Teatulia Teas

I like this tea. It has a mild jasmine flavor. It has one flaw. The green tea is a little bit strong for my taste buds.

Backlog:

I was a little hesitant to try this tea when it was first sent to me, because I had heard from someone else that they weren’t all that impressed with the tea and since this was someone whose opinion I trust and value, I thought I wouldn’t be all that impressed with the tea either. But, I actually quite enjoyed this! It’s quite good.

It smells and tastes sweet: like something between a raisin and a date. That kind of dried fruit sweetness. There is some astringency to this, and it develops as I continue to sip.

Sweet with dried fruit, then it moves on to a leathery/earthy kind of flavor (with the sweetness still present), and notes of malt start to emerge just after the mid-sip point which give the cup a kind of caramel-y taste.

Nice! I like that this is a single estate tea, it’s organic, and it’s a wee bit different because it’s from Bangladesh!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/10/25/first-flush-black-tea-teatulia/

I guess it just goes to show you that you should allow yourself to experience a tea and not allow your thoughts on it to become jaded by someone else’s experience!

It smells like grass, it tastes like something my dog would leave in the grass, and the bags leave a dusty film on my fingers. The pricetag was surprisingly steep and the lack of a string makes it a pain to pull the bag out of the brew when it’s done steeping. I’ve been trying to give this away at work. There is no jasmine flavor at all in this tea.

very good black tea, a good breakfast tea

Flat. One-dimensional. There are only hints of what a good black tea should be.

I really want to believe in this company because of the good that they do in Bangladesh, but this is the second tea of theirs that I have tried that is lackluster and bland. Everything is right about this company except for the quality of the tea itself, save for their loose leaf white tea. Luckily, quality is a variable that can change with even slight alterations in the process. I really hope that Teatulia continues to grow in this aspect.

I’m sitting at a coffee shop in Denver that I recently discovered. The ambiance is nice, and the coffee is great. Today, I decided to check out their tea menu. They had a modest offering of teas from Teatulia and the Tea Spot. I decided to try this green tea, and I was not expecting much. I opened the pot for a sight and a smell. Just as I expected, the leaves were all broken. They literally looked like the sweepings off of the table after the real tea had been processed.

The flavor of the tea was virtually the same as Celestial Seasonings’ Authentic green tea. It was highly processed to the point where the flavor was flat, leaving no trace of the good things that I associate with green tea. There was no nuttiness, vegetable, sweetness, or anything of the sort. Even astringency would not grace this cup with its undesirable presence. It does not deserve to be a loose leaf tea. It would have been much better off in a bag like its equals. That said, I am very grateful to have this cup of tea right now, and the space that I am drinking it in is very relaxed. I’m in a good mood right now.

Finding this one a pretty average blandish green bagged tea. Of course, I’ve been spoiled by drinking some really excellent greens lately. Think this will be a “keep at work” tea.

Jack: (Second Steep for 1min) “It’s alright. It’s like what you would expect. A bit of melon.”
Jason: http://steepster.com/jason/posts/47407

Brewed in Tiny White Teapot

SIPDOWN!

So this one isn’t bad but it’s a little astringent. Thanks to kittenna, and Jillian technically for a try at this one. I could certainly see drinking this again but it’s not a must have in the cupboard. This was in tea bag form as well, so might be good for @ work.

I’d never heard of neem but figured everything is worth tasting at least once! :) It’s a strong and bold cup of tea, but not overly bitter. There are other blacks that i’d drink first but man in the morning this would be a kick to get going :)

I did a double shot of this because I think it’s a bit weak if I don’t do it that way and it was a bit better. It’s still not my favorite 1st Flush nor is it even my favorite tea that Teatulia offers – but it’s better once you play with it a bit. It’s medium strength with a bit of brashness. Would make a good base for gentle flavors, I bet!

First Sip Thought: “Not what I was expecting!”

Smell: I don’t know what I was thinking when I first opened the package, but I just didn’t think it’d have a great scent – or at least strong enough to smell in other rooms. To my surprise, even with the pale greenish-yellow liquid after steeping, the herbal infusion still gave off a strong lemon aroma throughout the room. Not my favourite smell, but I do believe it made my kitchen smell freshly clean! (I’ve read some other reviews stating it reminds them of Lemon Pledge)

Taste: As an herbal infusion, this is a blend I had a hard time try to review based on the taste. Mainly because I would say this is definitely one you should not just read reviews to make up your decision on trying it or not. It’s very different from other reviews I have done. I was surprised that there was absolutely no bitter taste – it was actually quite smooth. I wish I have tried a lemongrass before to compare but so far Teatulia’s is on my list of more to purchase!

www.theteacupoflife.blogspot.ca

Excellent. I steeped for about 6 minutes. It is the best lemongrass I have ever tried. It’s smooth, not astringent at all. This is blended with bay leaf, which I did not get a hint of but I assume is the secret to its success. I’ve been looking for something to drink after dinner and this fits the bill. I did add some cream and honey – I was worried it might curdle, but it didn’t at all. It’s also great for the digestion and skin.

I steeped this for about 2 maybe 2.5 min. The ginger is pretty present yet mild, along with an extremely bitter finish. I don’t think I can even finish the cup.
There are 5 sachets left. If anyone wants them, let me know. Otherwise, in the garbage they go :/
Who sent these to me… thanks for the interesting experiment :)

I am not very familiar with herbal tisanes. I usually just stick with a good Chinese tea. Today, I went to Sojourner’s Coffee and Tea and decided to have this tisane. The ginger is not overpowering, but it is the main flavor in the infusion. It makes a wonderfully refreshing iced infusion, very smooth and well-balanced compared to other ginger tisanes that I have tried. Teatulia may not yet know how to do teas just yet, but they sure have their herbal infusions down pat!

I’m confused. Delighted to the utmost extent, but confused nonetheless. I taste black tea maltiness, white tea fruitiness/mustiness, green tea nuttiness, and anxi oolong sweetness. Sounds amazing, right? But all of this in one cup? It makes my head spin. I think I will use this tasting note to sort out the chaos that this tea has caused in my mind and senses.

First things first. The appearance, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel resemble nothing close to a Fujian white tea made from the Da Bai Hao cultivar (many tea fanatics, myself included, believe that this is the only “true” white tea). The needles are shorter, grayer, and do not have the same mushroom smell. The brew is much darker than the pale yellow of a Fujian Bai Hao Yin Zhen brew.

And the taste? OMG, the TASTE!!! There are hints of oxidation: fresh bread, malty flavor, all indicative of a black tea. A certain saltiness tickles my taste buds, which is what Fujian white teas do. I get a hint of jasmine and umami, all of which are usually present in the highest quality oolong teas. There is even a shade of the nuttiness that characterizes a Long Jing. How on earth can a cup of tea incorporate all of the best qualities of every type of tea into itself? My mind. It’s experiencing growing pains again.

One thing is for sure. I cannot call this a white tea, not just because of the “fujian da bai hao” bunk that I believe in, but because of its inherent character. It is truly a unique tea that deserves its own category. It should be called… I don’t know… a royaltea?

Who would have known that Bangladesh would become a place that produces a high quality tea? Talk about “finding a priceless pearl in the poor.” I’m not just talking about the tea here. Teatulia is doing some amazing work on this 2,000-acre part of the world to create an infrastructure of community, equity, and sustainability. More information about this can be found on Teatulia’s website. They are really creating a goldmine in a land of rubbish, and I really hope that Teatulia’s efforts will positively affect everyone who comes in contact with the company. If they continuously produce a product of such exquisite quality as their loose leaf White Tea, and translate this quality to every product that they offer, then they will have no problem doing so.

-Dry leaves have small pieces of light green stalk. Wet leaves show a range of green and brown plump stalks.
-Dry leaves have a delicate grassy citrus aroma. Tea liquor smells strongly of lemon.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium yellow color.
-Light lemony flavor with a pleasantly strong finish.
-Best with no additives. (Sweetener dulls lemon flavor).
-Good tea. Tastes like warm lemonade. Much better when prepared iced.

Ran out of ginger tea so I’m using the Lemongrass to soothe my overstuffed tummy. :-) I like this lemongrass, I like to blend it with my PG Tips or my PG Green. It’s tasty enough to drink on its own, lemonish and smooth.

My second Earl Grey of the day, and third in my tea bag sipdown today. I’m not sure, but I feel like this one is suffering in my rating because of how much I enjoyed my cup before (Charleston Plantation’s). There is a unique black tea base to this one, and while I do enjoy it, I’m not loving it the way I did the other. When I added a half teaspoon of sugar the lemon flavour came to the forefront, making it a much lovelier cup, however it still isn’t perfect to me. Sippers who like unique mild twists to the classics should definitely look into this one. I do like it, but as I said, I just liked my cup before more.

What I do like about this one though is how quality the tea is for a bagged tea. I am seriously enjoying the quality that Teatulia puts into their teas!

I got this from a friend in a tea exchange a while back (sorry JC that I just got to it now!). Since I’ve decided today is teabag sipdown day, this one called out to me to be tried first. (Probably my guilt of having so much Teatulia tea sitting waiting for me, being neglected by my looseleaf obsession.)

I brewed it according to package directions, giving it a short but hot steep. Black, I wasn’t sure what I thought of it. The tea flavour was pure, which I appreciated, with just a hint of something more. Curious, I added sugar, and that’s when the tulsi leaf came out to play, adding a lovely note of a spice I’d never had before and would never be able to adequately describe. The cup went down nicely, and I’m now looking forward to trying my other types from Teatulia!

It tastes slightly better sweetened, but I’m still not feeling this tea as it’s too bitter to be truely enjoyable. This one is going up for trade methinks.

I’m not really sure what neem is supposed to smell or taste like as I’ve never had it in anything before. It’s apparently something of an Eastern panacea, so perhaps it’ll cure all that ails me. ;)

The flavour comes across as being rather bitter, at least at first, but I got used to it as I drank my cuppa. I suppose it’s the neem that gives the tea a clean, fresh sort of taste; the bitterness is a bit much to get used to though, at least with nothing else added to the tea. Maybe I’ll do what LiberTeas did and add a bit of sweetener next time.

A very pleasant green tea. Mild nutty flavor, sweet and crisp. Not too grassy in the taste. Very little astringency to this one.

Really enjoyable. Thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me this one.

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea.

This is an excellent silver-needle type white. It has an abundant flavor that is slightly grassy but with strong notes of fruit and flower. I am finding it slightly stronger in flavor than a typical silver needle.

I am winding down now… and I like the mild character of this tea and how it calms me.