Ti Kuan Yin Oolong

Form: Loose Leaf
Company: The Tea Centre
Price: $12.50/100g
Rating: 8.5/10
Review: Months ago now, I tried Formosa Oolong in my local tea house and have been looking for another Oolong which equalled (or even surpassed) the beautiful flavour of the original pot. After being recommended some Ti Kuan Yin (Tie Guan Yin if you prefer) at a tea forum, I was on the lookout for this tea. Fortunately some came along quite quickly, at Sydney's Tea Centre of course. I have finally found my home Oolong. Named after the Iron Goddess of Mercy in China, the taste is certainly different to the Formosa Oolong, with this tea having a slightly sweeter natural taste to it. Despite the 'Iron' and 'Goddess' monikers, this tea is not at all overpowering or to dominant, with Ti Kuan Yin Oolong being rather light in both colour and taste. The aroma, and indeed taste, of the tea was slightly floral and overall very pleasant; albeit slightly subdued. The taste will be familiar to anyone who knows Oolong, the fullness of a black tea with the delicate and fresh nature of a premium green tea, this is simply a very high quality Oolong. I would recommend this to anyone who loves Oolong and likewise if anyone is new to Oolong teas, they would do good to start off with this one, due to it's soft and light taste with no bitterness whatsoever. Overall, a terrific tea.

"There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea" -Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Writer

Rooibos FireSide

Form: Loose Leaf
Company: The Tea Centre
Price: $10.00/100g
Rating: 10/10
Review: Wow, what a tea. Today, my partner and I went back up to the Tea Centre and purchased some Tu Kuan Yin Chinese Oolong and the subject of this review; South African FireSide Rooibos. The tea contains, naturally, Rooibos (which seemed of very high quality) as well as orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. The resulting brew was truly terrific. From the first sip, I was totally loving this tea. The tea was, overall, very warming and somewhat like chai, yet the flavour of the rooibos added an entirely new dimension. Aside from the rooibos, the most dominant flavour was the citrus from the orange peel, with the cloves and cinnamon creating a third layer of flavour. Since the tea was had in a pot, and due to rooibos' lack of tannin, there was no need to remove the leaves. As such, each sip was of a slightly different flavour; I strongly reccomend this to anyone having this tea, as the cinnamon and cloves becoming stronger as the tea goes on, which is a truly terrific thing. I'm finding it somewhat hard to describe this tea, but believe me, it's utterly delicious. Lovers of Rooibos should try it simply because it's a new way to try an already delicious tea and everyone else should try it because it's simply a delicious drink. To sum up, this is a Rooibos with somewhat chai like properties, yet the orange peel adds a citrus layer to the flavour and everything harmonises beautifuly; a divine drink.

"It has been well said that tea is suggestive of a thousand wants, from which spring the decencies and luxuries of civilization" -Agnes Repplier, US Author and Social Critic

The Tea Centre

The Tea Centre is an Australian specialty tea distributor with several shops around the country, many with cafes where one can enjoy their fine teas with food. Whilst I have only visited the Sydney store, I can safely say that it is a terrific store. Despite their huge range of teas and accessories, the store is not cluttered and everything in on good display. The only qualm I have is that the teas themselves are out of reach of customers and one must ask before smelling. Whilst this is no real hassle, it may be intimidating if the shop keepers were in a bad mood. Thankfuly, this does not seem to be an issue, as everyone that I've seen in there has been cheerful, friendly and more than willing to help out any customer with anything in the shop. These things aside, one must look at the tea and the range because, naturally, the shop would be worthless were the teas not of high quality and in large range. These requirements are certainly fulfilled, as the shop boasts to have over 180 different kinds of tea. Black, Green, Oolong, White, Yellow, Herbal, Tisanes, Decaf, and Blended varieties of all kinds are present both online and in their Sydney store. The offer speciality teas from all around the world and get them all direct, so the prices are all very adequet. Furthermore, the teas are all of exceedingly high quality, and for the tea drinker with money to burn, they have some speciality Chinese Silver Needle White Tea, the result of a mere 2 good days picking a year costing a whopping $100 for 50 grams of this leaf which they describe as putting you in the company of past emperors whilst you enjoy it. Needless to say, this is a great shop for the discerning tea drinker. Unfortunately, the Tea Centre only ships to Australia, so those of you who are from overseas and hoping to sample some of their teas, you're out of luck for now.

Note: It is likely needless to say, but just in case you assumed otherwise, this was not a paid message and the Tea Centre have not endorsed anything I've said in anyway

Christmas Tea

Form: Loose Leaf
Company: The Tea Centre
Price: $10.70/100g
Rating: 9.5/10
Review: I first heard of this tea through my partner, who had it years ago, absolutely loved it and couldn't find it again. A few weeks ago, I came across the Tea Centre's website and noticed they had Christmas tea. A trip up to Sydney later, and we came back with 50 grams of this, 50 grams of Blood Orange Black Tea and a nice teapot with 4 matching cups to boot. We were both dying to try this tea to see if it was the same one she had tried those years ago. Turns out that yes, it is. It also turns out that it is one of the nicest teas I have ever tried. The sugar amount is the same as usual, or perhaps slightly more than usual and this tea goes best with a small amount of milk; much akin to Chai in both regards. The tea is a mix of long leaf black tea, almond pieces, orange peel, apple pieces, cornflowers, cinnamon and cloves. With the cinnamon and cloves, the tea has the subtle feel of Chai, yet the other ingedients truly make it a tea of it's own. The flavour can best be described as delicious Christmas pudding with cream, it's utterly divine. The flavour is full, strong and would not at all be overpowered by the addition of food to the experience. I would recommend this tea to anyone who enjoys Chai, Christmas pudding or simply anyone looking to try a new tea. This tea is worth every cent and I will certainly be buying more as soon as this batch runs out, which is likely very soon knowing how nice it is.

"Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company" -Author Unknown

Cha Yuen Co. Oolong

Form: Stringed Tea Bag
Company: Cha Yuen Co.
Price: $6.50 (50 tea bags) (I paid $2.50)
Rating: 6/10
What They Say: A Distinct and richly unique tea with a strong mesmerizing bouquet and wam, soothing flavour
Review: Ever since I tried, and loved, Oolong tea at the Tea house some weeks ago (see Blog 3), I've been on the look out for a home version. I've found one, yet I'm sure I can find better. Having said that, it's by no means a awful tea, it's actually quite nice when steeped correctly and is great for having after a meal. Yet there is a smoky texture tastable which was not present in the form I had at the tea house. Perhaps that was due to the 'Formosa' style which the previous Oolong was and this wasn't. Perhaps it's just because loose leaf tea is substantially nicer than bagged tea. Or perhaps this is just a mediocre Oolong tea. Whatever the reason, this is certainly not the same tea I had at the Tea Emporium. It is more like a black tea with hints of green, rather than the perfect middle ground that was the Formosa Oolong. I'm being too harsh though, as this is a nice tea with a very full bodied texture. It is rather easy to over-steep and it's very hard to tell by colour or smell if it's ready to drink. When you brew a 'perfect' cup though, it is very very enjoyable. It is certainly a tea to have without food as I've found that any other flavours lingering in one's mouth will destroy the subtle green tea flavours of the tea. Still, this will certainly have to do until I find a better Oolong to have at home.

"Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things." - Chaim Potok (American Author and Rabbi)

Loose Leaf Chinese Keemun

Form: Loose Leaf from the local Tea Emporium

Much like Oolong tea, Keemun has been one my 'to try' list for some time now, or rather, it had been on said list for some time. I originally had a pot of it a few weeks ago, yet I had another today and was reminded of it's flavour and thought it best to post a review. This tea is known as 'red tea' in Chine, it's place of origin' and upon pouring, it is clear why. The colour is a more distinct red than rooibos, which comes from the 'red bush' of South Africa. It should be clear to you know that this is a very red tea. It is still technically a 'black tea' in the way it is produced, and it is one of the major components in many English Breakfast and all Russian Caravan teas. Oddly, I have not found it anywhere besides the local tea house, which is a real pity seeing how much I love this tea.

The flavour has been described as smoked, yet I feel this is misleading as the smoked texture of this tea is most definately a minor attribute. More powerful is the delicious fruity aroma and undertones of pine and flowers. The tea is relatively sweet considering its subdued smoky attributes and could be described, albiet awkwardly, as being red wine-like in consistency. As the tea leaves were left in the pot, naturally, the flavour became more pronounced and stronger as the pot went down. This definately worked to it's advantage as the temperature cooling was balanced perfectly with the increase of flavour; as compared to many other teas which end up being too bitter by the end of the pot. Even with no sugar, Keemun is not at all too bitter and one could even stand to use less sugar than usual. However, other sources say that this tea wavers in terms of bitterness and smokiness depending on where it's grown/produced, which makes sense of course. Overall, Keemun tea is a very very nice tea which I've found goes well at anytime of the day and is very versatile with it's sweetness. I've also heard that it makes a terrific iced tea and goes well with milk. I would reccomend this tea to anyone who enjoys English and Irish Breakfast or Russian Caravan tea.

"Where there's tea there's hope" - Arthur W. Pinero, English Dramatist

Vital Organic Rooibos

Form: Stringless Square Tea Bag
Company: Vital Organic
Price: $6.48 (50 tea bags)
Rating: 8.5/10
What They Say: Vital Organic Rooibos Tea is a versatile herbal tea with a satisfying, real tea flavour that you can enjoy any time of the day or night – a cup of natural goodness.
Review: Rooibos is not actually a tea in the sense that it doesn't come from the Camellia Sinensis plant (which is the plant all real tea comes from; black, green, white, oolong). Rather, this tisane/herbal tea comes from the Aspalathus Linearis bush, found exclusively in South Africa. Rooibos (pronounced 'roy-boss', sometimes called 'red bush') has been popular in South Africa for generations, yet only recently has this 'tea' made its way to the west. Whilst originally consumed with milk and sugar in South Africa, the vast majority of western drinkers prefer it without milk; sugar, honey and lemon are popular additives however. As far as herbal teas go, this is as close as one will find to a totally caffeine-less alternative to black tea, as the taste is very earthy. I once thought of the flavor as being the taste equivalent of pouring red dust from the earth from one's hands into the breeze and I still stand by that extravagant assessment. The flavour is a full bodied one; rich but not at all fruity. The beauty of this tea is that it cannot be over steeped; no matter how strong you want the tea and how long you leave the tea bag (or tea leaves) in water, the effect is never detrimental and there is never a trace of bitterness. This tea is perfectly nice with no sugar whatsoever, even after being steeped for longer than usual. Of course, however, I preferred it with my usual one and a half, non-heaped tea spoons of sugar. I've never had this with milk and don't really plan on doing so…yet I've heard that it tastes fine.
The Vital Organic brand of Rooibos is one I've been familiar with for some time now. This is truly my safety tea…I have at least one cup a day and it has never let me down. Having said that, I have tasted nice Rooibos blends, but for the price, this is certainly a wise choice. For the record, the rating system I'm employing from this point on in regard to branded teas is comparative to other blends of similar tea (in this case, this blend of rooibos is 8.5/10…whilst other blends may be closer to 6 or 7). On a similar note, rooibos also makes a delicious iced tea.

"Sail me on a silver sun where I know that I'm free. Show me that I'm everywhere and get me home for tea" – George Harrison (from It's All Too Much by The Beatles)

Loose Leaf Formosa Oolong

Form: Loose Leaf from the local Tea Emporium

Oolong is a tea which I have been wanting to try for some time now, being very intrigued since I first read about it being a middle ground between green and black tea. It is semi-fermented, compared to the fermented black and unfermented green teas, and has a very unique aroma and taste. The tea leaves are only harvested in the spring and winter months of Taiwan and China and are totally hand processed, so it is little surprise that this is regarded as a speciality (read: expensive) tea. Needless to say, upon dishing up the slightly raised price, I had high hopes for this tea.
Totally fulfilled. That is how I would describe my hopes for this tea upon first sip. I cannot, in so few words, sum up the taste of this Formosa Oolong tea than to simply say that it is a middle ground between black and green tea. The tea, consistently from start to finish, had the light flavour and delicate texture of a superb green tea whilst also having the robust and full flavour of a high quality blended black tea such as English Breakfast. This may seem to not make sense, and the fact that the Tea is such a weak brownish-green colour would not help, but I stress that this tea is truly terrific. Also, and I digress slightly but I feel it needs to be mentioned, actually watching this tea infuse was a real treat. The small balls of tea in the pot started off quite small (I actually thought my partner and I had been short tea'd), yet as the minutes ticked by, the balls opened up into quite a healthy amount of tea. It was a real tease, watching the balls split and open up into much larger almost flower-like leaves, smelling the unique and almost nutty aroma and being in such anticipation of this tea. As I said before however, this was a delicious tea which truly delivered what I was hoping for and more. I had it with slightly less sugar than I usually would as I found this to draw out the flavour more, yet it was also fine with no sugar. Milk is a big no-no with this tea; treat it like green in that respect. Overall, a really great tea which I have already purchased a second time… I'll be very interested to see if other Oolong blends (and branded, box and bagged varieties) hold the same appeal.

"If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you." – William Gladstone, British Prime Minister

Loose Leaf Early Grey

Form: Loose Leaf from the local Tea Emporium

Early Grey is a blended black tea, meaning that it is a mixture of various kinds of black teas (which often contain other elements as well). In the case of Earl Grey, it is a blend of Indian black teas, namely Ceylon however. The origin of this tea is in legend and open to debate. They say that an Indian Raja's (aka King's) young son was playing on his own and was forced to retreat up a tree because of a Tiger attack. The Second Earl Grey and British Prime Minister, Charles Grey, apparently saved the boy somehow. The Raja was so thankful he created a tea on the spot, added the much prized Bergamot Orange and named it after the Earl in thanks.
This aside, this is a very easy tea to enjoy at all times of the day. It has a very distinctive aroma and, as such, flavour due to the bergamot orange extract it contains. Surprisingly though, the scent is rather different to the taste, which is light and fruity compared to the almost smokey and slightly fruity flavour it delivers. As anyone who has tasted leaf and bag tea enough will know, loose leaf tea is signifigantly nicer than tea in bags and, as such, this particular Earl Grey (which seemingly is the tea shop's own blend) was particuarly nice. The wonderful scent of the bergamot orange wofting from the teapot promised something good and it delivered. This tea offered the slightest taste of the fruity flavour, not too much and really just enough to please. The smokey flavour, which I am a fan of in most cases, was only slightly present (a feature which my smokey tea disliking partner was pleased with) which gave the ceylon and other black teas enough room to be fully appreciated and meld with the bergamot. A very smooth tea which, I found to be, best enjoyed with a slight dash of sugar to bring out the flavour, yet it is perfectly nice without sugar and also with milk.

"Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea" - Sydney Smith, English writer and clergyman

Intro

First things first, I thought I'd reveal my preferences in terms of tea. My ideal cuppa (Word 2007 claims that is how it is spelt) is no milk, with about one and half non heaped teaspoons of sugar. Naturally, this is variable depending on the type of tea I'm having. I prefer black tea and blends thereof compared to other varieties, yet I would seldom (if ever) turn down any style of tea. My favourite blends are chai (which I prefer with a small dash of milk), Rooibos, Russian Caravan and simple Ceylon. Once again though, I do love night on all kinds of tea.

Whilst having a cup of tea at home, often from a teabag, is a great experience; it is nothing at all like having leaf tea from a pot. Watching the tea leaves unfurl, as they do if they are an unoxidized variety, is worth the extra effort in itself yet tea enthusiasts (or wankers) such as myself, claim the taste is richer. When drinking from the traditional, smaller cups, I prefer the slightest dash of sugar (probably about a quarter of a teaspoon) and no milk. But of course, this varies and when trying a new tea, I always have it with and without sugar and milk to try and find the best possible taste.
My cup of Earl Grey I started drinking when I began writing is now empty, so what better time to finish. I'll start posting reviews/thought I have about Tea real soon though. Be sure to comment on what you would like to discuss, review etc. Also, interested in any history/production of tea? Let me know and I'll post something about that. Until then, let me leave you with a quote…

"Drink a cup of tea and forget the cares of the world" – T'ien Yiheng, Chinese poet


That was the original post on my MySpace blog, and I thought I would post it here as well. If only for chronological reasons. Also, you may be wondering why I'm bothering hosting this blog in two places...well, this is simply a better site for blogging.