A tea oddity, Aroma Tea Shop’s Blue People Oolong resembles green pebbles more than tea due to its curious preparation. The flavor in this tea is strong and intense – the tea shop describes it as a “party in your mouth!” Despite giving the tea the benefit of the doubt, this reviewer did not find it so…
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The Kenilworth Estate Ceylon from Tea Licious is a full-bodied black tea with a mild and slightly astringent taste. It pairs well with milk and sugar, which goes a long way to rounding out its flavor. Thanks to the kind folks at Tea Licious for providing this tea to try.
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Even as the weather changes, the evenings here are quite chilly. A warming cup of oolong is exactly the right fit for a slow evening at home. Teavivre’s Tie Guan Yin tea is an excellent accompaniment to any evening. The flavors are full and rich, making a very satisfying cup of tea that lasts for multiple steeps.
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Aiya has recently launched consumer-sized tins of their Japanese loose leaf teas, and I was fortunate enough to receive a sample of their premium gyokuro tea. If you’re not familiar with gyokuro, it’s a fine Japanese green tea that’s grown under shade (unlike sencha, which is grown in the full sun). The method in which it’s grown gives the tea a sweet flavor that is distinctive from other teas. This tea is an excellent example of good gyokuro tea and worthwhile to try if you enjoy green teas. It’s sweet and very light on the tongue.
Not sure what to do with that leftover tea in the cupboard? Here are some creative ideas on how to cook with tea that I’m planning to try soon.
olive magazine has an refreshingly creative and beautiful use for jasmine tea leaves — ice cream sorbet!
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This is really my second adventure in matcha green teas, thus the lack of the review (click here for my first time with matcha tea). The folks at Aiya were kind enough to send me several samples of different grades of matcha tea, which was a pleasure to try. The tea is incredibly fresh to the taste, and is a treat to be able to try.
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2011 has been a truly spectacular year. After visiting the tea fields in Thailand in March, I recently had the rare privilege of traveling to Munnar, a hill station located in the Indian state of Kerala. On the map, it’s near the south-western tip of India. Its high elevations, cool temperatures and the vast, rolling fields of tea make it a popular tourist destination for locals.
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As part of my ongoing journey through pu-erh teas, I tried my this flavorful and full-bodied ripe pu-erh tea which reminds me strongly of a rich, steaming cup of coffee. The tea is aged and dark, full of interesting character and depth but a surprising lack of complexity.
