Tea Temptations, Ginger Apricot

Tea Temptations Description:
Ceylon Apricot flavored tea with Ginger pieces.

My Review:
A sample of this tea was included in a recent order from Tea Temptations. This company has been reviewed many times on The Everyday Tea Blog, but under the name Empire Tea Services. Tea Temptations is the retail side of the business and Empire Tea Services is the wholesale. This company is located in Southern Indiana and is a couple hours drive from my home. They remain the only local establishment I am aware of that actually blends their own teas. Once or twice a year I visit the warehouse and so I only recently realized the two names involved.

Opening the sample, the leaf looks very much like the picture. The Ceylon tea leaf is very dark and healthy looking. The ginger takes two forms. One is little cream colored nuggets, the other is like tiny dried planty hairs. The tea is flavored with apricot. The dry leaf scent is nicely apricot. At this point I am not sure I am smelling the ginger.

I used about 3 g in my press with 212 F water. The steep time was 3 minutes. The brew is kind of cloudy and a deep muddy orange. It looks a bit like fresh apple cider. Of course the apricot aroma tells you it is quite something else.

Sipping, the apricot steps down allowing the spiciness of the ginger to come into play. Neither flavor is overly strong. The ginger adds a depth of warmth along with its spicy notes that builds under the apricot. My mouth is filled with a tingling glow long after swallowing. The Ceylon base is the least noticeable element. It is there but is mostly filling in any voids in the profile. Usually Ceylon adds bite and that may be the case here though it is not apparent as it is mixing with the ginger.

I have never encountered this combination before. Though I think the quality is high enough, it is is not something I would order for my self. Their Peach Apricot is much more to my liking.

Visit Tea Temptations online.

Empire Tea Services, De-caffeinated Dakota Sunset

Empire Tea Services Description:
Chocolate Hazelnut flavored black tea with chocolate bits.

Price: $10.00/3.5oz (100g) or $0.20/serving @ 2g

I took the photo myself. Any advice on how to get a clearer image with a pocket digital is much appreciated.

My Review:
This comes from one of only two tea shops within driving distance of my home (The other is a Teavana). My wife and I recently visited their warehouse and she picked up this tea. It is not on their website, so I don't know if they blended this on the spot especially for my wife or just don't have it listed. They do sell a Dakota Sunset, but this is a decaffeinated version. It is black decaf Ceylon tea, chocolate nibs, and hazelnut.

I  prepared this in a mug using microwaved water - never my favorite way of brewing. A Finum basket was used to hold the leaf. The leaf is finely cut and dark. You can spot either the chocolate or hazelnut in the mix - or maybe it's both.

I can't recall if I have had a hazelnut tea before. I imagine I would not forget as this loose tea has a very unusual aroma. The best description I can think of makes it sound just wrong - the tea smells kind of like gym socks. See, I told you. My wife agrees but she loves the taste. She finds it a very relaxing late evening sip. I have to agree.

My wife is the experienced one with this tea. Her advice is don't over steep it or it will get bitter. She routinely steeps this 6 times! I like my tea more stout and manly, so I don't know if I could get that many cups out of it. Usually three is about my limit with Ceylons.

The taste is lovely, smooth, and relaxing. It is mostly a light hazelnut flavor. The chocolate is a quiet background note. The tea base I find difficult to single out. It is really like the three ingredients meld together into one. Steeped correctly there is no bitterness. It is a bit drying but honestly, I kind of like that in a tea. This is a nice simple tea for our quiet evenings. Just what we wanted.

Visit Empire Tea Services on the web.

Empire Tea Services, Earl Grey Supreme

Empire Tea Services Description:
A blend of Ceylon teas, Bergamot flavoring and Orange peel. Outstanding!

Price: $9.50/4oz

My Review:
If you have been reading this blog for long, you know I love Earl Grey. I also love Empire Tea Services. They were my introduction to quality loose leaf tea. My wife and I have tried several of their teas, including three Earl Grey varieties - Green, White and De La Creme. Some how I have never gotten around to Earl Grey Supreme, until today.

This is one of their micro-blend teas, which means it is blended 10 pounds or less at a time. It is fine cut CTC leaf with visible pieces of orange peel. The picture represents this well, except it can't give you that wonderful aroma of bergamot and orange that is trademark to Empire's Earl Greys. For the uninitiated it is quite strong. If you only like a touch of bergamot in your cup, just move along as this is not for you.

I used about 3g of leaf steeped in my press with boiling water for about 3 minutes. The result is a pleasingly dark cup of bergamot scented bliss.

The sip bergamot and orange. Not overwhelming (by my standard) but very intense. The Ceylon is hiding in the background. It pops out of hiding more as the cup cools. This is not the least bitter but it is a touch drying. I added Splenda and it is almost too sweet even for my sweet tooth. Note to self - hold the sweetener! One thing I have learned with Empire's micro-blend line is this will mellow out as the leaf ages a few weeks. I recall when I first tried their Earl Green, I mixed it with another unflavored tea for a while to tone it down until it aged. Another thing I have learned is their teas re-steep well.

Cup two was steeped around 3 1/2 minutes. I didn't really time it. The brew is deep red. Very pretty. The sip is still bergamot and orange but there is a peppery quality about it. I can feel it on the sides of my tongue. The Ceylon base is more obvious in this cup and it is very smooth. No bitterness, slightly drying. This is classic Empire Tea Services Earl Grey.

Cup three (yep, from a CTC Ceylon!) is lighter and reminds me of Twinings at this point. Well, except the base tea is better. I sipped part of the cup, then added ice and enjoyed a chilled bit of refreshment. Iced Earl is quite delicious.

This is a tea for bergamot lovers. By adding the orange bits it does take it of center just a bit. Sometimes when a company messes with my earl, by adding things to it, I get a little bent out of shape. Here it still remains faithful enough to the original that I enjoy the change.

Empire Tea Services lists this tea on their Tea Temptations web site.

Empire Tea Services, Moscow Nights

Tea Temptations Description:
Ceylon tea, Bergamot, Lapsang Souchong, Spanish Safflower petals and Thistle.

My Review:
While restocking my wife's favorite tea (Tea and Herbs) I asked if they had a smoky Earl Grey. A sample of this was tossed in with our shipment (Thank You ETS!).

First, a note of confusion that I will attempt to straighten out. This company, I have known for years as Empire Tea Services. Their newly re-launched website shows their retail name as Tea Temptations. After contacting their president, Lalith Guy Paranavitana, I have learned that ETS is the wholesale side of the business and Tea Temptations is the intended retail arm of the company. Lalith admits this may confuse people initially and ETS has very strong name recognition in the industry. So far now at least I will continue to use the Empire Tea Services name and direct you to the Tea Temptations web store.

I wish I had taken a photo of the tea in the resealable sample envelop (adding my own photos is something I hope to do in the future). The spanish safflower had worked its way to the surface. This gave the appearance of hot embers, along with the wonderful smoke emanating from the pouch it gave this a cool, almost ominous, vibe. So let's crank up a little Enter Sandman and have at it.

I used about 3g (2/3 scoop) of leaf and 12oz of water heated to 200F. I steeped in my press for 4 minutes. No, I did not look for steeping instructions. I just went with what felt appropriate.

The brew looks bronze in the press but much darker and 'thicker' appearing in the mug. The scent is sweet and smoky. I am digging this. It's funny, a year ago, the aroma alone would have sent me scurrying for cover. Today, I'm all bring it on!

The sip is sweet and smoky but the smoke is incredibly smooth. There are no rough edges. This is not a heavy Lapsang Souchong despite my attention to the smoke notes. The addition of the Ceylon gives it a rolling bubbling taste sensation. How can it be smooth rolling at the same time? I don't know, but that is the best way I can describe it.

The bergamot is present and clean but not anywhere near the dominant flavor. So be aware this is not an Earl Grey, but Tea Temptations does not call it by that name. It is a wonderful moderately smoky (they say light) tea with a hint of bergamot adding a bright yet subtle citrus element late in the sip that breathes a welcome bit of lightness into the cup.

This is not exactly what I was expecting, but erasing expectations from my mind, this is very tasty and interesting on its own merits.

Visit the Tea Temptations website.

Empire Tea Services, Tea & Herb

Ingredients: Ceylon de-caf black tea, Chamomile, Orange peel, Lemon Myrtle, Lemon grass, Hibiscus, Spearmint, Rose petals, Lavender flowers, Anise, Cinnamon, Apple bits and Strawberry flavoring.

Check out how pretty the blend is in the picture. According to the label on the package, this is a decaf black tea with fruit pieces, cinnamon, and orange rind. I wrote Empire Tea Services to find out what else is in this as this tea is not on their website. They wrote back quickly with the complete ingredient list shown above. They also stated they are in the process of planning a major web update. Their website has always been a bit confusing, so I am looking forward to the redesigned layout. This tea will be added to their site at that time.

My wife bought this one. She is always on the lookout for a good caffeine free cup. Normally that means herbal. Not today! The first time we brewed this we over steeped a bit. The color of the brew was almost grape Kool-Aid. The next time I only went two minutes. The brew on a short steep is honey colored.

The brew smells a bit spearminty. I only slightly detect that element in the sip. The decaf Ceylon base is very light. I can’t single out chamomile but it is in here as is rose and lavender and orange. Yes, it has hibiscus but it is well behaved, adding only the slightest tartness. I am not a tart fan so I would complain if it were. I am not doing a good job describing this as I cannot quite place the taste. The best I can do is say this is a tasty late night fruity desert sip. I really enjoyed this with a bit of sweetener, and my wife is happy with it so I will gladly sip this with her in the evening .

Update: After drinking this several times I am now learning to separate some of the flavors. The spearmint is light and is used to support the combination of rose and lavender. The hibiscus as I mentioned earlier adds just a hint of tartness. The strawberry, apple, orange, and lemon give it a healthy fruity base. This is kind of like Kool-Aid for grown-ups.

Empire Tea Services, Scent Of Bergamot

The ingredients listed on the sample are a bit different than that on the website: Black tea, lavender, lemon myrtle, orange peel, Spanish safflower, red berries, flavors.

This was a sample given to me with my recent purchase. The leaf is really interesting to look at. It resembles herbal tea. The pieces are all fine and feathery – like potpourri. I am not sure how they came up with the name for this, as bergamot is not a listed ingredient. I do taste the lemon myrtle. I was concerned that the lavender would be too much but that is not the case. If you add sweeteners, take it easy as this has a natural sweetness but I don’t think it contains stevia as I don’t detect any bitterness. It isn’t tart. If there is hibiscus in this it is very well done. I actually like this. Too bad it isn’t decaf. It kind of reminds me of a flavored rooibos but not really. It’s kind of cherry but not really. The best I can describe it is Yankee Candle meets dried flower craft aisle meets hippie incense. Far out man. Peace!

Empire Tea Services, Earl Grey Pai Mu Tan Chinese White

This tea is the main reason I recently drove 65 miles to Empire Tea Services. I have had several of their teas and all have been exceptional. This one, like most of their offerings, was $8.00 for 3 1/2oz (100g). I have never had a white Earl Grey before so I really don’t know what to expect with this one. The Earl Green I bought last trip has an outstanding leaf base and is heavily bergamot flavored with peppery notes. The De La Crème is wonderfully chocolate and vanilla. The bergamot starts more subdued but brightens into a delicious creamy cup of Ceylon based Earl Grey.

On to this tea. Taking the leaf out of the bag I see long wiry, almost black strands (stems?), along with the traditional looking green/white fuzzy leaf. The dry leaf smells of bergamot. It is a just guess at how much leaf to use. I don’t have a scale and this is so wiry I had to judge by how it looked in the bottom of the press.

I ignored the brewing directions on the package. I have enough experience with Empire to know I like tea prepared differently than they prescribe. I used just steaming water and a two minute steep. The liquor is bright and clear with a beautiful yellow/green tint. The wet leaf is Empire’s bergamot and a fresh green leaf scent.

There are three guys at work that I rotate sharing my tea with. Today’s lucky taster’s reaction to this was, “flowers”. The bergamot is strong but not overpowering. It is not bright or tart and not perfumey. This is a white tea. You can taste the tea base. You just aren’t going to pick out melon or cucumber subtleties. That's the downside of a flavored tea. Three solid steeps. The fourth was weak until it really cooled off.

This is like earl green lite minus the pepper notes. Resteeps well. A pretty good value. I liked this a lot but was not immediately blown away. I tried it again a couple days later and learned a few things. This is better than I first thought. The first time, I had it immediately after drinking De La Creme Earl Grey. That one overpowered this one, making it seem less than it is. Second, I learned the vast majority of the stems were in the top of my tea pouch. I think I got the bottom of the bag. I could have picked them out but they really were only a visual issue. So to save time I just mixed them in with the rest of the tea.

Empire Tea Services, Earl Grey De La Crème

This is one of two samples I received during my visit to Empire Tea Services. The dry leaf is very finely cut pieces of Ceylon. Also in the mix are blue cornflower petals, and pieces of orange rind . The smell is fantastic. Very chocolate, amplified by the vanilla. The bergamot is understated in the dry scent. In the Earl Green it grabbed you before you could even open the bag.

I used a healthy scoop of leaf and 12oz of boiling water. Steeped for 3 minutes in my French press. ETS says to steep 5 minutes, but for my tastes 3 was sufficient.

The root beer colored liquor, when hot, tastes just like it smells. Chocolate and vanilla with just a hint of bergamot in mid sip. There is also a roasted note in the back of the throat. It’s not smoky, or even roasted like a charcoal firing. It is more like a burnt caramel or like the scent of roasted coffee beans. There is also the sensation of drinking warm milk.

As the cup begins to cool the bergamot comes out of hiding to take center stage but doesn’t forget it is part of a group. The chocolate/vanilla notes become Pips to the bergamot’s Gladys. Sure they can perform solo but together they are magic. The more the cup cools the stronger Gladys becomes until the bergamot nearly reaches the intensity of the Earl Green. Wow! Encore! Encore!

I was going to pass the second cup to a co-worker but I just couldn’t part with it. Yeah, it’s that good. Second cup also three minutes. Cup was half empty before I slowed down to taste it. This steep picked right up where the first cup left off.

I did steep a third cup and I did pass it on. Steeped 4 minutes. I was told it was not weak and that he really liked it. I personally can’t confirm it. A 4th steep between 5 and 6 minutes had nice color but was pretty flavorless until the cup cooled way down.

This is a bit drying but not at all bitter. This is my first crème Earl Grey, so I can’t compare it to other blends. What I can say is this is really, really, really good. A fine Earl Grey with major yum factor. The empty cup even smells amazing. This sample isn’t going to be around long.

Empire Tea Services Ti Kuan Yin

A semi oxidized Chinese tea rolled using a traditional method. Another sample given to me at the shop. I was told this is their most popular oolong. The dry leaf has a faint vegetive sweetness and is rolled pretty tight. The liquor is very light green, almost clear. The brewed leaf is large generally complete pieces. Poured into the cup I can see the bottom. I am so used to bagged tea, which turns the cup black immediately, that this is still freaking me out. The brew has only a slight scent. First sip is very light and semi sweet. It doesn’t taste grassy. There is a kind of fruity taste, that hints of apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Just a hint, lingering after the sip. The oolongs I am most familiar with are dark and earthy. This is very light and airy. The water should be cooler than boiling or there might be a small amount of bitterness. Sweetener is not needed but I add it anyway. This tea will do multiple steeps. I normally go three steeps but it will go five if you are up to it. Empire Tea Services by clicking here.

Empire Tea Services Peach & Apricot Green Tea

Temple of Heaven green tea with peach and apricot flavors. According to the helpful guy at the shop/warehouse who gave me a sample, this tea was just freshly blended. It smells insane of peach and apricot, to the point I was a little nervous. The dry leaf is very black and very tightly rolled. Not having much experience with gunpowder I wasn’t sure how to measure it. I used about 1/2 tsp. It was maybe a little light. The liquor has a light green / amber tint. It appeared clear in the pot. After pouring, there was some residue in the bottom of the cup. The aroma is so delicious. It’s like holding the fruit in your hands. Still nervous. First sip – amazing. The flavor is much less outrageous than expected. It is like biting into the real thing with the added bonus that there is tea in the mix and I can taste it. With the second steep, the green tea jumps out even more. The flavors became even more enjoyable as the cup reached room temperature. Well balanced. It is even excellent iced. I am generally not a fan of fruit or flower flavored teas. I do, however, have a weakness for peach. I have had many, many, bagged and bottled versions. This is way better than any I have tried. I will be ordering more of this. Empire Tea Services by clicking here.

Empire Tea Services English Afternoon

Premium Keemun teas from China blended with high elevation Ceylon teas. I drove 70 miles to pick this tea up at the warehouse. I am not disappointed. This is a loose leaf rotovane tea. That means the leaf is cut into very small pieces. Similar in appearance to tea bag tea but this is not dust. This is quality tea blended to perfection. The leaf smells very rich and sweet like fruit and reminds me of a good tobacco. I don’t smoke – that is not the point. It smells so good I could inhale it all day but then I would miss drinking it. The brew is a very clear medium dark and there is no sediment in the bottom of the cup. Up until now I have not been a big fan of straight black teas. This is one of the few I could drink everyday. I haven’t tried it iced but it would probably be great. There is no bitterness. There is no heavy aftertaste. The Ceylon is a solid foundation for the Keemun to build upon. It adds a fruitiness after the sip. I can chug this or sip it. I can drink it hot or let it reach room temperature. It is just good. Highly recommend especially if you think you don’t like unflavored black tea. You can get two cups from 1 tsp by steeping the first cup 3 minutes and the second for 6 minutes, with only a little flavor loss on the second cup.

I have to add an addendum. I went looking for this particular tea because I had a box of Twinings English Afternoon. I really liked. It’s a bagged version of Ceylon Keemun blend. I wanted loose. After drinking two cups of ETS loose, I brewed a cup of Twinings to compare. It is kind of like chimpanzees and humans. We may share 97% DNA but that 3% makes all the difference in the world. The Twinings dust colored the brew almost immediately. It lacked the fullness and range of flavor but left an aftertaste. It had an annoying bite felt on the sides of the tongue and roof of the mouth. This is a bit of an aha moment. For about the same money, Empire Tea Services blew the doors off Twinings. Find Empire Tea Services by clicking here.

Empire Tea Services Earl Green

I just recently started this blog and am still in the process of moving my comments here from an older website and Steepster. As such I am several months behind, which works out great as I get to combine several tasting notes together for this review.

A wonderful blend of Emperor’s pride leaf & whole bud green tea from China with bergamot and orange peel. The dry leaf smells of bergamot and tea. The leaf varies from tannish to dark brown. There are bits of orange peel in the blend. According to Empire Tea Service’s website this is good for multiple steeps. I used 1tsp of leaf – approx 2g and I use sweetener. My mug holds 12 ounces.

First steep – 3minutes. The leaves did not appear to have completely opened but this is a full leaf tea. The clarity of the brew is amazingly crystal clear with only a mild amber color. I thought maybe I had not used enough tea or needed to steep longer. Tasting says otherwise. The bergamot is more flowery than citrus and very strong. I couldn’t separate the orange from the bergamot in this or any of the subsequent steeps.

Second steep – 4 minutes. The leaves have opened all the way. The brew is still crystal clear and very light in color. Bergamot still strong.
Third steep – 4 minutes. Starting to taste tea. Bergamot is less intense. This is the best cup so far. A little sediment in the bottom of the cup.
Fourth steep – 4 minutes. Surprised how much the flavor is still present.
Fifth steep – 5 minutes. Very light color. Still flavorful.

Empire tea says 1 tsp will make six cups. They probably mean 6 or 8 ounces per cup but I am using 12. Even so, I am fully convinced this would go another steep but my bladder is not up to the task.

I bought this tea at Empire Tea Service’s warehouse. It had just been blended. As I stated the bergamot was very strong. I learned a valuable lesson in the weeks following my initial tasting, that was confirmed by the writing of another reviewer. This person wrote they avoided flavored teas until they have been out a few weeks so the flavorings have time to soak into the leaf.

At first, the bergamot seemed overwhelming. To tame it I was cutting this tea with my Ti Kuan Yin. The intensity of the bergamot has since balanced so this is no longer necessary. I did learn to appreciate the Ti Kuan Yin (also Empire Tea Services) from this experience and was really glad when I could start enjoying it solo.

Now that the Earl Green has had time to settle, the emperors pride leaf is more pronounced (and delicious) and I realize it is in part responsible for the perfume notes. This is a more flowery bergamot more than it is citrus, even though there is orange rind in the mix. With a little age on the batch this has become a very good tea and a good cup of tea is like a hug on a crappy day. I sometimes need at least three cups.

One of my favorite teas. Earl Grey was my favorite tea for years until I discovered Earl Green. Empire Tea Services is my current favorite. Find Empire Tea Services here.