Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: LeafSpa
Company Description:
Sweet and slightly creamy, a nice, refreshing summer organic white tea. Citrus, honey, and vanilla notes enhance the gentle flavor of this mild white tea.
Taster’s Review:
Of the teas that I’ve tried thus far from LeafSpa, this one is definitely my favorite. The flavor is so light and creamy! It’s a real treat in a teacup.
The honey and vanilla flavors come through very strong given the lightness of the tea, but they are not so strong as to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the white tea. The white tea has a sweet, fresh flavor – not a lot of vegetative or grassy taste to it. Clean and pure!
What this reminds me of is a homemade vanilla ice cream! Yes! It has a light, sweet, creamy taste that is very much like vanilla ice cream, but it doesn’t have all the fat and calories! Like I said: a real treat in a teacup!
The honey flavor is sweet, as is the vanilla… together, you might think that this results in an over-the-top sweet flavor. But it isn’t too sweet. Yes, this is a sweeter tea than a typical unflavored white tea, but, it is not an overwhelming, cloying sweetness (at least, not to this reviewer with a sweet tooth!)
That being said, I do not recommend adding any sweetener to this tea, because I think the addition would make this an overwhelmingly sweet cup. Instead, drink as is (I prefer it hot and found that it is more flavorful as a hot tea, but it is still quite good as an iced tea), and pair it with a tray of fresh fruit or possibly a fresh salad. YUMMY!
Organic Mao Jian from LeafSpa
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: LeafSpa
Company Description:
A nice Mao Jian leaf that steeps a lovely green liquor filled with the vegetal notes that make China green teas famous. The sweet finish and well balance mouth feel add to the delight found in this fine tea. A very rare find in readily available organic green teas.
Taster’s Review:
This tea is so good. I believe that this tea could convert many of the “non-green-tea” drinkers out there. Yes, it really is that good.
The dry leaf does not really possess a very strong aroma; however, the brewed tea is pleasantly fragrant. It is a little bit vegetative, a little bit floral.
The flavor is absolute deliciousness. It has a velvet-y mouthfeel that takes me a little by surprise because it resembles an Oolong mouthfeel rather than a green tea mouthfeel. It’s very smooth and lush. Nice!
This tea does possess a vegetative quality, but I wouldn’t call it grassy. It is more like lightly buttered vegetables. Not a strong vegetable taste like spinach. Something a little more subtle, like maybe a sweet winter squash… but not quite. The tea finishes with a delectable sweet and tangy note.
But the best part of the tea is its amazing sweetness without tasting sugary or too sweet. It just tastes perfect.
Truly, one of the best green teas I’ve ever tasted. The only thing that would make it better is if it were organic. Oh… wait a minute! It IS organic! Yep… perfect!
Organic Jasmine Tea from LeafSpa
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: LeafSpa
Company Description:
A partially fermented green tea scented with sweet, fragrant jasmine blossoms. This tea delivers a strong, perfumed liquor with a robust, piquant vegetal aftertaste.
Origin of Primary Ingredient: China
Certified Organic Tea: YesIngredients: Organic green tea scented with jasmine blossoms
Taster’s Review:
I adore jasmine tea. There is just something so amazing about the flavor of the jasmine flower. It is indescribably delightful. So, I guess it goes without saying that I was very excited to try this jasmine green tea from LeafSpa.
Upon opening the tin, I double checked the label to make sure it was the jasmine tea that I was opening. Normally, when I open a package of jasmine, the fragrance is very strong. But this was not the case with this tin of tea. There was only a very faint jasmine scent. I was worried, to be honest. I worried that this tea would fail to deliver my beloved jasmine flavor.
How wrong I was. Upon brewing, the fragrance intensified. The light green liquor still smelled rather soft in comparison to other jasmine teas that I’ve had in the past, but it was a very pleasant delicate aroma. It brought a smile to my lips. Ah – jasmine!
The flavor is quite different from any jasmine tea I’ve tasted recently. In fact, I can’t recall a jasmine green tea quite like this one. The flavor is subtle. The jasmine flower does not overpower the palate; instead it gently washes over it. This is no ordinary jasmine; it is a softer, gentler, calmer jasmine. What a pleasant surprise.
The green tea brings a vegetative quality to the cup – not strong – rather, it is in perfect balance with the jasmine: soft and fresh.
I really enjoyed this deliciously different jasmine tea from LeafSpa. It is one that would be quite good served iced too, because although it offers a more delicate flavor, that flavor does not mute upon cooling. It is thirst-quenching and restorative – just right for summertime sipping!
Darjeeling Goomtee from LeafSpa
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: LeafSpa
Company Description:
This Darjeeling from the organic tea division of the Goomtee estate is a fine-looking classic of chestnut leaves with golden accented tips. A light honey muscatel flavor and a balanced nutty briskness linger as a delightful aftertaste.
Origin of Primary Ingredient: India
Certified Organic Tea: Yes
Taster’s Review:
I enjoy a good cup of Darjeeling. The problem is that it’s not always easy to find a good cup of Darjeeling.
Actually, there are a lot of *good* Darjeeling teas out there, there just aren’t a lot of Darjeeling teas that stand out above and beyond what I would call an ordinary Darjeeling. And I guess that is always what I’m looking for – an outstanding Darjeeling tea.
I guess that is always what I’m looking for – an outstanding Darjeeling tea.
This Darjeeling is outstanding.
It has a delightful honey-like taste to it that comes off as sweet but not sickeningly so. Very clean and crisp tasting with a strong, exhilarating astringency. The nutty quality that the above description eludes to is a very pleasant contrast to the somewhat wine-like muscatel taste of this Darjeeling. One of the more complex Darjeeling teas that I’ve encountered – and as Darjeeling teas are usually complex – that says something!
LeafSpa’s teas are all organic. While that isn’t always the deciding factor for me of where I buy a tea, I do prefer to buy organic and I’m glad that LeafSpa is dedicated to providing the highest quality organic teas available.
If you like Darjeeling tea, you should really give this one a try. You can thank me later!