Peter Azak

I didn’t really know what to expect from this tea. It didn’t seem a very compelling tea, as I had always seen it sitting on the shelf as I walked past it in the store. I finally broke down and bought a bag, as I had tried all the other teas.

Upon first opening the bag, a gentle and extremely pleasing aroma fills the air. A very fresh and sweet scent of vanilla and fruit blend quite well with the tea, giving a more after hours cocktail feel. The leaves are long, rolled, and handsomely dark.

My initial steep of 3 minutes, with half a teaspoon of rock sugar, gave a brilliant and bright copper toned brew. The aroma very much like the leaves, fresh, sweet and slightly fruity.

The first couple sips gave me a surprisingly bitter flavor, followed by a sweet subtle fruitiness, which was then followed by a hint of astringency. As surprising as it was, considering how much black tea there is here, it shouldn’t be that surprising.

My second steep of 2 minutes and 45 seconds with new leaves, and this time with a whole teaspoon of rock sugar, gave a darker brew with a stronger sweet and fruity aroma.

The 15 seconds makes such a difference, giving a more flavorful brew. There is much less bitterness and a more subtle floral bouquet. There is something very distinguishing about the toasty sweet and dry textures, with a slight astringency that more compliments the overall flavor.

This tea is wonderfully complex, with so many textures, all working together for your complete enjoyment. I believe I have had this tea five times in the past two days now, which officially makes it a favorite.

This has been sitting on my shelf since I bought it on my New Years weekend trip to Prince George, BC. I’m not quite sure why it took me this long to try it, seeing as I do have a particular and intense love for chai teas.

It is a very typical chai, with a difference in a slight yet noticeable scent of sweetness. Despite, I brew my cups of chai with a teaspoon each of leaves and rock sugar.

The brew is extremely dark and clean, and quite a handsome tone at that. The aroma is comfortingly warm and strong and spicy, like you’re getting a liquid hug.

Normally, I don’t put milk in chai; only when it’s added in restaurants and tea places. But, we had a carton of soy drink sitting in the fridge, and I have never had soy in tea, so I had to try it.

The soy definitely calms the spices down, not so much as to diminish the overall flavor, but to give it discipline. It helps the soy has a nutty flavor that adds to the strong black tea and spices.

It has been too long since my last chai tea. Thankfully, this is quite a respectable and strong chai, and quite superb with sugar and milk, or soy.

Drinking this hastily at work is an injustice to the complexities and sheer beauty of this tea. Even worse is my decision on western style brewing.

There is a subtleness to both the leaves and liquor, a clean and fresh and delicate subtleness. The leaves are a wild and earthy shape and color, with deep and dark greens along the long curls and twists. The scent is extremely faint but very fresh, reminiscent of forest after a rainfall.

The initial steep gives you this thick and velvety brew, followed by a very clean and crisp and lightly sweet aftertaste of grape and apple. It is quite a lovely and brilliant experience, with little to no astringency.

The second steep gave me a thicker velvet texture, with a malty flavor mixed with the grape and apple. There is a mild but bright astringent aftertaste that follows and lingers on your tongue.

The third steep was a lighter malt, with less texture and a slight more astringency. The fading flavors and details made it clear that you should not brew this western style. A tea this complex and delicate requires patience and attention.

Despite my ignorance, my first experience was a complete surprise and an extreme delight. I cannot wait to properly experience this.

This is my second steep, experimenting with steeping times.

Instead of the typical 3 minute steep I do with most black teas, I tried 2 and a half minutes with this. It may have made a world of difference.

The astringency is non-existent here, in place a simple well rounded cup of Earl Grey.

The Bergamot is lighter, not so much heavy but a full bodied flavor. The refreshing aftertaste still follows, and better compliments the tea overall.

I would guess the astringency from my initial steep was now due to the black tea being over-steeped, on top of the Bergamot becoming a heavier factor. It is best to steep this tea at shorter times for a more well rounded cup.

I’ve owned this tea for quite a while without any impressions of it logged.

I don’t really have much experience with orange or citrus tea, but with the limited amount I have acquired, my impressions have been fairly great. I do recall a fabulous experience with a dark Darjeeling orange pekoe, as most of my experiences before that with orange pekoe weren’t favorable.

Opening the tin presented quite a strong and distinguishing Bergamot citrus aroma, so strong that the scent lingers, faintly. I would have thought the Bergamot overpowering, but it is more an initial and bold scent, with a citrus freshness that follows.

Steeping gives a nicely deep amber tone. The aroma of the brew is significantly less bold than the leaves, leaving a pale, almost flat, scent.

The initial sips show me why the cornflowers needed to be there, as they settle down the extremely bold flavor of the Bergamot. There is a dull astringency, which I could probably credit the black tea that is barely present, but it seems more the citrus as it is also a refreshing closer.

All around, this is quite a bold and delicious tea. I can see this working better with milk, as the Bergamot does call for it. Straight or sweetened with milk, this is a very full and rich cup of tea.

I believe the last time I had enjoyed a Yunnan tea was from Adagio. The leaves were a mixture of beautifully light and deep browns, curled and soft, with tiny hairs. I recall golden tips and a smooth and soft flavor.

This tea is rather interesting. There is clearly a musty scent, which makes me worry about the quality of this tea.

There is a mixture of dark brown leaves and stems, which is not odd. What is odd is the size of the stems, most larger and longer than the leaves. I worry some more.

The liquor is dark and cloudy, with that musty scent from the leaves. I am actually not really looking forward to tasting this tea.

And, just as I had suspected, this is a very bitter tea. The musty scent had very much shown what the quality was to this tea, which is bitter and pretty much flavourless.

In a lovely tin, this sachet tea allows the scented tea to breathe. Despite still being a bagged tea, it does have more room, albeit a very limited amount.

The jasmine aroma is quite strong. It actually reminds me of Adagio’s Jasmine Silver Needle oolong tea. Only, this tea is not the beautiful long and slender leaves of the Silver Needle, but rolled into tiny pearls.

The liquor is equally as strong, with a deep copper tone. The leaves in the sachet unfurl and reveal quite small and light leaves.

The first initial sips are a full on jasmine and green tea bliss. The jasmine, despite the overpowering aroma, is not as overpowering in flavor. There is a subtle sweetness, but the jasmine provides a stable body with the green tea.

Color me lavender, as my reaction to this is similar to Adagio’s Jasmine Silver Needle. The jasmine scent can become overwhelming, but can work beautifully with a proper leaf.

Before diving completely into the wonderful world of loose leaf tea, this had become my favorite of the bagged teas. It has been a while since enjoying this tea. I have grown substantially, in both knowledge and practice, on my tea preparation and consumption. Hopefully, I still enjoy this as much as I had before.

There is still an overwhelming joy I get when opening the cover to reveal the subtle and delicious scents of ginger and pear. Because it is a bagged tea, the aroma is light. It is also as bright as I remembered.

Steeping brings out the spice to the ginger, a very soothing and reassuring aroma from a very soothing and reassuring light green color.

The flavor is still subtle, with a slight kick of the ginger. It is not as strong as I had remembered, but familiar brightness and a subtle sweetness come and go.

I wouldn’t say this is disappointing, as my views have not changed significantly. I have found other bagged teas that give much greater flavor and more dimension. Yet, this tea still plays on my soft heart.

It feels like I haven’t really enjoyed a good new oolong tea in a while. I’ve found interesting oolongs, as well as replenished familiar oolongs, but never stumbled upon an oolong that can surprise me.

This is definitely one of the nicer tins I’ve purchased, closer in shape and design to the first double covered tin that contained Chocolate tea. The tin is covered in writing I can’t understand, aside from the name of the tea, of course. As well, the red tin is also covered with familiar designs of landscapes and a golden dragon on the lid.

The leaves are very complex and detailed, as they are tightly rolled. They vary shades of deep green, with stems scattered about. The aroma is wonderfully flowery, with a handsome roasted body.

Steeping brings out the buttery roasted oolong scent, scaling back the floral, and making for an increasingly complex aroma. The brew is a handsome deep amber color and very clean.

The flavor is soft, mellow and a nice balance of floral and roasted tones. There are multiple dimensions with each sip, as you catch different characteristics, most faint behind the buttery and floral flavors.

The balance and complexities give quite an interesting and delicious oolong. The mellow floral flavors make this an appropriate afternoon tea, as the strong floral aroma can linger.

I remember receiving a chocolate tea from a friend, where the tin had to be opened twice. Those tins were a little difficult to open, but not as difficult as the tin that encased this tea. Both covers were hard to get off, as it wasn’t so much they were stuck, just the way the tins were made.

The tea itself isn’t much. Full curled brown to black leaves, with a lightly woody aroma.

Steeping gives it a better texture, very earthy and dark.

The liquor gives you that very familiar pu-erh rich earthy aroma, as well as that very handsome deep thick color. I have likened myself to smokey and strong teas, and pu-erhs are some of the best teas you can have.

The flavor is not as strong as you would like it to be. There is that earthy and smokey flavor, like a fresh forest, but it isn’t as rich as I can recall other pu-erhs to be. It is quite rich, don’t get me wrong, but not a brilliant richness as, say, Imperial Organic’s bagged pu-erh.

Nonetheless, you get a nice cup of pu-erh that is full bodied and rich.

Tea bag time!

As with all teabags, the aroma is very faint. There are hints of freshness, as the ingredients read natural fruit and vegetable pieces, but you mainly find the lemongrass dominating.

Steeping gives you a more fruitful aroma, with the lemongrass not too far behind. I think the apple pieces are dominating, which lends to it’s sweetness.

The brew is a deep and cloudy green, with a mixture of rouge tones, possibly from the orange peel and rose hips.

As I had suspected, it is quite a blend, with the rose hips and lemongrass seemingly fighting for dominance over the fruit. It is appropriately sweet, but there is a darkness to it, with the lemongrass brightening slightly.

Notice I haven’t mentioned cucumbers once, as it is nowhere to be found in aroma or flavor. It’s quite disappointing considering I bought it mainly because of the cucumber, but if I had read the ingredients beforehand, I would have suspected this would not be a cucumber flavored green tea, with just too many other flavors in the mix.

Nonetheless, it is an acceptable bagged green tea.

So, you’ve probably heard of the Champagne of Tea, but have you ever heard of an ice wine tea? Certainly not I, and certainly not before two days ago.

It was a happy surprise to find out that a long time specialty shop in Terrace actually sells loose leaf tea. What was quite amazing was the variety of teas they offer, and how relatively obscure the fact of them carrying loose leaf tea was.

In any case, the ice wine tea intrigued me. I haven’t really heard much about quality or experiences, but the fact that there was an ice wine tea was enough for me to purchase.

Upon opening the bag, you’re met with an overwhelmingly sweet and fresh pear and grape scent, not so much fruit but simply refreshing. It is actually very interesting, as the grape and pear make up most, if not all of the leaves’ aroma, as you cannot find one bit of tea scent. The leaves are a typical long and rolled black tea, with very dark tones.

I have taken heed to previous tasting notes and decided to steep a minute less my typical 3 minute black tea time. During the steeping, the black tea is brought right out with a very strong aroma. I have also taken heed to the bag’s recommendation of adding sugar, only adding half a teaspoon of rock sugar. Deeper inquiry to others’ past experiences make me think I should have added more sugar.

The brew appears very dark and very wine-ish. The color is deep and clear, the aroma strong yet fresh and subtly fruity. It’s a really soothing aroma, one I would imagine from an actual ice wine.

I also regret not having a wine glass handy at work for this tea.

My first initial sips allow me to understand the strong warnings of how strong the black tea can get, as I instantly taste the strong tea pushing through the other flavors. I am thankful for keeping my steeping at 2 minutes, as I could see this brew turning bitter.

The fruity notes are harmonized with the black tea, giving a wine characteristic of sorts. The grape is quite obvious, but there is also a hint of green apple, as I would imagine as there is also some sweet pear. There is a slight astringency, but due to the shortened steep, it is almost undetectable.

Overall, this is a refreshing and lovely blend. For these wet winter months, this is quite appropriate tea to enjoy casually. I wouldn’t mind sharing it iced with close friends… while watching Girls on HBO.

One of the first things that jump out at you when you first catch the scent of the leaves is lemongrass. It is quite dominant, and very refreshing. A slight creamy texture compliments the more subtle aromas, mainly fruit, in this extremely interesting blend.

I am indeed very intrigued, as steeping gives more of the lemongrass, more of the same of the creamy texture, and strangely subtler aromas that swirl around. The brew is a cloudy blonde color, and very bright.

There is a satisfying surprise in the flavor that you don’t really expect. It is not what you thought a lime gelato tea would taste, as the flavor has a light creaminess. There is a very lime flavor mixed with the sweet essence of other fruit, followed by the lemongrass. The sencha finishes with a subtle astringency that appropriately closes the blend.

It is quite a smooth flavor, pleasing to the last drop, and, I can imagine, a thousand times better iced.

On my second visit to the Prince George location of David’s Tea, I had requested suggestions of new teas for the season, which I have not yet tried.

Again, normally, I wouldn’t be interested in a rooibos blend, especially if it is mainly rooibos; but, it’s scent had enticed me. The leaves give off a ridiculously coconutty aroma, with hints of sweet spices.

Unfortunately, it is still predominately rooibos, as it is a rooibos blend, so upon steeping, the leaves are very red, and the cloudy liquor’s aroma is very rooibos. To be safe, I added half a teaspoon of rock sugar.

The flavor is surprising, as I had expected to taste rooibos. The spices and ginger are very present and very delicious, as is the coconut. There is a certain pale grounding to the flavor, which the rock sugar has sweetened to be less distracting.

I was extremely surprised, as I had not expected this to be as good as it is. The spices give it an appropriate kick, but the blend overall really works to take you to a very alpine place.

Oolong tea can already have a strong scent, which is usually woody. This oolong is combined with ginseng, which makes for an extremely strong dry leaf scent. The rolled leaves have a soft and powdery texture, which gives an interesting appearance with it’s dirty green color.

Steeping provides a less ginseng and more wooden oolong aroma, with a wonderfully deep and clear bamboo tone.

The flavor does have a familiar woody oolong, with a bit of sweet aftertaste that creeps up behind your tongue. It is quite strange, as it is almost a biting sweetness that, at times, can extend to the back of the roof of your mouth.

Aside from the sweet biting aftertaste, this is an oolong without any surprises.

The instant you open it’s packaging, the light and almost fresh scent of mandarin oranges brush upon your face. It is an interesting aroma, not quite as strong as I had imagined it would be.

The leaves are lightly contained within the mandarin orange peel. It is so light that upon opening the peel, the leaves just fall right out. The peel gives a dark detail, which mimics the tea leaves.

Steeping gives a familiar and very strong earth aroma to the wet leaves. The leaves themselves held together quite nicely after steeping, although I can see some twigs.

The liquor itself is also extremely earthy, in both scent and appearance, very clear with an extremely deep reddish tone.

Although I cannot find the sweet oranges, the strong earthy and damp moss flavors are very prominent. It is quite refreshing and such a great delight.

Normally, some stores do not carry full leaf tea, as it is a particular market. In a rural area such as here, stores tend to carry what most of the customers buy, which are tea bags.

It was a little surprising to see more full leaf tea being stocked around here. It is quite surprising itself that a store which sells products for full leaf tea doesn’t necessarily sell full leaf tea.

During the last minute holiday rush, I found more tea leaves to try, which included this one. It is a strange brand, as I could not even find it listed here. The tin design is reminiscent old tea tins, complete with a printing of a mountain and plantation photo.

The leaves are rolled, much like Twinnings’ gunpowder green tea, but without a strong aroma. Very wooden, with a tinge of freshness.

As directed on the tin, I rinsed the leaves with boiling water for about two seconds before the initial steeping. Beyond that, I followed my own experience of green tea infusion and cooled the water for a bit before steeping for a minute.

The liquor is a stronger wooden and fresh scent, with a lean toward the vegetal side. It is a deep auburn color, and very clean.

The flavor is that of the aroma, which is vegetal, a little wooden and fresh. There is a light astringency, but overall is very clean.

For the price, this is a nice tea. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but a good clean cup would make this tea a pleasant discovery.

Knowing the pale and bitter truth, I decided to steep with less time, and add equal amounts of rock sugar.

The result: a less bitter, less pale, sweeter chai. There is a certain quality to it that gives a simple strong flavor. Very dark and oddly powdery.

Despite, it is still bitter and pale. The sugar improved, but just slightly.

I had just found this tea place called Empress Tea House, hidden away within Prince George on Nicholson Street. Despite being located quite near to Pine Center mall, it was an adventure to find it, especially in the late 2012 snowfall.

Apparently, they have been there for close to six years, but their website shows them established in 2004, which is more close to ten years. Despite, I had never heard of this place until I asked a taxi driver if there were more tea places other than David’s Tea in Pine Center.

The word penetrating doesn’t come up describing teas often, and seeing as I haven’t really purchased a chai in quite a long while, this particular one intrigued me.

The leaves give off a fairly familiar Masala chai scent, not as strong as I would anticipate, but strong nonetheless. Rose pedals concern me, as I associate that to a pale flavor, but it doesn’t seem to be present in the leaves’ aroma, which left me slightly reassured.

Steeping the leaves, though, brings out that hidden pale floral scent. I had also forgotten to add maybe equal amounts of rock sugar, so let’s hope the penetrating spices penetrate the unnecessities.

The first initial sips reaffirm my concerns. This chai is not penetrating enough. The pale characteristics overwhelm a potentially interesting blend of spicy and “sensuous” ingredients, as the flavor is attempting strength, but ultimately cannot go further.

I would expect rock sugar would improve the dull flavor, but probably not by much.

It is a shame; a good chai, the right chai, can be hard to find.

I’m glad I decided to only buy a bag of about 50g of this tea. As much as I had initially loved this, it has eventually become pale and not very buttery at all.

The leaves’ aroma still gives off the impression that this will be a very creamy and full flavored black tea, but comes off flat, unnecessarily bitter and just not close to it’s description at all.

The fact that this tea will only be half as buttery with an equal or more amount of sugar added doesn’t help. As much as I love a sweetened tea, straight tea is better. But, if required, the less sugar the better.

It’s quite unfortunate, as it still seems nothing can and will compare to the holiest of holies, Teavana’s Almond Biscotti.

I bought this tea before trying it at David’s Tea Prince George location. I really liked it’s leaves scent, and I have recently taken a liking to blood orange.

I don’t think it was steeped that long when I first tried it, which was my fault as I was trying it while in the Pine Center mall. Strangely, the brew’s scent wasn’t as strong as it is in my cup at the office either, so it might not entirely be my fault.

In any case, the blood orange and citrus scents are very prevalent and extremely tangy. The liquor gives a very handsome and very deep copper color.

The flavor is that of it’s scent, a full and tangy citrus blend. The grapefruit seems to be the most recognizable, which is not a bad thing considering how much I also like grapefruit. Thankfully, the licorice root doesn’t seem out of place, possibly balancing out the citrus with the pu’erh. The two flavor extremes could clash with one another but don’t seem to at all here.

This is possibly the best orange blend tea I can remember having. The leaves’ scent had my curiosity, but the flavor now has my attention.

I don’t drink enough vanilla teas, as the strong and delicious cookie scent had caught me by surprise. You can practically smell your bites into soft and decadent sweet cookies, with an extremely well balance of vanilla and coconut.

Unfortunately, as you steep the leaves, the sweet decadent cookie aroma fades into a just as sweet and slightly more nutty, but clearly pale scent. This now worries me. Thankfully, and with knowledge of experience with most flavored black teas, I had added equal amounts of rock sugar to the leaves; this should help the vanilla and coconut maintain their cookie flavor.

And, indeed, it has. The tea can be sweet, with the vanilla and coconut helping to keep the pale black tea under control. The pale flavor is there, but not as prominent as the other flavors.

I am a bit relieved that I would not be entirely disappointed with this tea, but maybe a half teaspoon of rock sugar would suffice next time. I cannot see myself steeping the leaves a second time, as the paleness tells me this black tea will only maintain its full flavor on the initial steep.

But, a still sweet and slightly decadent tea before lunch, and during these stressful holidays, is great nonetheless.

I could not recall at the top of my head the last time I’ve had Darjeeling tea. Looking through my tea log, it appears it has been 6 months since my last steep of Darjeeling tea, which is quite surprising considering how much I love Darjeeling tea.

There is a very musty, toasted aroma to the dark brown and black leaves, with a very light woody scent. Steeping gives a similar scent, more woody than toasted, but still musty, and floral.

The flavor brings out a more floral taste, giving it a more delicate body. Any astringency compliments the light toasted notes, almost giving it a buttery flavor.

It is a little too delicate to be a morning tea, but as an early or late afternoon tea, this would be perfect.

My older brother and sister-in-law came by last night with a bag of this, wanting me to make a pitcher of iced tea for everyone. I haven’t tried this herbal tea before, but I am always excited to try new teas.

I mixed eight tablespoons of leaves with about two tablespoons of rock sugar, steeped for around ten minutes and left it in the fridge for a good four to five hours. Mind you, I’ve only made iced tea this way twice before, so there is a reason to my general approximations.

My first initial reaction was how surprisingly dark it is lukewarm, I would assume the sunflower petals and rosehip peels are to blame for that, but the sweet and fruity flavors quickly overwhelm, not so much overtake or suffocate, but at the very lease harmonize the overall taste.

It is an unusual color, a reddish blonde tone. And, because it is herbal, very cloudy.

My second helping, about twenty hours later, gives less a dark flavor and more a sweetly juicy body. The fruit really balance each other out. As well, the colder it is, the more delicious it gets.

I wish I made some of this near the end of summer. We’d probably be constantly making it, as the juicy flavor sure could quench a summer night’s thirst.