Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Description:
A Fujian Oolong which has been fermented for longer than our normal Fujian Oolong tea. It brews a golden yellow and has a slightly smoky taste with a full bodied, sweet long lasting finish with a cinnamon aftertaste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As you may have guessed by the name of this tea, this single estate Black Oolong Tea from Lu-Lin Teas is a very dark, deeply fermented Oolong. The dry leaves are a dark, chocolate-y brown, and possess an aroma that is sweet with notes of fruit.
The flavor is rich with hints of smoke. There is a fruity background note that reminds me of a ripe plum: sweet with just a hint of sour. The mouthfeel is soft, not creamy like some Oolong teas, instead, this has more of a smooth … almost silken kind of mouthfeel.
There are lovely notes of spice to this cup. The above description suggests a cinnamon-like aftertaste and I get where they’re going with that. I taste a certain “warm spice” note … maybe not a distinct cinnamon-y note, but it is warm and comforting and reminiscent of cinnamon.
There are notes of oak to this cup as well. As this is my second time enjoying this tea, I can say that the tea offers quite an adventure. The first time I brewed the tea, I was conservative with the leaf, and discovered hints of chocolate and caramel to the cup. This time, I added a little extra leaf to my gaiwan and I am noticing more of a fruit/wood/spice kind of taste going on.
Subsequent infusions allowed the spice notes to become a little more defined, and in my third cup, I began to notice more definition to the aforementioned “cinnamon-like” taste. The fruit notes became smoother with subsequent infusions, becoming less sour and more sweet. It is definitely worth the effort to infuse this tea multiple times!
Having tried a few Lu-Lin teas now, I can say that I’m very impressed with this company and especially pleased with their high quality Oolong teas, like this one. This is a really delightful Oolong – a definite must try for Oolong enthusiasts who are looking for something a little different … as well as those who want an Oolong that is less “floral” – this one might be to your liking!
Monte Branco Estate PF1 Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This versatile tea from Mozambique is a fantastic value for a smooth and flavorful everyday tea, and can be enjoyed both hot and iced. Flavor notes of vanilla, rose and nutmeg enhance the experience.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the pouch of this Monte Branco Estate PF1 Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports, I had my doubts. The leaves are very finely chopped. We’re talking … severely chopped. They look more like a super-finely ground coffee bean than tea leaves!
But, I decided to give it a chance. After all, my SororiTea Sister, Azzrian, seemed to really enjoy this tea, and I trust her judgement. And this is really quite an impressive cup of tea!
The flavor is rich and smooth. There is a slight astringency to it, but I would classify it as mild to moderate. It starts out quite mild, but by mid-cup, the astringency has developed somewhat. It isn’t bothersome, but, if you’re one of those that tends to be sensitive to astringency, there is some to this tea.
There is a pleasant malty tone to this tea, and this seems to highlight the vanilla-esque notes that are mentioned in the above description. I notice fruit tones and an earthy note, and a slight nutty flavor. It has a rich “spiced” sort of flavor, but not “spicy” like you might find from a chai blend … this is more like a “well seasoned” flavor, with hints of subtle spice and wood-like notes.
I didn’t pick up on the rose notes that the description promised until about mid-cup. For a while there, I thought maybe something was going wrong with my taste buds, because I just wasn’t tasting those floral notes. But, by mid-cup, the rose seemed to come through quite nicely… and it is a distinct rose note, as if someone took some Rose Congou and finely ground the tea leaves along with the tea leaves from the Monte Branco estate.
I like that I taste no bitterness. There is a lovely undertone of sweetness that is caramel-like, and there is a pleasing complexity to this tea. My first impression of the finely chopped leaf lead me to believe that this going to be more of a hearty, robust tea with more gusto than character but I’m happy to say that while this is indeed a very bold and energizing tea, there is also a really enjoyable complexity to be explored here. Definitely a tea worth trying!
White Leaf and Bud Single Estate White Tea from Teajo Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Teajo Teas
Tea Description:
Our most delicate and subtle tea contains very little caffeine and delivers a light, smooth and nutty flavor. Harvested before the leaves fully open, this tea is one of the rarest in the world.
Taster’s Review:
I couldn’t find this White Leaf and Bud Single Estate White Tea on Teajo Teas’ website, so I don’t know if it’s still available (or perhaps, it’s just temporarily sold out) but I did want to review it because this is the first tea that I’ve tried from this company and I’m absolutely in love with the quality and flavor of this tea!
The leaves are soft and tender and whole. Lots of tea buds in this too. And each leaf and bud is covered with fuzzy, fluffy down. The color of each leaf variegates from a silvery white color to a pale green, to twinges of tan. The leaves infuse a pale golden hued liquid.
The flavor stunning! It is sweet and gentle and yet amazingly full-flavored with notes of hay and a sweet nutty flavor. It’s a slightly toasted nut flavor … as though perhaps someone had slivered some raw almonds and then put them in a warm pan to toast for a minute. Not a strong roasty flavor, but just a hint of sweet, toasty flavor. There is a freshness to this … not really “vegetative” exactly … but more like the taste of the fresh air in spring.
I’m really liking this white tea a great deal … I think what I am liking so much about it is that it is SO different from the typical Bai Mu Dan or Silver Needle. Not that I dislike those – you know I love ’em! But, sometimes, it’s nice to taste something that’s just a little different.
And what makes this tea different is that these leaves aren’t Chinese tea leaves, but Indian (from Assam!) This is a difference that is immediately noticeable in the taste from the very first sip. This has a fuller flavor than a typical Silver Needle, and even a Bai Mu Dan. The flavor is less delicate than those teas, but it still has a certain lovely delicateness to it.
A really delightful white tea … I hope that Teajo will be restocking this one!
Burnside Extra Long Wirey Oolong from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
In the Nilgiri District of Central India, the Blue Mountains are the home of the Burnside Estate Tea Farm. Every January, after the first frost of the year coats the young buds, this estate harvests the pekoe leaves and creates several varieties of tea from them, including this outstanding extra long wirey oolong. By combining mountain elevations, which encourages the trees to draw nutrients from the soil, an early harvest, which encourages lightness and clarity in the brew, and then by twisting the oolong tea leaves into stretched out “wires,” Burnside has created a loose leaf tea that can boast incredible body and intensity, while keeping astringency to a minimum. Sweeter than any other oolong, this Burnside Estate leaf will provide you with some of the strongest expressions of pure tea flavor that you will ever find!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve been reviewing so many flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea in the last few months that you might have forgotten that they also sell tea other than Matcha, too!
This Oolong is different from other Oolong teas that I’ve tried. The dry leaves are just as the name implies: long and wiry. They are dark in color, indicating to me that this is a darker Oolong, and generally with darker Oolong teas I tend to expect more of a fruitier taste than a flowery one, and that is true here. This does have a fruity character, but, where it’s different is the way the fruit notes present themselves.
Ordinarily, when I say fruit, I refer to a sweet tasting flavor that tastes similar to some sort of fruit. (I know, duh! right?) But, here, I taste sort of a sweet-and-sour taste that reminds me a bit of a slightly under-ripe plum, with hints of a peachy-apricot-y flavor in the background. There is a vivid contrast between the sweet and sour.
I taste faint notes of floral tones to this as well, and while these floral notes seem to intensify as I continue to sip, they never seem to become a strong flavor of this tea. There are woodsy notes to this as well as a faint earthiness. These flavors also seem to come out a little more in subsequent infusions, but never really become a strong flavor of this tea.
I like the complexity of this. In one sip, I’ll notice a hint of honey-like flavor, in the next, my palate seems to linger over the sour notes. It’s really quite beautiful: light, crisp and tasty!
Castleton Muscatel (2nd Flush) from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
CASTLETON MUSCATEL is one of the finest muscatel teas that we have come across this season. This tea has been made from selective leaves that come from PURE CHINA BUSHES at an altitude of 6200 ft above sea level which is ideal for the MUSCAT FLAVOUR.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Every time I go to open a new pouch of tea from Darjeeling Tea Lovers, I am so excited for what awaits me. The teas I’ve tried from them so far have been absolutely incredible, and this one is also amazing.
This has such a crisp flavor … there are actually faint notes of mint in the background! The muscatel is a very forward flavor. Sweet and fruity with a fair amount of astringency. The cleansing astringency is somewhat dry and plays to the muscatel notes quite nicely, giving it an almost wine-like finish. In the aftertaste I notice a far off in the distance hint of mint, but otherwise the aftertaste is very clean.
I find this to be a very enjoyable cup of tea – usually with Darjeeling teas, I find that they make a really nice afternoon cup because they aren’t overly energizing; they tend to be more of a calming, relaxing cup of tea. But I find this particular Darjeeling to be more invigorating … I could easily start the day with this! The flavor is very vibrant!
If you are a fan of Darjeeling Teas, you really MUST try the teas from Darjeeling Tea Lovers. Every single tea that I’ve tried from them has been a superb example of what Darjeeling tea should be – and while that definition seems to get broader and broader for me the more I drink Darjeeling, it is one I don’t mind redefining, because I keep finding more to love about Darjeeling – thanks to this company!