Company: Teavana

Type: Green, loose

Cost: $15.00 for 2oz

Gyokuro green tea is the type of green tea that is right up my alley.  Too bad their expensive nature doesn’t allow me to make them a mainstay in my tea collection right now.  No matter, I drink them when I can and plan out times to get more.  Teavana’s Gyokuro isn’t actually all that bad but please note that I haven’t had the chance to try a Gyokuro from the places that everybody recommends one should get Gyokuro from.

The dry leaves of this Gyokuro have a thin, needle like appearance and have a nice sweet grassy aroma.  I used water that was 145F and steeped 1 teaspoon of leaves in 8oz of water for 2 minutes.  The color of the liquor was a pale but bright green and smelled quite vegetal.  The taste was sweet, vegetal with a spinach note, and smooth with an ever so light astringency.

In my opinion, with limited experience of Gyokuro teas, it tastes good and I quite enjoyed this tea.  It was not bitter and had good strong flavors that somehow still managed to be on the delicate side.  I would definitely drink this when I’m in the mood for a Gyokuro and am anxious to try more from other brands.

The product(s) included in this post were sent to me to be considered for review by the company mentioned or by a PR agency that represents them.

Name: Silver Needle

Company: Teavana

Type: White, loose

Cost: $18 for 2oz

My mom recently returned from Texas after a visit to my brother.  During a mall excursion they stopped into a Teavana store and proceeded to find a tea for me.  After looking around and doing a taste test, it was decided that the Silver Needle tea would be perfect for my tastes.  Silver Needle is the highest grade of white tea consisting of very young buds and gathered only a few days during early spring.

When my mom had a taste of it she said she didn’t think it tasted like tea and was very subtle.  I think that sums up Silver Needle tea pretty darn good.  It is a subtle and very delicate tea.  One that requires some thought and focus to enjoy.  It is not a tea that you can gulp and still feel satisfied with the experience.  No.  This kind of white tea needs concentration and time to get the full enjoyment.

Teavana’s Silver Needle is the first silver needle that I have tried.  I have tried other white teas and am quite fond of their delicate nature and so I was quite sure this would be right up my alley.  The leaves are long with tiny hair like particles giving them a fluffy quality.  The scent is soft and alluring.  I followed the recommendation of using 1 and 1/2 teaspoons per cup in 175 degree water for 4 minutes.

I made a whole pot and enjoyed it while starting a relaxing day.  The taste is delicate and clean with a very soft sweetness to it.  Quite lovely for my first dive into Silver Needles.  Again, drink this tea when you have time to enjoy it and give it the thought it deserves.  This kind of tea needs to be savored in the moment and is not a tea one should zone out while drinking.

The product(s) included in this post were given to my as a gift by family or friends.