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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
I hardly ever drink Ceylon tea, so when I received the sample of Broken Orange Pekoe from Plucker’s Pick, I was a little concerned that I would dislike it due to its type, regardless of its quality. I was delighted to find that my concern was completely unfounded. As most tea drinkers know, Sri Lanka [...]
Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company sent us a wide and interesting array of teas to sample. One thing that I liked immediately about all of their teas is that they package each tea “sachet” in an individually sealed packet, which is a great way to secure the freshness of each cup. Countering the [...]
I can imagine, with an admitted twinge of horror, the founders of Stash Tea sitting around an ugly yellow formica kitchen table on an overcast Oregon afternoon in 1972, when one of them perks up and says, “Dude! We should totally name the new company after our dope, man! ‘Cuz it’s like tea is also [...]
Several months ago, inspired by the examples I had obtained of traditionally-prepared teas aged inside of citrus fruits, I decided to try making some of my own. This venture was also “inspired” by my inability to locate any dried orange peel. This led to a shift in concept when I was able to procure a [...]
Since it is at long last looking and feeling summery for more than 10 minutes at a stretch here in Seattle, it is appropriate to think about iced teas. I do not drink any less hot teas than I do in cooler seasons, but I do like having a pitcher of iced tea ready and [...]
When we received the samples of Okayti Autumn Flush Darjeeling and Okayti Autumn Flush Darjeeling Oolong from Mighty Leaf Teas I decided that the most interesting way to sample them would be in a side-by-side tasting. The two are from the same picking at the same plantation, but one has been fully oxidized as a [...]
The more humble of Tao of Tea’s two Portland teahouses, Original Tao was built in 1997 and is tucked into a small neighborhood in the southeast part of the city. It is small, but well worth a visit. In addition to the extensive tea selection, which includes choices of traditional serving styles, the teahouse has [...]
