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Tea of the early morning……

It has been a long time since I have had this one. Really, my cupboard is way to deep for comfort. All my favorites end up at the back, and the number of tins are getting a bit cumbersome. I either need to open up a tea house, or figure out how to use my tea in alternative ways. I am kidding, of course! Not about the amount, though…… I think I am at the stage in my tea journey where I mostly need to settle in with my favorites.

This is definitely a favorite. It is the perfect balance of China black tea and rose. It is also an incredibly good value at $4 for 125 grams. Love this!

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning……

And my breakfast tea of choice! I love this one as my morning tea. It was not all that long ago that I purchased a 4 oz tin of this. It is gone, now, and I don’t think I even shared any of this one. I think this needs to go into the category of purchasing by the pound.

Ah, the magic of tea. It really is helping just a little with the allergies (and since it was such a mild winter, I have a feeling that my allergy season will be horrid). Or maybe it is really just keeping me better hydrated…..

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning…… (this refers to the loose leaf version)

Along with a little “Return to Cranford” from BBC’s Masterpiece Theater. I ordered this because I am always curious about Earl Grey varieties. This one leans a bit on the floral side of bergamot rather than the citrus side. It is pleasant enough, but nothing remarkable. Still, very drinkable. It is not likely to make the rebuy list, but I will enjoy it while I have it. I have 4 ounces to decide for certain, though.

One note on ordering from Market Spice…they did get an item wrong in my order. We shall see how responsive they are to email contact about order issues. I am not beyond calling them if need be, but hopefully, it can all be handled by email. I did think it a little weird that loose leaf items are shipped in clear, sealed cellophane bags while their single tea bags are sealed in opaque cellophane. Also, the Market Spice and Green Market Spice teas look very greasy to the eye. The Earl Grey looks like any other single leaf variety.

Usual teapot method.

Edit to add: They got back to me the first business day after I emailed about the mistake and are sending a replacement. Very fast response!

Tea of yesterday afternoon……

Since I am such a huge fan of Harney’s Cinnamon Spice, and JacquelineM’s review mentioned that the Market Spice Cinnamon Orange teas were very similar with the orange being more prominent than in the Harney, I had to try this. I love flavored teas in this range, especially because they are sweet without needing sweetening. I am definitely not disappointed. The cinnamon is not quite as strong as in the Harney, and the orange definitely has a front seat in the taste profile. I was wondering if the two were interchangeable, and they definitely are not. For those that are fans of orange more than cinnamon, this is the choice for you. I get mild red hots in a cup with a twist of orange in this.

EDIT TO ADD: One thing that might be a deal breaker on this….the leaves look kind of greasy. I do think it is probably a result of the flavoring oils. They recommend storing the tea in a glass jar once it has been opened (really, the packaging is marginal in clear, non-resealable cellophane…it must be transferred into something else.) I guess it will take further sampling to be sure if it is a keeper.

Teapot method, 180 water, 3 minutes. No additions.

Tea of yesterday afternoon…..

And thank you so much to narwhalclub for this sample. I have been curious about this tea for a long time.

This is a very good smokey tea. I don’t think the blend of teas in the base is quite as sweet as Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon from Upton, but it is still great. I love how smooth it is, and how balanced the smokiness is. I don’t feel like I am drinking a bitter campfire like the first few lapsangs I sampled. This one is definitely a keeper.

Usual mug method.

Tea of the late morning……

I have my last round of samples from TeaVivre. This time I requested things I am considering buying, and they were very accommodating. I am very grateful for this tasting opportunity, and I am so looking forward to purchasing the next season of teas, as I am sure I have a backlog of greens from them at home to drink before they expire. This was my chance to really explore some Chinese green teas, and I am finding that all of my preconceived notions about green tea were so wrong. I don’t know why I assumed it would be otherwise, as my thoughts on tea in general have been completely rewritten, and lean nearly in the complete opposite direction as they did before I tried loose leaf. I think the green teas I had tried in the past were low quality and poorly prepared. Now, I am surrounded by high quality green tea, and I have learned a thing or two about preparation. These things have made a huge difference!

This tea is very nice. The leaves are very long and thin. They are a deeper green than the Premium Dragonwell, but still in the green range rather than leaning brown. It is hard to measure the right amount of tea, because the leaves are so long! My first mug was a little light on the leaf, but still enjoyable. For the second infusion, I added a little more leaf, and now I have something very good. The liquor is a light yellow-green. There are very light floral notes as well as light notes of asparagus (kind of like the long jing), but there is not the buttery-ness from the long jing. I guess you could call this an addition of floral notes, but minus the buttery notes in comparison to long jing. It is still not as floral as a Tie Gwan Yin, but lovely and light. Not even a hint of bitterness, and oh so smooth. I can see why it is one of China’s top teas. Definitely on the shopping list.

Mug method at 180, roughly two tsp of leaf (I may need the scale next time!). No additions.

Tea of the afternoon……

I am loving the Springlike weather we are having. I thought it called for a more springy type tea. This one does have floral notes along with a creamy coconutty flavor. The white tea does not really come into play much as it is light. Very good and refreshing. It was good hot, and still good once my tea cooled.

Thank you to Mercuryhime for the sample. This is a good one!

Tea of the morning……

I am on to my second batch of Franken-Breakfast Tea. This one is about 1 part Golden Tip Assam (Mystery Assam from the hot sauce shop), 1 part Keemun Grade 2 (Teavivre), 2 parts Turkish Blend (Upton). This blend could be a little more smokey….it is surprisingly sweet, probably from the Ceylon tea in the Turkish Blend. I am thinking there should be more Keemun…..

Usual teapot method, except that I forgot my kettle was set for green……must try this blend again at the right temperature before adjusting the ratios….

Backlog of a few cups……

I have been road tripping and visiting my Dad in the hospital in another state. Home for a few days for now, and then we will see if I go back. Unfortunately, the second car has some serious issues, so that might postpone me a bit.

Anyway, I purchased this tea before I left for ease of use away from home. I was fortunate that hot water for tea was very easily accessible at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL. I had several cups of this. It is light, there is a refreshing amount of bergamot, and it resteeps for at least one cup. All in all, I am very pleased with this and will purchase again.

PS….the coffee shop at the hospital serves Harney tea!

Tea of the late afternoon……

Another tea from my Foodzie Box from LiberTEAs. This is very good. It is the perfect blend of hot cider and tea tastes. It is what I had hoped Cinnamon Apple from Harney & Son’s would be. I know it is just a matter of time before I put in an order at Market Spice, and am defintely considering this one!

Usual teapot method.