Customer Reviews

The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Michael Harney's new book is exceptionally attractive and will make a fine gift for any occasion. But the stunning beauty of this book is far from skin deep. It's clear that Michael Harney approached this project the way he, his Father, John, and his brother, Paul, approach tea making itself. He clearly wanted the book itself to be elegant, but he also required that it illustrate the dimensionality and substance for which his teas are known.

Let me recommend a creative approach to this book. Start with the Appendix, From Tree to Tea, The Chemistry of Tea. How, otherwise, will you know what tea even is? Then treat yourself to a very succinct, five page, History of Tea. Okay, now flip back to the front and read the Introduction. Here Harney tells what led him to the business and what led him to write the book. You come away assured that his credentials are exactly what you wanted in a guide to teas. Michael Harney is a tea person's tea person, the ideal personal trainer for teas.

The Guide to Tasting Teas is an eye opener. Who knew that there was something to be learned from examining the dry leaves? Who knew pot type affected a tea's taste? Who knew about filtered water, and the impact of brewing temperatures, and brewing times? Who knew what to look for in the liquor? Who knew what intelligence there was to gain from smelling the wet tea leaves after pouring the liquor off? And who even thought that there could be a vocabulary dealing with the nuances of a tea's body and flavor? In fact you'll know all of this before you get to page 17, which is where your tour of the tea world will begin.

Start with a tea with which you feel familiar, say a Ceylon Black Tea. In this section you will find that there are three categories of tea, depending on the elevation of the tea gardens. You will learn that "The high grown teas, between four thousand and six thousand feet are what make Ceylon Teas' reputation. That rarefied air produces exceptional teas like the wintergreen Uva Highlands." Imagine! You learned something so basic about a tea you thought you already knew; imagine what you'll learn about teas with which you are completely unfamiliar.

In time we'll wonder how we limped along in the tea world before Michael Harney wrote this classic.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Harney & Sons because I learned to love tea by visiting their tea tasting room in Millerton, NY. This book is the perfect follow-up to that experience. Most of the book is devoted to tea tasting, and is designed to walk the reader through the process of preparing and drinking a series of related teas. The differences and similarities are described, which I find helps me focus on the subtleties of these special teas and heightens my enjoyment of them.

This book can pay for itself by helping you avoid buying expensive tea that you don't enjoy. Mr. Harney recommends other tea suppliers, in addition to his family business, several of which (including Harney's,) offer samples or small quantities for sale. It's a great guide to purchasing and experiencing samples, so that you only buy larger quantitities of the teas you most enjoy.

I cannot do it the same justice as the first two reviewers, but I am in the middle of reading this thoroughly enjoyable book and the quality of writing, command of the subject, and passion for the product compelled me to comment.

This is a lovely book. I think Ralph White's suggested reading sequence is a good one. My only wish is that the publishers and/or Mr. Harney had included photos of all the teas.

Bravo Michael Harney!

This is an excellent book. Although it limits the teas that are reviewed, there is a broad enough range to give the reader an overview. The most fascinating aspect is how the author explains and intertwines the history of tea with the history of the nations involved. The author's descriptions of flavor and body of the brewed teas are very accurate. I have five books on tea. This is the best.

When given this book I feared a sales brochure. Instead what I found was an admirably systematic coverage of a wide range of essential teas, given almost entirely under both their standard origin and western names. It is easily the best introductory tasting guide I have seen. There is enough here for years of development of your personal tastes. It is excellently written, and beautifully typeset and presented. A delightful physical object for under $18.

(My only complaint: the Kindle version, which I'd love to have on hand for quicker reference, is MORE EXPENSIVE than the hardback--which I already own. Publishers need to grow up.)

Besides trusting anything Harney and Sons does, this book is the best. It is easy to read and understand, is NOT snobby, it is NOT written for the Upper Class, and it is entertaining. Please save your money and do not buy any other book on tea before you buy this one.

I am a tea room owner, so trust me on this!

As other reviewers have mentioned, the appendices are a good place to start. The first 2/3 of the book are organized by type of tea (green, black, puerh, etc) and then broken further down into one to two page sections on specific styles in those categories.

I like this book because he picks out the most classic styles of tea that one should try, and it serves as an excellent manual to refer back to. I find that my appreciation and knowledge of tea grows each year, and this is a great book to keep around for that growth process. You'll learn the history of that kind of tea from naming to more modern changes (especially with the Japanese teas) and get an idea what you should look for when purchasing that style.

Knocking off one star because it would be nice to see some photos.

M. Harney's The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea takes you on a tea tasting. You pass through pages that describe must-try white teas to greens to oolongs to blacks. Yellow teas and pu'ers get mentioned as well. The Guide contributes to the discussion by relating notes on how the teas should look and taste, and the processing these teas undergo.

The merits of the tastings lie in the descriptors. While many tea descriptions play it safe by describing green teas as "grassy," Harney gives a more thorough account. That does not mean that you will appreciate the descriptors he gives, or agree with him on the choice of descriptors. It does, however, provide a starting point for the tea description conversation, and enable new tea drinkers to make better starting choices.

Demerits, as mentioned in several other reviews, is the complete lack of photographs. Photos of fresh, healthy, high quality dry leaf would go a long way in educating the reader. On the other hand, variations in lighting, preparation method, etc., make pictures of the liquid nearly useless. Another possible objection is the way the collection reads like a catalog of Harney offerings. While true to some extent, many of the teas also represent the tea classics. Like literary classics, you will broaden your tea-horizons whether you drink Harney's versions or from other high-quality sources.

The "Harney & Sons Guide to Tea" is a well-written and concise book about tea. It is not exhaustive by any means, but details only the best teas in the author's mind and palate. What stands out about this book is its correctness. The author has travelled to places to witness first-hand the teas being manufactured. As such, his views are more trustworthy. For example, he correctly relates about Huang Shan Mao Feng, one of the top ten and most famous green teas from the Yellow Mountains in China's Anhui Province. Two other tea books I have recently read (notably "The New Tea Companion" by Pettigrew & Richardson and "The Story of Tea" by Heiss & Heiss) both incorrectly list the tea as a yellow tea. So why does Harney get his facts right? Because he travelled to China with his broker and witnessed the tea being plucked and processed, and relates this story in his book about this wonderfully enchanting green tea (which happens to be one of my personal favorites).

My only real criticism is that Harney's book would have been much better had it contained some photographs, but alas, none are present. I also believe that his recommended steeping temperatures for the different teas tend to be a little on the high end. Still, the overall correctness of his first-hand information, coupled with a well-written and attractive text, make up for this shortcoming. Overall, the book will make a nice addition to any tea connoisseur's library, or for anyone else that desires a brief but accurate description of some of the best teas available on the market today.

A very insightful read with easy to understand the process of making and experience teas of the world. I highly recommend this book to "curious" and experienced "tea drinkers". After reading this book I would love to visit a tea plant to learn (even more) about tea!