The Republic of Tea

(loose leaf, not bag, bought from the bulk dry goods canisters, not in a retail tin)

Usually I keep this around for hot toddies, iced tea with lemon and sugar, or head colds that need lemon and honey.

But, I’ve been helping a friend shop for ceramic tea storage and when one has spent the morning drooling over hand made, artisan pottery, one needs a reality check. Also, I’m trying to empty my cupboard as much as I can in order to justify a few orders of extremely fine teas from some unusual vendors (and probably also VT which isn’t all that unusual, especially for the Steepster crowd) and I need to use this up along with everything else.

Why are all the gaiwan I see in China low and wide and all the gaiwan I see for sale in the USA (even online) tall and narrow? I have big hands. Really big hands. I want a low, wide gaiwan that will fit my hand better. Any suggestions would be welcome on this front. Plus, I just think the aesthetic works better with those proportions.

Anyway, this tea. What is there to say, really? Assam based, blended, RTC processing, industrialized brand name, it isn’t going to be a religious experience now, is it?

But let’s face it. We’re not always in the mood for the gentle caress of tiguanyin or the exotic breezes of an aged sheng. Sometimes you want a tea that’s going to use your epiglottis as a speed bag and will simply WAKE YOU UP. Those mornings you wake up and you realize you could actually sing Barry White in the correct octave.This is the tea for those occasions.

I picked this up at a going out of business sale at a local natural foods store last night for 40% off. I figured I’d give the decaf variety a go since they were cleaned out of the regular. It was ok, I did ice it as it was a bit too warm in my neck of the woods last night. I think this might be one I need to sweeten. It seemed to go pretty bitter pretty quick. But I’ll give it another go and rate it then.

I was in the grocery store the other day debating over what milk substitute to get. I’m mildly lactose intolerant, so for days where I drink a lot of tea with milk I need some sort of replacement. I really like soy milk but I wanted to try coconut or almond to see what it would be like with tea. Coconut or almond, coconut or almond… then magically, I found a carton tucked in the corner—coconut milk AND almond milk! Perfect! It’s too hot today for any warm tea and my air conditioners don’t get here till tomorrow (damn you, Memorial Day!), so it was time for something creamy and iced. I only drink a few teas iced with milk, and chai is my favorite for later in the evening, so chai it was!

This is pretty much my go-to chai for mixing. I’ve made concentrate from it (which is what I used for the iced latte), I blend it with other teas, I cook with it, etc. I don’t really use it on its own so I feel weird giving it an actual rating… the way I use it it’s a clear 100 but as a base I’m just unsure what to do. So, no rating, but I do love it! It was SO good with the coconut almond milk and tasted (unsurprisingly) like coconut almond chai! Refreshing, creamy, nutty, spicy, cooling, delicious. Next I think I am going to make some chai caramels with the almond coconut milk instead of heavy cream…

Interesting story about this tea.
The first time I ever had houjicha, it was one of those Yamamotoyama teabags at a sushi restaurant near my college. I had no idea how long to steep it, but I fell in love with the result of the union of this one tea bag with one cup of water out of the hot side of the cooler. My immediate reaction was “I need this in loose-leaf, DUH”, so I snagged a tin of this while visiting a friend in Oklahoma. I brewed it perfectly according to the instructions on the back. It tasted…not like the houjicha I knew and loved. No nutty caramel goodness, only that woody taste I know from oolong and most decidedly am not a fan of.
Approximately five billion fine-tuned brewings later, ladies and gentlemen, I have reached HOUJICHA EQUILIBRIUM, and I now have sweet toasted goodness at my beck and call. Bravo, Republic of Tea.

There’s this certain Diner- restaurant I visit that happens to be connected to a grocery store (for any MN folks- the Minnesota Grill at Byerly’s). Sure, it’s a blue-haired crowd, and it’s always empty, but the food is cheap and really genuinely good.

I’ve gone about six or seven times in the past two seasons, but every time we’ve gone, I’ve arrived cold and in the mood for tea. They’ll bring out a big box full of bagged Republic of Tea teas, and this is always the one I choose.

Steep time is usually about a minute and a half. I am extremely sensitive to bitterness (ie: some salad fixings are too bitter for me to get down, so yes, it’s kind of extremely lame), so I’m always really conservative with this one.
But given my short steep times, it does very well! Earl Greys will always remind me of our trip to Maine, and this one is no different. This is especially true because the bergamot scenting leans more heavily on the blueberry side of things rather than the citrus side of things. I think I generally prefer it this way. Bergamots that have extreme citrus notes are a little bright for me, and combined with the lower quality bases used, just swing me hard into bitterness. The sweet blueberry nature of this makes is a go-to tea when I’m out and about at a restaurant (I never remember to bring my own tea, plus I don’t want to be rude, and I also want to support any place that’s even offering tea).

As for the black tea base of this one, it’s not too bad. Then again, I also never ever let it steep long at all, but given that it’s dust in a bag, I have to applaud Republic of Tea for putting together a blend that’s balanced and so darn cheap. Wherever their dustings/fannings come from, good for them. Of course, I’d prefer loose, but you can’t always have that. So pretty good job guys.

The weaknesses in the tea come out when the mug cools or when you’ve been sipping for a good long time (over a meal, perhaps). As you get to the bottom of the cup, there’s a bit of sticky dryness the prickles in the back of the throat. It’s not intense, but it can build, so this is one I’d probably prefer to drink quickly as a beverage to quench my thirst and warm me up rather than curl up with while reading, etc, over a long period. Also, as it sits, the bergamot scenting edges towards a lemony-pine-sol sort of thing. Not bad enough to stop drinking, but definitely enough to get me to just pay the check and leave our booth- not going to sit and savor.

So, in a pinch, this is a great one to have on hand. Perfectly drinkable blueberry-bergamot flavor, especially if steeped for a short time and consumed quickly. I’m always glad to see it available as an option, because hey! It’s an option! For tea! At a restaurant in America! Woah!!
No, I wouldn’t stock this at home or probably recommend it for my office because you can do better, but that’s not always what tea is for. It’s a good baseline I’m pleased to see being established. Anything lower quality than this has just no excuse. Yes- I’m looking at you, Bigelow Earl Grey tea. Last time I had you on a shoot, I steeped you for a minute, and you were still unkind to me. But it was either that or coffee, and you I just can’t do that.

I found myself in a situation where a pre-bagged tea would’ve served me better. I’m pretty sure I used too many leaves in my Tea Forte Kati strainer mug (I have the spring grass design), and it resulted in a very strong brew. I had to add some water to make it drinkable, but that cooled it considerably. I used three sugar cubes and no milk. Bad first impression, so I’m reserving judgement until I can try it again.

Had this tea at a restaurant and then directly from the source. It has a subtle taste that sneaks up on you. To me it definitely is a top rated tea but lacks the stronger jasmine taste that seems to characterize the higher quality teas.

Got this one in a tea exchange, and was pleasantly surprised by it. Mine is in looseleaf format, and brews up with more of a roasted mate flavour than any other note. When I latte it I find that it mellows out nicely, allowing the other notes to shine through. Just don’t add cinnamon to the milk, or all you’ll taste is that, the tea can’t counteract the spice for some reason.

I hope a cup of this today at the st louis bread company with a bagel. It was pretty good a little ginger a little mint and abit of bergamont. I thought this was pretty good.

I love the Steepster community because most of you will understand the wonderful state of Christmas well-being created when one drinks from a Tardis mug, a gift from my son (the call booth DISAPPEARS when you fill it with hot water!) and watches the Weird Al Yankovich Al-pocalypse Tour on DVD, interspersed with brief sessions trying to manipulate my new Perplexus puzzle. Tea geek paradise.

The well-being, unfortunately, wasn’t caused by the tea itself; it was just the first bag I grabbed to try out the Dr. Who mug. No particular flavor stood up for me to take notice if it, just a tarty-citrusy amalgamation.

Happy Christmas, wonderful cups of tea, and joy to you all. I was reminded at last night’s Christmas Eve service, with candle wax drizzling down my hand and tears drizzling down my cheeks, that joy has been here all along—I just forget to look for Him.

Pretty good! I like my rooibos teas with some sweetened condensed milk. Heaven! Too bad this one is a limited edition.