Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Golden Moon Tea
Tea Description:
First in the world to find flavored white tea, Golden Moon Tea presents rare white tea enlivened with the nectar of succulent melon. This luxurious delicacy is light, refreshing and exotic.
Ingredients: White Bai Mudan Tea Scented with Sweet Melon Nectar
WHY IT’S SPECIAL:
** Persian Melon has a flavor that is a mix between a cantaloupe and a honeydew
** Uses the flavor of the Persian Melon, which is a popular flavor in the Middle East
** Emits a sweet and refreshing aroma of freshly cut melons
** The subtly of the White Tea base allows the Persian Melon to shine
** Fantastic iced
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL OF:
** This tea is only for those who love cantaloupe and/or honeydew
** The Middle Eastern Persian Melon is rarely found in the U.S.
** The melon flavor is assertive, yet balanced
** White Persian Melon has low amounts of caffeine
** Recommended for up to 3 steeps
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
White Persian Melon from Golden Moon Tea is one of my top five favorites from this company.
There is just such a light and lively flavor to this delicate Bai Mudan. The aroma is sweet and juicy fresh and reminds me of why I am longing for summer.
This tea is so excellent iced but also wonderful hot.
I love cantaloupe but unfortunately eating it gives me a headache every time, but this tea I can drink endless amounts of with no nagging headache. Perhaps this is due to it being Persian melon and not cantaloupe but the flavor profile is very similar and I can get my cantaloupe fix this way. It is a little lighter than cantaloupe though and I see where the description of a mix between cantaloupe and honeydew comes in because honeydew to me was always a bit more watery in flavor.
White Persian Melon also has a tad bit of a wine like flavor to me, almost bordering on a brandy like essence which I really enjoy.
As the tea cools even slightly the sweetness peeks out more. I would not personally add sweeteners to this tea although I could really see the flavors explode with it, especially a sweetened iced tea. I just usually try not to add sugar to my tea and I really do not feel this one needs it. I can see how adding sugar could take it from this light refreshing state to a decedent dessert tea.
Unfortunately I only have a sample of this one, thanks to a Steepster.com friend, but this is one I plan to order for summer time sipping!
Sacher Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
Inspired by the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, this is a traditional blend of Darjeeling with a hint of Ceylon. The blend is then lightly scented with oil of Bergamot and a hint of genuine Bourbon vanilla. The result is a floral Darjeeling surrounded by soft, fruity, citrus notes. A new formula which we find especially pleasing.
Ingredients: black tea, natural & artificial flavor
Origin: USA
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Sacher Blend from Upton Tea Imports, which can also be found on their website by item number TE22S, has a surprisingly mild flavor considering all the flavoring components listed in the description.
The bergamot is extremely light, barely noticeable, but the vanilla is what shines in this cup.
This is a black tea with a very smooth heavy mouthfeel, rich and robust, and I could see where a coffee drinker would very much enjoy this tea.
I tasted absolutely no bitterness nor astringency even after a rather long steep.
This is a remarkably smooth tea.
It may lack some of the promise the description eludes to especially if you are expecting much from the Bergamot notes, but if you have a sensitive palate you will taste it.
I think it is rather nice, and I personally love it because I prefer my Earl Grey to be light on the bergamot. I like bergamot but I too often find that bergamot is all I can taste in most Earl Grey. I think this blend is unique for those of us who only want a light EG flavor, and let us remember, this is not being sold as an EG.
I do wish that it did not contain artificial flavors, as I see no need for them. I would think that bourbon vanilla and bergamot should easily be able to obtain without artificial flavoring, I know it can be, so this is my only complaint about this blend.
Outside of that, unless you are expecting an EG flavor from this tea with a splash of vanilla, you should like it, just keep in mind this is far more a bourbon vanilla flavored tea with a splash of bergamot!
The flavors pop more as the tea cools. Would be excellent iced.
Samovar Op-A Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
We created this selection specifically for use in samovars but it also works exceptionally well in traditional teapots. The tea has a dark cup, well-balanced character, and can be infused for a long period without becoming bitter. The flavor is of a classic medium-grown Ceylon with a smooth profile and hints of ripe apple.
Origin:
Sri Lanka
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Samovar Op-A Blend from Upton Tea Imports has a nicely sweet yet malty flavor that rests gently on the palate.
My immediate reaction is that the aroma was far more inciting them the flavor, at first I thought it rather bland, but as soon as that thought had left my mind I got those intensely sweet honeyed notes and a lovely blanket of malty goodness on my tongue!
As I spent more time with the tea shaking away that first impression I realized that the apple notes begin to sparkle and there is something of a sparkly sensation on the tongue.
I am not normally a big fan of Ceylon teas but this one has some elements that remind me of Darjeeling, and I like that a lot!
There is a very slight chocolate note to the tea, but very slight, it just has this backdrop which makes the taste more robust, thick even, and quite rich.
Then a raisin flavor comes forward as well.
I am glad I did not listen to that knee jerk reaction, as I would have been a jerk indeed had I dumped this cup!
This is one of the smoothes teas with absolutely not one bit of astringency or bitterness I have ever had!
I am glad now that I have enough for another steeping session for a later time, I expect to get many more steeps out of this leaf!
White Ambrosia from White Lion Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: White Lion Tea
Tea Description:
Rare white tea leaves are laced with sweet toasted coconut and juicy pineapple. It’s like having a vacation in a cup!
Canister $42.95 7 Ounce
Glass Jar $15.95 1.5 Ounce
Sample Tin $4.75 0.5 Ounce
Also available in Sachets
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
White Ambrosia from White Lion Tea is a smooth blend with a full and creamy mouthfeel.
You can taste the toasting of the coconut, which sets it apart from many of the other coconut tea blends out there. The pineapple is lighter and a nice afterthought that is not too powerful but present in the sip. It gives the tea a fruity punch toward the end of the sip.
A great iced tea but I actually prefer this one hot which surprises me!
White Lion Tea is served in spas and I can absolutely see why! Every blend I have sampled from White Lion Tea has been excellent! They are all in their own way either relaxing, or rejuvenating, and I can see how you could easily find one of their blends to fit your mood and needs perfectly!
Every time I order from White Lion I get a couple of sample sized tins, which are really cute. Each time I wish I had ordered a glass (full size) instead. I have never had a tea from White Lion Tea that I did not like! There are some companies that do a few teas really really well, and the others are more or less fillers in their inventory, either so so or really not worth ordering. With White Lion Tea you can be assured that all of their teas that they sell are top quality!
This is one of those teas I ordered as a sample only. And as per usual, I want to order more!
I love the glass jars! Even though you want to keep them out of direct sunlight to preserve the flavor of the teas, they are so kitchy, so cute, and they look amazing displayed!
Rainforest Nectar from Della Terra Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Take a trip to the Rainforests of the world. Visit the flavors of delicious papaya, passion fruit and mango from the Amazon. The amazing flavors of a kiwi from New Zealand and a pineapple from Hawaii. So many amazing fruit flavors combined with incredible black and green teas. This one is sure to please!
Ingredients: Black tea, green tea, mango and passionfruit flavor, papaya bits, pineapple and kiwi bits, safflower
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The moment I opened my sample bag of Rainforest Nectar from Della Terra Teas I knew two things. First I knew that I was going to be ordering more soon. Second I knew I had to have it iced. This tea is scrumptious hot, but iced, it is just nothing short of dreamy!
This tea brings back memories, memories before I was a loose leaf tea lover, and once in a great while would find a tea that was so yummy that I had to buy some. This tea specifically reminds me of a tea that I once bought from a local small business coffee house, but as soon as I realized just how much I loved it, they were out, and never re-stocked. That was always one thing that kept me from discovering my love of tea, locally where I live, there are no “tea shops” but that was before I discovered the joys of online ordering.
As I sit here writing this review this tea sits, iced, in a tall glass, yet I still can smell the wonderful aroma that I am used to only smelling when a hot tea sits cooling beside me. This tea is strongly scented and flavored of everything tropical.
The papaya, and pineapple are the most distinguishable flavors when trying to pick out one note at a time, then passion fruit, mango, and kiwi following, in that order. Yet when all of these flavors meld, as they do so well in this tea, there is a resounding peach flavor that develops.
I love that this is a black and green tea blend. I can taste both base flavors and they are the most perfect and harmonious backdrop for these sweet fruits.
The tea does not need even a sprinkling of sugar as it is perfectly sweet all on its own.
As I sit here watching the sunset on this rather pretty, and warm, winters evening, I can’t help but long for summer to hurry and get here only because I know this is the tea I will be sipping all summer long!