Metropolitan Tea Company

There was a nice roasted brown rice scent. When looking at the leaves you could see the brown rice as well as little bits of popped popcorn. I used 4 tsps for 3 cups of water. Next time I will add one more tsp of tea.

When brewed the liquid was light yellow and there was a light brown rice scent. I taste the brown rice and little bit of the popcorn. When taking a drink there is a light after taste with kind of an astringent lingering flavor.

Overall I like this tea. When I go to a sushi bar I always have the tea and this tea just brings me there.

I wasn’t especially impressed with this tea; it wasn’t bad, wasn’t great. It was certainly fresh enough, had been stored well, etc. and the flavor was clean and not astringent or foul, but for the price—about $3.50 an ounce—there are dozens of whites I’ve preferred at half the cost. I like teas that are memorable, that leave an impression, that I’ll specifically crave later, and this was none of those. I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but among the snow dragons I’ve had… Adagio’s was preferable, and I usually find Adagio’s offerings mediocre at best. I will say this much: Metropolitan does a very good job with their packaging and the marketing built-in to their descriptions… the problem is when the descriptions aren’t very accurate to the tea. Maybe there’s a subliminal element where if they say it’s floral, you’ll find something floral and if they say it’s jammy you’ll find something jammy. In that respect, I tend to just look at the ingredients and the source and read descriptions AFTER I’ve consumed. I honestly wouldn’t have believed the tea I drank was the tea described if I hadn’t grown up seeing how silly the more common brands like Celestial Seasonings, Harney and Sons, Stash, and later Tazo are in romanticizing their leaves :)

Thanks to ColumbiaKate for the sample! I think I found the right tea… if not, lemme know and I’ll move things around.

I’m not normally a big earl grey fan. The term “watery fruit loops” is often a description I use. But I love lavender tea so I thought I’d take a risk on this.

When I sip, I only taste a subtle hint of lavender and plenty of bergamot (normally I am not a fan) and citrus. But somehow the medley works. This reminds me of the Lady Earl Grey from Twinings. It’s light on the Earl Grey (good riddance!) but still tastes bright and citrusy. The lavender complements the citrus just fine.

I may actually gasp purchase this one. It’s bold and strong, but the EG isn’t all in your face. Great for this morning – Monday morning, getting back into the work mode…

Enjoying a cup of this today. I brewed my first cup a bit too strong (using 2 bags instead of just one), and it didn’t work out too well, then I brewed it again with just one bag and it was much more palatable. The cranberry is tart with a nice level of sweetness, and the tart tingles on the tongue in the aftertaste. It’s a really good representation of the cranberry flavor.

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea.

It’s a nicely flavored cranberry tea. Nice cranberry taste, sweet and tart. There is a bitter background note to the tea, perhaps I infused it too long for a bagged tea? I don’t know. I will have to play around with brew time and see if I have a better experience next time. Still a nice tasting tea though.

I received a bag of this in a valentine’s exchange (not the SweeTea exchange on Steepster). I thought for sure I had reviewed this previously, but I guess not.

A good Monk’s Blend. It’s better as a loose leaf than as a teabag, but, that’s true of all teas. Light vanilla taste with a hint of grenadine, and good, solid Ceylon flavor in there too.

I made a super weak brew of this tea last night because I wanted to get a taste for it before I made a stronger version of it. I really, really liked it. A great note of grapes and sweetness that really tasted delicious in the cold of night! I can’t wait to try a strong version of this.

First brew: completely got distracted by impending storm and let it overbrew. Super bitter. Sad.

Second brew: so, so much better. Tiniest floral taste, and a touch sweet. I think next time a bit of sugar will make this tea absolutely delish!

Spices and Tea just illustrate, to me, how well our favored drink takes to blending. It virtually says, “Bring it on”! Pile on a variety of traditional chai spices and throw in rose petals too. The tea can take it.

I love rose in tea. It harkens back to the first time I tasted Turkish Delight and realized the delicate flavor of flowers can be so ‘delightful’.

This Metro Tea lived up to my expectations. I brewed for less than the suggested 7 mins, but I did add the ‘chai obligatory milk and sugar’.
It is truly Yum. Fragrant and flavorful!

On my last order from Metropolitan, I splurged and bought some of this. It is a bit more expensive, but on tasting is quite worth it. Also it is supposed to bring good luck, so I thought it a good way to start 2011.

Here is some further description from the companies’ site.
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It all begins with a tea producer named Mr. Huyincai. Mr. Huyincai worked in the district of Panyong in Fuan City, Fujian Province. In 1851 while making a routine inspection of his tea plants, Mr. Huyincai noticed a small section that seemed to be producing leaf of exceptional quality. Mr. Huyincai regarded this exceptional crop as a gift from mothernature and decided that it should be processed in a new and unique way. He plucked the leaf and decided to allow it to ferment before firing it, a process that turned the leaf black. While this technique of its own is not unique, Mr. Huyincai also developed a complicated production procedure that resulted in a tea so special he decided to name it 9 Bend Black Dragon.

Unfortunately, we can’t tell you much about his complicated production procedure since the details of it are judiciously guarded by a handful of people in Fuan City to this day. What we can tell you is that the name is both derived from the lucky 9 Bend River that flowed through his birth-place of Wuyishan (9 is a lucky number in China), and the symbol of the black Dragon, long considered lucky in China. We can also safely say that the luck rubbed off. Within a short time his tea had won just about every award there was to be won throughout China and Europe. As its popularity grew, the tea came to be regarded as a precious gift amongst the nobility and ruling classes of both places. Letters began to pour in from people who had drunk the tea and been rewarded with bouts of good luck – a Prime Minister re-elected here, a nobleman awarded a new fifedom there, etc. Needless to say, Mr. Huyincai became very wealthy. In fact he was considered for a time to be one of the wealthiest men in Fujian. Thankfully, besides good luck, Mr. Huyincai was also blessed with brains and so reinvested his newfound wealth back into his factory and started the operation that produces his tea to this day.

As in the days of Mr. Huyincai, 9 Bend Black Dragon – which goes by the production name of Panyong Needle – is only produced in the district of Panyong in Fuan City. Production totals these days are around 50 tons annually and the tea is still regarded by traders as one of Fujian’s finest exports. Professional tasters praise this tea for its exceptionally fresh, sweetish infusion, pure, thick nose, and bright golden cup. Brew a pot for yourself or your customers today, say a prayer for old Mr. Huyincai, and keep your fingers crossed. Cheers!

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The loose tea is beautiful. Long, twisted and glossy. It is a pleasure to look at.

I infused this for less than my usual 5 mins as I anticipate a couple re-infusions. I can tell you that the 2nd and 3rd are excellent as well. The flavors hold up nicely, and I can taste the oaky flavor with a light astringency. This tea is everything it is touted to be. In my estimation.

I have noticed that many of the Metropolitan tasting notes here on Steepster are of their bagged tea. I will hope to bring many more tastings of the whole leaf tea that I carry in my shop to the notes on this site. I have not had many disappointments. Their tea continues to be the bulk of my re-orders and backs up the popularity with great sales.
I only sell the loose leaf and prefer loose/whole leaf in my own tea drinking.

For TeaEqualsBliss Challenge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3rxNCzzJpY

So I am impressed with this tea. It takes an interesting spin on flavored black teas. The unique tangy notes is quite similar to ice wine. Good times.

Received a few teabags of this from a swap with French Vanilla. I love the aroma the dry leaf produces (dry bag of leaves produces). It is grape-y, sweet and full of black tea scent.

This tastes like a lighter less astringent black tea sweetened with sweet red grapes and cheap sweet wine. I suppose it doesn’t have to be cheap wine, but it reminds me of the boones farm wine and tea. I wonder if this would make a good tea cocktail if one would use a tea concentrate with vodka or rum. Hmmm…I think I best stick to a satisfying tea. I’m glad I have the opportunity to try this tea.

I’ve always enjoyed Naturally Flavored Fruit teas. My first exposure was an Apricot Tea. Hence, I’ve measured following tastings by my enjoyment of that for some reason.

Metro’s Loose Leaf Blueberry tea is an excellent flavored tea. The unsteeped aroma is inviting. I favor judging expectations by inhaling the blend in advance of infusion.

This infusion was short of my typical 5 minutes. The tea brews nice, full and strong, so I don’t recommend oversteeping. The blueberry flavor is distinct and you get the back of the mouth flavor as well.
If you like milk and sugar, that will enhance the blueberry.
Very enjoyable.

This is Metro’s loose leaf blend, not the bagged which has it’s own tasting notes.
You can also get an organic blueberry from Metro.
My preference will always be loose leaf.

I have a Teahouse with over 70 teas, so naturally I get to taste all of them and I’m always buying more because I want to taste more.
Most of my guests are not necessarily into trying tea for itself, but more for the experience, so I buy mostly tea that is not rare or special but something many people will like. My hope with my tasting notes is to not only express my views about the taste of a certain tea, but to express the likes and dislikes I hear from my customers. In this way I can share what I’ve learned about the teas I sell and serve.

Buckingham Palace Garden Party by Metropolitan Tea is one of those teas that appeal to many. In fact it is one of my best sellers. The Blend of 3 flavors that are familiar, Assam, Jasmine and Earl Grey, puts it right in the comfort zone. Different enough to appeal to the adventurous but not heavy or strong in taste.

I enjoy this tea as well, The Earl Grey gives just a hint, as does the jasmine. It is a great beginner’s Tea. I do recommend it.

I prefer this company’s Monk’s Blend tea over Teopia. This is smooth, slightly fruity and sweet, though not overly sweet. You can taste the hint of vanilla and that unifies the overall flavor. It has a very nice fruity fragrance too, which makes it lovely to stick your nose in your cup for another sip. Best enjoyed hot.

You cannot buy this tea from the company itself or a retail outlet. I think they only sell it commercially, so you have to pick it up at a tea room or restaurant that sells it. I live in Peterborough, Ontario and there are two places to pick this up here; The Magic Rolling Pin and the tea room based out of The Whistlestop Café. You’ll have to look around for a place in your town that sells it.

Tuesday Dec. 7, 2010
2nd steep of the day is my LAST Huckleberry.
I’m Going to miss this till I get it Replaced.
Great Bold Black Tea, with Smooth Profound Berry Flavor.
Got to get a New Box soon.
Keep on Steepin.

Monday Dec. 6, 2010
1st Steep of the Day is this Great Metro Huckleberry
This tea was given to me by my Sister-in-law.
And it is my all Time Favorite.
5 min. steep with boiling water.
The Black Tea becomes Golden Brown
and the Flavor excites the fruit receptors on the tongue.
What a Treat.

I had low expectations going in on this tasting and I wasn’t disappointed.
If your looking to taste what a Matcha should not be then this is where you start. Far from being green it brews up a gross brown hue and it tastes as bitter as it looks. Kenya is not known for its green teas and this is just another sad grab at the Matcha Craze that’s out there. Few teas leave me nauseous but this one takes my cake.

Ah, back home for a short break before the evening reception, dinner, and theatrical presentation (yes, our entertainment tonight is dinner theater!). Decided to brew up a pot of this since I really need the caffeine to make it through the rest of the conference today.

amandajo sent me this in the tea-tag swap. I think I’m going to enjoy it, even though I think I should have brewed it for 3 minutes instead of 5. Will hold off on actually rating it until I do a 3 minute steep (and when I’m not eating pretzels and salsa con queso)!

I first had this tea while at port on an Alaskan cruise. This was a really good tea and truly a unique blend. Not one I have seen repeated anywhere else. It is a strong tea and must be sipped slowly. I really like it with dessert type foods as it truly cuts through the sweetness. The tea is served at The Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC, Canada. We had a high tea where they served this anniversary blend. The food was delicious and the tea even better!

My first couple of sips of this tea were somewhat disappointing, because I wasn’t getting much chocolate flavor out of it at all. However, as the tea cooled to a more drinkable temperature, the chocolate flavor came out to play!

This is quite lovely for a rooibos blend. I can taste the caramel notes and I love how nicely it accents the chocolate. Delicious!