Neglect!

I think I've neglected this blog. Ugh!

I'll be back. :-)

First Review from Just4Tea

Last night during the Florida Gator and Miami Hurricane Football game I tried the sample of Jasmine Bloom from Just4Tea.

I noticed that this tea was a white tea (my weakness) and was very neat to see a "art tea" for the first time personally. As I watched it infuse with the water heated just below boiling, I saw the leaves open up and seeing the Jasmine bloom in the center of the tea ball was really cool to watch (and it was halftime by the way, I would not have my eyes off the Gators destroying an oponent for one moment). Because of the single serving glass infuser I was using it was covered so I could not smell the aroma as the tea was steaping, but after four or five minutes when the tea was finished I opened the top and I smelled the aroma and it was very pleasing. I mainly drink unflavered teas but the jasmione in this white tea was not overpowering like in some green teas and did not hurt the flavor of the white tea at all.

All in all I really enjoyed the tea, and I will buy some more real soon.

The taste was not as nutty as a white tea, but just a noticable on the first sip that the tea is a white tea. I kind of think it could be compaired to most "silver" white teas, and the jasmine was just a hint in the glass to the taste, but was noticable in the aroma. Plus a very clean finish.

Thank you Just4Tea that sample you sent me was very refreshing and I will try the other maybe after work tomorrow.

I got my sample tea today

Back on July 21, 2008 I ordered some free tea samples from Just4Tea and I received them today.

I received a sample of Jasmine Bloom and Dragon Well (I assume it's the ones linked here).

I'm glad tomorrow is a Saturday, and I'll be home all day upgrading a computer for my son so I'll steep these and give them the good old taste test. I can't wait.

Politics and Tea?

From a post here at Tea Guy Speaks, Mr. William I. Lengeman III could not pass up the chance to support his messiah, Barack Hussein Obama, with articles from the Daily Kos, and other very left wing (and uncreditable) sources buy using tea as a soure for making a post.

Shameful.

I asked him to remove my links from his blog.

Arya FTGFOP1

Here is one from Upton's Tea called Arya FTGFOP1. The discription on Upton's site states:

Description:
The rich amber liquor has a robust flavor, with a characteristic Darjeeling pungency. The flavor has intriguing nutty notes, with nuances of ripe apples and red grapes.

As a Darjeeling Tea lover all I have is praises for this single estate tea. This tea is also organically grown which is something I am coming to like more and more of and search for the organic label on the teas I purchase for I can tell in the taste if there were any foreign substances used in the growing of the tea or not.

The pungency of this tea is very classic in Darjeeling style, and has a clean finish.

So I'm off to steep another pot.

I found a new tea seller...

And I requested a sample that they offered for tea blogers, so I am looking forward to the samples from http://www.just4tea.com/

Tindharia Estate FTGFOP Second Flush Blend

Can I say, "Yummy, yummy, yummy"?

Now this tea I just bought last week and to tell you the truth, wow! Tindharia Estate FTGFOP Second Flush Blend really is a good tea for the cost that I paid for this. I'm not much on "blended" teas because I prefer single estate teas, but this is well "thought out" in it's blending to create a taste that has the Darjeeling characteristic that I love so well.

From the Upton Tea web site the comment for this tea is as follows:

Description:
We are pleased to offer this value blend from one of our preferred gardens. The well-made leaves produce a smooth and flavorful cup. The aroma has sweet, fruity hints which complement silky smooth liquor.

Yes, I agree with this comment, and would like to add the clean finish and the brightness of the liquid that is produced.

Just say NO!

Lipton Tea is better than this junk!

Season's Pick Dharamshala Estate TGFOP1

Here is my review for Season's Pick Dharamshala Estate TGFOP1, from Upton Tea.

Upton Tea's web site gave this description for the tea:

Description:
Produced in Kangra Valley (Valley of the Gods), this well-made tea has uniform, dark green needle-like leaves. The cup has medium body with a pleasing, vegetal aroma and fine floral notes. The finish is robust, and the character is much like that of a Darjeeling.

This tea happen to be a great buy for me. This buy happened to be in the Upton's Tea "Season's Pick" line which offers to the public teas that are normally reserved for their wholesale customers and the Food Service industry.

I bought a 250 gram package of this tea for $6.80, and because of the price and the bulk amount I got it for everyday drinking. I was really surprised on how good the quality of this tea was.

The description above is very accurate and I can not add to the description but to say that I'm going to check out the other teas in the "Season's Pick" line at Upton Tea's web site.

Golden Nepal (Kanyam Estate)

Golden Nepal (Kanyam Estate) is my next review.

Upton Tea's web site gave this description for the tea:

From the high Himalayan mountains, this tea is somewhat reminiscent of a Darjeeling. Bright amber liquor.

I find this description very modest for this tea. Even thought I agree this tea is somewhat reminiscent of a Darjeeling Tea, I would also say it has a more traditional taste that most people are familiar with in tea. The quality is excellent, the leaf is very pleasing to look at, both before and after steeping and the taste is moderate to bold with a clean and almost nutty finish.

The label that describes the tea states that this tea is a second flush (second picking of the season), which I did not find in the description of the tea on Upton Tea's web site. Most teas are a second flush tea that is sold in the United States (from what I have been told), and I have a few first flush teas in my stash, but this second flush tea here almost reminds me of a first flush quality and should not be overlooked when choosing a tea to buy.