Name: Coconut Pouchong (Podcast review available at Blog Talk Radio) Brand: Golden Moon Type: Oolong, flavored Form: Loose leaf Cost: 2 ounce tin is $15.99 (quantity discounts available) Review: For those who are huffing and puffing about a tea company that flavors oolong, particularly a pouchong/bao zhong, you will just need to put a lid on your teapot and stew. I love this stuff. Flavored oolongs aren’t a bad thing, actually. To use a musical analogy, oolong is like a strong bass play... Read Full Story

First of all, please join me in welcoming Jason Witt as the new Minneapolis/St. Paul Tea Examiner. As most of you know, I am the Chicago Tea Examiner, and it is always great to have familiar faces join me at the Examiner. Secondly, please don’t forget to enter the Golden Moon Tea Giveaway. The contest ends tomorrow! Thirdly, if you are a tea company owner, work in the tea industry, have traveled to a tea-drinking country, or have something interesting to say about tea, I’d love t... Read Full Story

I just got word from my friends over at Adagio that they are offering free shipping on orders of $25 or more now through November 30th.  (Yes, you can schedule delivery for December!) Adagio has some great gift sets this season, so click on the banner above and start shopping! Read Full Story

A review of Chicago-based SenTeaMental Moods “Chicago Passion Tea” is now up on Examiner.com, along with information on how you can get up to three samples of SenTeaMental Moods tea for a small shipping and handling charge! Read Full Story

Name: Libre Tea Glass Brand: Libre Tea Listen to this review as a podcast on Blog Talk Radio! Type: Teaware, travel mug, infuser Review: The Libre Tea Glass is another invention in the quest for convenient loose-leaf tea, an quite a welcome one at that. The “tea glass” is actually an all-in-one infuser and travel mug that offers two different infusion options so that serious tea-drinkers can make their tea the way they like it. The design of this bit of teaware is a bit hard to ... Read Full Story

I will be interviewing Henrietta Lovell of the Rare Tea Company, a UK-based firm that sources some truly delicious teas, including a rather stunning oolong that I reviewed a few months ago. The interview will take place this Thursday, November 19th, at 1pm CST on Blog Talk Radio. The show will be archived for future listens if you can’t listen to the show as it airs. Interview with Henrietta Lovellon Blog Talk Radio Read Full Story

Want some free tea? You can have five samples, your choice, of Golden Moon’s wonderful teas.   Green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, flavored tea .  .  . you can try a sample of any five (except the jasmine pearls). Here is how the giveaway is going to work: Eligibility: 1. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. 2.  You must have a US address. How The Winner Will Be Selected: An entry will be selected randomly from all entries received by 11:59pm, central time, Saturday N... Read Full Story

Name: Bouquet de Fleurs Brand: Kusmi Tea Type: Black tea, flavored Form: Muslin tea bag Cost: 2 boxes of 20 teabags each sells for $16.61, loose leaf tins are available, as are quantity discounts Review: Are you an Earl Grey lover looking for something a bit different? Kusmi’s Bouquet de Fleur may be just what you have in mind. This blend of Chinese and Ceylon black teas is lightly flavored with bergamot, other citrus fruits, and flowers. It infuses to a gorgeous deep red/gold with an u... Read Full Story

Name: Golden Monkey (Panyong Wang) Brand: Drink The Leaf Type: Black tea Form: Loose leaf Review: Golden Monkey is one of my favorite black teas. This probably has something to do with my fondness for cocoa (I like chocolate, but have been known to snack on plain cocoa beans right out of the package.), and Golden Monkey is known for its cocoa notes. The dry leaf  is dominated by golden tips with a few dark grey/brown leaves. The nose is of cocoa…as Drink The Leaf’s own description... Read Full Story

My review of Treleela’s (an Ineeka brand) “Invigorate” (a very tasty Assam) is now available on Examiner.com.  I strongly recommend this tea to Assam lovers who prefer not to add milk and sugar to their tea! Read Full Story