Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings

Seller's Description: "This delectable holiday blend starts with naturally decaffeinated green tea and adds unmistakable seasonal flavors like cool peppermint, creamy vanilla and a dash of cinnamon."
Ingredients: Peppermint, decaffeinated green tea, orange peel, natural vanilla and mint flavors with other natural flavors, cinnamon, milk thistle, blackberry leaves, roasted carob, roasted chicory and vanilla bean.
Website: Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 32oz porcelain teapot
Measured dry: 4 sachets
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 2 tablespoons of raw sugar

I've been playing with a lot of somewhat finicky, caffeine-laden teas lately, so this lovely cup was a wonderful change. After a long day in the classroom, I made up a full pot. It's steaming, sweet simplicity lasted me through a couple seams, some writing, and then a bit of weaving. Add some cozy clothes and a quartet of twinkling candles in recycled glass and it was just a delightfully relaxing evening.

Now even though this is a decaffeinated green tea, it tastes like a peppermint herbal. I actually can't taste the green tea at all; There aren't any vegetal notes and it leaves my mouth feeling like I've just finished an after-dinner mint. It's a creamy, minty flavor that definitely lingers.

I think I'm going to need to do this again!

Prominent Notes: Peppermint

Aftertaste: Creamy mint
Overall: A straightforward cup for a lazy evening

Premium Dragon Well Green Tea (Long Jing) by Teavivre

Seller Description: "XiHu (West Lake) Dragon Well green tea, or Long Jing as it is known in China, is commonly regarded as one of China's top ten teas, and is often served to visiting head's of states.  This premium Long Jing tea is an absolutely fantastic example of this tea.  Mostly handmade it has no hint of bitterness, instead it has a delightfully subtle classic green tea taste and aromatic scent."
Website:  Premium Dragon Well Long Jing by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: Approximately 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 185º F
Steeping Time: 1-1/2 minutes
Additives: 2 teaspoons raw sugar

Who says "third times the charm"? With this tea, the second time was certainly the best!

The first time I tried to make this tea I followed the website's instructions, using 8 grams (3 tablespoons) per 17oz. I was more than a little skeptical from the start, as the recommended amount nearly overflowed from my mug's infuser basket. The poor leaves didn't have anywhere to expand, and even with a short steep the liquor was intimidatingly strong and hoppy.

I took what I learned from that steep and applied it to a new cup. Instead of three tablespoons, I scaled it back to one. That meant that the tea leaves actually had room to do their magic, and dance freely around in the infuser basket. The flavor was notably improved, and what was overwhelming is now light and delightful.

It's a wonderful complement to the beauty of the dry tea. The leaves themselves are tight and thin, but with plenty of attitude. Their scent is rich and grassy, and that plays beautifully into the steeped cup. It's sweet and light, with a smooth and sunny vegetive flavor.

Prominent Notes: Slightly floral notes with a consistent vegetal flavor
Aftertaste: Vegetal
Overall: Once you dial in the best cup, it's fabulous!

Premium Tai Piag Hou Kui Green Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui grows in Hou Keng on Huangshan Mountain, which is the center producing area of Tai Ping Hou Kui green tea. In China, Tai Ping Hou Kui is famed as one of the most famous ten Chinese teas. Leaves of semi-hand Tai Ping Hou Kui are even in thickness, and have brighter color than Nonpareil Tai Ping Hou Kui. First crafted in 1915, it went on to win gold medal for best tea at the 1915 Panama World Expo. TeaVivre's TaiPing HouKui is an excellent example of this fantastic tea."
Website:  Premium Tai Piag Hou Kui Green Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 7g
Water Temperature: 175º F
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

Ever since I saw my first image of this tea, I wanted to try it. I love how neat and pretty the leaves are... pressed so thin that when you hold them up to the light you can see such gorgeous patterns!

This is one of the few teas on Teavivre's website that doesn't offer steeping suggestions yet, but they're so fabulously detailed about their teas I can't imagine it will go without long. In the meantime, I looked at several of their other greens and found the ratio of 8 grams per 17oz fairly standard.

Well, these leaves were so light that my entire infuser basket was full before I reached 7! I probably should have taken that as a sign, as even with a 2-minute steep it is pretty intense... and a little hoppy, actually.

Luckily, I had enough of the dry tea to make another batch... and this time I stepped it back to a 3.5g instead. It completely did the trick! I can taste some of the yeastiness of the previous batch, but it is so much more subtle and enjoyable!

Prominent Notes: Vegetive and yeasty/hoppy
Aftertaste: Hops
Overall: Based on this experience, I think Eastern steeping methods might be a better fit for this tea in the future.

Organic Superfine Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "...Combined with the advantages of organic tea and high grade tea, this dragon well long jing tea is suitable for tea lovers of organic tea as well as dragon well green tea."
Website: Organic Superfine Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz tetsubin
Measured dry: 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 185º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes

Ooh... this one's tasty! It came with four other green teas for review, and as soon as I smelled it I did have to check the label. The toasty, vegetive scent reminds me a lot more of an oolong than a green.

It tastes more like it too. The instructions on the sample suggest a 1-6 minute steep, so I started at two minutes and ended up stopping at four minutes. 

The liquor is incredibly pale, but what it lacks in color it totally makes up in flavor. The earlier promise of the dry aroma directly translates into the steeped cup. There's a slight hint of nuttiness on top of the toasty vegetive notes from earlier.

It reminds me a lot of my favorite oolongs, but towards the end of each sip the nuttiness and toasted qualities back off and leave the cleaner vegetive note that's characteristically green.

Another great thing about this tea is its organic certification... all three of them! The tea's website proudly lists its USDA, EU, and JAS organic certification numbers, as well as links to the certificates themselves and even certain test results. Actually, there's more information on their website about this tea than I can remember seeing on any other tea site. It brings clarity up to a whole new level. 

Prominent Notes: Slightly toasted, nutty vegetive notes
Aftertaste: Vegetive notes
Overall: Tasty and organic... in a thoroughly documented way!

Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea by Teavivre

Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: This Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea is made in the same method of making Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearls and Superfine Jasmine Downy Dragon Pearls. It is rolled into small pearl balls and dried. By maintained in the dry condition, the teas will be mixed with natural peach extractives, which produce the special peachy flavor. After brewed, peach aroma will be revealed in the tea leaves as well as in the tea liquid. When the peach flavor becomes thinner after several steep, you can then taste the jasmine fragrance.
Website: Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Company Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoon
Water Temperature: 175º F
Steeping Time: 2 minutes, then added 1 minute
Additives: 2 teaspoons of raw sugar added later

As soon as I opened the package I was hit with a wave of peach! It's more of a dried peach smell than the aroma of fresh fruit, but it does seem real and not in any way artificial. I'm not picking up any notes from the green yet, because the peach is so prevalent. The pearls themselves are adorable - small and tightly wound, they seem like they're just sleeping, waiting to wake up and spread out.

And spread out they did! They more than quadrupled in size!

Now, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I tried the liquor in two ways - with and without raw sugar. When I added it, the peach dominates the cup, leaving the green base in the role of aftertaste, and I was barely able to pick out the jasmine at all. Without sugar, it's a whole different ball game. The jasmine and green twine together so gorgeously it's difficult to tell them apart, and the peach is left as a sweet aftertaste.

But the Western method just didn't seem like the way to get the most out of this tea, so I pulled out my gaiwan and made another batch.

Teaware: Yixing gaiwan (90ml)
Measured dry: 1 teaspoon
Water Temperature: 185º F

Steeping Time: 2 minutes each steep
Additives: None

Last time I made this, I hit the "green" button on my kettle without thinking about it. This time I used water that was just a little hotter, in line with the steeping recommendations.

First Steep: The package said 1-2 minutes, and because I had to add a minute to the first attempt, I went with the longer two-minute steep. I think this would have been better with a shorter steep, as it is more than a little bitter. 

Second Steep: Oh, that is so much better! This is tasting a lot closer to the unsweetened tea I made with the Western method. There is still a slight kick, but nothing like the first steep. The aroma owes a lot to the peach, but it is a much lighter note in the flavor.

Third Steep: All traces of bitterness are gone now, and this makes for a much smoother cup. The green's vegetal notes are becoming more prominent, and the jasmine is taking a step back. There is still a faint peach in the aftertaste, but it's much lighter. This is definitely my favorite of the gaiwan steeps.

Prominent Notes: Vegetal green notes and jasmine

Aftertaste: Peach

Overall: An enjoyable way to spend an afternoon!

Earl Grey Impérial by Mariage Frères

Mariage Frères generously supplied samples of three of their Earl Grey blends for this project. 

Today I'm starting with the Earl Grey Impérial, but look forward to the Earl Grey French Blue and the Earl Grey Provence in the next week!




Seller Description: "Darjeeling exquisitely flavoured with bergamot."

Directions: "Measure out 2.5 g of tea for 20 cl of pure, filtered water. Bring the water to a simmer (about 95° C) and let the tea infuse for 3 to 5 minutes."

Cost: 9,50 €/100g

Teaware: 16oz tetsubin and depression glass cup

Measured dry: 1-1/2 tsp

Water Temperature: Boiling

Steeping Time: 4 minutes

Additives: 1-1/2 tbsp Sugar in the Raw

Earl Grey Impérial

I think I've fallen in love! This is an attitude adjustment in a cup - each sip is so gorgeously smooth yet complex that I find myself just sinking in to it with a smile. For a lovely moment the worries melt off my shoulders and I can just relax into the cup.

Dry, it smells like a slice of citrus and a wave of something sharp and green that I just can't identify. It's a wonderful contrast, but I have to take my nose out of it long enough to prepare a cup! Based on the online conversions I found, the directions are approximately 1/2 teaspoon per 7oz. I was so excited to try this tea that I forgot the old adage about a teaspoon per person and one for the pot!

I'm glad that I did, as it forced me to be more careful with my measurements. What can I say? I'm an English teacher and not a math teacher - I avoid it when I can, but I'm quickly learning that the best cup will include a couple equations. 

The first steep's color

The first pot had 1-1/2 teaspoons and was a little light so I decided to do another go later... but I overcompensated and let the 2 teaspoons get a little too rounded. Because of that the second pot was slightly bitter, so I think in the future I will use 1-3/4 level teaspoons with my 16oz teapot. It's a wonderful tea, but it is a little assertive about the way it's prepared. 



With all that out of the way, I was able to re-focus on the taste. When it comes to Earl Grey, I never really though a green tea version would be a strong contender. In my mind, I just couldn't mesh the ingrained concept of a black tea Earl Grey with the vegetal flavors of a green. This tea has turned that idea on its head and done a little victory jig around it!

The dry smell has translated beautifully into the cup, and that same sharp green flavor - something like a minty mix of fresh garden herbs - continues to twine with the citrus notes and buttery Darjeeling base. There's enough astringency to leave my tongue a little dry, but nothing I can't work around!

The infused leaves

While writing this up, I noticed that the longer it sits the more prominent the Darjeeling notes become. It made me wonder how this one would taste cold. That's not entirely surprising, as it's supposed to hit 103° F today! 

As it turns out, the Darjeeling doesn't back down when this is iced, but the minty flavor is actually the part that pops out. I'm having a difficult time deciding which way I like it more! 

Out of curiosity I did attempt a second steep, but even at 5-1/2 minutes it was still very weak. The tang of the bergamot does hold on rather tenaciously, but the base isn't there to back it up. In the future this tea will be a single steep for me. 

Prominent Notes: Bergamot and Darjeeling

Aftertaste: Bergamot and mint

Overall: A solid contender - this will be moving on to the next round!