Tea Type: White Tea

Where To Buy: Handmade Tea

Product Description:

Murmur starts with a white peony base which features the signature unopened tea bud and two accompanying leaves. This tea has beautiful delicate notes of juicy honeydew drizzled in honey, with accents of darker fruit and chocolate. Next, the strawberries are added to accent the white peony’s fruity notes and add a little tartness to the back of the palate. Lastly the cacao nibs contribute to the rich, classic chocolate taste that pops mid palate.

Tasters Review:

I’m very saddened by the news of Davy Jones’s passing.  I am a HUGE life-long Monkees Fan.  He was my favorite.  I especially LOVED the episode of the Brady Bunch he appeared in – taking Marcia to Prom.  A friend of mine had a mutual admiration for him and told me today she, too, swooned over him!  I’m sure we are not the only two who’s hearts he made sputter.  I had two cups-worth of this tea today in his memory!  RIP Davy Jones!  You will be missed!

I seriously LOVE the whole concept of this company! Everything about the company shouts QUALITY!

Caleb from Handmade Tea sent us a good size tin of this lovely white tea offering along with 3 small sample tins. In each sample tin were each of the 3 individual ingredients that were in this tea. He does this because we wants tea lovers and his customers to be able to see, touch/feel, and smell each of the ingredients stand-alone. Another PLUS for doing this is if a specific tea drinker would like a little extra of one flavor in the tea they are able to add a little more if they wish! GENIUS! How many times have we said…I wish such and such had a little bit more (enter ingredient here).

Caleb also sends great information along with the tea! This is wonderful! It tells me he’s really taken the time and effort with his tea offerings!

His packaging is just as impressive! Like I mentioned above the tins are wonderful but the labels are great as well! And…the brown fitted boxes that hold the tins that hold the tea are neat, too! He secures the box with twine and presses a good-ole-fashion wax seal on top!

As for this specific tea…I think it’s very good! I have to say the White Peony, alone, is right up there with the best quality of Peony I have tried! The dried strawberries are amazing! The cacao nibs are mixed sparingly thru-out the loose leaf mix…I must admit I purposely added a little more from the sample tin! I TOTALLY LOVE THE FACT I CAN DO THIS!!!!

The flavor is great! The Peony and Strawberry combo is the highlight and the cacao is like a back-up dancer! Very nice!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

Here’s our premium bai mu dan white tea blended with cinnamon, lemon myrtle, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemongrass, lemon peel and natural flavors. Pucker up for some deliciousness!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

WOW!  The combination of cinnamon and lemon may seem ordinary but the flavor of this tea is anything but ordinary!

The lemon flavors are so complex in this – it’s not like a squeeze of fresh lemon, it’s like a squeeze of fresh lemon, plus some lemon zest, plus some liquefied lemon curd all in one.  It isn’t as pucker-y as I expected it to be, instead, the lemon notes are rather smooth, lightly sweet, with only hints of tartness.  It tastes more like the flavor of a lemon-head candy than the flavor you’d get if you were to suck on a wedge of lemon:  sweet, almost candy-like, and very enjoyable.

The cinnamon is not as pronounced as I expected either.  Instead, it is well-balanced with the lemon-y flavors.  It doesn’t overwhelm the cup or come off as too spicy.  It is a warm cinnamon taste that complements the citrus notes:  the cinnamon curbs the sour flavor of the lemon just enough while the lemon softens the spicy blow of the cinnamon.  It is a very lovely marriage of flavors.

And I am happy to report that the Bai Mu Dan isn’t lost in all this wonderful flavor.  The white tea offers a light, fresh flavor.  I taste notes of hay and a sweetness that melds beautifully with the buttery notes of the lemongrass in the blend.

As I write this, I see that there are still 7 pouches of this tea left!  So, I wouldn’t be surprised if people were less than excited by the seemingly ordinary offering of a cinnamon and lemon flavored white tea.

Well, it’s time to get excited, because this tea is way better than I expected it to be.  Don’t get me wrong, I expected it to be delicious (I can’t really recall any time when 52Teas has left me dissatisfied) but, I didn’t think it’d knock my socks off the way it has.  The flavor is sweet and comforting; this is one of those teas that is perfect to cozy up to after a long, hard day!

I love this.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Teavivre

Tea Description:

We at TeaVivre have carefully selected our organic Silver Needle White Tea to make sure it is absolute premium quality.  When brewed, it has a pale golden color and subtle flowery fragrance.  The taste of TeaVivre’s Silver Needle is delicate, without any bitterness or strong flavour.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is a lovely Silver Needle.  The leaves are tender and vary in color ranging from a yellowish green to a pale green, with hints of tan and silver, and they are covered with soft silvery fuzz.  The aroma of the dry leaf is a combination of hay, flowers and air.  After brewing, the infusion maintains that fragrance, although it is a bit softer than that of the dry leaf.

The flavor is so wonderful!  It is delicate and sweet, with hints of flower, grass, and fruit.  It has a lovely complexity to it, but because the flavors are so soft, I find myself mesmerized by the tea … focusing on the beautiful layers of flavor … getting lost in the beauty of it.

There is some astringency to this tea, but absolutely no bitterness.  The aftertaste is sweet and floral.

This tea is wonderfully calming and inspires a sense of relaxation and deep contemplation.  It is an absolute joy to sip!  This is why I love tea!

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: