Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts

Monday, January 26, 2009

Ginger Peach

I am a firm believer that a person’s atmosphere can make or break any experience. In this case, the atmosphere in which I tried ginger peach tea only added to the heartwarming feeling I got with every sip. Understanding that this is a tea blog, I want to talk mainly about the tea itself but as I said before, I could not have asked for a more relaxing and warm atmosphere. The live music by an aspiring artist (aka’d as Gabe Wright) was soothing, the waitresses were especially helpful in assisting with decision making, and it seems as if the smiles and laughter were contagious and inextinguishable.
At first I was a little hesitant to order the Ginger Peach even though the title itself is so inviting. This is because I’ve always been rather skeptical of artificial fruit flavors. I needed reassurance to make my decision and the waitress as well as close friend of the group’s, Emma Webster, convinced me to go with the Ginger Peach.
When the tea came out, we were each given individual thermal pots as well as cute little strainers. I thoroughly enjoyed using the strainer while pouring the tea, anxious to try the first cup. The smell alone was enough to give me assurance that I had made the right choice. The peach flavor was the most evident but not too intruding. I was very thrilled with my pick of the night. In fact, although I try not to order the same tea twice, I may have to reconsider this rule and spend another visit sipping on the ginger peach tea sometime very soon. With the being said, I encourage all of you tea drinkers to always try new flavors and classes of teas. Never shy away from an opportunity to explore the possibilities. Who knows, the new and unknown could soon become the comforting and familiar.


Rating Scale:

Packaging(bag): Personal thermal pot, tea specks were inside a little ball shaped chamber inside the pot

Color: Tanish peach

Type: Regular

Caffeine Content: Medium

Smell (1-10): 7

Taste (1-10): 8.25 The peach was very pleasantly dominant

Good With: Natural sugar and a very small amount of milk

Steeping Time: Varies 3 to 9 minutes

Time of Day Best to Drink: Even though there is caffeine, the perfect time for me is the evening

Texture: Indescribable

Price: 1.95 per thermal pot

Saturday, January 24, 2009

English Breakfast


English Breakfast

It's a beautiful Saturday when all four members of Herbatki can get together and enjoy four distinctly different teas at a local coffee shop. Some live music (Gabe Wright: accompanying amatuer sketch by me at the end of this review) and the smiles of friends could only work to enhance my experience of English Breakfast tea. Until team-member Edzio dropped his sugar packed in his tea of course (So much for aficionado, right?). The tea was not any exotic or fantastical flavor, but I think it was just right. English Breakfast is a good tea for beginners because it has no surprises; it's authentic and straight to the point. According to Mr.Breakfast.com, English Breakfast tea was actually invented in Edinburgh, Scotland. How's that for a fun fact! All in all, English Breakfast is a homely choice that should not be overlooked for those entering the tea scene.

Rating Scale:

Color: Golden Tan (Reminisces of the grimy gold mine that my father toiled in as a child in Hungary)

Type: Regular Tea

Caffeine Content: High

Smell (1-10): 4.5

Taste (1-10): 6

Good With: Honey, Milk, A Blueberry Muffin, Live Music

Steeping Time: Light and sufficient after 4 minutes, strong and powerful after 8.

Time of Day Best to Drink: Early Morning (for Breakfast!), or whenever you need a caffeine boost.

Texture: Thin, but full of flavor

Price: $1.95 At College Hill Coffee Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio


Amateur Sketch of Gabe Wright (click to view larger):