Tea tasting at Hina's
I went to Hina's yesterday for the second time, and this time I went with a group of friends. Here are my reviews of the five teas we tasted:
White Devine Temple: While I don't like that they misspell "divine" (hey, I'm an English major), this tea is delicious and deserving of its popularity. It has a light fruity taste to it while maintaining the flavours of the white tea and the hint of green tea along with it. This was a hit with everyone.
Yellow Plum Oolong: I think this was my second favourite. I am a fan of oolong teas, and the plum in combination with it made it REALLY good. Super yummy.
Lemon Ginger: This one is a good standard tea. It smells a bit like those sweet lipton iced teas you'd get at a restaurant or in bottles from the store... mostly because of the lemon. But once you taste it, you realise you're drinking something much better. It's something I wouldn't mind having on hand. I really like ginger and using it in different foods and drink.
Rooibos Cherry Rose: My friends and I were laughing when we tried this since my name is Rose, so we were saying it has "me" in it... anywho, it was VERY flowery and rosy, and we could hardly taste anything else. One of my friends actually said it tasted like an "antique shop". Haha. It wasn't bad, just not great.
Lapsang Souchong: This tea was picked out by a friend of mine, and I'm glad he was daring in his selection. This tea smells and tastes like campfire, but it's not as bad as it sounds. It's rather interesting really, and putting a bit of sugar in it took some of the edge off. I overheard someone in the tea shop saying they use this tea to marinate their steaks... seems like a good idea! I'm not sure I would buy this tea to drink, but it does seem like it'd be cool to use in cooking, and it does have a nice oaky taste to it. I'd say it's definitely worth trying, although it's probably not for everyone.
I ended up buying a tea that wasn't even one we tasted: Magic of the Djinn. I tasted it today and it's nice and spicy, with a bit of liquorice aroma. It turns an interesting shade of green at first, too. I really enjoy it.
If you haven't visited Hina's in person or via web, you should check it out: http://www.hinastea.com The staff are really friendly and helpful (and if you are lucky enough to show up when Hina herself is there, she is awesome), and they have some really nice teas. :)
White Devine Temple: While I don't like that they misspell "divine" (hey, I'm an English major), this tea is delicious and deserving of its popularity. It has a light fruity taste to it while maintaining the flavours of the white tea and the hint of green tea along with it. This was a hit with everyone.
Yellow Plum Oolong: I think this was my second favourite. I am a fan of oolong teas, and the plum in combination with it made it REALLY good. Super yummy.
Lemon Ginger: This one is a good standard tea. It smells a bit like those sweet lipton iced teas you'd get at a restaurant or in bottles from the store... mostly because of the lemon. But once you taste it, you realise you're drinking something much better. It's something I wouldn't mind having on hand. I really like ginger and using it in different foods and drink.
Rooibos Cherry Rose: My friends and I were laughing when we tried this since my name is Rose, so we were saying it has "me" in it... anywho, it was VERY flowery and rosy, and we could hardly taste anything else. One of my friends actually said it tasted like an "antique shop". Haha. It wasn't bad, just not great.
Lapsang Souchong: This tea was picked out by a friend of mine, and I'm glad he was daring in his selection. This tea smells and tastes like campfire, but it's not as bad as it sounds. It's rather interesting really, and putting a bit of sugar in it took some of the edge off. I overheard someone in the tea shop saying they use this tea to marinate their steaks... seems like a good idea! I'm not sure I would buy this tea to drink, but it does seem like it'd be cool to use in cooking, and it does have a nice oaky taste to it. I'd say it's definitely worth trying, although it's probably not for everyone.
I ended up buying a tea that wasn't even one we tasted: Magic of the Djinn. I tasted it today and it's nice and spicy, with a bit of liquorice aroma. It turns an interesting shade of green at first, too. I really enjoy it.
If you haven't visited Hina's in person or via web, you should check it out: http://www.hinastea.com The staff are really friendly and helpful (and if you are lucky enough to show up when Hina herself is there, she is awesome), and they have some really nice teas. :)