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Alex Zorach

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

Reviews of Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis)

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Picture of Jinjunmei Thé Noir

Jinjunmei Thé Noir from D.M.D Bridge

Style: Black Tea – Region: China

78 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Sep. 27th, 2023

This was one of the better teas I've bought in-person in a long time, and was quite delicious, but was still disappointing, especially in terms of value, relative to similar teas I have bought online, particularly in that it did not resteep well.

I bought this tea at a Local Vietnamese Grocery Store. The dry leaf lo...

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Picture of Assamica Black Tea from Mei Zi Qing Village

Assamica Black Tea from Mei Zi Qing Village from Yunnan Sourcing

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

73 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 8th, 2023

I tried this tea right when I ordered it, but did not like it. It had few objectionable qualities, and was actually quite smooth, but simply seemed a little boring. However, I set it in my cupboard for quite some time and sure enough, it has started tasting more interesting after about a year and a half. Still, it is n...

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Picture of Organic Wuyuan Black

Organic Wuyuan Black from Little Red Cup

Style: Black Tea – Region: Wuyuan, Jiangxi, China

92 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jan. 1st, 2023

This is my first black tea that I've ever tried from Wuyuan county; prior to this I have only had green teas, which I've tended to like.

The dry leaf has a fine texture and looks slightly greyish with reddish highlights. It has a pleasing aroma that strongly resembles the lighter examples of Keemun, but is rather di...

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Picture of Colombian Leafy Black Organic Tea

Colombian Leafy Black Organic Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Colombia

95 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 30th, 2022

I've tried what I'm pretty sure is this same exact grade of tea from the same garden, but sold by Upton Tea Imports, a while back, and I loved it. I loved it this time too!

The brewed cup has a strong and complex aroma. It has a moderate toastiness to it, with notes of cocoa and strong notes of wintergreen, which I ...

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Picture of Rwanda OPA Rukeri

Rwanda OPA Rukeri from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Rwanda

96 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 18th, 2022

Simply exceptional! This is one of the teas that I think is much better than its commercial description suggests! This is the second tea I've tried from Rukeri estate; the first was a BOP grade from Upton Imports. This tea was similar and I loved both.

The dry leaf is finely broken, much more so than I expect for th...

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Picture of Tanzania Luponde Black Organic Tea FOP

Tanzania Luponde Black Organic Tea FOP from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Tanzania

81 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 4th, 2022

This was one of the higher-quality teas I've tried from Tanzania, pleasing to drink, unique and interesting, also extraordinarily value-priced.

The dry leaf has a pleasant and potent aroma, malty and with a hint of caraway and fruity notes. The leaf is on the intact / whole side of what I would expect for the FOP gr...

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Picture of Assam - Itakhooli Estate

Assam - Itakhooli Estate from Simpson & Vail

Style: Assam – Region: Tinsukia, Assam, India

79 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 24th, 2022

This was a rather strong, but high-quality Assam sold for an exceptionally good price.

The dry leaf has a potent aroma, spicy and fruity. I already notice the raspberry notes even in the dry leaf. But the aroma somehow betrays a slight harshness: I can tell this is going to be a tea with a bit of an edge, even befor...

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Picture of Georgian BOP

Georgian BOP from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Georgia

70 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 20th, 2022

I have been wanting to try a tea from Georgia for a long time; the past few times I've gotten teas from Simpson & Vail, this tea has not been available, so I was excited to see it come back into their catalogue.

This tea was also really fascinating, very different from other black teas I've tried, even different fro...

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Picture of Japanese Black Tea

Japanese Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Japan

97 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 18th, 2022

I was really impressed by this tea. I found it delightful, and also easy to brew and easy to drink. Smooth, aromatic, and pleasing in flavor. I've only ever tried one other black tea from Japan, but this one was by far the better of the two, and ranks among the top-tier black teas I've sampled from any region.

The d...

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Picture of Assam - Dikom Estate, GTGFOP1, Black Indian Tea

Assam - Dikom Estate, GTGFOP1, Black Indian Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Assam – Region: Dibrugarh, Assam, India

84 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 18th, 2022

This was a smoother, higher-grade Assam that had a much lighter character than is typical for an Assam.

The dry leaf is pretty aesthetically pleasing, it actually looks much nicer than the picture S&V provided on their website: lots of tip, which looks more pale and less golden than some. Its aroma is rather fruity ...

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"Yu Luo" High Mountain Pure Bud Green Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

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

84 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 7th, 2021

Thanks Dewey for sharing this with me! This was a smooth, mellow, mild green tea that was easy to brew and enjoy.

The leaf of this smells very fresh, a sort of sweet fragrance, almost floral, typical of high-quality, tippy Chinese green teas. It's pleasant but also hard to anticipate how it is going to taste, so I w...

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Picture of Yunnan

Yunnan "Black Gold Bi Luo Chun" Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

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

93 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 23rd, 2021

I found this a pleasant tea to drink but it was not among my favorites. It was surprisingly different from its organic counterpart. Of the two, I strongly preferred this one.

The leaf is tightly rolled and quite beautiful. Compared to the organic version of this tea, it looks a little paler in color and slightly loo...

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Picture of Yunnan

Yunnan "Black Gold Bi Luo Chun" Certified Organic Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

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

82 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Sep. 10th, 2021

This tea was quite singular, unlike most of the other teas from Yunnan Sourcing. I thought it was a good tea but it was a bit too much for me. It's strong, both by flavor and caffeine. I am reviewing the Spring Harvest from 2020.

This tea took up a lot less space than most all the other Yunnan Teas I've tried. The d...

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Picture of Yunnan

Yunnan "Assamica Gold Needle" Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

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

96 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 7th, 2021

This was a straightforward tea that I found easy to like; I became a fan from the first sip. It's robust, easy to brew, easy to drink, and pleasing in both flavor and aroma. Overall, it is more flavorful than aromatic though.

The dry leaf is beautiful, a very bright yellow color, not as orangeish as many of these ti...

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Picture of Jinggu

Jinggu "Da Jin Ya" Camellia Taliensis Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

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

95 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Sep. 5th, 2021

This was a really enjoyable tea that also had a lot of depth and complexity.

The dry leaf is made exclusively of luscious, thick, fuzzy buds that are kinda rolled on themselves; the picture does not really do it justice. Although it seems to be pure buds, they look a bit more mature than on some tippy teas, and they...

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Picture of Long Mei Yunnan Green Tea of Zhenyuan

Long Mei Yunnan Green Tea of Zhenyuan from Yunnan Sourcing

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

84 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 4th, 2021

This was a robust green tea that was challenging to brew, but rewarding when I got it right. Thank you to Dewey for sharing this one with me!

The leaf is beautiful, wiry, slightly curly, and diverse in color, from dusty dark green to silvery-gray with a yellowish tinge. It has a potent fragrance, with a hint of camp...

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Picture of Fruit Aroma Yixing Black Tea

Fruit Aroma Yixing Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Yunnan Red – Region: Jiangsu, China

87 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 2nd, 2021

This tea heavily underwhelmed me, and particularly, it was too weak. My favorite aspect of it was the fragrance of the dry leaf, but after that, it disappointed me.

The dry leaf has an unbelievably potent and incredily pleasing aroma. To me it seems more malty than anything else, strong smells of grain and baked goo...

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Picture of Bu Lang Mountain Black Tea from Menghai

Bu Lang Mountain Black Tea from Menghai from Yunnan Sourcing

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

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 25th, 2021

A mellow and balanced, easy-to-brew tea that had a lot of aromatic complexity, and an overall character somewhat intermediate between large-leaf Assam and Yunnan teas.

The dry leaf, which looks a little darker than in the picture from Yunnan Sourcing's website, has a wiry and kinda dusty appearance, and consists of ...

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Picture of Mengku Wild Arbor Assamica Black Tea

Mengku Wild Arbor Assamica Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

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

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 21st, 2021

I found this to be a subdued, but intriguing tea that seemed to have a lot of depth and complexity. Although it doesn't jump out at me, I found that it seemed a little different each time I drank it.

It's also another tea that in many respects resembles some of the large-leaf Assam teas (not just Assamica cultivar, ...

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Picture of Premium Grade AA Jin Jun Mei Fujian Black Tea of Wu Yi Shan

Premium Grade AA Jin Jun Mei Fujian Black Tea of Wu Yi Shan from Yunnan Sourcing

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

97 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 16th, 2021

I was curious to try this higher grade of a tea (the "Classic Robust Jin Jun Mei") that has become one of my favorites for daily drinking.

The dry leaf is similar but more curly and also visibly lighter in color, with a greater portion of golden tips. The aroma is very strong, initially of dried fruit and then very ...

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Picture of Jinggu Camellia Taliensis Black Tea

Jinggu Camellia Taliensis Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

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

93 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 14th, 2021

I thought this was an exceptional tea, but one not particularly suited to my tastes. I still liked it a lot though. It tastes the most like a white tea of any black tea I've tried.

The dry leaf is explosively fragrant, suggesting malt, caraway, overripe fruit, and flowers. There is a lot going on in the aroma, it's ...

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Picture of Yunnan Black Gold

Yunnan Black Gold from Yunnan Sourcing

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

90 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 10th, 2021

This was a peculiar and rather fascinating tea, a real bargain buy, and a good afternoon tea.

The leaf is very large and has an aroma that is lightly malty, but also rather herbaceous. It smells more like green teas or raw Pu-erh than is typical for a black tea. Both its appearance and aroma remind me of some of the...

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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 2016 Yunnan Sourcing

2016 Yunnan Sourcing "Red Monkey" Raw Pu-erh Tea Mini Cake from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

82 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 20th, 2021

I ordered two of these in 2018 as it sounded from the description as the sort of thing I would like. I broke off a tiny piece initially, and as I expected it was a bit strong for my taste. I was surprised though at how quickly this one mellowed out.

Now, about 5 years from harvest, I broke off a bit again and it's s...

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