LatteTeaDah

I’ve had more than 80 ounces of this Second Flush Darjeeling over the past two days and I still enjoy the flavor. Very faint notes of floral and grape, not super-astringent, and not heavy. I’ve used water at boiling for about 4 minutes each time, and it’s reained consistet. A little more expensive, but it’s organic, which is to be expected. From the Makaibari Tea Estates which has a well-documented history, still family-run, and the first large-scale tea plantation to “go green” in the early 1990’s.
More with pics of my steeping experience: http://bit.ly/mSQjHC

This is not your typical fruity-tooty blended tea. The aroma is very much a “true” peach, but it does not take center stage in the cup. The oolong itself isn’t a weak leaf, it’s more of a medium oxidation and has a richer flavor than you’d expect. But they have also added sunflower to the blend, and honestly that’s what “makes” this a favorite for me, more so than the fruit flavor. It inspired a biscuit recipe (seen at http://bit.ly/kyEz8T) and though I can imagine it being refreshing as an iced tea, I’m drinking more of it as fall approaches. Just a nice, smooth, rich, nutty flavor with more of a hint of peach.

No notes yet.

This is a blend of different estates and is described as being similar to a single-estate second flush. I do not have a trained palate for Darjeeling at this point in my tea adventures, but this tea is lovely and quickly becoming a favorite. It has the rich, deep tones you’d expect from an Indian black tea, but is not as astringent as I was preparing for it to be. Sometimes being “medium” is a good thing, and this is a good, “medium”-flavored black tea. I was looking for a tea to introduce a non-connoisseur friend to the tea world, and this did nicely.

This is the authentic taste I’ve been craving. It is not intended to be a typical cherry flavor – the leaves of the cherry blossoms are brined, so there is a slightly salty flavor combined with a floral aroma and an aftertaste of cherry – very subtle. Very spring.

The sencha used in Lupicia’s version is flavorful – it achieves what I’ve tried to do myself by blending my own green tea with actual sakura blossoms. I’ll enjoy the blossoms on their own as a tisane and in different cooking recipes and drink Lupicia’s version both hot and cold.

This blend is wonderful iced – it is strong enough to be enjoyed cold. Steeping sakura blossoms on their own, I haven’t yet been able to get a strong enough balance to try it iced, but Lupicia’s found the ticket.

If you enjoy Sakura or floral-scented greens, you’ll enjoy this version.

I’m not a particular fan of strong, almost-chemically induced, fruit blends. But there are exceptions that are done well. I gave Lupicia’s Sakurambo a try because it’s a black tea blend versus the green tea blend I had tried in past chez Teavana (my mouth puckers just thinking of the overly sugary-sour-bitter.)

The aroma out of the box is VERY strong. Sour cherry. I thought “oh no, here we go again.” But the cherries being used aren’t the dried, sugared type, they’re an actual type of cherry bean, so there wasn’t the “marzipan” character to it. It’s very pretty in the teapot – the black tea, the green needles, and the small cherry beans (I can see this being a nice treat at the holidays).

Brewed according to directions, steeped for 2.5 minutes. The sip isn’t bad. Definite cherry. I can still taste the qualities of the black tea. Not as disappointing as it foreshadowed. There was a stronger astringency than I’m used to, about medium if I had to put it on a scale.

I’m curious to try this again blended with milk and see if my opinion changes, being a black tea it just might be the ticket!

I’m satisfied, but I’m still on the hunt for my “best” cherry tea. Something that leans more toward creamy and slightly floral or spicy, like some of the good-smelling lotions at Bath and Body works.

Definitely a notch above a green cherry blend.

This tea was a true experience! I haven’t tried genmaicha before, so I’m taking my own exuberance with a grain of salt, but I really enjoyed this tea.

Out of the box, the dry leaves smell of matcha and sencha – that familiar fresh, vegetal goodness. I didn’t notice the rice adding to the aroma yet, but altogether, the sencha, and matcha-covered kernels made for a pretty presentation as they sat in my kyusu waiting for the hot water.

As soon as the hot water hit the kyusu, WOW! Warm, nutty, wheaty, rice smell that was familiar – like Rice Crispies cereal without the note of sugar. Wasn’t sure how that would mesh with the matcha and sencha to sip.

In the cup, it makes for a smoky, rich, complex sencha flavor. Nutty smoke to start, then vegetal, buttery sencha as the sip completes.

I’m afraid I’ve found yet another favorite to keep in my cupboard!

This was a pyramid sachet free sample that arrived today with my Lupicia order. I was looking for something convenient to steep, and having tried the Tropical Green from Revolution Tea this morning, my palate was ready for a comparison.

The aroma is pineapple and green tea leaf. There are blue and pink flower petals mixed in with the fruit bits. I’m particularly fond of the aesthetics of blue petals with tea, so this got my attention.

I was expecting a super sweet cup, but pleasantly suprised that the actual cup had a subdued flavor. I could still taste the fruit as a secondary note, but the tea was recognizable. Pineapple was the dominant fruit in my experience. The green in combination probably lends itself to the melon other people might pick up on.

A nice blend, an experience for nose, eye, and palate. I’d try it again if I were looking for a sweet tea, though I’m not a big fanatic of fruited teas in general. Peach and cherry are my standards, with pear being a distant third.

I bought this from my grocery aisle when my Revolution Tea chamomile/mint sampler ran out. A family member was having digestive trouble and found the chamomile to be helpful.
This is a pure chamomile tisane, it’s the only ingredient listed, though it’s not what I’d call a full “leaf” – the ingredients appeared to be a bit chopped and it’s in a regular/convential tea bag.
I steeped per the usual method and it’s a tasty, relaxing cup of chamomile, though the flavor doesn’t come “alive” as with other versions that add other herbs into the blend.

A great cup for the purist, recommended for the person looking for an accessible herb tea that isn’t fussy. But if you’re looking for a chamomile "experience’, there are better brands out there to try.

This was part of the 5 varieties included in the 15-serving tea chest I purchased. I’ve had chamomile before, but never had it paired with any kind of mint, and I like it! It doesn’t steep very strongly, but in the cup it’s a pleasing spring yellow. The aroma is relaxing, and the mint and chamomile don’t overpower one another. I was expecting it to brew into a stronger overall flavor, but I think the fact that it’s not such a strong formula is what makes it better than the Tazos and others I’ve had before.
Mild chamomile topnotes with a smooth mint finish and aftertaste. Will contemplate adding this to my bedtime routine.

This was the second in the series of 6 mini T-tins I ordered. I’m a bit confused by this one for two reasons:
One – it’s dark, and smells like a darker green tea. Not getting why it’s marketed as a white tea.
Two – no pear aroma from the leaves, only a very faint aftertaste, but nowhere at all during the sip.

I followed directions for white teas – cooler water, short steep – and it still brewed up like a green. Not unpleasant, but doesn’t deliver on the fruit or delicateness the label seems to allude to.

I may add some ginger shavings to my next pot and see if that might not highlight something I’m missing. But I think it’s fair to say I won’t be replenishing this when it runs out.

This is a perfect warm-weather tea, and I can also see it making a great iced treat as part of a lemon/tea cocktail. I’ve only ever had ginger with Puerhs, where the ginger would need to compete with the strong earth notes, so this was a new experience.
This is a blend of Assam and Ceylon, therefore the ginger is milder. It warms the cup, but you can still taste the black tea flavor profile. The peach is pleasant in the aroma, in the cup it’s not overwhelming – which is how I personally feel flavored tea should be done. You should still be able to discern whether the base tea is good or not. While I’m not tasting extraordinary maltiness or the typical Assam astringency, it still tastes like a good quality cup.
I purchased this flavor as a mini tin Revolution Tea traveler – the tin contains 6 mesh infuser bags. I do believe I’ll replenish the tin when I’m done, it’s a relaxing post-meal tea that I look forward to getting to know better in subsequent days.
Steeped for 2 minutes with just-under-boiling water. 2nd steep, around 5 minutes with cooler water. No major difference apart from a weaker peach aroma

Another herbal I’m adding to my routine for a while to help with winter fatigue. Yogi offers their Detox versions in a berry and peach flavor also, but check the labels carefully – there are differing levels of ingredients in each. The peach flavor appealed to me, but it had lower % of the ingredients I was looking for (dandelion root, for example). By law, ingredients on labels have to be listed in order of % of the total (for those who weren’t aware).

The aroma is heavenly. I don’t so much get the sarsparilla as I get the caramom and cinnamon coming through. Licorice root adds a sweetness in the sip, and the pepper adds a kick to it. The pepper was a surprise – I like adding pepper as a savory enhancer to balance the sweet in different things, chocolate and so forth.

The other thing I’m noticing with Yogi teas is that the steeping time/strength doesn’t seem to affect the taste especially. I put 2 bags in a 4-cup teapot – intentionally didn’t want a super-strong infusion, but the result was still a peppery sweetness.

It’s enjoyable, whether you’re drinking it for health or for taste. Reminiscent of holiday spice teas.

I brewed a strong pot of this after a day of culinary adventures. I didn’t actually purchase this tea as a fasting support, I looked at the label and it contains several herbs I’ve been meaning to add to my vitamin regimen. Dandelion root, licorice, and fennel, among others.

It should be noted that this isn’t a tea to drink in large quantities if you have certain health concerns – always read the label to know exactly what you’re drinking.

Licorice is the primary aroma and flavor. There’s a sweet mid-note and aftertaste. You can smell and taste the fennel on the initial part of the sip.

This is a great tea to help train your palate if you were looking for that experience. The sweets and savories are clear and appear in different stages and parts of the mouth.

The black licorice flavor is well-balanced, it stays mellow and lets the other ingredients play through. A nice end-of-day relaxing cup even if you’re not fasting.

Not a tea for people who prefer simple, uncomplicated blends.

Got two steepings from the mesh bags I put in my tumbler this morning for work. This is definitely a smooth spearmint flavor, with just enough lemon secondary notes to remind you that you’re not drinking liquid Wrigley’s gum. That’s not to say that the mint flavor is overwhelming, but I have a hard time distinguishing the green tea. Between Zen and Refresh, another of Tazo’s mint offerings, I believe Refresh is my preference.

But Zen would make an aMAZing iced tea for a warm weather treat. Make a strong infusion, squeeze a tad bit more lemon for balance, and you’re ready for ice!

I feel confident in suggesting that Zen is really trying to be more of a tisane than a tea.

I wasn’t prepared to enjoy this tea, as it was among the different boxed tea bags at about half the price of others. It’s Ceylon black tea, nothing surprising in its base notes, but it’s the subtleness of the black cherry that drew me in. I’m not a huge fan of sweet or over-done fruit blends, and this one is neither. True black cherry flavor that appears as a secondary note to the Ceylon. I’ve made doubly-strong infusions in travel tumblers for work, and the flavor is still very subtle. I’m not convinced that it’s gourmet or deluxe quality as is written all over the box, but it’s certainly refreshing.

I was a bit skeptical of this being a tea bag, but the taste was fresh, and the leaves, after brewing, appeared to be quality, whole green leaves.

It was the first Gunpowder Green I’ve tried, and I enjoyed it. Though I didn’t find the vegetal and sweet balance to be much different than other greens I’ve tried.

I steeped two bags in a 16 oz. tumbler w/infuser for 5 minutes, and I enjoyed a morning’s worth of nice green tea. A definite improvement over other grocery aisle tea bag greens, though next time I might open the bag and infuse the pearls as loose tea. Seems a little counter-intuitive to offer a whole-leaf in a traditional bag instead of a sachet.

My favorite “treat myself” tea type, I bought this from Indigo when I learned that the brand I was looking for wasn’t available even to purchase here in the U.S. Earl Greys can be spectacularly fabulous and memorable, or they can be ho-hum.
Indigo’s offering is great – a clean bergamot finish, just enough creaminess to satisfy without clouding over the qualities of the black tea. My personal preference is toward a bit more cream flavor to balance the bergamot, so I’m still in search of that elusive batch of Mariage Freres when I can find it, but I’m happy with my batch from Indigo.
You know you’re going to enjoy the cup when you open the storage container and can smell the three components – it’s not just simple black tea mixed with citrus.
The company’s picture doesn’t show it, but there are lavender/thistle(?) petals included in this blend, which makes it a nice tea for display teapots.
A treat for the eyes, nose, and palate!

This is the third and most expensive of the Pu-erhs I’ve tried that arrived in the Samovar Pu-erh sampler.

Difficult to say whether this is “better” than Maiden’s Ecstasy because ME will appeal to the person who likes hints of sweet. Royal Palace Organic is a classic malty, deeply woodsy Pu-erh that will appeal to the purist.

I’m not sure I detect the chocolate or cocoa notes that have been described. The malt and wood notes are strong, but yet it drinks smooth. This is the first Pu-erh I’ve tried that actually had me craving to drink mass quantities of it, so it’s possible the cocoa finish is subtly there, beckoning me back.

It’s smooth, it finishes a bit cleaner than other pu-erhs, I would say it’s almost got a crispness to it that I haven’t yet experienced in other brand’s higher-end pu-erhs.

Still deep and earthy after 6-7 infusions.

I would drink this everyday if it were affordable, but I’ll stick with my other finds and reserve Royal Palace for the occasional “ah, this is the stuff” moments. It truly is the clean finish that distinguishes it from other brands, but that’s not enough of a “wow” for me to convert to it for my go-to brewing.

There’s not much I could add to the 83 descriptions of this Pu-erh that precede my entry other than to say:

Yes, it is a balanced and slightly-on-the-sweet-side Pu-erh.

I’m on the 7th personal-sized steeping of the sample that came in my purchase of the Samovar Pu-erh sampler and it’s still a delicious brew.

If you’re sitting on the fence about whether Pu-erh is for you, this is one to try. If you find it to be “too” something or other, you’re probably not inclined to enjoy other varieties of Pu-erh.

In the descriptions I’ve seen in Samovar’s videos – this is named Maiden’s Ecstasy because it’s reminiscent of tea traditionally given in a bride’s dowry. I now understand why a Pu-erh with this flavor profile would be so prized.

I’ll be purchasing more of this when my sample leaves are exhausted.

Received this as part of Samovar’s Pu-Erh sampler. I’m already sold on Pu-Erh, it’s among my very favorites, but had not really tried it blended with other flavorings before (just the strawberry Teavana variety, which is sort of a Pu-Erh junior, more flavoring than tea).

Wow. Surprising from start to finish.

The aroma upon opening the storage packet is a citrusy, earthy ginger ale. Sweet, not tart. Followed the directions on the packet for the first steep.

Flavor – just wow. A brothy, woodsy sweet orange. Woodsy as in you’re passing over a patch of mushrooms after a rainfall. Not strong or even musty, but earthy. The ginger kicks in at the finish and is unexpectedly piquante. It tickles the throat. The mouthfeel is much heavier than I’m accustomed to. I keep thinking of broth and stew as a texture comparison.

Pleasantly surprised and will be purchasing for my cupboard again soon. I appreciate Pu-Erh, but I feel like my palate’s been educated and tweaked a notch or two to know that Pu-Erh can be blended so well and retain its own charaacter.

This was on the shelf amongst the greens and I had to try it, as peach is one of my favorite fruit flavors. It is definitely a japanese sencha at it’s base, fragrant with peach blossom petals upon opening the container, but it’s a fresh aroma. It doesn’t overwhelm the green tea, you can still discern the buttery, vegetal goodness. How a flavored tea should be done.
Steeped for two minutes in an unfiltered ceramic pot, perfect. Greenish amber liqueur, pleasant peach finish. Would be heavenly with a dash of cream or a buttery scone. Happy with my purchase.

This is my second batch purchased of this tea and I still enjoy it. Not quite as “buttery” as it seemed the first time around, but my palate has matured since the first tasting note. Still a quality sencha, and will continue to be my go-to choice for a green.

This time my steeping went as follows:

First cup after water was taken off the boil for 2 minutes. Steeped for 1.

Second cup used water cooled after 4-5 minutes, steeped for 3.

Third cup used remaining hot water, allowed to steep until first two cups consumed.

All three steepings were flavorful, the first cup being the “fullest” as you would expect. A very welcome cupping on a cold January evening with cold/sore throat season creeping in.

A nice, smooth, everyday drinkable type of Pu-Erh that stands up well to multiple and prolonged steepings. Nothing extraordinary in the nose or flavor profile, typical earthy tones that don’t dip into the usual mustiness of lower-grade or “off” brands or get overly bitter if left to steep. The third steeped pot is terrific as an iced tea. Would definitely recommend to the person looking to start training their palate without getting too deeply drawn into Pu-Erh complexity.