SimplyJenW

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.

Tea of the afternoon…..

This one came to me from Indigobloom. I have really been wanting to try this to see if another one of my favorites is close…..

Light green/yellow liquor, lovely coconut smell and taste. Very slightly buttery. Yum!

I am, of course, comparing to Golden Moon’s Coconut Pouchong. Honestly, though, I like them both. This one is a little more roasted tasting and maybe not quite as buttery. I really don’t see a need for both of them in my cupboard, but it is great to know that there is another source for really good Coconut Oolong/Pouchong out there, and it really just depends on where I am shopping at the time. I just know I am always in need of this kind of tea in my cupboard.

Thank you so much for the sample!

Mug method, 3 minutes, about 180 water. No additions.

Tea of the late morning……

If I had to choose one pu’erh to have in my cupboard, this would be it. When deciding how to approach the pu’erh samples sent to me by Teavivre, I decided to save the most expensive for last. Price in tea is usually a pretty good indicator of desirablilty, and in this case for me, it was very true. The price difference is enough that I would want there to be a significant taste improvement over the one with the lower cost, and this tea definitely delivers.

The smell of the dried leaf is less earthy than all of the pu’erhs I have tried (we are only talking about 7 or 8 total…), but only slightly different than the Teavivre 2007 ripened cake. I can see the golden buds in this one. The liquor is only slightly reddish, golden reddish like the 2007 cake. The taste is like you would expect from a pu’erh. Mellow, rich, slightly earthy, and this one is sweet. I am sure that is the first time I have used the word sweet in a review for a pu’erh. Kind of a note of honey which is surprising to me. I do love the mellowness and….I am going to call it the clean-ness of the 2005 Fengqing Golden Buds Ripened Pu-erh Cake as well as the same from the 2007 Fengqing Ripened Tribute Pu-Erh Cake. Very little debris from these two even on the first rinse. Nice high quality full leaves. The liquor still has a clear quality to it rather than a murkiness I have experienced with others. And it is the sweetness of this one that has won me over.

Thank you to Teavivre for the generous samples of their pu’erh cakes. I may become a real pu’erh drinker, yet! It is good to know there are pu’erhs out there that I would enjoy. One just has to know where to shop and who to ask. Thank you for your guidance in choosing these for me to try!

Gaiwan, boiling water, roughly 1 tsp cake, 30 second rinse, 1 minute for steep #1, 1 minute for steep #2…and I am sure it will go much longer!

Tea of the morning……

I really should just call this my Franken-BreakfastBlend. It started with a little Harney & Son’s English Breakfast and Teavivre Keemun #2. Then some Upton China Panyang Congou. Then a little of my Mystery Golden Tip Assam. Then a little of Adagio’s Assam Harmony and the end of my tin of Florence (which was only about 2tsp added to about 3 oz total tea). I am almost to the place where I can’t remember what all has been added.

But….it is really good. I should probably stop adding teas and just enjoy this while I have some. Then I can start all over on a new monster….. ;)

Tea of the evening……

I have forgotten how good this is. It really is the perfect evening tea. I did have to shorten the brew time due to the fact it is a decaf and a little more finicky than a regular black tea….too long of a steep and it tends to go a little bitter,just like most decaf blacks. The vanilla and the decaf base seem to work together so well that you hardly know it is a decaf. Bliss, and part of that is knowing that this tea won’t keep me up later than need be.

Teapot method with a 3 minute steep.

Tea of the afternoon……
And courtesy of KS! (Thank you! I have been waiting to try this for a time when I no longer had a cold! It has taken a little longer than I would have liked to be on the mend, but I am mostly back to normal!)

This is really good. My first green Earl Grey. I really think the bergamot goes better with a green tea base than it does a black. And the bergamot in this one is the bright kind….so rather strong, but it works! This is great hot, but I think it would be very good iced in the summer. So refreshing. And so missing summer right about now…. I think I need some of this! Thanks again for the sample!

Second tea of the morning……

I tried this one as an afternoon tea yesterday, but it just did not go as well as it does when I have it in the morning. It must be the smokey notes of bacon! Definitely smokier than the Wild Wuyi Black I just had, and very good. I will just have to make sure I keep it as a morning tea! I am not really wanting to rehome this one, because I think it is different enough from others that I have to keep it on the shelf.

Tea of the morning……

Oh, yum! I forgot how wonderful this tea is. It is definitely a little darker and more mysterious than the gong fu blacks I have been drinking. So sad I have only about an ounce left, which is why it is not in my Steepster cupboard. I was very indulgent and made a whole pot of this! I do hope it comes back in stock at Harney some day.

I am also going though my cupboard. I have so many teas that are close, especially in the Chinese black tea category. It is time to resample and hopefully edit! I am getting close to having my flavored blacks under control, but the traditional blacks are another matter. Time to start working on another list for swap!

Backlogging tea of yesterday evening…..

I have a new batch of this! Ovation has gone to a more coarse and organic honeybush base. It is just as good as I remember, but there are not as many bits escaping my infuser basket. Chocolate notes are light, the caramel is a little more prevalent. There are also pecan pieces in the tea along with the cocoa nibs and caramel pieces. Nice and cozy on a cold winter night.

I do have to comment on Ovation’s customer service. I had a mixup in tea base, and they were very prompt in answering my email, and sending out a corrected batch. Very friendly and helpful, as well as taking care of the issue very quickly. Thank you, Melanie!

Now…..is there anyone who wants some Chocolate Pecan Rooibos? I have several ounces to spare and it is not for sale on Ovation’s website….it is a very limited offering. ;)

Tea of the evening…..

First of all, thank you to Teavivre for this sample. I have really appreciated the way their tasting activity has made me expand my comfort zone for tea.

Now that I have a gaiwan, it is much easier to test this kind of tea. I am definitely still new to pu’erh, but I have to say this has been my favorite so far. It could be that I am finally getting better at preparing it, too. Leaf smell is very earthy, but more like the garden smells when you are planting, rather than a barn! I used what roughly looked like a tsp of leaves. I rinsed them. First steep was 1 minute, second was about a minute and a half. The liquor is more golden brown that I would have expected. The other few pu’erhs I have tried definitely had more of a dark reddishness to the tea. First steep smells of hay, but tastes earthy and very mellow. Really, the taste is somewhere between strong black tea and a porter beer. My very first pu’erh tasted of dirt, but this is not anywhere near the same. Earthy and warm. It has a heavy mouthfeel, and there are no small bits of debris like I have had from lower quality tuo chas from other companies (maybe I did not rinse them very well in the beginning…like I said, my preparation has improved, too). I am drinking this after a not so healthy dinner, so it is definitely helping calm my stomach. Second steep is a little stronger due tot he longer steep, but just tastes a little more intense than the first cup.

I do find it interesting that this one seems so much more mellow than the 2010 pu’erh that I recently had from another company. I did ask Teavivre for a beginner’s pu’erh, and I do think this is a good place to start.

Tea of the afternoon…..

Yes, I am a Hot Cinnamon Junkie. I finally figured out that I would probably love this green as I am quite enamored with the black and herbal versions. Yes, this is good. The tea base is lighter than the black, a hint less rich tasting than the herbal version, but still oh so good. I am not sure how they get this to taste so sweet without adding anything, but I don’t really care. I just know I love my Hot Cinnamon Teas! There will be a pound of this one in my future. I had a friend over who tried a sample, and she loved it, too. (I sent home some of the Hot Cinnamon Spice black tea with her!)

Teapot method with about 180 water and 3 minutes.

Back logging a tea of the afternoon….

Since I am going for the stronger flavors, I decided to give this one a try. I would not say it is heavily minty, but just enough. Definitely helps with the congestion. I definitely need to try it again when I am feeling better, but this works for when I am feeling a little under the weather. Warm and refreshing.

Usual teapot method, about 185 water, 3 minutes.

Tisane of the evening……

I got this in a recent order, and it is really helping with the cold. The ginger is the main note with a touch of sweetness from the liqorice root. The ginger is really helping me breathe a little better. I am wondering how a little spearmint or holy basil would taste with this. All in all I am glad to have this in the cupboard.

Usual teapot method, 8 minutes, no additions.

Tea of the afternoon……

I am going through all my favorite strongly flavored teas in an attempt to feel better. (It was Hot Cinnamon Spice earlier….) I need the strong ones because I am all stuffed up with a cold. This one just smells so good, even though the congestion. So thankful to have some of this one as it reminds me of the kindness of many swappers, too. Buttery, creamy, coconutty, and yum.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the afternoon…..

I agree that Steepster is slow today! It is taking forever just to get to the next page.

As for this tea, I really enjoy it. It is the perfect tea to drink with food. I am having cinnamon raisin toast with it right now. (Sun Maid Cinnamon Raisin Toast is my favorite from childhood….I am trying to perk myself up a little as I am coming down with a cold.) The tea has a bready taste and is incredibly smooth. The taste of the tea is not easily affected by what you are eating, so it is the perfect accompaniment with just about anything.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning…..

I recently picked up a few samples at Adagio, mostly to compare to things I have. I really do like their black teas for the most part. I guess when I first started on my tea journey, I was heavily invested in the flavored ones, so I did not really appreciate their black teas like I should have. Even though I don’t care for their flavored tea base, there are many things this company does well. I also enjoy their herbals that don’t contain hibiscus, mostly because anything with hibiscus is not for me. And the chai is yummy.

I wanted this one to compare to my Mystery Assam, as I noticed there were plenty of golden tips in the product picture. The actual product looks pretty much the same as the pic. It brews up into a malty breakfast tea with notes of bread. You know, that really good crusty bread. As far as comparisons to my other Assam, the other just seems a little richer. These leaves are thicker and brighter, if brighter is possible for a shade of brown! I also think this one is much more malty than the unknown Assam. It is pretty good. It does have me wanting to add in some Keemun, though, to fill out the body of the tea. The taste of this one is all in the front, there is a slight astringency in the middle, and the end…..I keep looking for a taste at the end, but I am not getting anything. Strange. Anyway, I don’t expect to be an expert on Assam any time soon. I mostly like it in blends.

Mug method for 3 minutes.

Tea of the evening……

I have been having trouble with insomnia lately. I decided it was time to give chamomile a try. This intrigued me because of the addition of lemongrass and peppermint. In theory, it sounds like such a relaxing and comforting tea.

Not bad. I think it will take some getting used to. Chamomile is not a favorite, but this is pleasant enough with the other players. I might even add some tulsi next time.

Teapot method for 7 minutes.

Tea of the afternoon……

This was one of three free samples that came along with my gaiwan and cups…..all pu’erhs. I guess it is time to get my feet wet on these. Dry it smells pretty good. Earthy, but not in a scary way. (Yes, this is the review of a pu’erh novice, so you might not really want to put a whole lot of stock in my review if this is your usual type of tea…) I rinsed the leaves first, and then brewed for about 30 seconds. This really reminds me of coffee. It is a little more earthy than coffee, but far from the dirt taste I remember from my first experience with a tuo cha. I am thinking the right tools to enjoy this will make the difference. I am not saying pu’erh is something I will reach for regularly as I am more an oolong in the gaiwan type, but it is a nice experience. There is something to be said for the short steeps for certain. It helps that the brew is not so thick as attempting to brew this western style.

As for the teaware, I love my little gaiwan and cups from this vendor. Everything was well wrapped and arrived safely. I even asked for a change in color of the cups (my gaiwain is light blue, but rather than matching cups I originally ordered, I asked for the white instead to see colors better..) and Scott was more than accommodating to see that I got what I wanted. I will order there again at some point, but I think I will go for the less expensive shipping. With EMS my order was here in less than a week.

Tea of the afternoon…..

I have new teaware! I ordered a gaiwan and two tiny cups, (and it looks like I should have ordered a fairness pitcher, too!) It looks so small next to my teapot, but I know it will be the tools I need for multiple infusions of the same tea without getting too saturated. I decided to try this tea out first, as I know how to make it and work some of the kinks out of my method. I discovered that my gaiwan holds much more than my two little cups…. And I did find a pyrex beaker to use as my pitcher for now….

As for the tea in loose leaf….. The liquor is light yellow green in color, and the pomegranate flavor is a little sweet and tart at the same time. I love that I can drink this one without any additions….. I had forgotten how much I like this one! The first time I had it was at the SoHo shop last Spring. I purchased 4 oz. of this at the Millerton shop in the early Fall as it comes by the pound in loose leaf on the website. I guess this tea also reminds me of the fun I had visiting the shops…..

Gaiwan, 1 tsp tea, about 180 water, 1 1/2 minutes. More steeping later!

Tea of the morning…..

I should know not to mess with the sample packaging from thepuriTea early on Monday morning. The package is too short and near impossible to measure out of because of its stiffness and the way it is gusseted, and too small to be folded over for later use. It is really annoying. I am sure I did not measure out enough tea for fear it would go all over my counter top, so my tea is weak. I hope they come up with a sample packaging solution that is easier to use, because frankly, it does not reflect well on the tea experience and how I as a customer feel about it overall. I really think they are trying to make the samples to fit in their little cardboard sleeves which do kind of make a good first impression, and it just is not working once you get to the tea. My advice: skip the cardboard. I just have to recycle it anyway.

So, I have weak tea this time around. I should just make another mug, right? Unfortunately, although they claim there is enough tea in this sample for at least 10 cups of tea, I have enough for maybe 3 total…really, probaby 3 weak cups as this is a fluffy tea. Maybe they include the resteeps in that number? I did get more like 7 cups from the flavored black tea sample I had and it was the only one that was close. I really don’t have enough of this one to make in my 15 oz mug set a second time….so, not even 4 cups worth….. Disappointing. The packaging certainly does not accommodate fluffier teas well, even though it sort of worked for the flavored black.

The tea is long fingered, fuzzy, and a beautiful golden color with only hints of brown. Beautiful. Too bad I will not get to really taste it. The moment for this tea to shine is ruined by the sample packaging and the amount in that package. I think it has potential, too.

On my resteep, I decided to add a little more tea. I am really thinking there was only enough tea in this sample pouch for just over two cups. Much better in taste. Notes of malt and honey. Roasty. I did just double check the website, and they suggest I can get 10-12 cups of tea out of this sample. Maybe if I resteep it 5 or 6 times?

tl;dr Yeah. It is Monday and I am a little cranky this morning.

Tea of the morning……

This time it is a 1:1 blend of my Mystery Assam and a good basic Keemun. I think we have a winner. It is not quite as rich tasting as Malachi, but this will definitely get me through until I can buy black tea again.

Usual mug method for 3 minutes.

Another tea of the afternoon….

I think I should have picked another one after my not liking the Chinese Sencha from thepuriTea very well. I fixed this up and then did my research on what was in it. It turns out that Bancha is a lower grade of Sencha. Man, do I have a long way to go on my education of green teas. Anyway, the roses help this, and I did sweeten it just a little. I think I don’t mind this as a tea with other things….. this one is less vegetal and more woody, maybe?

Tea of the afternoon…..

I still have a huge pile of samples from thepuriTea……at least 6 or 7. This was one I received for free. As it is my first Sencha, I really don’t know what to expect, and I have a feeling that my Premium Dragon Well has me spoiled. So far, it is fine, but not anything special. A little vegetal, light yellow liquor, only a slightly heavier mouthfeel than water, and a hint of something minty at the end. I would not choose this as a stand alone tea as it is very ‘meh’ compared to dragonwell. It seems very similar to the tea base in the flavored greens I have tasted. I wish I could tell you how it compares to other Senchas, but all I can say is the color of the leaves was a dark green, not dull, but somewhat bright, and the leaves varied in size from short to about half an inch.

Mug method for green….about 180 water, 3 minutes.