I was down with acute bronchitis and had little/no sense of taste/smell. Right now I’m trying to catch up at work so once I’m back on track the reviews will resume. I have a large order from Mighty Leaf to go over.

Patrick has been traveling on vacation. Once he’s home again and caught up with things his reviews will start back up too.

I have extremely dry eyes. While I am taking meds for it, in addition to that, the doctors suggest warm compresses on the eyes.

Rather than toss my steeped tea leaves, I wrap them in a wet washcloth and microwave it for about 1½ minutes. I put that in a small hand towel and have a wonderful compress that I can reuse at least twice.

Taking my sick butt back to bed with an organic jasmine tea compress.

This is the second sample from Dan Ritzenthaler over at Drink The Leaf Tea Company. Organic Green Jasmine Pearl #211.

Again, I love that these small sample bags can be closed.

190°/3-4 minutes.

Aroma from the bag: Potent Jasmine with a background of, I kid you not, grape jelly; the good, homemade kind. As I move away from the pouch while inhaling, I get fresh mown grass. The pearls are firm and just as pictured at left.

Aroma from the mug: Strong Jasmine, and I’m still getting grape jelly.

As it steeped, I wondered if it would taste like anything at all. The color was very pale gold, like a can of cheap beer with water added. I’m still new to green teas, having grown up with Lipton bag tea (yes, I hang my head in shame). But this I am enjoying! I let it steep for 4 minutes.

Taste: Clean, light taste: Jasmine, very faint lemon, gentle tea. Sweet floral finish, mildly grassy, just a hint of mint on the tongue, and subtle grassy, or I guess tea, flavor, still several minutes after I drained my mug. Really refreshing!

Patrick will give his review later this evening on this tea. I am very fond of Jasmine, and this one is really good. Please give Drink the Leaf a try. They are relatively new, just celebrating their second anniversary. I feel strongly that, especially with the sour economy, we have to put our buying power behind the quality smaller operations.

MELISSA’S RATING:(5 out of 5 Beanies)

The following is a public service announcement for all honest-to-goodness tea fans.  I commit to tell the leaf, the loose leaf and nothing but the leaf…so help me tea.

Blood Orange Black Tea from Drink The Leaf Tea Company

I got a package today from Dan Ritzenthaler over at Drink The Leaf Tea Company.  Much to my enjoyment, it wasn’t a bill or anthrax disguised as Pixie Stix (I did enjoy that last shipment though…thanks to whoever sent it).  Nope, this was tea!  The package contained two sample bags of tea: Blood Orange Black & Organic Jasmine pearls.  GiTH will tackle the latter later.

For this review, I’ll be enlisting the help of my better half, Carrie…We’ll just call it “2 people, 1 mug.”  Being a black tea, we served two steepings; one with a splash of 2% milk n’ Stevia, & one naked.

Melissa: Having the benefit of reading Patrick & Carrie’s reviews already, I used about 4.5 teaspoons to 24 oz of water and steeped for 4 minutes.

Out of the Bag

Patrick: The contents of the bag smelled uncannily like the orange lollipops I used to get from the bank as a kid.  You know, the round+flat ones that would get shot through the air-shute with Mommy’s deposit slip?  Yea…those.  At first site, I could tell the black tea was of good pedigree.  The safflowers definitely brought a pleasant array of colors to the infuser.  I almost can’t wait to get this batch steeping!

Carrie: On first impression; the smell was reminiscent of finding an old leftover roll of lifesavers in a jacket pocket. Slowly unwrapping the paper, and realizing that your favorite orange one is still inside. A bit old, and sticky now but still with it’s mellow orange scent. Straight out of the bag, this is an amazingly pret-tea. The orange and yellow colors of the safflower contrasts very nicely with the dark browns, and blacks of the tea.

Melissa: First, I love that the sample bag is resealable!  Remember TANG®!? Yes, I’m dating myself. On first whiff I get Tang®, very, very potent Tang® with a light lemonade in the background. The aroma actually catches in the back of my throat like from inhaling the powder drink mix. If only Tang® was this pretty! This is a really pretty mix of safflower petals and tea. The flower petals almost look like saffron threads. The tea is a bitter chocolate brown color.

The Steep

210°F / 3-4 minutes (We did 3½ minutes)

The water INSTANTLY took on an amber color like that of a good pub ale (such as Sam Adams Winter Ale or Boddingtons).  It really didn’t darken that much as it steeped, but did obtain a bit of a golden/orange-ish patina.

Cup 1: Naked

Patrick: The smell still vaguely reminded me of Bank snacks, but not much else.  Surprisingly enough, I didn’t smell much tea in the mix.  The taste itself was quite different.  I stated earlier that the black tea was of good pedigree, and was right.  A semi-bold flavor of good black tea came across my tongue, and even minutes later I suffered hardly any puckerface rebellion.  After all was done, there was an after-breath of light citrus tones.

Carrie: First thought regarding the smell was that of a hot cup of Theraflu. Hot water and a citrus background. No scent of tea whatsoever.  For a black tea, the taste was very mellow. The tea was steeped for about 3.5 minutes. I definitely expected more of a robust tea presence. The orange flavor was more of a background decoration and was unobtrusive (almost to the point of nonexistence).

Melissa: (Semi Naked) I used one packet of Stevia in my 24oz of tea. Aroma from a distance was still Tang® but slightly mellowed. From up close so the steam went up my nose: roasted orange, hint of lemon, but no tea. Even with my hands cupped over the top of the mug and just room enough for my nose, I still enjoy the orange, but don’t detect any black tea. The taste: Subtle orange and very mellow tea, the more I drink it the more tea I taste. The aftertaste is vaguely orange, but wait, there, there is the honey finish I associate with a good black tea. After inhaling I get mild orange, good black tea. The honey returns after I lick the roof of my mouth.

Cup 2: Doctored

Patrick: Wow, the milk drowned out any essence of tea.  The smell reminded me of Orange-Milk if there is such a thing.  The Stevia definitely helped the orange come through in taste though.  It’s actually pretty bloody good *NARF!*  The tea was there, but not hardly as much as I would have wanted.

Carrie: The smell was definitely better with a little help from it’s friends. The orange scent was a bit more pronounced and it’s former similarity with Theraflu was nonexistent.  As for taste, it reminded me of eating a diet dreamsicle. Half the taste, and half the nom nom factor of the real deal. Again the Stevia and milk came to the rescue helping to intensify the orange flavor. Unfortunately the tea was still M.I.A. with hardly any presence. (Almost like adding tea leaves to it at all was by accident).

Melissa: Half way through my mug I added a tiny splash of fat free ½ & ½ (yes, I know that’s an oxymoron) just to see if I’d get a Creamsicle®, but alas, no. It did seem to intensify the tea  and orange flavors.

Final Thoughts

Patrick: First & foremost, this tea is not a bad tea.  It just doesn’t lend a good kick in the pants like my usual brew does.  I’d contemplate doing a double-scoop steep, but would be afraid of the orange-y madness.  Speaking of, the tea is beautiful out of the bag, but where are the orange pieces?  If I were to order say, shoe-flavored oolong, I would expect to see pieces of Sketcher’s & DC’s in the leaves…Nike’s at least!  The only thing I can think of is that the tea leaves were actually soaked in an orange bath before being dried (or re-dried) and bagged.  This tea could stand to be a bit better in visual perks & bolder in the taste department, but isn’t at all bad.  I actually ended up drinking the rest of the naked mug and grabbing for Carrie’s doctored mug…she smacked my hand away though

Carrie: Where to begin? I wouldn’t say that this is a bad tea, because it isn’t. Does it have room for improvement? Yes. I’m especially fond of black teas, and was disappointed that the tea seemed to take a back seat (maybe even up in the nosebleed section) to the orange flavor. The orange flavor itself was pleasing, and not over bearing. My only question is…where’s the orange pieces? While the tea was very pretty right out of the bag it would have been a treat to see either blood orange peel or dried blood orange pieces in the mix.

Melissa: I’m actually glad that there were no ornage pieces in this. If you refer yourself to GeekSteep #2 I think you’ll agree. If anything more than just the color film on the very surface of the citirus fruit is added, the drink will go bitter. The pith of the peel is very bitter and will sour anything it is added to. The tea is pretty enough to put in a glass dish to use as potpourri, but that would be a huge waste of a good cuppa! Yes, the tea did not have the punch of GeekSteep #7, but after 24 oz I detect no incoming message from the Puckerface Overlords either! It has been 10 minutes since I drained my bucket and I am still enjoying the tea taste in my mouth. This would be a nice accompaniment with a light afternoon/Summer meal and would be very nice iced. If making it iced though, I would suggest making it twice as strong.

Patrick: (3.5 out of 5 beanies)

Carrie: (3 out of 5 beanies)

Melissa: (4 out of 5 beanies)

Adagio Teas website has a neat feature where anyone can choose up to three different teas and combine them into a unique signature blend. They’ll even let you upload a custom label for your tea.

This delight was created by Lois Matheson. IMHO she deserves a round of applause on this. It really hits the spot. And it is about time I got to it, my tin is almost empty.

212°/5 minutes

This is Peach, Mango, and Rum black teas blended to perfection.

Aroma from the tin: very strong peach, floral, vanilla, subtle mango, sweet. Smells like those big ripe peaches that make the juice run down to your elbow as you eat it. Fresh cut apples, light almond, cream.

From the bukkit (stevia and touch of creamer): from a distance; sugar cookies, srsly! almond sugar cookies. As I get closer to the cup: peach cobbler with cream, from up close: ripe peaches, vanilla and cream, and there’s that cookie again. Very subtle floral and mango just above the surface of the tea.

Taste: cream, peach, vanilla, smooth Ceylon black tea. I’m not really getting “rum”, unless the almond/vanilla is actually rum. Then again, I don’t tend to imbibe in liquor that much. There is mango and cream in the after taste. And I am seeing the “Puckerface Overlords” far off in the distance, but with a sweet finish.

RATING: (4 out of 5 beanies)

It took two cups of this wonderful beverage before I could properly review it. Yes, gentle readers, I have to work for a living. I chugged the first bukkit while working. Now I can take the time to do justice to this fine cuppa.

212°/5 minutes

As always, Will does a fabulous job blending his teas. One can almost feel like one is taking tea with the Queen at the Palace on a rare sunny day. If you close your eyes while inhaling the bouquet you can hallucinate almost hear the clinking china cups and the fine ladies socializing.

Aroma from the bag: Jasmine, rose, citrus, cream, ginger. It can almost be Earl Grey, but not with the Jasmine.

Aroma from the bukkit: Fading Jasmine, cream, slight citrus, distant ginger.

Taste: Jasmine, cream, a touch of honey. The finish has tones of citrus and ginger, after taste of jasmine, vague mint and honey.

I know I use the term “honey” a lot, but many teas do have the aroma and taste I associate with honey. And, as I’m not using honey as my sweetener, I know it is the tea.

This is a tea to savor; a tea not to be rushed, like this morning. I almost feel I’m not doing it justice by not using a real tea pot and fine china cup. But even in this ancient Dunkin Donuts 20 oz plastic mug I still feel rather royal drinking this elegant blend.

RATING: (5 out of 5 beanies)

Three teas in one day. I have Tea ADD!

180°/7 mins

Rooibos and Honeybush are my favorite non-caffeinated teas. And, this one is a winner!

Aroma from the bag: Mexican hot chocolate, coffee, caramel, raisins. *closes bag so more doesn’t spill everywhere*

Aroma from the bukkit: raisin, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, sweetened coffee, mild chocolate, as I move my nose away from bukkit; cookies.

Taste: Yum! cinnamon, vanilla, caramel, sweet and smooth on the tongue during inhale, creamy taste. Don’t quite get a coffee taste, maybe a sugared concentrated coffee candy, raisins or molasses.

This is really a great tea, Will! I will definately be ordering this again!

Rating: (5 out of 5 beanies)

Considering my sample tin is almost empty, I guess I should review this now.

This is one of Adagio’s most expensive teas, and well worth it, IMHO.

212°/5 minutes

Aroma from the tin: Not meaning this in a bad way but the smell of grass clippings that accumulate in the lawn mower bag, distant floral, flower nectar sweet, oregano.

From the bukkit: reminds me of a weak Darjeeling, mild floral bouquet, slight honey, hint of lemon, oregano.

Taste: Mild Darjeeling, freshly chewed oregano or coriander seeds, honey and sweet in the after taste, very mild lemon. This is an awesome cup of tea, mellow and meditative.

Oolong #40 is more refined and sofisticated than this morning’s explosive-conquer-the-world tea. But both are so fabulous! This one would be great for sitting on a mountain top, meditating in the sun. ॐ ॐ (Ommmm Ommmm)

RATING: (5 out of 5 beanies)

If time permits today, I will also review Tropical Tea Company’s Mocha Rocha Rooibos. (already had some this morning but didn’t have time to evaluate it)

This is the first time I’ve had this type of tea. I’ve never had English Breakfast either. From what Geekhat says, Irish is more bold than English. That is also what the description say:

“A very robust tea, with plenty of Kenya and Assam. This stronger tea makes a great start to the day.”

It is very easy to get two powerful steeps from this blend, in fact, my second bukkit is coming up now. *blinks alertly!*

212°/3 – 5 minutes depending on how alert you want to be!

Aroma from the pouch: Distant strong honey, rich cream, bold dark tea.

From the bukkit I get: Rich warm cream, light honey, very distant mellow floral and bold dark tea.

Taste: I put a packet of stevia and a tiny splash of coffee creamer in this. WOW, smooth, bold and rich black tea flavor with creamy/honey overtones.  This tea is not meant for faggy delicate porcelain cups. This tea needs a huge Tankard!

WARNING! You WILL, I promise you, see the Puckerface Overlords on the horizon when you consume this beverage! But, trust me folks, you will be hallucinating welcoming them with a smile on your face, tankards full of this liquid gold and a tray of crumpets. By the time you finish this cuppa, you’ll have those Overlords begging like a homeless junkie cowering at your feet. With this cuppa, you can conquer the world!

There is nothing fancy or flowery about this tea, nothing added to mask a lack of flavor. No Syrup! This, this tea is the tea of champions!  With this hooch tea, and my trusty chainsaw, I can move mountains! *raises Mount Olympus over head*

Holy Shit! Wow, I‘m jonesing for a fix need a another cup of this stuff! *follows Will into alley*

Seriously though, a few minutes after you finish this, the Overlords ride off into the distance tannins fade into the background.

RATING: (6 out of 5)

Tropical Tea Company is a small enterprise focusing on custom blended teas, usually in the “tropical” flavor arena. Will is a fabulous guy, offering up top notch teas, great prices, and stellar customer service. While the site may, or may not, have a snag or two at checkout time, just send an email and he’ll take care of it.

If you know me, you know better than to stand between me and dark chocolate. If you don’t know me, trust me, it won’t end well for you. So, of course, this had to hop into my cart.

212°/5 minutes

Aroma from the bag: It smells dark and mysterious. Like a very dark cocoa powder, a subtle tingle of ginger , milder, sweeter chocolate, and, the smell of a freshly opened bail of hay.

Aroma from the cup: the ginger/cinnamon are the first to reach my sinuses. Strong black tea, subtle hints of chocolate, a tad of vanilla, cream, a touch of hay from a distance.

Having an Indian for a husband, I know Indian Chai. FYI: Chai (चाय) is Hindi for tea. What the rest of the world calls Chai is Spiced Chai or Masala Chai (मसाला चाय). Just as there are no two Italians who make the same exact sauce, everyone makes their Masala Chai slightly different, adding/removing the spices to suit their own taste. Traditionally, Masala Chai is served with sugar and milk, the latter usually being boiled right along with the tea. Sticking with tradition, I added a packet of Stevia and a splash of creamer to my cup while the tea steeped in my IngenuiTEA.

Taste: Creamy and smooth over the tongue. subtle coaco after taste, mild ginger tingle, a touch of black pepper on the back of my tongue. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves. NOW I can place that “Hay” aroma, Corriander. The tea is a premium black tea that is both strong and smooth. Strong enough to get two 20 oz. steeps out of it. WOW.

As sensitive as I am to the “pucker” factor of tannin, I am really not detecting any obnoxious contact from the Puckerface Overlords!

RATING: (4 out of 5 beanies)

I do wish, however, that the 2 oz. packages I got were resealable though. I don’t have any containers for tea yet and it is spilling everywhere.