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Alex Zorach

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

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Picture of Golden Kenya GFBOP/TGFOP

Golden Kenya GFBOP/TGFOP from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Black Tea – Region: Kenya

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 2nd, 2011

Surprisingly interesting aroma of the dry leaf....fruity but in a way distinct from any other sort of black tea.

Brewed cup is very complex: initially malty and very fruity, with a strong fennel aroma. Not much bite up-front, but there is a strong but pleasing bitterness, and a very bold peppery finish like a Yunna...

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Picture of Panyang Congou Select

Panyang Congou Select from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Panyang Congou – Region: Fujian, China

87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 22nd, 2011

A delightful and complex black tea. Very robust and full-bodied, moderate bitterness, but not overly caffeinated. Aroma simultaneously a little smoky, fruity, and malty, with no one quality dominating the others. Very balanced. Very pleasing.

I can see this becoming a favorite everyday black tea for me: it is mu...

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Picture of Dejoo Estate TGFOP(S)

Dejoo Estate TGFOP(S) from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Assam – Region: Lakhimpur, Assam, India

67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 15th, 2011

Dry leaf's aroma is more suggestive of a Keemun than an Assam. Brewing, I find this tea fits Upton's description very closely:

It's deep and malty, a faint hint of fruitiness (less than the dry leaf suggests), dark, but very smooth, and with some fresh herbaceous tones. Strong but without being overly bitter. Som...

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Picture of Darjeeling Estate Organic Black Tea

Darjeeling Estate Organic Black Tea from Wegmans

Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

60 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Apr. 6th, 2011

I suspect this is from Makaibari estate, not just because of the fair trade and organic certification, but because it bears the familiar aroma of black teas from that garden.

This particular batch is exceptionally fruity, one of the frutiest Darjeelings I've tried yet. There is an intense grape aroma, so sweet and ...

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Picture of Finest Darjeeling

Finest Darjeeling from Jacksons of Piccadilly

Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

70 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 17th, 2011

Generous on the leaf--the teabag reads 2.5 grams, an amount similar to what I'd use for one cup when using loose-leaf tea, and it makes me realize how much a lot of companies skimp on the leaf.

This is a broken-leaf Darjeeling, with smallish pieces of leaf . The leaf is highly heterogeneous in color: many of the le...

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Picture of English Breakfast

English Breakfast from Red Rose Tea

Style: English Breakfast – Region: Blend

53 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Mar. 17th, 2011

I had the opportunity to sample this a couple times. The second time I had a fresher sample and it tasted noticeably better. The tea bag smelled malty, which was a good sign!

Brews a rich, dark color. Flavor is weaker than I expect from this style: not very bitter, and aroma is less malty than I like. Compared t...

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Picture of Classic

Classic from Wissotzky

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

40 / 100 Aroma: 3/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 11th, 2011

Thank you to my friend Morgan for giving this one to me to sample! I had the 1.5g sample--a little less tea than I normally use for a single cup, but similar to the amount in most other mainstream tea company's tea bags.

Overall, smooth and somewhat flat flavor: not very bitter, a hint of a savory quality, and a sl...

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Picture of Ceylon Orange Pekoe

Ceylon Orange Pekoe from Twinings

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Matale, Sri Lanka (Dimbula)

63 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 28th, 2011

A classic British-style Ceylon tea. Medium-strength black tea with a fairly clean, cool taste. Moderate bitterness and astringency, little sourness. Maltier and deeper than some Ceylons.

Above average among Twinings offerings and better than what I typically expect from a tea bag. This is an example of a tea tha...

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Picture of Estate Blend Tea

Estate Blend Tea from Bromley Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

50 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Feb. 22nd, 2011

Impressive for a simple paper-wrapped tea bag.

Typical black tea aroma, not terribly complex. Mostly deep and malty, like an Assam, but with some of the tones characteristic of Ceylon. Slightly smoky. Significantly lighter than a pure Assam.

Surprisingly, this tea has a substantial savory or umami flavor. It ...

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Picture of Yunnan Golden Bud

Yunnan Golden Bud from Life in Teacup

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Yunnan, China

70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 15th, 2011

The initial aroma is malty and deep, typical for a Yunnan gold, but with more fruity qualities, especially of dried fruit. Upon drinking the cup, the aroma becomes more fruity and vegetal, sharing some of the wine-like qualities of a Keemun with some of the vegetal qualities of some Darjeeling, even Darjeeling oolong ...

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Picture of Organic South Indian Select Tea

Organic South Indian Select Tea from Novus Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: India

70 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Feb. 13th, 2011

This tea was outstanding but I did not find that it fit its commercial description. I don't notice any wood-like aroma nor would I describe this tea as brisk. It shares many characteristics with a highly tannic Assam, but it is smoother, with little bitterness or astringency.

Aroma is mostly of sweet, dark dried f...

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Picture of Yorkshire Tea Decaf

Yorkshire Tea Decaf from Yorkshire Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

53 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 31st, 2011

This one really surprised me. I sampled it side-by-side with Yorkshire's traditional blend (their flagship tea) out of curiosity. I myself am highly skeptical of decaf tea.

It's not as good, I'll say that straight up. But...it's by far the best decaf black tea I've tried yet. It is even better than a number of c...

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Picture of Yorkshire Tea Traditional

Yorkshire Tea Traditional from Yorkshire Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 31st, 2011

A lot of people seem to compare this to PG Tips, so I will continue the tradition. I will say, the two teas definitely are in the same style: a strong English-style breakfast tea. But, hands down, this tea absolutely toasts PG Tips, in spite of the fact that it came in a normal, flat tea bag, and the PG Tips I've had...

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Picture of Nilgiri Select Black Tea

Nilgiri Select Black Tea from Wegmans

Style: Black Tea – Region: Nilgiri, India

70 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Jan. 24th, 2011

This was my first Nilgiri tea. I have heard Nilgiris described as being similar to Ceylon and I can see this. It's definitely more similar to a a lower-elevation Ceylon than it is to any other Indian tea I've tried. I don't notice much high-grown character in this tea.

I also think it's reminiscent of a Hubei Kee...

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Picture of Kocha Japanese Black

Kocha Japanese Black from Far West Trading Company

Style: Black Tea – Region: Japan

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 20th, 2010

There is something very muted and controlled about this tea. It reminds me of a high-grown Ceylon, from Nuwara Eliya, and I would probably believe it if someone labeled it as such. A faint malty aroma is barely present under a light, rice-like quality. Only a faint bitterness in the aftertaste, and very little astri...

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Picture of Java Malabar Plantation Black Tea

Java Malabar Plantation Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: West Java, Indonesia

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 14th, 2010

Thank you Marlena for sharing this one!

Aroma is unique, and hard to describe, very clean and cool, yet deep. A suggestion of wintergreen, like I've only ever encountered in Ceylon teas from the Uva region. I can see the licorice and grilled vegetables Marlena describes, as well. The aroma suggests savory qualiti...

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Picture of Irish Breakfast

Irish Breakfast from Mrs. Robinson's Tea Shop

Style: Irish Breakfast – Region: Blend

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 6th, 2010

Intensely malty, with deep undertones of sweet dried fruit, giving way to a bitter and rather tannic aftertaste. Very powerful. Even if you use sparing amounts of leaf, this brews a very powerful cup.

I like this because it blends the deep, malty characteristics of an Assam with the fruitier aspects of a good Keem...

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Picture of Quality Blend Tea - Olde McCormick Tea House

Quality Blend Tea - Olde McCormick Tea House from McCormick

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

40 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Dec. 1st, 2010

I found this tea bag at a church event and tried it out of curiosity. I really wasn't expecting much, given that this tea was discontinued over a year ago and the bags are individually wrapped only in paper, so the particular tea bag that I sampled wasn't terribly fresh, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised....

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Picture of Keemun

Keemun from Rishi Tea

Style: Keemun – Region: Hubei, China

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 12th, 2010

This is the first Hubei Keemun I've tried, and I will say it is quite different from other Keemuns, and in fact, quite different from anything I've ever had: count on Rishi to locate and select innovative teas, although I still can't make up my mind about whether I like this particular innovation. I tried brewing this...

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Picture of Ancient Golden Yunnan

Ancient Golden Yunnan from Rishi Tea

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Yunnan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 5th, 2010

The dry leaf has an incredibly fruity aroma, like apricot.

This is a strong black tea with a very pleasing aroma and flavor. It is malty like an Assam, but with less edge. Unfortunately, there's only a hint of the pleasing fruity quality that I noticed in the dry leaf. Less bitter than you'd expect, and not very ...

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Picture of Ceylon Single Estate

Ceylon Single Estate from Rishi Tea

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

53 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Oct. 31st, 2010

Ceylon is not my favorite type of black tea, but I'm always blown away by what Rishi manages to come up with, so I was curious to try this one.

Brewed as recommended, this cup is dark but clear, and of below-average overall strength for a black tea. However, it is also more full-bodied than average. The aroma is s...

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Picture of English Breakfast

English Breakfast from Wedgwood

Style: English Breakfast – Region: Blend

47 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Oct. 14th, 2010

This is a CTC tea and it is insanely strong. I brewed for a little less than a minute, using less than a teaspoon of leaf, and it was still a bit strong for me. This tea is fairly aromatic; I'm not sure exactly the proportions that go in but I can definitely taste some Ceylon and what seems like possibly an Assam or ...

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Picture of Irish Breakfast Black Tea

Irish Breakfast Black Tea from Boston Tea Company

Style: Irish Breakfast – Region: Blend

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 6th, 2010

This is my favorite tea so far from the Boston Tea Company. Although Irish Breakfast isn't my favorite style of black tea, this is without a doubt my favorite Irish breakfast tea yet, and I find this particular blend to stand out among any kind of strong black tea.

The aroma is complex, powerful, and surprisingly f...

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Picture of Makaibari Estate Darjeeling 1st Flush Black Tea

Makaibari Estate Darjeeling 1st Flush Black Tea from Arbor Teas

Style: Darjeeling First Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 26th, 2010

I never cease to be amazed by what comes out of Makaibari estate.

The dry brownish leaves with a few greener leaves mixed in turn noticeably greener upon brewing--most of them become the color of a green tea, with a few olive-colored ones mixed in. The cup is a deep golden hue, no darker than some green teas.

Ar...

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Picture of English Breakfast

English Breakfast from Boston Tea Company

Style: English Breakfast – Region: Blend

67 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 7th, 2010

This is a classic English Breakfast tea. Medium strength, full-bodied, good black tea aroma with some complexity. There's some earthiness and a pleasant hint of floral black tea tones. Moderately bitter and fairly astringent.

I tried brewing this with different brewing lengths and found no advantage to a longer s...

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