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Alex Zorach

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Member since Sep. 1st, 2009. Reviewed 1453 teas.

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Picture of Assam TGFOP1 Ananda Second Flush

Assam TGFOP1 Ananda Second Flush from TeaGschwendner

Style: Assam – Region: Lakhimpur, Assam, India

83 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Apr. 2nd, 2021

This tea is named somewhat differently in the US vs Europe but I'm pretty sure it's the same. In Germany it's "Assam TGFOP1 Ananda" with "Second Flush" underneath, whereas in the US the grade is omitted in the name, but clarified in the tea's description so I'm pretty sure it's the same thing.

The dry leaf is pleasa...

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Picture of Irish Breakfast

Irish Breakfast from Frontier

Style: Irish Breakfast – Region: India

81 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 21st, 2021

This tea was spot-on in terms of style for Irish Breakfast, and one of the better examples of it at that.

The leaf is broken but the pieces of leaf are still recognizable as such, especially after steeping. The dry leaf has a pleasant aroma that suggests a strong, fresh tea. It infuses fairly quickly to produce a po...

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Picture of Kumaon Black Tea

Kumaon Black Tea from Frontier

Style: Black Tea – Region: Kumaon, India

79 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 14th, 2021

I've been curious about teas from the Kumaon region of India for some time, but had yet to get my hands on one until now. What a surprise when the local food co-op got this in stock in their display of Frontier's bulk teas and spices!

The leaf is very fine, and strongly aromatic. The still-rather-intact leaf is tiny...

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Picture of Classic Robust Jin Jun Mei Black Tea of Fujian

Classic Robust Jin Jun Mei Black Tea of Fujian from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Black Tea – Region: Wuyi, Fujian, China

100 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 3rd, 2021

I seriously can't get enough of this tea. This is not only my favorite of the teas I've bought from Yunnan Sourcing from provinces other than Yunnan, it is among my favorite teas of all time.

The leaf is beautiful, a thin, wiry mix of golden-orange and dark brown. It's not explosively aromatic, but when I really sti...

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Picture of Premium Full Leaf

Premium Full Leaf from Rabea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

86 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 2nd, 2021

I've known about this brand of tea for years but only recently got my hands on it, at a local Arab store. The packaging is unusually flimsy, just a single layer of cardboard lining with a foil seal and a plastic lid, but I actually appreciated the lack of plastic wrap as it made for less packaging waste than with other...

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Picture of Classic Yixing Hong Black Tea from Jiangsu

Classic Yixing Hong Black Tea from Jiangsu from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Black Tea – Region: Jiangsu, China

85 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 23rd, 2021

This is my first black tea I've ever tried from Jiangsu province; previously I have only ever had green tea. Interestingly, both this and the green teas (Bi Luo Chun and Yun Wu) have a distinctive curly shape to the leaf. Is this a local tradition? Overall, it was pleasant but somewhat uninteresting or forgettable.

...

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Picture of F.B.O.P. No. 1

F.B.O.P. No. 1 from Alwazah Tea (Swan Brand)

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Sri Lanka / Ceylon

86 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Feb. 22nd, 2021

This was another fantastic find at a local middle-eastern store. I am already a huge fan of Ahmad and Alghazaleen teas, and this was another tea in the same genre, yet with some interesting differences from those. Of those teas, this one tasted most similar to Ahmad's Ceylon OPA, but I liked it better.

The dry leaf ...

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Picture of Purple Needle Black Tea of Jing Mai Mountain

Purple Needle Black Tea of Jing Mai Mountain from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Yunnan Red – Region: Lancang, Yunnan, China

94 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jan. 5th, 2021

This tea was quite different, especially relative to other Chinese teas. I enjoyed it a lot.

The dry leaf of this is long and straight, and has a mild aroma that is unlike most Yunnan teas: mostly fruity, and smelling more like grape than anything else, with some herbaceous, skunky undertones. It is reminiscent of s...

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Picture of Classic Laoshan Black Tea from Shandong

Classic Laoshan Black Tea from Shandong from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Black Tea – Region: Shandong, China

88 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 27th, 2020

Wow, I've been reviewing teas for all these years and this is the first tea I've ever tried from Shandong, and I am a fan!

The leaf is tightly curled and has a dusty gray appearance, with small but somewhat thick leaves, and smells very potent: strongly malty with a hint of smoke and dark chocolate. The maltiness is...

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Picture of Yi Mei Ren Wu Liang Mountain Yunnan Black Tea

Yi Mei Ren Wu Liang Mountain Yunnan Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Black Tea – Region: Jingdong, Yunnan, China

72 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 23rd, 2020

This was the first tea I've tried from Yunnan Sourcing to (relatively) disappoint. Perhaps it's just not suited to my tastes, and it's not bad, but I thought it failed to live up to the high expectations I have come to develop for this company.

This tea had both a different appearance and aroma from what I am used t...

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Picture of Premium Qimen Black Tea of Huangshan

Premium Qimen Black Tea of Huangshan from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Keemun Mao Feng – Region: Huangshan, Anhui, China

92 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 22nd, 2020

I continue to branch out into black teas from provinces other than Yunnan, sold by Yunnan Sourcing. This was a pleasant surprise: an exceptionally smooth tea, easy to brew and easy to drink, among the sweetest Keemuns I've tried.

The dry leaf is very fine and curly, so much it is shaped more like Bi Luo Chun than li...

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Picture of High Mountain

High Mountain "Tu Cha" Black Tea from Wu Yi Mountains from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Black Tea – Region: Wuyi, Fujian, China

86 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 19th, 2020

This was a pleasant, if somewhat disappointing tea that I found tasted better as it cooled.

The dry leaf is long, wiry, and grayish black, and has a mild aroma that initially is a sort of sweet chocolatey quality, underlain by a deep maltiness. It reminds me of a chocolate shortbread cookie. Overall, the dry leaf do...

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Picture of Loose Leaf Breakfast Blend Black Tea

Loose Leaf Breakfast Blend Black Tea from Benner Tea Co

Style: Black Tea – Region: ?????

72 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jul. 16th, 2020

I was really excited to see loose-leaf tea for sale in ALDI, and I eagerly bought this. I can't remember how much it cost but I think it was around $5. I had written some time back about how frustrated I was at how bad the tea bag teas from Benner Tea Co, the ALDI generic brand, were.

ALDI consistently has high-qual...

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Picture of Gold Leaf Tea

Gold Leaf Tea from Akbar

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Sri Lanka / Ceylon

90 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jan. 15th, 2020

I was astonished by this tea's quality as well as value for its price. One of my friends recently bought this from a Russian market, and he had only recently opened the container so it was very fresh.

The dry leaf though is explosively aromatic. This is by far the most aromatic Ceylon black tea I've ever found in th...

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Picture of Nan Nuo Mountain Assamica Varietal Black Tea

Nan Nuo Mountain Assamica Varietal Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Yunnan Red – Region: Menghai, Yunnan, China

97 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 16th, 2019

This was another delightful tea. Of all the teas I've tried recently, it was most similar to the Big Snow Mountain of Mengku. It also reminded me a lot of some artisanal Assam teas I tried a while back from TeaOrb, a company that sells teas from regions of Assam that don't typically reach the western market.

The dry...

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Picture of High Mountain Red Ai Lao Mountain Black Tea

High Mountain Red Ai Lao Mountain Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Black Tea – Region: Simao, Yunnan, China

86 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 4th, 2019

I was eager to try this tea based on its description. I love big-leafed black teas from Taiwan and also love Taiwanese oolongs, as well as Yunnan red teas, and this tea seemed to have something in common with all of these. It wasn't really like I expected though; it was quite good, but in a different way. It was my lea...

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Picture of Traditional Process Dian Hong Black Tea of Feng Qing

Traditional Process Dian Hong Black Tea of Feng Qing from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

95 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 28th, 2019

A delightful and robust tea that I could happily drink day after day, and that has been one of my favorite teas to start the day with lately.

I found this tea interesting to compare to the "Classic 58" which I also ordered in the same batch. It looks very different in terms of leaf appearance, but is surprisingly si...

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Picture of Wu Liang Hong Mao Feng Yunnan Black Tea

Wu Liang Hong Mao Feng Yunnan Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Simao, Yunnan, China

100 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 27th, 2019

This is definitely my favorite tea I've ever ordered from Yunnan Sourcing, and one of the most exceptional teas I've ever tried. And this is coming from someone who usually is not a huge fan of the super-golden bud-heavy teas like this.

Opening the bag, there's an ethereal fragrance of flowers and sweet, bready malt...

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Picture of Classic Bai Lin Gong Fu

Classic Bai Lin Gong Fu "Golden Monkey" Black tea of Fuding from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Golden Monkey – Region: Fuding, Fujian, China

91 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 10th, 2019

This was the first tea I bought from Yunnan Sourcing that was not actually grown in Yunnan province. I was a bit reluctant to order it, but also curious, because this company has been so consistently good at everything they sell, both in terms of price and quality. This tea turned out to be a little less interesting th...

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Picture of Feng Qing

Feng Qing "Classic 58" Dian Hong Premium Yunnan Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Fengqing, Yunnan, China

92 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 4th, 2019

This is one of those teas that I love and could drink every day, but when I've served it to others, I found it doesn't appeal to as wide an audience, especially among those with Western tastes. People who like more "serious" Chinese teas like it, it but a lot of people either find it boring or are put-off by the astrin...

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Picture of Big Snow Mountain of Mengku Black Tea

Big Snow Mountain of Mengku Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Shuangjiang, Yunnan, China

98 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 6th, 2019

I found this tea absolutely delightful. I continue to be impressed with Yunnan Sourcing, ordering one top-notch tea after another, all reasonably priced.

The dry leaf has the most amazing aroma of any tea I've sampled over the past couple years. It's both strong and complex, floral, malty, spicy, and lightly smoky a...

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Picture of China Black Special

China Black Special from TeaSource

Style: Black Tea – Region: Guangxi, China

93 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 21st, 2019

TeaSource describes this tea as unusual, and I agree, and not just how it looks, and its origin (only my second tea I've ever tried from Guangxi) but also its flavor and aroma! I really loved this one and I found it easy to drink and enjoy.

The leaf is only lightly aromatic but the smell is very pleasant.

Upon st...

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Picture of Yunnan FOP

Yunnan FOP from TeaSource

Style: Yunnan Red – Region: Yunnan, China

81 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 19th, 2019

One of the most interesting teas I've tried in a while!

The dry leaf, which is quite aesthetic looking, smells very unusual and different. The aroma is strong, quite smoky and also herbaceous, with hints of malt and cocoa. It also reminds me a little bit of the smell of an ashtray though, and also of the "new car" s...

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Picture of Ceylon, Lumbini Estate, FBOP

Ceylon, Lumbini Estate, FBOP from TeaSource

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Matara, Sri Lanka

91 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 18th, 2019

This was an exceptional tea and without a doubt one of the best Ceylons I've sampled ever. I like Ceylons, but outside of the ones from teakruthi, it's rare I find ones that stand out. This is one of them!

The leaf looks very straightforward, made of large broken pieces of wiry leaf, uniform in texture and dark gray...

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Picture of Kenya Michimikuru Estate FBOPF

Kenya Michimikuru Estate FBOPF from TeaSource

Style: Black Tea – Region: Kenya

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 18th, 2019

I love teas from Kenya, and I've been loving the teas I ordered from TeaSource, so it makes sense I would love this one! I think it is my favorite tea of the whole batch.

The dry leaf smells amazing: there is a sweet, bready quality, and a hint of the juniper smell that is mention in the commercial description.

B...

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