Choicest Tea Rose Black Tea

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the three dollar tins of tea from the Asian market and I usually pick up one when I'm grocery shopping.  One of my favorites is Lotus Foods Co. in the Strip District of Pittsburgh because of its huge selection and inexpensive prices, which goes for tea as well.  Although I've heard mixed reviews about this brand (I mean, it's cheap so it's not guaranteed to be good), I've heard good things about the Rose Black and the Tieguanyin (which was out -_-).  I also picked up a Jasmine Tea which I've heard good reviews about.

Outsides:  Much like the other Choicests, the Rose Black is double sealed with metal and also has a bit of paper protecting the tea when you first open it.  There are a few rose petals scattered in the tea, but it's more uncommon than I would have hoped.  I brewed a teaspoon and a half in 8 oz of 95 degree water for 3 minutes.  The color is actually quite light for a black tea and it has a smells similar to a Keemun in that it has a note of prune to it.

Insides:  So, I'm pretty sure this is a Keemun because of the sweeter taste and the notes of dried plums and apricots.  The tea itself actually has no bitterness but the compromise is a lighter body, so don't be afraid to steep a little longer.  If you're expecting the tea to be very floral, you'll be sorely disappointed.  There is practically no taste of rose and at most, a slight fruity taste.  Still, it's a nice breakfast tea if you want something less robust and I actually think it would make a nice iced tea since it has a bit of natural sweetness.

Tilt:  The tin itself is pretty nice for a tea that cost three dollars and I'm always a fan of these scenic portraits on these tins.  I actually got this because I thought it might be a good tea for cold-brewing and honestly, it's not bad.  I'd like it to be a bit more robust, but I guess i could either blend it with something or hot brew it and then chill it.  For three bucks, I'll work with it.

Overall:  My biggest disappointment is that this tea isn't robust enough for me, but it's still not bad for what it is, plus I'm not upset at having to add more tea leaves because of the amount you get for the price.  It's not perfect, but don't be afraid of picking it up.

My Rating:  Try it!

I'm pretty sure I never had a website for Choicest Teas, but it can be found in pretty much any Asian market.

Prestogeorge's Coconut Vanilla Black Tea

So, I'm kind of in a tea no-buy right now.  Part of it is honestly because I have way too much tea and need to drink the stuff I have.  For example, I think I got this one in November and have only really gotten rid of it via mixing it with the Bananas Foster tea (which is another one that I love but never drink).  I figured that I'd try making some iced tea with this for dinner and see what it's like.

Outsides:  Prestogeroge just puts their teas in paper bags with ties on the end, which seems to work because I haven't noticed too much of a degradation in flavor.  I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the leaves but they're pretty much your standard black tea.  I brew 1.5 teaspoons of this in almost boiling water for 4 minutes.  The tea looks dark and has a light coconut scent. 

Insides:  The coconut and vanilla flavors bring a lot of sweetness to this while also offsetting the bitterness.  They also are a great combination (which isn't too surprising) because of how the vanilla adds a slight bit of creme flavor to the vanilla, making it more decadent.  The base tea is flavorful but not too robust.  I think the flavor diminished a bit over time, but it seems like an assam and ceylon blend.  I do like this hot and it makes a great winter treat with some added milk, but this REALLY shines as iced tea.  OH MY GAWD, it tastes like summer.   The sugar really brings out the sweetness of the coconut while the tea keeps its light texture. 

Tilt:  Obviously, this is a summer drink.  It's also pretty cheap, much like the vast majority of teas from Prestogeorge.  I don't think a coconut tea is unique to them so I'm sure that you can find an equivalent somewhere else.  I just really should use up more of my teas.

Overall:  Obviously, you need to like coconut to like this.  But I can't think of many teas more perfect than this for the summer.

My Rating:  Buy (for the summer) and Try (for every other time)

Prestogeorge is a local tea shop in Pittsburgh with a wide variety of tea and coffee. 

Harney and Sons Paris Flavored Black Tea

 

So, I go on Reddit's /r/tea fairly often and one of the companies I see mentioned fairly often is Harney and Sons with the Paris blend being the blend I hear about the most.  I've seen some of their teas at Macy's but they are way too expensive and in bags anyway.  However, Amazon has a good selection of the loose-leaf tins and you can even buy by the pound if you like it.  Paris sounded particularly interesting because it's a blend of black currants, vanilla and bergamont.

Outsides:  This particular tea was in a 4 oz black tin, which is actually quite informative.  It tells you the caffeine level, how strong it should taste, what it really is supposed to do (relax or wake you up), so I thought that was really cool.  There's only the tin protecting the leaves.  The initial smell you get is very heavy on the berry and vanilla with an interesting tartness mixed with the sweetness.  I brewed 1.5 teaspoons on 8 oz of 95 degree Celsius water for about 4 minutes.  The brew is a darker black tea color and doesn't have as strong of a scent but is still strong.

Insides:  First off, I've tried drinking this with milk and sugar, but I prefer reducing the amount I add from 2 teaspoons to 1.5 and just drinking it plain.  There isn't a really pronounced bergamont flavor despite it being in the list of the ingredients.  Rather, it's a hint that brings a nice citrusy zest to the berry vanilla flavor that's going on.  I think this tea tastes a bit like a berry mouse or some kind of berry desert.  It's pretty naturally sweet so you can definitely drink without sugar.  The tea seems to be a blend of ceylon and is strong but not overpowering to the blend.

Tilt:  So, the tin it came in is really good quality and the label design is simple yet classy.  The tea is pretty unique and is hard to give a real food analog, but is also pretty drinkable and something that I personally reach for.  This would be nice to drink in the fall since the berry flavor is a bit reminiscent of summer but the vanilla flavor gives it a bit of extra richness that would be a bit more appropriate for this time.  I've heard people describe it as tasting like pipe tobacco, but since I don't know what it tastes like, I would still say some kind of berry desert.

Overall:  It's unique but still something you might grab for.  It's a unique bergamont blend and I'm really excited to try more from Harney and Sons.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Harney and Sons is a British tea company.

Tea Forte Morrocan Mint Green Tea

 

Hey guys.  So, it's summer break and that means that I have enough time to blog again.  Yaaaaay!

So on April Fools, Tea forte had a sale where if you bought a tin of tea, you got the Kati brewing system for free.  Considering that the tins are $15 and the mug is also $15, I thought this was a great deal and I wanted a new tea cup so I went on board.  Now, there were a lot of cool flavors like Marzipan Cherry and whatnot, but I wanted something that I know I would drink over the summer.  What's better for the summer than some Morrocan Mint tea?

Outsides:  I actually got this partially for the tin as well since I have a pretty bad shortage of tins.  It's ok, kind of cheap feeling compared to the ones I've gotten from Zen Tea or Harney and Sons, but the tea is also in a plastic bag so it's packed well for freshness.  Since this is a blend with spearmint, you get that nice fresh mint smell that's more appropriate for the summer (whereas peppermint is more appropriate for the winter).  I brewed this at about 75 degrees Celsius for 2-3 minutes.  The tea still has a pungent spearmint smell and a light yellow color.

Insides:  This reminds me a bit of the Mild Mint from Touch Organics, although a bit stronger in overall flavor and a bit fresher.  The mint is prominent but not overpowering and goes well with the green tea flavor. The green tea in here isn't very distinguishable but isn't very offensive either.  It's simple and it's a good drink for a crowd since there isn't really any astringency.  I've cold brewed this a few times and think it works really well for that.  You definitely don't need any sugar with this.

Tilt:   Ok, this tea is kind of expensive.  It's $15 for a 4 oz tin when you can pretty much find Morrocan mint tea anywhere.  Unfortunately, I don't have another one for comparison, but I'll probably end up getting some from one of the locals.  I've also been trying to associate teas with seasons and this is definitely a summer tea, so now is the time to buy.

Overall:  I like it, although it's a bit boring.  Still, I'd check it out if Tea Forte is having a sale and you don't have any in your cupboard.

My Rating:  Try it!

Tea Forte is a fancy tea company with nice packaging and interesting flavors.