Bai Ya

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Oolong

Tea Description:

Production Year – 2011

Production Season – Fall

Production Region – Fujian Province

Style – Traditional green style

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Awesome!

As I’ve said on many occasions, Oolong teas are among my favorites. Yellow teas take the top spot for me, but because they are rare and a bit pricy, I don’t drink them as often as I do Oolong, making Oolong my “everyday affordable indulgence.” And the main reason why I do love Oolong teas so much is that they are different from one Oolong to the next. It’s always an adventure … or as Forrest Gump would say “You never know what you’re going to get.”

There are many fine purveyors of Oolong teas out there, and I’m fortunate that I’ve had the opportunity to sample the offerings of quite a few of those Oolong teas. And while I have many favorite tea purveyors, one of those favorites is Life in Teacup, and the reason is simple: Life in Teacup has excellent teas! The focus is on excellence with this company, and the proof is in the taste. I always know that the teas I receive from Life in Teacup are going to be exceptionally good, and this Bai Ya Qi Lan Oolong (harvested this past autumn!) is a fine example.

The flavor is amazing. The first thing I notice is the sweetness. It has a floral quality to it, reminding me of orchid and osmanthus. There is some earthiness in the background, even some toasted, nutty tones. Toward the end of the sip, I notice a slight dryness, and the tail is crisp with hints of mint.

But the most remarkable flavor of this tea has to be the marshmallow-like notes. There is a sweet, almost comforting kind of feel to this marshmallow taste, like sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows: enjoying the lightly crisped edges and devouring their sweet, creamy goodness inside.

This is yet another amazing Oolong from Life in Teacup.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Oolong