Grace Tea Company

Thanks again to Hesper June for this one. I’d never heard of Grace Tea Company before and went to their website which looks a lot like Mark T. Wendell’s.

Anyway I am living dangerously by having this for breakfast, as it looks quite strong. I’m not a HUGE fan of keemun but I think the lapsang in this blend is quite nice, I like the combination of the two together. For me this is quite a strong cup of tea, I used about 2 tsps. in a big mug of tea so I likely could have gone with less. I’ve had a few Russian caravans and some seem very smoky, while others not at all. I admit I added soymilk to this just for an experiment, although not bad it’s probably better plain.

Recommended if you like a strong cup of semi-smoky tea. I might have to buy myself one of the Grace Tea Sampler packs now! I have so many teas but the straight black ones I drink in the morning disappear the quickest.

I only had a small sample of this and with my previous steep I had it without milk or sweetener. This morning I want something I can chug down to pick me up after sleeping in late whoops. My last cup is being devoured with a splash of milk and sprinkle of demerara.

Not much wine flavour with the added extra’s but it’s definitely more breakfast tea friendly.

Another morning, another breakfast tea. In an odd way I have been craving Keemun, I think it’s because of my love for black tea at the moment (last month it was jasmine tea).

The colour once brewed is earthy browny red and it smells slightly sweet and woody.

This tastes malty, slightly woody and earthy with a hint of sweetness. It’s rather rich and well bodied, great for a morning/breakfast tea. There is also a hint of fermented fruit (which brings forward the sweetness) and dryness which is possibly the winey element.

Overall it’s a nice cup but not extraordinary. My mouth was left bone dry after each sip which I am not a fan of and I was hoping that it was a little stronger and more full bodied. It was nice however to have a change and this tea is still rather nice.

I am warming up nicely to Lapsang Souchong.
I especially like this one by Grace Tea.
Their teas always smell so fresh and are some of the better quality tea I have ever had.
The smoke odor in both the leaf and in the tea is not light or puny, it is still very much a LS.
It is not harsh or rough though.
It very much tastes and smells like a tea that a fine gentleman (or lady) would like.
The hubster likes it but it still is not rough enough for him.
I think at some point I will take some burned pine needles from a campfire and some black tea and just brew it up, ash and dirt and all for him.
That just might be rough enough for him.
But, for me, this LS is lovely.
Since I am recent to LS’s, I enjoy the fact that I can still recognize a nice quality black tea as well as the smokiness in this tea.
Well done, Grace Tea Company.
Now, I am going to enjoy a few moments on this rainy morning, sipping this lovely tea while eating a piece of Spiced Pear Coffeecake.

This is my breakfast tea of the morning.
Good tea. A little smoke and leather in the background, up front is a smooth black tea.
I like this tea and I am liking Grace Tea’s quality teas more and more.
(see previous note for more on this tea)
Now, that I had my tea and pumpkin spice bread, I can batten down the hatches for the winter storm that they have been warning about all morning.
Maybe I should make a large teapot of this and put it in a thermos in case the power goes out.
I would hate to be without tea…

I like this tea.
Dry leaf smells like a good quality black tea.
The tea itself has a very pleasant smell, almost like leathery smoke.
But, its in the background, not in your face.
This is my first Russian Caravan tea, so I am not sure if I am a expert on saying what it should taste like, but I like this tea.
This is my kind of breakfast tea.
Taste is a bright black tea, then a hint of smoke, then a little honey-like sweetness lingers on the tongue.
This tea is worth getting up for in the morning.

Zzzzzzzz
Whoops, gotta wake up now.
What tea will help me do that?
This one.
As I said in my previous review of this “when the awoken world is alluding me”
Well, that is today.
And everyday as of late.
I stayed up later last night to make these so we would have something to grab to eat in the mornings:
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/glazed-doughnut-muffins/
They seriously taste like Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
So, hopefully between this tea and a small sugar boost, I will be ready for my shift in the harvest truck.

A great eye opening tea.
Bright and robust morning tea.
Careful about over brewing, it can get a bit too robust if forgotten.
I have not had too much experience with Assam’s but this one seems to be of very nice quality.
I agree with the description, that if you were a milk/cream and sweetener person, that this tea would hold up to it well.
I rated this tea in the upper 80’s simply for the fact that I do not always require a tea like this for my mornings.
But, I am very glad I have this on hand for those mornings where the awoken world is alluding me.

This is a new offering from Grace. The leaves are fairly long and are sturdy and dark in color. It infuses to a light brown color but still “see-thru”.

It smells a bit woodsy and a bit smoky…with a touch of ‘rock’ or ‘mineral’ type aroma. (Like if you were to smell a rock in a stream, almost…c’mon…I know it’s weird…but I know you know what I am talking about!!!! You’ve smelled a rock before, haven’t you?)

The taste is mellower than other Wuiyi Rock oolongs I have tried strength-wise but the taste is better than others I have tried. It’s sweeter than others and less “rock-tasting/mineral-tasting”. It’s on the verge of a Formosa, too, which I really like! It’s pretty sweet and from start to finish has nice mouth-swirling potential!

I really like this! It’s dandy!

Backlog from this morning: My first tea tasting from this month’s Steepster Select box. This is really good. Full-bodied and robust, with notes of fermented fruit and a lovely sweetness. Earthy and a slight smoky note. Even a hint of leather. Very pleasant, a very nice, well-rounded cup of tea.

A nice enough black tea. Nothing that made me praise the tea gods but an alright black breakfast tea. I think I kind of understand where the “winey” part of the title is coming from but its almost as if the winey flavor is part of the slight astringency itself. Still, its not what I had in mind and was looking forward to with a name like Winey Keemun. Sure the tea is a deep red color but oh well thats not enough to make me jump up and down.
Yet there is a calming morning salute here and somehow this tea becomes quite relaxing for a wake up tea, quite enjoyable almost as if it is whispering in the back of your mind “don’t worry, don’t rush, everything will go smooth today, relax…” and as you become more and more alert you do so without cramming your crumpet in your face while grabbing your items and jaunting out the door – this is the laid back take er easy tea for morning people who want to savor the moments in life. But again, like I said … nothing to write home about. :P

Wow! This tea is full of surprises. I was first surprised to notice a hint of cocoa in the aroma. I noticed some familiar Darjeeling-esque tones in the fragrance: woody, earthy … but there, in the distance, is also a distinct cocoa-ish note. Intriguing!

I wondered … as I impatiently waited for this tea to brew … if the cocoa notes would be discernible in the flavor. And they are, although they are rather subtle. The flavors build and develop as I sip it. It starts out as a light, almost sparkling taste on the tongue with its notes of fruit (even a hint of muscatel) and wood … and just a whisper of dark chocolate-y notes in the background. As I continue to sip, the flavor develops and the body changes from a light-to-medium bodied tea, to a medium-bodied tea, to an almost full-bodied tea.

A very unique and pleasant Darjeeling.

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea.

This is a really good Ceylon. Strong enough to be a breakfast tea, but, also smooth enough to be an afternoon cuppa. Pleasant fruit tones and flowery notes in the background, with a subtle earthiness in the foreground. Sweet and pleasant. Very good!

Smells very floral and very delicate. And the smell is not misleading. This is a floral and delicate brew. Wonderful jasmine taste, smooth and light.

Absolutely delightful.

It smells wonderful, it tastes wonderful. Everything I want from a Jasmine. I like that the base is a pouchong, it feels softer. A very beautiful tea.

From my review at It’s All About the Leaf:
http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2120/tea-review-grace-tea-company-china-yunnan-silver-tip-choice-2/

I have tried to write this review for something like 3-4 months. Every time I get excited about drinking this tea, get excited about brewing up tea, and then as I start drinking the tea I lose focus and end up working on something else.

So today, I’m trying to actually focus. This tea review, it SHALL be written. But as I’m drinking it, I think the fact that I am easily distracted is part of the review itself. The tea is just not holding my attention long enough to really get a good review. The aroma of the unbrewed leaf is malty with overtones of pepper. It’s got a lovely chestnut color. But the flavor is more subtle. It’s got a hint of sweetness, and some richness and a hint of earth to it. When you take a sip, the brew tastes good – but it just slips your mind quickly. It’s a nice tea, it’s just not my cup of tea.

A nice mellower black tea – slightly sweet – tasty. It does get a little bitter if over infused so just be aware of your steep times – just a heads-up!

This has a slight hint of cocoa powder smell…ahhhh!
This is a mellower tea and quite creamy! VERY soothing! Thumbs up!

I don’t consider myself a high-brow tea taster by any stretch, but I do have a rather informed opinion about Yinzhens. They were the first loose leaf tea I ever tried, so – naturally – I have a pedestal in which to reference. This Silver Needle took said pedestal, spat on it, and ordered a completely new chair – an ottoman, I think. (I.e. It was superb.)

Full Review: Pending on www.itsallabouthteleaf.com

This tea is just as steller. I have yet to find another silver needle that comes close to this, the smell, the layers of flavor.

This is my very first experience with silver needle. Well, I am a fan now! This ranks up there with having REAL sencha. And that changed everything for me.

I received this sample from Doulton. This tea is quite amazing. I got 4 rebrews from it, adding 1-2 minutes to each brew. And it’s great both iced and hot. It’s just so perfect, it has such an elegance to it. For being such a light brew, it produces such a loud flavor.

Thank you Doulton for this tea. It is quite amazing, and I am now addicted. I want to marry this tea.

I finished this today, and I see the tin was five years old! It was still pretty good, too. Not too strong so no milk or sugar needed even though they call it a breakfast tea. Great in the morning or afternoon, but I generally drank it in the afternoon. Not a smokey keemun but truly one bearing wine notes, just as they describe.

This was one of the first ever loose leaf teas I bought, and I chose it largely because I have a daughter named Grace and was looking for a tea to surprise her with that day! I was fortunate that it was a really good and didn’t disappoint.

I have had quite a few teas from this company and they have all been good. I am ready to get to work on lots of my newer teas now that I have accomplished a few of the sipdowns I had planned.