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Considering the high cost of saffron I was impressed with how much was in this tea. The bags are flecked with numerous small pieces, rather than entire threads, and impart a bittersweet flavor that is distinctly saffron. The longer you allow the tea to steep the more flavor you draw out from the saffron, but when steeping the tea for more than five minutes you start to draw out the some bitter notes. I don’t particularly care for bitterness, so I prefer to stop steeping the tea around the five minute mark, once it has turned a brilliant yellow-orange color.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/2/24/tuesday-tea-saffron-green-buddha-teas

This flavor of this tea is very delicate and unlike any other green tea I’ve tried be it from China, Japan, or elsewhere. It has roasted notes that come out stronger when the tea is served hot and sweet notes that I noticed more as the tea cools. While this didn’t remind me of a green tea I had tried, it did faintly resemble the corn silk tea one of my friend frequently enjoyed. It has the same roasted, yet sweet flavor that I’m finding in this tea. It is certainly a distinct flavor, one I’ve found I rather enjoy.

You can read the rest of the review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/2/17/tuesday-tea-organic-hawaii-sweet-roast-green-tea-arbor-teas

The first steeping of the tea has a rich, roasted flavor and a slightly sweet finish. There was a noticeable shift in flavors in the later steepings. They developed a deeper roasted flavor, reminding me somewhat of toasted sesame seeds (which I’m not particularly a fan of) and tasted salty. I thought at first my son had been dipping his pretzel rods in my tea again (this has recently become his new favorite game) but I kept noticing the same subtle brine-like flavor every time I prepared a fresh cup. I wasn’t expecting such a radical shift in flavors, it caught me a bit off guard and left me to wonder if I would notice such a huge difference if I had decided to steep the tea at a different temperature. This is one of the rare times I wish Simple Loose Leaf hadn’t decided to decrease the amount of tea in their monthly boxes. The new ¼ ounce size just doesn’t give me enough tea to experiment with if I feel the need, as was the case with this tea.

You can read the rest of the review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/2/10/tuesday-tea-tea-co-op-february-box-simple-loose-leaf

These pearls really stand out from other jasmine teas because the flavor is subtle, not in-your-face floral. They’re nicely balanced with a sweet honeysuckle flavor and a hint of jasmine that becomes stronger the more times you steep the tea. Because the pearls aren’t as heavily scented as other jasmine teas they don’t have the strong soapy flavor I seem to run into time and time again. There is nothing I hate more than a tea that reminds me of soap, or worse yet, potpourri. If I happen to be in the mood for something stronger I can always add additional pearls for a flavor that better suits my mood.

You can read the full review on my blog
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/2/3/tuesday-tea-jasmine-pearl-green-tea-persimmon-tree

The dry leaf gives off a heavenly spicy scent that is tempered with slight notes of musk. I couldn’t wait for the tea to finish steeping because it smelled absolutely fabulous. The first sips didn’t let me down, those notes of spice and musk were the first flavors that were apparent before the honey-like sweetness began to creep in. As it cooled the fruit and floral flavors began to develop, reminding me somewhat of my favorite oolong. There is no astringency or bitterness to this tea, it’s very smooth, making it something I could easily drink a lot of. This was a great first-step in my Darjeeling education.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/1/27/tuesday-tea-darjeeling-thurbo-moonlight-black-golden-tips

When someone told me there was a tea that changed colors (from brilliant blue to shocking pink) when you added an acidic ingredient like lemon or lime juice I thought they were pulling my leg. I’d never heard of such a thing, but it does exist and even though it sounded a little gimmicky I knew I had to try it out (if only to say that I had.)

It was a lot of fun to play with. In fact, my son and I spent several hours steeping up batches of tea and dropping in lime juice so we could watch the colors change from blue, to purple, and finally to bright pink. It was the perfect way to spend an cold, overcast day. I just hope that I don’t need lime juice for anything this week because we ran through two bottles of it.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/1/20/tuesday-tea-organic-blue-tea-blue-chai

After looking through the offerings in the box this month it was tough to decide which tea I wanted to review. The chai green piqued my interest, but I’m a sucker for anything Earl Grey (it is without a doubt my all time favorite tea.) This time I was delighted to see we have an Earl Grey with a twist— it’s made with an Assam base rather than the traditional Ceylon. Once I saw that I knew it was the tea for me. I wasn’t disappointed either, the flavor of the Assam was much more delicate than what I’m accustomed to with Ceylon. When steeped at 205°F the tea lacked the astringency and dry mouth feeling I get from many Earl Grey teas. It really allowed me to focus on the citrus flavor from the bergamot. The difference in base teas was a refreshing change from what I’m accustomed to. I could certainly see this tea becoming part of my regular rotation.

You can read the rest of the review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/1/12/tuesday-tea-tea-co-op-january-box-simple-loose-leaf