Michelle Butler Hallett Send Message

2.5 tsp for 500mL water @90C, steeped five minutes.

I go with 90C water out of respect for the formosa oolong in this blend, and I find the cooler water coaxes out the slight stonefruit flavuor that formosa oolong can bring.

Not a smoky tea — the smoke is more of a whisper. Chewy and rich, thanks to the Assam and Ceylon in the blend, with a lovely bit of toast from the Keemun. Forgives a long steep and does not get bitter at this temperature. I find this tea potent for caffeine … and it’s irreplaceable. Nothing else out there quite like Harney’s Russian Country blend.

1 sachet for 250mL water @100C, steeped five minutes.

My experience with President’s Choice teas and tisanes has been anything from “Meh” to "Oh, God, no!’ I bought this one on w whim today, on a 2-for sale with some Kenyan tea sachets.

It’s , uh … safe. Not too much bergamot, and not too much rooibos. I detect no rose flavour or scent at all. The rooibos base is woody and a bit stale, so there’s not much rooibos sweetness. That said, it’s not a loss. It’s just … meh. Safe. I’ll drink it, but I won’t go our of my way to get it again.

1.25 tsp (scant) for 300nL water @ 95C, steeped four minutes.

I discovered this in a large tin, tucked away, in my tea cupboard, and now, after a long tryst with floral oolongs I’m back to Darjeelings. (Also: I really need to clean out my tea cupboard. It looks like a small warehouse.)

Dry leaf: long and twisted, mostly dark brown with some green, as is usual with Darjeelings. A few twigs.

Wet leaf: lighter brown and darker green, giving heady scents of muscatel, nuts, honey, and turned earth.

Liquor: light to medium copper with plenty of down.

Scent: a bit flat. Not to worry, as the flavour takes over. Assertive for a Darjeeling — I’d guess there’s little to no first flush here. The muscatel matures to a more winey finish, which might have something to do with the age of these tea leaves — at least five years old. Astringent finish with mineral notes that make me think of cool mist and welcome rain: clean running water.

1.25tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped four minutes.

Clearing out my tea cupboard and re-discovered this beauty. Fragrant and flavourful Darjeeling, though it does benefit from slightly cooler water; Ill make the next batch with water closer to 95C. Boiling water bring out plenty of muscatel and body but risks scalding the green tippy bits. An excellent Darjeeling and a real bargain on price.

Tea Campaign sells only Darjeelings and works hard to ensure good conditions for tea workers. You can buy in bulk. The rice per 50g on the 2014 Second Flush works out to $2.90 CAD. (Shipping extra.) This is an exceptional price.

1 packet (4g) to 300mL water @90C, steeped three minutes twenty seconds.

Dry leaf: darkest green and tight-rolled.Complex aroma: barley, florals, grass, apple.

First infusion. Wet leaf is dark green Some leaves are open; others are still tightly rolled. Pale yellow liquor. Notes of barley, pineapple (?), florals, honey, and something cooling … I want to say camphor, but I;m not sure if that’s right. A balanced and, to me, slightly starting tieguanyin. Lots going on here. I love it.

2 tsp (roughly, tea is fluffy) for 500 mL water @95C, steeped four minutes.

Gorgeous.

Dry leaf is golden, long, and downy. Wet leaf is medium brown and remains tight after the first steep. Liquor is tan with gold.

I adore dian hong. This one is a touch sweet — though it can get bitter if left too long to steep, as I found out yesterday — with notes of cream, malt, and a slight leathery finish. None of the peppery bite I like so much in some dian hong. Some slight astringence. Smooth and soothing. Re-steeps well; I got three infusions yesterday and expect the same today.

2.25 tsp for 200mL water @93C, steeped six minutes.

Dry leaf: an exceptionally pretty tisane, with apple pieces and various flower petals. Fruity scents with some peppermint, cola nut, and what smelled like a fruit flavouring.

Wet leaf: much the same.

Liquor: yellow-bronze. Fruity scent with not much from the peppermint. The cola nut does not dominate as in Rise N Shine. I didn’t taste the lemongrass, though I pick up on honeybush. I wish the mysterious “flavouring” were identified and perhaps turned down, because something fruity and slightly artificial dominates the finish. Still, pleasant and easy to drink. A subtle energy lift, not as potent as Rise N Shine.

Citizen Tea really shine on their blends.

2.25 tsp for 500mL water @90C, Western style, steeped three minutes.

I received a sample of this tea from the 2017 Toronto Tea Fesitival’s oolong tasting box.

The instructions on the packet are alarming: boiling water, 100C. What?

I decided to ignore that and use 90C water. And I’m glad I did.

Dry leaf: twisted and dark strip-style oolong. Scents are sweet, toasty, anfd a bit musty.

Wet leaf: long and glossy dark brown, with some dark green. Scents of toast and molasses.

First infusion

Liquor is light copper, no down. Sweet and toasty with some dark fruit notes and a strong mineral finish. In fact, it’s very sweet, almost like a pale honey. A heavier body than I was expecting. I’ve made a 500mL beaker here, so it might be a while before I try a second infusion.

Sweet, toasty, fruity, and mineral. Lovely.

1 tsp for 250mLwater @90C, steeped three minutes.

Dry leaf: artificial butter-cream scent. Tightly-rolled bright green leaves. Twigs.

Wet leaf: unfurled green leaves, many twigs.

Liquor: pale yellow, some gold tones. Taste is flat — it’s scented hot water. And the scent is not very appealing; it seems fake and heavy to me.

A disappointment.

1.25tsp for 250mL water @ 90C, steeped three minutes.

Before I go any further, I must point out that Citizen Tea makes it very easy to try samples of their teas. My entire order was made of little sample packets, and I am delighted by that. It’s a very friendly way to try different offerings and means I don;t need to commit to 50 grams of something I really don’t like in the end. Citizen Tea bends over backwards to treat the customer well.

Dry leaf: green pebbles, with a strong scent of liquorice. I’m dubious here …

Wet leaf: very little unfurling of leaves, which bodes well for repeated infusions.

I avoid liquorice in teas and tisanes as I don’t care for it, and because I have blood pressure issues. I missed the mention of liquorice when I ordered this sample.

Once again, Citizen Tea show they understand blends. This is very balanced between ginseng and liquorice, with neither dominating. It’s sweet, but not cloying. The ginseng lends the usual slightly fuzzy mouthfeel. Me, I’d prefer it without the liquorice, but if you like the stuff, you’ll probably like this tea.