Harney & Sons

I ordinarily don’t care much for flavored teas. And, I’m not a big fan of many green teas either.

I love this tea.

The coconut flavor is mild and very natural tasting, and does not overwhelm the bright, grassy notes of the green tea. So often coconut flavored teas have a very harsh in-your-face I’m-meant-to-taste-like-coconut-but-really-taste-like-the-product-of-a-chemical-lab sort of flavor. The ginger is a gentle sort of zing that tickles the palate in passing. Harney’s ginger oolong is one of my favorite teas, and now it has competition. I think this will have to become a cupboard staple, as I don’t want to think about running out.

This was a good green tea. It was a little more “grassy” smelling and more vegetal than the Dragon Well green tea I was drinking yesterday. It also had little of the nutty taste that was present in the Dragon Well.

Tea of the morning…..

I have at least two tins of Harney teas that need to be on my ‘Drink now’ list. (I sound like my wine friend who was building a cellar!) This and my Keemun Mao Feng have been in my stash since at least May 2011. That means they are coming up on 2 years soon, and that is about my limit for keeping black teas. I am guessing they would still be good for a while, but I did not purchase these for them to sit in my cupboard and lose their flavor. Actually, I am kind of excited about all the great tea I am going to get to drink in the next few months as I try to finish these tins. I have about half of this left, and a whole tin of KMF.

I brewed this up today in my normal fashion. I had forgotten how much the leaves expand. The taste really reminds me of the black dragon pearls from TeaVivre. I do hope one day that Harney will stock this again. Until then, I plan to enjoy every drop. (And I am rebrewing the pot as I type this!)

Tea of the morning…..

I was lucky enough to have had two tins of this while it was available from Harney & Sons. I am definitely into the second tin…the one that I purchased on a surprise trip to the SoHo Store last year. Since it has history, it makes me happy as a tea, and brings back happy memories. Bliss.

Dark and malty, rich and cocoa- noted. I so hope that Harney finds some close to this to offer in the future. It is very much a treat, and I will savor the rest of it. Totally notable…these leaves brew up so huge, my infuser basket is almost overflowing. That is pretty remarkable for a black tea. Most only fill it about halfway when I make a whole 24 oz. pot of tea.

Usual teapot method.

My tea of the afternoon…..

Today my kids went back to school. I needed this to focus on my “Mom Homework” of all the forms to sign, and this really did the trick. Luckily, they both survived the day. I think I am still in shock that my baby is in Junior High…..

I did notice my tin is remarkably low…..I am so thankful I have another since it is out of stock at the moment. For once my innate urge to have a back up of the things I love really paid off, rather than me just having too much of something.

My tea of the morning….. Can I just say how happy I am that there is more than one tea in my life? Yes, I still go weak in the knees for a good China black tea, and this one definitely delivers. It is staple-worthy, and almost worth committing to as a one and only. Almost.

For my usual price comparison: This one comes out to be $2.50 an ounce which is mid range in my scale of cost, plus it is packaged very nicely. I have heard that it now comes in a golden tin, but mine was the standard black with a gold lable. It was also packaged with an inner pouch to keep the tea at peak freshness until you open it (or at least mine was). It resteaps great, and is so complex. The coiled leaves open up into a rather large volume…I am always amazed at the volume difference from measuring out of the tin to post steap. It is a must try if you are fond of China black tea.

My morning tea….

This one is so complex. It is kind of smokey and coffee like, with a very full mouth feel. It does have notes of dark chocolate, but still a sweet finish. Definiely a favorite.

Second steap is as good as the first.

I went a little crazy in my last Harney order and just added a tin of this in (along with the Keemun Mao Feng, both without even sampling first!)….

Boy am I glad I did, this is toasty, malty, has dark cocoa notes with a hint of sweetness at the end, all rolled up in a snail-shaped golden leaf! The liquor is thick giving a full mouth feel and very satisfying. Definiely a favorite!

Backlogging from yesterday. Used up the last of this to help me survive wandering Kensington with the inlaws. We stopped in the Blue Banana Market and were very pleased to discover a little tea section, complete with a few Harney & Sons teas! None of this, however, which made me very sad. It does wonders for my throat through this illness that will not die. We placed an order with H&S 11 days ago and have yet to hear anything from them, so I’m assuming it has not shipped yet, which is really, really disappointing. To the point that I think this might be our only order from them. This tea is amazing, but the cinnamon chai from DT is amazing too, and with much better customer service. International shipping takes forever as it is, there’s no reason to add another week to the process, especially when the only difference is the addition of a customs form.

Anyway, end rant, I love this tea, I’m just less than pleased with the company.

Had to have another cup. I just had to! When I was a kid, whenever we went on vacation, my Dad would always hunt down an old penny candy store and get fireballs, which were essentially cinnamon jaw breakers. He’d get a pound of them and eat them like they were going out of style. He always shared, and my younger brother and I would each get one and a paper towel. Whoever could keep it in their mouth the longest won…I never won. XD. This tea brings up that memory and I’m grateful for it because it was a memory I had forgotten.

Oh dear. While a taste of African Autumn cut down my wishlist for Harney’s, a taste of this just added to it. I love, love, love cinnamon, but I’m also very much in love with my Cinnamon Chai from DavidsTea, so I didn’t think I’d be tempted to order this one. I was wrong! So very, very wrong. It’s not better or worse than DT, it’s just different in a wonderfully yummy way. The cinnamon scent and taste are strong, which means I probably won’t be allowed to steep it while De is home (she hates the stuff). Kristin, I owe you big time for this sample…or maybe I should be mad at you for adding to my list…I haven’t decided yet! But this is definitely a tea to try if you like cinnamon! It tastes like a stick of Big Red gum, which makes me happy because I have fond memories of that gum.

l wasn’t sure about this tea. I took a sip and liked it, and then I took a sip and hated it. It kept reminding me of a tea I’d had before and as I got about halfway through the cup, I realized I’d grown up drinking this in the form of Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger. Blegh. The cool it got, the more I tasted the hibiscus, which is not a good thing for me. I like to drink my teas lukewarm or cold, so a tea that tastes bad the more it cools is not for me. I don’t think I’m going to finish this cup. It will be nice to have on hand when my mother visits, however. Thanks for letting me try this one, SimplyJenW! I had it on my wishlist and you just saved me money! LOL

Enjoyed this tea (thank you Kristin!). It has a darker taste than most flavoured blacks, without being bitter. The chocolate wasn’t overpowering, even if I would have been happier with more hazelnut. I’ll need another couple cups before I decide whether or not to invest in some.

So my package from Ashley arrived a few days ago, yay!! I immediately reached for a cup of this.

I was underwhelmed. It seemed a bit bitter and just…not good. I think I need to play with the steeping parameters.

So this pretty much says it all: Today I received a grand total of 32 teas from swaps, on Monday we picked out 15 new teas from tealish, and I’m resteeping this instead of trying a new one.

So this is what happened. I’m having a bad tea day, messing up the steeping and such…ugh. I was in dire need of a tea guaranteed to work. The wonderful Kristin sent me her last four bags of this as a thank-you for snagging some DavidsTea for her (thanks again!), and I have been dying to try it. It finally came today and it sounded like exactly what I needed.

So I used my new 8 ounce rainbow mug from Tealish, steeped it for four minutes, added my usual teaspoon of sugar and waited.

First sip: Gah! It’s too hot!
Second sip: Still too hot…but I want iiiit :(
Finally it cooled enough for a third sip: … that’s it? It tastes like a good (if a little bitter) black with a hint of vanilla. So not worth raving about.
grumble grumble
absently stirs tea and mixes the teaspoon of sugar on the bottom of the cup into the tea
takes another sip
…oh. Oh! Oh myyyyy (said in your best George Takei voice)

This tea is amazing and delicious and everything I dreamed it could be. It has a full body and the vanilla is strong without being overbearing and oh my goodness….yes. An order with Harney & Sons is definitely in our future.

Its raining in Central Texas…gloomy grey skies and the constant, vertical rain that we need, yet is so depressing. So whats to do when its boringly wet outside…dust off (literaly) the teapot and the Palm Court from the back of the stove. Yeah, I know, probably shouldn’t store tea there; but in my defense, its in an airtight metal can. Put 4 heaping teaspoons into the infuser and 1.5L of water just off the boil through it. stand for 2 or so minutes and a fine cuppa. Its oxidizing in the pot, getting darker with every pour, but not getting bitter or otherwise “off”. Drinking it straight, but can tell that just a touch of sugar would be really nice I think. Good “Generic Black Tea”…doesn’t have any one thing that stands out like a varietal/regional might.

Haven’t yet read the lable to see whats in it, but I’m thinking its a good blend; I’m guessing mostly Chinese and Indian blacks. My first impression when sipping it is that I should be getting hit with a smokey flavor. Its not smokey, but it has good body and would carry smoke well, so I’m expecting it. hmm, just read the can…it doesn’t say what’s in it other than “black tea”. Enough astringency to know you’re drinking tea, without creating bitterness. Fairly heavy body. Complex flavors.

Nahorhabi Full has a wonderful rich and malty taste. We are drinking this today to celebrate India’s first World Cup (Cricket) victory since 1983! Congratulations India, your tea is delicious!
-RA

I’m new to writing about tea, but I will do my best.

This tea was recommended to me by a waiter about a year ago, and it was so good I saved the paper wrapper so I could track it down on my own. It was this tea that started me actually paying attention to teas.

Since then I have gotten it as presents for two people (highly appreciated by the recipients) and I am lucky to be able to buy my supply at the wonderful Harney and Sons store in Manhattan.

The aroma never gets tiring. I love opening the tin and smelling it. The aroma is stronger than I expected from a tea but once brewed the tea’s flavor is much more mild. I don’t get the same strawberry and cream notes as most people here however. I do have to pay attention not to let it brew for too long as the tannin levels build up quickly. It does not get too strong or bitter, but will give me that cotton mouth feeling.

This will always be a staple on my shelf.

So I thought Harney and Sons Earl Grey Supreme was on point, but this stuff rocked my world!!!

I received a shipment from H&S this week and this tea was included as part of my shipment. After being such a fan of the Earl Grey Supreme, I didn’t think it could get much better…boy was i wrong…the Viennese Earl Grey is simply FANTASTIC!

This tea is smooth, smooth, smooth! I must give credit where credit is due and the Darjeeling is definitely a major factor here, smoothing this tea out nicely. The bergmont is just right…pretty powerful when smelling it out of the tin, but just right in the tea. In my opinion the bergmont in a good Earl Grey should just be enough to wake the senses up a bit allowing you to enjoy the base and this tea hits the mark in that regard.

Overall, a nice smooth Earl Grey with a rich flavorful base, finished with th perfect touch of bergmont.