teawing

I picked this up on my vacation last week. First I want to say I love Twinings tea, always have and no doubt always will. Twinings got me started as a tea person and while I have branched out to many different types of tea, this company holds a special place for me.
I am an undisputed fan of black teas. Especially Assam. Pairing the Assam with Yunnan takes the malty edge off, and makes for a more refined and regal cup of tea. Remaining true to English tea heritage, the Assam is present, just tempered a bit in honor of the Queen. It steeps up the color of coffee and lingers long on the tongue post sip. A hint of maltiness at first descends to a mellow, easy Yunnan finish. My only regret is that I bought but one tin in blue. Should have purchased the pink and green as well.
Long live the Queen!

Thanks to Angel at Teavivre! I tried this today and I must say, I am impressed. Steeped Gongfu style, it provided a much needed calmness to my morning.
Dry the leaves give faint notes of cream. The liquid color is pale yellow. I went 5 steeps on this and only the 5th was noticeably less in flavor. Still good, the 5th steep was just lighter. As Dinosara noted, it lacks the intensity of ATR, owing mostly to the stated fact that ATR uses TQY. I hadint known that before but it makes sense now.
I have been a devoted fan of ATR’s Milk oolong but I think for the price, I have a new favorite.

An order will be following.

The Ceylon teas I have tried up to this time (not that many) have been far less interesting to me than the Darjeelings, Assams, Keemun’s and other blacks. This one, however, really intrigues me. The berry notes are present during steeping and after. I liked that, it actually drew me to the cup from arms length at my desk to take it in. It is a little astringent, but that is ok with me. Each sip finishes very clean and sharp. There is a depth to this one that seems familiar, but I am having trouble placing it. I may have to track more of this down and figure it out. For now, it will remain a mystery to me. Thanks to Indigobloom for the chance to try a little of this!

Another holiday bargain I have yet to log. This tea helps me understand how the British Empire was instrumental in hooking the world on tea. There is power, restoration, vigor, and a sense time honored tradition in every cup of this tea. Did I mention it is bagged? ((gasp)) I have to remind myself that good things can come in bags…and usually at a better price. Right gmathis??? :) If you like an English Breakfast or Afternoon tea, this is a good one. I am about to make a second cup to enjoy with my grilled ham and cheddar on rye with some horseradish mustard. Bon A petite’ ya’ll.

On a road trip for the holidays I neglected to bring green tea so I picked this up out of convenience. I was impressed. It is a very solid grassy green and easy to make on the run. I have tried a few from this brand and overall I like what they do. You get a good value as well 50 bags for 10.00 or so. Not bad. Not having any experience with Matcha, I can’t speak to that aspect. I will say, the cloudy nature of the tea, the bright green color, and rich flavor make this a winner in my book. Not fancy and no bells or chimes ringing, but I find no fault in it.

This is one of the most interesting teas I have tried and I had never heard of it before today!
It is complex to say the least with slight honey and nut flavor, silky feel, and unmistakable
Darjeeling influences (it is from the region without a doubt). Almost the best of both worlds, oolong and Darjeeling. I would say it is lighter on the oolong side but a very good cup of tea. I will be considering this in the future. Thanks Indigobloom! Your samples have given light to some dreary January days of late…

Another sample from Indigobloom. Thanks be!
I love Darjeeling and the more tea I drink, the more I love Darjeeling. I choose it, want it, yes even crave it sometimes. This is deep, full and as already stated fruity. That vintage fruit is one of the things I love about a good Darjeeling. This is definitely one of them.
This one lingers long on the tongue after the sip is gone almost begging you to take another and another…

I love oolongs, and this is yet another that would make my list. I had no reference at all for this, I love it when I have no previous knowledge of a tea and can taste it unbiased. The vanilla stood out to me, but it took a little while to be sure. So I would say it is understated, which is never a problem with vanilla flavor. Admittedly, I didn’t notice a high floral content, again, like the vanilla it was subtle. Thanks to Indigobloom for another new and different tea to try!

First, I am thankful to Indigobloom for sending some of this my way. I LOVE the subtle flavor of coconut in this tea. Sometimes coconut teas can make you feel like you just drank your suntan lotion by mistake but not this one. It is a perfect balance of oolong and coconut. I have been waiting for a chance to try this. To me, it is silky like a milk oolong with the added extra deliciousness of the tropics. I bet this would be good iced, but I doubt my sample will make it to warm weather. :) Thanks again Indigobloom!!!

Picked up a little of this yesterday at the natural foods store. I like it.
There is a fair amount of spice, not too much or too little. I was not sure the spice and green would play well together but they do. I now have another local tea that is decent I can get without an online order, postage, shipping, handling, and the perils of the US Mail.

It has been a while since I logged a new tea. I have been working through my stash, considering a purchase down the road but you know how it is, too much on the shelf to justify more. Well, this will be on my list, when I get the stash dwindled down a bit. I found this to be a lovely tea, somewhat light considering the notes. H&S says it is lighter than usual. Light yet robust? Yes and the deep, dark roasted oolong flavor is there, but veiled like a princess whose beauty is only hinted at through her eyes… Thanks to QuiltGuppy for this excellent experience.

Thanks to ashmanra, was able to try this loose and I am so glad she shared it with me. I prepared it according to the instructions (she graciously sent) and added a dash of honey.
This is a good chai, and one I think might appeal to those who want it mild. I will be ordering some of this in the future.

I have been reserving this for a special occasion, so I declared tonight “special” :) After a fine meal of grilled shrimp and cheese grits, a cup of this, from my gaiwan, on a nice fall evening is just about as good as it can get. Temp here on the front porch, 78, with a light westerly breeze. I have reviewed this tea before, nothing else to say except the right external conditions can make an excellent cup of tea into a tea memory. Did I mention the gorgeous sunset?
As is the case for many of us, QuiltGuppy is responsible for all of this.
UPDATE
One cup was not enough to see the sun disappear, I went four steeps, and like the sun, the Milk oolong faded slightly, until it was gone.

Celebrating the first cool fall evening on the porch with the Queen. She is always there for us, consistent, true, and always enchanting. Tonight I added a dash of milk. I was not disappointed as the Queen proved once again her majesty of flavor while complementing her loyal subjects, milk and sweetness. I have so waited the return of fall, the coolness in the air and a
hot cup of tea outdoors.

Backlogging
Sunday night, holiday Monday in sight, family, good friends, Fellowship of the Ring extended edition, and multple pots of Tower of London. If there is a more fitting tea with which to indulge in Tolkien, I do not know what it might be. I am open to suggestions though.
I love this tea, and only bring it out for special occasions.

Jenn gave me a sample of this to continue my quest for all things Harney & Sons.
WOW! I have not been overwhelmed by a tea for a while now. Dry, there was a hint of cocoa. Steeped, there is rich smoothness and an intensity of black tea flavor at the beginning of the sip. This diminishes quickly. It reminds me of some Darjeelings I have tried, and the black tea is similar to some Lapsangs sans smoke. This is VERY interesting. Lastly, the "Golden Snail name is fairly unappealing to me personally, and I actually found the look of the tea closer to the darker locks of fir in the family Shi-Tzu.
Anyone supportive of a name change to Golden Shi-Tzu? I didn’t think so… :)
Thanks Jenn for a generous and thought provoking sample.

I had a sample of this (in bagged form) lurking in my stash for some time. Unforgivably, I am at a loss as to who gave it to me. So I will take this opportunity to thank the many friends I have on Steepster who have helped shape my tea experiences. Steepster is such a special place.
I found this to be a little mild as far as chai/Indian Spice goes. I like it. The cardamom is not overpowering, and the black tea shines through. A little honey, warmed milk, this would be a good little cup of tea. Here at my desk, with a little splenda, it is just fine.

My sister is now supporting my tea habit, she helped me find this in the area. I had tried the bagged version, but I must say, being able to control the flavor better with loose leaf makes this tea even better. I have a personal philosophy about breakfast teas, I want them strong. So, I had a nice breakfast on my day off (inspired by Ashmanra and her torture methods of the weekend last) Fried egg with sausage, cheddar cheese on grilled rye with a dash of brown mustard. No potatoes in the house to pair with the onions, so I skipped that part. The Assam in this tea stays with you a long time after the sip, I like that, a lingering reminder till time for another. It is actually a cool rainy morning, not a typical August day at all. This tea, and a simple meal, on the front porch make for a wonderful start of the day.

A long week, some hard things, I would rather escape with a good novel set in the 19th Century, but this will have to do for now. An old friend, constant, never changing, always there. I loved this tea from the very first sip and feel a bit sad when the cup is empty.
Blackberries, cream and a slight hint of smoked black tea. What a simple yet satisfying combination. I have written on this one before, but I have to say, it still inspires me, after all those cups.

UPDATE
Shame on me, credit where credit is due…
Thanks to SimplyJenW, for extending my sample of this. A true friend in tea.

Today was hectic, so to relax a little this afternoon, I decided to try a sample I had been keeping back. YET ANOTHER sample from the thoughtful, dependable, generous, and friendly QuiltGuppy. Her tasting note made this tea sound so good to me, the tea exceeded my expectations, which were fairly high in the first place. The tobacco aroma is there at the beginning, but also black tea, maltiness is present. Steeped, the color is golden, a beautiful cup. The hint of tobacco at the start of the sip is incredible. Not a cheap cigarette grade, but a fine, aged pipe tobacco. In no way is it too strong, just a hint. The tobacco quickly dissolves into a malty assam-like flavor but very smooth.
The smoke at the end is a trace, faintly there.

I like this, and will be buying some with my next H&S order.

A sample of this came to me via the ever lovely Quilt Guppy. H&S says this is tea with heft.
That is exactly my take on it. I found it rich, full, and somewhat nutty. There was also a hint of dried hay. I normally would not find hay appetizing, but in this case, contemplating as I always end up with a cup of black tea, my mind yields to relaxing thoughts of the country, hay meadows on a late summers day. Thanks QG, you always make it interesting.

We are setting records for heat, so I have been mixing some iced tea into my day. This has become a favorite. Brew a pot of this including a large sprig of mint, combine in a quart mason jar with ice, a twist of lime, and a little sweetener as desired and my goodness, you have a refreshing and delicious beverage. Goes well with Rat Lunch too, hmm what time is it? I am getting hungry!

Trying this out today courtesy of SimplyJenW. Dry, this is a very appealing black tea with blue flowers mixed in. Steeped it delivers as promised. A fair balance of Bergamot and cream. I really like the combination. For me, the Bergamot is there at the beginning and end of the sip with the cream in the center, like an Oreo cookie. It is an interesting affect.
Thanks SimplyJenW, I am very glad to have tried this.

Rat lunch today, looked my office stash over and noticed a long forgotten and neglected friend. This was quite tasty with my grilled cheddar and rye with yellow mustard on the side. This tea partners well with a lot of foods. I was eating Thai fried rice the other day wishing for some of this. I think my next order will be carry out. :) Nothing new to add, other than this is one tea that has stayed consistent and I have never lost my taste for it. I need to keep the tin closer to the front!