English Tea Store First Reviews Redux

© 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 English Tea Store, part of the Online Stores family of shops, specializes in teas and tea-related items. Trying their teas has been a wonderful adventure. Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews always looks forward to each and every one. There have been one or two that have been less than we liked, but for the most part they have been a treat, and several have become personal favorites.

As a show of thanks, we present here links to the first batch of reviews and encourage you to give these teas a try. The very first one was posted one year ago. Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun, and that little teapot, my hubby and I have been having fun.

The First Batch of Tea Reviews:

Buckingham Palace Garden Party - Indian Spiced - English Breakfast Blend No. 1

Chai Green - Darjeeling - Snow Dragon

Disclaimer: These teas were provided by the company named. However, the rating of these teas and any opinions concerning them are always strictly objective.

Review: The Royal Tea Company’s Royal Green No. 3 (Jasmine)

© 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:	Royal Green No. 3 (Jasmine)
Company:	The Royal Tea Company [More info]

Flavored Tea Rating:

Water temperature:	160-180° F
Steeping time:	1-2 mins. (we did 1.5 mins.)
Tea type:	Green
Scents, flavorings added:	Jasmine petals
Aroma, dry tea leaves:	Strong jasmine

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain	Jasmine
Taste, plain	Smooth, mild, buttery texture, not bitter
Color, plain	Light yellow-green
2nd Infusion:
Aroma, plain	Jasmine
Taste, plain	Not as buttery, still mild, not bitter
Color, plain	Light yellow-green
3rd Infusion:	Didn’t do, but could have
Aroma, plain	N/A
Taste, plain	N/A
Color, plain	N/A

Comments:
Lainie Peterson pointed out in a recent review that us folks in the U.S. don’t go too much for floral flavorings, unlike other countries that use a variety of flowers to flavor everything from teas to ice creams to candies. Jasmine teas seem to be an exception, and this version is a good example of why.

The jasmine fragrance hit me as soon as I opened the pack, even at arms length. Hubby, however, needed to get right up on the package to smell it. That’s the difference in our noses. We followed the package steeping instructions and steeped for 1.5 minutes to avoid the tea getting overly strong.

This is a tippy tea with real jasmine petals, evident both in dry and wet forms:

This tea is very Asian in character and great for a quiet tea moment, sipping on a smooth-tasting jasmine-flavored cupful. If you find the jasmine aroma too strong (even hubby thinks it overwhelms the tea scent), bear with it. The flavor is worth the effort. The liquid is a beautiful golden color and very smooth, with a buttery feel in the first infusion (unfortunately, this gets lessened in the second but the jasmine still comes through).

Get the most out of your fine teas by determining the best way to get several tasty infusions. One tip is that if you want to do multiple infusions, start with more tea leaves at the beginning. We did 12 ounces of water per infusion (to give each of us a 6-ounce cupful) and 3 teaspoons of tea leaves.

Store this tea out of the light, since the package has a translucent side. This will help preserve the tea flavor, especially if you are keeping it on hand from a few months or longer.

Congrats to Alex, company owner, on a splendid version of a floral-flavored tea classic.

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

Adagio Teas Redux

© 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.

About a year ago, one of my tea review adventures involved 10 sample-size tins from Adagio Teas along with an additional sample surprise of a blooming tea (green tea with Jasmine petals). Little did they realize what a project they were launching. The very first tea review launched this blog. It was Adagio’s Pumpkin Spice (posted on 27 November 2009

Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews has since become quite a presence in the landscape of tea reviews, and that little teapot is also charming his followers on Twitter with his sassy, tea-focused personality. He, hubby, and I have never forgotten those humble beginnings.

As a show of thanks, we present here links to those reviews and encourage you to give these teas a try (some may no longer be available, sorry!):

Tea Reviews:

Pumpkin Spice - Cranberry - Green w/Jasmine - Sweet Potato Pie

Chestnut - Candy Cane - Gingerbread - Artichoke - Candy Apple

White Cucumber - Sesame

On a side note, Adagio Retail has just opened their first brick-and-mortar store in Naperville, IL. Based on the video, looks worth checking out if you’re in the area. If you’re elsewhere, Adagio Teas is still alive and kicking online.

Disclaimer: This teas were provided by the company named. However, the rating of the teas and any opinions concerning them are always strictly objective.

The Little Yellow Teapot Is One Year Old

© 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.

It’s hard to believe that this blog was started one year ago today. But it’s true! Teas from The English Tea Store and Adagio Teas were the first to be reviewed here. Since then, my humans and I have been honored to try teas from a host of tea companies out there, some big, some one-man shows, but all contributed to this tea adventure.

Review: The Boston Tea Company’s Ginger, Peach, & Apricot 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:
Ginger, Peach, & Apricot Black Tea

Company:
The Boston Tea Company [More info]


Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 4-6 minutes (per label)

Tea type: Black

Scents, flavorings added: Peach, apricot, ginger

Aroma, dry tea leaves: Peachy/apricotty

1st Infusion (in the cup):
Aroma, plain — Mainly peach/apricot
Taste, plain — Ginger tang, peachy, apricotty, yet Chinese black tea characteristics still evident
Aroma, enhanced — N/A
Taste, enhanced — N/A

Additional Infusion(s):
2nd infusion — Only used half as much water (8 oz. instead of 16 oz.), lighter color and aroma, still fruity, ginger tang gone, mild, not bitter.

Comments:
Someone said recently that the reason he likes fruit in his tea is that he hates the taste of tea. Considering the plethora of fruit tisanes (some of which have been reviewed on this blog) available, this person needs only to resort to one of them to avoid the flavor he so detests. Why ruin good tea with all those fruit, spice, and other flavors?

Actually, some of those fruit, spice, and tea blends do not ruin the tea taste. The best ones work with the tea’s natural flavors to create a symphony on your tongue. This is one of those teas.

The dry tea was comprised of broken leaf pieces (Chinese black tea) and dried fruit and ginger root chunks. The tea leaf pieces expanded nicely and the fruit and ginger pieces got quite plump during steeping.

The liquid color of the 1st infusion was a dark, rich reddish brown. The color of the 2nd infusion was a lighter reddish brown. One of the biggest issues we have had with flavored teas is not being able to get a decent 2nd infusion and therefore get more bang for our tea buck. Those flavored teas mainly used oils to make their tea taste fruity, spicy, etc. This tea (and others we’ve tried) used actual fruit and spice pieces. The flavors, therefore, carried through to the 2nd infusion.

The instructions on the label were written for both bagged and loose versions, but some kind person crossed off most of the bagged version parts. (Honest, this is how it came to me.)

Only one little issue with this tea: it does not take milk well. We’re talking BIG mistake. As Geena Davis said in the remake of The Fly, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Little Yellow Teapot was so happy to have that special tea cozy by his side during the whole tea tasting.

NOTE: This pouch is what the Boston Tea Company uses for samples. Their normal pouches are opaque, not clear, and block out light, very important for preserving your fine teas.

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: Thunderbolt Tea’s 2010 Sample #2 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:
1st Flush 2010 Arya Ruby

Company:
Thunderbolt Tea. [More info]


Rating:
Water temperature: 200° F (our recommendation)
Steeping time: 3 minutes (our recommendation)
Tea type: Black
Scents, flavorings added: N/A
Aroma, dry tea leaves: Sweet, fruity, earthy, hay-like

1st Infusion (in the cup):
Aroma, plain — Slightly smoky, fruity, cloverish/flowery
Taste, plain — Mild, not bitter, smooth, grassy, fruity as it cools
Aroma, enhanced — N/A
Taste, enhanced — N/A

Additional Infusion(s):
2nd infusion — Not smoky, mild flavor and aroma, much lighter, flowery taste emerges as it cools

Comments:
Thunderbolt Tea deals directly with tea growers and factories. Hubby and I appreciate this since we like knowing where the tea we are drinking is coming from. Not absolutely necessary but nice.

The sample came in a wonderful vacuum-sealed foil package that, once opened, revealed it had kept the tea as fresh as the day it was sealed at the Arya Estate. The aroma was sweet, fruity, earthy, and hay-like. The leaf pieces are good sized, yet irregular (some big, some small), and enlarged nicely during steeping.

No steeping instructions came with the tea, nor could we find any on the company’s Website. Just as with the first sample in this 2010 batch, we had to feel our way. This time, though, we fared better. We used the same water temperature and steeping time that we had used for one of the Arya samples from 2009, and it worked well.

According to the information page on the estate linked a couple of paragraphs previous to this one, this is a black tea. Don’t expect it to be like a Chinese, Ceylon, Assam, or Kenyan black, though. It is not as dark, not as full-bodied, and does not take milk. However, you can do multiple infusions. We did 2, and both were delightful, holding up the reputation of Darjeeling teas. Complex flavors seemed to change with each sip as the tea cooled. The liquid was a rich amber color. Well worth a try.

Hubby and I don’t fall for the organic mumbo-jumbo nor assume that something labeled “organic” is going to be better quality (often, it’s just more expensive). Sadly, the Arya Estate got sucked into “going Organic” and as a result saw their production drop 30%. If they had had a 30% increase in quality, one might be able to say it was worth it, but no such claim can be made. Such production losses are common (we’re not talking about your backyard garden here, but large-scale production). Hard-working people who earn their living growing these crops are the ones who suffer most (lower wages and/or loss of their jobs).

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: thepuriTea.com’s Ti Kuan Yin Oolong

© 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:
Ti Kuan Yin Oolong (“Iron Goddess of Mercy”)

Company:
thepuriTea.com. [More info]


Rating:

Water temperature: 180° F

Steeping time: 3-5 minutes (see comments)

Tea type: Oolong

Scents, flavorings added: N/A

Aroma, dry tea leaves: Grassy, hay-like

1st Infusion (in the cup):
Aroma, plain — Lightly grassy
Taste, plain — Mild, grassy, hint of spinach, smooth but not buttery
Aroma, enhanced — N/A
Taste, enhanced — N/A

Additional Infusion(s):
2nd infusion — Planty, grassy, mild, not bitter

3rd infusion — Grassy, mild, not bitter

Comments:
Oolong lovers, another great one for your tea pantry. Thanks, Nav (company owner).

Dry, the tea is in little rolled up “nuggets,” but not so tight that you can’t see the leaf forms and recognize that some of them are the tip leaves and bud. After steeping, you’ll see lots of full leaves, some large pieces, and some two-leaves-and-a-bud pieces.

We followed the package directions, which differ slightly from the Website directions (it says 3-4 minutes steeping time). The 1st infusion was steeped 3 minutes, the 2nd was steeped 4 minutes (a bit too much, should have been 3.5 minutes), and the 3rd was steeped 4 minutes. Each was a pale yellow color.

This is another Oolong that, on the scale between unoxidized green tea and fully oxidized black tea, looks a lot closer to green than black to me. It also smells and tastes closer to a green tea. It’s grassy, smooth (but not buttery), and takes on a mere hint of lilac mixed with that grassiness as it cools.

This tea, like others of such high quality, can be re-warmed and still have a great taste. That’s good tea and good value, especially considering that the “competition grade” of this tea can be quite pricey.

Their packaging of these sample sizes were rather interesting.

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 Tarajulie Estate 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:
Tarajulie Estate

Company:
The English Tea Store

Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black

Scents, flavorings added: N/A

Aroma, dry tea leaves: Rich, malty, earthy, mushroomy

1st Infusion (in the cup):
Aroma, plain — Rich, very Orange Pekoe-ish

Taste, plain — Mild, hint of astringency

Aroma, enhanced — N/A
Taste, enhanced — See comments

Additional Infusion(s):

2nd infusion — Lighter color, aroma, and taste. Not really recommended.

Comments:

When hubby and I were just little “whipper-snappers,” Orange Pekoe tea, chopped up into dust and loaded into “flo-thru” teabags were the only options for tea. This can have a real influence on how one perceives tea. For us, it set a taste and aroma standard that until now had not been met. That’s not a put down of this tea. Quite the contrary.

This is an Assam tea from the Tarajulie Estate in the Assam Province of India. Based on the “Pekoe” (meaning that they start from hand-harvested whole tea leaves) grading standard, this is a FBOP (Fine Broken Orange Pekoe), illustrated by the varying sizes of the leaf pieces after steeping, as seen here:

Like another Assam we tried recently, this tea is mild enough so that you tea drinkers out there who like your tea straight will be able to enjoy it as is. Some of you may want a touch of sweetener, but hubby and I were fine without it. We also suspect that this would be a great chilled / iced tea.

Just for the sake of being thorough, we also tried the tea with milk and some sweetener. It proved to be too mild to take the milk well. Even a small amount was too much. This is unusual for Assams, which are generally known as “strong teas.”

Overall, a mild, tasty, satisfying Assam that can be enjoyed straight. Yum!

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

Tea Cozy by GinghamgrlVA

A Tea Cozy That’s Just Right (Final Product)

Play the video above for the big reveal.

© 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.

A Tea Cozy That’s Just Right (Prototype)

This one is the right fit but the wrong look. Okay, GinghamgrlVA, time to get the real one made!


© 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.

A Tea Cozy That’s Too Little

Oops! Need to try again!
© 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.

A Tea Cozy That’s Too Big

Oops! Need to try again!

© 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.

Review: Thunderbolt Tea’s 2010 Sample #1 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:
1st Flush 2010 Goomtee FTGFOP1 Muscatel Valley

Company:
Thunderbolt Tea. [More info]

Rating:
Water temperature: 180° F (our recommendation)
Steeping time: 3 minutes (our recommendation)
Tea type: Green
Scents, flavorings added: N/A
Aroma, dry tea leaves: N/A

1st Infusion (in the cup):
Aroma, plain — Strong green bean
Taste, plain — Green bean, slight toasty butter, mild, slight edge as cools
Aroma, enhanced — N/A
Taste, enhanced — N/A

Additional Infusion(s):
2nd infusion — Milder aroma and taste, still green beany

Comments:
The more hubby and I learn about tea, the more we appreciate a company like Thunderbolt Tea, which deals directly with tea growers and factories. This has nothing to do with the Fair Trade mumbo jumbo going on out there that seems to serve only to denigrate hard-working people in that oft maligned role: “the middle man”. This is more about knowing where the tea we are drinking is coming from. Not absolutely necessary but nice.

The sample came in a wonderful vacuum-sealed foil package that, once opened, revealed just how effective it had been at keeping the tea as fresh as the day it was sealed at the Goomtee Factory. The aroma was like green beans waiting to be cooked, the fresh kind like my mother used to snap off the ends of before throwing them into a big pot. The leaf pieces are small when dry but enlarge substantially after steeping.

We have a bit of an issue with the tea company here. No steeping instructions came with the tea, nor could we find any on the company’s Website. As a result, we oversteeped the first batch and had to start over. We just knew this tea was not the astringent brew we ended up with. Thankfully, this vendor furnished a large enough sample amount that we were able to start over. So grateful.

The second round of infusions was much, much better, and that is what we’re reporting on here. No bitterness or astringency. Just a mild, smooth flavor and an aroma to match. Of course, since this is a first flush tea, the flavor is not as fully developed as a second flush. Bottom line: if you like a green beany taste to your tea, you’ll find it here.

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 Boston Tea Company’s Pumpkin Spice 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:
Pumpkin Spice Black Tea

Company:
The Boston Tea Company [More info]

Rating:

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 4-6 minutes (per label)

Tea type: Black

Scents, flavorings added: Pumpkin, spices, sunflowers

Aroma, dry tea leaves: Sweet, fruity, a bit tangy

1st Infusion (in the cup):
Aroma, plain — Sweet, fruity, a bit tangy
Taste, plain — Sweet, fruity, a bit tangy, bitter
Aroma, enhanced — Sweet, fruity, a bit tangy
Taste, enhanced — Smooth, sweet, a bit caramelly

Additional Infusion(s):
2nd infusion — Cloves dominate aroma, not bitter, some nice fruitiness, faint cinnamon

Comments:
’Tis truly the season for anything pumpkin. So, why not in tea? Hubby and I got to try another black tea named “Pumpkin Spice,” our second one in about a week. This one has real pieces of pumpkin in it. Still, like the previous one we tried recently, this tea does not taste like pumpkin pie, nor should you expect it to.

The dry tea was comprised of broken leaf pieces and had a sweet, fruity, yet somewhat tangy aroma. That tang very likely came from the whole cloves. You can see those cloves both in the wet and dry leaves.

The first infusion was steeped 4.5 minutes. We cut back from the usual 5 minutes we steeped black teas to see if that would give us a suitable 2nd infusion. One of the biggest issues we have had with flavored teas is not being able to get a decent 2nd infusion and therefore get more bang for our tea buck. The second steeping was done for a full 5 minutes. We are happy to say that our plan worked. In fact, you might want to cut back on the time for the 1st steeping to 4 minutes and see if that takes care of the slight bitterness.

The liquid color of the 1st infusion was a rich reddish brown. The color of the 2nd infusion was a little lighter.

The instructions on the label were written for both bagged and loose versions, but some kind person crossed off most of the bagged version parts. (Honest, this is how it came to me.)

This tea is really best with milk and sweetener. It gets a smoothness that is divine and turns faintly caramelly as it cools slightly. However, if you don’t like milk in your tea, you can shorten steep times a little and use a little of your favorite sweetener. Give it a shot.

NOTE: This pouch is what the Boston Tea Company uses for samples. Their normal pouches are opaque, not clear, and block out light, very important for preserving your fine teas.

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: thepuriTea.com’s Dong Ding Oolong

© 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:
Dong Ding Oolong

Company:
thepuriTea.com. [More info]


Rating:

Water temperature: 180° F

Steeping time: 3-5 minutes (see comments)

Tea type: Oolong

Scents, flavorings added: N/A

Aroma, dry tea leaves: N/A

1st Infusion (in the cup):
Aroma, plain — Rich, planty
Taste, plain — Mild, not bitter, no aftertaste, floral, slight caramel
Aroma, enhanced — N/A
Taste, enhanced — N/A

Additional Infusion(s):
2nd infusion — Mild but stronger floral, slight edge, color and aroma about the same

3rd infusion — Mild, slight tang, color and aroma about the same

Comments:
Oolong lovers, take heart. This version of Dong Ding Oolong (also called “Tung Ting Oolong” and “Frozen Summit Oolong”) will be up to your exacting standards. It certainly is up to ours. Thanks, Nav (company owner).

Dry, the tea is in little rolled up “nuggets.” After steeping, the full story is revealed with lots of full leaves, some large pieces, and some two-leaves-and-a-bud pieces.

We followed the package directions, which differ slightly from the Website directions (it says 3-4 minutes steeping time). The first infusion was steeped 3 minutes, the second was steeped 4 minutes, and the third was steeped 5 minutes.

On the scale between unoxidized green tea and fully oxidized black tea, this one looks to me a lot closer to green than black. It also smells and tastes closer to a green tea.

A nice aspect of this and other really high quality teas is that they can be re-warmed. Once we were done with all the infusions and the photo-taking, the first infusion was cool and the second was tepid. (This is usual, but the tea doesn’t always taste drinkable when we re-warm it.) We combined all three and warmed them about 33 seconds in the microwave. The flavor was still true. That’s good tea and good value.

Their packaging of these sample sizes were rather interesting.

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