Review: Persimmon Tree Tea’s Sencha

© 2011 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:	Sencha
Company:	Persimmon Tree Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the rating designation.

Water temperature:	175° F
Steeping time:	1-3 mins.
Tea type:	Green
Dry leaves:	Big leaf pieces, fresh grassy aroma, rich green color

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	1 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Grassy
Taste, plain —	Mild, grassy
Color, plain —	Yellow-green
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	1 min. 15 secs.
Aroma, plain —	Grassy
Taste, plain —	Mild, grassy, but slight edge
Color, plain —	Yellow-green

 

Comments:
This is one of several versions of senchas hubby and I have tried. Generally, senchas are Japanese green teas, processed fairly gently by steaming and drying. The steaming stops the leaves from oxidizing and turning black. It also preserves a wonderful grassy flavor typical of this type of tea.

Here you can see the nice green color of both the dry and steeped leaves:

Treat this delicate green tea with care. Heat the water no higher than the temperature above and steep a short time. We stuck to 1 minute for the first infusion and 1 minute 15 seconds for the second infusion. If you do likewise, you will be rewarded with a tea gentle on your tongue with a mild, grassy flavor and aroma.

Only one problem here: I wish we had had some of those pseudo “sushi” rolls on hand to enjoy with this tea. Try some lightly flavored seafood dishes and raw or gently sautéed vegetables with steamed white rice. Mmmm… sounds like it’s dinner time!

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: Element Tea’s Black Silk Tea

© 2011 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:	Black Silk
Company:	Element Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the rating designation.

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	3-5 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Dry leaves:	Curled, tan to black, raisiny/plumy/date-ish aroma

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Malty, light
Taste, plain —	Malty, light, not bitter, great straight, takes on slight date quality as cools
Color, plain —	Reddish brown
Taste, enhanced —	Caramelly quality
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	4 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Light
Taste, plain —	Light
Color, plain —	Lighter, reddish brown

 

Comments:
The company’s site says only that this tea is made of Chinese black tea. Actually, this is Yunnan Gold, also called Golden Bi Luo. I tried one from Chicago Tea Garden a little over a year ago and another one from TeaGschwendner in August, 2010. The ladies of Element Tea have also just confirmed this. Yunnan Gold is considered one of the better black teas, and their price is quite reasonable, certainly when compared with their competition in the tea market, as shown here:

Element Tea price as of 29 Dec 2010 on their site:
4 oz (up to 50 cups) at $15.95 — $3.99 per ounce

Chicago Tea Garden price as of 23 April 2011 when I checked their site:
3.53 oz at $28.99 — $8.21 per ounce
5.29 oz at $40.99 — $7.75 per ounce

TeaGschwendner price as of 23 May 2010:
.05 kilo (1.77 oz) at $7.76 — $4.38 per ounce

We opened the foil-lined pack and saw a lovely sight: curled tea leaf pieces of the typical size, shape, and color for this tea type. After steeping, the full story is revealed, the careful plucking and sorting this tea underwent to give you just those tender tip leaves:

This tea can take milk well in the first infusion. Hubby and I also added a touch of sweetener. The second infusion is lighter and tastes great straight. You could just do one stronger steeping if you prefer. Play around a bit to find out what suits you. At their price, you can go with one infusion and still get your money’s worth. Another option is to only use half as much water for the second infusion (we used 16 oz. for each).

Hubby loved the sight of those tip leaves so much, he laid one out by itself in a little white bowl to be photographed.

Overall, this is another high-quality tea from the tea ladies in the Mile High City of Denver, certainly worth being served in one of our special bone china rose-covered teacups and saucers.

One final thing: along with the tea samples came a little steeping guide. It’s pretty general, but quite useful.

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 Mango Black Tea

© 2011 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:	Mango Black
Company:	thepuriTea.com. [More info]

Flavored Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Flavorings work with tea?	Yes
Tea can be tasted?	Yes
Flavor blend balanced?	Yes

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	3-5 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Additions:	Mango
Dry leaves:	Black, broken leaf, with pieces of dried mango, strong mango aroma

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Mango and rich tea aroma blended
Taste, plain —	Mango, mild, not bitter, tea flavor evident
Color, plain —	Light amber
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	4 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Stronger mango
Taste, plain —	Milder, more mango than tea
Color, plain —	Amber

 

Comments:
We’re ending up reviewing a box of tea samples from thepuriTea.com with a real bang! It’s a flavored tea starting with “a base of premium black tea from Zhe-jiang, China.” It also contains real mango.

The “official description on the vendor’s site:

Its flavors of deep, full-bodied black tea and intensely tropical sweet-sour fruits make this garnet-hued brew a popular “everyday treat” for anyone who loves bold black teas or exotic fruit flavors.

We didn’t try this tea chilled (we wouldn’t even think of adding ice to it). It’s quite satisfying when served hot.

One look at the tea leaves before and after steeping shows that there are real pieces of mango in this, not just some flavoring oil sprinkled on the leaves. It also shows how the tea leaf pieces swell after steeping.

The steeping directions on the label agree with what’s on the vendor’s site. We strongly recommend that you do the first steep at 3 minutes and the second one at 3-½ or 4 minutes.

An economical and very flavorful tea to enjoy by itself as a very low cal dessert or as part of a meal.

Their packaging of these sample sizes were rather interesting. These are “pillow” packs, as I’ve recently learned, with two small foil pouches inside.

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: Tula Teas’ Zealong Pure Tea

© 2011 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:	Zealong Pure
Company:	Tula Teas. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:


Oolong Ranking Bar:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	205° F
Steeping time:	1 min. each infusion
Tea type:	Oolong
Dry leaves:	Nuggety shape, dark green, fresh and sweetish aroma

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Mildly planty
Taste, plain —	Buttery feel, mild, pleasant
Color, plain —	Pale yellow
2nd Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Mildly planty
Taste, plain —	Still somewhat buttery, stronger taste
Color, plain —	Deeper yellow
3rd Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Same as 2
Taste, plain —	Same as 2
Color, plain —	Same as 2
4th Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Lighter
Taste, plain —	More planty, less sweet, not buttery
Color, plain —	Same as 2

Comments:
Hubby and I were delighted to receive two Zealong samples from Tula Teas, a tea company that, though relatively young, is certainly one whose teas are well above average. Zealong is fairly new to tea drinkers in the U.S. To my knowledge, it is carried by only one or two online vendors (Chicago Tea Garden is said to be the first to offer it to his customers here).

The flavor is said to be “sweet, fresh-tasting” since the leaves are un-roasted. Our test would see if our tastebuds agreed.

We chose to do the steepings in more of a gongfu style (not very authentic, though, since we don’t have the equipment). We steeped only 8 ounces per infusion and for one minute only each. While this tea could easily undergo 6 or 7 steepings, we only did 4. All were tasty! In fact, once we were satisfied with our assessment of the aroma and flavor of the tea, we fixed some lunch that included fried chicken, rice, madras lentils, peas, and tomato. This tea was a perfect accompaniment with each item.

Those dry leaves open up large in your pot or cup. A lovely sight!

We recommend that you don’t dally with drinking this tea or it could turn a bit bitter on you. It is also one to avoid putting on a cup-warmer. It is perfect for sipping from our cute little sipping cups.

One final note: Little Yellow Teapot had to turn over steeping for one of his smaller cousins who holds only 8 ounces of water instead of the 16 that he holds. We made it up to him by making him the co-star of the photo below (the tea is the true star, of course). Sigh! The things we do to keep our teawares happy and thus steeping up good tasting tea!

The sample package is the best we’ve seen so far and should keep the teas great tasting for awhile. They block out both light, moisture, and air. We always store our teas away from heat sources, too.

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 Nonsuch Estate Nilgiri Tea

© 2011 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:	Nonsuch Estate Nilgiri
Company:	The English Tea Store

Straight Tea Rating:
About the rating designation.

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	2-5 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Dry leaves:	Broken leaf, aroma varies with steeping time

Round A, 1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	2 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lightly fragrant
Taste, plain —	Mild, fruity, slightly tangy as cooled
Color, plain —	Light amber
Round B, 1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	5 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Richly fragrant
Taste, plain —	Strong, slightly bitter
Color, plain —	Dark amber
Taste, enhanced —	Takes milk well, needs some sweetener
Round B, 2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	5 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Light, weak
Taste, plain —	Lighter taste, no sweetener needed
Color, plain —	Lighter amber

 

Comments:
This tea from the Nilgiri region of India is said to taste similar to Ceylon teas. The Nonsuch Estate teas, though, are supposed to have a fruitiness. That depends. How long you steep this tea can vary the taste considerably. The vendor gives a steeping time range of 2 to 5 minutes. We tried the tea first at 2 minutes and did a second round with fresh leaves at 5 minutes. Quite a difference.

Round A steeped at 2 minutes was light, fruity, and needed no additives. A great tea break for those who like their tea straight.

Round B steeped at 5 minutes, was more similar to a nice Assam tea, with a dark amber color and malty aroma and taste that endured even with a bit of milk added. Perfect for those who like milk in their tea and a stronger taste.

The leaf pieces are broken leaf, clearly evident when dry and after steeping:

The tea in the photo here is Round B, 1st Infusion. The “Thé” (“Tea”) towel was a gift from hubby several years ago. Even then, we were stocking up on items to include in our tea review photos.

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: Hampstead Tea’s Makaibari Estate Darjeeling Tea

© 2011 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:	Makaibari Estate Darjeeling
Company:	Hampstead Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	3 mins. max.
Tea type:	Black
Dry leaves:	Broken leaf, green/black/copper, typical Darjeeling aroma

Round A – 1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	2 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Slightly nutty, mostly planty
Taste, plain —	Weak, flat, no hint of Muscatel quality
Color, plain —	Amber
Round A – 2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	About the same as above
Taste, plain —	Weaker, even more flat
Color, plain —	Pale amber
Round B – 1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Same as above but stronger
Taste, plain —	Too strong, astringent, still no Muscatelness
Color, plain —	Amber

 

Comments:
This is a mid-elevation Darjeeling, grown at 3,000 to 4,000 feet above sea level. Setting aside unsubstantiated health claims, flowery descriptions on the vendor’s website, and packaging designed to give buyers a false sense of the tea’s sophistication, hubby and I proceeded with the review.

The appearance of the leaves, before and after steeping, was typically Darjeeling:

The vendor describes the taste as:

A light, afternoon tea with muscatel and fruit tones.

We describe it as weak on Round A and too strong on Round B. This is one of those teas that we couldn’t even finish, which is really saying something. In fact, we have tried a number of Darjeelings, and this is the lowest rating we have given one so far. In fact, Thunderbolt Tea has us totally spoiled.

Unlike the Thunderbolt teas, this tea does not seem to stand up to a second infusion, making it a fairly pricey Darjeeling, another reason in our minds to select those other teas over this one. If this is the first Darjeeling you have ever tried, don’t let it turn you off of this wonderful class of teas. My theory is that the company owner Kiran Tawadey is so caught up in promoting “social consciousness” issues that quality got put on the back burner. Having a social conscience does not substitute for providing a quality product that gives you true value for the hard-earned money you pay.

Read our take on this tea tin — not the best, in our estimation.

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: Indie Tea’s Crazy Earl Tea

© 2011 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:	Crazy Earl
Company:	Indie Tea. [More info]

Flavored Tea Rating:
About the rating designation.

Flavorings work with tea?	Yes
Tea can be tasted?	Yes
Flavor blend balanced?	Yes

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	4-5 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Additions:	Orange Peel, Grapefruit Peel, Essential Oil Of Bergamot
Dry leaves:	Broken leaf pieces, lots of rind pieces, aroma pleasantly citrus

 

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Citrus, tea notes
Taste, plain —	Balanced tea/citrus, slightly astringent, not bitter, rindy aftertaste, roasty character
Color, plain —	Dark reddish brown
Taste, enhanced —	Smooth, still citrusy, no curdling, lemon pie quality
2nd Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Citrusy aroma, tea aroma faded
Taste, plain —	Spicy Bergamot mixes with roasty tea quality
Color, plain —	Lighter reddish brown

 

Comments:

This is the second “enhanced” Earl Grey version we’ve tried, and once again we were expecting citrus overkill. A totally “just bit into a lemon” pucker face. But, no. As with the other version, this one surprised us. Pleasantly. Very pleasantly.

What is an “enhanced” Earl Grey? Well, first, what is Earl Grey? It’s black tea (different makers use different black teas) flavored with oil of bergamot, which is a type of citrus. This tea starts with straight Earl Grey and adds orange and grapefruit rind pieces. So, this tea is citrus on top of citrus. Thus our anticipation of pucker faces.

They have great steeping instructions on the tea tin label.

One peek at the dry tea shows there is no skimping here. Real rind pieces mix with the broken tea leaves, even more evident after steeping.

This tea inspired us to go a bit crazy and serve it up in an ice cream sundae dish. Very fitting since, straight, this has a dessert quality, one that is more apparent when adding a bit of milk and sweetener (hubby described the taste as lemon pie like). Awhile ago I gave up on Earl Grey, which had been the only tea I would drink for several years. Suddenly, I couldn’t stand it. The taste was too strong or something. I was never quite sure. However, this and the other “enhanced” Earl Grey I’ve tried in recent months may have gotten me rehooked on this classic tea. Refreshing and different.

Tins block light and moisture, but as you use the tea, air gets trapped in the tin, filling the empty space that used to be occupied by the dry tea leaves. You could use a little piece of plastic wrap pushed down in the tin over the tea to keep the air away. It would also help keep the various scents in this blend from fading quite so quickly.

Oh, yeah, it’s organic which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better quality (often, it’s just more expensive and puts extra strain on an industry that in many cases is all the local residents have).

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 #10 Tea

© 2011 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:	Autumn Flush 2010 Giddapahar Clonal Fine
Company:	Thunderbolt Tea. [More info]

 Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	200° F (our guess)
Steeping time:	3-4 mins. (our guess)
Tea type:	Black based on leaf appearance
Dry leaves:	Broken leaf, dark brown to coppery, fruity/cocoa-ish aroma

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Roasty cocoa/fruity
Taste, plain —	Mild, not bitter, yet not fruity, overly roasty
Color, plain —	Dark Amber
Taste, enhanced —	Sweetener is good, a bit of milk is good too but not without sweetener
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	3½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lighter
Taste, plain —	Milder flavor
Color, plain —	Dark Amber

 

Comments:
Another 2010 Autumn Flush sample, this one from the Giddapahar tea garden in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Darjeeling area of India. Benoy of Thunderbolt Tea rides his motorcycle through those foothills and seeks out the best teas.

This one is a bit of a puzzle. The first infusion did not have the taste qualities we had come to expect in a Darjeeling. That Muscatel fruitiness was not present but the flavor was instead mild and a sort of roasty planty quality. It wasn’t bad, just different. I tried it with a bit of sweetener added and liked it. Hubby, though, thought that both milk and sweetener were needed, so we tried it that way and found it quite appealing.

Look at these lovely leaves, not ground up dust, but broken leaf pieces that are the range of cocoa brown to coppery after steeping:

Another great package label, showing how we would like other teas labeled (with the tea estate, the flush, and the year), and stating that this is a clonal tea.

We used the same steeping temperature and time that we had for other Autumn flush teas and did 2 infusions but could undoubtedly done a 3rd. The 2nd infusion was lighter in aroma and taste and so was enjoyable straight, but still lacked that Darjeeling quality we have grown to appreciate so well. We recommend some options here:

Rinse the leaves briefly before steeping.
Steep for 2 minutes, 2½ minutes, and 3 minutes (shorter steep times than we used).
Steep 2 infusions as we did and then combine them into one medium tasting liquid.

We did the last one once the tasting was done and added some milk and sweetener for a tasty cupful (or two!).

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: Home Discount Store’s Chun Mee Tea

© 2011 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:	Chun Mee
Company:	Home Discount Store. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the rating designation.

Water temperature:	175° F
Steeping time:	1-2 mins.
Tea type:	Green
Dry leaves:	Large dark green leaf pieces with a planty aroma

1st Infusion:
Steep time —	1 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Planty, smoky
Taste, plain —	Planty, smoky
Color, plain —	Pale yellow-green
2nd Infusion:
Steep time —	1½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	Dusky fruitiness
Taste, plain —	Stronger, more dusky fruity, slight tang in aftertaste
Color, plain —	Darker yellow, cloudy
3rd Infusion:
Steep time —	2 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Planty, melony
Taste, plain —	Planty, mild, slight melon rind aftertaste
Color, plain —	Medium yellow, cloudy

 

Comments:
This is the taste I am used to as “green tea.” Before getting to try such wonderful teas as Dragonwell (Longjing), Sencha, Houjicha, and many more, I and my hubby thought that this was what green teas all tasted like. In short, it has a basic green tea taste. Nothing wrong with that!

We’re happy that Home Discount Store includes steeping directions that are both for a more U.S./English-style way of infusing and also a more Asian/gongfu-style infusing. We stuck with the former and started out with a short 1-minute infusion.

You can see by the appearance both before and after steeping that this is definitely NOT teadust in a bag. Bravo!

Typical for this style of tea, there tends to be a dustiness that slips through even the finest strainer. No big deal as far as we’re concerned.

Overall, a great basic green tea. So why did we rate it 3.5 teapots? Because that’s a good solid rating about above the middle. Leaves room for us to rate the Dragonwell sample they sent and other fine green teas at a more premium rank.

More info about this style of green 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: thepuriTea.com’s Red Dragon Pearl Tea

© 2011 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:	Red Dragon Pearl
Company:	thepuriTea.com. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	5-7 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Dry leaves:	Rolled into large “pearls” (about 3/8” in dia.), aroma like raisins/dried apricots/rich/earthy

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	6 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Malty, caramelly, hint of smokiness
Taste, plain —	Musky, malty, not bitter, floral/caramel aftertaste
Color, plain —	Reddish-brown
Taste, enhanced —	Smooth, caramelly
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	8 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lighter
Taste, plain —	Lighter
Color, plain —	Reddish-brown

 

Comments:
Dragons are part of the myths and traditions of China, including tea, so it is fitting that this tea from the Yunnan province is named “Red Dragon Pearl.” The dry tea comes in hand-rolled balls about the size of a chickpea (per the vendor’s site) and unfurls nicely during the steeping.

The rolled up “pearls” don’t show you what the leaves are like. After steeping, however, you can see the tender two leaves and a bud combo. Only those tender leaves are used here.

The steeping directions on the label are close to what’s on the vendor’s site. Their site recommends only 3-5 minutes:

As with many teas hubby and I have tried, there is our taste experience and their taste description. The “official description on the vendor’s site:

It’s malty, nuanced and tannic like a fine Second Flush Assam black tea, but it also offers complex flavors of spiced, stewed apples, fallen leaves and cocoa that set it apart from other black teas. Floral aromas and a clean, bittersweet finish round out this singular infusion.

Our experience:

This tea indeed has a nice maltiness, along with a wonderful floral/caramelly aftertaste. However, unlike an Assam, we found no tannic bitterness, even after steeping 6 minutes. In fact, if you like the maltiness and ability to add milk to your tea that is characteristic of Assams but don’t like the bitterness, here is the tea for you. Yet the taste is mild enough for those who like their tea as is or with just a sweetener of some kind. Even a touch of lemon would be good here.

We love flexible teas, so this one gets us very excited. We also like teas that can give us a lot of tea “bang!” for our tea dollars. Since the 2nd steeping was quite decent, we find it meets that criteria, too. Our quick calculations show that our cost per teacup would be about 25-40 cents per cupful. Nice!

Their packaging of these sample sizes were rather interesting. These are “pillow” packs, as I’ve recently learned, with two small foil pouches inside.

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