Samovar

Le Sob

I didn’t have as much left of this as I thought :‘( In fact, I only had about 1 teaspoon left, and I brew with 12 oz, so I made sure to use EXACTLY boiling water and I steeped for 5 minutes instead of the recommended 2-4 so I could be sure to get as much flavor as possible out of this. On the plus side, I’m all caught up with the backlogs I wanted to do! So that’s good. I don’t know what you guys do, but I have my separate tea cupboard and then whatever tea I want to drink and review, I put it out on top of my counter (separated by variety) and then when I drink something, I either review it or if I don’t have time to review it at the time, I set it aside and that’s my backlog pile (for those who were interested).

Alright, SO. Now that I’ve successfully rambled on, onto this tea. There was a brief period where a lot of people were raving about the Hawaii-Grown Oolong tea from Samovar, and I sadly don’t have that one. But, I’m in a straight-black mood today and I went looking for a Ceylon to drink (which sadly, I don’t have :( I’m going to order from Upton soon and they have a bunch I’ve been wanting to dry!), when I saw this one and wanted to try it! I think the concept is really interesting plus it sounds yummy, so I brewed it up.

This one smells really good. Like sweet with an almost caramel-y note in it. Maybe a bit of rye? I’m not so good at describing scents…. Something to work on! Oh. My. Goodness. This one is so good! I can’t even! This is so deliciously sweet and mild. Someone described this as sugared and grilled fruits and that’s so true! It’s a nice, dark fruit taste. I also get a kind of creamy note on the finish. There’s a little astringency, but it’s not unbearable.

Oh yes, this one is super tasty! This one is going on the shopping list (which is waaaaaay too long)!

This is a really REALLY good Oolong. The flavor is truly unique. I can indeed taste the tropical notes here. It is sweet and fruity (but not overly fruity), with a nice buttery smoothness to it. I’m on my third/fourth infusion now (the third and fourth infusion combined into one cup), and the mouthfeel is lighter than it was at first. It was very silky at the start. The woodsy tones are delightful the way they mingle with the floral and fruit notes.

A lovely Oolong experience.

A very nice tea with a lot of depth to its flavors and fragrances. I like that it brews up very dark. It has a sweet honey taste to go with its dark cocoa and subtle earthy undertones. No bitterness, no astringency. It leaves a very pleasant dark chocolate aftertaste.

Le Sigh finishing the last of this sample from Ian. So good. Unfortunately so expensive too. I’ve been rationing this on like crazy. Ah maybe one day I can replenish the supply but for now I’m enjoying the moment of this great tea.

Thanks to Ian for sending me this one. Sometimes you need put all formality aside and just say DUDE! I have to be honest I’ve been giddy about getting to try this one. I have had pure Hawaiian kona and it is one of my favorite treats to have in the coffee world. I love my coffee just as much as I love my tea. So my expectations are high knowing the quality that comes from the Island state. Not to mention an American tea that can stack up to teas that have been produced for thousands of years in other countries. The dry leaf is intriguing. There is a sweet aroma emanates almost like caramelized sugar. The tea reminds me a lot of of Dawn(Arunachal Pradesh) from The Simple Leaf. This is a fabulous tea. Second steep with dinner of Salmon and Boxty(Irish potato pancakes). Great

Smokey, sweet, and slight fruit taste. Goes well with some pierogi.

Finally got a chance to try this and this is the best Pu-Erh I’ve tried yet.

No gross fishy smell or taste like I got from the Numi Emporer’s Pu-Erh tea bags and a fun and enjoyable brewing method too. Had the iron tea pot with boiled water and poured that into a small yixing clay pot which was a fun brewing method. The server suggested 30 sec brewing time so I followed that generally, or brewed up to 1 min or so. Did about 12 steepings.

At first the flavour was stronger, not quite in-your-face which was very encouraging. This does remind me a bit of Lapsang in the way that it’s more like you’re drinking a fancy hard liquor (like Islay Scotch, or something) than a tea. So a very interesting and fun experience out, and definitely nice vibe to have this outdoors at the fancy Samovar Tea Shop downtown in Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. Don’t know if I’d make this one for myself at home if I got some, but it’s a fun tea to have out.

The flavour was rich and inviting but not overpowering which was really surprising. I found myself really enjoying the taste and making comparisons to Samovar’s (very strong) Yerba Mate as well – in the way that it’s sort of a “unique” tea, not an every day one, but it’s fun to have once in a while as you suspect it’s so strange that it’s epically good for your health.

I had a LOT of this tea, 2 full teapots full. I hadn’t had a ton of lunch beforehand so I started to notice the caffeine hitting me pretty hard – also it was a bit harsh on the stomach too – I suspect this might be better if not on an empty stomach. It was very nice while drinking it but perhaps I had too much, this might be a better one to share with someone, or perhaps have only 1 teapot instead of 2. In any case I still liked it and despite the very present flavours and strong reaction I would have it again, prob just with food next time.

Best Pu-Erh yet, but this is making me wonder if you’re not supposed to drink Pu-Erh like you drink Black Tea – I could have 3 mugs of black tea and never feel blech afterwards. Perhaps this is a bit more acidic or something and warrants a little more caution. But in any case it was fun, and I’d try it again.

Thank you ssooo much Amy for this delicious Oolong! I wasn’t aware that this was a Thai Oolong until I read your notes, so it is my first as well. :))

When I warmed my glass tea press and poured the dry leaves into it the aroma was very creamy to me. I was surprised because this tea was greener than I expected, but IMO somewhere in the middle of the Oolong spectrum. The wet leaves smelled wonderful, with a creamy fruit aroma I love so much. The cup color was a lighter yellow, with a light fruity & creamy aroma.

Initially this Oolong reminded me of the milk Oolong I had a while back, but slightly greener, with no artificial powdery aftertaste left on my palate. This was so creamy and I loved the smoothness of the cup. I did notice a mild peach aspect to this one, and I agree with Amy, this Bao Zhong is mild in flavor. This is probably due to the hand rolling of the leaves. Not whimpy in taste, but a more gentle, calming, reflective brew.

My second steep was much the same as above, but more creamy, smooth, and fruity. I did seem to pick up more of the greenish character in the second cup. I wouldn’t call it flowery, but slightly vegetal in nature. I did get peach notes. Now I think I understand what people mean when they say an Oolong is buttery. I guess I just feel that “buttey” is what I call creamy (it is part of the creaminess) in describing the tea.

This Bao Zhong Oolong is one of those teas I could really get addicted to! Thanks again Amy. :)) I’m gonna go take a leap, and steep another cup of this tasty Oolong. :))

Cupped & Reviewed: Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

Excellent tea. High quality, gorgeous leaves. Delicate, and sweet. Tastes fruity and slightly grassy. Mouth feel of a white but clear fruit flavors. Delicious over and over again. Steep as many times as possible.

Absolutely fantastic. Great color, great flavor. The flavor is very heavy, thick, and smoky. It’s one of the best roasted teas I’ve ever had. Definitely worth ordering. I tend to steep this one a bit longer than usual, I feel it really gets better and rarely over-steeps.

I made this Chai as instructed in the box with minor exceptions. I used 8th Continent Soy Milk(1cup) instead of whole milk. As for the Black Tea I used Lupicia Palekaiko (1.5tbsp )only because I have a lot of it. For sweetener I used Williams-Sonoma Granulated Honey (2tbsp)

It came out absolutely perfect. What a treat for today and there was enough left over to refrigerate and serve as iced Chai tomorrow. Like many people have said the flavor is so well balanced, not one flavor overpowers another. It has the correct amount of spice and drinks so smooth. It was almost as perfect as the cup I tasted two weeks ago in Samovar Tea Lounge in SF during Macworld. Granted this takes a little time to prepare but it is so worth it. It almost makes me wish I had some snow to go with it.

(According to Samovar)
How to Brew Our Chai
Bring 1-2 cups of water with 1 or more tablespoons of raw sugar to a rolling boil.
Then add 2 tablespoon of chai blend and 1 tablespoon of your favorite full-bodied black tea. Boil for an additional 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of whole milk, bring to boil again, and then remove from heat and let mixture sit 5 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and enjoy!

http://flic.kr/p/btXSV2
http://flic.kr/p/btXHCT
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/granulated-honey/
http://steepster.com/teas/lupicia/7185-palekaiko

#Aloha

I bought this tea as part of the sampler they offered some time ago (a long time ago!) and I don’t think they sell this anymore. But that’s OK because while I do not dislike this tea, it is not one that I’m in a rush to order again.

It is interesting though. Earthy, but what I like about this is that the Kukicha sort of curbs the earthiness of the Yerba Mate and gives it a more nutty kind of flavor. Nutty, sweet, earthy, and vegetative. Toasty. Pleasant.

My afternoon cup always varies. Today I’m drinking the Jasmine Pearls since the thought of smelling it brewed made me smile. I am enjoying every sip of it.

One of my favorite Earl Grey teas, and judging from how much is left. It is time for me to order it again.

Finished this up today. This is so light and delicious and not bitter at all. It is nicely blended that the yunnan and lemongrass are playing harmoniously. Not one stands out more than the other. Perfect for lunch! :)

I see lemongrass and black tea leaves! Delicious! I usually pair lemongrass with light teas like green or white teas. This one is a great combination. This is perfect for today. I wanted something light but with black tea. The steep was fresh tasting and not bitter at all. This is great! :)

Yerba Mate, peppermint, fennel seed, ginger, clove, peppercorn.

I am unsure if this blend still exists – a friend brought it back from the U.S for me as a gift.

It is well balanced. While not comprised of my favourite ingredients (being polite) I did appreciate the craft that went into getting a great balance of flavours. None seem to outshine the others. The peppercorn adds the TASTE of pepper without overdoing the heat. I loved the restraint in not doubling aniseed flavours with liquorice root as well as fennel seed. The seed is enough to give that lovely aromatic sweetness without being sickly. Clean and lingering. The mouthfeel builds and enchants as you sip. This guy is invigorating. I did wonder a little, though, where is the mate???

Not my highest scoring by all means, but this is not due to unmasterful blending, just my personal tastes and leanings.

Backlog: Last night as I was curled up in front of the television before heading to bed, I was sipping on this tea. It’s decent. I tasted the nutty flavor from the rooibos, and I liked the combination of lavender and lemon myrtle. I wish the stevia wasn’t in there, but I didn’t notice too much aftertaste from it. Not my favorite bedtime-type tisane, but, it was alright.

This is a gentle, soft, flavorful, white tea. I’m watching An Affair to Remember, and I’m astonished how much I like it since the main hero is kind of despicable in the beginning. But what a classic Hollywood film. It’s a shame most people in my generation don’t know who Cary Grant even is. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. You can watch it instantly on Netflix.

Anyway, this is a tea review not a film review. This is a lovely, delicate white tea. I’m detecting sweet honeysuckle notes and the hay-like quality I find in all white teas. The liquor is the palest of yellows, and the aroma is subtle and sweet. No bitterness or astringency.

First steep at 175 degrees for 1.5 mins. Second steed at 185 for 2 mins. Third steed at 195 for 3 mins, and this tea is still going strong. I’m not gonna’ lie; every cup tasted exactly the same as the last. This tea is quite good.