Rethoughts

A little while ago I posted a blog about how wonderful and generally perfect the Tea Centre was...I confess that I was hasty. Having gone there recently and been dissapointed with the service, I have some complaints to make. Whilst their selection is terrific and I certainly do having a speciality tea store nearby; this needs to be said. The green tea I had up there with my partner turned out to be horrible. The tea itself smelt fine, it was the fact that there were FAR too many leaves used and the water was clealry boiling. To make matter worse, none of their teapots (used for drinking rather than purchasing) feature any kind of removable strainer, so each cup is worse than the previous one...especially in regards to a delicate green tea. Very short post, I know, but I simply had to let everyone know that my initial love for the store was perhaps ill placed. Still, I do certainly adore their range and the people (at Sydney) are very friendly.

Honey Bush "Honey Vanilla"

Form: Loose
Company: T2
Price: $13.50/100 grams
Rating: 7/10
What They Say: Honey Bush tisane combined with a great vanilla twist. Have hot or chilled.
Review: Finally! After a very long while of wondering about both Honey Bush tea and the T2 tea company, I found both. Honey Bush was described to me as being like "a sister of Rooibos", having similar health benefits, yet having the colour and flavour of honey. I picked up a sample of their "Honey Vanilla" blend, very anxious to try it out. The results were... unique. This was not a bad tea, it was just not my particular favourite kind of drink. The taste was very much that of a tisane and, much to my surprise, not at all like it's earthier sister; Rooibos. To put this in perspective; I would have believed that this tea was an herbal mix of flowers if I was told. The vanilla and natural honey flavour of the leaf were in very equal balance, despite the colour (which was overwhelmingly honey-like) and the scent (which was overwhelmingly vanilla based). The liquid itself was very light and easy on the palate. To say that the flavour was subtle gives the wrong indication, yet the flavour certainly didn't hit me right away. Sugar wise, I didn't think I would need any, but later found out that I most enjoyed this tea with the same amount of sugar that I did a green or oolong tea. I think that this tea would be best suited as a pre-bed tea. Aside from it's total lack of caffine, it's has a very dreamy/sleepy quality which is quite hard to describe. I am very interested in simply trying out the basic, unblended Honey Bush, so as to compare to this. I remember trying Vanilla Rooibos and find it putrid compared to natural Rooibos back in the days of bagged tea. I would reccomend this "Honey Vanilla" blend of Honey Bush to, oddly enough, anyone who enjoys honey or vanilla as those truly are the only flavours present in this tea.

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."- Henry James, OM (Author)

Godiver Earl Grey

Form: Loose Leaf
Company: Godiva
Price: ?
Rating: 9/10
Review: This tea has created a huge problem for me; first things first; I love it. It's the nicest earl grey I've ever tasted. However, it was a gift to my partner at her shop. The tin says it's Godiva Earl Grey, yet I can find no trace of Godiva tea on the internet. Even their official site does not mention any kind of tea for sale. As such, I know that each infusion is precious as no Earl Grey has ever been so delicious for me. The leaves themselves are the largest black leaves I've ever seen. The bergamot, at first, seems to be subtle, but when I'm done sipping from my cup all I can taste is a delcious present of slightly citrusy bergamot. The tea itself, bergamot oil aside, is so delicious. I cannot tell what it is, but I strongly suspect Ceylon or possibly Assam. Regardless, it's one of the nicest black teas I've ever had and would love to try it without the oil as well. However, I am not complaining as the bergamot oil is just perfect. Again, I stress that this is a more subtle blend of bergamot oil: tea ratio, but the result is a truly sublime cup of tea. I cannot say how much this tea costs nor can I suggest you go out and buy yourself some, as it seems the tea does not exist (according to the internet). All I offer is a plea, if anyone knows where I could find some of this tea (or know of a similar, delicious and slightly subtle Earl Grey blend), could they please comment and let me know; I would be very grateful.

"The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort and refinement."- Arthur Gray, writer

In argument of Orwell

I recently came across this article about tea by famous author George Orwell (1984, Animal Farm). For non-link clickers, it describes Orwell's "perfect cup" and gives 11 rules of tea drinking. Now, it was written during the second world war, so some things (such as rationing) are irrelvant these days. And Mr. Orwell, classically, admits that he was trying to be controversial but I feel as if I should give my 'rebuttal', or comment, to each of his 11 points; because some certainly would not make my perfect cup.
1- Tea from any region can be delicious or mediocre. Chinese tea is a favourite of mine and I feel somwaht insulted when Orwell claims that I would not feel wiser, more optimistic or braver after having a pot of keemin tea.
2- This is fact, not oppinion. Huge quantities of tea are seldom as nice as a smaller amount. Even larger amounts of tea are fine, but the huge amounts Orwell talks about would most certainly be mediocre at best.
3- Teapots should always be warmed as it keeps the tea hotter for longer, yet I believe the best method is to fill with hot water until it overflows. Not all teapots are good to place on the 'hob', or stove top.
4- Interesting fact about the elderly prefering stronger tea, but I totally disagree with this point. Yes, tea should be strong, but not to the point wherein it is oversteeped. 6 heaped teaspoons for a quart (a litre/4 cups approx) teapot? Please, that would result is a tea which is too strong and, likely, too bitter.
5- Spot on. It is often easier to simply use a strainger or bag for the tea leaves, but they will not hav a chance to open up fully and, as such, infuse correctly, if they are not given the entire pot to lie in.
6- For black tea, which we can only assume Orwell is talking about, temperature of water should be between 90-100 degress Celcius. It needn't be straight off the stove.
7- I have never considered this to be important. I always leave my leaves to infuse on their own but make sure to give the water in the pot a bit of an aggitation in order to make sure the flavour is evenly distributed.
8- What a point of contension! Many tea drinkers, myself included, prefer the smaller style of tea cup for several reasons. Aside from the aesthetic pleasures the small cup offers, it's minimal amoun of tea means that it will (likely) be hot from when one has the first sip to when one has the final sip while the tea in the pot stays at it's brewed temperature. Compared to the tall, English style of the tea cup which starts off hot and, by last sip, is somewhat cooler.
9- Milk has never been a major part of tea for me, spiced teas aside. However, when I do use milk in tea, I have never experienced this sickly taste he speaks of. However, such a taste may be due to the huge amount of tea and it's no doubt oversteeped flavour.
10- I find it amusing that the notion of not putting milk into tea is simply not mentioned, it's so very delightfuly British. However, when I do put milk into tea, I follow the exact line of reasoning Orwell does. Tea first, then milk.
11- Sugar kills the taste you claim Mr. Orwell? Tea is supposes to be bitter eh? Well, perhaps if you didn't use a comedically large amount of tea leaves your tea would be steeped correctly and, as such, not bitter. Sugar may alter the taste of tea, yet I prefer this alteration and there should be no denying that a small amount of sugar leaves the tea in a much more natural state than a large amount of milk.
Each person surely has their own preferred method of tea consumption and it is none of my business if I don't agree with their methods, this was more a case of me spouting my own views about tea preperation. The point is, let no one tell you that you're "doing it wrong". If the final product is what you enjoy the most, then you're doing it right.

Avanti Tea Perfection Teapot

I had been on the lookout for a new glass teapot for sometime now, an everday pot that would finally take the place of any bagged tea in my life. I believe I've found it. Whilst this pot does not live up to it's label of "perfection" is it very very good and the faults I've found whilst using it are negligable really.

The capacity of this pot is 500ml (or 2 cups or 17 ounces if you prefer), which is perfect for both having a large cup or to having one with someone else. The interesting and totally unique aspect of this teapot is it's infuser. As you may be able to see in the larger image, the infuser itself is a metal 'cage', filled with very tinty holes, which rests in the hot water, hanging from a metal pole which is attatched to the black ball on top of the pot. The ball can be pulled up, pulling the infuser up (out of the water) and then a hinge allows one to bend the metal pole parallel to the ground. It sounds confusing, but it couldn't be easier and is a dead simple way of allowing tea to infuse to one's desires strength. Not strong enough upn first sip? No problem! The cage infuser can be relowered and reraised with pure ease. This has got to be one of the easiest methods of infusing I've ever seen to be honest. Furthermore, the fact that the teapot is 500ml, allows for a regular amount of leaf to be used and the infuser itself is more than large enough, allowing the leaves to open up fully. I've tested it with a variety of teas and I can ensure that they all infuse perfectly.

However, I did say that the teapot wasn't perfect, and there are a couple of things that need to be pointed out. Any very fine teas may slip through the holes in the infuser, it happened to me when I was brewing a pot of Fireside Rooibos, so finer teas are out of the question for this pot...unless you would like to restrain them or simply have dreggs in your cup. Another slightly annoying aspect of this pot is that it doesn't pour very elegantly. I suppose I'm just nitpicking, because pouring itself is very clean with literally no dripping whatsoever but the pour itself is somewhat messier looking than I would prefer. Just pedantry coming into play though; the pouring is neat and very accurate save for the very last pour which is somewhat difficult to get out given the round body of the pot.

Despite this flaws, this is a terrific teapot and if you are looking for an everday, no fuss teapot for a variety of teas, this would certainly be a fine choice

Glögg Black

Form: Loose Leaf
Company: The Tea Centre
Price: $10.70/100g
Rating: 9/10
Review: Anybody who knows of my tea drinking habits will be well aware my love for chai and chai related tea (such as the exquisite Christmas tea) so some time ago when visiting the Tea Centre of Sydney and noticing this flavoured black tea, I knew I had to try it. Glögg tea, derived from mulled wine or 'Glögg Wine', is a black tea with pieces of cinnamon, orange peel, almond, ginger, cloves and cardamon. As I'm sure you can imagine, it is quite similar to a chai in taste and also in it's need for sugar and milk (in my oppinion). Yet without milk, it was far more enjoyable than chai or christmas tea is milkless. The taste itself was like a spicier chai, yet not a chili derived spice. In other words, this was virtually a chai tea, albiet a very delicious one, with a more exotic and fuller flavour. I will certainly need to purchase some for home use in order to re-experience this tea, perhaps with a slither of orange added to the tea as I would be interested in trying a more orange based version of this tea. Infact, if anyone knows of a nice, chai like tea with a strong orange flavour, could they suggest it to me? Thank you.
Any fans of chai or chai related teas (as well as fans of mulled wine) should definately try this tea.

"I am so fond of tea that I could write a whole dissertation on its virtues. It comforts and enlivens without the risks attendant on spirituous liquors. Gentle herb! Let the florid grape yield to thee. Thy soft influence is a more safe inspirer of social joy." -James Boswell, Scotish Lawyer and Author