Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
“This wild-picked Golden Fleece is an exquisite lesson in texture, and one of the truest flavor embodiments of Yunnan itself. . . .This is the finest, most nuanced and intriguing Dian Hong we have ever encountered. Wang Yanxin, our sourcing agent who has devoted her life to Yunnan, has been searching for a Dian Hong like this for years. Every time she sends us pu’er, she includes 30-40 Dian Hong teas, and Jin Jun Mei teas. This time, she only sent us one, and wrote on the bag “this is the one. Best Dian Hong. Taste slowly.” She was so very right.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have had Golden Fleece from Verdant Tea since it was released on Verdant Tea website. I actually ordered it twice because the first order was gone in a flash. I had thought I would save the second bag I bought and hoard it, but the fact is tea is best when fresh, and I would not want to deprive myself of enjoying this tea while still fresh, let alone deprive the tea of giving off the best cup possible. So I have opened my second bag and I am enjoying it daily until it is gone. When it is gone I will most likely purchase another bag if it is still available on the Verdant web site. As of right now it is still available so if you are tempted by this tea – get some while you still can!
This is everything that could be desired in a black tea, especially in a morning cup. It is toasty, creamy, and the aroma is one that will wet your appetite for breakfast or sustain you and give you all the flavors that a calorie ridden decedent breakfast would. Everything you will find in the aroma, you will also find in the flavor. There is a malty, maple flavor, along with a fresh hay laying in the morning sunrise dew flavor, a spun sugar flavor, a subtle vanilla flavor, and a cocoa flavor. That is just on the top levels of this tea!
Once you relish in those beautiful top note flavors you will find yourself emerged into a world of sweet spices, such as cinnamon, clove, and even a taste of paprika.
The mouthfeel is like that of silk or satin, creamy and luxurious. It offers a very full mouthfeel indeed!
This tea can be steeped many times offering new layers and flavors in each cup which is always quite enjoyable and my preferred method of brewing (gong fu style). However, if you want your first cup to be richer, fuller, creamier, or just don’t feel like fussing with a gong fu sitting, by all means enjoy it western brewed as you can’t go wrong with this tea. You will still get two to three steeps out of it western style. Its just such a fine tea however you may find yourself feeling that gong fu brewing is a must. I prefer drinking this tea on weekends when I can take a bit more time in the mornings and go at a slower pace, enjoying up to eight or more steeps.
There are other wonderful flavor notes to find in this tea – some of the base notes I find are mushroom, oak moss, rock mineral, and wood. There is a dry finish to this tea which is due to the base notes.
According to Verdant’s Website: “ Instead, this is a subtle experience that will appeal to lovers of fine oolong and pu’er.”
I could not agree more! I myself am a lover of oolong and pu’er so they are absolutely correct as I fully appreciate this fine black tea.
I always say that good tea, which is defined by each of us alone, should evoke a thought, a feeling, or a memory, and for me this tea evokes the thoughts and feelings of friends, family, good times, warmth, and love. This is why I have chosen this tea for my Christmas Time Tea and why my review of it is posted today, Christmas Day. I will be enjoying this tea all day today as I spend cherished moments, and make forever memories, with my family and friends.
Merry Christmas to all.
Spiced Brandy Shou Mei from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This week’s tea is a spiced brandy flavored shou mei with cinnamon, cardamom, clove, black peppercorns and a little anise seed. It’s like a hard apple cider without the apple, or maybe you’d rather think of it as a brandy flavored white chai. However you think of it, it’s a spicy cup of warming goodness, guaranteed to take the chill out of your bones on a crisp autumn day.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I categorized this as a Chai because it is indeed very chai-like.
The aroma of the dry leaf isn’t as chai-like as I expected it to be, though. (And by “chai-like,” I mean the spiced tea that we’ve come to recognize as “chai” here in the U.S.) Instead, it’s very brandy-ish. It almost smells like bubble gum … fruity and sweet, but there is a distinct fermentation to the aroma as well, the way that I’d imagine brandy to smell. Since I’m not big on alcohol or how it smells, I can only imagine that this is what brandy would smell like … but it does smell very appealing!
Brewed, this takes on a more chai-spice fragrance, with the aroma of cardamom, cinnamon and anise being the strongest scents I detect. I also smell the brandy, and the bouquet of the brandy combined with the aromatic spices is really very intoxicating! It’s soothing and relaxing … like something I’d want in a candle or air freshener! I wonder how well a Spiced Brandy air freshener would go over?
The flavor … well, imagine Shou Mei, flavored with brandy and masala spices. Yeah, that’s what it tastes like. The Shou Mei offers a little more body and flavor than a Bai Mu Dan would, and I think with the stronger flavors of spice and brandy that is just what was needed. It is a crisp, slightly vegetative (think freshly cut hay rather than grass here), and light, with a fair amount of astringency which I think is highlighted due to the presence of the brandy flavor. It gives this an almost “warm, mulled brandy” kind of finish.
The spices are delightful here, and I realize that the reason I’m so over the moon for this is the anise. It is in there! Not a hint of it either. It is a prominent spice, but at the same time, I find a nice balance. This isn’t overly cinnamon-y or clove-y. The pepper is a bit of a background note. The cardamom and cinnamon and clove are on equal footing with the anise shining through a little stronger than the others. And that’s just the way I like it. I love anise, and while it can be a polarizing spice, I am glad that 52Teas had the guts to include it in this blend. It really accents the brandy in a very flavorful way.
I’m really enjoying this, and it does, indeed, take the chill off a cold, autumn-y day like today!
Zulu Chai from Assam Tea Company
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
As Sold By: Amoda Tea
Also Available At: Assam Tea Company
Tisane Description:
This is a fantastic chai blend, a bit on the spicy side (black pepper!), but nice and full-flavoured. The spices are well-balanced though. There’s a cinnamon blast on the nose, enhanced by the natural cinnamon qualities of the rooibos. For us here at Amoda, a chai blend is taken to the next level when orange peels are thrown into the mix.
Learn more about the Monthly Tea Tasting Box from Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is my third and final from “The Last Days of Autumn” tea tasting box from Amoda Tea. While I was excited to try a tea from this company (I don’t think I’ve tried one from them yet), I wasn’t overly excited about yet another rooibos chai blend (it seems like EVERYBODY’S got one!) But, I have to admit that after trying it, I can see why Amoda Tea decided to include this tea in this Autumn themed box. Chai blends tend to be rather autumnal, but something about this rooibos chai speaks of autumn in a very special way.
Dry, this is a beautifully fragrant chai. That shouldn’t be surprising, as most chai blends tend to be wonderfully aromatic. The spices that stood out to me most when I smelled the dry leaf was the anise and the cardamom, and given my love for anise (and cardamom!) it was a very rewarding scent, indeed!
Once brewed, my olfactory nerves are treated to the aroma of cinnamon and clove, with background notes of orange and ginger, and just a hint of anise in the distance.
This is a warm and tasty chai. It is not what I’d call a “spicy” (as in spicy-hot) chai, instead, I find the spices to be more soothing and mild. The spices are strong enough to be felt in the nasal cavity (this is one of those chai blends that is GREAT for when you’re feeling under the weather and need something to help clear that passage way!) and it gets to work to gently warm and soothe the throat and back of the palate.
The rooibos here can be tasted, but, it isn’t a strong flavor. Instead, I taste a hint of nutty flavor that sort of mingles with the notes of orange in the background. I expected the orange to actually be much stronger than it is here, as there are lots of little chunks of orange peel in the blend. Instead, the orange acts as an accent note, adding a touch of brightness to the cup and highlighting the spices in a very appealing way.
The anise is my favorite part of this chai, it gives an exotic sweetness to the cup and I love the way this spice melds with the others in the blend. They all seem to work together very harmoniously to create a delicious taste that is spicy without being hot, and very comforting. A perfect cup for these last days of autumn.
Climber’s High from The Tea Spot
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Roasted Yerba Mate, Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Pu’erh,
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Tea Description:
A super-charged blend of teas, spices and herbs formulated to provide a refreshing daily lift for people with active, high-energy lifestyles. Climber’s High is a high-powered way to increase your intake of beneficial antioxidants such as flavonoids and catechins, as well as a host of healthy vitamins, trace minerals, beneficial phyto-constituents, and caffeine. It was originally conceived to assist people in adjusting to higher altitudes. This spiced yerba mate chai tea is both good for you and a pleasure to drink.
Ingredients: roasted yerba mate, black tea, green tea, white tea, pu’erh, ginger root, cinnamon, green cardamom, licorice root, ginseng root, saffron, black pepper, clove, fennel, safflowers, peppermint, tulsi, and cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Chai is on my mind lately with the change in seasons where I live, yet honestly chai was not on my mind at all when I reached for this sample from one of my SororiTea Sisters! I simply wanted something that would set well with my upset tummy I have had for the last couple of days, also something minty as I have not been really able to taste much either. Last night I was drinking some vanilla mint tea after trying unsuccessfully to enjoy some other samples. Today I grabbed for this and even though I am still a little stuffy I could smell such yummy aromas and I knew in that moment I could stomach it! So it got steeped.
This is not your typical chai yet it has many chai elements. One may think that they threw everything in here but the kitchen sink and thus may not really end up tasting like anything favorable but surprisingly it is wonderful. You don’t need to be sick, or needing to adjust to altitude sickness to enjoy this savory cup! They even put a little chocolate in there for the sweet tooth and the chocolate does come through nicely but is not over done. This is not a “chocolate tea” it is savory yet every now and then I get a little bit of sweet on the lips and a subtle chocolate taste on the palate.
The yerba mate gives you a nice kick start to your day without leaving you jittery or nervous, while the pu-erh is grounding and centering. I tasted the black pepper notes, which I always enjoy in a tea, the cinnamon, clove, ginger and other savory elements are all quite present but the mint is what seems to linger the longest in a minty sweet manner, as if I had just had a light candy mint. I also do pick up the vanilla as well. Truly this tea has it all and then some and yes at times the flavors get muddled a little as a true blend should but it is quite easy to pick out singular flavor elements as well.
If I was not aware that there were so many types of tea in this blend and I had to tell someone from taste alone what the base tea was I would admittedly be confused, but if pressed I would say mate, pu-erh, then black in that order.
For me, the best part of this discovery is that I have a new favorite chai. I have about three chai now that I absolutely love and will rotate in my stash all winter long.
Indian Spiced Chai from Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Description:
Our version of Indian Spiced Chai Tea surpasses any other available. We blended our magical recipe of anise, cardamom, cloves, whole red peppercorn, ginger, vanilla and cinnamon together with our finest Ceylon OP to create this delightful Chai.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
Autumn has officially begun! Well, at least for me it has. I know that the official first day of autumn was a month ago, but, for me, it isn’t really autumn until I need to start putting on sweaters when I go outside. When it’s cold and wet and grey … when drinking a hot, spiced chai blend is so comforting!
This Indian Spiced Chai from Tealicious Tea Company is indeed comforting … and oh-so-good!
The spices are really delightful. They are warm and soothing. I like that the cinnamon and ginger do not seem to be overwhelming the flavors – I can taste each of the spices. The cloves are strong, the cardamom gives a warm, exotic note to the cup, and I can even taste a hint of snappy licorice from the anise and I’m really loving that. For those of you who tend to not like licorice flavor, don’t worry, the licorice-y note isn’t strong, and the anise really melds together nicely with the other spices to create a more unified flavor. It doesn’t really taste “licorice-y” … or even “cinnamon-y” or “clove-y” for that matter. It just tastes warmly spiced.
The vanilla is my favorite element of this chai. It adds a very pleasing creamy touch to the cup; eliminating the need to add milk. It tastes so sweet and creamy, almost latte-ish without the milk!
Which is good because the black tea base is a Ceylon tea, and it’s a fine black tea base but I think that this chai could definitely benefit from the bold, malty flavor of a rich Assam. The Ceylon tea is smooth and tasty in this blend, but it just feels and tastes a little weak. The background doesn’t seem as “solid” as I like from a chai. As a result, adding milk to this chai may end up muting the flavors more than enhancing them.
But as I said, adding milk really isn’t necessary, because the vanilla really gives this tea a deliciously sweet, creamy taste without the milk. This is really delicious served without milk, with only about a half a teaspoon of turbinado sugar to enhance the spices a little bit.
A really delightful cup of chai to help kick off the start of my favorite season of the year!