Herald Tea

Sipdown of an evening tea for ashmanra’s sipdown challenge. I got this in a previous Tea Thoughts countdown box. I’d never heard of Herald Tea before a few of their teas showed up in Tea Thoughts boxes, but I’m glad Nazanin included them because every one of Herald’s teas that I have tried has been excellent. They just seem to use genuinely good ingredients – I still have it filed away in the back of my head to keep their PNW mint in stock.
This particular blend is a really nice balance of apple-y chamomile and a nicely roasted hojicha. The combination also results in a dark chocolate note that’s really satisfying. I didn’t expect these two to work together as well as they do! Happy to have been wrong.

Sad sipdown. Still one of the best peppermint teas I’ve had. That little bit of natural sweetness really makes it pop. I’m running low on peppermint in general. Should probably restock…

Finished my birthday with this minty delight. I got it in a Tea Thoughts countdown box a while ago and have been carefully rationing it ever since. Most peppermint teas are basically the same, but this is actually one of the best peppermints I’ve ever had. It’s this and Kiani’s that come to mind when I think about truly great peppermints that are a level above the rest. This one has the classic cooling menthol taste and sensation, but also just a hint of natural sweetness that you usually don’t get.

Another freebie, this time from my Tea Thoughts order! Thanks, Nazanin! :)

I haven’t had much experience with kamairicha, in fact I can’t recall whether I’ve tried it before… It’s a Japanese green tea, but it’s processed more like a Chinese tea, with pan frying instead of the usual steaming.

It’s quite delicious. I can see the similarities to Chinese pan-fried teas, it has the same comforting soba-like nutty notes that I would expect from a long jing, for instance. But underneath I can still taste that savory umami richness that is a hallmark of sencha, and Japanese greens in general. This tea has quite a bit of intensity to it as well, similar to a kabusecha or, to a greater extent, gyokuro. There’s also a very noticeable floral note to my palate, which makes for an interesting combination with the more savory flavors.

Very tasty tea, and I would definitely be interested in trying more kamairicha in the future. I’ll have to keep it in mind the next time I order from Yunomi…

I didn’t know about this company before, but I have two of their teas from past Tea Thoughts countdown boxes and figured it was time to dive in. I also didn’t know that unsmoked lapsang souchong is a thing, probably because I don’t generally drink black teas and especially not typical lapsangs because I don’t generally like the heavy smokiness. So I’m really glad that this was in the countdown box, because I never would have tried it on my own!
This tea smells absolutely amazing. It’s malty, bready, and almost chocolatey. The taste is malty, bready, and sweet, with a slightly dry mouthfeel. It goes really great with spicy Chinese food – the natural sweetness balances out the spiciness.