Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Peony Tea S.
Tea Description:
Hanyu Pinyin: huang shan mao feng
Production area: Huangshan, Anhui
Harvest time: Spring 2012Overview:
Perpetually shrouded in cloud and mist, the beautiful Huangshan which is translated literally as ‘Yellow Mountain’ is the origin of one of the most beloved and well-known green tea in China- the Huangshan Furry Peak. Just like its place of origin, this delightful green tea is truly a work of art, simultaneously soothing and exciting the drinker. Green teas are considered in Traditional Chinese Medicine terminology as ‘cooling’ so instead of reaching for your soda, try this sugarless all natural alternative instead. The recurring sweetness will fill your throat long after your last drop.
Taste:
Thirst quenching and cooling, feel the recurring sweetness well up and linger in your throat.
Liquor:
Yellowish green liquor.
Personality:
Like a classic beauty, there is an elegance about Huangshan Furry Peak that is almost ethereal. She carries about her an air that exudes class at every turn, beguiling all that crosses her path.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Huangshan Furry Peak from Peony Tea S. was given to me by one of my SororiTea Sisters LiberTeas to try. You can see her review of this tea here.
I have decided I need to really get caught up on the samples that I have had around awhile, while they are still fresh. So Huangshan Furry Peak, its your turn!
As I lifted the cup I picked up a lovely buttery aroma, almost like butterscotch candy due to the sweet aroma being also quite strong. Such an inviting sensation!
This is not an overly vegetal green, which is a nice departure into a more dessert like flavor.
There is a wonderful silkiness to the mouthfeel which is brothy and thick.
The color of the steeped leaf is the palest hue of gold.
This tea reminds me of being young, in the summer time. Out in the yard on a weekend playing or just being lazy, sticky fingers from that lollipop from the local candy shop. Sweetness on the breath and smiling because you know you had something really good and not one bit worried about the calories or what it does to your health! The upside of course is this tea is actually good for you but evokes that same feeling, as if you have done something naughty or have something everyone else would want.
You should want this tea too. That is if you love sweet butteriness in a green that feels like silk in your mouth and leaves you refreshed and satisfied!
Butterscotch Tea from Art of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Art of Tea
Tea Description:
One of the world’s most beloved confections has found its way into your teacup. Embrace the buttery warmth of this golden hued white tea infusion as it dances on your palette and illuminates your soul.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Butterscotch Tea from Art of Tea is tasty … but, I’m not getting a whole lot of butterscotch taste from it … so I’m finding myself a wee bit disappointed.
The white tea is delicious, and the warm cinnamon and hint of peppery taste is quite pleasant. Although Art of Tea does not mention what kind of organic white tea is used as the base here, I noticed as I decanted it, it smelled very much like a Bai Mu Dan, and the flavor is like a Bai Mu Dan too … so if I had to guess, I’d say this is a Bai Mu Dan (or White Peony) … possibly with a touch of Shou Mei in there, because the flavor is a bit more intense than some White Peony teas that I’ve encountered. It is earthy and slightly vegetative, with crisp notes of hay … reminding me of the taste of the air that surrounds a haystack.
The cinnamon and pepper notes are more like “suggestions” of flavor than strong tastes. The white tea is definitely the strongest flavor of this cup. I like the way the earthy notes of the cinnamon come forward in this cup … it is as though the earthiness of the white tea has enhanced the sometimes elusive earthy notes of the cinnamon, and here it is quite enjoyable.
But … as I mentioned in the first paragraph … the butterscotch is woefully absent here. I don’t taste much of anything that tastes like butterscotch to me. The only time I think I might taste butterscotch is when I try to really focus on what I’m tasting … and I think this is more of a case of my mind telling me that I am tasting butterscotch than my palate telling me that I am.
A tasty yet disappointing cup. I wish I could taste the butterscotch I was promised in the name of this tea … but, I still finished the cup, because I enjoyed the white tea, cinnamon and peppery flavors.
Wu Ling Tea from Tea from Taiwan
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Tea Description:
Wu Ling oolong tea (wu-long tea) is our best tea in our regular collection. Wu Ling is a mountain area in Taichung county and its high altitude (more than 2000 meters) contributes to the ideal growing conditions for wu long tea.
Another reason why Wu Ling wu long tea is of such fine quality is the soil of the Wu Ling area. Wu Ling was a fruit producing region for many years until economic conditions favored imported fruit over home-grown apples and pears. Former orchards in the Wu Ling area were converted into oolong tea plantations, and Wu Ling wu long tea is renowned for its fruity quality.
Wu Ling is located on Mount Li (Li Shan or Pear Mountain) and wu long tea from Mount Li is the most prized wu long tea in Taiwan. It is ideally suited for gong fu style brewing and can be re-brewed up to eight times while still retaining plenty of flavor.
More information about the Li Shan area of Taiwan (including a section on Wu Ling wu long tea) can be found on this website about Wu Ling farm.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wu Ling Oolong is a very subtle tea with sweet notes of vanilla, cane sugar, and pear. Now as good as that sounds, don’t think that these notes are going to jump up and do a jig on your taste buds. This tea has a polite mannerism that evolves through multiple steeps and must be sipped slowly and savored for each succulent note.
Of course this tea is best brewed gong fu style and through the multiple steeps produces more notes to enjoy.
As you enjoy infusions you will find notes that range from sweet, as I mentioned above, to spicy, nutty, toasty, bake-y, floral, buttery, and fruity.
This green oolong still has a nice roast-y flavor, but unlike it’s darker counterparts is much more delicate and more vegetal in flavor.
This tea is quite complex and layered, some have said it is a bit too confusing for them while others absolutely adore it. Personally, I find it quite enjoyable but more so when I really have time to relax, such as while reading, or enjoying the outdoors. It allows me time to really savor each note as it comes forward.
I especially love this tea because I have an intense sweet tooth and butterscotch candies are one of my favorite candies. Between the cane sugar note, and the butter note, I do taste butterscotch candy in this tea every so often.
In dry form the tea has a wonderful aroma, steeped the color of the tea is a very light yellow, leaning toward a deeper golden yellow in forward steeps. Interesting how the tea becomes darker not lighter in progressive steeps. It only goes to show what a good tea this is since it has such staying power and continues to give off its bounty of notes. The leaf once steeped really expands allowing you to see how each leaf had been carefully rolled into the tiny nuggets. The aroma of the steeped leaf is my favorite of the two aromas between dry and steeped as it gives off a deeper darker note of extra crispy toast. It is no surprise that I prefer this over the pre-steeped state as I do normally prefer darker oolong.
For a green oolong however, this tea is top notch and I will throughly enjoy the rest of my many steeps to come.
Butterbeer from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas (there’s still a few of these in stock, as Frank recently reblended it!)
Tea Description:
I got my recipe directly from The Three Broomsticks: Premium black teas blended with a bit of essence of rootbeer, a bit of butter vapors, some licorice root, chichory root and a touch of magic. Our Butterbeer tea is the beverage of choice for wizards of all ages, and if you have no idea what I’m referring to, please go on about your muggle life, this blend is for Harry Potter fans only. Well, okay, I guess muggles could enjoy it too. It is truly unique and delicious. A blend worthy of the 52teas brand of creative flavored teas. Enjoy!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My friends, I have a confession to make. I am a Harry Potter fanatic. I read all seven books (several times each), and own each of the movies and am slowly developing my “ultimate” blu ray dvd collection of them. When the books first came out, I would keep reading and wouldn’t put the book down until I finished it – taking only those types of breaks that would not wait (aka bathroom breaks).
Yeah, I guess I’m a nerd.
But, there are times that my nerdiness is advantageous. Consider a recent email conversation with Frank (aka the Chief Zoomdweebie from 52Teas … aka the Willy Wonka of Teas). I suggested that he make a Butterbeer tea. I suggested using the flavoring that was used for his Pot o’ Gold tea and then adding some root beer flavoring or perhaps some sarsaparilla, and some anise to give it a touch of licorice … not a heavy note, but, I just felt like a touch of licorice needed to be in there to give it a hint of magic.
This Butterbeer blend is what he came up with … which is not exactly the way I had suggested, but, it ended up being even more delicious than I anticipated. Frank, you did good!
The black tea base is good and strong (this is Frank’s new black tea base, and it’s a winner! I enjoyed the previous base, but it sometimes proved to be a bit too harsh, this one is so smooth and delicious – not at all bitter or harsh!) and it is enhanced with the addition of chicory which doesn’t really add a strong flavor … instead what it seems to do is help fill-in the background, giving it a very round, pleasing flavor and just a hint of coffee-like taste.
Imagine root beer that’s been magically improved by wizard folk. What would it taste like? I think it would have a basic foundation of classic root beer flavor, with a touch of creamy butter (butter makes it better!) which gives it a hint of butterscotch-y taste. Maybe add a drop of coffee to it for a touch of that rich, bold, roasty-toasty warmth and to help offset the sweetness of the butterscotch taste. Perhaps … one of those licorice snaps just happens to bounce its way into the brew. Now add the goodness of black tea, and you have yourself one winner of a tea … this tea.
It’s awesome! Frank managed to exceed my expectations of what Butterbeer should taste like. I still won’t try Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans (I’ll stick to the muggle Jelly Bellys, thank you), but, this is fabulous. Everyone – muggle and wizards alike – should try this tea!
Pot O’ Gold from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
My wife wanted to pick out the tea of the week this week. With her Irish-Scottish heritage, it wasn’t enough to choose the tea for the week of St. Patty’s Day without an additional tip of the hat to her Scottish ancestry. For that reason, our tea of the week for the week of St. Patrick’s Day: what else, but a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, a butterSCOTCH flavored black tea.
I realize butterscotch is not as groundbreaking as maple bacon or pancake breakfast, but let me assure you, it IS delicious! Creamy and smooth, and satisfying in that way that only butterscotch can be, but without the guilt. And yes, it is 100% vegan.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh YUM! Yum YUM yummy YUM yum!
As you probably know, I’m a big fan of 52Teas, so it probably comes as no big surprise to you that I am enjoying this tea. But, as much as I love 52Teas, I will be the first to admit that Frank (chief Zoomdweebie at 52Teas, aka the “Willy Wonka of Teas”) doesn’t always hit it out of the park with every single blend. But, more often than not, I enjoy the blends he creates. Usually, they are a hit, less often they are a miss, but every once in a while, he puts out a blend that knocks my socks off.
This one knocks my socks off.
The flavors and the black tea blend works so well together. The blend of Assam and Nilgiri teas tastes rich and smooth with hints of malt in the background which meld perfectly with the Scotch notes. The overall cup is sweet and buttery rich with hints of caramel. This is a remarkably smooth black tea – no harshness or bitterness at all, and only a trace of astringency toward the tail.
This is AWESOME!