Good Morning tea-lovers!

I stumbled across this in my local herbal store and thought I just needed to try it.

This is Peppermint & Licorice organic herbal tea from Pukka.

I have tried Pukka’s teas in the past but this one really caught my eye with its jazzy packaging and I particularly like the idea of the flavour combination.

I love peppermint tea and I love licorice so whats not to like?

I prepare my kettle for boiling.

This tea is in bagged form so its very handy for carrying around for when you need a pick-me-up!

My kettle has now boiled so I pour the hot liquid over the bag in my cup and wait for the flavours to mingle together.

On the Pukka website it states that the tea should be left to infuse for 5 minutes.

After a couple of minutes the liquid is dark in colour and has a slight golden hue to it.

I cannot fully explain how lovely the smells are in the area that I am doing the tasting.

This tea smells absolutely delicious!

Pukka describes this tea as-

Using a delicious blend of peppermint & FairWild licorice this new tea blend is particularly close to our hearts. Not only does is celebrate 10 Pukka Years, but with 20p from every pack going towards supporting WWF conservation projects, it’s also helping protect the natural world we love.

We are committed to creating a beautiful world in everything we do and are working with a number of regeneration projects to help us all enjoy a healthier relationship with nature. So pop the kettle on, brew a cuppa and sit back and enjoy the incredible power of nature with refreshing peppermint to soothe the digestion and naturally sweet, soothing licorice to calm and nourish.

preparation
Infuse the tea bag for at least 5 minutes in freshly boiled water

I hope you can feel good knowing that as well as taking care of yourself, you’re doing your own little bit to create a beautiful world too. Enjoy and stay well

ingredients

Naturally caffeine-free and ethically sourced. 100% organically grown ingredients: Peppermint leaf (60%), licorice root (40%), Contains licorice – people suffering from hypertension should avoid excessive consumption. 40% FairWild certified ingredients by dry weight.

We use sachets to protect the high essential oil content of our incredible organic herbs to bring you the fullest flavour.

contents

20 Sachets

The taste of this tea is rich, full-bodied, and warm. I absolutely love the nutty flavor. To be quite honest, if someone had me try this without telling me what flavor it was, I probably would have guessed pecan before I’d guess chestnut – but that’s OK, because pecan is one of my favorite flavors! (I make a pretty good pumpkin-pecan pie at Thanksgiving, and during the years I lived in Texas, I ate far too many of Lamme’s Pralines.) I would have guessed chestnut after that. Either way, the nut flavor is so rich and warm that this tea is almost a dessert in itself.

The tea is also available in loose leaf form; I have not tried it as such – but since mesh sachets allow for leaves as large as loose ones, and allow as much water flow as any infuser, I don’t think that this tea would taste much different in an infuser than it did in the sachets. Mesh works so much better than traditional paper tea bags!

The underlying tea is a plain black tea – one of those Sri Lanka blends that works so well as a base for flavors because in and of itself it doesn’t have any conflicting notes or overwhelming flavor that would make it difficult to add flavorings.

The tea is available as part of the “Stocking Stuffers” assortment, where it comes as part of 6 tins (see pictures, below) – one of the others is the Pumpkin Spice tea, another favorite of mine. While you can buy the chestnut tea by itself, it’s so much fun to get an assortment and try several things at once! For me, opening one of these packages is like opening 6 holiday presents at the same time.

Adagio describes this tea as:

Premium black tea from Sri Lanka flavored with roasted chestnuts. Perfect for enjoying in front of an open fire. With Jack Frost nipping at your nose, this is the ideal time to enjoy this Holiday favorite. Roasty, smooth and full bodied, with pleasant dryness. Help to make the season bright, give this limited-time tea a try.

The chestnut has been a staple food in southern Europe, Turkey and Asia for millennia, largely replacing cereals where they would not grow in mountainous areas. They are a beloved treat during the holidays here in America (thanks to a certain favorite modern Christmas song.) In France, the marron glace – a candied chestnut involving 16 different processes in a typically French cooking style – is served at Christmas and New Year’s time. They are also always served in celebration of the New Year in Japan. There, chestnuts are said to represent both success and hard times – mastery and strength.

Here are the assortments that have chestnut tea in them:

<Hearty Treat assortment

Stocking Stuffers assortment>

Yes, yes it does. It has the smoothness one expects of an oolong, and it holds up for a second steeping, as oolong teas usually do (and green tea usually doesn’t).

The dry leaves of this tea are quite large – make sure you use a large infuser, so that you don’t break them or cram them together too tightly for water to flow through. The aroma of the dry leaves is, well, tea-like; I didn’t get any floral hints from the leaves.

The tea brews up into a golden-colored brew. There is still not a floral aroma, but there are hints of both green tea and of fruit in the aroma. The taste is smooth, medium-bodied, not too brisk, and also has hints of fruit to it.

Tavalon describes this tea as:

A lightly oxidized oolong tea with a subtle, sweet aroma and complex flavor.

Sommelier’s Steeping Suggestions: 8 oz water (180F) | 1 tsp loose tea | steep 3 minutes – great with seafood or a salad!

Ingredients: Oolong tea

Character: Sweet, Floral, Melon

Origin: Taiwan

Functions: Slimming

(Note that the claims that this tea, or any tea, has a slimming function are not medically or scientifically tested. Drink tea because you like it, not because you think it will substitute for exercise, good diet, and regular medical care in maintaining your health.)

On a second steeping – lower the water temperature by 10 degrees, brew about 2 minutes longer than the first steeping – the tea retains the golden color – it doesn’t look any “weaker” and the taste also is about the same. The hint of fruitiness is still there. Second steepings usually have almost no caffeine in them, so drinking the first cup of this in the early afternoon and the second cup in the late afternoon works well for avoiding too much caffeine later in the day. I will admit that sometimes I store my tea leaves, still in the infuser, in the refrigerator, to come back to on another day – and sometimes I don’t remember, three or four days later, what each tea is, and my afternoon cup is “mystery tea” – I find this fun. OK, I have an odd sense of humor. If somebody would decide to manufacture sticky notes in the shape of a tea cup, I might remember to label these teas – are you listening, sticky note manufacturers?

Good morning tea lovers.

Today’s review is for a special blend of Gyokuro.

This particular blend comes from Southern Japan.

I begin by boiling my kettle.

According to the notes sent with the tea sample the tea creates a truly syrupy cup of tea.

Flavour: Shaded tea leaves have a higher content of theanine amino acids, and this technique draws out the theanine exclusively to create a powerfully rich, thick, syrupy cup of tea that is filled with umami , or savoriness. The catechins (which cause shibumi or astringency) in the tea leaves begin coming out at a higher temperature, so be sure to steep it at a higher temperatures later to enjoy the shibumi!

I am going to follow the process as listed below.

The instructions sent with the tea advise the following for brewing-

Serves: Two people. Serve in a small guinomi cups (about 40ml, like a shot glass) and enjoy slowly.

Water amount: 80 cc (or 80ml, 2.7 fluid ounces, 1/3 cup)

Water temperature: 40-50’0c / 100-120′f

Tea leaf amount: 8 grams ( about two teaspoons)

Steep time: 2 minutes

1. Pour hot water into your cold tea pot. As the water warms the teapot, its temperature drops about 10 degrees.

2. When the teapot feels warm, pour into your cups to the rim to warm your cups. Throw out extra water in the tea pot.

3. After 2-3 minutes, the hot water in the cup should have cooled but you may want to use another container to cool it further.

4. Place your tea leaves into the teapot.

5. When the water has cooled to 50′oc, pour into the teapot and steep for 2 minutes.

6. Pour into your cups, and enjoy!

It also states on my brewing instructions that after the 3-4th steeping’s much of the astringency from the tea leaves will have been removed and you can eat the tea leaves with a dash of soy sauce on.

After following the process of brewing and eating the tea leaves at the end with a dash of soy sauce as advised I can honestly say I found this particular tea tasting experience thoroughly enjoyable.

I am really pleased with the flavour and found that it tasted exactly as how they stated on the information that they sent me with the sample.

The dried tea is beautiful – there are dried chrysanthemums in it, and that includes whole small flowers as well as petals. Absolutely gorgeous appearance. The chrysanthemum gives the dried leaves a complex aroma, too, a note darker than vanilla alone would provide.

When brewed, the taste is also more complex than vanilla alone. In fact, there’s a note that reminds me somehow of hot cocoa (after all, vanilla extract is a necessary ingredient in good hot cocoa!) and a spiciness from the flowers that gives an edge to it. Sometimes vanilla teas have too much of a sweet note for me, but this one is balanced out by the spiciness.

The body of the tea is quite full – again, something that reminds me of the richness of cocoa – and in fact, when I checked to see where the leaves were from, I discovered that they were Assam, which fully explains why my first impression of this was that it would make a wonderful breakfast tea. And to make you feel even better about being up in the morning, it’s an organic fair-trade Assam, and the vanilla beans, vanilla flavoring, and flowers are also all organic.

Mountain Rose Herbs describes this tea as:

This charming little box contains the world’s yummiest organic tea! All of our delicious teas are handcrafted by herb-loving artisans here in Eugene, Oregon. From writing recipes and blending herbs to assembly and packaging, our beautiful teas are created by their inspired hands.

All of the organic ingredients found in our line of teas are certified organic by Oregon Tilth. We will never use herbs that are conventionally grown with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or ecologically harmful chemicals. Farming methods which utilize these methods have damaging consequences to our communities, wildlife, watersheds, and livelioods, and Mountain Rose Herbs will not take part in supporting such a system.

By sipping this tea, you are supporting organic agriculture one cup at a time.

Contains: An organic fair trade Assam tea perfectly blended with organic cut Vanilla beans, organic Chrysanthemum flowers, and organic Vanilla flavoring. Contains caffeine. Certified Kosher by Earth Kosher.

The little box is indeed charming, and can be opened from the top or by opening the box along perforated lines which displays the lovely tea better. The tea is inside a cellophane bag which has an adhesive tab for re-closing, and that should help it stay fresh.

Included in the package I received were the “tea swatches” pictured above – which describe teas that I’m definitely going to try! The “swatches” are on a grommet, and if one fans them out, then on the back of the overlapping pieces is Mountain Rose Herbs’ full logo and graphic. But I’m not going to leave them all on the grommet – when separated, these will make perfectly-sized bookmarks, which I am going to distribute to my bookish friends and spread the word about Mountain Rose Herbs.

Good Morning tea lovers.

Today’s review is for Vanilla Rooibos from Dragonfly.

I saw this as I was strolling through my local herbal store.

I wanted to look for a caffeine free tea with a hint of flavour.

This looks like it will fit perfectly.

If you didn’t know I am a massive lover of Vanilla so I am sure this will be very enjoyable as it has the natural extract of Bourbon Vanilla.

Dragonfly advise that you leave the teabag in the cup to brew for 3-4 minutes.

I prepare my kettle for boil.

Whilst boiling I take a moment to savour the teas aroma.

I pull out a teabag from the box and I cannot believe how much aroma fills my nose. The scent inside the teabag is absolutely delightful.

The scent is typical of Rooibos but there is an exquisite aroma of lovely, creamy, sweet vanilla.

My kettle has now boiled so I pour over the hot liquid and let the tea infuse.

The liquor in my cup turns a reddish/golden hue straight away.

4 minutes later and my tea is now ready.

I can honestly say out of all the teas I have sampled in the past this is the one that I will remember for having an exceptional aroma.

I take a sip of the tea and it tastes exactly how it smells.

The tea is creamy, sweet, dry, flavoursome and most importantly very refreshing.

I am thoroughly pleased with this tea and I will certainly be buying it again.

Dragonfly describes this tea as-

Unbelievably delicious. Soothing rooibos blended with the smooth, creamy taste of real Bourbon Vanilla from Madagascar. A ‘no-calorie’ pudding.

All Dragonfly rooibos teas are still cured in the traditional way, as it was when Benjamin Ginsberg founded rooibos. The process takes place in the crisp air of the Cedarberg Mountains of South Africa’s Cape. It requires great skill to know when the cure is at its peak; one sign is that it begins to give off a delicious sweet aroma that attracts wild bees.

Dragonfly rooibos teas are naturally caffeine free, so they can be enjoyed at any time of day and are suitable for the whole family. Rooibos is rich in antioxidants and AHAs, long valued for fresh glowing skin, gently rehydrating and low in tannin.

Directions: Add freshly boiled water and allow to brew for 3-4 minutes, according to taste. Add sugar or honey. With or without milk or as an iced tea.

Overall I would describe this tea as light, creamy and delicious anytime of the day.

The gingerbread sprinkles give away one of the flavors in this tea – there are slivers of dried ginger root in there; another flavor is almonds, and one can see the almond slivers in the loose tea. One can also see the bits of cacao, tiny pieces of cinnamon, and the seeds of other spices in the tea as well. Over all, the taste is not quite as spicy as a chai tea, but it conveys the impression of spiced baked goods quite nicely – I always feel as though the addition of almonds to a tea makes it taste more like cookies!

Since this is a specialty tea for the Christmas holiday, it isn’t always available – as I write this review, a couple of months after Christmas, it is not on TFAR’s web site, nor are any of their other Christmas teas. The link that occurs on the picture above is to the “Specialty teas” page of TFAR’s web site, where you’ll find the current offerings – perhaps one with a sprinkle of candy shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day will be there, or one with little candy flowers for spring, or little candy yellow ribbons in the Returning Heroes blend. And then, after fall comes ’round again, there will be more Christmas teas there.

TFAR describes their specialty teas like this:

Tea For All Reasons offers a wide selection of the freshest premium teas for the most sophisticated tea lover, as well as custom blends for special occasions.

The specialty teas they offer include custom blends for weddings, and teas for birthdays, children’s tea parties, and other special occasions that aren’t exactly holidays.

I thought today was the day to unleash this amazing concoction.

This is Vanilla Matcha Latte from Vitalife.

This is not your ordinary green tea, yet a rather a more indulgent latte mixture.

This is not the first time I have tried this blend but it is however the first time I have shared it on a tea reviewing platform.

Apart from the obvious Matcha flavour this blend has a lovely creamy, sweet vanilla flavour that is really comforting as a treat as you can make this up with milk.

I usually make this up with soy milk just what Vitalife recommend and it makes up an exceptionally creamy delight.

I normally reach for this on a weekend for a little extra luxury from my normal Matcha tea.

Vitalife describes this tea as-

Creamy, sweet, vanilla loveliness.

It’s an indulgence with a health kick.

Our vanilla matcha latte mix is made from matcha green tea powder, which has been found to contain 137x antioxidants of regular green tea and an abundance of L-Theanine (the ‘feel good’ amino acid derivative).

Great with soy milk.

Ingredients-Matcha Green Tea, Organic Pure Cane Sugar, Vanilla Flavouring

Directions-Mix 5g (around 1 heaped teaspoon) of latte mix with 250ml hot milk and mix well with a milk frother. Store in a cool dry place.

Warnings-Contains Caffeine

If you make the Vanilla Matcha Latte exactly how it states you are sure to experience an amazingly rich, satisfying, comforting beverage.

Overall I would say this is perfect for lazy Sundays or for when you are feeling like you want something sweet and creamy with an added extra health kick.

Good Morning tea-lovers.

Just before the Easter break I was strolling down the high street and I decided to pop into a herbal store to see if they had any teas that I had not yet tried.

I came across this. This is Jamaica Roasted Spice Organic Ayurvedic Spice Infusion from Yogi Tea.

There were many teas to choose from in the herbal store but this one in particular jumped out at me.

I felt like I was looking for something to make myself feel better (we have been suffering in the UK with lots of cold and bad weather). I thought this blend would be great as the ingredients are-

• Roasted Chicory
• Cinnamon
• Barley Malt
• Carob
• Cardamom
• Black Pepper
• Liquorice
• Blessed Thistle

Wow I know what you may be thinking what a wonderful cocktail of ingredients (I certainly was).

Other than the wonderful ingredients I was drawn to this as the packaging was bright, informative and purposeful.

This blend is in teabags and you get 15 in a box which at a couple of pounds in cost is great value.

Yogi Tea advise the following for brewing-

Allow to infuse for 7 minutes- or longer for stronger flavour. Take a sip before adding your favourite sweetener and/or creamer and let the flavours you taste inspire the perfect proportions. Perfect for quiet breaks or cosy gatherings, Jamaica offers a delectable and spicy gourmet pick-me-up

I prepare my kettle to boil.

A minute or so later my kettle has boiled so I reach for my trusty China cup and place the bag in. I pour over the just boiled kettle water and allow the tea to infuse.

I must say as soon as the hot liquid hits the teabag an extraordinary aroma fills the air (almost like a spicy/herbal cough medicine- but in a very nice way!)

I particularly like herbal/spicy/homely/comfort aromas.

7 minutes later I take a small sip of the tea.

Wow! this tea is amazingly flavoursome, very soothing yet spicy.

I can really pull out each individual flavour of each of the ingredients in this tea which is really amazing as they are all powerful notes normally.

Yogi Tea describes this tea as-

Yogi Tea Jamaica Roasted Spice Organic Tea combines the full flavours of roasted chicory and carob with the aromatic spices of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves thus creating the perfect full bodied alternative to your daily cup of coffee. The blend of spices and rich flavours create a blend that will satisfy anyone – the perfect pick-me-up tea.

Product Ingredients:Roasted Chicory* (20%), Cinnamon*, Barley Malt*, Carob*, Cardamom*, Black Pepper*, Liquorice, Blessed Thistle*.
* Certified Organic Ingredient.

Overall I would describe this tea as a soothing, aromatic blend with robust flavours and a perfect balance of all flavours.

I thoroughly enjoyed tasting this blend and will be most certainly buying this again.

Good Morning tea-lovers.

Today I am going to review my most favourite brand for Japanese Matcha.

This is Vitalife’s Organic Matcha-Ceremonial Grade.

I have tried the other Matcha’s in their range but when this little number landed in the post I was extremely excited.

I love all elements of Japanese Matcha. I love the fact that it tastes great, is good for you and has numerous health benefits…really I could go on.

If you haven’t tried Vitalife’s Japanese Matcha it is worth noting that the tea is powdered so you are drinking the beverage in its entirety and not wasting any of the green goodness.

Vitalife advise the following for brewing-

 Measure 1g of Vitalife Matcha (1 Quarter of a Teaspoon) and sift into a large mug. Add warm water and whisk until frothy. Store in a cool dry place.

My kettle has now boiled so I take my bamboo scoop and dive into the green powder just taking enough so that the scoop is filled.

I pop the Matcha into my cup and wait a couple of minutes for my freshly brewed water to cool down.

5 minutes later I return to the kettle and pour the hot liquid over the Matcha.

When the hot liquid hits the Matcha I see instantly the water turning green (very similar to the colour of barley grass).

I take my handheld whisk and whisk until frothy.

I take a sip of the tea and I am reminded of the outstanding quality that Vitalife’s Matcha’s have. The tea tastes clean, fresh and very tea-like, this is definitely not bitter like ordinary green tea and most certainly doesn’t leave you feeling queezy. This tea leaves you hydrated, alert and ready for the rest of the day. I must say that when I drink 2-3 cups of Matcha per day I feel very focused and in control of cravings and moods (which for a woman can only be a bonus).

I would also like to point out that in the past when I have bought Vitalife’s Matcha I liked it that much that I decided to buy the cooking version and made some absolutely delicious banana, pecan and green tea muffins.

Vitalife describes this tea as-

- 137x antioxidants of standard green tea

- Certified Organic

- High in L-Theanine (the ‘feel good’ amino acid derivative)

- Improved mental focus and awareness

- Metabolism boost (burn fat faster and easier)

- Detoxifying and anti-aging properties

Matcha is a powdered green tea grown in exclusive regions of Japan.

Our certified organic matcha green tea 30g ceremonial grade is perfect for those who demand only the best.

Ceremonial grade matcha, in comparison to lower grades, uses only the smallest, youngest tea leaves on the bush – giving it a distinctly smooth, almost sweet, flavour.

Beginner’s grade, on the other hand, uses more mature leaves from further down the tea bush.

Ceremonial grade is perfect for those who dipped their toe with our beginner’s grade matcha and want to take the next step to an even higher quality cup of matcha green tea.

Overall I have to say that this tea is outstanding and is certainly going to feature in my cupboard for a long long time. Thank you Vitalife.

Upon brewing, the citrus aroma is joined by a slight bit of a floral aroma, surprisingly. Normally I don’t expect that in an Earl Grey, but I suppose that the blend of teas here – combining Assam and Darjeeling, like a good breakfast tea, plus some Ceylon tea – just happens to allow for new notes to develop as the tea steeps.

The taste is complex – the bergamot tastes more like bergamot, less like lemon, than it smells, but it still has that faint trace of a sweetness that isn’t added sugar, and a smoothness that goes with the floral part of the aroma. The black tea itself is quite strong, as one would expect from a blend with Assam in it, but it’s not at all harsh – it’s full-bodied, without being overpowering. Altogether, I think this is one of the best balances of tea flavor and bergamot flavor that I’ve ever tasted. It’s an Earl Grey I could drink breakfast through afternoon, and if I weren’t sensitive to caffeine at night, I’d drink it with dinner, too – the flavor of this tea would complement many dinner entrees as an added “sauce.” (I think that I am going to try cooking some rice with Indian spices and the sorts of seeds in a pilaf – fennel, in particular -  in water with this tea added – as I’m imagining the combination, it seems as though the flavors will combine wonderfully!)

The leaves of this tea are large and expand quite a bit on steeping – make sure you use a large enough infuser or paper tea sack.

Alvin’s of San Francisco describes this tea as:

In the ancient Persian court, legend says that the ideas of royalty, excellence and the good life evolved around the sacred tea ceremonies where only the very best tea blends were served. Centuries later tea is still a staple of Persian cuisine. We are proud to present Persian Choice Royal Earl Gray Tea, a secret blend prepared in accordance with these ancient sentiments. Made from the absolute highest quality tea leaves from Ceylon, Assam, and Darjeeling, this pungent Earl Grey blend has been transformed into pure royalty. We use the finest tea leaves available to ensure the least bitter taste possible. We blend these exquisite tea leaves with a secret variety of natural and organic extracts. With hints of bergamot and the aroma of a middle eastern spice market our Persian Choice Royal Earl Grey will transform any event into an elegant setting. CERTIFIED ORGANIC, FAIR TRADE, and KOSHER. We are proud to announce that our Persian Choice Royal Earl Grey Tea has won FIRST PLACE in the North American Tea Championship in the Earl Grey Category.

If one doesn’t steep the tea the first time for too long, this tea is also good for a second steeping – use water slightly under boiling, and let it steep for somewhat longer, the second time, five minutes rather than three. There’s still a floral note, and though the flavor is milder, it’s still a superior taste.

And have I mentioned how beautiful the label is? The large flowers in the illustration of a royal woman drinking tea in her garden are a wonderful hint of the flavors to come.

All together, I can see why this is an award-winning tea, and based on the quality of this, I am eagerly looking forward to the next tea I try from Alvin’s!

I love blackcurrant, a flavor I first discovered on a visit to Canada back in the 70′s; it’s still more popular in the UK and other parts of the British Empire than it is in the US, though this is changing a bit since some of the big supermarket tea brands have introduced blackcurrant-flavored black teas. None of those has as fruity and full-bodied a blackcurrant taste as this one, though!

The tea is in bags, so there’s not as much aroma to the dry teabag as there would be to tea leaves. Once brewed, however, the blackcurrant aroma is unmistakeable, and the taste is even stronger than the aroma.

For people in the US who may not be familiar with the taste, imagine a cross between purple grapes and a blend of berries, especially blueberry and blackberry.

Since the blend is herbal, there is no caffeine, so this can be drunk late at night. Which is when I tend to drink it, sometimes several cups in one evening.

In the UK, this tea is available in stores or from an online store that London Fruit & Herb Company shares with Typhoo. In the US, one will occasionally find this tea in discount-remainder stores such as Home Goods or Ross, but more reliably one will find it on Amazon.com.

London Fruit & Herb describes this tea as:

The London Fruit and Herb Company have adopted a philosophy of creating great tasting blends that are good for you. So dedicated are we to achieving this that we have developed a unique process to provide you with a range of fruit flavours which really taste as good as they smell. Format: String, tag and envelope.

Ingredients: Hibiscus, Blackberry Leaves, Flavourings, Liquorice Root, Apple Pomace, Blackcurrant Juice (2%), Blackcurrants (2%), Blackcurrant Leaves (1%), Rosehips, Citric Acid, Strawberry Juice.

Not only is this a tasty warm tea, it reminds me of summer with its fruity taste, and therefore helps me look forward to summer (as I write this, it is a few days into the start of spring here in Maryland, and we are expecting snow this weekend.) Speaking of summer, this also makes an excellent iced tea. When made iced, add a bit of sugar to keep the fruit flavor to the forefront. A few frozen berries dropped into it make an excellent garnish, or a wedge of orange, or even kumquat, works well.

Before I stop talking about how much I love blackcurrant, I have to tell you what I often eat for breakfast: 2/3 cup plain yogurt, 2/3 cup Kashi Black Currant Walnut cereal (has freeze-dried blackcurrants in it) and 2 heaping tablespoons blackcurrant jam, all mixed together. The blackcurrant jam adds enough sweetness to make it better than already-flavored yogurt, and the cereal stays crunchier with yogurt instead of milk. Could I make this any more blackcurrant-y?

Good Morning tea-lovers!

I came across this lively looking tea this weekend whilst strolling round a local herbal shop.

The previous week I was watching a well known cooking show and Hibiscus tea was featured as an iced summer beverage.

The weather in England is way too cold and snowy for iced beverages so I welcome any hot drink, but I must admit I am particularly excited about this.

This tea is Hibiscus Bliss from Higher Living. This tea is 70% Hibiscus and 30% Lemongrass.

Higher Living advise the following for brewing-

Use one bag for a cup or two for a large mug.

Pour on freshly boiled water and allow the tea to brew for a good four or five minutes. The extracts need this time to release all their valuable essential oils and flavour.

You can make a pint of iced tea by brewing six bags in a single cup of boiling water. Top up to a pint with two cups of chilled mineral water and plenty of ice cubes, adding sugar or honey if you like it sweeter.

I prepare my kettle for boiling and take out my china cup.

I place one of the teabags into my cup and savour the teas aroma whilst the kettle boils.

My kettle has now boiled so I pour the hot liquid over the teabag and instantly the water goes a pinky/red colour.

This tea smells instantly fragrant (but not overly sweet-thank god as I am not a lover of really sweet teas.)

I take a sip of the tea and it tastes as fragrant as it smells. The Lemongrass is only mild in this blend which is great as it doesn’t overpower the Hibiscus flavour.

Higher Living describes this tea as-

Higher Living make their infusions with the finest quality organic ingredients for a better, brighter, bolder cup and an altogether more uplifting experience. Hibiscus Bliss, this delightfully refreshing infusion combines Hibiscus with Lemongrass to make for a delicious citrus burst.

Overall I would describe this tea as a refreshing, light and slightly sweet tea that is perfect anytime of the day as it is caffeine-free.

On this gloomy, snowy Friday morning I have decided to reach for my trusty everyday brew.

Here we have regular black tea from PG Tips (a personal favourite of mine).

This tea reminds me of when I was younger and my mum and dad gave me my very own cup and I used to have a cup of tea on a weekend. I remember the taste being really fresh and delicious.

I prepare my kettle for boil.

I will also add that even though this tea is in bagged form it is most certainly worthy of a china cup.

My kettle has now boiled so I pour the just boiled liquid over the teabag and let it infuse for a couple of minutes.

I notice that as soon as the water hits the bag the liquid turns golden brown and gives off a very fresh aroma.

Pyramid teabags are said by some to be a lot better than the ordinary teabags you tend to see as they give the tea more room to infuse, therefore giving a better flavour.

I am not sure whether I believe this entirely as I have tried some very tasty square bagged teas before, I just know that I really like this.

A couple of minutes have passed so I take out the milk from the fridge and pour into my golden liquor. I notice that as soon as the milk hits the liquid the tea has brewed up quite strong (just how i like it). I must add I never take sugar in any of my beverages.

I stir the liquid gently (just once) and take a small sip.

This tea is just perfect for refreshment and I also find it smooth and clean tasting.

PG Tips describes this tea as-

The eighth wonder of the world!

Our cleverly designed pyramid bags give the tea leaves room to move, so you can get even more of the great PG tips flavour.

Overall this tea is light, refreshing, clean, flavour some… I could actually go on quite a bit. Thank you PG Tips!

Good morning tea-lovers!

Today I am going to sample Jasmine Green Tea from Tea Story.

I was sent this from Tea Story a little while ago and I miss placed it.

I am really excited to try this.

I cannot explain how much I love Jasmine and Green Tea so I think this is going to be special.

I prepare my kettle, take out my china cup and savour the teas aroma from the pack.

There is an almighty Jasmine scent coming from the specially designed pyramid teabags.

At this moment I can only smell Jasmine but that’s fine by me as it makes me think of fresh flowers in the summer (just perfect on a gloomy cold English day!)

My kettle has now boiled so I leave it for a couple of minutes just to cool off a bit.

Tea Story advise to use 1 pyramid bag per cup, steep for 2-3 mins and to infuse at 70 degrees.

I am now ready to pour the hot liquid over my teabag and leave to infuse.

3 minutes later I am now ready to try my flowery brew!

I take a sip and its like summer in a cup. This tea is powerfully Jasmine scented yet now the green tea is pulling through quite nicely just taking a bit of an edge off the Jasmine.

Tea Story describes this tea as-

The cup is bright orange with light jasmine taste.

Box consists of 16 individually wrapped pyramids.

Perk yourself up with this fragrant tea. The naturally sweet jasmine blossom generates a positive mood whilst the green tea pleasantly invigorates. When drinking it, you are sure to enjoy various subtleties within its taste.

Brewing Instructions: 1 pyramid per cup, 2-3 min, 70 °C

Today I am going to sample Da Hong Pao which is a dark Oolong from LuLin Teas.

I have sampled LuLin tea blends before and have to say I was very impressed so hopefully this will be a delight too.

I pop my kettle on to boil.

LuLin advise the following for brewing-

Add 3-4g in an average sized teapot, use boiled water cooled to 85˚C. Infuse for 30 seconds and discard first brew. Re-steep and infuse for 1-3 minutes, depending on taste. Re-steep up to 3 times.

My kettle has now boiled so I add the tea leaves to my pot and follow the brewing instructions from LuLin.

3 minutes have now passed and I am all excited I can now try my tea.

I take a sip of the golden liquor and find the tea very soothing.

I am actually quite surprised at how smooth this tea is, it isn’t at all bitter which you would normally associate with dark teas.

I take another sip and manage to pull some other flavours from the infusion. I find the tea, woody, smooth, tea-like and very clean-tasting.

I am really pleased with this infusion and I am really looking forward to finishing it off.

LuLin describe this tea as-

Da Hong Pao

This tea is from the spectacular province of Fujian on the Southeast coast of China famed for its Oolong teas, and is also known as ‘Big Red Robe’. It has tightly curled dark brown leaves, which unfurl when brewed to release a complex fragrance with a rich, smoky and slightly floral flavour.

It is traditionally brewed in China using a Gawain but using a normal tea infuser works perfectly well too.

There is an interesting story behind the name of this tea. During the Ming Dynasty the mother of the Emperor fell ill. After drinking a cup of tea she was cured. To pay tribute to the tea, the Emperor ordered that the plants from which it came should be covered with red robes to ensure their survival through the winter. This is where the name Big Red Robe comes from.

The four original plants were grown on a cliff named Nine Dragons Cave on Wuyi Mountain. Da Hong Pao sold today is made from plants grown using clippings from the original plants.

Overall I find this tea very pleasant and enjoyable and will be most certainly re-purchasing!

Good Morning tea-lovers!

I find myself on this sunny but cold morning reaching for some soothing refreshment from a herbal infusion.

This is Chamomile Herbal Infusion that I was sent from Tea Story.

I tear open the foil pouch as you see here in the image and out comes a pyramid teabag with a generous amount of filling inside.

The contents of the teabag look delightful. I see Chamomile flowers and various other flower/plant type things.

I must say the teabag smells lovely so I cannot wait to try the infusion once its brewed.

I pop my kettle onto boil and reach for a dainty cup.

My kettle has now boiled so I pour over the hot liquid and let the tea infuse. This tea is supposed to infuse for 3-5 minutes according to the pack.

5 minutes have now passed and i take a small sip of the tea and boy it tastes great.

This tea is very light, refreshing and quite typical of a finer blend of Chamomile.

Tea Story describes this tea as-

Dried camomile blossoms, refreshing and calming.

Box consists of 13 individually wrapped pyramids.

Discover the healing power of this yellow flower with white petals, which helps overcome numerous ailments and diseases. An anti-inflammatory, it reduces pain, tackles insomnia and fights against the common cold. Furthermore, it calms the stomach. It also imparts a pleasant flavour, especially when combined with good-quality honey.

Chamomile tea is most commonly used today to relax smooth muscle tissue, calming a nervous stomach and relieving menstrual cramps. The tea is effectively used to promote relaxation and alleviate stress.

While it is primarily consumed as a tea, it has also been used externally to reduce inflammation of the skin, soothe haemorrhoids and relieve toothaches.

Brewing Instructions: 1 pyramid per cup, 3-5 min, 100 °C

Overall I would describe this tea as soothing, light and excellent quality.

Good Morning tea-lovers!

Here we have Darjeeling from Whittard of Chelsea.

I particularly like Darjeeling as it has a light and delicate taste.

I prepare my kettle for boil and take out my finest china cup ( as you may know a must for delicate teas).

I decant some of the loose tea leaves into my infuser and pour over the boiled kettle water.

I decide to leave the tea to infuse for 3 minutes or so as I couldn’t find anywhere on Whittard’s website for how long this tea should be brewed for.

3 minutes later I pour the infused liquid into my cup and the colour is very golden, just like an excellent quality Darjeeling normally is.

I take a minute to savour the teas aroma and find it very pleasing to the senses.

I take a sip of the tea and I love it!

The tea is light, fresh and of very good quality. I particularly favour the delicate taste on a Monday morning to give me some refreshment after a long weekend.

Whittard of Chelsea describes this tea as-

To taste Darjeeling is to taste the landscape where it is grown. Intermittent rain, sun and moisture-laden mists nurture the century-old tea gardens in the landscape that inspired Rudyard Kipling to craft his stories. The smallest shoots, still covered in dew, are picked by hand at first light to deliver one of our finest teas.

Packed in an environment where nuts are handled.

Overall I would describe this tea as soothing, delicate and very refreshing. Thank you Whittard.

This tea brewed up a medium color – not as dark as the Irish Breakfast I tried or the other English Breakfast in the comparison – and the flavor was also just a bit milder than those two. Not that that’s a complaint; although breakfast teas are supposed to be bold, many people want a tea that’s not so assertive that it threatens to knock them out of their chairs. There was a little bit of a malty note, but I’m guessing that this was a blend of several teas, rather than being mostly Assam the way some traditional English Breakfasts are. That’s actually a good thing, though, because it led to an unexpected pleasure: when I tried it with sugar, it acquired a slight fruity note that was very pleasant both to smell and taste. I doubt that it would have this with artificial sweeteners, but sugar definitely did it. I don’t normally add sweetener to my tea, but the small amount I added here was a definite hit, and I’d drink this again with that bit of sugar. On the other hand, when I tried it with milk, the milk did nothing for it except mute the tea flavor, and since that was already milder than some other breakfast teas, I didn’t think that the milk was a good idea. However, if you are one of the people who adds milk specifically to mitigate what you perceive as a harsh note in black teas, then you would be pleased with this result.

I notice on Amazon.com that Hampstead also makes a loose leaf organic English Breakfast tea. I haven’t tried that, so I can’t speak to whether the properties are similar to the teabags I tried, but it’s nice to know that the option is available. Myself, first thing in the morning, I’m not awake enough yet to fuss with loose leaf tea, and I appreciate the convenience of tea bags until I’m more awake, the arthritis has vanished from my fingers, and my eyes are fully opened.

Hampstead describes this tea as:

Carefully blended black teas from North India create a punchy and full-bodied brew. Londoners like it best with a dash of milk. Great to start a busy day.

Ingredients: Fairtrade black tea.

By the way, Hampstead describes these as sachets, but they are ordinary paper teabags.

I rarely buy relatively “plain” teas myself, as I get served plain black tea in restaurants and in other people’s houses, and I receive lots of samples of black teas. This usually means, though, that I have only two or three cups’ worth of any particular tea, and often end up grabbing tea bags at random for my first cup of the morning, thus using up many of the loose tea bags people send me without even noticing what they are. This time I made a conscious effort, and collected several bags each of several kinds of related teas that people have sent me, mostly things that are commonly available, and did a side-by-side test of them. I brewed them all identically, and tried one cup plain, one with a small amount of sugar, and one with milk. The other English Breakfast tea that I tried was Twinings English Breakfast, reviewed here.

This tea was not as strong as Twining’s Irish Breakfast tea, which I also drank in a side-by-side comparison (see below) but it was a fairly strong black tea, with a nice malty note as is typical of Assam teas. It brews up a dark brown – though not as dark as the Irish Breakfast – and has a nice tea aroma. It tastes good plain, or with sweetener, or with milk. I prefer my tea plain, but if you like to add sugar and/or milk to your tea, then it’s nice to find a tea that will stand up to them without losing its tea flavor. The tea tasted fresh; the individual foil packets the bags come in help keep it that way. Twinings does also offer their English Breakfast in tins of loose tea, if you prefer. I personally appreciate the convenience of tea bags first thing in the morning when I’m not terribly coordinated yet, and Twinings deservedly has a reputation for their tea in bags tasting as good as many loose-leaf teas.

Twinings says about this tea:

A rich & satisfying robust black tea. The robust, malty character of this tea comes from pure Assam and Kenyan tea leaves grown in India.Twinings English Breakfast Tea was originally blended to complement the traditional, hearty English Breakfast, from which its name derives. The refreshing and invigorating flavour makes English Breakfast one of the most popular black teas to drink at any time or occasion, not just for breakfast. English Breakfast can be enjoyed with or without milk, sweetened or unsweetened—the choice is yours..

I rarely buy relatively “plain” teas myself, as I get served plain black tea in restaurants and in other people’s houses, and I receive lots of samples of black teas. This usually means, though, that I have only two or three cups’ worth of any particular tea, and often ind up grabbing tea bags at random for my first cup of the morning, thus using up many of the loose tea bags people send me without even noticing what they are. That’s why this time I made a conscious effort, and collected several bags each of several kinds of related teas that people have sent me, mostly things that are commonly available, and did a side-by-side test of them. I brewed them all identically, and tried one cup plain, one with a small amount of sugar, and one with milk.

The other Twinings tea that I drank in this comparison was their Irish Breakfast, reviewed here. I drank another English Breakfast tea, also, and I’ll add a link as soon as I review it!

The other day, I did a side-by-side taste test of four teas that I had only a few bags each of. I get sent lots of individual tea bags in tea swaps, and often they are things I don’t buy for myself, since I spend my tea dollars on unusually-flavored, seasonal, and exotic teas mostly, rather than plain black teas. But the plain black teas that people send me in swaps are often the teabags I grab to make my first cup of tea in the morning, so they deserve some attention. These four I tried were plain black teas, commonly available from supermarkets and the usual large online retailers. There are a lot more teas available in supermarkets now than there were when I was a kid!

Bigelow’s English Teatime had a milder flavor than the other three teas I was trying at the same time, but those were all described as breakfast teas and this wasn’t, so that’s to be expected. Bigelow’s web site does not say where the tea comes from, but I am guessing that it’s mostly or all Ceylon teas in the blend, with no Assam or Darjeeling in there, since I didn’t get any extra flavor notes when I brewed it – no copperiness as Darjeeling has, no malty note from Assam. While I didn’t find it to be as full-bodied as Bigelow’s description suggests, it was a nice, ordinary, decent cup of black tea. It seemed of higher quality, and tasted fresher, than the couple of best-known tea bag brands in the US, the ones that come in boxes of 100 bags on supermarket shelves everywhere. Bigelow’s teas are also available in most supermarkets all over the US, and as I say, I feel this tasted better than the stuff in big yellow boxes.

This tea brewed up a medium brown in color, and medium-bodied in taste. Not as full-bodied as a breakfast tea, but not too mild. I like my tea plain, but I also tried this with a bit of sugar. It added sweetness but did not change the flavor at all, so it’s likely that artificial sweeteners would also work OK, since there are no special notes that require real sugar to bring them out. The sugar didn’t cover up the taste, either, so if you’re looking for a tea that maintains its “plain black tea” flavor, then this would work. And of course, one of the advantages of bagged tea over loose leaf tea is the consistency from one bag to the next, one box to the next  – you can count on this bagged tea to be reliably good, though never spectacular. The foil packets that each bag is sealed in also keep the tea reliably fresh, compared to the paper wrappers that some tea bags come in. (Please don’t tell me I’m ending with a proposition – smile – ; this is English, not Latin, and ending a sentence with a proposition is perfectly OK. Let’s hear it for English while we’re celebrating English tea!)

When I tried this tea with milk, it nearly covered up the tea flavor entirely, so I don’t recommend using milk with this tea. The tea tastes fine without it, and is not at all harsh or bitter; it doesn’t need milk to tame it.

Bigelow describes this tea as:

[from the web site] Typically English, rich in flavor, and appropriate for any tea drinking occasion.
[from the packaging] For three generations, the Bigelow family has specialized in creating a variety of deliciously different teas. We use only the finest mountain-grown tea in English Teatime. This full-bodied tea is ideal for all occasions.

Note that this tea is kosher.

Bigelow’s Constant Comment is one of my favorite teas from when I was a child, and I appreciate the Bigelow brand for introducing me to teas that weren’t just big yellow boxes of 100. I even have a set of Bigelow tea mugs – four different labels from different Bigelow teas – that were available as a promotion, oh, a few decades ago. There are still Bigelow mugs available, but not the ones with the reproduction of the labels on them. Are you jealous?