Meng Ding Huang Ya Yellow Tea from Camellia Sinensis

Meng Ding Huang YaTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Yellow

Where to Buy: Camellia Sinensis

Tea Description:

This yellow tea composed almost entirely of buds comes from Sichuan province.Its magnificent young shoots are selected before being covered with the fine hairs typical of that grade of imperial picking! Its light yellow liquor is sweet and tasty. Bold hazelnut aromas are complemented by hints of vanilla and herbs. The finish is supported by its creamy texture and sweet taste. In the tradition of great teas – preferably to be enjoyed in a Gaiwan in a careful ambiance!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Stream of consciousness review, meaning once I get to the steepings/infusions part of this review I’m just going to be taking note of my initial impressions/thoughts. I initially recorded this as a series of jot notes but have obviously since edited things to be paragraph formatted and easier to read…

This was a birthday present from my Dad; with the expensive price tag that comes along with this one I didn’t think that I’d ever be able to justify buying it but when I was explaining to him why yellow tea is such a big deal and how it’s something that I’ve been dying to explore but, because of the rarity, having a hard time doing something must have clicked for him because he surprised me with 25g!

I should note, the only other yellow tea I’ve had was a flavoured one and definitely not this high of a quality – I think that’s obviously something of note with this review.

Dry smell: From the bag this smell very strongly smells of rich hazelnut with herby undertones. After measuring it out into my gaiwan and being able to smell it closer/more directly I notice those smells and an almost borderline graham like smell. I do think you need to have an at least somewhat refined palate to pick up on it though; I’ve had various family members smell the dry leaf for this one and each of them swears they can’t smell a thing. The smell is so distinct for me though so I can only assume the difference here is that they’re tea plebians/don’t drink tea at all and, well, I’m obviously not and I definitely do.

Visually, the dry leaf reminds me a fair bit of silver needle, but with a more “tarnished” dusty yellow/ light brown colour, and very slightly smaller and more compressed/flat. I think it looks very aesthetically pleasing!

Infusion One – 30 Seconds:

Strong herbaceous and hay notes with a particularly peppery start and just a smidgen of astringency and bite are the first and foremost flavours with a menagerie of buttery vanilla and creamy hazelnut notes offering contrast and softening the tea a touch. There are corn silk notes and very soft roasty ones that fit somewhere into the equation. Fades into a soft, lemony flavour that lingers for a very long time, but only after having swallowed. There’s a lot going on, but it’s very pleasant! The leaf left in the Gaiwan smells like lemon pepper and hazelnut; weird but mouthwatering.

Infusion Two – 20 Seconds:

Smells like pepper, lemon and hazelnut. Less bite and less generic herby notes but still has some grip and some hay notes; it’s much more distinctly lemon pepper in start of the sip fading into roasty notes, vanilla and lemon in the body of the sip. I’m losing some of the hazelnut now as the other flavours get stronger. I tthoroughlyenjoy the transition from savory to light and sweet. It almost reminds me of vanilla lemon sponge cake in the aftertaste but the confectionery component’s not all there. It’s the butter that’s forming that impression, though. Leaf in the gaiwan is very lemony with some hay scent as well. It’s ticking my nose a little and making me sort of want to sneeze. But in a good way?

Infusion Three – 20 Seconds:

Oh wow; the flavour has diminished quite quickly as well as lost almost all the bite/grip. I pick up on a lot of hay notes; it’s quite similar to the flavour profile of your generic white tea/silver needle. There’s some creamy, buttery notes and a faint hazelnut and vanilla flavour. Mostly, it’s a sweet but dull lemon flavour though. This is my least favourite infusion thus far and I think, probably, a good place to stop steeping – even though I think I could get at least one more decent infusion from this I personally don’t push my Gong Fu sessions too long; I’m the sort of person who prefers to experience multiple different teas in one day than spend my whole day drinking a single tea.

Overall, this tea had a lot of really varied flavours to it but I found it so fascinating and enjoyable, and I think I learned a great deal from it. I would absolutely seek out this varietal again; I’m so intrigued to see how other companies’ offerings would compare! It’s quite sad that all of the ones I’ve seen have been so expensive; it’s definitely not one of those teas I can afford to buy from several companies in order to sample/compare…

Personally, I thought the second steeping was the best and had the most range of flavour as well as distinct flavours. Even though I know I said that I feared a novice/less trained palate would have a hard time picking up on the nuances I may have been wrong there; I thought almost all the flavour notes were very obvious. And, I definitely recommend seizing the opportunity to try this one if it presents itself to you!

Storm In A Teacup Herbal Tea from Cupan Tae

storm-in-a-cupTea Information:

Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane

Where to Buy: Cupan Tae

Tea Description:

A stormy, spicy herbal blend with a breeze of anise taste.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This one has a very, very pronounced dry aroma; the leaf practically oozes with the scent of sweet, black licorice! Not licorice root or anise, mind you, but black licorice. While I have no problem with either anise or licorice root – I love black licorice and I’ve found few teas that convey it well.

That love for black licorice probably comes from my Grandpa; before he passed that was his absolute favourite self indulgent treat in the world. He kept huge tins of licorice allsorts by his lazy boy that he’d snack on during Blue Jays games, and he’d buy black jellybeans in bulk and sometimes he’d just let me grab big greedy hand fulls of from the tins. It’s a really good memory I have of him from when I was a child and the smell of the dry leaf of this tea is making me so nostalgic for it. I know there’s not actually black licorice in the blend and it’s a trick that the fennel, combined with the aniseed, is playing on me. But I’m gonna try and be willfully blind to that; because I want this to taste like black licorice.

Hmm, now that this one’s steeped up there’s a very thick, powdery white residue all along the inside of my mug and I can’t figure out why – I’ve never had that issue with any of the listed ingredients I’m familiar with – and the only one I’m not familiar with is ribwort, so unless it’s from the ribwort I can’t explain it. It’s annoying though; almost as bad as gross melted down chocolate goop from blends that use chocolate chips instead of nibs or shells.

Steeped up, sadly, it doesn’t taste like black licorice though. Not in the same way it smells like it, anyway. I do get heavy doses of both fennel and anise flavour which is sweet and delicious, but it’s fairly overtaken by a very dominating savory, herbaceous note and then milder notes of peppermint and a supple fruit note that I suppose could be apple like is listed in the ingredients. Visually I didn’t see any apple in my measured out tea leaf though. That strong savory note tastes very, very weird to me; and I’m wondering if that’s the ribwort leaves. I’ve never had another tea with ribwort leaves and after a very quick Google search I’ve learned that apparently they can have a mushroomy flavour. I have really, really minimal exposure to what mushrooms taste like given that I am pretty allergic to them; any time I’ve had them it’s been really involuntary and, upon realizing I’ve ingested them I’ve had much more pressing things on my mind other than the flavour.

It’s a fascinating experience for me even if it’s not the one I expected to be having and in that regard I’m a little disappointed this isn’t as black licorice-y as I wanted it to be but I also know I was projecting unfair expectations onto the tea. It’s definitely not a bad tea; just so weird. Am I actually tasting mushrooms!? I’d honestly be interested in going back and having this one all over again; I feel like without the expectation of a more licorice-y tea I might be more observant of the herbaceous qualities that are present. Overall, surprisingly sweet and savory!

Ginseng Oolong from The Mountain Tea Company

Ginseng Oolong from The Mountain Tea Company
Ginseng Oolong from The Mountain Tea Company

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Oolong

Where to Buy: The Mountain Tea Company

Tea Description:

Our classic Four Seasons of Spring blended with just a touch of Ginseng for a satisfying sweetness that isn’t cloying.  Many blenders heavily flavor their tea until it is no longer tea.  Our masterful blend features a delightful interplay of Ginseng while maintaining the true essence of our tea, giving you the wonderful taste of flowers, fruit, and herbs.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Ginseng Oolong from The Mountain Tea Company is just like every tea they sell, perfection! I have to say, I approached this tea with trepidation. I really don’t know why but ginseng is not an herb I favor. I have plenty of experience with herbs and I know the health benefits of ginseng but I simply have never really cared for the flavor of it. Ginseng, to me, has been something you have when you are needing an energy boost, or are falling ill, etc, and I generally prefer to avoid it. Well you should see me blush when I found myself actually enjoying this cup of tea!

I got a sample of this from The Mountain Tea Company for review and I will admit, I put off steeping it. It was not until my husband fell a bit ill with cold and flu symptoms that I decided to pull it out and give it a go. I admit, it is quite excellent! Not just the very good base of oolong used by The Mountain Tea Company but the way the ginseng is so masterfully blended! They also use really top quality ginseng in this blend which of course helps so much!

Now my husband is not a tea drinker. He will enjoy a cup of tea now and then but the teas he really enjoys are few and far between but he loved this one. Granted his taste buds are a little off and flavors are not as strong to him right now as they would normally be but he said he could taste the flavors in this cup and he steeped, and re-steeped his leaves all day long until his leaves were totally spent and he asked for more. He never asks for more!

As for me, I loved it! I kept laughing at myself for being so afraid to just sample this tea! Now I want to order more and always have it on hand, and not just for cold and flu days but every day!

Just as their description says, you can still taste the beautiful oolong beneath the ginseng which does not over take the cup with cloying sweetness but is perfectly balanced between sweet, floral, herbaceous, and creamy.

If you are like me and fear the ginseng – don’t be fearful! This tea is something I would drink anytime, anywhere!

Hua Gang Oolong from Tea From Taiwan

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Oolong

Where to Buy: Tea From Taiwan

Tea Description:

This premium-quality oolong tea is grown in the Li Shan mountain range at an altitude of 2400 meters. The climate of these high mountains is ideal for growing fine oolong tea. The cool air and high humidity produce a tea with full, robust flavor and long-lasting aftertaste.

The brewed tea has an exquisite aroma and brews to an appealing amber liquor. The leaves can can be re-brewed many times while maintaining a full flavor.

Tea grown on Mount Li (Li Shan or Pear Mountain) is the most prized oolong tea in Taiwan. It is ideally suited for gong fu style brewing.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

The aroma of this tea is so sinful. Sweet, dreamy, creamy, like buttered popcorn. Before even taking a sip, I’m in love.

The after taste is of such a crisp green grassy flavor, like after a light morning rainfall. Not a gloomy rainfall but a summer sun shower. Everything is bright, clear, and clean smelling.

Like a summer shower, spirits are lifted and worries drift away when sipping this lovely tea, and like the summer sun, the color of this tea is golden yellow, beautiful.

There is an element to this tea that reminds me of genmaicha, its that toasted rice taste that resembles popcorn. Its one of my favorite flavors.

I also want to mention the floral aspect of this tea. A Steepter friend of mine mentioned geranium flower and I could not agree more!

There are also spicy and herbaceous notes to this tea as well. Slightly like cinnamon that tingles the palate and leaves it just a tad bit warm. The herbaceous notes come through most in the after taste and linger with the geranium note.

The only thing I am saddened about right now is that my sample is gone. This is truly a tea to be coveted and I would love to see this in my regular stash.

It is truly a complex and complete tea, layered in flavors, each time you peel back one layer another presents, all cumulating into one delicious experience.

Rui Feng Jin Xuan from Tea From Taiwan

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Oolong

Where to Buy:  Tea From Taiwan

Tea Description:

Winter 2009

This is a Jin-Xuan tea from Rui-Feng in the Alishan tea district.

When Jin-Xuan tea leaves are lightly roasted during processing, they have a unique milk flavor which is called nai xiang or milk oolong.

Rui-Feng Jin Xuan has a slightly astringent flavor which mellows with subsequent brewings. The milk flavor is evident in the aftertaste, and combines with a pleasing herbaceous aroma for a complex flavor which changes slightly with each brewing.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I was delighted when I opened the box and saw the pretty packages this tea arrived in! I love decorative, pretty things and when tea comes in pretty packaging I squeal. Okay I’m a girl, but truly the packages were so pretty I didn’t even want to cut this one open to try the tea. However, you are here to read about the tea so here it is:

A lovely light oolong that is easy on the palate. This won’t be the most taste bud busting oolong you try but if you appreciate an all natural milk oolong with subtle, more delicate flavor notes then this is for you!

There is a lovely lilting floral note that dances playfully with a very slight buttery note. These notes are backed up by a very airy green flavor. When mixed with the floral notes it is reminiscent of sniffing a bouquet of herbaceous flowers, sweet yet lightly savory.

The after taste is refreshing and makes for a lovely after dinner tea.

While it is not in your face with flavors that are popping all over the place it is somewhat surprisingly soothing. A nice mediative tea.

I also feel this would be a great tea to use as an introductory oolong to those just trying oolong for the first time. What it lacks in shock value of that “in your face flavor” it makes up for with its delicate palate of not being too overpowering.

One could arguably say that the true design of this tea is for those who want to sit back and savor something more complex than a tea that vies for your every bit of attention. Yet some may argue this tea lacks complexity by being so laid back.

Which ever side you fall on I can say that this tea offers pleasant aromas, sweet milky indulgence, floral notes that are quite beautiful, and airy, grassy, vegetative green flavors that please the palate wonderfully.

This would not be my all time go-to oolong as I do fall more on the side of the obvious flavors yet there is something about this tea that makes me sit back, relax, unwind, and enjoy the polite mannerisms it offers.