threewhales

In my constant search for a breakfast tea, I decided to make this in a traditional stovetop method. Creamy and good were the end results. You know me, I thought it was too mild, so I made it again with 2 teabags and poured the contents out of the teabag. Better, spicier. I do suspect that 1 teabag is enough for 6 ounces of water and 1 ounce of milk. The key though is to pour the contents out of the teabag! Could this be my new morning tea? I don’t know yet. I did enjoy it, but it was not my beloved Sinharaja.

The last of this tea is upon me. I have been considering ordering Ceylon from another company, I have actually looked at Teas Etc, Upton and Drink the Leaf. I could take a chance on another company or just spend the money and go with what I know is good. I have spent so much money on tea and then it ends up in my daughter’s cupboard!

This is the prettiest tea in my cupboard. The bright orange flecks against the dark brown Ceylon. The citrus is perfectly balanced. No astringency. Two infusions. Perfection in a cup.

Not what I usually think of for a breakfast tea, but it is good. Nice fruit notes throughout the tea. I can taste the peach and apricot, not the ginger. I am not finding any astringency which is a good thing for me. Not sure I will replace this one, but for now it is nice to have:)

The smell of the dry leaves is oh so good, I can’t seem to get my nose out of the bag long enough to put some leaves in the infuser basket…ok, I am out of the bag and placing leaves in the teapot…5 minute wait…pacing….Red brew in my cup, it is a red tea afterall. Cinnamon is the emitting from my cup, a nice cinnamon, not fake or candy like. I like it, I can see myself drinking this in the winter more than in the summer, but yeah, I like it!

Nice and toasty. No seaweed notes are in this blend. Good for an afternoon snack with no calories…you gotta love that!

The smell has me coming back for more. Creamy goodness and the brew in the cup is just as creamy. You know what I mean? Sometimes it smells good in the bag but after you brew it up, it falls flat! But, not this one, it stands up and waves back to me in its creamy goodness. The thing about EG, is the flowers, I don’t like’em, but in this blend, the flowers are not overpowering. A nice balance.

Smoooooth this morning. This Ceylon is from the Kenilworth Estate. It hit me this morning as I was sipping, that this tea is veeeeerrrrry similar to GM French Breakfast tea. According to GM, their french breakfast comes from a single estate in Sri Lanka. I would be willing to bet they get it from the Kenilworth estate! If it is not the same estate, it is pretty darn close according to my taste buds. AND, Upton is way cheaper than GM in case you were wondering:)

Citrus smells are emitting from my cup. This tea says summer to me. I find myself reaching for this tea for its smoothness, little astringency and overall good Ceylon taste. A keeper in my cupboard:)

For a darker oolong, this is really smooth and enjoyable. I added a few cinnamon pieces to the pot, it added just the right amount of spice to an already good tea:) What I really like about oolongs are the multiple infusions.. I typically get four infusions from one pot.

I really like this tea. It is not bitter. It is very smooth and stands good alone or with the addition of milk/cream. Just the right amount of sweetness. This is a tea I could see myself ordering a tin of…but that shipping is high:( sigh…

Update on this tasting note: The smell in the bag, CREAM. It is incredible. Could not wait until the 3 minute brewing time was over, took a deep smell…I know that smell…butter on toast…I’m not sure. Taste, good in fact yummy. Maybe I do like this EG, but alas, as I got closer to the end of the cup, the bitterness, astringency reared its ugly head and then it was there…the perfume, the flowers…ugh…I give up on the Earl. Sorry Jean-Luc Picard, I wanted to like it…I really did….I could not believe something that smelt so good in my cup was doomed to failure. So I tried this again..the bitterness and perfume was gone in this cup. I did like it and I do plan to taste more EG in the future. Thanks Jean-Luc for not letting me give on your staple tea:)

Smells good in the bag. Brewed it up and took a sip. SWEET IMO. I did not detect any chocolate notes which is what I wanted and expected. What is in here that makes this sweet? The crackle bits?

Tried this tonight and I liked it. The smell was heavenly and chocolate. How can I go wrong here? I’m not a fan of rooibos, but this is a good dessert type tea. All the flavor, no calories.
I do think I needed to add a bit more leaf, because it was weak IMO. Maybe I did not brew it long enough…who knows for sure. But I did like it and I will be trying the rest of my sample tomorrow making a few adjustments along the way.

It’s late, but I want more tea! So this tea came to my mind. 5 minute brew and a dash of milk and I have a great cup of tea. Smooth. Creamy. Yummy.

This is really pretty tea. The dry leaves are black and wiry, the orange and goldenrod shavings are mingled throughout. The smell is incredible! Citrus notes fill your senses. The brewed tea is equally as good as the smell. Smooth tea from Sri Lanka, no bitterness and very little astringency. The citrus notes are balanced with the black tea. No need for milk or sugar as the tea is perfect alone. Follow the advice on the bag…just add water & enjoy:)

Thank you Ricky for sharing this Yunnan with me.
I am on a quest to find that morning tea that I want to reach for each morning. This is not for me, but if you like Yunnans, this is your tea. Brisk and bright…but not my cuppa.

This reminds me of the discontinued Plum Harvest from Teavana with one exception, this TeaFrog blend is spot on with the sweetness. Not too sweet, Just right IMO.
If you are looking for a caffeine free herbal blend with berries, your search is over.
A nice Red brew in my cup, enjoyable to the last drop:)

Nice light green tea with fruity notes. Reminds me of a delicate white tea. Brewed this up in my new gaiwan…very cool…it has amazed me how having the right tool for the right tea improves the flavor ten fold:)

Finished up the last of this tea yesterday. With a 3.5 minute infusion, the honey notes really showed up. Smooth, absolutely no harsh bitterness. This is the tea I turn to when I don’t want to add milk. I just want a tea all by itself, no additions. Plus if I get busy at school and forget to drink my tea, it is still good cold.

I used my new Houhin brewing this tea. WOW, what a difference the proper vessel makes for this particular tea. I had stopped drinking this tea because I am the only tea drinker in my house and when I make a pot of this in a 16 oz teapot, wheezers…I have alot of tea to drink all by myself. I know what you are thinking, make the rest iced, but I really enjoy it hot much better. So, with all that being said, I finially broke down and purchased a 4 oz Houhin and four infusions later I have had a nice, dark oolong tea. Plum pieces are evident in the dry leave and after the infusion, they impart a nice tartness. This tea is expensive IMO, but because you can get multiple infusions, this is doable for me-cost wise-even though shipping is/was $10:(

Ok, it is official, I do not like Rooibos. Done. Moving on to something more worthy of my money and tastebuds:)

Thank you Ricky for sending me some awesome tea samples, this being one of them!
Yunnan. Let’s see, my first tea love was a Yunnan. This is smoother than that first love. It is bold, but not too much. The smell is a pleasant tea smell. I added a dot of milk that I agree with Doulton that the milk “relaxes the tea.” The astringency is mild, which is good for me since I seem to be sensitve to astringency. It is better than the bagged english breakfast teas I have tried and loved. I seem to go seasons with my tea drinking, I drink one or two teas almost constantly, then I move one to something else for a season. Will this tea be part of a tea season for me, can’t tell at this moment. This is my first Samovar tea and I am pleasantly pleased with the experience.

Thanks to Ricky for sharing this incredible tea with me!
The leaves smell rich, inviting. The first sip….strawberry…real strawberries, just the right amount of sweetness. I could eat this up, so smooth, so rich tasting. I think I just found my dessert tea that I have been looking high and low for:)