Kiwami Shincha

Tea: Kiwami Shincha
Vendor: Zencha
Price: $25.00 / 100g
Source: Yame, Japan
Vendor Description: The Premium Sencha produced only from the first flush leaves of Asagiri, a variety of tea plant. You can enjoy excellent natural sweet aroma and cleanly astringent taste.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is borderline between a chumushi and a fukamushi. It has a very fresh aroma as is expected from a shincha. There is a little bit of flat leaf in the mix.

1st Infusion Parameters: 3g, 5oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: The infusion has a clear bright green hue to it. It is radiant and brilliant as is expected from a shincha. The aroma is sweet and fresh. The flavor matches well to the aroma in terms of a very clean and fresh flavor with a hint of vibrance to it. There is a hint of marine flavor lingering in the background.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 15s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a murkier, more characteristic fukamushi color to it. the hue is a deep green color. The aroma is very bold and intense. The flavor is a lot lighter, but the weight of the fukamushi portion of the flavor seems to almost conflict with the freshness of the shincha. It finishes with a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This is a pretty good shincha, nothing spectacular, but nothing terrible. It expresses the freshness and vibrance that should be in a shincha, but the fukamushi aspect seems to conflict with the freshness feel of the shincha. This is partly due to my preference for an asamushi, but with a shincha this seems to be expressing itself a bit more. At it's price it doesn't feel particularly cheap or expensive, but leans toward the pricey side. I was somewhat expecting a more defined flavor for a Yame shincha.

Jasmine Pearls

Tea: Jasmine Pearls
Vendor: Narien Teas
Price: $25.00 / 5oz
Vendor Description: Jasmine Pearls is a gently rolled fragrant green tea that has been scented with fresh jasmine blossoms. Infuses into a sweet-flavored cup with a flowery jasmine aroma.

Leaf: The tea consists of small dark green pearls, around the size of a pea. Each rather nicely rolled into a small ball. The aroma is almost similar to a black tea, but has a strong very prominent jasmine portion to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 8 pearls (1.38g), 185F, 1min, 50z

1st Infusion: This tea has the sweet aroma of Jasmine to it, as is to be expected with some Jasmine Pearls. The hue is a light pale yellow green. There is a very prominent jasmine aroma and flavor to this tea. The flavor otherwise is sweet and very light in character. The jasmine seems to dominate the majority of this tea, which is to be expected considering the amount of leaf used in accordance with Narien's suggested parameters.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 1:30, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a bolder yellow color to it. The jasmine aroma is still detectable, although it is hiding further back in the feel of the aroma. The green flavor is more prominent in this infusion as well. Overall this infusion is more in balance between the two flavor components, producing a light and smooth overall flavor.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: Overall a fairly solid jasmine pearl tea. Not overpowering in either side, light, and delicate. The coloration on the pearls themselves is a little unusual, but it doesn't seem to have any bearing upon the actual flavor though.

Ceylon Kenilworth

Tea: Ceylon Kenilworth
Vendor: Narien Teas
Price: $7.00 / 4oz
Source: Sri Lanka
Vendor Description: Ceylon Kenilworth is an excellent black tea from the Kenilworth Estate, Sri Lanka. The long, crisp, dark leaves infuse into a malty cup that is full of flavor and very smooth.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea consists of large black leaf with light grey edging to it. It has a sweet and distinctively Ceylon aroma to it. Nothing really unusual here.

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

1st Infusion: This tea has a sweet Ceylon aroma to it. It is very smooth and very typical for a Ceylon. It is a bit smoother and more reserved than other Ceylon samples I've tried. It has no astringency or bitterness to it. Overall it has a very even flavor.

Rating: 4/10

Conclusion: Different Ceylon black teas fail to impress me as one versus another. They tend to have a very similar flavor to them and don't stand apart from one another. Differences are very subtle and not very noticeable.

Aloalo

Tea: Aloalo - 5904- EH-4
Vendor: Lupicia USA (Hawaii Exclusive)
Vendor Description: A Darjeeling and Assam tea with hibiscus flower. Tea has a beautiful red color.

About This Tea: This tea is one of the Lupicia Hawaii Exclusive teas. There are a handful of teas that are only available at the Hawaii store of Lupicia. A few have started popping up as a limited time item on their website and a few retail locations. This is not one of those.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea has a lovely color mix to it. It is a rainbow mixture of red, black, green, and brown hues. It has a very sweet and floral aroma to it. There is a very prominent factor to the aroma which I'm guessing is the hibiscus component. I'm not particularly familiar with the aroma of hibiscus.

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

1st Infusion: The tea has a very unusual dark purple hue to it, the shade reminds me somewhat of a deep red wine. The Darjeeling component is definitely poking through in the aroma expressing that characteristic floral Darjeeling aroma. The rest of the aroma is very thick and hearty. The flavor of the tea itself has a certain tartness to it. It is very up front and short lived. It reminds me somewhat of cranberry juice, the tartness and snap of the flavor. It just isn't backed by the same sweetness as a glass of cranberry juice. There is a light astringency tailing on the aftertaste after the tartness.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is a very unusual tea. I believe that a lot of the uniqueness is due to the hibiscus component, but the overall picture of the tea is a light and refreshing beverage. It is unfortunate that this tea is only available at the Hawaii store. The flavor brings back memories of the Island Breeze tea from Mighty Leaf, which also had hibiscus in it. In comparison this is a richer tea experience and bolder and more flavorful. Thank you to Victoria and her SIL at TeaChat for providing me some of this wonderful tea.

Kaboku

Tea: Kaboku
Vendor: Ippodo
Price: 1,250 Yen/ 50g
Source: Japan
Vendor Description: A harmonious blend of sweetness, bitterness, richness, astringency and fragrance this is sencha. It's easy to understand why sencha is such a favorite beverage in Japan, not only for those seeking to quench a thirst, but also for those wanting to sip on something extra special.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea consists of some dark green needles. They are very uniform in color and a dark green hue. It has a fresh crisp aroma. The size of the needles suggest this is an asamushi.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: This infusion has a clear yellow green hue to it. The aroma is light and crisp. The flavor pairs well with the aroma, feeling crisp and light. It is a very clear flavor with no bitterness or astringency. It is simple and refined.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 15s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion was a brighter clear yellow green hue. The flavor was richer and stronger than the first infusion, but it is sharp and clear. There is a little bit of bitterness as well as a light marine flavor.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 185F

3rd Infusion: This was a richer, more brilliant yellow hue. The flavor was a little bit lighter, it felt light and clear with a strong feeling of snappiness. It finishes with a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This sencha was quite outstanding. It was a light flavor that was clear and well defined. Even though the flavor was on the lighter side, it still was quite well defined and gentle. This is a fantastic asamushi sencha and while a bit on the pricier side, is still reasonably priced for the grade of the tea.

Pre Rain Organic Dragon Well Supreme Green Tea Long Jing

Tea: Pre Rain Organic Dragon Well Supreme Green Tea
Source: Jing Tea
Price: ₤ 12.75 / 50g
Source: Zhejiang, China
Vendor Description: Our highest grade Dragon Well green tea. Picked on 1st April 2009 from Dragon's Staff garden. The first of the year, before the Qing Ming festival.
Small and tender bud and leaf sets masterfully hand-fired fired to give the classic Dragon Well flavour.
Certified organic by the UK Soil Association. Fair Trade certified by IMO Switzerland.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is rather uniform in size, each of the leaves being about 1.5cm long. They are characteristically flattened, as is normal for a Long Jing. They have a light and sweet aroma, it has a certain creaminess which is similar to that found in a Silver Needle. The leaves are almost all young leaves, just slightly larger than Silver Needle buds.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: There is a light murkiness to this tea, as is somewhat typical of some young teas. The color is a radiant green blended with a pale yellow hue. It has a rich and creamy aroma. The flavor is rich and creamy. It is vibrant and refreshing. There is almost a shincha grassy flavor to it. In many ways this tea feels like a blending of a Silver Needle, traditional Long Jing, and a Japanese Shincha.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a light green hue to it. Once again there was a light haziness to the tea, which is somewhat rare to see this nature of haziness on a second infusion. The flavor is much sharper this time around. It lacks the general creaminess of the first infusion. The flavor is very rich, rich to the point of having a bit of an edge from the strength to it. It finishes with a tinge of astringency.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This was quite easily the best Long Jing that I have tried. It's flavor touches some of the best aspects from other teas; creaminess of a Silver Needle and fresh grassiness of sencha. The leaves have a very pleasant look to them and a very uniform appearance. The only downside to this tea is the rather steep price, but seeing as how I have yet to see anything on par with this tea in terms of flavor I don't see any issue here.

Rooibos Vanilla Chai

Tea: Rooibos Vanilla Chai
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $7/4oz
Vendor Description: Masala chai spices in a South African red rooibos base with a hint of vanilla. These spices will dance on your palate while the creamy vanilla rooibos will sing to your soul. Naturally caffeine free for an anytime treat.

Leaf: The leaf for this chai consists of some dried fruit pieces, ginger, cloves, and rooibos of course. There is a very sweet and bold aroma and a definite vanilla feel to the aroma. There is a rather high other to rooibos ratio in this chai mix.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 7 min

1st Infusion: This tea has a light murky color to it. It has a sweet vanilla aroma. The flavor is strong and lightly bitter. The clove portion of the flavor is quite prominent, a bit too prominent in my opinion.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: The cloves somewhat did this tea in. The flavor was too rich and drowned out the rest of the flavors in this tea. To an extent it felt like I was drinking a mainly clove infusion. This reminded me of the Coco Chai from Mighty Leaf, but instead of the sweetness from the coconut there was a lot of clove flavor here. I prefered the round sweetness of the coconut, but if you prefer a stronger, sharper, and stiffer chai, this is probably a good choice for you.

Decaf Earl Grey

Tea: Decaf Earl Grey - 5400
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $7.50 / 50g
Vendor Description: Decaffeinated tealeaves scented with rich bergamot oil. This decaffeinated tea will not disturb your sleep even if it is drunk before bedtime.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a very uniform solid black tea. It has less of an aroma to it than the Grand Classic, yet it still has that distinctive earl grey aroma.

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

1st Infusion: The tea has it's almost floral citric aroma to it, just like other Earl Grey teas. There is a sharp bitterness from the citric flavor blending with the sharpness of a black tea. The bergamont is well defined and not overpowering. It follows through to a trailing aftertaste with the richness of the base tea. In general this tea feels inferior to the Grand Classic.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This tea overall isn't that fantastic. Partly due to being an Earl Grey and partly just on it's own nature. Compared to the Earl Grey Grand Classic it falls short in flavor. This is a decaf tea though if that's what you're looking for. This tea is basically good if you're a fan of Earl Grey and you're looking for a decaf version to enjoy. Otherwise I would suggest the Grand Classic.

Thai Chai

Tea: Thai Chai
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $7.00 / 4 oz
Vendor Description: Silky sweet coconut and playful bright lemongrass highlight this seductive black tea chai blend. Let the aroma draw you in and you’ll swear you hear it beckoning…come closer, just take a sip.

Leaf: This is a traditional orthodox black with some ginger, lemongrass, and coconut. There is a very thick and heavy aroma to this tea. The lemongrass portion of the aroma reminds me of thai food.

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

1st Infusion: This infusion has a lightly murky brown hue to it. There is a distinctive sweetness to the aroma, probably partly due to the coconut. It still has a good chai aroma to it. The flavor is light and lofty. It is not a very deep flavor, but more uplifting. It has no aftertaste and the lemongrass component feeds in a nice crispness to it.

Rating: 5/10

Conclusion: There is nothing terribly spectacular about this tea. Coconut is a nice addition to most chai blends i'm finding, but i'm a bit torn on the notion of the lemongrass. Thai chai tries to be a balance between a sharp lemongrass and a round and sweet coconut addition. Nothing terribly spectacular, but no great faults here either.

Royal Phoenix

Tea: Royal Phoenix
Vendor: Tao of Tea
Price: $8.75 / 2.5 oz
Source: Guangdong Province, China
Vendor Description: In some areas of the Phoenix Mountains in Guangdong province, China, there are wild tea plants that remain a source for some of the best oolong teas in the world. Leaves from these old tea trees are prized for the flavor and full body. Making Royal Phoenix oolong invloves precise rolling and baking techniques to fully develop a toasty texture, fragrant aroma and taste similar to nectarines and peaches.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a dark brown – black leaf. The leaf is somewhat smaller than other Phoenix oolongs. The leaf is somewhat broken.

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

1^st Infusion: The tea has a lightly sweet aroma to it. It somewhat reminds me of a greener oolong. It has a light golden brown hue to it. It has a clear transparency to it. The aroma is sharp with woody tones to it. The flavor has a sharp almost soapy characteristic to it. It also has a medium bitterness to it, which is rather strong for a first infusion. There is no astringency and the flavor is overall somewhat weak.

2^nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 208F

2^nd Infusion: This infusion has the same muddled woody aroma to it. It has a very sharp feeling on the tongue. The flavor is overall the same as the first infusion.

Rating: 1/10

Conclusion: This was a rather disappointing tea. For a phoenix aroma it doesn’t have the same characteristic floral characteristic to the aroma. The flavor was too sharp and bitter for a first infusion, and the flavor felt very muddled and confused. It’s not a very good flavor overall and it feels too harsh.