Arbor Tea's Earl Grey Review

Type: Black
Origin: China and India
Price: Free sample (regular price - $9.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Arbor Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 212°F, steeped for 3-5 minutes
Overall Score: 3.6 out of 5

Earl Grey is a mix of Chinese and Indian black teas flavored with bergamot oil. When I open the package, I can immediately smell the citrus bergamot – it is rather strong. And… that is pretty much all I can detect from the dry leaves. If I put my nose anywhere near the leaves it gets pummeled with the aroma of bergamot. The leaves are small, curvy, dark brown pieces with bits of orange color throughout.

The aroma of the freshly made tea is all about the bergamot, although, I can faintly smell the malty black tea in the background. The liquor is an orangey-copper color.





The taste is a bit harsh at first. Between the citrus and the black tea, it is quite astringent. The second and third sips reveal the boldness in this tea. It is not a very complex tea; I just go back and forth between the bergamot and the slight smokiness of the black tea. However, the flavors that it does hold are not shy about letting you know they are there.

I wouldn’t say this tea is bitter, but very acidic and slightly sweet tasting because of the bergamot. It tends to dry out the mouth quickly. I am not sure about this one. It is not one of the best Earl Grey’s that I have had, but it is not bad either. It is just sort of a meh... but at least the price is fair.

Unnecessary Tea Accessories

For those who are new to the wonderful world of tea and just starting a tea and tea ware collection, the vast array of options can be a bit overwhelming. Please allow me to spare you some terrible headaches. The following items are things that I deem rather unnecessary as far as tea accessories. Of course, you always have the final say on what gets added to your list of must have tea items.

First on my black list is the variety of “infusers.” It has become a reflex to automatically cringe when I see or hear that word. There are tea ball infusers, spoon infusers, stick infusers, etc. What it all comes down to is relentlessly shoving and over packing poor, innocent tea leaves into a stainless steel cage and plunging them into hot water. While you are at it, you might as well let out an evil laugh and shout “there are ways of making you talk!” A better solution is to not even spend the money on these sadistic contraptions. Remember, if you are going to use whole leaf tea, then the leaves need a whole lot of room (in order to expand and steep to their full potential). Most infusers are two small to provide the space needed for large leaves. Therefore, simply put the leaves into a teapot - minus any infuser baskets that might have come with the teapot - pour hot water over the leaves, steep, and then pour the tea through a strainer and into your teacup. If you think about it, it does not take any more or less time to clean out an infuser than it does a teapot. It would actually take longer to stop what you are doing and pack the leaves into the infuser just to have to clean them out later. Not only does this accessory not save you time, but it now gives you a weak cup of tea.

The same concept goes for “T-Sac’s” or filter bags in which to put loose tea. That is logic I have yet to understand. You break out of the normal bagged tea routine and buy loose leaf tea - awesome - then you scoop out some loose leaves and put them… into a bag. Uh… ok… moving on.

As long as we are on the subject on bags, I will mention tea bag squeezers and tea bag rests. Don’t use tea bags and you won’t have a use for these items. It really is that simple.

Finally, the last thing on the list is the tea cozy. Maybe it is because I’m not really a girly girl. Maybe it is because I am not stylish. Maybe it is because I am not the type of person who tries to make her dog wear clothes. Whatever the reason, I think tea cozies are absolutely laughable when it comes to tea accessories. Tea cozies are nothing more than clothes for your teapot. But it keeps the tea warm… oh, really? Really?? What I have found is that keeping tea warm and not letting it naturally cool makes the tea continue to cook. Even if you strain your tea with a fine, mesh strainer small particles are still going to find their way through. As a result, if you keep the water hot, it is going to continue steeping the tea which will result in a bitter brew. This is also the reason why I quit using my vacuum seal travel mug – it kept the tea so hot that it changed the flavor profile by the time I had removed the lid to let it cool enough to drink. I hate the fact that there is a small window in which tea is at the perfect temperature to drink. However, letting the tea cool naturally does not allow it to continue to steep as much, making it taste a heck of a lot better. Some have also said that they use tea cozies for storing their teapots. I say, why would you store them? Display them proudly! When I am not using my teapots, they have their own special spots on shelves to be viewed by all.

Image Reference Links: Tea Ball, Tea Stick, T-Sac, Tea Cozy

Rishi Tea’s Hong Yue Review

Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan
Price: Free Sample (regular price - $11.00 for 50 grams) LIMITED SUPPLY!!
Vendor: Rishi Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 195°F, steeped for 3 - 4 minutes
Overall Score: 4.9 out of 5

Hong Yue, also known as Ruby Black, is a rare and unique tea from Taiwan. The fresh aroma from the bag is incredibly fragrant! It reminds me of chocolate covered raisins – sweet, slightly grape-like. There is something a bit tart about it as well; maybe dates or cranberries. The term “fresh” keeps coming to mind when smelling the leaves and I think the reason is that it lacks a smoky quality that many black teas have which makes it even more unique. The dry leaves are black, long, twisted, wiry, almost uniform pieces. The leaves are rather large for being a black tea.

The raisin aroma is brought out more while the leaves are steeping. It also has more of a fruity, candy scent. The liquor is a gorgeous copper color.





Oh my… I don’t want to write anymore. I just want to sit, sip this tea, and think of nothing else.

The taste is fantastic! I have never tasted a black tea with so many fruity notes. A raisin or grape-like flavor is prominent, followed by a currant or cranberry tartness, and then a candied sweetness. It is not spicy or smoky or bitter. It is, however, quite astringent… which I noticed by the third sip. The boldness equals that of an Assam tea but without the smokiness, of course.

As I noted next to the price, this tea is in limited supply. This is truly something not to pass on if you want a high quality tea experience.

Speaking of, have you noticed the adorable white, speckled tea pot in the picture above and in my last couple of reviews? Rishi Tea calls that a Tsuki Teapot, Tsuki meaning “moon.” I won this little beauty back in February from a contest that Rishi Tea held. I love it! It is the perfect size for one person and, because of the firing process, each teapot produces different speckles so no two are alike.

Some Advice on Tea Storage

I was reading an article on tea storage advice and did a double take when I hit the section about storing tea in the refrigerator.

Do NOT do that!

There are several things wrong with storing tea, even in an air tight container, in the refrigerator. First, refrigerators house other food odors which could be absorbed by tea leaves. It is bad enough that some teas are overly flavored and scented to begin with, would you want your tea tasting like everything else in your refrigerator, as well? Second, if you place tea in an air tight container, you are also trapping room temperature air in the container. Then you place the container in the refrigerator. A couple of days later you are craving some yummy delicious tea so you grab that container from the refrigerator, open it, scoop out what you want, and close the container. What just happened is you introduced warm air into a cold container. When you put the container back into the refrigerator this is going to produce condensation and the moisture will lead to mold.

Thus, the benefits of the slightly extended shelf life versus the potential risks are just not worth it.

Basically what tea storage comes down to is protecting it from its two enemies: light and air. Store your tea in air tight containers (or at least make the container or bag as air tight as possible) and store those containers in a cool, dry, dark place. Be careful when storing tea in kitchen cabinets because the same threat of food odors in the refrigerator can come from the spices in the cabinets, as well. The ideal place in the kitchen is in the cabinet away from spices and away from the oven as smoke and fumes from cooking could absorb into the leaves.

If you have lots of tea (like the tea freak writing this article) the best practical place to store tea is in a cabinet in another room other than the kitchen... for example, the dining room or living room. This way, the tea is safe from light thanks to the opaque bags and containers plus the doors on the cabinet and the precious leaves are far away from any food odors that it could absorb. Keeping the tea at the same temperature as the rest of the house keeps moisture from forming and developing mold. It is not the perfect set up, but it works.

Ok, if you just insist on storing tea in the refrigerator for whatever reason, allow me to suggest something else. Separate the tea leaves into individual serving sizes and place each serving into a small sealable bag. Then, place the bags into the freezer. When you want to use those tea leaves, take out as many servings as you need and use all of the tea you take out. Do NOT put those tea leaves back into the freezer once you have taken them out.

Mighty Leaf's Spirulina Stamina Review

Type: Herbal
Origin: United States, South America, China
Price: Free sample (regular price - $9.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 205°F, steeped for 5 - 7 minutes
Overall Score: 2.5 out of 5

Spirulina Stamina is a blend of rosehip, cinnamon, balm mint, schizandra, black currant, black berry leaves, green mate, and spirulina. The very first ingredient that I smell is cinnamon followed by the fruitiness of the black currant and black berry leaves. Both aromas together make for a sweet and spicy combination.

The aroma of the liquor reminds me of warm berry pie. I say that because it has the spicy scent of the cinnamon with the tartness and fruitiness of the berries. The color is a light orangey-yellow.





The taste is a little harsh at first. It is rather tart in the beginning and then the heat from the cinnamon settles on the back of my tongue. After I get past the cinnamon, the tea has a cool, fresh flavor to it which I believe is from the balm mint. Finally, a fruity flavor sneaks up from the background.

Would I have this tea again? Probably not. It is not that it is a bad tea, it is just not my cup of tea. I believe this would be a great blend if the cinnamon were left out. Cinnamon has been an ingredient in several teas that I have tried and I have always wished it to be left out because the spice leaves the mouth feeling hot instead of refreshed. I do not enjoy that kind of kick when drinking tea.

However, if you like the kick of cinnamon mixed with minty and berry flavors, then this tea would be worth checking into.

I Dream of Tea...

... and in that dream I win the Sip of Success contest by the Tea Council of the USA.

Then, poof, back to reality.

The reality being that I need your help to win the grand prize which is an awesome tea internship! Part of the judging is the popularity of the video. I wrote the script, I shot the video, I did the (7 freaking hours worth of) editing. Now, I need you, yes you, to view the video, comment, and like it on the You Tube page. If anything, at least you get to see and hear the girl behind this blog!

Please check it out here - Sip of Success: Chess Match

Mighty Leaf's Rooibos Renewal Review

Type: Rooibos
Origin: United States
Price: Free sample (regular price - $8.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 205°F, steeped for 5 - 7 minutes
Overall Score: 3.7 out of 5

Rooibos Renewal is a green rooibos base with orange peels, rose petals, and blue mallow flowers. The aroma is citrusy and floral. The orange scent hits me first, followed closely by the flowers. The blend is colorful with the tiny green rooibos specs, the orange peels, and the purple and white flower petals. Between the look and smell of this blend, I’m sure it would easily become confused with potpourri.

The aroma as the blend is steeping is similar to the dry blend aroma, although the floral scents come out a lot more after being subjected to hot water. The color of the liquor is a yellow color that greatly resembles the color of honey.





The taste is sweet, with a lot of citrus flavor up front. Both the rooibos and the flowers provide the sweet floral after taste that lingers for a while. This particular rooibos doesn’t seem to hold the woody characteristics of what would be considered the normal rooibos base. Because of that, there is no woody or smoke flavor in the mix which means the taste is even sweeter.

The tea is not bitter or astringent; however, it does taste more acidic than I am comfortable with. It almost has the same mouth feel as drinking a glass of orange juice. I believe this would be a refreshing treat when iced with no need to add sweetener.