1000 Day Flower from Dragonwater

Scent in package: virtually nonexistent.
Brewed in: 2 cup glass teapot
Steeped: 5 min. @ “steaming”
Cup: Porcelain teacup

It always amazes me how intricate some of the hand-tied blooming teas are. And I have no idea how they do it – it seems like it would frustrate me to no end to try to tie all those little leaves together with my clumsy fingers. But they are gorgeous to watch as they unfurl in warm water, and while I haven’t found any to be exceptional in taste (though some are very good), they make wonderful conversation and generally good tea for drinking.

I have to admit though – this particular blooming tea was a tiny bit disappointing to me. I was excited at the bright pink bloom on top, and couldn’t wait to see it unfold. And it did unfold into a beautiful bloom, but…well…kind of boring, to be honest, after some of the more spectacular shows I’ve gotten from tea flowers.

The tea itself was mediocre – certainly not bad in any way, just lacking in…well…taste. I realize that it’s a white tea, and thus more subtle, but while the texture was lovely – a little thick and full in the mouth, and it was very sweet (which I like a lot), but it just didn’t have much flavor…the very slightest hint of something vegetal at the back of the mouth. There was no astringency, and no bitterness…but it was just boring, I guess. And I normally enjoy white tea quite a lot.

So for a bloom, it was pretty, but not spectacular, and for a tea, it was uninteresting…for the money, I think I’d go for something a little more intricate or a little more flavorful (preferably both).

Matcha! Matcha! Matcha!

I first experimented with Matcha way back in June, when I received my “Matcha Starter Kit”. As is probably common, I whipped up a bowl that was far too strong and bitter for my liking (shown to the left). I meant to experiment with it again, but the matcha tin went into the refrigerator, and I am sorry to say, I never quite got back to it. Then a couple weeks ago I was cleaning out the fridge, found the tin of matcha powder, and remembered that matcha actually does have a shelf life, and that I should probably start drinking it.

So last week, when I was having one of those days where you just can’t wake up, I mixed up a bowl of matcha to drink with my lunch. Somewhat fearful of a repeat from the last experience, I used cooler water (steaming) and more of it rather than following the directions (which I seem to have lost anyways). And I found the resulting brew quite palatable…much sweeter and mellower than my introduction had been. I enjoyed it very much, with the added benefit of being much more awake than I normally am for work that afternoon. So I decided to do an experiment this week.

It’s common knowledge that matcha tea is extremely healthy overall as a beverage – packed with polyphenals and antioxidants that have been shown to protect against cancer, etc. And now that I know to brew it a little cooler than “just under boiling” for my own tastes, it’s quite enjoyable too. Add that to the aesthetic pleasure of the tools used to prepare it, and the wonderful heavy bowl to drink from, and it’s an overall winner. But those aren’t the only reasons I drink tea.

I am a caffeine addict – have been since I was in high school. And the thought of a tea with high amounts of that particularly desirable substance just makes me giddy with joy. That a tea high in caffeine could actually be healthy too is just icing on the cake. So this week, I decided to test out the caffeine effects of matcha on myself, by drinking a bowl at lunch for two days, then skipping it the third day, and comparing the results in terms of my alertness and productivity for all three afternoons. As an addict, it generally takes a *lot* of caffeine for me to actually feel a difference…several Mountain Dews in succession would probably give me the shakes, but otherwise, I don’t notice it in my system, just the lack of it (which induces serious headaches and brain fog).

The results surprised even me, to be honest. Monday and Tuesday after my bowl of matcha, I came back to work alert and ready to be productive. It wasn’t a jittery sort of high, but rather just a steady “awake-ness”, and while it didn’t keep me from zoning out or anything, it did keep my brain ready to go whenever I had need of it. In other words, the effect wasn’t really noticeable, but rather it kept me in the same even state of alertness that I’d started with that morning.

Wednesday I skipped the matcha. Which in hindsight might have been good for the experiment, but not so much for my state of being. When I got back from lunch, I found myself rather sleepy and lethargic, and having trouble focusing on simple tasks (as is quite normal for me). The black tea in my cup wasn’t quite cutting it (though it did help, as usual), and I decided I needed a super-shot of something to get me moving again. So I bought myself a coke, and downed it.

And almost fell asleep at my desk trying to make it through the rest of the afternoon. This is partially why I didn’t get this post written and posted yesterday.

Needless to say, it was quite a harsh difference, and today I plan to have another bowl of matcha with my lunch, and see if that doesn’t keep me going through this afternoon (I was up pretty late last night, so we’ll see). But at this point, it seems as though that daily bowl of matcha might be a good idea to boost me through the later half of the day – and it certainly isn’t going to hurt.

I drink a lot of tea…two 12oz. cups in the morning (black), two 12oz cups in the afternoon (black and either green, white, or a rooibos tisane), and an 8oz cup of green, white or rooibos tisane after my workout most nights. Is there room for a daily bowl of matcha in my tea schedule?

That would be a resounding YES. Tea is my water. If you’re a caffeine addict, or just need some extra energy, I’d urge you to get your hands on some of this. As for myself, I’m going to slowly start trying matcha from several vendors, to see if there’s much difference in taste, texture, etc.

Tea Gifts, and a Christmas Tea Package Drawing

I always buy tea for my Grandmother and one of my aunts (the one who lives closest and who we see the most). I generally get my mom some tea as well, and she returns the favor. Last year I got Harney & Son’s Christmas blend in my stocking, and enjoyed it very much. Gifts last year from me were Adagio – Gingerbread and Chestnut flavored blacks.

This year, I’m giving Harney & Son’s “Tag-a-Long” tins. They contain 5 sachets each, and I’m giving Hot Cinnamon Sunset and Cranberry Autumn. I’m also giving out Comfort and Joy Traveler’s Tins from the Republic of Tea. I think they’ll be well liked and of course, easy, since they are bagged teas that require no special implements (like teapots, strainers, etc.). That’s important for people who aren’t daily tea drinkers, and I’m not snobbish enough to assume they’ll want to immediately jump into brewing loose leaf – they may be perfectly happy with bagged teas, and I figure I am very well qualified to pick out the very best bagged tea to give them, if that’s the case. I have been known to give my mom teapots and other brewing implements along with loose tea, but I know she will use them, so it’s a welcome gift.

I normally give flavored teas, because it’s a good way to get people to actually *drink* tea when they might not otherwise. And I try to pick teas that aren’t easy to find locally, as a special treat. No supermarket teas. I think I may crochet some tea towels to go along with the tea, and I’ll be making some goodies for the gift bags as well. Cranberry almond bark crunch, pretzel wreaths, and jars of apple butter that I made earlier this fall. And Christmas cookies, of course – spritz trees and candy canes, along with oh-so-delicate meringues.

In any case, to spread the joy of tea beyond the bounds of my own little world this year, I’ve decided to send one lucky Tea on Tap reader a Christmas Tea Package, to enjoy for yourself, share with others, or re-gift it elsewhere, as you choose. It will be a surprise package, made up largely of loose leaf samples from my own tea cupboard, and will include several different types of tea from different vendors plus some extra goodies for you and yours to enjoy.

The lucky recipient will be chosen by drawing. To enter, simply participate in the poll I have posted to the left, and leave me a comment about the teas you’re gifting this year (or why you’re not). The contest will close on Friday, December 7th at midnight, and a winner will be chosen by random drawing (my hubby will draw for the winner). The winner will be announced on Monday, December 10th, 2007 and the Christmas Tea Package will be sent out that week.

Unfortunately, if the winner happens to live in another country, the prize may not reach him/her by Christmas, but I’ll do my best to get it wherever it’s going as quickly as possible. Anyone in the U.S. should recieve thier tea package the week before Christmas.

So cast your vote, write me a comment, and we’ll start the holidays off right - with the sharing of Tea.

Silver Needles from Dragonwater

Scent in package: Not really fragrant – the slightest hint of alfalfa
Brewed in: Glass teapot/infuser
Steeped: 2 min. @ 180 degrees
Cup: Porcelain teacup

I don’t drink white tea often, because sometimes they make my gums sore. I’m not sure if it’s just the occasional over brewed cup with more astringency, or what, but I can only drink one to two cups before I have to just stop, to save my mouth from unnecessary pain. So I only drank one infusion of this last night, though I have the leaves and may brew another cup this evening.

This tea really isn’t all that fragrant. Even when brewed, it only gives up the slightest hint of a field-like scent…of grasses and alfalfa when it’s breezy out. It’s light in color, as a white tea should be, and the taste is exceedingly subtle.

The dry leaves are truely beautiful - long needles covered with a very light fuzz in that gray-green color that is so relaxing to look at.

The best part of this tea for me was the sweetness. It’s very sweet naturally – almost fruity, but with a honeyed undertone. The texture is a bit thicker too, which I find very soothing. I felt like I was coming down with a cold last night, and the texture and sweetness of this tea seemed to really sooth my almost-achy throat along with my mind.

It’s very subtle, but the flavor of alfalfa is there, if you allow yourself to close your eyes and just focus on the tea. When you are engaged in some other activity while sipping (as I was reading), the sweetness is it’s most prominent aspect.

It’s a very clear tea, and taking all aspects into account – the texture, taste, super-light scent, and clarity - I enjoyed it very much. I had two cups (of the first infusion) and had it not been time for bed, I may well have indulged in another infusion, just because it was doing what tea should do – making me happy and mellow.

Dragonwater’s site seems to be down today – perhaps a victim of the Black Friday cult shoppers or something. But they are normally very reasonably priced, so I’d encourage checking out the cost of this tea, if only for a sample size. I really think anyone who can appreciate the subtleties of white brews will certainly enjoy this particular cuppa.

Jasmine Pearls from Dragonwater

Scent in package: sweetly floral…as expected.
Brewed in: Glass teapot/infuser
Steeped: 3 min.@ 180 degrees
Cup: Porcelain teacup

I have a special “relationship” with jasmine scented tea. Mainly because it was the first loose tea I ever tried – it’s what started my fascination with the world of tea outside of grocery store teabags. The jasmine tea I started with was simply loose leaves, not these lovely little pearls, but the basic tenant is the same – green tea leaves scented over and over with jasmine flowers. This isn’t flavored tea…it’s tea that has absorbed the scent from actual flowers that are then removed. And it’s in a class all its own.

All that being said, I was a little disappointed with this particular tea. And I don’t say that often or lightly about scented teas in general, and jasmine pearls in particular. It smelled phenomenal out of the package, as one would expect. The fragrance of jasmine was very strong, and the pearls were small and neatly rolled. I used about three-quarters of a teaspoon, since I was only making one cup, and the recommendation was for half a teaspoon (I like stronger scented brews).
The leaves unfurled very nicely, as you can see, and there was plenty of leaf for the brew. The scent of the tea itself was lovely, as expected – rich and fragrant, with a few bubbles presumably from the flower oils. Once it got to a golden yellow, I poured it, waiting an extra minute from the instructions for it to reach that optimal color I prefer.

Everything about it was perfect – until I tasted it. And the taste of the jasmine was incredibly light, almost non-existent, but so was the taste of the tea! I’ve never encountered Jasmine pearls that were so subtle in taste after all the buildup of that glorious fragrance wafting around. They are quite expensive, normally, and for that, one expects to at least taste the Jasmine, if not the underlying tea.

In any case, I’ve had better. And with a tea that is going to be expensive no matter where you buy it, I’d suggest you pass on this one from Dragonwater. There are plenty of other vendors selling more strongly flavored pearls, and unless you really like water that just smells like jasmine, I’d go with one of those alternates. I think I’ll probably brew the rest of this sample at double or triple strength (way more pearls) just to see if any flavor will come out, but I’ll stick to Adagio’s version for “on hand” company stock.

Kukicha from Rishi

Scent in package: fresh, fragrant, like wet grass after a spring rain.
Brewed in: unbleached filter bag
Steeped: 4 min. @ around 185 or so.
Cup: Café mug

I found this unopened package in my cupboard as I was going through tea this weekend, and decided that it would fit nicely into both my menu and my reviews this week. For me, this week is all about two things: words, and staying relaxed, and Kukicha both invigorates and relaxes me, becoming indispensable in reaching those two goals.

I liked Adagio’s Kukicha enough to buy a larger tin of it just to keep it on hand. I’ll often have a cup in the late afternoon or evening, because it’s not only relaxing, but for some reason, it gives me a little “push” to keep going when I’m running out of steam. Naturally, I had to try another company’s blend to see if it was all Kukicha or just that one.

So today, I find myself incredibly behind on my word count for NaNoWriMo. After my obligatorily caffeinated first cup, I decided to open up this tea and see if it would propel me on to write fast and vigorously while helping me to maintain a state of calm determination (rather than panicked frustration, which is my inclination at the moment).

The scent of the dry leaf/twig combo is clean, and very, very fresh, like wet grass, as mentioned above. I love that smell, and couldn’t wait to brew a cup. Brewed up, it was lighter than an Adagio brew, but the scent was just intoxicating, like brewed artichokes in butter (yum!).

The taste is phenomenal…rich and buttery with clear vegetal tones. I must admit, I was expecting the two vendors to have similar tasting teas, but Rishi’s is richer, with a very clear, thick texture and more clarity to the light yellow-green color of the brew itself. Asparagus is the underlying vegetal note, and for lack of a better word, it tastes almost “creamy”.

It’s wonderful, and even now, after only half a cup, I feel life returning to my fingers and clarity moving across my brain. This tea is inspirational, and while Adagio’s is much more affordable at $7 for 4oz. vs. Rishi’s $7 for 1oz. – it’s easy to justify the expense for a superior taste profile *for occasional sipping*.

I’ll probably stick to the Adagio for everyday drinking, simply because it is *so* much less expensive, and still a very good tea. But I’ll keep a small amount of this Rishi blend on hand for luxury…it’s worth every penny for an occasional treat.

Chocolate Mint from Harney & Son’s

Scent in package: like an Andes mint, from the minute I tore off the top. Heavenly.
Brewed in: Unbleached filter bag
Steeped: 5 min. @ 212 degrees
Cup: Café mug

I could live on the scent of this tea alone. Seriously. Who doesn’t like chocolate and mint together (don’t answer that, I’m sure there’s someone, but not many, I bet)? The dried mix (which is quite lovely with the black leaves and green mint mixed together with little chocolate pieces) smells like an after dinner mint, while the brewed liquor smells mainly of mint and tea, with chocolate being more of an “after-scent”. Very appealing, on the whole.

The first sip was wonderful, and since I was focusing a lot on trying to find the flavors, it amused me that I really couldn’t. The sensation of mint is strong, the taste of the actual tea is right there, and the chocolate is more of a background flavor rather than a main attraction on the tongue. This tea interests me because normally, I can make a guess as to what the base tea is for most flavored teas. This one I can’t though – it’s blended so spectacularly that everything melds together and the individual flavors give way to the whole.

This might irritate some tea drinkers, but I consider cooking, and thus blending of anything (including drinks) an art form. Once again this company has shown it’s prowess in melding tea and flavors to make something completely different, but completely enjoyable. This tea would be an excellent dessert tea along with those after dinner mints, a raspberry torte, or plain vanilla ice cream. I actually find myself wondering what would happen if I reduced it down and used it as a sauce…because unlike a normal chocolate and mint pairing, it has that lovely and unique tea element in the flavor profile that adds another dimension.

This was another $2 sample, and I have to say, I really am enjoying my cup (even more so when I get done analyzing it, and just sip it while I’m typing). Another great tea from Harney & Sons…when my tea budget is replenished next month, I look forward to adding this tea to my “dessert and company” stock. If you like chocolate and mint, along with just good black tea, this one’s for you.

Cranberry Autumn Blend from Harney & Sons

Scent in package: Fruit-ily tart, not overwhelming, but very “fall” like
Brewed in: unbleached filter bag
Steeped: 5 min.@ 212 degrees
Cup: Café mug here at work

It’s been a long drought for new teas around here, so I was pretty starved for something different when my order from Harney & Sons got here yesterday. I could only order two samples this time (yes, they have sample sizes now!! Glory be!), because I had to replenish my tin of Florence, so I got this one and a Chocolate Mint (which makes my mouth water every time I think about it). This morning though, it’s cool and very fall-ish, so I decided to start with the Cranberry Autumn Blend.

The first thing I noticed as I leaned over the package to take an obligatory first whiff was dried cranberries and citrus peel, right in the mix. Always good to see real fruit in a fruit blend, but no less than I expected. I’ve yet to try a H&S tea blend that I haven’t liked. It brews up a very dark brown with a red tint, not unlike a good puerh tea, and the scent of the liquor is light, but reminiscent of a hot apple cider, but with cranberries.

The flavor is very light as well. It’s almost more of a sensation of citrus and tartness than an actual “taste”, if that makes any sense. If you can imagine the way an orange slice feels on your tongue after it’s been swallowed…when most of the taste is gone, but that tangy sensation remains, that’s a more apt way to imagine the taste of this tea. The aftertaste is the cranberry flavor, which is the last thing to slide down the throat. Tart with a hint of sweetness, it’s a fabulous finish to each sip.

Of course this means you can still taste the tea itself, which seems to be of very high quality. Those who would argue that flavored teas always use low quality tea as the base have obviously not tried this companies’ teas. According to their web site, it’s a blend of black tea from China and India – whatever blend they used is a winner in my book. It’s very smooth, with very little astringency and it carries just a hint of flavor a long ways. The dry leaves range from medium to small size, and unfurl fully when steeped as with any loose leaf tea. This blend is also available in their signature sachets, which while somewhat small for a mug, have always worked well for me when loose tea just isn’t convenient.

If you like flavored tea with a lighter flavoring that brews in perfect harmony with the base teas, don’t miss this one. Like I said, they have samples now at $2.00 each, so go to their web site and order up some samples. This company hasn’t failed to impress me yet, and while they are more expensive, it seems as though the teas are worth every extra penny.

This particular tea is autumn in a cup, and I wish I had more to brew up with Thanksgiving leftovers. I may hoard the rest of my sample until then…

Tea-Poor

Yes, though my cabinets are stocked with tea, I find myself somewhat "tea poor" today, which is why no review. However, I have some blooming teas that haven't been reviewed yet, and tea on order, so Monday I'll regain my momentum.

Until then, I just have to say - it's a sad thing when I wandered about the Las Vegas casinos for two days earlier this week, and did not come across even one shop selling tea (bagged or loose) to buy. Sure, there were a few coffee places that sold tea by the cup, but no where to purchase tea to brew elsewhere.

I honestly thought that surely, in a larger city, it would be fairly easy to find tea along the strip. I can't be the only tea-lover to visit Vegas! But no, and unfortunately, we didn't have the time or navigational knowledge to go hunting places off the well-beaten paths.

Not that I think anyone in Vegas probably reads this blog, but if you are from Las Vegas, and stumble across this somehow, please consider opening a tea shop somewhere along or close to the strip...somewhere easy for tourists, like myself, to not only get a much-needed dose of teafreshment, but also some good quality "souvenier" tea to bring back home. If there is a tea shop I missed, well...I wish it had been better advertised. It was one of many things that disappointed me about Vegas - the unavailability of good tea. I did use the in-room coffee pot and some Indian Nimbu bags I had brought, but as we all know, coffee pots do not make good tea, and I gave up quickly. I really will buy an electric kettle just for traveling before I go anywhere again.

More on Monday...

Desert Sunrise from World Market

Scent in tin: lightly fruity, with a slight alfalfa smell
Brewed in: stoneware teapot, unbleached filter bag
Steeped: 4 min.@ just under boiling (less the second time)
Cup(s): Porcelain teacup, café mug

I was shopping at World Market last weekend, trying to decide what tea to try since I haven’t been able to order any recently. I needed something inexpensive (since I was strapped for cash), yet preferably loose leaf and…well…*good*. I saw these tins of tea branded with the World Market name, and decided to try one, since it’s been awhile since I’ve tried a store-brand anything. I was mostly just impressed that they had loose tea.

So after reading a few descriptions, I settled on this one. The tin says that it is a blend of California sunflowers (are those different than the Montana sunflowers we grow here?), cactus blossoms and rhubarb flavors mixed with China black and green teas. Unfortunately, no mention is made of which black/green teas are used, but one must assume they are probably not “top of the line” leaves for a blend like this. It is quite pleasing to look at though, and the leaves are decent sized, some of them very long and twisted.

I realize that I’m a glutton for punishment. The last time I tried two different “colors” of tea blended together it was not pretty at all (Tsar’s Blend from Dragonwater). But I’m also ever the optimist, so I thought I’d give this blend a try, at least. It was also one of only two teas there with a “high caffeine rating” on it, the other being Earl Grey (which I have too many varieties of anyways).

All that being said, this surprised me as being a fairly good tea. The scent is very nice, fruity like very sweet grapes married to an alfalfa note (which doesn’t really *sound* all that great, but it really is a nice combination when you sniff it). If that doesn’t work for you, imagine warm strawberry jello, right when you pour the hot water in and mix everything together. It’s really quite enticing to the nose.

The flavor is quite good when it’s very warm – the fruity rhubarb and sunflower tastes are at the forefront and the two teas complement each other very well (though it’s hard to distinguish one from the other. The flavoring tastes quite natural – the first cup “bubbled” a little, but the second looked just like a reddish brown soup. The texture is quite nice as well, it’s thick and smooth on the tongue, with only the slightest hint of astringency (probably from brewing the green tea a bit hotter than one normally would).

Obviously, it’s not a premium tea (despite what the well-designed tin would have you believe). As it cools, the taste and texture both seem to go flat, and the astringency increases. Ironic, since the tin claims that this tea is “excellent iced”. It’s too cold here now to be drinking iced tea, but should I still have some of this left next spring, I’ll be certain to test that claim. But all in all, it’s a good, solid tea for those who like flavored teas, and it does have better flavoring in it than many I’ve tried, which is a bonus. I do think it’s overpriced for what it is…$6.99 for a 4oz tin isn’t a premium price, but I think it’s a bit over-enthusiastic for this particular tea.

Not bad though – don’t be afraid to try it for yourself, if you’re so inclined.