The outside of the tin for this says “Super Fancy Oolong,” which meant I had to show it to everyone in my office AND put it on my Snapchat. I curse like a pirate, dress like a goth, and look like a Muppet, so no one really bought the act. For a moment, though, I felt like maybe classiness was within reach.
The dry leaves are long and curled. They are brown and amber, and some ends have white bits. While you’re steeping them, they don’t uncurl as much as you’d expect, but don’t worry: the tea taste is definitely entering the water.
The taste is fragrant, orchid-like, flowery, and buttery. It leans more toward the green end of oolong than black. Which is great for the afternoon, when I want something chiller.
The flavor of this tea very delicate. I could see a French person sipping this during the Rococo period (think: Marie Antoinette). She’d gush something problematic like “one of my SERVANTS brought this from the ORIENT — HOW QUAINT.”
And a peasant from Horse-Butt, not-Paris (think: beginning of Beauty and the Beast), would spend the rest of his life wondering what this tea was like. He’d wonder about it while mucking the straw and sleeping on a bed of straw. He’d ponder it while pulling on itchy britches and a hilarious hat. He’d whisper of it to his livestock.
You, in the modern era, don’t have to fret about such things. You can calm your thirst by just purchasing it here. It’s $32.79 USD, and if you have prime, it could be to you immediately.
Aren’t you glad you aren’t a French peasant during the Rococo era?
In 2017, we can all live like royalty. We can all be “super fancy.”
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Solstice Tea Traders
Description
- Deluxe Loose Leaf Tea Set #3 Oolong Tea Sampler includes Formosa BT Black Oolong, Ti Kwan (Kuan) Yin Oolong, Magnolia Oolong, Super Fancy Oolong, Formosa Standard Oolong, and Fujian Jade Oolong.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Super Starling drinks English Breakfast from Solstice Tea Traders. . .
After killing myself at the gym this morning*, I needed a little bit of comfort. Black teas are my go-to morning cuddle buddy. They never cause DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). They never make me sweaty. I never collapse after drinking one.
* (10 flights on the stairmaster, a mile on the treadmill, then a variety of circuit training nonsense that at one point just had me laying on a mat, reaching for my inhaler.)
Comforting though this blend is, it’s still got that black-tea kick. This one’s an eye-opener. It pries your face open, Clockwork Orange style. Are you nodding off at your desk?
NOT ANY MORE YOU’RE NOT. WELCOME TO THE DAY.
The flavor is a nice smooth blend, a bit malty and raisin-y. I have a feeling that, if you mixed some with an herbal tea (maybe berry-flavored), you’d have a great iced tea. This could be a strong backbone for a kickin’ blend.
If you’re the sort of person who does this sort of thing. Which I do. I like to play alchemist all the time. Is it unclassy to throw ingredients into other teas? Probably. But I’ve come up with some awesome stuff. (I have also — full disclosure — completely failed.)
So give this one a try, either straight or with a buddy. At the very least, you’re in for a good morning jostle.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Solstice Tea Traders
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
English Breakfast – Solstice Tea Traders
Scroll down and look at the description. A bit disappointing right? Especially considering how nice and earthy the flavor is. Honestly, I tend to not drink many Irish or English breakfast teas because I tend to stick to the greener side of teas but it is good to try the ‘darker side’ particularly when you savor a clean flavor like this one.
Clean seems like it might be a weird word to use to describe tea but honestly that was what my first thought was. Perhaps pure would be better? Even the color of the brewed tea is somewhat more elegant.
Truly its the flavor that impresses me the most though. Definitely earthy with essences of both wood and forest. The wet aroma is reminiscent of wood chips.
This is the type of black tea that will make you cringe when people ask you to put milk in it. No offense if you do of course. Now that I think about it though, I wonder if you ground up the leaves like match and made a latte…. with some frothed vanilla almond milk?
If I had the ability to froth milk I would do this. . . .
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Solstice Tea Traders
Description
English Breakfast Tea– Just as Irish Breakfast Tea, English Breakfast Tea is and always was a tea sourced from India or Sri Lanka.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Super Fancy Oolong from Solstice Tea Traders
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Solstice Tea Traders
Tea Description:
- Loose Leaf Oolong Tea Sampler-Solstice Tea Traders loose leaf oolong tea sampler pack, a selection of awesome oolongs, including both China Oolong, and Taiwan Oolong. Includes an incredibly array of Oolongs. Sure to please.
- Loose Leaf Oolong Tea Packed in 4oz Teas-Our Oolong tea sampler is packed in 4oz metal tea tins, each filled, sealed, and labeled..
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m a sucker for samplers. So when I had the opportunity to review a few samplers for Solstice Tea Traders, an online Amazon store, I was all over it. The first tin I grabbed out of the set was this one, the Super Fancy Oolong variety. I was pretty excited to try it.
This is really a no frills sort of sampler. In the sampler, you get 4 nice 1 oz tins full of different kinds of oolongs. None of them are exotic by any means, but this sampler is a great start. So far I’ve tried a few teas from Solstice Tea Traders and have been more than impressed by the taste, quality, and the value you get.
Super Fancy Oolong has a gorgeous look to it. I love looking at the longer dry leaf and how the white pieces really pop against the darker browns. The aroma I picked up from the dry leaf was that familiar oolong smell that I have grown to love.
I brewed this up with the help of my Breville One Touch and the oolong setting. Allowed the tea to steep for a few minutes and took my first sip. Simple, subtle, and fresh-this oolong delivers those familiar notes of a nutty underground with a sweetness from a stonefruit. I can pick up a very soft floral hint here and there- A lovely contrast to the nuttiness that greets you first.
This isn’t a new flavor by any means, but a solid tea to lean on when you want a flavor you can count on. So far, I’m impressed. I shared this tea with a few loved ones and the tea was greeted with smiles. I can see this sampler being a great one to introduce others to oolong teas.
Pomegranate Green Tea from Solstice Tea Traders
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Solstice Tea Traders
Tea Description:
Solstice Tea Traders Pomegranate Loose Leaf Green Tea is an amazing tea that lends itself well to hot or iced applications, and is a perfect option for summer afternoons, or cold mornings.Enjoy our pomegranate tea packed in large one pound bags, an amazing way to enjoy green tea, with a little extra flavor, without having to add a lot of sugar.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ever stumble upon a tea that just completely makes you say “What?!?” This tea did that to me.
I review products for companies on Amazon all the time. Besides my blog and doing tea reviews for SororiTea Sisters, it is one of my favorite ways to spend my time. Whenever I see tea up for grabs needing a review, I always get giddy and hope I make the cut.
So when this tea arrived in its giant 16oz package (yes, 1 lb!) I wasn’t sure what I would be in for except that I have a pound of this tea. I opened the enormous tea pouch up and was hit with this lovely fragrance mix of green tea, pomegranate, and a sweet rose bud floral undertone. I was incredibly impressed. The tea leaves didn’t’ appear to be crushed but lovely and with a lot of substance. I couldn’t wait to try this tea.
Brewed up like a green tea and allowed to steep for about 4 minutes, this tea yields an amazing flavor. Lovely rich buttery green tea notes with a jammy pomegranate flavor and a sweetness from the rose buds that really bring this tea to another notch. There is just a slight hint of a tartness from the pomegranate but it is very very slight. Everything is just so smooth and all the flavors are right where they need to be. (I have a feeling I’ll be drinking this tea all day).
The jammy notes are what get me the most and I can say that this tea has me hooked. I’ve already got a pitcher going for a cold brew for this week and I’m planning on making some iced tea as well for the day. I’m on my third cup from the same infusion and the flavors are still giving me so much love.
This is one of those teas that proves you can’t judge a book (or tea) by its cover. This tea is amazingly priced for what you get and I can’t wait to try and check out the other teas I have coming. Highly recommend this tea for a flavored green tea that bursts with flavor. I’m absolutely serving this at my sister in law’s baby shower in a few weeks. It is really that good and one that everybody would enjoy. The flavors are bright enough to give flavor but not so overwhelming that you can’t taste the green tea base. One of those teas you just have to share!