Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Acquired Taste Tea
Tea Description:
A new addition to our Earl Grey collection. This black tea combines bergamot, grapefruit and mandarin to create a pleasant variation on an Earl Grey theme.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I like to do what I call the ‘Earl Grey Test’ whenever I encounter any kind of earl grey. First cup is all natural, to see how the base is in comparison with the bergamot. Second cup is with the finest bit of sugar, to wake up the sweetness of the black tea and the flavoring. Third is with a dash of cream. So how did this one hold up?
Grapefruit earl grey is an interesting take on a classic. The dry leaf is quite strong of both bergamot and the tangy grapefruit notes. Too bad that did not translate to the steeped leaf. Now, I love bergamot, but I feel like this was too strong. It overpowered the grapefruit notes. The base was a bit too robust and dusty for my taste, but adding some cream definitely helped.
Too bad! I had such high hopes for this tea. I really want to like it, but the blerghamot is simply too strong for my taste. I think I like smelling this tea than drinking it. If a strong bergamot is your scene, then go for it! Or, know, go for Republic of Tea’s Earl Greyer… Like the company name suggests, I think this tea is just an ‘Acquired Taste.’
Oolong Mi Lan Dan Cong from Canton Tea Co
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Dan Cong is the champagne of oolong tea: ripe with intense fruit and sweetness. The first time people taste this tea they are astonished by the arresting honey and floral notes – all completely natural. The tender leaves are thoroughly fermented and baked to produce a rich liquor bursting with peach, lychee, honey and orchid flavours. Grown on a plantation on the lower slopes of Wu Dong Mountain, Chao Zhou, this high-grade Chinese tea can be enjoyed through multiple infusion.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Canton Tea Co. is another company that I have always wanted to try but never did. I don’t have an answer of why I never ordered from them or swapped with a fellow Steepster friend, but I just seemed to stay in the realm of flavored teas. I lived a sheltered tea existence. . . until recently when I started devouring straight teas.
This tea delivered everything single flavor that is mentioned in the description. This particular oolong is sweet and full of flavor. Honey like with floral notes all the way. Hints here and there of a baked taste that just makes you want more. I can’t describe this tea to the level it should be. I’m actually in awe of how much I love this tea.
I was able to get several more infusions out of this tea even to the point of getting more of the peach notes that are described in the description. Just so delicate so light. The right amount of floral and the right amount of sweet. I have a crush on this tea.
I prepped this up using water heated from my One Touch Breville and I swear I was brewing up tea every 2 minutes. My tea cup seemed to be perpetually empty. I know. #First World Problems here.
This tea is a most for me when I start ordering teas again. I’m on a slight hiatus with the upcoming nuptials in all. (AH! I’m getting married in November!) But as soon as we get back from the honeymoon, Canton Tea I’m coming for you!
Cape Jasmine Oolong from Tea Ave.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea Ave.
Tea Description:
An elegant, luxurious tea, Cape Jasmine Oolong has a subtle fragrance of the fog and snow-covered mountains that it was grown on. Cape Jasmine Oolong has a clean, aromatic floral scent, and its flavor is slightly sweet with just a hint of spice. Classic vegetal oolong undertones. Breathe in the mountains.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received this one as a free sample in my last Tea Ave. order; and while I have not tried this tea previously I did get a chance to try ‘Jasmine Oolong‘ prior to Tea Ave’s launch; initially I wasn’t 100% sure what the difference between the two blends was, but what I’m gathering from reading the descriptions for both is that Jasmine Oolong is meant to be a little more earthy with perhaps some stronger base tea notes while Cape Jasmine is naturally sweeter.
I steeped this one up hot, and drank half of the mug that way and then half after it had cooled down. Initially with the hot cup I thought that the jasmine was coming off fairly dominant, masking most of the creamier milk oolong-like notes of the base tea. The aroma was incredibly strong and lovely, with a plump sweetness to it – but monotone and without much nuance. I far prefer the taste of the cold half of the mug which tasted similarly but had an underlying fruitier sweetness to it, was less aromatic and ‘in your face’ overall, and which also floral notes like peony as well.
As far as the comparison between Tea Ave’s Jasmine blend and this one goes – I had to go back and reread my previous review to refresh myself but I do think there are differences; the former definitely had stronger flavours from the base and was more vegetal overall, the latter (this tea) was sweeter and fruitier and the natural flavours from the base that were present were more the floral/fruity aspects of an oolong rather than the vegetal ones. Think peach! Overall, both were good jasmine oolongs, though it’d be redundant to have both on hand because despite differences they are quite similar. I think I just SLIGHTLY might prefer this one more because of the extra sweetness though.
Rice Crispy Treat Black Tea from The East Indies Coffee and Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: East Indies Tea Company
Tea Description:
No one can resist the fluffy, gooey marshmallow taste of this fun blend!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The East Indies Tea and Coffee Company is probably the most old-school tea company I have ever dealt with. I have never even heard of them until Marzipan from Steepster offered a group buy of their teas. They so their teas to Della Terra, which is on hiatus until further notice. I am such a sucker for tea names, I figured, why the hell not?
The first tea to try out of the gate, this was also the first tea I pulled out of the box. This is such a fragrant tea! The dry leaf is just dripping with gooey marshmallow sweetness. There are pieces of rice crispies in the bag, lending to the malty smell, as well as some strange dust of pulverized cereal pieces. It’s probably one of the strongest smelling teas I have smelled. (probably to date, it’s quite the head rush!)
Upon steeping the tea, I do get a bit of a sour note from the base black tea. Nothing that makes me want to put down the cup though. I can see this tea being a treat iced, because of the robustness in the cup. The rice crispness of the tea is the show stopper here, the sweet marshmallow and the rice flour richness is quite strong, and I expected no less from this blend. I actually resteeped this too, with interesting results. The sweetness was almost all that was left, and there was little malty note from the tea base/rice crispies. A crazy decadent black tea, great for you dessert lovers out there!
Organic Mango/Pear Deluxe White from ESP Emporium
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: ESP Emporium
Tea Description:
The natural friendship of “East meets West” is portrayed when we look at the flavor composition mango and pear in this organic blend. Any possible early shyness as to whether this is really the perfect match was gone the minute these two fruits met on the delicate white peony tea. A must have organic creation!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mango isn’t always a flavour that appeals to me, but I’ve tried a few paired with a white base and they’ve all been pretty enjoyable. On top of that, I really like pear though honestly I’m unsure how the pairing will do. It’s not one I’ve seen done often, and I’m worried that the mango may mask the pear if it’s not over the top.
I made this one as a cold brew, and honestly I’m not loving it though I don’t hate it either. The white base is acting as a very good blank canvas for the flavour; you can hardly taste any contributions from it except for maybe some lighter honeysuckle notes. Whether that’s good or bad would I guess depend on your personal tastes. The main reason I’m not all over this is that it might as well just be a mango tea; I can’t taste the pear at all. The mango is nice though; it’s got a light ‘spritzer’ kind of vibe to it, and is tropical but almost in a citrusy tangerine sort of way. I’m enjoying what I’m tasting, it’s just totally not what I was hoping for.
That’s alright though; you can’t love every tea and somewhere out there someone’s looking for an organic mango tea on a white base and this is probably perfect for them.