Blue of London - Earl Grey Du Yunnan

This is is said to be the Finest of the Le Palais Des Thes Earl Grey Line. I got a sampler pack of loose leaf tea which is probably good for 2 cups or so. The package says to brew at 185F instead of the more normal 205F, and steep for 4-5 minutes

I used my tea pot to brew as normal. It seems to be a nice and somewhat rich Earl Grey. It seems a touch more flowery then the Thes De Lords which is my standard Earl Grey tea. Still undecided if it is worth the extra few shekels.

The Aux Oranges De Cuba

They were having a sale, so I got this one. I like citrus type teas.

It has chunks of orange in a black tea, and looks nice.

I let it steep for 4 minutes, generally nice but a touch metalic with just sugar.

very nice with milk.

Darjeeling 7 Agrumes

This is a loose leaf tea which I got as a sampler from Le Palais Des Thes. The web page describes it as a "Russian blend" mixing teas from India and China as well as citrus.

Not my favorite, kind of harsh at first taste. I don't like this one. I think I made it too strong, need less tea and to only steep it for 3 minutes not 5 next time.

The' Des Lords

This is an Earl Grey from Le Palais Des Thes. It is ok which soymilk, will have to try it again with regular milk

Le Palais Des Thes - Montagne Blueu

This is a black tea with flowers, I got a small packet of it as a sampler I am trying it out.

here is a link to the product page
http://us.palaisdesthes.com/en_us/montagne-bleue-1712.html

The smell is fruity but nice, it is a bit lighter in color than some of the other teas I have been drinking. It has a nice fruity taste, I think this would be over powered by milk, but just with sugar it is nice.

As it cools down the fruit comes out, but it tastes like black tea with fruit not an herbal.

Le Palais des Thes - Flour d'oranger Wu Long

This is an Oolong (Wu Long in French I guess) tea that I picked up today. First cup was nice with just sugar. Will post more on it tomorrow.

Edit: Further reflections the following day...

The tea is a rich red/brown in the cup.

The smell is a nice tea smell with a good orange undertone. It seems to taste nice, I can see this as being a good tea for when I want something with no milk.

It was 30nis for 100/mg at the store on Dizengoff in Tel Aviv. So I will probably buy it again

Twinings - Earl Grey without Milk

Trying the Twinings loose leaf earl grey again, today without milk. It has a nice flavor and a strong citrus feeling, but it need more sugar this way.

The color in the cup is rich and the nose is good.

Lipton - Bombay Bazaar

This is one I have been drinking for some time. It is a bag tea, but it comes in a pyramid shaped tea bag instead of the normal flat tea bags that most teas come in.

When you smell it the major flavor is of plum, which is also true in the cup.

From what I can tell ( the label is in Russian, will get my co-worker to translate at some point) it is a black tea with a spice mix, some form of Chai, but with a slightly different mix than some of the others.

Rooibos Pretoria - Le Palais Des Thes

This is a South African Rooibos that my co worker has, so a first try for a Rooibos for me. Having it without milk but with Sugar.

This is quite different from my normal black teas, much more like an herbal almost. But it is an interesting flavor, soothing and nice. Would be good in the afternoon or at night without milk.

Twinings - Voyage Indian Chai

I picked this tea up at the suppermarket in Hod Hasharon Israel. It ocmes in Tea bags (unlike some of the other loose teas I have been trying) which is ideal for drinking at home where I don't have a teapot for loose leaf.

It needs about 2-3 minutes before you add the milk, and then give it another minute or two.

The nose is rich with a nice flavor of spices. First taste is smooth and rich.

Twinings - Earl Grey Loose Leaf

Smooth, this one is a standbye that you can always count on for a good office pick me up. Bit of a chalky aftertaste though.

I tend to make it with milk and a bit of sugar in the cup.

I have to say I was very happy to find this at a local store. Twinings teas are not that common in Israel but Hetzi Hinam in Hod Hasharon and Anise in the Dizengoff center mall both cary this and English Breakfast at least.

Le Palais Des Thes - Chai

I first found Chai rather by accident a few years back when I bought a box of Wissotzky Chai Masala some years back not actually knowing what it was. 

This Chai is rather nice with milk, nice spices and a smooth taste with milk and a bit of sugar. 

On smelling the tea in the bag it has a rich texture. I can see whole cloves and some other spices. 

Zach's tea blog - Welcome

This blog is a place where I am going to leave notes on various teas that I try. As much for my own benefit as anyone else. It reflects my tastes in tea which may or may not be the same as yours.

I generally brew loose leaf tea in a Ocha Teapot while at the office and use teabags at home.

Also in general teas I try must be available to me in and around Tel Aviv.

I tend to drink black teas with milk, Including various forms of Chai and Earl Grey. But as Palais Des Thes's Tel Aviv store is right near my office I expect I will be trying various things that they have on offer