Yamamotoyama, Hoji-cha

This is a bagged tea. I bought it because I wanted something I had never tried before, I like the oolong by this company, and it is cheap. $2.29 for 16 bags. This is labeled as a roasted green. The bag smells a bit smoky. I brewed it for 2 minutes with below boiling water even though directions called for boiling. The scent of the wet bag reminds me of Genmaicha. The brew is surprisingly almost as dark as a black tea.

First sip is too hot for me to catch much taste, so I got a slice of Jewish sweet bread while the cup cooled. Wow, did the bread help bring out the flavor. No bitterness or hint of astringency. I thought by the smell of the bag it might taste a bit smoky, but its not. This is a simple roasted green tea like the box says. Hojicha is a bancha tea that has been roasted traditionally over charcoal. I steeped a second cup with a new bag and this time used boiling water per the directions. It made only a slight difference in taste.

Bottom line: Could you do better? Sure, but for a $0.14 tea bag it is pretty darn good.

Harney and Sons, Earl Grey Supreme

I received this sample sachet in the mail from a friend. The label says four black teas, SILVERTIPS and bergamot. The bergamot aroma when I open the envelope is nice. The tea in the sachet is very finely cut – almost powdery. That surprised me a bit. It may not be normal, as who knows what sat on top of it in the post office. I steeped this for 3 minutes in just boiling water.

I had read reviews of this tea before hand and kind of knew, how this tea gets interpreted depends on what level of bergamot one finds pleasing. On the one end of the bergamot scale I put the Tazo Earl Grey I bought locally, which I couldn’t detect any bergamot in it at all. (Turns out either this was very old or had been exposed to heat and sunlight) On the other end I place Empire Tea Services Earl Green, which is highly flavored and very floral. In fact I had to cut it with another tea the first couple weeks I had it, just too tone it down. Halfway between these two extremes I put Twinings EG. It is bright and citrusy. Ahmad EG has just slightly less bergamot but a nicer base flavor profile to my palate. On the same scale, Ahmad No 1. is halfway between Tazo and Ahmad EG. Harney and Sons EG Supreme I place just below No 1. on my bergamot scale. Confused yet?

Let me simplify - You can taste the bergamot, especially as the cup cools, but you have to be paying attention. If you are looking for that citrus blast, then this tea will be quite disappointing. For that reason I wish H&S’s would have left Earl Grey out of the name and just called it Supreme. As a lightly flavored black tea this is really good. It is rich and malty. The bergamot actually supports the base instead of the other way around, and it does an excellent job of it. I do find this slightly astringent, like an Assam, as it leaves me with a bit of a dry mouth feel.

Earl Grey? Not on my bergameter scale. Wonderful lightly flavored black tea? Absolutely.

A Southern Season, Zhen Quo Super China Black

The dry leaf is fluffy and oh so soft. It is a pretty mix of tan and dark browns. It kind of resembles a dark version of Bi Lo Chun. The dry scent is a bit cocoa to my nose. I steeped a healthy scoop for 2 ½ minutes in below boiling water. This is just a hunch since it worked so well with the Teavivre black teas.

The brew is dark but not too dark and has honey/caramel notes. The wet leaf is small torn pieces and chocolate in color.

The aroma in the cup is very similar to Teavivre’s Golden Tips. It’s fruity and winelike. The sip images sweet dried hay. The aftertaste is mildly honeyed. Absolutely no hint of bitterness or astringency. From beginning to end this is a very good cup.

Second cup, full roiling boil for 4 minutes. This is very similar to the first cup. No bitterness or astringency. Just good sipping.

Harney & Sons, SoHo Blend: Chocolate & Coconut

The leaf is very dark and smaller than the picture suggests. I don't know what the pretty purple flower petals are but they are only for decoration, and do not affect the flavor. The dry leaf aroma of this is milk chocolate. I steeped it for 4 minutes w/boiling water. The brew is muddy looking in the pot. In the cup, it looks like, well, tea – with a bright and clean appearance.

There is no escaping the chocolate scent before, during, or after sipping. The tea is present in the taste but is in the background a bit. The coconut comes into play in the aftertaste. I don’t think I used enough leaf (1 tsp) on this, my first attempt. I still managed two cups and I think it might go a third. Next time I will up the leaf. This is a nice dessert cup with a pleasant lingering aftertaste that leaves you craving more.

Update - Just got home for the evening. The leaf was still in my press so I thought I would see if this one would go a third steep. It is a bit thin but the coconut is really shining through on this steep. I think this is my favorite cup of this yet. Glad I pushed this further.

Fusion Tea Room, Carrot Cake Rooibos

I don’t remember the last time I had rooibus and I have never had honeybush before, which is also listed as being in here. I looked at the dry leaf and wondered, am I supposed to drink this or eat it? There are whole walnuts, raisins, and pieces of carrot in the mix. The leaf (bark, whatever rooibus and honeybush are) looks kind of like redwood chips. The steeping pot smells awesome. This would make a great potpourri if it weren’t tasty. Steeped 9 minutes per instructions printed on label.

In the pot this is murky, reddish brown, and mysterious. The cup smells kind of rooibus but with the spices it takes on more of a cherry aroma. There is no bitterness, and nothing harsh. No one flavor really jumps out. All of this mixes together really well. The rooibus is tamed, so it is not the horse stall straw taste I normally associate it with. I can’t say anything in this makes me think carrot cake other than the name on the label. That being said, the aroma is wonderful. The taste is solid and well thought out. Normally when there is this many ingredients (11 listed) I find it over done, but that isn’t the case here. This is an excellently flavored rooibus. Hey, and the after cup aroma is amazing as well. The second cup was just as tasty as the first. Seriously good.

Zoomdweebies, Lemon Flavored Black Tea

I was given this sample. It says on the label this is a black tea with lemon peal with natural and/or artificial flavor(s). There were no brewing instructions on the label so I used my standard for black tea – 1 tsp, 3 minutes, and boiling water. This is CTC leaf (very small pieces) with pieces of lemon peal. The liquor appears clear and dark but not too dark. The sip is not what I was expecting. I thought this was going to be a brisk in your face wake up you sleepy head tea with a slap of citrus. Not at all. This is a medium bodied, smooth black, with just a hint of lemon and only enough bite and malt to be interesting. Kind of like Prince of Wales with the touch of lemon. A pleasant start to my day.

Wait a minute ladies and gentlemen, I think something is happening. I kept smelling spices this morning. I thought maybe it was the Hot and Spicy Cinnamon calling out from the drawer (drink me, drink me). I ate a couple sesame sticks, a moment ago and then grabbed my cup. I don’t see it on the label but I am getting spices now that the cup is cooling. If it is my imagination, I hope I don’t wake up until I finish the cup.

Cup 2. It is not my imagination! As this stuff cools it tastes like Lady Grey minus the floral bergamot flavor. What a fun cup. I am sharing this with a co-worker who drinks Twinings. I know he will absolutely love this.

So now after writing this glowing review, I discover Zoomdweebies has become 52Teas and Man Teas. Sadly, this wonderful tea is not listed as a blend by either of these companies.

Den's Tea, Bancha Suruga

Bancha is a grade of Japanese tea harvested later in the season. The early harvest is called Sencha. Bancha is considered the lowest grade of green tea. Don’t let that fool you this tea is quite good.

The dry leaf looks like tiny grass clippings and it has a faint grassy aroma. I steeped 1 ½ tsp for 1 ½ minutes at about 180d. The liquor is clear with a faint yellow/green tint. The wet leaf unfolded to reveal shredded pieces. To me the wet leaf smells like stew beef. My description may not sound appealing to you but it’s making me hungry. Poured into the cup this takes on a faint grassy aroma.

The sip is vegetal – like broccoli and spinach maybe, becoming grassier as it cools, but never a heavy grassiness. There is the tiniest bit of bitterness which is common to Bancha and not a bad thing. The aftertaste has some fruitiness in it. Cups 2 and 3 were equally tasty.

If green is your thing, this is an easy one to love. Interesting, complex, and you don’t have to work at enjoying it. A wonderful tea. It is a winner.