Mark T. Wendell

I’m always nervous with Spice Chais. Mostly because I think most companies over0due it on the spices! But I have to say this is terrific! Everything is perfectly even and you can still taste the black tea! Wonderful!

Where has this tea been all my life? Yes, the smoke is heavy, but it isn’t overpowering, and good wood and tea were used. This tastes like, erm, barbeque tea. Delicious!

Drinking this iced. Splendid stuff. Sort of the quintessential black iced tea: Crisp, bold, strong, vigorous and bracing. Ooh, la la.

Ok. This is really, and surprisingly, good. Yes, it is a CTC tea, and no, it isn’t fancy. But it is fresh, balanced, and well made. Wowsa.

Very nice, subtle and smooth rooibos. Refreshing.

This one has been on my shelf for a while forgotten for the moment. I usually drink black tea with a little sugar and no milk or cream. I tried another tea in the morning with half and half so I decided in the afternoon to give this a try with half and half. I found that I like it a lot better that way. It reminds me of a Russian Caravan type tea. It has that Lapsang Soochong slight smoky flavor. It is very smooth and with cream and sugar it was very enjoyable.

I have for many years been a big fan of Mark T. Wendell’s Hu-Kwa tea. So I decided to give this one a try. I loved it. The blend is excellent, with just a note of smokey Labsang Souchong, great for afternoons when you’d like a tea with some body but not as strong as Labsang Souchong. I also love it in the morning. This one is a permanent one in my collection.

Brewed up a delicious cup on this my favorite Lapsong Suchong tea. It has been my favorite for over 40 years. Many Lapasong Suchongs are too strong for many tea drinkers. This one is just right, strong, but subtle, all the notes come through. MTW is the only supplier that gets this quality from Formosa Island. It made my morning,

I have been buying this tea since the 1960’s and as far as I’m concerned it is the absolute best Lapsang Souchong tea there is. Over the years it has not deviated even slightly from its excellence. In comparison to other Lapsang Souchongs, many are far too strong and the tar taste is too intense. Hu-Kwa strikes the perfect balance with that wonderful smoky flavor and a hardy deep amber brew that warms your body and soul on a cold morning. This tea is simply the best…

I made a trip to my local health foods store and bought more of this assam tea. At 1.60 an ounce its cheap and also makes a very nice brisk full bodied cup of tea. I’m getting no bitterness and almost no astringency. This tea is not as harsh as some assam teas I have drank. Its a very smooth cup with a kick to wake you in the morning. I may buy a pound next time as the price drops to a buck an ounce. (I’m not sure why this is cheaper in Freeport than online, but it is.) This is one tea I can drink every morning with no regrets.

This is a very nice robust , brisk assam tea. It has no bitterness and only slight astringency. It has all the nuances of a good assam tea. The best thing about this fine tea is that it only cost me a buck sixty an ounce at the local health food store. That being said, It is no Mountain Malt, the tea that I will judge all assam teas by until I find a better one.

Revisiting this one before sending some to Mercuryhime…This is really lovely! a bit nutty and roasty but overall sweet and bouquet-like towards the end of the sip! YUM!

This rating is based on the tastes from a drastically over-infused attempt and may be altered or edited later.

I mistakenly stepped away from my tea as it was infusing and infused for at least 15-20 minutes! Oye!!! I will say this holds up nicely and is VERY forgiving! It even good over steeped! It’s earthy yet sweet!

This is ever so slightly scented green and the post infusion liquid color is very lightly colored yellow-green. I will say this is probably the sweetest green tea I have ever tasted or at least in recent memory. I think that is the highlight of this tea! The natural sweetness. I can get a little bit of the chestnut comparison but it’s not a nutty flavor, persay…well, maybe if you sip and hold the tea on the middle part of your tongue it’s a little (chest)nutty-esque. It’s earthy-sweet – more sweet than earth! I like it and it’s pleasant!

Randomly chose this one from my stash…it’s a goodie! YUM! I think I will move on to Matchas, whites, and flavored greens, and rooisbos(eseseses) – Rooibos-EYE??? LOL

Had some earlier today! YUM!

I over infused and it was much more smokey today. Still good but I just wanted to point that difference out since my last review. My rating is based purely on the fact that I like this for what it is…a smokey tea. This rating is a little different because the rating is so specific and for a specific reason…not just on my taste level. It serves a purpose…if that makes sense. It’s based on what I was looking for in a smokey tea specifically, I guess…WOOT!

I don’t want to GIVE AWAY my review…but…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUH6yvCyQvM

THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!

I have been looking for a Lapsong Souchong JUST LIKE THIS! I FINALLY FOUND IT! Woot! Woot! Woot!!!!

I was looking for something with the strong smokey scent and was smoky to taste but didn’t have a funky after taste or too over the top while actually drinking it. I was also looking for one that didn’t taste like wood and was smooth. This is it! This just seems to have EVERYTHING I have been looking for in a smoky tea. I’m shocked…SHOCKED!!!!

Now…if you are one of those people who are the “more smokey tasting the better” this might not be strong enough in taste for you. At least the way I did it which was 1 to 1 and a half Tablespoons of loose leaf in 12-ounces of 190-200 degree water for 5 minutes.

Now that I know I like this I will tinker with amounts and infusion lengths.

I’m so happy now I could do the funky chicken!

I haven’t had a true Genmaicha in several months…you know with the rice puffs and ‘popped rice’ in the mix? So I was fairly excited to try this. I can usually ‘take em or leave ’em’ when it comes to the Japanese Genmaicha Green…but I must say this is pretty good.

It looks like Genmaicha before, during, and after infusion…as well as it smells like Genmaicha before, during, and after infusing…HELL…it even tastes like Genmaicha…the only difference is, I think, this is the ONE Genmaicha I will remember liking fairly well.

All I can really say is the little bit of aroma that this tea is eeeeeeeking out is 1 part masculine and 1 part feminine – it that means anything to you.

It’s a very dark brown color and just before the sip gives off a tinge of a toasty scent. It has a semi-woodsy, semi-toasty black tea taste that seems to be just what I need at the latter part of the morning before I switch to greens, whites, rooibos, and other types of teas.

Pretty good.

A nice standby tea! Full of flavor and a nice wake-up! See my other tasting notes on this one!

Decided to put this one on my Personal Tea Blog…
http://teaequalsbliss.blogspot.com/2010/05/manhattan-tribute-blend-helps-fight.html

Having another cup of this today…it certainly hits the spot! Semi-Malty, Semi-Chewy…I really must want a croissant today or something…it seems to be something I crave…which is really weird…because I don’t think I have EVER had a craving for a croissant…EVER…in my life…or in previous lives! (LOL)