It's All About The Leaf

Described as: “A profoundly flowery blend of select green teas, rare blossoms and aromatic lemon myrtle leaves”.

I was anxious to try this tea because I am a huge fan of lemon myrtle and it did not disappoint. It was difficult to wait the full three minutes for it to steep because the smell of the citrus and rose oils was so alluring. It brewed to a nice golden color, almost like liquid honey and tasted just as smooth. Lemon myrtle is sometimes overwhelming in a tea but this blend has just the right amount to perfectly compliment the taste of orange and the green tea. Couldn’t really pick out the lemon grass in the first steep but it came through in the second. A nice tangy aftertaste, refreshing and pleasant, with enough sweetness on it’s own. It went through three steeps perfectly and has earned a place at the front of my tea cabinet. Can’t wait to try this one iced…

You can purchase Rishi Tea Orange Blossom directly from their website.

Written by Jamie Its All About the Leaf Reviewer - Read more about this author on Jamie's profile page - View recent posts by Jamie

On the Mighty Leaf website this description is given: Bombay Chai with a melange of spicy notes conjures the steamy, aromatic delights of an Indian street market. Black tea leaves with subtle hints of Pepper, Orange, Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Clove make up our chai, the Indian word for tea. Bombay Chai is delicious when brewed fresh and blended with heated milk and sugar to taste.

Having recently given up coffee I drink Chai every day, as I find it is the only tea that has enough of a flavorful kick to get me awake and out the door in the morning.

When I tried Mighty Leaf’s Bombay Chai I found that it was pleasantly smooth and warm. However, generally Chai is distinguished by the bite of its spices, which didn’t seem particularly present here.

When I added milk I found that this overpowered the spices to the point that they were barely even noticeable. To me this tea seems to be suitable as a spiced black tea, but without knowing what it was I wouldn’t identify it as chai.

You can purchase Mighty Leaf Bombay Chai directly from their website.

Written by Hillary Its All About the Leaf Reviewer - Read more about this author on Hillary's profile page - View recent posts by Hillary

If there is one single tea China is known for it is the green teas produced around the Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. (Just south of Shanghai.) These teas from gardens in the Xi Hu (West Lake),Mi Jia Wu (Mi Family Valley), Long Jing (Dragon Well), and Shi Feng (Lion Peak) districts are what most westerners know as ‘green tea’. Today, cousins of these greens are grown in various parts of china, but the best are from this region.

This is the everyday tea of most Chinese households – it comes in many different grades from most common (cheap) to Imperial Tribute (extremely rare and expensive). It is consumed in great quantities by the masses, and is found in virtually every home and tea house.  Long Jing (sometimes Long Ching or Lung Ching) is a great entry into green chinese teas. Picked in the early spring, these leaves are hand shaped and tend to have a spear head or “sparrows tongue” shape.  The traditional characteristics of the style are the leaf shape, a bright green liquor in the cup, a fresh taste with a little dryness in the after, and a delicate flowery nose.

This specific tea is a Special Grade Long Jing Ten Ren Teas (the less unbroken leaves the better the grade – this one has very little broken leaf.) It is equivalent to a better tea served in a better tea house in China. It is a vivid spectrum of green and jade, and the leaf is long and uniform. Unsteeped it has a very earthy vegetative smell.

Brewed in my green xing teapot, 2 tsp (3g) of tea, infused in 6oz of water at 160F for 2 minutes. ( If you are brewing this in a normal tea pot, 2 tsp tea per 8oz of water, plus 1 extra tsp “for the pot”.) Bright light Jade in the cup, with a green fresh vegetation nose. Taste of chestnuts, with a touch of astringency and a good mouthfeel. The great thing about this green, and most greens is they can be re steeped multiple times – I use a little hotter water – 165f and add about 15-20 seconds, and got 4 more decent steeps. The aromas fade and the flavors as well with each, but it is still a nuanced cup. This is an all day every day good drinking tea – and if you are new to greens, I would recommend trying some.

You can purchase the directly from the Ten Ren website.

Written by Mike Dorosh Its All About the Leaf Reviewer - Read more about this author on Mike Dorosh's profile page - View recent posts by Mike Dorosh

Had to order a sample of this tisane because the name and the ingredients intrigued me. Teafrog description: “A delightfully refreshing non-caffeinated tea with and aroma both sweet and subtle. A subtle fruity taste leads to a nutty finish in this unique flavored blend”.

Now their description is accurate but this tea is so much more than that. It truly is ‘love’ flavored, like holding hands and dancing in the rain (thanks for that moment, Vittorio). Yes, I’m a romantic but hear me out. This blend let me escape for a few minutes just like you do when you get a hug. Not the kind of hug you give your aunt to thank her for the amazing socks she got you for your birthday, the kind of hug that you get from your partner when you’re having a ‘meh’ day. When there are no words spoken, no ‘tell me why you feel ‘meh”, just a look then that hug. (Yes, I know that ‘meh’ isn’t in the Oxford dictionary – yet – but it’s more descriptive to me than ‘blah’). Anyway the tea, the love, the soft flowery scent, the warmth of the rooibos, it truly is an experience.

I know you may be thinking that’s it’s impossible to have instant (seven minutes brewing – close to instant) love in a bag (just add water) but I promise you that, if you just close your eyes while you sip and think about that hug, you will feel it.

You can purchase the Rooibos Love directly from the TeaFrog website.

Written by Jamie Its All About the Leaf Reviewer - Read more about this author on Jamie's profile page - View recent posts by Jamie

We all have a ton of different travel coffee mugs in our cupboards, each bought with certain standard expectations.  Short ones, fat ones, tall ones, double walled, you name it.   They usually work ok.  Good for the commute to work, keeping your morning coffee warm for an hour or so. They aren’t truly meant for sitting for longer periods or for really cold activities.

I have spent a lot of money on travel mugs that make big promises and rarely deliver, until now.  My wonderful husband (actually my 2 little boys who know my love of all things tea) bought me 2 of these for Christmas this year and they are by far my favorite useful gift.

I decided to do a little experiment to see just how long the liquid stays warm for.  I boiled water, put in white tea, positioned the strainer and placed both tops on it.   I used the bag it comes in as well.  That was 4:10 in the afternoon.  I tested the tea at 11pm and it was still 120 degree’s, more then warm enough, I left it in the tea in the cup for the night and tested it again in the morning and to my complete surprise, it was still 95 degrees.   That was 16 hours and it was still warm, seriously!  I’ve never come across any other travel mug that has come close to this.

It is now a staple for my daily tea enjoyment, regardless if I am home all day or out and about traveling.    When I know I am going out all day, I will make both travel mug’s and simply tighten the lid on the 2nd to enjoy it much later in the day, tasting as if I had just made it.  I now  get to savor my tea, all warm and comforting all day long!

You can purchase the JOEmo XL Tea Travel Mug directly from the TeaFrog website.

Written by Lesley Its All About the Leaf Reviewer - Read more about this author on Lesley's profile page - View recent posts by Lesley