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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 Dragonwell Green Tea

Dragonwell Green Tea from Boston Tea Company

Style: Dragon Well (Long Jing) – Region: Zhejiang, China

23 / 100 Aroma: 2/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Oct. 6th, 2010

I was very disappointed with this tea; it was the only sample I received from the Boston Tea Company that I did not like; the others were all quite enjoyable.

Dried leaf is broken and more grayish than other dragon wells I've seen. This does not taste at all like other dragon wells I've tried. Aroma is slightly sm...

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Picture of Nepal Kanchanjangha Green Tea

Nepal Kanchanjangha Green Tea from Arbor Teas

Style: Green Tea – Region: Nepal

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

This tea does not at all resemble what is normally known as green tea; it is darker even than many first-flush Darjeelings.

If you haven't ever tried any green or white tea from Darjeeling, Nepal, or surrounding areas, this tea will probably strike you as very unusual, but if you're familiar with these teas, it's ac...

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Picture of Jade Oolong Tea

Jade Oolong Tea from Arbor Teas

Style: Jade Oolong – Region: Nantou, Taiwan

63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Sep. 28th, 2010

This jade oolong tastes very little like any Taiwanese jade oolongs I've had, and instead tastes more like a greener, medium-roast Tie Guan Yin. The level of roast is noticeably stronger than what I normally expect from a Jade oolong.

The aroma is of honey and wood. In the second infusion, some herbaceous tones co...

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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 Kukicha Green Tea

Kukicha Green Tea from Arbor Teas

Style: Kukicha – Region: Japan

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Sep. 22nd, 2010

Very fresh, more vegetal aroma than most kukicha I've had. Liquor is exceptionally clear, flavor is exceptionally smooth, sweet even. Less twiggy, yet also less sencha-like. Very mild, but very pleasant. Very little astringency.

This is not the most complex tea I've had, but it's certainly very balanced. Beside...

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Huang Jin Gui Winter Harvest from Life in Teacup

Style: Golden Osmanthus – Region: Anxi, Fujian, China

63 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Sep. 20th, 2010

After being really impressed by Life in Teacup's Huang Jin Gui traditional style, this one was a disappointment. I experimented a little bit with brewing, but, regardless of how I brewed, compared to that other tea, the aroma of this one is weaker and less pleasant overall.

I also find this tea to have less depth. ...

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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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Picture of Fair Trade True Green Tea

Fair Trade True Green Tea from Wild Harvest Organic

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

27 / 100 Aroma: 2/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 2/5
Sep. 1st, 2010

I brewed with water at a lower temperature, but other than that I brewed as instructed.

Aroma strongly suggestive of cinnamon, unusual for a green tea. Lacks the grassy qualities inherent in many green teas, but the aftertaste is similar to the aftertaste left by sencha. Overall though, aroma is weak. If "subtle ...

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Picture of China Dragonwell

China Dragonwell from Ancora Coffee Roasters

Style: Dragon Well (Long Jing) – Region: China

60 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 31st, 2010

I found this review that I had written where I didn't have internet access--in the Madison, WI airport, and just entered it now.

This dragonwell has a broken leaf, but the classic dragonwell shape is recognizable. In spite of looking like a lower grade of this tea, this batch is considerably tastier than a lot of w...

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Ben Shan Oolong King Grade from Life in Teacup

Style: Ben Shan Oolong – Region: Anxi, Fujian, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 25th, 2010

I received this oolong in a set of samples from Life in Teacup, but could not find it for sale on their website.

This one immediately got my attention from even smelling the dry leaf--so aromatic. I have rarely encountered such intense floral aromas outside of the most expensive Dong Ding or Tie Guan Yin oolongs.
...

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Picture of Tie Guan Yin Special Edition, traditional charcoal roast

Tie Guan Yin Special Edition, traditional charcoal roast from Life in Teacup

Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Fujian, China

73 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 18th, 2010

This tea got my attention with its unusual aroma, and I suspect it's the Mao Xie. There's like a familiar woody quality, typical for a roasted oolong, but with a peculiar quality suggestive of a savory soup containing celery root and other vegetables. The flavor is surprisingly savory for an oolong, with not much in ...

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Picture of Darjeeling Choice Teabags

Darjeeling Choice Teabags from Peet's Coffee and Tea (Peets)

Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 16th, 2010

I tried this in a Peet's in the Philadelphia airport. I let it brew 2 minutes. Peet's said they normally include two teabags but I only used one and saved the other for later--and I'm glad because this tea would have been far too strong.

This is unusually strong for a Darjeeling, but this could just be due to a ge...

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Picture of Yongchun Fo Shou (Bergamot) Oolong Superior Grade

Yongchun Fo Shou (Bergamot) Oolong Superior Grade from Life in Teacup

Style: Fo Shou Oolong – Region: Yongchun, Fujian, China

88 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 16th, 2010

The dry leaf is strongly aromatic and has a strange, different aroma--considerably sharper than most greener oolongs.

After brewing the first cup, I notice a mildly soapy aroma, but this completely vanishes upon drinking it. The aroma is very complex, with spicy, herbaceous tones, reminiscent of a weedy thicket in ...

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Picture of Breakfast Tea Loose Leaf (Bengal Breakfast)

Breakfast Tea Loose Leaf (Bengal Breakfast) from Teatulia

Style: Black Tea – Region: Bangladesh

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 15th, 2010

This tea immediately got my attention on the first sip. In my opinion, it is uniformly better than Teatulia's black tea in every way--there are few ways in which I would prefer that tea to this one. The only thing I found missing from this tea were some of the fruity tones in the aroma, but they were light and not pa...

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Picture of Snow Buds 1st Flush

Snow Buds 1st Flush from Rishi Tea

Style: Snow Buds – Region: Fujian, China

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 13th, 2010

This is very similar to the Xue Ya I tried from Adagio, but I prefer this tea as it is richer and more full-bodied.

I find this to be a very grassy tea, more like green tea than white. It has a sharpness, a bite to it. The cup is quite astringent and pleasingly bitter, but the finish is sweet and has depth to it. ...

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Picture of Iron Goddess of Mercy

Iron Goddess of Mercy from Rishi Tea

Style: Tie Guan Yin – Region: Nantou, Taiwan

90 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 10th, 2010

Wow. Rishi gets my attention again with another tea that is recognizable as its style but with its own unique twist. The aroma is astonishingly complex...in addition to the toasty, woody, and fruity tones you might expect from a medium-roasted Tie Guan Yin, there is a strong suggestion of spice (nutmeg, mace, and cin...

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Picture of Pouchong Tea 2nd Grade

Pouchong Tea 2nd Grade from Ten Ren Tea

Style: Pouchong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa

80 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 7th, 2010

I decided to try out the 2nd grade this time--the 3rd grade is absolutely the most affordable Pouchong I've tried that is still passable. This cost a lot more--I would say this tea is getting into a pretty expensive range and is competing with some good greener oolongs.

The overall character of this tea is very sim...

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Picture of Tie Guan Yin modern green style Grade II

Tie Guan Yin modern green style Grade II from Life in Teacup

Style: Tie Guan Yin – Region: Anxi, Fujian, China

47 / 100 Aroma: 3/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Aug. 3rd, 2010

I was actually quite disappointed with this Tie Guan Yin. It's pretty inexpensive for a green Tie Guan Yin, so I suppose I shouldn't be expecting that much, but compared to other greener oolongs, including ones from Life in Teacup, this was a letdown. Happily, I can say it is the first tea I've had from this company ...

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Picture of Green Tea

Green Tea from Teatulia

Style: Green Tea – Region: Bangladesh

47 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Aug. 2nd, 2010

The dry leaf has a very different appearance from other green teas I've tried, including both steamed and pan-fired teas. It makes me wonder if this tea is produced in a very different way.

The aroma is vegetal and deep, and spicy. This tea has a tangy quality. This tea resembles Thai- and Laos-grown green teas m...

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Picture of White Tea Loose Leaf

White Tea Loose Leaf from Teatulia

Style: White Tea – Region: Bangladesh

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 1st, 2010

I found this tea to be delightfully unique; it's my favorite of Teatulia's teas. The delicate silvery leaves are deceptive: this tea produces a deep brown liquor. More like a Darjeeling white or green tea than any other white tea I have tried, but much richer and more full-bodied than any Darjeeling white teas I've t...

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Picture of Black Tea Loose Leaf

Black Tea Loose Leaf from Teatulia

Style: Black Tea – Region: Bangladesh

60 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Jul. 16th, 2010

This is the first tea I've ever tried from Bangladesh, and I truly didn't know what to expect. I used about 1 teaspoon per cup and brewed for about 2 minutes. The result was a fairly dark cup of black tea which was fairly balanced and moderate in strength.

The aroma is rich and spicy, but I find it hard to describ...

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Picture of Royal Kuan Yin Tea

Royal Kuan Yin Tea from Foojoy

Style: Tie Guan Yin – Region: Fujian, China

57 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Jul. 1st, 2010

Astonishing quality from such an inexpensive teabag!

With a single 5-minute infusion (shorter leaves a bland cup--the finely-broken leaves are packed tightly in the teabag and the flavor does not diffuse quickly) I found an amber colored cup with a mellow, subtle aroma and smooth flavor. In my experience, only good...

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Picture of China Pu-Erh Standard

China Pu-Erh Standard from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Pu-erh Tea – Region: Yunnan, China

63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 30th, 2010

I don't particularly like black (ripe) pu-erh, but this is probably the one I've liked most, among loose varieties. It has a fresher taste, with more bite. There are some herbaceous tones in the aroma, although the dominant character is still dust and earth. Much more flavorful than other loose black pu-erh I've tri...

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Picture of Gourmet Black Iced Tea

Gourmet Black Iced Tea from Summer Breeze

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

37 / 100 Aroma: 3/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Jun. 24th, 2010

I was unimpressed with this iced tea. It has a generic taste like most of the mainstream brands of tea bags available in the supermarket. Tastes flat and a bit stale.

'Gourmet' is an overstatement!

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Picture of Ben Shan Oolong

Ben Shan Oolong from Life in Teacup

Style: Ben Shan Oolong – Region: Anxi, Fujian, China

63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 24th, 2010

I made two infusions of this tea. I found, using longer brewings, it's only really good for two and then most of the flavor is gone. I used 3 min. and 6 min.

For the first infusion, the aroma is floral and orchid-like, like many of the greener Anxi oolongs, but there's a depth and warmth to it that I've found is a...

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