Arbor Teas

I have officially designated Thursdays as Ironing Day. I’ve got a fair amount of goodies to iron today but I’m extraordinarily tired. I need a good oomph to get me through the long ironing ahead. Mate is supposed to give quite a nice buzz and I’ve had this sample from Arbor Teas sitting on my counter for a few days to remind me to try it. Mate scares me a little bit, so I’m using the energy need for my ironing marathon as an excuse to bust this one open.

The dry leaf smells dusty and herbal-y and faintly sweet. Post-steeping, the smell is still a bit musty and herbal with an almost menthol-like whoosh to it. The taste is milder and less offensive than the other mates I’ve had (Samovar blends). It’s pretty much like it smells – somewhat earthy, hay-y, herbal. There’s a little ting on the end that is the menthol smell but the taste is a almost ginger-y warm. It’s a little rough but nothing that makes me think this would benefit in any way from additives.

I haven’t really felt all that buzzed but I am getting through my ironing without wanting to nap so that could be the mate at work. I’m not sure if I’d seek out this (or any mate) for a pleasure drink, but the sweetness definitely makes it my preferred mate drink of the ones I’ve had.
2g/~9oz

The Final Sipdown: Day 16
Decupboarding Total: 31

And it’s another sample gone! I really like this tea – it’s got the sweetness and smoothness of a yunnan but there’s a little bright Darjeeling-like kick to the end of it that shows up sometimes. It’s a nice tea to drink straight, which can be a challenge for non-Chinese blacks (at least for me). If I had a larger container of this it would be very easy for me to drink though it is missing just a little something that would push it into the ‘must run out and get more of this!’ category. Still, a good tea that is definitely worth a try!

I like trying teas grown in unexpected places (basically somewhere not China or India), so when I saw Arbor teas had this one, I was interested in trying it. And now I get to!

I know the vendor notes say this is SE Asia’s answer to Assam, but it really makes me think more of a Yunnan. But it’s a bright, happy, more sparkly Yunnan than most of the Yunnans I’ve had, which strike me as a bit thicker tasting. I suppose that extra bright, sweet perkiness comes from the Assam-like malt aspect giving it a different sweet note? There’s a tiny hint of astringency on the tail of the sip, but it’s a sweet dryness instead of a more Assam-like nutty bitterness, so it doesn’t make me feel like I need sugar or milk to smooth it out. Instead, it’s actually quite smooth on its own, something else that bring Yunnan teas to mind.

Overall, this strikes me as a happy tea. Not as caffeinated as an Assam or as thick as a Yunnan, but somewhere in between. A Yunnan on antidepressants perhaps? Which makes it seem like I think Yunnans are unhappy teas. I don’t. They are just more solid, mellow and even-keeled. This tea seems a little peppier and enthusiastic. Somewhat like a puppy. A tea puppy.

And since I just compared this tea to a puppy, I think it’s time for me to run away. Maybe take the second steep out for a walk so it doesn’t piddle on the carpet.

A very pleasing jasmine aroma and flavor. While it is not overly “floral” it does possess that certain jasmine sharpness that cuts through some of the sweeter notes nicely. The green tea is lightly vegetative and smooth.

A very good jasmine offering!

I’m off to write a more in-depth review for the Tea Review Blog.

Yeah, sorry, this one just isn’t for me. The dry leaf smells fruity and vaguely alcoholic, like wine or some variety of fruit Pucker. The steeped tea has a spicy, tart, stewed fruit thing going on and something that reminds me of a decorative soap. Sipping the tea gives me mild stewed berries or plums and soap. I find myself wincing three times during each sip – once to brace myself for the sip when the soap smell hits, once as it is in my mouth and I taste the warm tart flavor, then finally when I swallow and feel like I’ve just had my mouth washed out with soap.

Lots of others folks seem to really like this one so I’ll just say my rating reflects my personal tastes, not the quality of the tea.

I tried this this morning because its was frigid cold. Being that I love black teas, I found this tea very enjoyable (so enjoyable that I burnt my tongue on it). Its kind of sweet for a black tea but in a very comforting way.

If you like black teas, you will definitely like this one.

I’d have to agree with the others saying the hibiscus is definitely the first thing you’ll taste. The plum is there, however, and its very nice. Overall a very good tea that I probably could have brewed better had I watched the temperature!

Hmmm.. I need to try this again. But after my first sampling,, this had a mild smoky, subtle sweet lapsang souchong flavor. This did not seem like a keemun at all. But if you like smoky and want an organic option, this could be a possibility…

It’s The Final Sipdown: Day 2 and this is the sample to which I must say goodbye.

I have a problem using the last bits of good tea samples. Because if it is a good tea, I want to make sure I always have it on hand. If I only have a cup or two left, I don’t drink it up, I save it. After all, if I drink it, it will then be gone and I will be sad.

But I simply cannot fail in my decupboarding adventure on Day 2! No! If I’m going to fail, it will be after a long and arduous attempt, a mere three feet from the peak of Mt. Everest, not before we even leave base camp!

And with that determination in mind, I used my last bit of this to make a travel tumbler full of tea before heading out for Mt. Everest Costco. I was daring and used no additives. (Because that’s intrepid explorer-types roll, you know. Without sugar.) It is a rare tea that can stand up to travel tumbler abuse additive-less but this one performed swimmingly. Oh, there was a moment I held my breath when I could only slurp tiny amounts (it was very hot, you see, and we hadn’t brought a medic so I had to be cautious) and the taste was coming across somewhat bitter. I began to fear that the tumbler had defeated this tea. But the tea pulled through and, once it cooled and I could sip without fear, the taste reverted to normal yumminess. In fact, I believe it responded well to the travel tumbler challenge as it was bolder and stouter than before.

So two thumbs up for this intrepid tea sample as it successfully conquered my travel tumbler, even though it ultimately perished in the attempt. To those I must decupboard, I salute you!

Going on vacation totally messed with my normal tea-drinking schedule so I’m happy to get back home if only for the chance to dig back into some teas I’ve been wanting to try. (Mind you, lack of my regular tea brewing ability was about the only thing close to negative for my vacation and the beach being half a block from my apartment? Made it fairly worth it.)

This one is another sample provided by Arbor Teas. I generally enjoy Yunnans lots so I’m looking forward to it. The smell of the dry leaf is nicely promising – sweet and malty and thick and yummy. Mmm. The steeped tea has the same great smell but with an added creamy undertone and something almost red-wine-like.

Initially, the taste struck me as a bit watery and thin on the front end; sweetness and malt and a hint of tasty (tasty, mind you, not icky) cardboard came next in at the middle of the sip, then a delightfully sweet and almost floral taste hit at the end of the sip and expanded through the aftertaste. The sweet flavor was more of a caramelized sugar sweetness than the raisin- or fig-like sweetness I typically get from Yunnans. After the tea cooled a little more, the initial taste no longer felt watery, just smooth and with a thinner mouthfeel, which I think threw me off a little at the first.

Second steep (4min) is smooth, sweet and has a touch more texture. The hint of cardboard-ish starch is gone, as is most of the malty except in the aftertaste and I’m left with a nicely sweet, smooth, tasty tea. Very nice.
2.7g/7oz

First things first: This tea is hand rolled with a slight arch to make it look like eyebrows! How Bizzare and intriguing! The dry leaves do look like very tiny eyebrows…maybe for a mouse, or a chipmunk.The dry leaves smell very sweet and grassy. After steeping,the first thing I noticed was that all the leaves almost completely expanded and unfurled! The unfurled leaves are the tea liquor was a medium amber color and smelled almost cinnamon-like, with hints of fruitiness and a darker scent, that reminded me of fresh-baked cinnamon chocolate chip cookies.

to read a more in-depth review..check out my tea blog! - http://bit.ly/aWTWB0

Backlogging from the day before yesterday.

This tea is so interesting! I’ve never tried pu-erh from a little cake before. Or green pu-erh, for that matter. I used an entire cake for a pot that usually makes around 4 cups and as it steeped, I broke it up with a spoon to make sure it soaked all the way through.

In hindsight, I should have steeped it for longer. I saw that it was a green tea, almost like a white, so I treated it delicately. Somehow the fact that it’s a pu-erh slipped my mind. The flavor was very light this way, much like a white tea, but with the sort of aged aftertaste of pu-erh. The tea’s liquor was a light yellowy green.

My second attempt will steep at least five and a half minutes.

Delicious!
Such a smooth and sweet tea. Perfect and cozy. I am impartial Rooibos but this tea really is something else.
For those of you who have a sweet tooth, this tea is perfect.

Also, for those of you who like tea with milk, I think this tea would work perfectly if you’re tired of black tea+ milk.

Dry leaf smells bright and… zingy. The brewed tea is a bit lighter. The green tea base is only occasionally noticeable, but is a nice, light, grassy taste when it is.

The ginger sort of rolls in afterwards, leaving just a bit of a tingle in the back of my throat, but isn’t overpowering. (Though, my love for ginger is pretty strong, and I wouldn’t be offended if this tea packed a wallop.)

I haven’t yet located the citrus flavor, though there are plenty of bit of dried fruit in my cup.

Definitely good, but I would love to see it a bit stronger.

Reading some of the comments, I decided to try steeping it a bit longer. I also added just a bit of amber sugar. It’s like a completely different cup of tea. The plum comes through a bit more, so the hibiscus takes a backseat. It now tastes more like a juicy plum than just the tart skin. Still not getting a real strong sense of the tea base, but it’s a nice fruity cup nonetheless.

Super-fruity smell on the dry leaves, brews up to a nice pinkish gold color. A bit tart, and maybe a little heavy on the hibiscus, but still wonderful. I’ve never been big on hot hibiscus teas, but I love them iced. I’ll have to try it with this one sometime.

My second Pu-Erh, and I’m starting to pick up on those… not so nice descriptions of the smell. Specifically, fish food.

Luckily, that description doesn’t translate to the taste (not that I’ve tasted fish food, mind you) but I’m still not overly excited by this one. After reading some of the reviews suggesting a longer steep time, I tried it again, but not much had changed. There’s nothing bad about it, exactly… just nothing I find particularly interesting.

Haven’t dipped into the pu-erh stash in awhile. I might have liked this better this morning, had I not been making pastry cream and blueberry sauce for my pancakes… It just doesn’t seem to jive with all the sweets I’ve been sampling. Still a good one, though.

My first Pu-Erh… apparently this is the month of trying new things. Once again I had no idea what to expect.

The leaves have a nice, earthy smell. I was a little wary at first, as I’ve heard the scent of some Pu-Erhs described in… less than pleasant terms. It seems to be brewing somewhat dark, but I rarely use a white or clear cup. Perhaps I should change that…

The taste is very smooth and mellow. For some reason the word ‘silky’ comes to mind. It’s a bit smoky, which is usually a turn-off for me, but it’s a different kind of smoky than I’m used to. The smoky teas that I don’t care for usually remind me of bacon or BBQ… whereas this one, if anything, reminds me of burning sage. (What can I say? This hippie vegetarian prefers the latter.)

I’ve got a few more Pu-Erh samples from Arbor Teas, and I’m looking forward to trying those as well.

Steep Information:
Amount: ~6g
Water: 750ml 212°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, roasty
Steeped Tea Smell: cocoa, roasty, malty
Flavor: slightly astringent, malty black tea
Body: Full
Aftertaste: slightly astringent
Liquor: translucent dark red-brown

This was a tea I had in the morning with breakfast, it was an excellent full bodied kick you into gear drink. It was not in any way remarkable from other high end ceylon teas i have had, but it is a very smooth and nuanced high end ceylon. If you are a fan on ceylon I can not recommend this one more highly. I however am an oolong girl so as much as I enjoyed this, and am presenting it with a full 4/4 leaves ranking, and would love to have it again should the opportunity present itself, I won’t be stocking up on it.

Arbor Teas sent me this sample for free in order for me to review it and get the word out about their teas in October as it is Fair Trade Month. It arrived USPS Priority mail, but had to wait a few days at the post office for me to pick it up. The compostable packages are opaque and have listed suggested steeping parameters and a stapled on paper tag with the specific tea information. They include a note about re-packaging your tea into opaque air-tight containers for longer shelf lives.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/10/arbor-teas-loose-leaf-black-tea-organic.html

Steep Information:
Amount: ~4 heaping tsp
Water: 16 oz boiling filtered water
Tool: adagio IngenuiTEA 16 oz
Steep Time: 5+ minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: fake cinnamon, wood, something tangy at the end
Steeped Tea Smell: cinnamon bark
Flavor: natural delicious cinnamon bark, smooth, sweet
Body: Full
Aftertaste: sweet, bark
Liquor: nearly opaque brown-red

I was worried at first by the artificial scent, but it turned out to be a sweet and delicious dessert tea. I adore cinnamon and this hit the spot.

This is the third Arbor Teas sample I have tried, both so far have had a sweetness to them without needing additives. I very much am enjoying these teas!

Arbor Teas sent me this sample for free in order for me to review it and get the word out about their teas in October as it is Fair Trade Month. It arrived USPS Priority mail, but had to wait a few days at the post office for me to pick it up. The compostable packages are opaque and have listed suggested steeping parameters and a stapled on paper tag with the specific tea information. They include a note about re-packaging your tea into opaque air-tight containers for longer shelf lives.

From http://www.arborteas.com/the-environment.html
“Our dedication to protecting the environment pre-dates our love of tea, which is why we’ve taken every step we can think of to reduce the environmental footprint of Arbor Teas.

Never ones to rest on our laurels, we’re always looking for further opportunities to “green-up” our company, giving back to the planet whenever we can. Here’s just a quick summary of the measures we take at Arbor Teas to reduce the environmental impact of our business:
• Our entire catalog of teas is certified organic under the USDA National Organic Program.
• We are the first and only tea company to deliver its full line of organic loose teas in 100% backyard compostable packaging. In doing so, we’ve significantly reduced both the carbon emissions and waste stream associated with our products."

And from their letter to me “every tea in out catalog is certified organic, and nearly two-thirds are Fair Trade certified.”

Resteep: 16oz boiling filtered water, I lost track of time, over 10 minutes, medium bodied strong cinnamon tea, delicious but not as full as the first steep

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/10/arbor-teas-loose-leaf-white-tea-organic_09.html

I am thrilled to get to try my first yerba mate today! I opened the package to peek and sniff last night, and was reminded of a pleasant green tea, just in a different sort of consistency.

Anyway, the taste is unfamiliar and interesting, and yet, it still tastes a lot like green tea. I assume that’s because of the way it was cured. It has a certain spiciness to it, and a taste that reminds me of green leaves. Something about it sort of reminds me of peppers, but not in a hot way, more like the way a pepper tastes on the inside. It’s not like tea exactly, but similar. I like it.

I used a teaspoon and a half to make one mug’s worth. Not really sure if that’s the proper amount, but it seems right. Now that I’ve reduced it to dregs at the bottom of the cup, I’m starting to notice the famous yerba mate buzz. It does feel a lot like caffeine, but without that “I’m going to have a panic attack” feeling. I feel stimulated and a perkier, ready to tackle all the mundane stuff I have to do today before I leave for vacation.

So curious about Arbor’s other yerba now… hmmm.