I seem to be in a funk lately. I need to snap out of it. If I continue to drink tasty teas like this one – it just might help! The tea I’m sipping on today is Little Red Cup Tea Co’s Da Hong Pao Premium Oolong.
This tea brews to a deep mahogany red. I can pick up notes of cinnamon-plum, and gently roasted caramel. It’s robust but not overly robust and this tea has no bitter notes! It offers the perfect balance of smooth, deep, rich, and natural flavor.
I do LOVE the aroma before, during, and after infusing, too! There is a spec of cocao nib nose on it that was a pleasant surprise! It’s delish on the tongue and taste-buds, to boot!
This is one of the better oolongs I have tried in the past year! Hands Down! I would suggest it to just about anyone!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Little Red Cup
Description
Our Da Hong Pao (大红袍) is a marvelous mountain-grown rock tea from Enshi Prefecture in southwestern Hubei Province. Almost fully oxidized, it brews a deep mahogany red — with notes of cinnamon, plums, and caramel. Robust yet easy to brew, this tea has no bitter notes — only smooth, deep, rich, flavor.
This is a tea to be enjoyed on a regular basis, but also one to bring out for special occasions. It has taken us nearly ten years since we began our search for a great Da Hong Pao that is both organic and Fair Trade to get to the point where we can add this special oolong to our offerings. It is at once familiar and yet a cut above ordinary oolongs, a tea we are certain you will love.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blueberry Black Tea from LeCharm. . . .
Some of you might know that my full time line of work is the wonderful world of RADIO. YEARS and YEARS ago when I was part of a trio that did a Saturday Night Request Show we used to refer to locating rare songs on record as ‘dumpster diving’. That might sound like a bad thing but it was never intended that way.
Recently when I was digging deep into my tea stash bins I came across this Blueberry Black Tea from LeCharm that is in a small pouch of sorts and that kind of made me think of locating those old gems during the request shows.
I guess I thought I had already reviewed this product long ago but I cannot locate it here at SororiTea Sisters so I figured now was as good time as any to feature this one here on the site!
Blueberry Black Tea from LeCharm. A VERY unique product. LeCharm’s product description of this tea is this…when someone wants to have something that tastes great and is convenient to drink at work, they may consider choosing a tea sachet. These only require hot or cold water. The preparation is very easy and only takes about three seconds. This is something that other healthy drinks or bagged teas do not offer. After preparing a tea that requires a tea bag, there will be a wet and messy tea bag to throw out. The tea sachet is simply opened up and dumped into the water where the ingredients will dissolve quickly and completely. These are easy to store and can fit into a purse or a drawer.
I totally agree with this. It’s great for work, for travel, for tiny house living, for camp, you name it!
Flavor-wise here were my findings…this powdery tea product provides a hint of the blueberry’s sourness while dancing within this robust black tea. It oddly tasted like blueberry flavored black tea…iced! I’m not sure HOW they did it but they DID! And I’m glad they did…and did it RIGHT! End result…delightful and convenient!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: LeCharm
Description
A tint of the blueberry’s sourness flows within this robust black tea. The antioxidants and nutrients of the blueberry can improve one’s memory, and that serves to enhance the memory of the experience even further. Drink Blueberry Black Tea before a meal, and you’ll find that the food goes down easy and hits the tongue with delectable contrast. Black tea will be there to help stabilize the circulatory system’s blood sugar.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 SPL Black Tea from Tea Swan. . . .
Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 SPL Black Tea from Tea Swan is the tea of the moment for me while not only typing up this review but pulling of a pretty sweet sip down!
I’m a fan of teas from the Giddapahar Tea Estate and this specific tea is an early First Flush tea from Giddapahar Tea Estate in the Kurseong Valley of the Darjeeling region.
Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 SPL Black Tea from Tea Swan is produced with leaves from China plants and offer a sweet musk of this 1st Flush Darjeeling’s dry leaves. Once I began infusing the loose leaves – the scent decreases from sweet to vegetal while giving off a light coppery brew. I noticed the flavor change from subtle spinach greens to musky hay to floral on the end sip. I enjoyed the twists and turns this tea takes!
It’s a mighty fine offering from Tea Swan, indeed!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Swan
Description
Giddapahar black tea is very exquisite early First Flush tea from Giddapahar Tea Estate in the Kurseong Valley of the Darjeeling region.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ganesha Green from Nepal Tea LLC. . .
I know you aren’t supposed to judge a tea by its name – but that is exactly what I have done with this tea which is Ganesha Green from Nepal Tea LLC. I couldn’t tell you why I was drawn to this tea because of its name I just was.
The company says that this tea is “A step up from our Kanchanjangha Verde, Ganesha Green is a finer pluck, medium bodied with prominent marine flavors, such as kelp and seaweed.”
I can’t say as I have tried their Kanchanjangha Verde but I can tell you what I thought of this tea based on my personal experience.
I thought it was pretty bold for a green…more on the grassy and seaweedy side of things for sure.
As you may know – brewing green tea is considered rather complicated since steeping green tea for too long or in too hot water will result in a bitter and astringent brew regardless of the quality of the leaves.
I found this to be one of the more tricky greens, too! I was able to play around with it at least 2 to 3 times. My personal preference was to steep for about 1.5 minutes. I found anything longer than that the tea turned a bit bitter to quite bitter depending on how long you over infused it for.
1.5 minutes was my HAPPY ZONE. It was just the right amount of green and the right about of savory I look for in a greener-seaweedy type green tea. Some might call it a soupy type tea or even a greener miso flavor.
Regardless…once I found my HAPPY PLACE with this tea…I was a fan!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Nepal Tea LLC
Description
A step up from our Kanchanjangha Verde, Ganesha Green is a finer pluck, medium bodied with prominent marine flavors, such as kelp and seaweed.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Takarabako Tea Farm: Organic Shimane Aged Black Tea 2016 Vintage from Yunomi. . .
The Takarabako Tea Farm in Shimane Prefecture has been experimenting with creating aged black teas, “vintages” specific to a year, and allowed to age under fixed low temperature storage conditions. For this specific tea – Takarabako Tea Farm: Organic Shimane Aged Black Tea 2016 Vintage – I have to say I was blown away by the quality and flavor!
Straight-up this is an AGED Black tea. Cultivar: Yabukita with the harvest being that of Spring, 2016 from the Oba Sorayama District, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture region.
It’s Eco-farmer certified by Shimane Prefecture, has the Organic certification of JAS (Tea, Persimmon) for agriculture, processing and packing, Local GAP certification by Shimane Prefecture, and received the Excellence Award for the 19th Japan Environment Preservation Agriculture Promotion Competition. IMPRESSIVE, eh!?
The tea brews up a red/orange/brown color while the aroma shines with maltiness and a hint of cinnamon and plum. It’s smooth cuppa with the aftertaste of honey or agave!
This is a very special tea. I would share it with those I know would appreciate it. I can’t wait to see what other lovely leaves come from this region and farm!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Description
The Takarabako Tea Farm in Shimane Prefecture has been experimenting with creating aged black teas, “vintages” specific to a year, and allowed to age under fixed low temperature storage conditions.
- Ingredients: Black tea
- Cultivar: Yabukita
- Harvest: Spring, 2016
- Region: Oba Sorayama District, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture