Blog Archives
Drink Me: Tea Embassy, Fancy Formosa Oolong
A few weeks ago I decided it was time to try a new tea provider and I placed an order with Tea Embassy. I ordered several selections, but today I’ll be reviewing the Fancy Formosa Oolong.
From the website, Fancy Formosa Oolong contains white-tipped oolong from Taiwan.
It is available in a variety of sizes: 1oz for $6.00, 2oz for $12.00, 4oz for $24.00, 8oz for $48.00 and 1lb for $96.00.
When I opened the package, I got a delicious aroma. I’ve mentioned before that I love oolongs because, in my opinion, they tend to be the smoothest teas. This tea was delightful. It was a strong tea, but not quite as bitter as some black teas. With a bit of sugar, it was sweet and full bodied with just a hint of peach and apricot flavors at the end. This is the perfect morning or afternoon tea, especially with a jam-filled cookie.
The Corner of Knit & Tea: Episode 139, Summertime
Welcome to episode 139! Today I have almost all FO’s and some ideas for new projects. I’m also excited that summer activities are here: Camp Loopy and Tour de Fleece!
Please come and join the Ravelry group.
You can also find me on Ravelry as Fluffyk, Twitter, Instagram as Fluffykira, and in my shop The Corner of Knit & Tea.
Tea:
- Adagio Teas, Grapefruit Oolong
Knitting:
- Finished: Buccaneer by Justyna Lorkowska, O-Wool O-Wash in Barn Owl and a gradient on Iachos from A Hundred Ravens.
- Finished: Union Square Socks by Mina Philipp, Another Crafty Girl Strong Sock in Ponkie Brewster
- Finished: Classic Cuffed Hat by Purl Soho, Mrs. Crosby Steamer Trunk in A Sweet Race
- On deck: Camp Loopy Project #1, Appia by Hilary Smith Callis, Knerd Fingering in Fired Up!
- On deck: Mercury Socks by Kim Drotar, On the Round Everyday Fingering in After the Storm
Spinning:
- Finished: Wound Up Fiber Arts Organic Polwarth in Cupid
- On deck: Hello Yarn BFL in Hummingbird
Extras:
- I am currently hosting a Sock KAL (knit or crochet) from May 1 to June 30. Come visit the group thread for details.
- I am once again hosting Team CKT for Tour de Fleece 2017. Come spin with us from July 2 – July 23 in celebration of the Tour de France. More details in the group thread.
Drink Me: Simpson & Vail, Creamy Toasted Coconut Oolong
Another tea I included in my last order from Simpson & Vail was Creamy Toasted Coconut Oolong. I love coconut, and I’m also partial to oolong teas. I find them much mellower than black tea, and I really enjoy them.
From the website Creamy Toasted Coconut Oolong contains: oolong tea, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, organic coconut pieces, flavorings and blue cornflower petals.
Creamy Toasted Coconut Oolong is available in a variety of sizes: 1oz for $2.45, 4oz for $8.45, 8oz for $16.90 and 1lb for $33.80.
When I opened the tea, I could smell the toasted coconut. Once brewed I could still smell the coconut, but it wasn’t as strong. The tea was really smooth and delicious, with just a hint of the coconut at the end. It was a really delightful mid-afternoon pick-me-up, especially with a cookie I had been hanging onto for tea time. This one will definitely be put into my afternoon rotation!
Drink Me: Tea Runners
Late last year I heard about a new tea club that would be starting in 2017, Tea Runners. Tea Runners is the brain child of Jewel Staite and Charlie Ritchie. Each month Tea Runners sends out a box of 4 loose leaf teas along with tasting and brewing instructions.
I was lucky enough to get in for the March box and was delighted when it arrived. The packaging was really nice; it was evident a lot of thought and care went into the presentation.
The teas included in March’s box include: Makalu Mint Green Tea Blend, CTC Black, Annapurna Oolong Tea and Peach Ginger Detox Tea.
I love that the labels are chock full of information including ingredients, brewing and tasting instructions and where the tea came from so that I could find it again in the future.
This week I had a chance to try both the CTC Black and the Peach Detox Tea.
The CTC Black was excellent. It was strong flavored, but extremely smooth. It was a great black tea for a morning cup, and I also enjoyed it in the afternoon with just a touch of sugar.
The Peach Ginger Detox Tea smelled amazing when I opened it – just like ripe juicy peaches. It ended up being a really light tasting white tea with a hint of peach. I got almost no ginger in the flavor. I bet this one would be fabulous iced on a hot day, maybe even with a slice of peach?
If you’re interested in giving Tea Runners a try (and I suggest you do!) head on over to the website to sign up to be notified when subscriptions are open and boxes are available. Do keep an eye on your mailbox as they sell out quickly. There were 300 boxes available in March and they were gone within a few hours! Monthly memberships are $25 per box, or if you want to commit to 3 or 6-month subscriptions they’re available for slightly less.
Drink Me: Arbor Teas, Organic Plum Oolong
Last week I decided to place an order with Arbor Teas. I was especially delighted that Arbor Teas offers sample sizes, which means I can buy several small selections to try. The first one I was excited about trying is the Organic Plum Oolong.
From the website, Organic Plum Oolong contains organic Chinese oolong tea, organic Indian black tea, organic schizandra berries, organic rosehips, organic hibiscus, organic currants, organic osthmanthus flowers, and natural plum flavor.
Organic Plum Oolong is available in a variety of sizes: sample for $3.50, 3oz for $12.50 and 9oz for $29.95.
When I first opened the package I got sort of a spicy berry aroma. As the tea brewed I got more of the oolong and black tea aromas. I really like oolong teas because they tend to be very smooth and mellow, but still contain a very full tea flavor. The tea itself was very light and sweet; I tasted the berries and the hibiscus. There was also a smokey overtone which I assume is from the Indian black tea. I enjoyed this blend, although I didn’t get as much of the plum I was wanting.
Drink Me: Teapigs, Tung Ting Oolong Tea
I have had several readers ask me to review unblended or unflavored teas recently, so another selection I added to my last Teapigs order was their Tung Ting Oolong Tea.
This blend contains nothing but Tung Ting Oolong tea.
Tung Ting Oolong is available in a sample size for $2.50 and a pack of 15 tea temples for $14.99.
I really like oolong teas in general because they are slightly milder than black teas, but still have that nice tea flavor. This one smelled fairly complex – it definitely had a bit more of the taste like a green tea and a bit of smokiness too. And yet it was very light and refreshing. I added just a bit of sweetener because I like my teas sweet, but I think it would be delightful plain to. It was the perfect complement to my stir fry lunch, but I think it would be wonderful with a mid-afternoon tea and cookie break as well.
The Corner of Knit & Tea: Episode 81, Happy Easter…with snow.
Welcome to episode 81! Today I have some finished knits and spins. I also talk about a new-to-me tea company, some future knits and the Shawl KAL!
Please come and join the Ravelry group.
You can also find me on Ravelry as Fluffyk, Twitter, Instagram and Periscope as Fluffykira, and in my shop The Stashbuckler: Adventures in Yarrrrrrrrn.
Sipping:
- PlumDeluxe – Reading Nook Blend Tea and Spring Hickory Tea (Tea of the Month Selection)
Knitting:
- Finished: Starshower by Hilary Smith Callis, Bijou Basin Tibetan Dream in Fuchsia Ombre Flow
- Finished: Mario the Artistic Rabbit by Jenna Krupar, my handspun
Spinning:
- Finished: Fat Cat Knits, Targhee, Alchemy
- On deck: Nest Fibers, Merino/Bamboo/Silk in Geminid
Extras:
- I’m delighted to announce that I am co-hosting our next KAL with Anne of the Wooly Wonka Fiber podcast, store, and designs. Come over to either of our groups on Ravelry to check out the details!
Drink Me: Harney & Sons, Pomegranate Oolong
One of the teas that I ordered from Harney & Sons that I was excited to try was Pomegranate Oolong. I really like oolong teas because they offer plenty of tea taste but are smoother sometimes than black teas.
From the website, Pomegranate Oolong includes premium Ti Quan Yin oolong leaves with pomegranate.
It is available in a variety of sizes: sample for $2.00, 1 lb for $24.00 and several quantities of sachets ranging from $5.99 to $15.00.
When I opened the package, the first thing I noticed was a sweet and tangy smell. As I brewed the tea it was fun to watch the leaves unfurl. The resulting tea smelled fruity and almost a little perfumed, like a night garden. The taste was smooth and silky, though I wish I had gotten more pomegranate. Instead the pomegranate lingered as an aftertaste. This was definitely an interesting tea, and I’m going to give it a few more tries.
Drink Me: Harney & Sons, Ginger’s Oolong
Today I decided to try Ginger’s Oolong from Harney & Sons. I really tend to like oolongs because they offer the best of darker teas, while still being smooth and a bit less bitter.
From the website: ginger is added to a peachy Formosa oolong.
Ginger’s Oolong is available in a variety of sizes: sample for $2.00, 3oz for $6.75, 5oz for $12.00 and lb for $20.00.
When I opened the package I smelled tangy ginger and the oolong tea underneath. While I was brewing it I got a really earthy smell. The tea itself was a mild peachy ginger. I think this would be great as an afternoon tea, and also useful if you wanted to settle your stomach.
Drink Me: Teavana, Spiced Mandarin Oolong
The final tea that I ordered from Teavana a few weeks ago was Spiced Mandarin Oolong. I have a soft spot for orange teas. One of my favorite bagged teas was Tazo’s Wild Sweet Orange before they changed the blend.
This blend contains dark Oolong tea, cinnamon, hibiscus flowers, apple bits, carob bits, ginger, orange juice bits, citrus slices, pepper, tangerine pieces, ginger slices, candied tangerine, cardamom, star anise, cardamom seeds, cloves and allspice.
It is available in a variety of sizes: 2oz for $9.98, 4oz for $19.96, 8oz for $39.92, 16oz for $79.84, 3lbs for $239.52 and 5lbs for $399.20.
When I opened the bag the first thing I smelled was orange and a collection of spices. Once brewed I got more sweet orange and hibiscus smell. The tea tasted delicious. I got a nice sense of the orange and hibiscus, which made it sweet. But there was also the tang of the spices adding a more savory complex note. I’m not sure it’s as good as my Wild Sweet Orange, but it’s not a bad second!
