Tea - Loose Leaf Tea - Ramblings

Archive for July, 2008

MateVana combines roasted Mate leaves, cocoa, rooibos tea, chocolate pieces and almond bits, cactus blossoms, cornflower petals, and sunflower petals for a visually appealing blend of warm brown, blue and yellow colors. The tea has a wonderfully sweet and toasted aroma. When I took a good look at Teavana’s MateVana, I said to myself “Hmmm, I think I have had this tea before”. After brewing and tasting the tea, I said to myself “I know I have had this tea before!” Indeed, I had previously sampled this tea, sold under the name “Mate Chino”, from a local tea shop. A quick Google search resulted in a plethora of sites that feature this tea under its alternative name, and describe it as consisting of “toasted Mate with cocoa, sunflower petals, almond bits, cactus flowers and cornflower blossoms”…basically the same exact tea. While Teavana’s version of this blend was not new to me, it was a welcomed cup of tea nonetheless. The roasted mate provides a warm toasty base which perfectly complements the cocoa, chocolate and rooibos. The almonds add a slight hint of nuttiness to the blend. I enjoyed this tea straight on its own, but also found it to be delicious with milk and sugar. This type of blend is ideal for those that want a break from the standard black teas, but still want a rich and hearty morning brew that provides comparable chemical stimulation (side note: it is debated if yerba mate actually contains caffeine or a similar compound that affects the body in a slightly different way). Since I best enjoy the distinct and rich flavor of mate in small, occasional doses, this is not a tea I see myself drinking everyday. And that’s probably a good thing, since at nearly $3.00 an ounce, I would need to find a second job to finance my tea habits! Seeing as Teavana’s MateVana is essentially the same blend that is available from other sources under a different name, I would recommend that those interested in trying this tea search the internet to find the best deal.

“To Life” is an interesting blend of red, white, and green teas. Specifically, Teavana says that this tea blends Rooibos Tropica, Silver Needle and Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls with orange peels, strawberry pieces, peach pieces, sunflower, rose, and cornflower petals. When I received my sample, the first thing I noticed about this tea was that due to the fact that the different ingredients were of very different sizes and shapes, there was a very obvious separation among them, with the smallest rooibos pieces falling to the bottom of the pile and the fluffy light Silver Needle leaves staying at the top. Thus, with a tea like this, it is important to really mix up the blend to make sure that each of the ingredients that is supposed to be there actually makes it into your teapot. “To Life” really is an attractive blend with a very refreshing aroma that has both fruity and floral notes. I was very eager to try this tea, but must admit that in the end I ended up being disappointed. To me, the jasmine (which is described by Teavana as offering a “soothing undertone”) just overpowered the brew. I found it difficult to really pick up on the rooibos, orange, strawberry and peach flavors because all I could smell and taste was jasmine. I don’t want to be too harsh, as the tea does have some positive points: a) provided you are prepared for the jasmine overload, it is tasty, b) the tea is made of natural ingredients rather than the questionable “flavoring” that many tea producers use to artificially add flavor to their teas, and c) the tea is good for multiple infusions, so a little goes a long way. Still, this tea fell just short of my expectations because I was really hoping to taste more of the rooibos and fruit components. The description had me prepared for a sweet and fruity tea, but in reality this tea is more of a jasmine tea with just the slightest hints of fruity undertones. Either the amount of Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls needs to be tweaked to reduce the impact of the jasmine, or the current Teavana description needs to be modified to better reflect the strong jasmine punch.

Jasmine tea is reportedly the top “flavored” tea in China (enjoyed by the Chinese), and Jasmine Pearls is a special tea created using green tea which has been infused with the perfume of fresh jasmine for some time before being fired and rolled into little pellets. It makes for quite a show, getting to watch the pellets unfurl in the steeping water. The aroma of this tea is what one would expect from a quality jasmine—cheap jasmine flavoring can make me sick to my stomach, but the scent and taste from this tea is authentic in taste and in just the right proportion, when brewed at 180 degrees for just over two minutes. The sweetness is present without being overpowering—the smell is rather like the sweet jasmine that is presently blooming in my back yard—and the taste is an enjoyable change from the usual. If you would like to try a green tea with an unusual yet mildly sweet and perfumed taste, you should give the Jasmine Pearls from TeaZone a taste.

This is a tea from one of the better-known estates in Kenya. Kenyan teas are probably best known for their use in various blends, including some British breakfast teas. They are generally thought of as being rather strong-flavored, without the refinement of the best Indian/Sri Lanka/Chinese black teas. This is one of the better ones. To the eye, it includes some tips mixed in with the darker leaves, this in itself usually an indicator of higher quality. The taste proved to be an interesting combination of flavors: a woodiness/wineyness, with floral overtones, together with a bit of mouth-puckering astringency and a basic underlying strength of flavor. It is not so unlike some of the better Ceylon teas, but stronger. It is this strength of flavor (not really bitter per se, just STRONG) that may turn you off to this tea, but if you are looking for a coffee substitute this might be a good choice. I brewed this tea at a bit over four minutes, but brewed for a shorter time, I might find I like it better. Combined with milk, I didn’t personally find the mixture to be complimentary, as it is with a good Assam, for example. This is not a bad tea, but just one that doesn’t fit my personal preference.

RadioactiviTEA is a special breakfast blend from your favorite 80’s based tea bar, Zoomdweebie’s. They describe this tea as:

“Malty and strong, Get your Caffeine on! RadioactiviTEA is a strongly caffeinated blend of robust CTC and BOP Indian teas. It is the perfect pick-me-up and it’s great hot or iced, with or without cream and sugar”

The first thing that comes to mind is that it would be nice to know exactly where in India the teas that make up this blend come from. You can tell that the tea is obviously CTC and BOP tea and nothing like full leaf tea, but this adds to the whole effect of it being a “strongly caffeinated blend” as it brings to mind the way instant coffee looks. The tea itself comes out to a nice dark orange/red color. The taste of Indian tea is very apparent in this tea. I’m almost sure there is a Darjeeling and as Assam in there, again it would be nice to know the exact teas in there but that’s what I taste. It is malty, but nothing that hits you quite as strong as the description implies. I got two good steeps out of the leaves using a teaspoon per 6 oz. of water, although if you left it go longer and went with a single long steep I’m sure you’d end up with a strong brew. This tea is nothing special but quite far from being a bad tea by any means. This would be great anytime tea, not just for breakfast.

I haven’t really seen any watermelon teas on the market so this was a whole horse of a different color when I was ready to try Zoomdweebie’s Watermelon Green tea. It is basically nothing more than a green tea that looks more like a black tea with some kind of watermelon flavoring added to it. After their apple tea I was hoping this one would be great since watermelon is a flavor I thoroughly enjoy.

The smell off the leaves themselves is very nice and true to its watermelon name. There is without a doubt watermelon in there, at least in the aroma. After brewing this tea I was taken completely the other way. The tea itself becomes bitter really easy and the best way to make this tea will be with cooler water so it doesn’t get that way. The watermelon is there in the flavor but seems very artificial and watered down.

Perhaps like others have recommended if a higher quality tea was used it watermelon would come out better and it wouldn’t be so bitter. However now that I know at least someone has tried a watermelon tea, I’ll be on the lookout for others.

“Ti Kuan Yin Harvest Select, a high grade oolong entirely handmade in China’s Fujian province, exhibits a more highly developed fruity sweetness and orchid like fragrance than our other Ti Kuan Yin selection. Named after the Iron Goddess of Mercy, Ti Kuan Yin Harvest Select has all of the prized characteristics one might seek in an oolong, including an orchid nose, a complex peach-skin fruitiness and a rich, sweet chestnut flavor.”

This is the information straight from Mighty Leaf. Thinking that they sell a regular Ti Kuan Yin, as well as this Ti Kuan Yin Select, I thought this might somehow be something special. Words are inevitably deceiving. For one thing the brewed tea is very light, even lighter than a green. I might even go as far to say that this oolong looks like some darker colored white teas I’ve had. Flavors are either very subtle or nonexistent, although the tea feels extremely fresh and clean in the mouth.

I planned on writing a thorough review of this tea, but the truth is there really isn’t much to say about it. For close to $30 for 3 ounces it isn’t exactly a cheap drink either. With next to no flavor that I could pull out, trying both lower and higher temperature water, I would not buy this oolong. For nearly half the price you could get a very nice oolong elsewhere.

The fresh vegetal taste of Japanese teas along with the sweet and almost grassy notes that accompany it are really what I enjoy in green tea and look for. Although the Green Anji from Adagio tea is a Chinese tea, it compares in many ways to a Japanese tea more than any other I have seen. Looking at these leaves you have a prime example of the Chinese version of roasting the leaves verses the Japanese version of steaming. The color shape and size of them look similar to Japanese teas besides the crinkling they have due to roasting.

Brewing this tea results again in a nice neon green color that is similar to a Japanese tea, although quite a bit lighter. The aroma is very clean and fragrant, like breathing in summer air. You get that nice fresh note and that wonderful green tea taste is definitely there although this tea seemed to me like a weaker sencha. There is also an interesting cinnamon/nutty note in the aftertaste that I wasn’t expecting but openly welcomed. Just at the very end I found a small floral hint barely trying to peak through.

Green Anji from Adagio is a really good tea without question. It has the natural fresh taste of tea in it along with the nutty taste you would expect from a Chinese tea. The cup is light and the flavor isn’t as pronounced as I might have wanted but the taste is enjoyable. I would probably still stick with a Japanese tea if I were considering this one though. Those who might find Japanese tea a bit too grassy would most likely prefer this.

This is the second maple tea that I’ve tried, the first one being so awful that I can’t remember where it came from.Thankfully, I had a much more pleasant expirience with this rich, flavorful tea.

The scent is noticed right away, a sticky-sweet maple aroma that’s really delightful and warming. I detect slight vanilla undertones in the scent as well as the taste that gives the tea depth and makes the cup more comforting.

As the tea cools a little, the flavors come out. It seems to get sweeter and the vanilla flavor becomes more pronounced. There’s also just a hint of smokiness that I really appreciated. The maple taste is present throughout, it’s the other flavors that develop as your cup cools down a little.

While this tea is full of maple taste, the other subtle flavors of the tea keeps it from seeming like you’re drinking a cup of maple syrup. It’s really well-rounded and pleasant from start to finish. I was really surprised with this tea, and will be purchasing more.

I’m a chai girl. I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably continue to do so in my reviews. Chai is wonderful. I’ve had great chai, terrible chai, and chai I’ve been completely indifferent to. This one is pretty good.
The ingredients are listed as black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, peppercorn, vanilla. Out of those ingredients, the cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon are the major standouts. The other flavors seem to get lost.That being said, the blend is still plenty flavorful, and I noticed that once you’ve taken a sip, the ginger comes out and lingers on your tongue, which is nice if you like ginger, and I do.
My only complaint about this tea is that if you didn’t know it was vanilla chai, you’d have no idea. I couldn’t find any vanilla taste at all, and it would’ve been a nice touch to smooth out the blend and make it more substantial.
This is a fine chai tea, but it loses points for the lack of vanilla flavor. My search for a superb vanilla chai continues (if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!).