Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Joseph Wesley Black Tea
Tea Description:
Made strictly from the early, fresh, tender, and young buds of the Da-Bai tea cultivar, Joseph Wesley’s Black Tea No. 6 showcases the sweet, smooth and slightly toasty characteristics of China’s famous Bai Lin Congfu black tea. This tea is sweet in taste and beautiful in construction with a delicate array of golden-orange buds and a distinct fuzz showcasing the skill used in the complicated hand-crafting of this tea. With notes of caramel and cream, Joseph Wesley’s Black Tea No. 6 is an enduring way to reenergize in the morning, afternoon, or before a night out on the town.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmmmmmmmm! Yes, this tea: No. 6 – Bai Lin Congfu Black Tea from Joseph Wesley Black Tea warrants nine m’s. It’s that good.
The dry leaf is beautiful. The leaves are dark brown with lots of golden tips. The aroma of the dry leaf is earthy, and the fragrance of the brewed tea is also what I would describe as earthy. There is relatively little here in the fragrance that hints at the flavors that will be experienced with the first sip.
It is incredibly smooth. No bitterness whatsoever. Just smooth from start to finish, and it finishes with a slight dryness that intensifies slightly in the aftertaste. And it’s sweet, and the thought that comes to mind when I think of the sweetness is a warm, silky caramel. So smooth and rich and sweet. It almost tastes like I’m drinking something that I shouldn’t be drinking because it tastes that good, you know? Kind of like licking the mixer blades after you’ve made a chocolate cake, you know you shouldn’t eat that raw cake batter, but, it tastes so good that you just can’t stop.
There are hints of sweet fruit in the distant, with notes of wood, leather and earth that are a little less distant, with a haze of smoke that sort of films over these flavors just a little bit. Further obscuring these notes are the incredibly decadent sweetness of the cup. As the tea begins to cool, I pick up on some creamy notes as mentioned in the above description.
A truly remarkable tea. Put simply … I think I died and went to tea heaven. If you like black tea – you’ll love this. And if you love black tea, I caution you: you may become obsessed with this one.
Lin Yun Green Tea From Infussion
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Infussion
Tea Description:
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to find refreshment just by smelling the tea? Experience it for yourself with this quality Lin Yun. Very strong taste and excellent potency. Does outstanding price/quality ratio really have to be mentioned?
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Before brewing this Lin Yun Green Tea from Infussion, I did some checking into my past notes to see if I had ever tried a Lin Yun Green Tea … and I can’t see that I have. Unless Lin Yun is known as a different tea … this is a first-time experience for me!
The aroma of the dry leaf of this Lin Yun Green Tea from Infussion is stunning – it smells just like freshly cut grass. You know those very first lawn clippings in the spring, when the grass is brand new and the smell is so unbelievably fresh and exhilaratingly clean? Yeah … that’s what this tea smells like when its dry. In contrast, the brewed tea has next to no fragrance whatsoever … with only mere hints of the vibrant grassy notes of the dry leaf, it’s difficult to believe that those leaves brewed this liquid!
But after tasting it … yes! Yes, those leaves brewed this tea! The flavor is delightfully vegetative … sweet and crisp! It’s really refreshing; I can feel it energize me from the inside out. It’s really wonderful! If you’re one who tends to not like the strong vegetative tones of a green tea … then this is not the tea for you, but if you’re one who really likes that delicious veggie taste that is a little bit sweet and a little bit savory … you’ve really got to try this! It’s a dazzling cup of tea!
I’m really g lad that I got a chance to try this tea … it’s was a delightful treat to not only be introduced to a tea that is new to me, but, also be able to try yet another wonderful tea from Infussion. I’m so impressed with this company!
Shan Lin Xi Winter Harvest from Camellia Sinensis
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Camellia Sinensis
Tea Description:
Initial impression from this taiwanese highland wulong is an aroma of ground-cherry and wheat-grass which evolves into fresh vanilla and flowers. Rich creamy texture with sweet final notes of coconut.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of this tea is intense! Dry, the leaves have a fresh, exhilarating scent that reminds me of the smell of the mountain air and wildflowers. The brewed infusion has more fruit notes than the dry leaf, but the floral tones are still there, although they are a bit softer than that of the raw leaf.
The tea infuses to a light amber color, and the flavor is sweet and creamy. “Buttery” is often a term I use to describe greener Oolongs and even some green teas, but I don’t think it would apply to this particular tea, because while it is creamy like butter, the flavor is more like the creaminess of a coconut, it is fruit-like and sweet. The description above pretty much nails it – I do taste notes of coconut as well as notes of vanilla, and crisp floral notes.
The later infusions seem to focus more on the floral tones than the fruit notes. The creaminess in the first infusions subsides, making way for a more floral taste with sharp orchid notes. A hint of almost grassy vegetation begins to emerge as well, and the fruit tones become more mellow.
A delightful cup – a little different from the typical “green” Oolong – but every bit as enjoyable, if not more so!