Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Mania
Tea Description:
Rice tea is a specialty of Northern Thailand. The tea is similar in taste to Genmaicha but is produced fundamentally different. Genmaicha is made by steamed green tea which is enriched with roasted rice. Originally, this was done to stretch the expensive green tea. Nowadays, this days Genmaicha is a popular specialty in itself.
In contrary, for our rice tea we use is green tea from Doi Mae Salong which is enriched with a wild-growing Thai herb that resembles the taste of jasmine rice. The green tea itself is Chinese-style roasted and then rolled into beads like Oolong. The tea can be infused several times and keeps the typical rice aroma till the end.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This Rice Fragrance Santikhiri Green Tea from Tea Mania is a really unique tasting tea! Yes, it is quite similar to Genmaicha, although I can taste differences between the two.
Perhaps the biggest difference to me is that this tea has a softer flavor. Genmaicha tends to have a more “roasty-toasty” kind of flavor, owing to the popped rice, perhaps? Sure, I still taste hints of a toasty note here, but, this tastes more like a sweet rice. It kind of reminds me of the cereal that I make of left-over rice.
After I’ve made a batch of rice, there is usually a little bit left over, and rather than allow that to go to waste, I save it and then reheat it. First I “rehydrate” Craisins with a little bit of water, and zap it in the microwave for a couple of minutes until it’s hot and the Craisins have absorbed most of the water. Then I add the left-over rice and reheat the rice. The remaining water that hasn’t been absorbed by the dried cranberries helps hydrate the rice. Then I add a little bit of milk and cinnamon. It’s quite yummy, reminiscent of rice pudding but easier to make!
That’s what this tea tastes like, except that I don’t taste any Craisin or cinnamon flavor! But I taste the sweet rice notes and it’s quite delicious.
I taste subtle vegetative notes from the green tea – which has been wound into little pellets resembling a green Oolong. In fact, had I not known that this was a green tea, the appearance of the dry leaf would lead me to identify this as an Oolong tea. The vegetative notes are quite delicate here, and if you are one who tends to shy away from green teas because you don’t care for that “green” flavor, I do believe you would find this tea to be agreeable.
I also taste distant jasmine notes which further enhance the rice flavor. Such a sweet and unique tea. It really is AMAZING. I’d recommend this to all tea lovers, if for no other reason than because it is truly exceptional. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a tea quite like it, and I’m really glad that I got the opportunity to try this!
No. 4 – Dian Hong Congfu Black Tea from Joseph Wesley Black Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Joseph Wesley Black Tea
Tea Description:
At the foot of the Himalayas in southwestern China, the great tea masters of the Yunnan Province have been hand crafting some of the world’s most unique teas for centuries. Yet, not until the 20th century did this region produce the unique Dian Hong Gong Fu (Yunnan Black) tea. Joseph Wesley’s Black Tea No. 4 is a spotlessly clean representation of this newly famous tea. With its crystal clear red liquor, beautiful golden buds, robust and malty taste and exquisite construction, Joseph Wesley’s Black Tea No. 4 is as much a work of art as it is an unforgettable tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Last week when I reviewed Joseph Wesley’s No. 6 – Bai Lin Congfu Black Tea, and loving that tea as much as I did, I found myself wondering how the other two teas that I have from this company would compare because … quite simply I loved that tea. It was easily one of the very best black teas I’ve tried.
And as I sit here and sip this No. 4 – Dian Hong Congfu Black Tea from Joseph Wesley Black Tea, I find myself amazed yet again by this company! Another outstanding black tea from them.
It IS different than I remember the No. 6, though. The leaves look somewhat similar, with their dark, curly leaves and lots of golden tips. These are really beautifully crafted leaves! I love that this company doesn’t just sell tea. They sell GORGEOUS tea. And it isn’t gorgeous because there are lots of “things” added to the tea. There aren’t fruit bits or flowers or herbs or spices – not that there’s anything wrong with those things added to a tea, I quite enjoy teas with all of those things in them – but I also like that this company has chosen to focus on the beauty of the oxidized Camellia Sinensis leaf, because it in itself is quite a thing to behold!
But I digress!
This Dian Hong is slightly different from the previously reviewed Bai Lin. That tea had a slightly more velvety mouthfeel, while I notice a little more astringency to this cup. This tastes and feels more “clean” and brisk, and there is a certain refreshing aspect to that.
There is a pleasant malty tone to this tea, and a very enjoyable bake-y taste to it with sweet notes that are reminiscent to the caramelized crust of a freshly baked loaf of bread. There are also hints of a smoky character in the distance, and I find that slurping the sip will help to elevate these smoky notes.
It’s a bold tea, with a strong, full-bodied flavor. This is the kind of tea that I’d recommend for those mornings when you just can’t seem to shake the sleepies. You know the kind of day I’m talking about, right? When you know you have to get up because there are things that need to be done … but you just want to stay curled up under the covers and sleep? This tea will give you that “get up and go” kind of vigor you need to get your day started.
The sip starts off sweet with hints of malty caramel and a brisk earthy flavor. As the sip progresses, I notice the distant smoky notes and the warm, bake-y flavor that I mentioned earlier. The sip ends with a slight dryness, and the palate feels clean and refreshed … and ready for another sip.
Another beautiful tea from Joseph Wesley! If you like really good black teas, you really should be shopping with this company. Their teas are top notch!
2012 Douji “Hong Shang Dou” Raw Puerh Tea Cake From China Cha Dao
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: China Cha Dao
Tea Description:
2012 Douji “Hong Shang Dou” Raw Puerh Tea Cake 357g
Material: Mengku, Menghai and Si Mao wild arbor tea trees leaves. Is a mixture of 80% Spring Tea and 20% Autumn Tea!
Taster’s Review:
While this 2012 Douji “Hong Shang Dou” Raw Puerh Tea Cake from China Cha Dao no longer appears available on the vendor’s website, the 2011 and 2013 examples of this tea are currently available … hopefully my review of this tea might help you make a decision about it!
This tea brewed up surprisingly light in color because I generally expect a dark color from a Pu-erh, but, then I had to remind myself that not all Pu-erh are alike! Case and point IS this Pu-erh, not just because of it’s color, but because of the flavor.
The aroma is more vegetative than it is earthy, and the flavor is reflective of that. It does have a slightly earthy taste, but, for those of you out there that tend to shy away from Pu-erh because of it’s strong earthy character, this tea will be more to your liking, I think.
My first cup is sweet and smooth and very mellow. There is virtually no astringency and absolutely no bitterness. It is just … SMOOTH. The texture is that of a light broth: very soft and comforting. It is a relaxing cup.
My second cup delivered a more intense flavor. This cup is slightly more earthy than the first was, but the earthiness is not the usual earthiness that I associate with a Pu-erh. This is more like a vegetative earthiness. Warm yet crisp. Sweet, but a little less sweet than the first cup, this is still a very mellow and smooth drink.
My third and fourth cups of this Pu-erh developed a more savory kind of taste to them: earthy, vegetative, and almost salty. There is more astringency at this point than in the first two cups, but, still it’s a very small amount. Each cup becomes a little less smooth, but more complex. It’s as though the softness lifts to reveal the layers of flavor.
Overall, a very pleasant Pu-erh experience!
Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea – Golden Tip from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Dian Hong black tea, also known as Yunnan black tea, is one of China’s most famous black teas. This is the highest grade Dian Hong generally available in China – called Golden Tip Dian Hong. It has lots of orange pekoe in the dried tea, and brews into an absolutely great tasting, golden coloured tea, with very rich taste and aroma.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know that for some of you who might read me regularly, it may be kind of boring to read just how excited I get over tea … cup after cup after cup! But, really, I love tea so much, and when I find a good cup (and I do find them quite often!) I want to share that joy! And yes, I really do get this excited over tea!
And it’s easy to get excited over tea when it tastes as good as this tea does.
The dry leaf is absolutely beautiful. The colors of the leaves ranges from bright, golden yellow to a rich brown, and the leaves are curled and twisted. But even more magnificent than their color is the flavor of the tea that they produce!
It is sweet with caramel-y undertones, and there is a hint of smoke to this tea as well. The smoke melds with the caramel in such a way to give it a distinct flavor that is both savory and sweet. I love the contrast! The mouthfeel is very smooth and even has a certain thickness to it (almost velvety!) that enhances the caramel experience even further.
If I were to categorize this tea into a season of the year, the season for this tea would be Autumn. The flavors remind me of autumn, not just the warm, smoky caramel, but, I also notice a warm spice to this tea. Almost like a mild nutmeg with a dash of pepper, just enough to tantalize the taste buds.
And then there is the sweet-potato/yam-like flavor, another flavor of fall! All of these flavors accent each other quite nicely – a delicious autumnal medley of tastes in one teacup. Truly a memorable cup of tea!
Sun Moon Lake Hong Yue Black Tea from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
Our Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black tea #18 is organic, handpicked and handcrafted. The tea is produced from Hong-Yui varietal grown in Yu-Chih township in Nantou County near the Sun Moon Lake. The steeped Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black tea #18 has a characteristic and attractive natural mint flavor, a delightful, complex and pleasant taste without any bitterness and a sweet and mild aftertaste. The Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black tea is of extremely high quality and is lovely in its rich and smooth taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is so lovely!
This is one of those comforting types of teas – the type you want to drink while its hot, and with which you want to curl up under a big, fluffy blanket and sit in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace. And as I write this, we are experiencing one of our chilly spring days here in the Pacific Northwest, so it is quite a nice cup to enjoy today.
The website description of this tea suggests a minty flavor, and I am tasting that. It isn’t an overwhelming mint note, but it is cool and crisp and very refreshing, offering a nice contrast to the smooth, rich, malty notes of this tea. The cup is sweet, reminiscent of molasses. I notice hints of smoke in the distance, and these slight smoky tones meld beautifully with the molasses notes.
I notice that this tea is currently out of stock on the T-Oolong Tea website, and I do hope that they’ll get it in stock soon, because it’s really quite amazing. This is a tea I’d recommend to everyone. If you like tea – you’ve got to try this! It has such a rich, enjoyable flavor that I think every tea drinker will appreciate it.