Giveaway: Win the Steeped Tea Detox Collection

      This month I had the pleasure to try a different set (not that I mind caffeine), the Herbal based "Detox Collection". Christa Jones, an Independent Consultant for Steeped Tea, was a great pleasure to work with and we have a little surprise for you at the end of this post ( Hint: Giveaway!). After my yoga classes (and then working late into the night) these teas from the collection hit the spot.
   Steeped Tea is a fantastic company. Last month I had the pleasure of winning "The Classic Collection" over at A Cup Of Life and fell in love. All natural ingredients , friendly service and (best of all) a Canadian Start-up! Steeped Tea started out not too long ago and has grown thanks to the help they received at Dragons Den . Beautiful packaging and delicious teas that just make you want more (its tea so why not?).

In this set there are six teas and a small packet of 50 Steeping sacks. I adored opening up the shipping box to find such lovely packaging. I am already putting it on my list to buy it again for a few people I know (I'm not saying in case they come by).

Let's get to know the teas!

Hot Yoga

 Breath in. It smells like cinnamon and it makes you want to get into your down-ward dog. I am surprised how this tea is similar to a chai but has its own zen body feel to it but also gives you energy. This one got my fingers working and practicing my yogic breathing. Why is that? I have sinus arrhythmia (meaning my heart beats irregularly, nothing wrong with it) but this tea due to the hawthorn leaves gives me a little kick to get through my to-do list and right into some meditation.

    Beautiful way to start the day (oh my I rhymed) with : Cinnamon, Cardamom, Hawthorn leaves, Ginger bits, Cloves, Black Peppercorns, Safflowers and Blue mallow flowers. Deliciously chai and you need to try ( Rhyming again~ ).

Don't Worry Be Happy

  Personally I am not a big fan of Chamomile but there is a reason, I am allergic to ragweed. Chamomile is from the same family so I tend to feel a little itchy and off when I have it. Anyhow.. this tea was a great blend over all (putting the light allergy aside). The peppermint came through perfectly and I could not help but breath out an "ahh" to express my content. 

   This guy is simple : Chamomile, Peppermint leaves and Licorice root. Totally a must if you love a good cup of Chamomile before bed. 

Stress Reliever 

  This little gem is a miracle worker. Today was an errand day and it seemed to melt away all my worries after a few simple sips. The blend contains: White mistletoe. St.John's Wort, Birch leaves, Ginko Biloba leaves, Lemongrass, Stinging Nettle and Bean Pods. 

    The whole blend had a bit of a lemongrass taste that was smooth. No need to add anything as it has a very pleasant taste on its own. It is the perfect after work or after an errand day (guilty) tea. 

Lemon Ginger Tea-tox

  This one is on my list to try iced in the morning, it is just amazing how good it makes you feel. While you think it may taste healthy, it doesn't taste that way ( I am thinking buckleys by the way). I love how simple it is with : Ginger, Lemongrass and Rose blossoms. 

   It's smooth, lightly ginger-y and has a natural floral side to it. I am personally grabbing a book , a cup of this and getting into the bath. Now that is just bliss.

Feminini-Tea

 First off I must say, yummy! This blend is perfect for those that need a tea for that once a month "blah" time. Again there was no need to add anything but I can imagine my sweet tooth getting the best of me and adding a touch of honey. 

    It was smooth and had fruity notes despite the amount of herbal ingredients (sorry but yumm). The tastiness comes from : Apple pieces, Rooibos, Ginger pieces, Cinnamon pieces, Cardamom, Fennel, Juniper Berries, Raspberry leaves, Chamomile, Lady's mantel, Cloves, Orange Peel, St. John's Wort, Black pepper and Silver weed. 

   This is on my must list for my monthly "blah" kit (a long with cookies and ice cream), I know you will feel the same.

Immunity Booster

   If there was anything starting in my system, I doubt it is around anymore. This one packed a punch that made me wish I was sick to enjoy it more. The taste for me right now (not sick) was very medical, but that means its going to be a blessing (and taste great) when I am sick. 

   Just look at what's in it: Licorice, Cinnamon, Burdock root, Ginger, Dandelion root, Fennel, Aniseed, Juniper berries, Coriander, Black pepper, Parsley, Sage, Cloves and Turmeric. It will knock any cold out of the park, large wow factor here.

The Giveaway (aka. Freebies) !

 Canadian Residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you to Christa Jones for donating both the giveaway collection and my own Collection.
 All opinions are my own, please consult your family doctor if you have any concerns about teas (especially when you are taking prescription medication). Be Healthy. Be Happy.
Namaste

Social Tea: Justea Supports Kenya Farmers

Since High School I have always loved Social Justice and as I got older I now LOVE Social Businesses. Justea located in Vancouver, Canada is one that just touched my heart (much like Global Tea Hut). By helping farmers be self sufficient , create a business of their own and support themselves. My favorite part is the farmers end up with a better wage when they learn how to cut out the middle man. Better wages = better support for their families.

  Farmers traditionally would grow and pick the tea themselves, before bringing it to the factory to become tea bags. Because the unfinished product is not worth the same as the tea bags, the farmers get little for their work.  The big change is what Justea is doing to change that old model. By teaching the farmers how to process the tea themselves, the farmers now obtain earnings for a finished product!

   

"...Key to any social business is informing the public of the problem you are trying to address." -Justea, Blog post Karibu (Welcome!)

African Chai was smooth,with sweet notes with a light clove-ginger bite. I drank this after dry brushing and moisturizing, it was the right tea to have for that moment. I was particularly pleased that I did not need anything in it , unlike other chai blends. 

Kenyan Black was very smooth with no astringency and a "baked bread" taste. It was very enjoyable morning tea to have before meditation (or for me it was the Global Meditation for Peace). With an empty stomach you would think that black tea would be too much, but instead it was very soothing. Waking up to this tea was a real treat.

Supporting the community
Is very important to me, it not only spreads happiness but also peace. Justea is a social business that I hope continues to grow as the years go on. I really enjoyed these teas and can not wait to try new ones.

Camellia Sinensis: Montreal

 Welcome to Camellia Sinensis: Salon de Thé in downtown Montreal. The day after the Ottawa Tea Festival I finally had my chance to visit this lovely store. Back in 2010, I asked a friend to get me a few teas as they were visiting the area. They were also as blown away as I was at the end of November last year.

     The day prior at the Ottawa tea festival , I had the pleasure to meet Kevin Gascoyne. We chatted about the Toronto Tea Festival and about the store locations within Montreal. It was a great honour to talk to him face to face and visit his Salon the next day.

The location I spent the most time at was on Rue Émery, one side is the tea shop and the other is a cafe. On the shop side I was greeted by the warm colours and delicious displays of tea ware. I left with a tray for ryakubon and tea, Matcha Sendo. After finalizing my purchase, I made my way over to the Salon side.

The space was full but still maintained its calm meditative feel. Patrons were chatting with friends, studying, reading or simply enjoying the atmosphere of the space. Once I was seated I was served a sample of tea and handed the menu to look over. Each table was given a small bell to ring once you were ready to order.

  For this visit I decided to enjoy Sensha Nagashima and a selection of Japanese sweets. While waiting for my order I took in the space, warmth of the colours around me washed over. It felt like a home away from home. The space was lightly decorated my various artifacts from tea growing regions around the world. It was very hard to not touch them.

    My tea arrived and I could not wait to start brewing this delicious selection of sencha. The grassiness was balanced with the sweetness that quickly came. Perfect development in the mouth. Paired with the quickly devoured Japanese sweets it made for a perfect evening. 

    I quite enjoyed that the service was focused on quality rather than speed of other establishments, it matched the atmosphere very well. Everything was simplified for quests right down to the amount of teas on the menu, which I must say should be between 15-20. This made it very easy for the Salon to be stocked with these teas at all times. 

       If you are looking for a quiet moment in the busy downtown of Montreal, I highly suggest making your way over to this establishment for some well deserved R & R, your taste buds will thank you.

Review: Easy Tea, Hard Choice- Three Taiwanese Black tea

    Taiwan black teas were first created from fields that were created during Japanese occupation. Todays review is of Easy Tea Hard Choice. They choice focuses on Taiwanese teas and ensures that every tea is vacuum sealed for the day it is finished. The teas are very fresh and each has their own unique notes.

Four Seasons
   Dry leaves, sweet apples and fresh plum.  Wet leaves also held a similar smell with a touch of a toasty smell. It reminds me of thanksgiving cooking and being with family.  The taste has hints of caramel and cinnamon apples. It has a creamy texture that is cool that coats your mouth. The longer you sip it you find notes of freshly baked bread and apples.


Red Rhythm Black Tea
   Dry leaves have notes of sweet grapes or white wine. Wet leaves smell like cooked green grapes.  The taste reminds me  of white wine. It is fruity initially, then has a tannic bite that dissipates.



Red Jade Black Tea
    Dry leaves, white grapes. Wet leaves, apples, Chinese white peach. Grapes. Taste cools the mouth. Grapes taste with apple taste under notes. Smells like Bai Hao oolong. Mouth eventually feels dry, that reminds me of the muscatel in Indian teas.

 

Matcha: Taste is Everything 4

 We are now on week four and the conclusion to our taste experiment. The Fourth  in series of matcha tastings to see if taste, location and price equal up to a good quality tea. Kohei from Tales of Japanese Tea wrote  matcha is not about price or origin , which made me want to do this little experiment. The previous three posts can be found here, here and here. It's Christmas so let's have some tea (by the way the Doctor Who Christmas Special is on~)!
     

     This weeks tea is very unique. Maiko Tea was introduced to me during my Tea Sommelier classes earlier this year. Shortly after I was talking to Dr.Ralph Faerber who taught me many new things about matcha and  Japanese Teas. 
        This matcha I bought is called "Kyo Mukashi". The package depicts a Maiko on the box and tin with a double lid.  Maiko Tea is located in Uji, Kyoto, Japan. The cost was about $13.72 CDN, very decent cost for much a tea.
     
   It had a creamy thick foam sweet, Very smooth lingering taste. I did find a  slight sweet lemon taste behind it all, quite a pleasant surprise. Very vivid green and a tea that held together very well. 
   
   This tea was very different as it had a low cost, great taste and was from Uji. After these four experiments, I feel that you can find something that has a great taste for a low cost. You just need to try different ones to find it. Over all I feel that this tea is my favourite out of the four we tried together, but I still will be looking for new ones to try. After all there are so many different teas in the world and so little time to experience them all. 

Which matcha is your "go to" matcha and why?

Matcha: Taste is Everything 3

If you just joined us today, we are exploring if there is a connection between taste, price and growing region for matcha. The first two parts can be found here  ,and here. The series started after reading a post by Kohei over at Tales of Japanese teas in his post Matcha is not about price, or origin. We are on our third matcha for the month. This one is by Morihan they are located in Uji within Kyoto, Japan.

 This tea is sold as a Tea Ceremony Practice quality, which is also good for baking. It has a good shade of green in the bag and a wonderful quantity of 100g. This one I purchased  for $14 CDN , approximately, on e-bay. Very good price when you consider how much is in it.

     Time to taste it! This one frothed very well and looked very smooth on the surface. It did not have the thickness that I look for in my matcha. Although, it did whisk very well and held together longer than matcha from Teavana.
  When tasteing the tea it had a slight vegetable taste, that most call a "green tea" taste. Along side of it there were notes of dark chocolate that came through the creamy-milky texture of the whole tea.

    Over all it was a great tea but I found a slight dryness that came after. This could be balanced perhaps with a sweet before drinking the tea, how it was originally meant to be enjoyed.

     Next week is the last installment for this series. All matcha teas for this series were purchased by me and all opinions are my own. I highly suggest to try them out as we all taste things differently.

Happy Holidays everyone!

What qualities do you look for in your matcha?

Matcha: Taste is Everything 2

  As part of my matcha taste tests that I mentioned last week, we are on tea #2. I talked to my good friend KingKoh about  different matcha and he brought up that hoarding matcha is not good. The reason for this is after it is open it starts to oxidize and loose its fullness. I try to keep this in mind when I am getting new matcha. With that right now I have three- four open right now and in room temperature. With that said I have been trying to drink them all up. Once they are done I have a closed can of Camillia Sinensis' Matcha Sendo in the freezer waiting. 

    Just a note on keeping matcha a bit longer, put the tin in a zip lock bag or sealed tupperware to protect it from smells. With that said, on to this weeks tea.
 Aoarashi from Ko no en (Marukyu Koymaen), the lowest ceremonial grade they have on their website.  This tin is 40g of delicious matcha. I got this one from e-bay from a seller who lives within Toronto somewhere. 

     I will admit this tea I have been hoarding and it is not in its best state. Even still I can not pass up this tea when given the chance. 

 The taste in the mouth and lingering after taste were the similar , just a touch weaker. Notes of dark chocolate  develop after tea has been swallowed. The taste reminds me of the dry sweets that go with Japanese tea, higashi. 
   As you can see it would not whisk properly. This is a good reason not to let matcha sit around for too long. Although unlike our previous tea from Teavana, this one held together very well. This means it mixed well but just could not create a froth.
  Ko no En's tea is from Uji, Kyoto. Ko no en is a distributor of Marukyu Koymaen tea here in Toronto. I am lead to believe that the e-bay seller may be part of Ko no En, but they do not say so.  
    With Kohei's post in mind, I still prefer Uji matcha. The taste is far more complex in the mouth and lingers for a long time. This tea although is fairly cheep on e-bay, it goes for $16.00CDN. Going back to Kohei's post price does not determine quality. This one has similar notes to Yugen from the same company but is much easier on my wallet.  Let's see what our next tea has to offer, join me next week for part three. 

                                                            How do you store your matcha ?

Matcha: Taste is Everything 1

 What is your favorite tea?  Mine is matcha, I first tried it in 2010 when I got a can of Kono-En Kirin Matcha from David's Tea. They had a small amount which went fairly quickly. Now they have their own brand of Matcha.

 In September Kohei over at Tales of Japanese Tea posted about how matcha is not about price or origin. Which you can check out by clicking the link in the previous sentence. After reading his post it made me think about how I was trained to think that Uji matcha is the best. After some thought I started to try a few differnt matcha's. Once a week  for the month of December I will be sharing my notes on various matchas I have encountered. 

  For my first subject, I will be tasting Teavana's Matcha. This one is from  Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan tea. They carry two sizes, 40g and 80g. The latter is the size I have on hand.

    After warming my winter tea bowl (Chawan), its time to whisk! This tea whisks well with a nice foamy froth.The colour is a beautiful vivid green that stands out well from the interior of the chawan.

 Time to taste! The taste makes my mouth salivate and moves the taste throughout my mouth. I am surprised to find that there is a slight citrus fruit taste, that dissipates in to a light vegetal flavour. The typical chocolate taste is barely there. the final lingering taste is sweet. it reminds me of mandarin oranges.

  Over all its a great tea. I found out that this tea was from Nishio, a few months after acquiring it. This initially prevented me from drinking it, but after Kohei's post I am glad I gave it another chance. My only problem with this tea is that you need to remember to drink it quickly. The reason is this tea likes to separate on you.  Other than that, this tea is actually really great for daily use or even Sado practice. 

____________________________________________________________________

 Have you tried this matcha before? Please feel free to comment below with your experience. I would love to hear from you~ 
Till next time- Kat

Review: Camillia Sinensis- Da Hong Pao, Gyokuro and Sencha

Camillia Sinensis is a company that is based out of Quebec. I originally discovered them online and knew my partner was visiting there in the coming days. This was back in 2009, when I got the tea from her upon her arrival  I was blown away. Back to current day, I have been loyally looking at their website. Continuously making shopping carts then changing them over many days.  There are so many teas to choose from that I can never decide what to buy. 

This seems to be the case for any online or store front tea purveyor. To assist their buyers and also familiarize myself with their teas more I approached them with a proposal to try out a few teas and write about them. Win-win situation. So here we are now, はじめましょう！（Let's start!).

The three teas I received were: Gyokuro Hokuren, Da Hong Pao and Sencha Kaori Hokuren. 

Gyokuro Hokuren

     Their website describes that this tea is from the Shizouka region of Japan, on the top three regions with in the country. As we can see the leaves have a beautiful needle shape and a vibrant dark forest green hue to them.

      The wet leaf smelt of sweet beans or peas, it reminded me of my grandfathers vegetable garden. Very nostalgic scent.
   The actual tea had a typical green colour. It smelt and tasted like string beans (why am I thinking of beans? ), cut grass and broccoli. It was very smooth in the mouth and had a lingering dark chocolate taste once it was finished.
     This is very much my type of tea as I originally began with Japanese teas years ago. I am already intrigued to find out how the Sencha is.

Sencha Kaori Hokuren

    This is another tea from the Shizuoka region of Japan, we can tell now the the similarity in the names from the previous tea. The leaves are styled in a similar manner to Gyokuro and as we can see have a similar colour to them as well.

Typically sencha has a fuller taste in comparison to a Gyokuro. This was the case with this one but it was accompanied with a nice hint of  mango. It was very smooth in the mouth and did not disappoint me.  I will point out it still had the vegetable notes to it but I was taken back by the mango. It made the evening very interesting.

Da Hong Pao

         This tea has been a favorite for quite sometime now, that may be due in part to the history behind it. The leaves are from the Wu Yi Mountains in Fijian, and have a classic dark colour to them. A sweet woody smell comes off of them before I begin to brew.
   I decided to enjoy the pre-infusion, the smell of the wet leaves has a a light smokiness from processing.  The leaves at this point have a nice "hookers green" colour, I am still not sure why I could not get away from this description but it is a paint colour.  The actual brew has a lovely amber hue to it in the white cups.
     Upon tasting it it warms the body up, the taste of ...mango's in the background?  I am still confused why this was the taste I identified. The second infusion the taste changes to biscuity- freshly baked bread.  Very lovely.    This tea always surprises me, I once tasted cooked sugar. Which was a nice perspective of this fine tea.


To finish I want to thank Camillia Sinensis for sending me these teas to try. I truly enjoyed the chance to try more of their teas and to see the other side of there adventures through the leaves. I hope that we can continue this friendship through tea.
                      Thank you again!

Do Matcha: How to make matcha

 
 A while back I was asked if I would like to do a review for DoMatcha. I quickly accepted and did not expect to receive not only a full can of matcha but a whisk and holder.
     I tried the tea a few times casually to take notes on the tea itself. Then finally  I sat down to do a final tasting(what you see here).
    I was impressed but the amount of froth that appeared on the surface of the liquor, it seemed almost thick. For a few moments I wondered if I had made Koicha( Thick tea) and not Usucha (Thin tea) by mistake, but I was proved wrong when I tasted it.

For this tea I used my special chawan from the AGO, purchased last year when they had Jackson Polluck and other Modern artist's work on show. I used the new chasen from DoMatcha and the holder for this set up.
        The tea itself has a very nice bright green hue and finely ground, there was no need to sift it. The tea itself was smooth. It had a cooked bean scent and tasted vaguely like brusel sprouts and finished with a dark chocolate taste on the tongue. It had a medium body for the amount of matcha used. Very pleasant. This has become my morning tea since its arrival.

    After looking at Do Matcha's page I found the following information:

 Certified organic by JONA (Japan Organic and Natural Foods Association), this premium, organic ceremonial Matcha is the purest and most sustainable way to enjoy the ancient Matcha tradition. Our DoMatcha Ceremonial Organic Matcha is produced in the Uji Region, in Kyoto, Japan where matcha originated over 800 years ago. (Makes about 25 servings.) $33.99 USD

How to Make Matcha

 ** Refer to images as reference
1. Warm up bowl and matcha whisk (chasen) with warm water. This cleans them and preps the whisk for use.

2. Place 2-3 scoops (chashaku) into the bowl (chawan)

3.Add in about 3-4 oz of 80 degree celcius water

4. Whisk quickly at the writs in a "W" or  "M" figure with whisk till frothy

5. Enjoy!

I am glad that I got to try this organic matcha. I try to keep a few different grades on hand (small quantities of course for freshness) so that I can change depending on my mood. This matcha is perfect for everyday Chanoyu practice. It has the right balance I look for in a matcha for this purpose.
     I look forward to possibly trying other matcha's from DOMatcha. I want to thank DOMatcha and Tiffany Picard for this opportunity to do this review.

For more posts on Matcha check out our Matcha Tea page Here! Enjoy~!

Ceremonial Matcha - Majesteas

                       Recently I have been starting each day with matcha. I set aside enough time to quietly prepare it in a meditative way. I quickly ran out of my matcha and went out to get a new one to try. This one is from Majesteas.  I noticed it in the shop about a week before I ran out. The kanji on it captured me as I sought to translate it, but failed.
      Getting it home I eagerly waited till the next morning (Friday) to enjoy the tea. Although it was not until Saturday evening I decided to write about this brew. Earlier I had visited a Man I had met over a year ago at Allen Gardens who I over heard taught Japanese Tea Ceremony. I contacted him and I enjoyed a ceremonially prepared cup of match with him. We discussed the utensils he used, the historical aspects of ちゃのゆ, and he began to teach me how to fold the ふくさ(fukusa).
       Starting in November I will begin learning 盆略手前 (bonryaku temae), tea prepared on a tray. It is quite different from how he served me which was 立礼 ( ryūrei) which he used a table like structure and I sat at my own table as a guest. As an artist I am eager to learn more about ceremonial styles as I can. Especially with my tea series taking over my usual women dominated work.                                                 
        Anyhow enough of my ramblings and back to this tea. When I opened the package inside the tin I was welcomed by a very vibrant green powder. I eagerly filled my kettle with spring water from Muskoka.  After letting it cool in my glass pitcher for a while I sifted the powder and whisked it. Vibrant green with  fine foam greeting me. I quickly drank it. It was like milk chocolate with 40% Dark mixed in. Very smooth on the tongue. I decided to accompany this with a mini sponge cake with apricot filling, they complimented each other very well. I can not wait to learn more about matcha preparation from my new sensei, and perhaps I can get my Japanese sensei to help me translate this tin some time. 

Xantou Mandarin White- Lauriam Tea House

 Lauriam Tea House is located in Bowmanville, around a hour and a half drive to about 2 hours by train east of Toronto. My mom introduced me to the shop when I was still in school and now it is a favorite hangout when I visit my family. Tea is served to you in a white tea pot along side delicate china cups. As I was introduced to Afternoon Tea through this tea ware before it has become quite nostalgic. This tea is a White Tea Puerh, which has absorbed the sweet mandarin qualities of its fermentation "container". The leaves are dense inside the dried fruit, I had to resort to using a pick from my tea tools to pick enough leaves out.  The wet leaves are quite young and very uniform in size, being not longer than an inch.  They smell subtly sweet, unlike the dry leaves which have more of a mandarin smell to them.
       The resulting tea is creamy and sweet. Coaxing out a salivating sensation. There is a sweet peach taste on the back of my tongue, which is the reason for me keeping such a tea close at hand. The liquor is a beautiful amber hue. I found it slowly dissipated in colour over the infusions I was able to coax out of the leaves. At this finial infusion only the salivating sensation remains and a dull sweetness with no characteristic I can pin point.
     I have bought this tea quite a few times over the last few years. Only pulling it out to get frustrated with the "container", something that I just have to learn more about over time.Much practice is needed for this storage method of Puerh.

Milk Oolong - Tsaa

    I have been visiting Tsaa (pronounced Cha) since I discovered it apartment hunting. A very well lit cafe style makes it very welcomeing. Promoteing the consumption of glutten free and vegan treats, they also offer coffee, bubble tea, teaware, teas etc. They are very versitile and cary a vass aray of tea ware. From chawans for Japanese tea ceremony to yixings for gong fu ceremony right down to the tea pot I got to use with this weeks tea.
     I apologize that I only have one image as this review is from notes I have sitting around waiting to be posted. I ordered a whole pot of this tea for the afternoon. Hidden is a glass pitcher in which I was given he first infusion and the second was steeping in the pot.  The first sip was creamy and warmed my stomach thoroughly. The brew was very consistent. The second infusion had cooled a little by the time I was able to enjoy it (Japanese homework keeps me quite busy). It had a lighter taste and was sweeter than the tea while it was hot. 
     Drinking tea in this manner is quite relaxing although I felt as though I should have made more infusions with the leaves. Though by the time the second infusion was done I was itching to paint that afternoon. My tea art is a result of that. I perhaps will revisit this tea again sometime in the future and compare many Milk Oolongs together. I am still formulating notes so this may take some time and research on the process for Milk Oolongs themselves.

Darjeeling Jungpana First Flush- Davids Tea

         To start out my weekly tea reviews I picked out my favorite Darjeeling so far (sadly finished it too with this review...).  I originally bought this tea in an attempt to flesh out my taste for Darjeelings, instead it has kept me close to other light Darjeeling (such as Teaopia's Ambootia Darjeeling). At a mere $15.00 for 50g it was well worth trying.  Disappointingly it is "limited time only", thus I am in a search for a new one to replace it or to try.
         The Davids Tea website says this:

Darjeeling Jungpana First Flush

A legendary tea

First flush teas are usually plucked after the first spring rains, marking the end of the long Himalayan winter. From the remote Jungpana Estate, deep in the mountains of India, this is a delicate tea with a woodsy taste and aroma. In case you were wondering, FTGFOP 1 stands for Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, first grade. Sounds like a mouthful, right? Trust us, it’s one of the best mouthfuls you’ll ever taste.

 Like always Davids Tea creates a little story or juicy description for their teas. This one keeps to the origin of the tea and tries to promote the estate. For my review I conducted it at work so that I could ensure the quality of water and temperature, at a latter date I will have the means to check the temperature at home. Below are my basic tools: a simple infuser and a glass mug. I used about two teaspoons to around 14oz of 100 Degree C water. The water at work is filtered four times in the back room and have not had any problems with other teas I have smuggled in.

 After steeping the leaves for three minutes I removed the filter. The leaves were quite green prior to steeping (forgot to take this image) and even more so after. The wet leaves smelled sweet, apple like, grassy and reminded me of fogy mist.
     The tea itself tasted smooth, mild, slightly sweet with a bit of honey and almost toasty. It reminded me a bit of Japanese green teas I have had in the past, or perhaps it was the lingering flavor in my cup from Genmaicha. I had cleaned out the cup thoroughly before hand . I am not entirely sure.  I hope to get a bit more of the tea before their supply runs completely out, again though if anyone has some suggestions I am open to them.


AFTER NOTES: As this is my first review (since Sumatra Highland) I hope to get better at describeing teas as well as prepare for taking the Tea Sommelier Exam (when I get there, wish me luck). I hope to get better at takeing tea photos as well, I recall seeing a toutorial for this and will look it up for the next review. Till then look forward to your next cup of tea!

Tea Review- Silver Needle @ Teaopia

     When we got this tea in at work I dropped putting away shipments for a moment to get a cup going. The leaves are about one inch long on average. Fuzzy and gray-green.
   They smell sweet dry but peachy, white peaches.  The liquor  is light and just as peachy as the smell.
   Going down it is creamy,  smooth, stimulates chi flow and very mellow.
    I have used a gaiwan at home for small short infusions and teaopia' tea master for three minutes. As well as using the teamster to do small short infusions.
  More information can be obtained on their website or in store~

Tsaa- Tea Shop

After a long day at work I decided to try out a shop I saw while apartment hunting. On the Danforth only steps away from Chester Station was this adorable shop. If there had not been tea things in the window I would have passed it off as a regular cafe.
Once I was inside I was welcomed by a warm atmosphere and a wide selection of food and drinks to choose from, not just tea but bubble tea and different coffees. A fire place and a wide selection of tea ware which was featured not only for purchase but as art as well.
My first cup for the evening was a Yunnan Gold Superior which I enjoyed along side a grilled chicken and veggie sandwich. It paired quite well and balanced out the meal. After while reading ( I,Lucifer) I had another cup but of Phoenix Mt. Oolong Tea. Out of all the times I have had a high grade tea , this is the second or third time that I experienced "tea drunkenness".
Tea drunkenness is the best kind, it relaxes the body from the inside out. Slowly it warms you, feels almost like hot flashes but it creates a full feeling in the stomach. Eventually it spreads and your head feels light the same that happens with true drunkenness from alcohol.
After finding a tea that creates this effect I have reserved this shop for those long days when I need a little release from the world. With the holidays coming I plan on visiting this week to relax and get back to things. I dislike being angry at people who come in looking for tea or tea ware because they are comming in large numbers and sometimes manners are gone. If you work in retail, especially one that is part of a large company (or growing one), take a moment for yourself to refresh get back to those times where helping makes you feel good. Because, helping should feel good~ Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone <3

412 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
647-347-8720

So many teas and not enough space

So I moved to my new place... only problem I am looking at my box of teas and tea ware, and there seems to be a lack of space for both. I am at a loss of what to do to acomidate for such a terrible disaster.
Although the cubords are still drying so for all I know the space is there and I just don't know it yet <3 Work is treating me quite well. I finished reading "The Tea Classic" this evening, which resulted in me wanting to read I-ching to get a better understanding of what he is talking about. As well as get out my Yixing pots and brew up some Oolong tea.
I will try to get somekind of place for my tea ware and find a palce for a tea table area as well. Things are missing. I may need to get my Dad to take me back home to locate some things I require to live in here. My futon being on that list, hopefully he can fix it soon and I can just aquire the folding coffee table I have been eyeing.

Anyhow. I have drank most of the Rooibos "teas" at work and I'm going to be brave and finish them tommorow along with some Oolongs (I think I have one left to try).
      I visited another tea shop in toronto a while back, but before I review it I want to go back for another visit since it has been a while. Look forward to it.

I'm going to turn in for the night. Best to all.

Majesteas: Purveyors of loose tea

Went to my new favorite tea shop in town. It's quite new.They have a small selection of top grade teas to offer. Many of which I have not seen before. This afternoon I tried their Edinburgh Breakfast, other wise known as Scottish Breakfast. At under $3CDN for a pot of tea which consisted of 3-4 cups I was quite pleased. They have been open for 6 weeks so far according to the employee present today.
My Scottish Breakfast was so wonderful I decided to purchase some. This location only sells 100g of each tea in either a bag or can. I choose the latter as It saves me space and it has two lids (a seal to keep it fresh and a pop off lid).

The place is quite small but very cozy and well designed. I can not see why anyone would want to pass up the opportunity to partake in such a pleasant experience. Or at least come to purchase tea ware at fair prices. My first visit I acquired a Yixing sized glass pot at $14.95 CDN. I have already used it so much that I feel I have gained back its price already through excellently brewed tea. If anyone is in the area of Queen St. East and Pape it is before Shoppers Drug mart on the North side when coming west. Please enjoy a sample once you enter.

950 Queen St. East , Toronto, Ontario
T:647-350-4646 E:info@majesteas.ca
www.majesteas.ca