American Tea Room Yame Gyokuro Green Tea
Country of Origin: Japan Leaf Appearance: deep green, needle-like Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 165 degrees Preparation Method: kyusu Liquor: jade green, somewhat opaque Gyokuro is always a rare treat for me, especially when it is from one of my favorite regions. The sample that I tried was from the 2015 harvest but I imagine that they’ll be listed the 2016 crop soon. The leaves were a deep, dark green with a subtle sheen to them. My first impression before actually picking up any tasting notes was the mouth-feel. It was thick and very smooth, coating my entire mouth from the first sip to the last. The taste was delicate…
American Tea Room Arya Pearl First Flush Organic White Darjeeling Tea
Country of Origin: India Leaf Appearance: sage green with lots of buds, smaller than a Chinese silver needle would be but still has some downy hairs Ingredients: white tea Steep time: 4 minutes Water Temperature: 185 degrees Preparation Method: glass teapot Liquor: pale gold This is one of the most complex white teas I have ever had. It was creamy, spicy and fruity with just a hint of grassiness. I was expecting a completely different experience, it tasted nothing like darjeeling and nothing like white tea. My second infusion was slightly more floral but just as delicious and nuanced. American Tea Room’s food pairing suggestions have me completely craving bread and olive oil…
American Tea Room American Beauty Organic
Country of Origin: none given Leaf Appearance: colorful potpourri of flower petals mixed with pale green tea leaves and mint Ingredients: white tea, roses, peppermint, lavender and jasmine Steep time: 5 minutes Water Temperature: 185 degrees Liquor: deep gold For a blend that is primarily floral in appearance, this tea was surprisingly crisp and complex. It wasn’t perfumey but definitely had a strong floral element. The flavor most closely reminded me of fresh sage, a little sweet and vegetal. The white tea gets clobbered a bit and isn’t really detectable but then it seems like it is only there as a base in the first place. The aftertaste was cooling with an almost…
American Tea Room Organic Ancient Moonlight White Tea
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: a mix of downy silver needles and broader white peony leaves, woodsy aroma Ingredients: white tea Steep time: 6 minutes Water Temperature: 190 degrees Liquor: brassy gold Moonlight whites are probably my favorite kind of white tea. They are strong yet subtle and pack quite a bit of flavor. This one was no exception. It was fruity, floral and woodsy all at the same time with notes of melon and honeysuckle. There was just a bit of astringency and a sweet finish to each sip. It also made a very refreshing iced tea. I would definitely recommend this tea.
American Tea Room Milk Oolong
I’ve been wanting to try this tea for some time because everyone on Twitter always raves about it. The dry leaves had the typical appearance of a rolled style oolong but I was struck at how much cream there was even just in their aroma. There are some teas that I can sniff forever and this is one of them. I made this tea in a porcelain gaiwan using 175 degree water and three consecutive 40 second infusions. I always sip my tea using aroma cups when I am having one that is so aromatic. The liquor was bright yellow in color. The tea was sweet and floral as would be expected of…
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