Rishi Tea

I guess this is a good tea if you like English Breakfast. To me, this tea is virtually undrinkable, as it is too astringent. I guess this tea is made to be mixed with milk and other stuff. I was expecting something else. Their website suggests drinking their Chinese tea varieties, such as Yunan tea, as you can drink that as a standalone tea with no mixers necessary. Lesson learned.

I have had received two pyramid sachets from derk which were, I suppose, mostly for my collection, but tea inside is actually very fine as well.

I am not generally fan of turmeric, moreover with ginger. But I have decided to try it, because, what doesn’t kill you, tries to kill you again.

The aroma was quite spicy and earthy, but also citrusy somehow.

Brew, is naturally very yellow, but in terms of flavours it is balanced combination of name ingredients. Again, the orange flavour was there too, although I can imagine it being stronger and more pithy like. It was zest like. But overall good and tasty tea.

I see that I have commented under derk’s note that I will have nice tea enviroment as well. I wrote I will need a tea pot, which is still true (still haven’t bought any), but there is some from past workers, so I may use that one. Sadly, my desk is rather small and sometimes I have so much papers around I have almost no space to put my mug anywhere there. And the shelves I have? They are full of other papers and books necessary for my work. Exceptions were different back then.

Had this during a late lunch on a cold day. Pretty good for a tea bag. Not as astringent or strong as I expected. Malty and caramel.

1/21/22
One of my favorite night time herbal blends. Soothing.

Nice. Very good. Everyday tea.

Great mouth feel. No bitterness.

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Found this one little lonely sample from Rishi Tea, yay easy sipdown!

The chrysanthemum is definitely at the forefront at the beginning of the sip, and it has that interesting soft floral-yet-peppery quality to it. The floral is a bit hard to describe, it does somewhat remind me of chamomile, but with a noticeable musty note that fades to tasting a bit like pollen smells. There’s definitely sweetness as well, and perhaps a hint of dill? The oolong comes forward mid-sip, and dominates the latter half with its sparkling mineral notes and nectarous florals, along with a slight dried fruit note in the aftertaste.

An interesting one to try for sure, probably not something I would reorder just because I would rather have a chrysanthemum blend be caffeine-free for the evening, plus this is rather expensive.

The water dispenser at work. Have I ever tried the hot water spigot? Of course not. For some reason, for 2 years, I thought it probably doesn’t work. Until I saw my coworker make his ginger tea the other day. I’m such a dweeb.

Another coworker came into the office this morning and suggested we have a tea party. (I’m like, “Girl, you don’t even know!” YESSSSS!) She displayed 4 different teabags, all with ginger and this was my choice.

A big ol’ doozy of spicy-rooty tea. Licorice root lends sweetness. The orange and lemon peels/essential oils really brighten up the taste without overpowering the tea’s namesake. Lemongrass serves as a soft bridge between the high, zesty citrus notes and the low, earthy roots. The licorice root and citrus flavors become more agreeable and harmonious as the tea cools — licorice root is at best tolerable for me and I don’t often enjoy the combination of citrus and ginger in tea.

I put the empty envelope in my inner jacket pocket to remind me to log this and I got whiffs of rooty spice from under my jacket all day.

I happen to love turmeric. If you like it but don’t like the heat of a megadose of ginger, you best avoid this warmer. If you like a little burn, I say go for this one. It’s megafresh.

Little sample from a tea box. This one surprised me with how tasty it is. I’m not even adding sugar, which is rare for me. It’s a nice buttery, slightly savory flavor. Not something I’d seek out, but tasty to try!

Here’s a nearly 2 year old tea I found buried in the back of my cupboard. A happy discovery as I’m exploring more low caffeine options for the evenings.

I blended it with a little white silver needle since these fruity teas are usually too potent for me on their own. Served in a tulip shaped Turkish teacup which showed off its gorgeous scarlet red color. The tasting notes on the Rishi website were spot on. It tasted like tart cherry or pomegranate juice thanks to the hibiscus and berries. The cranberries in the mixture accentuate the tartness and blueberry is also prominent in there, especially upon resteep.

Not usually a fan of tart teas especially hibiscus but this was decent. A little sweetener would have enhanced this tea too.

Buttery yumminess! I bought a cup of this from a bakery I went to today and it was a really good cup of green tea! Other than that I don’t remember much about it but If I ever order from Rishi I’d probably get some more of this.

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Okay, finishing off the remainder of the sample cold-brewed in the fridge for a few hours.

It’s a little better I think – the ginger is still very aggressive, but the citrusy notes of the yuzu are more prominent, which helps temper it a bit.

Still not something I would reorder, but it’s an improvement at least! XD

A sample I added to reach the free shipping threshold when ordering teaware.

Honestly, I expected this to be horrible after seeing the other reviews. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not good. But I don’t find it to be that bad either… Like, I’m not spitting it out or anything ha ha.

The ginger definitely overpowers everything else. It’s essentially a dried ginger tisane with hints of yuzu, rosemary, and black pepper. I don’t think I would have guessed that there’s matcha if I hadn’t already known, though it’s very obvious by the green powder-dusted dry leaf.

I’m going to try the rest cold-brewed to see how it fares. Happy that it’s only a small sample, heh heh… XD

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Another sample that I got from Rishi. The combination of hojicha and mint sounded intriguing.

I quite enjoyed it. This last cup is a bit peppermint-heavy due to it being the bottom of the bag and all. But otherwise I like the combination of mildly roasty hojicha with the fresh, cool mint. There’s an almost chocolaty note to the hojicha as well, which gives it a bit of an Andes mint vibe.

Not sure whether I feel the need to reorder it… But in the future, I might have to try recreating something similar with my other hojicha.

So this is a free sample that was included in my recent Rishi order, which was mostly just to get the cute glass teapot recommended by LuckyMe. I threw in 3 tea samples to reach the free shipping threshold, and then they also included this bonus sample.

Now, I don’t really like lavender most of the time, but I’m giving this a fair shot.

It’s okay. It’s not the worst thing ever. Really the lavender isn’t that strong, but even so I’m not a fan. I think it’s because bergamot can already read as somewhat floral and perfumey to me, and the addition of the lavender just takes it to a perfume/soap place.

It would probably be fine as a latte, but I think I’d rather just move the rest of the sample to my rehoming box and add it to a TTB where someone else can enjoy it.

Got this as a sample and was not expecting to like it. It was a berry tea with lots of pieces of different fruits. Very flavorful. Would be great iced…I had it hot. Need to buy more!

My last remaining Rishi tea! This was another one that Todd asked me for a “top up” after his “Sara’s Old Tea Advent Calendar,” so a) I have a lot less leaf to work through for sipdown and b) I expect it to go fast because the last tea that Todd really liked and requested a top up of was really freaking good.

The package instructions suggest 8g for 8 oz of water?! Do they expect me to clean rust off my intestines?! For me, a “stronger” than normal cuppa is adding a gram to my typical 2.5g for 12 oz. Yaaaaaaa… I think I’ll just make it my way, Rishi. 2.5g leaf, 350ml water (boiled to 205F but had cooled to 195F when I realized the kettle was ready… I just decided to use it as was), steeped for 3 minutes(ish).

The steeped cup smells like roses, which immediately has me excited! Also a fruity scent that is somewhere between lychee and orange zest, and a very sweet aroma as well, reminding me of cream. On the sip I’m definitely getting the purported lychee and rose, as well as warm baked bread, honey, and a strong lingering orange marmalade taste after the sip. The tea has a very mild drying sensation after the sip, but the flavors are smooth and lacking any bitterness.

Dare I say this is a Chinese black that is up there with unsmoked lapsang for me?!

During my staycation, I really have to get out of the house some (just too much stir crazy/cabin fever vibes going on), so I’ve decided to visit at least one or two “new to me” local, independantly/family-owned businesses in my community that I have never been to. Today I found a cupcakery I didn’t even know existed! I got a Cookies & Cream, Apple Cinnamon, and Lemon Blueberry cupcake, and am enjoying this cuppa with the Lemon Blueberry one for teatime. It is wonderful paired with the bright, tangy and sweet citrus notes of the cupcake!

Received a sample of this herbal medicinal tea with my Rishi Tea order a long time ago. I had been saving it for a sick day and finally dug it out the other day for my wife who was feeling under the weather.

This tisane has a wonderful, mesmerizing aroma. It smells just like its name. An explosion of sweet candied ginger, tangerine, ginseng, and heady geranium all danced in my nose. It smelled so good I felt like using the mixture as potpourri to perfume the house. Like most Rishi blends though, the taste of the brewed tea wasn’t as exuberant as its smell. An earthy, turmeric-like chalky flavor is the first thing to hit the tongue followed by spicy black pepper and a tingle of ginger. I was really hoping to taste more of the citrus and geranium notes so prominent in the aroma but alas they had tamed down and were barely detectable anymore. There are some other exotic herbs and flavorings in there I’ve never encountered before like ashwagandha root and vana tulsi which added an herbaceous undertone to the tea.

On its own, this is a tad earthy for me but it would be soothing to have when you’re nursing a cold or sore throat. Would reach for this over DAVIDsTea Cold 911 any day.

Steepster Freeze 2021 #2: 01/18/21

I have finally finished off my 50g bag of Rishi’s Ruby #18 and am only one cold-brew batch away from finishing off the 50g of Yunnan Orchid Green, so I can finally move onto the remainder of my 2017 teas, which is getting to be quite a small list now! Thankfully my last two Rishi teas I only have to work through 25g, because Todd really liked them from his advent so I split the 50g packages with him.

Brewed this western style this morning, 3.5g to 350ml of 205F water with a 3 minute steep. The aroma from the cup is lovely! I smell orange blossoms, honey, marmalade, and a sweet, roasted nuts aroma. This has such a silky mouthfeel, with a florality that comes out first on the sip, teetering on perfumy but subdued by the other flavors. A rich, citrusy orange note quickly follows mid-sip and settles along the back of the tongue, leaving an aftertaste of sweet marmalade jam and honey-roasted nuts. There is a slightly sharp, fruity note as well, which is a little hard for me to place… perhaps a dark variety of cherry.

This is a really lovely oolong… I can see why Todd was so taken with it!

Everyone once in awhile I will drink a tea or have a matcha that is the unfortunate victim to poor packaging. The grey unassuming bag looks like it would be well suited for the job of protecting this matcha but I fear it failed. The dry aroma is nil. It’s part of matcha that I love, so smelling a staleness, a sort of packaging type of smell was disappointing. Surprisingly the wet aroma immediately filled my nose with vegetal and slight nori notes. Gave me hope. But that was dashed with the flavor. It tastes like the aroma. Not at all what I expected. At some point I’d like to get a sample to see if perhaps it really is the packaging or if the matcha they sourced just isn’t that good.

Work tea #1

I found this very enjoyable. There were woody, earthy notes from the puerh as well as sweet spicy grape flavors. There was also a slightly deeper note that hinted at wine, but I think it fell a bit short. The tea was full bodied and had a nice creaminess to it. All in all really good. I’d happily drink it again. I wish I could’ve tried several steeps, but work is work. If I can I’ll pick up a box to keep at home. This is a good one.

Moving onto my Rishi teas from my 2017 stuff, and these are all 50g packages and will take many a morning to finish off… and while I realize teas like this are just “meant for gong fu”, western brew work thermoses are going to be the way I accomplish that. Possibly some iced tea/cold brew jars. If I have the time for a gong fu session, I’ll probably pick something I only have a small amount of leaf left that the session can tidily finish off…

I gave samples of these teas to Todd in his advent (before I’ve even tried them, ha) and at least he said they are still holding up, but he also often just thinks “tea tastes like tea” (I still love you, Todd!) so let’s see, shall we?

April/May 2017 harvest, 3.5g in 500ml 205F water, steeped 3 minutes. I smell a bright, fruity mandarin orange aroma, as well as cinnamon. The flavor is malty, with a bit of a baked grain bread with a bit of spice (more clove than cinnamon on the tongue), and an oddly crisp minty note in the finish. I would assume that was flavor contamination from my thermos (I had the Pistachio Mint tea in it yesterday, and even though I thoroughly washed it in the sink last night it still had a “minty” aroma this morning, so I’m going to have to deep clean the thermos with the Mandala Tea Cleaner every time I drink that B&B Mint Pistachio, apparently…) except this was tea that came straight from my infuser to a separate glass for taste-testing since it takes so long for anything to cool in the work thermos. Huh. I guess at 50g, I’ll have plenty more cups to see if that note reappears or is, indeed, some kind of contamination… (Although, I see just before posting this that jamin also tasted “minty overtones” soooooo…)

I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a black tea like this. It’s certainly interesting, and definitely not unpleasant!