Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
MARGARETS HOPE BI – MUDAN has been made from PURE AV2 clonal plants at an elevation of 6000 ft. A specialised team of tea pluckers pluck the finest 2 leaf and a bud under the full moon beam which enhances the flavour of th tea. This tea is very high in antioxidants due to the process by which it is manufactured. A must try for the tea lovers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried maybe a handful (at most!) of white teas that were produced in Darjeeling, and I must say that the more I try, the more I like this rather rare tea! It has some qualities of a black Darjeeling with the lightness of a white tea … but then again, as a white tea, it has more flavor than a typical Chinese white tea. It’s quite an enigmatic tea, and I’m loving every sip of it!
And just because this IS a white tea, don’t think for a second that it is going to be “too delicate.” It is delicate, yes, when compared to a black or even a green Darjeeling. However, it is not delicate if it were compared to, say, a Silver Needle white. In comparison, this one has so much more flavor! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking a Silver Needle, I love them! But, I am also loving the delicious differences I’m noticing from this Bi-Mudan from Darjeeling Tea Lovers.
I taste much of the fruit notes that one might expect from a Darjeeling, I even taste hints of a grape-y muscatel! This muscat grape note is accompanied by a deliciously crisp apple-y taste that is a little bit sweet and a little bit sour. As I reach the end of the sip, I notice a slight mint-like note that is crisp and clean, and this note seems to meld with the astringency in such a way that is quite unique, leaving the palate feel clean and taste sweet. My mouth actually waters shortly after the sip ends, and I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the effects of the tea or just the fact that my taste buds are loving what they’re tasting so much that they want more!
It has a crisper taste than most black Darjeeling teas that I’ve tried, and usually these are sparkling and crisp! This is even more so! It has a very uplifting quality – not quite as calm or soothing as a white tea, instead, I’d say this has some energizing properties to it.
A fantastic Darjeeling white – and it’s FABULOUS iced!
Murmur from Handmade Tea, Part 2
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
To Subscribe to Handmade Tea’s Tea of the Month program, click here.
About this Blend:
Murmur starts with a white peony base which features the signature unopened tea bud and two accompanying leaves. This tea has beautiful delicate notes of juicy honeydew drizzled in honey, with accents of darker fruit and chocolate. Next, the strawberries are added to accent the white peony’s fruity notes and add a little tartness to the back of the palate. Lastly the cacao nibs contribute to the rich, classic chocolate taste that pops mid palate.
Read more about Handmade Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I mentioned in part 1 of this review, I wanted to approach reviewing this tea by reviewing three separate tastings. The first part of this review featured my first tasting of the actual blend “Murmur” as blended by Handmade tea. This article will feature the last two tastings: the second tasting will be of the White Peony Tea base, while the third will be of a taster’s improved batch of Murmur, with extra strawberries and cacao nibs.
Second Tasting
This is a decent Bai Mu Dan. It’s of good quality, beautifully colored leaves ranging from a pale, silvery green to a light tan. These leaves are broken, but I wouldn’t say that they’re “crushed” – I’ve seen larger, whole leaves with some of the higher quality White Peony teas that I’ve encountered, while I’ve encountered some crushed, tiny leaves. These are somewhere in the middle – appearing more whole than broken, and I was happy to see the tiny, silvery hairs on the leaves, indicating that these leaves have been handled well. White Peony is a delicate tea, and it should be handled as such!
As for the taste, it is good. Delicately flavored – that’s to be expected – with distant notes of vegetation and a soft, velvet-y mouthfeel. Some fruity notes, but interestingly enough, I found that when it’s part of the blend, the melon-esque tones of this tea really seem to emerge. The addition of the dried strawberries and cacao nibs emphasized the subtle melon notes of the tea, allowing this taster to explore some of the nuances that I might have otherwise missed with the pure Bai Mu Dan.
Third Tasting
For this third and final tasting (at least, for reviewing purposes), I decided to add what was left of the freeze-dried strawberries and the cacao nibs to the large tin of blended tea. I say “what was left” because my SororiTea Sister, TeaEqualsBliss, had tried and reviewed this tea before I did, so she also used some of the berries and cacao. The two sampler tins were about half-full when I got them, and I emptied the entire contents of both small sampler tins into the blended tea and gave them a gentle shake to combine.
I have to say, that of the three tastings, this one is my favorite. The chocolate is stronger, and the strawberry flavor also emerges somewhat stronger – although because this is a “blended” tea and not a “flavored” one, neither flavor is particularly strong. If you were to taste a chocolate strawberry flavored tea that was flavored by a reputable company side-by-side with this blended tea, they’d taste very different.
But that’s not to say that this is not good – I really like this, and with a white tea, this blended approach really works well because it keeps the flavors subtle so that the white tea is not overwhelmed. Instead, it seems to be celebrated with the strawberries and cacao bringing out flavors that I didn’t notice when drinking the pure White Peony Tea.
Overall, a very tasty tea that offers a pleasant, contemplative cup when you want one … or just really refreshing taste that calms and soothes you when you just want to relax and contemplate nothing!
White Pear Tea from Revolution
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Revolution
Tea Description:
Delicate and fragrant as a fresh-picked pear, this blend combines white tea, slivers of sweet pears, and natural pear flavor. It may be one of the smoothest blends you’ve tasted, providing a gentle lift any time of day. White tea, whose silvery buds are the least processed of all teas, contains the highest amount of antioxidants.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is wonderful!
The white tea is delicate – but not too delicate. It has a bit more body and flavor than the typical Silver Needle, this is closer to a Bai Mu Dan or perhaps a Sowmee (Shou Mei) … or maybe even a blend of white teas. After examining the package a little closer, I see that this is indeed a Bai Mu Dan.
It is a perfect pairing (pearing) with the softer flavor of the pear. The subtly of the tea allows for the pear to express itself fully – which in turn produces a sweet, flavorful tea that offers an incredible balance between tea and fruit flavors.
This is a tea that I could enjoy on a regular basis. It has a light, hay-like note that gives it an almost “baked goods” kind of flavor … care for a pear tart? That’s what I’m tasting with this cup of tea! It is sweet and creamy and delicious!
And as it cools, the flavor does not diminish … this would make an awesome iced tea! Makes for fantastic refreshment any time of day – light enough for later in the evening, flavorful enough to offer a tasty recharge in the afternoon.
Concord Grape Bai Mu Dan from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
So, I’m a little extra excited about our new freeze-dried grapes. I can’t help it, they are just too much fun to blend with. I’m hoping our customers will forgive me and enjoy this deliciousness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Grape is not my favorite flavor. I like the fruit alright when eaten fresh (and I like to freeze grapes and eat them like that), but when it comes to grape flavored foods, I tend to steer clear of them. I don’t like grape candy or gum or soda or ice pops. I don’t even really like grape juice, jelly or jam. So, when 52Teas announced this tea as their tea of the week for the week of May 7, 2012, I was less than overjoyed. In fact, it would be more accurate to say I was a wee bit disappointed.
But that was before I tried it.
And as I sit here, sipping this Concord Grape Bai Mu Dan, I’m quite enjoying it, despite the fact that I usually don’t care for grape flavored drinks. This is actually quite good!
The flavor is sweet, but there is enough tartness to the grape flavor to keep it from tasting like the icky-grape-ness that I dislike so much in the soda and other grape flavored foods. This tastes a bit more like grape juice to me, but the delicious, light Bai Mu Dan offers a balance so that I’m not drinking that sickeningly thick, sweet-tart juice.
What I’m trying to say here is that the Bai Mu Dan saves this tea from being something that I’d probably otherwise dislike, and turned it into something that I’m actually enjoying. And the flavor gets better as it cools, which means this will be my next pitcher of iced tea!
There are those (I’ll call them “purists”) who think that the reason tea artists flavor teas is because the teas aren’t of good enough quality to enjoy on their own… so the teas are “masked” by the flavors to make them consumable. I don’t really agree with this viewpoint, as I have found many tea artists (like Frank at 52Teas) who use very high quality teas in their flavored teas. But, if it were the case, I’d have to argue that with this particular tea, I think that the opposite is closer to the truth. The tea actually makes the Concord Grape drinkable!
Bai Mu Dan from The Little Red Cup Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The Little Red Cup Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Our organic Bai Mu Dan (White Peony Tea) is a white tea, grown in the very northeastern corner of Jiangxi Province. Made from only one bud and the two adjacent young leaves, this tea is carefully processed to promote a bare minimum of oxidation. It is sun dried, heaped, and then gently baked until fully dried. Bai Mu Dan is always handled carefully in order to minimize leaf breakage so as to maintain optimal quality.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The photo is a little misleading, as it would depict a greener (fresher? higher quality?) Bai Mu Dan than I received in my package. These leaves are dull, dark brown. Broken, crumbly leaves. And no indication of velvety, fuzzy down on the leaves. I’ve had higher quality Bai Mu Dan teas from China.
So while this is not the best Bai Mu Dan I’ve come across, the flavor is still quite pleasing. It is delicate, with sweet fruit notes in the foreground, and a hint of vegetation and hay in the background. It is not grassy, exactly, but, imagine the taste of the fresh air you might experience in a field of hay … that’s what the background here tastes like: light, delicate, airy, with hints of the elements that surround you. It is almost as if I can taste the sunlight that dried this tea.
There is a crispness to the flavor that is very refreshing. Overall, I’m enjoying this for its delicate, sweet flavor with delicious fruit notes throughout. As I mentioned, it’s not the highest quality Bai Mu Dan I’ve had, but it is certainly one of the most reasonably priced Bai Mu Dan teas I’ve sampled and the flavor is certainly pleasant. I also appreciate that this is a Fair Trade and Organic tea. So for that, this tea gets an enthusiastic thumbs up.