It has been a while since I’ve been able to sit down and relax long enough to review some teas. I appreciate all types of tea but the tea that I’m having today is really special. It’s a Darjeeling and it is beautiful. It appears to be a second flush, dark brown, thin leaves with a sprinkling of tips. The dry leaves smell like typical black tea only a bit more musky, reminds me of my grandfather hmm. This is the first time I’ve had tea from the Maikaibari Estate (Kurseong, Darjeeling in West Bengal ,India) and I get the feeling I’m going to be impressed with it.

Steeping it in boiling water for three minutes. It has settled to a light orange color with a sweet and still musky scent to it. It does appear to be a Summer flush, possibly a late Summer though… The tea tastes rich and full, a bit sweet, with a perfect muscatel after taste. The color has lightened after a few steeps but the flavor is still strong. It is spicey and warming, perhaps more of a winter tea, but I am still going to cold steep some for later.

Love teas from India, also love that this one is organic and Fairtrade certified. Can’t wait to try more teas from Hampstead, the quality in this tea and its packaging is outstanding.

Namaste.

You can purchase the Organic Fairtrade Darjeeling directly from the Hampstead Tea website.

East Pacific Tea Co. are an op out of Maryland that specializes in bringing high-quality tea to the consumer. Their emphasis is not on creating the best deal for the drinker, but providing the best beverage experience. They know they supply top-of-the-line stuff, and they’re willing to put their money where their cup is. Given what I’ve seen of their selection, I can believe it. How many vendors out there carry both a Chinese yellow tea and a Darjeeling white? Answer: Not many.

I was elated to have received a sample of their Gold Flake. It was actually one I was eyeing for some time once their name came to my attention. It’s no secret that any tea with the word “gold” in the title instantly makes my ears perk. (My ears shouldn’t be able to do that.) To date, my absolute favorite black tea is Yunnan Golden Needles – the younger, the better. While this didn’t look like a smattering of tippy gold buds, it wasn’t an ordinary Dian Hong (Yunnan black) either.  There was an almost-even distribution between dark, curled leaves and gold-tipped ones. That and the luscious smell – oh my! It was like freebasing honey off an oak tree covered in muscatel spice. I found no difference between its aroma and some Golden Needles I’ve tried.

Brewing instructions called for a five-minute steep in 212F water (basically boiling). I was at work when I tried this, so I didn’t adhere to a rigid preparation. Usually, with a finer black tea, I only steeped for three minutes. With “gold” varieties, I lowered the water temp to 190F-195F. The hot water I had access to was about what I preferred, but I had no way of properly eyeing the time. So, I guessed as best I could. It seemed like five-or-so minutes.

Unlike Yunnan Gold Bud (or Jin Cha) tea, this brewed up rather dark; I would almost say red-brown. The scent echoed the dry scent, though – a woody, earthy, smoky, somewhat malty, and honey-like aroma. While it smelled characteristically Yunnan, there was also a robust, Assam-like profile to it. This definitely showed in the taste. I expected the usual nectary excellence like Yunnans of yore, but I wasn’t anticipating the sheer kick to the tongue that came after. Malt was there in force followed by an astringent kick at the finish line. More often than not, I don’t care for dryness in black teas. I usually associate that sensation with lower-quality products. That wasn’t the case here. Like with a hearty Assam, the astringent trail added to its already-masculine character. And also like an Assam, it packed a caffeinated wallop that’d roust even the most stubborn of sleepers. This is a meaty, morning tea if ever there was one.

You can purchase the Gold Flake directly from the East Pacific Tea Co website.

So this is an interesting herbal tisane. Of course I’ve heard of a mulberry bush but I’ve never seen one and had no idea people used it for tea. A bit of research and I found that it has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Most notably, used in the treatment on Diabetes, sounds like it shares some of the same qualities as Stevia. This particular tisane is organically grown and processed by a small, woman-owned company in Northeastern Thailand.

The dry leaves are whole and very aromatic, they smell just like a roasted Chinese red tea. Prepared the tea using the recommendations on the Tula Teas site, rinsed leaves, “old man” boiling water, steeped for three minutes. It steeps to a nice, light green colour and the scent magically changes from that of a green to a fruity herbal. It tastes like blackberries mixed with salmon berries but with a slightly nutty after taste. Second steep brings out more of a raspberry flavour and it is sweet but not overly so (like Stevia).

Now, Tula Teas suggests icing this tisane with a bit of milk and sugar. I am interested enough to try that later, not sure about it though. I added some milk to the hot brew and it wasn’t for me. I think it is sweet enough without adding anything else.

You can purchase the Green Mulberry Leaf directly from the Tula Teas website.

Steeped in a Tea Forte Café Cup, with the spent tea pyramid resting on a Tea Forte tea tray, all the pieces were set to provide an enjoyable tasting experience of this mango flavoured green tea. Impeccable as always, the packaging of this individual tea pyramid infuser bag was clean and sharply presented. After heating the water to the proper temperature, I proceeded to steep the tea for only two minutes before moving on to tasting it. The aroma is light, and the mango smell is lighter yet. My guess would be that the green tea base is a sencha or something akin to it.

The tea itself has light forward notes with a strong finish. The mango is present but not very prominent. Overall the tea is not very impressive in its taste. Not wanting to judge it by first try, I steeped a second cup. This time, I left the tea pyramid in the water for three minutes. The mango flavour is now a lot bolder and broader. It complements the green tea far more than during the first infusion.

Overall, I think this is not one of Tea Forte’s better blends. However, for lovers of fruit flavoured green teas, it may be worth giving this one a try. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it a 76/100.

You can purchase Tea Forte Green Tango directly from their website.

The initial scent I get from this tea reminds me of a darjeeling…light and a bit spicy. In fact, this almost seems light enough to be a bit reminiscent of some green teas that I have had. Steeping it for three minutes with just-boiled water, I’m greeted with creamy aromas from the golden-brown liquor. Despite being a little too eager to try it, and burning my lip on the first sip, once I wait and get in a (safe) first sip, I am delighted by the result. This tea is indeed creamy, just as the Canton Tea Co website describes. I am not so sure about the caramel notes, but I suppose I could see where one might pick up hints of those. To me, this tea has just the slightest bit of a malty aftertaste, creating an impeccable flavour.

A resteep of this tea brings about a much-subdued, yet still flavourful, brew. This is most definitely one of the best black teas I have ever tasted. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it 90/100. On top of that, I would definitely recommend this as one of the must-try teas for lovers of black teas.

You can purchase the Bai Lin Gong Fu directly from the Canton Tea Co. website. Save 15% right now when you use the code LEAF at checkout! Save 15% right now when you use the code LEAF at checkout!

Once again utilising my Tea Forte Cafe Cup, Tea Forte Tea Tray, and Tea Forte Tea Timer iPhone application , I start out steeping this tea for a recommended average of 3 minutes. It may sound like a shameless plug, but their app is great, and the Cafe Cup (with its specially designed lid) is perfect for steeping Tea Forte pyramid infuser bags. The leaves inside the pyramid infuser look very broken up. This worries me a bit, but not being one to judge a tea from its appearance (at least not completely), I wait patiently for the steeping to finish.

The liquor has steeped to a milk-chocolate brown. Nutty smells waft up from the cup. This tea smells quite nutty. In the aroma, there even appears to be some subdued cocoa notes. Taking my first sip, it appears that three minutes was long enough to steep this tea. Perhaps even a bit too long.

The taste is much smoother than the smell would lead one to believe. Unlike many Formosa oolongs I have tried, this one slips nicely over the tongue, ending in an expressive aftertaste. Robust is a good descriptor for this tea. Oolongs are known to be warming to the body, and this one seems to be the epitome of that factoid.

My tea time was enjoyable, thanks to this tea. It was a good representation of a decent Formosa oolong. On my personal enjoyment scale, I rate it an 80/100.

You can purchase the Formosa Oolong directly from the Tea Forte website.

Wow. The aroma of the dry leaves, an intensely sweet and grassy smell, was incredible. I opened the package and it wafted instantly to my nose from a foot away. That, I must say, was impressive. I went ahead and steeped two teaspoons in one cup for a little over 2 minutes.

The aroma of the steeped liquor retains some of the same sweetness, but it is also much more mellow. The flavour suprises me. It comes out much more light and subdued that I had expected. I think that perhaps the second steeping I shall try for three minutes to see how it changes the flavour. There is not much aftertaste, but the small amount that lingers on the tongue is soft, and not overly vegetal at all. Traces of the original aroma of the dry leaves hang for a moment in the throat before they are gone. It is time for the second steeping.

The leaves dance about in the tiny glass pitcher for three minutes more. These leaves are beautiful, tiny buds with the slightest small hairs. The aroma of this second steep seems to be thicker, somehow, yet not stronger. The flavours remain much the same as they were in the first steeping.

While this tea was good, I am left with the impression that my taste buds missed something significant that this tea had to offer. It certainly is a tasty green tea, and I would recommend it for fans of more delicate greens. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it an 80/100.

You can purchase the Snow Buds (Xue Ya) directly from the Canton Tea Co. website.

Moroccan Mint is one of my all time favorites – first discovered it by accidently making some. Had bought some gunpowder when I was in Chinatown, got home and brewed some up but found it boring. Added some Adagio Mintastic, perfection. It was my morning drink for years and now I have been reintroduced to it and I’m thrilled to try it.

The dry tea smells and looks fresh, with a generous amount of spearmint mixed in with small and shiny pellets of Gunpowder. Looks perfect and today is the perfect day for some Moroccan Mint – definite winter chill in the air. Steeped the leaves in boiling water for three minutes, the pellets exploded and unrolled and the water turned a nice, light orange yellow color. The taste is slightly peppery with a bit of a grassy flavor.

This is definitely one of the better Moroccan Mints that I’ve had and I’ll be recommending it to people when they’re struggling to find a source of warmth this winter.

You can purchase the Moroccan Mint directly from the Boston Tea Company website.

I found myself in the mood for some Chinese red tea and reached for this one. The loose leaves are full and black, mixed with bits of ginger. The smell of apricot was the first to hit me when I opened this bag, then came the scent of peach, then ginger. Perfect scents to fight off the rainy night. The brew turned red as soon as the water touched it and the apricot smell intensified. Steeped for three minutes in boiling water then I set it down to let it cool while I enjoyed the scented steam.

The taste is smooth like you’d expect with a red tea, unfortunately, the smell that drew me in is just a bit too intense for my tastes. I would have loved it if this tea had more ginger to balance out the stronger fruity taste. Looking forward to brewing this one up with some added fresh ginger….

You can purchase the Ginger, Peach and Apricot Black Tea directly from the Boston Tea Company website.