but lovely and light. Not even a hint of bitterness, and oh so smooth. I can see why it is one of China’s top teas. Definitely on the shopping list.

Mug method at 180, roughly two tsp of leaf (I may need the scale next time!). No additions.

Tea of the afternoon……

I am loving the Springlike weather we are having. I thought it called for a more springy type tea. This one does have floral notes along with a creamy coconutty flavor. The white tea does not really come into play much as it is light. Very good and refreshing. It was good hot, and still good once my tea cooled.

Thank you to Mercuryhime for the sample. This is a good one!

Tea of the morning……

I am on to my second batch of Franken-Breakfast Tea. This one is about 1 part Golden Tip Assam (Mystery Assam from the hot sauce shop), 1 part Keemun Grade 2 (Teavivre), 2 parts Turkish Blend (Upton). This blend could be a little more smokey….it is surprisingly sweet, probably from the Ceylon tea in the Turkish Blend. I am thinking there should be more Keemun…..

Usual teapot method, except that I forgot my kettle was set for green……must try this blend again at the right temperature before adjusting the ratios….

Backlog of a few cups……

I have been road tripping and visiting my Dad in the hospital in another state. Home for a few days for now, and then we will see if I go back. Unfortunately, the second car has some serious issues, so that might postpone me a bit.

Anyway, I purchased this tea before I left for ease of use away from home. I was fortunate that hot water for tea was very easily accessible at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL. I had several cups of this. It is light, there is a refreshing amount of bergamot, and it resteeps for at least one cup. All in all, I am very pleased with this and will purchase again.

PS….the coffee shop at the hospital serves Harney tea!

Tea of the late afternoon……

Another tea from my Foodzie Box from LiberTEAs. This is very good. It is the perfect blend of hot cider and tea tastes. It is what I had hoped Cinnamon Apple from Harney & Son’s would be. I know it is just a matter of time before I put in an order at Market Spice, and am defintely considering this one!

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the late morning……

More rounds with ‘old friends’. I know I had been through a short spot where Earl Grey did not appeal, but it was so short lived. I now seem to have come around again. I think it is seasonal in that I don’t drink much Earl grey in the Winter.

I do see again what I loved in this one. First of all, it is great tea. The base blend is really smooth and well rounded. The bergamot is definitely low on the ‘bergamotometer’ scale, but it works well for the base. It is more for the days when I just want great tea as opposed to a bright and strong Earl Grey. I am certainly reminded why I must always have some in the cupboard.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning……

It has been quite a while since I last had this tea. With all the new additions to my tea stash and all the samples I have been trying, this one simply just got buried in the back of the tea cupboard. It is always good to get reacquainted with an old friend.

This tea is so smooth. I get notes of apple and honey, plus just a dash of cocoa. I do have last year’s version, and it looks like it has gone up just a little in price. I recall 125g being about $16, and now it is $20. I do think I would take a chance on the new version when this is gone.

Usual teapot method.

Backlogging tea from yesterday afternoon….

This tea is from Tina S.. Thank you so much for sending this. I am always on the lookout for a good flavored green.

The sencha base is nice and smooth. It is a bit grassy, but not at all bitter. The mango flavor leans more tropical for me. Kind of more pineapple, but I did taste mango, too. I am thinking the name might use an update. It is funny how flavors of things sometimes end up tasting differently, even when you flavor a tea one way. The base definitely comes into play and can change the flavor just a little. All in all, a pretty good, refreshing tea, but nothing remarkable.

Teapot method at about 180F, 3 minutes.

Second tea of the morning along with a spot of Downton Abbey…….

Downton Abbey on PBS is my television indulgence of the moment. I am always late to the parade for most great shows, so I am still stuck in Season 1 while most fans are eagerly awaiting Season 3. However, I thought a lovely pot of Earl Grey would be the perfect accompaniment to this fun show. A friend of mine actually noted that she could spend hours just watching the upholstery on the show, and I quite agree.

This tea was perfect. It seems to have a base of at least some Darjeeling. Definitely a bright Earl Grey kind of like Harney’s Viennese Earl Grey. This one was included in my Foodzie Box from LiberTEAs. Luckily, I requested Earl Grey teas be included, so I am set to have a different EG for every episode. Bliss!

Usual pot method, and it was gone very fast!

Backlogging tea of last evening……

I received this sample from Mercuryhime. Thank you! I am always excited to try things from 52Teas. I would buy more, but it is hard, sometimes, to spend the money if you don’t know exactly what you are getting. Other times, one is very adventurous and cost never really comes into play. Isn’t it funny how we are all so different, and even different as an individual depending on the day?

Anyway, this was good. It might be ‘order’ good, but it was definitely ‘nice change of pace’ good. The raspberry was the most present, then there was a creaminess, and then a bit of breadiness. I really did like it, and if I did not have about 5other versions of flavored honeybush in my cupboard. Then again, I do think I would order as I don’t have a berry one……

Teapot method for 7 minutes.

Tea of the afternoon…….

And my first tea out of my Foodzie Box from LiberTEAS. OMG! What a wonderful box of samples! Really, this is a fabulous deal if you are new to tea, or have been around the tea table a few times. I received well over 20 samples, and only one out of the bunch is one I have tried (and I have tried a bunch of teas, and that particular one is an absolute favorite!) I highly recommend this for a fun tea adventure. I cannot wait to try them all.

This is the first tea I have selected. I purchased a gift for a friend from Mark T. Wendell last year. The service was great, and the friend loved the tea. I have not gotten around to ordering there myself, so I requested that LiberTEAs add some Mark T. Wendell if she had some. Here it is.

This is really good. It is a lightly smokey tea. Very well blended and rich. It kind of reminds me of Upton’s Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon. Both are perfect for beginning smokey teas. If I ever do order from Mark T. Wendell, I will probably get this one. TeaEqualsBliss called this Hu Kwa’s pretty little sister and suggested that it was lighter than Hu Kwa. I will probably have to check that out for myself at some point! Very good! Thank you for including it in my LiberTEAs Foodzie Box!

Usual mug method for 3 minutes.

Tea of the afternoon…..

Thank you so much to Indigobloom for this one.

This is a really nice chocolate tea. The notes are of dark chocolate which I think works so well with a tea base that is not particularly sweet on its own. I think this would stand up to milk if you wanted to add some. Very good, and it is always good to know what else to buy when you are getting your fix of Coconut Oolong!

Usual Mug method.

Another tea of the afternoon……

Oh, Amy oh. You were right! This is good. Vanilla and almond flavors all wrapped up on a good black tea base. (Have you noticed that a flavored tea for me is so dependent on the tea base?) This is also my first tea from Simpson & Vail. They have been on my ‘to try’ list for quite some time. I love to see tea companies that have been around for a while….it shows they are doing many things right to have that kind of longevity. This one goes on the ‘to purchase’ list.

Thank you for the sample, Amy oh!

Usual mug method.

Tea of the afternoon……

And my first tea from this company courtesy of Amanda! Thank you, Amanda!

I will admit I was a little apprehensive when I first saw there was rooibos in the blend, but it really works here. It adds a richness to the black tea base. The chocolate and raspberry are pretty much one flavor rather than being able to pick out one over the other, which makes it well blended in my book. Very good! Definitely worth consideration for me!

Usual mug method.

Tea of the morning…..

Now I am on to the last tea of my Talbott’s gift box. This one is still good, but again, not as good as the Chocolate Almond Allure. Definitely notes of strawberry and dark chocolate on Talbott’s rich tea base. I may even try milk with these at some point. I think the base can handle it well.

I have been pondering if I thought the regular price of the gift set would be worth it to me…… That is a tough one. I think if I had to pay full price for these, I would pick just the favorite of them and get a single tin if shipping were not an issue. However, for such a good deal (as the three tin gift set on clearance!), it is great that I have three teas that are good and enjoyable. Am I likely to repurchase any of the three? Probably not, unless the stars align for me again.

Usual mug method.

Second tea of the afternoon……

What can I say? I had to try this one today, too. I don’t like it quite as well as the Chocolate Almond Allure, but it is still pretty good. Notes of dark chocolate and caramel. The thing I do like about Talbott’s tea base: It is rich and deep tasting. It has made the chocolate notes in the two I have tried so far seem very much like the dark chocolate variety. Since the base is so flavorful, the added flavors can be light and make a very relaxing tea. They definitely are not overdone, or underdone. Just right.

Usual mug method.

Tea of the afternoon…..

Another long one. If you just want to read about the tea, you are more than welcomed to skip to the end………

In reading reviews of this tea, I knew it was one I wanted to try. I perused Talbott Teas website, and saw this was $12 a 2.25 oz tin. I was not shocked, yet, until shipping calculated out to be about $9 to get to me. Then I started looking for places that sold Talbott’s Teas near me. And I was in luck because Dillard’s (a local-ish department store) sells them. I knew I would be heading to the mall in about a month from that time to help set up for a Girl Scout Mall Overnight, and figured I would check then. (And I need a good perk to get me through this scout activity…the girls love it, but I don’t like the mall much on a normal day….)

I was really lucky! It turns out that this is sold at Dillard’s in a gift set containing a tea spoon, honey sticks, 35 fillable paper filters, and three chocolate teas. Chocolate Almond Allure, Caramel Sundae Escape, and Chocolate Strawberry Temptation are the teas. The retail cost of the set is $40, but it is on clearance. I scored it for $16 and some change. So, being the weakling that I am, I bought 2 sets. (I also scored three awesome LeCreuset Stoneware baking dishes at near 75% off…so incredibly thrilled about them…..almost more than the tea, if that is possible!)

This is really good! Dark chocolate notes with a touch of almond. Really worth what I paid for it, and I can’t wait to try the others! Such a happy tea day!

Usual mug method.

Backlogging tea of yesterday evening…..

When I saw reviews of this one, I knew I had to pick some up if it ever came back on 52teas website. I really like this. Creamy, minty, chocolately, and yum. The perfect evening tea. Sometimes, I have issues with peppermint blends that are overly minty, but this one is perfect. It has been a while since I have had a 52teas honeybush, and I had forgotten how good they are at making me feel like I have had a real treat without the destructive calories. For me, honeybush is the perfect medium for a sweets flavored tisane. I am not a fan of rooibos as the flavor of the tea base itself can be a little strong. But honeybush leaves open so many possibilities as its base flavor is a little more neutral. Also, I don’t have to deal with the caffeine from green or black tea. I hate to admit it, but I get more and more sensitive to evening caffeine the older I get.

Yum! Frank, I think you might need more of this for sale……

Teapot method with an 8 minute steep.

Backlogging tea of yesterday morning….

I have some new samples of this sent to me by Nav of thepuriTea. Even though the samples are not the final sample packaging they will be using, each cardboard pouch contains at least twice what I was initially sent as this sample. And then he sent two cardboard pouches. I did pull out my gram scale, and each cardboard pouch now contains around 10 grams of tea.

I have been regularly drinking another Yunnan, and these leaves are wider and just about as long. They do have some bright orangish tips in them, and there really is a pretty good amount. I think this is a heartier, maltier tea than the Yunnan I have been drinking. There is a hint of smoke, and when sweetened, it brings out a hint of caramel. Maybe it was caramel apples. Anyway, it is definitely a complex example of a Yunnan. So glad I will have a few more tries of it. It resteeps well.

Mug method, 4ish grams of tea, 3 minute steep#1, 4 minute steep #2.

Tea of the afternoon…..

This is another sample I received from Indigobloom. Thank you, as I will be trying all the teas from the Spice and Tea Exchange that you sent…. I feel an order for the Coconut Oolong coming on :)…….

This one is not for me. I do like white teas, but as time progresses, I have less and less of a tolerance for hibiscus/roselle in tea unless it is incredibly light. I am really amazed at all the tea blends that include hibiscus. I do think it lighter than some in this blend, and it really is a beautiful tea, with a berry red color when brewed. Smells like a lovely berry flavor. Perhaps I should have tried a little sweetener.

Mug method, 3 minutes at about 180.

Tea of the afternoon…..

I received this sample from Nav, the driving force behind thepuriTea. We have exchanged a few emails about sample packaging, and he offered to send a few samples to me. I requested this one as well as a little more of the Golden Yunnan. I do have to say, that I am impressed with everything they do. I can tell thepuriTea spends some time in carefully choosing their offerings. Also, they continually make strides to improve service as well as web presence and the overall shopping experience. Admittedly, I wait for sales and free shipping offerings when I order, and I so appreciate that this company offers them from time to time.

This tea is good. I like the light vegetal notes, and it seems less floral than the Tie Kuan Yin or Ali Shan. I think this would be best suited to those who are not fans of floral notes. For me, I think I am better suited to Tie Kuan Yin or Ali Shan. It is good to know this, though! Thank you, Nav, for the sample!

Gaiwan, steep#1 at 2 minutes, 180ish water. More steeps to go!

Tea of the morning……

Today the task was to make Elyse’s Blend from Harney & Son’s just a little more subtle in the tea base. I did a 2:1 ratio of it and my Franken-Breakfast Blend and it worked. The honey notes were still there without the bite that is in Elyse’s tea base. I am sure Elyse’s Blend was made to go with milk, but I am not really a milk tea type. However, I love honey flavored teas. I think I will try my China Congou from Upton with this next. It just needs something to smooth it out a little for my taste.

Usual teapot method with a 3 minute steep.