My Humans Visit TeaGschwendner

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

You know those T-shirts that say “My parents went to Daytona Beach and all they brought me back was this lousy T-shirt”? Well, my humans did a road trip to the TeaGschwendner shop in Raleigh, NC, (not a record for how far they’ve driven to visit a tea shop, but not bad) and all they brought me back were 6 teas to try. Wait … that’s good … that’s really, really good. Hurray for my humans! Take that, all you T-shirt wearing kids out there.

Enough gloating.

The tea tastings are going to be so exciting: an Assam, a Chinese black, a Chinese green, a Sumatran Oolong, an Indian white, and just for fun a flavored oolong tea called “Bossa Nova” (I’m twitching to that beat already) that one of their regular customers recommended.

Lots of fun ahead for this little teapot, his humans, and all you seekers of fine tea out there!

By the way, since they wouldn’t take me along on the trip (some lame excuse like “You might get chipped or broken”), I got even by PhotoShopping myself into the photos they took of the store. Hee!

Look at this line-up of everything a tea lover could want, and those cutey-pie teapots on display:

Be still, my beating teapot heart:

No, those aren’t safety deposit boxes in a bank. What they hold is more precious than gold. They hold very special teas — and their all mine… Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! (maniacal laugh):

Look at those cute little teapots, not to mention the tea cups, bottles of honey, tea accessories, and big tins of teas. I think I’m in love with that red bee hive teapot:

Leaving the store with my bag of teas:

Finally, me at home surrounded by this bevy of teas. Ah! Eat your heart out, Hugh! Each of these beauties deserves a centerfold (really me, this time — no PhotoShopping necessary):

Disclaimer: My humans bought all teas shown here, except the Bossa Nova tea, from the company named. Regardless, all ratings of the teas and any opinions concerning them are always strictly objective.

Review: The English Tea Store’s Golden Moon Madagascar Vanilla Black Tea

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject: Golden Moon Madagascar Vanilla Black Tea from The English Tea Store.

Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black

Scents, flavorings, etc.: Vanilla extract, vanilla pieces

Aroma, dry: Strong vanilla, black tea scent come through

Aroma in the cup, plain: Strong vanilla, black tea scent comes through

Taste, plain: Strong vanilla, smooth tea taste, no bitterness, no aftertaste

Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Strong vanilla, black tea scent comes through

Taste, enhanced: Smooth, no bitterness

2nd Infusion: Vanilla very faded, but still no bitterness, not as rich tasting

Chilled: Didn’t try, but my guess is that it would be great

Comments:
Years ago, hubby and I found a great vanilla-flavored black tea at a little tea shop in a little town. We’ve been seeking a similar tasting tea ever since we used up that last of it. As last, Golden Moon Madagascar Vanilla to the rescue. Or so we hoped when we ordered a tin from The English Tea Store. Time to find out.

Popping the top on the Golden Moon premium tea tin with its special design lid that helps seal out air unleashed a wonderful aroma. Vanilla hits the nose first followed by a rich black tea scent. Quality all the way. Now, if the flavor lives up to that absolutely heavenly vanilla/black tea aroma…

We heat water, pour it over tea in the teapot, let it steep, and wait for that timer to go “ding!” The first sip and the smell in the teapot lived up to the expectations given by the dry tea. We smelled the tea and sipped it carefully at first. Ahh… great vanilla flavor, yet no bitterness or nasty aftertaste.

Then, we tried some with a bit of milk and a little sweetener. Even better! The taste was even smoother, and the sweetener brightened the vanilla. Heaven in a teacup!

The 2nd infusion is the drawback here and we had to deduct a half teapot. The vanilla aroma and flavor were mostly gone. Possibly if we steeped the first infusion only about 4 minutes and/or started with a bit extra dry tea in the teapot the vanilla would have come through stronger. That experiment will have to await another day.

Disclaimer: We bought this tea from the company named. Regardless, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: The English Tea Store’s Nine Bend Black Dragon Tea

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder. The Subject: Nine Bend Black Dragon from The English Tea Store.

Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black

Scents, flavorings, etc.: N/A

Aroma, dry: Earthy, woodsy

Aroma in the cup, plain: Earthy, woodsy

Taste, plain: Smooth, no bitterness, mild

Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Smooth, earthiness comes through

Taste, enhanced: Smooth, earthiness comes through

2nd Infusion: Not recommended. Weak flavor and a bit edgy, slightly cloudy liquid.

Chilled: Didn’t do, but based on taste of the hot tea, we think this would be great chilled with a bit of sweetener

Comments:
The name of this tea was so intriguing that we had to do further investigation, which resulted in a whole article about the results.

The tea itself lives up to expectations. The flavor fresh out of the pouch is earthy, woodsy (some call it “oaky”), and very intriguing. The tea sort of glided over our tongues in a gentle flow of flavor. That’s the best way we know to put the sensation into words. Hubby thought it was one of the best he has ever had, except for the weak 2nd infusion (we had to deduct a half teapot because of this). He even said he’d give up coffee for it. Wow! I might have to hide the rest of the 4-ounce pouch we bought for this review so that I get at least another cupful. (Just kidding -- I always share!)

We can easily enjoy this tea plain, but to be thorough we also tried it with a little milk and sweetener. That woodsiness still came through, and the milk smoothed the flavor even further. However, even though we only used a little sweetener, it still seemed to overwhelm the tea. This may be one tea that needs no sweetener, either with or without milk added.

About the English Tea Store pouches: They’re thick enough to keep odors from straying. They have a clear “window” in the front and a clear bottom panel; just store them in a dark place. They’re resealable; squeeze out the excess air before resealing so the tea stays fresher longer. All told, one of the better packaging methods out there. A drawback is that some of the more delicate teas like this one, with its long, thin tea leaf pieces, are subjected to the possibility of being crushed into a powder. Fortunately, the company packs its teas well enough in the shipment boxes to avoid that. You just need to exercise some care when you handle them at your home or office.

Disclaimer: We bought this tea. However, whether purchased or a free sample, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Kalahari’s Zambezi Red Chai

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder. The Subject: Zambezi Red Chai from Kalahari.

Rating:
Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 3 to 5 minutes

Tea type: Rooibos

Scents, flavorings, etc.: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper

Aroma, dry: Rooibos, spicy

Aroma in the cup, plain: Rooibos, spicy

Taste, plain: Rooibos, spicy (especially pepper)

Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A

Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Didn’t do since is bagged

Chilled: Didn’t do

Comments:
Little Yellow Teapot: I took a back seat on the test of these 5 samples. They come in string-and-tag-bags, so my humans steeped directly in the teacup.

On with the review:

This is the 5th of 5 samples of “teas” (actually, herbal infusions) made with rooibos (redbush). Made with rooibos, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper, this is supposed to be a take-off of Indian chai. Far from it. This was a totally disappointing infusion, so much so that neither hubby nor I could finish the cupful and dumped it down the drain.

The Kalahari Website states that you can add milk and sweetener to it. I wouldn’t recommend it, since the milk might adversely interact with the “chai” liquid. If you want to give it a try, feel free to post a comment or send us an email to let us know how it turned out.

Too bad it comes in a bag (misnamed as a sachet), not loose. We deducted a half teapot for the organic nonsense (it just reduces acreage production and raises prices) and a half teapot for the company calling this a “tea” instead of an herbal infusion. Overall, this is the lowest rating I think we’ve given so far on this blog. Sorry, Kalahari, but as lovers of Indian chai we are almost offended that you would call this by the name “chai.” Unlike the tea masala (spice mix) I bought at the local Indian market, the black pepper in this seems to be overdone.

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: Kalahari’s Kalahari Reserve

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder. The Subject: Kalahari Reserve from Kalahari.

Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 3 to 5 minutes

Tea type: Rooibos

Scents, flavorings, etc.: N/A

Aroma, dry: Rooibos

Aroma in the cup, plain: Rooibos

Taste, plain: Rooibos

Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A

Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Didn’t do since is bagged

Chilled: Didn’t do

Comments:
Little Yellow Teapot: I took a back seat on the test of these 5 samples. They come in string-and-tag-bags, so my humans steeped directly in the teacup.

On with the review:

This is the 4th of 5 samples of “teas” (actually, herbal infusions) made with rooibos (redbush). Another rooibos-based drink developed as a healthier, caffeine-free alternative to sodas and real teas (made from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis). Hubby and I kept that in mind during the taste test.

Made from rooibos, this is a fairly tasty brew. We steeped it for 5 minutes per the directions on the package. The liquid is smooth with no bitterness and a non-intrusive taste. It’s the closest in flavor to real tea of the 5 samples.

As tasty as this is, we think it’s too bad that it comes in a bag (misnamed as a sachet), not loose. We deducted a half teapot for the organic nonsense (it just reduces acreage production and raises prices) and a half teapot for the company calling this a “tea” instead of an herbal infusion. We can heartily recommend it, though, even if you’re a diehard tea drinker.

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: Kalahari’s Highlands Honey

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder. The Subject: Highlands Honey from Kalahari.

Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 3 to 5 minutes

Tea type: Rooibos

Scents, flavorings, etc.: honey, vanilla

Aroma, dry: honey, vanilla

Aroma in the cup, plain: honey, vanilla

Taste, plain: honey, vanilla

Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A

Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Didn’t do since is bagged

Chilled: Didn’t do

Comments:
Little Yellow Teapot: I took a back seat on the test of these 5 samples. They come in string-and-tag-bags, so my humans steeped directly in the teacup.

On with the review:

This is the 3rd of 5 samples of “teas” (actually, herbal infusions) made with rooibos (redbush). Another rooibos-based drink developed as a healthier, caffeine-free alternative to sodas and real teas (made from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis). Hubby and I kept that in mind during the taste test.

Made with rooibos, natural honey, and vanilla flavor (contains soy lecithin), this is a fairly flavorful brew. We steeped it for 5 minutes per the directions on the package. One thing we noticed is that as it cools, it takes on a mild flavor similar to root beer or Dr. Pepper.

As tasty as this is, we think it’s too bad that it comes in a bag (misnamed as a sachet), not loose. Nevertheless, the aroma when you first pull the bag out of its wrapper is pleasant and carries through to the steeped liquid.

We deducted a half teapot for the organic nonsense (it just reduces acreage production and raises prices) and a half teapot for the company calling this a “tea” instead of an herbal infusion.

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: Kalahari’s ChocoLatté Cherry Vanilla

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder. The Subject: ChocoLatté Cherry Vanilla from Kalahari.

Rating:
Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 3 to 5 minutes

Tea type: Rooibos
Scents, flavorings, etc.: dark roasted cacao, cinnamon, licorice, chicory, cardamom, ginger, cloves, vanilla, natural cherry flavor
Aroma, dry: Cinnamon, faint cherry
Aroma in the cup, plain: Cinnamon, faint cherry
Taste, plain: Cinnamon, faint cherry
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A
Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Didn’t do since is bagged

Chilled: Didn’t do

Comments:

Little Yellow Teapot: I took a back seat on the test of these 5 samples. They come in string-and-tag-bags, so my humans steeped directly in the teacup.

On with the review:

This is the 2nd of 5 samples of “teas” (actually, herbal infusions) made with rooibos (redbush). Another rooibos-based drink that Kalahari is developing to transition this healthy plant into the mainstream as a healthier, caffeine-free alternative to sodas and real teas (made from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis). Hubby and I kept that in mind during the taste test.

This ChocoLatté Cherry Vanilla is part of their ChocoLatté collection. Made with rooibos, dark roasted cacao, cinnamon, licorice, chicory, cardamom, ginger, cloves, vanilla, and natural cherry flavor, this is another tasty brew. We steeped it for 5 minutes per the directions on the package. One thing we noticed is that as it cools, the cherry taste comes through more. Also, the cacao is weak in this one versus the Raspberry Truffle. The other spices are barely noticeable as well.

As tasty as this is, we think it’s too bad that it comes in a bag (misnamed as a sachet), not loose. Nevertheless, the aroma when you first pull the bag out of its wrapper is a chocolate/fruity/spicy joy. The steeped liquid retained this aroma and carried it through to our tastebuds, totally dominating the rooibos flavor. Another smooth, hot beverage, with only one bad point: overly strong cinnamon.

We deducted a half teapot for the organic nonsense (it just reduces acreage production and raises prices) and a half teapot for the company calling this a “tea” instead of an herbal infusion. The overly strong cinnamon is another teapot deducted.

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: Kalahari’s ChocoLatté Raspberry Truffle

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder. The Subject: ChocoLatté Raspberry Truffle from Kalahari.
(A word of warning: The Website uses a lot of Flash animation, with lots of things moving around with the slightest mouse movement. It’s almost as bad as Arizona Tea’s website. Sometimes bells and whistles don’t enhance the user experience. They just make noise.)

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

Tea type: Rooibos
Scents, flavorings, etc.: dark roasted cacao, natural raspberry flavor, chocolate flavor
Aroma, dry: Cocoa, raspberry
Aroma in the cup, plain: Cocoa, raspberry
Taste, plain: Cocoa, raspberry
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A
Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Didn’t do since is bagged

Chilled: Didn’t do

Comments:

Little Yellow Teapot: I took a back seat on the test of these 5 samples. They come in string-and-tag-bags, so my humans steeped directly in the teacup.

On with the review:

This is the first of 5 samples of “teas” (actually, herbal infusions) made with rooibos (redbush). Kalahari is trying variations on a theme.

Rooibos has been recognized for centuries as a healthful drink. Now, Kalahari is working to transition it into the mainstream as a healthier, caffeine-free alternative to sodas and real teas (made from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis). Hubby and I approached the reviews from that standpoint.

This ChocoLatté Raspberry Truffle is part of their ChocoLatté collection. Made with rooibos, dark roasted cacao, natural raspberry flavor, and chocolate flavor, this is a tasty brew. We steeped it for 5 minutes per the directions on the package.

Chocolate and raspberry are a wonderful combination. Adding them to rooibos is sheer brilliance. Too bad it’s in a bag (they brazenly misname it as a sachet), not loose. Nevertheless, the aroma when you first pull the bag out of its wrapper is a chocolate/raspberry joy. The steeped liquid retained this aroma and carried it through to our tastebuds, totally dominating the rooibos flavor. The effect was a smooth, hot beverage. One down note was the overlingering of the cacao, but it’s a very minor point.

We deducted a half teapot for the organic nonsense (it just reduces acreage production and raises prices) and a half teapot for the company calling this a “tea” instead of an herbal infusion. Actually, hubby thinks that rooibos is special enough to deserve its own term. He suggests “rea” (pronounced “ray”).

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