Milk Caramel

Tea: Milk Caramel - 8504
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $6.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: The sweet flavor of milk caramel enhances a parching aroma of Houjicha. Also add some milk to well-brewed tea.

Leaf: The leaf for this is a light brown houjicha. It has a very autumnal brown hue to it. There are small caramel brown pieces in the mix which are about the size of large gravel. I assume that these are pieces of caramel in the mix. There is a very strong and prominent sweet and milky aroma to this tea. It reminds me very much of the aroma of fresh caramel.

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

1st Infusion: This tea has a clear brown hue to it. The hue is lightly reminiscent of a coffee color. The aroma is very caramel like and sweet. It reminds me of caramel Chex mix. The tea is very lightly sweet in flavor. It has a light milky creaminess to the taste. The flavor of the houjicha blends well with the caramel flavoring. It reminds me of a breakfast cereal, yet the tea is not overly sweet. There is a clean aftertaste to it.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 208F, 3 min

2nd Infusion: This infusion has the same coffee brownish hue to it. It smells even more strongly of caramel than the first infusion. The flavor is lighter and has a roasted sweetness to it. It somewhat reminds me of Golden Crisp cereal.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: It sounds odd that I would be giving a flavored tea such a high rating, and a flavored hojicha at that. It's also a bit pricey, but I can't help but really like this stuff. It's just the right amount of sweet, it's smooth and enjoyable. Flavored hojicha is also a bit of a rarity, not many places aside from Lupicia even offer any from what I have seen. It is almost like this is one of those guilty pleasures teas. This is definitely one of the teas where you like it for what it is, make no attempt at comparing it to a fine Dan Cong or a divine gyokuro. It's made with lower grade tea, but whatever it tastes great.

Ashikubo Gold

Tea: Ashikubo Gold
Vendor: Chado Tea House
Price: $15.15 / 100g
Source: Shizuoka, Japan
Vendor Description: Asamushi Sencha = traditional light steamed sencha. Its refreshing and mild with a vibrant, golden-green infusion, bittersweet flavor satisfy even the most critical tea connoisseur.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea has a fresh, refreshing aroma to it. The leaf is dark green in color and has an appearance similar to a chumushi. There is a fair amount of dust, but nowhere near a fukamushi level. The leaf is moderately glossy. This tea is listed as an asamushi and even though it does somewhat look like a chumushi it still leans toward it's asamushi distinction.

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

1st Infusion: The tea has a radiant light green color to it. It is almost a pure shade of green with little to no yellow undertones. The flavor is light yet full bodied. It is very clean feeling. There are hints of grassiness to it, but nothing too alarming. There is no real bitterness or astringency to be found. All in all this is a very calming tea.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 15s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion shows a murkier color. The tea has a yellow green hue to it this time. The aroma of the tea is considerably thicker this time. It doesn't feel as clear and clean as the first infusion. The flavor this time is very up front and early. There is a clean sense of bitterness and a medium sense of astringency. The flavor is overall richer.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This tea is a very good asamushi. It is light and delicate, yet still flavorful. It has a brilliant color to it. The price is very reasonable. All in all it's a great tea, but just lacks a little something to kick it over the top into a 10. Also Chado Tea House is not to be confused with Chado Tea.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £8.99 / 40g (~$13.21 USD)
Souce: Fuding County, Fujian Province, China
Harvest: Spring 2008
Vendor Description: This rare and delicious Silver Needle white tea is entirely hand-made from Fuding Da Bai Hao tips and is simply picked at dawn and scattered in the sun to dry. It is a very high quality Yin Zhen showing a dense covering of the characteristic white hairs on a healthy, plump, pale green leaf. The liquor is very pale and bright - the colour of champagne and it has a sweet nutty aroma. It tastes soft, creamy and mellow with a long and pleasant aftertaste.

Leaf: The leaf is very nicely shaped for a SN. The leaf is very light and fluffy with a barely noticeable amount of chips and dust. The needles are well cared for and the underlying leaf has a nice green hue to it.

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

1st Infusion: This tea has a bold and sweet aroma to it. The tea itself is a pale yellow hue. The taste is fresh and light. There is a tiny amount of sediment on the bottom of the cup. The flavor is very good for a SN, both sweet and bold matching the aroma. The flavor is smooth and long lasting with a very enjoyable lingering aftertaste.

2nd Infusion: This infusion is murker with a yellow hue. The aroma is absolutely sublime. The flavor is bolder yet still stubtle. It has strength, but is not overpowering. It is light to medium bodied and finishes with a light sense of astringency. The flavor in this infusion is also very good and strong without inducing any negative traits.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This SN is absolutely fabulous. It could very well be the best SN that I have had to date, but without a direct comparison to Seven Cups it would be hard to tell. The flavor is bold, sweet, and delicate. Everything I look for in a wonderful SN. The price is on par with Seven Cups so there is not too much difference there. If you're looking for an absolutely top notch SN, this is a good choice.

Mint Tea

Tea: Mint Tea - 5800
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $7.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: Plenty of dried peppermint is mixed with black tea. A perfect refreshing tea when you want to change your mood or after meals.

Leaf: This leaf consists of primarily black orthodox leaf with a bit of chopped mint leaves mixed in. There is a very strong peppermint aroma to the leaf.

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

1st Infusion: This tea produces a dark chocolate brown hued infusion. There is no murkiness, but a deep rich color. The aroma has a nice mix of black tea with mint mixed in together, the aroma overall though is on the lighter side of things. The flavor is very traditional black tea with a minty crispiness to it. The black tea portion of the flavor feels a bit light, but it is an appropriate amount of flavor though. There is no bitterness or astringency to this blend.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: This is one of the more subtle black teas that I have run across. The mint is at just the appropriate level where it is not overpowering nor is it underwhelming. However this tea is quite pricey for a flavored black tea, especially when it's flavored with peppermint. If this tea were cheaper I would consider it to be a good option.

Jasmin Mandarin

Tea: Jasmin Mandarin - 8200
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: China
Vendor Description: A Jasmin Tea with Chinese Green Tea as a base. It has an unforgettable sweet fragrance like a light spring wind.

Leaf: This is a dark colored green tea with some dried yellow flowers in the mix. There is a fair amount of dust in this tea. The rolled appearance to the leaf reminds me of a kamairicha. There is a strong jasmine aroma to the tea which has an uplifting and invigorating feel to it.

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

1st Infusion: The tea has a honey brown hue to it. It is mostly clear with a light murkiness to it. The distinctive aroma of jasmine is bold and assertive. It dominates over the warmth and aroma of the green tea base. The tea itself is a smooth full bodied green tea. The jasmine aroma is quite noticeable all throughout the drinking process. The green flavor is quite bold with the flavor centered on the front to middle of the tongue. There is not much to be found at all on the back end of the tongue. There is a light astringency and a little bit of an aftertaste which houses a little bit of jasmine flavoring.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 1:30

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a bolder brown hue to it. It is lighter on the Jasmine aroma, but it is far from gone. It is still quite distinctively Jasmine. There is an early bitterness in the flavor that transitions into a sharpness. Aside from that there is not much taste that lingers past that. The green flavor isn't as impressive as the first infusion.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: I would have liked the green flavor in this tea to have held up stronger in the second infusion. The Jasmine scenting was enjoyable and prominent, but not overpowering. I'm still not that big of a fan of Chinese green teas though. Like a lot of people I know say with coffee, this is a tea that you love to smell, but don't so much care for the drinking part of it. Not to say that the flavor is bad, but it just doesn't compare to the aroma.

Sencha "Kanaya"

Tea: Sencha "Kanaya" - 7465
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $9.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: As the leaves are small, they are thinly rubbed, producing this distinctive tea with elegant sweet aroma.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea looks like a yellow-green colored fukamushi. There are a few longer leaves in the mix, but the majority is the fukamushi style small leaf pieces. There is quite a bit of the fukamushi style powder though. The leaf is medium glossy. It is not quite matte, and not quite glossy at the same time. The aroma is very traditional for a fukamushi.

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

1st Infusion: The first infusion is yellower in color, but surprisingly clear for a fukamushi. there is a light murkiness to it and a sweet sencha aroma. The aroma reminds me of a fukamsuhi,b ut has hints of something similar to a yutaka midori in it. The flavor is on the bolder side of things. It has a distinct gyokuro like flavor at the onset. The strength of the tea reminds me of a gyokruo in something most akin to the marine flavor of a gyokruo. It's strong enought that it has a certain bitterness that pairs with a strong sencha flavor. There is no astringcency ot this tea, and considering the amount of strength in this cup that it is rather surprising. Most of the flavor is not foudn up front, but rather in the middle. There is not much aftertaste to speak of.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion is quite different in appearance than the first one. It is murky enough that it is almost opaque. This is much more characteristic as a fukamushi. The color of the tea is deep enough of a green that it reminds me of a hunter green in color, just a slight bit yellower. There is a light aroma to the tea. The flavor of this infusion is completely different than the first infusion. It is light and snappy. The flavor is very crsip with a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This is probably one of the most interesting fukamushis that I have tried to date. It showed a drastic change between infusions, neither being better or worse than the previous. It's price feels a bit steep though for what it is. I feel like this is more an interesting tea than an outstanding one. Fuka fans should probably give this one a try.

Teabag - Kalahari Reserve

Tea: Kalahari Reserve
Vendor: Kalahari Tea
Price: $3.50 / 20 teabags
Source: South Africa
Vendor Description: Kalahari Reserve is 100% pure red tea, selected from the tender tips of the Rooibos bush. With it's sweet, smooth taste, it can be enjoyed by itself, or with milk, lemon or a sweetener. Rich in antioxidants, red tea tastes great and is naturally caffeine free. It's the healthy drink you can consume all day long.

Teabag: This is another paper satchel style teabag from Kalahari Tea. There are lots of small rooibos bits in the bag. In general it seems like a very mundane red tea bag.

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

1st Infusion: This tea produces a deep rich red color. There are hints of brown in the hue, but it is still a rather pure red. The aroma of the tea is very traditional for a rooibos tea. The flavor is also very characteristic smooth rooibos. It feels a bit sweeter than most rooibos that I have had and finishes with a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: Aesthetically the color of this tea is quite amazing. Unfortunately the methods of packaging that they use along with the paper satchel style teabags that they use don't really help them here. It would be better to use a teabag where you could more plainly see the color and appearance of the rooibos leaf. Aside from that though the tea is very characteristic for a rooibos tea, with the benefit of being slightly sweeter than most. This would be a good rooibos to try if you've never tried one before.

Teabag - Ginger Zest Sencha

Tea: Ginger Zest Sencha
Vendor: Kalahari Tea
Price: $.99 / 16 teabags
Vendor Description: Fragrant, Fresh Sencha and Bancha green teas are paired with the tingle of spicy organic ginger to create a refreshing and invigorating cup.

Teabag: This teabag is also another paper satchel type teabag. It has a very prominent ginger aroma to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5 oz, 1:15, 185F

1st Infusion: There is a rather prominent aroma to this tea. It is complicated and complex. The aroma reminds me of the detox infusion from Mighty Leaf. There are many detectable components to the aroma, but I can't single out very many of them at all. The only thing that I can really pull out is the ginger like portion of the aroma. There is a light sharp flavor to this tea, it is not very gingerly. It feels much more like a bancha than a sencha when evaluating the green tea portion of the flavor. The green tea is in the back of the flavor, but it is not offputting. The tea finishes with a light bitterness.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This tea feels confused and muddled. Looking at the ingredient list I'm not surprised why. There is a mix of all kinds of things in it. It lacks clarity due to the complicated nature of it's blending. I would suggest finding something purer.

Teabag - Highlands Honey

Tea: Highlands Honey
Vendor: Kalahari Tea
Price: $3.50 / 20 teabags
Source: South Africa
Vendor Description: Our premium rooibos is blended with a delicious honey vanilla flavor to create a naturally sweet brew that is fully satisfying and completely caffeine free. Highland Honey Replaces Kalahari's Honey Red Tea. This tea now boasts a natural Honey Vanilla Flavor that still has less than 1 calorie and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates. Fans of Honey Red Tea just love this new slightly sweet version.

Teabag: Kalahari uses paper satchel type teabags (think Lipton). There is not much leaf in the teabag, but rooibos tends to not need much in general. There isn't a discernable aroma to the tea.

1st Infusion Parameter: 5 oz, 208F, 3:00, 1 teabag

1st Infusion: There is a very strong rooibos aroma to this tea. It reminds me of playdoh to a degree though. It is bold and sweet with hints of honey to the aroma. The flavor has a prominent honey flavoring to it. The flavor is very smooth and sweet which I would not have expected when first seeting the light red hue to this tea. The tea was quite light. There is a very mouth watering feel to this tea. It is best defined by it's smooth honey feeling.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: I've never been a huge fan of rooibos, but this one is quite surprising. There are a few things that I would like to see different about it, mesh pyramidal teabags for one. The other is the odditiy of the color of the tea. It seems very light altough the flavor doesn't pair off with this. The flavor is quite enoyable and the price is quite reasonable.

Vanilla

Tea: Vanilla
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $6.00 / 4 oz.
Vendor Description: According to the International Ice Cream Association, Vanilla is by far the most popular flavor, getting a full 23% of all ice cream consumption. Inspired by this love of vanilla, Adagio has created Vanilla Tea. Combining the delectable flavor of sweet vanilla beans and premium Ceylon black tea, I'll scream, you'll scream, we'll all scream for... Vanilla tea!

Leaf: The tea consists of Adagio's standard black orthodox tea base. It is quite uniformly black in color and has an aroma like vanilla extract.

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

1st Infusion: As typical for Adagio black teas it has a deep red color. It has a rich black tea aroma. The black aroma masks the vanilla in the aroma. The aroma however is sweet and it almost reminds me of coffee. The flavor is lightly bitter, there is no real vanilla flavor to be found, it's not too bold. It's medium boded and a little bit sharp on the front end. It finishes off with a medium sense of astringency.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This is quite a mundane tea. The flavoring is on the weaker side and the black base is very mundane. It feels like most of the other flavored black teas from Adagio. If you're looking for a rather generic black tea this is a good choice. It's rather inexpensive and has no major faults. It's just lacks anything truly noteworthy.