Objective Tea Loose Leaf Green Tea 'Green Pekoe'

Tea Information:
Tea: Green Pekoe
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Objective Tea
Purchase: Here
Description:
Origin: Jing Mai, Yunnan, China (5000 ft)
Cultivar: Da Ye
Cultivated: Within Last 6 Months

Green tea, a varietal both more subtle and more delicate than Black Tea, is widely consumed in Southern China, Japan, and Korea. Our Loose Green Tea is handpicked in South East China across the straits from Taiwan. The flavor profile includes smoky spinach, light touches of hay, and ripe vegetation.

To Brew: bring the water to approximately 90 degrees Celsius, and pour over the leaves until the tips are covered. Boiling water will wilt the leaves and spoil the flavor of the tea. Steep the first infusion for approximately 40 seconds, or until the color reaches a rich shade of greenish-yellow. The second infusion should be steeped for 45 seconds, and add five seconds for each successive infusion. The tea should be good for five to seven brews.

Steep Information:
Amount: 6g, entire sample
Water: 750ml 195°F filtered water
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (Custom, Custom)
Steep Time: 1 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: lightly vegetal, like I expect from a green tea
Steeped Tea Smell:
AmazonV: sweet, vegetal
MilitiaJim: honey
Flavor: vegetal, sweet (MilitiaJim said not sweet)
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: grassy
Liquor: translucent honey yellow-brown

I received this a part of a sampler. See my company review here.

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

Objective Tea Loose Leaf Green Tea 'Jasmine Pearl'

Tea Information:
Tea: Jasmine Pearl
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Objective Tea
Purchase: Here
Description:
Origin: Yih Ling Yih, Taiwan (3900 ft)
Cultivar: Moli Lu Xiang Pian
Cultivated: 2009

Breathing in the rosy aroma of jasmine never seems to get old. This green tea, flavored with young jasmine flowers will have you brewing tea all day long. Jasmine is used as a stress reliever in traditional Chinese medicine, and taking in the sweet scents of jasmine pearl you will know why.

Steep Information:
Amount: 5 tsp, entire sample
Water: 1200ml filtered water 175°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (green, mild)
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Jasmine
Steeped Tea Smell: jasmine
Flavor: floral, vegetal
Body: Light
Aftertaste: floral
Liquor: translucent green-yellow

These were more oolong than pearl looking.

Not a bad jasmine tea, very light and delicate.

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

Objective Tea Loose Leaf Black Tea 'Oriental Beauty'

Tea Information:
Tea: Oriental Beauty
Type: Black Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Objective Tea
Purchase: Here
Description:
Origin: Jing Mai, Yunnan, China
Cultivar:Dong Fang Mei Ren
Cultivated: Within Last 6 Months

Dong Fang Mei Ren, also known as Oriental Beauty, our Loose Black Tea is the heaviest, smokiest tea in the entire ObjectiveTea catalogue. Black tea has a rich history, first consumed for medicinal purposes in Ancient China. Black tea is still a favorite in most regions of China for stomach-settling and spirit-soothing. Our specific vintage hails from the beautiful, tea-rich mountains of Yunnan, China, and is laced with hints of bittersweet chocolate, and the ghostly sweetness of rasin sugar.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 heaping tsp, entire sample
Water: 750ml 212°F filtered water
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL (Black, Medium)
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Coco
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, sweet
Flavor: smooth, sweet, a bit astringent, a bit bitter, black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: something sweet
Liquor: translucent dark orange brown

I received this a part of a sampler. See my company review here.

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar, didn't change the tea much

This tea is a good medium black, but nothing unique pulls it out as a "must-buy" or "wow" drink.

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

Objective Tea Company Review

I purchased a sample pack from Objective-Tea http://www.objectivetea.com/ The samples were no charge but there was a shipping fee of $6.25 that I paid through paypal.

I found out about the offer through Steepster Discussion Post

I got;
1x Silver Needle - 5 g | .25 oz
1x Oriental Beauty - 5 g | .25 oz
1x Jasmine Pearl - 5 g | .25 oz
1x Green Pekoe - 5 g | .25 oz
1x Four Seasons - Sample / 15 g | 0.50 oz

I placed the order on June 13. On June 14 I got a shipping notice via email.

I believe the order arrived June 16 or earlier (the date on the picture).

The website contains a nice amount of information about the teas, their origins and steeping information. In the FAQ there is even a nice visual display of how much is included for the different sizes of purchase.

The samples came in plastic lined kraft paper bags, which worked well to protect them.

I enjoyed the hand written thank you note included in the order.

What I found lacking was that the company, although a one person shop, come off a more of a tea-swap than a company. I feel they should invest, even with samples, in printing up

labels (although the hand done artwork is cute, it isn't professional). There are many other one man or one woman shops out there who print up labels (and even use kraft paper plastic lined bags). I can't speak to the packaging on the full sized packages though.

I hate ripping into little startups, but this one needs to look into their presentation a little bit more.