Georgia Tea Company

I was wanting a white tea tonight before bed and I came across this one. The smell of course, like other Georgia Tea Company teas smacks you right in the nose when you open it up…which usually is always a plus! Once steeped it was delicate like most white teas, but flavorful at the same time… but not over powering. The flavors along with the white tea complimented each other perfectly and is naturally sweet. This is probably my favorite tea from the Georgia Tea Company thus far :-)

I can’t say as I am a fan of the dry blend…uggg…but it gets better when you add water! :)
I couldn’t even tell you want it remind me of…dry…maybe…Rocks, Rooibos, and Vanilla or cream? Not sure.

Once infused is DOES smell a lot more like amaretto. Not sweet smelling…more nutty than amaretto sour type…if you know what I mean.

It’s a nice reddish-orange-brown in my cup.

The taste is first Rooibos then amaretto they finishes a little like almond or a like-nut. There is a hint of creaminess to it…but I wouldn’t really call it sweet.

It’s a nice change from the run-of-the-mill Rooibos.

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a sample of this tea!

The aroma of the liquor is delicious – coconut and vanilla! My mouth waters as I smell it.

The almond, coconut and vanilla flavors are very nicely balanced in this cup. The black tea base is smooth and strong with some astringency. There is a little bit of bitterness to it as well, but it does not disturb the sweet flavors that are going on with this tea, and might even give it just a little more interest.

Overall, a very pleasing cup of tea.

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 500ml + filtered water at 175&defF
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (green, medium)
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: fake cherry and vegetation, MilitiaJim was getting chocolate and cherry coke
Steeped Tea Smell: vegetal, hints of something else
Flavor: vegetal, slightly astringent
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: slightly bitter
Liquor: translucent pale green-yellow

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes!

Post-Steep Additives: honey, gave it a honey after taste and didn’t really affect the taste

A notch below spring cherry from the republic of tea but better than soem of the other cherry greens I have tried.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-green.html

I rolled an “8” on the die that RABS provided in the wonderful Geek Pride Tea Game Giveaway today. It was so exciting because I had gone two days in a row rolling numbers that were no longer valid. I did, however, congratulate myself on my virtuous failure to cheat.

So I opened the lovely package: http://www.flickr.com/photos/destro/4675967968/

It was the one marked “8” in the upper portion of the photo. And I was enchanged. Georgia Tea Company? Russian Caravan? I briefly thought that this tea might have come from Georgia SSR, but immediately returned to reality. I remember reading the reviews that Rabs had posted of this tea and I have it on a “to purchase” list. So I was absolutely thrilled to have it in hands and water on this afternoon.

The dry aroma is enchanting and robust—very smoky with a bit of tar, just the way I like it. Very smoky which I love. I felt tranported to a Russian troika where the horses are neighing as they approach the Kremlin and a very young Omar Sharif (transplanted to the 19th century) is guiding the reins and we are both wearing traditional Russian hats because it’s a universe in which we are oblivious to animal cruelty and the evils of the Tsar. Maybe we even are the Tsar? Or would that be the Czar?

This is the best Russian Caravan I have had. My typical response to Russian Caravan is that it stops short of its full smoky and flavorful potential. Not in this case! This one is no shrinking violet. As Rabs says in her review, there is a natural sweetness underlying the smoke (a delightful combination). Both the sweetness and the smoke are bold interpreters of the Russian Caravan concept.

Georgia Tea Company and this tea are on the top of my “to be ordered” list.

What a magnificent cup! Thank you, RABS! You are a genius!

The wife sprung this on me without telling me what it was. I am not sure what to think of it. Makes me think a bit of scotch – so I’m wondering if that is what she had before (yeah, it is)… A bit chocolaty. Very weird. I can almost get the nose of a scotch from it, and definite chocolaty flavors to it. I don’t think it is necessarily a good tea, but it is interesting for it’s odd similarities to a drink it should taste nothing like. Not bitter, not overly dry, just not very good.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 8 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: make your own paper teabag
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (using Steep.It)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: chocolate and coffee, could be desperation?
Steeped Tea Smell: chocolate
Flavor: sweet rooibos
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: coco
Liquor: bright translucent brownish-red

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes! Dan will be running the contest monthly, so keep an eye out!

I am playing a game with the samples, rolled #5

Post-Steep Additives: 1 packet white sugar, sweet chocolate NOMS alternate wit a yummy rooibos flavor. A very delicious treat.

I am putting this right under Coconut custard by teas etc

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-rooibos_25.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 500 ml filtered 175°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (green, mild)
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: fruity, tropical, citrus
Steeped Tea Smell: fruity and floral
Flavor: vegetal, sweet fruity hints
Body: Light
Aftertaste: floral
Liquor: nearly clear translucent green-yellow

This smells divine, probably how it got the name, it is lighter and more subtle than I love but I am really enjoying this cup, I drank it all before I remembered I needed to review. Perhaps a longer steep and a tiny bit of sugar would be the boost it needs?

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes! Dan will be running the contest monthly, so keep an eye out!

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-white.html

I’m so excited to be trying this tea, another goodie from TeaEqualsBliss! It smells so awesome! Like a coconut macaroon covered in icing. So yeah, awesome. Brewed it’s like fresh macaroons. So yeah, still awesome.

The taste? Well, that’s pretty awesome, too. It tastes like the much loved Almond Cookie, but minus the cinnamon and plus a dash of coconut (so almond and bake-y plus coconut). I imagine this is pretty freakin’ tasty with some sugar and milk, too, but it totally doesn’t need it. It’s dessert in a cup already. Awesome dessert.

Yeah, totally gonna have to order some of this. In case you haven’t guessed, it’s pretty awesome. Thanks TeaEqualsBliss!

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 750ml 212°F filtered water
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (Black, Medium)
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell:
AmazonV: floral mango
MilitiaJim: candied mango
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet (like sweetener not natural ripe) mango, a little floral, black tea
Flavor: sweet, black tea, hints of mango
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent and bitter
Liquor: opaque dark reddish-orange-brown

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes! Dan will be running the contest monthly, so keep an eye out!

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar, only slightly bitter, still astringent; a little splash of lactose free milk, got rid of the bitter

It is a mild mango flavor, but it’s a dried sweetened mango flavor not fresh and juicy. thepuriTea Mango Black is still my favorite mango black tea.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/thepuritea-loose-leaf-black-tea-mango.html

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: 12 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system
Steep Time: over 5 minutes (using Steep.It)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: fruity
Steeped Tea Smell: hibiscus, berry
Flavor: sweet berry, hibiscus, citrus
Body: Full
Aftertaste: tart
Liquor: opaque dark purple-red

This tea reminds me strongly of Alpine berry by two leaves and a bud. I enjoy this tea, but it is only for hibiscus lovers and those who like strong full flavors.

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes! Dan will be running the contest monthly, so keep an eye out!

I am playing a game with the samples, I rolled a 6

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-herbal_24.html

I was doing so great about finish off some of my tea samples and decupboarding but then TeaEqualsBliss just had to send a stuffed envelope full of goodies! Okay, so my cupboard doesn’t look near as slim now, but I’m totally not complaining!

With lots of nifty things to choose from, for some reason I decided this one spoke to me. It just seems so odd! Mate scares me on a good day but to blend it with so much other stuff? I’m scared but also intrigued.

The dry leaves smell horrible. Like chocolate and death. Okay, not quite that bad. Maybe like chocolate-flavored medicine? I can’t really peg what that weird note is but it is something that makes me think of the doctor’s office and other funny-smelling-but-sterile locations. Yeah, scared is winning right now!

Ah ha! I think I just realized what that smell is when I was sniffing the brewed tea! Alcohol! It smells like what a scotch with chocolate notes would smell like. And now that I’ve made that connection, scotch is all I smell when I sniff this. The husband is a big single malt fan and while I detest the taste of the stuff, I find the different flavors and smells interesting. Right now I feel like I’m about to down a hot cup of scotch.

OMG! This is horrible! Hahaha! I’m cracking up but this is really not good! OMG! It’s like drinking watered down whisky or a hot toddy! AHHHH! I keep sipping it to see if I will get anything else but I seriously feel like I’m drinking booze at work! Dude, even the aftertaste has a bit of the whooshy, dragon breath feeling to it that strong alcohol does! OMG, THIS IS SCOTCH TEA! And I detest scotch! HA! OMG!!!!!!!!

We interrupt this log for commentator crack up.

Whew, okay, better now. Seriously, this tea is not my friend. Like, at all. HORRIBLE! Hah! But honestly, the experience of it has been a total blast, which is where most of the points in the rating come from. So HUGE thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for this delightfully horrible experience! Whee!

Eventho I’m not thrilled about the smell of this it’s quite good. You can taste a hint of the ingredients – nothing too overpowering and I’m thinking it would make a great coffee alternative!

Another Tea I won during the Georgia Tea Company Steepster Trivia last month! Woot!
Smells like lightly buttered veggies. Is semi-murky yellowish-green color.
Taste is…pretty yummy. It’s light and green – not grassy but not juicy either. It’s on the verge of sweet but not quite at that finish line. No funky aftertaste – I guess you could say light and fluffy and enjoyable. I like this!

Finishing up this from my stash! Good while it lasted. A bit astringent today but not bad at all!

Received this one in my trivia winnings from Daniel! Thanks Daniel!
This one is a nice solid Darjeeling! I do prefer it cooled at room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes or so. It is pretty fragrant and very flavorful!

Steep Information:
Amount: ~2 tsp
Water: ~12 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes (using Steep.It)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: vanilla
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, vanilla
Flavor: vanilla, black tea, slightly astringent, slightly bitter
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: warm smooth vanilla
Liquor: dark reddish-brown

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes! Dan will be running the contest monthly, so keep an eye out!

I am playing a game with the samples, this morning I rolled #2

My, that is a huge chunk of vanilla bean there, I am impressed!

Post-Steep Additives: 1 stick honey, less bitter, less astringent

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-black_22.html

This was another one of the samples that I added to check out GTC’s basic black collection. Eh, it is what it is. I’m trying to remember this from earlier this morning — it was a hectic day. It was a bit on the bolder side, but nothing stands out in my memory. What keeps popping into my head is that it’s a wannabe Golden Monkey. I have more that I’ll sample again in a more zen-like state of mind and hopefully will be able to write a decent review. 2 decent steeps occurred. NE

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 heaping tsp
Water: 12 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes (using Steep.It) and then forgot about it! ack, ovesteep!
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: coconut milk
Steeped Tea Smell: coconut, black tea
Flavor: bitter, astringent, black tea
Body: Full
Aftertaste: coconut
Liquor: dark reddish brown

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes! Dan will be running the contest monthly, so keep an eye out!

I am playing a game with the samples, this was a morning roll of #3.

Post-Steep Additives: 1 packet white sugar, brings our the coconut

Steep 2: 2 tsp new leaves, 12 ounces hot spigot water, same process but more like 2-3 minutes instead of 3+, 1 packet white sugar, much smoother, not bitter, but still astringent, yummy coconut black.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/georgia-tea-company-loose-leaf-black_21.html

Ah, I so had to get a sample of this since I’ve discovered how candy-like Rose/Mango tea blends can be for me. This one’s very pleasant from the smell of the dry leaves all the way through the aftertaste. This is like the other, second “Frou” that’s missing from Teafrog’s 1001 Nights. This one’s bolder, but just as natural. I think that Tea Guys’ Mango Rose still holds the “NERDS!” record, but this tea’s making me reconsider a purchase of that particular Mango Rose. It’s because of the more natural, less harsh taste that I’m now leaning toward this tea as the one I’d keep cupboarded. NE

Steep Information:
Amount: ~ 3-4 tsp, entire sample
Water: 22 ounces filtered boiling water
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet black tea
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea and almonds
Flavor: slightly astringent, slightly bitter, black tea, almond
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: almonds, astringent
Liquor: opaque dark brown

I won these teas in a contest that was run by Dan on Steepster that was great fun, and got me tea prizes! Dan will be running the contest monthly, so keep an eye out!

I brought this one home for MilitiaJim to try since he loves almond black tea.

Post-Steep Additives:
AmazonV: German rock sugar, more almond less bitter still astringent, however when i went to add a splash of half and half it had gone bad and i had to toss my cup
MilitiaJim: salt, more almond less bitter still astringent, splash of milk, no longer astringent but still bitter

I would recommend steeping the leaves for less time.

MilitiaJim find the almond to be more of an after-taste than as part of the sip, I agree.

Needs more almond.

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/06/georgia-tea-company-review.html

With this tea I have fully converted to an Earl Grey fan. I know that my EG experience is very limited, but wow is this one good! I’ve had some horrible “Pledge-like” EGs, I’ve had some delicate inoffensive EGs, but this one? This is the most aggressive EG that I’ve had that makes me go NOM! I think I understand my Earl Grey Cream from Georgia Tea Company a lot better now that I’ve experienced this tea.

I wish that I did have more of a background with EGs so that I could describe this better. But the smell and taste of the bergamot? Well, it just seems so masculine, but there’s a nice sweetness in the aftertaste. No paper-yuck taste to be found. There will be a larger purchase of this. I look forward to someone else trying this who can break it down better so that I can understand where this fits in the EG world. TG

I had my first steep of this one earlier in the afternoon and then took my parents out to dinner and then Toy Story 3 to celebrate Father’s Day a day early. Toy Story 3? Yeah, it’s brilliant. That said, I cannot recall much of the first steep beyond it being a very pleasant tea. I agree with Kristin that it’s more subtle on the vanilla side of things, but to me it tastes natural. With this second steep (added 2 minutes) the tea’s sweetness is coming forward while the vanilla’s has taken a step or two back. Still very pleasant. Just an overall very pleasant inoffensive cup of vanilla tea. NE