Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Tea Description:
The origin of Fo Shou tea cultivar is a mystery. Many people say it was obtained by engrafting tea tree with Fo Shou (bergamot) tree. The engrafting theory of Fo Shou oolong has never been proved. But the characteristics of this tea do remind a drinker of fragrance of Fo Shou fruits.
This product was made with traditional oxidation method and traditional light charcoal roast. Charcoal roast can induce richer flavor of a oolong. Today with greener style dominating the market, charcoal roast workers have mostly aged and retired. Real charcoal roast Fo Shou is very hard to find.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was excited to try this Charcoal Roast Bergamot Oolong from Life in Teacup, as I had previously tried and quite enjoyed the Superior Grade bergamot Oolong and I wondered how it would differ. I have since learned that these teas are not actually scented with bergamot, but instead the tea leaves come from the Fo Shou trees and carry qualities that are reminiscent of bergamot.
That makes sense to me, especially having tasted the Superior Grade and now this Charcoal Roast. In both tastings, I notice that a significant bergamot flavor was lacking, more of a distant hint of bergamot essence rather than a more obvious flavor.
In the first few infusions, the charcoal flavor greets me at about mid sip, and it is quite pleasant. It isn’t a strong, overwhelming flavor but enough to bring a nutty character to the cup. Sweet with barely-there hints of smoke.
In later infusions, I found that the charcoal flavor emerged to become a more significant flavor. It brought a beautiful roasted flavor to the cup. Hints of wood-burning smoke in the distance. Nutty and sweet, with a delicious savory quality that arrives mid-cup. And yes, I can also taste those bergamot-like tones and they add just a touch of brightness to this cup.
A really lovely tea!
Keemun Mao Feng from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Tea Description:
Production Year – 2011
Production Season – Summer
Production Region – Qimen, Anhui Province
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Keemun is among my favorite black (or red) teas. Such a wonderful complexity to Keemun tea – at once it is a deep, smoky tea, but it isn’t too heavy. It is light enough to allow the drinker to experience its delicious fruit notes. It is rich and bold and flavorful, and it has gusto to spare!
This Keemun Mao Feng from Life in Teacup is an excellent tea. It has all the flavor components I mentioned above and more. I love the sweetness to this, it is like a honey caramel and it melds nicely with the smoky tones. The sweetness of the caramel curbs the smoky tones just enough so that they do not taste too harsh, creating a very smooth, well-rounded flavor.
This would make a delicious breakfast tea (0r that all-important first cup of the day), and it has such a pleasant set of fruit tones that it would also make an agreeable afternoon cup. And while I personally prefer a Keemun served straight, with no additions, this Keemun would accept the additions of milk and honey quite well, if you like to take your tea that way!
Bai Ya Qi Lan Oolong from Life In Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Tea Description:
Production Year – 2011
Production Season – Fall
Production Region – Fujian Province
Style – Traditional green style
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Awesome!
As I’ve said on many occasions, Oolong teas are among my favorites. Yellow teas take the top spot for me, but because they are rare and a bit pricy, I don’t drink them as often as I do Oolong, making Oolong my “everyday affordable indulgence.” And the main reason why I do love Oolong teas so much is that they are different from one Oolong to the next. It’s always an adventure … or as Forrest Gump would say “You never know what you’re going to get.”
There are many fine purveyors of Oolong teas out there, and I’m fortunate that I’ve had the opportunity to sample the offerings of quite a few of those Oolong teas. And while I have many favorite tea purveyors, one of those favorites is Life in Teacup, and the reason is simple: Life in Teacup has excellent teas! The focus is on excellence with this company, and the proof is in the taste. I always know that the teas I receive from Life in Teacup are going to be exceptionally good, and this Bai Ya Qi Lan Oolong (harvested this past autumn!) is a fine example.
The flavor is amazing. The first thing I notice is the sweetness. It has a floral quality to it, reminding me of orchid and osmanthus. There is some earthiness in the background, even some toasted, nutty tones. Toward the end of the sip, I notice a slight dryness, and the tail is crisp with hints of mint.
But the most remarkable flavor of this tea has to be the marshmallow-like notes. There is a sweet, almost comforting kind of feel to this marshmallow taste, like sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows: enjoying the lightly crisped edges and devouring their sweet, creamy goodness inside.
This is yet another amazing Oolong from Life in Teacup.
Meng Ding Snow Bud (Xue Ya) Tea from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yellow
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Tea Description:
This is a Yellow Tea made with earliest spring leaves. The oxidation is light. It’s flavor is closed to that of green tea, with more honey sweet aftertaste due to oxidation.
Taster’s Review:
What a remarkable yellow tea. Of course, I’ve loved every yellow tea that I’ve tried, however, there is something about this one that gives it a uniqueness over the others that I’ve tasted. While other yellow teas have a somewhat delicate quality about them, this one seems to be more assertive.
Immediately, I noted the sweetness which is more like a sweet grass kind of flavor during the sip and becomes more honey-like toward the tail and into the aftertaste, revealing a bit of the floral tones of the honey-esque sweetness with the aftertaste. After the first couple of sips, I tasted notes of hay and a delicate earthiness that provided interesting contrast to the honey tones.
As I progressed toward mid-cup, other flavors revealed themselves. I could taste a mild vegetable flavor, reminiscent of lima beans that have been simmered in a kettle for hours … you know, that sweet, buttery lima bean flavor that reminds you of home? The flavor is remarkably smooth, with no bitterness and only a trace of astringency at the tail.
A delicious yellow tea that offers a memorable tea journey from the very first sip right down to the very last drop.
Tai Ping Hou Kui from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Tea Description:
Production Year: 2011
Production Season: Spring, Harvested on April 23rd
Production Region: Anhui Province, Yellow Mountain Region, Single Estate
Style: Hong Qing (roasted), traditional Tai Ping Hou Kui processing method
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love Tai Ping Hou Kui tea, although, I have not had a whole lot of opportunities to try them. It is a very expensive variety of tea, and not one that I splurge on very often. Of the very few that I’ve tried, this one is definitely the best.
The dry leaves are very flat and long – averaging to about 3 – 3 1/2 inches long. The leaves are a deep, forest green color … much deeper in color than other Tai Ping teas that I’ve experienced. This is the good stuff!
The aromatic brew is a combination of vegetation and flower – evoking thoughts of a meadow of wildflowers in the spring, when the grass is green and the flowers are blooming. The air is sweet and clean, and the gentle breeze delivers hints of the flower to the nose.
The flavor is sublime. Sweet and vegetative. The vegetative notes are a little grassy and a little like freshly steamed lima beans with a touch of melted butter. There are some floral notes in the distance, and a fruit note that begins as a very slight taste and develops as I continue to sip. The fruit note really comes alive at the finish, where it tastes almost citrus-y.
A lovely tea experience. But then, I would have expected nothing less from Life in Teacup – the products they offer are always of the highest quality.