Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Other names: Golden Needle Congou, Bai Lin Jin Zhen Congou, Ju Hong
One of the earliest Chinese black teas ever to be produced, this Bai Lin Gong Fu is made from young wild white tea buds, twisted into tight elegant gold-streaked curls. The liquor is reddish-brown and has a full-bodied, robust flavour with distinct notes of caramel. This is a wonderful example of whole leaf black tea. It it is a glorious breakfast tea and very reasonably priced for a tea of this calibre. An everyday affordable luxury.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t usually steep black teas in my gaiwan, mostly because the porcelain gaiwan gets very hot, very quickly and I don’t want to burn my fingertips when I try to pour the tea from my gaiwan. However, for this particular tea, I decided to make an exception. I brought the water to a slightly lower temperature (195°F instead of boiling) and infused for one minute for the first infusion, adding 30 seconds to each subsequent infusion. What I have now in the cup sitting in front of me is the combination of the first two infusions.
At first, I wondered if one minute would be long enough, but, as it turns out, the tea tastes incredible after steeping for just one minute, so I am glad I decided not to steep it longer. The flavor is rich and robust and has the most delightful caramel-y undertone to it. Earthy and a little biscuit-y, this tea is very full-flavored and has a nice, rounded taste to it. Very enjoyable, indeed!
After sipping on this for a little while, I start to notice some spice notes emerging. Not strong or what I’d consider spicy, really, but hints of pepper sit off in the background, providing some interest for the palate. Subsequent infusions provided a smoother taste and texture. I noticed some fruit-like tastes in the background by infusions three and four. Still earthy and bold in flavor, the flavors are becoming more unified now.
A truly glorious black tea – bold and invigorating enough to start the day, as well as make a very welcome pick-me-up towards mid-afternoon. This is lovely!
Giddapahar China Delight First Flush Darjeeling from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Product Description:
The Giddapahar Tea Estate is a small, family-owned Darjeeling tea estate and is also known as ‘Eagles Cliff’. The slopes are shrouded in mist most of the time, giving the Chinese tea bushes just the conditions they need to produce wonderfully fragrant leaves. Once they have been skilfully processed according to age-old methods, the Giddapahar China Delight Darjeeling is one of the very best teas available of this grade with wonderfully sweet, mildly nutty, complex characteristics.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is such an interesting Darjeeling. Usually, one of the first things that becomes apparent to me when I sip a Darjeeling is the grape-y, wine-like flavor to it … the muscatel. But here, I noticed first a warm, toasty nut flavor. It tastes sweet, like almonds.
That is not to say that the muscatel is not there … it is. But, it is presented differently. Instead of a straight-forward muscat grape flavor, I notice this almond with mere hints of the muscat. Toward the finish, I notice a slight black currant flavor peeking its way through.
It is a light tasting tea, as is usually the case with a Darjeeling, and this lightness allows for the lovely complexity of the tea to shine through. It begins sweet and crisp, with the aforementioned almond taste, by mid-sip, I notice hints of musty wood … again, mere whispers of flavor, and the fruit-like tones begin to reveal themselves as the sip nears the finish.
There is a fair amount of astringency that arrives toward the end of the sip … but, even as astringency is generally expected with a Darjeeling, I am noticing that the astringency here is a bit softer than in other Darjeeling teas. It finishes sweet with a lingering nutty tone in the aftertaste.
A deliciously intriguing Darjeeling, one deserving of the time to contemplate it’s many layers of flavor.
Bai Mu Dan from Canton Tea Co.
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.
Jasmine Silver Needle (Moli Yin Zhen) from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Product Description:
Other names: Jasmine Silver Needle Tea, Silver Tip Tea, White Pekoe, Bai Hao Yin Zhen
2011 Great Taste Award Winner
Jasmine Silver Needle is a soft, lush tea, made from the young, unopened silvery tea buds which have been layered with fresh Jasmine blossoms over several nights. The fragrance is absorbed by the buds and gives the tea a pure, sweet, distinctive flavour that is mellowed by the white Silver Needle. This tea is a great accompaniment to food and full of beneficial antioxidants.
Taster’s Review:
What a beautiful jasmine tea.
The white tea base is a silver needle. The flavor is so soft and has a pleasant sweetness to it. The mouthfeel is soft and supple. There is very little astringency and no bitterness.
The white tea seems to bring out a milder, lighter taste in the jasmine notes. It isn’t a sharp or perfume-y jasmine taste. The grassy tones to the tea are faint and they meld with the gentle floral tones of the jasmine so well. It becomes like a gentle spring breeze for the palate.
One of the finest jasmine teas I’ve tasted. I highly recommend this to all tea enthusiasts – even those who aren’t particularly fond of jasmine – because it is so delightfully perfect. I love this tea.
Silver Needle (Yin Zhen) from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Product Description:
This high grade Fuding Silver Needle is entirely made up of soft, plump young ‘needles’ or immature leaf buds that are densely covered in tiny silvery hairs. Very high in antioxidants, the buds are hand- picked at dawn and scattered in the sun to dry. The liquor is the colour of champagne and has a light creamy, delicate taste with sweet notes of melon. Try nibbling on a bud of this top Silver Needle after infusion: it will be sweet and delicious, unlike lower quality Silver Needle which can be bitter and woody.
Taster’s Review:
There are a lot of Silver Needle teas out there. And quite a few are very good! I think that this Silver Needle from Canton Tea Company ranks right up there with the very best. It has such a beautiful, serene quality that seems to wash away the stress of the day. So relaxing and rejuvenating!
As the description above suggests, this tea does brew to the color of champagne – very pale and lovely! It has a sweetness to it that is as light as the color, the flavor is very delicate and smooth. I am tasting the melon-like notes, along with a whisper of floral tone in the background.
I do recommend using a little extra leaf when steeping this Silver Needle. This will give the cup an extra creaminess that is almost buttery – reminiscent of a green Oolong but without the heavy quality that an Oolong might possess.
While silver needle teas tend to be more delicate than other teas, I really enjoy them, especially later in the day. It is a very gentle taste and seems to not only calm the body but restore the spirit. A wonderful tea, indeed!