Tealuxe

I’ve tried at least a dozen pearl jasmines, and this one is my favorite. When I lived in Providence this was no problem. Now that I have to order it online, it’s a pain. Their shopping cart software is not very functional. It’s worth it for the tea. Most pearled jasmines require a large quantity of tea, up to a tablespoon or two, for a single cup. This one really only requires a teaspoon or two, and the balance of jasmine is perfect. As with all jasmines, the second steeping is the best.

Where I normally prefer Masala chai, this Kashmiri blend has really won me over. It’s much lighter and somewhat less spicy than Tealuxe’s Masala blend, and honey is particularly good as a sweetener.

The strawberry in this smells really good but does not overpower the green tea. Very light flavored tea that I enjoy drinking at breakfast.

Bar none, this is the best Lapsang Souchong I have ever tasted. It’s so smooth on the palate, even after a long steep, but the scent…oh, the scent. It’s just gorgeous. It’s like sitting by a crackling fire in Autumn. The color is rich but not too dark. It steeps beautifully in about two minutes, and it gives a solid second cup (as good as other brands’ first cup).

I’d think twice before taking it to work, though. Invariably, someone thinks they smell smoke (so far, no alarms pulled), or it induces the need for an exodus to the local BBQ joint for lunch!

Of the several chai teas sold by Tealuxe, this is probably my favorite, but that’s not the ringing endorsement you might think. I like my chai punchy, and though this one was balanced beautifully, and definitely had a cardamon top note, it left me feeling a bit flat. Honestly, it reminded me of Oregon Chai without the extra hit of vanilla.

It bears a long steep and comes out with more up front spiciness without getting bitter. But it doesn’t do well for a second steep in that case.

The bergamot flavour is muted but it’s a nice creamy tea and one I wish I’d have purchased more of. They promoted it to me as Birthday Cake tea and I can see why. I only wish I’d have purchased more.

Wet, spongy earth. Steel, iron and sun showers. Trees and mushrooms follow. Nothing raw or herbal in this cuppa. At the same time, I found it approachable for a pu-erh, on the sweet rather than fecund side of earthy, and might just brew it for a pu-erh n00b on a chilly autumn day. I myself drank it in the Tea-luxe window, and enjoyed two steeps to my pot.

I’m just now getting around to this sample I pulled out of the TTB. It’s a nice tea but it’s not standing out as anything super special. There is a teensy bake-y taste but it’s otherwise very ordinary. Brattle Street does have a nice clean taste to it with minor astringency. I ended up adding milk and sugar and it made a pretty good breakfast tea.

I’m not always a fan of fruity type teas, I find them to to bee too much. But this was a very nice blend. Sweet, light and just the right balancing of its varying flavors. Great iced or hot, though I prefer it iced myself.

This is probably one of my favorite tea blends right now, especially iced with soy milk or light cream, honey and a touch of sugar. The hint of mint in as a nice, clean and refreshing element.

This is pretty darn yummy stuff =) To me, it seems very subtle; I don’t know if this is because they’re old leaves (this is a hand-me-down from a friend) or because it’s just a subtle cup of tea. Very lightly flavored. The smell and the taste blossom in a lovely way over the steeping, from a nutty aromy and taste to slightly more grassiness as the pouchong taste comes out. Very light. The smell is toasted coconut, the sip is nice, delicate green flavor, and the aftertaste is really all coconut again. Lovely! =D

A friend gave me a bag of these leaves recently and I’m very pleased she did! I’m on the lookout for really intensely citrusy earl grey teas, and this has a nice citrus flavor with great Earl Grey depth. You have to watch it because it can turn bitter pretty quickly—for that reason, I don’t love this tea as much as some others I’ve tried.

This is really delicious tea!! It tastes like sweet cream with the depth of Earl Grey. Very caramelly. I drank it recently on my first quest to Tealuxe and selected it as part of my endeavor to find very citrusy Earl Greys. This wasn’t exactly what I was looking for…but it is delicious!! Be careful not to overbrew it, because bitterness is unpleasant in this.

This is the first tea I have tasted that really reminded me of drinking a beer/hard cider. The pear flavor really comes through as an effervescent sweetness that makes it feel like I’m drinking a Magner’s Irish Cider or Woodchuck Pear Cider. In fact, it isn’t as cloyingly sweet as some hard ciders can be and I have no idea what might cause the “beer” flavor in the tea. But now that I’ve used up the sample I bought, I’m going back for a bigger batch!

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Tool: Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: lemon, floral
Steeped Tea Smell: ginger, mint
Flavor: lemon, mint
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: spicy ginger burn
Liquor: dark cloudy brown

Steepster Traveling Teabox Tea

Weird. Really that is the best I can say. Starts off woody rooibos, shifts to minty, then ginger burn. It’s not unpleasant. It’s just odd.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/tealuxe-loose-leaf-rooibos-tea-thayer.html

Today I went to Tealuxe for the first time. I ordered the Strawberry Sencha, and the woman at the register asked me if I wanted a “regular” or “large”. I said regular, which apparently means 16 oz in a to-go cup :/ The tea was way oversteeped and bitter. After I diluted it with LOTS of water, it wasn’t too bad, so I think it was just the preparation that made this tea undrinkable. For that reason, I’m leaving the rating off. The strawberry flavoring was delicious…I hope I’ll be able to try this another time steeped shortly.

Edit: Okay, I turned this into a really delicious iced tea (ultra, ultra diluted). Yum!

This is a decent green-style example of Ti Quan Yin. It’s fresh, has a strong floral breath, and holds ginger, ginseng, and lychee throughout. Towards the throat, this tea brings a slightly sour tang and then finishes clean. I think it would benefit from a little roasting, but in this form it works well as something bright and smooth.

I do love this tea. I like it best really hot. This cup taught me that as I made it, stepped out to do a few things, and came back to my typically favored really warm cup. At that point I thought it could really use some sugar. Now it’s even cooler and I’m not digging it too much. But one cup of not-digging-it-as-much tea is worth it to have a better understanding of how to serve it.

This is the coziest tasting tea in my cupboard. Every sip is part tea, part earl grey, and part comfort. I especially like that though there’s strong flavoring to this tea, it’s still clearly tea. A lovely way to kick off this week!

Update: The baby might love this tea, too, as he’s kicking around a lot more than is typical at this time of day. That, or he hates it. I’m going to go with love, though. :)

Another Update: This tea is best pretty hot. As it cools to the temperature which I normally prefer my tea, it’s a bit bitter.

Another gross day outside, another hot pot of tea to keep warm indoors! I love this Earl Grey. It’s a strong one, and rich, but it is everything I want Earl Grey to be. I suspect people used to the more standard Earl Grey might find this objectionable, but for those looking for something more, this is probably it.