Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tea Description:
One sip of this tea and you’ll do anything to get your hands on more. In fact, we’re a bit worried about letting people get a taste. There might be riots. Looting. Traffic jams. It’s a lot of responsibility! But who can blame you for going crazy over this delicious white tea? It’s fruity. It’s refreshing. It tastes just like a ripe piece of mango. In short, it’s total madness.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I have to tell you, that when I was looking at the dry leaf of this Mango Madness White Tea Blend from David’s Tea, I thought I was looking at a fruit tisane – not a white tea blend! There are lots of big chunks of fruit, including orange peel, chunks of apple and of course mango, pieces of pineapple and strawberry … and not a whole lot of what looked to me like white tea leaves. There were some in there, but, from the visual standpoint, this is more fruit than it is tea leaves.
And that extends to the taste too – this tastes more like a tropical fruit medley than it does a white tea. I taste the mango with notes of orange and pineapple. It is sweet and juicy. The apple adds more sweetness than it does a distinct apple flavor (which is common in fruity blends like this).
The white tea IS discernible, but to really get a good taste of it, you need to slurp the cup. I can taste the light earthy note of the white tea. But this doesn’t really TASTE a lot like a white tea. It tastes more like a fruit tisane with some white tea leaves in it. And unfortunately, the mango isn’t as sweet and lush as I had hoped from a tea calling itself Mango Madness.
This is tasty enough – it’s especially nice iced! – but I have had better from David’s Tea.
Chocolate Mint Whisper White Tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Chocolate Mint Whisper White Tea is an exclusive blend of a select White Peony tea with pure peppermint leaves and rich Belgian chocolate. The whole leaf tea is evenly mixed with fresh cut mint leaves that are dried naturally to preserve their flavor. Belgian semisweet dark chocolate curls are expertly combined to provide the drinker with a tea that is decadent in aroma but with a flavor that is fresh and minty with hints of rich and velvety chocolate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I gotta tell ya, the more I try chocolate blends from Nature’s Tea Leaf, like this Chocolate Mint Whisper White Tea, the more I’m liking them. First of all, I love the big curls of chocolate that this blend has. Not just dark Belgian chocolate, but, white chocolate curls too! Sure … the chocolate melts and there are some that will argue that the melted chocolate in the tea clouds up the tea. And it does. But, I don’t care! It’s CHOCOLATE! And when this chocoholic sees cute little chocolate curls mixed into the dry leaf of a tea … the inner child in me squeals with delight.
The White Peony tea leaves seem to respond to this blend differently … that is to say, this doesn’t taste like a typical Bai Mu Dan. There are similar qualities, of course, like the straw-like taste (imagine the air that surrounds a dry hay stack) but, I don’t really notice a vegetative quality or other notes that I often associate with a white tea. But one thing that I do notice here … is an earthy undertone to the white tea that is often overlooked. So … while the ingredients in this blend may have overwhelmed some of the nuances of the white tea, it has also brought forward some flavors of the white tea that is not usually noticed. Like I said … the tea responds differently to this blend … and I, for one, like it.
The mint was a little … difficult to detect with the first few sips. The whole “Whisper” in the name made sense … because the peppermint was indeed a whisper of a taste. And now that I am more than halfway finished with my cup of tea, I notice more mint taste than i did with my first couple of sips … it is still quite a delicate flavor, noticed mostly when I suck in a breath and allow the air to flow over my palate. It is then that I notice a crisp, clean note that is distinctly mint.
This tea is deliciously chocolate-y, and what I really liked about this blend is that even though it was a white tea, it had a pleasing amount of chocolate flavor … but not so much that I lost sight of the fact that it was tea that I was drinking. I liked that I could taste the white tea, and I liked that this tea offered me a different perspective of white tea. A very interesting blend – one that I’d recommend to any chocolate lover.
White Peony Tea from thepuriTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: thepuriTEA
Tea Description:
Also known as “Bai Mu Dan,” White Peony is an excellent everyday white tea with a full flavor that appeals to many black-tea drinkers. Each spring in Fujian, China, it is hand-plucked as sets of two leaves for each bud, and then minimally processed for a nuanced flavor and high level of antioxidants. White Peony’s pale golden brew has complexly woodsy, floral aromas with hints of cocoa, peaches and apricots. Its layered, full, woodsy, bittersweet flavor is almost reminiscent of our Golden Yunnan black tea. Its light, clean aftertaste makes it a perfect tea for pairing with honey-drizzled apricots or toasted English muffins with butter and honey.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This White Peony Tea from thepuriTea is amazing … it certainly qualifies as one of the best Bai Mu Dan teas I’ve ever had. I shouldn’t be surprised, of course, because thepuriTea seldom fails to impress me … in fact, I can’t think of a time when they have failed to impress me with their teas.
The flavor is so surprising. My first sip, I tasted creaminess: sweet, luscious, creaminess! After that first sip, my palate began to explore many of the flavors that are suggested in the description above. Yes, I taste the notes of cocoa – and they are profound! I taste sweet peaches. I taste a hint of flower in the distance, and a slight woody/oaky taste.
And while most Bai Mu Dan teas tend to be very delicate … this one is much fuller flavored. It does have that lighter quality … this is not a black tea, after all, but from the moment I take a sip, my palate is greeted with so much flavor … it doesn’t have to go searching for it.
What I’m not noticing much of here, are strong notes of vegetation or of hay … which are often found in Bai Mu Dan. That’s why I find this cup so surprising. I enjoy those vegetal and hay notes in other Bai Mu Dan – don’t get me wrong! – but, it was nice to try this cup and discover something a little different!
I’m sure you’re probably thinking, oh, sure, it’s just a Bai Mu Dan … and you’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all. Not true! And the same can be said with just about any type of tea … don’t think that just because you’ve tried one type of tea that you won’t like that tea from any company. It is important to taste around … and discover new teas! Otherwise, you may just be missing out on a new favorite!
Cantaloupe & Cream Tea from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
The sweet cream notes of our Organic Bai Mu Dan compliment the cantaloupe and cream notes. This tea starts with vegetal and floral notes that quickly develop into mouth watering cantaloupe and cream notes. Try with our Brown Crystal Sugar for a sweet dessert treat. Our Cantaloupe & Cream won 3rd place in the Flavored White Tea category of the 2012 Spring Hot Tea Class at the North American Tea Championship.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh yum! Seriously … this is so very good! No big surprise, really, because I can’t think of any tea from Butiki Teas that I’ve really disliked … but, what does surprise me is how long it took me to get around to trying this amazing tea! It is so good!
From the moment that I poured the hot water into my teapot to start the infusion process, I knew I was in for a treat. A strong melon note filled the kitchen! It smelled as though I had just cut into a fresh cantaloupe (although, I guess the proper term would be muskmelon – as from what I understand, here in the US the melons we think of as cantaloupe are actually muskmelon).
The first few sips possess stronger notes of cream than of cantaloupe, and this cream taste is reminiscent of fresh, raw milk. I’ve only had fresh, raw milk maybe a handful of times in my lifetime, and all of these occasions were in my youth, but my memories of these occasions are fond. I really liked it. It might not have been as safe for me to drink as homogenized milk, but, I’m still alive and kicking, so it must not have been too bad for me.
Just before I reach the “mid-cup” point, the flavors begin to shift a little bit, with the creamy notes waning and the cantaloupe emerging into the forefront. YUM! Sweet, juicy cantaloupe!
This blend also includes helichrysum blossoms, and this is a flower that I have no experience with (at least, none that I can recall) and I don’t know how much flavor this flower contributes to the overall cup. I will say, though, that it does add a bit of beauty to the dry leaf.
What a combination of flavors! Usually when I’ve eaten cantaloupe, it has either been on its own or with other fruits as part of a fresh fruit plate, but, I don’t think I’ve ever had cantaloupe and cream before … and it’s really good. I might just have to indulge in something like this once cantaloupe is in season again.
Delicious!
Eggnog Tea from Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & White Tea
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
This is our own holiday creation; green and white tea combined with the flavors of eggnog. The combination of China Green and white tea brews up to a light and sweet liquid that combines perfectly with the flavor of eggnog. Real pieces of vanilla beans and nutmeg turns it into a truly guilt free decadent treat. Be sure to get some for gifts and to sip while you decorate the tree and listen to holiday music. Ingredients: Fair Trade Certified TM Organic China Green Tea, Fair Trade CertifiedTM Organic Pai Mu Tan, and Organic Vanilla, Organic Nutmeg, and Organic Natural Flavoring
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This tea is quite fragrant! As it was brewing in my Breville One-Touch tea maker in the kitchen, I could smell the distinct aroma of eggnog while watching television in the living room! It smells deliciously creamy and custard-like, and the scent of nutmeg filled the house … yum!
Admittedly, I don’t drink a lot of eggnog, as I find it to be a bit much. I like it, yes, but, after a few sips, I find myself wishing I hadn’t poured myself a whole glass, do you know what I mean? It gets so cloyingly sweet and overwhelmingly creamy way too fast for me.
But, I don’t have that problem with this cup of tea. Sure, it tastes rich and creamy and very eggnog-like, but, what I’m not experiencing with this cup of Eggnog Tea from Trail Lodge Tea that I usually experience with real eggnog is that palate-crushing, smothering sensation of creamy overload.
To cut through that creaminess, many eggnog drinkers add a shot of rum or other liquor to the custard-like beverage, but as I’ve mentioned several times on this blog, I’m not much of a drinker, so I don’t think that kind of addition would serve me well.
Instead, I’m finding the way to cut through the sweet, creamy decadence of eggnog is with a combination of white and green teas! They give this cup a lightness and a fresh taste that I don’t find in a glass of real Eggnog, and I like that difference very much. I like that I can enjoy a sweet, creamy eggnog-like treat, but without feeling weighed down or on the sugar high that real eggnog can take you.
THIS is my kind of eggnog!