Harney & Sons

Tropical fruit aroma that could bring one out of a coma along with a slight hint of passion; early afternoon bliss and rudimentary satisfaction.

After steeping, the leaves give off a tropical fruit aroma, like guava or passion fruit, along with a pronounced spring honey smell. In the cup, the tropical fruit notes are less assertive, as well as less sweet. Again though, with other teas from the region, we can appreciate the dry briskness, puckering our mouths back into a smile which as the Indians say, is how you can tell a good cup of tea!

This tea actually comes from Nepal, so while it is not technically a Darjeeling, it is made in the Darjeeling style, with a hard wither, thorough rolling, limited oxidation and a mild firing process. Darjeeling teas are made right on the border separating India from Nepal, so its only natural that tea cultivation and the processing style has migrated over the border.

On occasion I like to treat myself with things like new shoes, some jewelery or a single serve sachet from Harney & Sons. I’m glad that yesterday I did that latter, because this is one of the nicest teas from this brand I’ve ever had! Its a lovely delicate and incredibly smooth black tea with a hint of currant. Perfect for light morning tea with cucumber sandwiches and shortbread. Also to sully this infusion with milk would be a crime so please don’t!

Take note other companies: After being able to purchase a single cup worth of tea leaves to try, of a blend that sounded more interesting than delicious but it was only $1 so I didn’t mind risking it, I’m going to buy a 200g tin of it next week!

Ok.. I’m logging this here even though I question if it’s right or not. Ricky and Carolyn will like this one cuz we’ve had convos about pineapple greens. Mom and my aunt had to go to the mall for work so I went w/ to get out of the house. I’m not the type that likes to do things alone, but I went anyway. Stopped at Cold Stone Creamery (yes in Jan. in winter lol- I wish I could turn my cravings off in the winter!) and of course was freezing after I was done eating so I went right next door to Gloria Jean’s. I originally went for coffee because I know they have K cups and while I will have prebagged tea if I must, I will probably never touch a K cup for tea or coffee. But I walked in and saw a container of bagged tea on the counter so I decided to go for it. They have H&S! This is one brand I haven’t had before. I was actually surprised at their selection. They had 3 herbals and a few blacks… but for someone who doesn’t drink either willingly, I only had 2 choices. Japanese sencha or this. Or at least it must have been this. I could swear It just said pineapple green… but I can’t find it here or on their website. Am I losing it? Anyway… My experience w/ the tea I had, whether this or another name…

Ok.. I’m logging this here even though I question if it’s right or not. Ricky and Carolyn will like this one cuz we’ve had convos about pineapple greens. Mom and my aunt had to go to the mall for work so I went w/ to get out of the house. I’m not the type that likes to do things alone, but I went anyway. Stopped at Cold Stone Creamery (yes in Jan. in winter lol- I wish I could turn my cravings off in the winter!) and of course was freezing after I was done eating so I went right next door to Gloria Jean’s. I originally went for coffee because I know they have K cups and while I will have prebagged tea if I must, I will probably never touch a K cup for tea or coffee. But I walked in and saw a container of bagged tea on the counter so I decided to go for it. They have H&S! This is one brand I haven’t had before. I was actually surprised at their selection. They had 3 herbals and a few blacks… but for someone who doesn’t drink either willingly, I only had 2 choices. Japanese sencha or this. Or at least it must have been this. I could swear It just said pineapple green… but I can’t find it here or on their website. Am I losing it? Anyway… My experience w/ the tea I had, whether this or another name…Parameters: 3 bags of an unknown weight in 20oz water of an unknown temp steeped ~3min (I kept track of it on my cell phone).

Ok.. I’m logging this here even though I question if it’s right or not. Ricky and Carolyn will like this one cuz we’ve had convos about pineapple greens. Mom and my aunt had to go to the mall for work so I went w/ to get out of the house. I’m not the type that likes to do things alone, but I went anyway. Stopped at Cold Stone Creamery (yes in Jan. in winter lol- I wish I could turn my cravings off in the winter!) and of course was freezing after I was done eating so I went right next door to Gloria Jean’s. I originally went for coffee because I know they have K cups and while I will have prebagged tea if I must, I will probably never touch a K cup for tea or coffee. But I walked in and saw a container of bagged tea on the counter so I decided to go for it. They have H&S! This is one brand I haven’t had before. I was actually surprised at their selection. They had 3 herbals and a few blacks… but for someone who doesn’t drink either willingly, I only had 2 choices. Japanese sencha or this. Or at least it must have been this. I could swear It just said pineapple green… but I can’t find it here or on their website. Am I losing it? Anyway… My experience w/ the tea I had, whether this or another name…Parameters: 3 bags of an unknown weight in 20oz water of an unknown temp steeped ~3min (I kept track of it on my cell phone).Smells good. Like a typical light green tea. Fruity, but not sweet. Liquor is also a light, slightly yellowish, green.

Ok.. I’m logging this here even though I question if it’s right or not. Ricky and Carolyn will like this one cuz we’ve had convos about pineapple greens. Mom and my aunt had to go to the mall for work so I went w/ to get out of the house. I’m not the type that likes to do things alone, but I went anyway. Stopped at Cold Stone Creamery (yes in Jan. in winter lol- I wish I could turn my cravings off in the winter!) and of course was freezing after I was done eating so I went right next door to Gloria Jean’s. I originally went for coffee because I know they have K cups and while I will have prebagged tea if I must, I will probably never touch a K cup for tea or coffee. But I walked in and saw a container of bagged tea on the counter so I decided to go for it. They have H&S! This is one brand I haven’t had before. I was actually surprised at their selection. They had 3 herbals and a few blacks… but for someone who doesn’t drink either willingly, I only had 2 choices. Japanese sencha or this. Or at least it must have been this. I could swear It just said pineapple green… but I can’t find it here or on their website. Am I losing it? Anyway… My experience w/ the tea I had, whether this or another name…Parameters: 3 bags of an unknown weight in 20oz water of an unknown temp steeped ~3min (I kept track of it on my cell phone).Smells good. Like a typical light green tea. Fruity, but not sweet. Liquor is also a light, slightly yellowish, green.Tastes like it smells. I can definitely taste the pineapple. It’s like fresh pineapple, not canned. There’s a difference? Yes. If it was orange I could say it was like orange zest instead of orange juice. While sweet, it’s also ever so slightly crisp and bitter. I get to the last couple inches and I am suddenly very queasy. I have to breathe very slowly just to prevent myself from throwing up. I’m definitely not letting that dock the rating though. I’m contributing it soley to the fact that I’d just had a HUGE scoop of ice cream (chocolate covered strawberry w/ raspberries mixed in), the fact that 20oz is a lot and I probably drank it too fast, and the fact that I resteap so much I’m sure my body just isn’t used to the caffeine, L-theannine, and tannin content of 3 1st infusions at once. I save the last bit and when I finish it off a half hr later it’s cold- and still very wonderful. And made even more awesome by coming home to be reminded the SSI for today is a H&S item! I’d completely forgotten.

This is one of my favorite teas. I see many reviewers discussing it negatively, but I think the flavor is very unusual, I like the natural sweetness of it, and it is a very comforting winter-time treat.

This tea is a lovely blend of the African red bush and Indian spice, specifically clove, cardamom and cinnamon. The Rooibos Chai is a deliciously satisfying caffeine-free alternative to wind down with in the late afternoon. Cheers!

What a great way to end a busy Saturday! The masala spices pair perfectly with the earthy sweetness of Rooibos. Being an Herbal it won’t be keeping us up all night, but it certainly is keeping the customers warm!

One of our flights of tea this weekend, it wafts aromas of honey and sweet floral notes of violets, with a vegetal undertone of wet hay and steamed green beans. Unfortunately the taste isn’t as sweet, being overpowered by the vegetal beans.

This tea is the new crop from this season! We were surprised by its pale liquor and green leaves. It was fresh, light, smooth, and tasted faintly of honeysuckles.

This tea is a wonderful combination of silver tips, burnt sienna, sage, and forest green leaves. It is very aromatic, with hints of ginger, cardamom, and subtle citrus notes of grapefruit. Its body is a bit brisker than most Chinese teas and its taste suggests flavors of pineapple and grapefruit.

Enjoy this light bright Muscatel flavored, beautiful white tipped First Flush Darjeeling that is perfect for this cold afternoon.

Risheehat is a medium bodied tea; brisker than most Chinese teas, filling the mouth with sensation, but not offputtingly puckery like many other Darjeelings. It is a lively tea, with suggestions of bright fruit flavors like pineapple and grapefruit. In Japan, First Flush Darjeelings are offered to colleagues as tokens of respect, very cool!

Much like myself, this tea was far sweeter than expected. With a name like ‘Hot Cinnamon Sunrise’ (or Hot Cinnamon Spice depending on what size you buy it in) I figured it would have a bit more kick to it, but just wound up tasting like sugar water with a hint of cinnamon. Definitely drink this plain, adding milk just mutes what little taste there is completely.

The 2011 pick of this outstanding oolong’s is now available. The beautiful twisted leaves of this green oolong have vibrant floral aromas, which blossom into an enchanting bouquet of butter and honeyed flowers when brewed. One of the most exceptional oolongs of the year.
-RA

This is one of our flights this weekend in the Tasting Room.

The wisps of steam rising from the leaves is so fragrant, it’s hard to stop smelling the blend of gardenia, jasmine and butter. The light gold liquor is enchanting, drawing you in for a sip, allowing you to appreciate it’s medium body and light creaminess that coats the tongue. The freshest of BaoZhong tastes of nothing but honeyed flowers. After a few infusions it loses some of that sheen and takes on a lovely seriousness. If the tea is more than few months old, Baozhong begins to taste much more like a vegetal green tea.

The way BaoZhong is made, every step results in a lighter, gentler, and greener oolong. First harvesters pluck tender leaves that are larger than most green teas but not as big or tough as most oolongs. Then the leaves are withered in the sun, but only briefly (15-30 minutes), where they wilt and begin to develop some of their aromas. After withering indoors for an additional half day, the leaves are placed in a heated tumbler resembling a clothes dryer. The hot air completely fixed the leaves, preserving their green color. The partially fixed leaves are then rolled. Since they are so tender, they cannot withstand the pressure needed to twist them into the more common oolong ball shape. Instead, the leaves are rolled into tight coiled twists. The twisted leaves are left to oxidize, but only for a short time and only to 10 or 20 percent. Finally, the tea is fired only to stop the oxidation and to dry the tea for preservation.

One of the oldest Taiwanese oolongs, BaoZhong grows just outside bustling Taipei. The gardens lie to the south of the city, in a quiet mountainside spot where the air is clear of urban smog and mist almost always cloaks the gardens. For over 120 years, almost the length of Taiwanese tea history, the tiny town of PingLing has devoted itself to making BaoZhong for Chinese expatriates around the Pacific Rim. When the Japanese occupied Taiwan during World War II, they sent BaoZhong from Singapore to Saigon to Manila, often in beautiful paper wrappings decorated with lovely, intricate stamps.

PingLing is so tea centered, it boats several tea factories, a tea museum, and even streetlights shaped like teapots. Restaurants here serve wonderful foods cooked in BaoZhong tea: pork belly braised in it, fresh trout poached in it, even tea puddings sweetened with BaoZhong and condensed milk. Before you cook with it, get to know its delicate floral flavors.

Wenshan Baozhong is one of the most fragrant Taiwanese oolongs. It’s full of honeysuckle and gardenia notes, with a butter viscosity.

This is my first cup of real tea in a few days, and boy, does it feel good to be back! I’ve been really busy and out of my house, and haven’t even had a second to attempt to drink some tea. And I’ve been coming home too late to have anything other than decaf, so I’ve just been skipping out.

This is actually my first, pure Assam. I’ve had Assam blended into other teas (like Irish Breakfast), and I was pretty sure that I could pick it out in the sea of other flavors, so I was pretty excited to see if I got it right.

Can I rhapsodize a bit on the beauty of the dry leaves? Downy and silky and pure autumn gold, most of which were unbroken in my sample packet. So. Gorgeous. And the smell coming off them… black tea roasty mixed with something sweet! A bit fruity, somewhat akin to a Darjeeling smell, but a bit lighter and less assertive.

So I steeped this one up, and the tea scattered and swirled like a tea-snow-globe. And almost immediately, as the hot water hit the leaves, the water turned a brilliant copper. The copper darkened as the tea steeped, and when it was time for the pour…

The wet leaves smell very, very fruity with a hint of a signature black tea robustness. And the infusion? Very black tea-esque, with some fruit added in. This was interesting. I couldn’t smell the signature malty smell that usually screams “ASSAM” at me.

My first sip was a surprise, because this one is damned complicated! There’s almost a muscatel, Darjeeling grape taste, followed by – there it was – a rush of malt. When I talk about malt from an Assam, I’m not really referring to malted chocolate balls like Whoppers. I’m talking more about the malty characteristics of beer. This malt was nice and robust and brisk, but mellowed out at the end. The flavors left at the end were somewhat sweet and smooth.

As the tea cooled, the fruity notes spiked a bit, and the malt smoothed out. There was definitely more of a honey-like sweetness after every sip. An almost burnt sugar taste, even. And then there was this elusive bake-y taste that would pop up in the aftertaste after every couple of sips! It was so intriguing that I kept pausing and drinking to try and draw it out. A fresh baked bread taste, which you can sometimes get at the end of a good beer, if you’re paying attention.

There were downy bits floating around in my cup, so I think I might do a rinse of these leaves next time. Or maybe those downy bits add flavor? I have no idea. Anyway, this was a great tea to come home to. Very intriguing, indeed.

Having an afternoon lift to get me through the day. I added a smidge of Tea Embassy’s Georgian Caravan to the brew to give a bit of smokiness. A quite nice mix for the afternoon, I think.

A very direct flavor, malty and warm. Round but spicy at the same time, which is interesting. A dash of milk helps smooth it out.

I now have a little Irish in me.

Get your mind out of the gutter!