Geoffrey Norman Send Message

Drink the Leaf says that this is the perfect tea on the go. I would beg to differ on that because its a touchy sencha. Sure, it only takes a minute, but you have to be very precise with that minute…and even more-so with the temperature. (None of which are mentioned on the Drink the Leaf site, mind you.)

When adhered to correctly, the drinker is treated to a balanced, un-spinached cup of grass-nut, seaweed-sweet excellence. I’d say this is the third best type of sencha I’ve imbibed.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/04/review-drink-the-leaf-sen-cha-fukamushi/

I got this as part of a swap from Jaime. I’m drawn to disturbingly unique blends, and this one was no exception. It combines one of the things I hate (cucumbers) to one of the things I adore (white tea). Other ingredients include carrot pieces (yet another loathing), safflowers, calendula flowers, and some unnamed natural flavor.

Like the artichoke tea I tried a couple of weeks ago, this one surprised me quite a bit. It tasted like – well – white tea with a carroty aftertaste. I’ve never had a problem with the taste of carrots, just the texture. As for cucumber? Couldn’t detect that, unless it was part of the whole vegetal component in the initial mouth-swish. I approved.

I actually tried this loose leaf, but since there really is no reason to add a new tea profile for this (and I’m lazy), I’ll go with this one. On dry scent alone, I didn’t know what to expect. This is probably why I’m not a sommelier, for – upon sight – I would’ve said this was a Darjeeling white. It had a nut-spice scent to it which also supported that theory. When infused, though, it took on the melon-like, buttery characteristics of a good Bai Mu Dan. Worth your valuable tea time.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/23/review-davidon%E2%80%99s-tea-white-peony/

As a cost-saving measure, I purchased a bag of the Matcha-Style Green Tea so I had something on hand at work. On their blog, Mellow Monk mentioned a technique on how to cold-brew the matcha in a bottle. I thought I’d give it a shot. Directions were simple: Add roughly a third of a teaspoon to the bottle of choice (I went a full teaspoon), add a splash of water, shake vigorously to remove clumps, then add full water amount, and shake vigorously again.

The result is a thick, dark liquid with some of the requisite powdered consistency. Taste-wise, it resembles a cold sencha that’s been left out. However, given that good sencha should be brewed warm, anyway, that’s not a detraction. It’s more vegetal and kale-like when cold, unlike it’s warmed version. However, that settles into a melon-like note later on aftertaste. Overall, a decent alternative than succumbing to Starbucks.

This is the second Yunnan gold I’ve ever tried, and – man – does this type of black (or red) tea have a track record. I don’t know what sort of alchemy goes into making these, but you won’t find a tea that translates from sight, to smell, to taste with such consistency. It looks gold from leaf to liquor; it smells and tastes like creamed almonds or unroasted, buttered barley. Aside from an almost-negligible astringent note in the middle, I am hard-pressed to find a flaw.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/24/review-life-in-teacup-yunnan-golden-bud-3/

You wouldn’t think that a lighter, mildly caffeinated tea would play well with a hearty, STRONGLY caffeinated herb like guayusa. But – against all odds – in this blend, opposites attract. When brewed to balance, the drinker is treated to a very balanced – if herbaceous – cup with a berry note (from the green tea) and a sweet aftertaste (from the guayusa). And it wakes even the tiredest of tea-totalers from groggy reverie.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/12/review-stash-tea-guayusa-and-green-tea/

The “fancy” title for this tea was earned – according to the tea notes – for its whole leaf black tea base. Meaning, if an orange pekoe was used, it was likely an FOP as opposed to a BOP. The difference in flavor might not be noticeably detectable to some, but it might be noticeable in color. Whole leaf teas tend to have a lighter infusion.

The infusion on this was definitely lighter, but the flavor was exceptionally bitter and dry when paired with boiled water. Two traits I can’t deal with in a black tea. Once I lowered the temp to 190F, it yielded a more positive Earl experience. However, still not the best I’ve tried.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/11/review-red-leaf-tea-earl-grey-xtra-fancy/

This was the first Earl Grey variant I encountered that didn’t taste like something other than Earl Grey. Most bergamot-scented alternates have a flavor “like” Earl Grey, but still retain some of the trappings of whatever base was used; a White Earl Grey still tasted like a white, a Honeybush Earl Grey still tasted like honeybush. With bergamot. Good but not Earl Grey.

This was an Earl through-and-through. So much so that I didn’t even taste the Formosan oolong base. Jasmine flowers were added to this as well. Why? I dunno. But they add a mild floral touch to the bergamot…but only minor.

It’s a splendid afternoon Earl. I should know. That’s when I had it…in my pajamas.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/11/30/review-red-leaf-tea-oolong-earl-grey/

I was rather surprised by this green tea. Most Chinese greens have a grassy, fruit-ish lean to them. This, however, had all of the flavor benefits of a Japanese sencha – almond-like, buttery, and lightly sweet. Definitely one for brewing on the subtle side, though.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/17/review-mark-t-wendell-cloud-mist-green-tea/

I received this in the mail completely by surprise from SeyKayYay. I wasn’t expecting it, but I was overjoyed to receive it. This makes the third US-produced black tea I’ve tried. The first and second belong to Charleston. And, I will echo every other description here when I say it’s unlike any other black tea I’ve tried. If I were to come up with a metaphoric comparison, it would be a Yunnan gold taste with an Assam body and a sweet Keemun finish. That’s the closest I can come up with. It’s also the only black tea I’ve come across that *requires * at least a four-minute steep to get the full effect. I tried it at three first, and it was too light. At even four minutes there was no astringency, no bitterness, a chocolaty palate, and a smooth maltiness. Different, indeed.

…AND it lasts two very strong infusions. Just F.Y.I.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/15/review-samovar-hawaii-grown-black-tea/