Big Thanks to Steven Knoerr of 39 Steeps

Tea enthusiast Steven Knoerr recently reviewed our Green Twisted Spears on his tea blog 39 Steeps. This particular tea is an Organic & Fair Trade certified loose green tea from Sri Lanka - a region that has traditionally produced black teas, black ceylons.

He discusses the leaves, the tea, the preparation, the cup, and his overall impressions. We're pleased that he seemed to enjoy the tea overall and noticed the unique notes of the Sri Lankan terroir,

"I like how the Sri Lankan terroir affected the flavor of the green, because it was like finding a friendly acquaintance in an unusual place: say, a friend from church, greeting me when I'm climbing up a mountain slope in Colorado."

He also commented on the unique new taste of green tea from Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon),

"I've never had a green Ceylon before, and I'm pleased with the beautiful handcrafting of the leaf, which was sufficiently interesting to merit an experiment with the tea, all by itself. While this tea isn't as nuanced or bold as the Chinese greens I am more accustomed to, when taken on its own merit, it's pleasant. I'd be interested to see what kind of tea the Ceylon producers will be producing in a hundred years, after much practice and developing cultivars specifically for the green tea style."

You can read the full tea review here. Be sure to check out the comments section where an interesting discussion takes place about green teas from Sri Lanka - a relatively recent endeavor in this nation.

Thanks, Steven, for checking us out and for the feedback!

Organic Green Twisted Spears

I've been looking forward to tasting this tea for quite some time now--it's been waiting patiently in my cupboard for its turn in the trusty Steepin' Mug. Alas! Its time has come!

It might sound silly, but half the reason I was so excited to try the Green Twisted Spears is due to its shape. The leaves are like mini-jousting lances or swords—long, thin, and pointy. A deep whiff of these dry scimitar-ish twists imparts a noseful of the scent of sweet apricots. After steeping the leaves for three minutes with water as close to 175-degrees as I could get (I measure the temp with my finger, which is surprisingly accurate. But keep in mind I did nothing but drink and serve tea at our now-closed retail location for over a year, so my finger is somewhat skilled at this task). The leaves had only slightly un-spiraled, making it clear to me that this is definitely a tea that needs to be re-steeped many times—as are most green teas.

In any case, the first go of it resulted in a light, floral-smelling liquor, with no astringency whatsoever. Pardon the wax poetic, but the mild, well-rounded flavor reminded me of the way it smells after rain—clean and fresh, with wafts of green vegetation. Much like wine grapes, tea plants tend to exude subtle flavors based on the soil and climate they grow in--so perhaps it’s no surprise then that these delicate spikes come from Sri Lanka--an island with a tropical climate that includes intense heat, heavy monsoons, and lots of subtropical evergreen forests. I swear I can taste all of those things. Round two, which I steeped for an extra 30 seconds, holds up strong to round one. It appears that I will get as many delicately flavored cups as I care to imbibe, as the spirals still have some unwinding to do. This works out perfectly for me, because I do too.

I see your Green Twisted Spear is as big as mine!