New Tasting Notes
Finishing up the sample from Ashmanra with lots of leaf in my teapot and a wee bit of honey in my cup. Seeing how it will compare to my experience with Cranberry Autumn and honey.
Honey makes it a bit more mellow, I think I like it more bold. No honey next cup. I think I will be ordering this next Harney order. Will alternate with Cranberry autumn. Both are delicious in their own way. I like the bake notes and almond nuttiness in this tea. Yum. I am falling in love with Harney teas!
I have tried a few different jasmine silver needle type teas, and of the ones that I’ve tried, this one is my least favorite. I am not exactly sure what it is about this tea, but, it isn’t as good as it could be (based upon previous experiences).
The jasmine flavor is overpowering and too sharp and even bitter tasting, while the white tea flavor is nearly non-existent as it has been overwhelmed by the jasmine.
This is quite disappointing, actually. Not one I’d recommend to others.
Preparation
Did you take the jasmine flowers out before you steeped? I had a problem with a sharp, bitter taste too, until I remembered some random advice I’d read at some point about taking the jasmine flowers out. Brewed muuuch smoother
I probably did not take the flowers out … as a general rule I don’t add anything to a tea or take anything out. I figure if the tea company wants me to like the tea, they should do that work themselves. :)
TeaEqualsBliss was very kind and sent me a sample of this. I was then kind and let my husband drink it. :) We were making tea today and he really loves black tea so I let him have it. He really loves the Teavana Black Dragon Pearls so I thought this was right up his alley. It looks identical so it could be the same tea. I did have a taste of it and liked it well enough. It has a lot of depth and earthiness but had a touch of bitterness to it. I think I like the Teavana Dragon Pearls better (but its been a long time since I’ve had that one, so hard to tell).
Preparation
So I tried to make a tea soda out of this. I failed.
To make things better, I brewed up the last bags into a pot of hot tea. And am trying to come to terms with the fact that all I’m really capable of making tea-wise is a pot of hot neat tea, and iced sweet tea. The second of which I don’t even like and only make for my mother. My lattes are sad, and my other experiments just leave me empty inside.
Oh, well. I still love my tea hot and neat.
Preparation
You failed at tea soda or the tea failed at tea soda?
I failed at tea soda. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
If you tell me what you did maybe I can give you some pointers. I’ve done it a couple times and it’s turned out good.
Made a tea concentrate out of the bags…just enough hot water to cover them. Added that and some sweetener to carbonated water. Rolled bottle gently to mix.
Omit the sweetener? I’m kinda biased since I never use sweetener, but that’s the only difference in how I make mine. Sad. :(
I added the sweetener after the first taste unsweetened gagged me. Yup, sad.
Well at least you know what you did wrong.
Sad:( I’m sorry your tea experiment failed. I haven’t tried tea soda because anytime I add splenda to soda water I have a mess on my hands. Maybe honey would work?
I was a bit wary of this tea because it smelled very cinnamony and I was afraid it was going to be too strong, but the flavour was suprisingly delicate and well balanced. I also left it a bit lobger than I should have, but it did not detract from the flavour at all. This tea is one I will be drinking regularly
This is the best tea I’ve had thus far. I tried it for the first time at Samovar Tea Lounge and bought a tin for myself. At the time, I hadn’t yet started steeping loose tea and it looked like it was going to be too much and last forever. I was mistaken. The tin recommends using 2-3 tablespoons of tea per 16 ounces of water, more tea than I’ve yet been instructed to use; consequently, the tin empties pretty quickly, especially if you simply can’t get enough of the tea.
As others have said, it’s a very warm, mellow tea that does what chamomile is supposed to do: warm you to the tips of your fingers and toes, loosen those tight muscles, and help you relax. In addition, it has such a smooth, comforting flavour and lovely fragrance that just steeping a mug makes me happy. One of the nicest things about it is that although cinnamon appears in its list of ingredients (it seems I can’t seem to get away from that stuff), the overall flavour and fragrance are both extremely well balanced. Cold weather + Ocean of Wisdom = very quickly depleting stock. Fortunately, I’m headed back to San Francisco in two months so that I can re-stock in person; this time, I plan to buy more than one tin.
Preparation
This is probably my new favorite rooibos! I love rooibos and I love sweet dessert teas… what a perfect combination this is! I don’t detect something that is pure coconut.. I’m just getting a creamy, almost honey-like sweetness instead. This is so smooth! The perfect balance between rooibos and sweetness. I don’t know how, but it’s quickly soared to the top of my list. Delicious! I won’t ever go without this blend in my cupboard.
Mmm Mmm good. Cloudwalker Teas is now stocking this tea and it is available on our website. I had some this evening as a pick-me-up before going out to meet some friends. Dark, earthy with a hint of sheng bitter, the taste is all pu erh, and because it is a compressed cake, it’s pretty good value for money. There’s a lot of tea in one of these mushrooms. The energy is lasting as well. Really good stuff.
Preparation
Found two bags of this while organizing my tea rack! What a pleasant surprise! :)
It smells SO strong! Other users had mentioned the smell of Fruit Loops and I totally agree. Holy crap. Almost smells too strong.
The taste is very lemony, not too much chamomile so I’m a little bit disappointed. It’s quite subtle, despite the fact that the smell knocks you off your feet. I kind of wish that the strong smell would mean a bit stronger of a flavor.
This tea would be great if I had a stuffy nose.
Preparation
Not a bad tea, but it didn’t leap out at me. I am not in love with it, but I don’t hate it either. It was sweet enough to enjoy without adding sugar, and there are very light cocoa notes and definite honey notes. Drinking it side by side with Brigitte’s Blend, it just lacked shine. It wouldn’t be a bad tea to keep around to serve with food because it is neutral enough that it won’t steal the spotlight, but it won’t be a memorable part of the meal.
Preparation
Today’s winner in the tea party test! This had the headiness of an assam, a lovely bright tingle in the mouth, and lots of added interest from the silvery Ceylon. Good tea! We drank this one with no additions. I think of it as a very, very refined Irish Breakfast. But I am a novice, so what do I know? We only steeped it for 3 minutes 45 seconds because I fear many assams. I will steep it a little longer next time.
Preparation
I am madly in love with this tea!!
I picked it up today from David’s Tea, and I had been looking for something with a good coconut flavour. This definitely did the trick!
I think this will be one I start drinking daily… fantastic!
Preparation
So far, I am not impressed. At least, for this to cost $1/gr, it is not worth it. The cheaper gyokuro (Premium) is worth it and tastes better. So far. I’m still hoping I can figure out if I’m using bad steeping parameters. I used 1.5 tsp for about 4oz water. The previous trials tasted weak, so I felt like I needed to up the amount of leaf.
The wet leaf gave off a really nice aroma of greens and a strong note of mashed potatoes. That may sound strange, but it really smelled delicious.
However, the actual tea wasn’t very sweet, didn’t have any marine, vegetal, or umami flavors present…. it actually didn’t have much flavor at all. Except one, that was…. starchy mashed potatoes.
Ok, as a smell, it was great, but as the main taste of the tea….not so good. :-(
If that had been a flavor that was present but gave way to the main tastes that are more typical of Japanese greens, that would have been fine.
I haven’t given up hope on this, as it really seems like it should be good; all the right elements are present (at least, according to Hibiki-an).
Preparation
As far as I have heard, gyokuro requires quite the large amount of leaves per ounce of water, so one gram per ounce seems to be enough. Not that I have that much experience when it comes to gyokuro, and definitely not the US fuid ounce system.
As for steeping time, I have heard that it really depends on the quality of the gyokuro. I am not sure if 90 seconds would be a good alternative.
Yesterday, I got some gyokuro from a Japanese friend who had been in Kyoto just now, and I hope you and me perhaps might be able to share some gyokuro experiences from now on.
Yeah, I’m going by Hibiki-an’s suggested steeping parameters. I’ve usually not had problems steeping gyokuro, but I too don’t have much experience with them. So far, I’ve only tried 4 gyokuros…. 2 from Hibiki-an, one from Den’s Tea, and one from Bird Pick Tea & Herb.
Cool, be sure to post your review once you’ve tried it!
Slight backlog…brewed up a big pot of this before starting my Thanksgiving contribution: Chocolate Blackberry Spice cake. It’s now in the oven, and I’ll frost it in the morning. Here’s hoping it turns out well!
And now, my teapot is empty and I have to clean the kitchen. sigh
Preparation
The Final Sipdown: Day 12
Decupboarding Total: 27
I’m staring to like when good teas are caught up in The Final Sipdown. It’s a nice break from teas that are still around only because I don’t like them enough to drink them up. This is one of those good teas. I’m not dying to reorder this but, depending on the state of my pantry, I can see myself picking up more of this the next time I order from CTG. It’s quite tasty and I like the variety of flavors I can get from this.
This time I went the ‘high-flavor brew’ (11.5g/12oz) and it really is flavorful. The sencha aspect is really highlighted. The pan frying gives it a nice, somewhat nutty note that makes it feel more like a fall-mood sencha instead of a spring or summer one. Perfect for today with a cold front stalking us!
Preparation
This is an interesting blend. Generally I shy away from blends Ginseng and/or Echinacea, and this blend has both! But, once I get past my apprehension about the tea and actually taste it, it’s really pretty tasty.
The earthy, vegetal taste of the green yerba maté is the strongest flavor of the cup, but I can also taste the sweet notes of the Sencha. The Ginseng and Echinachea are (thankfully) do not lend a strong presence in the flavor of the tea. My initial reaction to the first sip was “medicine-y” but, as I continue to sip, I don’t really get “medicine-y” … a herbal-y flavor, yes, but not off-putting or medicine-like.
Preparation
Oh this is interesting – very mild, very well blended. Brewed exactly according to Rishi’s instructions, the sencha is barely noticeable, but the Yuzu (a citrus fruit I’d never tasted before) isn’t overpowering, either. I’m not quite sure how that works. I’m going to wait a little while to try to rate this numerically.
It’s a very light citrus flavor, and very authentic. Like smelling just the outside of a fresh orange, or what I imagine a citrus orchard would taste like. I’m not getting roses or gardenia’s (as they suggest) but there is something floral there.
It is a little bitter, on the first steep, but it’s citrus-rind-bitter not oversteeped-green-bitter. I like the second steep better, I think. I can taste more of the sencha and matcha, though the yuzu is still very much present.
This is very refreshing, between the citrus and the matcha caffeine kick; it might be good iced, though I think I’d be tempted to sweeten it.
1 heaping tsp, 4oz water, 2nd steep 1 minute
Would you say this is a little toned down to Cranberry Autumn? Even though I love CA, it’s a little too strong on the palate sometimes.
It isn’t at all like Cranberry Autumn to me. Even though cranberry flavor is there, the almond gives it that amaretto sultriness. It is a quiet, intimate, cozy cup of tea. Cranberry Autumn is bright and social. IU like both, but they are for very different moods.