t Leaf T

Ehh. I’m not too big on white teas so I found this rather dull. It is very leafy tasting with a definite savoury tone, but in that annoying I’m-a-delicate-white-tea way. In conclusion, a somewhat pointless brew – I would recommend silver needle, a cup of water, or a flavoured/scented white tea over this.

You know when you’re having one of those days where you wished you’d just stayed in bed because everythings gone all wrong and you just need a hug? Brew a pot (or three) of this – its a perfect tasty balance of cinnamon, apple and chamomile. Not quite a hug, but almost as comforting, so it should tide you over until a hug can be procured.

English Breakfast is terribly lame, but the only reason I happened across this delightful gem of a blend is because I was doing a tasting comparison of breakfast teas (English, Irish, Boring, Dull, etc). Far nicer than its pesticide-ridden companion, this is a lovely light tea with enough flavour in it to keep me interested, much like the boy I met last week…
You’ll definitely enjoy this tea if you’re a fan of Darjeelings or other complex-yet-delicate teas. Don’t drink it with milk!

A somewhat sweet tea that works particularly well iced for a hot day. Needs almost no sugar, and is something for those not used to herbal or “unusual” (ie “Not English Breakfast”) teas.

I’m not sure what parameters are needed to get the ~ buds standing upright in the cup like bamboo shoots after a spring rain ~, but pouring the water over the leaves to infuse just had them all floating on the top of the water. But I digress. The tea itself is smooth and has just enough flavour so you know you’re actually drinking a jasmine tea, not just a cup of warm water. It stands up well for multiple infusions too, I’m usually able to reuse the leaves 4-6 times before the flavour runs out. Regardless of the health benefits and wildly differing caffeine content claims, this is one tasty tea!

This was exactly what I needed after tasting a whole pile of Chinese black teas that I didn’t really like! I don’t usually dig fruit tisanes at all, but this one is a lovely, sweet and refreshing infusion (plus the bright pink matches my dress today). And not too shabby hot, but it really shines when you have it cold: brew it double strength for about 20 mintues, let it cool and top up with soda water.
I’ve also infused this into cupcakes (both the cake and icing) with great success!

With the emotionally scarring event of my last cup of Puerh a distant memory, I decided to try this again using the method that Cofftea suggested: 1 gram per 30mls, rinse for 15 seconds, brew for 20 seconds. The resulting tea was surprisngly sweet, while still maintaining its earthy characteristic. Much more palatable than the same leaves stewing in water for 4 minutes, but still definitely not my favourite. I’d encourage you to try this brewing method for your puerhs if you don’t use it already!

Something that tastes this bad has GOT to be healthy for you! The entire experience of the tea was frightening – the dry leaves are dark and smell composty, the resulting infusion is almost inky black with the wet leaves looking like something a nightmare left behind. The flavour is very earthy and fungal, but its incredibly smooth – I’ll give it that. Smooth in an awful way though, like a big fat slug sliding down your throat. I also braved it a second time to try with a bit of milk, which really bought out the mushroom within. A lot of people dig that in a tea but I cannot count myself among those who do!

I really want to like this tea but I’m afraid it ain’t gonna happen. The smell is incredible – rich and campfire smokey, but its not something I can stomach drinking at all. I tried this plain and hated it, then took a coworkers suggestion to try it with milk and still hated it. The milk seems to mute the tea and enhance the smoked flavour which didn’t help me at all, but may help you if you enjoy Lapsang but find it too intense. I much prefer a Russian Caravan or Yunnan Golden Tips for a smokey black tea that isn’t overwhelming.

One of the most terrifying teas I have ever drank! The broken orange pekoe is so broken (like my soul after drinking this) its almost powder like. The resulting infusion is incredibly harsh and coppery with a heavy malt taste. The recommended brewing time is 3-5 mintues, but I would use 1-2 minutes – any longer than that is completely insane. The upside to this tea is that it takes milk and sugar really well. If you enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with putting your life in danger, or if you like your tea really milky and don’t want to sacrifice flavour- then this Ceylon is for you. I, however, will lie awake in fear of this tea tonight. As summed up quite nicely by a a co-worker: “Stab stab stab! It will come for you in the night!”

A smooth, incredibly rich and oaky tea that lingers like that guy you hooked up with a few times then got bored with, but he still texts and calls you even though you haven’t given him any reply in the last 4 months. This Ceylon is great with milk and would pair well with a slice of lemon cheesecake!

Beautiful beautiful beautiful classic Ceylon tea from this small (well 51-100 workers) estate which produces the only Ceylon worth drinking. Incredibly smooth, slightly maltier than the Nandana op1 and lovely with a touch of milk (trim of course). I would recommend this if you’re into bagged Dilmah English Breakfast and are venturing into loose-leaf, if you dig Assams and want to ease yourself into a Ceylon, or if you like nice things. I am totally going to fangirl the heck out of this tea!!

A similar tea to Kenilworth op1, except slightly bolder and a touch more flavoursome, making it that much more tasty. Adding milk to this would be a waste and completely mute the delicate flavour of this Ceylon, so drink it plain!

This is a very smooth, very light, very dull Ceylon. Nothing to write home about, though if you were writing home I would mention that its best drunk without milk and that Darjeeling fans would probably enjoy this tea. Perhaps just as a P.S though, it would be silly to include it inbetween updates about your cat and your enquiries about Auntie Mabels health.

I am still wary of green teas, but wanted to brew a classic Japanese green for my sister to try as she is just getting into green tea. Its probably the least offensive tasting tea I’ve ever drank – mild, with a hint of that buttered vegetables taste that sencha tends to have. This would be good to have while enjoying a meal, though I prefer to pair my foods with hard liquor.

ETA: Seeing as the Sencha Fukujyu has been discontinued, this is as close as you’ll get. Its not as astringent and grassy as the Fukujyu though.

After spending all night drinking/dancing/flinging my beads around, I was in desperate need of something that packed a bit more punch than a cup of earl grey. I am not a fan of plain yerba maté at all, but Lemon maté is one of t leaf T’s newest blends and is actually really tasty! The lemongrass and lemon flavour mask the taste of the yerba, making it an incredibly refreshing drink. Plus its crazy healthy for you and a great hangover cure. If you are feeling particularily nasty after flinging your beads around, I’d brew some plain yerba maté with a bit of ginger root added to help you feel less queasy.

This is one of my favorite teas. I prefer to drink this tea first thing in the morning, the nutty undertones and the smell of freshly popped popcorn always make me hungry. I usually brew a whole pot which leads to numerous potty breaks but it’s so worth it!

I’m not a fan of this hot at all, but iced and topped up with soda water and orange slices makes this taste divine! I used 6 tablespoons for 1 liter (letting the rooibos steep until the water was cold).

Ah, its so good trying a bunch of teas at the same time, I think you get more of a feel for each tea than when you taste them individually. This has similar strength to the Irish Breakfast, but what I previously remarked as “maltylicious” is actually more herbacious (due to the manuka) than malt. Still a lovely tea though, both with or without milk. Plus it looks pretty while you brew it, as al the manuka leaves float to the top.

This is my current breakfast tea favourite! The Assam tea base is delightfully smooth and I can quite easily (and surprisngly) drink this without milk. The addition of manuka leaf makes this blend even more maltylicious than Malty Breakfast Blend – shocking I know. I can’t decide if it is best paired with Eggs Benedict for brunch, or with a large helping of cinnamon cookies fresh out of the oven…

Tis the season… almost! This tastes like a sweet and mild chai, which I prefer to brew with a stick of cinnamon and drink with milk. I made the mistake of overdosing on Christmas Tea this time last year, so can barely bring myself to finish this cup, but I promise you it is delicious!

I have a new favourite breakfast tea! Definitely too harsh to drink on its own, but this is PERFECT with a decent splash of milk. Packed with enough flavour to match either a full cooked breakfast (or a simple Ginger Gem fresh from the oven), this tea is more honeyish than malty. Delish!

This Assam is so strong it will cut your face. If you are hardcore, I’d recommed drinking this straight. Or for those who don’t want to put their life in danger, adding a generous splash of milk or cream makes this delicious. The savoury aftertaste is especially yummy if you pair it with some fresh-out-of-the-oven gingerbread…

Oolong is not a tea I tend to drink willingly (especially when I have over 100 other teas to choose from) but I needed something savoury and snack-like to tide me over until I can go on a lunch break. The ginseng gives it a sweet and cooling aftertaste, which makes for a fairly inoffensive chinese oolong. Usually I they offend me greatly, but today this was not the case.