Townshend's Tea Company, #82 Chamomile Classic

Townshend's Tea Company Description:
A soothing tea from Egypt made from sweet chamomile herbs. An added honey-apple aroma gives the flavor of this tea a pleasant accent.

Price: $2.50/ ounce

My Review:
My wife cannot tolerate caffeine. She has her decaf teas she likes but every now and then I'll order something a little different so we can share a cup or two in the evening. This was such an order.

We prepared this in the cup using a Finum basket. I steeped for around 5 minutes. My wife selected dark blue cups so I cannot comment on the brew color. The scent was lightly apple.

To us this was a lightly flavored chamomile. Chamomile has a natural apple type flavor to me anyhow, but this one is enhanced with apple and honey flavors. It made for a pleasant though not spectacular cup.

If you like the idea of chamomile tea but find its taste a little bland, the additional flavors of this might just be what you are seeking. The price is certainly low enough. Townshend's web site could use a little modernizing and they don't take Pay Pal but I was otherwise pleased with our purchase experience.

Visit Townshend's Tea Company.

Celestial Seasonings, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin

Celestial Seasonings Description:
"Just like big piles of pumpkins at roadside stands and perfectly baked pumpkin pies on kitchen tables, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin™ Holiday Black Tea in tea cups everywhere is a sure sign that the holidays are near. Featuring rich black tea, harvest-fresh pumpkin flavor and traditional spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg plus a touch of natural sweetness, this festive blend is a delicious little slice of the season."

Ingredients:

Black Tea, Cinnamon, Ginger, Roasted Chicory, Natural Pumpkin Flavor With Other Natural Flavors (Soy Lecithin), Luo Han Guo, Cloves, Nutmeg, Natural Sweetener (Stevia Extract) and Pumpkin.

My Review:

The leaves are turning brilliant colors and covering the yard. The afternoon air has a chill.  Yep, it's fall here. We all know what that means. It's time to break out the fall teas. This one was actually the very first Celestial Seasonings tea I had tried. Apparently, I never reviewed it, so let's do it now.

The bags are packed inside the box in a kind of re-close-able bag, kind of. It doesn't really seal but is better than nothing. The bags themselves are stringless, tagless, and staple free. What that means is you are going to need a spoon to get the hot bag out of the cup.

Dry, the bag smells intensely of spicy pumpkin pie filling. Mmmmmm. I used lightly boiling water and steeped for..... uhm..... a long time. Probably 5 minutes. I was watching the season premiere of Grimm, and got a bit distracted. 

The cup did not suffer with the long steep. It was not bitter and I could actually taste the black tea base. It was nothing amazing, it is just that flavored bagged teas often overpower the actual tea. I was pleased.

The taste does not quite live up to the promise of the scent. Where as the dry aroma is unmistakably pumpkin, the cup is more pumpkin spice chai. The pumpkin just kind of gets lost. Even so, this is very tasty and pretty sweet (contains Stevia). 

This is one of the better bagged teas of the type. Honestly, I have never had a pumpkin pie tea that lived up to my expectation. Then again I have never put a dollop of Cool Whip on top either. So maybe it is my own fault.

Pumpkin tea check. Christmas teas will soon appear on the shelves, then I'm ready for spring.  

Little Red Cup Tea Company, Jade Oolong

Little Red Cup Tea Company Description:
Jade Oolong is a marvelous mountain-grown tea from western Hunan Province. It has an appealing aroma, a beautiful green color and a forceful presence. It has a taste profile characteristic of greener oolongs, complex and just a little woody.

Our Jade Oolong is pure whole leaf organic Chinese tea, Fair Trade certified, and utterly delicious. This is a tea to be enjoyed on a regular basis, but also a tea to bring out for special occasions. It is at once familiar and yet a cut above ordinary oolongs, a tea we are certain you will love.

Price: $9.50 / 3 ounces

Sample provided by Little Red Cup Tea Company

My Review:
This is the fourth and final sample I am reviewing from Little Red Cup. Up next is a high mountain oolong from the Hunan Province of China. I love the pictures of the leaf from their site. Very accurate of what is in the bag.

Looking at the color of the tightly twisted pellets this is obviously a lot greener oolong than most. There is only the slightest of floral fragrances present in the dry leaf. I used about 3g of leaf in my press with 200 F water and steeped 3 minutes per recommendations.

The result was a lot of big leaf pieces filling the press. I probably could have used less. The liquor is golden/green in tint. The wet leaf had an aroma like bread and spices. The cup was lightly floral.

When this was hot I was a little disappointed. It really wasn't giving off a lot of flavor for me. I do consider in my assessment that I am on antibiotics for chest congestion so that may be a factor. However, the colder the cup got the more amazing it became.

Once cooled down significantly this became buttery tasting and creamy feeling. The taste lit up with floral oolong goodness. This is sort of tiguanyin but not as geranium/latex flavored. The aftertaste really held on with its floral sweetness.

Both the White Monkey and this Jade Oolong are my favorites. If I had to choose one I guess I would go with the White Monkey as I love that white/green flavor range. All of these are very good and affordable teas.  If you are looking for an everyday oolong that isn't boring - this one is a contender.

Visit Little Red Cup Tea Company.

Little Red Cup Tea Company, White Monkey

Little Red Cup Tea Company Description:
Little Red Cup Tea’s organic White Monkey Tea is a terrific mountain-grown tea from western Hunan Province. Despite its name, White Monkey Tea is, in fact, a green tea — a function of processing — but when steeped, the tightly rolled leaves unfurl yielding a lovely golden brew more akin to white tea than anything else. It is made from the earliest leaves, still covered with downy white hairs for which the tea is named.

Our White Monkey tea is pure whole leaf organic Chinese tea, Fair Trade certified and utterly delicious. A handy tea to have on hand for the green tea enthusiasts and a variety that even the casual tea drinker will enjoy.

Price: $8.00/3.0 oz

Sample provided by Little Red Cup Tea Company

My Review:
I am excited to try this one. I love White Monkey, so named because the dry leaf is said to look like a white-haired monkey's paw - not to me, but apparently to whoever named it. Technically a green tea from its processing, it looks and tastes much closer to a white tea.

I used a healthy scoop of leaf in my press with 175 F water. The steep was about 3 minutes. The wet leaf had an aroma that was plant-like with more than a hint of stew beef. The liquor is deep golden in color.

Sipping, I am not disappointed. It is lightly earthy and very nutty. It has far more heft and body than a white peony. Late in the sip there is a briskness. I wouldn't exactly call it bite. This is more an asserting of its presence. The aftertaste is nicely sweet.

I wholeheartedly recommend this one. Very delicious.

Visit the Little Red Cup Tea Company website.

Little Red Cup Tea Company, Lu Mei Green Tea

Little Red Cup Tea Company Description:
The best Lu Mei (Green Eyebrow Tea) originates in Jiangxi Province, where our Fair Trade certified, Organic Lu Mei Tea is grown. Lu Mei is a distinctive tea with more bite than some green teas, and is named for the characteristic shape of its leaves. Green teas are made with virtually no oxidation, and so our Lu Mei produces a brew light in color with a fresh, sharp taste.

No lightweight, Little Red Cup Lu Mei Tea is a perfect eye-opener, as well as a solid work-day companion. Among green teas, Lu Mei is a strong variety, and we suggest using a smaller amount of tea and a shorter brewing time for a lighter beverage, and a bit more tea coupled with a longer brewing time for a stronger tea.

Price: 4 oz - $9

Sample provided by Little Red Cup Tea Company.

My Review:
The second of four samples from Little Red Cup Tea Company. Fair Trade, Organic, Sustainability are all ideals behind this company.

The samples are all very generous. Definitely enough to try this several times to give it a work out. The dry leaf is twisted into little arched eyebrow shapes. The picture is a good representation of what you get. There is a light grainy aroma.

I steeped this per recommendations of 175 F water for a minute and a half. The result is an amber colored liquor. The wet leaf has a seaweed aroma. The brew is faintly floral.

The sip is mineral and sweet with a bite. Some reviewers see this tea as bitter. I am not one of them. I like a little bite. It adds character and cleanses the palette. It is astringent in that it feels drying.

Others also reported this packs a punch. I am not really getting that either. Assam packs a gut punch. This is more like a tap on the shoulder. The aftertaste lingers long and sweet.

There is not a lot of depth to the cup but it is refreshing. For the price this would make a fine everyday workhorse tea.

Visit Little Red Cub Tea Company today.

Little Red Cup Tea Company, Green Mao Jian

Little Red Cup Tea Company:
Our special organic Green Mao Jian Tea is an unusual mountain-grown tea from western Hunan Province. The tea is named for the abundance of tiny hairs covering the leaves when they are picked in the spring and for the sharply pointed shape of the leaves once rolled in the finishing process.

Green Mao Jian Tea is one of the most delicate green teas we have seen. Steeped normally, it produces a lovely pale green brew with meadow notes and light forest scents. A stronger brew may be obtained using more tea leaves, warmer water and a longer steep time. Even then, this tea is not bitter. An excellent tea for those who want to enjoy a green tea without the punch that so many ordinary greens carry.

Our Green Mao Jian Tea is pure whole leaf organic Chinese tea, Fair Trade certified and sublimely drinkable. A marvelous tea to accompany you throughout a busy morning and into the early afternoon, a tea both for the dedicated tea consumer and one for the casual tea drinker as well.

Price: $8/3 ounces

Sample provided by Little Red Cup Tea Company

My Review:
This is my first experience with Little Red Cup Tea Company. Reading through their "Our Company" page gives some clues what to expect.

First, we want to offer the kinds of teas that our friends routinely drink in China: simple, traditional, whole leaf varieties. You’ll find no Mango-Walnut-Green-Tea-Surprise, no breakfast blends. Though our teas are of fantastic quality, we’ve priced them for everyday consumption.... 

As mentioned in the tea description they are also concerned about Fair Trade and organic. Sustainability is another priority for this company. There is a lot to admire about Little Red Cup Tea Company. Let's see if their tea matches their intentions.

I opened the sample and a grainy scent moved slowly out of the bag. The dry leaf is twisted, dark, and kind of wispy looking. I used about 3g of leaf in my press with filtered water heated to 175F. The steep time was 3 minutes. The result is a lovely golden liquor. The aroma of steamed spinach met me before I removed the lid. The leaves are small and pea green.

The sip revealed a light taste that is fresh and inviting. It has some bite but is not at all bitter. It is not grassy or floral when hot. It is hard to describe. Open is the best word I can come up with. Slightly mineral and lightly fruity. Others had some trouble describing this as well. Many of them noted milky but I am not getting milky with my brewing method while the cup is hot.

Oh, I walked away to play some guitar and when I picked up the cup it was room temperature. Now I get the milky others mentioned. More importantly, I think the flavor has really come alive. This is now very fragrant with almost oolong floral qualities. Very, very nice once cooled. I might need to try this one iced. You can easily get two mugs from the leaf, possibly more.

Summation - When hot it is light in body and mild in taste, at the same time the longer you sip the more you want. Once the cup cools it really comes alive with flavor. A very nice everyday affordable Chinese green tea.

Visit Little Red Cup Tea on the web.

Teavivre, Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea

Teavivre Description:
The fresh tea leaves of Lu Shan Yun Wu are picked under strict requirement of one bud with one leaf or one bud with two leaves. After processed, the leaves will shape into tight, curly and strong strips. The liquid presents bright and green color while showing brisk fragrance. The scent of roasted chestnut lasts long. This Lu Shan Yun Wu is better to be brewed with big glass. It will has brisk and refreshing flavor and sweet taste. After several steeps, you will see the tea leaves tenderly stretched and showing its soft and light yellow appearance.

Sample provided by Teavivre

My Review:
Chinese greens are probably my favorite broad category of teas. I mostly want them without any flavorings. There is just something so pure and natural about them that I connect with on some deep level. I am really looking forward to this one so let's get to it.

Opening the sample packet I get a familiar slightly sour leaf aroma. Removing a scoop of leaf I am surprised, amused, and fascinated by the shape. In a pile, it looks like a tangle of green thread. Spread out, it looks more like very fine green wood shavings.

I almost never use as much leaf as Teavivre recommends. Here I used half the sample or about 3g of leaf. I heated a mug of water to 175F and used my press for a 2 minute first steep. This was one of the coolest examples of why you should consider using a clear glass vessel to steep. The leaf was alive on the bottom of the press. At first it was like watching the grass as a child while a bug made its way through the blades. Then it became more intense as the leaf stretched and wriggled to set itself free from the tight bondage of the strips like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon. What a show!

The wet leaf had a steamed spinach aroma that I find is often true of good Chinese green tea. The liquor was so light in color I double checked the time and then wondered if I under leafed. The tint reminded me of honeysuckle as I poured it into the cup. It did darken as the cup cooled. The cup picture from Teavivre's website looks very much like my results.

The sip is maybe similar to dragon well but not really. It has a briskness to it that provides just the perfect amount of bite. Clean, fresh, refreshing are all words that describe what I'm tasting. Sweet but not overly so. This is not disappointing. I can't wait to see what cup two has to offer.

Cup two at just over a one minute steep has a light golden green tint. A much sweeter cup has developed. Gone is the resemblance to dragon well. I really don't know what chestnuts taste like but maybe this is the flavor Teavivre mentions in their description. To me, it is almost a plant taste and possibly bamboo. The briskness is replaced by a light mineral finish. The aftertaste lingers and is sweet.

Another very nice tea from Teavivre.

Visit the Teavivre website.