Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chi of Tea
Tea Description:
New! Organic Royal Golden Yunnan! Delicately twisted leaves with a high concentration of golden tips distinguishes this tea from other black teas. A full-bodied infusion deep red with a honey-like sweetness, a subtle milkiness and light coppery finish.
Yunnan tea, also known as Dian hong steeps a reddish brown after brewing. Golden Yunnan is characterized by a bright red color, a subtle flavor and a sweet taste. Lychees, rose and longan are mixed with the tea leaves and left to ferment. This combination contributes to the final aroma of the tea brewed from the leaves. The taste is sweet and features a subtle aroma.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a superb Yunnan! One of the very best I’ve tried.
I brewed this in my gaiwan using short steeps, starting with 1 minute for the first infusion, and adding 15 seconds with each subsequent steep. I think that the first infusion could have actually gone just 45 seconds or perhaps shorter, because this is a strong infusion, but still, I do not find it too strong.
It is certainly full-flavored and aromatic. I can taste the notes of fruit and rose that were added during the fermentation process, the rose is especially noticeable at the finish and just a moment or two into the aftertaste, and it’s really quite a lovely moment when that flavor reveals itself.
There is a beautiful undertone of spice to this tea. It is not a dominant flavor but, always present. Chocolatey tones are also present as well as a delicious caramel-like sweetness. This is a wonderfully complex Yunnan that stands up to multiple infusions (I extracted four full-bodied infusions from this tea!)
After a visit to the Chi of Tea website, I find that this – as well as most of their other teas – are out of stock. I didn’t take the time to check them all, but the ones that I did check were out of stock. I hope this does not mean that this company is closing, because not only is this Yunnan one you should try, but they also happen to carry my favorite yellow tea. If anyone knows anything more about the status of this company, do please let me know!
Farm Fresh Huoshan Yellow Bud Tea from Chi of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yellow
Where to Buy: Chi of Tea
Product Description:
This rare tea was imperial tribute tea in the Tang, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The processing method was said to be lost and only to be re-discovered after the 70s, since then, it has been sent as tribute tea to China National Departments every year.
The aroma of the dry leaf is gentle with a hint of sweet hay and the liquor has a soft, fresh sappy aroma of great charm, with a warm toasty edge and a delicate vegetal taste that lingers on the tongue. This is the best of the harvest, which produces a slightly more refined, lighter liquor, yet retaining the characteristics of a green tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love yellow tea! And this may just be the BEST yellow tea I’ve yet to taste. It’s absolutely extraordinary!
It tastes and smells incredibly fresh. It is sweet and vegetative, smooth and mellow. When I inhale the aroma before taking a sip, it is like breathing in the clean air of a grassy meadow, with the fragrance of wildflowers dancing in the air. That is very much what it tastes like, too.
It is because of this type of experience that yellow tea is my favorite. I love the way it smells and tastes, and I love the way it makes me feel when I sip it. And somehow, these yellow buds from Chi of Tea taste even fresher than others that I’ve tried.
If you adore yellow tea as I do, I strongly recommend trying these Farm Fresh yellow buds. You’ll be glad you did.
Kashmir Chai from Chi of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chi of Tea
Product Description:
Assam black tea blended with mint, cardamom and ginger create this warm yet cooling spicey chai blend.
Taster’s Review:
I am very impressed with Chi of Tea. They have great tea at reasonable prices, very fast shipping, and they include a plethora of free samples with each order! What more could you ask for?
This is one of the free samples I received with a recent order. The dry leaf is a finer grind than what the picture might suggest – this is quite a finely ground tea. No matter, though, because I’ve come to realize just how important that grind is to a chai blend. It allows for maximum extraction of the flavors of the spices and tea, creating a very richly flavored brew.
The black tea base is quite strong, indeed. I recommend steeping somewhere between three and four minutes, any longer and you may end up with a cup that is bitter. I brewed mine for about three and a half minutes, and this was perfect for my taste buds. Robust and malty without bitterness.
The spices are not as strong as the black tea base, nor are they as spicy as in some other chai blends. But that is not a complaint, because, I like this chai for what it is. The spices offer a pleasant warmth and allow for enjoyment of a very delicious Assam blend. This chai puts the tea first, and I like that.
What surprised me most about this chai is the mint. It didn’t really present itself until about mid-cup. Notes of the mint were lingering somewhere in the distance before that point, but at about mid-cup, a crisp, refreshing mint taste started coming through. It was a nice surprise, indeed.
I really like this chai. It is deliciously different. I prefer this one latte – I love the creaminess of the milk and the way it melds with the minty flavor. What a delight!
Farm Fresh Tai Ping Monkey Chief from Chi of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Chi of Tea
About Chi of Tea:
We specialize in hard to find, high quality, organic, farm fresh loose leaf teas. It is is getting harder and harder to find fresh organic tea in today’s tea market. Tea factories aim for large harvests and quick production for the commercial tea industry. We aim for finding the highest quality, small batches of exceptional teas. Taste the difference, experience high quality tea that is no longer found on the markets, strait from small organic tea farms from around the world that focus on growing tea for the best taste, not to supply the masses. Sometimes a farm may only produce a couple pounds of tea that meet our high expectations. Our mission is to bring this exceptional tea to those who wish to experience unique, rare, high quality tea.
Taster’s Review:
I received a free sampling of this tea with a recent order, and I was so thrilled to receive it. I love Tai Ping! The dry leaf is beautiful – large, dark green, flat leaves. There is just something that draws me to Tai Ping leaves. They are truly a marvel.
And the liquor that they render is divine! It is a very light flavor, but so pleasant to sip. The mouthfeel is quite luxurious – very silky smooth. The flavor is sweet with notes of flower (honeysuckle?) and fruit within its many complex layers, with very brief hints of vegetative/grassy tones. There is very little astringency to this tea, and what little there is can be detected only well into the aftertaste when I experience a lightly dry sensation on the palate. The aftertaste is sweet.
Admittedly, I have not had the opportunity to try a lot of Tai Ping as the price can be quite prohibitive. However, of the few that I have had the chance to try, this is easily the best that I’ve tried.
As I write this review, I attempted to find this tea on the Chi of Tea website, but could not. I do hope that they will choose to start carrying it, because it is really good, and definitely worth the investment for true tea connoisseurs! This is absolutely exquisite!
Red Panda Picked Darjeeling from Chi of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chi of Tea
Product Description:
The Red Panda always picks freshest Darjeeling teas! The Red Panda is the mascot of the International Tea Festival in Darjeeling! This blend of farm fresh Darjeeling tea comes from the Red Panda’s personal stash of 2010 Second Flushes and 2010 Autumn Flushes. Creating a rich, yet balanced cup with rich notes of muscatel grapes and sweet florals.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of the very best – if not THE best – second flush Darjeeling teas I’ve encountered. It is so incredible!
As some of you may know, I have been on a quest to find that “ideal” Darjeeling – one that matches that very first Darjeeling experience that I had several years ago. I had come to the conclusion that I put that particular Darjeeling on such a high pedestal that no Darjeeling – no matter how good – could match it. But now… I think I have found the Darjeeling that is worthy to take that coveted place.
Now, I’m not saying that this is the same Darjeeling … instead, I think this one is better. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a Darjeeling quite like this one.
It has such a lovely sweetness to it which is a perfect compliment to the muscatel of this Darjeeling. The muscatel is fruity and slightly floral, with just a hint of musk. This possesses that “Darjeeling” crispness but it is different because it doesn’t come across as astringent as other Darjeeling teas. It is also a different crispness because this Darjeeling is not as light-bodied as a typical Darjeeling. So while this does taste crisp and clean, it also has more body and substance to it.
There is no bitterness to this tea. It is incredibly smooth and absolutely delicious. The aftertaste leaves me with a pleasing muscatel essence and a hint of that honey-esque sweetness. Truly a lovely experience, this Darjeeling!
This tea is available in very limited quantities. At the time of this writing, there were only 14 samples left – and by the time this review publishes, it may be sold out (in which case, I’m sorry!) A truly fantastic Darjeeling – I do hope that Chi of Tea is able to get more in stock!