Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
Taiwan characteristic Oriental Beauty Oolong Tea, a long narrow strip like of various colors, is also called Bai Hao Oolong Tea. Bright white-tipped leaves, a symbol of high level Oriental Beauty Tea, can only be cultivated irreplaceable strong fragrance in organic ecological tea plantation. This tea, with very limited quantity, can only be produced by a senior experienced tea master at one harvest each year.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Oriental Beauty from Fong Mong Tea is truly outstanding. Sweet, fragrant, and absolutely delicious!
The dry leaves are beautiful and whole, varying in color from silver to tan to chocolate brown. They smell sweet and floral, with hints of fruit in the background.
The first flavor that I notice is the fruit note. I usually do notice a peach-like flavor to Oriental Beauty Oolong teas, but here the flavor is so exquisitely pronounced. So sweet and juicy, my mouth seems to water after each sip in anticipation for the next. Delicious!
There is also a creaminess to this that melds beautifully with the peach-y flavors, as well as a delectable honey-esque undertone. Once the palate acclimates to the sweetness of the cup, I start to notice other flavors. This is a wonderfully complex cuppa, with hints of earth as well as a whisper of flower in the distance.
And of course, this tea offers many wonderful infusions. I find that each subsequent infusion seems to become more enchanting. The mouthfeel begins to lighten by the third infusion, and the flavors become smoother and less perspicuous, and yet, as the notes become more unified and less individual the tea becomes even more satisfyingly delicious.
This is one of the very best Oriental Beauty Oolong teas I’ve yet to taste – I highly recommend to all the Oolong enthusiasts out there.
Daily Man Tea from BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong, Pu-erh and Herbal
Where to Buy: BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Description:
We’ve gotten enough feedback from guys to know you want your own tea, and you don’t want a frilly peacock feather on it. Point taken. Here you go.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the three different teas from BijaBody Health + Beauty I was sent to try, this was the one with which I hesitated longest. I could think of all kinds of silly excuses, but, if I were to be completely honest, it was because it was a “man” tea, and well, the last time I checked, I’m a woman.
But, really, that’s pretty silly too. It’s a tea! There are some herbals in there that are definitely intended for men, but, I have never claimed to drink tea for its health benefits, so why should I not drink a tea because of its purported health benefits for men?
This tea has a strong earthy quality to it, much stronger than I recall tasting with either the Daily Beauty Tea or the Nightly Beauty Tea from BijaBody. I definitely taste the Pu-erh here, but, it isn’t an overwhelming or off-putting flavor. I also taste the Oolong, and I can feel the texture from the Oolong too – its smooth and almost creamy.
This also has a slight medicinal quality to it, but not so much that it makes me want to stop drinking it. The medicinal flavor is balanced out with the warm spice notes in the background as well as the tea flavors to give this a very enjoyable taste. After a glance at the ingredients, I worried that the cayenne might be a bit too much for the cup, but, it is actually quite subtle, providing a little bit of heat, but, certainly not to the point where I’d categorize this as spicy or even medium-hot. It has a mild spice – it’s warm and energizing.
Overall, this is an enjoyable beverage, even for those of us who are not men. If I were to change anything about it, though, I should like for there to be more of a chocolate taste from the cacao nibs… I taste only hints of cocoa here. But for what it is, I found it quite agreeable.
Daily Beauty Tea from BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong, Pu-erh & Herbal
Where to Buy: BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Description:
Daily Beauty Tea’s blend of fair-trade, organic Oolong and Pu-erh Tea with beautifying herbs and spices -including cacao nibs, burdock, a dash of cayenne, and so much more- supports a fiery metabolism, internal ph balance, natural detox and digestion, and your skin’s exquisite function*.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said many times before, I’m quite hesitant when it comes to herbal blends, but since I’ve recently tried their Nightly Beauty tea and enjoying it, I felt much more at ease while preparing this tea.
BijaBody seems to know what they’re doing. They select the ingredients based not only on their positive benefits, but, also for their contributions to the flavor.
The two blends that I’ve tried thus far – Nightly Beauty and now Daily Beauty – have many similar ingredients. Most notable are the Pu-erh, cacao nibs and sarsaparilla. Some of the other ingredients are the same as well, but, these are the most prominent flavor-wise. But even though they have many similar ingreidents, this tastes quite a bit different from the Nightly Beauty.
I can taste the Oolong tea’s contribution to the cup. It tastes lighter, smoother and a little on the creamy side. I can also taste the cayenne pepper in this, it isn’t a spicy-hot flavor, but, it is certainly warming. I can feel its heat on my palate, but, it doesn’t get to a level where I feel like I need something to cool it down. It’s quite enjoyable, really.
I do taste the Pu-erh, but of the two tea types, the Oolong stands out. The Pu-erh gives a light earthiness to the cup that mingles quite nicely with the other ingredients. I also taste the sarsaparilla and the cacao nib … although neither are as prominent as they are with the Nightly Beauty blend.
While the Nightly Beauty blend tastes more herbaceous, I find that this blend tastes more like tea, albeit a tea blend that I don’t think I’ve ever tried before. But there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I like how different this tastes.
A very enjoyable tea, and if it has health and beauty benefits, that’s a bonus!
Nightly Beauty Tea from BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal & Pu-erh
Where to Buy: BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Description:
Nightly Beauty Tea’s blend of aged pu-erh with calming, beautifying herbs and spices-such as gotu kola, chamomile, red raspberry leaf, lemongrass and ginger- strengthens digestion, healthy skin function, mental/physical calm and enhances your dazzling elegance.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
OK… so this was a tea that made me a little nervous. Lots of herbs AND Pu-erh? Yeah, not exactly high up there on the oh-my-goodness-I-really-must-try-it-now list. But now that I’m tasting it, I’m enjoying it. In fact, I like this a lot, and I could see myself drinking this on a regular basis.
After examining the contents of this sample package, I noticed that there seemed to be more herbs than tea in this blend, so, I decided to steep it at 195°F for 8 minutes to get the most out of those herbs. And I’m quite satisfied with the result.
There is a LOT going on with this blend. The first flavor I notice is the sarsaparilla, and it gives the cup a very root beer kind of taste. I then notice the ginger – it adds a gentle, soothing warmth without tasting too spicy. The cacao adds a hint of chocolate-y flavor to the background. Also in the background, I notice a citrus-y note.
Overall, the cup is very herb-y tasting without tasting too medicinal. The Pu-erh does manage to make its presence known. It adds an earthiness to the cup that balances everything out. I find this to be a very satisfying cup – quite soothing and calming – I feel the stress drain from my body!
This is my kind of beauty regimen!
Oriental Beauty from thepuriTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Product Description:
Originally developed to mimic the fruity notes of Darjeeling Second Flush, Oriental Beauty has since become a tea that stands tall on its own merit. Also known as Eastern Beauty, Bai Hao Oolong and White-Tipped Oolong, Oriental Beauty is a dark oxidation oolong with wiry leaves and the occasional fuzzy tea bud. Woodsy, spicy dry aromas evolve into an enchantingly sweet copper-colored brew. Aromas of fruit, flowers, spice and wood carry through into the smooth, round, full flavor, which features notes of rose, plum and cedar. The aftertaste is accented with flavors of rosewater and cardamom, making it a great choice for pairing with Indian or Moroccan dishes. It’s also delicious on its own or paired with white chocolate and hazelnut truffles or cedar plank grilled kabobs of sweet potato and lamb.
Taster’s Review:
Reading the description of this tea as I sip it, I must say that the description is pretty spot-on. The aroma of the liquor is pleasantly spiced with deep wood tones. The flavor is sweet with distinctive wood-like notes and hints of flower and fruit. I can even taste the rose water and cardamom aftertaste.
As the seasons slowly begin to change from the heat of the summer to the cooler air of autumn, this tea seems to reflect this time of year. The lightly spiced taste reminds me of the warm flavors of fall, and the crisp floral notes and sweet fruit notes remind me of the beauty of summer as its final moments come to a close.
The sip begins with a wash of flavors that is sweet and warm. Toward mid-sip, I taste a just slightly sour note that accents the sweetness of this tea. Sweet flavors of roasted peach. A floral note and even a slight nutty flavor in the distance. Only a very faint astringency that I can detect, and only when I’m really focusing on it. A casual sip would miss it completely. No bitterness. Just sweet, warm comfort – Oriental Beauty style!