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I required some severe wake-me-up on a Sunday morning. Actually…it was afternoon by this point. Still, I needed something strong and hearty. I went with this single estate Assam, brewed it on the light side – like I do most blacks – and waited. The liquor color was lighter than a usual robust Assam, which had me worried. Was it not going to have the strength I needed? That fear didn’t last long on fragrance and flavor. All blunt and malty.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/06/review-davidsons-tea-assam-banaspaty-2/

While they don’t say on the Red Leaf site whether or not this is a Lapsang Souchong, it certainly smells like one. It smells like campfire. I like that smell…and I hate camping. The taste was much smoother than the average Lapsang. Instead of instantly tasting “burning”, it went down smooth. It betrayed a malty/floral note along with the smoky attributes.

The second best smoked tea I’ve ever tried.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/11/29/review-red-leaf-tea-double-smoked-tea/

Everybody knows yerba mate has grand health benefits and wake-up properties, but it doesn’t really taste that good. Guayusa has about the same properties but with a sweet finish that compliments the leafy aspect. This tropical blend contains ginger and orange peel, and – frankly – the ginger dominates a little too much. The orange peel almost makes zero impression beyond scent. Thankfully, it’s still a good blend with a lot of the natural guayusa taste coming through when fused with the ginger. Think of this as a ginger blend with a dash of sweet leaf.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/16/review-mark-t-wendell-runa-guayusa-tropical-ginger-citrus/

I knew this was a first flush when I laid eyes on it. Got this in the mail from SeyKayYay, and while I couldn’t tell from scent alone if I’d like it, I was pretty sure it would be something unique. After a two-and-a-half-minute brew-up, the liquor colored to a pale gold with a spicy-nut nose. Same attributes translated to taste. While I have tasted spicier Darj’s, this had all the wonderful trappings of it’s season. The best bit, though, was the complete and utter lack of astringency. Nothing, not even on a double-timed second steep. Wonderful.

Up to that point, I tried my fair share of Dian Hongs (Yunnan blacks) but never the “golden” variety, which was apparently the best way to get it. And, boy, the sommeliers are right. This IS the way to get it. I felt like I was drinking buttered candy with a cup of straight beer malt. It was clean, subtle, but somehow…manly. Also worthy of mention is a cinnamony note on the scent and aftertaste. It was a perfect black tea.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/26/review-zen-tara-golden-yunnan-special/

I received a one-shot sample of this from a Twitter friends. I was very curious about it after a couple of false alarms on my Milk Oolong search. Sure, the others had some detectable creaminess to them but nothing awe-inspiring. This smelled like buttered popcorn right from the get-go on dry leaf alone. After the brew-up, that feeling still stayed. I wouldn’t have thought that I’d like a “butter” taste to my tea (aside from a slight buttery-floral note), but I was wrong. I welcomed the cornucopia of creaminess. A surprisingly and superior cup.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/11/21/review-american-tea-room-milk-oolong-2/

This is a second flush from Margaret’s Hope. I “think” I’ve had others from this Darjeeling Tea Estate, but I haven’t a clue. Some vendors don’t list origin. Anyway, this is a shy bit different than the usual second flush. The liquor is lighter, brewing to a vibrant gold rather than amber or red. And it’s lacking some of the requisite muscatel character. That said, it’s a floral cup with a feather-touch spice finish and still worth your valuable morning.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/14/review-canton-tea-co-margaret%E2%80%99s-hope-silver-moon/

You wouldn’t think a company that specializes in Chinese teas would know anything about Darjeeling. Well, given that this is called “Giddapahar China Delight”, I guess it isn’t too much of a stretch. This is everything one comes to expect from a first flush Darj; spice, malt, muscatel, magnificence, etc. It’s not quite as perfect as some of Giddapahar’s second flush teas, but it definitely holds it’s own torch.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/08/review-canton-tea-co-1st-flush-darjeeling-giddapahar-china-delight/

I had this again for only the second time since receiving it. The first time around – which was for review purposes – I thought it was good, but not earth-shattering. The second time was a peculiar experience. It tasted lightly sweet on the finish like a good Keemun, and I didn’t have any of the initial bitterness like the first time. Not sure what I did differently with Round 2, but I’ll take it.

First Review Here:

http://www.teaviews.com/2010/10/22/review-thepuritea-assam-1/

I got this little herbal offering from Seykayyay. Now, I’ve had Frank’s offerings before, and I can say – with no hint of irony – he is the mad scientist of blenders. And this is no exception. It’s loud, it’s rambunctious, it feels guilty to drink…but it’s all awesome. Taster notes aren’t needed, it tastes like its namesake suggests. Granted, I didn’t do this as a traditional “tea” by any stretch. I brewed it as a latte, for I think that’s how this works best. Tastes like cheesecake that’s been melted by dragons, forged in awesome, then returned to my lips.