The Tea Spot Clouds & Mist Sachets
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: deep green Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 175 degrees Preparation Method: ceramic teacup Liquor: brassy gold The Tea Spot puts out a very decent line of loose leaf teas and they have just recently released sachet versions. Like most of you, I prefer loose leaf but when traveling or on the go the convenience factor of a tea bag often wins out. I couldn’t help but be impressed by this one. They were filled with a generous amount of deep green leaves that were mostly whole. The taste was fresh, light and vegetal. Notes of citrus and a bit of nuttiness added a…
Chambre De Sucre Kyushu
Country of Origin: Japan Leaf Appearance: deep green with bright petals Ingredients: organic green tea, organic safflower, organic coconut, organic banana pieces, organic flavor Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 175 degrees Preparation Method: porcelain teacup and mesh infuser Liquor: yellowish green Sencha and banana sounds like a really odd flavor combo. That of course made this blend instantly appeal to me. The only teas that I could ever recall having banana in them were rooibos based. The taste was vegetal, fruity and sweet. The unusual pairing worked well and I was so glad that it didn’t taste artificial at all. They have an excellent line of teas but Chambre de Sucre is probably best…
Shanghai Cha Anji Mountain White Tea
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: jade green, needle-like Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 1 minute Water Temperature: 170 degrees Preparation Method: glass tube steeper Liquor: very pale Every once in a while I across a tea that makes me say wow before I even brew it. This Anji Bai Cha was one of those elusive teas. Despite the name, it’s actually a green tea whose leaves are almost white when they are unprocessed. The aroma that filled my senses as soon as I opened the tin was incredible. It was something of a cross between alfalfa hay and fresh cut apples. It lingered in the bag within my tin and I couldn’t…
Hankook Tea Brown Rice Green Tea
Country of Origin: Korea Leaf Appearance: deep green, lots of roasted rice Ingredients: green tea, roasted brown rice Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 200 degrees Preparation Method: mesh infuser and testubin Liquor: pale green I have been wanting to try this tea ever since I saw Bonnie write about it on Thirsty for Tea. I have a weakness for genmaicha but this isn’t just any brown rice tea. It’s South Korean! There is a higher ration of leaves to rice than you will usually see in a genmaicha and the rice is roasted rather than popped. I rarely make an entire pot of tea but this one called for it on an…
Teavivre Nonpareil Te Gong Huang Shan Mao Feng
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: bright green with a lot of buds Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 5 minutes Water Temperature: 185 degrees Preparation Method: glass teapot Liquor: very pale, greenish +TeaVivre is one my go to’s for Chinese teas and whenever I see nonpareil in the tea name, I know that it’s going to be a really good one. This term designates a tea that was once used as a tribute to the emperor. This Mao Feng is also what is known as pre-Qing Ming, which means that it was harvested before April 5th. The taste was refreshingly mellow and sweet but by no means simple. There were hints of toasted rice,…
Shan Valley First Flush Green Tea 2014
Country of Origin: Mynamar Leaf Appearance: deep green, somewhat broken Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 175 degrees Preparation Method: Teavana Perfect Tea Maker Liquor: deep gold Mynamar, also known as Burma, is not widely known for producing tea but they are the second largest country in Southeast Asia. Some of you might remember that I reviewed a selection of +Shanvalley‘s teas last year, including the First Flush Green Tea. The sample I tried previously was a pyramid bag so I was excited to dig into the loose leaf. The taste was deeply vegetal with a pleasant sweetness. I was reminded very much of homemade spinach. The finish had a refreshing…
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