The Tea Addicts Confessional

Teas - Lovely and New

I could go on and on about how happy I am with my current tea selection. Every single tea and blend was selected by myself and my taste tester friends after many reviews and discussions. This has led to some much heated debate between blends that are similar from different vendors and which should be the “winner”. 

Case in point, Sandy’s Chillin’ Vanilla. I carry so many Vanilla Rooibos variations that you would think I really didn’t need to carry another. Red Rocks, Betty’s Blend, Vanilla Rooibos, and Tranquility should have been enough. However, Sandy insisted that the Chillin’ Vanilla should be carried because it was honeybush and not rooibos, therefore, it is unique enough. She was so insistent that we named the blend after her.

The latest debate we have is over ginger peach. I think fall will arrive before we make a final decision! There are two excellent vendors who make a Ginger Peach tea. One is a black tea base so it rules out my caffeine free customers. Sophia, however, said it is worth it because it is so delicious. The other is a lovely herbal blend that we all really enjoy. Both are great hot and iced. It is really down to the caffeine issue. I think I have some lovely black tea blends now but they don’t sell as well as the herbals. However, I want to have something new and exciting for my caffeinated customers. So, it is one big loop. Can I sell that much Ginger Peach tea to carry both? That is the question.

So, as you look through the current lists of tea we have in stock you can see different trends. If there is a blend with almond, ginger or vanilla we seem to carry it.

You can find the current lists, including the Mother’s Day Specials, at:

http://stylintea.com/products/

Happy sipping!

Calling all US Tea Growers

Every now and again I get caught up in some interesting discussions on LinkedIn. One of them was started by Nigel who is trying to bring together the small tea growers of the United States for idea exchanges, etc.

His last entry is:

It’s established that there’s a small but enthusiastic scattering of tea growers in the USA but I believe it will not form the critical mass necessary for achieving success as an industry unless we all share ideas and pull together. To this end I have a vague idea about a “US League of Tea Growers”. To further this I suggest we need a meeting of minds of a few potential founding members – perhaps at World Tea Expo in Las Vegas in June – to discuss options and needs and to map out future actions.

I have found in the world there are those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those that wonder what happened. If you are in the first group and a US tea grower, or would-be US tea grower - please contact me. Nigel Melican - nigel@teacraft.com

I do not grow tea but try to be supportive of the tea farms that do. Most of the ones I have been aware of are in Hawaii and South Carolina. He said he knows of some in Louisiana and even Washington State and Oregon. What type of tea and how is the question. I am looking forward to hearing more about this project.

Please contact Nigel if you are a tea grower in the states so he can add you to his list.

Happy sipping!

Where’s the Sencha?

In my cup. I had a pound of sencha in stock that only one person bought. The Highland Green from Mountain Tea is so good that I think the Sencha was sort of forgotten. Anyway, I had to take it off the list because I have been drinking it all.

I don’t know what it is about the comforting taste of green tea when I am stressed or dealing with grief but I have to say Sencha and other green teas really keep me going. I had to turn to the Sencha when I ran out of Gyokuro. I wonder if part of the reason these Japanese teas elevate my mood so easily is because they remind me of my visit to Japan back in 1990. I didn’t want to return to the states. If I hadn’t been married it is possible I would have found a way to stay in Kochi.

So, now I am wondering what I am going to do once I run out of this Sencha. Hopefully by then the freshly harvested gyokuro from the Kurihara family tea farm will arrive. I love their gyokuro. It is the freshest, most amazing gyokuro that makes the most dreary day feel like there is sunshine on my shoulder. A luxury to be certain but one that is well worth it. I only order a few ounces at a time so obviously I don’t carry it in my store but if I could find enough customers who love it then I would order more. Nothing would make me happier than telling the family I need a kilo of Heritage Gyokuro. I think the second best thing about tea is finding one you can’t live without. What is the best thing about tea? Sharing teas you love with friends of course!

So, to answer the question “where’s the Sencha?” I would have to admit it is in my tea cup!

Happy sipping!

What’s new? Lots!

Today I had a phone call from a good friend who made the mistake of asking me what is new in the line of loose leaf teas I currently have in stock. All I could say is lots! I have some lower priced teas for my friends that are really living on a tight budget. I have higher end teas for my friends that want unique, high quality tea. I have lots of tea with ginger for my spicy friends. I seem to have more blends with almonds than I ever imagined possible for my nutty friends. I have quite a bit of blueberry and cranberry blends because they are my favorite. And then there are the wellness blends that my friends swear by. It is an incredible selection. And if that isn’t enough I have the Herb of Immortality which is unique and tasty.

She asked me to send her the loose leaf list which currently is 31 pages because I include everything -the name of the tea, description and ingredients and brewing instructions - and told me she is looking for just plain Gunpowder Green which is something I don’t carry in loose leaf. How is it possible? I do have Adagio Gunpowder Green in sachet but she likes to use the Gunpowder as a base and create her own blends with it so she wants loose leaf. So, off I go to acquire samples and try to find the perfect Gunpowder Green. I don’t mind. It is just funny that here I am with all of these blends and somehow she found a gap.

http://stylintea.com/products/Sorted_loose_leaf_blends__041513.pdf is where my current list is. There are only a few things still on order that I will add when they arrive like Buckwheat that I am special ordering for another customer. Some of the unique items on the list will appear in the website store to make it for my out of the area family and friends to order.

So to answer her question of what’s new the answer is lots with lots more to come!

Happy sipping!

TeaPops

I will try to post some of the unique items being presented at the World Tea Expo this year. One that really caught my interest was TeaPops from DeeBee’s Organic Frozen Treats. They describe their product as:

The world’s first TeaPops - certified organic, kosher, vegan, gluten free, and non-GMO frozen tea-based treats. As a medical scientist and physician, it was important that each ingredient be carefully researched and sourced to ensure the highest quality. Organic TeaPops are available in green, white, and black teas as well as rooibos.

Sounds tasty! They will be at booth 416. Someone will have to let me know if they are as good as the amazing Tea-rrifc Ice Cream we had at the Philadelphia Tea Expo.

DeeBee’s is based out of Victoria, B.C. which is only a ferry ride away from where my mom lives (like I needed another reason to visit). It is unclear from their website if they are wholesale only or have a retail presence. Their website is under construction and they are new to Facebook and Twitter. It seems they are just starting on an incredible journey bridging the tea/food gap. I wish them much success with their venture.

Happy sipping!

DeeBee’s Organic Frozen Treats website is: http://deebeesorganics.com/organics/index.html with links to their Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Another year, another missed Tea Expo

So, guess who can’t go to the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas? That would be me. And there is not going to be an expo in Philadelphia this year. *sigh*

Why do I want to attend the expo? Because it is a great place to network and to learn new things. Also, it allows me to put a face to the names of many vendors I currently purchase from and thank them in person for their valuable assistance and guidance.

Why can’t I attend the expo? Because my son is graduating from college and I think the family would be unamused if they all flew out here and I wasn’t home. It doesn’t mean I won’t be at the tea expo in spirit though.

There will be many new products featured this year that I am interested in that I will write about later like Airscape canisters that remove the air inside so you are giving longevity to whatever you store in them. Very cool.

I will be following the Twitter feed over the days of the event and probably be very envious of the attendees. However, it is such a landmark to see my son fully graduated and starting the next chapter of his life that I don’t mind missing it again this year. Next year, however, I really do hope I can attend. If not that the one in Vegas then the Northwest Tea Festival. That way I can visit my family and drag the one person responsible for my tea addiction with me…my mom!

Happy sipping!

Tale of Two Oolongs

I love Mountain Tea Company.  I don’t think anyone is surprised to hear me announce how much I love their award winning oolongs and delicious Blueberry & Black Currant herbal blend. I was on the phone with Chicco to order more Blueberry  & Black Currant tea sachets for a fundraising project I am working on and we had a lovely conversation about some of his newer oolongs. Of course I had to try two that sounded too good to be true - Ginseng Oolong and Osmanthus Oolong. 

Mountain Tea describes the Osmanthus Oolong as:

“An artful tea with notes of osmanthus, hibiscus, morning gardenia, and fresh cream.  To craft our Osmanthus Oolong, we took our classic Four Seasons of Spring and added just a touch of Osmanthus flavors and finished with fresh whole Osmanthus flowers.”

This oolong was delicious. By the fifth infusion I was kicking myself for not buying a pound of it and hoarding it for myself. I am wild about their Medium Roast TieGuanYin but this was something new and unique. It was one of those moments where I wish I was up in Canada with my Tea Sparrow friends to share it with them and hear their opinion. 

Today I am trying the Ginseng Oolong and it is equally wonderful. Mountain Tea describes this tea as:

“Our classic Four Seasons of Spring blended with just a touch of Ginseng for a satisfying sweetness that isn’t cloying.  Many blenders heavily flavor their tea until it is no longer tea.  Our masterful blend features a delightful interplay of Ginseng while maintaining the true essence of our tea, giving you the wonderful taste of flowers, fruit, and herbs.”

So which do I think is the best? If I had to choose just one it would be the Ginseng Oolong. It is soothing and refreshing but also subtle so nothing interferes with the mouthfeel of that buttery oolong taste that I love so much. 

Thank you Chicco for adding these two wonderful oolongs to your collection of amazing teas. They are both winners as far as I am concerned!  

Happy Sipping!

You can find these oolongs and more at:

http://www.mountaintea.com/collections/flavored-blended

Easter Impromptu Tea Tasting Party

Sunday will be the one year anniversary of Stylin’ Tea Blends. Hard to believe how fast time files. It is also hard to believe how much tea I have consumed over the past year. You would think I would be tired of it by now but actually it is quite the opposite. Somehow I am drinking more tea now than I ever did before. It is probably because the tea I have is so fresh.

This past weekend was crazy. I received some samples from Royal Tea of Kenya and given until Monday to make up my mind as to which tea would be featured for Mother’s Day. I sent out texts and emails to my usual tea tasters but many were away due to the holiday. That meant I had to be creative.

I made up samples of the two different black teas and gave them to Lynne who assured me on Sunday she would try them before going to her in laws. Isabel texted me Sunday morning to tell me her plans had changed and she could come over with Kyle in the afternoon. I love my friends. They really understand when I need them, not just for impromptu tea testings but also for the more important things that have happened in my life.

So, Isabel, Kyle and I tried Auntie’s Anytime Tea and Auntie’s Afternoon Tea. It was a tough decision. Kyle and I liked Anytime and Isabel liked Afternoon best. Then we received the text from Lynne that she and Chris thought that Auntie’s Anytime was more complex in flavor. So Auntie’s Anytime won.

I am looking forward to carrying Auntie’s Anytime Tea which I think we are going to have to rename to Auntie’s Breakfast Tea since I can’t have two Anytime teas due to the confusion in names. It is confusing enough when I get an order for “that Kenyan tea”.  I have more than one. One customer even requested Grandpa’s by asking for “that black tea that looks like coffee grounds”. So does Auntie’s Anytime tea.

My other black tea drinkers have yet to get back to me with their notes but I think they will agree with our choice. A year ago I think I even posted that I was a Ceylon or nothing kind of gal. How did it happen that I have found so much love for the Kenyan black teas? I think it is that I never really had high quality Kenyan black tea until I went to the Tea Expo in Philadelphia and Joy from Royal Tea of Kenya took the time to explain and let me taste what I was missing.

As soon as Auntie’s Breakfast is in stock I will get it up on my website.

Happy sipping!