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Tea Store Evaluation- Numi Organic Tea

by Jason on January 18, 2012

in Voices of Tea

Part of a series on evaluating online tea stores.

 

A look at Numi Organic Tea in the areas of quality, selection, and tea community.

I admit that it has been over a year since I had any interaction with Numi teas. I moved on from their teas and site mainly because of the very limited selection of un-blended teas. Since then, Numi has performed a significant upgrade in their site design . That said, it can still be very frustrating maneuvering around the site and finding information.

Quality: Numi has built its brand around offering pure, natural ingredients that are beneficial to people and the Earth. As such, many teas are Fair Trade and organic.

  • Product pics make me reluctant to buy. For example, their Dragonwell appears excessively brown. This tea looks old and overpriced.
  • Numi does offer a compressed, brick pu’er (difference in spelling is intentional), but I wonder if it could go head-to-head with a traditional pu’er brick from an established producer. I have not yet tasted it.

Selection: Small. I found 9 of 24 total loose teas that were unflavored and un-blended. You will find 1 wulong, 4 greens, and 1 black tea that meet this criteria.

Tea Community: Numi does sport regular activity on a blog, Facebook, and Twitter, but their use of FB and Twitter is more of an announcement or bulletin board employment. They are not places where people go to ask questions or expect back-and-forth interaction.

Conclusion: I generally find Numi’s selection and quality of loose, unflavored/unblended teas uninspiring. Their tea community and overall online presence is one-directional and fairly stagnant.

And their website is awkward. If I want a tea, do I go to Product or Shop? Only after looking at the product did I realize “bulk” included 4 ounce volumes. I saw one link to their blog on the landing page, and but could not find another. So I would have to go back to find that link. Just a mess.

Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings. Operated by Jason Walker.

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Response to L.A. Times Tea Article: 11 Jan 2012

by Jason on January 12, 2012

in Voices of Tea

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Image: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times / October 18, 2011

Read this article and some of the comments about this article from the L.A. Times.

- While I appreciate press coverage of the growing place fine teas are taking in the U.S., I squirmed in my seat at how tea (and tea-drinkers) were presented. One passage makes it look like some new hipster obsession that comes after bicycle and vinyl record collecting. Come on!

- The article fails to explain that good tea is good tea. The guys in the article are seeking the 7th heaven of an expensive tea experience. They’re drawing from an extensive collection of teaware and agonizing over choice of waters. Good teas do not have to be high-maintenance. They can also be enjoyed with simplicity.

- Good teas do not need to be so expensive. One of the reader comments below the article remarks at the apparent wastefulness. Some people collect fine, expensive wines. Others collect tea. But good teas can be enjoyed for far less. Considering how many times loose-leaf teas can be re-steeped, the cost per cup can be much lower than you imagine. Even competing with some teabag teas.

- Good teas can also be earth friendly and farmer friendly. With online retail and the work of organizations like the ITFA, it is possible to get teas while cutting out middle-men. And since there is no tea bag and string to recycle, your tea leaves return to directly to the earth as mulch or compost.

- Finally, the descriptions of the teas’ characteristics will scare some people off. How many people want to drink something that mainly tastes like moldy bread? There are so many rich characteristics to tea. Good tea is lower in astringency and bitterness than most of the mainstream teabags. It also invites you to move beyond flavor-chasing to experience rich texture and that sought-after aftertaste. Aftertaste is different from the initial flavor of a tea. It is sensed in the back of the mouth and throat. Once you experience it new doors of delight will be opened onto you.

Don’t let the tea geeks scare you off.

Compare teas with others on the Scoresheet.
Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings.
Want to see a tea reviewed? Contact me: jason@walkerteareview.com

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Book Review: Tea Drinker’s Handbook

by Jason on January 11, 2012

in Voices of Tea

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When recently asked: “What tea books do you return to as resources?”, this book was on the short list.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook aims to provide insightful, expert information on tea growing & craftsmanship, tea preparation & appreciation, and a collection of must-try teas.

- use it when you want to understand tea growing and processing. The Tea Drinker’s Handbook goes beyond many other books in explaining, for example, how oolong tea processing differs from black tea processing. It also gives some of the most thorough coverage on basic terrior and tea farming practices.

- use it when you want simple guidance on tea preparation methods. Basic steps on a variety of steeping methods are provided, including Japanese kyusu and Chinese gaiwan usage. You can also pick up some of tea tasters’ lingo, potentially helpful when you need to interact with certain tea vendors and aficionados.

- use it to gain a glimpse of the many treasured teas waiting to be explored.

For another perspective, see: Pluck Tea’s review. While the flaws in the appreciation/preparation section that Pluck noted do exist, I still found the handbook to be one of the most extensive in coverage of the cultivation and production of tea.

In short, this reference book will give many readers the feeling that they too can start growing and processing their own teas. Or maybe jump into the tea business.

From Amazon:

About the Author(s)
François-Xavier Delmas is founder of Le Palais des Thés. His in-depth knowledge of tea-producing regions and his exceptional tasting skills make him one of the leading experts in his field. Mathias Minet is a taster. He joined Le Palais des Thés ten years ago and co-directs the business with Delmas. In 1999, he and Delmas founded L’École du Thé, a school for would-be tasters. Christine Barbaste is the author of Thé à Paris in the series Paris est à nous (Editions Parigramme).

Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings.
Want to see a tea reviewed? Contact me: jason@walkerteareview.com

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World Tea Expo 2011: Bruce Richardson

December 7, 2011

. Comment: Excerpt of conversation with Bruce Richardson who presents his 2011 edition of The Book of Tea. This is not a book about Japanese teas and Japanese tea ceremony. It is about the Philosophy of Tea, which is about: “hygene, for it enforces cleanliness; it is economics for it shows comfort in simplicity rather than [...]

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World Tea Expo 2011: David Campbell

November 16, 2011

. Comment: David Campbell talks Taiwan teas, and how tea, wine, and taste come together in Napa. Find out more about Tillerman and their range of Taiwan teas.   . . . . . . . Compare teas with others on the Scoresheet. Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings. [...]

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World Tea Expo 2011: Dan Robertson

November 2, 2011

. Comment: Dan Robertson offers tea travel opportunities with World Tea Tours and a first-look at the season’s teas via the International Tea Cupper’s Club. .   . . . . . Compare teas on the Scoresheet. Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings. Operated by Jason Walker. Subscribe in [...]

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World Tea Expo 2011: Larry Chin and Yang Su

September 28, 2011

. Comment: Larry Chin and Yang Su show and tell about Piao I tea ware, pu’er, and travels to Yunnan. Find out more at Pure Puer and Piao I. . Compare teas on the Scoresheet. Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings. Operated by Jason Walker. Subscribe in a reader [...]

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World Tea Expo 2011: George Jage

August 31, 2011

. Comment: George Jage, Founder and President of World Tea Media, comments on the Association of Tea Bloggers and the upcoming World Tea East. . Compare teas on the Scoresheet. Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings. Operated by Jason Walker. Subscribe in a reader or by email

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Blog Carnival: Roots Campaign

August 15, 2011

The Association of Tea Bloggers (ATB) is happy to highlight Adagio’s Roots Campaign.

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World Tea Expo 2011: Cynthia Gold

August 10, 2011

Walker Tea Review World Tea Expo 2011 Cynthia Gold, tea sommelier at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers and author of Culinary Tea talks about how tea can be used like a spice to create wonderful dishes

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