Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Valley
Tea Description:
Our Phoenix Yunnan Gold is quickly becoming a favorite in our fine selection. The lasting sweetness in every cup will keep you brewing for more. If you enjoy black teas, this is certainly not one you would want to miss out on.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve been busy trying to get my tea stash organized – that’s my only excuse with being so behind on reviewing the teas from February’s Steepster Select box! Of all the months to be behind … February is not the month is not the month I would have chosen (fewer days to get caught up!)
This is the first of the three teas that I’m reviewing, and it is the only black tea of the three selections. This month’s theme is “Year of the Dragon” to commemorate the Chinese New Year. About their choice of this tea, Steepster stated:
The Yunnan Gold varietal uses the robust leaves of classic Yunnan black teas with a healthy portion of young, golden buds. In Chinese culture, the Phoenix is a complement to the dragon, forming both sides of Yin and Yang respectively, and we think the bold, fruity flavor of this brew is a fitting complement to the other teas in this month’s box. It’s a tea for coffee lovers, and it comes to us by way of The Tea Valley, a company founded by a China expatriate named Chaozhou, who returned to his birthplace to rediscover tea and its heritage.
Whatever reason they chose to put this tea in the Steepster Select box for this month, I’m good with it … because this tea is fantastic. It is a richly flavored tea with a delicious spiced overtone. I find that this tea is best served hot, but not piping hot. After it’s had a few moments to cool, the aforementioned spice notes seem to really come alive.
In the above description from the minds at Steepster, they mention that this is a tea for coffee lovers, and I understand where they’re coming from with that statement. It is a very full-flavored tea, quite bold and in that way it is quite similar to coffee. Fortunately, though, this lacks the bitterness that I have experienced with coffee – instead, I get a lovely honey-esque sweet note that I can’t ever recall tasting with coffee.
This is a remarkable Yunnan – deserving of high praise!
Passion Fruit Gold from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Product Description:
A warm fiery goodness permeates through this amazing fruit tea blend, with the dark black tea offering a full-bodied flavor that is simply like no other. This delicious Passion Fruit gold tea is packed with goodness provided by the natural sweetness of black tea subtly touched by the delicate floral tones of calendula blossoms. This tea is ideal for drinking in winter or on the rocks in the summer it is so versatile and flavorful!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is one tea that really benefits from a little patience on the tea drinker’s part (in this case, that tea drinker would be me!) The first couple of sips, I found to be very lightly flavored (almost too light in flavor), and a wee bit too astringent. However, after those first couple of sips, I found that this tea really begins to develop.
The flavor of the passion fruit starts out rather subtle, and then after two or three sips, I notice the flavor really begins to emerge. With those first couple of sips, I was kind of like … well, that might be passion fruit … this is alright. But now, the flavor really has come forth and presented itself and it is fruity, sweet and delicious, with an ever-so-subtle tartness in the background.
The black tea, on the other hand, starts out pretty aggressively, with a slight bitterness toward mid-sip and a strong astringent finish. However, once the flavors of the passion fruit presented themselves in a more powerful way, the bitterness seems to have disappeared and the astringency has softened significantly.
The first couple of sips… weren’t really what I’d consider bad at all, but, they just didn’t represent a great cup of tea. But, once I got past those first less-than-stellar sips, I have discovered Passion Fruit GOLD! This is also great iced!
Ancient Gold Organic Black Tea from Samovar
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Samovar
Product Description:
Gold-flecked tea from the tribe on Jingmai Mountain. Wild-crafted, 1,300 year-old trees deliver a smooth, fuzzy, malty brew of sweet ore. Brew once for balance. Brew twice to enter a dark forest.
Taster’s Review:
As I sip this tea, I think I have found a new favorite. Now, mind you, I have many “favorites” – as my favorites tend to fluctuate depending upon my mood, the season of the year, and so on. But, there are a treasured few teas that I consider FAVORITES – ones for which my love seldom waivers regardless of time or mood.
This tea has almost immediately (love at first sip) become one of those favorites. It is so rich and smooth and well-rounded. It is bold and has a malty tone to it that would rival some of the best Assam teas I’ve tried. There is a delicious, deep flavor to this tea. It is a toothsome tea with a baked-biscuity kind of character to it. I get a bittersweet cocoa note and by about mid-cup, the sweetness develops into a fruit-like flavor. This is so amazingly good.
The sip begins with a hint of sweetness, and as the sip washes over the palate, a complex set of flavors comes to life: deeply set flavors of chocolate with an earthiness in the background. Around mid-sip, I notice hints of fruit, spice and wood. The sip ends with a drying astringency and an aftertaste of sweet raisins.
I highly recommend this tea to any tea enthusiast – it is a MUST try.
Yunnan Gold from TeaVert
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: TeaVert
Product Description:
Tea from the spring harvest in April is considered to be the best because the leaves are the tenderest. When oxidized, the beautiful buds of the tea turn gold rather than black, resulting in a rich, smooth flavor. This tea is deliciously rich and malty, with lingering notes of chocolate and honey. The flavor builds through several infusions.
Taster’s Review:
These leaves are very golden, and they render an unbelievably smooth cup of tea. There are background notes of peppery spice, but a sweet, honey-like note smooths them out and gives the cup an almost “creamy” texture.
The flavor is very rich with a deep, malty tone. There is a chewiness to this tea that reminds me of the flavor of the chewy crust from a loaf of freshly baked french bread. I am also getting the cocoa notes that are mentioned in the above description.
This is truly a delightful, complex Yunnan that I would recommend to any tea enthusiast. It has such a lovely flavor with no bitterness and very little (almost NO) astringency. One of the most pleasant teas I’ve ever sipped!
Honey Gold from East Pacific Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: East Pacific Tea Co.
Product Description:
Travel far away to the Fujian Province of China. Our Honey Gold Tea steeps a nice amber color and releases a captivating orchid scent. Serves great chilled, and will impress any connoisseur.
Taster’s Review:
A lovely Oolong.
Just as the description above suggests, the aroma is indeed captivating with its flowery notes. I can also detect a somewhat woody fragrance to it, with notes of earth lingering in the background.
The sip begins with a woody flavor – oak, perhaps? – and finishes with a sweet, honey-esque smoothness. There are faint hints of smoke that weave in and out throughout the sip, and a stronger fruit note that is somewhat peach-like. There is also the slightest whisper of flower in the sip that reminds me of the air in my gramma’s backyard when the honeysuckles were in bloom.
I have come to expect exceptional quality when it comes to East Pacific Tea Company and this Oolong is certainly exceptional. The flavor is deliciously complex and contemplative, with an aroma that enchants the spirit. And the best part when it comes to East Pacific Tea’s high-quality Oolong teas? They product multiple infusions – stretching the value of this fine tea. What a delight!