Tabby

This is my first darjeeling from Adagio, and I have to say, I think Arbor Teas spoiled me. In comparison, this is a good tea. It gets the job done, and it’s very fresh-tasting and smooth, but the muscatel flavor is a little weaker than what I’m used to. It’s not as sharp and “green” tasting than what I tend to like with my darjeelings. There’s something in the aftertaste that’s supposed to remind me of white tea, and I’m not tasting it.

Still, this is not a bad tea by any means. I’ve just had better. I will certainly enjoy the rest of the sample, and I’ll be giving it a longer steep time as well.

My previous experiences with white tea have been few and far between, and not particularly exciting. It’s not that I dislike white tea, I just like a less subtle tea experience most of the time.

Anyway, this tea is beautiful to look at. The leaves are very complete, dark green with silver, and fuzzy. They smell a little on the sweet side, and fresh. Previously, I’ve gotten all sorts of weird aftertastes with white teas, particularly Adagio’s. This just tastes delicious. I guess this is what white tea is supposed to taste like! It reminds me of spring, of being out in the grass and sunlight. There is a hint of vegetal green tea flavor, but I like it.

I don’t know if this was just a Georgia thing, but when I was a kid, there was this sort of wild grass that if you pulled the longest piece, there would be a tip on the blunt end that was white and edible. It tasted just like this.

This is what a satisfying white tea is like. Now I think I understand. I’ve just had bad white teas in the past!

Finished off my sample of this today. I made it for my commute cup of tea, and then again when I got home. I’m sad to see it go, but not too sad, because I know I’ll be ordering more. And I’ll also be ordering Teavivre’s keemun and bai lin gong fu as well, because after sampling, I’m addicted.

I also made an order at Adagio that arrived today. First one in almost three years. As I usually do, I opened each package just to sniff. It’s a sort of silly but fun ritual I have whenever I get new tea. I have to smell it, to get a feel for what it’s going to be like.

The scent of this tea made my friend and brother both grin and agree that we should try it first. It was a potent, incredibly strong Earl Grey bergamot smell, topped with rich, creamy vanilla. Like buttercream frosting. It promised to be something refined and dessert-like.

In their words, it tastes like Fruity Pebbles if Fruity Pebbles was a tea. Of course, there’s more to it than that, but I felt it was worth mentioning. This is a gorgeous balance of flavors. The vanilla lingers longest in the aftertaste in delicious harmony with the bergamot as it fades. It really does taste like the top of a cupcake, but with a strong black tea base. It’s lemony and powerful and I think it will make a great comfort tea to take with me on the way to work when it’s cold. Waking up and sipping this would definitely improve my mornings.

I had wandered away from Adagio, but I find that old loyalty is coming back.

After my experience with Teavivre’s Yun Nan Dian Hong golden tips, I couldn’t wait to give this a try. The leaves were longer and darker than their other yunnan, and the tea brewed to a darker amber/brown. The scent is all around stronger, still fruity, but more robust and sweet.

I think this is what I’ll be ordering next time. While I love how smooth and pure the golden tips are, this stronger, heartier tea is what I was looking for. It’s dark and gorgeous and complex without being bitter or smoky. Something I could wake up to on a daily basis. Hello, new favorite black tea.

I forgot I still had this sample laying around! I got it in a trade about a year ago.

Made the whole baggie in a pot, but unfortunately this leaves weren’t stored in a tin. The tea that resulted was a little weak, but still tasted deliciously like coconut. I miss this tea… one day I’ll make an order at 52 Teas. They’ve always been intriguing to me and spot-on when it comes to flavored teas.

My teas from Teavivre finally arrived! I had ordered this yunnan after sampling it, but Teavivre also included a lot of other samples for me to review as well. I will be getting to that tonight and tomorrow, which is my day off.

Anyway, I’ve made two pots already since I opened it last night. It’s my current absolute favorite black tea. I was thrilled to see how much 100g actually is. It looked like a bird’s nest as I transferred it from the pouch to a tin, and smelled so deliciously sweet. The boys have been liking it as well, even the ones who aren’t big tea drinkers. I’ll probably be logging this one a lot this winter.

Made a pot tonight to share. It’s not the French vanilla taste I’m looking for, but it’s still good. I like it, and I like blending it with my other teas. It’s not a creamy vanilla… more like the coconutty vanilla. Or like a sugar cookie. Either way, this is my breakfast every now and then and I’ll probably buy it again out of convenience.

To begin, I’m very new to green teas and my previous experiences have not been good so far. (I think I’m to blame for this, however, due to my tendency to make tea with too much gusto. And my long history of loving black teas.)

So anyway, I love the way the bright green, glossy leaves look. So long and flat, almost like preserved grass. As they brewed, the green became more vivid, as if the leaves were still alive. But the scent of it put me off a little… it was strong and reminded me of the ocean. And not in the sea breeze kind of way. But I gave it a chance anyway, as I feel like I’m in need of a green tea education.

I used 2 teaspoons for 8 ounces of water, brewed for 1:45 at 175 degrees. Any critiques you could offer about my preparation? The result was pale yellowy green and tasted much better than I expected. I feel like I understand what people say when they describe green teas as “buttery” now. It also has a sort of veggie flavor, like seaweed. I can’t really say I’m a fan, though. I believe these sorts of teas are going to have to be an acquired taste.

I ended up steeping this tea for quite some time, long past the eight and a half minutes I set my timer for. I was playing Minecraft and not paying attention, so I didn’t hear the beep.

But this tea does not suffer one bit from oversteeping. True, it’s very dark maroon and a little tart, but it’s still great. I like this one more than the other fruit tea I’ve tried by Teavivre, Apple Awakening. The pineapple is a great touch and goes well with the rose hips. It’s like a hot, mouth-watering fruit punch. I bet it would be perfect iced, which is what’s happening next with this tea.

The guys and I are sharing a pot of this tonight with the balcony door left open. My glass mug is still steaming furiously, but I keep trying to steal a sip anyway. I’m impatient. I still love this tea. It’s such a complex and summery thing.

We’ve been having a pot of tea every night, since I always have at least one person hanging out at my place these days. Previously, I’ve been blending my teas and not logging it because I don’t really like making pages for custom blends. But I’ve been mostly making “fall” teas. Apple cranberry, vanilla assam, stuff like that…

This is one of the best Earl Greys I’ve ever tasted, and it’s also my first Lady Grey. (There seems to be an assortment of them out there from different companies.)

The black tea aspect is very mild, hidden under layers of fruit zest. I can barely tell it’s there. The strongest flavor is mostly lemon, but it isn’t tart, just a little tingly. The bergamot shines through just as strongly, adding that classic Victorian flavor. All around, this is a great tea, and I’m really impressed by it, even if it’s bagged.

I think I’m going to embark on an Earl Grey exploration very soon. I’m really starting to get a taste for them. I’m going to add bergamot to my balcony garden soon, as well.

This is my second Tie Guan Yin, the first from my local farmer’s market. I’ve been wanting to get into oolong, and I think I’ve found the first that I truly like.

This oolong is fresh and highly floral in a way that reminds me so much of spring. (Which is a little depressing in November, I have to add.) The flavors remind me of gardenias, honeysuckle, and jasmine. There’s also a note of sweet, clean hay.

It still has that nutty oolong flavor, but it’s mostly in the scent. At first I was a little nervous, since the vegetal scent was so strong. But no, after a little honey, this is lovely and satisfying. I’m going to have to start trying oolongs to Teavivre’s brewing instructions, I think.

It’s actually a little cold here in Atlanta today. I guess winter really is coming. I was starting to think it had forgotten us.

Anyway, I’m warming up with this tea, which I am just as fond of the second time. It’s smoky but mild, with a decent amount of caffeine. I’m saving the rest of this sample for Kaliska, I think.

Well, my apartment complex’s office has a Keurig now. However, I didn’t want to be down there any longer than I had to, despite the cookies, so I snagged the pod and got the hell out.

The leaves are not in good shape at all, crushed to pieces about the size of sugar in the raw. However, that might have something to do with it being compatible with the Keurig, so I’m not complaining. I brewed them in a steel infuser instead and got what I assume are the same (if not similar) results.

This is a little weaker than what I’ve been having lately, as far as black teas go. The flavors are very straightforward and a little coarse, but it gets the job done. I think Adagio’s English Breakfast was much better. Anyway, this is a fairly boring tea, but I wouldn’t turn it down if it were free again.

At the sight of this tea, I knew I would like it. It’s a lovely mix of fragrant and brightly colored dried fruits with a few pale green leaves. (And anything with rosehips is golden in my book.)

The tea brews to a lovely amber red. The Steep Time counter only goes up to 8 minutes, but I steeped mine for about 8:45. The result tastes strongly of dried apple, and is a little on the tart side even with sugar. I can definitely taste the rosehips as well, but I’m not sure about the other two ingredients. I’ve never had anything with verbena leaves in it before, so I’m not sure what I’m tasting.

Either way, this is pleasant and reminds me of drinking juice. I bet it would be fantastic iced, which I will certainly try some time soon.

The first thing I noticed when I was steeping the tea was a bold, smoky scent. I was reminded of lapsang souchong, as the tiny black leaves also brewed up very dark, very quickly.

The flavor, however, was less smoky than I expected. Which is good, because smokiness is something I’m still adjusting to. Anyway, it’s a strong, hearty tea that would go great with breakfast. There is no harsh aftertaste at all, just a sort of rounded maltiness and woodsmoke taste.

This would be a good segue tea between plain blacks and lapsang, I believe. And I also think a slightly longer steep time is in order. I’d like to taste what this tea is like when it’s stronger. So, next time…

Today, I discovered a nearby Oriental market that was literally a mile from my house. I wanted to cry when I went in, because I could have been buying my spicy ramen, wasabi, frozen dumplings, and tea there the entire year since I moved here.

Anyway, since I walked there, I was limited in what I could carry… and I wasn’t leaving without a case of Shin Bowl. But I made sure to get some Thai tea. I have a pitcher cooling in the fridge as I write this. No steeping involved, just mixing it with hot water.

It smelled heavenly when I opened the container. Like creamy, soft vanilla. I found that the ratio on the label made it rather weak, so I nearly doubled it. For 5 cups of water, I used 21 teaspoons of mix. Don’t judge me! It’s pretty good this way. Still not as strong as the Thai tea we make where I work, but it’s close. And it’s good for how convenient it is to make. No sticky, sweetened condensed milk to deal with.

There is a sort of powdered milk taste that I’m not liking about it, though. It’s mostly in the aftertaste, but it reminds me of the center of a Whopper. (The chocolate-covered malt candy, not the burger.)

I tried this last night, but ended up going out before I could write a review. So I’m having another cup first thing in the morning afternoon. And laughing a little because out of the corner of my eye, I keep reading it as “Ballin’ Gongfu”. Haha.

I read what other have said about this tea and upon smelling the dark, smaller leaves, I definitely agree with people mentioning cocoa. Cocoa is the strongest flavor I taste, along with a sort of light nuttiness that’s mostly in the scent. My brother said something about it reminded him of coffee, since it’s so strong and bold. I think he was onto something. I definitely feel more alert after drinking it.

Anyway, this is a hearty, delicious tea that I could see myself drinking instead of coffee some mornings. I kinda regret not tasting it before I placed my order last night. When I make my next one, I’m going to get some of this as well. It’s delightful.

I also wanted to mention that I love the little red individual pouches it comes in. That’s a nice touch.

Made another pot to share with my brother. We tried Teavivre’s Bai Lin Gong Fu and he didn’t like it, so I made this again. (Personally, I thought it was great and will write about it later.)

I also mentioned liking it on Facebook, to which my Dad replied that he wanted me to bring some along when I visit on Thanksgiving. But I only have one cup left!

So I broke down and bought the 100g bag. And I’m excited about drinking it all winter.

The pot I made and shared last night left me wanting more, so after running my errands, I immediately came home and made another cup. It has a sort of apricot flavor to it, but only slightly. Caramelly in the finish, but still fruity in a balanced way. Still loving this tea.

My thanks go to Angel Chen, who let me sample a generous amount of Teavivre’s offerings! I was shocked at how much tea was in the package! Thank you!

First of all, I want to mention that the tea geek in me loves the stickers on Teavivre’s pouches. They have all kinds of info about where the tea came from, how much leaf to use, what the perfect temperature for brewing is.

I made a pot this evening and think I have found my new favorite unflavored black tea. The leaves are long and narrow, harvested young, and gently rolled. Even after shipping, they are all long and unbroken. Mine are not as yellow as in the picture. They’re more brown and champagne colored. There is no leaf dust in the pouch at all.

It’s incredibly smooth and almost fruity in some way, like a darjeeling but more creamy and caramel-like. Hard to describe. I have had yunnan in the past before, but it was never like this. Even after such a short steep, it is very flavorful, but not bitter. There is nothing harsh about the taste. I truly love this tea. It has seriously struck a chord with me.

Upping my rating and adding a photo!

I made a pitcher of it and brewed it for thirty seconds less than I have been before. Those thirty seconds really made a difference. Before, it had a sort of spicy aftertaste that I wasn’t liking, but when the steep time is cut, it goes away. Anyway, I had it sweetened over ice. With a bendy straw, because those make everything taste better, right?

Like I said before, this is a mild and mellow Assam. Smooth and simple.

I had been holding on to this tea I got from RachanaC (Rachel) for a long while and I’m not entirely sure why I’ve been so hesitant. I love the scent of lavender and the fact that it can be used in so many ways. But now that I think about it, this is my first lavender tea.

When I first received the tea, the scent was overwhelming. It filled my entire tea cabinet and hit me every time I opened it. It has since faded, unfortunately, but it was my own fault for not storing it in a tin. I kept it in a ziplock. Anyway, when I opened the package, the scent was still the clean, soothing scent of dried lavender flowers.

When steeping, the violet and lavender flowers stayed on the surface of the water, while the white tea leaves expanded and submerged. The tea brewed into a pale champagne color, like many whites I’ve tried have. I also sweetened it with honey. The result was like others have said, a stronger lavender flavor above all, with a faint white tea taste afterward. The honey mutes that subtle tea flavor as well. This tea makes me want to try a lavender/black combination instead.