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Nov 21

Raspberry White from Eastern Shore Tea

Eastern Shore Tea Co,Flavored Tea,Tea Review,White Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

Raspberry White from Eastern Shore TeaI have a lot of tea.  I mean… a LOT of tea.  Most of it is loose leaf, and loose leaf is usually what I’ll purchase.  And while I do agree that loose leaf is usually better than bagged tea, occasionally, I’ll find a bagged tea that is not only acceptable – but really good!

Like this White Tea with Raspberry from Eastern Shore Tea Company.  The flavor is light and sweet, with a pleasing berry flavor that comes complete with that little tart tingle in the finish.

The Pai Mu Tan base is very delicate in flavor, but not so delicate that you can’t taste it.  It has a fresh taste to it that is only slightly vegetal.  I wouldn’t call it grassy, exactly, but I also wouldn’t say it tastes of vegetable.  It is somewhere in between, and it is a very soft flavor.

The raspberry is also quite soft, but I think that it needs to be so it doesn’t overwhelm the Pai Mu Tan.  As it is, it is quite a harmonious balance.  Sweet and delicious.

Eastern Shore Tea Company describes this tea as

White tea is made from immature tea leaves that are picked shortly before the buds have fully opened. The tea takes its name from the silver that still covers the buds, which turns white when the tea is dried. White tea is very high in anti-oxidants, and delivers a pale, silky cup. Our White Tea With Raspberry is the prefect cuppa to enjoy on a warm summer day.

This is really delicious served hot without any additions, but, if you want to serve it iced, I suggest sweetening it just a little with some agave nectar or perhaps some sugar as this will help enhance the flavor.   A very nice, calming cup of tea that is enjoyable any time of day.



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Nov 21

Anji Duet from Adagio Teas

Adagio Teas,Green Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 4:00 pm | No Comments

Anji Duet from Adagio TeasSuch a lovely tea, this Anji Duet.

The dry leaf has a light floral and grass scent.  I guess, if I were to change anything at all about this tea, it would be the aroma of the brewed tea, because it is so delicate that it is barely distinguishable.

But, the flavor is sublime!  Yes, it is quite a delicate flavor, but I enjoy how it challenges the palate.  It is nutty with a slightly creamy flavor and consistency that imparts a smooth sensation on the palate.  It is pleasantly sweet with floral notes and very little grassy/vegetative flavor.   This is a tea I’d recommend to those who dislike green teas for their vegetal taste – this one would win them over!

Adagio Teas describes this tea as

A very special tea produced in Anji Zhejiang, our Duet is a green tea with white tea characteristics. Its light, delicate cup provides soft fruit notes like a fine white tea but also some chestnut sweetness and the lingering floral finish of a premium green. Produced in the early days of Spring and available in very limited quantity, our Duet is a rare find.

This is a tea that should be consumed hot, because as it cools the flavor softens – and this is already a very delicate tasting tea.  I recommend drinking it without any additions, just enjoy the beauty of this tea for what it is.  And it truly is a breathtaking beauty!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Nov 21

Summer Sunrise from Joy’s Teaspoon

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Joy's Teaspoon,Tea Review 8:00 am | No Comments

Summer Sunrise from Joy's TeaspoonI love this tea!!   I was totally unprepared for the flavor of this tea when I brewed it.   “Summer Sunrise” is a lovely name for a tea, but it doesn’t really impart to the drinker what the tea tastes like.  When I read the ingredients however, I knew I’d be enjoying it.   For starters, it has basil in it, an herb I absolutely love and has only been used as an ingredient in only a very few teas that I know of.  So I was very pleasantly surprised at the addition of basil in this tea.

Additionally, this tea also features lemon granules….mmmm!  The combination of black tea, basil, lemon granules and their particular flavoring make this a spectacular tea no matter what time of year you drink it.

Since the marigold (calendula) petals are there mostly for decoration, what you have here is a lemon basil black tea that is absolutely outstanding as a tea blend!

Joy’s Teaspoon describes this tea as:

Like a refreshing dessert with a touch of something special – a very trendy finale to the perfect dinner.  An elegant decoration of fine marigold blossoms simply adds to the beautiful image of this blend.

Ingredients: tea, basil, lemon granules, flavoring, marigold blossoms

Serving Amount: 1 teaspoon/6 oz. serving

Temperature: 176-194 degrees

Steep Time: 2-3 minute

This tea being labeled “Summer Sunrise” does make one think of summer, and indeed, this blend would make an exquisite iced tea in the hotter months…it’s very crisp and refreshing!  However I also really love this one hot and think it makes a perfect tea that you should keep on-hand year round.

I took this tea with a touch of sugar which really brings out all the flavors and makes it sweet and smooth as well as refreshing.  I think this would be a remarkable tea to drink if you have a cold or are sick as the ingredients are very soothing to your throat and is very “warming” to the body when served hot.   Definitely one of my favorites from Joy’s Teaspoon!



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Nov 20

Spicy Pear from Joy’s Teaspoon

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Joy's Teaspoon,Tea Review 11:00 pm | 1 Comment

Spicy Pear from Joy's TeaspoonI just got this blend from Joy’s Teaspoon in the mail today, and it was the first blend from Joy’s Teaspoon that I’ve had the pleasure of tasting.  What a refreshing and delicious tea!   Absolutely a PERFECT hot tea for the cooler months.  It has a very lovely spiced flavor to it, reminiscent of a great mulled apple cider, but with luscious pear overtones that make it one fantastic hot tea.

The pear is very prominent in this blend, so if you love pears, I’m fairly certain you will adore this tea.    The black tea is a great black tea base for these particular flavors, making sure that you can taste the black tea as well as the yummy fall/winter flavors.

Joy’s Teaspoon describes this tea as:

Combining the sweet essence of pear and the spicy undertones of cinnamon, one sip will have you humming a holiday tune and looking for the wrapping paper!

Ingredients: black tea, dried pear bits, cinnamon bits, flavoring

Serving Amount: 1 tsp./6 oz. serving

Temperature: 203-214 degrees

Steeping Time: 4-5 minutes

This is really an exceptional cold winter tea, and I was very surprised at how much flavor was in this blend!  I wouldn’t recommend this tea as an iced tea, simply because it seems to be the perfect hot tea.  I loved adding a touch of sweetener to this to bring out the sweet juicy pear flavor, but milk probably would not go so well with this one.

Overall this is a great spiced pear tea, with huge chunks of dried pear amongst the black tea leaves that is one of the best winter hot teas I’ve found!



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Nov 20

Earl Grey Classic from Sands of Thyme

Black Tea,earl grey,Flavored Tea,Sands of Thyme,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

Earl Grey Classic from Sands of ThymeYou know, there was a time (or shall I say “thyme”?) when I thought that all Earl Grey teas were the same, and if I’ve tried one, I’ve tried them all. I have since learned that is so untrue.

This Earl Grey Classic from Sands of Thyme is a really good Earl Grey.  The black tea base and bergamot are in good balance, with neither overpowering the other. The black tea is smooth and has a nice, full-bodied taste to it.

The bergamot is strong but not overpowering.  One thing that I am noticing about this particular bergamot is that it does impart a slight oily feeling on the tongue – not a bad thing, since most Earl Grey teas are flavored with Oil of Bergamot.  I personally like the slickness to it, it has a way of offsetting the astringency of the black tea and making this particular Earl Grey a little “fuller” without being heavy.  A nice aftertaste to this tea:  citrus-y and vibrant.

The jasmine does not contribute a lot of flavor to the tea … just a whisper of jasmine notes glide over the palate.  But what the jasmine does do – and this is more important, I think – is enhance the floral quality of the bergamot just a little.  The sweeter side of the floral notes of the bergamot can be tasted here.  This tea doesn’t have that signature sharpness of the Earl Grey – the jasmine has softened that sharp edge!  This is one of the sweeter Earl Grey teas that I’ve encountered and I like that very much.

Sands of Thyme describes their Earl Grey Classic as

Ingredients: black tea -Ceylon, -South India, -China, natural flavor, jasmine blossoms
my customers find this to be better than any other earl grey they have has before

I don’t know that this is the best Earl Grey that I’ve had, but, it certainly ranks up there with some of my favorites.  It is definitely an excellent Earl Grey and one that I’d recommend highly to Earl Grey fans out there.   This one’s a winner!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Nov 20

Green Tea Lemongrass from Good Earth Teas

Flavored Tea,Good Earth Teas,Green Tea,Tea Review 8:00 am | No Comments

Green Tea Lemongrass from Good Earth TeasThis is a pleasant tasting green tea blend that is a little light on the green tea flavor, but that’s OK.  When I sip this, I can’t help but think that this would make an excellent gateway green tea for those who want to learn to appreciate green tea, but have a hard time getting past that grassy taste that many green teas possess, because I am not getting much (err… that is, I’m not getting ANY) grassy taste from this cup.

I believe that the citrus taste of the lemongrass in this blend has been enhanced with flavoring, because it definitely tastes more lemony than lemongrass usually tastes.  There is a smooth creaminess to the flavor that I quite enjoy.

The green tea flavor is not strong here, in fact, I have a hard time tasting it at all.  I can taste a little of the green tea, but, the primary flavor that I’m getting is the sweet and creamy lemon taste.

This blend also contains rose petals and peppermint, although I am not getting a lot of distinctive rose or peppermint flavor from this tea.  I do get an occasional hint of mint that sort of peeks in and out of the tea as I sip, and I do find that as the tea cools slightly, more floral notes do present themselves to the palate.  But neither of these flavors are strong and if I were casually sipping this and not focusing on what I’m tasting, I would probably miss those notes all together.

Good Earth Teas describes this blend as

FLAVOR PROFILE
Smooth and refreshing. Sweet citrus notes.

ABOUT THIS BLEND
Naturally rich in antioxidants, green tea is enjoyed all over the world for its healthful benefits. This blend starts with premium steamed green tea which we complement with citrus flavors and lemongrass. We think its natural sweetness creates a perfectly balanced flavor.

INGREDIENTS
Green tea, lemongrass, natural flavors, rose petals and peppermint. Contains no sugar, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. A natural source of antioxidants.

This is an enjoyable blend, and as I mentioned before, I would recommend this to someone who is attempting to acquire a taste for green teas.  It is virtually free of any astringency or bitterness.  It is a very mellow tasting tea that would would be delicious hot or iced.  I recommend adding a couple of chunks of candied ginger to the cup after you steep it – it adds just the right touch of peppery punch to the cup.

Oh… and I thought I’d share this with you.  One of my favorite things about Good Earth Teas is that they always have an inspirational quote on the bag’s tag.  The quote on this tag reads:

Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything ~Eugene Delacroix

Words to live by!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Nov 19

Apricot Escape from Art of Tea

Art of Tea,Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review 11:00 pm | No Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Rooibos & Honeybush
  • Name Of Tea: Apricot Escape
  • Available From: Art of Tea

Apricot Escape from Art of TeaI really like it when I come across a tisane that contains both rooibos and honeybush.  It has been my experience with the few blends like this that I have tried that the honey-like sweetness of the honeybush tends to cancel out that funky sweetness of the rooibos – and what remains is a nutty, somewhat woody, honey-sweet taste.

This Apricot Escape from Art of Tea is one such blend.  I can taste the nutty flavor, and even a little of the woody notes, but what I taste especially is the honey essence of the honeybush.  It really melds well with the fruit flavor of this tea.

This is a wonderful tisane.  The apricot flavor is the strongest, but I can taste the distinctive flavor of pear as well as faint citrus notes.  The fruit flavor is sweet and nectar-like.  The addition of the hibiscus gives it a tart finish.  It isn’t extraordinarily tart, however, If you are like me and aren’t particularly keen on tartness, a drizzle of agave nectar will help soften that tart note.

If I could change anything about this particular blend, I would have omitted the hibiscus.  It could be that the blend might be a bit too sweet without it, but, I would have taken my chances!  That being said, the hibiscus in this blend is not too overwhelmingly tart, and it does lend a pleasing body to the cup.  Even with the hibiscus, this tea is really delicious!

Art of Tea describes this blend as

Organic rooibos & honeybush are carefully blended with lemongrass, lemon myrtle, rosehips, hibiscus, marigolds, citrus peel, apple and essence of apricot & pear. Brews a rich burgundy color with a clean finish reminiscent of Asian pear. May be enjoyed hot or over ice.

I do agree with the above description – the finish is quite a bit like an Asian pear. It’s really tasty!  This tea is good hot, but, I personally prefer it iced.  I find the fruit flavors to be very refreshing and lend themselves well to iced tea.

As I stated above, I prefer this tea with a drizzle of agave nectar to help smooth out the tart flavor.  Another great blend from Art of Tea!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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