Twigs or perhaps larger dried out branches.
Go bite one and that is what this dry leaf smells like.
The wet aroma turns to wet twig, big surprise, compost, and wet forest floor. Silky mouthfeel.
So far no astringency, just wonderful earthy hints of wet wood and slight citrus hints. For a CTC, cut, tear, crush tea this is very satisfying but at the same time soothing.
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lumbini Tea Valley
Description
Make your evenings more stimulating with Lumbini Tipsy Eve, a robust – full-bodied tea, richly aromatic of the many compounds infused into it. Finely crafted from the rare tiny apical tea buds fresh from the valley, the unique tip and broken leaf combination contains plenty of zest. The flowery tones accompanying the main notes of a touch of caramelised butterscotch are infused by the tender apical buds, along with the lingering hint of citrus. The ‘slow-release’ nature reveal different elements across multiple infusions; from flavor, aroma and health-boosting antioxidants to the essential minerals. Made in extremely limited quantities by the ‘Dalu’ Master Tea Makers, Tipsy Eve is a ‘strong’ testament to the diverse craftsmanship abilities of Lumbini Tea Valley.
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Tangy Orange Carrot/Steeped Tea. . . . .
Tangy Orange Carrot from Steeped Tea isn’t really a tea, per say, but a tisane…one could even call it a ‘veggie tea’, however, there aren’t any actually tea leaves in this one, folks!
What it DOES have is: Carrot bits*, Apple bits*, Sea Buckthorn peel*, Ginger*, Turmeric root*, Orange wedges*, Pumpkin bits*, Anise*, Natural flavors*. *Organic.
I have had this one HOT which was pretty good, but I prefer it cold or ICED, instead.
When infusing I used about a teaspoon or two of the loose tisane ingredients and let them sit in the hot water for about 5 minutes. If cold brewing you can do that overnight, as well.
As for the flavor, the carrot, orange, apple, and ginger blend nicely. The pumpkin and spices are an afterthought but I’m glad they aren’t overdone, too.
This is a nice tisane COLD in late summer or WARM for fall. So, basically, a win…win!
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Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Steeped Tea
Description
This tea looks to be no longer available but click below for blends that are.
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Walnut Green Tea/Aromatica Fine Teas
Monthly subscription boxes can be hit or miss. I have tried several along my tea journey including subscriptions by Amoda, A Quarter to Tea, Handmade Tea, myteabox.ca, Sips By, and Tea Sparrow. Some, such as the A Quarter to Tea box, offers selections from one company whereas others, such as the Sips By box, offer teas from a variety of different vendors in each box. The former is good if you know you like a certain company whereas the latter is fun for when you want to try and discover new things. Sometimes you discover gems, sometimes you discover disasters, and sometimes you find new things that are simply unremarkable.
I received the Tea Sparrow box as a gift. The teas are a variety of Tea Sparrow blends and blends from other vendors. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a tea that really stands out to me from this box which has so far put this subscription in the “unremarkable” category. With that said, one of teas in my Tea Sparrow subscription is this Walnut Green Tea by Aromatica Fine Teas. I have tried another Aromatica Fine Tea before, Ginger Cream, courtesy of my Amoda subscription. I really enjoyed that tea so my hope was I’d enjoy this as well. Moreover, this tea is also the first place winner of the 2011 North American Tea Championship so hopefully that means it’s a good one.
When I read the brewing instructions for this tea, it suggested steeping the leaf in “almost boiling” water for 2.5 minutes. Almost boiling is my least favorite temperature because it is so ambiguous. As a result, I decided to steep one cup for 2.5 minutes in 175F water (the “Green” setting on my kettle) and another cup in 200F water (what I would consider almost boiling to be) for 1.5 minutes. I figured I had the leaf so it could be interesting to experiment how different brewing parameters impact the tea flavor.
First cup I drank was the cooler cup, the one brewed at 175F. Lookswise, this cup was much lighter than the tea brewed at a higher temperature, a bright-ish yellow versus a deeper brown-gold. To me, this tasted like liquid brittle. Nutty and sweet with more walnut flavor than almond. No vegetal/grass flavors from the base tea and no pineapple or coconut in sight.
The second cup, brewed with a little more leaf and at 200F, is a lot more buttery though still tastes of brittle. I think more coconut comes through when brewed like this but less walnut which is really meant to be the focus in light of the tea’s name.
This tea is made of chinese green tea, sencha, brittle, coconut rasps, candied pineapple pieces, walnut pieces, flavor, and almond pieces. Given that list, I was surprised that not much of the base nor pineapple was part of the taste of either cup. Personally, I think I preferred the tea brewed at 175F just because it was more distinctly walnut and thus more true to its name though the two were fairly similar flavorwise. Overall I found the tea to be unique and good, definitely one of the better options provided in my Tea Sparrow subscription, but ultimately I just don’t reach for nutty blends or green teas all that quickly. As such, while I can appreciate this as a good tea, an award-winning tea even, I just don’t feel the need to keep it around all the time.
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Aromatica Fine Teas
Description
Chinese green tea, sencha, brittle bits (sugar,hazlenuts), coconut rasps, candied pineapple bits, walnut pieces, flavour, almond pieces.
“What a fantastic and sophisticated profile for a blended green tea!”
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Tasting Notes for 2018 Autumn Laoshan Green / Verdant Tea
More tea, less steep time. Less tea, more steep time. Too much water, less flavor. Each tea has unique steeping parameters. Each steep will be different. Even for the same tea of the same harvest.
Edamame. Very vegetal. Slight astringency. Clean and crisp
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description:
This harvest is picked in the cool autumn air after resting the plant through summer. The result is crisp, fresh flavor with more savory green bean and cream that Laoshan for which Laoshan is famous. The He family’s signature green tea is fed by mountain spring water, picked by hand, and cultivated sustainably using traditional chemical-free farming techniques including growing rows of soybean between rows of tea to restore nitrates to the soil. The extreme northern climate means cold winters and short growing seasons, but the He Family perseveres, protecting their tea in greenhouses over the winter. The result is a deeply sweet and delicate green tea unlike any other in the world.
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Nepal Organic Gold Pathivara Black Tea from Simpson and Vail. . . .
Nepal is one place I have always wanted to travel to. I try and picture the place, the people, the culture. Since I probably will never have the opportunity to go there I will be living my wanderlust thru tea sipping. Nepal Organic Gold Pathivara Black Tea from Simpson & Vail helped me with this recently.
Nepal is located in South Asia, and bordered by China and India, and home to some of the largest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest which is the highest point anywhere on Earth. According to S&V and other sources – Nepal is comprised of 75 districts, one of which is the district of Panchthar. Panchthar is located in the Mechi Zone in the easternmost part of Nepal. It borders the Darjeeling region of West Bengal, India, and enjoys the same soil and climatic conditions as Darjeeling.
This certified organic garden is located in Panchthar, Nepal at an elevation of 1900 to 2100 meters above sea level. Simpson and Vail’s product description of this tea says that this garden sits among beautiful forested areas and has a stunning view of Mount Kumbhakarna. Pathivara Tea was planted in 1990 and is a relatively young garden that employs 35 people (mostly women). Pathivara almost borders the Sikkim border and the location is quite remote. The yields from Pathivara are not large which allows the growers to concentrate on producing this high-quality tea.
Nepal Organic Gold Pathivara Black Tea from Simpson & Vail consists of large black, golden, and well formed leaves that brew to an amber cup. It gives off a delicate yet full flavor on the tongue. The astringency (that is found in many high-grown Himalayan teas) is present in the cup although it is on the lighter side of things. The taste is smooth with a slightly sweet rose taste. An truly delightful cup of tea that I – for one – am thrilled they offer! Yet another great cuppa from our friends at S&V!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description
Pathivara Gold tea consists of large black and golden well formed leaves that brew to an amber cup with a delicate yet full flavored taste. The astringency that is found in many high-grown Himalayan teas is present in the cup although it is slight. The taste is smooth with a slightly sweet rose taste. A truly delightful cup of tea that we are thrilled to offer.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!