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Feb 29

Dian Hong from Phoenix Tea Shop

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

Dian Hong from Phoenix Tea ShopThe Phoenix Tea Shop is a new company, just starting up last year in Burian, WA.  I ordered some teas from them and they kindly sent me this sample.  It hails from Yunnan, China, home of one of my favorite teas.

The long twisted leaves are an attractive mix of gray, black and brown leaves, giving off a sharp floral aroma.  I brewed it as I usually do for a new black tea – 3.5 minutes with boiling water.

The greenish, dark amber liquor had a deep woodsy flavor with a floral edge.  There was a bit of astringency nipping around the edges, which added a bit of a “notice me!” to the overall taste.  I tried this with milk and found that it took it very well, although some of the piquancy was lost. This would be an excellent afternoon drink, good with both sweet and savory dishes.

Phoenix Tea has this to say:

Golden Dian Hong is a tippy black tea (fully oxidized) from China’s Yunnan province. This batch was produced in the Summer of 2009 and lovingly stored in Bellevue, Washington by our friend Mr. Chen.

Yunnan does it again!



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Feb 29

Verveine (Lemon Verbena) from Harney & Sons

Flavored Tea,Harney & Sons,Herbal Tisanes,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

Verveine (Lemon Verbena) from Harney & SonsLemon Verbena, or as the French would say Verveine.  I was looking forward to this as I really enjoy lemon tisanes.  The Latin name is Aloysia citrodora and it is a shrub that can be grown anywhere in the USA where temperatures stay above 0° Fahrenheit. It grows to between 6 and 9 feet tall and has attractive white or purple flowers. It is used primarily for scenting and flavoring and has a very mild antioxidant effect.

This came in one of Harney’s nice big sachets, in its own little packet. The dry tea was well chopped green herbage and gave off a faint scent of lemon. I brewed it with boiling water for about 3 minutes and was rewarded with a soothing and pleasant cup of lemon. It was slightly sweet and reminiscent of the aroma of health food stores. It has a full mouth feel, almost like thinnish soup. This would be a pleasant end to the day or a way to add lemon flavor to another tea. I let it cool and I think it would make an excellent iced.

Harney  & Sons describe this as:

We import the best Verveine. The big green leaves produce an unusually full-bodied herbal yellow liquid with a wonderful aroma. Also known as Lemon Verbena.

It certainly is tasty and I really enjoyed it. My first place winner is still lemon grass, but that is hard to grow here. There is also lemon balm, a very easy grower, in fact. A real pest as it re-seeds itself with great abandon.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Feb 29

Floral Green Tea from De Vos Tea

De Vos Tea,Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review 8:00 am | No Comments

Floral Green Tea from De Vos TeaA short while ago I reviewed this tea, but ended by saying I thought it was stale, so I felt my review was inadequate. The kind folks at De Vos read this and sent me a very generous sample to re-review.

I am really glad they did, as this is a very nice tea. When I opened the chubby packet, there was a most wonderful aroma of flowers and wine, with a bit of sharpness around the edges. The dark green leaves were huge and abundantly laced with flower petals the almost rusty color of old roses.

I brewed the tea with water under the boil, for 3 minutes, although the packet said 5. I am very cowardly about brewing times and have to start low and then edge my way up. The pale yellow brew now smelled sweet, like candy with vanilla in it. There was a pleasant floral taste I couldn’t put my finger on, that was mixed with a very fresh herbaceousness. I think I detected a bit of celery flavor in the background. I let it cool and I think this will be one of my summer ice teas. I don’t really care much for black ice tea, it feels too heavy when it is so hot and humid, but I love Oolongs and greens in the summer. I usually just have them cold. If I do use ice, it is made from the tea. It is too easy to ruin these delicate teas when the ice melts.

De Vos describes it as:

Floral Green Tea has a calm and refreshing character punctuated with beautiful floral notes from the addition of sepalika flowers. Sepalika, also known as night flowering jasmine, is a sweet smelling Ayurvedic flower used for medicinal purposes such as aiding sound sleep and rheumatism.

No wonder I liked this tea – jasmine is always a favorite.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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Feb 28

Sweet Oolong Revolution from Teavana

Flavored Tea,Oolong Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review,Teavana 4:00 pm | No Comments

I do love unusual teas, and this one certainly qualifies as unusual! It has such an odd combination of flavors, but somehow they all work together quite well.

The first thing I noticed, even before brewing the tea, was the aroma of cinnamon and cardamom. Once the tea is brewed, these spices give the tea a warm, inviting fragrance as well as a pleasing, gently spiced overtone to the flavor.

These spices complement the pumpkin flavor very well, and they offer an interesting contrast to the sweet flavors of peach and papaya. I can also taste just a hint of raisin-y flavor in the background. At first, I thought it was just my taste buds playing tricks on me, but then I read the ingredient list and found that my taste buds were on target as there are indeed raisins in this blend.

With all these unusual flavors going on, you might think that the tea is overpowered, but fortunately it’s not.  The Oolong is sweet, earthy and has a slightly creamy texture to it, which enhances the overall cup, and the peach highlights the fruity tones of the Oolong. I can even taste the rooibos which in some cases might not be considered a good thing, but in this blend, the woody and nutty flavors of the rooibos adds an interesting dimension to the other flavors of this cup, and accents the already autumnal tastes of the tea.

Teavana describes this blend as

Absorb and revel in this riot of sweet and spicy tones, encouraging you to celebrate the fireworks of life. Toasting in the moment of here and now, an innovative spicy-sweet fusion of robust cardamom lead the way to thoughtful plump pumpkin, papaya and peach merged perfectly with this revolutionary oolong and red rooibos tea. SUPERFRUIT ENHANCED

I really love Oolong but I am often skeptical when it comes to overly flavored Oolongs, and I worried that this would have way too much going on for my enjoyment. And while it does have a lot going on … somehow these flavors all work together quite harmoniously, and instead of interfering with the flavor of the Oolong, these unique flavors play to the strengths of the Oolong, enhancing the fruit notes and bringing out some of its earthier qualities.

A very well thought out blend from Teavana.



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


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Feb 28

Earl Grey from St. Dalfour

Black Tea,earl grey,Flavored Tea,St. Dalfour,Tea Review 11:00 am | No Comments

Earl Grey from St. Dalfour

This tea is amazing, capital A, capital M, capital.. well you get the idea right!?

I sit here on a cold winter’s night waiting an inevitable snow storm and I am sipping on something that warms me inside and out. I do not think a person can ever go wrong choosing an earl grey blend. It is just classic and will never go out of style. I only wish I had real lemons to squeeze in then my life would be complete.

St. Dalfour describes this tea as:

Certified, 100% pure organic tea from India.

Selected and blended under the direction of the tea experts of St. Dalfour France.

Enhanced by the all natural flavor of bergamot.

I have never heard of this company and I have to say I am impressed. A french tea company with certified organic blends. St. Dalfour produces only under its own brand, so commitment to quality, healthy eating, and superior taste is unwavering and never subject to compromise.

I think anyone would love this slightly spicy, slightly sweet tea. Been a fan of earl a long time? Welcome back! New? You don’t know what you have been missing!



createathought
createathought
http://createathought.etsy.com


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Feb 28

English Breakfast from Teavana

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Tea Review,Teavana 8:00 am | No Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Black Tea
  • Name Of Tea: English Breakfast
  • Available From: Teavana

English Breakfast from TeavanaQuality tea does not always have to cost a lot of money. This blend from Teavana is a perfect example. It has a very strong flavor, especially for a tea that only has really one ingredient. I would recommend this for intermediate tea drinkers who know what tastes they like and are looking to try something new. Perhaps just not a first time tea because the flavor could put people off if they are not used to black tea flavors. You could mix this with cream or a sweetener to soften the rough edges if you feel it necessary.

Be sure not to over steep this, three minutes and then to taste to ensure you won’t waste a “too strong” cup. Steeping tea is like salt, keep doing a little because once you do too much you cannot go back! You could also blend this with something lighter or super fruity to create a new blend all your own!

Teavana describes this tea as:

Capturing posh, purity and pageantry, this hidden treasure of royal lineage raises this most beloved morning black tea to new heights. Each sip unfolds to reveal the complexity of the high grown full leaves. Feel like royalty with this elegantly time-honored classic and add a majestic nod to every cup.

Full-bodied infusion with malty and oaky undertones.

I definitely can taste the quality they describe as oaky. It is overwhelming at first but it mellows out once your taste buds get used to it. It has20% of what a cup of coffee has so if you need a lot of caffeine (like me) in the morning then you will need to drink several cups to equal your normal amount. I suggest a mi-afternoon tea, just when the afternoon-after lunch lag hits you and you might be reaching for something caffeinated. This way it won’t affect your sleep because it is less caffeinated.

You almost cannot go wrong with a simple and natural tea like English Breakfast. Sometimes in life we just need to get back to the basics.



createathought
createathought
http://createathought.etsy.com


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Feb 27

Rooibos Earl Grey from Red Leaf Tea

earl grey,Flavored Tea,Herbal Tisanes,Red Leaf Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review 11:00 pm | No Comments

Rooibos Earl Grey from Red Leaf TeaAs most of you probably know, Rooibos is a tisane, meaning it is an herbal drink that does not come from tea bushes. It is a native of South Africa and is pronounced Roy-boos, more or less. It is also called “red tea” as it brews up a soft, attractive red color. Unflavored, it sometimes tastes very much like regular tea. At other times it is closer to sarsaparilla, from which root beer was once made.

As soon as I opened the packet of tiny reddish leaves, I was struck by the almost overwhelming scent of honey. Yum! This was accompanied by an aroma of lemon, as well. As it brewed for about 5 minutes, the lemon faded away, while the honey continued, although that was softened somewhat by the competition of the sarsaparilla smell of the tea.

As I sipped the tea, it seemed to have an edge of dried lemon peel, while the honey sweetened it. I can’t say this really tasted much like Earl Grey to me. Lemon, honey and edgy root beer would be how I would describe it. The honey and root beer was quite nice, however, the lemon peel leaned towards some bitterness.  Personally, I think if they had used oil of bergamot and skipped the peel, it would have been a lot better. I also need to add the disclaimer that I am really, really picky about my Earl Grey and not many make it onto my list. You may have a gentler attitude towards them.

Red Leaf Tea describes this tea as:

In South Africa, the British habit of tea drinking caught on slowly. Tensions between the Afrikaners (descendants of Dutch colonists), native tribes, and British settlers did not encourage shared drinks at midday. Afrikaners also had the option of drinking their local rooibos (“red bush”) tea, a wonderful brew in its own right, which has only in the last ten years gotten the attention of the rest of the tea drinking world! Today, South Africa has grown into a modern nation, and tea drinkers are now free to mix and meld their blends and brews. Here is an exotic result of this sudden cultural crosscurrent: a robust and earthy Earl Grey Rooibos! You’ll be delighted with the mingling of citrus and herbal sweetness in this blend. Rooibos is noted for its lack of astringency, and the bergamot oranges used in Earl Grey tea are perfectly suited to this herb. Earl Grey Rooibos is a great new tea for a new century!

Okay, I looked at the ingredient list and I see the problem, for me. They used bergamot flavor, not the real thing, which is probably why it tasted so off to me. For some reason, there are very few “flavorings” that taste good or true to me. However, I didn’t think rooibos tasted so strongly of honey.



Marlena A.
Marlena A.
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/


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