Leland Tea Co

I’m drinking this again this morning. It is pleasant enough but I don’t know if I really get the appeal of dragonwell – am I missing something or is this just not a very good example?

I increased the rating a little bit this morning. It is very pleasant.

This is a very nice dragonwell tea which I picked up at Leland Tea Company a few months ago. The leaves smell of spinach and it brews up to be a slightly nutty green tea. I much prefer the mellow taste of this dragonwell over something like Sencha (personal preference). Nothing spectacular but certainly great for every day/anytime drinking. Organic is definitely a bonus. If you’re ever in San Francisco you must stop by the Leland Tea Company which has an unpretentious atmosphere and a very friendly staff.

A “Touch of Evil?” I think not. It’s a touch of cantaloupe. I like it well enough for a melon flavored tea, but what a misnomer.

I see that Leland is not longer selling this. I wish they would repackage it and rename it as “Mild Melon Morality”.

Spent the rainy afternoon, warm and relaxed, indoors at Leland Tea Co. today. Had this tea with their “Tea Lunch”.

Tiffany’s is hearty, full-bodied and brisk. Very slightly smoky—reminded me of a lighter Irish Breakfast-type tea. I did not detect any floral notes. It seemed like a pretty straightforward black tea. It was dark as coffee and tasted delicious with milk. Very warming.

A perfect cup for a cold day!

Very original and it smells really good. I like the creaminess. I’d like to try this tea with everything minus the Lapsang. I like that they tried adding it in here, but to me it doesn’t work.

My first experience with this was kind of meh-ish, but I got a newer, fresher sharing sample and like it much, much better. The fruit is a nice addition to the traditional chamomile-lemongrass mix; it gives this nice light herbal a little texture and heft that sticks to your tongue.

Did a cup double-strength, twice the leaves, and iced it down. Now I’m getting the orange peel I missed the first time around. Still not a hunt-it-down-and-club-it-on-the-head-and-bring-it-home tea, but a nice-to-have-tasted-on-a-hot-afternoon one.

Dry, this looks like very pretty potpourri. Nothing that sets it off distinctly from most calm-ya-down herbals, but nice and light on a rainy afternoon after a tense week. And lemongrass. Lots of lemongrass, which I like.

Another apology to donors because of my disorganization…swaps and samples have gotten a little jumbled in my messy kitchen, but I think this was a treat from Lori.

At any rate, this is the closest approximation to homemade baked goods I’ve ever tasted in a tea. Makes me think of sugar cookies more than snickerdoodles, but now I have a severe craving for both. Splashed in just a little skim milk and yummy-doodle!

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act IV scene 2

“I have no other but a woman’s reason:
I think him so, because I think him so.”
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act I scene 2

I had forgotten about this tea, and yet it was one I had been very excited to try. With that name — how could I resist? Unfortunately it got lost amongst my books and when I went to grab the Rose Keemun I ended up with this in my hand instead. Woohoo! Surprise tea!

I expected this tea to be dark and brooding, and as it steeped I started brainstorming evil Shakespeare characters. I wasn’t sure what this tea was, so I tried looking it up on the Leland website: no dice. The leaves are such a mixture of browns, greens, and some yellow (sorry my picture washed out the subtle shadings). The dry leaves hadn’t really smelled like much, and when I poured the tea I kept thinking that one of the smells reminded me of something. This tea drove me crazy!

I really enjoyed the first half of this cup, the second half was fine but at that point I was really sitting there and loudly slurping and smacking this tea around in my mouth. My poor cat ran for cover not knowing what on earth I was doing. Is this sweetness an oolong thrown in with an Assam? Is there a bit of lychee? What is that sweetness? As the cup cooled it got more “yeasty.” This tea really starts to remind me of Golden Moon’s Persian Melon (for me, not a good thing). The second steep was “eh” and very much like the Persian Melon with a musky melon sort of yeasty taste but pretty light.

Surprisingly I consider this tea a comedy (regardless of its forboding name): The Two Gentlemen of Verona. A fun play, with some very funny moments, but overall one of Shakespeare’s less remarkable plays (if there is such a thing). NE

Part of Doulton’s Nabokov Prize!

I see Doulton’s on a mission, here. Clearly. ;) And it looks like she’s winning more converts with every steep!

The first thing I got was smoke, but warm, comforting smoke. And dulce de leche. Smoky dulce de leche, then. Like smoky, comforting, familiar trenchcoat. Which is appropriate! The smell and taste are both classic. The colour is a rich, warm amber that suggests maple syrup.

The most this needs is an eensy bit of raw sugar. I’m talking tiny. The thing about sugar is, like salt, it’s a flavour enhancer more than anything else. It shouldn’t dominate (well, OK, except in sugar cookies and rock candy); it should only compliment. Don’t add cream, whatever you do. I did, thinking a tiny drop would enhance the creaminess, but it was too much. It overwhelmed the lovely delicacy of this tea.

Before the cream, it was a lovely, sinuous, wafting thing. Like a smoking jacket belonging to someone who only smoked really nice tobacco in a pipe for years, perhaps taking it in the library after dinner with a snifter of single-malt.

Trenchcoat, smoking jacket. I’m sensing a theme. No fedora, though. Definitely no fedora. ;)

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 3

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
The Tempest, Act IV scene 1

Oh, how this tea has been calling to me ever since Doulton’s box arrived. This was the main smell that I experienced when I opened the box. This is what’s been fragrancing my room. It’s sort of an intense vanilla/hazelnut tea smell. It sorta intimidated me.

Oh, this is good. I’ve only ever had hazelnut as a syrup in a latte (not my favorite) so I think that my mind picked up on the vanilla more. But wow. I think “hug in a cup” isn’t just something that Leland flippantly put in its description in order to sell more tea. It does seem like a holiday tea, but I’d take it a step further: this is more like the warm loving heart of most holidays. And Stephanie nailed the description of the second infusion: a cinnamony snickerdoodle!

This was the highlight of my day by far. I even kept the leaves for a final steep after I got home from work. Yes, three is definitely this tea’s limit. And usually I love contemplating where one of these teas fits in Shakespeare’s cannon, but this one was on the verge of infuriating. It’s not a tragedy and it should be one of his better plays. Could I call a tea “Shakespeare” the man? That didn’t sit well with me. Then I looked up a play that I’m not too familiar with: The Tempest. Aha! It’s got the family drama of many holidays but ends well. Many critics have even speculated that the character of Prospero was the embodiment of Shakespeare himself.

And then it happened. I was looking at this quote on one of the websites that I’ve relied heavily upon for these notes (enotes.com) and I read the commentary and almost fell out of my chair. They refer to Bogart’s famous last line in The Maltese Falcon: “The stuff that dreams are made of” and how Bogey had suggested this line himself (as far as anyone knows the misquote was unintentional). Well, I shall misquote intentionally: “This tea is such stuff as dreams are made on.” TG

I’m letting myself be inspired by the Steepsterites and trying this one tonight, also a Doulton tea

this smells absolutely lovely. It reminds me of these biscuits that my mother bakes for chirstmas, but it doesjn’t actually smell jparticularly christmassy, which is kind of weird when you think about it considering the biscuit-y smell. Supposedly if you blend it with laspang souchong the description says that it will supposedly become ‘a coffee lovers dream of tea’.

Errrr….. Right. Except coffee isn’t smoky and lapsang souchong flavour =/= coffee flavour. STOP MIXING UP COFFEE AND TEA, THEY ARE TWO VERY SEPARATE THINGS, ARGH! I’m getting a bit weary of many tea-drinkers’ snobbery that coffee-drinkers are somehow inferior because they “only” drink coffee. ‘Drink what you like and like what you drink’ they say and then they do their utmost to make the coffee-drinker see the light. Attend a coffee tasting. Coffee is just as diverse and interesting and with just as many details for the nerd as tea.

But that was a bit of a tangent. Where was I? Oh yes, aroma. After steeping it’s even more cake-y and a bit chocolate-y. Or maybe more Nutella-y than chocolate-y. Or, no, not Nutella. LU Bastogne. That’s it. Do you get those out there in the Big Abroad? A sort of syrup-y cinnamon biscuit.

What a surprise to taste! Again, Bastogne, definitely. Also reminds me of that chocolate pu-erh from Numi, it’s a very very similar flavour.

I like this one better though, and I’m in a funny sort of situation where having one tea is forcing me to go and dock points from another tea. It feekls strange.

Also in spite of the rant up there, I also want to try and mix it with some lapsang souchong.

Totally tastes like Gingerbread and black tea with a little smoke today. Only have enough for one more cup so I thought I would pass it along to a friend…

This tastes very good to me today. Sort of like a sweeter gingerbread – but like I said…my taster is a bit wonky…lol…

Upping the rating on this one…it’s wonderful! See my previous review!

Oh…so you want to be center of attention!? Oh…you want to be the leading man? Well, let’s just see what you’ve got, sir!

This has a bit of nose trickery going on! At first sniff it reminds me of a chai. 2nd sniff it changes it’s mind and resembles a perfect wintery-type blend. Then…just when you think you’ve figured it out…the individual components smack you in the face! You are quite bold, mister! I can smell Cinnamon, Vanilla, and almost a buttery-creme in there with a bit of nuttiness.

The color is a rich brown.

My first sip was very slippery…yes, slippery! Smooth and buttery cream-like tones. The after taste is reminding me of Hazelnut. The 2nd taste…still slippery with the cinnamon popping out more. As I continue to sip I inhale at the same time to be presented with an ever-so-slight smokey scent that passes just like a breeze.

This is an interesting cup to say the very least.

Almost a competition for the leading role? Perhaps. I’m so happy Doulton let me “bogart” some of this from her stash! (har, har)

Tiffany’s – Leland Teas

Backlogging…finishing up the last little bit of this from my stash today! Infused dark brown and is a nice sturdy tea for the morning. A little smoky a little sweet, and ended slightly smooth.

This has an oh so slightly chewiness to it today and a little smokiness. Pretty good! Adding a few points to the rating…

BOY! Tiffany’s strong and ready to face the day today! WOW!!!! Bold and beautiful! A Tad Bitter…but it gives her attitude!

Sure, this is bold and it suggests milk/sugar but I am drinking plain (as I always do). It’s ok. Another good standby. Thanks Doulton! Can’t ever have enough strong black teas for standby!