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Alex Zorach

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

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Picture of Darjeeling, Dooteriah Estate - 2nd Flush

Darjeeling, Dooteriah Estate - 2nd Flush from Simpson & Vail

Style: Darjeeling Second Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 26th, 2012

The dry leaf of this tea has the greenest color of any second flush Darjeeling I've ever seen. When brewed, the result is rather oolong-like.

Color is a light amber, lighter than most 2nd Flush Darjeeling. Very clean, crisp, mouthfeel, with considerable sweetness. Slightly edgy and tangy but with little astringen...

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Picture of Assam Tea

Assam Tea from Frontier

Style: Assam – Region: Assam, India

70 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 23rd, 2012

A classic Assam: no particularly outstanding qualities, yet a solid tea and pleasing to drink, especially for people who like strong, dark teas.

Strong, malty, with some fruity qualities. Some astringency and bitterness but less than a typical Assam. In spite of being orthodox tea of a decent grade, the leaf infus...

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Picture of Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling Tea from Frontier

Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 23rd, 2012

This tea was stored in glass jars in a co-op. I have no idea how fresh it was; the dry leaf smelled fresh and pleasing, but the brewed cup was slightly disappointing. The storage conditions were not optimal, and there was no date, so it could have been that this was just a bit old.

Dry leaf is pleasingly aromatic,...

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Picture of Kenya OP Malaika Black Tea

Kenya OP Malaika Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Kenya

67 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 22nd, 2012

Dry leaf has a pleasing aroma, reminiscent of some of the best Kenyan teas I've had, but not quite as strongly aromatic.

A good black tea, and a very typical example of Kenyan black teas: strong and robust, but slightly lighter and slightly less edgy than an Assam.

Brews a rich, full-bodied cup. Moderate strengt...

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Picture of Bolivian Black Tea, Tippy Small Leaf

Bolivian Black Tea, Tippy Small Leaf from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Bolivia

67 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Jun. 16th, 2012

I have been wanting to try this tea for some time! I was quite disappointed to learn that the operation is being closed down, in what I see as an unintended consequence of the US "war on drugs".

Broken leaf...looks and smells a lot like a strong breakfast tea, and the brewed cup is similar as well.

Brews a rich,...

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Picture of Nepal, Mist Valley Black Tea

Nepal, Mist Valley Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Nepal

90 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 11th, 2012

Although the leaf of this tea was not particularly aromatic, this black tea immediately struck me as very high in quality when I sipped the cup. I'm noticing a trend that teas from Simpson and Vail often surprise me with the brewed cup, after the dry leaf fails to impress. With this tea, I was able to brew two very f...

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Picture of Nepal Sakhira, Black Tea

Nepal Sakhira, Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Nepal

73 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 8th, 2012

Creamy, but with a bold quality to it. Somewhat Darjeeling-like in aroma, but darker in appearance and flavor than most second-flush or autumnal Darjeeling.

Aroma fruity and floral, with some of the characteristic muscatel grape qualities.

I really like the aroma of this tea. My only complaint is that this cup ...

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Picture of Vietnam Black Tea

Vietnam Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Style: Black Tea – Region: Vietnam

67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 5th, 2012

Dry leaf has a mild, but very pleasing aroma, surprisingly suggestive of sweetness.

The brewed cup has a lighter golden color, than one would expect from the dark color of the leaf. Flavor is smooth, with a honey-like sweetness, a pleasing crispness, and minimal astringency. Full-bodied yet with a cooling quality....

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Picture of London Cuppa Tea Bags

London Cuppa Tea Bags from The London Cuppa

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

53 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
May. 29th, 2012

I do prefer the loose leaf from this same brand; it seems to stay fresher. I also think that the loose tea has a certain lightness, like the rice-like tones in the aroma, absence in this one.

This is a strong English-style breakfast tea, true to the name, but not quite as interesting as some.

I find it does not ...

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Lapsang Souchong Superior Grade from Life in Teacup

Style: Lapsang Souchong – Region: Wuyi, Fujian, China

91 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
May. 10th, 2012

This was the first traditional Lapsang Souchong that I've tried, and I must say, I'm a tremendous fan. It is among my favorite Chinese black teas that I have sampled. Yet another impressive tea from Life in Teacup.

Although there is a hint of pine evident in the aroma, the overwhelming smokiness characteristic of ...

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Picture of Los Andes

Los Andes from Shanti Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Guatemala

77 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
May. 3rd, 2012

I have been curious about this tea for some time, and I had no clue what to expect, as it is the first tea I have ever tried which was grown in the Americas.

Broken leaf (CTC) and infuses quickly, but does not become bitter if steeped for a long time. Shanti Tea recommends a 2 minute infusion without milk but I thi...

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Picture of Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea

Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Keemun Hao Ya B – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 24th, 2012

I was surprised to find that I strongly preferred the slightly less expensive Keemun Grade 1 from TeaVivre to this offering. While this was a very good tea, it did not wow me as being outstanding, or even higher quality than a typical Keemun. It was just different. I was surprised at the strength of the cup, the dar...

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Picture of Bailin Gongfu Black Tea

Bailin Gongfu Black Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Black Tea – Region: Fujian, China

87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 23rd, 2012

I really like this one, especially after drinking it on multiple occasions.

This black (red) tea was only vaguely similar to others from China that I've tried; it was quite different from anything I have tried yet. Its aroma was more like Yunnan teas than anything else, but much milder and smoother, and with a very...

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Picture of Supreme Breakfast

Supreme Breakfast from Harney and Sons

Style: Black Tea – Region: Blend

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 20th, 2012

I think it's a great idea that Harney has chosen to create a high-end breakfast blend, combining two high-quality teas that are usually not used in blends.

Although I'm less familiar with Keemun Hao Ya B, only having sampled one example of it, I can see how it would be a natural pairing with Assam as the two teas bo...

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Picture of Keemun Black Tea – Grade 1

Keemun Black Tea – Grade 1 from TeaVivre

Style: Keemun – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 19th, 2012

I liked this tea right from the start, but the more I drank this tea, the more it has grown on me. Very full-bodied, intense flavor, smooth. Fruity, with a fair amount of smokiness. Relatively little leaf is needed for a bold-flavored cup. Surprisingly, I like this a lot better than the Keemun Hao Ya from the same ...

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Picture of Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea

Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea from Life in Teacup

Style: Keemun Mao Feng – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 17th, 2012

Dry leaf is strongly aromatic, with a slight smokiness and a strong dried fruit quality. Surprisingly little leaf is needed to brew a flavorful cup. I find it hard to gauge the amount of leaf necessary, because the thin, wiry leaf occupies a lot of space, but also expands greatly upon brewing.

The brewed cup has a...

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Picture of Organic Yunnan Select Dao Ming

Organic Yunnan Select Dao Ming from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Yunnan Red – Region: Yunnan, China

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 8th, 2012

Complex and smooth, a bit on the weaker side though. Dry leaf has a strong aroma, characteristic of Yunnan red teas.

Aroma is complex. Moderately smoky, resembling tobacco smoke and smoky green teas (like gunpowder) more than most smoky black teas, also moderately fruity, almost like a Keemun. Flavor unusually sm...

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Picture of English Breakfast Decaf (Kenilworth Ceylon Decaf)

English Breakfast Decaf (Kenilworth Ceylon Decaf) from Novus Tea

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

63 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 26th, 2012

This tea is among the best decaffeinated pure black teas that I've tried, whether loose-leaf or from a tea bag.

Full-bodied, dark, strong but smooth and somewhat mellow. There is a vaguely keemun-like fruitiness.

I find it interesting that Novus also carries a caffeinated version of this tea, it allows me to com...

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Picture of English Select Ceylon

English Select Ceylon from Eilles

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

47 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 9th, 2012

A friend brought me this from Europe.

Flavor is a bit dull: not much bite or kick, but a heavy, bitter aftertaste. Malty for a Ceylon. If I had to guess, I would probably have guessed that this was an Assam rather than a Ceylon. However, it wasn't particularly exciting as either.

I was also surprised to find t...

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Picture of Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Autumn

Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Autumn from Rare Tea Republic

Style: Black Tea – Region: Nepal

73 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Mar. 5th, 2012

A vaguely Darjeeling-like tea with dark, vegetal and herbaceous aspects. I'm noticing a trend amongst all of the teas I sample from Rare Tea Republic. This is one tea though that I found did not particularly fit its description: I would not describe it as "brisk", nor did I notice many "floral notes".

The aroma is...

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Picture of Tumsong SFTGFOP1 Second Flush

Tumsong SFTGFOP1 Second Flush from Rare Tea Republic

Style: Darjeeling Second Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 1st, 2012

A dark, smooth, full-bodied tea with a highly vegetal character and a pleasing, wintergreen quality.

Fairly complex...much less of the typical fruity tones characteristic of Darjeeling. Instead, there are biscuity-tones. Rare Tea Republic describes the aroma as "jam and sap" and I think this was a good description...

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Picture of English Breakfast (Kenilworth Ceylon Tea)

English Breakfast (Kenilworth Ceylon Tea) from Novus Tea

Style: English Breakfast – Region: Kandy, Sri Lanka

67 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 28th, 2012

I find it a bit strange that Novus offers both a caffeinated and decaffeinated Ceylon tea from Kenilworth estate. Usually, companies do not wish to draw attention to the difference between a caffeinated tea and its decaffeinated counterpart, as the decaf tea usually pales in comparison. But, in this case, Novus boldl...

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Picture of Temi SFTGFOP1 First Flush

Temi SFTGFOP1 First Flush from Rare Tea Republic

Style: Black Tea – Region: Sikkim, India

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 27th, 2012

Somewhat oolong-like, with an herbaceous aroma and a mellow, slightly savory flavor. The flavor and mouthfeel of this tea are particularly interesting...it's a bit peppery and spicy, yet smooth overall, with some honey-like sweetness. Although the other Sikkim teas I've tried prior to this one have been rather Darjee...

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Picture of Sungma 2nd Flush Darjeeling

Sungma 2nd Flush Darjeeling from Harney and Sons

Style: Darjeeling Second Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 24th, 2012

The aroma of the dry leaf of this tea really got my attention: rich and strongly aromatic, fruity, deep, but also light and fresh. I received this and the Singbulli first flush as samples from Harney and Sons.

Like the Singbulli, I prefer brewing this tea for 5 minutes, as recommended. However, I also experimented...

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Picture of Black to Relax

Black to Relax from Ronnefeldt

Style: Black Tea – Region: Indonesia

50 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Feb. 23rd, 2012

I was surprised to find that this decaffeinated black tea is actually a single-region tea, originating in Sumatra, Indonesia.

After drinking a single-estate Darjeeling first flush for breakfast, one that I gave a 100 rating, this tea tastes pretty flavorless, but in the broader picture, it's not bad. An interesting...

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