Teavana

Got this as a Christmas gift from my future brother-in-law. Apparently he walked into Teavana and told the clerk that I liked black tea, and this is what he recommended.

Honestly? I’m disappointed. I’ve been meaning to try a Golden Monkey for awhile now, enticed by the promise of a cocoa flavor and some maltiness. I tasted almost no cocoa in this, and the maltiness was bitter and overwhelming. I’ll still drink this with cream, but I’m sad that it didn’t live up to its promise. As another reviewer said, Black Dragon Pearls are everything this tea should be.

Interesting combination. The rooibos is prominent, and the chai taste adds an interesting background to the tea!

I have, in the past brewed this tea in 3 steep for three minutes each which comes out very nicely. I was recently gifted with The Way of Tea by Master Lam Kam Chuen which is really exciting. The book details not only the proper brewing of tea in the Traditional Chinese tea ceremony, but also a history of tea (I’ve read a few already so it will be nice to compare) and the steps of cultivation and processing. The last is something I’ve always wanted to learn and though I’ve read some of the STI’s information on the topic, I still feel I have much to learn.

So this brings me back to oolongs; the tea used in the Chinese Tea Ceremony. I gave away the nice Tung Ting I got in Chicago to my friends in Seattle. This Iron Buddha Oolong is at least a year old, not that it was much when it was fresher. If anyone has a favorite oolong please let me know. I’m going to Park and Shop today to look at their tea sets and see if they have any of the more traditional ones. Yay!

1 tsp in make-your-own teabag
hot spigot water
8-12 ounce ceramic mug
2 minutes
1 stick honey
mild, sweet, slightly grassy/vegetal, hints of cherry

I do not love you tea, I wanted to love you so much

if you like smooth green teas that aren’t very vegetal with subtle flavors this is for you

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 8 ounces hot spigot water
Tool: make your own paper teabag
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes (tried 1 and 2, too weak)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: cherry, floral, sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: vegetal, cherry, fruity
Flavor: bitter, vegetal, floral
Body: Light
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: translucent yellowish-green

I bought this tea because I am in love with The Republic of Tea Memoirs of a Geisha cherry green tea. That was a limited edition tea.

Since I have been trying so many teas, this tea is not on my “loved” list anymore…it’s too finicky to make properly, and not enough cherry for me.

I think 1 or 2 minutes would have done the tea better, less bitter, I’ll try that next time.

I am dropping my rating because it is finicky and I have found so many better teas as I have branched out

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/teavana-loose-leaf-green-tea-japanese.html

Served: Hot
Smell: Strong fruity, Cherry, slight ‘Grass’
Flavor: Light, green tea with a hint of cherry
Aftertaste: slightly bitter, short duration (this tend to get bitter with over-brewing)

Served: Hot
Smell: Peachy, fruity
Flavor: medium, fruity, sour
Aftertaste: bitter, slight

finished off the last of this today for breakfast with MilitiaJim
2 tsp german rock sugar, 5 tsp tea
it starts off sweet then turns smoky, i am not a big fan of LSes but he is

Served: Hot
Smell: campfire, smoke
Flavor: mild plain black tea, strong sweetness from the sugar
Aftertaste: none

This tea was my introduction into loose leaf teas and for that I am forever grateful.
I have found it to be a comfort any time of the day, and is great for multiple infusions with proper water temperature and timing. I do however use more than 1 tsp per cup.
Easily found cheaper and just as delicious at other locations besides Teavana.
A wonderful all around tea in my opinion.

I enjoy this tea not for the tea base itself, but for the delightful cherry flavor. The upgraded version now actually tastes the way it smells. The older version was more mellow in terms of taste for certain. The tea base is also stronger in that it can be brewed for a longer time without going bitter.

This tea smells like a sunrise looks. Fruity teas aren’t even my favorite, this one just has all sorts of awesome things going on. I get so engrossed just shaking the tin and wafting the aroma around, haha! Anyway, the citrus makes me energized in the morning, so I guess I will be relying on this next semester before 8:30 chemistry class. :) Brewed this by the directions given, turned out perfect.

made matcha shortbread (5 Ingredient fix Earl Grey Shortbread recipe) using 1 Tbsp matcha and 1 Tbsp Jasmine Blossom Green tea

cold’s trying to come back – time for another pineapple-OJ-matcha immunity & energy booster!

orange pineapple ginger matcha juice

(about 4-5 oz OJ, 3-4 oz pineapple juice, 1-2 oz ginger soda, about 1 tsp matcha)

surprisingly yummy, plus full of vitamin C and other good stuff…

gonna need a matcha latte to wake me up and get me through this “hump day”

(matcha whisked into silk vanilla almond milk and served over ice)

the clouds in my tired brain are parting…

iced matcha latte with Silk vanilla almond milk – aka “the usual” :D

backlogging last nite’s smoothie – matcha, vanilla silk almond milk, chobani strawberry greek yogurt. MMMmmmm.

I made matcha chocolate bark for a tea meetup by substituting matcha for cinnamon in this recipe below (I’ve made the normal recipe before and it’s good). I also did not toast the almond slivers, because I forgot. However, I’ve burned them before, and I think untoasted goes better with matcha anyway.

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Desserts/Cinnamon-Chocolate-Bark.aspx

iced almond milk matcha latte with flaxseed.

(I prefer it as a smoothie w. same ingred + strawberry yogurt, but this will do until I make it to the store.)

Matcha lemonade! Added a bit less than a tsp to a medium Chick-Fil-A lemonade. Wow! The lemonade by itself was a bit too tart, ad not as sweet as they often make it. The matcha actually sweetened it up and evened it out into something quite nice. Best ice cold.