Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Leaf is Mightier Than The Sword

Hello again, all!

I know, I know... In my last post, I promised another review in a week or so. I'm well aware of that, and I apologize for my failure. Being a full-time student, a part-time blogger, and running your own business can take a lot of time and energy, and I haven't balanced the three too well. I hope I can make it up to you with several up-and-coming reviews, one of which is probably the most exciting product I have ever reviewed on this site (watch for this one sometime after May 13.)

Now, for today's offering. You might think the title of this post is an interesting one. The english and writing lovers among you are probably anxious to point out that the title should say "Pen" rather than "Leaf." But I have very good reasons for this.

Today I'll be reviewing a sample from a tea company called Mighty Leaf Tea. I recently received some samples courtesy of Annelies from MLT. All of the samples were fantastic, but one rose above the rest, so I will mention it here in detail.

Mighty Leaf Tea crafts artisan blends of high-quality whole leaf tea and premium herbs and ingredients. Indeed, the quality of these teas, particularly the notable herbal blend which I will mention today, is as yet unsurpassed in my experiences with herbals. This makes for an exceptional tea experience. Mightly Leaf started as a San Francisco teahouse 12 years ago, and have since progressed and become quite sucessful in the tea business, which I believe is a result of their commitment to excellent teas and a superb customer experience. They ship very quickly, have excellent email response times, and are always positive and eager to help out the customer in any way possible. This type of customer service is a prime example of excellence.

The tea which I will be reviewing today is Chamomile Citrus. Any frequenter of this blog may know that I am a great fan of chamomile tea, so I tend to be rather picky when reviewing them. I'm always hardest on my favorites. This blend, however, has failed to present any serious negative traits worth mentioning. Typically when chamomile is blended with citrus, the chamomile flavor takes a back seat to the strong and overpowering citrus notes. However this is not the case with this particular blend. The subtle and mellow citrus flavor complements the chamomile almost perfectly. You can definitely tell that Chamomile is the main ingredient in this blend, which I say is how it always should be!

Although the samples I received came in tea bags (which I am not frequently a fan of), Might Leaf did not commit any of the sins of bagged tea. They place quality whole-leaf tea in a bag that is actually large enough to promote proper water flow, which is a rare quality for a bagged tea. This tea allows me to be a fan of loose tea while granting the convenience and portability of a teabag. The teabags are also biodegradable, which is important, and definitely appeals to the environmentalist within me. So many tea bags present an environmental disaster!

The color and clarity of the tea was also surprisingly excellent. The tea was extremely clear with no cloudiness, and a minimum of tea dust in the bottom of my cup. The flavor is pleasantly tangy, and presents a near-perfect balance between the sour citrus notes and the natural sweetness of both the citrus of the chamomile. The tea also has a strong enough flavor to keep you sipping to the bottom of your cup, unlike many other bagged teas which are often pale and uninteresting after the first few sips.

I give mad props to Mighty Leaf for bring respect back to teabags. :)

Now, one thing I would like to specifically mention is the packaging, which is both good and bad. The teas came in a sort of folded bubble of cardstock. On the cardstock is printed all of the information you need to know about the tea, including the proper brewing temperature and time. Three teas are included in each bubble. One thing that worried me is that the teas seem to have been slightly cramped inside this bubble, and I worry that sometimes two teabags will press against each other and crush some of the fine leaves and herbs. That worry aside, however, the packaging is convenient, portable, and environmentally friendly.

The shipping experience with Mighty Leaf is also a delight. This is some of the fastest shipping and processing I have seen, with the package arriving faster than I expected (I believe it took 2 days to receive the parcel.) This is important for customer satisfaction, and for the company's reputation!

Overall, my correspondence with Mighty Leaf was delightful in every way. Excellent customer service, fast shipping, and great quality tea in one easy package! I would highly recommend their teas to anyone, and would suggest that other tea companies take a "leaf" (haha) out of the Mighty Leaf book.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to watch the blog for new entries. At some point in the future, I'll discuss some of Mighty Leaf's new blends they have just received out of the prime tea farms in India.

I encourage you to visit their website at www.mightyleaf.com.

Over and out, and SIP ON!
R0R