Rare Tea Company

July Sipdown Prompt – an iced tea

I bought this during the Happy Birthday (America) special, which was for the glass flask half price when you buy two of their special iced tea blends. I bought three or four different blends to try and I think this one was the cheapest one.

The flask has a two part filter. I was not sure why at first, but the first time I poured multiple little cups of tea out of the flask it was apparent that it is to keep the leaves from finding their way into your cup. Works beautifully. The lid with handle screws on easily and the handle makes it easy to remove the infuser basket if you want to use it in a mug or cup.

The flask is very attractive and the extraordinary clarity of the cold steep teas look beautiful in it. It is double wall borosilicate glass.

I have made this tea, which is a very fine cut black so that the flavors extract well, and Misty Green. I made two separate orders so that we would each have a flask.

Ashman and I tasted this one and Misty Green together. (Misty Green is not fine cut but is a regular green tea.) Ashman preferred Misty Green and I preferred this one. They were both great, though!

Ashman said this one tasted a bit tannic to him, but I find it flavorful and smooth. He has always preferred his black tea sweetened and is used to sweet iced tea and I think that the expectation of his tastebuds for black tea to be sweet when cold throws him off. He has never sweetened green, oolong, or white teas so the green one cold was more to his liking.

One nice thing about this black tea is that you can steep it overnight and it doesn’t get bitter even though it is very, very fine cut. It is so fine that I expected some powder to fall through the infuser but no “dust” fell out when I gave it an experimental shake. I will also say that this is the finest infuser I have ever seen, with the holes seeming to be even smaller than the ones in the Stump pot, which was up to now the finest strainer I owned.

I also bought one or two of their higher grade black teas cut especially for cold steeping. I am looking forward to trying those, and I really want to try this one hot for breakfast soon. It is a good, solid black tea.

Wow.

I got this tea for Christmas and I was good and did not sneak a sample before Christmas. Today is my second time drinking it.

Big surprise to see a black breakfast recommend 176F but I did it and kept the steep short as they recommended. I have tasted single steeps and combined steeps.

This tea comes out slightly light in color like Darjeeling and some Ruby 18’s do, but the body. Oh wow, the body. This is creamy and thick with smooth sweetness, not a hint of astringency, no briskness. Layers of lovely notes ranging from an almost minty high note that flits by to woody notes reminiscent of a super creamy and utterly non-fishy shu. Fall leaves. Maple. Fall sun. So nice.

If you are looking for builders tea to get you going, this isn’t it. If you want a cup of tea to accompany a mindfulness session, here you are. Lots to think about in this cup. I got three lovely steeps off one teaspoon this time and combined them after tasting individually to make sure it didn’t lose much flavor in the resteeps.

Would definitely purchase again.

TeaTiff TTB #27

Mmm, this is nice! It almost reminds me of a black tea with its rich, toasted bread flavor. But it also has that distinctive buttery smoothness of an oolong. I haven’t tried much from Rare Tea Company, but most of what I’ve had has been exceptional. I would definitely consider ordering this one in the future!

August 2nd Sipdown Prompt – International Beer Day: drink a malty or hoppy tea

I once had a tea with actual hops in it. Finished that off a long time ago. As for malty, that is nit the profile I usually buy so I have no Assam on hand that I can think of. This will do! My best guess is that these African teas are probably Camellia Assamica varietal bushes.

I really dig this tea, and I love how fast it steeps because I do two steeps and combine at breakfast almost every time. They recommend 185F for 1-2 minutes and I go with 1 1/2 minutes.

It is silky in feel and smooth enough to not need additions for me, but strong enough for breakfast. Great with food. I made enough to ice and have it again (unsweetened) with lunch.

ETA: I think this was the best unsweetened plain black iced tea I have ever had.

June Sipdown Prompt – a tea from Africa

I prepared a huge pot to have for breakfast on the patio – bagels with Ashman. It was much as the first note, but I gave it a little extra leaf today so when we combined the two steeps we would have a nice, big STRONG pot.

Man, was it good! I still get those Darjeeling-esque notes from it. I love that it steeps at a low temp for a short steep of two minutes and breakfast is ready that little bit faster.

There was a cup leftover in the pot, and when lunchtime rolled around I poured it over ice with no sweetener at all and took it outside to enjoy with a honey nut chicken salad sandwich. (Copycat recipe of the Sprouts version.) Some leaves had strayed into the pot and though they were few they did lend a bit if briskness and potency since so little tea was left….and it was excellent. This made an awesome unsweet iced tea and I didn’t see that coming.

A definite re-purchase, maybe for Christmas, because the smell if these fine cut leaves says TEA!

February Sipdown Prompt – an unflavored black tea

This was selected to go with breakfast this morning – homemade blueberry syrup and plain old Eggo Blueberry Belgian style waffles, all topped with whipped cream, of course.

This was Ashman’s first time having this tea, but since he liked Fortnum and Mason’s Darjeeling as well as Lupicia’s Premium Sakura, I thought he would enjoy this one.

His opinion was that it was a very good pairing and he felt that it would be an excellent tea paired with most food. He doesn’t like astringency much and said that he found this to be smooth and easy to drink.

I made two steeps and combined them and then intended to make a third steep after breakfast to see if we could get just a bit more out of the leaf. I really think we could have, but I got distracted with yard chores (squirrel!) and left it far too long. I didn’t risk a bitter experience and chucked it out. Maybe next time I can go for three steeps and see if it works.

Delicious, and would purchase again. The aroma of the very fine dry leaf alone is a treat.

I have been looking forward to trying this tea since I first read about it some time ago. I was reading a novel and Rare Tea Company was mentioned which sent me down the rabbit trail of finding out if they were the actual company mentioned in the work of fiction and they responded with a link about this tea. Their customer service is top notch and I wasn’t even a real customer yet.

I have had a few other teas from the Satemwa estate, all I believe purchased by Superanna from What-Cha. They were all stellar teas.

Opening the tin, I was surprised to see that this is so finely chopped. Leaf color is deepest, darkest brown, like rich dark cocoa. Dry leaf aroma has some heady high notes as well as a deep smokiness. I am not getting chocolate from it.

I am glad I checked the instructions because they recommend that you use 185F water and 1-2 minutes if you will not be adding milk. They also mention that the second steep is best, which is common among oolongs but perhaps less common with black tea to me.

Since it is my first time trying it, I left room to experience and experiment. A bit of the first steep was poured into a cup. I tasted it and was very surprised. It was not at all what I expected. It definitely wasn’t what I think of as a breakfast tea. There was something so familiar teasing at the edge of my brain but it took me a while to get it. Brothy? Almost but not quite there. Something reminding me of purple tea…yes…DARJEELING. Yes, it has much in common with Darjeeling!

The second steep was made and poured in a different cup. Wow. Just wow. They are not kidding that the second steep is better. I immediately combined the steeps and discovered that I love the two steeps blended almost as much as the second steep by itself.

The dry leaf and the steeped tea both transport me to the exciting smell of the A Southern Season flagship store, where the rich scent of tea enveloped you with excitement about what you might find and what you would be taking home with you. It was a pure tea smell, a classic tea smell.

They say to drink this within three months of opening the tin. That won’t be a problem. Now that I have had this at breakfast, I also see on their site that it is considered an afternoon tea, and I can see that. Fortunately I also bought their Emperor’s Breakfast!

I will be sticking my head in the tin for the next three months for mini-aromatherapy sessions.

Even for people, like myself, that love to adventure with different teas and companies, we have our cupboard staples and this is one of mine. In fact, I have a tea pot just for this tea. If you haven’t tried any New Zealand teas yet I highly recommend them. The terroir there makes for some really tasty teas. The leaf is a dark chocolate color with a slightly dusty texture and minimal twist. This is a perfect tea for the fall. Loads of Sweet potato, fresh and with a bit of maple syrup notes. Roasted sweet potato skin. Maybe a hint of thyme. The mouth feel is smooth. Butternut squash skin. Sweet and delectable. Though if you enjoy roast notes you can steep it longer and the sweetness becomes taken over with charcoal and burnt sweet potato skin. This one can last many sessions too.

Art is subjective when it comes to color, matcha is not. While someone could argue that matcha color doesn’t matter. I disagree. It can be the first sign of whether matcha is still good, how long it was shaded, if it was stored properly, etc. The color of this matcha leaves much to be desired. Is that a pun? Wa ha. It is between a green olive and moss green. Which in matcha is not something really desirable unless you are cooking with it. The mouthfeel is silky with a bit of silt. The flavor is better than culinary but doesn’t have the complexity of a ceremonial grade in my opinion. There is a slight creaminess mixed in with vegetal notes. I would rate this in the middle, better for lattes but still fine for a stand-alone session. On that note, mixed with creamy oat milk it is quite delicious.

While some teas a very straightforward in their flavor and aroma this one is probably one of the most complex that I have consumed. The dry leaf is tightly twisted with a dusty slightly yellowish dark brown. Ever so slightly. This changes to brown with dark olive greens. in the wet leaf. Some longer leaves but also a lot of broken leaf. The wet leaf aroma is somewhat bready with hints of malt, The liquor color is a brownish amber. The flavor is all over. Compost, wet leaves, malt, rye bread, resin, and wet wood. This rates really well on the website. But to be honest it doesn’t really float my boat.

Dark chocolate color dry leaf with a dusty appearance. Dusty like one sees with a high-end chocolate. Not that it is actually dusty but more so just a way of description. The dry aroma has barnyard and summer floral notes. Along with a touch of smoking wood that I get a whiff of on a rare occasion. I have no idea of how long to steep. I know I could just read what it says on the website but there is a certain excitement that goes into discovering a tea fully on your own. Three minutes to start at 175 F. Not the most beautiful liquor color. Kind of brownish gold. Though as I steep it longer it turns a nice almost rose-gold color. The longer steep reveals woody notes. And some lacquer. Resin. I think I should have followed the advice (I read it after the first steep) and only steeped for the 60 – 90 seconds because it’s lost a bit. Though with a longer steep like before more flavors begin to reveal themselves. More woody notes and a soft mouth feel. A bit of cream of wheat plain and a bit of cherry and dark cherry wood.

Forgot to smell the dry leaf. But Henrietta does a fantastic job of sourcing so I trust this will be good. A deep brew. Bit of malt here, dash of wood tones there, and all wound up with a slight hint of malt o meal. This is very nice. And a perfect amount of astringency. Enough to wake you up but not enough to set your tongue clicking.

Terrible weather and things happening this past week. I just wanted to lay aside part of my note for all the lives lost.

TTB Review #51: Unremarkable. Slightly off-putting due to some muted, subtle notes of that burnt-popcorn-buttery taste I so despise. Could be just my palate playing tricks, but I didn’t care for this tea at all.

As soon as I opened the pouch and saw all the fuzz I knew this was going to be a good one. The aroma is barely there because it is just a small bit of tea. But I did detect woody notes and cream of wheat. If you have anyone in the military or did, Thank you!, and also be sure to give this tea a try. “50p of the price you pay goes to the Royal Air Forces Association Wings Appeal repaying just a little of what so many of us owe to so few.” I’ve decided to steep this one just as Henrietta would. I want to meet her so badly! What an amazing tea lady!

This is a bit more subtle than your other English Breakfasts. But don’t worry it still packs a punch for your wake-up. However, the punch doesn’t come from the bitterness that you will find in tea bags. It comes from the soothing woodiness and slight creaminess and yeah it will take milk if you really must.

The video she shared of visiting their base: https://rareteacompany.us/products/rafa-tea-for-heroes-english-breakfast

Lately, my love for charcoal-roasted oolongs has increased. This one in particular has some great roasty notes. The site doesn’t say if it is charcoal roasted but my palate says yes. And how incredibly interesting that this is a barrel-aged tea! Thank you Vallhallow. What an absolutely fascinating tea! To anyone who has had a charcoal-roasted oolong before this has many of the same charcoal and roasty notes. But what sets this apart is the port notes. The hygroscopic nature of tea shines brightly with this one. It is earthy, rich, and complex in flavor and aroma. In the wet leaf, I also detect notes of slightly charred sweet bread. Thank you Henriette for sourcing and sharing this most unique tea!

The name for this one on the website is Chinese Peony but on the package I received, it says White Peony. So I decided to combine them. This is a very delicate tea. Not a good tea to drink on the go or while making the kids their eat breakfast. This is a sit-down and drink a few infusions before writing anything tea. The green notes in this are quite a bit heavier than I have experienced with other peony teas. Green branches and twigs. Small summer florals. Baby’s breath I think they’re called. And leaves, a big pile of dried leaves waiting to be burned. Very dry, with no dampness. The mouthfeel is light. The dry leaf is very pretty. Lots of trichomes. Barnyard and summer field aromas.

I will come back and revisit this one in a few days to see is my palate changes.

Hello Ground Apple. How are you today? I’m making meatballs. I don’t mind Chamomile. It’s great for upset tummies and when you’re generally feeling under the weather but as an everyday drink. Meh. Don’t get me wrong this is a very good chamomile. Soft on the palate. Summer and spring floral notes with light apple bits.

Needed something. Didn’t want a drinky drink. Not a big fan of peppermint tea but wanted to see what this had to offer. This is very refreshing. Slightly woody and slightly creamy. Smooth mouth feel. It is 1 degree outside. I hate this weather.

Finally made an order to Rare Tea. After interviewing them (https://teatiff.com/2021/02/05/rare-tea-company/) and reading her book this was a purchase that not only one to help the company but also one from the heart. I heart you, Henrietta. Incredible woman, with an incredible story, and incredible tea. They included samples with my order. This was one. The aroma is wonderful somewhat buttery, earthy, and sweet butter cookies. The flavor is also very nice. Probably, no, definitely the best rooibos I’ve had. The butter cookies transfer into the background flavor but you may miss it if you aren’t thinking about it because the earthy tones of dry desert and desert wood are somewhat overshadowing. But in a nice way. Whether you’ve tasted good or bad or no rooibos at all you need to try this.

I’ve never had an orange blossom tea before! The brewed tea smells candy-sweet and almost medicinal, reminding me of licorice. It’s an interesting flavor: lightly citrusy, savory the way chrysanthemum flowers are, and with just a hint of sweetness. I’m not sure I actually LIKE it, but super glad I got to try it thanks to the TTB!