Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Golden Moon Tea
Tea 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.
Ingredients: White Bai Mudan Tea Scented with Sweet Melon Nectar
WHY IT’S SPECIAL:
** Persian Melon has a flavor that is a mix between a cantaloupe and a honeydew
** Uses the flavor of the Persian Melon, which is a popular flavor in the Middle East
** Emits a sweet and refreshing aroma of freshly cut melons
** The subtly of the White Tea base allows the Persian Melon to shine
** Fantastic iced
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL OF:
** This tea is only for those who love cantaloupe and/or honeydew
** The Middle Eastern Persian Melon is rarely found in the U.S.
** The melon flavor is assertive, yet balanced
** White Persian Melon has low amounts of caffeine
** Recommended for up to 3 steeps
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
White Persian Melon from Golden Moon Tea is one of my top five favorites from this company.
There is just such a light and lively flavor to this delicate Bai Mudan. The aroma is sweet and juicy fresh and reminds me of why I am longing for summer.
This tea is so excellent iced but also wonderful hot.
I love cantaloupe but unfortunately eating it gives me a headache every time, but this tea I can drink endless amounts of with no nagging headache. Perhaps this is due to it being Persian melon and not cantaloupe but the flavor profile is very similar and I can get my cantaloupe fix this way. It is a little lighter than cantaloupe though and I see where the description of a mix between cantaloupe and honeydew comes in because honeydew to me was always a bit more watery in flavor.
White Persian Melon also has a tad bit of a wine like flavor to me, almost bordering on a brandy like essence which I really enjoy.
As the tea cools even slightly the sweetness peeks out more. I would not personally add sweeteners to this tea although I could really see the flavors explode with it, especially a sweetened iced tea. I just usually try not to add sugar to my tea and I really do not feel this one needs it. I can see how adding sugar could take it from this light refreshing state to a decedent dessert tea.
Unfortunately I only have a sample of this one, thanks to a Steepster.com friend, but this is one I plan to order for summer time sipping!
Lotus from The Persimmon Tree
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
A unique combination of hand-harvested fresh lotus blossoms blended with green loose leaf tea in an ancient scenting method comprises our Lotus tea. Prepared in small batches by Vietnamese traditional artisans, the unique essence of these spring-harvested flowers is released and absorbed directly into the tea. The Lotus tea brews a pleasant, slightly sharp flavor similar to star anise, with a subtle vanilla finish; be sure to steep multiple times to fully appreciate the flavor of these sweet, aromatic lotus blossoms infused in our Lotus Flower tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My first experience with Lotus from The Persimmon Tree was almost a year ago from a sample The Persimmon Tree sent me. I am so glad that they did because this is not a tea I would have selected for myself. The main reason is because I detest anise. Actually had I remembered that Anise was in this tea I may not have even tried the sample, but one day I grabbed the first thing from my sample drawer and steeped this up, without reading the description. I am glad that I did! It was a happy mistake. The anise in this tea comes over more as a black pepper taste on my palate, but it is like a flowery black pepper! Then at the end of the sip this lovely creamy vanilla note comes creeping over, leaving behind a lovely floral after taste. As I sat there enjoying the floral note, the pepper creeps back in! This tea makes you do a double, no, triple, then a quadruple take!
The green base is perfectly lovely. The leaf in dry form looks a lot like an oolong, but in the flavor you get that fresh green taste. Yet there is a slight mineral note like a Wuyi oolong.
This tea is spectacular, completely different from any tea I have experience before including other lotus teas. I have noticed the reviews on Steepster.com and it appears that this is a love it or hate it tea. I really suggest getting at least a sample size to try for yourself. I know how much I despise anise, yet this tea is so yummy. Every time I get ready to prepare it I brace myself to dislike it, just because I know how much I dislike anise, yet every time I sip it I sit back and smile thinking how good it is.
Get a sample for yourself when you make your next order with The Persimmon Tree! Samples only cost 1.25 each even on their most expensive and rare teas such as Jasmine Ancient Beauty which you can find here.
Also you can check out their blog here, which is updated regularly with some really valuable tea information and amazing photos!
Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
A warm and comforting take on classic Genmaicha with the addition of Wuyi oolong and cacao nibs. . .
Genmaicha has humble origins- originally toasted rice was mixed into a pot to make expensive tea leaves go further in a time of less plenty than today. Toasted rice was combined with green tea or even broken twigs and stems to make a hearty and warming brew. At the time, green tea was for more widely available than black tea, but given the warming qualities of genmaicha, we thought that a humble hand-picked black tea from Laoshan Village would be the perfect companion for toasted rice.
This batch of Laoshan black is particularly malty and sweet, qualities drawn out by hand-crafted Minnesota wild rice and organic fair trade jasmine rice toasted in small batches. We add organic cacao nibs to give a darker and more comforting aftertaste, and a touch of Shui Jin Gui Wuyi oolong for its nutty caramel notes and savory aftertaste. All together, we think this new take on Genmaicha very much embraces the tea’s humble origins and stays true to the warm and satisfying nature of toasted rice tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love Genmaicha and Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant Tea is no exception! This tea delivers exactly what it says it does in its description! I love the use of a Wyui oolong which provides a nutty sweet backdrop but I love even more the rock mineral flavor that gives this tea an overall earthy quality. I guess it makes me feel like while even though this tea is on the sweeter side it is also quite savory and I love nothing better than a sweet and savory flavor combined!
I was rather surprised at what a clear cup this turned out to be, a lovely amber brown color but I can see right to the bottom of my glass. The mouthfeel is on the creamy side but has a bright finish.
I love the toasty rice flavor and it really shines through! The cocoa nibs offer a delicious chocolate taste that is really nice, not fakey tasting at all.
I was expecting a bit richer of a flavor though. While there is a lovely caramel note, chocolate holds its own, and the rice is a lovely touch, overall I find it rather on the thin side in comparison to Laoshan Black on its own. Even with that said however I really think Verdant did well to offer us something completely unique and I would recommend this tea as it is so comforting as it is toasty, warm, sweet, malty, and quite decedent.
Orange Peppercorn Breakfast from Handmade Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Handmade Tea
Tea Description:
Orange Peppercorn Breakfast starts with a base of Assam and Ceylon black tea. Next the blend contains a peppercorn blend (black, white, green, and red) to spice things up a touch. Lastly burnt orange peel is added to the blend. The caramelization adds a deep sweetness.
Learn more about the subscription plan here.
Taster’s Review:
Orange Peppercorn Breakfast from Handmade Tea has everything I love in a breakfast blend! Its deep and robust, perfectly sweetened naturally and lightly by the citrus, with a wake me up spark from the peppercorns. It tastes a little like a mimosa with a kick and trust me I need a kick in the morning!
I have to be out the door soon for some appointments and had made another tea in my travel mug to take with me, but now I wish I had made this instead, except that it only arrived about an hour ago!
Handmade tea is a monthly subscription plan with two plan options. The one I subscribe to includes a big tin of tea and three tiny tins of the three elements used to make the blend with. Its really cool if you are a foodie or interested in blending teas yourself as it allows you to smell, taste, touch, and feel each individual ingredient on its own.
I love Caleb’s Handmade Tea! I have only received two months thus far but both have been beyond expectation and somehow I feel as though he has been stalking my tasting notes to figure out exactly what I want in a tea! I realize that is not possible as he has so many people who subscribe to his membership plan, there is no way he could stalk us and appease us all, but I tell you what, somehow he has managed to please my taste buds perfectly!
I adore peppercorn in tea blends, when done right of course, and even though I will admit I am not always that fond of citrus in teas, he really did this tea blend right by caramelizing the orange peel with a creme’ brulee torch to get that sweet sensation without making the tea too sweet!
I really suggest you check out this monthly subscription plan and you can check out more of the past blends here.
Strawberry Cupcake from Simpson and Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
When you sip this delectable brew the strawberry taste first hits your tastebuds followed by the rich, creamy, chocolate “cake” taste. Some of our staff like this blend with agave or sugar, but I find it’s delicious (and less caloric) as is! The aroma is as enticing as the taste – sweet, baked strawberry cupcakes. Yum! The cup leaves a lingering creamy taste of fresh fruit that makes it hard to resist another and another and another sip!
Ingredients: Indian black tea, strawberry pieces, strawberry leaf and strawberry cupcake flavoring.
Brew tea at 212ºF – steep for 3 minutes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Strawberry Cupcake from Simpson and Vail is one of the freshest tasting strawberry teas I have ever sampled. As a dessert tea however I do wish it were a little fuller in the mouthfeel. That is not to say it is thin or watery but I do think that somehow the ripe fresh juiciness almost hurts the thickness in the mouthfeel. I know that does not sound like too bad of a thing now does it? Because it does taste so amazingly fresh almost as if biting into an actual strawberry! I guess I was just anticipating by the decedent aroma and darker colored cup that it would be richer.
Seriously though, I can’t even get past how bursting with juiciness this tea is to focus on the chocolate flavor, or the cakey bakey goodness in the cup.
The after taste of this tea is almost like a fruit flavored beer. There is this flavor of very light delicate hops and a slight wheat essence in the background and it lingers on the palate.
I really rather like this since a lot of teas have a wine like flavor, or even mixed drink type flavor, this is one of the few that have this beer type flavor!
The chocolate in this tea is good, perhaps not outstanding, as I have had better chocolate flavors in tea, but on the other hand it does not turn me off, and a lot of teas with chocolate flavoring do. I would give this chocolate flavor an 8 out of 10 which by my standards is really excellent.
I have been surprised by this tea and am thankful to my Steepster friend who shared it with me. Yup this goes on the wish list and I will order it sometime in the future.