A couple of nights ago, as I sat pondering the stark range of contrasts in flavor and character among the three types of shochu I was drinking (rice, barley and buckwheat) in a Japanese izakaya during happy hour, I listened to a brief exchange about tea between the two patrons at the table next to [...]
While hot tea can be a great way to warm up on a winter day or even during a summer thunderstorm, it isn’t always the first choice for a summer beverage, especially in the hottest months of the year. There are some ways that you can take your love of tea into the summer without [...]
Mighty Leaf’s Marakesh Mint Green Tea doesn’t taste like the traditional tea that they make in Morrocco. Only a particular brewing technique and fresh mint leaves can accomplish that, but it does taste like something nice and flavorful, especially if it’s cold. And cold, it also tastes like a drink you might relish if you [...]
Closely tying in to the last post, I wanted to provide some details on the Banko-Yaki Houhin teapot that I referred to. I wasn’t really in the market for a teapot in this style when I came across this one several months ago, but I really liked the look of it so I bought [...]
Mellow Monk’s Top Leaf is the first flush (Spring picking) of a type of Japanese green tea processed differently from most, as a type of Sencha called Tamaryokucha. It is a lovely tea and one that exhibits signs of having been processed with care and attention. Mellow Monk buys all of its teas from small [...]
Black teas from Yunnan Province are my standard everyday comfort teas, and I generally drink them several times a week, so I was interested in trying narienteas’ Yunnan Golden Tips. The first time I brewed a pot of it I was a little surprised by the initial taste because it had none of the carmel, [...]
The first thing I noticed when I opened the package of Canton Tea Co’s Yulan Dancong was that the leaves were exceptionally long, slender, and tinged with gold. They were only slightly curled and twisted, which emphasized their length and shape. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tea that was so attractive before it [...]
Big Red Robe Oolong Supreme (Wuyi Da Hong Pao Wu Long) is Jing Tea’s offering of one of the most sought-after and famous of the teas grown in the Wu Yi Mountains. It’s like a more highly refined, noble and more costly big brother to lesser Rock Oolong or Wu Yi Oolong teas.
In general I [...]
