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Another thermos tea.
Honestly I do not find anything distinctive – cheap green tea with lemon notes. Simple as that. The dry tea bag had quite strong lemon flavour which kind of dissapeared while brewed.

The tea tasted good though, easy going, simple tea. No funky notes. Nothing extra.
Everyday tea.

Fruit flavoured green tea sounds like a winner for this morning. But first aroma noticed was rather herbal! What is wrong? Ah, apparently chamomile, hibiscus is in. Citric acid? Why? Anyway – to the tea. I brewed about 80 °C (+) water, it is green tea after all! It doesn´t want to steep at all! It does not change colour much, right now it is some weak red, rather orange. I will keep it there for bit more than suggested 5 minutes.

Aroma – as I said, herbal, now getting some arficial notes of pomergranate, oranges and raspberrries. But it is so artificial I am getting a headache from it. Chamomile in backgroud, and still really strong.

In taste it is metallic, with little fruit notes. No green tea! It is in even? Tart, but not from pomergranate. Everything so weak. Raspberries? Where? Maybe one for whole batch? Matcha? Nonewhere! Even liquor is clear! This iis queer. Chamomile and hibiscus so dominating, fruit notes almost nonewhere and no green tea. I wonder if it is even in.

Not a winner, just plain NAH! Bit better than Arizona I had two months ago, as this was not so sweet. By derk. Thank you experience of good and worse teas. This is unfortunately second group.

Okay, at first I must say I am drinking a European version. Boxes look bit different, but I think ingredients won´t be. Today I had again of the weird days I am used to have recently. Nieces and nephew over. For whole week. For some reason I can´t understand, I fell anxious when they are around. Anxiety remained even when I went to University. Weird, whole day.

Anyway, came home and I needed a cup. It was evening, so of course something caffeine-free again. As they are around I can not enjoy anything in gaiwan, because I would not find good mood for that. And doing it when anxious makes me anxious even more.

The brew looks golden with quite lots of dust. Probably leaves were very crushed. In aroma I notice lavander, chamomile and bit of licorce. Quite pleasant.

When it comes to taste – it is quite minty, with some kind of aftertaste which remains. It is strange taste, like all herbs together – with spoon of honey. Cough drops maybe? Certainly it is off.

Well, I guess I will finish this cup and go to bed. I would not rate – I think today is not a day for rating. It would be strongly affected by my anxiety. I hope tomorrow is going to be a better day.

Another tea bag today.
Trying to relax with cup of tea today. I feel somehow tense. This blend sounds very interesting. Black tea with buckthorn and quince? Picture is misleading, certainly there is not so big leaves and not so big white/yellow flowers. All is really dust in tea bag, no big leaves there. I expected that. Few white spots are there though.

They suggest 200ml/2-3 minutes. I am going 300ml/-2 minutes. I think it is brewed, according the colour. Colour is typical, bronze/copper. Unfortunately bit dusty on te bottom. Apparently really not very fine tea. Tea bag = 1.5 grams

It smells bit like some kind of jam. Citrusy, bit of malt and sea buckthorn.

In taste it is kind of clean, quite malty tea. But the fruit brings sweetness; and honesly it is more enjoyable than I expected. I do not get any spiciness they are writing.

I wanted something simple today. And I don´t feel writing much today.

Colour of liquor is golden – when brewed. I just kept the bag in, it is herbal, so not a big deal.
Aroma: strongly mint of course, lovely! Maybe bit fir.
Taste: Great herbal tea, mix of mint and sage. Nice ratio, both were dominant earlier or later. It was smooth too and with bit like honey aftertaste.

Have I said it´s from derk? I have not! Now I did, thank you! (By the way, this was the tea that started our swap)
Conclusion: Really nice blend of herbals, I expected much less.

A backlog, I had it in Dobra Cajovna (tearoom) in Pardubice yesterday . I needed something as energy boost, as I had night shift. I do inventory checks as part-time job. Not a dream job, but money is money.

Anyway to the tea. I ordered it as teapot version, so two brews. Unfortunately I have no idea about volume nor amount of tea. They brew it outside and then pour the liquor to the teapot. Nice solution so it would not overbrew and you can pour it to cup anytime.

Colour is most green I have seen in while. Really acid green colour. But liquor remains clear which is certainly a plus.

Ahh, at least I made little, but some notes:
Aromas were really wonderful, full bodied. I wrote down following – freshly cut grass, wet hay. Probably more, but as I said, it is a backlog, I have not written down much. Those scents apply for both brews, it remains rather same.

Now to flavours:
First brew it was really grassy with bit of umami. It was nice and easy to drink, no funky notes. Second brew was different: it went bit buttery, but still enjoyable. But aftertaste was amazing and I never encounter with it in green teas. It was like roasted nuts! That made my experience unique.

They wrote down it has got great stimulating effects and I have to agree. I have not closed my eyes to 3 am. Great for night shift.

Here is what they wrote in tea menu:
“Tea of the year 2009”. Mountain variety of Sencha from Hamamatsu region in Shizuoka province. Dark green flat leaves with same size, with strong grass aroma and incommutable taste. It has got remarkable stimulating effects.

What to expect?
Answer is there: “Time to chill…steep and sip a delicious combo of organic cardamon and spices”

Need to chill, tomorrow an exam (I have not looked at it at all, probably too busy with tea reviews). Fundamentals of physics, it should not be so hard. And tomorrow till 5 am (Friday) in part time job. Well, poor student needs money for more tea.

Anyway, this herbal blend smells very nice when dry. I do not have much experience with main ingredient (cardamom). When it is steeped, it does not have so nice aroma, but still it is pleasant. Bit of licorce for sure in aroma, bit of ginger. Cinnamon and rose is not much present.

Colour of liquor is (hard to say, as it is in mug), golden, maybe bit green. But certainly clear. It looks so promising.

In taste? I do not know, probably strongly cardamom, bit like lemon(grass). Smooth. Easy drinking. Enjoyable; there are no bad notes. Ginger is weak, so no stingy taste. Good…

Whoa. That was nice blend. Now, quick shower and probably bed. Tomorrow is going to be long day; so if you do not see my reviews for for two days, I am sleeping. Or dead. Or I have not got any tea. Who knows. Thank you derk for one tea bag.

Prepared in the morning as day boost. I wonder how it is going to work. Anyway…

Dry leaf aromas were quite floral, not bad at all, maybe bit pine.
80°C water in, then a tea bag in. Right away the water became greener and after 3 minute steep (?, I dunno) I took it out. While warm it was nice, drinkable, green tea. Colour is neon-green and cloudy (matcha did it),. Aromas were pleasant, quite buttery and vegetal, maybe bit of grass. Some umami too.

Now I have it cold and, it is really buttery with little bitter aftertaste. I have to say I don´t like it when cold. It is somehow unpleasant.

So, in conclusion – when warm it is good, maybe very good. But when cold, nah, not my favourite. Mea culpa I let it cold.

Derk, you described it very well and thank you for it.

A tea bag from Derk again. Thank you!

Need small caffeine boost, though it is 7 pm. I hope it contains a caffeine, but not so much.
Let´s see, steeping for suggested 4-5 minutes. Colour reminds me bit black teas, quite dark copper. But in aroma it is a oolong for sure. Probably some roasted kind. In aroma I noticed honey too, maybe mead. Smell is promising.

Taste is bit weaker, but still very nice. Bit more malty, like some kind of Assam tea. Quite distinctive. Certainly an oolong, if I did blind test. Maybe it has nutty aftertaste? I am trying to find out.

I would suggest just shoter steeping time, otherwise quite fine! An organic is certainly a plus.

Another longer morning day, so I picked up something to gaiwan again. Derk, you wanted another opinion so here it is and TY for sample.

Unfortunately, I had to make it stronger than usual, 8 grams for 85 ml gaiwan. Maybe has got my gaiwan bigger volume, but this is usual volume I get when it tea is broken. Preheated gaiwan, 15 seconds rinse with freshly boiled water.

1st steep; 20 seconds:
Dry tea reminds me dates, while wet leaf smell familiar, though I am not sure what is it. Maybe bit birch wood in Finnish sauna. It is broking quite quickly. Colour of the liquor is quite brown with red notes. Lily flowers, as they are light are coming to mug too. Taste is some generic pu-erh, maybe bit salty? But it is smooth.

2nd steep, 15 seconds:
The tea is dark, opaque, thick. Aroma is soil. I am not good in naming different soils so just soil :). In taste it became bit alkaline, metalic. Unfortunately not tasty for me. Let´s see another steeps.

3rd, 20 seconds:
Still dark and opaque. Aroma did not changed at all. I like more the wet leaf aroma than liquor aroma. Wet leaf really reminds me birch wood. It tastes really metallic, though now it is bit weaker and hopefully smoother. I think I prefer more sweet ones. Or fruity.

4th, 30 seconds.
Colour still same, aroma changes bit to wet leaf (so birch), but still some metallic and/or soil. Taste changed to more chocolate, wood. Definitely sweeter than previous. Much better now. I tried to search something about the taro flavour, but I am not much clever from descriptions, so I am keeping it simple.

5th, 30 seconds.
The liquor is clearing, red notes of colour are starting to dominate.
Aroma of birch is again bit stronger, and it starts to appear in taste. More woody flavours, with metallic aftertaste. But certainly better than first few steeps. No signs of dying.

6th, 40 seconds.
Colour is really clear (compared to first brews), dark red as some hibiscus teas. Aroma is strongly woody, pleasant. Flavour is wet wood with bit of soil aftertaste.

7th, 50 seconds
Yup, it is clear. And red. Maybe dark copper. Certainly woody in matter of scents and flavours. Those last brews are certainly more lovely than first ones. Still somehow not so perfect.

8th, 1 minute
My thermos is running out. Maybe I will make another. Anyway, one minute steep!
Okay, this is running weak. So no another thermos. Colour is red-brown. Taste is same, but quite weak. I will try 1 minute 15 seconds next steep. Or 30 seconds extra? I dunno.

9th, 1 minute 30 seconds.
Quite light liquor, bit more orange. Somehow reasonable, but it is gone I guess. In thermos I have water for last cup. Just in time I guess. It is really like branches brew. Really woody, I do not recognize anything else.

10th, probably over 2 minutes.
The lily flowers are very pretty. Some of them are expanded fully, maybe they are making the flavour notes? Who knows; I do not. Liquor is light orange, clear. Aroma is more floral, so does taste. But somehow boring.

So, 10 steeps, while it changed from very soil taste to floral through wooden notes. Generally, I do not liked it so much, it was really muddy and alkaline. Then it changes to wood; but still it was not so pleasant. I enjoyed much more the wet leaf aromas than taste of all 10 steeps. Anyway, it was nice to try, but it does not became my favourite tea. Maybe it is hard to compare with puerh I had from Crimson Lotus Tea last time; as this is not just pu-erh vendor. There were not any really unpleasant flavours and aromas; but not my cup of tea. Maybe too “dirty” for me.