Red Rose
Black Tea
Splenda and milk


Just4Tea.com has sent me a handful of samples. I couldn't be happier. I thought they were just going to send me two samples, but they've sent me the whole lot! They're a generous, friendly bunch and I respect that in a business. They're not a business selling telephones, building cars or making chemicals -- they're a tea business and the attitude is important. They have a nice friendly website without the pretentious tipping teacups other sites feature.

I'm excited, can you tell?

Here are the samplers I'll be trying:
Premium Dragon Well
PuErh
Winter Oolong
Jasmine Blossom
Jasmine Pearl
Tie Guan Yin

So rather than face the bitter truth, China has placed severe restrictions on the Internet and enlisted America's high-tech companies as their Internet police.
-Tom Lantos

Mariage Freres
Lapsang Souchong Imperial


Red Rose tea with a single serving of Splenda is really hitting the spot today. Red Rose has only tasted right to me with Splenda and Milk, but now... the milk just isn't appealing. The kids absolutely love the little ceramic animals that come in every package.

We did argue on whether the first one we got was two puppies or two floppy eared bunnies. I particularly like the duck, but our two ponies are pretty popular too.

I always pledged to have more concern for others than control of others.
-Baba Amte

Mariage Freres
Lapsang Souchong Imperial


I put the burner on high under my metal cow pot. I open the black tin of Lapsang Souchong. I pinch a good amount out and drop it into my clay yixing pot. I can smell the pine already.

The water heats up nicely. I'm rushing. I pour the water from the cow pot without opening. The water does pour out. Its mostly in the yixing tea pot, some of it covers the side of the yixing tea pot, some of it is on the kitchen counter. I cover the tea pot and wait.

I'm still rushing. I don't wait long enough. The tea comes out much lighter than I prefer. It reminds me of what the chinese call white tea and how that differs from what the west calls white tea.

I really want to tip the yixing teapot enough to get a strong water flow. I don't want to wait. I know what happens if I tip it that far -- the tea starts to come out the top of the pot too. That's no good.

Finally its poured. It has that distinctive lapsang souchong aroma caused by being dried over smoldering pine needles. Mmmmmmm -- I do love this tea.

Ronald Reagan was a president of strength. His philosophy was a philosophy of strength - a strong military, a strong economy and strong families.
-Mitt Romney

Tea Zone Ti Kwan Yin
&
Wild Oats Darjeeling


I didn't have enought Ti Kwan Yin to make a full brew. I decided to use my darjeeling to finish off the mix. The result was something less than either the Ti Kwan Yin or the darjeeling by itself. Its unfortunate, I had high hopes for a good brew.

Just4Tea.com has kindly offered some sample tea for me to review. I think their Ti Guan Yin, what I call Ti Kwan Yin, looks wonderful. They also have a nice looking Premium Dragon Well and a Pu'erh that may be irresistable.

New layout. New Teas. New samples. New friends. Keep on reading, we're making something cool here.

Find a need and fill it.
-Ruth Stafford Peale

Tea Zone
Ti Kwan Yin


There are some days when other blogs like teamasters or Cha Dao really inspire me. I see them tasting 20 year old Pu'er or other teas that I've never heard of. They try out some really amazing stuff.

There are other days when teamasters and Cha Dao bring me down. I can't afford teas like that. Who wants to read my blog about stick teas, red teas, lipton, starbucks and other pap crap when they could be reading about 20 year pu'er?

Maybe I'm a little down because one certain company said they wanted to syndicate my blog and to go apply. Once I applied they decided I'm not quite the right thing for them. Maybe Celestial Seasonings doesn't make a proper tea? Yerba Mate and Red Tea don't even come from a tea plant, but I mention them all the same. Why ask me to apply if you were going to shoot me down?

Ah well, I'm not changing my blog. I review teas I can afford. Raising four kids on one income doesn't leave a lot leftover for 20 year old teas. I buy teas I enjoy. Maybe I'm not as far along as Cha Dao, but I'm where I want to be.

(Teamasters, Cha Dao -- if you read this let me apologize. You guys inspire me. I mention you just to show what great tea blogs are.)

Invincibility is irreversibly established in the world. My work is done.
-Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Celestial Seasonings
Brewed Awakenings


I told you I had some cool things planned for this site. If you're reading this now you're looking at one of those cool things. The site has been completed redesigned by seven at blogsgonewild.net. I am very pleased with the result. I think it is a very clean, easy to read layout that will help take this blog to the next level.

Keep coming back. You'll enjoy it.

Now if only my Darjeeling would show up...

Time is running out, and too little is left to let BW remain meerly another minor pawn whose disposition is incidental to other settlements.
-Joshua Lederberg

Wild Oats
Assam FOP


I've been eating a lot of sugary, starchy foods. I don't realize how bad it makes my mouth taste until I try some good tea. The first few sips I'll just swish around trying to clean my palate.

This was made in my non-broken Yixing pot (pictured). Its a cool pot that is starting to show a few stains inside. Its character -- I like it.

The aim is not victory over another faction, the aim is to strengthen the rules of democracy.
-Ahmad Bourghani

Wild Oats
Darjeeling FTGFOP


There are a lot of good things happening here. I'm drinking a cup of Darjeeling, so you know I'm in a good mood. As mentioned previously I have an order of a Darjeeling that I'll be trying for the first time. I'm working with a very talented person, se7en, on a little surprise for you patient readers.

Keep on coming back and checking this out. If enjoyed this blog so far then you're going to enjoy it far more in the weeks to come.

We have no choice but to act with resolution and a civil war is not a careful affair. It draws targets on both the political and the apolitical.
-Volodia Teitelboim