Friday, October 30, 2015

Tasting: Teabook Dian Hong Black Tea and Glass Tumbler


This week's tasting features a tea from Teabook, a new tea subscription service. I imagine it's very difficult to stand out from the crowd in a market flooded with subscription services, but Teabook is trying with their 'Great tea made easy' slogan. It's all about having high quality tea on the go. I am all about carrying my tea around with me, especially as I commute to work and take the kids out for weekend activities. So for that reason I was particularly interested in Teabook. The first subscription box includes a glass tea tumbler to steep the tea and loose tea divided into single-serve packets. You add the packet of tea to the tumbler, pour water, and then go. If you are interested in learning more about the company and their philosophy you can check out their website here.

I decided to start with the Dian Hong, one of my favorite Chinese black teas for everyday. There is a small amount of tea in the sealed package. I'm not worried about the amount, I'm more concerned about leaving the leaves in the water for an extended amount of time. Will it work? Leaving the leaves directly in the water as you sip is sometimes called 'grandpa style' brewing. The leaves aren't removed, and you simply add fresh hot water when you need a refill. This is a popular way to drink tea in China. My brother-in-law mentioned seeing this style of brewing when he took a trip there a few years ago. He said many people carry around plastic containers with the leaves and water together that they sip from all day.


So, I added the leaves to the tumbler, poured the water, let it sit and screwed on the cap. I took the tumbler with me on my train ride (I have a commuTEAing series on Instagram if you are interested), and sipped as I rode. My whole commute is about 30 minutes, and I was surprised that the tea never became too bitter. There was definitely a bitter aftertaste, but it was slight. I actually enjoy a bit of bite from my black teas, so I didn't mind. This tea was sweet, malty and bright. A good choice for grandpa-style tea, since it doesn't have much astringency. This is a good quality tea, and the packet gives you just the right amount. A nice Dian Hong, but it doesn't beat my all time favorite from Joseph Wesley Tea.

I do have a few thoughts on the glass tumbler. It is a nice vessel for grandpa-style brewing because it has a metal strainer at the top. This way you're not filtering the leaves with your teeth which makes it easier if you are on the go. I like the double walled glass, it lets you see the leaves dancing in your tea and keeps your fingers cool. The pre-measured packets and tumbler make getting for the workday commute quite simple.


I did have a few problems with this vessel though. I had a major accident the first time I brewed the tea. At 195°, the water is obviously very hot. The instructions don't mention letting the tea cool a bit before you put the top on. I was running late so I added the water, screwed on the top, and then tipped it over to see if it the seal was tight. When I tipped it over, the cap exploded off and everything came rushing out. Thankfully I did this over the sink! I've had had experiences with leaks with a different glass tumbler, which is why I wanted to test this one. I should have realized that using water this hot and screwing on the lid would cause a pressure issue. So, just be very mindful of the water temperature. I didn't have any leaky issues the second time I used the tumbler, and it worked quite well. But the third time I did experience some leaking, which was frustrating.  It's a bit temperamental and I can't recommend leaving it in your bag as you are on the go.

I also don't like that the top is lined in plastic. I could taste the plastic as I sipped the tea. I've had quite a few double-walled tumblers in the past, and many of them are glass all the way up and only plastic in the screw-top that you remove before drinking. I especially like this one from Aquaovo, but be careful, it is not leak-proof either!

A Teabook subscription is $24.99 a month, which gets you a tea tumbler with your first order, and 18 packets of two different types of tea along with a packet of a 'special' tea. I have only tried the Dian Hong, which I quite enjoyed. Stay tuned for my experience with the other two teas in the box. Thank you to Teabook for providing the samples!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Tasting Experience: Smith Teamaker

Tony Tellin with some of the teas we tasted

I attempt to keep my mind open to trying new types of tea, especially teas I haven't enjoyed in the past. It can be a struggle to keep the mind open to change, but it can lead to wonderful things. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to taste Smith Teamaker teas and Stumptown coffee. The two Portland, OR based companies collaborated on a special event in one of Stumptown's NYC locations. Smith Teamaker featured 'barrel-scented' holiday blends at this event. The idea of 'barrel scented' tea blends intrigued me, but I also hesitated. I'm not usually a fan of blends, especially those with strong flavors that mask the actual tea. But I was curious to learn more about Smith Teamaker and knew I had to go.

Smith Teamaker was founded in 2009 by the legendary Steven Smith. He was a pioneer in the US tea market. He had a head for business and a passion tea. He sadly died after a battle with liver cancer earlier this year. The New York Times has an informative article about his tea journey here.  At Smith Teamaker everything is done in-house, including the blending and packaging. They create blends with unique combinations. I've heard positive things about the blends, but before this tasting I had only tried their pure teas, which I've enjoyed.

Walking down a quiet West Village street you can't miss Stumptown Coffee Roasters. The bold signage and huge windows tug at your curiosity. The aroma of freshly roasted coffee grabs your nose and pulls you towards the door. Even though I'm mostly a tea drinker, I do enjoy a well made coffee now and again. When I walked in to Stumptown's tasting room  I was greeted with a cup of floral, citrusy Ali Shan oolong. While sipping its buttery smoothness, I was thrilled to see fellow blogger Rachel whom I hadn't seen in awhile. We shared a cheerful moment while sipping our tea. I was then introduced to Tony Tellin, who has stepped into Steven Smith's shoes as head tea maker for the company. Tony worked by Steven Snith's side for 19 years before his passing. I love that when Tony started he had no formal tea experience, but grabbed everyone's attention with his amazing palate.

Tellin guided us through a tasting of various teas with a focus on the new holiday blends Smith is about to release. We started with Smith's Mao Feng Shui green tea. A well balanced, delicate sip. The tea sachets contain full leaf tea and are made from bio degradable cornstarch. If you must have teabags, this is a better alternative to the plastic ones. The cornstarch sachets don't impart unwanted flavors into the tea as most other materials do.

We then moved on to the Lord Bergamot black tea, which is Smith's version of Earl Grey. I usually dislike Earl Grey because it has a soapy flavor and texture. It has always reminded me of sipping on a grandmotherly perfume. This tea took me by surprise with its smooth citrusy flavor. The tea is a bold Assam second flush that is well blended with Italian bergamot.

We tried loose and bagged teas during the event

After these introductory teas we went on to the holiday themed blends. The first was White Chrysmas. This is a white tea aged in a white rum barrel for over 2 months. I had no idea what to expect when Tony described the aging process. Yunnan white tea and chrysanthemum flowers are scented with pears that were re-hydrated in brandy. This tea is quite aromatic. Floral, peppery, with a pleasing softness. It has a definite hint of brandy as well. I enjoyed this much more than I was expecting to. It has a nice festive flavor.

The second holiday tea was the Mulled Black. As the name suggests, this tea has mulled, spicy holiday flavors. This is a golden buds Yunnan black tea aged in an aquavit barrel with added roasted hazelnuts, cloves, cranberries, cinnamon and toasted coconut. I'm not very familiar with the flavor of aquavit, I've only had it once or twice and not recently (and I think it can be flavored). But everything mixed together gives a rich, comforting feeling. After a sip I imagined sitting by a cozy fire wrapped in a warm blanket with a cat happily purring my your lap. I would definitely purchase this tea to sip on quiet snowy nights.

The final holiday tea we tasted was a tisane- Irish Moringa. Moringa is an herb grown in India that is supposedly high in antioxidants and minerals. The herb has an interesting flavor, a bizarre mix of licorice and cocoa. This herb was aged in a whiskey barrel. The tea has flavors of vanilla, licorice, cocoa, orange, and whiskey. I was hesitant to try it because I dislike licorice, but the brew was smooth and pleasing.

Masala Chai coming out of the tap!

After this tea tasting we were treated to a few Stumptown brews. After the coffee we had a unique tea treat- Masala Chai Nitro, You could say it is Masala Chai on tap. Not just on tap however, but on 'nitro'. Nitrous Oxide was added to the keg of Masala Chai which gave it a super cold, foamy texture. From what I've gathered, this is a technique that gives beer a smoother, creamy texture. Why not for tea? I enjoyed the unique texture of this 'brew'.  They created a 'dirty' chai that had Stumptown coffee added along with bourbon vanilla, and chocolate malted barley- flavors inspired by the chicory infused coffee found in New Orleans. This was an exciting taste experience.

Masala Chai on nitro






















It was an enjoyable morning of tasting tea and meeting friendly folks from Smith Tea and Stumptown. If Smith had a shop in NYC I know I'd be a regular. I'd be back not only to enjoy some of their blends, but to have that super foamy Masala Chai. We received a parting gift of Smith's Georgian Caravan tea along with a jar of huckleberry jam. It is a Russian tradition to sweeten tea with a spoonful of jam, and I have reserved this special package for my Office Tea Club. Stay tuned for a post all about it!

Thank you to Smith Tea and Watershed Communications for inviting me to this event. It has helped to keep my mind open to trying new flavor combinations.