Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Hari Tea
Tisane Description:
Sometimes it feels like the drawer is open and the file is right there, but the printing is in some other language. It is the persistence of memory that we count on.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I held off trying this one for a little while. I’m not a big fan of ginkgo, and since it’s one of the main ingredients in this Persistence of Memory Green Tea Blend from Hari Tea, I was hesitant to try it. But, this is alright! I like it.
Perhaps it’s the other ingredients in this tea – lemon grass, pepper and basil – together with the Sencha green tea that elevates this tea for me. I taste subtle notes of pepper and hints of citrus. I also taste the rose. The herbs together with the floral tones really turn this tea into something tasty.
The aroma of the dry leaf is herbaceous and sweet with floral tones. The brewed tea doesn’t have a strong aroma … it smells like Sencha green tea … but it’s a soft scent. There are whispers of herbal tones along with the green tea fragrance.
An enjoyable and soothing drink. A really good way to add ginkgo to your diet if you’re like me and don’t find it to be particularly enjoyable … this is a good way to get your ginkgo and enjoy it too!
Gnarly Masala Chai from Steep This!
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steep This!
Chai Description:
A shockingly addictive blend of Rose Petals, Jasmine Flowers, Cinnamon and Lavender among others. This gnarly blend of all things romantic is a treat after dinner and can be enjoyed iced for an extra special party drink.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
I learned about this company – Steep This! – on Steepster. I’m always interested to try offerings from new companies (as well as to support these new companies!) so, I placed a small order to try ’em out.
And while perusing through the tea selections at Steep This!, I was very intrigued by this Gnarly Masala Chai. It’s a chai with most of the usual suspects present: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and black pepper (but no ginger!), and then they added a sprinkling of lavender, rose and jasmine just to make things interesting … and it also made the blend really visually appealing.
It’s also quite an appealing blend to the nose. The fragrance of the dry leaf is spicy and floral, with a little more spice than flower. I like how these two profiles complement each other. The floral notes soften the spices just enough so that my olfactory nerves aren’t heavily assaulted with strong spice, and the spices counter the flower so that I’m not smelling an overly perfume-y aroma.
This is tasty! It’s a little spicier than I expected it to be. I guess I was expecting the floral notes to soften the spices a little bit, but I’m getting some fiery black pepper notes! The cinnamon is also warm! The cloves and cardamom sort of fill out the spice flavor. This blend doesn’t NEED the ginger, it’s getting plenty of pep from the black pepper!
I don’t taste a whole lot from the rose, jasmine or lavender unless I sip with a slurp. When the tea is aerated as it hits the palate, those floral notes come out, and they are flavors that develop as I continue to sip as well.
The sip starts out with a peppery note, and then quickly moves in to the other spices. The spices really round out the flavor for the palate. Then, right at mid-sip, the floral notes come into focus. I don’t really taste a specific flower … it’s more like a medley of the rose, jasmine and lavender. Sweet, exotic and soft. Just after mid-sip, the notes of the tea start to come forward – a rich, earthy flavor.
The aftertaste is a peppery taste with notes of flower. It’s a very interesting and delightfully different taste that I really enjoy.
I didn’t prepare this as a latte, mostly because I figured this chai had enough going on with the spices and the flowers … I didn’t want to add something that could possibly overwhelm the delicate floral notes because it was the flowers in this blend that enticed me to purchase this sample! I wanted to experience them in their splendor and not risk overpowering them with a splash of milk. But this tea is DELICIOUS served straight up. I really like the uniqueness of this chai.
This is the first tea that I’ve tried from this new company, and I’m enjoying it. I was VERY impressed with how quickly my order arrived, especially since this is a Canadian company and I’m here in the US. I guess my only complaint … and it’s not really a “complaint” but more of a comment … is that I just didn’t feel all that special as a customer. I placed a very small “samples” order, so I didn’t really expect a free sample with my order, but, something would have been appreciated.
I understand if some companies don’t include a free sample, because that’s product and especially with a new company, it can be expensive to include free samples with every order. However, a little acknowledgement would have been nice. A quick, hand-written “thank you” on the invoice would have been very appreciated and made me feel a little more appreciated as a customer. These little things – free samples, special attention to packaging, a piece of individually wrapped candy, or even just a hand-written note – make the customer feel like they are appreciated and it’s these little touches that send me back to try a company again and again. When I feel special as a customer, I will return to that vendor who made me feel that way.
Jasmine with Flowers Green Tea from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tea Description:
During the manufacturing process jasmine flowers are layered between the green tea leaves. The fragrant flowers impart an ethereal floral character to this Chinese tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As the regular readers of this blog are probably well aware, jasmine tea is one of my favorites. I love the beautiful fragrance of jasmine, and I love the gentle floral flavor that jasmine flowers impart onto green tea. It’s a tea that I like to sip on daily, because it’s so uplifting. It’s my go-to tea when I’m preparing dinner.
Here’s the problem … Jasmine Pearls are not inexpensive. And yes, I do love my jasmine pearls, but, they are not something that I can drink every day. I usually save the Jasmine Pearls for a special occasion, and for my daily tea consumption, I usually turn to a more affordable option, like this this Jasmine with Flowers Green Tea from Culinary Teas.
And this is a really lovely cuppa! The green tea is sweet and vegetative with a flavor that is slightly grassy, but a sweet grassy taste (not bitter!) There is a slight “buttery” tone to the green tea as well … a subtle creaminess that complements the floral tones of the jasmine.
The jasmine is a little sharper than it might be in a “pearl” type jasmine (or a jasmine tea without the flowers present). And while there are some purists that would state that the best jasmine teas are ones without the jasmine flowers or petals in the tea, I kind of like the subtle differences here. And the price is generally better for a jasmine tea with the flowers than one where all the petals and flowers have been removed … making this a lovely choice for daily jasmine tea consumption. (I certainly couldn’t afford to drink pearls every day!)
A really nice tea for the price … and a really nice tea to enjoy with dinner. This one is great iced too. It’s just a really enjoyable tea!
Organic Tea Flowers from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tea Flowers
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Tea Description:
The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) flowers once a year in Fall. This is the time just before the plant produces seeds and goes into winter hibernation.
Yunnan Tea Flowers
These 100% organic tea flowers are from the southern Yunnan province of China and harvested from old growth tea trees indigenous to the area. The native peoples of this region are among the few tea-growing cultures with a history of tea flower harvesting.Jing Mai Tea Forest
Jing Mai Mountain is home to one of the largest Old Growth Tea Forests in southern Yunnan. The area has been called a Tea Forest Museum with trees ranging from 800 to 1200 years old.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Even though I’m categorizing these Organic Tea Flowers from The Tao of Tea as a “fruit/herbal tisane” … it’s actually a product from the Camellia Sinensis plant. And while I do not consider myself to be a caffeine expert when it comes to tea (or any food product, for that matter), I think that because it does come from the tea plant, the flower does have some caffeine in it … probably not very much, but some.
But, I’m not finding it to be very stimulating, which is good because I’m drinking it rather late at night. It’s actually quite soothing. I love the pollen-y taste of this, it is sweet, almost honey-esque with nectar-like tones. It has a smooth taste and feel to it. It has some earthy tones, and some delightful floral notes. It’s light and easy to drink.
I like that it has a natural sweetness to it, making it an enjoyable, sweet relaxing beverage to drink later in the day when I want something that tastes a little bit sweet but I don’t want something that will make me feel guilty later. With this, I can have something sweet without that guilt … and without too much caffeine to keep me awake all night!
At the time of this writing, I see that Tao of Tea is currently out of stock of this product … I hope they get it back in soon … because the flowers age well (like a pu-erh) it is something I’d like to keep on hand and I won’t have to worry about it becoming stale.
Peace, Love, and Happy Tea from Indie Tea
Tea Type:
Green Tea
Where To Buy:
Indie Tea
Product Description:
Peace, Love and Happy Tea
Jasmine Scented Green Tea with Chrysanthemum and Jasmine Flowers.Circles Can Be Tricky. You Can?t Sit In A Circle By Yourself. There Must Be A Group of People, or Cardboard Cutouts of People, Who Will Sit in the Circle With You.
Steeping Instructions: Measure 1.5 teaspoons of tea to 8 oz of water. Heat water to 175-180 degrees, pour over the tea leaves, and steep tea leaves for three to five minutes.
3.3 oz. Organic and Fair Trade Ingredients: Organic Jasmine Scented Green Tea, Organic Jasmine Flowers, Organic Chrysanthemum Flowers.
Tasters Review:
My mother always said I was a ‘TEEN’ in the wrong decade! Sure…I was a 70s Baby but I wasn’t of age in the 60s or 70s to participate in Woodstock, Hippie Gatherings, and Communal Living. I probably would have – had I been given the opportunity! So when I saw this tea I KNEW I HAD to try it!
I know you’re not supposed to judge a tea by it’s name but I sort of DID with this one. Usually I’m not one to ‘yank’ a floral tea off the shelf or specifically order one but this tea NAME had me a Peace/Love/Happy.
This is made up of Green Tea, Jasmine, and Chrysanthemums.
It infuses to a gentle orange/tan color. I can smell and taste both of the flower ingredients. It’s both florally-sweet and semi-florally-bitter. It’s a nice yin an yang of sorts.
This is fantastic for a floral tea. It really is.
Groovy Man…
