Tea

If memory serves right there’s only one major type of tea that’s named for a person and that would be Earl Grey, a variety that’s most often made by flavoring black tea with the aromatic oil from the peel of a citrus fruit called bergamot. Which makes for a very aromatic product indeed, and it’s certainly […]

While many of you tea drinkers out there will know exactly what these two terms mean, I feel that there is often some confusion about the difference between the two. This is partly because tea is often both loose-leaf and full-leaf. But despite not all loose-leaf tea being whole-leaf tea, and vice versa, I have […]

with the warmer weather comes a need for ample hydration for our bodies. During the week of May 20-26, Bigelow Tea will be celebrating Drink Water Week. “Water?” you ask… not tea? Well, of course, tea is made with water … so what’s not to love? Water is one of our most precious resources. It’s what makes Earth different from any other planet, and as humans we are made up of 60% water. We couldn’t live without it. In fact, we need plenty of water each day just to nourish our bodies. If you find drinking glass after glass of water monotonous, we have great news: other beverage intake—including tea!—can count towards your daily requirements. Fresh brewed iced tea is fantastic way to hydrate and cool down, and a marvelous flavored alternative to sugary drinks. And with so many varieties of Bigelow Tea, you can have any type or flavor you choose … and even mix and match your own! How about a lovely Perfect Peach and Pomegranate Pizzazz iced tea blend to refresh you throughout the day!   The summer months are fast approaching, and So yes, we are definitely observing Drink Water Week. Boil some right now and enjoy that cup of tea or a tall glass of iced tea! Refreshing isn’t it? Image by Snap® via Flickr.com

I feel as though I am rather spoiled as I have spent the last couple days immersed in my sample of Brandy Oolong. This rather unique oolong is rather heavily oxidized and has just recently been introduced to those of us in the West. And boy am I delighted that it has finally made it. The dry leaves are long and twisted and a dark chocolate brown. The aroma they give off is that of molasses. Once brewed, the liquor is a dark amber and the aroma is still that of molasses but with some spice too it now. This tea has a very silky texture to it with a bit of dryness at the end of each sip. It has a very rich flavor with malt, spices and dark molasses which becomes even thicker as it cools. Very tasty indeed. This is a tea that takes to being resteeped with grace. I was able to get resteep it four times with a fifth being very possible as the leaves had more to give. And at just over $4 an ounce, this tea is a real treasure at a very low cost. I know that I plan on picking some up the next time I order. Water temp: 195 degrees Steep Time: 2 minutes

Drawing a simple stick figure is the extent of my artistic abilities.  Honestly, even that might be stretching it.  It’s not really a problem as I am more than willing to accept my lack of artistic ability.  But every once in a while, I’ll catch Bob Ross on PBS painting his happy little trees, making it look so easy, and I see a small glimmer of artistic salvation for me.   A few years back, my sister and her husband attended one of those Wine and Canvas type of bars in Chicago.  You know … drink wine while an instructor walks you through a masterpiece creation.  She posted pictures on Facebook and the whole thing looked like a ton of fun.  Especially the wine part.  I immediately pulled up my “To Do” list (since I have lists for everything) and added a “Tea + Art” type of event to it.   Why it took me a couple of years to put something like this together is beyond me, but fate led me to a gentleman by the name of Ed.  Ed teaches art classes – different media, different techniques, different hair, but in that same soothing voice as Bob Ross.  On April 17, we launched our very first “Blend and Brew” – an art + tea class at Selah {an art salon}.  The focus of our class was on creating a painting of a beautiful cherry blossom tree and sampling four green teas.  We talked about green tea-growing regions, flavor profiles, and a flurry of other tea facts – all while painting.  We even managed to chat about husbands, puppies, and past teas we’ve experienced.  The evening was so enjoyable that we have opted to host monthly “Blend and Brew” sessions. While I still hold tight to the fact that I will never be a Monet, there is something very relaxing about having a cup of tea and painting.  I was amazed at how different all of the paintings were, even though everyone was working off the same model.  If given the chance to attend a similar event in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend it!   Happy painting (and sipping)!

Tea Information: Leaf Type:  Black Where to Buy:  Amoda Tea Tea Description: This is our Mother’s Day Tea. One of the Amoda moms has been asking for a black tea “that’s not boring”. So we found one for her. There’s 7 different black teas layered in here! Medium-body, medium-strength, full taste. There’s citrus, malt and honey and that amazing smoky character that likes to linger. Learn more about this tea here. Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here. Taster’s Review: I have wanted to try this Lord Petersham Black Tea Blend from The Devotea for a long time now – and the monthly tea tasting box from Amoda Tea made that possible for me today!  Thank you, Amoda Tea! The Devotea maintains an active presence on Tea Trade, and that’s our home here on SororiTea Sisters too, so I’ve been hearing a lot about this tea blend.  I tried to win it back when the Devotea was hosting regular giveaways on Tea Trade, but, I never won anything.  Bummer!  I have been meaning to order from them for a while, but, every time I have funds available in my “Can Buy Tea” budget, somehow, I forget to order this! Now I HAVE to order more of this, because this blend is FREAKING awesome!  Seriously … it’s extraordinarily good.  I know I’ve said that this tea or that tea is good, and I’ve meant it.  But, if you have room for only one black tea in your tea cupboard – this is a tea you should definitely consider as your one and only.   I’ve encountered a few “one and only” black tea blends … this tea blend is absolutely a contender for that distinction as well. I think that Amoda Tea describes this tea well when they say that it’s medium-body, medium-strength with full-flavor.  It is all those things.  It doesn’t taste or feel too heavy or overwhelming.  It isn’t one of those “kick you in the backside” kind of teas that you would turn to on those mornings when you are too drowsy to focus.  Instead, it’s one of those teas that you drink because you LOVE tea and you want the optimal tea experience.  As I sit here and drink this, I am so astonished at how beautifully round it is.  It is completely satisfying in it’s flavor. I steeped this for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch, and this worked out perfectly.  It is not overly tannic, it isn’t bitter, it is just … divinely delicious.  A wonderfully balanced cuppa that tastes rich with its notes of sweet honey-like tones, malty goodness, and hints of earthy notes.  There is a citrus-like finish to it.  The smoky tones that Amoda Tea mentions in their description … there is just the right amount of smoke to this blend.  It doesn’t taste aggressively smoky. This is so close to perfection – this blend – that I can’t think of a black tea blend that I like better than this one at the moment.  There might be one … but, this tastes so good that it is clouding any other opinion that I might have! The post Lord Petersham Black Tea Blend from The Devotea appeared first on SororiTea Sisters.

The Madison County students and parents participating in the middle school Homestay program hosted a reception for our Sister City Delegation on Thursday evening. ?   This summer, ten Japanese students will come to Kentucky to stay a week with families here.  Next year, our students will go there to stay with the students they hosted this year.  ?   The five girls and five

If you were at all intrigued by the sampling of the 2009 Kim Jong Yeol (Butea) aged and re-roasted balhyocha from Pedro at O5tea, you may also find this post interesting. Once again it offers an interesting perspective on aging balhyocha. What is interesting about this tea is that it was picked from the same area, produced with the same methods, and by the same people that produced the 2011 and 2012 "ZeDa" brand balhyocha that is sold by Sam of Good Green Tea. The 2011 post states: "Sam acquired it from a small farm from Sancheong, Jiri Mountain, and that is was completely wild tea. He claimed that Mr. Hong has over 50 years experience making tea and that he makes it all by hand with only the help of his wife. Mr. Hong makes only Hwang cha (balhyocha) with his tea leaves and only produces 15 Kg per year (he keeps 5 KG of this tea). The production of this tea is all natural and even includes air drying the leaves on big heated boulders during night time instead of the standard ondol heated floors which are commonly used to produce balhyocha." Although one did try many 2006 balhyocha back in 2006, this is the oldest aged sample of balhyocha one has yet to try. 2006 was an excellent year for Korean tea and produced a great harvest. With that said, this should be an epic tasting... The dry leaf looks much the same as the 2011/2012 but smells of old musky smells. It carries a deep aged odour of sweet black cherry in the distance mixed with a very slight deep forest note. These leaves are stuffed in to a warmed pot.The first infusion is prepared with hotter water than what one would normally use for a balhyocha, a short rest in the cooling bowl. This first pot is light, juicy, watered-down fruity-pear taste. This initial taste disappears among the faintest date-woody-raisin tastes before disappearing on the breath. The mouthfeel is flat and watery- it supplies a light coating to the mid-deep throat. Clearly hotter water is still required.The second pot is filled with water that is quickly transferred from the cooling bowl. The taste opens with creamy, spicy, thick, malted-apricot notes with hints of bitter coco and tobacco underneath It is these tastes of coco and tobacco which are last to disappear on the breath. Seconds later a thin woody-forest note skirts underneath The mouthfeel is thin and taught, expansive in the mid- and upper- throat. Third pot comes with more pronounced woody-forest tastes which were just underling in the last infusion. They now mix evenly with the spicy-malted-apricot notes. There is a depth to all these tastes. The creaminess and thickness of last infusion is less here. There slightly more coarseness and dryness mixed in now. The throat feel is substantial now especially in the deep-mid throat. The sensation is that of a cool opening feeling there. The qi of this tea is very soft, ones face softens and a subtle warm tingling sensation is felt throughout the body. Minutes later a woody taste is left in the mouth. The fourth and fifth infusions are much the same as the third. The tea is just starting to become more watery now. There is a light, slightly malty-juicy-wood monotone flavour now dominating the profile. A lingering sweet malty-apricot taste lingers minutes later. Qi is strong now on the mind but almost unnoticeable on the body. The qi accumulates lightly in the chest making it feel light. The sixth, seventh, and eighth infusions are becoming more simple. It is a barely spicy, malty wood taste with a deep woody edge. As the infusions become more watery now they develop and thin-watery, sweet, malty, vague fruitiness, with raisin tones. Some tangy wood notes linger in the breath minutes later. The taste has a simple purity to it. These leaves are put to some overnight infusions which pull out a malty-sweet, juicy-apricot fruit taste with a thin barely noticeable woody bottom. The thin coating of fruit is long in the mouth. The second overnight infusion is a wate

Here's another article I recently wrote for The English Tea Store blog. Does Your Tea Site Need A Makeover? By William I. Lengeman IIIBack in the 70s I had some pretty fine bell bottoms, if I do say so myself, and some eye-catching silk shirts and a nice pair of platform shoes to round out any ensemble. I know fashions have a way of coming around and I don’t have any of those snappy duds anymore but even if I did I wouldn’t wear them. I’m not obsessed with my appearance but I still don’t want to be seen in public in clothes that are so outdated. Which is to suggest that appearances do count for something. If you disagree, stop and think about what you wore to your last job interview. All of which occurred to me when I came across a tea site recently that would have been considered...moreCuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Whew. The name on some teas really are a mouth full. From what the Tea Emporium’s website has to say this tea is worth its moniker. I thought that I would share it here. This is a super premium White tea plucked from the 100% pure and young AV2 clonal bushes of this prestigious plantation in Darjeeling. Only one leaf and a bud is plucked by the expert pluckers of this garden during the early hours of the morning as a result of which the made tea has a very attractive ornamental look in this state. The dry leafs also gives out a refreshing aroma of fresh fruits and flowers. This is a very pretty tea with the long wiry leaves that come in colors of gold, greyish green, olive and a dark blackish green. I don’t agree about the aroma however as to me it gives off a sweet grassy aroma with just a touch of fennel. Quite appealing but nothing fruity or floral about it. Following the suggestions of the website I set the leaves up using 185 degree water and a steep time of 4 minutes. (Actually they just suggested the time so you will probably have to play around with temperatures.) The resulting brew is a darker gold. The liquor has a light fragrance of spice and citrus playing nicely with the sweet grass. This tea is rather interesting. When sipping I am really reminded of a crisp white wine. There is the dryness to the tongue, the whispers of different flavors that you coax can tease until they fade or morph into something else entirely. This would be the perfect tea to introduce wine lovers to white teas. Perhaps serve it to them in a wine glass? This incredible tea has put Tea Emporium on my list of vendors to stalk and I am really looking forward to enjoying more of their teas. Would I purchase this tea? In a hot second. The fact that they offer free shipping if you order over $59 worth of tea makes it all more appetizing.