Pyin Green Tea from Shan Valley

by scheherazade

Pyin_GreenTea Information:

Leaf Type: Green

Where to Buy: Shan Valley

Tea Description:

 This tea hails from Pyin Long within Northern Shan, Myanmar. This is also a first flush tea and is an everyday drinking tea. This tea is a reddish color. 

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Although I drink a lot more green tea than I used to, I still consider myself a learner when it comes to my familiarity with different types. This green tea looks like none I’ve seen before. For a start, the leaves are pretty much a uniform dark brown, almost black. They’re also wider than I’m used to seeing, kind of rounded or bowl shaped at the tip, tapering in to a narrow, short stalk. Intriguing! I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 2.5 minutes in water cooled to around 170 degrees.

Wet, the leaves do show some hints of green after all, although there are large brown patches on almost all of them. The scent is interesting – almost olive-like. It really reminds me of a very green extra virgin olive oil! The liquor is a pale yellow-gold.
To taste, this one is pure smooth, buttery amazingness. The flavour is mild and sweet, reminiscent of freshly buttered peas. It’s hard to say it’s “oily” because it’s really not, but it has an oil-like mouthfeel, really bringing to life the olive oil scent I noticed initially in the wet leaf. It’s not an over strong or pungent flavour, which is the kind of green tea I get along with best. There’s absolutely no bitterness or astringency at all, which is another firm point in its favour in my book. As it cools, I can detect a sharper, greener, almost chlorophyll-like note creeping in just a little. It’s an interesting contrast to the earlier flavours, and works particularly well with the rich, olive oil like flavour this possesses.
Pyin Green is making for a very enjoyable mid-afternoon cup. I think it’s a pretty perfect green tea, certainly in terms of flavour, level of intensity and smoothness. I feel like I could drink this one any time and be happy with the result.

 

scheherazade

Hi! I'm Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I've been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway. I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter. I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they're the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer -- their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day. I'm still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don't think they'll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don't hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I'm also beginning to explore pu'erh, both ripened and raw. That's my latest challenge! I'm still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

This post was posted in Green Tea, Shan Valley, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Pomegranate Detox from Tea Drift

by scheherazade

pomegranatedetoxTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy: Tea Drift

Tea Description:

You’ll truly enjoy this tea with a delightful fruity aroma. It’s a smooth, full-bodied tea with mild berry notes. This tea is tasty over ice or steaming hot.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

The first thing to say about this one is that it smells so, so good. Strong, rich, fruity pomegranate, as soon as you open the bag! The leaf itself is a pretty thing to look at, too, with whole golden chrysanthemum flowers plus a few stray petals, and tightly rolled oolong pellets. The scent, though! I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3 minutes in water cooled to around 180 degrees.

 Once brewed, it still smells really good, and looking at the leaf I think it might possibly resteep pretty well. The oolong has just about started to unfurl, and the pomegranate scent is still very prominent. The liquor is a pale yellow-green.
To taste, this is pretty much exactly as I hoped it’d be. The pomegranate flavour is right at the forefront, and it’s delicately sweet. It’s not quite as intense as the scent of the dry leaf would suggest, but that’s a good thing I think because it would be pretty overpowering if that were the case. Instead, it’s very natural tasting and spot-on flavour accurate, very reminiscent of pomegranate juice. I can hardly taste the oolong base at all, which from a flavoured tea perspective is a complete triumph. It would also be a good thing for those who are looking for an easy way in to drinking oolong, without an overload of scary flavours, or who are looking primarily for the health benefits and want a tasty drink to provide those. This is definitely a tea for flavoured tea fans; oolong connoisseurs probably won’t find much here.
As I’m not much of an oolong connoisseur myself, I’m pretty pleased with the flavouring here. It’s not at all artificial, and it reminds me quite a lot of lychee which is one of my favourite tea flavours of all time. I don’t feel I’ve drank enough of this one to really comment on the detox properties, but it’s certainly one of the more pleasant “detox” drinks I’ve tried. I’d also recommend it to pomegranate fiends, because that aspect is second to none. I found this to be a very enjoyable cup.

scheherazade

Hi! I'm Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I've been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway. I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter. I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they're the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer -- their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day. I'm still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don't think they'll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don't hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I'm also beginning to explore pu'erh, both ripened and raw. That's my latest challenge! I'm still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

This post was posted in Detox Tea, Oolong, Tea Company, Tea Drift, Type Of Tea

Hunan Mao Jian from Harney & Sons

by scheherazade

hunan_mao_jianTea Information:

Leaf Type: Green

Where to Buy: Harney & Sons

Tea Description:

While looking for the best teas in Changsha, we found this organic green tea. Not every occasion demands the best tea, so this is a nice one to drink more often.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Mao Jian has become one of my favourite green tea varieties over the last year or so, and I’m always pleased to try one that’s new to me. This Hunan Mao Jian from Harney and Sons looks pretty much as I’d expect – thin, wiry leaves that are a little curly and twisted, a fairly uniform dark green in colour, and pretty long (most around 2cm, but some more like 5-6cm). Dry, it doesn’t seem to have a great deal of scent. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 2.5 minutes in water cooled to around 170 degrees.

 Once brewed, more variegation in terms of colour is revealed. The wet leaves are a mixture of bright grass green at the tip and a darker kelly green towards the stalk. There are a few yellowish tinges, and the odd patch of brown. The scent is delightful, like freshly steamed green vegetables. Really fresh, vegetal teas like this one are what finally won me around in terms of green tea, and this is a perfect example. The liquor itself is a very pale green, with a mild vegetal scent.
 To taste, this is beautifully sweet and delicate, and very reminiscent of freshly shelled peas. It’s a pretty mild flavour all told, but smooth and buttery with absolutely no bitterness or astringency. There’s a slightly stronger vegetal flavour in the mid-sip, reminiscent of green beans, but it doesn’t linger very long and it’s still very much at the mild end of the flavour spectrum. The aftertaste contains a hint of floral, although it’s not too perfume-like or overpowering. It reminds me a little of lillies. As it cools, I’m picking up an edge of sharpness that puts me in mind of lemon zest. It adds a savoury twist to an otherwise relatively sweet ensemble, and works well as a refreshing, clean tasting element of the overall flavour.
 I’m enjoying this one for its fresh, sweet flavours, and ultimately clean, refreshing flavour. I actually think it’s a green tea I’d enjoy drinking most in summer, possibly cold brewed or iced. It’s good hot, too, and it’s really making me think of warmer days while I sit here in the middle of my centrally-heated winter. This is a really great green tea, and one of the most unique Mao Jian’s I’ve tried. Delicious!

scheherazade

Hi! I'm Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I've been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway. I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter. I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they're the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer -- their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day. I'm still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don't think they'll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don't hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I'm also beginning to explore pu'erh, both ripened and raw. That's my latest challenge! I'm still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

This post was posted in Green Tea, Harney & Sons, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Cranberry Immune Booster by Tea Drift

by veronica

cranberryimmuneTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal

Where to Buy: Tea Drift

Tea Description:

This tea has just as pleasing of an aroma as it does flavor. Delightful over ice, the fruity and bright flavors are sure to tickle the tastebuds of any tea drinker. Enjoy it all day long, as it is free from caffeine.

Ingredients: Pineapple, papaya, peach, passion fruit, mango, hibiscus, cranberry and apricot.

Health Benefits:

  • High in antioxidants
  • Can help lower blood pressure
  • Promotes relaxation
  • Contains no caffeine
  • Aids in digestion

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

‘Tis the season… The cold season. The flu season. The never-enough-tissues-in-the-house season. For those days when a warm blanket, a nice bowl of chicken soup, and a comforting cup of tea are are called for it’s nice to have an herbal tea like this waiting in the cupboard.

Cranberry Immune Booster is a fruity herbal with a slightly tart bite from the hibiscus and cranberry. This actually taste more like a tropical tea. The pineapple is the main flavor while the papaya, mango, and passion fruit mix together in a delicious tropical punch flavor that I think kids of all ages would enjoy. I can smell the peach note in the dry leaf and infused tea, but I don’t taste it. The hibiscus shows up at the end of the sip. Now to be fair, I am not a big fan of hibiscus. I find that teas with hibiscus can turn into a bitter mess in a hot minute. This is especially true the closer hibiscus is to the top of the ingredient list. Thankfully it’s pretty far down on the list for this tea, so while there is some tartness it’s not too bad. Adding sugar would lessen the tart flavor, but I didn’t find that necessary here.

I am not qualified to write about the possible health benefits of this tea, so I’ll leave that for the experts. I will say that tea is always a comfort to me. When I’m feeling under the weather I appreciate a nice cup of tea even more. A caffeine free herbal tea is nothing short of a gift on those days when I need to rest so I can get better. It’s like a little hug in a cup, and who couldn’t use that now and then?

If you’re looking for an herbal tea that’s full of tropical flavors then this is a nice tea to try. It’s delicious and worth a sip whether or not you’re looking to fight off the latest cold virus of the season.

 

veronica

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Tea Company, Tea Drift, Type Of Tea

Christmas in Paris by Stash Tea

by veronica

ChristmasinParisTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Tisane

Where to Buy: Stash Tea

Tea Description:

This unique herbal tea blends chocolate flavors with aromatic lavender and cool peppermint for a sophisticated cup. Add a touch of sugar and a splash of milk for a delightful dessert tea.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

With all of the hustle and bustle that inevitably happens at this time of year I find it helpful to have some tasty herbals and tisanes on hand to help unwind at the end of the day. I want to enjoy all the flavors of the holidays, but I need to watch my caffeine intake so I can sleep. Otherwise I turn into a grumpy ol’ Scrooge, and nobody wants that! Christmas in Paris has been a very nice end of the day treat that’s caffeine free and delicious as well.

The main flavors in this tisane are cocoa and peppermint. The cocoa note comes from cocoa shells and is slightly dark, but is not bitter in any way. The peppermint is clean, a little sweet, and is well balanced against the cocoa. The other two flavors, vanilla and lavender, are more subtle, but they turn this into a lovely drink. The lavender is most apparent as the cocoa note fades, but it also compliments the chocolaty flavor so well. After having this tisane I really want to try dark chocolate sprinkled with lavender. I’m thinking that would be seriously delicious! The lavender in this drink isn’t overly floral. It’s more of a sweet and bright addition rather than a highly floral one. The vanilla is very soft and almost hidden by the other flavors, but it does add a bit of a creamy note which is very pleasant.

I found that this drink is enhanced by the addition of sugar. I didn’t add cream or milk, but I think a slight amount would be nice. More than a splash will most likely cause the lavender flavor to be too subtle, so use a tiny amount and add more if desired.

Christmas in Paris is a very nice tisane that’s worth a try this holiday season. It’ll help keep your holiday spirits up without keeping you up. Enjoy!

 

veronica

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Stash Tea, Tea Company, Type Of Tea