PersonaliTEA

Turkish Delight

2012-01-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

A new shipment of tea from Upton Tea arrived today. They are very quick to ship! And just in time, as I was perilously low on my black tea for my first morning cup. (Dave would look in the cupboard and say I'm crazy, but I'd just point out to him that he was grateful I had a tea obsession instead of shoes or expensive handbags...)

I'll admit I don't know anything about what makes a "Turkish" tea, but after this lovely tea from Upton Tea Imports, I'll do a little investigating. Based on their description, I went out on a limb and bought a 80 gram (2.8 oz) packet instead of just a sample packet. So glad I did!

Description: A proprietary blend of Ceylon teas created to mimic the style of tea produced in Turkey, which is rarely, if ever, exported. The bold leaves have the faint aroma of vanilla which is also present in the creamy-smooth cup. Infuse for 4-5 minutes to drink straight, or longer if the addition of milk is preferred.

Now I know to avoid the words "malty", "smokey", "brisk", "strong" in my teas, and go for smooth smooth smooth. I could smell the vanilla in its dry form, but I couldn't taste it in the tea. It must have rounded out the Ceylon flavor nicely. The cup was smooth from first sip to last drop and had a pleasing aftertaste. I would have this first thing in the morning, but it's so nice any time of day. Next time, I'll make sure to make a full pot!

Name: Turkish Style Blend Ceylon Tea
Source: Upton Tea
Price: $7.98 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 4.5 min.
Comments: Round, smooth flavor. New top choice along with Kenilworth.
Rating: 5 cups

Kenilworth Estate

2011-04-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

This may be my new favorite Ceylon tea! This comes in Upton Tea's Ceylon Sampler pack, which is a terrific value and a great way to try several teas. It's especially good for moms like me. Their smaller samples have about 3 cups worth of tea in them, but these tins (approx. 35 grams or 1.2 oz) give you more tea to try. So when you brew a cup of tea expecting to enjoy it, and instead it sits growing cold while you tend to the baby that woke up early from his nap, and you have to reheat it in the microwave 10 times in the course of the next two hours, and you finally think, "is this really the quality of tea I would be tasting upon first brewing this cup?" and you answer "no, most definitely not...let's try again tomorrow," then you have more tea in your sample tin to try again. And you have a cute little tin to use for paperclips...or one of the dozens of sample tea envelopes that litter your cupboard.

Name: Kenilworth Estate OP
Source: Upton Tea
Price: $5.80 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5-6 minutes
Comments: Smooth flavor, no bitter aftertaste. I enjoy milk in my black tea, giving a creaminess and often cutting back any bitterness that may be present, but this tea tastes lovely without milk as well. Lovely Celylon flavor, any time of day. Because of the size of the leaf, 5 minutes worked well for a steep time. I'll definitely be re-ordering this tea! My new standard! (Where were you when I was on my Ceylon search last year?)
2nd Steep: ok...really a one-steep cup. Steeped for so long the first time, there's not much flavor left for a second cup.
Rating: 5 cups

The name's Bond

2011-03-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Name: Bond Street English Breakfast Blend
Source: Upton Tea
Price: $5.80 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 3 minutes
Comments: Good strong tea. Nice blend of broken-leaf Ceylon and Assam. Good flavor without the maltiness I normally associate with Assam. Stands up really well to a good amount of milk, and it could even use a bit of sugar. Slightly bitter aftertaste. Much preferred to the Ceylon English Breakfast, but still a little strong for my taste.
2nd Steep: (Will try)
Rating: 3 cups

New tea blog

2011-03-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

I started following Upton Tea Imports on Facebook and found a new blog that is a new must-read for me! I don't actually mention my tea blog to many people, as I'm new to tea "reviews", and my descriptions are not as detailed as they'd need to be for someone other than myself! I'm trying to refine my palette and explore the different subtleties of many kinds of teas, but I'm lacking in descriptive terms. Well, this new (to me) blog is fantastic. I think by reading it, it will really help me to look for similar characteristics in the teas I drink and review here. It's very well-written with gorgeous photos of the teas (leaves and cups) she's reviewing. Delightful, like a good cup of tea!

Art and Tea

Tea for bedtime

2011-02-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

I just brewed my last cup of this tea, and since I liked it, I want to write down my thoughts so I know to buy it again. I got this tea on the store's recommendation when I was pregnant with Baby #2 and had mega heartburn every day and all night. This was supposed to be good for digestion, and it did calm my heartburn a bit when I was up at 3am.

Name: Swiss Vervaine Melange
Source: Teavana
Price: $14 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5-6 minutes
Comments: Notes of ginger and peppermint, and although no chamomile is listed, I tasted that too. Very calming pre-bedtime tea. Definitely need to re-stock.
2nd Steep: Never tried.
Rating: 4 cups

Ceylon-errific

2011-02-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

I must admit, this is the third or fourth time I've had this tea, but something always thwarted my attempt to sit down and review it!! At least I know I like it, as I've given it a 3rd or 4th try!

Name: Ceylon Dimbula District BOP
Source: Upton Tea
Price: $4.60 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 3 minutes
Comments: From the catalog description: "For a smooth, mellow cup of tea. Classic Ceylon flavor." It's only smooth and mellow if you don't steep it for any more than 3 minutes. Also, this cup was the best yet, and I think it's because I had slightly less than a teaspoon! It was a little stronger than I generally like, which makes me think their descriptions of teas that are "smooth and mellow" are strong enough for me. I'd better look out for "strong" and "bold" descriptions. I'll need to order more of this one though, because it's really growing on me and I only have enough for one more cup!
2nd Steep: Much weaker. Not great. It's a one-steep cup.
Rating: 4 cups

Orange Spice

2011-02-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

I love flavoured black teas. Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, fruits: yum. Anything that has "Holiday" or "Christmas" in its name, and I'm bound to like it! I knew I'd like this tea...

Description:

Generously scented black tea, with cinnamon, orange peel, vanilla bean, and a bit of clove.

Name: Orange Spice Imperial
Source: Upton Tea
Price: $5.80 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 4 minutes
Comments: This is an absolutely delightful tea. Very heavy aroma of orange and clove in its dry form, but it's perfectly balanced once brewed. If you like spiced teas but think they're too sweet, this is for you. There's no sweetness, but no bitterness either. Not "spicy" at all, just that warmth of clove and spices that lingers after you've had the last sip. I'm so glad I bought the 125 gram packet instead of the sample size! I will definitely buy this again!
2nd Steep: Still great. Steeped for 8 minutes.
Rating: 5 cups

English Breakfast 1

2011-02-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

After my Ceylon search of a couple years ago, I settled on two "everyday" teas. Both were from Gong Fu Tea in the East Village in Des Moines--their Organic Ceylon Black Tips and their English Breakfast. Prior to this tea journey, when I thought of English Breakfast, I thought of the bland bags of black tea I grew up with...no offense to my parents--I'm not trying to criticize your tea selection. Some will do in a pinch (although I never drink tea on airplanes anymore, ugh), but since I've started brewing my own loose tea, the only bagged tea I really use is the occasional herbal tea. It can over-steep for an hour and still be drinkable--not a bad thing! (Especially when you have two small children who, um, distract you from your tea drinking!) Anyway, I've stayed away from "English Breakfast" loose tea, in an inexplicably snobby way. Well, on my search for a good Ceylon, I came to really enjoy English breakfast, and not just at breakfast. For those of you who don't know, English and Irish, or any "breakfast" teas are blends of some sort, usually Ceylon or Assam mixed together or with something else. This first is a Ceylon blend. Here is their description:

A full-bodied and flavorful Ceylon blend of select Ceylon BOP. An excellent morning tea, especially suited for the addition of milk and sugar.

(BOP=Broken Orange Pekoe)

Name: Ceylon English Breakfast
Source: Upton Tea
Price: $5.20 for 4 oz. (Actually, it's per 125 g, which is more like 4.4 oz) (Good value!)
Recommended steep time: 3 minutes
Comments: Very fine (crushed) leaves is a pretty good indication that this will be a strong tea! (It's also heavier than the big flakes or curly pieces that take up more volume in a tin--just f.y.i.) Oh boy, it was strong! Don't steep for more than 3 minutes! Without trying to sound too negative after my aforementioned disinclination towards English Breakfast, this is the closest thing to what I used to think of as "English breakfast", in terms of flavor. I'm NOT saying it's bland or tastes like bagged tea. I guess it's a close match to my memory of Twinings English breakfast. I prefer just milk in my tea, but this could almost stand some sugar. It's just a bit on the bitter side for me.
2nd Steep: After 5 minutes of steeping, it tasted of a watered down version of the first steep. "Duh", you say? I was actually a little surprised. With second steepings, tea usually tastes more or less bitter, and most of the time weaker, but with the strength of this tea, I had high hopes for its flavor holding through, maybe with a bit of the edge taken off. It was more like dirty dish water. Disappointing.
Rating: 2 cups

I'm back!

2011-02-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Trying new teas is so exciting for me. I really have to hold myself back from ordering everything I see. When my former oboe teacher (and fellow tea enthusiast) sent me the link to Upton Tea Company, I knew I was in trouble. Luckily they have $1 sample sizes of most teas, so ordering 16 new teas didn't break the bank. :) I love reading the descriptions in their catalog. Having attempted to describe the different subtleties myself, it amazes me that someone can make 50 kinds of Ceylon teas each sound so completely different! The full catalog is available online, but I'm going to have fun with the physical catalog, keeping track of what I've ordered and tried. Their newsletter also contains facts about the history of tea, which I find fascinating. Their prices are very reasonable and the shipping is flat-rate, no matter how much you order (under $5)...which is just another justification for me to order lots!

Stay tuned for some new reviews! I'm going to need to keep track of everything I try! I've already tried two, but I need some "second steeps" before posting anything. Let me just say, I'm so happy to have found another gem of a tea supplier! This is going to be fun!

Tea News

2009-08-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

News you can use:

Teavana is coming out with 30 new teas next month! Stay tuned, but also check their website for discontinued (and possibly clearance prices?) teas.

Adagio Teas is having a sale between now and Labor Day:

"We are adding new teas and invite you to try them free of charge. Simply place a $19 order between now and Labor Day to receive four samples, regularly priced $12, absolutely free. Black Pearls is just one new tea. Please visit us soon to see others."

The new tea sampler includes 1 black and 3 green varieties:

black dragon pearls - subtle cocoa notes whisper gently as each pearl unfurls delivering a superior tea experience not to be missed.
kai hua crescendo - a crescendo is a musical peak not unlike each sip building toward its pinnacle with lovely orchid notes and a light bodied, semi-sweet character.
xue ya ballad - this tea features gentle chestnut notes and complex fruit-like, mellow sweetness with a delicate yellow cup color.
gunpowder - tea from the Guangdong province of China. Gunpowder tea, as the name implies, is made up of leaves hand-rolled into tiny pellets.

Irish Breakfast

2009-08-27T11:37:00.001-07:00

Reading the descriptions of some Irish Breakfast teas is enough to make the faint-of-heart steer clear. I guess I just don't prefer tea that promises to "put hair on your chest." Most I've seen include Assam in the blend, and I've discovered (on my tea quest) that I'm just not that into Assam tea. Too malty. So I don't normally bother with Irish Breakfast teas. Desperately needing another new tea (ha!), I thought I'd smell the Irish Breakfast at Teavana yesterday. The fragrance was much closer to English Breakfast than to the robustly described Irish Breakfast. No malty hints, although Assam is listed in this blend. I bought 2 oz. to sample, and I was pleasantly surprised. Stronger than my usual English Breakfast (my everyday tea of choice has become E.B. from Gong Fu), so this may just become my go-to tea with a kick! If you're a coffee drinker wanting to switch to tea, give this a go!

Name: Irish Breakfast
Source: Teavana
Price: $6.60 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 2-3 minutes
Comments: A blend of Assam, Nilgiri and China Black. 3 minutes was plenty strong for the first steep! I may try 2 minutes next time. Caffeine content seems to be high. 1 cup is enough for my morning, so I appreciate the strength remaining in the leaves for a second, caffeine-free steep.
2nd Steep: Good with 5 minutes of steeping.
Rating: 4 cups

New Tea

2009-07-06T17:52:00.001-07:00

I need a bigger cupboard for my teas! I reorganized a couple months ago, but I've bought a few new teas since then, and now every time I open the cupboard, there's a small-scale avalanche. Like one of those 80s teen sitcoms where they shove all their clothes, skis and basketballs (always more than one) in the tiny hall closet and close it quickly before everything falls out, my tins and bags (the teas for which I have not invested in a tin) are precariously positioned, awaiting some unsuspecting house guest (like my mom, presently) to reveal its disaster. Wow, that was a long sentence. But I think it was grammatically correct. My point in all this rambling is that there's not much room for new teas, which explains my lack of posts to this blog. Here is one I bought at a mall tea stand. I don't think I'll try many more (if any) of their teas. They're mostly flavoured, and mostly fruit-flavoured teas. And pricey, which I don't mind for fine teas, but I wouldn't call this fine.

Name: Moon over Madag
Source: Oolong Tea-infused cafe (I haven't done any looking online--is this a chain?)
Price: $12 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 4-5 minutes
Comments: A blend of black teas, including Ceylon and Assam, this tea has a very strong aroma of vanilla and chocolate. I can taste the vanilla but not the chocolate. I think I enjoy it more than Adagio's Vanilla black tea. 4 minutes was a substantial steep time. A nice afternoon tea with a shortbread cookie.
2nd Steep: Very little strength left with the second steep. Disappointing there, especially for the price of the tea.
Rating: 3 cups

Eighth contender

2009-04-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping to find the right steep time for this tea. The first time I tried it (yesterday), I forgot to set my timer (this is pretty typical for me, just ask my husband), and remembered about 15-20 minutes later. Note: 15-20 minutes is too long to steep!

Name: Lords and Ladies Tea Blend
Source: Gong Fu Tea
Price: $9 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes
Comments: This is a blend of Ceylon, Kenyan and Assam, though I wouldn't have been able to distinguish any of them. Upon my second attempt at a first steep (see above), 4 minutes was not enough time. While it was Waaay too strong at 15 minutes (see above), I had high hopes for the flavours. There was a slightly bitter aftertaste, but that's to be expected from over-steeping. At the 4 minute mark, the flavour was much too weak for my taste. It reminded me of the everyday Tetley tea bags that do sit on my counter for days when guests don't want to wait 4 minutes for good tea...I've stopped drinking it though...sorry if that makes me sound snobby. Anyway, not the greatest comparison. I wasn't terribly impressed, but I'll try 5 minutes next time.
2nd Steep: For the second steep, I left the infuser in for 5 minutes, and it tasted the same as the first steep at 4 minutes (at least it holds well). To clarify, the second steep I'm referring to is using the same tea leaves that have already been steeped. It may sound confusing in this post.
Rating: 2.5 cups (Hoping for a 3 with 5 minutes...)

Darjeeling, Dah-ling!

2009-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

About Darjeeling Tea:

Darjeeling is a town situated along the slopes of the beautiful Himalayas, 7,000 feet above sea level. It, and the tea plantations that stretch around it, are often enveloped in mist. This unique climate, and the region's loamy soil, combine to produce arguably the most prized tea in the world. But there's a downside to this fame: each year more tea is sold under the name of Darjeeling than can possibly be produced. Most of the imposters hail from the nearly Nepal, which shares some of Darjeeling's characteristics but rarely measure up to the original.

Source: Adagio

Thin-bodied, sometimes floral notes, light colour, Darjeeling tea is one of the world's most famous varieties. While I still prefer Ceylon, this came in my sample pack from Adagio Teas, so why not sample? This is a second-flush Darjeeling. The flush refers to the bearing of new shoots on a given plant. For more (and very interesting!) information on the production of Darjeeling tea, go to the Darjeeling Tea Blog. (This link is specific to "When to Buy First Flush Darjeeling Teas...there is a whole world of tea connoisseurs out there that makes me feel quite inadequate!) And on to my review:

Name: Darjeeling #22
Source: Adagio
Price: $12 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes
Comments: It's most common to drink this tea black without milk. This was a bit strong, verging on bitter, at 5 minutes of steeping; 4 is better for a usually-tea-with-milk sort of girl like myself. My mom would like this one!
2nd Steep: Surprisingly lovely at 4 minutes of steeping. No bitterness, but the flavour is still there.
Rating: 4 cups

A Spicy Tea I'll Miss

2009-02-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

I only have a few cups left of another great tea from Savoure (R.I.P.), so I'm going to enjoy them! At least my cupboard will have more space for all these new teas I've acquired!

Name: Strawberry Pepper
Source: Savoure (R.I.P.)
Price: $100/cup...as that's all I have left, I can charge whatever I want. (Can't remember what I paid though!)
Recommended steep time: 3-4 minutes
Comments: Lovely with or without milk. It tastes as you'd expect. Fruity with a kick! Milk takes the edge off the spice and gives it a strawberries & cream sort of feel. Yum!
2nd Steep: Definitely less peppery.
Rating: 4 cups

More flavourful choices

2009-02-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

Name: Absolute Almond
Source: Gong Fu Tea
Price: $9 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (4 was fine)
Comments: Dried, the aroma of this tea packs a punch!! Stand back to sniff! If you like almond flavouring or marzipan, you'll love this tea. And don't worry, it's not as strong or as sweet as it smells in its dried form! Good with or without milk. (I prefer without.)
2nd Steep: Quite good.
Rating: 4 cups

Name: Vanilla
Source: Adagio
Price: $6 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (4 was good)
Comments: A good replacement for my Savoure (R.I.P.) Vanilla! Black tea with a hint of vanilla, nothing over-powering. Good with or without milk, I actually prefer with! (A little like vanilla ice cream without the sweetness...heck, add some sugar, and you're set!)
2nd Steep: Much weaker the second steep, even after 5 minutes.
Rating: 4 cups (would be 5 cups if not for that second steep...)

Bad day tea

2009-02-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

Life is too short to drink bad tea.

Name: Le Tour de France
Source: Gong Fu Tea
Price: $8 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (4 was plenty strong)
Comments: Similar to Marco Polo from Savoure (R.I.P.), this has nothing really to do with France! It's just a lovely flavoured black tea that makes your day a little better. Vanilla and black currant underscore this fruity black tea. Indulge!
2nd Steep: Excellent the second time around.
Rating: 4 cups

Valentine Tea

2009-02-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

Name: Valentines
Source: Adagio
Price: $6 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes
Comments: Lovely dessert tea. Rich in flavour. Very strong aroma of chocolate when dry, but it's not as strong when drinking. The description calls it "chocolate-dipped strawberries" and ceylon. I even thought I tasted some vanilla in there as well. It reminded me a little of the chocolate raspberry tea from Savoure (R.I.P.) I'll be happy to finish this sample tin, but I don't know if I'll order it again.
2nd Steep: Much weaker the second time. I think this is a "one-steeper". :)
Rating: 3 cups

Seventh Contender

2009-02-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

Name: Keenun Concerto
Source: Adagio
Price: $12 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (4 for me)
Comments: Another outsider in contention... I'd never had Keenun tea before, but as it came with the black tea sampler from Adagio Teas, I thought I'd give it a try. I also tried Keenun with lichee fruit from Gong Fu (a sample in their store, I won't review it here), which I quite liked. Anyway...this one was also good. Don't oversteep! It was a little bitter for me at 5 minutes. Familiar and different at the same time. Very hard to describe here! It's what I think of as a black version of Chinese green tea. Does that make any sense? I tried it black and with milk, and I actually preferred it black. The more I drank it, the more I liked it. It won't be an every day tea for me, although I found myself craving it yesterday and treated myself to a cup! I will write some information about Keenun soon.
2nd Steep: Good the second time around too.
Rating: 4 cups

Sixth Contender

2009-02-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

Name: English Breakfast
Source: Gong Fu Tea
Price: $9 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (4 for me)
Comments: Perfect!! Exactly what I like in an English Breakfast. Strong without a hint of bitterness. Holds up well to milk. Their tea description says, "We searched long and hard for a high quality English Breakfast tea that we would be proud to serve to our customers. This blended black eye-opener truly fits the bill. Never mind breakfast, this tea is an excellent choice all day long. Hat's off to our friends from across the pond!" Although I was looking for an everyday Ceylon, I think this tea is a winner!!
2nd Steep: Steeped for 5 minutes, it had the exact same fullness of flavour and still stood up to a bit of milk. I snacked on fruit and a cookie with my afternoon tea, and the tea's flavour jumped out at me. Soooo good!
Rating: 5 cups

Fifth Contender

2009-02-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

Name: Organic Ceylon Black Tips
Source: Gong Fu Tea
Price: $9 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (4 for me)
Comments: I had high hopes for this one. Nice aroma. However, it did not taste like ceylon to me. Much more like Earl Grey. Or a Ceylon-Earl Grey mix. Nice enough, just not what I'm looking for.
2nd Steep: Same taste but weaker.
Rating: 3 cups

A shot of flavour

2009-02-09T18:12:00.001-08:00

No, I don't mean syrups! How about a nice vanilla tea? I loved Savoure's (R.I.P.) Vanilla Tea (black tea with a mild vanilla flavour), and I ordered a sample from Adagio. When my order came, full of black tea samples, the vanilla, "Valentine" blend (I'll wait a few days to try this, just for fun!), and "Scorpio" (it was free! see below for my review), I realized I already had an Adagio tin in my cupboard! When I was pregnant, my friend Katrina gave me a tin of this when I stayed with her on a (doctoral exam) trip to Eugene. Naturally caffeine-free, it became a go-to for me during the next several months.

Name: Rooibos Vanilla Tea
Source: Adagio
Price: $6 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 7 minutes (the longer the better for most herbal teas!)
Comments: I like adding milk to most teas, with the exception of fruit herbals, Earl Grey (although Savoure had an Earl Grey Lavender to which I liked adding a "cloud"), peppermint...well, most herbals, and green/white teas. This one, especially when you steep it for the full 7 minutes, tastes great with a bit of milk. Like your own dish of vanilla ice cream--but no calories! I still do prefer black vanilla tea.
2nd Steep: Steep longer the second time around, but it still won't be as strong.
Rating: 4 cups

Name: Scorpio
Source: Adagio
Price: Free for me...$10 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: None printed, so I went with 4 min.
Comments: The second I tasted this, I knew it had Rooibos Vanilla as a part of the mix (my exact thought was, "I've tasted this before..." which led me to the tin in the back of my tea cupboard!). I also guessed chocolate and some sort of fruit (vague!). Sure enough, the three blended teas are: Rooibos Vanilla, Chocolate Chip and Mango. It has an incredible aroma in its dried form, and it is very good steeped. I think I'd prefer raspberry to mango.
2nd Steep: Definitely weaker flavours all around, but the distinctive Rooibos Vanilla was still present.
Rating: 3 cups

Fourth Contender

2009-02-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

Name: Assam Melody
Source: Adagio
Price: $8 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (4 for me)
Comments: An outsider among the ceylons, this came in the black tea sampler from Adagio, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I haven't been a fan of assams in the past. I take back what I said about maltiness in the other ceylon tea...THIS was malty! It reminded me of my dad's beer brewing when I was growing up...and I hated that smell!! Anyway...this wasn't too bad, but I think I stand by my general dislike of assams.
2nd Steep: Actually a lot better! The malt flavour was gone, making it tast more like a familiar English breakfast. This one might be worth steeping and dumping...at least with the rest of the sample tin I have!
Rating: 2 cups

The thing about tea is...

2009-02-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

...it still contains caffeine!! As much as I love tea, in my excitement to try all these new teas I've bought, I'm drinking way more than I normally do. I'm always wanting to get to that next tea, but I also want to try "second steeps" so I can keep good records of everything I'm testing. I'm not a market researcher! I will not take a few sips and throw the rest of it away! Therefore, I must slow down.

My bladder will also thank me.

I am excited to try the four new teas I bought today at Gong Fu Tea in Des Moines!

Wish list

2009-02-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

Friends are emailing/Facebooking me with suggestions of tea stores--thank you all, and keep them coming!!

There's a store in Des Moines that I hadn't heard of!

Gong Fu Tea

They have an extensive selection, so I've narrowed it down to the following for sniff & taste tests:

Absolute Almond
Lord & Ladies Tea Blend
Le Tour de France
Keemun Hairpoint
Kenyan Safari
Organic Ceylon Black Tips
Prince of Wales
Garden Grove
Ginger Peach Organic
English Breakfast
Constant Companion
Chocolate Mint
Black Beauty
Black Currant
Black Mango

I can't buy them all, but now I have a bit of a wishlist!

I may even go there tomorrow! We'll see how Harry's nap day goes. :)

Third Contender

2009-02-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Name: Ceylon Sunrise
Source: Tea Desire, Southcentre Mall, Calgary, Alberta (take note, Calgary friends!)
Price: I can't remember. I bought the tea last summer. I think it was reasonable. (Will update if/when I have a replacement bag!)
Recommended steep time: I can't remember. I steep it for 3-4 minutes.
Comments: Subtle flavour, excellent every day tea. Closest match to Savoure's Ceylon! Yeah! Unfortunately, I do not live in Calgary. They have many varieties of Ceylon, so friends and family now have a good gift idea!!
2nd Steep: Loses a lot of flavour on the second steep. Longer steep required (5 minutes), but it doesn't become bitter.
Rating: 5 cups

Second contender

2009-02-08T10:40:00.001-08:00

Name: Ceylon Neeraja Black Tea
Source: Teavana (bought at the mall; convenient location, so I'm hoping I like something at this store!)
Price: $24 for 4 oz. (yikes!!)
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (!)
Comments: Very malty and earthy. Odd after-taste. Metallic? I did not like this tea. I have not made a second attempt with less steep time though. Maybe it will be better at 3 minutes?
2nd Steep: Much better on the 2nd steep. Maybe I'll just dump the first steep? Such a waste of money!
Rating: 1 cup

Did you know?

2009-02-08T10:37:00.001-08:00

Did you know that you can decaffeinate any black tea by steeping it for about 30 seconds, dumping the water, and re-steeping the leaves? The first steep is the only steep that contains any caffeine. Enjoy an early-afternoon or morning tea with caffeine, then use the same leaves for a later cup that won't keep you up at night! Good news for preggers, too, as you're not limited to Herbals and Rooibos.

First contender

2009-02-08T10:28:00.000-08:00

Name: Ceylon Sonata
Source: Adagio Teas
Price: $7 for 4 oz.
Recommended steep time: 5 minutes (!)
Comments: Slightly malty flavour. For my second cup full-strength (not second steep), I steeped for 4 minutes, which was better. Still an odd flavour, and not quite what I'm looking for.
2nd Steep: Only slightly less flavourful. Good second steep.
Rating: 3 cups (out of a 5 cup rating system, just for fun!)

The Great Tea Search 2009

2009-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

My beloved Savoure Tea in Eugene, Oregon is closed. Had I known this was a possibility, I may have been able to stock up a bit! They went offline in October 2008, but the store had closed a few months earlier. The salon, a taste of High Tea in downtown Eugene, was my absolute favourite place to go when we lived there, and I was sad to see it go a few years ago. Anyway, I've recently become Ceylon-less, so I need to find myself a good replacement. I will try anything, so comments are welcome!

I love tea, but I may be a little out of my element in trying to review them! This will be mainly for my own purposes to help me sort out the losers as I search for a replacement Ceylon. Nothing educated here--just my own subjective palette!

What is in a good Ceylon? Well, Savoure may not have been the Ideal, but it was my first exposure, and the more I try other versions, the more Savoure's Ceylon seems more like an English breakfast. It's not complicated, and some newer ones I've tried have more of a malt or earthy taste than I like.

Come along for the ride, but be forewarned, I'm just talking Tea here! :) Maybe at some point, I'll be more reflective. In searching for a good title for this blog, I found many had been taken and subsequently abandoned after one post!! Some potential blog names (taken) were: Tea for Two, The Tea (French/English), Teaspoon of Sugar, Cup of Tea, Lovely Tea, Tea Time...

I thought I was so clever with Steep Thoughts...and that was taken. I guess I'd given myself too much credit! I was pleased to discover this blog though--one actually updated regularly! I will drop by occasionally!