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Archive for the 'Black Tea' Category

Nostalgia

Posted by Cinnabar on January 7th, 2010

A few weeks ago I ventured into a grocery that I had passed by hundreds of times in the past without my curiosity the least bit piqued, having previously assumed that it would not have anything of interest on its shelves. But for whatever reason, on this day I decided I needed to investigate, and [...]

Tea Review: Tea Source: Golden Spirals

Posted by Cinnabar on September 3rd, 2009

Looking at the pictures I took of Tea Source’s Golden Spirals I’m tempted to describe the experience as a strange art project instead of a tea tasting, but the visuals are half or less of the story of this unusual tea. Tea Source’s description:
“This hand-tied display tea is made of long golden/brown tea leaves and [...]

Tea Review: DAVIDsTEA: Keemum Panda #1

Posted by Cinnabar on September 2nd, 2009

Qimen (Keemun, Keemum, Pinyin 祁门), grown in Qimen County, in Anhui Province, is a tea I haven’t given enough attention to. Every time I drink it I find that it’s much more interesting and complex than I think it’s going to be, and Keemum Panda #1 from DAVIDsTEA is quite a nice example of a [...]

Tea Review: Canton Tea Co: Bai Ling Gong Fu

Posted by Cinnabar on July 26th, 2009

I have not encountered very many black teas that were suitable for brewing using the gongfu method, but as the name would suggest, Canton Tea Co’s Bai Ling Gong Fu is one of them. It is quite a marvelous tea, with a rich, velvet-like character much smoother than most black teas, even Yunnan Gold (Dian [...]

Enjoying Tea in the Summer Sun

Posted by guest on June 22nd, 2009

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 [...]

Tea Review: narienteas: Yunnan Golden Tips

Posted by Cinnabar on June 4th, 2009

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, [...]

Not Merely the Vicar’s Wife’s Teapot

Posted by Cinnabar on May 27th, 2009

In addition to my writing here, I am also a contributing writer for The Taste of English Tea Blog, which is connected to the English Tea Store. This has led me to pursue avenues of tea and tea research of a more English flavor. One recent example was that I started finding out more about [...]

Tea Review: Tulsi Infusion

Posted by Cinnabar on January 14th, 2009

Teatulia’s Tulsi Infusion is very different from any other tea or tisane that I have tasted. Inexplicably, for me the scent of the brewed liquor is evocative of childhood summers and corn on the cob oozing with butter. This is a little odd because the tea does not taste anything like corn or butter or [...]

Tea for Cats

Posted by Cinnabar on January 14th, 2009

As a rule, I do not buy or drink blended teas, but during the holiday season unexpected items ended up in my hands, one of those being a tea blend given to me by a co-worker.
Despite the name, The Teacup’s Snow Leopard Blend is not camellia sinensis flavored with snow leopards. It is not even [...]

Dueling Gaiwans

Posted by Cinnabar on December 29th, 2008

Sometimes a full gongfu cha ceremony is beyond the scope of time or practicality or attention span. One method that I use at times like this employs two gaiwans. I use the first one to brew the tea. Then after the requisite steeping time, which is dependent on how many infusions I have already brewed, [...]