Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Choice Organic Teas
Tea Description:
Brighten your outlook with this lush tea hailing from Jeju Island, South Korea’s “Island of the Gods.” From fertile volcanic soil to subtropical forests, this pristine isle offers rich tea-growing terroir. The leaves are steamed, rolled and dried in the Sencha tradition, for a fresh and savory cup.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The first time I drank this, I brewed it, walked away from it for about 45 minutes, and by that time it was completely cold. But even cold, this is really a tasty tea.
Cold, I find the flavor to be vegetative, leaning more toward the savory side than the sweet, but with enough sweetness to keep it interesting. I note a fruit-like note that is juicy and a little sweet, this hits just after mid-sip and carries through to the finish, leaving an aftertaste that is slightly sweet with fruit tones, and pleasantly savory. It is smooth without bitterness, and an astringency that seems to build as I continue to sip.
But, I didn’t want to leave it with just a cold cup review, so I decided to brew another cup at a later date and complete this review at that time.
Revisiting this tea a few days later, I find that I prefer this tea served hot. It was delicious cold too, and would have been even nicer with a thin slice of citrus or perhaps a sprig of mint. But, I digress…
When served hot, this tea has a really lovely flavor that is slightly on the kelp-y side – not a strong kelp flavor because I doubt I would like it if it did, I’m not particularly fond of seaweed – and a warm buttery undertone. Sweet yet savory, which is what I noticed with the cold tea. The creaminess of the butter notes is more pronounced when it is hot, and less astringency now too.
Both were very enjoyable cups of tea, but, I do think I prefer this one hot. This would be a nice tea to have on hand when you want the convenience of a bagged tea but still want that delicious, refreshing flavor. This one offers both!
Oothu Garden Green Tea from Choice Organic Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Choice Organic Teas
Product Description:
Brighten your day with this sophisticated, single estate tea from one of India’s first organic tea gardens. Nestled in the Western Ghats Mountains, Oothu’s surrounding rainforest is home to a tiger reserve and many other endangered species. The taste is crisp and lively with a sunny color sure to inspire.
Taster’s Review:
This is a really decent, bagged green tea.
This single state green tea from India has a sweet, vegetative taste. I would classify this vegetative taste as more grassy than steamed vegetable, although I can taste a slight “steamed spinach” kind of flavor as well. It is a very pleasant taste with no bitterness, and very little astringency.
As the tea cools, I notice that the grassy flavor intensifies, although it never becomes a bitter grassy taste. It remains sweet, but as the grassy flavor grows stronger I notice it becoming slightly sharper as well. Still a pleasant cup, but, I think I prefer it when it’s hot.
Besides the obvious convenience of the tea bag, I like that Choice Organic Teas supports the Jane Goodall Institute, and that some of the proceeds of the sale of this tea is donated to the institute. And of course, I love that this is organic.
A good tea that is also good for the earth!
Wild Forest Black from Choice Organic Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Choice Organic Teas
Product Description:
Awaken your senses with this rare tea, rich in flavor and history, from ancient tea trees growing deep in the forests of Southeast Asia. Generations of local people have climbed these wild tea trees to pluck their leaves. Now you can enjoy this refreshing cup that’s smooth, yet hearty. Drink in its enduring energy.
Taster’s Review:
Robust! This tea has got real spirit to it – and the strength to enliven even the sleepiest of sleepy-heads!
The aroma is inviting. It has a warm, wake-up kind of smell to it – if that makes sense! Almost a baked kind of fragrance that translates into the flavor. It’s the kind of scent you WANT to wake up to!
The flavor is equally as warm and inviting. As I said in the previous paragraph, there is a bake-y kind of flavor to it that rests in the background and beckons my palate to keep sipping so that it can savor that delicious flavor. It is a bold tea – very strong – with a nice malty flavor to it. It reminds me very much of an Assam! But there is also an intriguing, fruity wine-like note in the distance that is reminiscent of a Keemun tea too.
It is a tasty tea that offers a very pleasant wake-up call!
Wild Forest Black tea is also one of five new teas from Choice Organic Teas that have been created to help support the Jane Goodall Institute. Hmm… great tea and a good cause … I like it when a tea can accomplish so much!
Yerba Maté Mint from Choice Organic Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Choice Organic Teas
Product Description:
Perk up with this refreshing twist on the traditional. Renowned for its natural kick, yerba maté grows in subtropical South America and has been enjoyed by gauchos for generations. We blend ours with peppermint, spearmint and a hint of lemongrass for a bright tea that’s light, cool and exhilarating. [contains caffeine]
Taster’s Review:
Exhilarating is right! The yerba maté is energizing, while the peppermint and spearmint is crisp and refreshing. Put these ingredients together and you’ve got one very exhilarating beverage, indeed!
This tisane is nicely balanced. It is minty, but not too minty. The yerba maté is slightly earthy but the mint offsets it enough so that it is easy to drink and not too earthy or vegetative. The lemongrass offers just a hint of citrus tones to the cup and adds an interesting dimension to the cup. There’s even a light tangy note from the citrus right at the finish that remains in the aftertaste.
And I really like the company. It is one that I really feel good about supporting, because not only are they organic and committed to the protection of our environment, but they also are involved with really good causes, such as the Jane Goodall Institute, a non-profit organization that is committed to the preservation of the lives and habitat of primates.
It is a very good tea and a tea I can feel good about!