News from the Republic (of Tea), Part II

Read the first installment of News from the Republic (of Tea)!

The second in the series from the Republic. This one's about the art of steeping. You're instructed to enjoy the nuances, the complexity, and the character of the tea, so take care not to leave one out!

If you prefer protocols with specifics, check out this steeping chart from the Republic. Every brand pretty much has their own.

Leaflets

Over the past couple of months I've tried out a ton of different teas--too many to document by individual post! So here's a few short reviews of some of them.

Ceylon Teas: Herbal Peppermint

Normally if you presented me with something as generically titled as "herbal peppermint," I wouldn't be so captivated. A little tea roulette with an enormous Ceylon variety pack has changed that for good. What's so great about it? It has a warm peppermint flavor. Where most minty teas sort of wake you up with the cool feeling they leave on your tongue, this one is quite a bit more calming. Bonus: it smells like candy canes. Drink this one with sugar.

Twinings: English Breakfast

Another gift from the holidays, this tea is like a solid, stout Englishman. Twinings of London is a fairly popular brand, but surprisingly not one I've tried. Normally people drink breakfast teas in the morning (spoiler alert!) but I'd recommend this EB for a good evening read. It has a full flavor with a little more sediment than other English Breakfasts, which tends to bother some people, but I don't mind it much.

Two Leaves and a Bud: Jasmine Pearl

Firstly, what a lovely name for a tea brand! Normally coffee shops approach tea by having a house brand whose teas they'll keep in stock--Republic of Tea, Stash, and Numi are fairly common ones--and I'm always delighted when a place has a new brand on tap. I tried this charmingly named tea at Saxby's (Virginia's version of Starbucks or Peet's) over the winter holidays when I was writing out my Christmas cards. The term "pearl" when applied to tea now invokes thoughts of bubble tea for me, but I have to agree that the soft flavor of this jasmine varietal is really well described by it. It practically smells like pearls! But, as with most jasmine teas, take care not to steep it too long.

Numi Organic Tea: Jasmine Green Monkey King

My friend Jossie treated me to a birthday cuppa of this tea. (Yes, it's been that long since I had it.) Numi is the house brand of Pura Vida, one of the on-campus cafés at Hopkins. It went pretty well alongside the giant cupcake she also presented me with! I'll have to try it again to be sure, but I remember it being a good bit more "green" than "jasmine," and therefore, a little leafier than I'd like.

Bentley's Finest Tea: Mango Green

This tea is where my memory fails me the most. I have some recollection of trying it at the Greenhouse Cafe at the Hopkins School of Medicine, but I could have also just made that up. I'll go back and investigate, but I think I liked it... Or maybe I didn't?