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Alex Zorach

RateTea Editor

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Member since Sep. 1st, 2009. Reviewed 1448 teas.

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Picture of Darjeeling, Puttabong Estate, 1st Flush

Darjeeling, Puttabong Estate, 1st Flush from Simpson & Vail

Style: Darjeeling First Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

84 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 25th, 2018

A tricky-to-brew tea that reminded me a lot of green oolongs from Taiwan, and required a lower water temperature to brew to satisfaction.

The dry leaf, quite broken, is an intense green color, like a lot of good Darjeeling first flush. It looks exactly like pictured in the company photo (I appreciate honest photogra...

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Picture of Teng Chong Hui Long Zhai Yunnan Green Tea

Teng Chong Hui Long Zhai Yunnan Green Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Green Tea – Region: Tengchong, Yunnan, China

85 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 23rd, 2018

A bold-flavored green tea producing a pale-colored cup with a brisk character. Very enjoyable and easy to brew and drink.

The dry leaf has a tightly curled appearance, a lot like Bi Luo Chun but more irregular. It's very fragrant and strong, grassy and somewhat smoky, with a hint of bready qualities. The smell sugge...

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Picture of Nilgiri Korakundah Estate - Organic FOP/FBOP

Nilgiri Korakundah Estate - Organic FOP/FBOP from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Nilgiri, India

71 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 16th, 2018

A beautifully aromatic tea that a strong bitterness and thin body. I found it tricky to brew to satisfaction. I have now sampled three teas from Korakundah estate, and I find they are all a bit like this, although I think this was by far my favorite of the three. Thank you to Simpson & Vail for the free sample!

The ...

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Picture of Da Hu Sai Village Wild Arbor Black Tea of Yunnan Spring 2018

Da Hu Sai Village Wild Arbor Black Tea of Yunnan Spring 2018 from Yunnan Sourcing

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

92 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 8th, 2018

This is one of those really dangerous teas...very caffeinated but incredibly mild and smooth tasting, so it is very easy to brew it too strongly and get uncomfortably wired.

Dry leaf has a potent and very pleasing aroma: strongly malty with cocoa notes, and a faint hint of smoke and vegetal notes. Contrasting with t...

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Picture of Jingmai Mountain Wild Arbor Black Tea of Spring 2018

Jingmai Mountain Wild Arbor Black Tea of Spring 2018 from Yunnan Sourcing

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

100 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 5th, 2018

Wow! Exceptional!!!

I've tried a lot of teas from Yunnan Sourcing over the years but have never ordered nor have I reviewed any of them; they were always just served to me by others, often aged Pu-erhs. I finally ordered some of my own and I am super impressed with every one. This is my favorite one of the batch.

...

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Picture of Black Tea Bar (Loose-leaf)

Black Tea Bar (Loose-leaf) from Ten Ren Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa

89 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Aug. 21st, 2018

I bought this at the H-Mart in Metuchen, NJ. The label didn't give me much of an idea of what to expect; all I knew was that it was Taiwan-grown black tea and was inexpensive. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this quickly became one of my favorite teas for daily drinking. I highly recommend it and would gladly b...

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Picture of Buket Black Tea

Buket Black Tea from Azercay (Azerçay)

Style: Black Tea – Region: Russia

88 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Aug. 13th, 2018

I have been wanting to try Russian tea for some time, and this is the first one I have sampled, and it exceeded my expectations!

Thank you to my friend Olga who brought this back for me! This brand sells tea both from Azerbaijan and Russia, but this batch was produced in Russia, according to the box, by Kuban Tea (u...

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Picture of Green Tea (Ato-bi process)

Green Tea (Ato-bi process) from ITO EN

Style: Green Tea – Region: Japan

79 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
May. 23rd, 2018

This was quite a discovery. I purchased this at a Chinese market in Edison, NJ. I was surprised to see a Japanese tea for sale, but I grabbed it because I saw D. Gray had reviewed it and was eager to try it. I wasn't disappointed!

The dry leaf is a rich, yellow-green color, and pleasantly aromatic, smelling sweet an...

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Picture of Ramanugger Estate FTGFOP1 Organic

Ramanugger Estate FTGFOP1 Organic from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Assam – Region: Karbi Anglong, Assam, India

74 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
May. 21st, 2018

I specifically sought this tea out because it was from a region of Assam that is a little higher-altitude, and from where I hadn't previously tried any teas. Interestingly, it did taste a little more like a Darjeeling and other high-grown Himalayan region teas. Although I thought it was a very good tea, I liked it less...

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Picture of Season's Pick Colombian Leafy Black Tea Organic

Season's Pick Colombian Leafy Black Tea Organic from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Black Tea – Region: Colombia

95 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
May. 17th, 2018

Another exquisite tea from the Bitaco estate in Columbia! This was a smooth black tea that tasted top-quality, but was a bit weak on the resteep. Tastes better when brewed strongly. I served this tea to two different people as well and they both loved it.

I've been trying different grades and batches or variants of ...

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Picture of Nandi Royal GFBOP Black Tea

Nandi Royal GFBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Black Tea – Region: Nandi, Kenya

86 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 13th, 2018

Probably the strongest tea I have had in a long time. I loved this one. It's not for the faint of heart, though!

Upton's humble "Nandi Royal OP" really blew me away, so I was eager to try this. Compared to that one, this is a higher-grade broken-leaf tea, more tippy, but more broken. The price on this is slightly hi...

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Picture of Nepal Guranse Estate Organic Oolong Tea

Nepal Guranse Estate Organic Oolong Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Nepal

84 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
May. 3rd, 2018

A good tea that resembled Darjeeling first flush teas and probably would have convinced me it was a "black" tea if it had not been labeled as an oolong. It's more like a Himalayan black tea that had something different or unusual about it. Not what I expected; it was nothing like Chinese oolongs, nor like Darjeeling oo...

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Picture of British Blend - Premium Black Tea

British Blend - Premium Black Tea from Tetley Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

24 / 100 Aroma: 2/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 1/5
Apr. 22nd, 2018

I was not impressed with this. I think I prefer Lipton even, and that says a lot because I am not exactly a fan of Lipton or any of these mass-produced, low-quality tea bags.

Thank you to my friend Sarah for letting me try this!

Weak aroma, only slightly malty, but there's a hint of a sort of unpleasant, fishy ar...

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Picture of Assam Nokhroy Estate Black Tea (STGSOP1)

Assam Nokhroy Estate Black Tea (STGSOP1) from Simpson & Vail

Style: Assam – Region: Tinsukia, Assam, India

91 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 17th, 2018

This was a wonderfully smooth-flavored Assam, yet with good strength and complexity, and a great price. Thank you to Simpson & Vail for this sample!

Dry leaf, which is fine, curly, and has a moderate amount of golden tip, has an interesting aroma, initially there's a slight burned quality, suggestive of candle wax, ...

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Picture of Rukeri Estate Rwanda BOP Organic

Rukeri Estate Rwanda BOP Organic from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Black Tea – Region: Rwanda

96 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 16th, 2018

This was a remarkably good tea for a low price: a strong black tea that was still quite smooth and had great aromatic complexity and depth. One of the best broken-leaf teas I've ever tried.

The dry leaf smells amazing! It's a sort of sweet bready smell with toasty notes and a hint of wintergreen. It made me excited...

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Picture of China Special Snow Dragon Green Tea

China Special Snow Dragon Green Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Green Tea – Region: Fuding, Fujian, China

76 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Apr. 14th, 2018

A pleasant green tea with a smooth, mild flavor that tasted a lot better when brewed more strongly. Easy to drink and I'd imagine this would appeal to a broad audience, with perhaps an exception for people who think green tea is bland or weak, because this was on the milder side.

Thank you to Simpson & Vail for the ...

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Picture of Marangi Estate TGFOP1

Marangi Estate TGFOP1 from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Assam – Region: Golaghat, Assam, India

75 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Apr. 12th, 2018

A subdued but rather strange Assam tea, muted in flavor and with a few off qualities.

This tea was kind of fascinating to review because I just tried a tea of a higher grade, from the same estate, from a different company, Simpson & Vail. I was surprised at how different the teas were. The difference of adding that ...

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Picture of China Cangyuan Yunnan Organic Black Tea

China Cangyuan Yunnan Organic Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

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

99 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 11th, 2018

This was an exceptional tea and one of my favorite that I've sampled in a very long time. It was somewhat like other Yunnan teas but had unique lemony notes. Thank you to Simpson & Vail for the sample! I'm excited because this one sparked me adding a new sub-region to RateTea, it's the first tea we've listed from Cang...

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Picture of Assam Marangi Estate Black Tea (FTGFOP1)

Assam Marangi Estate Black Tea (FTGFOP1) from Simpson & Vail

Style: Assam – Region: Golaghat, Assam, India

88 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Mar. 27th, 2018

This tea had a sublime combination of smoothness and depth characteristic of top-quality teas. The flavor was exceptional but the aroma a little weak and less interesting. Thank you to Simpson & Vail for the sample!

Very curly-looking leaf, beautiful, with a very large portion of orange tips (more than in the compa...

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Picture of Organic Tippy Colombian Black Tea (T2)

Organic Tippy Colombian Black Tea (T2) from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Colombia

97 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 26th, 2018

This was a light tea with a strong savory flavor, that tasted distinctly like lobster!

Another sample from Simpson & Vail, thank you! I've been loving all the black teas I've tried from the Bitaco estate in Colombia, and this is another one. They are all excellent! I'm glad to see this garden and its teas taking o...

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Picture of Vietnam Ha Giang Black

Vietnam Ha Giang Black from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Ha Giang

85 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 22nd, 2018

A very pleasant tea that was easy to steep and easy to appreciate. Like a good Yunnan tea but a little smoother.

Thank you to Simpson & Vail for the sample!

Dry leaf smells really beautiful and kind of fascinating: malty but with strong vegetal notes. It looks and smells a lot like a Yunnan tea, which makes sense...

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Picture of Doomni Estate TGBOP

Doomni Estate TGBOP from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Assam – Region: Baksa, Assam, India

92 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 19th, 2018

This is my type of Assam. An intensely strong tea with a brisk, refreshing character and a satisfying depth. Requires care in brewing though; this tea can become unpleasantly bitter and sour if steeped too long.

Dry leaf, broken but with ample golden tips, is lightly aromatic, malty, and pleasant.

Upon brewing t...

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Picture of Donyi Polo Estate SFTGFOP Tippy Cl.

Donyi Polo Estate SFTGFOP Tippy Cl. from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Black Tea – Region: Arunachal Pradesh, India

71 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 19th, 2018

This tea threw me off because it was so radically different from what I was expecting. It's only my second tea ever from Arunachal, and I didn't know what to expect, but based on the location, I was expecting a darker, Assam-like tea, and it was instead, a light, Darjeeling-like tea. I think Upton's description is poor...

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Picture of Honey Vanilla Chamomile

Honey Vanilla Chamomile from Celestial Seasonings

Style: Chamomile Blend – Region: ?????

61 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 18th, 2018

I tried this tea at an event; I wasn't expecting to like it, but I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.

This tea reminds me of a certain lifesaver flavor that I can't pinpoint...not one of the normal five flavors, and not a type I've had in years. It takes me back to my childhood. Perhaps a pina col...

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Picture of Kingly Assam Summer Natural Traditional Black

Kingly Assam Summer Natural Traditional Black from TEAORB

Style: Assam – Region: Darrang, Assam, India

91 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 16th, 2018

A singular tea, very different from other black teas I've tried: very bold in flavor, yet with a deeper, darker character a bit like ripened Pu-erh.

This tea stood out from TEAORB's other samples. Thanks again to Bahniman and TEAORB for the sample! It was a broken-leaf orthodox tea, the only one sold by the compan...

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