Narien Teas
Keemun Double-Header: Keemun by Narien Teas and Teas Etc
Long-time readers of this blog will be well aware of my fondness for black teas. While I concede that black tea doesn’t — for the most part — have the depth or range you can find in other types of tea, I remain an avowed fan of our fully oxidized friend. This morning, with heavy eyes from too little sleep, I decided to turn my attention to one of the most well-regarded of all black teas: keemun.
Kilinoe: Hawaiian Green Tea (review)
It’s been a long time since I sat down and reviewed a tea, which can largely be blamed on the fact that we’ve been down with some sort of flu for most of August and a good chunk of July. But the sinuses are cleared and the taste buds are active again, so today Bec and I sat down to enjoy a cup of Kilinoe green tea — the first Hawaiian green tea to be sold in the mainland USA, thanks to Narien Teas.
New Tea Community, a year's supply of tea and 30% off Vintage Oolong from The Tea Spot
There are a few exciting things going on in the world of tea at the moment. Fellow tea bloggers Griffin Kelton (from Tea Time Tuesday) and Tony Gebley (from World of Tea) launched a tea community earlier this week, called The Tea Roundtable. I signed up but haven’t had time to post anything yet, though it’s clear there’s a real buzz around the forums. That may be due to the site’s current competition: the first person to post 25 times in the forums will win themselves a year’s supply of tea from Narien Teas. Nice one!
The other thing that I quickly wanted to mention is that The Tea Spot have slashed 30% off their Vintage Oolong, which is a single-estate, medium-bodied oolong from Taiwan. Here’s how The Tea Spot describe their tea:
With a sweet, nutty flavor, this tea captures the subtlety of what amazing, full–leaf tea should taste like. Hints of ripe apricots and lilacs combine to produce a tender, timeless green oolong; hence the name! This tea yields a bright, amber liquor and should be re–steeped multiple times. Each successive steeping will unveil new flavors & aromas, until the leaves are fully opened. Delicate, refined, and understated – this is the true connoisseur’s tea!
Head over to The Tea Spot now.
Earl Grey, Lady Grey and Earl Green: Variations on a Theme
Earl Grey tea has long been a favourite of mine. Recently, I’ve been trying a few different types of Earl Grey and discovering just how much variety there is in this one blend. Earl Grey teas vary based on two main parameters: the type of black tea used as a base and the amount of bergamot oil used. Additionally, many vendors add extra elements to their Earl Grey blends.
Kilinoe Green Tea: Hawaiian Grown Tea
I was surprised a few months ago when Billy from Narien Teas told me where he was going on his latest tea finding mission: Hawaii.
Apparently the island state known for brilliant beaches, great surf and volcanoes is now dipping into the gourmet tea market. Kilinoe Green Tea is a hand-harvested, hand-rolled and hand-fired tea grown on a small eco-organic tea estate on Big Island, Hawaii. According to Narien Teas, it’s “a mildly-sweet and fragrant tea that never over-steeps.”
Ceylon Kenilworth from Narien Teas
I grew up in a home where Dilmah is the black tea of choice. Dilmah Extra Strong, to be precise. As I delved deeper into the world of tea, it was China, Japan and India whose teas caught my attention. Dilmah and every other Sri Lankan tea was shoved to the side as I flirted with oolongs, greens, blacks and white teas from elsewhere.
But receiving a sample pack of Narien Teas’ Ceylon Kenilworth a few weeks ago has reignited my interest in Sri Lankan tea.
Zhejiang Mao Feng
I started this day not, as I usually do, with a cup of strong black tea, but with a light cup of Zhejiang Mao Feng. With the morning sun streaming in, this wonderful green tea from China helped shape the perfect start to the day.
Grow Your Own Tea
Once upon a time, Camellia sinensis (the tea plant) was only found in Southeast Asia, especially China. But when you’re onto a good thing, it’s all but impossible to keep it exclusively to yourself. Camellia sinensis spread to Japan in the 6th century; Chinese tea plants were subversively stolen by the British Empire to begin plantations in India, and later Sri Lanka; and in recent decades, tea production has exploded in parts of Africa and South America.
And now, you can grow tea in your own backyard.
