Travel Buddy Infuser Tea Mug Review
This year for Sinterklaas (the Dutch, superior version of Santa Clause), the great Sint gifted me with a Travel Buddy Tea Travel Mug. Seems like the Sint must have read my post about travel tea mugs. 
Thanks Sint! Finally I can enjoy a nice cup of tea on the train in the mornings.
This particular Travel Buddy was bought in Malaysia, but since getting it I have noticed it in a shop here in Melbourne, as well as on Pure Puer. For any of you considering buying one, here are my thoughts.
Formosa Oolong from Serenity Teahouse
Serenity Teahouse is a small tea shop in Box Hill, a suburb of Melbourne. A tiny sign dangles above the sidewalk. Downstairs, there’s an Asian bakery that sells the tea; but the real fun begins upstairs, where Candy, the owner, will treat you to free tea tastings. Her family runs a tea farm (or several?) in Taiwan, so her specialty is in Taiwanese teas.
Among those is this formosa oolong, which I liked so much I decided to dedicate my first yixing tea set to it.
Hanger Tea: The Wonderful World of Novelty Tea Ware
So we’ve had teabags with cardboard cutouts of politicians; we’ve seen a tea strainer made to look like a dainty lady; and recently we marveled at the teapot made with Steampunk style.
Now there’s this: Hanger Tea.
Ceylon OP1 from Teas Etc
What does it take to be a championship-winning tea?
That was the main question I had in mind this morning as I enjoyed Teas Etc’s Ceylon OP1, which took first prize in the Ceylon category in last year’s World Tea Expo. It was one of three Teas Etc teas to win a prize (you can get all three together in a special Championship pack).
Organic Hojicha from Mighty Leaf Tea
A new year, a new tea. Hojicha is a roasted Japanese tea that consists predominantly of the stalks of the tea plant. It is, according to Harney, a relatively recent invention, dating back to 1920. The rise of mechanical harvesters had meant that there was an excess of tea stalks after harvesting. Seeing the waste, a Japanese merchant in Uji took the stalks and started roasting them. Hojicha was born.
Thank you to Tea Finely Brewed sponsors
I’d like to take a quick moment to thank the three companies who are sponsoring Tea Finely Brewed in January, and to highlight some of the special deals they have going.
