Review: The English Tea Store’s Scottish Breakfast Tea

The Subject: Scottish Breakfast Tea from The English Tea Store.

Rating:
Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black blend
Scents, flavorings, etc.: Nothing added
Aroma, dry: Earthy, planty, good basic black tea smell
Aroma in the cup, plain: Full-bodied, expected yet distinct from other Breakfast Blends
Taste, plain: Full-bodied, flavorful, slightly bitter, slight astringency, very drinkable for those who like their tea straight
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Smooth, earthy tea aroma still evident
Taste, enhanced: Smooth, still full-bodied, fills the mouth, mild aftertaste

2nd Infusion: Lighter color, weaker taste, still drinkable

Comments:

The Little Yellow Teapot got his Scottish mojo going with this tea. For my part, I borrowed hubby’s clan-plaid tie to add a touch of Scotland to our tea tasting experience. It was hardly necessary. One sip transported us to the highlands with the smell of heather after a gentle rain. It also reminded me of a hearty breakfast I had at an inn along with a cup of tea just like this.

We steeped the tea loose since it consists of large leaf pieces, not the fine particles in teas like Typhoo, Irish Breakfast, and PG Tips. The aroma in the teapot was heavenly, full of that smell and taste that many of us have come to think of as “tea.” Smoothed with milk and with a bit of sweetener, the tea was still full-bodied with a mouth-filling taste that leaves behind an aftertaste reminiscent of the flavor but very mild and slight. Truly deserving of a 5-teapot rating.

A cup of Scottish Breakfast is truly a tasty part of your breakfast, whether its “Highlands hearty,” like shown here, or a bit lighter (my usual is yogurt, OJ, and a hot “cuppa” breakfast blend tea).

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Samples Received from Obubu Tea

A couple of very special tea samples arrived recently from the Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations in Japan. My humans are anticipating a very different tea experience. After all, our methods of enjoying tea in this country are very different from that in other countries, including Japan.

The teas come with information and detailed steeping instructions (nothing overly complex). This is very welcome. My humans always respect the tea by following the tea company’s instructions for how to properly prepare it. Not all teas are a bit of tea dust in a bag that you dunk in hot water until the color is the shade of brown you prefer. Many teas require the right preparation to enjoy them at their best.

Obubu is just beginning to introduce their teas to the U.S. and other countries. This little yellow teapot feels very honored to be among those who get a first chance to try them. I just wish the packaging had been a little sturdier. The tea leaves got mostly crushed to the size of fannings. The instructions imply that these should be full leaves. No problem, though. We’ll soldier on with the tea tastings in the near future (have some other samples to try first).

Don’t miss the adventure!

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: The English Tea Store’s Borengajuli Estate Tea

The Subject: Borengajuli Estate Tea from The English Tea Store.

Rating:
Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 5 minutes (actually, 3 minutes might be better)

Tea type: Black
Scents, flavorings, etc.: Nothing added
Aroma, dry: Fresh, planty tea smell, fragrant
Aroma in the cup, plain: Planty tea smell
Taste, plain: Strong, somewhat bitter,
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Milk and sweetener added. Woodsy, toasty, roasted, mellow, no bitterness
Taste, enhanced: Woodsy, toasty, roasted, mellow, no bitterness

2nd Infusion: Lighter, milder, not bitter (try steeping only 3 minutes for first infusion, and this one might be stronger)

Chilled: Didn’t try, but imagine would be great

Comments:

Another surprisingly tasty tea. As someone who spent most of her tea-drinking years dunking a teadust-filled bag (with its string and tag attached) into a mug of hot water, I am having the time of my life trying teas like this. Hubby is along for the ride and enjoying every drop, for the most part.

This tea has a wonderful fragrance when dry, so before steeping spend a moment taking in a big whiff. That planty, fresh fragrance will lift your spirits and portend a great taste experience to come. The tea leaf pieces a good size and have not been scented or flavored, letting the natural tea goodness come through. Teas vary so much in part because of how the leaves are processed after harvesting. For example, Lapsang Souchong is smoky due to the pine smoke used during the withering (drying) stage. For this tea, the leaves must have been sung to sleep at night while they were drying. That’s how gentle the taste is. (Just kidding about the singing, but not about the taste.)

Even after some had cooled from sitting on the counter for an hour or so and then reheated, there was no hint of bitterness and the tea retained that woodsy-toasty-roasty flavor.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Two Leaves and a Bud’s Assam Tea

The Subject: Assam tea from Two Leaves and a Bud.

Rating:
Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black Assam
Scents, flavorings, etc.: Nothing added
Aroma, dry: Fresh, planty, but unfortunately retains overwhelming cinnamon scent from the Mountain High Chai sample that it was shipped with
Aroma in the cup, plain: Cinnamon gone, fortunately, so black tea evident with only hint of maltiness
Taste, plain: Cinnamon gone, fortunately, so black tea evident with only hint of maltiness, bitterness becomes more evident as tea cools
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Cinnamon gone, black tea scent strong, no maltiness
Taste, enhanced: Milk and sweetener added, mellows flavor and blocks out bitterness, malty flavor brought out more

2nd Infusion: Not recommended, light color and strongly bitter (if you only steep 3 minutes for the 1st infusion, this 2nd one might be better)

Chilled: Didn’t try but my guess is that it would be fine, especially sweetened or with lemon

Comments:

Assam is one of my favorites. I buy it locally at Indian markets. So, how does this Two Leaves and a Bud version compare with plain old Assam? Is the taste much better, like clear mountain air versus smoggy city air?

Actually, after doing a bit of research on Assam, hubby and I had a better appreciation for this one.

Unlike the Assam I am used to, the maltiness for which Assams are well-known is much more subtle in this one. Too bad, since that is one of the best aspects of Assam for me. Despite this lack, the tea is very tasty and very Assamish. We relished every mouthful of the enhanced version.

One recommendation for Two Leaves and a Bud:
Find something airtight in which to package your teas. Those clear plastic bags (a far cry from Adagio’s cute little tea tins and The English Tea Store’s airtight pouches) don’t block strong scents from coming through. Even when I put each of your teas into a separate plastic bag, the scent came through loud and clear. The concern was having the other teas take on those flavors and scents. Your Mountain High Chai with its overly strong cinnamon scent was the culprit in this case, spreading that scent through this delicate Assam.

You have great teas, even the organic ones, so show them some respect by packaging them in something that will preserve their scents and flavors and keep out “wandering” scents.

Disclaimer: The teas reviewed here were provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are strictly objective.

Review: Chicago Tea Garden’s Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea

The Subject: Tie Guan Yin Oolong from Chicago Tea Garden. Note: the site is due to launch in late February or early March.

I tried to get my humans to put up an extra teapot or two, this tea was that good. They wanted to, but it kept looking funny, so just imagine the extras being there.

Rating: 

Water temperature: 190-195° F per tea brewing guide from vendor
Steeping time: 30 seconds for 1st and 2nd infusions per tea brewing guide from vendor

Tea type: Oolong, competition grade
Scents, flavorings, etc.: N/A
Aroma, dry: Very faint plantiness
Aroma in the cup, plain: Planty
Taste, plain: Light, delicate plantiness, no trace of bitterness
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A
Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Virtually the same as the 1st infusion

Comments:

Attention, lovers of fine teas everywhere, there are a couple of new kids on the block, or there will be in a few weeks time, selling teas that are such a far cry from what many of us have grown up thinking of as tea that they aren’t even in the same hemisphere.

This is one such tea. Most of the leaf pieces are unbroken and unfold beautifully during steeping loose in the teapot. After carefully following the steeping guide supplied by the vendor, hubby and I sipped cautiously, expecting hot water with virtually no taste. After all, who ever heard of steeping tea for a mere 30 seconds? Apparently, lots of people, just not any I know. I learn something new everyday — what fun! The tea “liquor” was very pale in color but full of flavor, mainly planty.

I’ve recently started experimenting with serving tea gongfu style, where the tea is steeped quickly, drunk, and another infusion prepared, and maybe several more. Sounds like Tie Guan Yin would be a perfect tea for this style, which, in turn, can make the tea last quite awhile, stretching out your tea dollars. Hubby and I only did two infusions for our test, but the vendor’s guide says four are possible. Imagine getting four potfuls of tea out of a regular tea. You would definitely have almost tasteless hot water by the last infusion.

Providing an info card and steeping guide with their teas is a really smart move. We wish other tea vendors would emulate them in this.

Both hubby and I wish Tony Gebely and his partner, Erin Murphy, the best with this new tea business venture. We also encourage all serious tea drinkers to check them out and try a sampling of this tea.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: The English Tea Store’s Monk’s Blend Black Tea

The Subject: Monk’s Blend Black Tea from The English Tea Store.

My humans are having WAY too much fun doing these tea tastings. You should have seen the party atmosphere when they tried this one.

Rating:
Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black
Scents, flavorings, etc.: Pomegranate, vanilla
Aroma, dry: Fruity (pomegranate is very evident), vanilla is very subtle
Aroma in the cup, plain: Fruity (pomegranate is very evident), vanilla is very subtle
Taste, plain: Fruity, caramelly, mild, slightly tangy
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Fruity, caramelly, mild
Taste, enhanced: Fruity, caramelly, mild, milky smooth, needs little sweetener

2nd Infusion: Lighter color, slightly bitter, still fruity but weaker
Chilled: Didn’t try, but imagine it would be as good as other chilled fruit-flavored black teas

Comments:

Teas with fruits blended in aren’t my favorites. I had a black tea with peach in it a few years back and was unwell for a couple of days. Live and learn. However, this black tea with vanilla and pomegranate added was still tempting. Hubby has been drinking pomegranate juice for his health and also because he enjoyed the flavor, so why not combine both of those benefits with black tea?

We always try a tea plain to see if we like it that way, even if the vendor says the tea should have milk or some other substance like honey added for the ideal tea experience. Everybody’s taste differs. This one plain was very pleasant, with a fruity flavor that complemented the black tea, which was not the least bitter. There was a slight tanginess, probably from the pomegranate, but one thing hubby noted was that this fruit taste did not drown out the flavor of the tea.

The great thing about this tea, as well as others we have tried, is that the second infusion is so good, it’s like getting more for your tea dollars, great news in tough economic times, and making this tea a very affordable indulgence.

Compared with other pomegranate teas hubby has tried (admittedly they were bagged “tea dust” with an overly strong pomegranate flavor added), he was extremely pleased with this tea. I promised to let him have the rest of the sample and to order some more soon.

We had to take off a half teapot for this being organic. We didn’t notice that when the sample was offered to us, just that it had pomegranate in it.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Two Leaves and a Bud’s Mountain High Chai Tea

The Subject: Mountain High Chai Tea from Two Leaves and a Bud.

Rating:

 

Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black
Scents, flavorings, etc.: Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom
Aroma, dry: Strong cinnamon, overwhelming other aromas
Aroma in the cup, plain: Strong cinnamon, overwhelming other aromas
Taste, plain: Strong cinnamon, overwhelming other aromas
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Strong cinnamon, overwhelming other aromas
Taste, enhanced: Smoother, needs extra sweetener, still very evident cinnamon and clove, cardamom is somewhat lost among them

2nd Infusion: Not recommended, was rather bitter and spiciness was virtually gone

Chilled: Didn’t try

Comments:

The cinnamon in this chai is so overwhelming that it leeched through the plastic bag that the vendor used to ship the sample in, the second plastic bag in which I put the first bag, and the paper bag I put them both in. I made the mistake to put this paper bag next to their Assam tea sample and had to air it out to get rid of the cinnamon smell.

My advice to Two Leaves and a Bud: when shipping out samples, put them in a suitable container so that strong aromas don’t spread.

As for the tea “liquor,” it was rather cloudy with spice dust (probably cloves and cardamom), which is typical of chais. We tried a few sips of the tea plain, but clearly this tea is meant to be enhanced with milk and sweetener. A cupful (or two or three) of the enhanced chai was much better, although the cinnamon was still overpowering. (The vendor says on their site that the chai contains cardamom, but we have our doubts.)

We added a few Walker’s shortbread cookies and McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives to our tea tasting experience.

How this chai compares with other chais:

• Twinings Chai (basically tea and spice dust in a bag) — Two Leaves chai is fresher tasting and less bitter.
• Tazo® Chai served at Starbuck’s — Both the Two Leaves chai and the Tazo chai are strongly flavored with cinnamon. However, the Tazo chai is also overly strong in other spices and leaves a slight burning sensation in my throat.
• English Tea Store’s Indian Spice Chai Black Tea — Two Leaves chai is more “Western” in its use of spices, whereas the ETS chai has bold Indian spice flavors and there is no mistaking the cardamom flavor, among others. Which you prefer is a matter of personal taste. We like both but with different foods.

By the way, the mug I used for the photo of the chai with milk and sweetener is from L.K. Studios, where owner Lana K. Williams produces crystalline porcelain items ranging from mugs to lamp bases.

Disclaimer: The teas reviewed here were provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are strictly objective.

Review: The English Tea Store’s Lapsang Souchong Tea

The Subject: Lapsang Souchong from The English Tea Store.

My humans have been wanting to try this tea for a long time. Finally, the time has come.

Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 5 minutes (see comments)

Tea type: Black, loose leaf, large pieces
Scents, flavorings, etc.: Pine Smoke
Aroma, dry: Smoky, earthy
Aroma in the cup, plain: Smoky, earthy
Taste, plain: Smoky, earthy, astringent, no bitterness
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Smoky, earthy
Taste, enhanced: Smoky, astringent flavors subdued, while earthiness emphasized

2nd Infusion: Lighter color and aroma; still smoky, earthy, and astringent

“Go-Withs”: Smoked meats, dishes containing sage, stronger flavored fruits such as cranberries (Marlena recommends bleu cheese and sweets - the choice is yours!)

Comments:

How tea leaves are processed after they are picked off the Camellia Sinensis bush makes all the difference in how the tea tastes. That is very evident with Lapsang Souchong. One whiff from the plastic pouch it came in tells the story. Tea leaves are usually dried as the first step in the processing. With this tea, the drying is done by pine smoke, a lot like how various meats are cured using mesquite smoke, hickory smoke, etc.

Our first sips told us that this tea is not the usually black tea blend we consume on a daily basis (Typhoo, PG Tips, English Breakfast, etc.). The smoky, earthy, and somewhat astringent aromas of the dry leaf and steeping tea carried through to the plain tea “liquor.” (We always try tea plain first and then decide if we want to try it enhanced with milk and sweetener.) For this tea, people in the West generally drink it enhanced, so hubby prepared a bit that way, too. A mouthful showed me that this was a good alternative with the milk subduing the smokiness, emphasizing the earthiness, and covering the astringency completely. However, I found that plain or with a bit of sweetener was better.

We stayed with a steeping time of 5 minutes but think that the tea might have less astringency if steeped a shorter time, possibly only 3 minutes.

We deducted a half teapot only because of the newness of this tea to us and that hubby found it a bit disconcerting. For anyone familiar with Lapsang Souchong, I heartily recommend this one.

For more information:
Lapsang Souchong

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Thunderbolt Tea’s Darjeeling Samples Arrived!

In the province of Darjeeling in India, halfway around the globe from this little yellow teapot’s home, they grow a very special tea. Thunderbolt Tea, one of those growers, shipped off some of their tea for me to steep and my humans to try. It took awhile for that tea to arrive, but it’s finally here! Woohoo!

They generously sent 7 different teas:

• Giddapahar Musk '09 2nd Flush
• Arya Clonal Exclusive '09 Autumn Flush
• Risheehat Clonal Flowery '09 2nd Flush
• Arya Emerald '09 2nd Flush
• Goomtee FTGFOP1 (Muscatel Valley) '09 2nd Flush
• Goomtee Yellow '09 2nd Flush
• Arya FTGFOP1 '09 Autumn Flush

They’re all loose leaf (no teabags here!) in wonderful foil pouches that keep out the three tea demons: moisture, light, and air.

Watch for the review in the near future. I can already tell that it’s going to be something special.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

World of Tea’s Samples Arrived

Woohoo! Samples arrived from the World of Tea, now the Chicago Tea Garden.

A little while ago my humans did a steeping experiment with Assam tea. That was in response to something they saw online about what proper steeping times were for this tea. One thing for sure: it’s tricky business.

That brings me to Tony at World of Tea. He asked people to review and comment on his steeping guide. One of my humans did, and a discussion ensued. We decided that the best thing to do was a bit more experimentation. So, these reviews will be different from previous ones.

This little yellow teapot is going to steep according to their guide (standing up against the box) and report the results. Then a bit longer steeping, with my humans trying some at several spots along the way.

The 2 teas to be tested:

• Golden Bi Luo (black tea from Yunnan Province, China) – in the tin
• Tie Guan Yin (oolong tea, competition grade, from Anxi County, China) – in the little bag

Should be exciting, so stay tuned!

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.