Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
These attractively gold-flecked, marble-sized black tea pearls have been hand-rolled from high-grade Yunnan Gold leaf tea into perfectly compressed spheres. They make a delicously smooth, medium-bodied brew. Each pearl weighs around one gram, so use just two or three in a small teapot. Made in Fen Qing, in Yunnan, they are ideal at work or on holiday.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve been reviewing tea for a long time and while my time as a tea reviewer is about to come to an end (but I’ll talk more about that later!), in the years that I’ve been reviewing tea, one thing that has never gotten old for me is receiving a package of tea in the mail. There are few things that elicit as much joy for me as receiving a parcel of tea.
And my excitement was doubled when I opened my package from Canton Tea Co. and found that it included a sampling of their Yunnan Gold Pearls! I love pearl teas as it is, but I have a special fondness for black pearls because – well, I guess because they’re awesome!
The flavor that comes from black pearl teas like this one is outstanding. Sweet and smooth. No bitterness and very little astringency. It has a heartiness to it which surprised me given how short a time I steeped the pearls. Some malt notes as well as notes of cacao and caramel. I taste a distinct note of stone fruit as well. Quite yummy!
I steeped my first infusion of the pearls for just 2 minutes and the cup is incredibly smooth and very flavorful. It surprises me just how much flavor it has after steeping for 2 minutes. The pearls had not completely unfurled so you know I’m going to resteep!
My second infusion was even more flavorful than the first – which is quite unusual when it comes to most black teas! But not with these Yunnan Gold Pearls! The flavor is still rich and flavorful. I’m tasting more notes of earth this time around and lovely hints of peppery spice. I still get those lovely notes of caramel and cacao and a beautiful malty tone.
Truly a treasure, these Yunnan Gold Pearls!
Organic Dragon Well Green Tea from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
This delicious organic Dragon Well is grown in the hills of Zhejiang Province near Long Jing, the village where this famous tea originated. The green tea leaves are picked young and taken back to the village where the skilled tea masters use their bare hands to press them flat in a hot, dry wok in the traditional way. This arrests the oxidation process and ensures the liquor carries the notes of freshly cut grass, rounded off by a soft, nutty flavour.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love a really good Dragon Well – or Long Jing Green Tea – and this Organic Dragon Well Green Tea from Canton Tea Co. is REALLY good.
Whenever spring approaches, one of the questions that’s often asked among tea drinkers is ‘where are you getting this year’s Dragon Well? And while there are many fine purveyors of exceptional Dragon Well teas, this Organic Dragon Well from Canton is one of the better Dragon Well teas that I’ve tried and I’ve tried quite a few. Only a few of them are teas that I can recall from memory as being really good – this would be one of those ‘really good’ Dragon Well teas that I’ll remember!
It’s so sweet, lightly grassy/vegetative with hints of butter. The buttery notes give the somewhat grassy taste more of a vegetable type of flavor, evoking thoughts of freshly steamed green beans that have been lightly drizzled with melted butter. It has a pleasantly creamy texture. There’s very little astringency (next to no astringency!) and no bitterness.
And it’s a tea that keeps on steeping! I got three very flavorful infusions out of one measurement of leaves! So get your mileage out of this tea and take it for a couple of infusions!
I’ve often heard that the proper way to drink a Dragon Well is in a tall glass with the leaves sitting in the bottom of the glass and as you drink the liquid, keep adding more water – and you drink it like this all day long. Now, I’ve never tried my Dragon Well like this. The truth is that my first experience with Dragon Well wasn’t a positive experience.
I don’t know if that bad experience with the Dragon Well was because at the time I was a bit of a novice when it comes to brewing green teas in general and the water I used was too hot, or if it was possibly because the Dragon Well that I had at the time was of a lesser quality, all I know is that I did not like it!
And after that experience, I was very hesitant to try another Dragon Well. Until I finally did and I realized, “HEY! I like this!” That realization could have been due to the fact that I knew better ways to brew green teas or again, it could have been the quality. But, I’m more inclined to believe that it had more to do with the fact that I knew how to steep a green tea at that point.
But because of that first experience, I’m hesitant to try my Dragon Well teas a different way. I found the way I enjoy them, so why fix it if it ain’t broken, right?
Back to THIS Dragon Well – this is one I’d suggest trying. This could be your new Dragon Well!
Canton Chocolate Tea from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Specially created for the Chesterfield Hotel in Mayfair, this luxurious blend of Indian Assam, Chinese Yunnan black, Madagascan vanilla pod and Peruvian cocoa nibs is served daily with their famous Afternoon Tea., It is deep, rich and moreish with a velvety mouthfeel. Extremely satisfying with smooth, malty Assam and a hint of plum from the Yunnan black adding an additional layer of dark fruit. The cocoa nibs and vanilla pod provide the depth and sweetness which complements the heady flavours.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Chocolate Tea from Canton Tea Co. is one that I’ve been wanting to try for a while! Let’s face it, whenever I see a new-to-me chocolate tea from just about any tea company, my interest is piqued, but when it comes from a company that I associate with high quality, top-notch teas like Canton Tea Company, then let’s just say that my interest sizzles into very lusty desire.
Yes, I lust for chocolate.
And this tea lived up to my crazy high expectations that I put on it. This is deliciously chocolate. Even with the hint of Madagascar vanilla in this, the flavor is still delightfully dark chocolate-y. Rich and decadent and sweet. Mmm!
The black tea base is rich and satisfying. The combination of Assam and Yunnan is a thoughtful one. The rich, malty notes of the Assam add to the sweetness of the tea. The fruit notes of both teas play to the deep berry notes of the cacao nibs. The slightly spiced notes of the Yunnan enhance the overall experience. The black tea base tastes robust and it’s a solid background of flavor, allowing the flavor of the key ingredient (the chocolate!) to really come out and express itself in a sumptuous, seductive, chocolate-y way.
So good!
The chocolate is a rich, dark chocolate-y flavor as I mentioned before. It has a luscious, creamy taste that Canton describes as velvety and I find myself in complete agreement with that assessment. The vanilla is not overly done, there is just enough vanilla here to add that velvety texture and taste. There is just enough to give the cup some dimension and depth without diminishing that deep, dark chocolate flavor.
If you’re a fan of chocolate teas – put this at the top of your must try list!
Iron Buddha Oolong Tea from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
This classic Tie Guan Yin produces a delicious, light-coloured, medium-bodied liquor. The first infusion combines toasty, floral notes with a touch of honey and becomes more fruity with successive infusions.
The dark, lightly oxidised green leaves are rolled into small tight fists. The liquor is amber-green with a smooth, heavy texture on the tongue. The flowery and fruity profile of this tea has a touch of honey and at first releases the pleasant orchid notes – after a couple of brews it yields the soft fruitier notes and has a sweet long lasting after taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Tonight’s Oolong is this lovely Iron Buddha Oolong Tea from Canton Tea Co.!
My first cup (infusions 1 and 2) is very much like the above description suggests: a medium-bodied tea with a soft, silky texture. Warm, toasty notes with hints of nutty flavors and beautiful floral tones that hint at a honey-like sweetness. The cup is sweet and flowery. Delightful!
My second cup (infusions 3 and 4) is where I begin to notice some fruit notes emerging. I taste notes of apricot. The honey notes that I picked up on in the first cup are still here and I love the way the apricot and honey play together on the palate. Sweet and delectable. The nutty flavors I noticed in the first cup have waned somewhat, this cup is less ‘toasty’ and more about the notes of fruit and flower. The body of this cup is a little creamier than the first cup.
My third cup (infusions 5 and 6) is a marriage of most of the flavors that I mentioned previously. The flavors of honey and apricot have melded together to create a unified flavor. The floral notes are a little sharper now because this cup isn’t quite as creamy as the second cup was, which seems to allow the floral notes to come into focus. I taste very little of the toasty notes of the first cup now, this cup is much more floral than either of the two previous cups were.
I really enjoyed how the flavors transitioned as I sipped on each cup. It was a lovely tea journey, one I was very happy to take!
Hawaiian Volcano Green Tea from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Our first Hawaii-grown tea was a revelation to us all – bursting with juicy watermelon and cucumber tastes, this has stood our as a firm favourite of all teas featured in the club.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love tasting teas that have been grown in the United States, like this Hawaiian Volcano Green Tea from Canton Tea Co. This tea was actually part of their Tea Tasting Club, sent to me by one of the club’s members. I’m loving this tea so much that I’m considering joining the club!
This is really quite a delicious green tea – and quite unique in taste from the typical green teas that are out there. This has a lovely juicy taste to it, sweet and fruity … and quite like the above description suggests, I can taste notes that are reminiscent to cucumber and watermelon. It’s very refreshing and thirst-quenching!
It has a delicate quality to it, it isn’t an overly strong or brothy type of green tea. The thing that stands out most profoundly to me is that instead of the typical grassy or vegetative taste that one might experience with a green tea, this has more of a fruit note to it. Oh, sure, there are notes of vegetation in there too. It is barely astringent, and not at all bitter. Just sweet and juicy and absolutely delicious!
Served hot, the tea tastes a little thin … but allow it to cool just a few minutes (maybe three or four minutes – still hot, but not piping hot!) and the flavor and body really develops nicely! Your patience will definitely be rewarded with this tea if you give it some time to cool to drinking temperature.
I can see why this has been a favorite tea from the Tea Tasting Club! It is really a delightful selection!