Tea Review: Dark Heaven (Mad Hat Tea Company)

Dark Heaven

Mad Hat Tea Company
Type: Flavored Black Tea, Flavored Puerh
Origin: Not Provided
Product Description: 

One of our most ordered Puerh blends. The closest thing to coffee in the shop!

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaf blend includes puerh, roasted mate, chocolate, and black tea.

The liquor is reddish brown with a rich aroma of chocolate, smoke, earth, and fruit.  The taste is dark, rich, and earthy with light chocolate notes and a long, dark, roasty finish.

This does bear similarities to coffee, especially in the finish.  While I was happy with the results from a 3 minute infusion which had no notable astringency, this blend can easily be steeped longer with more leaf for darker and more bold results.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: III For the Crown (Friday Afternoon Tea)

III. For the Crown

Friday Afternoon Tea
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: Not Provided
Product Description: 

This blend is inspired by the Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir.

Oh, you wicked shining thing. That tongue has a bright spice to it, but who can resist your gleam? Golden velvet tips on the finest high-mountain Nepali black tea. Floral notes pulled forth and highlighted by citric raspberry and smoothed by vanilla. Honey in the throat and silk on the lips, all belying a burning deadly chili heat. Don't forget to dress in your finest jewels for a sparkly impression!

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaf blend includes black tea, honey granules, raspberry, red chili flake, corn silk, natural vanilla flavoring, and gold lustre dust.

The liquor is reddish-orange with a lustrous shine.  The aroma is sweet with notes of berry syrup, baked fruit, vanilla and honey.  The taste kicks off with spicy chili in the front followed immediately by raspberries and vanilla.

I loved the spicy kick which was exactly what I was looking for when I purchased this tea.  The raspberries alongside the vanilla and honey reminded me of a delicious bakewell tart.

This tea is available September 1st through December 3rd as part of the Fall fandom line.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: The Magician (Wild Coast Brew)

The Magician
Wild Coast Brew
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: China
Product Description:

A Twist on Earl Grey

We reimagined the classically citrus-scented black tea using a lovely blend of citrusy ZunYi Black tea and roasty Keemun Black tea with added herbs like hops, linden, orange peel, and lemon verbena for more complex flavors and medicinal support. A blend to spark your belief in super-natural possibilities, to help you make leaps into the expansive unknown. 

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaf blend includes ZunYi Black tea, Keemun black tea, lemon verbena, orange peel, linden flower and leaf, hops, and bergamot oil.

The copper red infusion has a heady citrus aroma with bergamot near the front.  The taste is surprisingly smooth and citrusy with no notable astringency and a long refreshing finish.

This citrus-filled tea blend was refreshing and bright and I would even call it cheerful.  The results were wonderful with a 2-minute steeping with the fullest flavor in the first infusion. A longer steeping time will also produce nice, if bolder, results.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Caramel Toffee Puerh Tea (Whatcom Tea)

Caramel Toffee Puerh Tea
Whatcom Tea
Type: Flavored Puerh
Origin: Not Provided
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has rich notes of caramel, chocolate, and marzipan.

The liquor is dark reddish brown with a rich aroma of buttery caramel and chocolate.  The taste has notes of caramel, dark chocolate, and a hint of earthiness.

This was tea was surprisingly smooth with flavor and aroma notes reminding me of caramel hot cocoa and earthiness from the puerh in the background.  I've had mixed results from similar tea blends and this was definitely a winner. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Kaga Bocha Ginger (Yunomi/Yamane-en)

Kaga Bocha Ginger
Yamane-en/Yunomi
Type: Flavored Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture
Product Description: 

The region of Ishikawa Prefecture was once called Kaga and has a centuries-long history of roasting the stems of tea leaves. Though the region itself doesn't have a large commercial tea agriculture industry, they are masters at roasting leaf stems from other parts of Japan.

This version includes a mix of dried ginger for an extra spicy flavor.

BOWCHA is our partner in this region, and has provided us with a light roast of high grade spring tea leaf stems.

Temperature: 194° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1 minute

The dry leaf aroma has notes of ginger and ground nuts.

The liquor is golden peach in color with aroma and flavor notes of roasty ginger.

This was an impulse purchase because I like hojicha and ginger tea separately and I'm delighted to say that this was exactly what I was hoping for.  The fullest flavor was in the first two infusions, though a longer steeping time of at least 2 minutes helped to lift the mellower flavor of the third.  I was reminded of a ginger-flavored puff pastry which is now something I need to find a recipe for.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Organic Kabuse Sencha (Smile Tea)

Organic Kabuse Sencha
Smile Tea
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyotanabe
Product Description: 

Smile Tea loose leaf sencha is our prized product. Each bag of natural and traditional Japanese tea is full of anti-oxidants and contains carefully selected, and crafted tea leaves weighing 100 grams in weight.

Temperature: 194° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1.5 minutes

The dry leaf aroma is savory, nutty, and green.

The liquor is bright yellow-green with an aroma that is savory, nutty, and green with edamame notes and a savory, nutty, and fresh green taste.

This sencha was deliciously umami-filled and refreshing throughout three infusions.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Gyokushin Mecha Kousui (Yunomi/Shogyokuen Tea Factory)

Gyokushin Mecha Kousui/玉真（芽茶）　光翠 

Shogyokuen Tea Factory/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyotanabe
Product Description: Gyokuro Green Tea Leaf Tips

Temperature: 140° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1 minute

The dry leaves have a nutty and marine green aroma.

The pale jade green infusion has savory, nutty, and edamame notes in aroma and flavor. 

For the purpose of this review, I used 140° F water with excellent results.  I also prepared this more casually with water closer to 176° F for a much shorter steeping time which also tasted delicious.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Alpine Hojicha (Felicity Loft)

Alpine Hojicha

Felicity Loft
Type: Flavored Green
Origin: Japan
Product Description:

Alpine Hojicha is a roasted green tea from the Mt Fuji region of Japan blended with the gentle earthy florals of heather, yarrow, and nettle. This tea is a smooth, nutty, roasted toasted. This tea goes excellent with food, especially salty rich foods like ramen!

Temperature: 176° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaf blend includes roasted green tea, heather, yarrow, and nettle.

The reddish-brown infusion has a roasty and spicy aroma and taste with a long roasty and herbaceous finish.  

The floral elements of this blend added a spiciness that reminded me just a little of Southwest American cooking.  This works surprisingly well with roasted green tea and I quite enjoyed the results.

This tea was purchased by me at NW Tea Festival 2024.

Tea Review: Summer Harvest Darjeeling (Communi-Tea)

Summer Harvest Darjeeling
Communi-Tea
Type: Black
Origin: India, Darjeeling
Product Description:

An aromatic, robust beauty from Darjeeling. Plucked and processed as a second flush, its smooth, soft texture exemplifies the true essence of what a Darjeeling tea should be. 

Temperature: 194° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes of grapes and sweet grains.

The liquor is copper-red with a sweet and tart aroma of muscat grapes and grains.  The taste is almost mouthwatering with notes of muscat grapes, a hint of floral, and mild astringency.

This was a fine example of a 2nd Flush Darjeeling with flavor profile that I was hoping for.  Brewing for 2 minutes kept the astringency to a pleasant level, allowing all of the flavor notes to shine.  The astringency increases notably with successive infusions and, of course, a longer steeping time will bring it forward faster for those who prefer a bolder brew.

This tea was purchased by me at NW Tea Festival 2024.

Tea Review: Licorice Mint (MyNecessitea)

Licorice Mint

MyNecessitea
Type: Flavored Herbal
Origin: Not Provided
Product Description: 

A soothing sweet herbal tisane packed with vitamins.  This is one of Necessitea’s custom blends.  Perfect for fighting off the common cold.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3-7 minutes

The dry leaf blend includes licorice root, peppermint, and rose hips.

The amber infusion has an aroma notes of peppermint, licorice, and a hint of rose.  The taste is sweet with balanced notes of licorice and mint and a long finish.

This was tasty and refreshing with cheerful notes of candy cane and licorice.  I've found comfort in a similar blend that is no longer available, so I was delighted when I came across this blend.  Longer steeping times after the initial infusion kept the flavor lively throughout three infusions.

This tea was purchased by me at NW Tea Festival 2024.