"a crisp black tea with prominent cocoa notes " Vanessa’s Teaview: 7.5/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

One of the many perks of working on the Teaviews staff is that I get to be exposed to teas of many different origins. Whereas the large majority of teas are of Chinese, Indian, Sri Lankan, or Japanase origin, every now and then we get to sample teas of a less common origin. Today’s tea is a black tea from Indonesia’s Kertasarie Estate. The dry leaves are very small, consisting of chopped leaves. The leaves have a very prominent cocoal aroma. I prepared my first cup using boiling water and a three-minute infusion. The flavor of the bright reddish-brown liquid was crisp and clean. The flavor was similar to that of a higher quality bagged black tea, and while not very complex in its flavor profile, it did deliver a nice clean black tea flavor. I prepared a second cup with new leaves, this time using a four minute steep time. I was happy to see that the extra minute did not make for a bitter tea, as I was concerned that the broken leaf sizes would result in a tea that goes bitter too quickly. The flavor was perhaps a bit stronger in the second cup, but the same crisp flavor ultimately came through. Both the first and second cups were completely enjoyable without adding any milk or sugar. The cocoa notes of the tea provided enough sweetness to forego adding any sugar. However because this tea is fairly robust in body, I imagine it would take milk and or sugar well for those that prefer to take their tea in this manner. This is an ideal breakfast tea, because it is definitely hearty and sturdy enough to serve as a decent morning brew. I later sampled this tea as an iced tea and found that for me it was perhaps just a little too heavy as an iced tea and was much more enjoyable as a hot breakfast tea. Overall, despite my initial concerns based on the appearance of the dry leaves, I was impressed with this tea. This crisp black tea with prominent cocoa notes is recommended for anyone looking for a strong morning tea.

Visit Mark T. Wendell Teas for more information on this tea and many more from their extensive product catalogue.

Vanessa Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Vanessa's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Vanessa.

"its more rewarding and less abrasive as the products of good smoking should be. But if your expecting an over-the-top souchong to shine through milk or lemon your barking up the wrong tree." Troy’s Teaview: 7/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

First and foremost a small cheer for actually telling us some specifics about the tea instead of just a generic story as to its origins. While I wouldn’t say it was rampant or even the norm to eschew specifics about your product, but I do see it quite often and I’m glad this isn’t, here, the case. I’d love to see more information like this circulating in the industry as its a shame that we rarely know the proper names of the varietals we drink, or much beyond certain details of their region. Imagine if French Viticultural regionalism denied you even a general knowledge of the varietals used in your favorite wine.

Aside from telling us the Varietal, and the region of origin a small note towards the bottom of their websites listing specifies that this is in fact last years product, aged to lessen the Smoky flavor just a bit. I actually think this was a very good decision, many Lapsang Souchongs come off as little more than liquid smoke, you can’t smell the forest fire for the trees so to speak, or rather you can smell the wrong trees in far greater numbers. I liked this, the smell didn’t knock me over, and the flavor was smooth and a bit more Tea and Mesquite than Colgin’s. The leaves brewed up nice and rich twice, with a strong but balance flavor both times, Its only flaw is that, having tried to balance the smoke on my own with Milk and Maple syrup these leaves are wholly unsuitable for my signature Lumberjack Chai.

Its one of the few Lapsang Souchongs that really shines without additions, its mellow and smooth enough to be drunk as is, its more rewarding and less abrasive as the products of good smoking should be. But if your expecting an over-the-top souchong to shine through milk or lemon your barking up the wrong tree.

— To purchase Canton Tea Co. Lapsang Souchong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Troy Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Troy's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Troy.

"It is pretty much free of any bitterness, but the matcha did deliver a touch of creaminess (and caffeine) to the cup that I appreciated. " Laura’s Teaview: 7.5/10 Other Teaviews: Katie gave it 6.1/10, Troy gave it 6/10, Lynn gave it 6.5/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

“Organic genmaicha matcha-iri is perfect combination of medium roasted brown rice, matcha (green tea powder) and high-grade green tea leaf. It has a toasty flavor and inviting aroma from the roasted rice. The matcha mixed in with the tea gives it a very distinct and smooth flavour.” —Grand Tea website.

Today I am dragging a little bit due to the fact that I stayed up much too late watching New Moon from the Twilight Saga last night. Since it is a weekend and I don’t have to get up early tomorrow, it is also the perfect time to sample this blend featuring matcha, which is widely known to be fairly caffeinated. In recent months, I have found myself to be fairly obsessed with finding the perfect genmaicha blend—with or without the matcha. Since I love genmaicha so much, it only makes sense to acquaint myself with Grand Tea’s offerings with this sample. Grand Tea carries more serious tea blends and doesn’t offer much in terms of flavored tea blends. Further, at the time of finalizing this review, they have a number of tasty looking oolongs on clearance!

One thing that I noted about my dry sample right off the bat is that while the leaves and little pieces of toasted rice are coated with the matcha, they are not as covered in matcha as what I have seen most genmaicha + matcha blends are. This is not necessarily a bad thing because too much matcha creates bitterness. Also the green tea used in this is in rather small pieces. I am not sure if this is due to my sample coming from the bottom of the barrel (or more likely tin) or if the green tea might not be of the highest quality. I prepared my cup using water brought to just 175 degrees and a 2 minute infusion. The cup brewed up to a rather bright yet murky green color. The prepared cup is actually pretty good. It is pretty much free of any bitterness, but the matcha did deliver a touch of creaminess (and caffeine) to the cup that I appreciated. The genmaicha itself is toasty though not too much so and has a fairly strong rice presence. The biggest possible downfall to this blend is that the green tea is a bit on the mild side and is pretty dominated by the toasted rice and matcha.

Overall, I liked this offering. I liked that too much matcha wasn’t used so the cup was a bit creamy, but not bitter. I liked the amount of toastiness that the cup offered in that it didn’t cross the line into too toasty, which sometimes gives me a tummy ache. If I were to tweak this cup, then I would probably use a less mild green tea and maybe a smidgen more matcha. I say maybe because a bit more might bring bitterness and I don’t want that. However, at just $5.00 for a 50 gram bag, this is a tasty cup at a reasonable price. Thumbs up!

— To purchase Grand Tea Organic Genmaicha Matcha-iri, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Laura Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Laura's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Laura.

"I expected to love it but ended up liking it. A lot. Green honeybush and I agreed to just be friends. Good friends, though, with occasional conjugal visits by way of cup." Geoff’s Teaview: 7.9/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

The existence of this particular type of honeybush came to my attention – and inevitable fancy – as part of a discussion via the Teaviews forum. Originally, the conversation was about green or red rooibos. My contributions to the thread were like the ravings of a village idiot in a state of manic euphoria; expounding upon the wonders of green rooibos. Somehow, someway, the talk segued to mentions of an unfermented version of honeybush. I had tried – and loved – normal red honeybush, but not as much as green rooibos. The possibility of a green honeybush sent my geeky Obsesso-Meter through the roof.

Unfortunately, it was an extremely difficult product to find. Only three or four companies distributed the stuff in the U.S. Of those, only one specialized in selling an organic variety; LeafSpa Organic Tea. The choice was clear. I got a batch a week later.

Comparing green honeybush to its redder kin – by scent alone – was difficult. Their aromas were remarkably similar; a strong honey tone with a leafy after-kick. The big difference was the type of leafy after-kick. Red had a woodier follow-up smell, while green had a somewhat nuttier one. That said, the unfermented honeybush was just a shy sweeter than its darker sister. I was psyched.

Brewing instructions on the LeafSpa site recommended using 205F water and steeping for five minutes. I’d say one could go as high as six, but I wasn’t about to question the suggestion. I went with 2 tsp in 16oz of water at the allotted temp and time.

The liquor infused to an incredibly deep gold; deeper than most green teas, and even green rooibos. The mouthpiece fragrance was herbaceous, not much of a honey character to it. This carried over to the taste as well. It lacked what I had hoped it would retain, that strong honey-nut aspect. Even adding a dab of honey didn’t bring it out. Not that it wasn’t good, mind you. It was a smooth, refreshing herbal with a pleasant enough taste without a “medicinal” quality. The natural sweetness was there as well, if subtle. I would even say it had a mild citrus note to it. I think it would blend well with verbena.

A second infusion at roughly eight minutes yielded a paler liquor, but a deeper taste more in line with the “honeybush” name. The color was a little more muted but not by much, more in line with a deeper white tea. Flavor-wise, it had more of a honey-like punch and crisper feel on the tongue. Given an actual powdered sweetener – like stevia or sugar – it retained it’s wonderful taste. I also bet it would ice well.

In summary, I expected to love it but ended up liking it. A lot. Green honeybush and I agreed to just be friends. Good friends, though, with occasional conjugal visits by way of cup. For a deeper honey flavor, go with the red version. For maximum benefits, this still tastes good without tasting good for you. My recommendation upon purchasing would be to ignore the five-minute steep time suggestion and go for a full six. Eight-to-ten for a second steep. More flavor is extracted that way from this otherwise gentle and excellent herb.

— To purchase LeafSpa Organic Honeybush Green Tea, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Geoff Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Geoff's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Geoff.

"The taste is crisp and clear with some astringency that seems to hit the sides of the tongue. The floral aroma has translated itself into a lingering sweetness that hangs about for quite a long time." Shaiha’s Teaview: 7.5/10 Other Teaviews: Geoff gave it 9.3/10, Vanessa gave it 7.5/10, Jamie gave it 8/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

Aw, the first day of vacation. Could anything possible be sweeter? Well perhaps an excellent Darjeeling to add to the day. My sample today is a Darjeeling from Selimbong Estate. This tea was awarded ‘Super Star’ status from the prestigious Tea Board of India. I have to admit that I am really looking forward to tasting it.

My sample consists of little twists of tea leaves that are a dark espresso in coloring. Rather darker then what I would expect from a Darjeeling though I would be the first to admit that I am a newcomer to this variety of black teas. The aroma is surprising light and sweet with wisps of a floral aroma. I really wish I could pinpoint the flowers but all I can say it that it smells yummy.

I set up my TriniTea tea maker using a heaping tablespoon of leaves to 32 ounces of water. I set the water temp to just below boiling and a steep time of 3 minutes. At this point, I wanted to give SerendipiTea’s website kudos. They make a point of giving explicit brewing instructions for all of their teas. I really wish more sites would as I feel it really enhances the tea experience if one isn’t forced to guess the brewing parameters.

Once brewed, the floral aroma has faded away and the predominant aroma is now that ‘tea’ aroma that we are all familiar with along with a bit of malt. The taste is crisp and clear with some astringency that seems to hit the sides of the tongue. The floral aroma has translated itself into a lingering sweetness that hangs about for quite a long time.

This tea has a bit more of a bite then I like however the flavor itself almost makes it worth overlooking. I don’t think that I would stock in my personal collection however I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I just tend to be a wimp when it comes to a dry tea or wine for that matter.

— To purchase SerendipiTea Darjeeling Selimbong Estate 2nd Flush, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Shaiha Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Shaiha's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Shaiha.

"When properly steeped, the TeaGschwendner Lung Ching (Long Jing) is predictably lovely: a tawny-gold color with a lot of fragrance. " Steven’s Teaview: 8/10 Other Teaviews: Troy gave it 9/10, Babette gave it 9.5/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

TeaGschwendner is one of my favorite sources for Indian teas, particularly first- and second-flush Darjeelings. They have a large variety of flavored teas (which I shall not be reviewing on this site), as well as a number of unflavored greens and oolongs, though these are less likely to be found in local TeaGschwendner shops.

Though I bought the tea not too long ago, it was still the 2009 vintage, and so it’s not at its very best (typically, one would want to buy a green tea as close to its picking as possible, which would mean anywhere between April and June; drinking a green a year after its picking is obviously going to dull the taste a bit and make it sparkle less).

The TeaGschwendner China Long Jing can be translated as “Dragon Well.” I originally bought it for my lovely sister-in-law as a gift, along with several other teas, but she returned the Long Jing to me because she disliked it. Puzzlement! I had made Laura some Long Jing teas, and I knew she liked it. So what was the problem?

I asked Sister-in-Law Number One what she was doing wrong. She was ignoring the directions on the packaging, and steeping at too high a temperature, and probably for too long. I write this as a teachable moment for all my readers: DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT STEEP CHINESE GREEN TEAS AT BOILING, unless you steep for only a matter of seconds (in the range of 5 to 10 seconds per steep). This results in a harsh, ugly concoction that will make you return someone’s very thoughtful gift to them, which they will then enjoy immensely without you.

When properly steeped, the TeaGschwendner Long Jing is predictably lovely: a tawny-gold color with a lot of fragrance. There is a slight bitter tang to the flavor, but the bright, high notes and long finish are quite pleasant. This tea survived two steepings nicely, and perhaps more that I’ll savor later.

How to describe? There are elusive berry notes in the center of my palate, but the high is a bright, acerbic cheerfulness that I enjoy immensely. There is a hint of something dark in the low palate that offsets the high notes, to give a beautifully balanced cup.

I wish I had been able to get this tea when it was freshly picked, because I’m certain it would have been quite extraordinary. Unfortunately, the TeaGschwendner people have their tea shipped from China to Germany, and from there to the U.S., where it’s shelved until it’s sold, which means it was a bit beyond its prime by the time I got to drink it. I look forward to tasting the 2010 variety, which I hope will live up to my expectations.

Thank you, TeaGschwendner, for being so consistent and careful with your tea offerings. I’ve learned so much from living near one of your very few shops, and I am grateful for your considerable addition to the U.S. tea culture.

— To purchase TeaGschwendner China Lung Ching, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Steven Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Steven's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Steven.

"The cup was plenty strong and still held the malty notes. " Erika’s Teaview: 6/10 Other Teaviews: Jamie gave it 7.5/10, Vanessa gave it 6/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

English Breakfast is the second breakfast tea I’ve tried from KTeas.  I find that these blends are nice “go-to” teas and I tend to have many varieties stashed away in the cupboard.  This particular blend includes tea from Ceylon, Assam, Java, and Darjeeling, which makes it sound like an all-star cast for breakfast tea.

To prepare the first cup, I followed the brewing recommendations by using one heaping teaspoon in boiling water with a four-minute steep.  This resulted in a cup that, for me, wasn’t all that pleasant.  The flavors seemed to consist mostly of Assam, as the cup had a strong bite and malty presence.  Also, with the longer steep-time and with the heaping teaspoon, the brew was very astringent.

For my second cup I used a little less than one teaspoon of leaf with a three-minute steep.  I have found that for my particular tastes a three-minute steep is the way to go for black tea, and the second steep was much tastier than the first.  The cup was plenty strong and still held the malty notes. The flavors blended much better in this cup and the astringency was much lighter.  Although I usually don’t add cream or sweetener to tea, this one would hold both very well.  This tea works well for a morning pick-me-up, and for fans of breakfast tea, I would recommend giving this one a try.

— To purchase KTeas English Breakfast, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Erika Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Erika's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Erika.

"Sweet with a soft jasmine flavor; a refined cup of tea with a remarkable smoothness" Vanessa’s Teaview: 8.5/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

At some point I should just get over the seemingly countless tea merchants in existence today, but today as I sampled Chah’s Dragon Phoenix Pearls, I marveled at the fact that there was (yet another) new-to-me tea vendor. Chah is a UK-based tea company whose website seems very user-friendly and offers a nice variety of tea and teaware, although perhaps not as large of a variety as many other online tea shops. The dragon phoenix pearls present themselves as smallish, tightly rolled spheres with a pleasing jasmine aroma that I, as if I was Goldilocks, found to be “just right”. The brewed tea, which was prepared by infusing about 10 pearls in 10 ounces of sub-boiling water for two minutes, was sweet with a soft jasmine flavor. This tea was very easy on the tongue. An ideal one-word description for this tea, whether with respect to the jasmine flavor or the green tea base, would be “delicate”. By this, I do not mean that the tea was weak, but rather that neither the floral nor the green tea component was too pungent or overpowering. The overall effect was a refined cup of tea with a remarkable smoothness. The Chah website mentions that the tea leaves are scented with jasmine petals six times before being rolled into the pearl shapes. After reading that, I would have expected a much more potent flower flavor, but I also must say that I was personally pleased that the jasmine contribution did not become too excessive. I don’t drink jasmine teas all that often, but I would have to rank these pearls among the best of all of the jasmine-infused teas that I have had. I think this is a good option for those that are just venturing into jasmine teas, and I also see this as being an ideal selection for those who, like me, enjoy floral teas that do not reach “maximum strength” floweriness.

— To purchase Chah Dragon Phoenix Pearls, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Vanessa Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Vanessa's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Vanessa.

"Coupled with a good sweetener - like stevia, which I used - it encroached (successfully) on hot cocoa territory." Geoff’s Teaview: 9.5/10 Other Teaviews: Sophie gave it 8.1/10, Laura gave it 10/10, Vanessa gave it 9.0/10, Lynn gave it 10/10, Katie gave it 8.5/10, Jamie gave it 9/10, Shaiha gave it 9.3/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

American Tea Room refers to this as a “premium botanical infusion”, and they weren’t kidding. With no flavoring agents to speak of for the blend, it packs a wallop of a whiff with the ingredients alone; organic cacao husks, organic vanilla beans, and organic rooibos. One would think some sort of flavor extra was included, but given the pungency of their like-minded Brioche blend, I can believe that the fusion is natural.

Brewing instructions stated to steep this in 200F water for five minutes. I did so with 1 heaping teaspoon in 8oz of water. Usually botanical blends with a rooibos base require a six-minute steep, but I wasn’t about to rock the boat.

The liquor brewed to the reddish brown that rooibos’ usually do. The smell was that of unrefined chocolate, similar to German dark chocolate but without the sweetness. It was divine. No other word matched it – delicious and decadent. This is something you break out when you have a daughter you want to spoil, while at the same time gateway-ing her into tea appreciation. All evil genius-like. It almost reaches the awe-inspiring choco-excellence of Numi’s Chocolate Pu-erh, but misses it due to the lighter base. Coupled with a good sweetener – like stevia, which I used – it encroached (successfully) on hot cocoa territory.

My brother/roommate even remarked that it “tasted like Cocoa Puffs”.

All that was well in good, but how did this “late” handle as an actual latte?

I broke out the lowfat organic milk, a frother, vanilla extract, vanilla syrup, more stevia, the Emerald Tablet of Alchemy, and went to work. The added vanilla-ness was because – well – I love vanilla. I wish I had a more plain and logical reason, but I don’t. In latte form, this turned out balls-out perfect. Like, I seriously wanted to run around the house, naked, screaming…and probably get arrested. It was that good. I really don’t know what else there is to say. Lure your unsuspecting tea novices in with this one.

Special Offer! Free shipping on all purchases over $60 from AmericanTeaRoom.com.

Geoff Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Geoff's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Geoff.

"Some bagged teas have this gritty texture to them and this one does not seem to have that heavy, gritty texture that turns me off." Laura’s Teaview: 6/10 Other Teaviews: Vanessa gave it 6/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

“Your senses will pop with this perfect berry-blended brew! Dark red cranberries and bright beautiful blueberries produce powerfully sweet, tart flavors that add a savory essence to our premium high-grown Indian and Chinese black tea.” —Boston Tea Company website.

I found myself in the mood for something fruity tonight and when I went pilfering through my samples, this one seemed to fit the bill the best. While I have had the opportunity to try a number of offerings from Boston Tea Company, this is the first one that I have tried from the Bentley’s line that they carry, which consists of tins of bagged tea offerings. The ingredients in this are listed as a Premium Blend of Chinese & Indian Black Tea, Wild Blueberry & Cranberry Flavors. When I cut open one of the bags to see what the tea looked like and to check to see if there were any dried fruit pieces, I found only little, tiny tea particles. They were more like coffee grounds or tea dust in size. This is typical of bagged teas.

I brought my water to a boil and infused my tea bag in it in my cup for about 2.5 minutes. There is a mild berry scent in the aroma coming from the prepared cup. I have actually had far worse bagged black teas that is for certain. I would call this one hearty but not heavy overall. Some bagged teas have this gritty texture to them and this one does not seem to have that heavy, gritty texture that turns me off. That said, this is bagged tea and nothing to get too excited about either. There is a decent berry flavor in this one that tasted more like cranberry to me when the cup was hot but seemed to become much more blueberry as the cup cooled. Despite my not seeing any hibiscus, rosehips, blueberry or cranberry pieces in the tea bag, there is a bit of tartness in the cup. However, it is not so tart that it must have sugar to be drinkable. The flavor profile is not what I would describe as full so I did not try this one with any dairy in it.

I really drink very little bagged tea with the exception of what I review through Teaviews. I do keep a little bit of sachet tea in my drawer in my office that is really more like loose tea in those silken infusers. Every now and then I will find a bagged tea offering to keep in there as well though that is rare. Therefore, I try to keep an open mind and think to myself would I buy this to keep in my drawer at work? Unfortunately, the answer on this one is no. While the black tea base isn’t terrible for a bagged tea, the overall cup was just a little lackluster for me. The flavor profile didn’t wow me and there was nothing about it that I would call special. I have had better berry profiles in bagged blends. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this awful and I would drink another cup of it if you set one in front of me, I wouldn’t seek it out for purchase.

Visit Boston Tea for more information on this tea and many more from their extensive product catalogue

Laura Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Laura's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Laura.