TeaGshwendner Darjeeling Steinthal First Flush
According to TeaGshwender, this tea was grown in the Steinthal estate which is one of the oldest gardens in Darjeeling. When Darjeeling teas are sold, they are graded by size and quality. This particular tea is marked as FTGFOP1 (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1). The dry leaves were a mottled mix of greens and browns. I made this tea in my Breville One-Touch Tea Maker with 212 degree water for two minutes. The liquor was a pale gold. This tea was surprisingly herbaceous, almost reminding me of Tulsi. It was very astringent but not in an unpleasant way. The muscatel flavor was very light but there was an added maltiness that…
TeaGschwendner Rockin’ Red Apple
I picked up this special New York themed blend at TeaGshwendner’s Manhattan location in Rockefeller Center. It consists of black tea, natural flavoring, apple pieces and vanilla pieces. The dry leaves smelled amazing. They reminded me of really fresh old fashioned apple cider. I steeped this tea in my Breville One-Touch Tea Maker with 212 degree water for four minutes. This tea was really wonderful, sweet and spicy in just the right proportions. There was just the perfect amount of tartness from the apple but it wasn’t overly sweet the way some fruit blends can be. The vanilla added a bit of creaminess that put a nice finish on each sip. I am…
TeaGschwendner Darjeeling No.9 Himilaya
According to TeaGshwendner this tea is a blend of first flush estate teas. It is marked as TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe). The dry leaves were varied shades of green, black and brown. They smelled very fresh and green. I steeped this tea in my Breville One-Touch Tea Maker with 212 degree water for two minutes. The liquor was a deep amber color and had the same great aroma as the dry leaves. This tea was sweet, floral and woodsy with a dry finish to each sip. The muscatel taste is up front and center and I found it to be a bit bolder than a lot of Darjeelings that I have…
TeaGschwendner North India Manjhee Valley First Flush
TeaGschwendner explains that this tea is grown in the mile-high Manjhee Valley of India. The first thing that I noticed about this tea was that I had absolutely no idea what sort of tea it was. The greenish leaves were fairly large and intact. They smelled fresh and earthy but weren’t really typical of any type of tea that I had previously tried. I was very surprised to learn that it is a black tea. I brewed this tea using my Zarafina tea maker set on strong black. The liquor was a deep golden color and had a sweet scent. This tea was compelling but I struggle to describe exactly how it tastes.…
Tea Gshwendner Strawberry White Tea
Tea Gshwendner continues to be one of my favorite tea companies. Nearly all of their teas that I have tried have been exceptionally good and their strawberry white tea is no exception. The manufacturer lists the ingredients as including white tea, strawberries and natural flavor. I surprised to see that the dry leaves really did consist of white tea leaves and large bits of strawberry. Many strawberry teas that I have tried used various other berries to create a faux strawberry that often results in a bitter brew. I made this tea using my Zarafina tea maker set on strong white. The liquor was deep yellow and the aroma of strawberries was very…
TeaGschwendner Fancy White Peony
I realize that I’ve been a very bad tea blogger. I’ve been an even worse tea drinker. My lack of free time is really cramping my tea style. I hope to make a bunch of posts over the next few days to make up for it. Getting back to my beloved tea is my New Year’s Resolution. According to TeaGschwendner, this is a “new style” Chinese White Tea from the Fujian Province. It is created by plucking of the bud and first leaf in late March or early April. I wasn’t sure what was new about it since it appeared to be very similar to a standard white peony. The aroma of the…
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