Phoenix Oolong

Tea: Phoenix Oolong
Vendor: Swan Sisters
Price: $25/oz
Source: Guangdong, China

About This Tea: This is a Phoenix / Dan Cong oolong in limited offering from Swan Sisters. Their supply is only for the local market (SLO). It is not available on their website.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is very dark in color, almost black. It is very light and fluffy with very light density.

1st Infusion Parameters: 3g, 5 oz, 208F, 5s rinse, 45s

1st Infusion: This tea is very light and unique aroma. It is hard to describe, but is the most alluring aspect of this tea. The aroma is sweet and malty at the same time, yet more than just that. The tea itself is a golden brown color. The flavor is light and crisp, and it moves quickly through the mouth to flush with a full bodied flavor. It is rich and smooth at the same time.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 208F

2nd Infusion: This infusion was darker, with still a clear brown hue to it. There is a tangy sharpness to the flavor of this infusion. It starts at the tip of the tongue and slides down the tongue. It is sweet, but not sugary similar to the way that a yutakamidori shows it's sweetness. It finishes with a medium astringency.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 1 min, 208F

3rd Infusion: This infusion starts to show a bit more color, with a red/gold hue. The aroma switched over to an almost nutty aroma. The flavor is stronger than the initial flavor. It is rich and flavorful, and significantly thicker. It is not quite as thick as a gyokuro though.

4th Infusion Parameters: 3 min, 208F

4th Infusion: This infusion has a richer brown hue to it. The aroma changed once again. This time it was thicker and more subdued. The flavor was moderate in strength, but started showing signs of easing up. It felt sweeter yet again and left with a medium sense of astringency.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: I'm really unable to describe the aroma of the different infusions very well for this tea, but they are quite different from infusion to infusion. I don't have much experience with Dan Cong Oolongs, so I don't have that much to compare them to. I somewhat expected a bit more for the price though. I'll need to compare it against production grade Dan Cong to see how they fare in comparison. On its own though, the flavor was very interesting and refreshing.

Mt. Tayu Taiwan Oolong Winter Tea Super Grade

Tea: Mt. Tayu Taiwan Oolong Winter Tea Super Grade - 6340
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: Taizhong, Taiwan
Vendor Description: Rare winter-pluck oolong tea from Mt. Tayu, the highest tea plantation in the world. Clear scent with extremely clean flavor.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is tightly rolled leaf balls. They exhibit hues of light to dark green in color, and have noticeable stem bits protruding as well.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5s rinse, 5g, 50z, 208F, 45s steep

1st Infusion: This tea produces a crystal clear light green infusion. It has a very strong yet clean floral aroma to it. It is sweet yet reminds me of a TKY in nature. It is not as strong as a TKY, but lighter and more floral. The flavor is light and clean. It is strongest on the center of the tongue. Although the flavor is quite light it is full bodied. The early half of the flavor matches the light floral taste quite nicely. It has a long lingering aftertaste best defined as a crisp oolong flavor.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 208F

2nd Infusion: This infusion ha da yellower green hue to it. The aroma was bolder, and less floral than the first. The flavor felt sharper, starting off strong and then tapering down the tongue. The flavor was stong, prominent, and very bold. This all happens rather quickly though as the flavor is veyr short lived. This infusion has a thick almost gummy aftertaste to it though.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 1 min, 208F

3rd Infusion: The floral aroma is gone in this infusion. What remains is a woody and leafy aroma. The flavor is lighter now, but the tea produces a very warming feeling. The flavor is focused on the edges of the tongue, with the feeling in the center of the tongue gone. There is still a certain richness to the flavor, and the floral taste tries to show itself, but only after slowly building up.

4th Infusion Parameters: 2min, 208F

4th Infusion: There is almost no aroma in the tea at all at this point. The tea tastes more akin to lightly colored water that is hinting at a flavor rather than showing one.

Used Leaf: The used leaf for this tea is very large, many of the leaves are still in bunches. The leaves themselves though are very soft and pliable.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This tea was quite remarkable. it produced 3 very interesting cups, each different from the previous and tasty in their own right. The fourth was a bit of a letdown though, possibly with more promise with a longer soak. I don't remember the exact pricing of this tea, but I remember that it was on the pricier side of things, ~$1/g. Not an everyday tea, but definitely a good special occasion tea.

Houji Genmaicha

Tea: Houji Genmaicha
Vendor: Den's Tea
Price: $4.00 / 2oz
Source: Shizuoka, Japan
Vendor Description: Houji-Genmaicha consists of the two harmonious yet slightly contrasting taste components. It offers a unique toasty aroma both from roasted leaf and brown rice. The Genmai (roasted brown rice) sweetens the roasted Bancha leaves and stems. It is a perfect alternative to sweetened iced teas or hot ciders and cocoas.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a mix of brown hues. The color of the hojicha leaves mixes and matches with the lighter brown of the toasted rice. There is the distinctive aroma of the hoji leaves, mixed with a lighter smell of the rice.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 208F, 2 min

1st: The tea has a sweet caramel aroma to it. In this aroma you can smell the rice and the houji roasted aroma, both independently and mixed as one. The tea itself has a rich rice flavor. It's more bodied than most hojicha. There is a stronger genmaicha flavor than a hojicha flavor in this tea surprisingly. Based on the color one would imagine that it was more akin to a hoji. The flavor is very crispy with a light astringency to it.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This tea really surprised me. I was expecting a hoji that was drowning out the genmai flavor, but it was actually the opposite. There is not a strong swing to one side or the other though, the flavors are well in balance with each other. This is a very inexepensive tea, but it was unfortunately light in flavor. This is compensatable with more leaf, but it raises the per cup price of the tea. All in all though it is an interesting mix of two types of Japanese green tea.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle
Vendor: Swan Sisters
Price: $6.00 / oz.
Source: Fujian, China
Harvest: 3/08
Vendor Description: This delicately pleasant tea is from the home of white teas, Fujian's Fu Ding county. Bai Hao Yin Zhen is hand plucked in the first two weeks of March and made using century old techniques. The flavor of this tea is earthy and sweet with a velvety, smooth texture that is characteristic of a Silver Needle white tea. SwanSisters' Silver Needle is a higher grade so the flavor and the texture of the tea will be more apparent than in the more common grades. Enjoy Bai Hao Yin Zhen on a quiet afternoon

Leaf: The leaf for this Silver Needle was a bit dryer looking than normal. There are a few small flecks in the mix as well.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 180F, 2 min

1st Infusion: This Silver Needle has a heavier and thicker aroma than most silver needles. The leaves, once wet, have a very nice green color to them. The tea itself has a nice light light yellow hue to it. It is a very typical looking cup of Silver Needle. The flavor is much bolder than a normal Silver Needle, it is very full bodied with a light sense of bitterness. The flavor on the tongue is much thicker than normal.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 180F, 3 min

2nd Infusion: The flavor in this infusion was still quite rich for a silver needle. There was a light sense of bitterness to it, and for the most part tasted the same as the first infusion.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This Silver Needle has a stronger, bolder taste that the others I have tried. It is thick and creamy almost, while retaining that Silver Needle light flavor. The only thing about this tea is that it is a little on the pricey side, even for a Silver Needle. For a unique SN experience though, this is a tea to try.

Hong Mu Dan

Tea: Hong Mu Dan - 4703
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: Anhui, China

Leaf: This tea is a flowering black tea. It is tied in the center like a star. It is not like the more commonly found bud shaped teas where there is a flower released from the center.

1st Infusion Parameters: 1 Flower, 200mL, 208F, 3 min

1st Infusion: Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good picture of the infused flower. When infused a white particulate matter was settling on the bottom of the cup. I haven't seen this before and wonder if it is something from the actual leaf/flower itself. The tea was a light clear brown color. The aroma was thick and malty. The flavor was a light black flavor, and it reminds me of a Yunnan tea in flavor. It is medium bodied and has a mild smooth flavor. There is a nice clean bitterness and a light sense of astringency.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 208F, 3 min

2nd Infusion: This infusion was also clear and brown in color. The flavor was weaker but smoother in flavor. There is no astringency or bitterness, and the flavor reminds me of a light Yunnan flavor yet again.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 208F, 5 min

3rd Infusion: This infusion had a rich flavor to it. It was still good, but the flavor was quite light at this point. There wasn't that much left to it.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: I've never been a big fan of flowering teas. They are rather interesting looking, but tend to be more expensive for the amount of tea they make. That said, this probably made the best cup of tea that a flowering tea has ever made for me. It is also much more delicate than any other flowering tea I've had. Unfortunately I'm unable to find much more information about this tea as it is not listed on Lupicia's website.

Sencha Harebare

Tea: Sencha Harebare
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $7.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: Blend of aromatic Sayama tea and processed with a strong fire. The refreshing mint-like flavor, a characteristic of this variety called "Sayama Kaori" is very appealing.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea has a very fukamushi like appearance. It has a fairly rich aroma to the leaf, and a hint of yellowness in the color.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 185F, 60s

1st Infusion: The first infusion had a yellow murky color to it. Not surprising considering the fukamushi appearance to the leaf. The aroma was sharp and crisp. The flavor was very bold. Early on it felt very sweet and forward like a fukamushi normally is. The middle is dominated by a light bitterness and finishes with a light astringency. Overall this has a very clean feeling and a long lasting lingering aftertaste.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: The second infusion was a murky yellow. There was not much different about the flavor, it was simply a distinctively fukamushi flavor.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: There was nothing terribly outstanding about this tea, nor did it have any major faults. It was a normal fukamushi and is not that pricey. All in all not a very interesting tea.

Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West

Book: Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West
Price: $16.47 (From Amazon.com)

This book is quite likely the most well researched and cited book on the subject of Tea that I have read thus far. This book compares in quality to The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. The difference between the two is that The Story of Tea is more centered around different tea production regions and different teas, where Liquid Jade is centered around the history of tea production and it's appearance in history. In a broad stroke it starts with the discovery of tea in China and it's migration to Europe. This is a rather unique view on the western aspect of tea, something that is somewhat overlooked nowadays. The book is a little light on the topic of tea in Japan, but that is not really the focus of the book.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: If you own one book on tea, read The Story of Tea. If you own two, get Liquid Jade. Liquid Jade is very well researched and cited. It is an excellent source of information regarding historical tidbits about tea. The last section of the book is a bit too political on the topics of Organic, Fair Trade, and Indian labor practices. An excellent read nonetheless.

Chiran Kanayamidori

Tea: Chiran Kanayamidori
Vendor: Wegmans Food Markets / Ito-en
Price: $87.99 /lb /$16.50/ 3 oz
Source: Kagoshima, Japan
Vendor Description: Harvested in Kagoshima prefecture, Chiran Kanayamidori bears a flavorful, verdant liquor with succulent notes of leafy greens. An excellent accompaniment to flavorful dishes.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea was mostly smaller particles and had a few longer needles to it. Based on the appearance I would say that this is most likely a fukamushi sencha. The green color was a bit muddled, almost bordering on shades of brown at times and didn't have much of a shine to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 180F, 60s

1st Infusion: The tea was yellow green in color and very murky. This was a very characteristic fukamushi tea. The aroma was light and snappy. The flavor led off with a sharp bitter flavor on the tip of the tongue and transitioned to a long lingering smooth aftertaste. It finished with a light sense of astringency. The bitter flavor was very short lived and dropped down quickly into the tapering flavor.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 180F, 30s

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a darker murky green hue. The up front flavor was again very sharp and snappy. This time it felt like the flavor consisted mostly of a bitterness and tapered into a lingering fukamushi flavor, although the dropoff was not as fast as the first infusion. The flavor felt muddled and a bit confused, like a blend of two teas trying to display at the same time. There was a medium sense of astringency to the power in this tea. The flavor of the tea overall felt a bit light.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This tea seemed to be a bit subpar for a Chiran sencha. This flavor was dominated by the fact that it was a fukamushi and little other than that. It produced an appealing looking cup of tea, but the flavor itself was quite snappy and sharp. If looking for a fukamushi from Chiran/Kagoshima, I would suggest sticking to a yutakamidori instead.

Kaiseki Hojicha

Tea: Kaiseki Hojicha
Vendor: Wegmans Food Markets / Ito-en
Price: $43.99 /lb / $8.40 / 3 oz.
Vendor Description: Delicate twigs from the first flush are lightly roasted, rewarding the tea lover with a deep, sweet, well-rounded flavor that is almost chewy. "Kai" means "gathering", making this the perfect tea for dining.

Leaf: This is best described as a Kukicha Hojicha. It consists primarily of teas stems which have been lightly roasted. It has a light roasted aroma that is characteristic of a hojicha. The tea itself has a very light brown color indicating the light roasting.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 208F, 3 mins

1st Infusion: The infusion produced a dark brown colored hojicha that almost reminded me of coffee in color depth and chocolate in hue. The flavor was rich and bold with a medium sense of bitterness in the aftertaste. The flavor was very strong, but only had a light sense of body to it. It felt very subdued. It wasn't strong early on, but the tea built up flavor to have a strong showing in the ending flavor and afteratste. It had a medium sense of astringency to it, and left me with an impression that no matter how bold it felt on the back end it seemend a bit bland.

Rating: 5/10

Conlcusion: This isn't an outstanding hojicha, but it's not bad either. It's priced very reasonably, although a bit on the higher end for a hojicha. For it's price in the hojicha pricing scale there are other more oustanding hojichas available. I do agree with the vendor description for this tea though that it is well suited for dining. It has a very good cleaning flavor to it, and would not dominate over food.

Uji Gyokuro Gyoku Hou

Tea: Uji Gyokuro Gyoku-Hou
Vendor: O-cha
Price: $44.95 / 100g
Source: Uji, Japan
Vendor Description: Uji Gyokuro "Gyoku-Hou" - A very high quality first-flush gyokuro from Uji, near Kyoto. Gyokuro is shade grown before harvesting, giving it a greener color and sweeter taste. Once you learn to make it properly, you wil be hooked for life! Make sure to read our brewing instructions, as it is brewed differently than sencha.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea was lightly glossy with a dark green color. The green color was very even and consistent throughout this tea and there were a few very noticeable long leaves in there.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 140F, 60s

1st Infusion: The first infusion had a pale light green almost luminescent hue to it. There was a very faint murkiness to it. The flavor was smooth, with a light sense of grassiness. There was a mild sensation of rich umami flavoring, but not much marine flavor. There was not much flavor on the backend of this tea. It had a very strong showing in the early to mid portions of the taste and had a very mouth opening feel to it. It was different than the clean sensation from a good sencha, but similar.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 145F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion was slightly murkier. The color was green, but not quite the same luminescent hue as before. The flavor was light and had a certain emptiness to it. It felt like the core of the flavor was not well represented in this infusion, but the surrounding aspects of flavor were still present. There was more flavor in the back end than the front and mid. This flavor represented itself as a light grassiness, but aside from that there was not much else.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 150F, 60s

3rd Infusion: The color was light and clear again. The flavor was once again very clear. There was a light sense of astringency in this one, but it still felt like the core of the flavor was missing. There was a light flavor hiding toward the back of the flavor, but it felt like it was hiding.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: As much as I've heard wonderful things about the gyokuro offered by O-cha, I was disappointed by this tea. It felt like after the first infusion, the tea didn't really open up for the successive infusions. It may have been that upping the temperature or infusion times could have opened it up more, but it felt like there wasn't something there to open up to. I find that in second and to a lesser extent third infusions of gyokuro, the flavor should be open and almost only need be rinsed to get the flavor out. I was not impressed by this gyokuro as being a top end contender, but it wasn't a bad gyokuro. This would be an ok frequent drinking gyokuro if someone was looking for something to have once a week or so.

Persimmon Leaf Houji Cha

Tea: Persimmon Leaf Houji Cha - 8801
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $5.50 / 50g
Vendor Description: Persimmon leaves rich in Vitamin C, K, B1 & B2, Carotene and other minerals are blended with Houjicha to produce a very easy-to-drink tea.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is very light and fluffy. The majority of it is not tea, but rather the persimmon leaves with a little bit of houjicha mixed in. The leaf gives off a light autumnal aroma and even sounds like the rustling of leaves when moved around.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 208F, 3 min

1st Infusion: The tea produced a very rich golden brown hue that was quite clear. The aroma was sweet. It was a mixture of the roasted aroma from the hojicha mixed with the sweet aroma of persimmon. The flavor was was very light, less than a traditional hojicha for obvious reasons. The flavor was full bodied yet light. It was smooth and sweet, and left with a light fruity aftertaste.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This tea was very unusual. It was a pleasant experience, although it was a bit too light considering the amount of leaf used. The persimmon leaves were a bit too much in comparison to the hojicha leaves. I would have preferred more tea and less persimmon in the mix. It was still pleasant though. Given the option I think I will stick to a traditional hojicha instead of this mix.

Takibi

Tea: Takibi - 5539
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price : $7.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: Chinese oolong tea flavored with tropical fruit. Enjoy the aroma and sweet aftertaste.

Leaf: The leaf takes the form of large leaves in oddly twisted shapes. It is a rather normal appearance for an oolong though. There are also yellow blossoms mixed in with the oolong leaf. It has a very sweet and fruity aroma to it. The aroma almost reminds me of bubble gum.

1st Infusion Parameters: 3g, 5 oz, 208F, 2 min

1st Infusion: The tea has a clear brown color to it. There is a very noticeable and enjoyable sweet fruity aroma to it. The tea itaself has a very fruity flavor mixed with the flavor of a heavily roasted oolong. The flavor keeps reminding me of bubble gum. The flavor however is veyr short lived and light. For it's short life though it is a very smooth flavor.

2nd Infusion: This infusion was lighter in color, and the fruity aroma had waned as well. The flavor however was fruiter, but it also had less of the oolong flavor of the first infusion. It was a longer lasting flavor with no bitterness or astringency. It still managed to retain it's smoothness though.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: This tea was enjoyable, but there was not enough presence from the tea itself. The flavoring was not overpowering as it is with some flavored teas, but it feels like the tea was still not pulling its weight. The second infusion was especially weak on the tea flavoring, which should be more dominant in a tea such as this.

Takaragi

Tea: Takaragi
Vendor: Koyama-en
Price: $20.00 / 100g (not directly from Koyama-en), 1155 Yen / 100g directly.
Source: Japan

About This Tea: Koyama-en is primarily a producer of matcha in Japan. This was actually the first sencha that I have tried from them, and wasn't expecting terribly much considering that it was in the middle of the quality line and not their primary product.

Leaf: The leaf is lightly glossy with a deep green color. The color is dark enough that this may almost pass for a gyokuro based on appearance of the leaf alone. There is not much aroma to it, but it has a nice balance between larger needles and smaller bits of dust. This is a chumushi steamed sencha.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 1 min, 185F

1st Infusion: The tea had a light pale yellow green color to it with a light murkiness. The aroma was light and tart, with a certain sense of snappiness to it. The flavor was very smooth. It started out very light and developed a sweetness midway. It had traces of a light nuttiness to it, and just a light sense of bitterness to give a nice clean feeling.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 30s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a yellower murkier color to it. The flavor was richer and paired with an increased bitterness. There was a light sense of astringency this time, but also a light grassiness.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is a very good chumushi sencha. The flavors were nicely in balance and developed nicely between the two infusions. The leaf is quite appealing and the price was very reasonable for 100g of tea. The only downside of this tea is it's availability. Currently I only know of one vendor in the US to get this tea, and they don't have an online presence. The only other option is to go through a very manual process to get this tea delivered directly from Koyama-en.

Chocolate Mint Truffle - Teabag

Tea: Chocolate Mint Truffle
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Price: $9.95 / 15 pouches
Source: South Africa
Vendor Description: Chocolate Mint Truffle made with rooibos tea, an herbal plant also known as Red Tea from South Africa, is an intoxicating blend of chocolate cacao nibs, mint and rooibos leaves. Rooibos and chocolate are both known to be good sources of antioxidants. Enjoy this guilt-free indulgence, great for kids and adults alike.

Teabag: This teabag has a very noticeable aroma to it. It hints of cocoa like aroma with a definite mintiness. There is also hints of a spicy peppery aroma to it as well.

Infusion Parameters: 1 teabag, 6 oz, 208F, 5 min

Infusion: The infusion has a rich red color. There is a very strong and prominent mint aroma coming off of the tea. There is a light rooibos flavor to the tea itself. The mint and the rooibos flavors blend well with each other. There are hints of chocolate in the aftertaste. The tea has a light astringency, but it accompanies a smooth warming flavor.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This tea was enjoyable. It was warming and smooth. The color was actually quite a sight to behold, and my picture doesn't do it justice. It was a clear ruby red. The minty aroma cleared the sinuses and lungs. Unfortunately the chocolate and rooibos components were not as prominent of flavors as I felt they should be. The rooibos was very subdued and the chocolate was in mere hints. As a mint rooibos this would have faired a bit better, but this is a Chocolate Mint Truffle tea.

Fujieda Fujikaori

Tea: Fujieda Fujikaori - 7463
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: Shizuoka, Japan
Vendor Description: Originally created by crossbreeding black tea and Japanese tea, it has a brilliant elegant aroma.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea had an unusually brown hue to it. I found this quite rare for a sencha style tea, possibly a carryover from the crossbreeding. The aroma hints of a bancha like aroma while at the same time reminding me of dry straw.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 1 min, 185F

1st Infusion: The tea exhibited a yellow brown color. The aroma was light and crisp. The flavor was smooth with no astringency. The flavor was long lasting and even.

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a slightly murkier color to it. The color was still yellow brownish in color. There was a light sense of bitterness and a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This tea was a very unimpressive sencha. It seemed to almost border on feeling like a bancha. The flavor was mundane, and there wasn't much to it. It was mostly just average and mundane. There are many much better options out there to try.

Kyobancha - Iced

Tea: Kyobancha Iced- 7433
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $6.50 / 100g
Source: Kyoto, Japan
Vendor Description: Typical Bancha tea in Kyoto. The tea leaves are sun-dried and look almost like dead leaves, but their uneven roasting process makes the tea's flavor richly alluring.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea reminds me of the fallen leaves in a forest. It's a mix of leaves, large twigs, and lots of large full leaf. The leaves aren't rolled, folded, compressed, or otherwise manipulated like most teas are. The leaves are all dark brown / black in color. There are a few greener leaves in the mix.

1st Infusion Parameters: 15g, 2L, 3 min, Rolling Boil

Infusion Instructions: The infusion for this tea is very different than most teas. The water used was boiling, but the brewing instructions were to boil it rather than infuse with boiling water. And 15g of leaf are used to make 2 Liters of tea. Quite a lot of tea for that amount of leaf.

1st Infusion: After infusing I placed this tea in the refrigerator overnight. The infusion had a clear brown color with no murkiness. The flavor was very smooth and it reminded me of a mugicha in flavor. The flavor was much richer than when it was hot. It is full bodied and has a woodiness to it. The woodiness reminds me of a scotch in a way.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: Based on this tea before and after icing, it's apparent that it should be iced. It develops more flavor when stored and given the pricing of it, generates a rather large amount of tea for very cheap. Still it is not an amazing tea, although a very nice summer tea for when it's hot out.

Kyobancha

Tea: Kyobancha - 7433
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $6.50 / 100g
Source: Kyoto, Japan
Vendor Description: Typical Bancha tea in Kyoto. The tea leaves are sun-dried and look almost like dead leaves, but their uneven roasting process makes the tea's flavor richly alluring.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea reminds me of the fallen leaves in a forest. It's a mix of leaves, large twigs, and lots of large full leaf. The leaves aren't rolled, folded, compressed, or otherwise manipulated like most teas are. The leaves are all dark brown / black in color. There are a few greener leaves in the mix.

1st Infusion Parameters: 15g, 2L, 3 min, Rolling Boil

Infusion Instructions: The infusion for this tea is very different than most teas. The water used was boiling, but the brewing instructions were to boil it rather than infuse with boiling water. And 15g of leaf are used to make 2 Liters of tea. Quite a lot of tea for that amount of leaf.

1st Infusion: The infusion has a light aroma and a rich brown color. The tea has a light roasted flavor, but aside from that there is not much behind it. There is a little bit of flavor in the middle. There is not much of an early flavor and no aftertaste. There is no astringency or bitterness

Rating: 2/10

Conclusion: This tea has very unusual infusion instructions. It takes longer to infuse and takes more care to setup than most teas, at least with my regular setup. The cup of tea it produces has a very weak flavor. There are not many downsides to this tea, but there aren't that many upsides as well. A regular hojicha is preferrable in taste. This tea may be better iced.

Keemun Rhapsody

Tea: Keemun Rhapsody
Vendor: Adagio
Price: $ 18.00 / 4 oz.
Source:Anhui, China
Vendor Description: Black tea from the Anhui region of China. Keemun tea, perhaps the most famous of Chinese varieties, is prized for its rich chocolate-like flavor, and sumptuous aroma. Our 'Keemun Rhapsody' is a hand-made, limited production 'superior mao feng' grade tea. It is a rare embodiment of this tea's wonderful potential, with taste bud entrancing cocoa notes, biscuity nuances, a whispering fruitiness and a flickering shadow of classic Keemun smokiness.

Leaf: The leaf is long and wiry for a black tea. The leaves are twisted and contorted. There are a few small brown colored hairs on the inside of the container like there would be with a silver needle, although brown instead of white. The aromoa is not strong nor weak, but is very hard to place.

1st Infusion Parameters: 3g, 5oz, 208F, 5 min

1st Infusion: The tea has a light red/brown color to it. The color is surprisingly light for a 5 min steep. There is a heavy and rich bouquet to the aroma. The flavor is very smooth and characteristic black tea. The flavor is mild with no bitterness or astringency. It is very smooth and full bodied, and a bit sweet for a black tea.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is a very good black tea. It's not overpowering or harsh. It's not overly floral or bland. It is smooth and slightly sweet. I can imagine this would make a very enjoyable iced tea or serve well with milk and sugar if that is your preference. Albeit I don't think this would be a standard in my cabinet.

White Symphony

Tea: White Symphony
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $6.00 / oz
Vendor Description: An exquisite version of the White Peony variety, a delicate tea made from tea buds collected and withered prior to opening. It offers a preponderance of unopened leaf buds that create a pale yellow, light bodied, yet complex cup with hints of honeydew and a faint floral sweetness. If you enjoy the soothing flavor of our 'White A' Cappella' tea, we invite you to savor this more refined version.

Leaf: This tea appears like a mix of a silver needle and a Bai Mu Dan. It has both buds and developed leaf. The leaf is very fluffy and light and gives off a very strong white tea aroma.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 180F, 7 min

1st Infusion: The infusion has a very dark yellow color, its almost a light brown hue. The aroma is thick and malty. It is heavy and very reminiscent of a strong Bai Mu Dan with just hints of a lighter silver needle aroma. The flavor is best described as being purely smooth. The initial flavor is very bold and strong. It is very bold and long lasting. It starts at the tip of the tongue and tapers the flavor slowly back down the tongue. It is thick with a richness that is almost like a melting milk chocolate bar. There is no bitterness or astringency, and it almost hints at a zuchini bread flavor of zuchini. It also has a nice hint of sweetness in your mouth after you finish your sip.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea is good. I ended up trying this at a long steep for only a single steep. It produced a rich flavorful cup, but it feels like a blend between a silver needle and a white peony. Personally I like the notion that if I want a silver needle, i'll have a silver needle, if I want a white peony, i'll have a white peony. I don't really see a reason why I would want the blend of the two. If you look at this from the standpoint of being a high grade white peony, it's a bit expensive. This might be a good starter tea for someone looking into white teas. It offers a bit of both worlds without sacrifing the other.

Awacha

Tea: Awacha
Source: Japan

About This Tea: This tea was a sample from Alex over at Another Tea Blog. This tea was labeled as Awacha, from Shikoku. Neither of us really knew what type of tea this entailed or much more details about it.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea had browner older woodier stems in it than most Japanese green teas. The leaf was rather flat, but not as much as say a dragonwell tea. The color had two main components to it, a lighter green color and a nice dark green leaf color. There was not much of an aroma from this tea and it seemed rather dry.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 1 min, 185F

1st Infusion: The infusion had a very yellow color to it. The tea gave off a very bancha like sharp aroma. The flavor matched the bancha flavor with a hint of mellowness to it. There was a ligth bitterness on the backend of the flavor and no astringency.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 30s

2nd Infusion: This infusion was again yellow in color, but it was a much stronger, bolder, darker shade of yellow than the first infusion. The flavor was much heavier and richer. The strength of the tea hinted toward a strong almost metallic taste.

Rating: 4/10

Conclusion: We didn't know much about this tea aside from it's name. Based on it's flavor profile it feels like a slight variation on a bancha. Most of the charactersistics are shared with bancha, but the stems were a bit unusual for one. Granted this is not enough to exclude it from possibly being one. Without pricing it would be hard to say how good of a value this tea would be, or even where to go to get some. With that said though, the flavor of this tea was somewhat mundane and I wouldn't go out of my way to go hunt some of this down.

Kuradashi Sencha

Tea: Kuradashi Sencha
Vendor: Hibiki-An
Source: Uji, Japan

About this tea: This tea was a limited time offering from Hibiki-an. Kuradashi Sencha is an intentionally aged sencha. Normally the aged tea is a gyokuro producing a Kuradashi Gyokuro. Instead with this tea it was an aged sencha. The sencha was aged for 18 months in a storehouse.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea had a rich uniform dark green color to it. Most of the leaves were good sized leaves and there was almost now powder to it. This suggests that this is probably a chumushi style sencha. There was an interesting woody light aroma to this tea leaf.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 170F, 1 min

1st Infusion: The tea has a light green hue with a hint of yellow to it. The aroma feels smooth and balanced. The flavor is exactly matching the aroma, smooth and balanced. It is mild with no bitterness or astringency. It is slightly sweet, but the main aspect that comes to mind when tasting is how smooth of a sencha this feels.

2nd Infusion Parametsrs: 170F, 1 min

2nd Infusion: This is a darker and murkier yellow hue this time. The leaves have expanded nice and fully. The aroma is very sweet and mellow. There is a hint of woodiness similar to a kukicha, but more refined and mellow. There is a light bitterness paired with a rich sencha flavor. It provides a very smooth flavor again that is well balanced with the bitterness. There is a heavy flavor in the mid-end portion of the flavor.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: When the kuradashi sencha first was released on their website I was dubious as to if this was something that created an interesting product or if it was just a ploy to sell more tea. It turns out this is quite the interesting product indeed. The aging process seems to produce a very mellow flavor out of the tea, and this causes the tea to be very smooth and mellow. I very much enjoyed this tea and look forward to it again next year.

Emerald Needle

Tea: Emerald Needle
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $18.00 / 4oz
Vendor Description: Sweet young buds, not quite open, make up the leaves of this fine tea. The pale yellow liquor releases a softly vegetal yet floral aroma. Delicate and light, this tea refreshes with the fruity-floral character of a dewy spring morning.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea reminds me of Meng Ding Huang Ya. It is only the buds like in a silver needle, but is not covered with fuzzy hairs like the silver needle. There are a few hairs on the buds, but it has mostly a smooth appearance. The shape and texture of the leaves gives it an almost fluid motion when moved around in the bowl, as opposed to the dustball motion of silver needle.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 3 min, 185F

1st Infusion: This tea produces a surprisingly brown colored infusion. The leaf is much lighter shade of green once it has been infused. The tea has a very sweet and floral aroma to it. The flavor is crisp with a medium sense of bitterness. It has an almost sublime light fluffliness to it that paired with the crisp flavor and medium bitterness gives it a very lofty clean feeling.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 1 min

2nd Infusion: This infusion still had a light brown color to it. The flavor was light and sweet with a light sense of astringency. This infusion felt very smooth

Rating: 5/10

Conclusion: This tea is a rather unique tea. It straddles the borders of green tea / white tea / yellow tea expectations for me. It's not particularly potent for it's weight like the Yunnan Noir was, but it is not prohibitvely expensive either. This is a tea that if you are a fan of the style you would probably enjoy, but in general it's nothing to write home about.

The Way of Tea: The Sublime Art of Oriental Tea Drinking

Book: The Way of Tea: The Sublime Art of Oriental Tea Drinking.

This was another introduction to tea level book. I thought that this book might be a nice insight into Gong-fu brewing with some interesting details, I was wrong. I'm surprised that this book was ever published. Looking at the credentials of the author it is written by a Feng Shui / Tai Chi master. He doesn't have any particular credentials to be a source on tea aside from being steeped in chinese cultural heritage. This is apparent in this book because of the differences between most used spellings / classifications. For instance he classifies teas under: White, Yellow, Light Green, Green, Red, Black, and Flower. Oolongs are referenced in the Light Green section, and what I believe may be Puerh is referred to as Polee, is under green teas. While most people don't use this classification system, I don't deny it's possible validity, but as an introductory book I think it would confuse people more than teach. Since most tea vendors use a different classification system than this one in the book.

Other oddities I noticed in this book were reference to Jixing purple clay pots, which I took to refer to yixing. I could understand that this may just be a different romanification of the word, but considering the uniformity of the vernacular used and yixing being a more accepted spelling that this could be confusing.

There is a section on gong fu brewing which is nicely illustrated, but it only covers the topic in the broadest of terms and simplest of brewing methods.

The thing that surprised me the most about this book is that considering the subtitle (The Sublime Art of Oriental Tea Drinking) it really only makes any reference to Gong Fu brewing. Gaiwans are referenced, but never by name. There is only a cursory mention of the existence of matcha preparation as a side note. No mention of brewing of any Japanese or any other style of tea is mentioned. (I find this important given the title referring to it as Oriental and not Chinese specifically).

Rating: 1/10

Conclusion: This book would most likely confuse most readers rather than educate them on anything. The author does not seem to have much reason for credibility, but rather feels like this is written mostly based on whatever oral stories they could remember. The spellings are rather different than many regularly used, and almost look like different words. I suggest sticking to a more mainstream introductory book.

Yunnan Noir

Tea: Yunnan Noir
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $13.00 / 5 oz.
Source: Yunnan, China
Vendor Description: Yunnan is a region in China known for growing large-leaf tea. High mountains covered by mist, clean water and rich soil form ideal growing conditions and contribute to the unique flavor of Yunnan black tea. Our Yunnan Noir is a hand-rolled version of this famous variety, with tightly rolled leaves into a "black snail" shape. The aroma is sweet with hints of honey and fruit. To the palate it is red wine-like with notes of fruit and cocoa and reveals an intense depth of character with each beguiling sip.

Leaf: The leaf is small and tightly rolled. The colors blend into a mixture of black and gold leaf. The rolling is not uniform, but very much reminds me of the rolling for an oolong. The leaves produce a rich black aroma that reminds me of yunnan gold. (Being from the same area that is not surprising)

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 5 min, 208F

1st Infusion: The large leaf opened up quite nicely. It resulted in a rich red/brown coffee colored infusion. If I had to describe this tea in a word that it is Dark. The aroma is rich and deep, but very subdued. The rich black flavor is paired with an uncharacteristic light bitterness. There is a light sense of astringency paired with the very smooth flavor of this tea.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea produces a lot of flavor out of the 5g I used for the tea. Cutting this down to less than half would most likely still produce a wonderful cup of tea. Given the price this is hardly an expensive tea at all. Given the rich flavor and lack of bitterness in a 5 minute steep this would be an excellent beginner's tea.

Chocolate Chai

Tea: Chocolate Chai
Vendor: Wegman's Food Markets
Price: $26.99 / lb

Leaf: This tea had large chocolate chips in it along with pieces of coconut. The leaf seemed larger than that of the Masala Chai. The mixture has a very sweet aroma to it.

Mixture:
4 oz water
4 oz milk
1 tsp honey
1tsp leaf mixture

Infusion: This infusion gave off a warm milky cinnamon aroma. It was very sweet smelling with a chocolaty brown color. There are small flakes which float to the top. The flavor is just as it looks, it is light and chocolaty. It reminds me of a light mix of hot chocolate. The coconut flavor blends in quite well with the chocolate and gives a very enjoyable sense of sweetness.

Rating: 5/10

Conclusion: If you are looking for a warm chai drink this is a good one. Especially good if you are a chocolate fan. What I didn't really like about this tea though is that that all of the additives to this are really hiding any tea flavor that would have been there to begin with. Between the milk, honey, chocolate and coconut I didn't really notice any tea flavoring. But if you don't mind that about your chai, then this may be a good one for you.

O-buku-cha

Tea: O-buku-cha
Vendor: Ippodo
Price: 500 Yen / 100g
Source: Japan
Vendor Description: Bringing good luck for the New Year

The O-buku-cha tradition began over 10 centuries ago, during the Heian period.

In 951, a serious epidemic swept through Kyoto. In an effort to relieve the suffering, Buddhist priest Kuya distributed tea to those in need. It has been said that to share in these virtues, Emperor Murakami ushered in the New Year with a special cup of tea.

Since then, it has become a Japanese tradition to drink O-buku-cha (literally, great happiness tea ) during the New Years season. The O-buku-cha offered by each tea shop differs depending on the shop. At IPPODO, we are pleased to offer a special time-limited, high-grade genmaicha as our O-buku-cha. Packaged in the traditional festive colors of red and white, we hope that our O-buku-cha will bring renewed health and happiness to you and your loved ones.

Leaf: This tea consists of mostly larger thin pieces. There is a light amount of rice, some stems and some flatter leaf mixed in as well.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 185F, 5 oz, 90s

1st Infusion: This infusion had a yellow green hue to it. The aroma was very crisp with hints of the rice aroma. The aroma reminded me very much of a pure bancha with a crisp almost stinging aroma to it. There are hints of a sencha like sweetness in the aroma as well. The flavor has a definite bancha bitterness and tang to it. This is paired with a light rice flavor and a noticeable starchiness. The tea finishes with a light sense of astringency and a clean and refreshing feeling.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, No steeping time, immediate pour.

2nd Infusion: This time the infusion was a lighter green color with a yellow brightness to it. The aroma was sweeter and had a more mellow starchiness to it. The flavor was definitive bancha flavoring, with a light almost metallic taste to it. It seemed to have an astringency which was primarily on the sides of the mouth.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This tea isn't bad for the price. The problem is that the price to ship this over from Japan is quite significant. I'm curious to see how this tea stacks up against their regular genmaicha. I don't consider this to be a particularly great genmaicha, but it is acceptable at it's price. I was somewhat hoping for a genmai based with sencha rather than bancha when I read the description of this tea.

Aracha

Tea: Aracha

About This Tea: This tea was a sample of aracha provided to me by another fellow tea drinker. Aracha is a normally temporary form of Japanese green tea. After harvesting and initial processing tea is stored in cold storage as aracha. Aracha is stored in cold storage until it is needed and then removed, refired, and sorted. Because it is unsorted aracha contains all of the assorted grades and forms of Japanese green tea found. This includes mecha, kukicha, and sencha.

Leaf: In this tea there is everything from small powdery bits to long thin needles. This tea has a very dark green color and the leaf has a nice shiny polished appearance to it. There is a noticeable mix of stems and small particles included.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 1min, 180F

1st Infusion: This tea had a yellow green color with a light murkiness to it. The aroma was very mixed with a light and sweet aroma to it. There was a very unusual flavor to this tea, it is apparent that there are multiple forms of tea. The flavor is a long lived flavor. The front end of the tea has a light bitterness to it, followed by a very noticeable woody flavor similar to a kukicha. It also has a very thick midsection and no astringency on the end.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 180F, 45s

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a light brown hue to it. The infusion was somewhat murky. This infusion had a very different flavor profile to it. There was a bitterness in the middle and a light lingering flavor on the back end. There was a light sense of astringency at the end.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: There is a very good reason why tea is sorted, the flavor of aracha is very muddled and complicated. In the different infusions flavor characteristics of different teas were present. If the different components of aracha were singers, drinking pure aracha would be akin to a choir each trying to sing their solo at the same time. Individually fantastic, but unsorted it is confused and muddled.

Tarte Au Poire

Tea: Tarte Au Poire - 8521
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Vendor Description: This sweetly scented Japanese green tea will remind you of a freshly baked pear tart.

About This Tea: This tea is one of the seasonal Christmas teas offered by Lupicia. It is no longer available from the website.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a sencha/bancha looking leaf mixed with some radiant blue flowers. The aroma to this tea is quite amazing, it reminds me of a freshly baked pie crust. There is a combination of a sweet and starchy aroma. The sweetness portion of the aroma reminds me greatly of canned pears.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 208F, 2 min

1st Infusion: The infused tea does not have quite the fruity aroma as the dry leaf does. The infusion has a yellow-brown hue to it. The front end has a very strong and noticeable pear flavor. In the middle it transitions into a medium bitterness paired with a starchy flavor. The bitterness is a very characteristic bancha tanginess. There is not much of a pear flavor like I was expecting, I was imagining something akin to canned pears. The end of the tea finishes with a light astringency.

Rating: 4/10

Conclusion: While the flavor was moderately enjoyable, it felt like a bit of a letdown from the aroma of the leaf before infusion. While the pear offered a strong sweetness at the beginning of the flavor, the pear and tea flavors failed to pair well together and each represented their own sides. The starchiness in the aroma also seemed to disappear.