Teavivre: Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea

This evening I have another review from the excellent Teavivre.

I have kindly been sent several of their tea's so I just dived right into the box and choose this one at random!

The tea I've picked is called Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea.

As you can see in the picture below this blend of tea is made up of very, very small leaves.

They have a green and silver colour to this tea, it's quite a firm tea, and a teaspoon goes a long way!

Upon opening the sealed packet the blend had a strong aroma to it which reminded me of chocolate. It is a very strong tea which has a sweet smell and is very inviting.

Brewing instructions for this tea is between 3-5 minutes so I erred on the side of caution and brewed the tea for just three minutes. It took on a light green colour which is very attractive to look at.

When brewing the scent changes. It goes from a chocolate scent to a nutty/popcorn aroma which I thought was very interesting.

Lu Shan Yun Wu has a smooth, nutty flavour, something akin to Yunnan or Keemun in black tea. It's rich and though it has strength it's also subtle too.As the tea cools the nutty flavour is enhanced and reminds me of hazlenuts!

This is a really lovely blend of green tea and am so glad I got the chance to try it.

It's smooth and soothing - perfect to unwind to after a busy day.

I Can't Help Falling In Love With ... Loose Tea.

(Image sourced from google).

There is nothing quite as lovely as drinking loose tea that has been brewed in a gorgeous pot and taken from a marvelous cup and saucer. It's very rare that I can drink my tea like this, sadly. Christmas and bank holidays are the times when I do.

Of course, on the flip side, if you don't have a pot with an inbuilt infuser drinking loose tea can be, quite frankly, a pain the backside. There is nothing more tedious and time consuming then trying to clean a pot of loose tea leaves. (This especially happens if you have a one pot as infusers never come with these).

We all have ever busy lives so have fallen into the pattern of dunking a teabag into a cup, leaving it for the shortest time possible and supping it on the run. But, this is no way to enjoy tea.

I recently opened a box of tea, (of quite expensive teabags) only to find the teabags covered in tea that resembled dust. When transferring tea from box to caddy, I can pretty much say that there was more tea in the discarded box then there was in the actual teabags. This just wasn't going to do.

There is a very handy bridge between the two. They are either called pyramids or tea temples and most tea companies now produce them. They contain loose leave tea but with the convenience of being enclosed in a bag. Normally, these bags come about half full as to allow the tea time to expand as the tea brews. However, these tea's are normally quite expensive and boxes come in small quantities only, but for me, they are well worth the money.

At the start of the year, a tea company called Chash kindly sent me an infuser. What a difference this gift has made on my tea drinking life.

Now, every day, I can enjoy loose tea and it's really wonderful to drink tea's of high quality that make for a satisfying brew. I have so many wonderful tea's sent from many different companies that the infuser is used again and again, day and night.

It's so easy to enjoy loose tea throughout the working day. You just put as much tea as you want to into the infuser, pour over hot water and let it brew. In some cases, such as Kensington Tea Company's Chinese Jasmine Pearl Superior, Green Christmas Spice or Japanese Cherry With Flowers, you can infuse the leaves up to three times, so making a cup with a infuser is just as easy as popping in a teabag.

What tea has amazed me the most though is Twinings Lady Grey. There is a difference in the flavour from brewing loose tea to teabags. The flavour, somehow, is richer, is stronger and tastier. (Of course I still love the teabags, convenient to take out to cafe's with me!).

Infusers are relatively cheap to buy. They range from £1 on Amazon up to £12, depending on what sort you want. You can get basic metal ones, or shaped ones. Comedic ones and traditional ones. Whatever your taste there is probably one that will suit you down to the ground.

Loose tea can be a little more expensive then tea in teabag form. But I honestly think it's worth it to get a decent brew. And you won't be missing out on choice. All your favourite black tea's come in loose form, there is a great amount of specialist green tea sites out there, and even white tea is available in loose tea form, too.

I have a renewed love and admiration for loose tea now that it's so easy to use on a day to day basis. Of course, on special days, the pot does come out. But I generally now stick to an infuser. Why settle for lesser quality tea when you can still drink fine tea's in a convenient way?

I have so much to learn about loose tea after years of relying on teabags. But I can't wait to experience all the flavours out there.

So, I'm off now, to brew a tea. But what should it be? Lady Grey, Gunpowder Green, Russian Caravan or Darjeeling? Choices, choices ....

Tea Huggers: Slow Down

 

I find it really exhilarating discovering new tea companies. Since I started this blog in January I've discovered so many new brands. In actual fact only a very small percentage of tea companies appear in supermarkets and grocery stores. Thanks to the internet I've found a plethora of companies out there who make fantastic and interesting tea's. 

Last week I was approached by Esther who runs Tea Huggers (what a fab name!) and she kindly asked if I'd like a couple of samples, which of course, I jumped at the chance. 

Luckily, I was sent two boxes, Skinny Fit and this wonderful blend, Slow Down. I chose to try Slow Down first because it contains several lovely and interesting ingredients. 

 

As you can see the contents are varied. The tea has a Chinese green tea base, with the addition of apple, lime leaves and thyme. The blend is designed to help you relax and it's perfect to curl up on the sofa with after a hard day at work.

Slow Down comes in a pyramid teabag and contains large leaved tea with fruit and spices. The pyramid is quite large, nice to the touch and is full of tea. If you look really closely you can see the fantastic pieces of apple which appear as if they had just been cut up this morning!

 

I brewed this tea for several minutes and I have to say, probably due to it's thyme content, it's very aromatic. Of course it is as soon as you open the box but when you add the water, something happens which makes the tea burst alive with flavours and scents. 

Although this tea contains several ingredients, for  me there are two very strong elements that dominate (in a nice way) the flavours and that is the lime leaves and thyme. Supping this tea is really rather extraordinary because you can taste these two flavours at the same time.

The lime leaves add a wonderfully tangy citrus tone to the tea. The thyme brings a herbal taste. Surprisingly the two taste's work well together. The thyme, I will admit, took a little bit of getting used to simply because I've not tried such a herb in tea before. But, it's tasty and gives the tea a totally different angle. 

Amongst these two strong flavours I detected, as a after bite, the sweetness of the apple. This tea is quite a mixture of flavours and textures and it makes for one very interesting cup of tea. 

I loved the smoothness of this tea. It feels almost silky to drink and has a lovely depth of flavour. Drinking this tea is interesting because the different tastes almost develop in your mouth one by one. 

As it contains thyme this tea could possibly take a little bit of getting used to. I loved it immediately. There is something about this tea that suits, and appeals, to my taste buds. It's quirky, but, at the same gives you a decent cup of tea that you can rely on to satisfy, warm and relax you. It's a bit different whilst still retaining that quality that I love in teas - the ability to soothe you and make everything better!

I'd really recommend this tea, particularly if you like garden herbs in your tea. 

Tea Huggers is a very unique blend and can't wait to try their Skinny Fit tea soon! 

Have a look around Tea Huggers website and introduce yourself to the brand. If you like tea's that are different to the norm then it's the company for you!

T Box Teas: Gunpowder Mint - Yep, I'm Trying Mint Tea!

 

It is indeed very surprising that I'm reviewing a mint based tea. You'll all know that mint tea just doesn't agree with me. Well, not in it's pure form at least (peppermint tea makes me gag!), however, I've been enjoying tea that contains mint in addition to other flavours. 

Recently I was very kindly sent some samples from Sally who works for T Box Teas and included in the samples was this Gunpowder Mint.

Gunpowder is a gorgeous green tea, but how would it fair with mint added? 

Each silky, hand stitched envelope came wrapped in it's own plastic wrapper. The first thing I noticed about this tea was how much tea was in each teabag! A really impressive amount. The teabag is lovely to touch. 

When I took the envelope out of the plastic wrapped I inhaled the scent of the tea and it really reminded me of Trebor's Soft Mints. It's more of a spearmint aroma to it rather then peppermint, so the minty scent was soft and delicate, not as strong as peppermint.

It said to brew this tea between three to four minutes so timed it at three as I didn't want it to be too strong. As it brewed it took on a wonderful green colour, which I admired very much.

You can see in the photo above how full of tea the teabag is. You really do get your money's worth. The leaves are nice and large too which make for a better quality tea.

What will it taste like though, and indeed, will I even be able to finish the cup what with it's mint content?

I took my first sip rather tentatively. Just like when I first tried Earl Grey, I must admit, I really was apprehensive. I was pleasantly surprised.

There is a real earthy element to Gunpowder green tea. I must admit such earthiness took a bit of getting used to when I started to drink green tea but it's a taste now that I really enjoy. There is a herbal element to it and you can't help but feel you are drinking something really healthy. It's a strong green tea, which I really appreciate. It's tasty, strong and very moreish.

Now onto the mint. This was the one part I was hesitant about. But I liked it. It's delicate and not at all overpowering and a good balance to the strength of the green tea. It leaves your mouth feeling refreshed and I can say, after a long day, I really enjoyed it. It's a perfect tonic.

Having been caught up writing this blog about a quarter of the cup went cold but I still found it pleasant to drink even when it had cooled. I was genuinely surprised that I would like this, but, I should of listened to Sally at T Box Tea's who said herself that she liked the tea even though mint wasn't her favourite type of tea.

I don't think I'll ever enjoy peppermint tea - if something makes you gag you won't do, but I really loved this and will probably be buying a full box. It's really refreshing and light, and if you like iced tea's this would be a ideal candidate on a hot day.

Thank you so much to Sally for sending me this! She thought I'd like it and she was right. It was fantastic to try this tea. If you're a mint tea lover you'll certainly like it, if you're not and want to try mint tea, this is the perfect tea for that first step into the world of mint tea!

Wise Owl Tea: Antiguan Cinnamon Spice

 

(Photo sourced from Wise Owl Tea)

There is something I really like about Wise Owl Tea, a tea company that I've only recently discovered. They are young, the products are delicious and the people involved are really, really nice. 

I have already reviewed one of their products, the extremely delicious Bamboo Organic Leaf Tea so this evening I thought I'd review the Antiguan Cinnamon Spice.

Firstly I will say that I love tea with oomph, I love spicy and even hot chilli tea. This tea has oomph in bucketloads. For as much as Bamboo Leaf is subtle, discreet and delicate, this is firey, spicy and leaves a strong impression.

The ingredients in this tea are:

• Cinnamon
• Oat flower
• Liquorice
• Clove 
• Peppermint

So, as you can see, each of the flavours within this tea are strong. It's quite an experience drinking this tea, but, as my review will show, it was a totally pleasant one.

When I started to brew this blend instantly the different aroma's from the ingredients started to emerge and as the brewing process progressed the wonderful scents got strong and stronger. I brewed this tea for five minutes and settled down to take my first sip.

The strongest flavour which came through was the cinnamon. I have had cinnamon tea before which was so strongly scented and powerful to drink that I struggled to get to grips with it, but the cinnamon here, though strong was well balanced. The team at Wise Owl have been so clever because not one flavour out does any of the others - it's a perfectly balanced tea.

As regular readers know I'm not keen at all on pure peppermint tea, it churns my stomach. However, I do enjoy that kick and extra something peppermint brings to other blends - and I never thought I'd ever write that! Peppermint adds a spicy but sweet addition to a cup of tea and I'm really started to appreciate and enjoy what it can bring to a blend.

What is really smart about this tea is that despite the cinnamon and peppermint, you can still detect that slight after bite and kick that the liquorice causes. I've tried liquorice in all sorts of tea and I just love the way it makes your tongue fizz after you've taken a sip of tea.

Antiguan Cinnamon Spice really takes you on a wonderful journey as you drink it. I love how refreshing this tea is. We are currently going through a warm spell here in the UK and I find that despite the spicy element to the tea, it's actually quite cooling on a hot day and is a utter joy to drink. It smells and tastes wonderful and to be frank, you NEED this in your tea collection.

It's so well balanced, so nicely blended that it's totally different and unique. It makes a wonderful change from your normal tea drinking routine.

Wise Owl Tea have done it again - blended a fantastic and fun tea.

For more information on Antiguan Cinnamon Spice please follow this link.

As I said at the start Wise Owl are a fab company who produce some really glorious tea's. I'd love to support them as much as I can because I truly think they are worth it. They care about their tea and care about how it's produced. And you can't get any better then that, can you?

Sorry for lack of posting ....

It's been a bit quiet here lately. My boyfriend and I have had family up and we have been enjoying the fab weather.

However, normal service will be resumed tonight!

Question is ... what tea shall I review?

Company Profile: Wise Owl Tea

Wise Owl Tea is a London tea company who are based in Crystal Palace.

They specialise in organic herbal tea.

I have written in the past that I'm not overly keen on herbal tea, mainly because the only herbal tea I had tried was chamomile. However, after tasting blackberry and nettle tea I started to see the appeal in herbal tea. I'm still not keen on chamomile but can enjoy it when mixed with other flavours.

However, when the lovely Lucy from Wise Owl Tea sent me some samples of their tea, I instantly fell in love. Their Bali Bamboo Leaf is truly something out of this world. Totally different, positively moreish and wonderfully tasty. I also have two other tea's that I've tried (but as of yet not blogged about) which are equally as gorgeous. (Blogs appearing soon!).

Wise Owl tea was created in 2013 at home in the kitchen. Lucy and a friend both enjoy traveling and often go to far off lands to not only experience the wonderful food but to see how people use herbal infusions and how they blend the different flavours. Lucy Wise explained "Wise owl tea was set up in 2013, prior to that we spent time exploring the herbal infusion industry here in the UK.  We wanted to offer something a little different to the industry whilst focusing on organic blends and their health benefits."

After bringing back some herbs Wise Owl started to create their own teas. Wise Owl hand make all of their own silky tea temples, each being created with respect and love. The ingredients in the tea are ethically sourced and totally organic and are certified as so.

Their love for traveling and all things exotic is not just reflected in the tea but also the packaging too, if you look closely you can see the old world maps that feature on the tea's packaging!

 

(Photo sourced from wiseowltea.co.uk)

Wise Owl Tea sell their products on Amazon, through smaller health shops and on their online shop.  Impressively, they also sell into the luxury hamper market too. 

And, if you're going to Jamie Oliver's Big Feastival between the 29th and 31st August then pop by and say hello as they have a stall there!

Of course, herbal tea's are not exclusive to Wise Owl. There are plenty of blends available. Even supermarkets have their own blends, but the general opinion of own brands is that they are a little bit bland and lack flavour. I asked Lucy what she thought of mainstream herbal tea,  "I've always felt that the tea industry in the UK was a bit of a dinosaur! However, it's great that attitudes are changing. It has really only been in the past few years that it has been considered 'normal' within the mainstream to do such a thing! The industry is relatively small, and will grow due to the change in demand away from traditional tea. Demand for herbal tea is on the rise and has a bright future ahead".

Wise Owl appeals to me because they are not afraid to take risks and become inventive with the flavours of their tea's. Their blends range from Bali Bamboo Leaf to the really rather wonderful Tahitian Night Night, a gorgeous blend that contains lavender and chamomile and valerian root which aids restful sleep. You have the exciting and lively Antiguan Cinnamon Spice and the very wild sounding Peruvian Azteca Fire!

Of course, there is nothing wrong with chamomile, but Wise Owl are creative and are able to make herbal tea's interesting.

I also like that Wise Owl have used, what they call, silky tea temples. I have evangelised on here before about the marvelous benefits to drinking silky tea temples (or pyramids or temples, depending on the brand!) rather then the average teabag. As Lucy so wonderfully said "whole leaf silky tea temples is the way for me. Anything else is just not my cup of tea". I cannot disagree with her. The quality of tea in temple (or pyramid) tends to be much higher and the fact you're getting whole leaf tea rather then dust is only something to be happy about!

I have stated that (so far) my favourite tea is Bali Bamboo leaf. What's Lucy's? " I always get and oo with Bamboo.  Our Bamboo and Nettle blend is one of my favourites due to it's light silky taste and Silica benefits. I also love the combination of Olive leaves with apple, which is also very popular".

I have been so impressed with Wise Owl.  They have opened up doors to herbal tea, which is a tea I never thought I'd enjoy. They are inventive with their blends and creative with their packaging. A thoroughly modern tea company but one which has old fashioned values - high quality tea, well packaged and healthy to boot!

With Wise Owl there is the sense that they have so much yet to do, so much lovely tea to produce. It's a company full of energy and a dedication to producing high quality and totally individual tea's. It's forward thinking and has bags of potential.

If you love herbal tea but feel what that the choices available in standard shops is limited, do check out the website, your bound to find something that appeals to you. If you're wondering what herbal tea is all about contact the lovely Lucy who will give you any advice that you need.

I really wise Wise Owl tea all the best for the future. The company and the people behind it are lovely. I hope to be able to review many more of their blends on here in the future!