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Alex Zorach

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

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Picture of English Breakfast

English Breakfast from Harney and Sons

Style: English Breakfast – Region: China

86 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 5th, 2017

Harney says this blend is 100% Keemun and it shows...tastes just like Keemun, which I like, but definitely more like the more modern English Breakfast style than a Keemun picked at random. Fuller-bodied and richer than most English Breakfast, but softer and less crisp.

Dry leaf has an aroma that is gentle and pleas...

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Picture of Dunmore East Blend Tea

Dunmore East Blend Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: ?????

89 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 4th, 2017

I loved this! This was a very pleasant blended tea that I thought was versatile and took on different characteristics based on varying the amount of leaf I used, but always tasted good. Brewed strong, it was a little like a strong Irish Breakfast tea; a more mild steeping yielded a gentle cup that would make a good a...

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Picture of Assam Tonganagaon, Organic

Assam Tonganagaon, Organic from Simpson & Vail

Style: Assam – Region: Tinsukia, Assam, India

82 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 2nd, 2017

A smoother-than-average Assam that was still quite rich, a little on the tangy/fruity side.

Dry leaf smells very fruity, vegetal, a bit like potpourri, and also somewhat malty. Overall, rich, aromatic, and suggesting sweetness.

Surprisingly subdued for an Assam. The cup is light and a little more tangy than I e...

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Picture of CTC Assam (Assam CTC)

CTC Assam (Assam CTC) from Harney and Sons

Style: Assam – Region: Assam, India

68 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Mar. 30th, 2017

This tea was devilishly hard to prepare to my enjoyment, but had the side-benefit of resteeping unusually well for a CTC tea. By the time I finally got it just how I wanted, I was drinking up the very last cup of the sample I bought.

The dry leaf, bigger pieces than some CTC, is very aromatic and smells pleasing, s...

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Picture of Malachi McCormick

Malachi McCormick from Harney and Sons

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

78 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 30th, 2017

This blend was more Keemun-like than anything else; it reminded me of the type of Keemun that I like most, the rich, mellow, warming and slightly sweet sort.

The Dry leaf's aroma reminds me of candy: fruity and sweet, suggesting marzipan, chocolate, and hazelnut cream.

The aroma and character of the Keemun comes ...

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Picture of Colombian Black Tea

Colombian Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Colombia

99 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 21st, 2017

This tea is incredible! Thank you to Simpson & Vail for sending it to me as a sample. I was recently very wowed by a Colombian black tea sold by Harney & Sons, and I was eager to try this one. It is very similar, but I think even better. I suspect this is probably a higher-grade tea from the same tea garden.

Dry...

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Picture of Orange Pekoe (Ceylon & India)

Orange Pekoe (Ceylon & India) from Harney and Sons

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

86 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 20th, 2017

One of the best black tea blends I've tried that hasn't been in a more specific style. Enigmatic, this tea constantly defied description. I also found it versatile, able to take on different characters based on how I brewed it.

The dry leaf of this is potently aromatic and commands my attention, spicy with strong ...

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Picture of Bold Breakfast

Bold Breakfast from Dunkin Donuts

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

50 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 17th, 2017

Served at a Dunkin Donuts. I can't help but wonder how much this tea is limited by the fact that it's served in a paper cup; I can smell the cup, it imparts a cardboardy aroma that noticeably diminishes the enjoyment of the tea. Perhaps I'll come back with my own mug next time.

I remember what the old Dunkin Donut...

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Picture of Tonganagaon Full Leaf

Tonganagaon Full Leaf from Harney and Sons

Style: Assam – Region: Tinsukia, Assam, India

81 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 16th, 2017

A fruitier, tangier Assam that was an interesting change of pace. Not quite as hearty or satisfying as some, but enjoyable.

The dry leaf of this has a rich aroma that reminds me of my mom and grandma making black currant and raspberry jam in late summer. There are also malty notes, but the cooked fruit / jam aroma...

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Picture of Irish Breakfast

Irish Breakfast from Harney and Sons

Style: Irish Breakfast – Region: Assam, India

79 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 13th, 2017

One of the best Irish Breakfast blends I've tried.

The dry leaf is richly aromatic, smelling sweet, initially surprisingly fruit and then very malty.

Produces a rich, dark cup that is exactly what I'd expect from this type of tea. Strong but balanced. I found this had a slightly more fresh aroma and cooling qua...

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Picture of English Breakfast

English Breakfast from Benner Tea Co

Style: English Breakfast – Region: ?????

39 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 10th, 2017

This was pretty bad. I'd take it over Lipton, but that's not saying much. I like to try low-end teas now and then so that I'm truly aware of the full range of tea on the market, and this was certainly a low-end tea.

This is one product that I honestly had no idea what to expect when I approached it. On the one ha...

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Picture of Afternoon Ritual

Afternoon Ritual from teakruthi

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

88 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 17th, 2017

One of the most aromatic teas yet from Teakruthi, this tea had a beautiful fragrance, light and fresh, suggesting malt. The leaf is also very pretty, with silvery tips mixed in against a mostly-dark background. I got excited when I opened the bag and saw and smelled the leaf!

Upon brewing the aroma gets much more ...

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Picture of Island Heritage

Island Heritage from teakruthi

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

88 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 14th, 2017

A light and elegant tea that I'd drink for a quiet break. Oolong-like.

The beautiful and wiry dry leaf has the remarkable aroma of mint candy, creamy and suggesting of sweetness, not a smell I've ever encountered in a pure tea before.

Brews up a cup that is surprisingly subdued. Clean and light, but only a subt...

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Picture of Colonial Mornings

Colonial Mornings from teakruthi

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

91 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 10th, 2017

This is one of those transcendental black teas that somehow manages to be both warming and cooling in the same sip. Eminently satisfying!

All of Teakruthi's teas have been aromatic, but none explosively so until this one. I opened the bag and there was this burst of fragrance...first a sweet one that was hard to d...

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Picture of Ceylon Sonata

Ceylon Sonata from Adagio Teas

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Kandy, Sri Lanka

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 2nd, 2017

I very much like this tea, it is one of my favorite "base" or "default" Ceylons that is sold by any major tea company.

Before steeping, the leaf is aromatic and has a pleasant malty aroma, like an Assam but less fruity.

Flavor is crisp. The cup is very aromatic, mostly malty but with light roasty/toasty notes. ...

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Picture of Divine Highlands

Divine Highlands from teakruthi

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

77 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 31st, 2017

This was remarkable, it was like a smoother rendition of a Darjeeling first flush. I found it hard to brew but once I figured it out, it was exquisite. The main downside I found about it, like some Darjeelings, I wasn't crazy about how I felt after drinking it.

Dry leaf smells fresh, bright, fruity, and suggests s...

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Picture of Assam Tea

Assam Tea from 24 Mantra Organic

Style: Assam – Region: Assam, India

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 29th, 2017

A solid-quality CTC Assam that would make a good breakfast tea.

My roommate purchased this at a local Indian store. The date on the package shows it was packed last May, and we just opened the package the other day, so I know I was trying this tea while still very fresh. My rooomate enjoys this with almond milk an...

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Picture of English Breakfast Black Tea

English Breakfast Black Tea from Rituals

Style: English Breakfast – Region: ?????

57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 26th, 2017

A humble English Breakfast tea bag, above average for a flat tea bag, pleasantly smooth and drinkable.

This brand has an almost legendary status on our website...not that a lot of people review it, almost none do, but that we get a ton of messages through our contact form, of people asking where you can buy it. And...

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Picture of Rainforest Indulgence

Rainforest Indulgence from teakruthi

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Matara, Sri Lanka

92 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 20th, 2017

An exceptional CTC tea, the best I've ever had, and as complex as many hand-processed, whole-leaf teas. This one really surprised me.

The dry leaf is unusually aromatic for a CTC tea. The aroma is toasty and with a strong maltiness, more like rye than other grain.

The brewed cup smells intensely aromatic, and j...

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Picture of Wild Monsoon

Wild Monsoon from teakruthi

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Matara, Sri Lanka

88 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 12th, 2017

The dry leaf of this consists of big, dark, coarse looking leaves that are slightly curled. There is a mild toasty and chocolatey aroma. The leaf takes up a lot of space, and you need to use quite a lot by volume to get a strong enough cup.

Upon brewing, the aroma is distinct, different from other teas I've tried,...

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Picture of Southern Malt

Southern Malt from teakruthi

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Matara, Sri Lanka

94 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 9th, 2017

The first tea I tried from Teakruthi was excellent and enjoyable, but didn't wow me. This one immediately stood out, from before the first sip, or even just smelling the brewed cup.

The dry leaf has a smell that strongly suggests a savory stew. It's malty with a hint of smoke and spice.

When brewed, wow. This ...

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Picture of Royal Midlands

Royal Midlands from teakruthi

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Kandy, Sri Lanka

84 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 5th, 2017

I went to try this tea first because I got the sense that it seemed the most "classic Ceylon" of Teakruthi's offerings, and it definitely delivered the character I expected. This is a little less like the types of Ceylons served in British traditions though, and more like the type of tea I find consumed in the middle-...

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Picture of African CTC

African CTC from Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Style: Black Tea – Region: ?????

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 21st, 2016

The dry leaf has a pleasant aroma that is much more complex than typical for CTC teas...there are notes of spice that remind me of Christmas as a child.

Produces a very rich and aromatic cup. Before sipping, the aroma suggests sweetness, being creamy and almost candy-like. But upon sipping, pleasantly bitter. Ful...

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Picture of Assam Tippy Golden

Assam Tippy Golden from Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Style: Assam – Region: Assam, India

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 9th, 2016

Wow, this tea was quite satisfying, especially for cold days.

The dried leaf smells good, the aroma is mild but complex, mostly fruity and malty, with hints of spice, dried herbs or portpourri.

The leaves explode in aroma when they are steeped in water and there's a honey-like aroma that is a hallmark of higher g...

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Picture of Ceylon UVA Highland

Ceylon UVA Highland from Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Uva, Sri Lanka

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 30th, 2016

I enjoyed this tea; it's a potent black tea of good strength, with a classic British character. One could convincingly substitute this for an English Breakfast blend. It also has a great price, and is a bit smoother than other similar teas in its price range.

The cup is moderately aromatic, a little malty but mor...

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