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January 31, 2005
Lapsang Souchong Imperial
Name: Laspsang Souchong Imperial
Kathy's Rating: 2.0/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $5/50g (~1.8oz)
Tea form: Loose, smoked black tea.
What they say: The Best China Lapsang Souchong we have found yet. Superior in flavor. Very smoky, yet quite mellow.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water onto tea and steep for 4 minutes.
Review: Earlier, I reviewed another Lapsang Souchong here. I thought I'd give this another shot, and see if I would like Lapsang Souchong better this time around.
Well, not really. The infusion still smells horrible. Remember those scratch-and-sniff smelly stickers? This tea smells like the football sticker. Yep, like a fresh rubber skid mark on asphalt in the summertime. The taste was slightly better, but not by a whole lot.
So, what can you infer from my rating for Lapsang Souchong? Only that I personally don't have a taste for it. I'm aware that there are people out there who really like this tea variety. Also, you can infer that Tealuxe's Lapsang Souchong is better than Twinnings, or, as I should put it, the lesser of the two evils.
Posted by Kathy at 10:14 PM | Permalink
January 28, 2005
Dragon Pearl Jasmine
Name: Dragon Pearl Jasmine
Kathy's Rating: 8.0/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $20/50g (~1.8oz)
Tea form: Loose jasmine-scented green leaf in gunpower form
What they say: An extraordinary jasmine tea. Two leaves and a bud scented with the finest jasmine flowers and then tightly rolled into pearl sized balls.
Preparation method: Steep 3 minutes at water temperatures around 180F (below boiling).
Review: A while back, I wrote a review on TenRen's Jasmine Pearl Green Tea, which is the same type of tea as this one from Tealuxe is. I brewed TenRen's blend again along with this new tea so I can do a taste test.
The verdict? There's no difference whatsoever between these two teas. In fact, I don't think I could tell the difference in a blind taste test. Both teas are wonderfully fragrant, although not cloyingly so. I infused both teas for four minutes and there's no bitterness at all. The 'pearl-rolled' leaves even unfurled the same way. I wouldn't be surprised if both of these tea suppliers got this tea from the same source. I rated both teas 8.0/10.0, which is a great score.
That said, when I need to restock on this tea, I will be going to TenRen instead of Tealuxe. Why? TenRen's price is more reasonable. At the price of $26/113.4g (TenRen) vs. $32/100g (Tealuxe), I can see where the better buy is. Please note that in my review of TenRen's Jasmine pearl Green Tea, I have $80/lb as the price. If you go to TenRen's page now, you'll see that the price has gone up. I used the current price (January 2005) rather than the price I had on my older review to make comparisons on these teas.
If Tealuxe's price was higher because of Fair Trade practices, or because it is a certified organic product, I would consider paying more for it. But since the higher price doesn't appear to be the result of those factors, I have a hard time justifying buying this particular tea from them.
Posted by Kathy at 08:18 PM | Permalink
January 27, 2005
Victorian Rose Tea
Name: Victorian Rose Tea
Kathy's Rating: 7.0/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $5/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose China black tea with rose petals.
What they say: China black tea prepared by hand in the traditional 'Congou' method. [Kathy's note: 'Congou' tea is finer quality China black tea, according to this site.] The tea is then naturally flavored by repeated layering with fragrant rose petals. The resulting tea is quite pleasant, smooth drinking and fragrant.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea leaves. Infuse for 4 minutes.
Review: I brewed this tea along with Republic of Tea's Rose Petal Tea. Both are China black teas scented with rose. I was careful to brew both teas with the same water source, and infused both for 3 minutes. I know that Tealuxe recommended 4 minutes, but I like to avoid the bitter taste of tannins by not brewing black teas too long. You can read my review of Rose Petal Tea here if you're interested.
As it turns out, I'm glad I didn't brew this tea for 4 minutes. It was plenty strong at just 3 minutes. So, if you really like strong tea, go ahead and infuse for longer than 3 minutes.
I really liked this tea. The infusion has just the right amount of strength that I expect from a black tea. As I mentioned in my review of Rose Petal Tea, it is important to distinguish clearly between black and green teas. Rose Petal Tea was a bit too lackluster for my tastes. This tea, however, has a bolder taste, which is why I gave it a higher rating than Rose Petal Tea.
Overall, if I'm looking for a rose-scented tea, I'd probably still gravitate to TenRen's Rose Pearl Green Tea. Read that review here. But this tea would be second on my list for when I'm thinking of a zestier rose blend.
Posted by Kathy at 09:45 PM | Permalink
Rose Petal Tea
Name: Rose Petal Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.5/10.0
Company: The Republic of Tea
Origin of tea: China
Price: $10.50/2.8oz (~80g)
Tea form: Loose China black tea with rosebuds and petals.
What they say: Tea for the Queen of Hearts - Royal tea blend has the light spice of delicate, young rose buds & petals atop the sweet fullness of China black tea. This Victorian tradition is perfect served in fine China cups for kings, queens, friends & loved ones.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea. Infuse between 3-5 minutes.
Review: I decided to compare this tea with Tealuxe's Victorian Rose tea. Both teas are loose black teas, scented with rose. I carefully prepared both infusions exactly the same way - same water source and same infusion time. If you are interested, you can see my review on Tealuxe's Victorian Rose tea as well.
Overall, I liked Republic of Tea's Rose Petal tea. The tea itself is visually stunning with full-sized rosebuds. I can see why this tea is seasonal and hard to find at retail stores - it must cost a bit more to process than most other teas Republic of Tea offers. The taste is surprisingly subtle for a black tea. I felt that the black tea base was perhaps a bit too subtle. I say this because I also have a green, rose-scented tea which I enjoy very much, because of its subtle, more vegetal taste. The review for that is here.
For a black tea, the taste should be richer and bolder than this one is. I'm looking for a significantly different taste for those occasions when I need something stronger than green tea. Otherwise, I'll just go back to the green rose-scented tea, which overall, I like the best of all the rose-scented teas.
Posted by Kathy at 09:33 PM | Permalink
January 17, 2005
Organic Silver Needle
Name: Organic Silver Needle
Kathy's Rating: 9.0/10.0
Company: Rishi Tea
Origin of tea: Fujian, China
Price: $25/4oz (113.4g/.25lb)
Tea form: Loose silver needle white tea.
What they say: Organic Silver Needle consists of only the young, silvery down-covered buds harvested in early spring. Silver Needle, known as Bai Hao Yin Zhen, is the most sought after white tea and only harvested for a few days each year in the northern districts of Fujian, China. The white tea bushes of Northern Fujian were domesticated from wild tea trees and exhibit silvery down-covered leaves that have been prized for their medicinal properties for more than 1000 years. Silver Needle has a clear, light golden infusion with a rich flavored body, unique savory aroma and sweet mellow finish.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 4 minutes.
Review: Please see my review of TenRen's Silver Needle white tea for more background information. I prepared TenRen's Silver Needle white tea along with Rishi Tea's Silver Needle in order to cross compare. Both teas are wonderful and of high quality. Rishi Tea's Silver Needle made for a more visually striking infusion in that the buds are longer, larger, and greener, while TenRen's buds were more anemic looking. The taste of Rishi Tea's Silver Needle tea is more vegetal and earthy than sweet and smooth, which is also good in its own respect. It really depends on personal tastes. Personally, I preferred TenRen's Silver Needle just slightly over Rishi Tea's Silver Needle, but think everyone should try both.
Posted by Kathy at 12:15 AM | Permalink
January 16, 2005
White Down Silver Needle
Name: White Down Silver Needle
Kathy's Rating: 9.5/10.0
Company: TenRen
Origin of tea: Fujian, China
Price: $22/4oz (113.4g)
Tea form: Loose silver needle white tea.
What they say: White Tea is grown in the high mountains of Fujian province. Like Green tea, White teas undergo little processing. This purity may be what researchers from Oregon State University report may cause White tea to have a greater concentration of polyphenols than Green tea and therefore may have the strongest anti-cancer potential of all teas. White tea has the sweet aroma of fresh tea leaves and is unique in quality.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 4 minutes.
Review: I didn't start out with a favorable impression of white tea, as my first experience wasn't that great. Over time, I've really come to appreciate white tea, though. In case you're wondering, white tea is actually the buds of the tea plant instead of the leaves, and is not allowed to ferment at all. It's called 'white tea' because the buds have little downy white hairs on them when harvested. Another name for this type of white tea is 'Yin Zhen', which translates to 'Silver Needle'. Today, I prepared TenRen's Silver Needle along with Rishi Tea's Organic Silver Needle, which I will also review.
The results? Both teas were spectacular. TenRen's Silver Needle tasted sweeter and had a smoother aftertaste, which was why it got a slightly higher rating, but really, both teas are star performers. I was careful not to over-infuse the tea, which would have given it a bitter taste.
Posted by Kathy at 11:49 PM | Permalink
January 15, 2005
Origami Mania
I remember going through a hobby stage of origami creation as a kid, and obtaining multiple books with illustrations of folding techniques. The interesting thing is, some books were more well-illustrated than others, so if I couldn't figure out one diagram, another book might be more useful. Anyhow, I thought in this day and age, someone should make a movie of basic fold sequences so that beginners can learn from watching a video instead of looking at still diagrams in books. I didn't find any sites like that, unfortunately.
Some people takes origami very very seriously. It looks like some of them even make a living off of the art. Check out this Alien rendition. Scary, huh? I also really liked Satoshi Kamiya's work, especially the wizard. Note the incredible facial expression details. There's also a neat-looking Yoda constructed out of copper mesh. Yoda's skin is actually colored by verdigris, which cracked me up because I've always thought Yoda was the color of oxidized copper. Of course, I also liked the origami tea set.
Posted by Kathy at 07:05 PM | Permalink
Pear & Green Tea
Name: Pear & Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.0/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: $5/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose green tea flavored with pear.
What they say: This blend is a wonderful marriage of light green tea and pear flavors. Great hot or iced.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 4 minutes.
Review: I'm guessing that this is a sencha green tea flavored with pear. As far as the pear flavoring goes, it wasn't overdone, which is nice. While I didn't think this was a spectacular tea, I didn't dislike it either. If you're a pear fan, you will probably like this tea. In fact, this tea may be even better iced, so if you're one of those people who only like iced tea, give this a try as well. I found some instructions for brewing loose-leaf iced tea here.
Posted by Kathy at 05:53 PM | Permalink
Strawberry Patch
Name: Strawberry Patch
Kathy's Rating: 4.0/10.0
Company: Adagio Teas
Origin of tea: China
Price: $7/5oz (141.7g)
Tea form: Loose bits of berries, rosehip, orange peel, and hibiscus flower.
What they say: A delicious blend of natural fruits and spices that brews up a mouthwatering cup of herbal tea. Entirely caffeine free, it holds a special appeal for kids and sweet-toothed adults. Yet contains no sugar or other sweeteners. The flavor is all natural, emanating from black currants, raspberries, elderberries, bilberries, hibiscus flowers and rosehip peels. Highly addictive; Please proceed with caution!
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea. Steep for 7 minutes.
Review: There's too little strawberry, and too much rosehip in this infusion. The taste was too sour for my liking, although I'll bet that it's high in vitamin C. So, at least I'm getting a dose of vitamin C. Other than that, there's not a lot of positives about this brew. If you like rosehip tea, perhaps this will suit you. I thought the rosehip was a bit overwhelming. If I were to improve this infusion, I would cut back on the rosehip (or get rid of it altogether), and up the amount of strawberries. Perhaps a touch of vanilla or almond will 'sweeten' the tea as well.
Posted by Kathy at 05:15 PM | Permalink
January 14, 2005
Badonkadonk and Other Weird Things to Buy on Amazon
This is really interesting. I wonder how many of these Jawa vehicles NAO Design has actually sold. I can think of at least one friend who should have this vehicle. Yep, it's the friend that once had his truck on cinder blocks (for repairs) in his driveway, for months, until the neighbors complained about it. I wonder what the neighbors would think if the badonkadonk was parked on his driveway one day.
By the way, you can buy the badonkadonk on Amazon.
Speaking of strange things for sale on Amazon, there's this book. Wow, for the price of the book, I could probably go to Bhutan a few times and really experience it. I've always wanted to see some of the Himalayan lands (Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan), so who wants to go?
Posted by Kathy at 09:56 PM | Permalink
January 13, 2005
Syn Ack Labs is a ShmooCon Sponsor
I'd like to announce that Syn Ack Labs is now an official sponsor of the upcoming ShmooCon. This is ShmooCon's debut, and we are very excited about this conference, which will surely rock. Syn Ack Labs members Todd MacDermid, Jack Lloyd, Nash Foster, and I will be presenting CUTLASS at ShmooCon. We're looking forward to being there. Hope to see you there!
Posted by Kathy at 11:47 PM | Permalink
Dragonwell
Name: Dragonwell
Kathy's Rating: 6.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $10/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose green tea.
What they say: A superb grade of Dragonwell tea. One of the most popular grades of tea anywhere. Excellent aroma with a light body make this a desirable green tea.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: Lung Ching (which literally translates to 'lung' - dragon, 'ching' - well) green tea is very famous in Chinese tea history. Probably, most dragonwell tea originates from the West Lake region of China. Back in December I posted a review of TenRen's Dragonwell. Today, I brewed TenRen's Dragonwell again, in order to compare with Tealuxe's Dragonwell.
One thing I noticed when the leaves started unfurling - TenRen Dragonwell tea leaves are less broken than Tealuxe's. In addition, the color of the tea leaves is a nice green for TenRen's Dragonwell, whereas, for Tealuxe's Dragonwell, the leaves are yellowish. The color of the liquid is about the same in both brews. The taste of TenRen's Dragonwell is somewhat more articulate and clean. Tealuxe's Dragonwell tastes a bit muddy, compared to TenRen's Dragonwell. So, that said, I liked both brews, but felt that Tealuxe's Dragonwell was about one point below TenRen's quality rating. Thus, I gave this tea a 6.5/10.0.
Posted by Kathy at 11:28 PM | Permalink
January 12, 2005
Apple Cantata
Name: Apple Cantata
Kathy's Rating: 4.5/10.0
Company: Adagio Teas
Origin of tea: China
Price: $7/5oz (141.7g)
Tea form: Loose bits of dried apple pieces, lemon peels, hibiscus flowers, and other fresh fruits.
What they say: A delicious blend of natural fruits and spices that brews up a mouthwatering cup of herbal tea. Entirely caffeine free, it holds a special appeal for kids and sweet-toothed adults. Yet contains no sugar or other sweeteners. The flavor is all natural, emanating from dried apple pieces, lemon peels, hibiscus flowers, and other fresh fruits. Highly addictive; Please proceed with caution!
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea. Steep for 7 minutes.
Review: This herbal infusion is better than the Dewy Cherry blend I reviewed earlier, in that it's less cloying and sour. I still didn't like this blend very much, though. There's definitely cinnamon added in this blend, which I thought was promising, but in the end, the cinnamon taste was barely discernable. I think Apple Cantata could also use some cloves and possibly, ginger to spice it up a bit. The overall taste just seemed too bland for me.
Posted by Kathy at 09:10 PM | Permalink
Dewy Cherry
Name: Dewy Cherry
Kathy's Rating: 3.5/10.0
Company: Adagio Teas
Origin of tea: China
Price: $7/5oz (141.7g)
Tea form: Loose bits of sour cherries, apples, orange peels, rosehip, and hibiscus flowers.
What they say: A delicious blend of natural fruits and spices that brews up a mouthwatering cup of herbal tea. Entirely caffeine free, it holds a special appeal for kids and sweet-toothed adults. Yet contains no sugar or other sweeteners. The flavor is all natural, emanating from sour cherries, apples, orange peels, rosehip, and hibiscus flowers. Highly addictive; Please proceed with caution!
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea. Steep for 6 minutes.
Review: When I opened the canister containing this herbal mix, I was immediately greeted with the strong fruity scent of cherries. In fact, the scent was so strong, it smelled almost like soap (I'm thinking about the Rose Soap made by Bee & Flower). Uh-oh. The extreme sourness of the taste that couldn't be discerned from the scent manifested itself in the infusion. Double whammy. I just really didn't like this brew. This is a real shame, since I love the concept of Adagio Teas. Despite the fact that I ordered only sample sizes of fourteen different herbal infusions (Adagio's entire herbal repertoire), each sample arrived beautifully contained in the neatest little tin canister (as opposed to a paper bag or envelope). On each tin was a label identifying the tea, as well as the water temperature and time duration to infuse the tea in. How cool is that? No more looking up recommended infusion times and water temperatures on the website while I'm downstairs in the kitchen making tea. No other vendor (so far) is this meticulous about both packaging and being user-friendly. Well, I have another thirteen herbal teas to try. Stay tuned for more Adagio reviews.
Posted by Kathy at 08:12 PM | Permalink
Gyokuro Imperial
Name: Gyokuro Imperial
Kathy's Rating: 8.5/10.0
Company: Teavana
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: $15/2oz (56.7g)
Tea form: Loose gyokuro green tea.
What they say: The finest of Japanese teas, Gyokuro bushes are covered for several weeks before harvest with bamboo or straw shades to increase the chlorophyll content of the leaves. The results of this transformation are the renowned dark green leaves with high concentrations of anti-oxidants, vitamins and amino acids. Celebrated for its emerald green infusion and sweet aftertaste.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: Amongst Japanese green teas, I usually drink sencha, so gyokuro is new to me. That said, I selected a gyokuro from Teavana, and a gyokuro from Tealuxe in order to cross-compare them. This way, I will have a stronger basis for rating the quality of gyokuro green tea (at least from more than one supplier). I was very careful to prepare the two samples exactly the same way. This was done by using the same pot of slightly below boiling water to infuse both teas, and allowing the two teas to infuse for the same amount of time (3 minutes). I really liked this tea. The taste was light and pure, with almost no bitterness. The liquid was clear light green in color, and the tea leaves were a vibrant green, with some of the leaves appearing to be almost completely unbroken (a sign of higher quality leaves). I also reviewed Tealuxe's gyokuro, which I thought was pretty good, but didn't like as much as this one. This tea inspired me to look into trying gyokuro from other suppliers, so stay tuned for more future reviews of gyokuro tea.
Posted by Kathy at 07:21 PM | Permalink
Gyokuro
Name: Gyokuro
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: $10/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose gyokuro green tea.
What they say: A must try for green tea enthusiasts. Literally translated "Jewel Dew," this full body tea offers unparalleled sweetness.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: Amongst Japanese green teas, I usually drink sencha, so gyokuro is new to me. That said, I selected a gyokuro from Teavana, and a gyokuro from Tealuxe in order to cross-compare them. This way, I will have a stronger basis for rating the quality of gyokuro green tea (at least from more than one supplier). I was very careful to prepare the two samples exactly the same way. This was done by using the same pot of slightly below boiling water to infuse both teas, and allowing the two teas to infuse for the same amount of time (3 minutes). Overall, I thought Tealuxe's gyokuro was pretty good. The taste is slightly more bitter and heavier than Teavana's gyokuro, which is why the rating is a bit lower. Interestingly enough, the color of Tealuxe's gyokuro has a slight brownish tinge compared to Teavana's gyokuro. This is probably because Tealuxe's gyokuro tea leaves are smaller overall, and contain more brown than Teavana's gyokuro tea leaves. If you're interested in my rating of Teavana's gyokuro, check it out here.
Posted by Kathy at 07:03 PM | Permalink
January 11, 2005
To Life Blend
Name: To Life Blend
Kathy's Rating: 6.0/10.0
Company: Teavana
Origin of tea: China
Price: $10/2 oz.
Tea form: Loose white and green tea with scented rooibos.
What they say: An invigorating union of red, white, and green teas. combines the aroma of Rooibos Tropica, health benefits of rare Silver Needle and soothing undertone of Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls. Virtually no caffine. Good for multiple infusions.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over leaves and infuse for 2-2.5 minutes.
Review: This is a very interesting blend. Silver needle white tea is very light and mild by itself, but in this case, has been supplemented by jasmine green tea and rooibos scented with orange peel. Actually, I think the bulk of the flavor comes from orange peel. I didn't like this infusion too much, but I should say that I'm not a fan of orange peel flavoring. As far as Teavana's signature blends go, I liked Empress of China much better. However, if you are a fan of orange-scented teas, this tea will likely make you happy.
Posted by Kathy at 09:10 PM | Permalink
Empress of China
Name: Empress of China
Kathy's Rating: 7.0/10.0
Company: Teavana
Origin of tea: China
Price: $4.30/2 oz.
Tea form: Loose guava-scented green and black teas with bits of marigold, violet, and roses.
What they say: A fusion of green and black teas with guava, marigold and violet.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over leaves and infuse for 3-4 minutes.
Review: This has to be one of the most visually stunning tea blends I have ever seen. The marigold, rose, and violet petal colors definitely bring to mind the requisite silk robes of past Chinese empresses. The scent of guava is a bit overpowering, though. Not surprisingly, this was a very fruity tea. I'm not sure guava is the best scent for this tea combination. If I created this, I would have used lychee instead, which would have imparted a slightly sweeter tone to the tea blend. While I have not heard of a Chinese empress who was a big fan of guavas, the lychee fruit was the infamous Yang Gui-Fei's favorite. All in all, this blend was still very enjoyable, and would have rated higher if the guava scent was a bit more subtle.
Posted by Kathy at 06:48 PM | Permalink
January 10, 2005
Ted Chiang's Hell is the Absence of God
I am currently reading science fiction author Ted Chiang's collection of short stories. Today, I read Hell is the Absence of God. I have never read science fiction written by an Asian author before, so I was looking forward to reading some of Chiang's work.
At first, I thought Chiang was proselytizing, which would have made me hate the story. As I read further along in the story, though, I realized that the author is just guiding the reader towards thinking more provocatively about life after death. The existance of angels in the story seemed somewhat surreal to me - I wasn't sure what to make of that. Overall, I thought the story was a bit sad, but interesting.
This story is definitely worth a read, whether you are religious or not.
Posted by Kathy at 09:26 PM | Permalink
China Oolong Restaurant Style
Name: China Oolong Restaurant Style
Kathy's Rating: 5.0/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $5/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose oolong tea
What they say: This organic oolong will remind you of the dark and smooth teas you're served at Chinese restaurants.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea. Steep for 4 minutes.
Review: True to its claim, this tea really does taste like Chinese restaurant tea. Unfortunately, that's not a good thing. This tea was highly fermented - it almost tasted like a black tea. Overall, it lacked the bold characteristic flavor of oolong teas. I thought it was more of a tea to wash dim sum down with rather than to enjoy drinking alone.
Posted by Kathy at 09:11 PM | Permalink
Peachy White
Name: Peachy White
Kathy's Rating: 5.0/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $5/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose peach flavored black tea
What they say: A Tealuxe favorite. Peachy White combines a China black tea base with the natural essence of white peaches. They are just as juicy and aromatic as their yellow sisters, but considerably more sensual and flavorful.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea. Steep for 4 minutes.
Review: I was expecting this to be a white tea with peach flavoring, but it's a black tea with peach flavoring. If you're looking for a great peach-flavored tea, Teavana's Peach Oolong (which I've reviewed) is more likely to knock your socks off than this tea. I know that black tea is not the same as oolong tea, but this tea left an acidic taste that I didn't like, and that made me wish I was drinking Teavana's Peach Oolong instead.
Posted by Kathy at 09:03 PM | Permalink
Tippy Yunnan
Name: Tippy Yunnan
Kathy's Rating: 5.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $10/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose Yunnan black tea
What they say: Yunnan teas have a slightly sweet, spicy and smoky character. This one is quintessential with a full body and golden tippy leaf.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over tea. Steep for 4 minutes.
Review: China's Yunnan region is most famous for two types of tea - Yunnan black tea and pu-erh tea. This tea fits in the black tea category. I thought the taste was very bold, and definitely reminiscent of English breakfast tea. Although I have not reviewed it, Numi Teas makes a better Yunnan black tea than this one (Numi's has a richer taste). Also, given the choice of drinking Yunnan black tea or pu-erh tea, I much prefer the pu-erh tea, one of which I've already reviewed.
Posted by Kathy at 08:47 PM | Permalink
January 09, 2005
The Mother of All Potholes
What happens when the Air Force forgets to issue a NOTAM (notice to airmen)? Bad things. Some work was being done at a military airfield in Iraq on a runway, which left a huge pothole. Apparently, planes landing during the day saw the pothole and avoided it. A C-130 landing at night was not quite so lucky. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but someone's head is going to roll for this. Pictures of the disaster are here.
Posted by Kathy at 08:03 PM | Permalink
Gen-Mai Cha
Name: Gen-Mai Cha
Kathy's Rating: 8.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: $10/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose Japanese green tea with toasted and popped brown rice
What they say: Bright, delicate Kyoto green tea mixed with toasted and popped rice. A visual treat like snow in the springtime. The roasty aroma is from the toasted rice. The flavor is mellow and unique. Sometimes called 'popcorn' tea.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: Gen-Mai Cha (brown rice tea) became popular during WWII, when tea supplies were low. The Japanese added toasted and popped brown rice to green tea in order to conserve on the amount of precious green tea used in each infusion. This turned out to be a savory combination, and Gen-Mai Cha remains popular to this day. The flavor of toasted rice gives this tea a hearty and nutty flavor that retains lightness, all at the same time. I really liked this tea. It reminds me of eating piping hot rice on a cold day. Gen-Mai Cha seems to be the perfect tea for almost any food you may be eating. Do yourself a favor and buy some of this tea. You won't regret it.
Posted by Kathy at 04:00 PM | Permalink
Royal Coconut
Name: Royal Coconut
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $10/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose pouchong oolong tea with coconut flavoring
What they say: Like a sojourn in the South Pacific. Bold pouchong tea flavored with fresh coconut.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: The term 'pouchong' pertains to the class of oolong teas that is the least fermented. This is one of the first (if not the first) flavored pouchong oolong teas that I have tried. The smell of this tea is very potent (mostly coconut) and tastes like a cross between oolong tea and coconut milk. The taste of the coconut is much subtler than I expected, which is a good thing. I rated this tea a 7.5/10.0 because while I liked it, I didn't exactly feel like drinking a second cup either. Overall, I recommend this tea, especially if you're a coconut fan, or if you're a pouchong fan looking for something with a bit more flair.
Posted by Kathy at 03:44 PM | Permalink
January 07, 2005
Strawberry Sencha
Name: Strawberry Sencha
Kathy's Rating: 6.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: $5/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose sencha green tea with bits of strawberries
What they say: Rich Sencha leaf flavored with bits of strawberry and other red fruits. A delicious way to get to know green teas, but be careful, it's habit forming.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: This tea was just a bit bitter, but I expected that from green tea. There's a very distinct strawberry taste which tells me that perhaps extra flavoring has been added. The sencha tea (a type of Japanese green tea) tastes clean and light. I probably would have rated this tea more highly if the strawberry taste was suggested, rather than so 'in my face'. It takes a long time to allow just the dried strawberry pieces to infuse their flavors into the dried tea leaves, so I can understand that adding natural flavors can cut down on that processing time. However, I think the longer process would make the strawberry taste more subtle, and thus, more enjoyable. Overall, this tea was not bad, but even a big strawberry fan like me thought the strawberry taste was a bit overwhelming.
Posted by Kathy at 11:50 PM | Permalink
January 01, 2005
Madagascar Vanilla Red Rooibos Tea
Name: Madagascar Vanilla Red Rooibos Tea
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Celestial Seasonings Teas
Origin of tea: South Africa and Madagascar
Price: ~$3/20 tea bags (42g/1.5oz)
Tea form: Herbal rooibos with vanilla flavoring and vanilla beans.
What they say: With its magnificent fragrance and lush taste, this naturally caffeine-free red tea flavored with real Madagascar vanilla beans resonates with the wonders of Africa.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over sachet. Steep for 4-6 minutes.
Review: Rooibos (pronounced "roy-bus") is an African shrub from which the leaves are used to make this tea. Although rooibos tea is called red tea, it is not naturally caffeinated, nor are the leaves from the traditional tea plant known as 'Camellia sinensis'. In fact, the Chinese sometimes call black tea 'red tea'. This is not to be confused with African red tea, which is more like an herbal tisane. OK, now that I have gotten some of the semantics out of the way, let's move on to the taste. Rooibos tea is pretty mild on its own. I think it needs extra flavoring to give it a stronger character. Celestial Seasonings has done just that by adding a natural vanilla flavor and vanilla beans. I didn't think the vanilla taste was going to be very strong, but it was. I like this tea because it's great to drink before bed - no caffeine. The vanilla taste is very pleasant, and I would even call this tea a 'dessert tea'. I will confess that I have purchased International Delight coffee creamer (French Vanilla flavor) in the past - and drank it straight up. This tea reminds me of the creamer, without the sugar. Very creamy and perfect for before bedtime. I'm giving it a 6.0/10.0 as opposed to a higher score because I think the tea would taste even better if the ingredients were just rooibos and vanilla beans. This would obviously bump up the price of the tea (vanilla beans are costly compared to vanilla flavoring), but I think it would give the tea a richer and more sophisticated taste.
*Revision* (1/7/05)
I have decided to raise the rating for this tea. Initially, I gave it a 6.0/10.0, but now I'm modifying the score to 7.5/10.0. The reason I'm changing the score is because I have been drinking this tea before bedtime for nearly a week now, and it seems unfair not to rate a tea that I consistently drink more highly. I can only imagine that this tea might reach a 10.0 if it was processed as I suggested in the previous comments.
Posted by Kathy at 10:20 PM | Permalink