Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my reviews of all five of thepuriTea cold brew teas. I left this one for last because truth be told Earl Grey teas sort of frighten me. I have had a few that I did enjoy but never usually enough to purchase some to keep on hand. The only exception is the Chocolate Earl Grey from Upton Teas. Trust me I really do want to like Earl Grey but for totally unusual reasons. It is Captain Picard’s drink of choice and I so wanted it to be mine too. I know I am I am such a geek but so very proud of it too. Now off to the notes.

Tea Name: Earl Grey

Tea Company: thepuriTea

Tea Notes: I wish I could share with you my impressions of this tea hot but honestly I have yet to try it hot. However, I am glad that I tried this cold brewed. It is such a lively tea. I can sense that the black tea base is of good quality. It is a base that doesn’t overtake the flavor of the bergamot in the tea. The bergamot is usually what turns me off to Earl Grey teas because in most cases I feel it is too strong and overbearing for me. I enjoyed this one because it wasn’t overwhelming. However, it isn’t a tea I would purchase again. I am however certain others would enjoy it. So in this case… “It’s not you Earl Grey…it’s me. Sorry, I just don’t think this is going to work out.”

Please except my apologies for not having this review posted yesterday as I had previously promised. It was a long day at work and to top it off not even a drop of descent tea to boot. It is fortunate I have plenty to satisfy my tea cravings and moods at home. Pretty sure I could put even Teavana to shame. Although, I suppose that really wouldn’t be to difficult a task for just about anyone. Note: Anyone that appreciates Teavana’s offerings please do not take offense to my statement above. I too have many of their teas as they were part of my gateway to better teas as well. I am sure you all agree everyone is entitled to their opinion so I hope we can leave it at that. Now, enough of the rambling and on to the the review.

Tea Name: Dan Cong Oolong

Tea Company: thepuriTea

Tea Notes: Let me start by sharing with you that although I enjoyed this cold brewed I appreciate this particular tea much more hot. The strongest note cold brewed was it’s fruitiness and floral flavors. Mind you I do enjoy some fruity teas and floral teas but majority of the time I find it difficult to find a tea with these attributes I enjoy a great deal. In other words I have never really been a huge fan of fruity and floral teas. The ones I do enjoy are few and far between. In addition, this oolong is very light and bright. I would imagine it to make for a great summer tea especially on the hottest of days. Definitely not an autumn or winter tea unless of course it were prepared in traditional fashion, hot.

Day #3 and I have decided to try the Assam. I have been battling a mild migraine and some intestinal pain so I thought the best tea for me would be a simple one. I am glad I tried this one. It was most definitely what the doctor ordered.

Tea Name: Assam

Tea Company: thepuriTea

Tea Notes: Perfectly simple. Nothing complex, no depth to the flavor, nothing amazingly unique about this tea. However, please do not misunderstand it is a welcomed change. The Assam is simple, bright, well rounded, and most importantly thirst quenching. I needed something to satisfy my thirst and this did the trick. So if you are wanting something simple, uncomplicated but still delicious this may be the Assam for you.

Today I will be reviewing the second of five teas I have cold brewed from thepuriTea. I am especially excited about this one as I have enjoyed this one hot and really was curious on the results cold brewed.

Tea Name: Jasmine Golden Yunnan

Tea Company: thepuriTea

Hot, this tea had a good body with a hint of jasmine. The Golden Yunnan base gave it a more defined character than that of a traditional green tea base we are more accustomed to drinking. For me this is a wonderful and welcomed change from the typical.

Cold brewed, this tea took on a whole new character. The jasmine here is very pronounced. I mean it is loud, proud, and in charge. The flavor actually put the Golden Yunnan in the back seat, a place I am sure it is not accustomed to being. It works for this tea. I enjoy being able to experience two very different flavor profiles from one tea. The idea that a tea can be so versatile is an attractive prospect and will have me coming back for more. I must add there is a obvious presence of sweetness that comes through naturally. I can appreciate this as in most case I never add anything in my tea. I would say that this tea would make an excellent addition to anyone’s tea cupboard.

As promised I would like to review a tea I cold brewed from thepuriTea. I plan on reviewing one a day and write a review of each via this blog. I prepared my sample using the “Cold Brew Method” I posted on this blog. Here goes…

Tea Name: Emerald Needle

Tea Company: thepuriTea

Tea Notes: My initial reaction was surprise then excitement. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I almost assumed I wasn’t going to be a fan. I thought maybe it would taste alright but not like this. My assumptions are based on my previous experiences and taste perferences and I absolutely love it when I am wrong. Every once in a special while I am surprised and that is one of my favorite things about tea. You just never know, so you try, try, try and do so with an open mind. The Emerald Needle is not only gorgeous to look at but also wonderful to drink. It is vegetal, just slightly earthy but not like dirt. The best part was the hint of sweetness detected at the end. It even had a very faint nearly undetectable touch of creamy nuttiness. A lovely surprise that I will need to repeat again. If you have the chance try this tea. It is so worth it.

Oh my tea friends I have missed you. I have left you for far to long and now hope you can forgive me for my absence. So let me explain briefly. Simply put life got in the way and it had to be dealt with. So dare I say I lost interest in the things I enjoyed most with tea topping the list. I know it is hard to believe such a thing could happen but I am sure you have experienced strange behaviors when faced with a trama in your life. The good news is that things have finally calmed down and the cloud has started to lift. Once that happened I started to slowly return to “normal” life. My passion for tea and other hobbies have started to flourish again and my desire to share my thoughts, experiments, reviews, and even new tea blends, and other products are soon to follow. I am so excited to get the “ball rolling,” as it were and regain the momentum I once had. Although, I have been left behind I know what I did I had to be done and now I am ready to get my site going and more blog posts as well. I have so many wonderful ideas and I am finally ready to get to work.

Thank you all for bring so patient with me and hope I can prove to you it was worth the wait.

Coming soon I will be writing up a post of 5 different teas I have started cold brewing today all from thepuriTea. I can’t wait to report back to the results.