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Apr 30

Shamrock Tea from Zoomdweebies

52 Teas,Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review 11:00 pm | No Comments

Shamrock Tea from ZoomdweebiesAppropriately enough, my order from Zoomdweebies that included this delightful green tea arrived on St. Patrick’s Day, so I was able to celebrate the day with a cup of it.

And what a great way to celebrate!

As I have mentioned in the past, many mint green teas out there tend to be so strongly flavored with mint that the flavor of the green tea is nearly undetectable.  Fortunately, that is not the case with this tea.  While it is very minty – it is not so strong that it overwhelms the flavor of the Japanese Sencha tea, nor does it overpower the delicate vanilla flavor.

The Sencha is a good choice for this blend.  It does not possess a strong, vegetative quality which would, in my opinion, interfere with the idea behind this tea – which, according to 52 Teas:  “may or may not be inspired by a certain milkshake that is available around this time of year.”  The flavors of this tea are very well-balanced.  The bright-tasting, light-bodied Sencha Tea together with the mint blend and vanilla – delicious!

My first cup of this tea was very enjoyable, although I must admit, it was not exactly what I expected it to be.  I added just a little bit of raw sugar to the cup – which brought out the flavors nicely and made the cup pleasantly sweet.  But it didn’t taste like I remember that certain milkshake to taste.  Then I read the Tea Guru’s review of this tea from last April, and I decided that I had to do it.  I had to add milk to green tea.

Wow!  Before pouring the hot tea into my mug, I first heated a small amount of half-and-half and added it to my mug, and then I used my Aerolatte Frother (I will write a review about this nifty tool in the very near future) to whip it into a frothy foam.  Then I poured the hot tea over the froth, and YUM!   Yeah … it’s hot tea, but, it *tastes* like a minty milkshake!

Zoomdweebies/52Teas describes this tea as

It might be hard to compete with green beer, but we’re sure going to try. Here’s a special blend just for St. Patty’s Day. Green tea with fresh cut peppermint AND spearmint and a hint of vanilla. May or may not be inspired by a certain milkshake offered at this time of year. Enjoy!

The flavor of this tea without the frothy milk is very good – minty fresh with a light touch of vanilla, and a lovely green tea that is neither bitter nor astringent.  However, please take my advice and try it with a bit of milk – it is refreshingly delicious – minty, creamy, and with just enough green tea fresh taste to remind you that you are, in fact, drinking tea and not a milkshake.

This has been such a popular flavor for Zoomdweebies/52Teas that they have decided to offer it year ’round (unlike the fast food chain with their milkshakes!) and once you’ve tried it, you’ll be glad they do!



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Apr 30

No. 08 Mao Feng Shui by Steven Smith Teamaker

Green Tea,Steven Smith Teamaker,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 4:00 pm | No Comments

Mao Feng ShuiWikipedia defines Feng Shui as “an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both heaven (astronomy) and earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi.”  Well, then this tea is appropriately named, because it is like a little bit of heaven right here on earth.

The tea brews to a pale golden color (the picture is very true to the color that I obtained when I brewed it) and when I sip it, it is as though I can hear the heavens sing well-deserved praises to the tea in my cup.

Yes, it’s really that good.

And, I guess I must finally admit to myself that I have begun to take quite a liking to the vegetative flavor of green tea.  I guess it is – for some of us, at least – an acquired taste.  It took me a while to acquire it.  But I can tell you that if I were given this tea eight years ago, I would not appreciate it the way I do now.

Upon opening this package, the vegetative aroma filled the air.  It is quite grassy – much like freshly cut grass.  This fragrance foreshadows the flavor of the tea, which is indeed quite grassy, sweet with an indulgent buttery essence and mere whispers of floral notes.  It is a light-bodied tea with very little astringency and a nice aftertaste.  The natural sweetness of these tea leaves provide the perfect amount of sweet taste for the cup.  To add sugar to this tea would seem criminal to me.

Steven Smith Teamaker describes this tea as

About this Tea

This spring harvested Mao Feng green tea from Zhejiang China has a slightly sweet, vegetative taste and aroma with a lingering fresh aftertaste. Carefully picked at high elevation, it is exceptionally rich in antioxidants for greater feng shui enhancement.

Ingredients

Spring harvested full leaf China green tea.

Preparation

For best flavor, bring freshly drawn filtered water to 190 degrees. Steep three minutes. Arrange tea pot and cup as desired for deeper enjoyment.

This is not a tea that I would serve chilled, however, I must admit that it is so good that I finished my cup before I could allow it to cool a little bit to see if the tea keeps its flavor as it cools.   It is perfectly self-drinking – but if you must add something, try a thin slice of citrus.  I think it would be quite good with a little lime.

Of the teas that I’ve tried from Steven Smith thus far, this one is my favorite.  It is truly divine!



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Apr 30

Papaya Ginger from Tea Guys

Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Guys,Tea Review,White Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

Papaya GingerI just received my most recent order from Tea Guys this afternoon, and I am absolutely loving this tea!  It is so good!

Not surprisingly, this tea is as beautiful to the eye as it is to the palate.  After all, every single one of Tea Guys “tease” that I’ve tried has this one thing in common – they are positively gorgeous!  High quality tea leaves tossed with large chunks of dried fruit and spices, with a sprinkling of colorful petals for added aesthetic value.  The aroma is also quite captivating.  It’s a bit like a tropical getaway in a teacup – the aroma of exotic fruits and spices excite the olfactory senses and make the mouth water!

This is a blend of both white and green teas.  I find that when dealing with white tea (and green tea), a-bit-lower-than-boiling temperature is needed to allow the flavor of the tea to fully develop while not being so hot that it scorches the tender leaves.   I generally pull the kettle when the water is hot enough to produce a good amount of steam, and tiny little bubbles are rapidly forming at the base, with only an occasional bubble being able to rise to the surface.   In other words, not quite boiling, or even “just under” boiling – just very, very hot.

Now, despite the impression one might get from the name of this tea, this tea has a little more going on than just papaya and ginger.   Sweet pineapple and juicy pomegranate join the papaya in this blend.  The flavor is sweet with just a little tart, fruity, and absolutely tropical. The ginger provides a gentle heat that helps to cut through some of the sweeter notes so that the cup is not too sweet.

This blend also has citrus peel and lemon myrtle, which compliment the fruit flavors in this blend very well.  Rounding out the flavors is anise, which offers a very delicate hint of licorice-like flavor to the cup.  Not enough to dominate the cup, but just enough to add a little interest to make your palate say, “hey, what is that?”  The ingredients also list jasmine.  I’m not sure I can taste the jasmine, but I also cannot say that the tea would taste quite the same without it.

The tea in this blend provides a fresh, vegetative quality to the cup, but it’s soft enough in flavor that it doesn’t mask the other unique and delicious tastes going on in this blend.   Sure, a tea should be about the tea, first and foremost, and I am not trying to suggest that it should be any other way.  What I am saying is that Tea Guys did this blend right.  The tea is a gentle flavor that works in synergy with the flavors rather than competing with them.

Tea Guys describes this blend as

This tropical blend of white and green tea, pineapple, papaya and pomegranate evokes memories of tropical surf, sun and breezes.  Each cupful is a healthy taste of sunshine.  Enjoy warm or iced for a refreshing treat.

Ingredients:  white tea, organic green tea, green tea, organic lemon myrtle, ginger, citrus peel, pineapple, anise, papaya, pomegranate, natural flavors, marigold, jasmine.

I have tried a few teas from Tea Guys now, and I have been really thrilled with each and every tea I’ve tasted thus far.  But I think that this just may be my favorite of their selection.  If you like tropical flavored teas, this one is must try.  The flavor is absolutely amazing.  Yum!



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Apr 29

Assam Meleng from Narien Teas

Black Tea,Narien Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

Assam Meleng from Narien TeaAn excellent Assam!

The first thing I noticed about these leaves is their unique color.  Most Assam teas that I’ve encountered are comprised very dark leaves, almost black in color.  But these leaves are brown and even golden in color and looked a bit more like a Yunnan tea than an Assam.

The aroma of the dry leaves is also quite exceptional – it is a fruity, wine-like scent.  The brewed tea is not quite as fragrant, but still has just a hint of that delicious bouquet.

This wine-like aroma translates into the flavor as well, as there are subtle fruit notes with a distinct flavor that is not unlike a Burgundy wine.  I don’t think I’ve tasted an Assam quite like it.  The flavor is bright, brisk and pungent, as is to be expected with an Assam tea, with a pleasant malty flavor that offers an interesting contrast to the wine-like note.

Definitely one of the most interesting and delicious Assam teas that I’ve had the opportunity to taste!

Narien Tea describes this tea as

Assam Meleng is an exceptional black tea from the Meleng Estate of northeastern India.

Dark tea leaves infuse in to an elegant wine-like malty cup with a lingering aftertaste.

I generally am careful not to steep an Assam too long.  I learned long ago that Assam teas tend to get rather bitter when left to brew longer than about three minutes… and once an Assam gets bitter, there is very little that can be done to soften the flavor.  Neither milk nor sugar really stops the tannic aftertaste.  I brewed these leaves for two and a half minutes, and it produced the delightful flavor I described in this review.

This is a tea that is very good without sweetener, but I think I prefer it with just a little bit of raw sugar to smooth the rougher edges.  After my initial sip, I added just a small sprinkling of raw sugar to the cup, which added smoothness to the cup and brought out some of the unique wine-like qualities of the tea.   I didn’t add milk, because I felt that it would overwhelm those characteristics, and really, who wants milk in their wine?

Unlike other Assam teas, I wouldn’t drink this in the morning (not that it would be bad in the morning), instead, I’d save it for the early evening.  It would also be spectacular served with a meal!  If you are a fan of Assam teas, this is one you should definitely try, if for no other reason than the sheer uniqueness of it.   It is truly a delightful tea!



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http://hungryinportland.com


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Apr 29

Vanilla Almond Earl Grey from Aura Zen Tea

Aura Zen Tea,Black Tea,earl grey,Flavored Tea,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

Vanilla Snickerdoodle Earl Grey by Aura Zen TeaAs a tea reviewer, I am always on the lookout for unique and unusual teas.  This tea has to be one of the more unusual ones that I’ve encountered.

It also seems to be suffering a bit from an identity crisis of sorts.  When I purchased the tea, I purchased a tea called “Vanilla Snickerdoodle Earl Grey” and this is how the tea is listed in Aura Zen’s Etsy Shop.   However, as you can see in the photo, it has the title of “Vanilla Almond Earl Grey” – and that is the name that is on the package of tea that I received.

The dry tea leaves smells strongly of sweet almonds and bergamot.  The brewed liquor smells more of sweet almonds than bergamot, and a lovely vanilla aroma is also detected, but the Earl Grey/bergamot fragrance is less apparent.  Interestingly enough, the exact opposite is true of the wet leaves.  They smell very strongly of bergamot, but very little of almonds and vanilla.

The black tea base of this blend is full-flavored and even a bit tannic.  It has a good amount of astringency, which seems to help cut through some of the sweeter aspects of these flavors. The bergamot flavor is not particularly strong at the beginning, and it seems to be a bit overwhelmed by the other flavors in the blend.  However, as I got toward mid-cup, the bergamot flavor revealed itself more prominently, although it is still not as strong as the almond flavor.

The almond is a sweeter almond flavor.  The smooth, creamy vanilla and almond flavors compliment each other well and seem to enhance each other.   Of the three flavors – vanilla, almond, and bergamot – I would say that the almond is the strongest in this cup.

Aura Zen Tea describes this blend as

Sometimes Merlin makes a blend that is just for enjoying. This blend has a dash of magic for relaxation, but not too much, this blend is made with organic black tea infused with bergamot, vanilla and almonds giving this blend a rich cookie taste. This blend is 100% organic and all natural, SUPER FRESH!

This is quite a unique blend and it is delicious.  However, it does seem to have a bit too much going on it it, so if you’re a tea purist, this is definitely not the blend for you.  I would recommend this to the tea enthusiast who is looking for something a little different – because it is definitely different!  But, in this case, different is definitely good.

If I were to offer any real criticism of this tea, it would be this:  every snickerdoodle cookie I’ve ever eaten has been coated in a fine dust of cinnamon and sugar, and yet, I don’t know if there is cinnamon in this tea or not.  If so, the flavor is very faint, almost to the point of not being there at all.  I guess what I’m saying is that I would like the flavors that should be in a tea – based upon the name of the tea – to be more prominent in the tea.  The “snickerdoodle” flavor is not represented very well, and I would have liked the Earl Grey to be a bit stronger as well.

That is not to say that this is a bad tea, because it is really quite good.  But as I mentioned at the start, I feel that this tea suffers from a misnomer.  That being said, I will also offer a couple of cautionary words:  first, this is not a tea that should be over-brewed; second, this is not a tea that should be brewed too strong.  Either one of these missteps will result in a distasteful cup.

I wouldn’t recommend drinking this one iced, because as it cools, these flavors become rather muddied.  Serve it hot, with just a drizzle of honey.  If you like to add milk to your tea, this is one that takes very well to it – my favorite way to drink this tea is “latte” style with a splash of half and half.  Enjoy!



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http://hungryinportland.com


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Apr 29

Wild Blueberry from Tea Guys

Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Guys,Tea Review,White Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

Wild Blueberry from Tea GuysThis is one of the best blueberry tea blends that I’ve tasted!  The flavor is that of a berry – bursting with sweetness and very little tartness.  Just the way I like it!

The aroma is beautiful.  A very strong berry scent – like a yummy blueberry pie that’s baking in the oven – and a very subtle, fresh, leafy fragrance that is nearly overpowered by the presence of the blueberry aroma.  Almost… but not quite. And, as I’ve found with other Tea Guys “tease,” this tea is a feast for the eyes as well as the nose and palate.  The tea leaves are tossed with whole, dried blueberries and colorful flower petals – it’s very lovely and very inviting!

The green and white tea base is fresh and lively – albeit a bit soft – in flavor.   There is no bitterness to the tea and no detected astringency… just a sweet and leafy tea flavor that is delicately grassy and light-bodied.

As I eluded to before, the green and white teas are a bit soft tasting in this blend, but perhaps this is for the best, because a stronger tea presence might interfere with the blueberry essence. And if you’re a fan of blueberries, trust me, you don’t want that!

That’s because the blueberry flavor here is very true to the fruit.  It doesn’t taste like an artificial, chemically-created blueberry, the taste is like that of a ripe, plump, juicy blueberry.  Delicious!  As I said before, this is one of the best blueberry teas I’ve tasted, and I meant it.  This is really, really good!

The Tea Guys describes this blend as

Who can resist the sweet smell and taste of fresh blueberries?  Enjoy them as you sip this healthful blend of green tea and real blueberries.  Naturally rich in antioxidants and low in caffeine.

Ingredients:  organic green tea, white tea, green tea, sienna leaves, blueberries, mallow flowers, natural flavors, cornflowers.

The flavor of this tea is very pleasant and sweet on its own, but, if you wish to really enhance the blueberry flavor (“kick it up a notch!”) you should consider adding a dollop of honey.  It really does bring out the sweet, juicy flavor of the blueberry!

This tea is delicious served hot or iced.  I think it’s important to note that unlike many other teas out there, this tea does not begin to lose its flavor as it cools.  The flavor stays strong and true… and it is remarkably refreshing and thirst-quenching as an iced tea.  And because of it’s berry sweet flavor, kids as well as adults will love it.  This is definitely one of Tea Guys best teas!



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http://hungryinportland.com


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Apr 28

No. 47 (Bungalow) from Steven Smith Teamaker

Black Tea,Darjeeling,Steven Smith Teamaker,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

No. 47 (Bungalow) from Steven Smith TeamakerAh… Darjeeling!

The aroma wafting out of my teacup is delightful – an earthy note, woodsy, but with subtle floral tones and perhaps even a slight chocolaty quality lingering in both the fragrance and the flavor.  This blend of first and second flush Darjeelings is so … perfect.

The flavor of this tea is so complex.  As I eluded to previously, there is a chocolaty characteristic to this tea.  But there is far more to this coppery colored liquor.  The earthy bouquet does not translate as strongly in the flavor – rather than describing it as “earthy” I would say that it is woodsy/toasted-nut essence, with a musky/fruity, dry wine-like quality to it.  Yes, pleasantly muscatel!  It has a tannic flavor – not overly bitter, but quite dry and with a nice astringency that leaves the palate feeling clean – much like sipping a very fine, dry Merlot.

Steven Smith Teamaker describes this tea as

About this Tea

Grown in the foothills of the Himalayas, this blend of first and second flush organic Darjeeling teas produces a light, yet complex tea with the aroma and flavor of fruits, nuts and flowers complemented by rich, toasty, buttery notes.

Ingredients

A blend of high grown hand-picked Indian Darjeeling first and second flush FTGFOP1 teas.

Preparation

For best flavor, bring freshly drawn filtered water to a boil. Steep five minutes. Raise your cup gently with both hands as a quiet salute before drinking.

This is a beautifully brisk Darjeeling.  It would make a very fine afternoon tea – perfect for that time of day when you need a little something to get you back on track.  Because it has such a wine-like attitude to it, it would also be quite nice served with dinner, or perhaps something as simple as a tray of fruit and cheese.

Because I really love the complexity of flavors in a good Darjeeling such as this, I don’t usually drink it iced – the chill would mute some of that coveted flavor.  It doesn’t need sweetener – or any other additive for that matter.  It’s quite good just the way it is – hot… comforting… contentment.  Truly a lovely experience.



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http://hungryinportland.com


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