The best part about a portable gaiwan is that you can bring it places that would be too awkward for other tea accessories.
Nothing quite like a good session on the beach. Though our MN sand is kinda rough. 1st steeping. Couple of minutes.
Light yellow liquid. Mellow with no astringency.
Beautiful fuzzy leaves and gorgeous pale green leaves. Velvety and oddly floral in aroma. Or maybe more akin to a very dark chocolate?
Flavor is earthy. Slightly rough on the tongue with the third steeping.
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Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
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Melonade/DAVIDs Tea
The weather is warmer which means more and more reaching for summery blends. That means a lot of fruity blends become more appealing and I start picking up lemonade for a super refreshing beverage, tea lemonades.
Tea lemonades are actually how I got my sister to drink tea. Technically, I suppose it was the staff at DAVIDsTEA who got her to drink tea by giving her a sample of their Frozen Raspberry blend, iced and mixed with some lemonade. She liked it so much, she actually purchased the tea and it is one of two blends she keeps stocked. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of that tea so instead I reached for this one, Melonade, to go with my lemonade craving.
I was not sure what to expect from this green tea with apple, melon , carrot, roasted chicory root, sweet blackberry leaves, apple pomace, lemon peel, beetroot, passion fruit granules , marigold blossoms, citric acid, and natural and artificial flavouring. I was a little hesitant mostly because I usually don’t like chicory or blackberry leaves. With that said, I am happy to report that as a tea lemonade, this is really quite nice.
This tea lemonade can only be described as juicy. It is like sweet, fresh melon just overflowing with juice. I have actually had a lemon drop melon before which is a melon version of lemon drop candies and this tea lemonade reminds me so much of that – sweet melon, kept from being too sweet by slightly tart lemon. It really is refreshing and just Summer in a cup. Yum!
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Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
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Kenya ‘Rhino’ Premium White Tea/What-Cha
Many of my tea drinking friends tend to have preferences for black teas. Black teas are usually bolder and richer than other types of teas. In contrast, white teas and green teas are among the least preferred of the tea drinkers I know. These kinds of teas tend to be lighter and more delicate. They are the teas that need to be brewed at cooler temperatures or they risk being burned and bitter. There is an exception to these teas though, the White Rhino.
White Rhino is a type of white tea that is more akin to a black tea. It is more robust and can be brewed more harshly without risk of bitterness. It is richer and more malty than most white teas. What-Cha’s Kenya ‘Rhino’ Premium White Tea is no different.
What-Cha’s Kenya ‘Rhino’ Premium White Tea is brewed in 90C water for 2-3 minutes. The end result is a delicious hybrid between typical white tea and black tea flavor profiles. Zero bitterness or astringency. Slightly caramel, slightly hay, slight stone fruit, slightly melon. A whole lot of natural sweetness and freshness. It truly is the best of both worlds.
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Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: What-Cha
Description
A white tea unique to Kenya which attains its gold and white appearance through a hand-rolling process. It is fuller than typical white teas with smooth sweet stone fruit and melon notes with caramel hints and no trace of bitterness or astringency.
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Raspberry Almond Coffee from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
Tart berries combine with sweetness, nuts, and a bit of Slytherin darkness to form this really well-balanced tea. It’s like a date with a mysterious, complex woman.
I’m surprised it’s white tea, actually, because there’s so much flavor flying out of it. White tea is the new Hip Thing To Drink. It’s usually pretty delicate, which makes the punch of this surprising.
What makes white tea white tea? LET ME TELL YOU, KIDS. GATHER ROUND. BRING YOUR BLANKET.
White tea is called white tea because of its color. It is tea leaves plucked very early in the tea’s life, before it unfurls and turns a rich green (green tea). The tea is also not oxidized, which is a process that darkens the leaf (black tea). The leaf, aside from its natural paleness, also still has its white fuzz. These factors combine for a really light, delicate flavor.
Usually. Not here.
This tea is basically the romantic interest in a film noir. She’s pale, dramatic, and has a few tricks up her sleeve.
This tea isn’t currently available, but if you contact A Quarter To Tea, they will often make custom orders of 4oz or more.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Roasty and warming with sweet almonds and a bright fruity finish.
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Strawberry Shortcake from The NecessiTeas. . . .
I want to start by saying that CuppaGeek sent me this sample a long time ago and I stupidly let it get lost in my stash. Though my teas are kept away from Sunlight in a cool and dry place, this was only stored in a single ziploc bag and might have had some flavor deterioration due to improper storage. As a result, my review should be considered with that in mind…
When I looked up the NecessiTeas’ Strawberry Shortcake on their website, it was suggested to try it hot or poured over ice. I decided to try it both ways since the sample I was sent was quite generous. I brewed both the hot and iced tea for 3 minutes in 185F degree water, my standard temperature for brewing white teas.
The hot tea is very subtly flavored but pleasantly so. Again the subtlety of the flavoring could be due to flavor deterioration from age and improper storage but then again a Strawberry Shortcake is a lighter and more gently flavored cake so that could also be intentional. Subtle as it is, there is still all the components of its namesake in the flavor. The white tea makes this buttery, like an angel food cake, while there is a smooth creaminess to the tea as a whole. The strawberry sneaks up on you but really fills out the aftertaste. It is good and now I am kicking myself for not trying it sooner because I want more strawberry and more cream but perhaps there was more when the tea first arrived. I guess I will never know.
The iced tea I don’t like as much. That creaminess that is portrayed in the hot cup is entirely lost here. Instead it is a whole lot of white tea flavors with a touch of strawberry tucked in. No cream. No cake. More sweet hay notes and that little bit of fruit. It is also just the slightest bit soapy from the base.
All in all, this tea is middle of the pack for me. Granted I might have felt differently if I’d try this sooner but I also might not have. There are other teas that have been stored in a similar fashion for an equal amount of time that still pack a flavor punch. This is just too subtle and since I don’t love white teas, I find myself seeking more flavor. It is pleasant enough but one I feel I might forget as I continue on my tea journey.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for white tea blends that are!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
