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This was just one of the many gifts that arrived from Den’s Teas yesterday in their green tea sampler pack. It has been a while since I had a gen mai cha, so I thought I would go the low fuss route and just utilize the version that came already collected in one of their pyramid tea satchels. (Though they also sent unused tea pyramids for the loose tea as well.) It is the same tea as in the loose leaf pack, so I assumed there would be little difference.

This was actually their extra green flavor which means that it was dusted with a heavy portion of matcha, which was great to impart the green tea flavor even with only a relatively short brew time. I did not dive too deeply into flavor exploration as this was a fairly typical gen mai cha. The salty notes and the toasted rice were there, although I did not notice any popcorn kernels in the blend. Ultimately it was a pleasant cup, which would make a very good daily gen mai cha, if you consume japanese tea regularly.

Yet the most remarkable thing about this bag was the longevity of the tea. It yielded 5 cups over a variety of brewing methods and probably could have gone on for more! Part of this is definitely the matcha element, but it was also clear that excellent care was taken in the process of transferring the loose tea into these tiny infusion pyramids. The instructions suggested a brew time of 30 seconds, but I opted to go on for about 45 seconds for my first steep, as I generally like slightly stronger green tea (western taste buds). This was still a bit light for my taste, but definitely sharpened my appetite for more. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th steeps ranged from about 1-4 minutes. I have to say, even when this tea is a bit bitter, it is still very resilient. Again, I think this is a result of the matcha helping to keep any astringency from the sencha in line with the flavor of classic japanese green tea. The final cup was a bit of a blunder. I meant to do a long brew with lukewarm water for the leaves that I expected were well used at this point: about 10 minutes, so that I could keep it in the fridge and mix with fresh water for a tall glass the next morning with breakfast. However, I forgot about it and accidentally left it on the counter overnight. Despite this, the results were pretty much the same. This overnight room temperature steep did not yield nearly the amount of bitter flavors I thought it would.

So after really pushing the limits on this tea, and considering that a box of it is only $5, I would say that you definitely get your money’s worth.

Wow. There are a lot of reviews already. Guess I might has well throw my hat into the mix.

First cup, Steep 2.5 minutes.
In David’s notes on the Verdant website, he describes many of his teas as having a sparkling flavor. This is something that I am still trying to uncover myself, but I think that I have caught a glimpse of it with this tea. The mocha and marshmallow notes are so powerful that they really do have a quality reminiscent of bubbles bursting over your tongue and fizzing up into your nose. It is not overwhelming, however, as many flavored blends can be. These flavors remain neatly packaged within the savor of the tea leaves (because let’s be honest, the first flavor of most loose tea is still usually, ahem, tea.)

Well after you finish your cup, the aftertaste of cinnamon and almond will continue to hang on. It is wild how naturally sweet this tea is – no sugar necessary! The end of the cup yields some oak flavor as well. Another thing that I like about this tea is the durability. After you pour the water off from the first steep, you can definitely see that the leaves are still tightly wound, ready for at least two more infusions.

Second cup, Steep 3.5 minutes.
Again, this tea does not disappoint. Make sure you don’t let the leaves sit for too long before making another cup. The less time you wait between infusions, the stronger the tea will remain.

Other tasting notes: Pumpkin, honey, black walnut, fig

8 steeps, 8-45 seconds varied.

This has been one of the best ESGREEN mini tuo cha pu-erhs so far. I should also plug the sale that they are having right now on some fantastic Ju Pu pu-erhs that have been aged inside of hollowed out tangerines and pomelos. Not to mention 10 year aged tangerine peel for an herbal tea. The tangerine added a light honey flavor and a carrot-like sweetness to the otherwise dry, vegetal tea. Some of the early steeps yielded a somewhat unpleasant smell, but overall it was a very comforting experience.

Into the 3rd and 4th steeps, the color of the liquid become much darker while the flavor got brighter. The 5th steep brought forth those peppery flavors that I have becoming accustomed to in these pu-erhs, but also something new: licorice. Even the consistency of the tea became slightly sticky at this point, a bit thicker than before. In the 6th steep, there was an interesting minerality present. Though that could just be a quality from my water that the tea is bringing out. (As David from Verdant Tea points out in his fantastic article, water is the first ingredient in tea… http://verdanttea.com/the-first-ingredient-in-tea/)

Finally on the 7th and 8th steeps, some carob and malty notes as the liquid looks almost like coffee in color. Speaking of, I have to add that I have been enjoying the caffeine content of these pu-erhs. Buzz!

Another enjoyable aspect of this tea can be seen upon pouring out the brewed leaves for inspection: big fat chunks of tangerine peel amongst the umber leaves.

I have drank a number of these flavored mini tuo chas from ESGREEN now and I would have to say that overall they are about restaurant quality, which is right for the price I think. Most enjoyable when prepared properly in the gongfu style.

One of my favorite teas of all time and also one of the best yerba mates you can find. No stems! Just a pure clean taste. Another great thing about this and all yerba mate is that you do not need hot water to make it (see recipe below).

I think many people who dislike mate because of the smoky or bitter flavor should give a no-stem variety a shot. And if you did not grow up drinking yerba mate from a gourd, you may not want to invest in one if you are trying at home. The gourd adds to the smoky flavor 10-fold. Unless you like smoky, then go to town.

Here’s my recipe for cold-steeped mate:
1. Toss the bombilla straw in a ceramic cup.
2. Fill cup 1/4 – 1/3 of the way with yerba mate.
3. Add filtered water to fill the cup 3/4 of the way full.
4. Wait a moment for the tea to settle. When you add the water, bubbles will become trapped at the bottom of the cup. As they release, they will bring a chunk of the tea up with them. This can cause spillage if you fill your cup up too much.
5. Add more water if you desire to fill the cup up all the way.
6. Steep for 20-60 minutes at room temperature – OR – Steep overnight in your fridge.
7. Repeat for up to 4 times per tea serving. (Typically the 2nd steep is the best. Sometimes I throw the tea out after the 3rd steep, whatever your preference.)

Also, for larger batches (or if you don’t want to use the bombilla), a french press will be your best friend. Same rules basically apply for cold steeps (room temperature steeps), but hot steeps work just as well.

Just made another pot of this last night with some friends and I wanted to revise my previous comments. I am a self-taught pu-erh drinker which means that up until recently there was an enormous gap in my knowledge of how the ceremony actually works and what to expect from each steep. I am fine tuning my expectations as I go and learning how to enjoy pu-erh unique to other teas.

First off, if you are steeping a pu-erh and it doesn’t taste like much, don’t brew it for longer in the same water as I mistakenly did the first time round. The pu-erh flavor actually does develop as you continue to “wash” it in multiple short steeps. Pour out all of the tea liquid in the pot and put fresh hot water in, then repeat. (Thank you kOmpir for your detailed time appraisal!)

What happens as you prolong the ceremony is kind of magic. With each steep, the color is slightly different as is the taste. This method will definitely help you to appreciate the appearance of your teas more and I would highly suggest using clear glassware so that you can see the tea from every angle. The flavor, while still subtle, changes from clear to honey to smoky to spicy to stone.

My new rating now reflects an appreciation of the ceremony involved with making this tea as well as a minor change in understanding the taste. When it comes to pu-erh, my palette is still fledgling, but it will be developing quickly as I will be reviewing many new pu-erhs in the coming weeks.

First cup. Steep 1 minute.
The pungent aroma of eucalyptus and pomelo abounds headily in the mist rising from this compelling potation. The coloration of our concoction is a calm crystalline chrysanthemum, effused every so slightly with a twinkling glitter given off by frolicsome silicon dioxide particles as they vanish into liquid. This blend is sourced from the village of Parsippany in the New Jersey province, where the tea leaves are no doubt given life by the pure waters of the Commonwealth Water Company Reservoir Number Three. The first flavors you will notice are zesty citrus and honeysuckle. This gives way to a less dulcet fusion of pain reliever and cough suppressant, tempered with rotgut. The curative properties of this blend are known internationally to treat many multi-symptom ailments. All in all, an excellent way to kick off a relaxing evening at home or a lawless pub crawl. A true indulgence for only the most discriminating valetudinarian!

Other tasting notes: red #40, blue #1, sucrose

Scent of tea cake: Tobacco, Hay

First cup. Steep 1.5 minutes.
This is a very dark brown tea. Almost the color of coffee. There is a strong but balanced woodsy flavor, yet not bitter. As the temperature fades, it gives way to a peppery spice that tickles your tongue and clears your mind in the same way ginger does. The caffeine content seems fairly high. This would make a good tea for a sick day.

Other tasting notes: Burdock root, stone, acorn.

Second cup. Steep 1.5 minutes.
The straw and tobacco flavors are much more pronounced in this cup. More oils have been released by this steep which lends to a denser mouthfeel. There is very little that is sweet about this tea. It is not exactly a pleasant flavor and yet there is something very comforting about it. The mystery of pu-erh deepens…

Again I should note that many pu-erh teas are drank for their medicinal qualities. Cassia seed has been noted to have positive effects on the liver and large intestine.

The scent of these tiny curled leaves packs a strong peach punch! The sweet citrus notes in the aroma trick your mind into thinking that you really are about to bite into a slice of juicy fresh fruit.

First cup. Steep 2 minutes.
This was my first experience with “snail” tea and I had no idea that the tiny leaf curls would expand so much! Which means that I used way too much tea and definitely made this cup much stronger than it should be. So this review is going to be a little askew. However, even while pushing past the astringency, I would still say that the green tea is fairly robust compared to other greens used in jasmine blends. It actually took me off guard because my last “jade” tea from esgreen was much more delicate. This is definitely my kind of jasmine tea because the green tea flavor is prominent and high grade. The leaf itself displays notes of buttery cocoa and cinnamon. But the peach flavor really brightens things up. A great drink for the stoic wise man and chirpy teenager alike.

Second cup. Steep 2.5 minutes.
So I used far less of the tiny “snails” this time, but brewed just a hair longer until the leaves properly uncurled and rose to the surface. Without the bitterness, the flavor is much more clear and brothy. But the green tea taste still pokes out just a head above the sweet flower. To my palette, this is a perfectly blended jasmine tea. The uniqueness of this tea leaf shines, as the light creamy texture has remained in this cup. I have been drinking several different jasmine teas recently and I would have to say that this is the best quality I have come across. A very distinct and pleasurable tea.

Other tasting notes: almond, coconut milk, stevia

There are already a lot of reviews for this tea, so I will keep this short. This is definitely one of the most enjoyable and multifaceted black teas I have ever come across. Yes, the notes of chocolate and spice are pronounced, but not overpowering. For me, nothing about it is too bitter or too sweet. It lends itself well for many arrangements: plain, with milk and/or sugar, with added spice as a chai…and here is one more instrumentation you may not have thought of: as a vodka infusion! Steeping the tea in the alcohol brings out those malty cocoa and spice flavors BIG TIME.

Below is the recipe I used from about.com. I cut the recipe in about a third to yield a smaller quantity, but probably still used just over 2 tsp of the tea (2.5 – 3 tsp). My only additional recommendation is to use quality vodka, not anything bottom shelf or watery. As with most drinks, the higher quality, the better. By the way, this goes perfect with cuisine from the northern parts of the silk road – Russian zakuski – Na Zdorovie!

Ingredients:
750 mL neutral-tasting vodka (a.k.a. “a fifth”)
6 level teaspoons good quality black tea leaves
Simple syrup (optional, to taste)

Preparation:
1. Using a funnel, place the tealeaves into the bottle of vodka. If necessary, lightly crush them first or use a chopstick to fit them through the funnel and into the bottle.
2. Replace the cap of the bottle and shake well.
3. Steep for about 18 hours, or to taste.
4. Pour the mixture through a strainer and funnel into a different bottle. (If you plan to add simple syrup, use a larger bottle.)
5. Discard the tealeaves. Add simple syrup to the remaining solution if desired.
6. Serve straight, on the rocks or as a base for more complex cocktails.

First cup. Steep 2.5 minutes.
This green tea comes in the japanese style with no buds – only leaves – similar to one of my other favorite green teas from the An Hui province, the Green Monkey King. However, the taste of Melon Seed is drastically different. While Green Monkey King bears a more toasted flavor, Melon Seed is much more delicate. The scent of the actual tea has a kind of light buttery quality like hazelnut or white chocolate and the taste is very mild. There is an arid sweetness to it though that blossoms at the back of your tongue the more you drink. Perhaps similar to what an actual melon seed might taste like. The tea leaf has a slight peppery essence after it is steeped, which adds subtle complexity underneath the otherwise pure flavor.