Dobrá Tea Korean Nok Cha

Portland Maine is quite well known around town to be full of fine coffee with a roaster right in town and many coffee shops making Starbucks look mediocre. Dobrá Tea is one of only a few places in and around Portland specializing in tea, and thankfully because they're covering that base well. This is my first review of their products.

Dobrá Tea doesn't have any in-house blends of tea because they try hard to keep things to their origins. So for this post, I'll be reviewing their Korean Nok Cha. The first impression it gave me was green in an earthy way. After some further interpretation a round nutty taste is what I found to make the earthy hue. The body of this ties in with these tastes quite well, and can be described as whole, round and buttery. It's so noticeable it almost seems to be a taste, not just a texture.

Dobrá Tea's menu uses the adjective 'oceanic' to tie all these things together. This may not seem what a green-earthy-nutty tea may be, but this is an appropriate word for the taste given. Somehow it has a tone of the ocean if you were a mile or two from it. It could be because these leaves are grown on the coast. It is a solid B (good) in my book and I will certainly have it again.

Teavana Himalayan Majestic

This is a rather expensive tea compared to Teavana's other options, but this is due to it's exotic origins as labeled in it's title. I've often wondered what factors to the producing plants of many drinks in different locations define a region's trends? There will always be too many to bother trying to figure out, so let's just find out what Nepal's black tea is like.

What I thought of first once this tea passed my lips is Darjeeling because this is a full flavored and thin bodied tea, but not like a breakfast tea. (Oolong tea characteristics are usually similar as well). It's flavor is a light floralness but also a musky smoke. It doesn't taste roasted at all though, and makes me think of a an evening tea instead of a brisk morning choice. There is a slight bitterness to it that I enjoy, but this is an incredibly smooth tea too.

An interesting combination of flavors made me grade this a B (good) with little contemplation. I recommend this tea to anyone who enjoys green gunpowder teas because it has a similar relaxing frequency, and if you enjoy the gunpowder's effect, you'll enjoy this as well.

Teavana Honeybush Vanilla

At the social tea parties I've been attending recently Teavana has been a very popular choice, and I noticed I haven't done any of their products in a long time! So tonight I've chosen to relax with and write about their Honeybush Vanilla herbal tea. I'd like to start by noting that my sense's attention was caught before water even touched the tea. It would make a fantastic potpourri.

Don't think the title labels the taste of this tea though because if you want a dessert level of sweetness you'll have to add some sweetener. The tea is actually quite malty and the vanilla isn't vanilla extract, but vanilla beans! This malty aspect has an overtone of walnuts and gives the body a round feel. There is a touch of sweetness to this tea in the taste of a clover honey. The sweetness and malty aspects are the same element in the taste, and the true vanilla is most sensed in the aura and aftertaste.

This is not what I would expect from a tea with such a name, but I doubt a honey and vanilla-extract tea would be best for a loose leaf tea. As a hot tea I'm grading it with C (decent), but cold brings out more of a balance with a stronger vanilla. And perhaps it could blend with others to taste as an A?

Arizona Blueberry White Tea

An Arizona canned or bottled tea seems like an odd choice for this blog, doesn't it? Well this episode is Arizona's blueberry white tea, and I chose it because it's a common choice of me when I'm at a gas station looking for a quick drink. It's my choice not because of all the health propaganda but because it's better than most of the other soda and super-sugared drinks in the drink cooler. Here's why:

The hue of this tea under the label is translucent and pink and I think that proves that it's a white tea. But putting it in your mouth will prove this too because the actual taste of the leaf is light and almost over-powered by the fruit happening here. Obviously blueberry is a big part of the tea but I believe peach exists almost as much! It helps to tie the sugar to the palate so it can fit in with the other sweet drinks it's next to.

I'm not a fan of sweet unless applied in moderate proportions and this tea has a bit too much. It's just far better than the other options because it's acceptable in it's use of the sugar. So I'm leaving it with just a C (decent), but I'd also like to note that any plastic bottle cola would be an F (avoid).

Steaz Iced Teaz Mint

Seaz Iced Teaz seems to be a fairly new label to me. With a little research on their parent website I found they've only been in the bottled iced tea business for six years. I have to say this is an accomplishment because of all the competition around like; Tazo, Arizona, Sweet Leaf, Lipton, Honest Tea, Sobe, and the many more. In the next paragraph I'll be exploring why Steaz has been able to wiggle its way into the bottled tea beverage industry with the contents within the can.

It opens with a "Sssss!" but quickly fades and you can tell it's not carbonated once in your mouth. You can certainly tell it's made with ceylon tea and not a generic green leaf because it's not just super 'grassy' but has a floral basis. It's fairly sweet with cane sugar and lemon happens alongside this. The third thing my taste buds come to is the mint finally. This is no Moroccan mint tea, it's just a green tea with a hint of spearmint. Regardless of the cane sugar this leaves the taste of green tea on the back of your tongue once swallowed.

I see why this isn't in every gas station cooler. The stereotypical American who loves the taste of carbonated sugar-water (most sodas) won't enjoy this. It's not sweet enough in the sugar they're use to. But for those who actually brew their own hot green tea but need a readily cold one, will like this. I leave it with a strong B (good) and won't hesitate to grab one when dehydrated on a hot summer day.

Teavana Earl Grey Creme

Earl grey is familiar with almost anyone who drinks tea. It's a British classic black tea with bergamot oil (a lemon-orange looking fruit), but I always think of the lavender first. Teavana has three earl grey teas, a white one, a regular black one, and tonight's one: Earl Grey Creme (French for cream). Now how could there be cream in amongst the leaves? Let's find out.

Putting my nose over the cup I can easily smell the bergamot. Once sipped in my mouth bergamot happens again but I'm a little surprised. Teavana calls this a creme earl grey because the body of this seems a little heavier somehow! Vanilla is a part of this creme element in a taste but it's not as noticeable as the bergamot. The black tea leaves exist in taste as well, but they're not as strong as breakfast teas.

Teavana has a very different earl grey here, but not just because they added creme. This earl grey is missing lavender! Vanilla is nice here but can't make up for the lack of a floral note in my opinion. I'm giving Teavana's Earl Grey Creme a C (decent) because of these things. If you were never a huge fan of lavender and want something a little more crisp but smooth, give this one a try.

Golden Star Tea White Jasmine

Perhaps it's a little late to review an alternative to champagne after new year's eve, but tonight I'm enjoying a sparking white tea in a champagne flute. I must say if I didn't read the label or have a sip, I would've assumed this was a champagne though. This makes it a fine choice for prom night, the drink for underage people at weddings, or next new years for those who want to remember the night. What ever the event, here's how Golden Star Tea Co.'s sparkling white jasmine tea compliments it.

The sparkling tea actually has elements of some sweeter champagnes in addition to looking like one. The fizz isn't as much as the wine but more of a crisp. There's sweet happening here as well but does nothing to overpower floral notes that are strongest when smelt. The rounded body of white tea exists here as well and I found it interesting with the carbonation. The actual taste of tea leaf is happening as well underneath the jasmine and cane sugar.

If I had to use one adjective to describe Golden Star's White Jasmine, it would be pleasant. I do find the sugar a touch too much for me but it will make others enjoy it more. A solid B (good) defines this drink on my scale. It's a good one to keep on hand for a pleasant situation.

Red Rose Original & a gift to my readers

Red Rose's Original tea isn't anything special, no offense to Red Rose. I'd give it a C (decent) being a simple pekoe tea with a touch, just a touch, of orange/citrus. Considering other teas of this price range they don't compare because it's not just flavored water. It has a heavier body than Lipton. But why I'm posting this product today is because it's the tea you have to use to make this phenomenal ice tea. Here's the recipe for a 2 quart pitcher, step by step.

What you'll need:

- 10 bags of Red Rose Original tea with the tags cut off

- 1+1/2 cups of sugar

- 1 jumbo lemon cut in half

- Lots of ice

1. Fill the 2 quart pitcher half way with ice and leave in the freezer.

2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. About 1.5 quarts if you care to measure it.

3. Once boiling put the teabags of Red Rose Original in the pot and steep for 5 minutes.

4. While steeping add the sugar to the water and stir until dissipated. If you prefer sweeter, add another 1/2 cup.

5. Add the juice of the jumbo lemon to the pitcher and leave half of the lemon in the pitcher.

6. After the tea is steeped take the bags out, squeezing each one dry, and pour the water over the ice in the pitcher.

7. Top the pitcher off with ice if it's not full and put in the fridge until completely cold.

If done right, the pitcher should be opaque. Many mistake it to be sun tea but getting it cold as soon as possible by pouring over ice is the key to this. Someone has yet to not like it. It's a family recipe form my Nana, who rests in heaven. She was a wonderful woman and she wouldn't mind others having this. It's the wrong season for iced tea, but not for a gift. This recipe is my gift to my readers.

In memory of my Nana and Merry Christmas!

Golden Moon Tea Kashmiri Chai

Kashmiri chai is green tea chai, but Golden Moon's kashmiri chai is actually a blend of both green and black tea (with all those spices as well of course). This product has been a standard in my cupboard for awhile, so I feel it's time to share my thoughts due to the cold front over me and others.

I've prepared the cup in front of me with a touch of honey and cream as recommended by Golden Moon. That's how chai is suppose to be. Something else I'd like to note is you have to steep it for awhile, otherwise it's not strong enough in my opinion.

Once done right, the theme of this is 'spicy' cinnamon. Unlike the chai you get at most cafes or bagged teas, there's more going on than cinnamon as well. Cardamom 'seeds' are a big part here as well. Cardamom is a hard taste to describe, but the best way I can put it into words is an extreamly mellow ginger with floral notes. Cloves exists in this as well, but don't make it all that sweet on it's own. Even without cream or honey this has a rather round body.

Sitting in front of a fireplace with such a drink, has been an extremely enjoyable post to write. I'm giving Golden Moon Tea Kashmiri Chai a B (good), and I'm sure it could make one of your evenings an A (outstanding).

Homegrown Herb & Tea Sniffle T

Many of you should take note of todays tea because, as the title would suggest, it's a great choice for fighting a cold. It's also the first tea I'm reviewing from Homegrown Herb & Tea, a small place ran by a dedicated and knowledgeable Sarah in Portland, Maine. If you're in the area I'd suggest you stop by her storefront to experience it's homely and organic aura with your tea. I'm here to tell you of the tea's taste though.

There's a lot going on in this cup. A strong floral element is one of the prime tastes, probably clover and chamomile. Earthy in a slightly chai way is stronger though. Anise must be a the part that creates the chai effect. It leaves you with a ginger-like kick at the end which a sick person would enjoy immensely, (I don't believe there is any ginger in this though).

Most cold combatant teas I've had are just mint leaf or ginger with honey. Homegrown has outperformed those in sinus cleansing. It's a solid B (good) in taste though. This is the one I'll be keeping on hand this winter.

Teavana MatéVana

Teavana must be very proud of this one, they named it after themselves! And a little inspection before steeping showed little pieces of chocolate and nuts of a sort that tasted very good without any steeping. (On a side note, mmmm...) On Teavana's website their sales pitch seems to be health, like a parallel to a nicotine patch for coffee to get you off that addiction (coffee is not a bad addiction though). Let me tell you how this products cup will treat you with your mental health though.

All the elements of this tea are quite merged so it's hard to determine what makes it up. The roasted maté will satisfy all those use to coffee but it has the green grassy note of unroasted maté as well through the smell. I don't have any sweet-tooth with tea but the chocolate didn't turn me away at all. The nuts work perfectly with the roasted maté making it a little more hearty for the coffee drinkers. Lastly there is a herb underneath it all that I can't put my finger on.

It's only fair to note that I can already feel MatéVana starting my day well with "energy without jitteriness". This is a fine roasted maté that I feel is a B (good) and I recommend it to all that want a healthy start. I'd also get it at the mall when all of your friends are in line for coffee but you don't feel like coffee.

Zhena's Gypsy Tea Fire Light Chai

Zhena's Gypsy Tea has a rooibos chai this time. And this makes perfect sense to me, rooibos is caffeine free and chai has two settings in my opinion, on a cold winter day or a at the end of a long one to relax. Now regular tea chai has a little caffeine due to the tea leaves, so this might be a better choice! But my job is to tell you how it tastes, not the health benefits and how it fits in your day.

I expected to detect cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger as soon as I opened the tin but once steeped the rooibos set this apart from other chai. Not in the smell but the flavor, the nuttiness of rooibos played a great part with the other spices. The cinnamon wasn't overpowering like other chai and overall this had a great composure. As I had guessed, Zhena's website said there was some orange peel in this too. It's hard to sense because it works with the sweet, but I believe it still makes a difference.

This one will be in my cup while I read a book or listen to George Winston's relaxing soundtracks. I give it a B (good) because I'm not typically a fan of chai because they're usually too sweet for me, but this one is quite balanced.

TAZO Orange Blossom

Some of you may have noticed tins of TAZO tea while waiting in line at Starbucks. This is due to the growing popularity of loose leaf tea, and Starbucks it hopping on the bandwagon. Today I have a cup of their Orange Blossom green tea in front of me to review and it smells like a good way to end the day.

As I said the fragrance is very nice but not orange, jasmine. Orange is there too but blends with the sweetness of the jasmine. Once on your tongue you can tell it's a green tea, I think it's a jasmine pearl like this one. Looking at the leaves themselves they're not pearls though. The lighter fruit taste isn't just oranges (tangerines) though. I believe other fruits are there as well with many herbal supplements.

TAZO has plenty of fine teas, but I think this one scores better as a frankincense than tea. The aura put off by this is fantastic but the taste of the tea doesn't follow up with it. TAZO's Orange Blossom gets a C (decent).

Zhi Tea Ginger Peach Oolong

As I review this I'd like to mention that this is not my first time having this tea like many drinks I review. I have this tea quite often! It's really a shame I haven't posted it sooner. Zhi Tea has a great concoction here. But I'm sure you want to hear why it's so good, not just my rantings on it being good.

Oolong tea being halfway between black and green teas you can sense this in the smell eluded from your cup. It's soft with the peaches and the tea part itself is 'aged', (the best way to describe it in my opinion). Ginger appears on the tongue but not in any sharp or spicy way, and peach remains as clear as before. Something I greatly appreciate about this cup of tea is the flavors added don't bury the actual tea. It's most evident in the end of the cup though with the aftertaste; floral and soft.

I give Zhi's blend an A (excellent). Tastes are well-proportioned and simply ones I prefer. If you like what you hear, add this one to your cabinet, you wont regret it. Oh and! P.S. When iced Ginger Peach Oolong brings out the ginger and peach more, so it's still a good investment in the summer.

Golden Moon Tea Organic Green Tea

Due to the current heat, this review is going to be done on Golden Moon's Organic Green Tea iced. At 90 degrees wouldn't you? Iced green and white tea is becoming a more common product though with glass bottles of Snapple and Honest Tea in convenience store fridges. Perhaps this won't be as accurate as most will drink it hot, but let's see how it goes.

After steeping the tea a little hard, cooling it in the fridge, then pouring it over ice, I kicked back to enjoy (and review) this tea. There's no smell to this because it's iced, but the taste was strong enough. Green tea was unsurprisingly the palate, but it was so in a vegetable way. More like sencha teas, but I can tell it's not. The tea leaves do not have the grassy look and delicate feel. Some may find vegetable an unpleasant definition but I found it quite enjoyable despite it's simplicity.

A balanced B (good) is what I'll give this. This is not a tea to add sugar to, even if you like sweeter iced teas, (I'll be reviewing Red Rose with an excellent iced tea recipe from my grandmother soon). For those that prefer the unflavored 'pure' green and white teas, make a pitchers of this for the summer months.

Adagio White Blueberry

Now I would think most would know if they’d want this tea from the title. Blueberry flavored white tea. But I’m going to review it anyways because many other things are rarely stated in a title. Outside of a palate tastes the intensity, body and aftertaste are unknown. Simply put; is it balanced an enjoyable? (Adagio)

The smell put off by the tea in my cup doesn’t have as much blueberry, it’s more like a sweet white tea. Once sipped blueberry took the back seat to the tea leaves again, but was still noticeable. Like many white teas it has a rather full body for a tea. I tried serving this as an iced tea and the blueberry became much more present. Both hot and cold had a blueberry aftertaste.

I’m going to leave this with a C (decent) because it’s just too simple and the blueberry flavor to it isn’t ‘natural’. It’s more like some sort of blueberry extract in my opinion.

Twinings Prince of Wales

It's tea time and I'm introducing my first Twinings product, the Prince of Wales. Twinings is an older company than any other tea company I've reviewed, but I've noticed that the loose options of some of there teas are a newer choice. Twinings is catching on to the popularity of the whole leaf, lets see if they have a competitive product:

The tin claims it's "a smooth and mild taste with a well-rounded character". The nose has a calm robustness somewhat like a breakfast tea, but once in the mouth the container proves its point. It reminds me of some Darjeeling tea but with a bigger body and more placid palate. There's a light aftertaste as well that's just a faint note of the Chinese black tea.

Prince of Wales is appropriately named because this tea would fit perfectly in a tea party. It goes well with cream and sugar if desired and it's taste parallel's the amiable setting. I'm leaving it with a C (decent) because it doesn't have higher levels of taste.

The Maté Factor Green Tea Ginseng

The Maté Factor has created a product with three super-duper healthy factors; green tea, maté and ginseng. You’re not a health nut if you don’t see the benefits of this. I don’t drink this just for my health though, I enjoy it. So if you’re interested read on and find out why I do.

Green maté is the prime trait in the smell and taste, “planty-green”. The green tea comes out through the body and aftertaste though; it gives it a bolder body and a vegetable quality. I’m guessing that the tea used is a sencha due to those attributes. I’m not sure that ginseng has a taste, but I can feel the effect.

With only a taste perspective The Maté Factor’s Green Tea Ginseng is a B (good). I would like to note the convenience of it though: You don’t need to steep maté in hot water, you can steep it cold. When I lack time in the morning, I put two bags in a thermos with a touch of honey and I have a nice boost when I need it.

Adagio Gunpowder

Gunpowder green tea is an oxymoron to me. Green tea symbolizing peace, relaxation and health paired with gunpowder; a tool of war and such. Taking a minute to examine the image of the tea above, you might notice the name comes from the appearance of the tea. Adagio didn’t name their product though, it’s the type of tea.

Another corresponding trait to the name with this tea is the smell, it’s smoky along with the veggie green tea characteristic. The first thing that hit me when sipping the tea was the body, very bold and heavy unlike the palate that was only a return of the smoke. This is a very simple tea.

You’ve probably already tried this type of tea before because I recall tea like this being served at Chinese food restaurants in a stainless steel pot with little ceramic cups. I’m giving Adagio’s Gunpowder green tea a C (decent) because it’s enjoyable but a little too ordinary for a higher score.

Zhena's Gypsy Tea Coconut Chai

Once I opened the tin of Zhena’s Gypsy Tea I knew I was in for a heavily spiced tea. The scent of the tea bag captures you with bold chai spice. Coconut is what intrigued me to get this though; sweetness added to sweet spice. It smells like it works too. Zhena may have proven that her tea is a fine popuri, but I grade the drink.

As it smelled before steeping, the air of the tea is boldly sweet but the coconut is hardly detectable. More shocking than its first impressions is how soft the taste is. All I get is cinnamon and in no proportion to that compares to the scent. A trace of the coconut sweet is left as an aftertaste, but once again weakly.

This isn’t a tea, this is tainted water. I’ve tried steeping it longer, letting it cool, and adding cream but none of that has brought out more of the palate. I’m leaving Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Coconut Chai with a C (decent) and not a C- because of the potent smell. The rest of the tea bags will be popuri.