Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
Sencha Green teas, Rose Petals, Natural Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s cold outside! I’m sure that some of you probably are experiencing even colder temperatures than we are here in the Pacific Northwest, but, when I go outside and I can feel the chill in my nostrils and I can see my breath turn into white mists in front of me – that’s cold.
But what is in my teacup right now is taking my mind off the freezing winter weather outside and is inspiring thoughts of spring. This Cherry Buds Green Tea from Kally Tea evokes memories of spring, when the trees begin to show signs of life and this is especially true of the cherry blossom trees with their beautiful pink foliage.
That’s what I think of every time I sip on a cherry flavored Sencha tea like this one. The sweet, lush flavor of the Sencha tea melds in such a delicious way with the sweet-tart notes of cherry and the sweet floral notes of rose that dance around in the background.
It tastes mildly sweet, fruity and it has an invigorating quality that helps me shake the winter blues. A lovely tea served hot that is also quite good iced too.
Golden Buds Black Tea from Spire Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Tea Description:
Known as “Yunnan Pure Gold”, this tippy black tea from China is easily recognizable and produces a rich liquor with light caramel and honey notes.
Learn more about Spire Tea on their website.
Taster’s Review:
There really are very few black teas that I enjoy more than a Golden Yunnan tea like this Golden Buds Black Tea from Spire Tea. I love the rich, caramel-esque flavor of this tea! It’s so deliciously satisfying.
Every single leaf (well, actually, these truly are “buds”) is fully golden in color, ranging from a matte gold color to a soft brown. But these aren’t leaves that are “tipped” in gold, they are gold from one edge to the other with only slight variations in color throughout the bud. The aroma of the brewed tea is soft and earthy.
And the flavor! It is oh-so-good! Rich! Robust! It is one of those teas that you just sip and then sit back while your eyes roll back and you emit a satisfied “ahhhh” because it’s just that good. It has enough gusto to serve as that first cup of the day, and it is smooth enough to serve as an afternoon tea if you prefer it. It would take the additions of honey and/or milk well, but, I would recommend trying it without additions first. It has a natural honey-like flavor to it already … you might find it to be plenty sweet and flavorful without the additions.
This is a tea that I prefer hot. It certainly tastes good iced, but, to me, it seems like such a waste to serve this tea iced when it tastes as good as it does hot. It’s kind of like serving a filet mignon cold. Sure, it probably tastes good like that. But, really, why would you do that when it is obviously better when it’s served hot… you know? Do yourself a favor and savor the flavor of this tea hot!
Blissful Buds Green Tea from Mellow Monk
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Mellow Monk
Tea Description:
Blissful Buds™ is a mecha, or bud tea, made from young buds and shoots. The aroma is pleasantly herbaceous. The flavor is full and deep, with an apple-like sweetness and overtones of berry and a lightly tangy aftertaste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mellow Monk is a company that offers one of my all-time favorite green teas, so when I had the opportunity to try another tea from them, I was very excited. And while this Blissful Buds Green Tea from Mellow Monk is not quite as amazing as their Top Leaf, it’s still quite delightful to sip.
Then again, it shouldn’t even be compared to Top Leaf, because they are two different teas. Top Leaf is a Honcha tea, and this Blissful Buds is a Mecha tea, which is comprised of the young buds and shoots of the tea plant. The leaves are so tiny, and the color is so deep and green. The color reminds me of a Japanese Sencha, but these leaves are even finer in size and shape than a typical Japanese Sencha.
The aroma of the dry leaf reminds me of spring … like the smell of the fresh, newness of spring as all the plants, trees and even the grass begins to sprout new life. It smells vegetative, but not like cut grass or steamed veggies like so many other green teas smell, this has that new, spring “greens” smell to it.
The flavor starts out sweet and lush, and by mid-sip, I notice a bitter undertone. Not a “oh, I oversteeped the tea” kind of bitterness, but a savory bitter greens kind of taste which actually seems to complement the sweetness. It has a brothy kind of appeal to it, like a cup of chicken soup would have – restorative … invigorating!
A very enjoyable cuppa, and certainly different from the usual cup of green tea. I like that, and I like this for being different!
Fengqing Golden Buds Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2005 from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
This Golden Buds Puerh Cake made in 2005 is the high-end products from Fengqing Sanning Tea Company. There’re plenty of highest quality tender buds with white tips. The buds which turned to be golden color after fermentation were combined with other levels Puerh maocha which contain much flavor content so that this Puerh cake has the characteristics of pure aroma, mellow taste and quick sweet aftertaste. This puerh cake is produced in Fengqing, Yunan. Fengqing is the original place of the world-wide famous Dian Hong Tea. And it is also a classic place of Yunnan Pu-erh. It is a place in Lingcang which is one of the four famous Pu-erh production areas. It can be said that this Puerh cake is the most representative and highest quality one. It is quite good for the Puerh enthusiast who has much experience of drinking Puerh tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little hesitant with this Pu-erh, because the aroma of the dry leaf is very earthy. And the fragrance doesn’t soften all that much once it’s brewed either … so I was a little scared, to tell the truth. It’s that strong earthy flavor that I am usually puts me off when it comes to Pu-erh, but I remained hopeful and decided to give it a shot! And I’m glad that I did. This Fengqing Golden Buds Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2005 from Teavivre is really quite nice!
The flavor is not nearly as earthy as the aroma suggests. Yes, there are earthy tones, but they’re really quite mild, and evocative of a mushroom-y kind of taste rather than of peat or other less-than-appealing earthy tastes. It also has a really delightful sweetness to it, that reminds me of a cross between molasses and caramel. Nice!
I also taste notes of flower in the background, and these flavors seem to develop as I continue to sip. It never becomes a really strong, pronounced flavor, but, I like how this note sort of teases the palate.
I brewed this Pu-erh the way I usually would, with a quick 15 second rinse, and brewing the first infusion at just 30 seconds, and 45 seconds for the second. The first two infusions were then combined into one cup, and it created a surprisingly dark brew! Darker than most black teas that would be brewed for 3 minutes or more! And like most other Pu-erh, this one is good for many more infusions, I spent all afternoon with this tea and it was a delightful experience.
The flavor is rich and complex yet delightfully mellow, and I appreciated that the earthy tones were much more subdued than the aroma suggested to me. While it does possess some of the flavors that I would expect from a Pu-erh, I found myself happily surprised by this one. If you are one who appreciates a really lovely, lightly earthy Pu-erh – one that’s sweet and pleasantly floral! – this is one you should put on your MUST TRY list!
Basic Black Tea from Fashionista Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tea Description:
Bright, brisk, high grown estate whole leaf Nilgeri tea hand blended with smooth rich Yunnan golden buds. This organic classic blend can be enjoyed at any time of the day; excellent as an iced tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice!
My first sip of this Basic Black Tea from Fashionista Tea … my impression was very much like the first sentence in the above description … before I even read the description. This is indeed bright and brisk! It has a really smooth character, and a pleasant richness without a heavy mouthfeel.
The flavor is really smooth. No bitterness to this, it has a clean, invigorating taste that is slightly earthy with notes of fruit in the background. It has a nice sweetness to it, slightly honey-esque … reminiscent of a thinned honey: sweet but not cloying.
There is some astringency to this, I’d categorize it as a medium amount of astringency … it’s a clean-feeling astringency. My mouth feels clean and refreshed after I sip this tea.
It’s a very enjoyable cuppa. It has an agreeable strength to it, I’d call it robust but not in-your-face bold. Because of its smooth character, I’d probably grab this one on those mornings when I wasn’t looking for something to give me that jumpstart … but something to help ease me into my morning. It’s one of those teas that would work well as an afternoon pick-me-up or a mid-morning energy boost … but it has a mellow enough quality to it that it would make a nice tea to just sit and enjoy while reading a good book too.
Another lovely tea experience from Fashionista Tea … I’m really liking this company!