SimplyJenW

Tisane of the evening….. (SRP #33)

I love a good desserty honeybush blend. This one has notes of chocolate (although, like LiberTEAS, I do wish it was a little more prevalent), caramel, and rose. It does pay off to look at the steeping recommendations on this one…they recommend using 1 1/2 tsp per 8 oz of water and I might even use a little more than that. When it is done steeping and very hot, the flavors are not as noticeable as when the brew cools a little. And it does remind me of chocolate cake… I might add a little raw cacao powder next time. Who says it can’t be somewhere between a tisane and cocoa? A very enjoyable evening treat, especially for those who want to have their cake without too many calories.

Mug method with 3 tsp Chocolate Cake Honeybush, 8 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Sample provided by Fusion Tea Room.

Second tea of the morning….. (SRP #32)

This sample was provided by Fusion Tea Room. (Thank you, Thomas!)

I have had many an Earl Grey as it is one of my favorite flavor profiles, so I was more than willing to give this one a try before it goes up for sale. This one has a mellow bergamot. I would not call it light, just mellow in that it is not super citrusy. I guess that means it leans more to the floral side. Yes. Mellow and floral, but not perfumy. The tea base is interesting. I did notice it was a little more smokey than the usual Earl Greys I drink, and then I read the description here…..it has a Ceylon and Yunnan base. The floral bergamot and the slight smoke from the Yunnan is a very good flavor match. There is also a hint of a bite/briskness from the Ceylon, but again it works with the floral and slight smoke. All in all a very well done Earl Grey. I like that it is a bit different from the usual ones I have been drinking. I think Thomas mentioned that this would be available around June 1, 2012.

Usual mug method with about 200 water and a 3 minute steep. Lightly sweetened.

Tea of the morning….. (SRP #31)

I have been in a blur for the last several days. It is nearing the end of school and it has been a whirlwind of band and orchestra concerts, play performances, tryouts for another play and a youth wind symphony, and prep for a class trip to Washington DC. Plus, we are in the midst of repairs on our house from some storm damage last year. We are trying to do the painting ourselves in between the days that the contractors are here, and more things that need fixing always seem to come up. I guess it is probably a normal pace for some, but it is usually pretty quiet around here. As a result of my crazy schedule, I have mostly been drinking favorites. I have a few new teas to review that I have tried over that time, but I need to sample them again when I am less distracted to do them justice.

Onto this particular tea…. I was kind of surprised at how short the leaves were. They are similar to BOP with a few golden tips. After my first several sips, I think I might be replacing my beloved Organic Keemun Heng Ru with this. It is somewhere between Heng Ru and Keemun Mao Feng. It is much smoother and fuller tasting than the Heng Ru. Very light hints of smoke. Cocoa notes. I just feel the Heng Ru lacks body, and this one has it. Love it!

Usual mug method.

Tea of the evening……

I might as well admit it. I have a new favorite decaf flavored black. Yes, this is the one. Vanilla Comoro is lovely, and Midsummer Peach makes the best iced tea, but Decaf Paris is edging them both out. I had two mugs tonight with our viewing of the season finale of “Once Upon A Time.” The perfect end to Mother’s Day for me!

Mug method with 190 water and 3 minute steep. For the second steep, I added another scant tsp of tea and brewed for 3 minutes at the same temp. Lightly sweetened.

Tea of the afternoon……

Definitely the notes of smoke. In comparison to the many versions of Panyang I have consumed today, this Keemun Mao Feng has a note of smoke. I am not sure I have tasted it this prevalently before, and part of the reason I wanted to taste them in progression. Notes of smoke, chocolate and malt that translates into a darker chocolate note plus a slight smokiness. Yum.

This brings another question to mind, though. Is it possible that our response to tasting a tea is dependent on what we previously sampled? I am starting to think so.

Now I am off to do some resteeping until I float away!~

Usual mug method…..

Tea of noon…..

I have not had this one by itself for quite some time. I generally blend it in with my Franken-Breakfast Blend. It has such a prominent chocolate note with just a touch of maltiness and smoke. It is not quite to the level of a Keemun in smokiness, but it is close. It is not quite as complex as the more expensive Tan Yangs, but it is well worth the price at under $5 for 125 grams.

Usual mug method.

Second tea of the morning…..

This one comes from a swap with Dinosara. She went on a small tea adventure while she was in China, and this was one she brought back. I am so appreciative that she gave up some of her precious suitcase space to bring a few things back to share with me. I am pretty certain I may never make it there in my lifetime, so it is always fun to read about her travels and experiences. I love that she tries to include the hunt for tea in her free time when she is travelling, because her work takes her to such interesting places.

This is very, very good. I do think it is a little higher quality than Tan Yang Te Ji from TeaSpring. The leaves are longer and predominantly golden, where TYTJ has only a few golden tips. The brew is very similar, but it reads a little less cocoa and more caramely and honeyed which generally translates to sweeter. I am sure that is pretty normal for a comparison between teas with golden tips and those with fewer. I would definitely not call them interchangeable. Both are very enjoyable, and I will cherish the remainder of this one, as I am not sure I can get more! (I still like the other one just a little better, but that could be my subconscious picking that one because I can get more…..)

Usual mug method.

First tea of the morning…..

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers, aunts, mothers to be, and the good people who stand in for mothers who cannot be there for a multitude of reasons. I lost my mother almost 14 years ago, and I am so thankful for my friends as well as my MIL who have helped to fill her role a little. Me, as a mother myself, I know there are things I could do and could have done better. But, I would not trade this gift for the world.

I am doing a “Parade of Panyangs” of sorts in celebration today. I started with this one, and I have another sent from the lovely Dinosara that she brought back from her trip to China. Then I will probably throw in my bargain basement Panyang from Upton that I also love. I might even brew up a cup of Keemun Mao Feng. It is an odd Mother’s Day for us, because we are scrambling to get some work done on the outside of the house involving door frame replacement and painting before we have contractors back on Monday or Tuesday. And the kids are pretty swamped with homework, since there are about 10 days left of school.

This one is chocolatey, has a bit of heft to the mouthfeel, a bit of malt, and very smooth, plus there may be a little fruitiness…plums, maybe? It is very rich, and it seems that the big difference between this and my beloved Kemmun Mao Feng is that KMF has just a hint of smoke (which I will be double checking this later). I was looking at the leaves on this one compared to my Keemun Mao Feng, and they are really very similar, except that the Keemun Mao Feng’s leaves are longer and a bit wider dry. I was also comparing it to the Tan Yang Dinosara brought from China, and her version is much more golden tipped as well as longer than TYTJ. It is a definite love for me in the tea world.

Usual mug method.

Tea of the afternoon……

Yes. I admit I am weak. While I have a perfectly lovely jasmine flavored black tea in my cupboard, I apparently could not live without this one. I finally gave in and ordered enough tea from thepuriTea to get free shipping. The Jasmine Silver Needle, which is also quite notable, put me over the edge, as well as over the free shipping threshold. The funny thing is, that I almost gave that Jasmine Silver Needle sample to my local tea drinking friend, Bonnie. Now, I can just give her a taste from my stash. Shipping from CA to OH was lightening fast. And Nav included several samples, including the Lychee Green that I almost put in the cart anyway. This way, at least I will be sure….for next time. Because I am certain there will be a next time!

Ahhhhh. Notes of chocolate and jasmine. This one does differ from my other jasmine black in that I do think there is some silver needle in here, too. It makes for the most wonderful mouth feel. I am not at all sorry that I gave in……and my cupboard feels rather complete at this time! (Did you take a look at my current shopping list? Only one to possibly buy, and the other two are placeholders for a few fun custom blends with teas that I have in my cupboard)…. Now, I should just stop reading everyone’s tempting notes, but I am also too weak for that. I love it here!

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning……

And this is actually the second steep! Since I had my other Dragon Pearl black tea yesterday, I decided to see how this one compares this morning. Really, they are nearly interchangeable. It is just a guess, but I have a feeling that most of the black variety of dragon pearl tea comes from a similar source. I could be completely wrong, though, as I actually know so little about the tea production and primary distribution business. I barely know all I need to know in the tea drinking business. ;) I know just enough about drinking it to thoroughly enjoy myself, really.

As usual for this type of tea….notes of chocolate and malt, and very smooth. The leaves are huge once they unfurl in my steeping basket. The second steep is as good as the first, and I expect to get one more good one before I decide to move onto another tea. I have not really tried a fourth, but one day I will. Great quality tea, and the price for 100grams is very good. I can immediately think of 4 sources for this type of tea and this one is the most reasonable for that amount. Prices get a little more competitive around the 1 pound mark.

Usual mug method…6 pearls.

Tea of the afternoon…..

Black Dragon Pearl Tea….one of my black tea loves. I love watching the tea unfurl. The pearls are a little bigger than a chickpea/garbanzo bean. This one is very good with notes of chocolate, slight malt, super smooth and rich. I used 12 balls in my 24 oz teapot. It was perfection. This one is a little more than I like to spend for 4 oz, but if you are buying a pound, it is pretty reasonable. It is just that I am not sure I want to have that much of it on hand.

Resteeps well.

Teapot method with 12 Red Dragon Pearls.

Tea of the late morning……

I have yellow tea! I do think this tastes somewhere between white and green. I am actually not really sure where this is supposed to fall, but It tastes like a mix of Long Jing and Silver Needle White. Kind of like green tea without astringency. I get vegetal notes, and notes of hay, and maybe a note of honeysuckle sweetness. No additions.

I might be brewing this one wrong. I just checked and Harney recommends boiling water for 4 minutes. I did about 175 water for 2. I guess I will try hotter and longer for the second steep.

Very cool! I have yellow tea!

Tea of the late afternoon…….

I could not resist the thought of Decaf Paris, so here it is in my cupboard. I am getting so much more sensitive to caffeine late in the day, and in my opinion, Harney does the best decaf black teas around.

The tea base is good, and I would say the flavor is just slightly more subdued than regular Paris. Totally a winner for me, because I can have my black tea late at night and sleep, too.

Usual mug method, 200 water for 3 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Tea of the afternoon… (SRP #30)

Hmmm. The needles on this one are definitely longer than my previous cup. It also is incredibly fresh and you can see the difference in the steeped leaves compared to my last cup. The brew is so pale, it does not look all that much different from water. I had to double check the water temp, because I have not really seen a white tea brew up this pale. I used the same setting on my electric kettle as the last and steeped for 2 minutes. It could also be that I should have twice as much tea than the 5 gram packet I added to my 24 oz teapot (I am really thinking this is where my problem lies). This is quite different from my previous cup. But, this would be the prime choice for the person who likes subtlety in their floral teas. For me, I pretty much prefer a sweet form of jasmine in overdrive as long as it doesn’t go to perfumy. I do get the high quality white tea flavor profile. Also, the price of this one brings it in line more with an every day tea

I am off to try a resteep of the first half along with the rest of my sample for three minutes to see if it helps. Stay tuned.

Edit to add: Yes, much better on the resteep. Light jasmine, high quality white tea. Liquor is still on the pale side, but what I woud expect from a white tea.
In summary: Lovely tea. Unbeatable price. All form a company with great service and attention to detail in presenting themselves in a way appreciated by tea drinkers.

Tea of the afternoon…… (SRP #29)

Yes, more jasmine tea. I even had a pot of the jasmine flavored black from Dragon Tea House this morning….. After this cup, I am trying TeaVivre’s Jasmine Silver Needle for comparison. I have definitely come to the conclusion that jasmine and Earl Grey teas are warmer weather choices for me. I am even kicking around the possible purchase of thepuriTea’s Jasmine Golden Yunnan….maybe for my birthday? (This is not a bad idea as it gives me a few months to sort out what I really want.) I seem to like jasmine blacks the best, followed by white, then green. I really need to drink up some of my Jasmine Dragon Pearls, too.

As for this tea. I did not want to like it (as I am trying to simplify and minimize the number of places I feel the need to shop for tea), but it is truly delightful. I like how thepuriTea’s jasmine flavors are sweet floral rather than perfumy foral. The base tea is light and kind of reminds me of hay, and then the touch of jasmine makes it sweet and wonderful. It also has a feel of substance when in the mouth. I am drinking this one without additions, and it is so good. I still can’t quite escape adding sweet to my black teas, but this is stellar without additions. I am a little shocked at the price for 4 oz ($29), but I imagine 4 oz of this tea is quite a volume as it is pretty fluffy. I am seriously considering this, even though I am trying to drastically curtail tea acquisitions at this point.

Mug method about 170 water for 2 minutes. No additions.

Second tea of the morning…… (SRP #28)

This one is very interesting! It is a green and black blend. The green leaves are the most prominent as they are a long and somewhat twisty pale green. I steeped it up at about 190. The liquor is a light amber. The taste is brothy. I get a little salt and pepper, even! There is a slight nudge of a vegetal note at the beginning, and it finishes smooth like a black tea. Very interesting and well done. It probably is not something I would drink on a regular basis (they are out, so it really doesn’t even matter if I would!), but I am glad they had a few samples left when I last ordered.

Usual teapot method with a 2.5 minute steep. No additions.

Tea of the morning…..

Not sure why I keep trying to like these strong breakfast teas. This one is definitely more brisk than I normally drink. Chinese black teas tend to be less brisk and more smooth. This one is a kick in the pants for the morning. The leaves are fairly broken up. I would not call it a CTC like Harney’s Irish Breakfast, because it is missing the last C. I also get strong malt.

I decided today was the day to try adding some almond milk, so I splashed some in there. My almond milk is the flavored vanilla type. I am trying to cut back a little on my dairy, but still can’t live without small amounts of real cheese, real butter, and Greek yogurt. It did take the edge off a little. One thing that is weird compared to adding milk, the almond milk doesn’t lighten the tea as much. It is not a bad addition to tea for me, but honestly, I like my almond milk in a smoothie with frozen bananas and raw cacao powder……tastes more like a chocolate milkshake!

Mug method with a 3 minute steep. Sweetened and with a splash of almond milk.

Tea of the late afternoon…….

I have been on the search for a black jasmine tea ever since I tried the Jasmine Yunnan Tea at thepuriTEa. Why not just order the tea that started the obsession? Well, 4 ounces of that tea is $16 and then flat rate shipping is another $7.50. Plus, Yunnan would not be my first choice for such a scented tea as Yunnan is typically more peppery and malty than what I wanted. Harney was out of stock without prospects of a replacement for a while. This tea from Dragon Tea House on ebay was the first possibility that caught my eye at $12 shipped for 100 grams, but of course the shipping from China is rather long. In this case, I do think it was worth it. I had ordered some teaware from them in the past without issue, so I thought I would try some of their tea.

I ordered on April 24th. They shipped out immediately. It arrived today. That makes it almost two weeks even with a holiday. Pretty decent for free shipping. I am guessing prices are a little higher than what you would spend if you were there, but that is fine by me. It makes small orders much more possible, which I really appreciate. There was not much available in the way of tracking, but then some forms of post don’t update until the package arrives. I do have to sign for packages shipped by them if it matters.

On to the tea….. I really like this. It is not super floral, just lightly floral. The tea base is a good quality black tea. I do have to say that the smell of the tea itself was kind of strange, but the tea is wonderful. How this differs from my own blend of gong fu black tea and jasmine pearls…this is much more subtle. There are no notes of chocolate in overdrive, or heavy floral with the jasmine. I am sure I could play around with other black teas in my cupboard for a black jasmine blend, and I probably will at some point. But, I am so glad I took a chance on this one. It is lovely.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning…..

This one is very pretty! The leaves are long and slightly curly, and very orange. Definitely all tips. I get mostly notes of honey and light notes of cocoa. Very nice, and I will have to enjoy it while I have it, as it is almost gone on the website. Last I checked, there was one 40 gram bag left.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the afternoon…… (SRP #27)

This is my first yellow tea! It comes from my foodzie box from LiberTEAS.

Brewing parameters for this are very similar to green teas. Leaves are long, and bright yellow-green, and somewhat curled inward toward the center spine. I used about 170 water for three minutes. I am amazed how much this reminds me of Long Jing. I think similar to Long Jing but not nearly as vegetal. It has the buttery mouth feel, but not super heavy buttery like some oolongs. I can drink this one without adding sweetener which is a bonus.

Very lovey and enjoyable. Just what I needed was another kind of tea that I need to buy!

Mug method with 170 water for 2 minutes. No additions.

Tea of the morning…… (SRP #26)

I have had this sample in my stash for quite some time. I have been putting it off because I am fairly sure I am not a fan of this strong of tea. Due to my fear of super hard core black tea, I did go with a super short steep time for me. Only 2 minutes when my usual is 4. It totally worked!

I am pleasantly surprised by this one. I get the Assam in a non-bitter form, plus the softening of the bite of the Assam with Darjeeling. Then, there is a hearty breadiness with the Ceylon. Really quite enjoyable, and I am sure those of you who can handle a very hearty tea can easily handle this tea steeped full on. For me, I will have to stick with the ‘hard core blacks for wimps’ steeping method. Although I don’t like milk added to my tea, one day I might give almond milk a go. I am still pretty sure I will probably stick with hot and sweet.

Usual teapot method with a 2 minute steep.

Tea, or should I say, teas of the morning…..

I decided to do a side by side of Malachi McCormick and Supreme Breakfast. I do like them both, but am trying to decide which one to keep around. I do realize that I could keep them both, but I am going for a little more simplicity here. I need to rein in the stash and settle on a few breakfast tea choices rather than a few dozen.

I think the Supreme Breakfast is heavier on the Assam, but it could just be that it is blended with higher quality teas. I get a heavier malt than the Malachi. I brewed this one a little longer than I did last time (4 minutes instead of 3) and I think this hits the Assam bitterness threshold for me. It could probably be corrected for my palate with steeping time. I do have to say that I am leaning more toward the Malachi. What I love about Keemun tea is the cocoa notes, and Malachi has them. They are much lighter in the Supreme Breakfast. I definitely can’t say that I am sorry that I tried the Supreme because it is a great tea blend, but for now I think the Malachi fits me better. It is such a relief that I can still be happy with good basic tea, and that my tastes have not all given over to the more expensive varieties. (Malachi is currently $20 a pound, and Supreme Breakfast is $32.)

Brewed side by side by the usual mug method.

(I also ordered a Harney Mug in my shop order…it is the same as my white ForLife mug, except with the Harney logo. Since I have three ForLife infusers from my one mug and two teapots, it all works out perfectly for side by side comparisons!)

Tea of the afternoon……

I actually took a bit from the bag of this for my friend who wanted to try this and Cranberry Autumn. I know she won’t mind, and I wanted to see if this is how I remembered it. It is one of the first things I ordered at Harney long ago along with my long gone tin of Paris. You know how the palate tends to change over time….. I know my love for that tin of Boston kind of ran out well before it was gone. I am starting to wonder if it was a seasonal thing because I bought it in the Fall and my taste for it had gone by Spring. I have figured out that certain flavors of tea appeal to me the most in the proper season. I think this is definitely a Fall tea for me. I also think 2 oz. would be the perfect amount, because this would not be a daily tea for me.

Very present notes of cranberry with a light hint of almond. Actually, better than I remember.

Second tea of the morning……

I have plans for this one if I like it. I only bought 2 ounces of loose from the Millerton Shop to be sure I would like it. I am a little confused why a tin of 2 oz on the website is $13, because 2 oz of loose at the shop is just over $5. I saved enough on this tea alone to more than pay for my shipping from the shop. It only comes in a pound in loose tea on the website other than a sample, so I will probably only be buying this one from the shop.

First trial of this was using about the same volume of tea that I would when prepping a black….this is not really typical for whites. They usually recommend 2 tsp per cup rather than 1 due to the fluffiness of the tea. I used much cooler water than for a black tea, steeped for 2 minutes, and sweetened. I can tell I probably won’t need to sweeten this one. It is light and sweet all on its own which is a bonus! I love it when I find a tea I like that does not need my Splenda crutch. I think for my next cup, I am going to try a little more leaf, and leave out the sweetener. I also really want to try this one iced. I have a thing for iced Earl Greys….. I am also imagining this one with a little jasmine added…