Tea Brewster ::

Late Night Brewster

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Brewing a cuppa late at night right before I go to bed is one of my favorite things to do. It really relaxes me and helps me to focus on just relaxing and calming down. It is usually the taste of the tea that lets my body know that it is time to start getting sleepy. If you are having trouble sleeping give this try! It might not cure you, but it will make you feel better none the less. [_]b

-T

White Peony

2012-02-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

This morning I drank some tea that is a little bit out of the norm for me. I have only had white tea maybe once or twice in my few years of drinking tea. The taste that I had in my mind before I drank this tea was something very light and would have a sweet flavor that would be present. After actually drinking some of this tea, I know now that this is not the case. This tea was very strong and packed quite a punch. White tea is almost exclusively made in China. It comes from the plant Camellia sinensis (as does green and black tea) what makes white tea different is the way it is oxidized. White teas are left to dry out and wither before they are lightly oxidized (green tea has medium oxidation and black tea is fully oxidized). When I took the first sip of this tea I could believe the taste that I got. It had a very strong taste of seaweed and was very earthy. While this tea was not my favorite, it did make me realize that after a few years of drinking tea my taste for tea has changed. When I first started drinking tea, I had to have plenty of sugar or honey just to make it taste good. After a few months I found myself not wanting to put anything in my tea and just enjoy the flavor that came from the leaf. Teas that had a really strong taste of seaweed and that were very grassy were hard for me to drink. I was so used to having something sweet that drinking something more bitter was very unnatural. After drinking this tea I noticed that it wasn't the bitter seaweed taste that bothered me and that I could just enjoy the tea for what it was and how it tasted. It was very exciting to me that my tastes have changed and that the more and more I drink tea the easier it is to just enjoy the taste of the leaf, whether it be good or bad. As I mentioned before, this tea was not my favorite but it was the true taste of the leaf that I didn't like and not the absence of sweet. This is a big step for me and I am excited to be having a great tea experience, even if I don't enjoy the leaf as much as others. [_]b

-T

Tea Vision

2012-01-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today on Tea Brewster I thought I would bring to you TEA VISION. I think we have all had this moment, when you pour the freshly boiled water onto the leaves in your infuser and you watch them slowly unfurl. Its one of the most relaxing things to witness and it allows you to see what you are making and putting into your body. The best thing that I have found for this is a glass tea pot. It allows you to see every step of the infusion as you watch the tea and the water mix into a great cuppa. Sometimes its the tea vision that keeps me wanting to drink cup after cup, just because it looks so cool.

One goal that I have had this year is to make tea vision happen every day. To be able to have that 15 minutes to relax and just enjoy a great cup. While doing this I have also tried to have that relaxing time in different places and at different times of the day. I want it to become a daily part of my life and sink in so that tea is just what I do. I hope that you all can have some good tea visions this year, no matter where you are or what your doing. [_]b

-T

Cuppa Turkish Green Apple from Cheap Loose Leaf Tea

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

They have done it again! I brewed a cuppa Turkish Green Tea this morning and it definitely made my morning! With bits of apple and safflower this tea opened up nicely and almost made the first half of the work day worth getting up for. This is also one of the coolest looking teas that I have ever drank. The red safflowers mixed with the green leaves looks amazing and almost made we want to save the last of the bag. This is the second tea that I have tried from this company and they have tasted great every time. If you want something great that's not hard on the wallet then check them out here: Cheap Loose Leaf Tea. [_]b

-T

Nike Fuel Band

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love seeing the new health tech that is coming out and this band does nothing but impress! It tracks what you do 24/7 and reports to you like your own personal trainer on your wrist. The LED lights on the bottom show you how close you are to reaching your goal for the day and let you track your goals online or on your phone! You can pre-order one of these and it will arrive on your doorstep on February 22. Check them out at Nike Fuel Band. Now only if it could track the amount of tea you drink....[_]b

-T

Passion Fruit Oolong From Cheap Loose Leaf Tea

2012-01-17T12:42:00.001-07:00

Don't let the name of the company fool you, this oolong tea is some of the best that I have ever had!! I have had this tea for a month now and I have tried to make it last as long as I can because it is so good! Every brew comes with the great flavor of the oxidized leaf and a slight flavor of passion fruit! It is almost impossible to over steep this tea because the quality is so good! You know you have a good tea when it is hard to throw the leaves away! If you are looking for a cheap oolong tea that taste amazing.... Look no further Cheap Loose Leaf Tea

-T

The Mighty Tea Leaf Has Spoken & It Is Good!

2012-01-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

In a rush out the door to make it to work late; my final thought before leaving was TEA!! I moved away from my normal loose leaf tea grind and grab something a little faster. When I finally got to work I couldn't help but brew a good cup!! When I opened the bag, low and behold I found that the mighty leaf was staring me right in the face. This was a Spring Jasmine tea that tasted great and had me feeling like I was drinking a mighty leaf! If you have the chance to buy some don't think twice about it. Once the mighty tea leaf speaks you'll be coming back again and again. (www.mightyleaf.com) [_]b

-T

Tea Rex by DCI

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Check this tea infuser out from DCI (http://www.dcigift.com/product.cfm?productID=1219&catID=14). I would love to brew a cup with a tea rex!! Its one of those things that you know you don't need because you have a few infusers already but you just can't help but want it. For only ten bucks these infusers are moving fast. I am adding this to my wish list of tea products to buy. Hopefully one day I will be brewing with the rex! [_]b

-T

Brewing Emerald Lily from Rishi Tea

2012-01-12T15:08:00.001-07:00

For a mid-day burst of energy I decided to brew up a cup of Emerald Lily Green Tea from Rishi Tea (www.rishitea.com). I have brewed this once or twice before but I have to say that today was a great experience with this tea. Pouring the hot water and watching the leaves unfurl was amazing! It allowed me to forget the troubles of the day if only for a few minutes. It tasted so good, with hints of wild flower as I sipped and enjoyed my cup of tea. The best part about it was that it left an amazing after taste and had steeping it two more times! If you have a chance pick some up from their online store, you won't be sorry you did! [_]b

-T

Brewing Gun Powder Green Tea

2012-01-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Good morning tea lovers! Today I started the work day by brewing some Gun Powder Green Tea from my local health food store. While not the best tea I have ever had, it is a good way to start if you are new to buying loose leaf tea. I was able to buy a half a pound for about 10 dollars, which a half of a pound will keep you brewing for a very long time. It’s a cheap way to try different types of tea before you start buying the more expensive and higher quality tea. If you’re wondering what type of mug that is in the picture, it is a Libre Tea Glass'n Poly Travel Mug (review coming soon!) that can be picked up from their website: libretea.com.

For those of you that are new to brewing green tea there are some things to watch out for to be able to brew the best cup possible. First, the water temperature is important before starting to brew a cup of green tea. Most tea will come with brewing instructions that will let you know what temperature to brew at. The rule of thumb for me if there are no instruction (for example the tea I brewed today) is about 180 degrees Fahrenheit (water comes to a boil at 212 degrees Fahrenheit). Since most people don't walk around with a thermometer in their pocket, I usually bring the water to a full boil and then let it stand for about 5 minutes before steeping the tea. Second, green tea has a pretty specific time frame in which it should be steeped. The reason for this is that the tea leafs themselves become bitter when over steeped. Like I mentioned before most tea comes with brewing instructions but when not available then steep for about 1 to 2 minutes. My final tip comes from Jesse Jacobs who is the owner of Samovar Tea Lounge in California, (samovarlife.com), which is a good rule to follow whenever brewing any cup of tea. The rule is, use more tea and less time to steep it. I have just recently started to follow this rule and it has greatly improved my tea experience. It seems to bring out the full flavor of the tea and it also makes for better cups when you go back and steep the tea for a second or third time. So when you’re thinking about being a little stingy with your tea, just remember a hearty teaspoon of tea for every 8oz of water will make a great cup more times than not. Keep on brewing and enjoying the tea and life around you! [_]b

-T

Sunsets, set the tea mood!

2012-01-10T23:08:00.001-07:00

Have you ever noticed how a sunset just makes you want to drink tea! Something about making that visual connection with nature while drinking something that comes from nature can make that tea experience that much sweeter! I caught this sunset on my way home from work and knew right away I had to brew a cup and relax on my back porch, taking in the great things around me! Great brew, great sunset, and great connection. [_]b

-T

Tea Hour Glass By: Pengtao Yu

2012-01-09T12:08:00.001-07:00

This is by far one of the coolest tea infusers that I have ever seen! Pengtao Yu pulled out all of the stops on this design. I love glass infusers because it gives you a great visual connection with what you are about to drink. No word on where you can purchase this aesthetically pleasing tea infuser, except by contacting Pengtao Yu directly at pengtaoyu@gmail.com. Tea + Design go hand in hand and Pengtao hit both nails on the head! Happy Brewing [_]b

-T

Welcome To Tea Brewster!

2012-01-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hello all, my name is Trent and I love tea! I started this blog to show anything and everything tea. I have been drinking tea for 2 years now and I still feel like I have just scratched the surface on what there is to know about this great drink. I will be posting on many different topics and I hope that you all can all take something away from this! Thanks for reading and happy brewing [_]b

-T