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May 16

White Pear from Adagio Teas

Adagio Teas,Flavored Tea,Tea Review,White Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

White Pear from Adagio TeasI wasn’t sure what to expect from this tea since I feel like a pear has a very subtle flavor and I had never tried a pear tea.  The smell of the tea is a fresh white with a hint of fruit.

It actually reminded me a little of apple pie so I wasn’t surprised to find the ingredients include apple pieces (white tea, apple pieces, natural pear flavor).  The tea is a pretty green leaf with large pieces of apple.

I steeped the tea in my little cup infuser.  I used 2 tsp of tea to 10 oz of water and added 1 tsp of German Rock Sugar.  I steeped it for 5 minutes in 180°F water.  The color of the steeped tea is much darker than I expected.

Adagio describes this tea as:

Premium white tea from Fujian region of China infused with the taste of ripe pears. Warm and sugary aroma, like a freshly baked pear, with a pear skin crisp finish. Wonderfully smooth and rounded, perfect hot or iced.

I am drinking this tea hot, but I would suspect that it would be a great tea served iced.

 It reminds me almost of a black tea with a medium chocolate color.  I expected it to taste very strong, but it was a nice soft white.  I didn’t find much fruit flavor in the tea so it would be great for tea drinkers that enjoy a pure tea with just a hint of fruit.



QuiltingDiva
QuiltingDiva
http://quiltingdiva.etsy.com


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May 14

China Yunnan Imperial Gen Ben Shi by Upton Tea

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

China Yunnan Imperial Gen Ben Shi from Upton Tea ImportsI gotta say right up front that I am a Yunnan lover.  And this is a Yunnan that doesn’t disappoint.    The dry leaves are a pleasant mix of tan and dark brown, smelling of old barn wood in the sun and maybe the early fermentation stages of corn silage.  That may not mean a lot to you, so just stick with the sunny wood.

I brewed this for 4 minutes with boiling water and was rewarded with a nice deep dark  cup, with a hint of gold around the rim.  The aroma has morphed into something more like earthy forest floor.

The taste is a tad earthy as well. There is some spiciness here, but none of the hints of cocoa that many Yunnans have.  While I was drinking this, I kept thinking of cheddar cheese, so I decided to try some with it – mm hmm, very nice.  It was Cabot’s Seriously Sharp if you want to try it, too.  It also plays nicely with milk.

Upton’s has this to say:

This bold-leaf Yunnan tea yields a dark cup with bold flavor, complemented with gentle spiciness and delicate toasty notes. A classic Yunnan for everyday enjoyment.

I don’t think this is a top of the line Yunnan, but that’s okay, I can’t afford to drink them all the time, but this one would be good for every day.  I don’t think it would be good iced, nor would it be good with delicate foods, as I think it would overwhelm them.  Think about cheese, apples, molasses cookies, spice cake, those would go nicely with this.  Or a hearty breakfast.



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


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Apr 07

White Peach from Adagio Teas

Adagio Teas,Flavored Tea,Tea Review,White Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

White Peach from Adagio TeasI purchased a sample of this tea and so far so good!  The white leaves are soft and delicate with a strong, grassy white tea smell.  There are sunflower petals which really brings some color to this blend.  I was a little surprised not to find any pieces of peach, but read the ingredients and found it is flavored with peach flavor.  It does have a nice undertone of peach.  The brewed leaves are very pretty.  The leaves vary in both size and color from a deep, dark brown to a bright, grassy green.

I steeped the tea using my little tea screen with 2 heaping tsp of tea to 10 oz of 180°F water for 4 minutes.  I sweetened it with one tsp of agave syrup.  The color of the brewed tea is a little darker than I expected, it has a deep vanilla look to it, almost like a black tea.  I do really like the flavor of the tea.  It is a nice smooth white with a little peach punch at the end.  I also think this tea would blend very well with lots of other teas since it has such a light flavor but is a very genuine, smooth white tea.

Adagio describes this tea:

This Southern gem of a fruit is combined with delicate, naturally sweet white tea from the Fujian province of China. Flowery peach-nectar aroma, juicy and very ripe flavor, slightly dry finish (just like peach fuzz!). Enjoy it hot or iced and don’t blame us if you become hooked!

A very nice tea if you prefer a slight fruit flavor.  The white is delicious and smooth with an undertone of peach.

*UPDATE – I placed the rest of my cup in the fridge for later and it is even better iced!  I’m not sure why it was different, but the tea was more smooth and I could taste the peach as a more dominating flavor.  DELISH!



QuiltingDiva
QuiltingDiva
http://quiltingdiva.etsy.com


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Apr 02

Mojito Madness by Joy’s Teaspoon

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Joy's Teaspoon,Rooibos,Tea Review 4:00 pm | No Comments

Mojito Madness by Joy’s Teaspoon Well I started my weekend out right! I am sure it is the change of season here, and the sun beginning to be a normal visitor but lately I have been drinking quite a few island type teas. Mojito Madness does not disappoint.

I love this tea and I am not quite sure if my taste buds are all kinds of confused or what but I am getting a very creamy mouthfeel and a vanilla flavor from this tropical infusion. The lime is definitely present but it’s not necessarily making me want to jump up and shake my maracas.

I find it a good thing with this tea how no one flavor tends to stand out more than another. The flavors are all melded so nicely as if they were put into a blender together and spun around into a beautiful cocktail oblivion! I do tend to, most of the time, want one flavor to punch me in the face, but this tea seems to be very soothing, and calming, not so much the madness or party time tea one may expect out of a name like Mojito Madness. Then again, I do not find that to be a bad thing!

The smell does awaken the senses, that is for sure. So maybe that is the “madness” part because it does make me want to suck it down quickly. The aroma speaks of lime, vanilla, cream, coconut, and mint, with maybe just a touch of a rum essence. You can always add your own if you want more!

Joy’s Teaspoon has this to say about Mojito Madness:

Warning: Sipping this tea will transport you to a tropical island.  Little paper umbrellas not included!  Madness, with its’ premium rooibos tea base is blended with mint, lime and essence of rum.  We promise not to tell if you add a splash or two of the real deal! Ingredients: Chinese black tea, rooibos, spearmint, coconut, lemon and mango bits, flavoring (rum essence)

The tea itself is interesting. It’s quite flakey, with no full leaves presenting, yet, this does not distract from the desired flavor of this tea, nor do I feel that it is causing it to lack any body or fullness. I get a good black tea base flavor coming through. Of course this tea is also made with rooibos which is naturally flakey so one would not expect to see full leaves there. Now I have seen rooibos presented in a more straw like, wood, or needled texture, this is more on the powdery side.

The minty cooling sensation comes through in the after taste leaving a little tingle on the tongue. My husband, who is not a big tea drinker, and likes only a few teas here and there, really enjoys this tea without even adding sugar, which he usually does. This tea is already sweet enough but not cloyingly sweet.

Back in the day, when I used to drink alcohol, before I became older and realized that it was terrible for my health, I loved a good mojito. My husband and I would make them from scratch regularly at home, it was our go to drink. I tell you this in order to qualify the following statement: A lot of places will make mojito blends, be them teas, cocktails themselves, I have even seen mojito pies! This tea seems to really capture the true essence of the mojito as it should be without trying to outdo the original. I respect that! Thank you Joy’s Teaspoon!

I can’t wait to try this one iced, as it is summer time and seems to be the perfect summer tea.



Azzrian
Azzrian
http://azzrianvisions.com


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Jan 25

Silver Needle from Adagio Teas

Adagio Teas,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea,White Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

Silver Needle from Adagio TeasI’m not generally a huge fan of tea bags, but I have to say more and more companies are making really good ones.  they use their good teas and put them in a bag big enough so the tea can expand.  This is another of them, hooray.

Silver Needle tea comes from China and is basically the first buds of a first flush of tea in the early spring.  The long pointy buds are a pale silvery green due to the fine white hairs covering them.  The tea made from them is always delicate.

Adagio said to brew this tea with water about 180, for 3 minutes, which I did.  As it brewed, there was a faint aroma of corn and spring green leaves.  The brewed tea was a soft, pale yellow and tasted very gently of a mix of slightly sweet, mildly green, slightly floral, and a touch of chamomile, but not apple-like.  Sort of a hint of dried plant dust.  Perhaps more the way chamomile smells and tastes before it is dried.  It is an altogether pleasant tea and certainly convenient.

.Adagio has this to say:

White tea from China. Silver Needle is among the most revered of Chinese teas, produced in the Fuding and Zhenhe districts of its Fujian province. Gathered only for a few days in early spring, a dedication to perfection is evident in the pale, ivory colored liquor. The lingering fragrance is delicately honeysuckle floral, with a warmed sugar sweetness. Refreshing texture that is soft and airy on the palate. This is a special grade (‘Bai Hao’) version of this exquisite tea.

I am not sure I caught all that because I don’t think my palate is good enough for the very subtle nuances of white teas.  I need to work on them, I guess.  Having said that, I can tell this is a very good tea.



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


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Dec 31

Yunnan Noir from Adagio Teas

Adagio Teas,Black Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 8:00 am | No Comments

Yunnan Noir from Adagio TeasI love Yunnan teas,  the best are sublime and even the lowest grades can be quite good.  Generally they are a good example of a nuanced tea, with their characteristic notes of spice, wood and cocoa.

I generally drink the gold ones, so this was new to me.  I wasn’t sure what the ‘noir’ would mean.  In French, noir means ‘black’.  In mysteries that is the hard-boiled, often ugly ones.  What is it in tea?

The dry tea gave off a muscatel, earthy aroma.  The leaves were definitely different from any Yunnan tea I’ve had before.  They almost looked like some Oolong teas, with their tightly rolled little bundles of gold and black, complete with a tiny stem.

I brewed them up with boiling water for 4 minutes, but about half way through I took the lid off to sniff.  I was glad I did, the leaves were huge!  I quickly dumped them out into the pot so they would have more room t move around.  The scent had shifted to something heavy and dark, very, very woody.  Oh dear, I thought, is this going to be unpleasant?

However, the tea was much gentler than it’s brewing aroma suggested, especially when I put in some more hot water after the first sip, which was indeed a bit much in the strength-before-taste department.  There was my Yunnan,  with its faint hint of spice, a bit of cocoa and yes, some woodiness thrown in.

The directions say to use a heaping teaspoon per 8 oz. cup.  I used only a bit more and the strength of the tea was far too much to be able to appreciate it.  I would really recommend using just a straight teaspoon, unless of course, you’re going to take the “Strong Man of Tea” challenge.

Here’s what Adagio says about it:

Black tea from the Yunnan province of China, the birthplace of tea itself. Much of the tea in this southern province is a large leaf variety. Mountains veiled in mist, with clean water and rich soil form ideal growing conditions and contribute to the unique flavor. Our Yunnan Noir is a hand-rolled tea, with leaves tightly curled into a ‘black snail’ shape. The aroma is sweet with hints of honey and spice. Savory and winey on the palate, with smooth, deep fruity astringency, tremendous depth of flavor, cinnamon bark and nutmeg in the finish. Terrifically textured cup of tea.

This is pretty close to my experience, but only after diluting it somewhat.  You can have that too, just use less tea than they recommend.  I guess the ‘noir’ is what happens when you use too much dry leaf and the brew goes to the “Dark Side”.



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


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Dec 28

Violet from Kusmi Tea

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Kusmi Tea,Tea Review 8:00 am | 1 Comment

Violet from Kusmi Tea

I found my Kusmi Violet tea at a local specialty food store. I was overwhelmed by the rows upon rows of unique (to me!) brands of tea. The purple canister of the Kusmi Violet tea certainly got my attention. When I realized it was Violet flavored black tea I knew that this was the one for me to take home!  I had never had a Violet flavored tea prior to drinking this product. However, I like flavored teas and trying new things so I thought I would give it a try.

When I opened the Tin of Tea the tea was artfully packaged inside in a plastic liner with a silver Kusmi Tea sticker holding it closed. The leaves are of varying sizes and the majority are dark brown with some lighter leaves mixed in. I do not see any obvious violet leaves.

I brewed this tea in my four-cup glass teapot so that I could see the color and watch the leaves unfurl. The tea brews up medium in color for a black tea – almost amber in tone.  The smell has the dark honeyed undertone with the light floral notes of the violet.  I used boiling water and let the tea steep 3-4 minutes.

I did not add any milk and/or sugar to my review. The flavor is very smooth. I can taste the Chinese tea underneath the lovely violet flavor. The taste is similar to other floral teas but violet clearly has its own flavor distinct from rose, jasmine and other flavors.  As the tea cools the Violet flavor gets more pronounced especially at the end of each sip.

Kusmi describes this tea as:

Black tea from China flavored with natural essences of violet.

Tasting advice: delicious plain or sweetened.

TEA PROFILE PREPARATION
Origin: China Time of day: afternoon
Main flavor: floral Ideal water temperature: 185°F – 195°F
Quantity needed: 0,1 oz. Recommended brewing time: 3-4 min

This was a great sipping tea for long periods of time. I made the four cups expecting to share with my husband – instead he got about 1 small teacupful and I drank the rest – while reading, while cooking dinner, in the car, etc.  I really enjoyed this tea and cannot wait to taste both other Violet teas and other products in the Kusmi line of teas.



Ellyn
Ellyn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ellynfishkin

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