News / Tea

Two tea gifts, a lovely tisane, and a heck of mess in the kitchen

Week 8 Year of tea

Day 50 I've been way too buzzy the last couple of days so a decaff was the way to go. This is a Decaffeinated Chinese Sencha. In the Japanese-style, these leaves are steamed before drying which keeps more of the goodness in. It makes a bright and tangy brew with very little astringency. Because of the High Pressure Extraction process used for decaffeination, there's no 'orrible aftertaste either. ?

Cup of Chinese Decaffeinated senchaChinese decaffeinated sencha leaves after brewingChinese decaffeinated sencha leaves before brewing

I'm a very lucky girl. Today's ‪#‎teaoftheday is a gift from the lovely Estelle Liu. It's a black tea from her home town of Ya'an in Sichuan, China. It's really long and twisted black leaves brewed at 100°c for 4 mins made a delightful dark amber cup which tasted like toasted apricots. With a slightly caramel finish, this is a really 'gentle' tea but with tons of character, I can see me getting through this bag in no time! Thanks Estelle!Estelle Black TeaEstelle's Black Tea Leaves after brewingEstelle's black tea leaves before brewing

Although it's technically tomorrow so therefore I drank it yesterday it's still‪ #‎teaoftheday Number 52. It's a Chinese -
a Yunnan Special White Leaf. The leaves are really attractive downy curls which with water at 80°c and a steep of 2.5 minutes produce a pale golden cup with surprising strength. It's a really refined, delicate walnut taste with quite a hefty earthy finish.China cup of Yunnan Special White leafYunnan Special white leaf leaves after brewingYunnan special white leaf leaves before brewing

Ok if you don't like aniseed you may as well stop reading here.‪#‎teaoftheday 53 is a Rooibos and Green Honeybush blend with fennel and aniseed. There's also chamomile in there but fortunately you can't taste it (ewww really not looking forward to the day I do chamomile) you do however get the properties of it - it really is an amazingly calming brew. The taste is obviously a bit of a marmite thing - personally I love aniseed and fennel and with a nicely 'cooked' Rooibos it's perfect. In short - a woody and fragrant cup of chill.

cup of rooibos and green honeybushRooibos and green honeybush leaves before brewing

In the interests of full disclosure, other than a few notable exceptions, I'm not fond of flavoured black teas. This position may now have changed - I made Chocolate Tea Latte - and it was GREAT!
I also made an astonishing amount of mess in the process - but it really was GREAT. It tastes exactly as one would expect. I added honey and nutmeg to it, that probably wasn't necessary but I was clearly giddy with the excitement...so much so that I even got round to blogging it.

Glass of chocolate tea latte with chocolate biscuit

Day 55 Kenya Kaproret is an orthodox black tea. It has a rich and aromatic taste. To say it's full-bodied is an understatement - lots of layers. Typically malty like most Kenyans, with or without milk it's a strong and bright cuppa.

montage of kenya kaproret tea and leaves

Day 56 Today's ‪#‎teaoftheday was a gorgeous. Da Hong Pao Oolong from August Moon Tea. The leaves are beautifully aromatic - almost like pipe tobacco! Fabulous flavour from each infusion - rich and floral with hints of vanilla.

Cup of Da hong Pao on blue and white runnerda hong pao leaves after brewingda hong pao leaves before brewing

Day 57 and we have another old favourite: it's a Chinese Chun Mee Moon Palace. It's known as 'Precious Eyebrow' because that's what the furled leaves resemble (allegedly) It's quite a strong tea with a pronounced fruitiness and only a little astringency. It's always been a good seller but it's become even more popular recently as it's apparently being used for weightloss in some circles...

chun mee moon palace collage

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You've really spoiled me on week 7 Mr Ambassador..

Week 7 Year of tea

Because I've been very good and because it's Friday and because quite frankly, I'm worth it; Day 43 in my ‪#‎yearoftea is a cracker. A Choicest Fancy Silver Tip Oolong. The picture is of a 2nd infusion though I actually had 4 Infusions (greedy or stingy?) I love oolongs anyway but this one is exceptional. Aromatic and naturally sweet, it manages to be simultaneously fruity and nutty - a lovely elegant cuppa.

silvery dry tea leaves next to a cup of brewed choicest fancy silvertip oolong

Day 44 and I'm drinking a Kekecha Golden Dragon Yellow Tea. A rarity which is apparently reserved for monks, emperors and me! It's a slightly fermented white tea so similar to an oolong but more subtle. It's fresh tasting -very slightly grassy with an aftertaste which is a little like cashews.

White porcelain cup of Kekecha Golden Dragon Yellow TeaDried leaves of the very rare  Kekecha Golden Dragon Yellow TeaBrewed leaves of Kekecha Golden Dragon Yellow Tea

Day 45 and I chose this one purely on the name: it's a Ceylon BlackTea called Lovers Leap. It tastes loads better without milk but even then I have to admit that it's not really my taste.
I'm obviously in the minority as this is a popular choice with customers but it's just too strong for me.

cup of ceylon lovers leap nuwara eliya and tea leaves in heart shape

Today's ‪#‎teaoftheday 46 is a Vietnam Che Xanh. Not commonly available in the UK, it's a full-bodied tea that has a bit of grassiness but still tastes quite earthy. In the 15th century, Vietnamese scholar and all-round brainpox Nguyen Trai renounced the outside world for a life of 'tea, poetry and the moon'. Think he might've been on to something...

mug of vietnam che xanh with green nail polishTea leaves of Vietnam Che xanh before brewingleaves of vietnam che xanh after brewing

 Day 47 I love this gently flavoured tea. Because the basis is a high quality Keemun, the end result is really good. With the delicate violet scent infusing the slightly bitter leaves, it tastes like Violet Creams (which I ADORE)

collage of violet tea, violet creams and violet tea leaves

Due to the success of yesterday's scented tea, I thought I'd do another. I chose this Black Tea with Ginger for my  ‪#‎teaoftheday48 specifically to warm me up because today has been sooooo cold. Yet again, because the basic tea is a really good quality blend, the resulting drink is also very good. The Ceylon in the mix gives it a slightly bitter taste which works perfectly with the hot and sweet from the whole pieces of dried ginger. My cockles are now toasty.

 China cup of black tea with ginger without milkblack tea with ginger tea leaves after brewingBlack tea with ginger tea leaves before brewing

 Day 49 in #‎ yearoftea  coincides with  ‪#‎drinkwineday so it made perfect sense to drink one of the 'Champagne of Teas' a   Darjeeling 1st Flush Nagri Estate FTGFOP (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) Although it's quite mellow, it's also light with a floral scent and a mild astringency. All Darjeelings tend to be hailed as 'complex' and 'sophisticated' but don't let that intimidate you - just think of it as a really good cup of tea.

china teacup of darjeeling nagri

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European Tea and the obligatory Matcha Week 6 in Year of Tea

Week 6 Year of Tea

So Day 36 is Azores Encosta de Bruma Premium Organic Green Tea. Because of the geography (in the middle of the Atlantic) this is a bit of ararity. In terms of taste, it's very like an oolong - delicate but with lots of 'layers'. Initially biscuity with a really floral finish.

collage azores encosta de bruma tea and leaves

No.37 is an organic Keemun Imperial. A sturdy black tea from Anhui province. All Keemuns have quite a distinctive flavour - very malty with a slight floral taste. They always put me in mind of bitter chocolate (which is probably why I like them). I actually prefer this one with milk #controversial

cup of keemun imperial anhui with and without milk and leaves

I never usually consider Fruit Infusions but somebody ordered some of this earlier so I thought I'd give it a go. Rough cut chunks of Apple, Lemon Peel and Rosehip steeped for a full 5 minutes in 100°c makes a lovely bittersweet combination for #‎teaoftheday 38 I drank the first one hot and the second one cold (not intentionally, got sidetracked and forgot about it) and it tastes great either way. Many years ago, I was put off Fruit Teas by those bags of red dust which were the staple of every student cupboard. This is NOTHING like those - you can actually taste the fruit rather than just 'fruit flavour'. It's also caffeine-free so I may have a mug to go to bed with...

apple and lemon wholefruit infusion in mug and on saucer

 Today is 39 in my ‪#‎yearoftea and I fancied a Japanese. This one is a huge seller due to a) it's health benefits (claims?) being shouted from every corner and b) it tastes great. It's a Gen Mai Cha Matcha Iri. So a 'Popcorn' tea with added Matcha. As with other Sencha, hot (80°c) not boiling water otherwise it'll be really bitter. I always think of this as tasting petrichoral (like the smell of fresh rain) or maybe that's just an excuse to use a smartarse word...

cup of genmaicha matcha iri and unbrewed leaves

As it's ‪#‎pancakeday‬ this is the natural choice for ‪#‎teaoftheday‬ No 40. Saint Clement's is made with Pai Mu Tan flavoured with 'oranges & lemons' (obv) via Bergamot oil and Verbena Leaf. Marigold and Hibiscus add the finishing touch giving it a natural sweetness that combines perfectly with the citrus. All that against a backdrop of organic white tea. Personally I prefer the second infusion (I usually do)

Saint Clements white tea blend collage

Day 41: So today's offering is a herb blend call Sweet Melissa. Combining Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, and Lemon Myrtle unsurprisingly it's quite lemony...fortunately it also uses apple and carrot pieces, orange peel and bramble leaves which balances it out. Due to the intensity of the citrus (which makes it quite sharp) this is another one of those that I think needs making as cold infusion and adding to gin. For my taste I'm thinking of altering the blend with the addition of Stinging Nettle. or maybe some Rooibos to add some earthier notes.

collage of sweet melissa herbal infusion and loose leaves

Day 42: I'm tatered. After spending the day at the NEC Spring Fair and the tea I had there wasn't what I'd hoped for...so home now and enjoying the richness which you kind of expect from a Ceylon Black. Steeped for only 2.5 minutes otherwise it's super chewy, it has a crisp and spicey finish. Obviously the addition of milk detracts a little from the nuances, but it's my cuppa and I'll drink it how I like!
Edit...it's a Ceylon Dimbula BOP (thanks Vicky!)

cup of ceylon dimbula black tea with milk

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Herbs, Hyson Green and Rhubarb Year of Tea Week 5

Week 5 Year of Tea

Day 29 As it's Friday, I thought I'd treat myself to one of my favourites..Bangladesh Phulbari. With or without milk it's a winner with so many layers of taste. Really rich and biscuity,this is the top grade available from Moulvibazar to the Northeast of Dhaka and is a traditional English breakfast, morning cup of strong British Tea.

 Bangladesh Phulbari

Day 30:I know I'm being a little previous but couldn't wait any longer to sup some Sweetheart Tea - it's a blend of scented and flavoured black teas - the chocolate's the first thing that hits, rapidly followed by rose and last but not least the violets. I suppose it's like an update on the old 'flowers and chocolates' gift...

.white and gold china cup of sweetheart tea

 Day 31: Despite having way too much to sleep last night, felt a big snooze coming on so opted for a caffeine-fest in the form of a Brazilian Yerba Mate flavoured with Sweet Orange. The citrus flavour works really well with the woodiness and I'm now wide-awake and suspect I will be for some days...

montage of Brazilian Yerba Mate with sweet orange

 So the 32nd #teaoftheday is a Ceylon Melfort Estate Green. Big loosely rolled leaves steeped for 3 minutes in 80°c produced a really 'bright' cup with a slghtly floral initial taste which rolled out to a spicy, earthy finish. The tea of Sri Lanka is still referred to by the 'old' (ie colonial) name. Ceylon tea was, for many years considered to be the finest in the world. After independence the government pragmatically decided to keep the old name and therefore keep one of the world's strongest brands intact.

Ceylon Melfort leaves and tea with Mr. Tea infuser

 It's Day 33 and it's a well known but not often seen Chinese ‪#‎teaofthedaycalled Young Hyson Green. If you're local to Nottingham, it'll be a familiar name...
The tea is earthy and robust with a very slightly harsh aftertaste (a bit like walnuts) not unpleasant but definitely temperature sensitive. If you use water which is too hot, that harshness  becomes bitter (true of all unfermented teas)

Young Hyson Green Tea and Leaves

: A Herbal Tisane for Day 34. Couch Grass is that 'orrible weed that's a right pain. Fortunately it's choc full of Vitamin A & B and also Potassium. It's used for treatment of Cystitis and other UTI but don't wait for that to try it! Drink it because of the lovely earthy, savoury taste which is equally tasty cold as hot.

montage of couch grass tea and herb

 I woke this morning to a news article about the Rhubarb Triangle which is the 9 square miles of West Yorkshire which is world famous for production of that most divisive of food stuffs. So, as we stock a Sparkling Rhubarb Sencha it seemed apt to be my ‪#‎teaoftheday‬ Number 35. While I'm happy to eat rhubarb as a savoury, it makes for a rubbish pud as it's just not sweet enough for me. The blenders of this Japanese green tea have dealt with this by adding not only flowers of Peony, rose and marigold but also lychee fruit. The combination is a total winner - the lychee gives it a fragrant (almost vanilla) taste while the rhubarb gives it a very particular aftertaste which is a bit like celery. All in all a really pleasant tea which I think I'll be drinking iced on some lazy sunny afternoon.

leaves and cup of sencha with rhubarb

 

 

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Year of tea Week 4 Wild Cherry, Heather, Liquorice

Week 4 Year of Tea

Day 22: It's my 22nd ‪#‎teaoftheday in my ‪#‎yearoftea and what a beauty! It's a Nepal Antu Valley SFTGFOP1 AKA Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Grade1 it's a rarity because this is a green tea and usually you only get black tea from Nepal. It's got a brisk grassy taste without too much astringency. Nice...

cup of nepal antu valley tea and tea leaves

Day 23: I LOVE tea and I LOVE Liquorice so drinking Liquorice Tea for my‪#‎teaoftheday No.23 seemed like a fine idea. Now I'm not a big fan of flavoured teas so maybe I'm not the best judge...maybe I should've asked Sam in Carlisle (who buys a pack every 3 or 4 weeks) for his thoughts! Don't get me wrong it's not horrible, it's just a bit weird. If I can be bothered, at some point I think I'll see how it works as a latte...watch this space...

Day 24: Forget yesterday's thinly veiled sneer at flavoured black tea; I'd forgotten how much I enjoy this Scottish Moorland Tea. It tastes great (think hot ribena and Victory V's) plus the addition of heather flowers is a nod to a traditional Pict drink.

scottish moorland tea leaves in tea ball infuserscottish moorland dried tea leaves on saucer

 Day 25: Don't be fooled by the milky complexion of ‪#‎teaoftheday No.25 it's PROPER sturdy. Chosen as it's Burns Night, it's an organic Scottish Breakfast Blend. Combining African and Indian leaves, it's so hefty I can feel the hairs sprouting on my chest.mug of scottish breakfast blend tea with milk

Day 26: Today I've been on a Yunnan Pu Erh. These are some of the most widely known Chinese teas - their popularity in the UK started to grow about 15 years ago when Victoria Beckham was allegedly drinking it as part of a weightloss program. Apparently if you drink a cup half an hour after your meal it helps to metabolise fats. I don't know what happens if you spend all day drinking it like I've done...It really is 'my kind of tea' - I like earthy flavours and it's a very complex taste. There is an entire group of people (mostly in Canada and the US) who only drink Pu Erh because there is such a wide variety - not just 'Sheng' or 'Shou' (AKA Green or Black) but the various vintages too. I'm going to return to this one in a future post as it deserves more depth.

collage of yunnan puerh grade 1 tea with dried and brewed tea leaves

Day 27: It's a slightly different ‪#‎teaoftheday today inasmuch as it's not one of 'mine' but courtesy of a very pleasant lunch with me sibs at The Parlour at West Bridgford. It's a Darjeeling Late Harvest (sometimes called a Monsoon Harvest) and it has all the top-notes you expect from a Darjeeling. I intended to try a second infusion but didn't remember till I was in the carpark. No matter I'll definitely be returning to The Parlour so I'll try it then! Great tea (and a really very good Full Breakfast)

cup of darjeeling late harvest tea at The Parlour West Bridgford

Day 28: Hurtling towards the end of the month, thought I'd slow it down a bit with a flavoured green tea. Brewed for 3 minutes at 80°c this Wild Cherry Gunpowder is an absolute pleasure. Conveniently for me as I'm always wandering off and losing my tea, this tastes best when it's become tepid.

montage of wild cherry gunpowder green tea with dried and brewed tea leaves

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