Here is the new tea lover in my life:

Phuguri Estate FTGFOP1S Cl. Tips First Flush

Full Leaf

Close Up

Another great gem from Upton Tea where I buy about 90% of my tea.
Thia Phuguri Estate FTGFOP1S Cl. Tips First Flush's aroma hit me first when I opened up my new tin and I told myself that this tea needs to be served in my Yixing Teapot. No mistake there! This tea is just exquisite in aroma before and after being steeped. The aroma is kind of fruity but quickly shadowed by the quality freshness in this first flush (spring time harvesting) grade.

After steeping a pot, the taste is slightly astringent with a clean finish. The notes of fruitiness is in every sip, and very pleasing to the palate.

As I said earlier in this blog, I broke out my Yixing Teapot, and only select Darjeeling Teas ever go into my Yixing Teapot, I'm glad to say this Darjeeling Tea will grace my Yixing Teapot with every steeping.

My Trip To Teavana Today.

Samurai Chai Mate Tea

White Ayurvedic Chai Tea

Today I was walking around the Altamonte Mall with my son, and I walked by a Teavana and they had some samples of fresh brewed tea to taste.


Today one of the samples we a blend of two teas, a Maté and a White Tea, both infused with Chai spices. The two mixed together into this well and robust Chai that was so good!

A "Maté" is truly not a real Tea, but rather a species of holly with a caffeine content that will put coffee to shame!

The White Tea is almost caffeine free, to the 50-50 blend of these two teas cuts the caffeine in just about half.

I'm enjoying a cup right now straight up, and later cups I'll try with milk and or honey.

This is a great find for Chai loves like me!

Long Jing

When I went to the Asian Supermarket the other day, I also picked up this "Long Jing" Green Tea.

I bought 8oz of this green tea for $5.59, so yet another great price for a good loose tea. The Green tea is a typical Chinese green tea, slight grassy flavor but a good round cup good for everyday drinking.

Read the first blog on shopping at your local Asian Market here.

$1.25

A resource most people may not be aware of is your local Asian Market.
Yesterday I was visiting one of my local Asian Markets with my girlfriend and I naturally shot straight to to the Tea Isle! Behold, tea from all over the Orient was right in front of me. I bought three teas from China, one White Tea and two Green Teas.

The tea pictured on the right was one of the cheapest teas there, a Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea, and this box of 250 grams was only $1.25.

I've already had cups from the other two teas I bought and I'll post them here shortly, but I'm drinking a cup of this Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea right now and I'm shocked at the great taste of the tea from the price I paid for the tea. Grant it that this tea does not have the quality of the single estate teas I regularly enjoy, but for this price and good quality of this tea makes it a very good tea to keep on hand to just drink when you can't sit back and relax and enjoy a good cup of tea.

So, don't neglect your resources at hand, there is a gold mind of teas in your own neighborhood... explore and experiment and you may be truly surprised!

Tindharia Estate FOP First Flush (EX-1) Organic

I just received this nice organic Darjeeling Tea from Upton Tea Imports  the other day, and just like most single estate Darjeeling Teas I'm very happy with this tea. I love broad leaf teas because they steep longer to gain the best flavor that is not overpowering. The finished tea is very clear and has a medium to medium-dark appearance. The aroma is very traditional and light. The taste is also light and smooth with a slight fruity after taste that finishes clean.

This Tindharia Estate Tea good to place in my favorites to order again.

Decaf Tea

I've been drinking decaf tea for over a week now and it is so sickening!

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.