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**A review Ginger & Honey Green Tea (Organic) by St. Dalfour
Certified, pure organic Green Tea. Selected and blended under the direction of the tea experts of St. Dalfour France. Enhanced by the all-natural flavor of ginger & honey.

Brewing instruction:
Pour boiling water (as pure as possible) over one tea bag in a cup.
Immerse tea bag for 1 minute (standard), 2 minutes (strong), 3 minutes (with milk). Remove tea bag after making tea.

This is a sampler that I received with my purchase of the Organic Golden Peach Tea by St. Dalfour.
I placed the tea bag in my cup and pour the boiling water into the cup and left to steep for 2 minutes. When time has passed, I removed the covering and noticed that the tea’s color is a light brown; very pale and I can smell the ginger and it is not overly strong.

I take a sip of the tea and there is nothing particularly exciting about it. The taste of the ginger is very present and the honey does seem to mingle with it. There is always something (another flavoring that lingers in the teas background that I cannot figure out what it is?) and it somehow make me think of a sterile taste and by this I mean ‘blend’.

It is interesting to note that this tea is a Ceylon tea and that it is packed in Sri Lanka under the direction of: St. Dalfour, Fréres & Cie.

A review of ginger Darjeeling peach by Tease

A fruity aromatic blend of brisk Ceylon and Darjeeling black tea paired with freshly hand-ground ginger, sweet dried peaches and a touch of cinnamon and clove to provide additional sweetness and body. Wonderful hot, makes a delicious iced tea.

Hot
1 1/2 tsp per 8oz boiling (212 degree) water steep for 3 minutes.

Iced Tea (2 servings)
3 tsp tea, 2 cups cold water, steep for 1-3 hours in fridge, sweeten to taste. Keep refrigerated and consume within 3 days.

A natural source of antioxidants & vitamins and high-grade whole leaf tea with organic ingredients.

This is another sample obtained from Heath’s Tea Room during my brief visit there. It is one of the two teas given to me by the proprietor, Kimberlie. I wanted Oolong tea but somehow ended up with black teas.

I took about half of what is in the tea bag/pouch and put in my teacup and poured boiling water over it and left to steep for a few minutes.

I examined the remainder of tea in the bag and could smell the cloves and as I poured out the bags content into my palm I could see the clove and I was pleasantly reminded how they look like little nails and very piquant. I am seeing the cut up ginger and very tiny bits of the peach.

With these spices present I am thinking this is a lovely tea to have on a cold day; an early morning brew or anytime of day needing a cup of spice tea (with not apple or pumpkin) but peach instead.

In removing the cover from tea I can discern tea’s color to be dark amber. It is not red, but very dark. I then pour the tea into another cup with a strainer to further examine tea. The tea’s liquor is a lovely mixture of the spices to be found in the cup; clove, ginger, peach and the fleeting cinnamon.

The taste of tea is smooth and very sweet and not at all astringent. Tea has a nice kick to it with the cloves layering evenly with the ginger.

Overall, this is a good cup of tea. It is a full bodied tea with a lovely spice fragrance and this tea would do well with a touch of milk and served very hot for sheerest of enjoyment to delight in the decadence that is to be found within this cup of Darjeeling tea.
Thank you for letting me experience this tea; the folks at Heath’s Tea Room of Rockport, ME.

A review afternoon apricot (Loose Leaf Black Tea) by Tease

We blended fine Ceylon tea with Darjeeling and organic osmanthus flowers to create an aromatic, sweet and delicate cup with a wonderful fruity aroma. Excellent hot or cold and good enough to stand-alone or enjoy with milk.

Hot
1 1/2 tsp per 8 oz boiling 212 degree water steep for 3 minutes.

Iced tea (2 servings)
3 tsp tea, 2 cups cold water, steep for 1-3 hours in fridge, sweeten to taste keep refrigerated and consume within 3 days.

I decided to try this tea hot. I let the water boil for nearly five minutes and placed one teaspoon of leaves into a cup and poured the boiling water into the cup and left to steep for several minutes.

I should note that the tea in the bag is very sweet smelling. The leaves are black and are finely crunch with bits of the apricot. It is a lovely smell on its own.

I removed the cover from the cup of tea and take in the warm smell of the tea. The tea’s color is dark amber with a floral nose. This tea has fullness to it. A good heft in that the color, strength, substance and roundness. It is quality made tea of the finest Ceylon. I like the overall taste of this tea. It would do well with milk and sugar and served very hot.

With the 2nd steep I did add sugar to the tea, and this makes it so nice and creamy in the texture of the tea. Although with black tea there should only be 1 steep, discarding the tea leaves to avoid “stewing” or bitterness.

Overall, I like this tea from first whence I opened the aluminum sealed packaged, to inhaling the fragrant that is to be the bouquet of this tea. I smelled the apricot; it is sweet and sour in scent. Having a nice effect throughout the cup of tea.

A review Green Tea & Blackcurrant by London Fruit & Herb Company
Purchased from Mark T. Wendell Tea Company.
—A natural source of antioxidants
Ingredients:
Hibiscus, Green Tea (32%), Blackberry Leaves, Flavourings, Blackcurrant Juice (3%), Liquorice Root, Blackcurrant (2%).

The London Fruit & Herb Company have adopted a philosophy of creating great tasting blends that are good for you. So dedicated are we to achieve this that we developed a unique process to provide you with a range of fruit flavours which really taste as good as they smell. Try them and see!

Direction:
Add 1 teabag in a cup and pour boiling water (100 Celsius) into the cup, cover and leave to steep for five minutes. Remove teabag after set time and enjoy.

The tea’s color is a lovely dark red; that blood-orange in color. The aroma is vibrant and very attractive to the nose. It is sweet conjuring of the blackcurrant berries.

I like this tea right away since it possessed great coloring, has no after-taste, lovely fragrance and tastes great. This is an exceptional cup of tea. I am looking forward to having more of this tea and might make it a regular tea in my cupboard.

Another review: Golden Peach Tea (Organic) by St. Dalfour
Brewing instruction:
Pour boiling water (as pure as possible, preferably bottled water) over one tea bag in a cup.
Immerse tea bag for 1 minute (standard), 2 minutes (strong), 3 minutes (with milk). Remove tea bag after making tea.

I decided to give this tea another try. I placed two teabags into a cup and poured hot water into the cup and left to steep for a few minutes. After which time I removed the cover and the tea bags.

Tea is a lovely dark orange color and smells very strong. It is peach smelling but there seems to be something else. Upon tasting this tea I realized making tea with two bags for greatest strength might not have been a good idea. Milk is needed, it would seem but I don’t take milk with my tea.

I use two tea bags to get a sense for the peach flavoring since when last I had this tea the peach was lightly in fragrant; or the peach flavoring was fleetingly in the cup. A faint wisp of it and with two tea bags there is nothing to wonder about.

I am yet undecided as to whether or not I like this tea. I like peach and tea and were it not for the organic (sterile) in having this cup of tea it might be nice.

Overall, I have no decision to render as yet. Sorry!

A review Golden Peach Tea (Organic) by St. Dalfour
This is Certified, pure organic Ceylon tea. Selected and blended under the direction of the tea experts of St. Dalfour France. Enhanced by the all-natural flavor of golden peach.

A bit of information on St. Dalfour Organic Tea
The St. Dalfour tea experts have searched the best tea producing areas in the world, which are located in the Himalayas of India and the high ground of Ceylon. After careful screening, they have selected special pristine tea gardens where no preservatives or chemicals are used. In these gardens, master planters nurture tea bushes with natural organic biomass and loving care. Only these tea gardens are used for St. Dalfour tea.

Brewing instruction:
Pour boiling water (as pure as possible, preferably bottled water) over one tea bag in a cup.
Immerse tea bag for 1 minute (standard), 2 minutes (strong), 3 minutes (with milk). Remove tea bag after making tea.

I have tried this tea as instructed, to steep for 1 minute. Tea is very light in color and smells of peach. Upon tasting there is a faint hint of the peach. I would have to say that there is nothing particularly exceptional about this tea. It is peach flavored Ceylon tea.

The tag on the tea has a different drawstring it seems. One is to gently pull the tag on the bag to extend the string. (This format eliminates the need for a staple.) I did not do this right at all since the string would not pull up; instead the tag floated in the teacup. When having another cup of tea I tugged a little harder on the string and the tag tore from the bag. Perhaps it will work tomorrow or later on; I mean another time.

Tea is so very light that I will need to use two tea bags to truly enjoy the peach flavoring. I know that organic tends to be sterile and very blah. I will have to continue with this review another time.

A review Fruity (Sijichun) Oolong Tea by Fong Mong Tea

I am enjoying another oolong sampler from Fong Mong Tea Company in Taiwan. This oolong was processed with the fragrance of fresh flowers making for the fruitiness that is to be found in this cup of tea.

I am using half of the leaves for this brew. I place freshly drawn water into a small pan on the stove and left to boil. Having placed the leaves into the cup, I then pour the boiled water over the leaves (which are tightly rolled/pressed) and left to steep for several minutes with covering on the cup.

After the set time I remove the lid to find that the tea leaves did indeed unfurl to fuller leaves and there is not a particular smell to the tea at first. Tea’s color is light yellow almost, especially once the leaves are removed from the cup. Tea leaves are light green in color, they are partial cut leaves and smells mildly vegetal…broccoli like.

Anyhow, I take my first sip of the tea and it is fine. No drying effect, and very light in the body and I take more sips of this tea I am thinking of broccoli and rice. Steam rice when cooking, at times so very faint and yet one can know of such a smell. It is warm moisture, steaming from the heat as it moistens the face of the cook.

In all, this tea has no astringency. It is very light in body and tea color is light yellow when the leaves have been removed from the cup. From the first steep and sipping this tea tastes of steaming broccoli and rice. It is very faint.

It is tea and it’s drinkable. I am looking forward to trying the remainder of the unused portion as iced tea, at a much later time.

Thank you Fong Mong for making me aware of this tea and for sending the samples.

**A review Floral (Blue Jade) Oolong Tea by Fong Mong Tea
Tea samples received from Fong Mong Tea Corp. of Taipei, Taiwan

This sampler, which is in a sealed foil bag and once opened I see very tiny pellets, some of which I place in the palm of my hand. They are tiny indeed and do smell of soft fruit, or I should say it is a mildly sweet smell as opposed to having a grassy smell.

I place half of the bags content into a cup and poured hot water in the cup and left to steep for five minutes.

I have not had oolong tea in a long while so this is indeed a treat. I have several oolongs to review during the next month or so.

In removing the cover from tea cup I note that tea’s color is very light; a golden pale dew and again I am smelling what seems to be like a broth…it is very light and sweet smelling; so I am thinking summer squash.

When first tasting this tea I think immediately of those teas given at restaurants after consuming a meal or prior while waiting for your order.

I like this tea. I remove the leaves, which are now uncurl and full. The leaves are green and smell wonderful, floral like.

I can see I will be enjoying this tea all day. I had divide the portions equally and I can get several steep from this cup and the remaining tea not cook I will render to making iced tea with but I will not add ice to it. Just to have it room temperature or cooler yet.

With the 2nd and 3rd steeping time is less than five minutes. This time the tea does appear darker and with slight astringency in the taste.

I seem to prefer the tea with the first steeping I had of it as it did make me think of light broth…or remnants of squash, which is both, floral is smell and sweet. The shorter steeps brings about astringency and for some reason I do not like this preferring the dews of squash found in the taste when steeped for five minutes or longer.

This is very good oolong. I am always amaze with how the leaves are so tiny, crunched pellets and they come to full bloom; unfurling to fullness with the added water.

It is an interesting aspect for someone use to drinking tea in bags. Overall, this oolong is quite nice with a floral and mild side to it.

A review Organic Iced Green by Tazo Tea

This is green tea with spearmint & lemongrass. It is an infusion of water, green tea, lemongrass, spearmint, lemon verbena and natural flavors, Cane, sugar and Citric Acid.

This tea is lovely as I had I poured it in a glass filled with iced to enjoy. This truly is a union of the spearmint and the lemony herbs. The spearmint gives it more zest and makes it more enjoyable.

I purchased this tea from a Wal-Mart store; they were selling them 2 for $1.00; now I wish I had purchased the two for one; instead of just one. Oh well.

Overall, Tazo is good tea brand. I enjoyed them last year while attending an Alzheimer lecture in Lexington, MA and I was happy to have spotted this brand as Iced tea. What I had then was a hot cup of tea.

I am drinking this tea all day long since most of my regular teas are finished. I like that this tea is simpler and very light on the stomach.

Tea’s color remains with each infusion and the ginger and lemon sort of chase each other around. Overall, it is a refreshing mixture of lemon and ginger to coat and sooth the throat and stomach.

This would make good iced tea but I already have a jug of iced tea in the works.

A review Lemon Ginger (Herbal Tea) by Hemani

Ingredients: 2gm of Mixture of Lemon & Ginger of highly selected quality

Directions:
Put one bag in a cup of boiling water and leave for 3-5 minutes. Add sugar as desired.

Tea’s color is lightly golden brown…the color of ginger.
Tea odor is absolutely of the lemon with the ginger hovering around the lemon. It is on the acidity side since it has not been sweeten with honey, as this would make it nicer. For now I am happy with just a cup of hot lemon-ginger tea.

Overall, it is a refreshing mixture of lemon and ginger to coat and sooth the throat and stomach.

A review Ruby Red Chai (Spiced Rooibos) by Trader Joe’s
I wanted to try and have this tea as iced tea and so I have placed four tea bags into a pan and filled with water and put to boil for five minutes.

I like how the Rooibos mixture of the cloves, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon lingers after rising in the air and making the room come alive. It is a wonderful medley. The aroma is lovely.

Tea brews a very dark red, very intense. I am thinking it would make for a good dye, well (mildly). I left it to cool and retrieve the sugar and put in several spoonful of sugar as it is still boiling and stirring the sugar into the tea makes it heady all the more. I put in more of the sugar and continue to stir it until it dissolves into the tea.

I want this tea to be very sweet since I will be adding plenty of ice when having it. I am leaving it to cool completely for an hour or so; then I can pour it in the jug for future use.

I know it will make for a nice cup of iced tea with lots of antioxidants, which will warm the body, soothing the mind, and heals the soul. I am placing great emphasis on all the aspect of this tea and remembering that it is a full-bodied tea with nothing hidden, it remains a steady character in the cup.

No notes yet.

**A review Lemon ginger green tea (organic) by Stash Tea

100% natural ingredients of organic ginger, organic green tea and organic lemongrass.

I brewed this tea for a few minutes and left to infused for a few minutes as well.
Tea’s color is a pale light brown color; almost the color of ginger. The lemon is most prevalent with first sip. I note that the ginger is in the background adding a feisty kick to this soothing cup of tea.

Overall, this tea is a lemony blend of green and black tea. Offering that wide-awake flavor without caffeine. It is smooth lemon with lingering bite of ginger.

Thank you Stash for adding this sample with my order.

A review of Alpine Herbs (freshly brewed) Iced Tea by Favorit
I purchased this carton of Iced Tea during a visit to the Bazaar International Gourmet:
Royal Delicacies at Peasant Prices.

It is Swiss Premium Iced Tea made from natural freshly brewed tea. It is 100% natural and I don’t feel the need to add anything else to this drink other than lots of ice. It is infused with Swiss Alpine herbs (lemon balm, peppermint, chamomile, nettle and common verbena).

I can taste the freshness of the herbs like the lemon and chamomile and it does have a calming effect as well as it soothe the taste buds. The lemon juice makes it a bit tart, as lemonade should be if one wanted it to be as such.

Overall, this is a very relaxing cup of iced tea with not much effort in the making; all one need do is get some ice, a tall glass and pour the tea and drink it up.

A review of English Tea No. 1 by Ahmad Tea
I left tea to infuse for a good five minutes and enjoyed smelling the simple malt scent of this tea that is lightly flavored with bergamot.

The color is a darken amber and it as rich as it is full-bodied. There is no astringency, nothing to not like about this blend. It truly is well balanced in aroma, the color stays the same for several infusions and the strength in tea’s character remains as when first tasted.

It is an excellent cup of tea with last infusion it reminds me of the London Cuppa. It still leaves the palette dry when first tasted, a back of throat kind of dryness. Not syrup or licorice like. It is like dry white wine or vodka, but more wine dryness than anything else.

A review of Scented Darjeeling Tea (Sacher Blend Tea TE22S) by Upton Tea Imports
Steeping suggestion:
I placed 2 ¼ g/cup of the leaves into a cup and pour the boiling water in the cup and left to steep for four minutes.
This tea brews dark amber in color; I would have to say reddish amber and has a somewhat malt-fruity aroma.

I let it cool for a bit and simply take in the teas’ odor.

With first sipping and as I continue to drink the tea I find that I like that it’s soft on the palette; there is slight fruitiness to it, some citrus notes from the Bergamot oil I am supposing. This Sacher blend is to have some hint of vanilla added to it. So I suspect that is why the bergamot is not so prevalent as I have had in other teas with extra-berrgamot.

Something of this tea is similar to the Kopili Assam black tea. It has that same smoothness and creaminess and I could even say an overall caramel like taste to it.

I like this tea and it would make good iced tea as well. It is full-bodied tea, possessing quite a heft and the overall note is that it is smooth with a sweet malt flavor.

**A review of English Earl Grey Tea (Extra Bergamot TE11S) by Upton Tea Imports

This tea is described as being specially blended for those who prefer a richly scented Earl Grey. And this Upton’s most popular Earl Grey and rated “best overall” by Wall Street Journal’s Catalog Critic.

Steeping suggestion:
I placed 2 ¼ g/cup of the leaves into a cup and pour the boiling water in the cup and left to steep for four minutes.
This tea brews a very darkly red color, almost black even. It smells of malt and of citrus (bergamot oil) is very noticeable, in fact too much for me. It is like when you have peeled four or five oranges and placed the skins in a bowl and the air permeates with the smell. It is not a bad smell but drinking this is most noticeable.

It is pungent in smell and taste and it makes me want to add more water to dilute it. As this was a good thought since with the 2nd and 3rd infusion and steeping time for four minutes each time the overall flavor become more tolerable for this tea drinker who takes her tea plain mostly.

I think the extra in the bergamot makes for a bad cup of tea. I should not be thinking to add more water to dilute tea. This makes no sense. The only good that came out of drinking this tea is that I can finally discern the citrus of the bergamot oil, yes it smells of orange peels, a bucket full.
Overall taste: tea is too pungent, to strong, to explosive in the notes placed before you in the cup of tea.

Extra makes me think of that phrase: “too much of a good thing” and this is true in that the off taste cannot be remedied.

I am sorry.

A review of Dragon Pearl Jasmine (floral) Tea by Harney & Sons Fine Teas
I have had Harney & Sons Teas and note the bags are made of silken sachet, which is a nice effect as one can watch the leaves unfold as tea is brewing and steeping. This effect is nicely demonstrated with this Dragon Pearl Jasmine.

When examining the tea bag I can see the curled up leaves, actually they are rolled into individual little rounded pearls. And one can smell the Jasmine at once.

I place the tea bag in a cup and pour hot boiling water into the cup and left to steep for two minutes. Tea’s color is lightly golden dew and there are hints of Jasmine permeating one’s nostrils. It is kind of over powering.

I don’t want to sip tea right away, but instead to take in what I smell, and to get pass it. I leave the tea alone for several minutes while doing other things. I am reminded of reviews I had read of Jasmine tea, wordings like: ‘light tea loaded with delicious Jasmine’; ‘naturally scented with jasmine flowers creating a soothing aromatic experience while enjoying this tea’.

I like that the leaves are shaped like pearls and how nice an effect it is to watching them unfurl as they steep and having experience this makes it special in some small way. I decide to have a sip of tea and not think of odor but the taste. I am reminded it is green tea and this is usually astringent in taste; tasting like cut grass but with the jasmine it is not astringent and does not have that drying aspect either. It is not bitter but it does have smoothness to it and something of the taste reminds me of the Hemani Brand teas I have tried. As they all seem to have that medicinal quality, smelling pungently strong.

With the 2nd steep of this tea the aroma of the jasmine is somewhat less.
With the 3rd steep, it is faintly in the background; hovering, a lingering effect enhancing this green tea experience.

At first, the fragrant jasmine tea can be overpowering/overwhelming but in time with several steep it does become tolerable and palatable. I am guessing those liking flowering teas will enjoy the many folds found in this one cup of Dragon Pearl Jasmine tea.

I am reminded of another reviewer going as far to say that this tea: “my mouth literally waters every time I think of or smell these jasmine pearls.” Well, I cannot say this.

I can attest to the Harney & Sons saying: From tea garden to tea cup! As it does seem to be taken directly from the garden.

A review of English Breakfast Tea by Hemani

I know that this Ceylon tea would make for a great glass of iced tea. I am, however, fixing myself a cup of hot tea.

I put one tea bag in a cup of boiling water & left to steep for a few minutes. I am always reminded when this tea is brewing how it is made of live natural. I equate the smell of this tea to this live natural process and to smelling a hint of Jasmine with each cup that I have had of the Hemani teas.

I say Jasmine since it has the same kind of pungent smelling to it. I mean when smelling of the Jasmine plant one knows right away. As with Hemani teas one know straight away since this aroma/odor is characteristic to the Hemani brand.

So on this day, I am in need of something medicinal and I reached for a cup of this English Breakfast Tea, brewed hotly strong making it that much astringent on the palette.

A review of Kopili Assam Black Tea by Stash Teas of India

This is another great tea to make iced tea with. I have been using 3 or 4 tea bags for each pot of iced tea that I wish to make. I brew it very strong since adding iced to tea weakens it somehow.

**A rule for measuring: For every two glasses—use 3 Tea bagss. For every quart use 5/6 Tea bags.

So with 4 tea bags in a medium pan and freshly drawn cold water poured over the tea bags and left to boil for a good five minutes with partial lid open. When it is a rolling boil, I remove the cover and turn off the fire. Leaving the pan to cool for about ½ hour.

I fix myself a tall glass with crushed ice and pour the tea into the glass and adding one teaspoon of raw sugar and gently stirring tea while watching the ice and sugar intermingling, when all that appeared to be left was just ice and tea, I decided to have a try and taste it.

My teas are never overly sweet, just a hint of sugar and I am happy to note that this ice tea is just right. It is smoother in texture with the sugar making for a round-bodied tea.

I am happy to say, I have made another great iced cup of tea.

A review of Celtic Breakfast Tea by Choice Organic Teas

This is another great tea to fixed as iced tea. I placed four tea bags into a medium pan and fill it with freshly drawn, cold water. I placed cover on pan, partially and left to steeped for a good five minutes; when the water comes to a rolling boil, I remove the cover and let it brew a bit longer before turning it off.

Tea’s color is darken amber and smells very strongly of malt. I let it cool completely before pouring it into a jug. I take a tall glass from cupboard and set on table while retrieving some lime and ice to go with the tea. I thinly slice the lime into a few smaller sections and put one into the glass and crushed some iced to place in the glass and then poured myself some of the tea. I take one of the remaining limes and squeeze some of its juice over the tea and swirl about.

I have enjoyed this tea when hot with honey and sugar **(preferring it more with sugar) and now having it cold with some lime makes it for a milder cup of tea. The malt is very present…a rawness and drying of the palette but the lime makes it fruity and as I swallow the tea is not as astringently drying as without the lime. It seems as such.

I must note when I am to have the next cup of iced tea it will be without the lime. To truly enjoy this tea it is best alone with no tempering, but adding the sugar does to it nicely.

So enjoy a cup of Celtic Breakfast Iced tea and experience malt strength for what it is!

A review of Kukicha (Twig) Tea by Haiku

To prepare hot, add 1 teabag per cup or 4 teabags per 4 cups (a teapot) to cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes. Remove the teabags and serve.

As this is Iced tea month, I am brewing myself jugs of tea to consume throughout the day. I never realized how making a jug of tea is so much time consuming than getting up each time to fix a cup of tea.

I love the aroma of this tea when brewing several tea bags in one big pot. I use five tea bags and very fresh coldly drawn water and let this boil for a good five minutes and after having come to a rolling boil.

I let it cool for at least ½ hour and pour content unto a jug. Well in this case it is a small pot. For my cup I add some crush iced to the bottom of the glass and pour the tea.

I love the dark amber color of the tea. It is so very black and rich of smoke (twigs burning).

I sip this tea and think immediately of the outdoors and camping since this sometimes entails a fire burning made of wood and twigs.

This tea is so rich in flavor and the caffeine is next to none because it is made mainly of twigs and so this tea can be enjoyed through the day.

I am heady and happily enjoying my roasted cup of twig tea and more of it to follow (a potful)of it.

No notes yet.