Tea Begins at Tavalon, and Tavalon Starts with T!

Hey readers! As promised, I have another tea review for you this week.

Recently, I was contacted by none other than Tavalon, who requested
that I review some samples for them. For those of you that don't
know, Tavalon is one of the largest, if not the very largest, tea
establishment in New York City. So when they asked me to review some
samples for them, you might say I leaped at the opportunity - I just
could not turn it down.

And, I am pleased to say, I was not at all disappointed.

Statisticaly, in New York, there are more tea drinkers per capita than
almost any other state in the US. Also in New York, Tavalon has come
to be a household name in Tea. I often worry about large tea
companies, as it seems that the larger a tea company gets, the more
mechanized they become, and the more shortcuts they begin to take.
The larger a tea company becomes, the worse their tea becomes overall,
with few notable exceptions. However, with Tavalon, their success has
spelled out their failure. Quite the opposite, in fact. It seems
that Tavalon is now more focused on quality overall than ever before!
From the packaging to the product, I have seen few greater displays of
pure tea-related ingenuity than those present in Tavalon's excellent
products.

The first thing I would like to discuss is the packaging. Tavalon has
some of the best packaging of any tea company I have worked with.
Each tea is shipped in a clear, reusable, sturdy plastic canister,
which comes very much in handy for storing teas later on. In fact, I
very much wish that I could order these containers in bulk to store my
loose teas in.

Printed on the bottom of each canister is the name of the blend
contained therein, as well as complete directions for brewing the tea,
including the amount to be used, the temperature, and how much time is
necessary for the brewing. Fortunately, it also tells you how many
servings it contains, so you know exactly when to send for more when
your container runs dry. On the top and side of each canister is a
second label, which also serves as a seal for the canister, which
displays the Tavalon name, as well as giving you the name of the
mixture.

The labels work well with the design and appearance of the canister as
well, making the packaging as aesthetically pleasing as it is useful.

I would also make note that the shipping and customer service
experience behind Tavalon is also excellent. They always respond to
emails quickly and professionally, and leave no question unanswered,
which is something that is rare and extremely appreciated for a tea
company of their prestige.

Now, I'd like to review two of the four blends that Tavalon decided to
send my way. I will review the other two blends in some future post.

The first blend that I'd like to mention is the NYC Breakfast blend.
Tavalon's NYC breakfast blend is made from a variety of premium black
teas, rather than just one variety as most breakfast blends consist
of. This breakfast tea is actually one of the best breakfast teas I
have ever had the pleasure of sampling! The varieties that were
chosen complement each other very well - It's as if they are taking
the good qualities from the various black teas that were available,
and combined them into one. This blend is the perfect mixture of
fragrance, subtle nutty flavour, and natural sweetness. In addition,
it has the least astringent of any black tea that I have ever tasted.

The leaves are whole, unbroken leaves, as I expect from a premium
view, and there is no tea dust to settle to the bottom of the
container, which is delightful. The blend also has an excellent cup
colour, a pleasant light amber, with none of the cloudiness that is
often typical of "every day" teas such as breakfast blends. The tea
also exhibits the perfect blend between the strong flavor expected
from breakfast teas, and the subtle mixture of flavors and aromas that
accompany any premium blend.

Overall, I would rate this breakfast tea very highly, and not only do
I recommend this tea, but it is likely that I will begin using this
blend as my exclusive breakfast tea in my own home. Yes, it is that
good.

The second blend I would like to mention, is called After Dark. As
it's name implies it is an evening tea, composed of chamomile and
dried fruits.

The dominant fruit flavors in this blend are cherry and some sort of
citrus (Orange, I think), which both come through very strongly. Now,
as many of you will know, if you've been keeping up on my postings, I
am a big fan of Chamomile tea, and as such, I am very particular about
it. In chamomile blends, what usually occurs that the the subtle,
mellow flavour of the chamomile is drowned out by the strong fruity
tones. With this blend, however, it is not the case, for while there
are very strong fruit tones in this blend, the strongest of them being
the cherry (if I am not mistaken), they do not completely overpower
the chamomile. Instead, they complement it's subtle flavor. The
cherry, in particular, does very well in contrasting with the subtle
nuttiness of the chamomile.

This blend, also, is made of large chunks of material, rather than
small, broken pieces. This tea is a dark crimson color, presumable
from the cherry, but has excellent clarity and tint. This is one of
the most delightful chamomile blends I have tasted in a long time. It
was a pleasure for me to have the ability to sample it.

These two blends are some of the best blends I have ever tasted.
Tavalon definately puts the appropriate effort into both quality of
their ingredients, and expertness of their blends.

Well, that wraps it up for this review. I give Tavalon high marks,
and my highest reccomendation. Stay tuned for my review of the other
two blends that they sent, which also should prove to be delightful.

Over and out,
Relznuk

Twinings Weekly Blog Review

Hi Readers,

I just received a copy of this review from Twinings, and thought I would post it to see what you all think. Let me know what you think of it! Thanks.

By William I. Lengeman III



This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from the Twinings Tea Blog, where you will find the best tea blogs by tea lovers from around the world.



Rooibos: Some Health Information

Elliot, at the Miro Tea blog, continues his examination of rooibos, the increasingly popular herbal beverage from South Africa. Last time out, he took a look at how rooibos is processed. This time around, some thoughts on the potential health benefits of rooibos. For more on rooibos and health, look here.



Teaware: Chataku

What's a chataku? As Katrina pointed out, in a recent post at The Tea Pages, it's "a saucer (coaster) that sits under the small handleless Japanese teacups known as yunomi." Chataku are also known in China as chatuo.

"Stringing Tea": Intro & Part 1

If the phrase "stringing tea" doesn't ring any bells, it's because it was apparently coined in an interesting post by Mellow Monk. The introduction and part one of the multi-part post relate how a three-person film crew from Europe's Arte TV network followed him on a tea-buying expedition as part of their research for a documentary on Japanese green tea.



About Twinings

The Twinings Tea Blog discusses everything to do with Tea; from the fascinating history, the many different varieties, and special brewing techniques to the latest health news, unique teapots and famous tearooms. Nobody knows tea like Twinings. The finest ingredients coupled with 300 years of experience makes Twinings the tea experts. With nearly 200 Twinings blends to choose from, there is something special for everybody - every one has its own special aroma, flavour and character.

Iced Teas and New Darjeeling Blends from Mighty Leaf

Greetings readers!

I have two teas to review with you today.  Since I have already posted a full review, I will not be focusing on packaging, the shipping experience, customer service and so forth, as I have already done so.  Instead, I will focus only on the teas themselves.

The first tea is one of Might Leaf's newer Darjeeling blends - Okayti Darjeeling Autumn Flush Oolong.  This is a particularly enjoyable blend.  I have always been fond of Oolongs, and there are very few teas that can beat those grown in the Darjeeling region.  Teas from the Darjeeling region have characteristics that are distinct from teas grown in other regions - much like Idaho potatoes taste very different than potatoes grown in other states, and Georia peaches taste differently than Utah peaches, and so forth.

I was particularly impressed with the blend for a number of reasons.  The first of those reasons is its excellent, natural mildness.  This is a very moderate blend, with a lot of flavor, and almost no astringency, which gives it a delightful flavor in the cup.  It is apparent that this tea was harvested at the peak of it's maturity, and processed very quickly, so as not to become bitter.  The quality of this blend is similar to much more expensive imported blends that I have tried.  Additionally, the leaves are whole and unbroken, which is uncommon in a less expensive tea.

I was also particularly impressed with the clarity of this blend in my teacup.  It is difficult to find Darjeelings that do not contain some cloudiness when brewed, but Mightly Leaf has found one, making this brew as aesthetically delightful as it is mild and delicious.

The second blend I will discuss today is one of Mighty Leaf's excellent iced blends.  Here in Utah, the temperatures can become quite extreme, and one must naturally find something to do to keep the temperature down - And iced teas fit the bill splendidly.

Of the three samples that Mighty Leaf sent me, there was one that I was impressed with above all others - A blend called Island Breeze.  This blend represents a very skilled mixture of herbs which compliment each other in all of the right ways.  It contains hibiscus, kiwi, and berries.  The thing that I was expecially impressed with in this view is how well the hibiscus blended with the fruit flavors.  I have sampled alot of hibiscus-fruit blends, and it is almost invariably the case that the delicate flavor of the hibiscus is overpowered by the strong fruity tones, however, that is not the case with this blend.  The hibiscus stood it's own, as was as pronounced as any of the flavors in the blend.

I was also pleased that I found only naural ingredients in this blend - No artificial flavors or colors - only pure fruit and herbs.  Mighty Leaf's Island Breeze just might be one of the best-blended iced teas I have ever sampled, and I give it my highest reccomendation.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to stay tuned to our blog throughout the summer, as we have many new and exciting reviews that will be coming out soon.  Also, this will be the first summer that I will be able to give proper attention to the blog, as this is the first summer that I have not gone into the mountains for 2 months.

Over and out,
Relz

Contest - Celestial Seasonings

Hey Readers!

I just wanted to let you all know about an upcoming contest from Celestial Seasonings, so here you go!

Iced Tea Drink Recipe Contest

Celestial Seasonings is holding an iced tea drink recipe contest!  Individuals are invited to create a custom drunk recipe using any of their favorite Celestial Seasonings teas as an ingredient.  Recipes will be judged on use of tea, creativity, and taste.  members can submit recipes for consideration at www.celestialseasoningsbookclub.com by July 31, 2008.  Winners will be notified in early august, and will receive one of three prizes:

One grand prize winner will receive a 500 dollar American Express gift card to be but towards a summer road trip, a signed copy of "Queen of the Road" and a Celestial Seasonings gift basket valued at $100

Two runners-up will receive a $250 American Express gift card to liven up their next book club discussion party, a signed copy of "Queen of the Road,: and a Celestial Seasonings gift basked valued at $50.

Thanks for looking, and I hope one of you wins the grand prize!  Let me know if you do!

Laters,
Relz

Delicious Teas are Found in Nature.

Greetings, readers!

I know I promised you another blog entry in one week, but a week and a half isn't too bad for me, right?  Better than my usual month between entries!  Once again, my apologies for keeping you all waiting, and now, without further ado, is this week's tea review!

This week's review is on a tea company called In Nature Teas.  They are another Organic tea company, which is becoming an increasingly popular trend in the world of tea!  I remember the days, not too long ago, when organic teas just did not meet the same quality standards as their mainstream counterparts.  Companies like In Nature, and others, are changing this for the better.  In fact, I would wager that some of the better teas I have sampled in the past few years have been organic ones.  It is very relieving to me to see organic products meeting such high standards!

Now, back to the main point.  Recently, I received a package of samples from In-Nature.  The sample I'll review today is one of their Jasmine blends.

For the most part, I can say nothing but good about the jasmine tea that I sampled.  I have always been a fan of jasmines, and this seemed like a particularly good one.  Pure, whole jasmine pearls, with very little breakage, just the way it ought to be.  Brewing the tea was also a sinch - they included detailed brewing instructions in the box, that covered the amount and precise temperature of brewing.  The cup clarity of this blend is at least as good as any jasmine that I have sampled before.  They seem to have done everything right with this blend.  Additionally, the buds were picked at the right time, and had just the right balance of flavour and astringency.

The packaging was also second-to-none.  A well-designed and durable storage box, inside of which is a foil-sealed bundle of Jasmine.  Also inside is a sheet of paper giving you more info on the blend you just opened, as well as containing detailed preparation and brewing instructions.  The packaging is both useful and attractive, and very well suited toward keeping your tea as fresh as possible.

Shipment was fast, and every inquiry that I submitted was answered quickly and professionally.

In Nature is, and shall remain one of my highest recommendations for a quality organic Jasmine.  I thank them for allowing me to experience their product.

I hope you have all enjoyed reading this review.  Look for another in about 1-2 weeks.

You can visit their website at http://www.innteas.com/

Thanks for reading!  Over and out,
Relz

A Little Taste of Zen

Hi Readers!

Today I finally have a review ready for you, so sit tight, and I hope you enjoy it, even though it will be a bit of a variance from my typical posts.

Recently, I was contacted by Suntory, who asked if I would be interested in reviewing a product called "Zen Green Tea Liqueur." They described it as an alcoholic beverage made from Japanese Matcha. Although I typically refrain from doing reviews on alcohol products, this one seemed interested, so I determined to give it a shot.

Shortly thereafter, I received a box containing a bottle of the beverage for my evaluation. It even came with a booklet of suggestions for cocktails and other things that could be made with the liqueur. However, I decided that I would take the route of the purist on this one, and evaluate Zen only on it's own merits.

The first sip was an interesting experience. It certainly had plenty of flavor imparted from the matcha, but I could also detect a blend of spices that I couldn't quite identify - although they certainly added to the experience. The tea flavour was authentic, strong, and shockingly not overpowered by the flavour of the underlying spirits.

I quite enjoyed the flavour of this beverage, although I do feel that it would be a bit strong for most people's liking - which is why it would make such a great cocktail beverage!

The packaging is also a delightful experience all its own. It comes in a shaped green glass bottle, which is curved in a very pleasing way. The colour also complements the profile of the matcha inside. Aesthetically, I could be no more pleased with this product.

Flavourwise I do have a few suggestions, however. First, the beverage is a little bit too sweet - this acted to take away somewhat from the presence of the Matcha. A little less sweetness would make this a much finer beverage. However, all other aspects of the product, including the blending and overall flavour profile, fit the ticket perfectly, making this a truly luxurious brew for the tea afficianado, and a brew that every fan of spirits and tea should give a chance.

I'd like to thank Suntory for the experience, and I hope that any of your readers that enjoy the occasional drink will see about trying this next time you are at the bar. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

That's all for now, but stay tuned later this week for additional reviews and other material.

Over and out,
Relz

An Announcement of Yogic Proportions

Hi readers!  Sorry for not posting in awhile.  I have a few reviews in the works that will be up soon.  In the meantime, I have a special announcement from Yogic Chai!

Tomorrow, Sunday June 1st, is the grand re-launch of Yogic Chai Website!

Yogic Chai and the Insani-Tea Blog0 would like to take an opportunity to offer you a coupon code that you can use on the Yogic Chai website during the first 48 hours of their opening date.  To use this coupon, you will need a special coupon code, which is 510680.  By using this code, you will be able to get 25% off any purchase made either tomorrow, June 1st, or Monday, June 2nd.  I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity!

Once again, the coupon code is 510680 and its for 25% off. To redeem the coupon, you will have to enter it at the checkout page.

You can visit Yogic at http://www.yogicchai.com.  I hope you take advantage of this, and keep your eyes peeled, as I promise I will post at least one review within the next week, with several more to follow shortly.

Over and Out,
ROR