I am having a really emotional day*, so I decided to treat myself with the best option available: a bracing cup of tea.
*To be fair, most of my days are emotional. I am a person with a Lot Of Feelings.
This was a more delicate cuppa than I was in the mood for, but no fear, it is still quite the taste sensation.
It’s really LEMONY! Light, and toward the green side of oolong, and there’s a little bit of a sweet-n-sour lemonade twist. I feel like they could serve this in the South, maybe iced, and people would love it.
It comes from a place that translates out to “Pear Mountain.” I have this weird thing where I fear unfamiliar fruit (please don’t make fun of me), so I honestly am not sure if this tastes like a pear. But it definitely IS fruity. It’s got a surprising amount of extra flavor for a straight tea. Wow.
If you were to go to Mount Li, from whence this tea originates, you would be close to — and possibly able to visit — China’s Terracotta Army.
It’s a giant underground tomb-necropolis that houses a miniature version of the first Chinese emperor’s army. They protect his (still unopened) tomb. You really need to read the Wikipedia article about this. It’s fascinating.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Description
Da Yu Ling oolong tea (wu-long tea) is a premium-grade oolong tea from the Da Yu Ling area of Taiwan’s Taichung county. Its high altitude (more than 2600 meters) makes this one of the highest tea plantations in the world.
Da Yu Ling has a wonderful fragrance and taste. It is a lightly oxidized oolong tea with a refreshing palate that is sought after by the most demanding tea connoisseurs. Da Yu Ling is produced in limited quantities and is one of the most prized teas of Taiwan.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Milky Oolong from Harney & Sons. . . .
When I drank this for the first time last week, my first thought was “TEA BAE!” Which is so millennial of me, I know. I promise I’m not even cool enough to quite know how to use “bae” (“before anyone else”) in everyday use. But it applies to this tea.
This is a silky, rich, creamy oolong. It comes in super-cute little balls that totally snap to attention in hot water. Sometimes the balls don’t unfurl, but these are actively watch-able. The flavor is a great halfway point between green and black. The “milky” taste is really creamy, like the whipped topping on a good lemon meringue* pie.
*I was pretty sure it wasn’t spelled “mirang,” so I had to request Google’s gentle corrective guidance.
This tastes like it was flavored. That’s how sweet it is. I don’t want to be too effusive, because I try to emit a cool air of sophisticated irony (hah!) — but I really like this.
The reviewers on the Harney site like it, too. So much. Peep this review from Helen W: “Absolutely love it! Absolutely love it!” That’s the entire view. Helen. Gurl. I hear you. When I re-order this (AND I WILL), I’m going to acquire a vat. I’m going to swim in this vat like Scrooge McDuck. It will not be sanitary. People will slowly stop visiting my house. I will acquire leper status. Eventually someone will come by my house to film “Hoarding: Buried Alive: Tea Special” and I will acquire a brief Internet fame. Perhaps I will become a meme. But then I will be forgotten to the sands of time. The pan will no longer have a flash. I shall disappear into the back of your mind, just me, and my tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Description
For some time we’ve had requests for a milky oolong and finally we have found one that we liked so that we could share it with you. Milky oolongs are very popular in Eastern Asia for their sweet, creamy flavors. This one is smooth and the aroma of warmed cream is delicious!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sakhira Estate from Yatra Tea Company. . . .
The first thing I noticed about this tea was its light, fuzzy leaves. I got really excited, because I know that this means they were plucked at JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT when the leaf is FRESHLY, FIRST FUZZY. Is this fact upon the official site for this tea? NO. It is NOT. You got that information STRAIGHT FROM ME. YOU ARE WELCOME. Now go forth and tell everyone you know about tea fuzz.
I thought, based on the tea’s fuzzy mid-green appearance, that it’d be delicate. After steeping, the water was still really light, reinforcing that perception.
Nope! This is a potent flavor! It’s a very smooth, amber sort of flavor that’s sweet and thoughtful.
Imagine a harp and a violinist playing together at a midafternoon wedding. Everyone is dressed sharply. The feeling in the air is electric. Spring is settling into summer, and the sun is out.
It’s a beautiful afternoon for them, and for you, when you give this a whirl.The spring fuzzy leaves are carrying their sunshine into your cup.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Yatra Tea Company
Description
Known worldwide as home to some of the largest mountains in the world, including Mt. Everest, Nepal is an underrated tea producing nation that has started to gain some prominence among discerning tea drinkers. Nepal is comprised of 75 districts, one of which is Ilam. Ilam is located in the Mechi Zone in the easternmost part of Nepal. It borders the Darjeeling region of India, which affords it very similar soil and climatic conditions.
Approximately 12 miles from the Ilam bazaar lies the Sakhira Garden. Named for its location (Sakhejung Hill Range) this estate is relatively young, founded in 2000 by the collective efforts of a group of small farmers. The production facilities reside at 4,000 ft. while the plantations that provide tea to the factory are perched at an altitude of 6,000 ft.
With a singular focus on harvesting only the highest quality black Orthodox teas, the produce of Sakhira is poised to give the vaunted Darjeeling teas a run for their money!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Queen of the Underworld from Malfoy Tea Emporium. . .
I bought a huge lot of samples on Etsy a few months ago, and then tripped and fell down a rabbit hole of Endless Workweeks and forgot to post about tea for like two months. True story. Now I have clawed my way out of this hole, gasping, covered in mud, and disoriented, and this tea is no longer for sale, but whatever, I’m reviewing it to the best of my ability, even though I can’t look up what’s in it or any of its specs any more.
This tea from Malfoy Tea Emporium’s Goddess Collection was a black tea with cinnamon and pomegranate/berries in it. I’ve had about 4 cups now and this is the final bit of my sample. Let me tell you, I’ve been loving the HECK out of it in my frenzied interim. It’s just the right balance of sweet and tart. It’s sassy. It’s pretty. It tastes like someone snapping their manicured fingers at you to row the canoe across the River Styx a LITTLE faster, please.
It instantly brews up a dark amber that’s very alluring. If this is meant to emulate Aaliyah’s final role as Queen of the Damned, and this is sort of a blood thing, it nailed it. If that wasn’t the intent (I can’t seem to read the Etsy listing any more), well, uh, you failed at getting something else right.
I’m not sure if this is going to come back, but if it does, you should get on board. It’s the catty sorta-chai you’ve been waiting for.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Malfoy Tea Emporium
Description
This tea is currently not available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Long Life Oolong from DAVIDsTea. . .
I had to go to work early today, so I decided I needed a little afternoon pick-me-up. I’d bought Long Life Oolong on a whim to help a friend get to $50 (free shipping! we’re cheap!), plus, I’m a huge fan of its ingredients (oolong! nuts! fruits!).
This tea is… I daresay… a peach! It has peaches and apricots, which are like 99% of the experience.
I can taste the oolong a tiny bit (sort of a light flavor, verging on the black end of the oolong spectrum), but it’s in the background.
I’m not sure I can taste the almond slices or orange peel, but they’re not touted as major features. I might have also gotten a spoonful that didn’t happen to have those ingredients. Sometimes teas taste different cup-to-cup, which is sort of confusing and frustrating, especially for a reviewer who’s trying to give an honest overview.
I enjoyed this tea hot, but there’s a little sticker on the site’s image that says “try me iced!” I bet this would be a really great iced tea summer pick. Or, I guess, hot-day-in-fall pick. Or anytime-at-all pick if you live in the South. I prefer my tea iced when it’s hot out, but what does one do when it’s ALWAYS hot out? (When) do Southerners enjoy warm tea? They must, right? If you’re from the South, speak up on your hot-vs-cold preferences.
This blend tastes a bit like Happy Kombucha , also a David’s Tea oolong with fruit. I think if you have one, you might not need the other, but if you have neither, this could definitely fill a hole in your heart. Or stomach. Or any part, really. It’s yummy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTea
Description
A hydrating peach oolong with sweet apricots and crunchy almond slices.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!