Category: food

It’s been a while, hasn’t it. It looks like I did my last major order tea post back in 2019, but I know I’ve done some major orders since then*. Part of the reason for the break was the pandemic, combined with going to Las Vegas on business and discovering the wonder Sheffield Tea and Spices over on Eastern near St. Rose and picking up a bunch of teas there (there’s also great Cuban and Steak near there). But now the black tea and flavored black tea portion of the tea cabinet is getting low; we’re pretty much down to a bunch of teas we picked up at Point Loma Tea,  plus a few tins we’re finishing from Upton and Sheffield. We’re still pretty good on green, herbal, and chai teas.

So what’s on the order board this time? Note that prices in [ ] are the 2019 prices, for comparison.

First, from Upton tea:

• TP12: Premium China Keemun.  Often called the burgundy of China teas, this North China Congou is rich, flavorful and appropriate for any time of day. We offer this as our basic Keemun, although it is in the middle range of the standard series. $7.50 [$7.00] / 125g.
• TA20: Tippy Orthodox FBOP Assam. A uniform, broken-leaf tea with bold character and strong, malty flavor. This tea is a great choice for breakfast and throughout the day. $7.75 [$7.00] / 100g.
• TB86: Richmond Park Blend. A mellow, whole-leaf blend of Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling. An exceptional tea which is smooth enough for drinking plain, and sturdy enough to take milk or lemon. From our London blender. $9.50 [$8.75] /100g.
• TB14: Scottish Breakfast Blend. Blended to appeal to those who favor an eye-opening experience in the morning, this tea yields a cup with a round, full flavor, malty notes, and brisk character. A perfect choice to start the day. $7.75 [$6.75] / 125g.
• TB15: Java BOP Blend.  A rich breakfast blend especially suited for those who enjoy a powerful cup in the morning. This also is a great choice for iced tea. Java teas are never expensive, so you get the best produced for a few cents a cup. $7.25 [$6.25] / 125g.
• TB02: Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend.  A tribute to the famous London tea auctions, our Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend is a blend of two classic British teas: a brisk Ceylon and a thick, malty Assam. The result is a flavorful mixture which lends itself to the addition of milk. 8.50 [$7.00] / 125g.
• NF90 Naturally Flavored Vanilla Tea.  This naturally flavored, whole-leaf black tea is smooth and rich with creamy vanilla flavor. The aroma is fragrant with notes of sweet vanilla bean. Enjoy this decadent treat any time of day. Note: What works really well is to mix either this or the Caramel Tea half-and-half with Lapsang Souchong or the Baker Street Blend.  $12.50 [$10.50] / 100g.
• NT01 Naturally Flavored Earl Grey Creme Vanilla.  This naturally flavored black tea selection provides a wonderful balance of a classic Earl Grey with creamy vanilla notes. The rich cup is smooth and satisfying. Note: This is a close approximation to Monks Blend.  $10.25 [$9.00] / 100g.
• TB49: Darjeeling-Ceylon Iced Tea Blend. Half whole-leaf Darjeeling and half OP Ceylon. A great hot tea as well! The brewing information provided is for making an iced tea concentrate. $10.00 [$7.50] / 125g.
• ZG20: First Grade Gunpowder Green. Superior grade of green tea in the style of gunpowder teas (tightly rolled tea leaves resembling gunpowder pellets). $6.75 [$5.75]/125g.
• TB30: Kensington Breakfast Blend.  A bit lighter than our River Shannon Blend, this English Breakfast style tea is a rich blend of Assam, Ceylon, and Keemun. Best with milk. $8.75 [$7.50] / 125g
• TB75: Baker Street Afternoon Blend.  A bit of Lapsang Souchong is blended with Keemun and Darjeeling, yielding a mildly smoky tea. Perfect for an afternoon uplift. Another special (whole-leaf) blend from our London source of fine teas. $10.00 [$8.75] / 125g.
• TF92 Naturally Flavored Tropical Black Tea.  A melange of dried papaya, passion fruit and pineapple, blended with a rich black tea, creates a decadent tropical fruit experience. Fragrant and sweet, this tea is wonderful hot or iced. $8.00 [$7.25] / 125g.
• TD06: Darjeeling BOP Blend. The best value in Darjeeling tea. Broken leaf Darjeeling is often overlooked, either because the price is so reasonable or because too much value is placed on a more stylish leaf. This flavorful BOP blend offers a great cup at a very attractive price. $14.75 [$12.75] / 125g.
• TC20: Bimbula BOP. This smooth, mellow cup of tea offers classic full-bodied Ceylon flavor. Enjoy it hot or iced. $8.75 / 125g.

From Sheffield Tea, we’re ordering the following. This is our first time doing this by mail; normally we do it in-store. But we don’t have any trips to Vegas planned for a while.

• Dark Chocolate Black Tea. Remember stealing the chocolate cookies when your mom was baking cookies? Our Dark Chocolate Black Tea will bring back fond memories. We aren’t sure when chocolate was first added to tea or who was responsible for doing it. But we are sure of one thing – thank the gods he or she did it. With each tasting we are consistently impressed by the way the natural chocolate flavoring blends with our Ceylon tea. Heavenly with a dash of milk and a little sugar. $15.90 / 4oz.
• Berry Tango. Berry Tango is the berry-flavored tea you must have if you can only have one fruity black tea. The raspberry and blueberry flavors dance around in a beautiful performance, bringing strawberries, red currants and other flavors into this choreographed artistic work we call Berry Tango. The lighter nuances of all these fruits when blended with a high quality black tea allows all the flavors to come through. $13.90 / 4oz
• Blood Orange Tea. Blood Orange Tea has an intense orange flavor, yet has sweetness notes, reminding you of freshly squeezed oranges. A blood orange has some raspberry-like notes, giving it a flavor beyond a traditional orange. We know this tea will be appreciated by our friends who like not just orange flavored teas, but for anyone who appreciates citrus flavors in any tea. To complete the flavor, our blender only uses high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka – Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. The result is a tea worthy of any tea cup when looking for an orange or citrus-flavored black tea. $13.90 / 4oz
• Chestnut Grove Tea. Chestnut Grove Black Tea was personal favorite from our first sip. It also became an instant hit with our friends from the day we placed it on our shelf, and it continues to be one of top selling teas. We still keep a tin of it at home. Chestnut Grove is unlike any other tea in our store, with it’s unique chestnut flavor. It’s like a hazelnut type flavor with a caramel finish, while using a mellow English Breakfast Tea. It is blended with premium black tea from Sri Lanka flavored with roasted chestnut, with hints of caramel even though it has none. It also has what we characterize a Hazelnut-like finish. The result is a roasty, smooth and full bodied black tea with pleasant dryness.  $15.90 / 4oz
• Chocolate Mint Black Tea. Chocolate Mint Black Tea is an invigorating cup of creamy chocolate with refreshing mint. Everything and everybody needs a special day right? Well, according to the National Confectioners Association, February 19th is Chocolate Mint Day. Mmmm. That’s a good day. Now we need a Chocolate Mint Tea Day. $15.90 / 4oz
• Icewine Tea. Our Icewine Tea has the same, grapey flavor you have in a glass of Icewine, just not in a glass. If you are familiar with Icewine, then you know the sweet flavor of which I speak. For this Icewine Tea, our blender uses several black and white teas, Ontario Icewine, Currants and natural flavors. The flavor is complex with nuances of the grapey icewine, pears and berries. Very unique in the tea world and very unique on your tea shelf. You should add a touch of sugar to enhance the flavors. $13.90 / 4oz
• Monk’s Blend Black Tea. Monk’s Blend Black Tea is one of our most flavorful teas. The dramatic combination of vanilla and grenadine ensures a particular satisfying cup. We’ve had Monk’s Blend since we opened. It’s one of those classic teas, along with Earl Grey, and several others whose history as a flavor goes way back, and has many versions. Regardless of the version you believe, it’s a tea you need to sip, and our version is as good as it gets. $13.90 / 4oz
• Salty Caramel Black Tea. Salty Caramel Black Tea tastes as good as it sounds. The popularity of Salted Caramel has now extended to tea, and our blender has done a fine job of creating a black tea and capturing the flavor we all love. The smooth caramel flavor is finished with a hint of salt. To further accent the caramel, almond and brittle pieces are added to support the profile. $17.90 / 4oz
• Samovar Tea. Samovar Tea is our version of what traditionally has been known as Russian Caravan Tea, or just Caravan Tea.  The common tea is Lapsang Souchong, a smoked tea from the Fujian Provence. High quality Lapsang teas have a very distinct smokiness created by drying the tea leaves over pine wood fires. Lapsang provides a base tea and flavor for Caravan teas. We craft our Samovar by starting with our luxury Lapsang Souchong base tea. We blend in Assam from the Assam Valley of India for boldness and to reduce the level of smokiness. We then blend in Formosa Oolong to further moderate the smokiness and add a smoothness. $13.90 / 4oz
• Vietnamese Black Tea. Yes, a Vietnamese Black Tea. When we decided to expand our teas into additional countries and regions, we looked to Vietnam since we heard so many good reports about the flavor, the aroma and everything we look for in a cup of tea ourselves. They are the 7th largest producer of tea in the world. Most tea drinkers never knew Vietnam even grew tea, let alone a major player, but they are. They produce some of the most delightful teas we have found and at very reasonable prices. This one could be one of your “regular”, daily teas. We found this Vietnam OP tea to sit along side of our Ceylon, Indian, Sri Lanka and other black teas. As far as appearance and color are concerned, a thoroughly processed leaf tea from Vietnam does not differ at all from the far more popular sorts from China. In taste, however, it is far spicier. Not spicy like chile pepper spicy, just a brighter, more lively flavor when compared to your standard English Breakfast tea. This results from the particular fermentation and drying process. Therefore, the quality we offer may rather be compared to a Ceylonese highland type and is, thus, particularly interesting for tea drinkers who like a mild and, at the same time, fully aromatic tea. $13.90 / 4oz
• Yorkshire Gold Loose Tea. Yorkshire Gold Loose Tea is one of the most popular teas in Britain. Their slogan is “A Proper Brew”. A nation of tea drinkers, and they take their tea seriously. Taylors of Harrogate is a family-owned tea company based in Yorkshire in the rolling countryside. They have been family-owned from it’s founding over 100 years ago. We carry Yorkshire Gold Tea because we have so many British customers who either live in the Las Vegas area, or visit us while in town. Taylors of Harrogate considers Yorkshire Gold their finest blend. They choose teas from the best tea gardens in three origins: Assam, Kenya and Rwanda. They are known for paying more than market for the tea to secure the best teas in the best tea gardens in those countries. This consistent blend produces a very robust, yet very smooth cup of tea. The color is bright and coppery. $13.90 / 4oz
• Tahitian Breeze. Our Tahitian Breeze is like fruit from the tropics. This fruity flavor evokes a warm breeze through the palms while walking with sand between your toes. Pineapple, Papaya, Apricot and other luxurious flavors will make you yearn for a sandy tropical beach, with a hot or cold cup of Tahitian Breeze in your hand. To highlight the delicious tropical flavors, many will add a dash of sugar. $15.90 / 4oz
• Blackberry Tea. We have had so many requests for a Blackberry Tea, we had to find one which was worthy of our friends. We feel that we were able to find one which has an outstanding taste and scent to please the most discriminating blackberry lover. We find that as the tea cools a bit, the blackberry flavor develops more. We also found that it makes a great iced tea. $13.90 / 4oz
• Citrus Green Tea. Our Citrus Green Tea is blended with green tea from China with the delicate flavors of lemon and lime. The clean vegetal notes of the green tea blend seamlessly with the citrus crispness. It is delightfully sweet, lifted by the freshness of the lemon-lime. Not too dry or too citrusy, it is the perfect hot or iced. In fact, it is one of our more popular green teas, especially when steeped then chilled as iced tea. If you like light, citrusy teas or a green tea but with a delicate lemony flavor, then this might become your preferred tea. $15.90 / 4oz
• Lemon Basil Oolong Tea. Lemon Basil Oolong Tea is a multi-faceted treat. The Oolong tea provides a very smooth flavor as a base. Then our blender adds enough lemon and basil in the right amounts to get your tastebud’s attention. Both flavors are distinctive, but neither is overpowering. The sweet lemony touch and light peppery basil balance is just right. The marigold blossoms highlight the tea and add a bit of color. Tea is a visual experience as well. One sip and you could be hooked, even if you haven’t been an Oolong fan before. We have a lot of requests lemon-flavor teas, so when we found and tasted this Lemon Basil Oolong, we knew we had to offer it to our friends. Lemon and basil are paired in many cuisines around the world, and the combination is no different in a tea…if crafted just right. $19.90 / 4oz

That should last us a while. Sheffield seems to be about twice the price of Upton, perhaps because they are more of a retail location. But they have quite a few unique blends (and they are the only place I find Monks Blend these days). I particular, the Chestnut Blend, the Salty Caramel, and the Lemon Basic Oolong are wonderful and very unique.

Read More …

As I’m down to my last tin of tea, other than my large tin of Iranian Ceylon, it is time to do another tea order. My previous order was in May 2017, and before that in July 2015, in November 2013, and in April 2012,  so it is just about a 2 year cycle. Again, the bulk of the order is from Upton Tea (who has great varietals), except for teas that they are out of. Here’s what I’m ordering this time (as before, teas shown with ✨ are new this year (the addition of ⑰ indicates new due to updates at Upton); ☕⑰ indicates teas first ordered in 2017; ☕⑮ teas first ordered in 2015; ☕⑬ indicates teas first ordered in 2013; and ☕⑫ teas first ordered in 2012; further ☕ indicates black teas, and 🍵 indicates green teas; and (2017 Price)):

1. TD50: No.1 Tippy Orthodox GFOP Darjeeling. ☕⑬. An exceptional golden tip Darjeeling blend. We first introduced this tea in 1990 and it continues to be our most popular Darjeeling. $10.25 ($9.75) / 125g.
2. TA20: Tippy Orthodox FBOP Assam. ☕⑰ A uniform, broken-leaf tea with bold character and strong, malty flavor. This tea is a great choice for breakfast and throughout the day. $7.00 ($6.50) / 100g.
3. TA27: Halmari CTC BOP. ☕⑰ A bold CTC style tea with rich flavor. The dark liquor will readily take milk. Especially suited as a bracing morning tea. $6.75 ($6.25) / 125g.
4. TN10: Nilgiri Broken Orange Pekoe.  ☕⑬. Located in southern India, Nilgiri produces teas similar to those of Ceylon, yet with a distinctive character. This British style Nilgiri produces a flavorful cup that is excellent with milk. ($4.00 ($6.40₂₀₁₃) / 100g (125g₂₀₁₃))
5. TP12: Premium China Keemun. ☕⑮ Often called the burgundy of China teas, this North China Congou is rich, flavorful and appropriate for any time of day. We offer this as our basic Keemun, although it is in the middle range of the standard series. $7.00 ($6.50) / 125g.
6. ZG20: First Grade Gunpowder Green. 🍵⑫ Superior grade of green tea in the style of gunpowder teas (tightly rolled tea leaves resembling gunpowder pellets). $5.75/125g.
7. ZG14: Young Hyson Imperial Organic. 🍵⑮ This organic tea has the bold flavor of a high-fired tea, yet it has a pleasing smoothness with delicate sweetness. The thin, well-twisted leaves produce a liquor with a pale green color. This is a very popular style of China green tea with a bolder leaf. $6.50 ($6.00) / 100g.
8. ZO20: Roasted Oolong. ✨☕. This tea begins as a classic, medium-oxidized Tie-Guan-Yin Oolong, processed in the traditional style. It is finished and cured with a slow firing in bamboo baskets over a charcoal fire. The result is a tea with smooth, rich and inviting character. $6.25 / 125g.
9. TB49: Darjeeling-Ceylon Iced Tea Blend. ☕⑫ Half whole-leaf Darjeeling and half OP Ceylon. A great hot tea as well! The brewing information provided is for making an iced tea concentrate. $7.50 ($7.00) / 125g.
10. TB15: Java Blend. ☕⑬ A rich breakfast blend especially suited for those who enjoy a powerful cup in the morning. This also is a great choice for iced tea. Java teas are never expensive, so you get the best produced for a few cents a cup. $6.25 ($5.75) / 125g.
11. TK12: Rukeri Estate Rwanda BOP Organic. ☕⑰  The cup has a full flavor and aroma, with a medium body. May be enjoyed plain, but it is strong enough to accommodate a touch of milk. Longer steepings yield a robust cup with notes of rose and peppery hints. At briefer steepings, the liquor is sweeter and more delicate. $7.00 ($6.50) / 125g.
12. TC32: Kandy OP. ✨☕⑬. A whole-leaf Ceylon tea of excellent flavor and good color. Highly recommended for the Ceylon enthusiast. This is a new bolder leaf version of this popular selection. $7.75 / 100g. ($5.70 in 2013)
13. TC52: Somerset Estate BOP Breakfast Blend. ✨☕ A perfect choice for breakfast tea, this broken-leaf selection wakes you up with its brisk, refreshing aroma. Notes of honey and a light floral hint blend harmoniously with a rich, toasty character. $5.00 / 100g.
14. TC05: Ceylon BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe). ☕⑮  A choice blend of regional Ceylons. $6.50 ($6.00) / 125g.
15. TB02: Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend. ☕⑮  A tribute to the famous London tea auctions, our Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend is a blend of two classic British teas: a brisk Ceylon and a thick, malty Assam. The result is a flavorful mixture which lends itself to the addition of milk. $7.00 ($6.50) / 125g.
16. TB05: Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend. ☕⑫ For this blend, we paired a hearty Assam with a smooth and flavorful Yunnan, for a cup that is highly enjoyable. The invigorating liquor has a full mouth feel, subtle spicy notes, and a lingering aftertaste. While milk is recommended, it is enjoyable plain. $9.25 ($8.75) / 125g.
17. TB14: Scottish Breakfast Blend. ☕⑮  Blended to appeal to those who favor an eye-opening experience in the morning, this tea yields a cup with a round, full flavor, malty notes, and brisk character. A perfect choice to start the day. $6.75 ($6.25) / 125g.
18. TB30: Kensington Breakfast Blend. ☕⑰  A bit lighter than our River Shannon Blend, this English Breakfast style tea is a rich blend of Assam, Ceylon, and Keemun. Best with milk. $7.50 ($7.00) / 125g
19. TB75: Baker Street Afternoon Blend. ☕⑮  A bit of Lapsang Souchong is blended with Keemun and Darjeeling, yielding a mildly smoky tea. Perfect for an afternoon uplift. Another special (whole-leaf) blend from our London source of fine teas. $8.75 ($8.25) / 125g.
20. TB86: Richmond Park Blend. ☕⑮  A mellow, whole-leaf blend of Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling. An exceptional tea which is smooth enough for drinking plain, and sturdy enough to take milk or lemon. From our London blender. $8.75 ($8.25) /125g.
21. NT01 Naturally Flavored Earl Grey Creme Vanilla. ✨☕  This naturally flavored black tea selection provides a wonderful balance of a classic Earl Grey with creamy vanilla notes. The rich cup is smooth and satisfying. $9.00 / 100g. This is the replacement for the Monk’s Blend I used to order.
22. TE92 Naturally Flavored Almond Vanilla Delight. ✨☕ This naturally flavored black tea produces a dark copper liquor fragrant with notes of vanilla and a hint of marzipan. A lovely sweetness envelops the almond vanilla notes, finishing with a hint of spice. Add your choice of milk to create a delicious latte, hot or iced. $5.50 / 125g.
23. TF92 Naturally Flavored Tropical Black Tea. ✨☕  A melange of dried papaya, passion fruit and pineapple, blended with a rich black tea, creates a decadent tropical fruit experience. Fragrant and sweet, this tea is wonderful hot or iced. $7.25 / 125g. This is my fruit-blend selection for this order.
24. NF90 Naturally Flavored Vanilla Tea. ✨☕⑰ This naturally flavored, whole-leaf black tea is smooth and rich with creamy vanilla flavor. The aroma is fragrant with notes of sweet vanilla bean. Enjoy this decadent treat any time of day. $10.50 / 100g. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version.
25. NT85 Naturally Flavored Creme Caramel Tea. ✨☕⑰  Small caramel pieces are added to a black tea base, giving this naturally flavored selection a sweet creamy fragrance and rich caramel flavor. Enjoyable hot or iced, savor this delicious blend any time of day. This product contains dairy. $9.50 / 100g. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version.
26.  TD06: Darjeeling BOP Blend. ☕⑰ The best value in Darjeeling tea. Broken leaf Darjeeling is often overlooked, either because the price is so reasonable or because too much value is placed on a more stylish leaf. This flavorful BOP blend offers a great cup at a very attractive price. $12.75 ($8.25) / 125g.

Additionally, I ordered the following for my wife:

1. ZG30: Special Grade Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Green. ✨🍵.  This high-grade Gunpowder tea is rich and full-bodied with a pronounced sweetness. A hint of tobacco complements the herbaceous flavor and lingers into the finish. $6.00/125g.
2. ZJ41: Chung-Hao Special Grade Jasmine. ✨☕. Chung-Hao Jasmine belongs to the same series of China Jasmine tea as Yin-Hao, but is less expensive. Delicate silver tips adorn the well-made leaves, producing a light, refreshing cup redolent with the heady fragrance of jasmine blossoms. A rich sweetness blooms and lingers into the finish. [May be out of stock – if so, substitute TP70 China Jasmine, $6.50/125g]
3. NT90: Naturally Flavored Christmas Tea.  ✨☕⑰. This naturally flavored black tea is decorated with orange peels, almonds, cloves, cardamom, vanilla and rose petals. A sweet cinnamon aroma with a light floral hint introduces a flavorful cup with notes of citrus and spice. The finish is smooth and lingering. The perfect treat for those festive occasions. This product contains tree nuts (almonds). $9.50 / 125g. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version.
4. NT94D Naturally Flavored Melange de Chamonix.  ✨☕⑰. Fine black tea is blended with cocoa, cardamom and cinnamon to produce a balanced and warming cup. This naturally flavored selection offers a decadent treat for any chocolate or tea lover. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version. $20.00 / 250g.
5. TG11D Green Tea Blueberry. ✨🍵. Dried blueberries and natural flavoring complement the smooth China green tea base, yielding a pale gold liquor with refreshing blueberry notes and a crisp, clean finish. This well-balanced blend tastes delicious hot or iced! $9.50 / 200g.
6. TX30D Decaffinated Masala Chai. ✨☕ A wonderful blend of warming spices – ginger, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper – complements the rich flavor of this CO2 decaffeinated black tea selection. Great hot or iced. $24.75 / 250g.
7. BH45D Organic Spearmint. ✨☕  A select lot of our organic, coarse cut spearmint (formerly BH43). Great for blending with green tea or steeping alone as a refreshing, caffeine-free beverage. $9.75 / 100g.

Note: This order was equivalent to 37 100g or 125g bags, meaning our average price overall as $7.62 per bag.

For reference, here are some links to even older tea orders: 2012 (Franklin Tea (which, alas, closed in 2015), Stash Tea, Upton Tea), 2011 (Franklin Tea, Stash Tea), 2010 (Special Teas (which was owned by, and later merged into, Teavana, and of course Teavana was later purchased by Starbucks), Stash Tea, Franklin Tea), 2009 (Stash Tea), 2008 (Franklin Tea, Stash Tea, Surfas, Lupicia, Teavana), 2007 (Stash Tea), 2006 #2 (Stash Tea), 2006 #1 (Stash Tea, Adagio Tea), and 2004 (Stash Tea).