Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Tsp’

There is some merit to it, as far as I’m concerned. People – in general – can be placed into three body categories or “doshas” – Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. I happen to fall into the Kapha category…er…with Pitta tendencies. In Ayurvedic practices people can be split doshas. Kaphas , according to the Shanti Tea description, tend to be characterized by, “loyalty, a strong and large physique, a strong appetite, oily skin, easy-going nature, and discomfort in damp environments”. A Kapha in the throws of imbalance are prone to weight-gain, lethargy, oily hair, congestion and lack of motivation.

Um…I guess I’m imbalanced then.

Shanti Tea presents a blend specifically targeted for the Kapha dosha, a blend of rooibos, tulsi (holy basil), fennel, ginger, cardamom, orange peel, sage, pepper, and licorice. Wow, what a combo. Upon opening the bag, the spicy “chai”-ish punch greeted my nostrils. However, it was a softer spicy scent than a normal masala chai. The primary contributor to the aroma was markedly the tulsi. I know tulsi quite well; we go way back. As for visual appeal, I could see the rooibos base – it was the most prevalent ingredient – followed closely behind by beige-ish ginger. The rest was just a vibrant and zesty mix of colors.

Brewing instructions on the tea profile called for 1 tsp. of leaves per cup of 90C-100C water with a steep of four-to-five minutes. I guess – in Americanese – that translated to boiled water…so that’s what I went with. One of these days I’ll learn the Metric System. Well, when I’m more balanced.

The liquor brewed to a foggy crimson – the foggy part likely because of the ginger/cardamom combo, the crimson thanks to the rooibos. The aroma was sweet yet spicy with an odd tang of some sort, probably owed to the licorice. Taste-wise, tulsi took point, followed by rooibos, and in fourth place it was a umpteenth-way tie between the last of the ingredients. I don’t think orange peel remembered to even show up for the race; I couldn’t make it out anywhere, no citrus presence whatsoever. Not sure I felt balanced after drinking it, but I did feel cozy. Wasn’t it the job of a tisane called “Kapha Balance” to take AWAY lethargy? Eh, whatever, I liked it…and now I’m sleepy.

You can purchase the Kapha Balance directly from the Shanti Tea website.

This tea is made of contractions. Lovely, lovely contradictions. It’s both mild and brash. Untamed and civilized. Light yet strong.

The leaves are big and twisty and unruly with the typical white tea fluffiness. Darker than I expected. They’ve got a sweet, hay-like aroma, similar to other white teas.

Brewed up, it’s a pale yellow color. And the flavor is very strong for a white tea. Very bold. But it’s still a white tea, so while strong and bold, it’s still delicate and light. It’s a hay flavor, with some fruit overtones. Other tasters mention citrus or melon tones which I don’t really get. I do get a generic fruity flowery bright tone. But, it’s lovely. This is my perfect type of white tea I like stronger flavored teas, and this has the best of both worlds. White tea flavor turned up to 11.

This may be for you if: you think white tea is interesting, but too wussy for your tastes

You can purchase the Ye Sheng Wild White Tea directly from the Canton Tea Co. website.

So many not-so-great grocery-store brands of tea tout themselves as Orange Pekoe (it’s a tea grade, not a flavor) that some fine tea appreciators associate Orange Pekoe with bland or acidic brown water. Hot leaf juice. Nothing to get excited about.

Therefore, I am pleased to report that TeaFrog has rescued Orange Pekoe’s reputation and elevated it to a really fine morning cuppa. This is flowery broken orange pekoe, which adds the flowering plant to the leaf mix. In the packet, the leaves have no resemblance to the smooshed and crushed dusty stuff you see in a mass-market tea bag–you actually see leaves.

And when said leaves are steeped at the 3-4 minute mark, they result in a nice, hefty cup that feels a little thick on your tongue. It  has a little fruit-and-flowery sweetness. No additives needed.

Priced quite reasonably, this is a good go-to pantry tea. Stock up!

You can purchase the Orange Pekoe directly from the TeaFrog website.

The aromas of this white tea’s dry leaves are quite sweet and grassy. Fuzzy, short, white twists intermix with small green leaves for an enjoyable looking tea.  Canton Tea Co’s packaging suggests using 2 teaspoons of leaf per cup of water and infusing the tea for 2-3 minutes. Accordingly, 2 teaspoons of the tiny leaves went into my cup for a little over 2 minutes. The resulting aroma of this tea was somewhat different than the dry leaves suggested.

My cup of tea still maintained its grassy aromas, yet felt deeper and stronger with a light, roasted smell. I was further surprised when, upon tasting it for the first time, the flavour burst in my mouth, both sweet and fruity and without a lot of the formerly smelled grassiness. Impressed by the full flavour, I continue drinking.

This is one complex white tea…the flavour is not, in any way, straightforward. Slightly reminiscent of half a dozen different white teas, this is a must-try for white tea lovers. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it a 91/100.

You can purchase the Ye Sheng Wild White Tea directly from the Canton Tea Co. website.

SpecialTea Brew is an online outfit out of my neck of the woods – the Pacific Northwest (of the U.S.). According to their origin story, the op was inspired by tea with a grandmother. This is the third “tea with grandma” foundation tale I’d heard, and – you know what? – it works on me every damn time. I never had tea with my grandparents, so I feel like I missed out on something growing up. Perhaps my tea exploration would’ve begun sooner had I a “tea with grandma” story of my very own. But I digress.

Their Mountain Berry herbal blend consisted of hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, cornflowers, and blueberries. The last bit, they did NOT skimp on. There were big, plump pieces in the medley; same with the rosehips. Usually, freeze-dried fruit additives are small or cut-up in blends like this. Not so here.  My only nitpick was the fragrance; it was dry and tart, usually a sign of too much hibiscus. However, there was a citrusy follow-up thanks to the many chunks of orange peel present.

Brewing instructions per the vendor site recommended a four-to-five-minute steep in 208F water – 1.5 tsp. per cup. I did about a tablespoon in 8oz. for the full five. It was a berry blend, so naturally it could take a lot of infused abuse.

The liquor brewed up cherry red – as is to be expected from anything with hibiscus. The nose was, oddly enough, mostly berry and citrus – hibiscus tartness was a distant second. There seemed to be sweetness to the scent as well. Hibiscus did rear its red-tart head in the taste, dominating the forefront, although I welcomed it. The fruity aspects picked up right after, and the flavor lingered to a rind-like finish. Other than the blunt introduction, I rather liked this blend. I’m certain that the best way to have it would be sweetened and/or iced. On its own, though, it holds up well enough.

You can purchase the Mountain Berry directly from the SpecialTea Brew website.