Arbor Teas

Sample package label:
Ingredients: Organic Vietnamese Black Tea, Fair-Trade Certified, USDA Organic
1 “generous” teaspoon – steep 212*F, 3 – 5 minutes.

8-oz* water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 24 ppm, boiled

This tea has a grassy cinnamon fragrance.
Vibrant reddish hue
First Infusion:
3-min: Initial taste – Very soft, smooth, & pleasing. I then steeped it an additional 2-min.
5-min: Very soft, smooth, with a strong note of cinnamon. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency.

2nd Infusion (6-oz, 6-min): Enjoyable & slightly lighter than the first cup.

Impression: This is a very soft, smooth, medium-bodied, somewhat malty, slightly sweet, black tea with a strong note of cinnamon, and without any bitterness or astringency – a surprising taste experience for a “Vietnamese Assam.” This is a great choice for an afternoon or evening tea.

Arbor Teas 4 Organic Black Tea Sample Series Conclusion:
Of the four organic Arbor Teas I’ve tasted: Earl Grey, Assam TGFOP, Golden Yunnan, Vietnam Nam Lanh, the Assam TGFOP was my favorite breakfast tea and the Golden Yunnan was my favorite choice for afternoon or evening.

Thanks once again to Arbor Teas for providing these generous size free samples.

Much different that Japan’s staple green tea. Dragonwell is a lot less grassy. It is somewhat nutty and reminds me vaguely of the tea I remember having in Chinese restaurants (though I’ve heard that they usually serve oolongs or jasmine, none that I went to ever served a tea that tasted like oolong or even the least bit floral).

One of my 3 most favorite teas. It’s not grassy like Sencha or gyokuru and not too fruity or citrusy like some other green teas. It has a buttery mild vegetal flavor that blends well with a variety of tea snacks or even a meal. A lot of teas I prefer to drink solo because other foods distract from the flavor. Not so with the Kukicha.

Unfortunately, they went and changed the cinnamon formula and added cloves. NO one as far as I can find just does a straight black cinnamon tea…everyone always has to do the same boring and horrible tasting (in my opinion) mix of cloves, cardamon, ginger etc. Hopefully they will change this formula back or at least offer two kinds.

Sample package label:
Ingredients: Organic Chinese Black Tea, Fair-Trade Certified, USDA Organic
Steep 212*F, 3 – 5 minutes.
8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 23 ppm, boiled
1 level Tevanna teaspoon, no sweeteners, milk or cream

This tea has a subtle earthy fragrance.
Dark reddish hue
First Infusion:
3-min: Initial taste – Very smooth. I then steeped it an additional 2-min.
5-min: Very smooth & rich, with a wonderful cream-like mouthfeel. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency.
2nd Infusion (5-min): Very close to the first cup.
3rd Infusion (6-min): Similar to the 2nd cup, but with lighter body

Impression: This is my first Golden Yunnan and it’s excellent! I enjoyed the first cup even more than the Arbor Teas Assam I drank yesterday. It has a soft mouth-feel that I didn’t experience with yesterday’s Assam. It also has a subtle wine-like taste similar to Keemun tea and a light natural sweetness – no sweetener needed.

Plan on re-steeping – your teacup will be empty before you know it and it’s too good to waste after only a single infusion.

Thanks to Arbor Teas for providing this generous size free sample.

3/12/13 Update: My wife and I re-steeped this tea today and we both independently came to the conclusion that it wasn’t as satisfying as today’s original infusion.

Sample package label:
Ingredients: Organic Indian Black Tea, Fair-Trade Certified, USDA Organic
Steep 212*F, 3 – 5 minutes.

8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 30 ppm, boiled
Note: Arbor Teas web site specifies 8-oz (not 6) – more tea to enjoy w/o additional cost! However, the sample package doesn’t list this important point – one level teaspoon in 6-oz is too strong.

1 level Tevanna teaspoon

This tea has a rich earthy fragrance.

Vibrant reddish hue

First Infusion:
3-min: Initial taste – Very smooth. I then steeped it an additional 2-min.
5-min: Vey smooth & full-bodied, with a clean finish. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency.

2nd Infusion (6-min):
Much lighter than the first.

Impression: This is an excellent Assam! It’s a robust, full-bodied, malty tea without any bitterness or astringency. Plan on brewing a full pot, your teacup will be empty before you know it! I could sip this Assam all day long.

Thanks to Arbor Teas for providing this generous size free sample.

Sample package label:
“Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, and natural oil of Bergamot.”
Fair Trade certified – USDA Organic
“Suggested serving size – one level teaspoon”
“Suggested Steeping Guide: 212*F, Steep 3 – 5 minutes”

6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 15 ppm, boiled

1 level Tevanna teaspoon:

Introduction: I understand Arbor Teas Earl Grey organic base comes from the “Assam and Dooars areas of India. Most EG teas come from Shi Lanka formerly known as Ceylon. Having a different base tea, was a significant reason for wanting to sample this tea. Our current EG has a Ceylon base and I can’t get past the astringency. Other primary reasons: My wife loves EG and prefers organic teas.

This tea has that classic lemon Earl Grey fragrance – quite fantastic!

Amber hue

5-min Infusion: A mild lemon aroma, medium-bodied EG without astringency – Excellent! The taste of lemon does not linger too long on the tongue.

Impression: An excellent classic Earl Grey tea.

Additional thoughts: I would like to encourage Arbor Teas to develop a well-balanced organic Vanilla Earl Grey or EG Cream. Why you ask?

Per Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamot_orange):
“Citrus bergamia is a small tree which blossoms during the winter. The juice tastes less sour than lemon, but more bitter than grapefruit. The distinctive aroma of bergamot is most commonly known for its use in Earl Grey tea.⁸”

The tartness of citrus bergamia is a common characteristic of most Earl Grey tea. Adding a creamy vanilla should smooth out the natural tartness of the oil of Bergamot. Other tea companies have tried this approach. Many of them are not organic and at least one uses artificial flavoring. Only a few have discovered a pleasing balance of among all the ingredients.

Thanks to Arbor Teas for providing this very generous size free sample.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 500ml at 195°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: vegetal
Steeped Tea Smell: lightly vegetal, sweet
Flavor: vegetal
Body: Light
Aftertaste: sweet
Liquor: translucent green-yellow
smooth but not silky. Good, but not exceptional.

Resteep:
500ml at 195°F for 3 minutes

still smooth and delicious

Rating: 3/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2013/03/arbor-teas-company-loose-leaf-oolong.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 500ml at 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 1 minute
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: earthy
Steeped Tea Smell: fall leaves, dirt
Flavor: earthy yet smooth
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: sweet
Liquor: translucent dark red-brown
Resteep:
500ml at 212°F for 1 minute 30 seconds
Exactly the same as the first steep

Resteep:
500ml at 212°F for 2 minutes
Exactly the same as the first steep

This tea could have kept going, but the work day was over

Rating: 3/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2013/03/arbor-teas-loose-leaf-pu-erh-tea.html

After Steepster’s twitter posted a story about the sweetened spearmint tea that is a staple of meetings all over Morocco I just had to get my hands on a good Moroccan mint tea to try out.

I knew what I really wanted to do was make some iced sweet-tea with this, but the night I got home to this delivery I just couldn’t wait that long for the tea to cool and made myself a warm unsweetened cup to start. As soon as I opened the bag I knew I was in for a treat – the sweet smell of spearmint filled the air. The tea even looks beautiful with those perfect balls of gunpowder green tea swimming in a sea of dried spearmint.

I don’t actually like the smell of steeping spearmint all that much, but the balance of the spearmint and green tea brewing in this cup are very pleasant. The gunpowder green brings the spearmint smell back down to earth. The taste is much the same. The spearmint is the real star of this tea — it stands at the forefront of the flavor and draws you in. However, it’s impeccably balanced with the green. There’s just enough green tea to sit at the end of every sip and delicately mellow that spearmint flavor. What a calming warm brew.

But now for what I really came for — Moroccan Mint sweet tea. This does not disappoint. With some time to cool and a dash of sugar this calming warm brew turns into an incredibly refreshing sweet tea. It’s still a cold, rainy 45 degrees here in Seattle, but I can’t help but reach for a cold glass of this tea. By my third pitcher I decided to make it double-strong so I’d only have to brew half as often. I’m so glad I ordered the 10oz bag, because when those warm days come I will be flying through this tea so fast.

I’ve cupped this atleast 6 more times since my first tasting note on it and I’ve noticed a few things about it. The main thing of note is that to my tongue it is best drank at warm or lesser temperatures. I made the mistake of drinking it when it was still quite hot and the taste was really flat. None of the sweetness and smooth finish I noticed in my original tasting, just smokey and astringent. I swore I had brewed it wrong, but I tasted it again when it had cooled and the taste was what I remembered. I now never drink it before I’ve let it cool 15 minutes.

The second thing is that this tea stands up great to multiple steepings. I’ve only done a second so far, but the tea was just as bold (and I had brewed it for the same 4 minutes I normally do) so I’m sure it could at least stand up to three infusions.

I tried this tea with a hesitant curiosity, as I’ve not ever been a huge fan of the Assam teas I’ve tried, which this claims to be competing with. Much to my surprise this tea is a delight and has instantly become a favorite of mine.

As soon as I opened the tin I fell in love with the smell. I completely agree with a reviewer on their website who mentioned it smelling like mint chip ice cream. It starts out with a fresh leaf smell, but as you continue inhaling it turns into a chocolate mint aroma. The wet leaves however lose most of this sweet scent and mostly just smell like a fresh pile of autumn leaves.

The taste is delightfully complex, and progresses for me much like the dry smell. When it hits my tongue it’s smokey, earthy, malty. Very similar to what I’ve come to expect from Assam teas. But as it lingers on my tongue the second wave hits me, a sudden sweetness, reminiscent of sugar cane and molasses. The finish is even sweeter, with subtle notes of vanilla and butterscotch.

This is a great black tea in my eyes. Brisk and bold enough to be a great morning cup, but smooth and refreshing enough to serve you well throughout the day (and even iced on a warm summer afternoon!)

been drinking this Irish breakfast, aside from a Twinings bag I’ve tried, it still tastes fantastic. It tastes more earthy now, bold, the aroma is rooty almost like a dried mushroom. It never crossed my mind to blend it with some assam like the chap Scott B. But I might give it a try although it might doesn’t need it & there’s so many teas to try, so little time.

Here for another tasting note. Made this tea with milk this time, making a version of a “tea Frappé”. This tastes okay. I’m not too keen on the milk, maybe I put too much…not sure because I’ve never put milk in my tea. It still tastes okay because the peppermint really comes through the milk flavor, but the milk is still a little strong for me. Maybe next time I’ll put less milk in (if I ever make this again). The tea by itself is still amazing! My boyfriend and I shared an entire teapot of this stuff last night, with just a little honey for sweetness. This is one of the few teas I can stand to drink unsweetened. Iced is really good as well. :D

This tea is great! I read a couple of reviews on this tea before I purchased it, and knew I would love it since I love minty teas. A lot of other reviews I read talked about adding a black vanilla tea to make it taste like candy canes. I could see that as a great combination for this tea. It is so nice and minty without being too minty. Exactly what I thought it would taste like. I mixed mine with a tbls of rock sugar and just doing that gave it the “candy cane taste” in my opinion. I will be restocking on this tea for sure! I can safely say it is my favorite tea at this point!!! If you love mint teas you will love this tea!!!

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

The first time I steeped this tea I made the mistake of treating it like a green tea. It is not. It is infact a pu-erh and must be steeped at boiling to really open it’s flavor profile. First lightly sweet wheat flavor giving way to sweet and green apples and finishing off with an ever so light earthy musty note. This tea is fairly simple and yet carries an experience of sophistication that I haven’t ever noted while tasting another tea. What does sophistication taste like you might ask? Order the sample and tell me if I’m wrong. This simple little tuo cha is delicious and a treat in every sip. Steep multiple times to ride the entire flavor train, but it looses me after the fourth.

This might be the most mild flavored black tea I’ve had. No overwhelming notes of anything. No real hints that stand out. This tea is very delicate with a touch of astringency and medium mount feel. All in all it’s a decent black tea that lends its self well to blending. I’m not much of a flavored tea guy, but I appreciate the medicinal benifiets of plants and have grown fond of the flavor of a few. One that comes to mind is the ginseng vitality offer from Teavana, over priced high pressure money machine that it is actually has a decen ginseng blend and it goes great with this unremarkable tea for your first thing in the morning pick me up. Not bad

I finally found the perfect way to make this cup. I use my 14 oz mug. For about 11 oz of tea, I used 2 tsp. of leaves for 2.5 minutes. A tsp of honey and a little half and half, and I am golden.

Backlog:

I started my day with this, but because it is Monday and my Mondays are weird, I found myself on the go before I could sit down and write about it.

A very pleasant vanilla black tea. After reading my SororiTea Sister’s (TeaEqualsBliss) tasting note on this tea, I find that we are on different sides of the spectrum with this tea. Interestingly enough, though, we rated the tea the same. We both like it, but I think we both were experiencing different things with this tea.

I find this to be really less sweet than some vanilla teas I’ve had. In fact, I think that this would be a really good vanilla tea for someone who might typically find vanilla teas to be on the cloying side, because while this is rich and creamy but it isn’t overly so. It is sweet, but not quite as sweet as some other vanilla teas might be. In fact, the tea is more of the focus here, with the vanilla playing the accent flavor role as it should be. A really good vanilla, but not the vanilla for someone who wants the vanilla flavor to be in their face. This is not as sweet as most vanilla teas out there.

As for me, I like it a lot!

Ok I know I’ve logged this before. How is it that I can’t find my review? Sad, I was hoping to refresh my thoughts, build on my previous notes. Hmph.
Anyhow, this is a great tea, thanks so much to Amy Oh for the sample!!
It’s like drinking cinnamon hearts. Very tasty.
In my mind, I feel as if I should be drawing comparisons between this and the DT version. Here goes! :)
This one is smoother, and truer to the candy heart, with a Ceylon astringency to follow. There is also a pleasing cinnamon/refreshing aftertaste. The DT version, as far as I can remember, is a bit rougher, earthier, and has more depth.
If I had to choose between the two, I suspect the Arbor version would win though I’d have to do a side by side comparison to be sure. Then again, the DT version has Pu-erh in it, which makes it healthier, technically. Wait a sec, I just double checked the website and it now has artificial flavouring!? Uncool!! now, does this mean it always had fake chemicals in it, and they’ve now updated the ingredients, or has the formula been revamped? Bah. I think I have some of this lying around somewhere, but it’s really old.
Either way, with my milk and sugar, in true dessert tea form, I am really enjoying this cuppa. Thanks again Amy!!

This is quite nice! Very sweet, lightly vegetative, and I agree with TeaEqualsBliss (for whom I have to thank for sending me some of this tea, THANKS!!!) there is a zucchini-like flavor going on here. It’s very light, not a heavy vegetable flavor, and there are hints of hay in the background. It almost reminds me of a yellow tea, only this is more “green” with the vegetative notes. It has a lovely creamy note to it too.

A really nice tea, thanks again to my SororiTea Sister for sending it to me!

I totally forgot I had a bit of this one left. I found it today and am finishing a cup now. I also sort of forgot how freaking good it was! Sure…I LOVE all teas but there is a special place in my heart for Black teas and I always start my day with at least a few different black teas…so with all the black teas I drink…I REALLY appreciate the ones that stand out among the rest! This is one of those teas!