Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
The extremely popular and refreshing blend of citrus bergamot over a rich Assam black tea base. This Earl Grey provides a rich and smooth finish to a famous tradition. Best served hot with milk and sugar.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s customized subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
I was really excited to receive this month’s package from Simple Loose Leaf! I have been looking forward to trying their Earl Grey Assam Black Tea since I placed my subscription order. I love Earl Grey, and usually Earl Grey teas are made with Ceylon leaves. I’ve tried a couple of Earl Grey teas that were crafted with Assam tea, but, I am always interested to try others.
And I’m really enjoying this Earl Grey.
The bergamot aroma was strong and distinct when I opened the pouch. The scent from the brewed liquid is a little softer than the fragrance I experienced from the dry leaf, but, it is still wonderfully aromatic.
And the flavor … sublime! The bergamot is strong without tasting perfume-y. It has a bright, energetic citrus note that is tangy and sharp. Hints of floral tones sort of weave their way in and out throughout the sip.
The Assam tea is a substantial base – it tastes strong and sturdy! There are notes of malt, but I’m finding this Assam to be more “wine-like” than malty. And I like the way the wine notes complement the bergamot. They marry very nicely in this cup.
Since the last time I reviewed a tea from Simple Loose Leaf, the company has implemented some changes. Or perhaps, I should say that they’ve added some additional services on to the unique customized subscription program. They now have a Tea Collection subscription service, where you can choose from six different tea collections, like Earl’s Collection, Fruit Lover’s Collection or Pure Green Collection. And with these subscriptions, you simply choose which collection is most appealing to you, and they’ll send you a pre-selected monthly tea.
In addition, they have Tea Clubs that you can sign up for, and choose from a monthly payment plan or a pre-paid plan. And they also offer tea samples and tea by the ounce now … these are two suggestions that I made in my previous review, and I’m glad to see that they have considered my advice! (Yes, I’m taking credit for it! ha!)
This is a very good Earl Grey tea – if you love Earl Grey like I do, this is one you should try!
Blackberry Sage Black Tea Blend from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
Our robust South Indian black tea meets the intoxicating flavor of summer blackberries in this rich and decadent tea. A touch of white sage completes the blend, balancing the plump, juicy flavors of berries with its mystical, earthen essence. With each sip of this deliciously ethereal tea, find yourself closer and closer to true awakening.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s customized subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, I was offered a chance to try out Simple Loose Leaf’s subscription program, and this is Blackberry Sage Black Tea Blend is the first tea that I received as part of my fully customized subscription.
So before I talk about the tea, I want to talk a little bit about how the subscription works. You start by checking out the vast selection of teas that Simple Loose Leaf offers (and it’s quite an impressive selection!) Find a few teas that interest you. This shouldn’t be hard, because like I said, the selection is impressive! Put the teas that you want in your cart (Simple Loose Leaf recommends a starting point of 3 – 6 teas), and pay once – including one shipping charge (I was charged $7.50 for six teas to be shipped over the course of the next six months.) In the comment field at check out, you can list the teas in the order you’d like to receive them.
That’s it! Once a month, you’ll receive a package from Simple Loose Leaf containing the tea you selected for that month. (You can also request to have two teas shipped per month rather than just the one.) It is definitely a simple process, and I like the idea of getting a new tea every month like this.
If I were to offer a criticism of the program from what I’ve experienced thus far, it would be this: I would like for Simple Loose Leaf to offer its teas in 1 ounce portions as well as the 2 and 4 ounce portions that it offers. Especially with so many unique flavors, a smaller size would allow customers the opportunity to try it before they commit to a larger amount. In addition, I think it would be a nifty idea if they chose to include a small (one serving size) sample so that customers could try something new and possibly add on to their wish list.
Now, on to the tea for this month: Blackberry Sage Black Tea!
The dry leaf is beautiful with lots of dried blackberries tossed in with black tea leaves and torn pieces of white sage leaves. The aroma is enticing with its strong fruity presence and notes of earthy sage.
The flavor is really enjoyable. The blackberry is sweet, and the sweetness of the fruit is cut by the savory elements of the sage, making this a sweet yet savory cup. Really delightful! The black tea is rich and tasty. No bitterness, but I don’t think it’d be a good idea to over-steep this tea … because I think it could become bitter if it’s oversteeped. (I steeped this at 205°F for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch.) The tea is moderately astringent.
I’ve tried this tea both iced and hot, and I personally prefer it hot (which makes me really glad that it’s autumn! Hot tea tastes so much better when it’s chilly outside!) The flavors of sage and blackberry really pop when the tea is served hot, and as it cools, these flavors become somewhat muted and less distinct.
Overall, I’m very pleased with this first month’s selection for my six month subscription with Simple Loose Leaf! Next month: Earl Grey Assam! I can’t wait!
Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: Autumn Houjicha from the Takea Family
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Tea Description:
Houjicha is made by roasting ryokucha (green tea) over a strong fire. The greatest characteristics is in the roasted flavor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.
Taster’s Review:
I absolutely LOVE the aroma of the dry leaf of this Autumn Houjicha from the Takea Family … part of August’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club package from Yunomi! It SMELLS like autumn! I can smell the roasted leaves, and it smells a bit like the smoke wafting out of a fireplace … but there’s something else about the fragrance of this tea too that is evoking the spirit of autumn for me. It … makes me think of the leaves as they change from green to orange, yellow and red before they fall to the ground. It reminds me of the smell of the crisp air that surrounds me as I go for a walk on an autumn afternoon. Yes … all of this from just a quick whiff of the dry leaf of the tea!
The flavor is also very autumnal with it’s roasty-toasty taste. This is one of those teas that you want to pour into a cup and then just cuddle under a blanket and enjoy the splendor of autumn from your favorite space in front of the fireplace.
This is toasty and nutty in taste. It has a nice sweetness, reminiscent of honey but not quite as thick. It also has notes of caramel … but this would be a very light, thin caramel … like the taste the sugar begins to take on just as it’s starting to break down from the heat when you’re making homemade caramel. It isn’t an overpowering sweetness … just enough to keep me coming back for more!
It has a warm, roasted taste to it … and as I sip it, I’m contemplating how this will taste when I add some genmai to it for my review of the Genmai later this month. The Genmai was also in this month’s Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club package, so I’ll get to make my own “custom” genmaicha using some of this delicious Houjicha (as well as the Bancha that I reviewed previously.)
I’m thinking that this was a perfect tea to include in this package to enjoy during these first few days of autumn … because it’s such a lovely celebration of the season! I love this!
Creamy Cacao Delight from Hale Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & White Teas
Where to Buy: Hale Tea Company
Tea Description:
Creamy white cacao pretty much sums it up! Lingering white chocolate flavour and notes of vanilla bean meld naturally with subtle hints of the green and white tea at its base. This is a velvety soft tea that’s surprisingly light.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
Amoda Tea has made some changes with their monthly Tea Tasting Box, and it sounds to me like these changes may be for the better! First of all, the amount of tea will be less per tea – which is fine by me because I am more of a taster than one who likes to keep large amounts of tea on hand. Second … the cost of the monthly box is less! I can live with that! Ha! Finally, Amoda will no longer be selling the tea to the public … oh, they’ll still assemble the boxes, but if you want more of any particular tea after sampling it, you’ll be forwarded to the tea company that sells the tea to order directly from them.
So far, I’m really happy with these changes!
For the month of September, the featured tea company is Hale Tea Company. The first tea that I chose to sample from this company is Creamy Cacao Delight, because … well, did you happen to see the word Cacao in the name? Yeah, I like that word. That word says to me that this tea will be a yummy, chocolate-y tea. And that brings a big smile to this chocoholic’s face!
The aroma of the dry leaf is deliciously creamy with vanilla top notes and notes of chocolate. My mouth started watering the moment I opened the pouch! Once brewed, I notice less of the vanilla tones and more of the chocolate-y notes.
The flavor … oh my goodness! This is yum. As I’ve mentioned before (even in this article!) I’m a chocoholic. But, white chocolate … doesn’t always do it for me. I’d much rather have dark chocolate. I generally find white chocolate to be too sweet, and I enjoy the contrast of bitter and sweet in a darker chocolate. But … I’m liking the sweet creamy notes here just fine!
There is a lovely balance between vanilla and chocolate notes to provide a very rich, creamy, decadent taste. The white tea and green tea provide a nice base for the chocolate flavors, because it doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate, but it’s also not allowing itself to be overpowered. I taste both teas – the green tea is fresh and vegetative and the white tea has a crispness to it, as well as a hay-like note that tastes really quite nice with the white chocolate tones.
And as the description above suggests, the overall tone to this cup is light. It isn’t a heavy feel on the palate, and this I like because even though it’s white chocolate … it’s a flavor that I often find “too much” because it is a very sweet form of chocolate-y taste. The lightness allows the goodness of white chocolate to come through without all that heavy sweetness.
This is a light, sweet, delicious way to experience a balance between vanilla and chocolate. YUMMY! And … this one must be resteeped! The chocolate-y flavors really intensify with the second steeping.
Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: NaturaliTea #11: Organic Autumn Bancha Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Tea Description:
Grown under the strong summer sun and harvested in autumn, this bancha tea has stronger astringency and less caffeine than sencha.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.
Taster’s Review:
The Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club package from Yunomi promises to be FUN! In addition to this Organic Autumn Bancha from NaturaliTea, there is also a package of Genmai … which is just the toasted rice! I get to custom blend my own Genmaicha! Yay! I look forward to that … so, that review will be coming later. (I’ll probably be using some of this Bancha to make my first cup of custom Genmaicha!)
Before I do that though, I think I’d like to sample this Bancha on it’s own and give you my thoughts on the tea. And my thoughts? This is a really nice Bancha! The dry leaf is cut small, and I noticed a couple of stems in with the leaves.
I like Bancha … it’s less celebrated than Sencha tea, but, I find that the two are really quite similar. It is as the description above implies, though, it does have a bit more astringency than a typical Japanese Sencha. But here’s what else I’m noticing … this is deliciously sweet, vegetative, and has less noticeable bitterness – at least to this taster’s palate – than a typical Japanese Sencha. This is perhaps a little less sweet than a Japanese Sencha, but it has a nice, buttery taste and texture to it that I quite enjoy.
It’s a smooth, delicious green tea with a brothy mouthfeel – reminiscent of the broth of a soup that might have been crafted with mild green vegetables. It has a sweet yet savory taste to it … and I find that the sweet and the savory notes are well-balanced. It’s a mellow, lovely cuppa, and I look forward to blending this Bancha with the Genmai that was provided in this month’s Mystery Tea sampler’s Club package for a tasty Genmaicha!