Fu Man Chu Tea Blend from SerendipiTea

by liberteas

Fu-Man-ChuTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pouchong & Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  Amoda Tea

Tea Description:

Here is a contradictory and complex tea to expand your horizons. Jasmine scented pouchong gives us a beautiful sweet, fresh and floral flavour and pu-erh offers up its earthiness. Pouchong and pu-erh are such opposites, but somehow blend so nicely together in this cup.

This is our Father’s Day Tea. One of the Amoda dads texted that he wanted something “not too fancy, just some jazzman tea”. So, we set out on a jasmine journey and kept coming back to this tea that was so unique, but not too “fancy” for dad.

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.

Taster’s Review:

Before brewing it, I had my doubts about this Fu Man Chu tea blend from SerendipiTea.  I wasn’t sure how I would like it – I mean, I love jasmine so I had every confidence that I’d enjoy a Jasmine Pouchong … but – I thought to myself – why did they have to add Pu-erh to it?  I’m not always a fan of Pu-erh, and I worried that by adding the Pu-erh to this blend, SerendipiTea may have very well ruined a perfectly good Jasmine Pouchong.

I’m happy to say that I was wrong!  This is really quite good.

The aroma of the dry leaf is more jasmine and Pouchong than it is Pu-erh.  I can  detect only faint earthy notes in the fragrance of the dry leaf, but the lovely notes of jasmine are abundant and absolutely delightful to the nose.

And the flavor … is very much the way the scent suggests!  The Jasmine Pouchong notes are the strongest flavors, with mere hints of of the earthy flavor of Pu-erh.  As I continue to sip, the notes of Pu-erh develop somewhat, but they are always more to the background, allowing the sultry beauty of the Jasmine to shine through along with the soft, silky taste of the Pouchong.

This is an extremely well-crafted blend by SerendipiTea.  I’m very impressed, and very glad I got to try it.  I love it when I get a tea like this from Amoda Tea – something that I probably would not have purchased on my own because I honestly would not have found myself interested or curious about a blend of Jasmine Pouchong and Pu-erh … but now that I have tried it … I’m really happy with the cup I have before me!  This is great!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Jasmine Tea, Pouchong, Pu-erh

Taiwan Wuyi Oolong Year 2006 from Life in Teacup

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Life in Teacup

Product Description:

Production Year:  2006

Production Season:  Spring

Production Region:  Nantou County, Taiwan

Style:  Traditional heavy roast

Taster’s Review:

The aroma of the dry leaf is very heavily roasted with charcoal-ish undertones.  The liquor is significantly softer in fragrance.  Those notes are still there, they are just much more delicate.

The flavor is remarkably gentle compared to the strong scent of the dry leaf.  There is very pleasing roasty-toasty flavor to this tea, and a sweetness that ties into that toasted flavor.

The mouthfeel is quite soft and smooth, I would compare it to what liquid silk might feel like on the palate.  The mouthfeel does not linger, however, because there is a light astringency that cleanses the palate, leaving only a sweet roasted flavor that lingers in the aftertaste.

I would describe the overall cup as a masculine one.  There is a woody undertone, giving this a very outdoorsy, rustic kind of appeal.  With Father’s Day just around the corner, this would be an excellent gift for the tea-drinking man in your life!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Oolong