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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 Degozest Assam Spring Natural Artisanal Green

Degozest Assam Spring Natural Artisanal Green from TEAORB

Style: Assam Green – Region: Dibrugarh, Assam, India

89 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 20th, 2017

This tea stood out among the first several Assam green teas I sampled from TEAORB. I haven't tried the whole batch yet, not even half of it, but this is definitely my favorite so far.

The dry leaf is by far the most fragrant of the Assam greens I've tried. The smell is similar to the other teas: smoky, vegetal, an...

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Picture of Yunnan Loose Tea

Yunnan Loose Tea from Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Style: Yunnan Red – Region: Yunnan, China

88 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 19th, 2017

This was one of the most classic examples of a Dian Hong or black tea from Yunnan, that I have tried in a long time.

The dry leaf is rich in golden tips, looking a little more greenish and silvery than in the company's picture. It smells mild but very pleasant and complex, with smoky and fruity notes typical of a Y...

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Picture of Keemun Extra Choice

Keemun Extra Choice from Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Style: Keemun – Region: China

66 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Oct. 17th, 2017

A very subdued tea. This one was pleasant, but disappointed me, given how much I normally tend to like Keemun.

Dry leaf smells pleasant and mild, a little fresher and cooler-smelling than I normally expect for Keemun.

Brews a rich, dark cup with a mellow flavor and a distinctly caramelly aroma. A little fresher,...

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Picture of Ranjit Assam Spring Natural Artisanal Green

Ranjit Assam Spring Natural Artisanal Green from TEAORB

Style: Assam Green – Region: Dibrugarh, Assam, India

81 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 14th, 2017

This tea tasted a lot like an un-aged sheng pu-erh, but a softer one suitable for immediate consumption. This was my second tea sampled in my adventure into Assam green teas, thanks to the abundant small samples TEAORB sent me.

Dark, crinkly leaf smells heavy, but there's a faint light note suggesting sweetness, an...

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Picture of Kamata Assam Spring Organic Artisanal Green

Kamata Assam Spring Organic Artisanal Green from TEAORB

Style: Assam Green – Region: Bongaigaon, Assam, India

74 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Oct. 13th, 2017

A potent large-leafed green tea with a strong flavor, thick body, and a bold, slightly alien aroma.

This was the first Assam green tea I have ever tried. Thank you TEAORB for generously shipping me a huge assortment of Assam green teas. This one reminds me of Yunnan green teas more than anything else, a little lik...

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Picture of Assam Orange Pekoe

Assam Orange Pekoe from Quik Tea

Style: Assam – Region: Assam, India

75 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 28th, 2017

An unusually good CTC tea. I picked this up at the Newark, DE farmer's market, in their Indian section, and it was quite a find.

The leaf, which consists of large pellets (noticeably bigger than most grades of CTC tea) is aromatic but doesn't have the best smell. It smells fresh and clean, but leads me to expect a...

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Picture of English Breakfast (Loose)

English Breakfast (Loose) from Twinings

Style: English Breakfast – Region: Blend

62 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Jul. 26th, 2017

The commercial description of this tea is pretty grandiose...it makes it sound like a masterpiece of blending, and I would say it's not.

To me, this is a classic but somewhat run-of-the-mill blend that is enjoyable but stands out in no way. I would not describe it as complex, although it's a good bit more complex, ...

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Picture of Magnolia Oolong

Magnolia Oolong from Harney and Sons

Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Guangdong, China

86 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 22nd, 2017

This was my favorite oolong that I have sampled in a long time. After being let down by several oolongs from Harney & Sons, this one hit the spot.

The leaf, which is quite wiry, smells amazing and multifaceted: floral, fruity, toasty, spicy. There's a skunky note and a pleasant bready, baked-good quality. It seem...

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Picture of Mutan White

Mutan White from Harney and Sons

Style: White Peony Tea – Region: Fu'an, Fujian, China

84 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 20th, 2017

I thought this was an above-average white peony or bai mu dan.

Dry leaf smells different from any other White Peony tea I've tried, notes of candied citrus peel, a sort of bittersweet smell, a slight pungency, almost hinting at camphor. I'm intrigued, and eager to try this to see what kind of cup this leaf produces...

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Picture of Organic Assam P.F. Tea

Organic Assam P.F. Tea from Metropolitan Tea Company

Style: Assam – Region: Assam, India

77 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 15th, 2017

Served in Rock City cafe in Rockland, Maine.

This was a very dark Assam with a fairly smoky character. Aroma is strong, malty and fruity, but it is the smoky notes that make this tea stand out. The aroma is interesting and complex, a little like drinking a fine wine.

Flavor is slightly harsh, bitter and with a lo...

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Picture of Green Tea (Loose)

Green Tea (Loose) from Golden Sail Brand

Style: Green Tea – Region: China

48 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Jun. 9th, 2017

I wouldn't buy this again. I purchased it at the Newark, Delaware Farmer's market out of curiosity. Usually I've had better experiences with teas there, like discovering the remarkably inexpensive and high-quality Tradition brand. This was a disappointment though.

Dry leaf looks dusty silvery-green, looks a lot l...

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Picture of Okayti White

Okayti White from Harney and Sons

Style: Darjeeling White Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

88 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 8th, 2017

I liked this one a lot, much more than typical for white teas.

I normally don't like tippy white teas, but I was super impressed by what may be this same exact same tea, or at least a similar one, sold by Golden Tips Tea. Unfortunately, this tea is no longer in stock at either company! It is worth waiting for this...

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Picture of Irish Breakfast

Irish Breakfast from Octavia Tea

Style: Irish Breakfast – Region: ?????

78 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Jun. 3rd, 2017

An okay Irish Breakfast but overpriced, on the weak side, and I think not quite at the level of Octavia's other teas. Served in Velvet Sky Cafe in Jenkintown, I love this place and miss it so much!

The leaf is not super aromatic, but the brewed cup smells pleasant and strong. Richly malty aroma, with some earthy n...

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Picture of Anji Baicha

Anji Baicha from Harney and Sons

Style: Anji Bai Cha – Region: Zhejiang, China

86 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
May. 31st, 2017

I have read about Anji Baicha for years now, and this is the first time I've ever tried it. I've been very curious about it, especially since I've read that it's among the teas highest in L-theanine, but is prepared rather differently from Gyokuro, the tea I've tried that is also highest in theanine. It didn't quite ...

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Picture of Old Tree Shui Hsian

Old Tree Shui Hsian from Harney and Sons

Style: Shui Hsien Oolong – Region: China

71 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
May. 28th, 2017

The dry leaf has an interesting shape, loosely curly, less long and wiry than most Wuyi oolong. It's intensely aromatic, smelling like roast and fruit; the fruitiness is quite astounding, it's maybe a little like dried peaches or apricots.

The brewed cup is very roasty, with notes of wood and hints of coffee. It's...

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Picture of Pearl Gunpowder

Pearl Gunpowder from The Tao of Tea

Style: Gunpowder Green Tea – Region: Zhejiang, China

66 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
May. 27th, 2017

This was a simple, coolish, fresh green tea with a hint of smoke in the aroma. Gunpowder isn't my favorite style of green tea, but I do enjoy it from time to time.

The dry leaf of this smells mild but pleasant and fresh, dusty with a hint of smoke, some cool herbal notes a little like celery. After steeping I see ...

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Picture of English Breakfast Black Tea

English Breakfast Black Tea from Heavenly Tea Leaves

Style: English Breakfast – Region: Assam, India

85 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 24th, 2017

My roommate got a tea sampler of four teas from this company, Heavenly Tea Leaves, which I hadn't heard of before then, and let me try all the teas. I was really impressed with this one, especially with its combination of reasonable price and great quality.

Dry leaf looks mostly intact pieces of whole leaves, smell...

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Picture of Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong

Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong from Mighty Leaf Tea

Style: Darjeeling Second Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

78 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
May. 22nd, 2017

I thought this was an excellent second flush Darjeeling, with a fresher and cooler aroma than average, and surprising strength that allowed the leaf to stretch very far. A tea that I like to savor very slowly, not something for if you're in a hurry.

Thank you to Mighty Leaf for this generous sample!

I love the s...

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Picture of Pure Darjeeling

Pure Darjeeling from Wedgwood

Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

62 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
May. 18th, 2017

This is a very dark Darjeeling. I enjoyed it as a change of pace; most high-end tea companies tend to sell lighter Darjeelings but sometimes I like the darker ones. Even though I often prefer the flavor of the lighter teas, I tend to feel better after drinking the darker ones, and this was no exception.

The dry le...

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Picture of Safari Pure Tea

Safari Pure Tea from Ketepa (Kenya Tea Packers)

Style: Black Tea – Region: Kenya

84 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 17th, 2017

I was excited when I saw this for sale at the Everest Indian Grocery Store in Lancaster, PA. I am a huge fan of the Fahari Ya tea from this same company, Ketepa; it's incredibly cheap and remarkably high quality.

This tea was very similar, I think perhaps a little bit better although it's hard to say, because my fa...

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Picture of Anji Black

Anji Black from Harney and Sons

Style: Black Tea – Region: Anji, Zhejiang, China

78 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
May. 13th, 2017

This tea tasted more like a sweet, Christmas-ey baked good than any other tea I've ever tried.

The leaf has such a pleasant fragrance, a rich, buttery, bready, and fruity aroma, like a fruit tart fresh out of the oven, quite remarkable. There's a distinctive smell in the aroma that reminds me of some food from my c...

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Picture of Organic Karigane

Organic Karigane from Mighty Leaf Tea

Style: Kukicha – Region: Japan

76 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
May. 13th, 2017

Thank you to Mighty Leaf for this sample! Overall I haven't been as impressed with the green teas from Mighty Leaf as the black ones, but I like this one a bit more. This was a very atypical example of a kukicha / twig tea, much more full-flavored than I expected.

I was intrigued by how the leaf smells...it smells...

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Picture of Organic Sencha

Organic Sencha from Mighty Leaf Tea

Style: Sencha – Region: Japan

58 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 2/5
May. 11th, 2017

Thank you mighty leaf for this sample! This tea had a very pleasant flavor but was nearly aromaless, although what aroma it did have was nice.

Dry leaf initially doesn't smell great, but when I breathe in more deeply, there's a very pleasant smell that suggests sweetness. The leaf looks fairly large and also rathe...

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Picture of Assam Extra Fancy

Assam Extra Fancy from Mighty Leaf Tea

Style: Assam – Region: Assam, India

89 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 9th, 2017

Thanks again to Mighty Leaf for this sample! Like the other Assam from mighty leaf, I liked this tea from the first sip, but it also grew on me substantially. Another classic Assam, this one of higher grade. It was good the first few times I brewed it, but I found it really shined when I gave it a long steep.

Thi...

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Picture of Rou Gui Oolong

Rou Gui Oolong from Harney and Sons

Style: Rou Gui – Region: Wuyi, Fujian, China

72 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
May. 5th, 2017

Overall this was more run-of-the-mill than I expected for such a high-end tea. My favorite thing about it was the smell of the dry leaf, the actual cup was good, but not as interesting.

The dry leaf smells incredibly beautiful...multifaceted too, lightly roasty, very fruity, like baked goods, suggesting sweetness, ...

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