Grace Tea Company

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Recent Tasting Notes

90

I like this tea.
Dry leaf smells like a good quality black tea.
The tea itself has a very pleasant smell, almost like leathery smoke.
But, its in the background, not in your face.
This is my first Russian Caravan tea, so I am not sure if I am a expert on saying what it should taste like, but I like this tea.
This is my kind of breakfast tea.
Taste is a bright black tea, then a hint of smoke, then a little honey-like sweetness lingers on the tongue.
This tea is worth getting up for in the morning.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
ashmanra

I may have to buy this one. I have liked their other teas and this sounds like it is pretty much right up our alley!

Hesper June

I thought I would be disappointed when I first smelled the dry leaf, but I am quite pleased with it:)

Lucy

mmmm Russian Caravans are so good =)

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87

Zzzzzzzz
Whoops, gotta wake up now.
What tea will help me do that?
This one.
As I said in my previous review of this “when the awoken world is alluding me”
Well, that is today.
And everyday as of late.
I stayed up later last night to make these so we would have something to grab to eat in the mornings:
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/glazed-doughnut-muffins/
They seriously taste like Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
So, hopefully between this tea and a small sugar boost, I will be ready for my shift in the harvest truck.

ashmanra

Oh my gosh, they even LOOK like KK glazed doughnuts! Drool

MegWesley

That’s funny! Krispy Kremes must be on the brain.

Bonnie

Sin in a muffin wrapper!

Daisy Chubb

uh oh… I have everything in my cupboard to make these… gulp. Although I’ve never had a Krispy Kreme! I know I’m missing out haha

ashmanra

@DaisyChubb: O.O Never had Krispy Kreme? I was indoctrinated quite young as my father took me to ours and we would stand outside and watch the doughnuts on the conveyer go through the rising station, then ride the flat strip to the hot oil, then flip over and pass under the Niagra Falls of liquid glaze….

Nicole

Oh, that looks like a dangerous recipe …

Hesper June

Oh, you see, the secret is to tell yourself they are healthy because they are not fried…

Daisy Chubb

I know ashmanra! It’s blasphemous! There are only 4 locations in all of Canada so that makes it quite hard for me, ohh but I’ve heard so much about them and they ARE on my bucket list! haha

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87

A great eye opening tea.
Bright and robust morning tea.
Careful about over brewing, it can get a bit too robust if forgotten.
I have not had too much experience with Assam’s but this one seems to be of very nice quality.
I agree with the description, that if you were a milk/cream and sweetener person, that this tea would hold up to it well.
I rated this tea in the upper 80’s simply for the fact that I do not always require a tea like this for my mornings.
But, I am very glad I have this on hand for those mornings where the awoken world is alluding me.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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91

This is a new offering from Grace. The leaves are fairly long and are sturdy and dark in color. It infuses to a light brown color but still “see-thru”.

It smells a bit woodsy and a bit smoky…with a touch of ‘rock’ or ‘mineral’ type aroma. (Like if you were to smell a rock in a stream, almost…c’mon…I know it’s weird…but I know you know what I am talking about!!!! You’ve smelled a rock before, haven’t you?)

The taste is mellower than other Wuiyi Rock oolongs I have tried strength-wise but the taste is better than others I have tried. It’s sweeter than others and less “rock-tasting/mineral-tasting”. It’s on the verge of a Formosa, too, which I really like! It’s pretty sweet and from start to finish has nice mouth-swirling potential!

I really like this! It’s dandy!

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83

Backlog from this morning: My first tea tasting from this month’s Steepster Select box. This is really good. Full-bodied and robust, with notes of fermented fruit and a lovely sweetness. Earthy and a slight smoky note. Even a hint of leather. Very pleasant, a very nice, well-rounded cup of tea.

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85

A nice enough black tea. Nothing that made me praise the tea gods but an alright black breakfast tea. I think I kind of understand where the “winey” part of the title is coming from but its almost as if the winey flavor is part of the slight astringency itself. Still, its not what I had in mind and was looking forward to with a name like Winey Keemun. Sure the tea is a deep red color but oh well thats not enough to make me jump up and down.
Yet there is a calming morning salute here and somehow this tea becomes quite relaxing for a wake up tea, quite enjoyable almost as if it is whispering in the back of your mind “don’t worry, don’t rush, everything will go smooth today, relax…” and as you become more and more alert you do so without cramming your crumpet in your face while grabbing your items and jaunting out the door – this is the laid back take er easy tea for morning people who want to savor the moments in life. But again, like I said … nothing to write home about. :P

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92

Wow! This tea is full of surprises. I was first surprised to notice a hint of cocoa in the aroma. I noticed some familiar Darjeeling-esque tones in the fragrance: woody, earthy … but there, in the distance, is also a distinct cocoa-ish note. Intriguing!

I wondered … as I impatiently waited for this tea to brew … if the cocoa notes would be discernible in the flavor. And they are, although they are rather subtle. The flavors build and develop as I sip it. It starts out as a light, almost sparkling taste on the tongue with its notes of fruit (even a hint of muscatel) and wood … and just a whisper of dark chocolate-y notes in the background. As I continue to sip, the flavor develops and the body changes from a light-to-medium bodied tea, to a medium-bodied tea, to an almost full-bodied tea.

A very unique and pleasant Darjeeling.

ashmanra

This is a great company. I love the label on their tins and I love the teas I have had from them. I have a gift certificate for A Southern Season, and I think I will use it to try their Jasmine. I have Winey Keemun, which everyone LOVES, Formosa oolong, and Oure Assam. I haven’t tried this one.

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84

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

This is a really good Ceylon. Strong enough to be a breakfast tea, but, also smooth enough to be an afternoon cuppa. Pleasant fruit tones and flowery notes in the background, with a subtle earthiness in the foreground. Sweet and pleasant. Very good!

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68

From my review at It’s All About the Leaf:
http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/2120/tea-review-grace-tea-company-china-yunnan-silver-tip-choice-2/

I have tried to write this review for something like 3-4 months. Every time I get excited about drinking this tea, get excited about brewing up tea, and then as I start drinking the tea I lose focus and end up working on something else.

So today, I’m trying to actually focus. This tea review, it SHALL be written. But as I’m drinking it, I think the fact that I am easily distracted is part of the review itself. The tea is just not holding my attention long enough to really get a good review. The aroma of the unbrewed leaf is malty with overtones of pepper. It’s got a lovely chestnut color. But the flavor is more subtle. It’s got a hint of sweetness, and some richness and a hint of earth to it. When you take a sip, the brew tastes good – but it just slips your mind quickly. It’s a nice tea, it’s just not my cup of tea.

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77

A nice mellower black tea – slightly sweet – tasty. It does get a little bitter if over infused so just be aware of your steep times – just a heads-up!

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81

This has a slight hint of cocoa powder smell…ahhhh!
This is a mellower tea and quite creamy! VERY soothing! Thumbs up!

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97

I don’t consider myself a high-brow tea taster by any stretch, but I do have a rather informed opinion about Yinzhens. They were the first loose leaf tea I ever tried, so – naturally – I have a pedestal in which to reference. This Silver Needle took said pedestal, spat on it, and ordered a completely new chair – an ottoman, I think. (I.e. It was superb.)

Full Review: Pending on www.itsallabouthteleaf.com

Preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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97

This tea is just as steller. I have yet to find another silver needle that comes close to this, the smell, the layers of flavor.

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97

This is my very first experience with silver needle. Well, I am a fan now! This ranks up there with having REAL sencha. And that changed everything for me.

I received this sample from Doulton. This tea is quite amazing. I got 4 rebrews from it, adding 1-2 minutes to each brew. And it’s great both iced and hot. It’s just so perfect, it has such an elegance to it. For being such a light brew, it produces such a loud flavor.

Thank you Doulton for this tea. It is quite amazing, and I am now addicted. I want to marry this tea.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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I finished this today, and I see the tin was five years old! It was still pretty good, too. Not too strong so no milk or sugar needed even though they call it a breakfast tea. Great in the morning or afternoon, but I generally drank it in the afternoon. Not a smokey keemun but truly one bearing wine notes, just as they describe.

This was one of the first ever loose leaf teas I bought, and I chose it largely because I have a daughter named Grace and was looking for a tea to surprise her with that day! I was fortunate that it was a really good and didn’t disappoint.

I have had quite a few teas from this company and they have all been good. I am ready to get to work on lots of my newer teas now that I have accomplished a few of the sipdowns I had planned.

Michelle Butler Hallett

Ooooh, I love a good Keemun. I;ve got some Panda No1 that’s at least for years old, and it’s getting all winey.

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This is a classic, a very nice tea from a company that says they only do a few teas, but they only sell the very best they can find. This Keemun lives up to its name, not smoky like many are but rather richly flavored with a hint of deep red wine. Very nice with sweets.

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This was the final tea served at tea party yesterday, and while I love it, I was too busy downing that huge pot of Formosa Oolong and didn’t get around to drinking this! My guest had one cup of it, then went back to drinking Anna’s by Tin Roof Tea because she was really in love with it.

I had planned to make some of my new samples today when I remembered the leftover pot of tea. I didn’t want to be wasteful so I reheated this and have been sipping away at it all morning.

When I heated it and the aroma began to float from the cup, I thought, now THAT is tea. This is a good quality cup of what you expect tea to be. This Keemun isn’t chocolate-y, I don’t pick up lots of cocoa, and it really isn’t smoky. It does have a Winey tang to it that is very pleasant, but it is not astringent or drying. I take it without milk and sugar.

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This is listed as an English breakfast tea, but it is equally at home as an afternoon tea, sans additions and served with food or snacks. For tea party today it was served with brownies, strawberries, and blueberries, all topped with whipped cream, plus a cookie plate and Milka Toffee Bars.

This is a very smooth Keemun, so much so that I wonder if some would consider it too tame for mornings. I love it, but I almost exclusively drink it in the afternoon or evening. There are no strong chocolate or roasty aromas and flavors to this, it really is a bit Winey!

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Youngest chose Baker Street for today, and I chose this one! This was the first good loose tea I ever purchased, and it is still a favorite. (My early Harney purchases were all sachets.). This is excellent tea, a Keemun that has a little less of chocolate/smoky aroma and flavor, and a little more of the burgundy grape taste. So good! I had never heard of this tea and only bought it because the company has the same name as my tea loving daughter and the tin is beautiful! I display it with two others from Grace Rare Tea on a shelf in the living room. This one is a favorite with guests.

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This was the second tea served at tea party today. The aroma grabbed up as soon as I poured. Delicious stuff! This is one of the least smokey Keemun teas I have ever had, and it does have that hint of wine. It is a pretty full bodied tea, not overly sweet but sweet and smooth enough to be enjoyed absolutely plain. Very nice!

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This was a tea time treat today! It amazes me how my tastes are changing. I used to think of this as one of my stronger teas, now it is one of my milder teas! And I still love it!
I am better at identifying the flavors and nuances in teas now, and I finally detect that muscatel flavor they mention. This is indeed a refined tea. They refer to it as an English Breakfast and indeed it is keemun, but it is milder than MY breakfast choices and I love it as an afternoon tea.

Preparation
Boiling

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