Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tisane Description:
Certification: Organic
Aroma: Minty
Infusion Aroma: Minty (hint of nuts)
Infusion Color: Deep Amber
Base flavor: Minty
Infusion Strength: Medium
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Minty! This Dragon Mint Rooibos Blend from Shanti Tea is for those of us you who really love mint!
The mint flavor here is strong! So strong that it nearly overpowers the rooibos. And in my opinion, that’s not a bad thing, especially since rooibos aren’t my favorite thing. This blend has just enough rooibos to add just a little something extra to the cup – a pleasing nutty tone in the background – without adding that sometimes “off” or funky taste that comes from rooibos.
Then there is the PEPPERMINT! It is really zesty and invigorating! And yes, it does have a very minty taste, but, perhaps it’s that nutty note that is in the background … but I am not thinking “toothpaste” or “mouthwash” as I sip this. It is definitely fresh tasting … and leaving my mouth feeling fresh and clean. But it’s more like a breath mint to me than an oral hygiene product.
A pleasant cuppa served hot or cold!
Long Zhu from Infussion
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Infussion
Tea Description:
The aroma of this unscented tea is delicate and insanely magnetic. Leaves and buds are rolled into small and regular “pearls” with utmost care to produce this famous Dragon Pearls tea. The resulting infusion is clean, smooth and strong. Quality of this particular batch is outstanding and well worth the price.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It is so unusual for me to look at these beautiful pearls and not smell the jasmine aroma wafting in the air. I guess pearls and jasmine have kind of become synonymous for me. But these Long Zhu pearls from Infussion Tea have not been scented with Jasmine … they are pure green tea.
The tightly wound pearls began unfurling pretty quickly, and by the time I finished the second infusion I could see that the pearls were nearly open … but not quite (so that means more infusions!) This first cup (containing the first and second infusions) is sweet and delicious, lightly vegetative but not bitter. The vegetative tones fall somewhere between grassy and lightly steamed vegetables … there are notes that are distinctly grass-like but also some hints of a mild vegetable (maybe asaparagus?) that’s been freshly steamed.
I like that while this is a vegetative tea, it isn’t overly so. It has a very crisp taste with a moderate amount of astringnecy that seems to become more apparent as the tea begins to cool slightly. It tastes very pure and clean … a very refreshing cuppa!
Curled Dragon Silver Tip from Zen Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Zen Tea
Tea Description:
A most amazing tea – even just to look at. The name refers to the unusual and striking shape and color of the leaves, which are rolled into complex, tightly-curled dragon-like shapes with a silvery color. Curled Dragon Silver Tips is an extremely well-made tea, and a good example of the high level of hand-work. Even before infusion, the aroma of this tea is heavenly! Infused, it produces a complex, sweet and somewhat floral liquor. There are no edges and no astringency. Entirely handmade, it is a must have for green tea lovers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This has to be one of the most beautiful teas I’ve ever seen. The leaves are so tiny and frail looking, and have been shaped into itty-bitty dragon-like curls. Each tiny leaf is an absolutely stunning work of art! These leaves look as though they could be a white tea because of their pale green color and the tiniest little silvery fuzz that covers them.
The color of the liquid is almost as beautiful as the dry leaf. It is the palest shade of green, mixed with a translucent, golden alabaster. So breathtakingly gorgeous! Again, this tea looks as though it could be the highest quality white tea, rather than a green.
And all of this would mean very little if the tea was not also stunning. But it is, indeed, amazingly good. The texture reminds me just a bit of champagne, how it dances lightly over the tongue in an almost effervescent way until it settles in and offers a soft, smooth mouthfeel that lightly coats the palate.
The overall delicateness of this tea is also rather reminiscent of a fine white tea. The flavor is light and crisp with a sweet taste. It doesn’t taste strongly vegetative at all, in fact, this tea is one of the lighter, more delicate tasting green teas I’ve encountered. It features flavors that are sweeter and mellower than the typical vegetative tones that I notice with green teas that can be somewhat sharp. This is softer … like a very mild tasting, young artichoke heart. Not the ones that have been processed and pickled in a brine. But the fresh artichoke that has been steamed until tender and smooth like butter, with a flavor to match. Yeah, that’s what I taste now.
By mid-cup, I find that the vegetative notes have developed somewhat. They are still remarkably smooth and buttery, as there is not a sharp edge to this cup whatsoever. But, it has become much more green tea-like now that the tea has cooled slightly and I’ve been drinking it a little while. But it remains delicate. There is no astringency, no bitterness… nothing at all that might be construed as off-putting. It is just simply delicious.
Silk Dragon from The Tea Merchant
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Tea Merchant
Tea Description:
A unique blend that is exotic, balanced and complex it will engage you from the second you open the bag with its intoxicating creamy vanilla aroma to your first sip. Creates a smooth, rich flavor with hints of cream, vanilla and a stimulating citrus finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This is so good.
As you know, I do enjoy quite a few different flavored teas, but when it comes to Oolong, I find that the ones that I favor tend to be pure, unadulterated Oolong teas. Sure, I enjoy the flavored ones too, but, if given a choice between pure Oolong and flavored, I’ll choose the pure every time.
However, I am finding this flavored Oolong to be extraordinary … one of the best flavored Oolong teas I’ve encountered in a while. The vanilla flavor is in perfect step with the natural creaminess of the Oolong for a very luxurious, creamy experience. It’s so silky and creamy and delicious.
The lemon myrtle gives just the right touch of citrus. It is not a strong tangy note – nothing that interrupts the sweet, creamy goodness of the vanilla – but it offers just a hint of citrus-y taste toward the finish so that the vanilla cream does not overwhelm the palate.
And with all this talk of the amazing vanilla taste and hints of citrus, you may have thought that the flavor of the Oolong is lost somewhere. It isn’t. It adds a hint of earthiness and a touch of flower (orchid? Yes, there are distinct orchid notes), and just a hint of peach-like undertones.
If you like vanilla – you really should try this Silk Dragon from The Tea Merchant. It takes vanilla to a whole other level. I don’t think I’ve experienced vanilla in a tea quite like this before. It’s really amazing.
Dragon Eye Oolong Tea from Revolution Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Tea Description:
Somewhere between a green and a black tea, Dragon Eye Oolong begins with the finest quality Oolong tea available. This smooth, well-rounded elixir blends smoky Chinese oolong with safflower, peach and apricots.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I tend to be skeptical when it comes to bagged teas – as some of you may have noticed if you’ve read very many of my reviews. That skepticism multiplies when it comes to bagged Oolong teas. It has been my experience that Oolong teas tend to expand more than other tea types, extending to as large as five times their dry size (sometimes even more!) so therefore I think it’s important to allow as much room as possible for an Oolong to do its thing when it steeps.
So, needless to say, I was very happy to see that after brewing this tea for three and a half minutes that there was still room to spare in the silky pyramid sachet! I am glad to see that Revolution Tea makes sure that their tea has the room it needs to unfurl completely and release all its flavor, while still offering its consumers the convenience of a bagged tea.
And this bagged tea has got flavor! This is a very tasty Chinese Oolong – a darker Oolong that offers a wonderful complexity (something that you don’t always get with bagged teas!) I noticed a touch of smoke right off the bat – not a strong bit of smoke, but, enough to give this tea an overall sense of toasty flavor, offering more of a nutty tone than a vegetative one. There is a lovely roasted fruit note too. Yes, it tastes as though someone has roasted peaches and apricots at a high temperature to concentrate their sweetness, and then extracted that flavor and put it into this tea. It’s really delightful!
I am very pleased with this tea, and impressed given the fact that such flavor was achieved from a tea in a sachet. Sometimes, convenience is very important. When traveling, for example, it’s a lot easier to pack some of the individually wrapped sachets from Revolution Tea than it is to pack the tea and all the accessories needed to brew a cup of loose leaf tea. Even when at the office, it’s much more convenient to go with a bagged tea – but that’s no reason that you should sacrifice flavor. Revolution Tea offers both.