Second Cuppa

Tetley Blend of Both Review

Green tea is believed to offer more health benefits than black tea. Tetley Blend of Both attempts to capitalize on this assumption by offering black tea drinkers the benefits of green tea.

I found this blend, composed of 72% black tea and 28% green tea, at bit odd at first but gradually came to like it. It’s supposed to be prepared and enjoyed like regular black tea. Tetley suggests drinking three cups per day to realize the benefits of one cup of green tea.

It looks and almost smells and tastes like standard British black tea; however, the small amount of green tea adds a pleasant twist. The green tea’s grassy aroma is more dominant than I expected, and the flavor is slightly bitter (from using boiling water, I think). Milk is necessary in my opinion.

As a side note for black tea drinkers, I wouldn’t be too concerned about missing the widely reported advantages of green tea. Black tea offers many of the same benefits, including antioxidants, with extra caffeine to keep you going. Recent studies have shown that black tea drinkers show reduced risk of stroke and heart disease.

If you still want to hedge your bets or simply want find out what happens when black meets green tea, Tetley Blend of Both is not a bad way to go. I’d continue drinking the stuff regularly if the cost of having it shipped to the States wasn’t so high.

Aroma:	Mossy, chalky, and grassy
Body:	Full
Flavor:	Malty, creamy, and a little bitter
Color:	Dark

My Inaugural Japanese Sencha

Adagio Sencha Overture Tea Review

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President Obama’s second inauguration, and a day off from work — what to do? Try a new tea, that’s what.

I’ve heard lots of good things about Japanese green tea, so I decided to initiate myself with a sample of Sencha Overture from Adagio Teas. Green tea (this one in particular) is delicate and must be brewed at a lower temperature than black tea. Sometimes a little trial and error is necessary to find the optimal temperature.

In my first attempt, I steeped the loose tea leaves in 170°F water for two minutes, as recommended on the packaging. The result was too bitter for my taste, so I did some research.

I found instructions on a website dedicated to Japanese tea which suggested brewing in 158°F water for one minute. By the way, I boiled the water, poured it into a Pyrex measuring cup, stuck a meat thermometer in it, and waited until the water cooled down to the right temperature before adding it to the tea leaves. Success!

This brew, light green in color, has a heartier texture than I expected, yet it delivers a fairly clean finish. Its strong aroma can be likened to freshly cut grass or seaweed. If you want bitterness, steep a little longer or at a higher temperature like I did the first time.

Aroma:	Freshly cut grass, seaweed
Body:	Light to medium
Flavor:	Sour, sweet, and bitter
Color:	Light green; tea becomes cloudy after a minute or so