Tea For Me Please

Disney Wonderland Topsy Turvy Tea Blend

2012-02-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: small, dark leaves with colorful petals
Ingredients: black tea, safflower and calendula petals, oil of bergamot and orange flavors
Steep time: 4 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: very dark brown

My sister picked me up a tin of this tea for my birthday on her recent vacation to Disney World. The packaging was adorable and had all sorts of Wonderland-esque phrases. The first thing that hit me about the dry tea was its overwhelming aroma. I was hit with a wall of bergamoty orangeness as soon as I opened the foil bag inside of the tin. This made me a little nervous since I'm not huge fan of bergamot to begin with. Thankfully the steeped tea was not nearly that strong. The base tea was earthy and somewhat smokey with a crisp astringency. The citrus flavor was very strong and lingered in my palate. It was not too heavy or oily feeling though. I would definitely recommend this tea if you are a fan of early grey.

Celestial Seasonings Peach Blossom Green Tea

2012-02-24T12:00:00.025-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark green, very small
Ingredients: Green tea, white tea, natural peach flavor with other natural flavors (contains soy lecithin) and peaches.
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature:175 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic mug
Liquor: gold

I couldn't believe how aromatic this tea was when I poured the water onto the tea bag. Unfortunately, the flavor of both the base tea and the peach were barely there. There was a slight dryness at the end of each sip. Most tea bags are designed to infuse almost immediately but I struggled to get anything out of this one. Higher water temperatures yielded the same results. That being said, something tells me that this might be much better as an iced tea. I would wind up using quite a few tea bags though. I probably wouldn't recommend this tea.

Adagio Green Pekoe (Pyramid Bag)

2012-02-22T12:00:00.026-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: variegated leaves with lots of down covered buds
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 180 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic mug
Liquor: buttery yellow

The term pekoe is most often associated the black tea but it is really just grade of tea. The first that struck me about this tea was its sweet, vegetal aroma. The color of the liquor almost reminded me of melted butter. This tea was interesting because it was delicate and brothy at the same time. Although it tasted very much like a typical mellow green tea, there was an underlying earthiness and a darjeeling-esque floral aspect. I love a rich, multidimensional tea and this one is a perfect example. This quickly became one of my favorite breakfast sips at work. I would definitely recommend this tea.

Stash Tea Red Chai

2012-02-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Country of Origin: South Africa (presumably since the base tea is rooibos)
Leaf Appearance: bright red, needle-like
Ingredients: organic rooibos, cinnamon, clove, ginger root, natural cinnamon flavor, natural clove flavor, natural cardamom flavor
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: bright reddish brown, very clear

This tea was incredibly aromatic. The smell filled my kitchen as it was steeping. It had all of the warm, spiciness you would expect from chai but the rooibos added a woodsy sweetness. For some reason, carrot cake kept coming to mind as I sipped. The flavor was not exactly the same but I think that the combo of cinnamon and rooibos are very similar to it. I don't think it would stand up well to milk as you might do with a traditional chai but honey or agave might make a nice addition. This blend would be a great alternative for late night chai cravings or for those with caffeine sensitivities. I would definitely recommend this tea.

Handmade Tea Murmur

2012-02-18T12:00:00.081-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: large, pale greenish brown and covered in fuzzy down
Ingredients: white peony, strawberries, cacao nibs
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: gold

My February shipment from Handmade Tea featured Murmur, a Valentine's Day inspired tea featuring a white peony base. It was a nice contrast to the strong black tea versions in my last two reviews. The first thing that struck me about this tea was the big, bright chunks of strawberry. They were unlike any that I had ever seen used in a tea. Subtly is the keyword when it came to the taste of this tea. The white peony was sweet with notes of melon which was really complimented well by the tartness of the strawberries. I couldn't taste any chocolate right off the bat but there was a rich, nutty cacao flavor that popped up midway through each sip. After steeping, the strawberries completely re-hydrated and looked like they had just been chopped up a moment ago. This was really amazing since the strawberries in similar blends that I have tried turned a worrying brownish color. I love that all of this was accomplished without artificial flavoring. This is my third shipment from Handmade Tea and I continue to be impressed. I would definitely recommend this tea.

Adagio Teas Valetines

2012-02-16T12:00:00.025-05:00

Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Leaf Appearance: dark, curled shape with pinkish rose petals throughout
Ingredients: black tea, rose petals, natural chocolate flavor and natural strawberry flavor
Steep time: 212 degrees
Water Temperature: 3 minutes
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: deep reddish brown

The aroma of the dry tea was incredible. It was as if I had just opened a box of fresh chocolate covered strawberries. I really wish that the taste followed through on that sweet smelling promise. There were notes of very dark chocolate but the Ceylon base tea was malty and astringent. It all but overpowered the strawberry flavoring. I decided to try steeping for 5 minutes but the result was not any better. Adding just a touch of milk and sugar helped to cut the bitterness and did bring out a very slight hint of fruity sweetness that stayed on the tip of my tongue. This blend was not bad once it was doctored a bit but I would say that David's Tea has definitely won the battle of the chocolate/strawberry teas.

David's Tea Love Tea #7

2012-02-14T12:00:00.071-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance:
Ingredients: black tea, dark chocolate, freeze-dried strawberry, red rose petals, natural and artificial flavouring
Steep time: 6 minutes
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor:

Chocolate, strawberries and rose petals; what more could a girl ask for? My wonderful boyfriend indulged my tea habit and bought me a sample of this (and several other awesome teas) on our recent visit to David's Tea's Bleecker Street location. The flavoring of this tea wasn't overpowering but it delivered the promised chocolate covered strawberry taste. The base black tea added a nice bit of earthiness to break up the sweetness and the rose petals are a nice romantic touch. On my second steeping I was able to pick up a lot more of the dark chocolate. I would definitely recommend this tea. I'll be writing a post about this tea shop soon as well so keep your eyes peeled.

Celestial Seasonings Kombucha Energy Shot Citrus

2012-02-12T00:00:00.022-05:00

Country of Origin: not given
Ingredients: Organic Kombucha, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Guarana Extract, Citric Acid, Natural Citrus Flavor With Other Natural Flavors, Niacin (Niacinamide), Asian Ginseng, Rebiana (Sweetener from Stevia), B-Vitamin Blend (Vitamins B6 [Pyridoxine Hydrochloride], B5 [Calcium Pantothenate] and B12 [Cyanocobalamine]) and Inositol.
Preparation Method: bottled
Liquor: light brown

I've previously tried the pomegranate flavor of this same product and enjoyed it a lot so I was excited to give the citrus version a try. The first thing I noticed was that this flavor seemed more carbonated but it may just be that I shook it more vigorously. The taste was super citrusy, almost reminding me of grapefruit. There was a slight bitter edge to it that I hadn't noticed in the pomegranate. So far, I am loving these kombucha shots. The only downside for me is that they really should be refrigerated. I'd love to be able to keep some in purse for energy emergencies. This is probably for the best though because kombucha is the yogurt of tea and contains live bacteria.

Culinary Tea

2012-02-10T12:00:00.035-05:00

I have been meaning to pick up Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold and Lisë Stern from some time. The first part of this book serves as an introduction to tea, suggested food pairings for each type and tips on using it as a cooking ingredient. I love the attention that was paid to the individual types of tea (i.e. Yunnan and Keemun instead of just Black). This section would be really useful for people who aren't all that familiar with tea in its various forms. It was well written and very accurate, a surprisingly hard thing to find in a book on tea.

The second part is a collection of well written, easy to understand recipes for everything from appetizers and entrees to desserts and cocktails. I'm a rather visual chef so the only thing that I would change would be to include pictures of the various dishes. However, without pictures I'm less likely to cover my book with drool so perhaps that is for the best. I cannot wait to try out all of these recipes. The Lapsang Souchong eggs look particularly interested. I'm sure you'll be seeing some blog posts showing the results of my labors soon. This book is a definitely must for tea makers and amateur chefs alike.

You can see this and other tea-ish books on my Goodreads list.

The Foreign Office Zürich

2012-02-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Country of Origin: not given
Leaf Appearance: small, greenish brown
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic mug
Liquor: reddish brown

The first thing that I noticed about this tea was how aromatic it was. There was a strong, somewhat fruity aroma unlike anything that I've ever gotten from an unflavored teabag before. The taste was peppery and smokey with an earthy fruitiness. There was also a floral sweetness in the finish of each sip. It vaguely reminded me of Keemun but it was hard to know for sure since the leaves were chopped rather small. This was brisk cup with plenty of astringency but not so much so as to make it unpleasant. For those of you like to add milk and sugar to your tea, this one would probably be up to the task. As far as teabags go, this selection was very good and I would definitely recommend this tea.

Tea Regions: China - Guangdong Province

2012-02-06T12:00:00.016-05:00

Guangdong Province is located on the Southern coast of China and is home to the Phoenix Mountains. It has a humid subtropical climate with short, mild winters and long, wet summers. It is the most populated province in China. This region is probably best know for producing Dan Cong oolong (my personal favorite). Ying De Hong, a black tea that was introduced in 1959, is produced here as well. Guangdong is also one of the largest fruit producing regions in China.

Min River Tea Farm Lapsang Souchong

2012-02-04T12:00:00.017-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: twisted and very dark with some golden tips
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 40 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: reddish amber

I know many tea drinkers who do not enjoy Lapsang Souchong. While I agree that it can be an acquired taste, I think that a lot of this stems from the fact that many Lapsangs are overly smoked to mask a lower quality leaf. This tea was smokey, but in a much more mild way than most examples that I have tried. It was woodsy with notes of hazelnut and a lingering sweet aftertaste. There was none of the burnt rubber tire taste that is most often associated with this type of tea. I've been really impressed with the teas that I've tried from Min River Tea Farm and this one was no exception. I would definitely recommend this tea.

New York Coffee and Tea Festival

2012-02-02T12:00:00.050-05:00

It's almost time for the New York Coffee and Tea Festival. This is one of my favorite tea events of the year and is definitely a must see. I'm especially excited for the Korean powdered green tea ceremony. Check out the press release below for more information on all of the festivities.

If you plan to attend (and I highly recommend that you do), there is a group of tea Twitter folks trying to put together a tweetup. It will be at 10:00am on Sunday, February 26th. We will need to put your name on the guest list so don't forget to RSVP! You can do that on the Facebook event or by shooting an email to nicole@teaformeplease.com. One of my favorite things about tea events is getting to meet the people that I talk to all of the time on Twitter. I hope to see you there!

UNITED STATES BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIP COMES TO NYC
Coffee And Tea Festival Hosts 2012 Competition

Starfish Junction Productions, producer of the Coffee and Tea Festival NYC, recently confirmed that the upcoming 7th annual Coffee And Tea Festival being held in New York City on February 25 & 26, 2012 will host the 2012 United States Barista Championship (USBC), Northeast Competition. The Championship is sponsored in part by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Barista Guild of America. The Coffee and Tea Festival will be held at 7West, 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. The event is open to the public and the trade. Tickets and information is available at the event website: www.CoffeeAndTeaFestival.com.

The USBC is a regional and national competition designed to highlight the craft of the barista and espresso-based beverage production. The annual competition cycle consists of 6 regional events that lead up to the final USBC. The winners of each competition will have proven their professionalism, passion and skill through various criteria as outlined in the USBC rules and regulations. In a 15 minute presentation, competitors will prepare and serve three courses of espresso based beverages to a panel of judges who will score them on technique—the top six advance to the national competition. SCAA director of community and events, Marcus Boni, explains that the focus of the event will be much more than just the competition, it will also be “a gathering of like minded coffee enthusiasts focused on a common message of respect for the product they serve, the people who help produce it and the consumer who purchases it."

As seen on the Food Network’s hit show Unwrapped and selected as one of the 10 Best New York Events April 2009, by www.10best.com, “the Coffee And Tea Festival is a celebration of everything related to coffee and tea,” said event producer Lynda Calimano. “We’re especially delighted this year that our event was selected to host the United States Barista Championship’s Northeast competition. Attendees are in for a real treat,” she added.

The 7th Annual Coffee and Tea Festival also welcomes the cast of the upcoming Broadway show, Coffee: The Musical. With its goal set firmly on landing on Broadway in the fall of 2012, select cast members of the upcoming musical will join in the day’s festivities, including scheduled performances the lead female vocalist of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jodi Katz.

The Coffee And Tea Festival has also partnered with the Specialty Tea Institute to offer the STI Certification courses for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Cupping on Friday, February 24th and Saturday, February 25th. Advance registration and material review is required for those interested in taking the STI certification courses.

Tickets are $20 each and include sampling from the international lineup of coffee and tea exhibitors as well as attendance at the classes/seminars/demos. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the festival website: www.CoffeeAndTeaFestival.com. Goodie bags will be distributed to the first 1500 attendees each day.

Yama Glass Cold Drip Coffee and Tea Maker

2012-01-31T12:00:00.005-05:00

My very thoughtful boyfriend bought me a Yama Glass Cold Drip Coffee and Tea Maker for Christmas. I've been wanting one ever since I saw one of these beauties in the Harney & Son's shop in SoHo. It's basically a really slow way to cold brew iced tea. I like it because cold brewed iced tea has next to no astringency. Not only does it make great tea but it's also a conversation piece because everyone thinks it is a bong or moonshine contraption. After some experimenting I've discovered that it works great for green and oolong teas, not so much for black or white. I use it quite often even though it's winter, I can definitely see us being BFF's once the summer heat returns.

I was incredibly nervous about this but here is my first dorky and awkward video blog (took me long enough, huh?).

Adagio Teas Red Bloom

2012-01-29T12:00:00.035-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: tightly rolled, dark colored ball
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: Glass Teapot
Liquor: pale amber

As flowering teas go, this one isn't the most spectacular looking but it still puts on a pretty good show. My five year old cousin was enthralled. I felt that the quality of the tea was better than most though so perhaps it's a bit of a trade off. It is also one of the few I have tried that fully opens on the first steeping. The taste was mostly floral with some earthy undertones. There was a sweet, honey-like aftertaste that lingered after each sip. I love that this tea never gets bitter, even when the bloom is left sitting in the water. I would definitely recommend this tea. The bloom that I had looks a bit different from those pictured on Adagio's site so they may have changed the product slightly.

Handmade Tea Gavati

2012-01-27T12:00:00.020-05:00

Country of Origin: China (for the two teas, not sure about the lemongrass)
Leaf Appearance:
Ingredients: oolong, black tea, lemongrass
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 185 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: deep gold/amber

This is my second monthly shipment from Handmade Tea. I have to say that I continued to be impressed by the packaging, the quality of the ingredients and the personal touches. What other tea company includes the owner's phone number in case you have any questions? I was actually a little hesitant about this blend because based on past experience, I'm not a huge fan of lemongrass. Happily, the flavor palate of this tea blew me away. The base oolong was very green and lightly floral. This was balanced by the earthy, smokey and peppery taste of the black tea. The lemongrass echoed that spiciness and added a touch of citrus sweetness. I never would have put these three ingredients together on my own but they complimented each other perfectly. I would definitely recommend this tea.

DCI Tea Duckie Floating Tea Infuser

2012-01-25T12:00:00.024-05:00

I received this adorable tea infuser as a Christmas present. It features a mesh infuser basket that attaches to the bottom of a floating yellow duck. How cute is that? The basket is small but I think it is deep enough to handle a larger leafed tea. I tend to use a lot of leaf so I'll just have to be careful not to over fill it. I love that it comes with a holder. I'm often at a loss as to where to put my infuser when the tea is done steeping. This little guy is definitely going to be keeping me company at work in the near future. My only qualm would be that the duck piece is made out of plastic but there are no assurances of it being BPA free. It's a not a big enough concern for me to stop using this infuser but it might be for someone else.

Smith Teamaker Méthode Pinot

2012-01-21T12:00:00.043-05:00

Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Leaf Appearance: very dark with some golden tips
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: reddish brown

The leaves of this black tea were aged in a Pinot Noir barrel. I'm usually a white wine kind of a girl but given that I work for a wine retailer my interest was definitely piqued. The flavor of this tea was incredible. It was fruity, floral and somewhat malty with an underlying earthiness. I was amazed at just how "grapey" it was. This tea was all of the things I enjoy about red wine with none of the tannic mouth puckering that I do not like. Special blends like this are usually only available in limited quantities at their Portland shop. I definitely recommend picking up some if you have the chance.

The Wall Street Journal recently did an article on the founder of Smith Teamaker. You can check it out here.

Celestial Seasonings Kombucha Energy Shot Pomegranate Extreme

2012-01-19T12:00:00.024-05:00

Country of Origin: not given
Ingredients:Organic Kombucha, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Guarana Extract, Citric Acid, Natural Pomegranate Flavor With Other Natural Flavors, Niacin (Niacinamide), Asian Ginseng, Rebiana (Sweetener from Stevia), B-Vitamin Blend (Vitamins B6 [Pyridoxine Hydrochloride], B5 [Calcium Pantothenate] and B12 [Cyanocobalamine]) and Inositol.
Preparation Method: bottled
Liquor: light brown

Since I don't like the taste of coffee I often wind up reaching for an energy drink when I need to get moving. I was really excited when Celestial Seasonings offered me a chance to give these a try. Despite all of my adventurous tea drinking, I have never taste kombucha before so I was also a little nervous. Kombucha is live, raw fermented black tea. I couldn't help but compare it to 5 Hour Energy. The bottles even look a little similar. The "tea" was a light brown color and slightly effervescent. The taste was sweet and a little fruity but had a pleasant bite to it. It's was a bit of an acquired taste but I actually prefer these to the taste of 5 Hour Energy. They didn't give a major jolt in energy but I definitely felt more alert when I drank it after a very long day at work. I love the fact that they are vegan and that the ingredients are generally considered natural. I'm definitely stocking up on these on my next trip to Whole Foods.

Teavivre Yunnan Dian Hong Golden Tip Black Tea

2012-01-17T12:00:00.050-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: golden (almost orange) in color, slightly twisted and curled
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 1 minute
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic gaiwan
Liquor: bright red

The first thing that struck me about this tea was how beautiful the leaves were. I've had Yunnan golden tips before but the color of this particular tea was really something else. They were also incredibly soft to the touch. The taste was peppery with a mild maltiness. Lingering notes of honey added a touch of sweetness and there was a slightly smoky in the finish. Although a brisk and refreshing sip, there was hardly any astringency. After three fully flavored infusions, this tea still had more to give. I've been really impressed with the selections that I've tried from Teavivre so far. I would definitely recommend this tea.

Our Home Tea Chun Mee

2012-01-15T12:00:00.037-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: small, dark green and slightly curled
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 190 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic gaiwan
Liquor: greenish gold

Chun Mee, also known as "precious eyebrow", is a hand rolled green tea. The taste was smooth and buttery with mild fruity notes. The aftertaste was somewhat smokey and there was very little astringency. I prepared it in a gaiwan and was able to get several infusions out of a very small sample of leaves. That being said, this wasn't the best quality Chun Mee I've had. There were a lot of broken leaves and it wasn't quite as robust as I would have expected. That being said, for this price it was decent. I would recommend it for someone looking for a daily drinker or something to make iced tea with.

Jenier Teas Kenyan White Tea Matcha

2012-01-13T12:00:00.037-05:00

Country of Origin: Kenya
Leaf Appearance: hard to describe, almost khaki in color?
Ingredients: white tea
Water Temperature: 185 degrees
Preparation Method: traditional (using a chawan and chasen)
Liquor: olive

When I had the opportunity to try this white tea matcha I jumped at the chance. The dry tea powder smelled amazingly fresh and sweet. I had such a hard time describing the color. Chartreuse and khaki both came to mind but neither were quite right.It behaved very similarly to green tea matcha. It foamed up well and stayed suspended in the water easily. The taste was crisp, grassy and surprisingly astringent. Adding ice and a touch if honey helped immensely. If you are a fan of matcha then this is definitely worth giving try, if only just for the novelty of it. Given my penchant for cooking with tea, I'm sure that I will be adding this to cookies or some other baking project.

IFTA Global Tea Tasters Club - Ruby Black Tea

2012-01-11T12:00:00.029-05:00

Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: very dark with a twisted and curled shape
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 1 minute
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: dark amber

This tea was part of the October Global Tea Tasters Club that is distributed by the International Tea Farms Alliance. The literature that was included with the shipment explained that it was grown at the Yuan Shiang tea farm in Nantou County, Taiwan. I really enjoyed having background information on the farmer and where the tea came from. This tea was crisp and nutty with hints of cinnamon. There was also a toastiness that almost reminded me of fresh baked bread. I would definitely recommend this tea.

Joy's Teaspoon Magic Moon

2012-01-09T12:00:00.051-05:00

Country of Origin: not given
Leaf Appearance: dark with some green mixed in and colorful fruit pieces mixed in
Ingredients: black tea, green tea, papaya cubes, rose hip peel, flavoring, sunflower blossoms
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: amber

This tea was incredibly fruity with an almost candy like sweetness. Papaya was by far the dominant flavor while the base black and green teas stayed mostly in the background. There were also notes of apple and mango as well. I didn't feel that the sunflower blossoms added much to the flavor palate but they certainly provided a nice punch of color. A slight astringency provided balance against the strong flavors that might otherwise have been overwhelming. I'm not always a fan of fruit based teas but I've been continually impressed by the blends that I have tried from Joy's Teaspoon. I would definitely recommend this tea.

Numi Tea Shooting Star Flowering Green Tea

2012-01-07T12:00:00.029-05:00

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark leaves with bright red flowers
Ingredients: green tea, amaranth and osmanthus
Steep time: 4 minutes
Water Temperature: 175 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: deep gold

This tea bloomed rather slowly and did not quite fully open on the first infusion. The osmanthus flowers were loose but thankfully they soon settled to the bottom of the teapot. Call me picky but I just don't like petals in my cup. The taste was delicately floral and sweet with a light, fruity aftertaste. Apricots and jasmine both came to mind but in an understated way. There was very little astringency, even after letting the bloom sit in the pot while I drank my first few cups. Comparing flowering teas to loose leaf is like making the same comparison to tea bags. You have judge them for what they and as flowerings teas go, this selection was very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this tea.