Nepali Tea Traders

This was pretty good – if I didn’t have a similar black that I like better before it I might say really good. It has a slight sweetness, tastes mostly like bread and malt, with a hint of grape. A good morning tea.

This tea smells a lot like Darjeeling in the package which is interesting. The taste is rather mild for what would be expected when you look at the liquor and smell the tea. This tea is great for some calm sipping, but I would like something a bit stronger.

Thanks again to Nepali Tea Traders for the sample! I know sachets are problematic, but I quite like them for the convenience without sacrificing the pleasure of loose leaf. This is so yums. The brew is a medium orange. It’s sweet and malty. The cinnamon was actually more prominent when I made this in a travel mug versus the regular mug I’m using now. The spice here is more abstractly warming than dominantly flavorful. I got a solid second steep out of this bag. A level tablespoon of manuka honey added some sweetness but wasn’t really necessary. I wouldn’t recommend this iced though. It just… doesn’t work.

Overall, I’m not running to buy more right this second but would definitely consider buying this in the future. Sipdown!

Thank you to Nepali Tea Traders for sending me a sample of this! I appreciate that the sample consists of two sachets, which gives me some room to play around. I used the first sachet in my travel mug for breakfast tea this morning.

I’m glad I checked out LiberTEAS ‘s note before trying this tea. I would have added rice milk before trying it and I think that would have been a mistake. This is a very gentle chai. Cinnamon is prominent here but not sharp. The base tea is malty but not heavy. I’m looking forward to trying this in a regular mug so I can experience it more fully.

The scent is malty, dry, fresh, with a finish of caramel. The taste is surprisingly sweet, astringent, but in a refreshing way. Caramel, hints of cocoa, a little earthy and at times reminds me of a pu-erh. As it cools, the astringency increases and it has almost a “chewy” finish with hints of grain. The nots of grain increase and remind me of barley tea or fresh corn.

The scent is buttery, grassy, and sweet. The beginning of the aroma smells like green tea but finishes closer to an oolong. I really like the flavor of this tea because it is sweet and floral, reminding me of blooming jasmine teas, but it is grounded and well balanced.

I’m admittedly usually more of a fan of green teas but this one might just convert me. First off the smell, it’s like nothing I’ve ever smelled from a tea before. There are somewhat malty/bready type hints mixed with a unique earthy quality. As far as taste goes, again it’s not like anything I’ve tried before. There’s a definite malt/bread quality to the tast, and there’s some additional grape hints to it. I did not detect any bitterness at all in this tea. Honestly it’s one of the smoother teas I’ve ever tried. I would highly recommend this tea to anyone. It’s definitely of quality.

Steeped up my sample from Nepali Tea Traders this morning!

So, I decidedly love chai – the strong robust flavors, spicing hitting you from every direction.. Not so in this cup! This is a very mild black tea base with a subtle and non-bitter taste. The chai spices of cinnamon, cardamom, and clove come through just as gently, creating a full experience without the “in your face” impact of a typical chai.

I think the tea smells like a spiced hong cha, very gentle in the base tea. I brewed one of the pyramid bags in the sample in 16oz of 200 degree water for 3 minutes. The resulting brew color is a dark amber. The taste is strangely spicy with a certain sweetness on the back. The flavor does not cling to the tongue, creating a smooth finish with no lingering bitterness or astringency. Definitely an enjoyable and unique blend!

Sipdown (123)!

Supper tonight was alfredo with green pepper and little cut up vegetarian hot dog chunks. It was kinda borderline kiddish, but guys can I just say that I’m really proud of myself for eating more healthily this new year. I’ve added so much fresh fruits and vegetables to my diet; easily tripled the amount I used to eat, and double the amount of tofu/soy based food I used to have so I’m considerably less iron deficient than I was (I’ve been iron deficient pretty much non-stop since I switched to a vegetarian diet ten years ago). Plus, I’m also either eating a daily thing of yogurt or having a smoothie – or both. Big changes for me. And I feel better, too.

Plus – just from dietary changers alone, and no added exercise or anything, I’ve lost about 8 pounds in the last month and a bit. That maybe doesn’t seem really significant, by my whole life I’ve NEVER been able to lose weight, ever. Only maintain it – so it’s a big deal for me.

Anyway – this is a queued review.

This is the last tea I had to try from January’s Amoda box. I actually drank it the same day as TheLastDodo did because her review encouraged me to actually try it, but I’m behind on writing tasting notes a little.

I have to agree with both people who’ve already had this – it’s a little weird, for sure. Not your average white tea by a long shot. I cold brewed my sample, which I think neither reviewer before me did – I kind of wish I’d done it hot now, because they both seemed to enjoy it better than I did and I’m wondering if that’s the difference.

But, my first, unfiltered opinion was that this had very strong, robust notes of orange rind and burnt hay. But after finishing my 25 oz. brew I think calling it “burnt hay” is maybe a little harsh; it was just really strong, and there was also a malty note present that, with the combination of hay and orange rind was doing some weird flavour things. I also tasted a very crisp, vegetal flavour that reminded me a lot of cucumber, but cucumber with the peel. It’s hard to describe the taste of cucumber peel – but it does have a distinct flavour. I don’t know; maybe mineral and bitter kind of apply to the flavour?

I’m a little sad I didn’t taste the melon that Dodo and LiberTEAs did, because I have a hunch orange/melon would work together a little better than orange/cucumber; but melon (especially green melons) and cucumber do have a comparable taste, so I see where they were each coming from.

Overall; this was fascinating and I think worth trying just because of how different it is but it was a little too weird for me, I was intrigued but a little uncomfortable drinking it and so, unless I was maybe trying it hot, I wouldn’t have it again – and I wont be purchasing any more.

Funny Side Note – if you look up the wikipedia page for cucumbers one of the sections is “In The News”. And while there is something reasonable under the header, all I can picture now is my local news dude reporting on the days stories and saying something like “…And when we come back from our next commercial break we’ll get to today’s breaking story; cucumbers!” What about cucumbers Mr. Anchorman!? What about them!?

From the month Amoda Tea Box – January 2015

I got my February box in the mail today, so before cracking into those teas, I wanted to finish the last one from January’s box. I don’t know why I was saving this tea, perhaps I think it just got pushed off by all the other stuff I had to drink at the time. Que Sera Sera!

Wowza. This is not your average white. On the dry leaf, it smelled sweet, like candied orange peel and sweet summer melons. There was a touch of haylike floral scent to it as well.
The leaves produce a light straw liquor that smells honey sweet. The wet leaf has a hint of smoky sweet potato. The brew….
DIS tea, yo. The brew tastes like a sweet, summer melon, malty dream! It’s like the ‘diet’ version of my absolute favorite black teas in that it is a light and sweet version of my coveted chocolatey, malty, desserty Fujian Blacks.
This is definitely a white tea for people who don’t like white teas.

Thanks Amoda, for splurging on this tea! I may have to pick some of this up on your site :P

Backlog:

A different chai – this isn’t a strong, black tea with spices that are equally matched to the strength of the black tea. This is milder chai. The black tea base is smooth and a bit lighter in body, it’s a bit more reminiscent of a Darjeeling type of tea rather than a strong, malty tea like Assam or Nilgiri that you might usually experience in a Chai.

The spices are gentler too. Even though I’m usually all about a strong impact from a chai – I like a spicy chai – I really like the cozy, comforting flavor of this. It’s really quite pleasant.

Here’s my full-length review of it: http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/01/07/himalayan-masala-spiced-black-tea-blend-from-nepali-tea-traders/

This is one of the teas I got in January’s Amoda box and it is actually really nice. I am usually not a lover of whites but this is almost like a plain black in the sense that it is a little richer and fuller than other whites I have tried. It still has the hay/corn/butter notes that white tea tends to have but there is also a touch of malt. I am also getting bright notes that are a bit citrusy. It is really quite nice. I don’t know how often I would reach for it so I don’t know if this is something I would stock right now but I wouldn’t turn down a cup either. 271.

Very clean, buttery and naturally sweet. This tastes more like a green tea than a black tea and has a nice, clear broth. Absolutely no bitterness or astringency and sips very smoothly. This tea seems like a great beginner point for unflavored teas, but nothing jumps out at me.

Another one from the SSTTB…this is an Amoda sample. It’s a white tea from Nepal I think. It is quite smooth, and has a medium body, for a white, maybe even a little heavier. There is a sweet note, and a little fuzzy on my tongue. I can almost pick out a cherry or plum feel to it, like you might find in a darker oolong, but not as strong. This is actually a fairly relaxing tea to drink. I like it!

Sample sipdown. It might have been underleafed (I just dumped what was left of the sample into the infuser basket without measuring) but I remember being pretty underwhelmed with the first cup too. A fairly light black tea, and lightly spiced. Might be good for people who don’t really like chai, but I’m not a fan.

Backlog:

A wonderful black tea: rich, sweet, full-bodied, robust. Caramel-y notes! Notes of cacao. A sweet plum note with woodsy, earthy contrasts. This is the kind of tea that evokes thoughts of freshly baked bread – that chewy texture from a loaf of freshly baked French bread. Mmm!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/08/10/kalo-chia-black-tea-from-nepali-tea-traders/

Tea of the morning; I’ve had this sample forever and am just finishing it off now. I don’t tend to drink a lot of white teas, but I do enjoy them when I have them. I’m busy this morning with my job search and a few others things, so I’ll have to make this a short note.

I’ve had another Sandakphu white tea in the past, I think it was from the now defunct Rare Tea Republic. This has a delightful floral aroma in the cup. I am getting notes of almond, peach and roses. If you like white teas but are looking for something deeper and more flavorful than a standard silver needle or bai mudan, this is one worth checking out.

I actually purchased this tea from Happy Lucky’s in Fort Collins. However, I can’t seem to find it on their website so I am going to review the same tea from a different tea shop. I know, I know, risky business ;)

This tea is light and floral with a sweet taste going down. I would consider this to be more of a smooth taste rather than crisp. A nice cup of tea at night and a fair choice in the morning. I would prefer something a little stronger but if I am going to purchase a white tea, this would be a good option.

The leaves are larger and fluffy so it’s a tad hard to measure out the appropriate amount. I was told roughly 1 1/2 teaspoons per 8oz. However, if you can, I would suggest measuring by weight.

I’ve been busy today doing stuff for my 2 volunteer jobs and I might have another volunteer gig on the way, but it’s always good to be productive, especially if you can put that experience on your resume.

This is a delicious tea from Nepali Tea Traders, which has evidently been discontinued because I can’t find it on their website… it is a delicious blend of flavorful, bold green tea with just a touch of lemongrass. Nutty and citrusy! I happen to really like lemongrass so it’s too bad I won’t be able to get any more of this. It’s really good!

It’s also a bummer that Nepali Tea ships everything UPS because the UPS guy can’t even get into my building… sad.

Backlog:

Amazing tea. So sweet. On the SororiTea Sisters review for this tea: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/06/29/rara-willow-white-tea-from-nepali-tea-traders/ I compare the sweetness of this tea to be reminiscent of the rock candy on a stick that I used to buy at the Disneyland candy shop on Main Street. I realize I’m probably aging myself by saying this but we could get those things for like a nickle or a dime each and I would get a dollar’s worth … I loved those things.

And the sweetness of this tea brings me back to that experience.

No, it’s not exactly as sweet as rock sugar. But, it reminds me of the sweetness that sort of dances on the palate after I’ve finished one of those rock sugar lollipops. The aftertaste of sweetness.

And there’s more to this tea, of course: sweet, fruity, slightly vegetal with hay-like notes, hints of melon and a dew-like taste.

I highly recommend this one.

I’ve never heard of this tea company before I found samples of some of their teas in the Canadian Traveling Teabox. But I’ve had a look at their site and their teas sound quite interesting, so you might be seeing more reviews on their products from me in the future.

Non-Chinese white teas are a relatively new thing to me, but this one seems to take some of the traits from a traditional bai mu dan and mix them with characteristics I usually associate with Indian teas. The flavour is quite green and fresh – it’s vegetal but gently sweet at the same time. Then there’s an interesting muscatel-like note that comes in at the end and lingers in the mouth much like what you’d taste in a Nepali and Darjeeling black tea. Very enjoyable.