The Persimmon Tree, Ceylon Black

The Persimmon Tree Description:
Brighten your afternoons and evenings with a cup of Ceylon Black. This loose-leaf black tea is cultivated near the southern slope of Sri Lanka's highest mountain, and brews a bright cup with a flowery and fruity finish. This all-time favorite is wonderful hot or iced.

Sample provided by The Persimmon Tree

My Review:
I have been drinking tea my whole adult life. Ceylon tea is like the granddaddy of teas to me. I've had it a thousand times in breakfast blends and as the base for most flavored black teas, including my beloved Earl Grey. Yet, I don't ever recall drinking it unflavored in a loose leaf cup.

As a base I have always preferred Ceylon because it stands up to flavoring and comes through the mix to be tasted. At a full boil it has quite a nice bite that I always expected in my Earl Grey. I have only recently begun lowering the temperature and discovering it produces a warm mellow cup with out bitterness.

The Persimmon Tree teas come packaged in nice tins that keep the tea fresh for an extended amount of time.

I opened the tin and gave it a whiff. It smells like tea... but then why wouldn't it. This is one of the most popular base teas used. There is a slight tobacco aroma, but yeah, it's tea.

Pouring it out on the plate brings the first surprise. I expected very generic looking black leaf. Instead, this is multicolored, with reds, greens, and browns. It sort of makes me think of Darjeeling in appearance.  The leaf is small lightly twisted pieces.

I brewed the leaf with 195 F water for 3 minutes in my trusty press.

The result is the next surprise. I expected a very dark cup of tea. This is darker than the picture suggests but at coppery orange, this is way lighter than I would have guessed.

The desk seen in the picture is very old, and tiny. It belonged to my grandmother. It's the perfect size for my small den. The Mickey Mouse lamp has been around for decades. I think we bought it for the baby room years ago. I just couldn't trash it or give it away.

Back to tea. This mug of tea is bright and clear with nothing floating in it. The wet leaf plumped up very nicely. The green and red colors stand out even more. I can't recall seeing any leaf that really compares to its appearance.

Next surprise came with the sip. It does have just a small amount of bite but certainly nothing most people would find abrasive. I don't notice any dryness. I fully expected this to be quite drying, so maybe there is a little and I am not detecting it based on what I imagined.

This is not malty. I notice I am having more trouble describing what it is than what it isn't. It is fruity. Somewhat floral. There is a touch of woodsy, earthy, leafiness.

I fully thought based on prior experience that this would be a stout, brisk, morning wake me up tea. Instead this is a nice, mellow, fruity, afternoon cuppa. I'm not sensing a huge caffeine buzz.

Later I intend to boil the time out of this until I have a dark, bitter, grab you by the throat cup, just so I can point and say, "Aha! I told you so." Until then Mickey and I think this is a delightful afternoon tea.

You can find Ceylon Black here.

Teavivre, Strawberry Oolong

Sample Bag

Teavivre Description:
The dry tea of this Strawberry Oolong Tea has strong sweet strawberry fragrance. By mixing natural extractives from strawberry with Oolong Tea, this tea tastes sweet-sour as well as smooth and mellow. The brisk and fresh feeling of this tea makes it suitable for summer drinking.

Price: $8.90/100g

My Review:
There is no question that Teavivre is one of my favorite tea providers. Their teas are generally excellent and the service is top notch. So it is with much enthusiasm that I'm reviewing the Strawberry Oolong I ordered during a recent purchase.

Yummy Strawberry Aroma

I find the label on Teavivre's samples a little difficult to read. The font is tiny and my eyes are old - not a good combination. In fairness, the labels used to be huge and contained every bit of information one might want to know from where and when the tea was harvested, to steeping instructions. Feedback from people concerned about excessive environmental waste prompted the change. I can adjust.

Opening the sample I catch a delicious strawberry aroma. The leaf is tightly wound pellets with stems projecting. Some are very dark while others are a light green.

I placed the nuggets into the press and added water heated to 212 F! That's what the label says. I steeped for four minutes. The range is a wide 3 to 8 minutes.

Welcome To The Jungle

The result is huge green leaves floating in the press. Some float high in the water and most stay low covering the bottom like the jungle floor.

As I began to pour I could smell fresh green oolong. Nice in itself but I was concerned about the strawberry. Where did it go?

Not to worry. As I pulled the top of the press the strawberry aroma poured out to greet me.

The mug is bright yellow, clear and bright. As the liquor cools it turns more of a golden shade.

Liquid Sunshine

At a four minute steep, I thought this would be very strong. My normal steep is maybe two minutes. Instead it is a lighter, far more delicate cup, than expected. This, as Teavivre states, is smooth and mellow.

The main flavor is strawberry. It is not a candy type flavor but not as tart as biting into the real thing. They have gone very easy on the natural 'extractives' and produced a light refreshing cup. I do taste the oolong as well. That doesn't always happen with flavored teas. The oolong tastes fresh, green, and light.

The light hand on the flavoring of this tea has been done intentionally. As found on the product page  - Talking about the making of this Strawberry Oolong Tea, the natural extractives from strawberry are added after the Oolong tea is made, in order to keep the original flavor of Oolong tea, and ensure that both the strawberry fragrance and Oolong tea’s unique flavor can be tasted. 

This is an adult take on strawberry oolong. If you are looking to relive the flavor blast from your childhood Strawberry Kool-Aid days, you might well be disappointed. If you add sweetener in hopes of boosting it into that childlike drink, you will not get what you are seeking. In fact I found sweetener actually detracted from the natural refreshing nature of this tea.

I might also add - the cooler the cup gets the more fragrant the strawberry becomes. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

I waited until fall weather to try this tea. It would have been perfect for an iced drink in the summer heat. Instead, I will use it as liquid sunshine to make the coming chill a little more bearable.

You can find Teavivre Strawberry Oolong tea here.

What-Cha, Nepal 2nd Flush 2014 Silver Needle White Tea

10g Sample Bag

What-Cha Description:
Another great Silver Needle with all the characteristics normally associated with the best Silver Needles; a strong fresh aroma and delicate taste of fruit along with the distinctive apricot finish associated with Nepali teas.

Silver Needle Tea is made purely from the youngest tea buds and has to be carefully selected and picked by hand.  As a result of being so labour intensive, only limited amounts are produced each year and the tea commands a very high price.

We are proud to source all our Nepali teas direct from Greenland Organic Farm, who is very much at the forefront of a burgeoning Nepali tea industry dedicated to producing high quality artisanal teas. Greenland Organic Farm is a completely pesticide and chemical free farm dedicated to producing tea in an ethical and fair manner. Greenland Organic Farm is located in East Nepal in the shadows of Mt. Kancghenjunga at an altitude of 3,000m.

Sample provided by What-Cha Tea Redefined

Beautiful Fragrant Leaf

My Review:
I have had a bit of a rough tea day so far. It started at breakfast when our Saturday morning spot didn't have any tea. How does that even happen? Later, I ordered a green tea frappuccino at Starbucks only to be given the most sickeningly sweet syrup overload drink. I know they would have made it right but they were so busy I just accepted it. Now at home I have cast a threatening eye upon this innocent victim... er, tea, and have warned it had better not disappoint. The tea has not flinched.

What-Cha packs its samples in two different sized bags depending on how fluffy the leaves. Both contain 10g. One is nearly twice the size of the other. Bravo What-Cha! Also thank you for the simple label with brewing instructions and the resealable bag.

A Lightly Colored Liquor

Opening the bag I can smell sweet grassy hay, with some malt, and a hint of fruit. Nice. Removing a third of the sample for steeping, I get my first look at this beautiful leaf. White fuzzy leaves with some tan and hints of green. Simply gorgeous.

I could gaze on it forever... or I could put it into the press and add water heated to 80 C (176 F) for 2 1/2 minutes.

The result is a very lightly colored yellow liquor that is clear and bright. The white fuzzy buds are now alive and green. The wet leaf scent reminds me of fresh bread. My day is certainly improving.

It certainly looks beautiful and smells wonderful. Is the taste going to delight or be too subtle to enjoy?

Picking up the cup and taking my first sip confirms my speculation that this was going to be an exceptional tea. It is seriously good.

My first taste is very smooth and a mix of malt trailing into fresh hay. There is zero bitterness or bite. I am noticing no dryness associated with astringency. It does feel a little mineral at the very beginning of the sip and again at the end. Late in the sip I catch hints of melon or cucumber and the suggestion of fruit. What-Cha calls it apricot.

The aftertaste is fresh and clean with a lingering mix of hay and malt.

Yes, the flavors are more subtle compared to the usual black tea standards, but if you love a good white tea, this is a must try. To my personal tastes this is a superb white tea.

You can find Nepal 2nd Flush 2014 Silver Needle White Tea here.

The Secret Garden Tea Company, Buckingham Palace

The Secret Garden Tea Company Description:
One of our bestsellers! Earl Grey (citrusy bergamot and black tea), paired with fragrant Jasmine flowers. The result is divine. We offer this blend in honor of Henry McLaren.

Ingredients: Black tea, green tea, cornflower and jasmine petals, natural flavors.

100g (3.5 oz.): $10.25

Sample provided by The Secret Garden Tea Company

My Review:
This is an interesting idea, combining Earl Grey black tea with Jasmine green tea. I love them both when they are well executed. Putting them together could be exciting. I can't wait to get a cup brewing and see what happens.

The sample bag looks like paper but it has an aluminum interior. The top of the sample does not have a ziploc seal. Instead it is folded over and secured with a decorative seal. I have tea from many companies that have a similar system. For samples and larger quantities that you know you will use quickly, this works fine. If, like me, you have a hundred different teas, you will want to move larger quantities to a tin for proper storage.

Opening the bag, I  can smell Earl Grey - a combination of black tea and bergamot. At this point I am not detecting the jasmine. The black tea leaf dominates the mix but the eye is drawn to the pretty blue cornflower petals. Looking closer I notice the green tea leaf pieces and even some white petals that I assume are jasmine.

I put the sample in the press and debated what to do with the water. There are no steeping instructions on the label. Generally, I find black tea works well from 195 F to boiling. Green tea usually requires cooler water. I often use 185 F. So, I decided to shoot for the middle at 190 F. I steeped for 2 1/2 minutes.

The result is an orange/red cup of tea. It is clear and bright. The wet leaf has gorged itself. The green leaf really stands out now. The cornflower and jasmine disappear and you have to search for them.

This has nothing to do with the tea but I finally realized the darker shadow in my cup pictures is a shadow reflection of my hands holding the camera. I am going to have to work on the lighting.

The aroma is strong. I may have overdone the leaf. Yeah, this is really strong and kind of bitter. One tsp per 8 oz would have been enough. I may have used closer to 2 tsp (who am I kidding, 'may have', I definitely over-leafed!).

I believe this to be a blend of Ceylon, Assam, and Kenyan teas. It is earthy, and woodsy, with a solid bite. I am really not tasting much else, except the faintest hints of bergamot. I kind of sense the jasmine in the aftertaste.

I prepared a second cup with way less leaf and 200 F water. This took away the bitterness. It still seems I am tasting the black teas with only slight hints of flavor from the citrus and jasmine. The more the cup cools, the stronger the hints.

Other reviews I've read comment on how floral this tea tastes. Either, my sample is faulty or my expectation of floral is too high.

As a black tea blend with undertones of citrus and floral, this is a nice morning wake up tea. I personally was left craving a stronger presence of both to meet my preconceived image of this blend.

As I was writing this review I got word that The Secret Garden Tea Company has just lowered its shipping to a $7 flat rate. That is a reasonable fee, especially in Canada, and similar to what I pay for other companies in the US.

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Update: I purposely set a half mug aside until it was stone cold. It was really tasty this way. The notes of bergamot and jasmine were still light but much more noticeable. Very much my preferred method of sipping this one at the moment.

You can find Buckingham Palace here.

What-Cha, Nepal Second Flush 2014 Dew Drops Green Tea

What-Cha Description:
A refreshing green tea resembling dew drops, with a great citrus nose and wonderful fresh grass taste.

We are proud to source all our Nepal teas direct from Greenland Organic Farm, who are very much at the forefront of a burgeoning Nepali tea industry dedicated to producing high quality artisanal teas. Greenland Organic Farm are completely pesticide and chemical free farm dedicated to producing tea in an ethical and fair manner. Greenland Organic Farm is located in East Nepal in the shadows of Mt. Kancghenjunga at an altitude of 3,000m.

Sample provided by What-Cha

My Review:
Good grief, where did summer go? We are still enjoying warm days and sunshine, but the cool nights are bringing lots of color to the trees. Oh well, that just means we will soon be drinking a lot more hot steamy cups of tea.

Today I am reviewing a green tea from the mountains of Nepal. As always the sample is well packed in a resealable silver pouch. The label is simple, clear, and well thought out.

First impression comes with inhaling the aroma from the open bag. It has a light pleasant grassiness. The leaf itself is rolled into little balls. They are larger than gunpowder green but smaller than most tieguanyin I have seen. The pellets are dark green. There are also a few twisted loops of leaf.

Using the press and water heated to the recommended 75 C (167 F) the leaf was steeped for 2 1/2 minutes. Recommended time is 2 - 3 minutes.

The result is a yellow cup. It was nice and clear until I added the last few drops of liquid from the press without a strainer. That brought with it a little cloudy silt.

The wet leaf has a steamed vegetal aroma. The leaf is partially relaxed. The appearance surprises me a little as it is a lot more shredded looking than I expected. I have to remind myself this is Nepali tea and not Chinese. Steeped, the leaf pieces have become fresh and green.

The taste is crisp, clean, and refreshing. It is grassy with a neat sharpness throughout the sip. It is the sort of good bitter that I like. There is no doubt when you taste, this is green tea.

I notice the insides of my cheeks tingle and the grassy taste lingers long after the tea is swallowed.

This seems more savory than sweet to my tastes. I have a major sweet tooth so you may disagree. For science only, I added some sweetener ;) My opinion is this doesn't need sweetener and is not particularly improved by adding it. The addition, however, did make the citrus note mentioned in the company description obvious to me. I was tasting it before but not recognizing it as such. It also added an earthy woods note under the flavors early in the sip.


The second cup is a more cloudy than the first, and I did use the strainer for the entire cup. The color is similar to the first. The leaf now has more of a marine scent.

The taste is less grassy and more earthy, leaning towards mineral and mushroom. There is plenty of flavor in the cup, it is just a lot different than the first. I am not noticing the bite of the first cup and the cheek tingle is substantially reduced.

I personally relate better to the flavors of the first cup, though both were easily drinkable.

You can find Nepal Second Flush 2014 Dew Drops Green Tea here.

The Persimmon Tree, Jasmine Pearls Green Tea

Jasmine Pearls!

The Persimmon Tree Description:
Our exquisite Jasmine Pearls green tea comprises young, green tea leaves infused with fragrant jasmine blossoms and hand-rolled into beautiful pearls. As they steep the leaves unfurl to give you a smooth, delicately sweet infusion with the most divine aroma.

Sample provided by The Persimmon Tree

My Review:
The Persimmon Tree packs all their teas in these round tins. When I received this month's package, the postal service had wreaked havoc upon it. This tin was slightly smashed on the backside. I should have documented this with pictures but at the time my only thought was to check on the tea inside. It was fine. A little reshaping of the tin and everything seems to be sealed.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, I used to hate jasmine tea back in my tea bag days. The problem, apparently, was because what I had tried was jasmine flavored (probably not even natural flavor) rather than jasmine scented. With better quality tea, jasmine petals are added to the leaf for a period of time and then removed. Tea naturally absorbs odors, good or bad. In this case it is a beautiful thing when done correctly.

Dry Pearls

After reshaping the tin, I removed a scoop for examination.  These are about a 1/4" in diameter. They appear fairly even in size and tightly rolled. It would benefit us to take a moment to appreciate the artistry involved in growing and processing the tea we drink. For instance,with this one each individual pearl is formed by hand-rolling the leaf. Good tea is more than just a drink.

The pearls have a light jasmine scent that is vaguely grape like to my senses. I added the scoop of pearls to water heated to 175 F and steeped it in my press for 4 minutes per instructions.

The resulting liquor is slightly cloudy when very hot but clears as it cools a little. It is a brassy sort of dark golden in color. The scent is pleasant and is not overpowering, perfume, or soapy.

Yum

I have a mountain of leaf in the bottom of my press. Yeah, I might have used a little too many pearls. The expanded leaf reveals mostly intact leaf. I see some that are two leaves and a bud joined to the stem. This is a little pricier than many of The Persimmon Tree's offerings and I think this is reflected in the leaf.

The taste is like the scent. It is lightly floral and yet it reminds me of Grape Nehi soda. I know that is crazy and I almost never hear anyone else compare jasmine to grape, much less Grape Nehi, but I call 'em like I taste 'em. Most reviews I've read mention honeysuckle. Well, sort of, but I live in the country surrounded by wild honeysuckle and tea never really brings this image to my mind.

I am noticing the tea leaf really comes through in the aftertaste.

After tasting, I added sweetener (don't shoot!). Of course jasmine is fairly sweet on its own so give it a try sans additions first. Jasmine will take sweetening well if you have a really sweet tooth.

Abundant Wet Leaf

This is a little drying and has just a touch of bitterness. I suspect this may be due to my using a few too many pearls, or possibly the length of the steep.

I find neither the dryness nor bitterness in the first cup to be strong or detracting. I mention it only for those who are super sensitive.

Now, purely for the purposes of research (a-hem), I steeped the second cup with the same leaf for two minutes. The liquor is much more yellow in color.

In this cup I am not noticing any bitterness or dryness. I also find the flavor to be much less, well, intense. Personally, I like the taste of the longer steep. If reducing the number of pearls doesn't result in a perfect cup for you, a good compromise might be to hold the first steep to 2 1/2 minutes and the second at around 3 minutes or more. Always be willing to adjust the brewing parameters to your own tastes.

This is a solid Jasmine Pearls offering. Its naturally scented, and is flavorful without being overwhelming.

You can find Jasmine Pearls Green Tea here.

10% of The Persimmon Tree's profits will be donated to the Project HOPE School Foundation.

The Secret Garden Tea Company, Children's Hospital Vanilla Black Tea

Sample Packaging

The Secret Garden Tea Company Description:
A playful blend of  baby rosebuds, vanilla, and bergamot that reminds us of childhood tea parties. Proceeds go to BC Children’s Hospital.

Ingredients:
Black tea, rosehip pieces, rose petals, blackberry leaves, natural flavors.

Sample provided by The Secret Garden Tea Company

My Review:
The Secret Garden Tea Company is located in Vancouver Canada. Having successfully run a small tearoom since 1995, they have just ventured into online tea sales. That's where The Everyday Tea Blog comes in. I was asked if I would like to review samples of their offerings. Well, of course I would!

Pretty Leaf

The samples are of very generous size. The bag is a paper exterior with an aluminum interior. To close you fold over the top and restick the seal. The label as you can see has the tea type handwritten. There are no steeping instructions. These can be found in their FAQ section on the website.

The leaf itself is quite colorful and highly aromatic. Rose petals, rosehip, and blue cornflower petals are mixed with the black tea leaves. The aroma is unmistakably rose with less obvious bergamot notes underneath. I am note really able to pick out the vanilla at this time.

Dark spot in the center is a reflection

I used about 3 g (1 1/2 tsp) of leaf with 10 oz of water heated to 205 F. The website calls for boiling. I let it steep for 4 minutes. The result is a bright red/orange cup. The liquor is nicely clear. The aroma is much like the scent of the dry leaf. I am impressed by how much the wet leaf has expanded. I never expected it, so this is a happy surprise.

Taking my first sip, I can tell you, if you don't like rose this may not be the cup for you. It is not perfume water but it is definitely rose.

I can also not so much taste the vanilla as feel its affect on the cup. It just feels creamy. By the name I expected vanilla to be the primary note. I am not too upset that it is not. I quite like it when the vanilla stays back out of the spotlight.

The bergamot is very hard to detect. It comes under the rose to give it fullness. I have never thought of bergamot being used in a support role. It handles the chore well.

The black tea base only makes its presence certain occasionally, and then for mere brief moments. I think I can detect it all the time but at the same time I'm never really sure. It is smooth with no bitterness. This is slightly drying, yet not in a bad way.

Wet Leaf

This was the first tea that I chose from their varied webstore selections. What caught my eye, and makes this blend special, is stated in their product description. All the proceeds from sales go to the BC Children’s Hospital.

Canadian shipping rates are pretty outrageous and that may make it difficult for The Secret Garden Tea Company to develop a big web presence. If the shipping doesn't scare you off, then pick up some of this, if for no other reason than because the cause it supports is worthy.

I have only recently begun to appreciate rose scented teas. I had several cups of this one and enjoyed them all.

You can find Children's Hospital Vanilla Black Tea here.