Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Tg
Tea Description:
Tg – Green Tea with Jujube & Osmanthus
Tg green tea is a rather exceptional Chinese green tea. It is organically grown in the Dao Ren peak area of Eastern China. Its is grown in a special plantation located on the 887m high Dao Ren mountain peak that has been certified as organic since 1995. As if that wasn’t tonic enough, a sprinkle of sweet Jujube (Chinese Red Date) super fruit and delicate fruity-floral Osmanthus create a delicious twist.
Tg – Green Tea with Ginger & Lemon
Tg green tea is a rather exceptional Chinese green tea. It is organically grown in the Dao Ren peak area of Eastern China. Its is grown in a special plantation located on the 887m high Dao Ren mountain peak that has been certified as organic since 1995. As if that wasn’t comforting enough, we’ve added a bit of ginger and lemon zest for tingling warmth and citrus zing.
Tg – Green Tea
Tg green tea is a rather exceptional Chinese green tea. Its is grown in a special plantation located on the 887m high Dao Ren mountain peak that has been certified as organic since 1995. The specific growing location and tea preparation methods handed down since ancient times help to produce a green tea with a delicate taste and soft slightly fruity flavour. It may have been the effect of the Dao priests’ (Taoists) meditating as they cultivated the tea gardens years ago but, whatever the reason, the organic tea used in Tg Green Teas tastes heavenly.
Learn more here: Green Tea with Jujube & Osmanthus, Green Tea with Ginger & Lemon & Green Tea.
Taster’s Review:
Firstly let me thank Tg for this chance to try some of their tea. I always enjoy reviewing tea from different companies, particularly if I have had the misfortune of not hearing about them before. In this instance I have three different samples to try, and I am certainly looking forward to it.
Brewing instructions on the back of the packet:
1. Bring your kettle to the boil, then let it cool for a minute or two.
2. Pour the water over the tea bag and let it infuse for at least 3 minutes
3. Remove the tea bag, sip and enjoy. Add sugar or honey to sweeten if you like.
4. Of you use the pyramid tea bag for a second refreshing brew, just add half a minute to the infusion time.
Green Tea with Jujube & Osmanthus
This is a new one for me, I don’t recall having jujube in a tea before. Though I do find it rather fun to say…Jujube. I want to mention the packet, the design is cute but at the back it says ‘Your green tea is kept in a non transparent pouch to preserve freshness’. A very important bit of information.
As I open the packet I am met with a sweet herbal and berry scent that is subtle yet fresh. A nice combination actually, and on the jujube terms it’s similar to cranberry. In that sharp, dry sort of way….but not as drastic.
The pyramids are made from see through material so it’s easy to see the quality of the ingredients, and you can know exactly what you’re drinking. I can note golden pieces of osmanthus against a dark green/brown leaf (which makes some contrast) and some dark orange/brown berry pieces scattered around the mixture. It appears to be roughly 1.5-2 tea spoons worth of mixture, so a good amount per bag. Also it’s worth mentioning that the bags contents are not powdered or small, so no fannings.
Easy enough steeping instructions to follow, even my husband could do this he is a bog standard tea or coffee man most of the time).
Once steeped the tea is: Yellow/brown in colour with a soft yet toasted scent. Lightly grassy too. Also the tea blend has actually expanded beyond expectations, the pyramid was very spacious but it has now been filled.
The flavour is subtle but pleasant with toasted grass, sweet herbs (which must be osmanthus) and a clean yet dry after taste. I cannot taste the jujube as much as I could smell it which is a little disappointing, but the osmanthus is rather pleasant without it. As the blend cools it becomes thicker in flavour, with the green tea increasing vastly. Though it’s not really what I would call bitter, but the sweetness has subsided somewhat. To the point where in the after taste among the dry I think I can taste something creamy and berry like.
One bag, two steeps ie The re-steep
Colour and scent match that of the first steep, which is rather impressive for a tea bag. Flavour is more mild (which was to be expected) but it still has toasty, grass qualities and just that touch of sweetness from the osmanthus. I would definitely say it was worth the re-steep.
Green Tea with Ginger & Lemon
A flavour I am more familiar with compared to the previous tea, in fact ginger and lemon is my ‘go to’ tea when I have a cold. Not to mention that I actually happen to love ginger, and lemon aids it rather well in most cases. Interesting to see this is listed as lemon peel, and I’m delighted this is all natural flavouring.
As I open the bag I am met with a herbal scent, not quite ginger but warming enough to tickle my nose. The lemon is a little more recognizable, though with the herbal scent it is more like lemongrass than lemon peel.
The pyramid bags have dark green/brown leaves in with small pieces of chopped, dry ginger and even smaller pieces of dry lemon peel. Though the pieces are small, they are still not powdery in any way. Again this one also has a good amount of leaf in the bag.
Once steeped the colour is golden/brown with a subtle yet toasted grass scent, the after scent is peppery and tickles my nose.
Flavour strength is subtle, dominant toasted, grass tones in front of a dry, peppery herbal ginger and a soft aftertaste of something sweet and fruity. Which pretty much sims up the name of this tea, so in effect it tastes as it’s named. Nothing too dramatic in terms of flavours and strength, but the mellow feel of this makes it easily drinkable.
As it cools the lemon increases in strength and becomes waxy but also sweeter than before. It moves in front of the ginger and the whole affair dances on my tongue for a long after taste sensation.
One bag, two steeps ie The re-steep
Colour is dark yellow with a toasted, herbal scent. Remaining soft but still strong enough to warrant the re-steep. Flavour still has wonderful peppery ginger and soft, lemon tones amidst it’s toasted grass affair. Another successful steep.
Green Tea
The original ie unflavoured tea, basically what I have been enjoying so far but without the additional notes. Still, I do love green tea and I am looking forward to this just as much as the previous two.
As I open the bag I am met with the toasted, grass scent I have got to know rather well these last few mugs full. It reminds me of Japanese Bancha if I had to compare the green base to another. There is also a dry, perfumed scent in the after sniff.
Once steeped the colour is golden brown with a toasted grass scent. Very clean smelling.
Flavour pretty much matches the scent, though the after taste is rather dry and somewhat perfumed. It’s more floral than I noticed in the two previous flavours, grassy but floral and behind the toast is a slight buttery tone.
As it cools it thickens in strength with an increase to dryness. Also not as immediately toasty as before.
One bag, two steeps ie The re-steep
A nice re-steep, still subtle elements of toast, grass and perfume though it also remains rather dry.
Overall
In honesty, the three were very similar in flavour. I imagine that comes down to being natural and organic rather than artificially pumped with chemicals. Nothing was ‘in your face’ or ‘too much’ in terms of flavour and the green tea base itself was not bitter/astringent though it was a tad dry at times. Either way I thought it was one of the nicest green tea bags I have ever had. I see them as being similar to Teapigs but with a more authentic Chinese appeal, and being organic and fair trade. Plus each bag can be re-steeped at least twice, so in effect you get 30 bags per pouch which means twice the happiness.
Thanks once again Tg. Happy Steeping Everyone!
Flower of Hawaii Black from Tea Gschwendner
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Gschwendner
Tea Description:
Mouth-watering pineapple and succulent apricot bloom into a sweet reminder of the Islands. Mahalo.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
So this was a blind tasting; meaning I didn’t look up anything about this tea prior to trying it. However, I definitely had major expectations for pineapple – even though I didn’t see anything but somewhat non-descript candied fruit pieces in the dry leaf whenever you hear “Hawaii” in a teas name pineapple is pretty well always the ‘go to’ assumption, am I right? Also, this was a cold brew because it definitely smelled very fruity and tropical and those are definitely the kind of flavours that lend themselves well to drinking cold.
Pineapple actually is the first flavour I taste; a very tropical, sweet pineapple without a lot of natural tang to it. I’m a pineapple fiend, so of course I’m craving much more pineapple flavor though the level it’s at is pretty good given it’s the more dominant flavor. It’s accompanied by a secondary fruit flavour but I’m struggling to identify it. It’s definitely not as distinct as the pineapple is. Mango maybe? The flavor of the base is about even to the flavour of the fruit. Overall this is a relatively juicy and very summery, but other wise not overly complex or nuanced. I think I’d appreciate a few more ingredients to add some more layers to the flavour. Dare I say it, coconut would probably go well or something floral like rose.
Also, since finishing I’ve looked up the ingredients and the secondary fruit flavor was apricot – looking back in hindsight I really don’t think that it tasted anything like apricot and I’m definitely sticking with my impression that the fruit notes were much more similar to a, perhaps over ripe, mango.
Apart from not being terribly spot on with the apricot flavouring, this is a pretty solid blend!
2012 Margarets Hope Muscatel (2nd Flush) from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
MARGARETS HOPE MUSCATEL comes from one of the best known gardens MARGARETS HOPE TEA GARDEN. The dry leaves are black and dark chocolate in colour with fresh floral notes to the nose.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love Darjeeling, as I’ve attested to on numerous occasions right here on this blog. And with all my years of drinking tea, and even in the few years that I’ve been writing for this blog, it still surprises me how different one Darjeeling can be from another. But there is one characteristic that I look for with all Darjeeling teas: Muscatel. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed the few Darjeeling teas that I’ve tried with little to next-to-no muscatel qualities, but, I am still just a wee bit disappointed when I come across a Darjeeling that doesn’t offer the muscatel character that I seek.
But when I do find the muscatel – this is something to celebrate! And this 2012 Margarets Hope 2nd Flush has muscatel! So much so that they even add the Muscatel to the name of the tea on their website, making this officially: Margarets Hope Muscatel 2012 2nd Flush, according to the Darjeeling Tea Lovers website. So, if you’ve ever read a review of Darjeeling and noted the taster mentioning “Muscatel” and you find yourself wondering … “just what is this ‘muscatel’ anyway?” I recommend getting yourself some of THIS tea and trying it. This tea IS muscatel.
There are those who prefer to call it “grape-like” … but I think that muscatel represents so much more than just the muscat grape. It is a wine-like character that is fruity and sweet, possessing the flavors of not just a fermented grape but also a hint of black currant. It possesses the dryness that one often associates with a fine wine. But it is still more with its hints of musky spice and wood and subtle earth tones. To call it “grape” seems to miss the point entirely. It is far more than the simple grape.
This tea has a fuller body than I normally associate with a Darjeeling, which I typically consider a lighter tasting tea. Now, this tea is indeed lighter than say an Assam, but it has a fuller body than some of the lighter Darjeeling teas, it’s smoother, not quite as crisp and “bubbly.” It’s almost like a Ceylon – body/texture wise – but with the delectable fruit notes and sweetness of a Darjeeling.
A truly remarkable Darjeeling experience – this one may be my favorite yet from Darjeeling Tea Lovers!
