February 21, 2005
Jasmine Chur Shi Estate
Name: Jasmine Chur Shi Estate
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Teavana
Origin of tea: China
Price: $4/2 oz.
Tea form: Loose green tea scented with jasmine blossoms.
What they say: Chinese green tea flavored with jasmine oil and flower petals.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over leaves and infuse for 2 - 2.5 minutes.
Review: I am partial to jasmine green teas, and this is a very good tea to try. The taste is clean, with strong floral notes. Be careful not to oversteep, as this tea can turn bitter when infused too long. However, I still prefer the 'pearl' formed jasmine teas over the broken leaf forms. This tea included jasmine flower blossoms, which is very unusual. The traditional method of processing calls for picking the tea leaves out of the blossoms rather than leaving the blossoms in the leaf mixture. Overall, though, I liked this tea quite a bit, and would recommend it to anyone.
Posted by Kathy at 07:27 PM | Permalink
February 17, 2005
Yin-Hao Special Grade Jasmine
Name: Yin-Hao Special Grade Jasmine
Kathy's Rating: 7.0/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $10/50g (~1.8oz)
Tea form: Loose jasmine scented green tea.
What they say: The choicest of the standard grades of Jasmine tea. Delicate flavor with a natural sweetness that is enhanced by the subtle aroma of the finest Jasmine flowers.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water onto tea and steep for 3 minutes.
Review: There are so many jasmine teas out there that I should try and clarify for tea newbies. First of all, most Chinese jasmine teas are green tea based. There are some black tea based jasmine teas, but the greens are the most well-known. Among green jasmine teas, there are the rolled gunpowder (or pearl) forms, and there are the loose-leaf forms. The loose-leaf form can vary from higher quality whole or near-whole leaves to lower-quality broken pieces of leaves.
This jasmine green tea falls in the loose-leaf form category. If you order jasmine green tea in a Chinese restaurant, you'll likely get this type of tea, assuming you get loose tea and not teabags. To me, there's a comforting sense about this tea, because it evokes memories of dimsum feasts. How does this tea rank? Pretty well, although definitely not up to the quality of pearl jasmine green teas. The jasmine scent isn't quite as intense or multi-dimensional as I'd like, but it's fairly decent, which is why I gave it a 7.0/10.0. If you're interested in pearl jasmine green teas, check out my TenRen review or Tealuxe review on them. They're both equally good, if not equally priced.
Posted by Kathy at 07:51 PM | Permalink
February 02, 2005
Young Hyson
Name: Young Hyson
Kathy's Rating: 5.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: China
Price: $5/50g (~1.8oz)
Tea form: Loose green tea.
What they say: China green tea with a natural plum-like sweetness. Steep only about two minutes.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water onto tea and steep for 4 minutes.
Review: Supposedly, this is a popular Chinese green tea. The "young" part of the tea moniker is due to the fact that the leaves are picked before the spring rainy season. Regular Hyson - as opposed to Young Hyson - is considered to be inferior in quality.
I thought this was a rather mediocre tea. It's fairly bold for a green tea, but not in an impressive way. If just seemed to me like this is a bold tea that falls flat on its face in terms of taste. In terms of Chinese green teas, Dragonwell has so much more character than Young Hyson. If you're interested, I even have a couple of reviews on Dragonwell here and here.
Posted by Kathy at 09:54 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 15, 2005
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
January 13, 2005
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
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 09, 2005
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
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
December 25, 2004
Dragon Well Green Tea
Name: Dragon Well Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Ten Ren
Origin of tea: China
Price: ~$10/4oz (113.4g)
Tea form: Loose green tea
What they say: Ten Ren's First Grade Dragon Well is a good Dragon Well Green tea. This grade uses tender tea leaves picked during spring.
Preparation method: A steeping time of 1 to 2 minutes with about 70°C/160°F water is recommended, with an additional 15 seconds for each successive infusion. Use about 1 tablespoon (3 grams) of tea leaves for about every 5 ounces (150 ml) of water.
Review: 'Dragon Well' is a special name for green tea that originates from the West Lake area of Hangzhou, China. Compared to other green tea varieties, Dragon Well is more full-bodied and complex than most. However, in keeping with the character of green tea, it is still mild compared with say, black teas. This tea almost imparts a taste of the Chinese mung bean - which is used to make desserts such as ice cream and sweet fillings for buns.
My sister-in-law told me an amusing story about Dragon Well tea. She was part of a tour group in China visiting the West Lake region, and their Chinese tour guide warned them about buying Dragon Well tea from the vendors in the area. The warning was that some unscrupulous vendors may pick leaves off of the willow trees nearby, and sell them as Dragon Well green tea. But, the tourists could be spared of such an experience by only buying the tea from a specific factory that the tour guide will take them to. It turns out that the tour guide gets a hefty commission from the factory for bringing all the tourists to buy tea there.
Posted by Kathy at 03:43 PM | Permalink
December 21, 2004
Spring Cherry Green Tea
Name: Spring Cherry Tea
Kathy's Rating: 4.5/10.0
Company: The Republic of Tea
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: ~$10/3 oz (85g)
Tea form: Loose tea with Japanese sencha leaves, rose petals, and paklum flowers.
What they say: Beginner"s Mind Tea--The fresh essence of cherries and sweet taste of sencha leaves is welcoming introduction to green tea. Rose petals and white paklum (rare, white tea buds) add a sweet, floral note.
Preparation method: Steep 2-4 minutes at water temperature slightly below boiling.
Review: This tea blend smells faintly of cherry preserves, and evokes a feeling of hanami - the Japanese word for cherry blossom viewing. I knew this was going to be a pleasant tea. This tea is acceptable if you are looking for a simple green tea taste with something extra. I disagree that this is a beginner's tea - try a plain green tea first so you can fully appreciate the moderately floral tones of this tea. This is not a very high quality enhanced (scented) green tea. To me, this tea tasted like there's flavoring added in to cut the costs of relying solely on fruit and flowers to scent the tea. Although added flavoring brings the cost of production down, it really cheapens the taste of the tea. If you are interested in some references, I have a couple of high quality enhanced green tea reviews here, and here. This tea was still fun to drink, though. I drank it while reading a book.
Posted by Kathy at 08:32 PM | Permalink
December 09, 2004
Chinese Flower Green Tea
Name: Chinese Flower Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.0/10.0
Company: Harney & Sons Teas
Origin of tea: Unknown
Price: ~$3.50/5 sachets (.27oz)
Tea form: Loose flower and green tea bits in silken sachets
What they say: A beautiful blend of green teas and three types of flowers accented with citrus flavors.
Preparation method: Use slightly below boiling water and pour over sachet. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: I love green tea when it's grey, cold, and rainy outside. This is definitely that kind of day. Chinese Flower Green Tea is probably not Chinese at all, but it's pleasant anyway. Since Harney and Sons Tea Company did not disclose the blend ingredients, I'm making a guess here. It looks like there are some rose petals, cornflower petals, and chamomile bits in the bags - in addition to the orange zest and green tea, of course. This tea is a decent blend. Overall, the tea is flowery and delicate, which has a relaxing effect, and the orange zest keeps it interesting. I wish this tea was slightly more flavorful - delicate doesn't have to mean flat. I'm thinking of a particular jasmine (now, that's a real Chinese flower) tea here, which I reviewed.
Posted by Kathy at 06:42 PM | Permalink
December 06, 2004
Envy Organic Green Tea
Name: Envy Organic Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.0/10.0
Company: Tazo
Origin of tea: China
Price: ~$5/20 filterbags
Tea form: Shredded organic green tea leaves in bags
What they say: A floral, somewhat nutty blend of organic green teas from the misty mountains of Southwestern China.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea bag and infuse for 3 minutes.
Review: To me, green tea has always been about pureness and relaxation. Sometimes, though, there's too much pesticides and other chemicals in the tea leaves, which makes it an unpleasant tea drinking experience. I was happy to see that Tazo Envy green tea is certified organic. In my experience, the organic teas have always been some of the best tasting ones. This tea is no exception to that experience - compared to other green teas in the same price range. When I compare this tea to finer, more expensive green teas, though, the taste is somewhat bland. I suspect this is because the leaves here are not first grade (the season's first picking). But, what can you expect when you pay ~$5 for 20 bags? Although Tazo says there's a 'nutty' taste to the tea, I didn't think so. It's more of a delicate, clean taste to me. I'd say that at the bargain price, this green tea is the best bang for your buck. It is also the tea you can drink everyday without feeling the need to 'save' it for special occasions, so drink up!
Posted by Kathy at 07:38 PM | Permalink
November 14, 2004
PanAsia Green Tea
Name: PanAsia Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.5/10.0
Company: Harney & Sons Teas
Origin of tea: Japan and China
Price: ~$3.50/5 sachets (.27oz)
Tea form: Loose bancha green tea and chrysanthemum in silken sachets
What they say: A delightful blend of Japanese Bancha and big white chrysanthemum flowers from China create a light, clean tasting delight.
Preparation method: Use slightly below boiling water and pour over sachet. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: This tea is an interesting blend of Japanese bancha - coarse tea - and chrysanthemum flowers. I have had just bancha tea or just chrysanthemum tea before, but not both in the same infusion. The taste of the green tea is much stronger than the chrysanthemum - I could barely taste the chrysanthemum notes. The overall taste is like drinking a light green tea, which is very good if you're in a contemplative mood or just want to relax. I think this tea would be even better if the chrysanthemum taste was stronger (by adding more chrysanthemum flowers, not by adding flavoring), which is why this tea was not rated higher than its current 6.5/10.0.
Posted by Kathy at 09:43 PM | Permalink
June 04, 2004
Rose Pearl Green Tea
Name: Rose Pearl Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 8.5/10.0
Company: Ten Ren
Origin of tea: China
Price: $144/lb (16oz)
Tea form: Rolled green tea pearls with loose rose petals throughout.
What they say: When steeped, these leaves unroll and produce a tea with a pronounced rose aroma with a fresh green tea undertone, a refreshing sweet rose taste, and a pleasing long lasting floral aftertaste. The hue of this tea is a light peach color.
Preparation method: Steep 3-5 minutes at water temperatures around 160-180F (70-80C).
Review: Ever since I can remember, my father, who first introduced me to the wonderful world of tea, has told me that "real" tea enthusiasts do not drink floral scented teas. I did not understand why, and would quite often ask him to explain what he meant. He would always give me the same response with a sigh - "those who truly understand the principle of drinking tea do not drink flavored tea". This mantra has been bound into my psyche over the years, and so it is with this in mind that I evaluate this tea. The truth is, I enjoy drinking flavored teas. Not the fruit flavored ones, which I find far too tart for my tastes, but the full-bodied floral teas. Admittedly, the floral teas must be well-made - there were several instances in which the tea was artificially flavored with chemicals - and must maintain the flavor of the base tea leaf, be it green tea, or black tea. In other words, the floral essence should just enhance the taste of the base tea, not mask it in a cloying manner. This enhancement is what Ten Ren has achieved. With each sip of Ten Ren's Rose Pearl Green Tea, I get the sense that I am drinking good green tea, just with the subtle aroma of roses. The overall aftertaste is smooth with no bitterness, and truly enjoyable. My dad is old-school in terms of tea drinking, and I think he's missing out. However, I seem to remember that he'll make chrysanthemum tea for me whenever I have a throat cold. So, go figure.
Posted by Kathy at 10:08 PM | Permalink
June 02, 2004
Pearl Jasmine Green Tea
Name: Pearl Jasmine Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 8.0/10.0
Company: Ten Ren
Origin of tea: China
Price: ~$80/lb (16oz)
Tea form: Loose leaf in gunpower form
What they say: When steeped, these leaves unroll and produce a tea with a pronounced floral and fresh green tea scent, a full-bodied refreshing sweet taste, and a pleasing long lasting floral aftertaste. The hue of this tea is a light peach color.
Preparation method: Steep 3-5 minutes at water temperatures around 160-180F (70-80C).
Review: This is probably the best jasmine tea I have ever tried. The leaves are beautifully rolled into "pearl" form. The taste is smooth with very little bitterness. A pleasant jasmine aftertaste is present following the initial note. The leaves were high quality so that they could be used for two cups of tea, although after the second cup, the taste started to fade significantly.
Note: Updated January 2005 - I reviewed Tealuxe's Dragon Pearl Jasmine, which is the same tea as this one. If you're interested here's the review.
Posted by Kathy at 10:00 PM | Permalink