Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green, White & Pu-erh Teas

Where to Buy:  Praise Tea

Tea Description:

Our combination of Sencha, Gunpowder, Mini Tuo, Chun Mee, Pai Mu Tan, Lung Ching, Snow Bud, Pi Lo Chun, candied pineapple and strawberry takes you to an oasis of delight. Delectable both hot and cold. Try some with white crystal sugar. Indulge your taste buds.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

After a quick glance at this tea’s ingredient list, I thought that this tea may just have a little too much going on.  It smelled intriguing, though, with its delicious notes of strawberry and pineapple, so I decided to give it a try.

And somehow, this massive list of ingredients works together very well!  While it is next to impossible to pick out each individual tea’s characteristics, I can taste the fresh, vegetative flavor of green tea, a light earthy quality from the tuocha, and I can even taste notes that are very much like white tea – notes of hay and that crisp, airy quality that is often noted in white tea.

The strawberry and pineapple notes are less distinctive than the flavors of the tea, but, that’s alright.  In fact, I find it to be quite refreshing to have the tea as the center focus in this cup, and have the fruit flavors to serve as accent notes to enliven the overall flavor.  The place where the fruit really stands out is in the aftertaste, where I can taste the flavors of both the pineapple and the strawberry.

This tea does have a natural sweetness to it, so I would recommend tasting before you sweeten.  I did end up adding just a pinch of sugar which helped to enhance the fruit notes more than sweeten the cup.  Without the sugar, the fruit notes fall a little flat … they’re still present, but, just not as lively as with a pinch of sugar.

This one makes a nice iced tea too.  I recommend steeping it at least twice, as it is even tastier with the second infusion.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Blooming Tea)

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Tea Description:

Sweeping jasmine arch over a bright lily. This tea is mellow, even buttery, with a hint of sweetness from the jasmine. Absolutely delightful! Ingredients: Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect), Jasmine (sweet fragrance, said to moisten the skin, ease anxiety and anti-inflammatory) and Silver Needle Tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

What a beautiful display!  The pale green leaves of the tea open up to reveal a red-orange flower and an arch of white blossoms.  Really pretty.  This is a tea you’ll want to be sure to steep in a tall glass or teapot so that you can fully experience the bloom as it unfurls.

The color of the tea surprised me, it is a bit darker than other blooming teas that I’ve tried.  It is still a light color – I’d say it’s light amber – but darker than the pale yellow liquor that I’ve experienced with other blossoming teas.

The flavor is delightful.  It is sweet, smooth and floral, but, not in a soapy kind of way.  The flavor of the white tea is prominent.  It has a fresh, airy kind of flavor with notes of hay and sweet grass.

There is a creamy element to this tea as well – buttery – and a mouthfeel that complements the creaminess.  The floral notes are definitely jasmine, with a lighter lily tone than I recall tasting with the Jasmine Fairy Blossoming Tea (also from Alice’s Fine Teas).

What a delightful tea experience – one that would be fun to share with friends.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  The Persimmon Tree

Tea Description:

A beautifully hand-crafted blooming white tea that displays a ring of jasmine and amaranth flowers, with blueberry and peach essence.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

There are those who avoid blooming teas because they think they’re gimmick-y and that the tea they produce does not taste up to par.  I used to be one of them!  But, since that time, I have found quite a few blooming teas that are quite delicious.  This blooming tea – Halo from Persimmon Tree Tea – is one of my newest favorites!

This tea is slow to unfurl; it did not completely open after the first infusion of five minutes.  I infused the partially open bulb again, and after the second infusion of six minutes, I enjoyed a beautiful display.  There was a white floral arch that extended to support a pretty bright pink flower.

In the first infusion, I found the floral tones to be sweet and soft, and they meld quite nicely with blueberry and peach flavors.  The flavor of the white tea lends a delicate creamy note to the cup.  With the second infusion, the floral notes were a bit stronger, but it was still a very delicious cup.

This is a really lovely blooming tea.  I think it would be a perfect tea to serve at a tea party, it would surely make a great conversation starter!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Kärma Blends

Tea Description:

Add romance to your day with our Apples and Snowflakes. Inspired by the season of fall, just the aroma of this tea is enough to put you in another world. Flakes of white mint candy add a sweet touch. We promise you will replace your apple cider with this one!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Wow!  This tea is WONDERFUL!

The white tea base has a delicate flavor:  soft and sweet.  Not quite what I’d call “grassy” but more like a warm hay kind of flavor that complements the flavor of clove very well.

But what really knocks my socks off about this blend is the flavor combination of clove and mint.  Mint tends to be a rather selfish herb and often overpowers the other flavors in a blend, but, the clove keeps it in check, creating a contrasts in flavors that is both cool and crisp from the mint and warm and spiced from the clove.

The apple starts out quite subtle, but as I continue to sip, I notice the apple more and more.  By the end of the cup the flavors are a little like apple cider with a hint of mint.  The overall flavor is something that is very familiar, but, at the same time, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before.  Very warm and cozy and absolutely memorable.

I like this one very much!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Téanzo 1856

Tea Description:

The delicate white tea in White Montage infuses gently with a splendid mélange of fruits and flowers. This gorgeous, highly aromatic white tea makes an impressive gift. Contains nuts. 

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This has to be one of the busiest teas I’ve tasted in a very long time.  But, even though there is a lot going on, it somehow all works out and ends up tasting really great!  With so much going on, it is difficult to pick out the different flavors, but, I’ll do my best so that I can describe what I taste for you.

The floral note is the easiest for me to discern.  I taste rose.  There are some other floral notes in there that are not rose, but, they kind of all assimilate into a flowery-rose taste, where the rose is the main component and the other flowers just seem to highlight the rose.

I also taste the nutty flavor in there … it tastes like almond to me.  I think that the almond complements the flavor of the white tea here, which, despite being the base of a very busy tea, can still be tasted amongst the many other flavors. The nutty flavor is not particularly a strong note, instead, it sort of weaves its way in and out of the sip just often enough to remind you that it’s there, but not so often as to be a well-defined flavor.

The fruit notes were a little more difficult for me to discern.  It definitely tastes tropical.  At first I thought it might be mango, but, now, I am thinking it is probably papaya that I taste.  There is also a whisper of apple flavor in the distance.  The fruit tastes sweet and I love the way it melds with the floral notes.

I also taste a distinct spice tone, it was really quite soft at the beginning, but now that I am nearly finished with the cup the spice tone is much more apparent, especially toward the finish.  This spice note lingers in the aftertaste.

Overall, I found this tea to be extraordinarily enjoyable, despite being so difficult to nail down.  It is one of those teas that I suspect will taste different every time you brew it … offering an exciting adventure with every cup!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Blooming Tea)

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Tea Description:

Our Jasmine Fairy starts out as a ‘mushroom’ shape ball. White jasmine and beautiful lily hide inside the silver needle tea. Pouring boiled water causes the red lily petals to rise up trying to follow the white jasmine dancing light-footed like a fairy flying in the sky. This fragrant tea tastes smooth and sweet. Ingredients: Jasmine (sweet fragrance, said to moisten the skin, ease anxiety and anti-inflammatory), Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect), Silver Needle Tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

It’s been a while since I’ve had a blooming tea, so I decided that now was the time.  I have really enjoyed the blooming teas that Alice’s Fine Teas offers, so I was pretty confident I’d enjoy this one too.

After steeping for six minutes in 175°F water, the bloom was open, but, I fear that my glass cup was not quite tall enough to see the full effect of the white floral extension (as shown in the photo above).  To the right, you’ll see what the bloom appeared like with a slightly shorter glass.  Still beautiful, even though the extension was not fully visible.

But even more important (at least to me) is the flavor of the tea, and I am not at all disappointed with the flavor of this blooming tea.  It is light, sweet, and even a little creamy!  The floral notes are present but in keeping with the overall lightness of the tea, and they do not overwhelm the flavor of the silver needle tea.

The floral is not entirely jasmine here, as I can taste the lily flavor too.  I like that even though it is a combination of flowery flavors, it doesn’t taste like perfume or soap.  It tastes more like … spring.  Like the freshness of spring:  crisp air, full of life as the flowers begin to bloom after winter’s frosty chill.

A very fun and delicious tea!

Tea Type: White Tea

Where To Buy: Rare Tea Republic

Product Description:

Large, downy needles produce a sweet and creamy, full-bodied golden liquor with notes of peach blossom and dried apricot. This is a unique selection from a little-known origin. Plucking date: August 10, 2011.

Tasters Review:

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Golden Moon Tea

Product Description:

First in the world to find flavored white tea, Golden Moon Tea presents rare white tea enlivened with the nectar of succulent melon. This luxurious delicacy is light, refreshing and exotic.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Teavivre

Product Description:

A great White Peony (Bai MuDan) Tea

• Organically grown at Mt. Taimu in Fujian province
• Tea buds covered in white hairs, with one or two new leaves
• Pale orange-yellow color when brewed
• A delicate, slightly flowery, sweet, lingering taste

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I think this very well may be the highest quality Bai Mu Dan tea that I’ve ever experienced.  The dry leaves vary in color from light green to silvery white.  Most Bai Mu Dan teas that I’ve seen are more of a very light tan to off-white color.  These leaves are covered with fluffy, fuzzy hairs, and possess a strong grassy scent.  They brew to a beautiful, very pale yellow color that is more pale than it is yellow.

And it tastes so good.  So delicate and sweet.  There are notes of a grassy/vegetative taste, but it is much softer than the aroma of the dry leaf might suggest.  There is a very pleasant creamy note to this tea, it’s very soft and luxurious … like wrapping ones self in a soft, fluffy robe.

There are hints of flower in the distance, and a delicious honey-esque sweetness to this cup.  The sweetness lingers well into the aftertaste.  There is no bitterness to this tea, and very little astringency.  The cup is quite smooth from start to finish.

If you’re new to white tea, and what to experience one of the very best available, this tea should be on your MUST TRY list.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Empire Tea Services

Product Description: 

Carefully hand picked tender buds from Glentilt Estate in Sri-Lanka (Ceylon).

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is one of the nicest white teas I’ve encountered.  From start to finish, it is such a joy!  The leaves are just like the picture above:  long needles, and that same silvery-white color!  They are covered in fuzz.  They have a light scent that is slightly grassy, reminding me of a freshly cut grass smell in spring.

The color of the liquor is very pale – in fact, had I not measured the tea myself, I would have thought maybe someone to put tea in the teapot.  In fact, everything about this tea is light:  the color, the scent, and the flavor.

But, don’t mistake that for being flavorless, because it isn’t.  Delicate, yes … but, it is also so delicious.  It tastes fresh with hints of flower in the distance.  It has a creamy taste and texture to it.  It is crisp and soothing.  It is delicious sipped hot, and it even tastes great as it cools.

What I like best about this tea is that it has a very relaxing quality to it, I sipped it later in the evening and found that it let me just enjoy my evening, but I also find my thoughts traveling back to the thoughts of this tea.  It has that memorable kind of quality to it.

If you love white tea, you really should try this one.  You’ll be glad you did.