Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Life In Teacup
About Life In Teacup:
We are enthusiastic tea drinkers and students of tea culture. As tea drinkers becoming tea sellers, we have in depth understanding of tea drinkers’ expectations and will always strive to provide you with the best options. We carefully taste every incoming tea product and only offer you teas that we truly enjoy.
Our Mission: We are committed to providing tea drinkers with high quality teas at affordable prices, introducing more Chinese tea varieties to the world and promoting discussions on tea culture.
Taster’s Review:
Before writing this review, I attempted to locate this particular tea on the Life In Teacup website, but could not. This was a tea that I received as a tea-blogger sample, and I do hope that Life In Teacup plans on offering this to a wider audience because it’s a delightful Oolong!
I find these “wild” teas to be extremely interesting, because I can actually taste the “wild” in the teas. It tastes less refined and a little rugged.
The sip starts out sweet. It’s a slow kind of sweet, as if it takes its time to fully express itself. I can taste a nutty flavor, as well as a hint of flower (honeysuckle?) and a distant fruit-tone that reminds me of a fresh, juicy plum. Toward the end of the sip, a sour note hits the palate. Not a pucker-y kind of sour, but more like a sweet-and-sour sauce kind of sour. Savory and sour, but not so much that it overpowers the sweetness.
Another extraordinary tea offering from Life In Teacup!
Yunnan Golden Bud from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Product Description:
Production Year – 2010
Production Season – Spring
Production Region – Yunnan
Taster’s Review:
What a beautiful tea. The dry leaf is gorgeous! It does not possess a strong aroma, but the color is lovely. Once brewed, the liquor has a lightly spiced fragrance with hints of cocoa and leather.
This is deliciously full-flavored. It has a sweet note to it that is somewhere between honey and burnt sugar. It is malty with chocolate-y notes in the background. There is a pleasant set of spice notes to this that meld beautifully with the dark cocoa flavor. It isn’t as spicy as some Yunnan teas that I’ve encountered – this has a stronger sweet presence with hints of the spice.
It is a very smooth tea with a light astringency. There is no bitterness to the cup. It’s just perfectly delicious. An absolutely fabulous cup of tea!
I love it!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Green Kiss (Green Chocolate) from Life In Teacup
Where to Buy: Life In Teacup
Product Information:
These are not just tea-flavored chocolate. They are Green Chocolate – a certified organic product made in German, with Japanese organic green tea powder and 29% cocoa butter!
Ingredients (all organic from natural agriculture)
– Premium, organic green tea powder and green tea leaves (6%) from Japanese Kabushecha (half-shaded grown traditionally)
– Organic cocoa butter (29%)
– Organic raw cane suger
– Organic milk powder
– Emulsifier: soy lecithin, vanille
May contain traces of nuts, gluten and cereal componentsEuropean Union Certified Organic Product!
Taster’s Review:
These are AWESOME!
I like Matcha. I like white chocolate (it’s alright, but, if given the choice, I’d choose real chocolate every time). But… when the two are brought together like they are in this product, they become amazing! I can easily say that I prefer this to a cup of Matcha or a piece of white chocolate. It is absolutely sublime!
The color of the tiny bar (or “kiss”) is olive green, and I can see tiny particles of leaf in the bar. It is soft to bite into (but then, it is summer! It might give a bit more of a “snap” if refrigerated or in cooler weather), and immediately, I can feel the creamy white chocolate texture.
The flavor is sweet and it has a nice Matcha flavor – vegetative and smooth, with hints of bitterness that is a very pleasing contrast to the sweetness of the white chocolate. It is so smooth and creamy. YUM! This doesn’t really taste like white chocolate – it tastes like “Green Chocolate.” It takes on its own unique flavor.
And that means that you don’t have to be a fan of white chocolate to enjoy these tasty bits of joy! If you are a chocoholic, you really must try this. It’s a whole new take on chocolate!
Dong Ding Cui Yu Oolong – Competition Grade IV from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Product Description:
Production Region: Nantou County, Taiwan
Style: Traditional medium roast
Taster’s Review:
I love teas like this – ones that are full of mystery and intrigue.
The mystery begins with its welcoming aroma. It is a lightly roasted scent with hints of a floral quality. It’s very intriguing; beckoning me to sip.
The sip starts out with a light roasty-toasty taste. What is so unique about this particular “roasty-toasty” Oolong is that that toasted flavor is delicate and doesn’t overwhelm the cup. Instead, it is so light that it keeps me curious – did I just taste that? And this curiosity keeps me sipping.
There is also a sweet vegetative taste to this Oolong that slowly evolves into more of a floral note. Yet another subtle tone that keeps me wondering.
This particular Competition Grade appears to no longer be available on the Life in Teacup website, however, there are similar Oolongs that are available, and I highly recommend getting some before they sell out!
I prefer this tea hot, but it is alright iced too. I have never been less than impressed with the teas I’ve received from Life in Teacup. Their teas are always of utmost quality, and this tea is no exception. This tea is delightful!
Tong Cheng Small Orchid Semi-Wild 800m from Life In Teacup
Tea Type: Green Tea
Where To Buy: Life In Teacup
Product Description:
Life in Teacup is a small tea company that is committed to support small business and small tea-growing operations. Life in Teacup specializes in Chinese teas, particularly those from Anhui, Fujian, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang provinces, and from Taiwan. The company focuses on direct sourcing from areas of production, and their website and the Life in Teacup blog are a rich source of detailed information about tea, especially those sold by Life in Teacup.
Tasters Review:
I’ve been a LIFE IN TEACUP Fan for a while now and one thing I can say is that they are always consistent! They offer high quality teas that are delicate and flavorful but always crisp and clean!
As for Tong Cheng Small Orchid Semi-Wild 800m I have to say it made it to my 90 percentile because it’s really wonderful!
It’s Light, Clean, Crisp! It has a Juicier finish and aftertaste. And as it cools it tastes a little like veggies – maybe like celery, perhaps! It’s very refreshing and tasty both hot and cold! I great way to unwind at the end of a busy day and/or just take some time for yourself – to relax and enjoy tea…and life!
