Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Product Description:
Other Names: Bai Mu Dan Tea, Pai Mu Dan Tea, White Pekoe Tea
White Peony undergoes very little processing. Made from just the unopened silvery buds and the small, top two leaves it is picked in spring and gently withered to yield a refreshing, easy-drinking tea, full of soft fruit flavours and melon notes with a lingering sweet aftertaste.
Taster’s Review:
This is the second tea that I’m tasting from the “Migration” themed Steepster Select Package. At first, I kind of wondered why a Bai Mu Dan would be offered as part of a “Migration” theme … but after opening the pouch, I understood. The leaves are crisp and dry, just like the fallen leaves that cover the ground this time of year.
The tea these beautiful, whole leaves produces is exquisite! Definitely one of the very best Bai Mu Dan teas I’ve yet to taste. It is surprisingly rich and flavorful. Many White Peony/Bai Mu Dan teas that I’ve tried in the past tend to be somewhat pale in flavor – delicate – but, this is not a typical Bai Mu Dan!
It possesses a delightfully sweet flavor and as the description above suggests, I taste the melon notes! That melon flavors intensify as the tea cools. There is very little vegetative/grassy taste to this Bai Mu Dan. Instead, I taste a crisp, clean, and sweet delicious flavor unlike any other Bai Mu Dan I’ve tasted in recent memory. Sure, many of those white teas tasted good, maybe even great, but, this one stands out as exceptional.
Cherries Jubilee Bai Mu Dan from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
As for this week’s Tea of the Week, it is an amazingly harmonious blend of light, sweet bai mu dan white tea, dried cherries and natural flavors including cherry, brandy and just a bit of vanilla. I really think you’re going to like this one.
Taster’s Review:
When I saw that this tea would be headed my way, I was a little worried. Yes, I know that Frank of 52Teas is the “Willy Wonka of Teas” and I’ve enjoyed just about everything from 52Teas that I’ve tried … I can’t think of any I’ve not enjoyed. But, cherry and brandy flavors together worried me just a wee bit, because I was worried that the combination might end up tasting cough syrup-y.
And when I smelled the dry leaf, my apprehension was not alleviated, because it does smell a little like cough syrup. The aroma of the vanilla and the cherry do have an appealing fragrance, but there is also just a bit of cough syrup-iness to the scent as well. So, yes… worry I did.
But, those worries assuaged when I took my first sip. Deee-lish! This in no way, shape or form tastes like cough syrup. Hooray!
The Bai Mu Dan makes an excellent base – it is light and crisp. At first it was a little difficult to discern the flavor of the Bai Mu Dan but it developed nicely as I continued to sip. Now I can taste hints of freshness from the Bai Mu Dan: sweet and delicate and very nice.
The cherry flavor is sweet but there is a touch of tartness in there too. Not a lot, but just enough to keep the cherry flavor from tasting too sickly sweet. The brandy flavor is light here, and it doesn’t really taste much like alcohol at all, although I do taste the brandy-wine like taste, without the solvent taste of alcohol.
My favorite flavor here, though, is the vanilla. It isn’t an overwhelming flavor, but I like how it ties everything together. It “blurs the edges” – so to speak – between the flavors of white tea, cherry and brandy flavors, and makes it a very cohesive, seamless flavor.
This tea just proves that Frank has earned his title of “Willy Wonka of Teas!”
Strawberry Lemonade Bai Mu Dan from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
Here’s our delicate and sweet Bai Mu Dan white tea blended with real freeze-dried strawberry bits, organic lemon myrtle and natural flavors. If it’s anywhere near as hot where you are as it is here (111° yesterday!), you’re going to want some of this deliciousness to cool off with. It makes a great, light, refreshing and thirst-quenching iced tea!
But don’t drag your feet! Like all of our Tea of the Week offerings, this is a limited edition blend. When it’s gone, it’s gone!
Taster’s Review:
For me, 52Teas has become synonymous with unique and sometimes even unusual blends. So, when Frank (chief Zoomdweebie at 52Teas) announced this tea of the week, I was somewhat taken aback. What? Strawberry Lemonade? That’s not all that unusual. It’s actually quite … ordinary. I decided I’d probably not order it, because … well, it seems rather run-of-the-mill.
But when I noticed that this particular tea seemed to be selling very quickly and getting close to the ‘sold out’ point, I broke down and bought a pouch. I figured that I’d probably like it (I mean, there aren’t any of 52Teas’ blends that come readily to mind that I haven’t liked), and more importantly, I worried that I’d regret it if I didn’t try it.
And, I’m really glad I decided to order it. It’s really good! The first thing I noticed – well, other than the delicious aroma – is that there is no hibiscus in this blend. Not that 52Teas is known for adding hibiscus to their blends. In fact, I can’t recall a single 52Teas blend in which hibiscus was used. But, other companies *might* have added hibiscus to a blend like this one to give it a reddish hue. I am glad that 52Teas didn’t add hibiscus to it – because this tea tastes so delightful and I think that hibiscus would have ruined it.
The flavor is so light and refreshing. The Bai Mu Dan is a delicate tea, and the flavors are just as softly flavored, giving the cup a very nice balance. The strawberry tastes sweet and the lemony flavor is tart. It’s not sour … but it has that pucker-y tartness that definitely resembles homemade lemonade.
So as I sit here, sipping on this delicious tea, I am happy that I didn’t let the somewhat commonness of this tea stop me from ordering it. Because even though strawberry lemonade is somewhat Plain-Jane compared to some of 52Teas more eccentric blends, it is yummy! Just like gramma would have made!
Secret Weapon from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Product Description:
This blend just might give you the edge you need to stay healthy. It’s a white Bai Mu Dan, so it’s naturally high in immunity-enhancing antioxidants. Plus it contains licorice and goji berries, a Chinese wonderfood reputed to have 500 times more vitamin C than oranges. The best part? The almonds and cocoa nibs. They don’t fight colds, but they make this an amazingly tasty weapon of choice.
Taster’s Review:
After quickly reading the description, I couldn’t help but think that this tea had a lot going on … maybe a little bit too much. The beautiful mix of nuts, berries, tea leaves and petals did little to assuage those thoughts.
But somehow, it works. The strongest flavors are the almond and chocolate – and that’s quite alright with me. The flavor of the goji berries is a distant note until near the end of the sip, where its tartness emerges and lingers into the aftertaste.
The licorice was barely noticeable until after the first few sips. And even now, I’m about halfway through my first cup, and I find that the licorice is still a bit hidden. It reveals itself in the aftertaste with a pleasant sharpness, but I can’t help but wish that there was just a little more licorice flavor. Then again, more licorice might upset the delightful flavors I’m experiencing now, so maybe not.
One might think that the white tea would be lost in this sea of strong flavors, but, to my surprise, it isn’t. The white tea comes through, very crisp and clean. It seems to add a taste that I’d compare to a breath of fresh air wafting through the other flavors. It adds a refreshing lightness to the cup that I really like.
If this is “health food” – consider me a health food junkie! YUM!
White Mint from Element Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Element Tea
Product Description:
If you love mint, then you’ll love this tea! With a combination of peppermint AND spearmint, your taste buds will experience a mint extravaganza. This tea is wonderful iced, too!
Ingredients: Bai Mu Dan White Tea, Peppermint, Spearmint
Taster’s Review:
When I first decided to brew this tea, I had prepared myself for a very minty-tasting tea, and I had expected the white tea to be completely overpowered by the peppermint and spearmint. Fortunately, this is not the case at all.
While the Bai Mu Dan base is indeed a delicate taste, the peppermint and spearmint have been blended skillfully so that they would be in perfect balance with the softer, gentler white tea. So now, what I taste is a medley of soft, fluffy white tea and cool, crisp mint flavor without feeling overwhelmed by them.
Even though I am sipping this hot, it doesn’t make me feel uncomfortably warm. I find it both exhilarating and calming to drink. I can feel it cool me as it hydrates me.
A very harmonious tea blend – I like it very much.