Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Description:
A Fujian Oolong which has been fermented for longer than our normal Fujian Oolong tea. It brews a golden yellow and has a slightly smoky taste with a full bodied, sweet long lasting finish with a cinnamon aftertaste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As you may have guessed by the name of this tea, this single estate Black Oolong Tea from Lu-Lin Teas is a very dark, deeply fermented Oolong. The dry leaves are a dark, chocolate-y brown, and possess an aroma that is sweet with notes of fruit.
The flavor is rich with hints of smoke. There is a fruity background note that reminds me of a ripe plum: sweet with just a hint of sour. The mouthfeel is soft, not creamy like some Oolong teas, instead, this has more of a smooth … almost silken kind of mouthfeel.
There are lovely notes of spice to this cup. The above description suggests a cinnamon-like aftertaste and I get where they’re going with that. I taste a certain “warm spice” note … maybe not a distinct cinnamon-y note, but it is warm and comforting and reminiscent of cinnamon.
There are notes of oak to this cup as well. As this is my second time enjoying this tea, I can say that the tea offers quite an adventure. The first time I brewed the tea, I was conservative with the leaf, and discovered hints of chocolate and caramel to the cup. This time, I added a little extra leaf to my gaiwan and I am noticing more of a fruit/wood/spice kind of taste going on.
Subsequent infusions allowed the spice notes to become a little more defined, and in my third cup, I began to notice more definition to the aforementioned “cinnamon-like” taste. The fruit notes became smoother with subsequent infusions, becoming less sour and more sweet. It is definitely worth the effort to infuse this tea multiple times!
Having tried a few Lu-Lin teas now, I can say that I’m very impressed with this company and especially pleased with their high quality Oolong teas, like this one. This is a really delightful Oolong – a definite must try for Oolong enthusiasts who are looking for something a little different … as well as those who want an Oolong that is less “floral” – this one might be to your liking!
Breakfast Blend No. 1 from Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Description:
Our unique Breakfast Tea that has been blended to LuLin Teas high standards. It has the characteristic strong taste from a breakfast tea that is not too overwhelming and tastes great with milk.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Breakfast Blend No. 1 from Lu-Lin Teas is a perfect example of what a Breakfast Blend should be! It is rich and full-flavored. It is robust and yet brisk and bright. It tastes great served straight … but would also take the additions of milk and/or honey quite well. (Or, if you prefer, a thin slice of lemon!)
The aroma of the dry leaf is earthy and sweet, with hints of leather and a very subtle note of fruit in the distance. The fragrance of the brewed tea has much of the same qualities, although I notice that the sweetness takes on a caramel-y sort of scent.
The flavor is bold yet it has an uplifting briskness to it. It’s very invigorating without tasting too heavy. It is sweet with subtle notes of malt that meld nicely with the caramel undertone. The flavor is rich and has a sort of “bake-y” quality that is reminiscent of freshly baked bread. I notice a great deal of complexity within this “baked bread” kind of flavor … I notice a roasted kind of flavor that gives off an almost “smoky” kind of essence. It is faint, but it’s there … I also notice earthy notes.
By mid-cup, I start to notice a fruity taste start to develop. It is somewhat citrus-y, and I pick up on this flavor toward the finish and it lingers into the aftertaste.
This is a very pleasant Breakfast Blend! I really enjoyed it.
Lavender Chocolate and Cinnamon Rooibos Blend from Lu-Lin Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tisane Description:
This is a caffeine free blend made from African Red Bush, cinnamon bark, cocoa shells and a sprinkling of lavender. The flavours infuse in a sweet and floral harmony. The perfect dessert tea as it contains no calories but satisfies your sweet tooth.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Lavender Chocolate and Cinnamon Rooibos Blend from Lu-Lin Teas just smells too good! The combination of cinnamon and chocolate evokes thoughts of my homemade hot cocoa … something I haven’t made in a long time (what can I say? I’ve been busy drinking tea!) but something that when I take the time to make is absolutely indulgent. And the hint of lavender adds such a lovely floral tone to the aroma without going overboard and making it smell like a bar of soap.
And the best part about this tisane is that it tastes just like I wanted it to taste. It is a pleasing balance of the key three ingredients … just enough of each one to provide a lovely flavor that is sweet, cinnamon-y … chocolate-y and floral … and not very rooibos-y! That’s a win-win in my book.
The cinnamon is sweet and has just enough sassy spice to keep the flavor interesting without overwhelming the cup – something that cinnamon can sometimes do! The chocolate … well, I am a chocoholic, so yes, there could be more cacao flavor here, but, there is enough to bring a smile to my face. It taste delicious and decadent.
But the real surprise here is the way the lavender plays in this cup … it is delicate and sweet. Lavender is one of those ingredients that when overdone, the tea ends up tasting soapy, and when underdone … what’s the point. This is has a lovely floral intonation but not so much that I taste “soap.” Instead, I just taste delicious lavender … one of my favorite tea floral flavors.
A really lovely tisane … I highly recommend this one, whether you’re a fan of chocolate, or of cinnamon, or of lavender (or if you happen to be a fan of all three, like me!) you really should try this tisane!
Ginseng Oolong (Lan Gui Ren) Tea Cubed from Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Description:
8 Tea Cubes containing our bestselling Single Estate Ginseng Oolong. It is made by rolling Oolong leaves into tight balls and coating them in a thin layer of ginseng and liquorice grass. When brewed it is fairly sweet and has a hint of liquorice.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have been a long-time advocate for loose leaf tea, and while I do occasionally drink tea made with bagged tea leaves, I rarely find a bagged tea that offers as good a tea as loose leaf. The reason is that the bag or sachet seldom offers enough room for the tea leaves to expand fully, so that the leaves can release their full flavor. The tea leaves need lots of room … and this is especially true with Oolong teas which I have found often expand up to six or seven times their dry volume. If an Oolong tea is confined to a bag or sachet, it simply does not have the room it needs to offer you – the drinker – the best flavor possible.
Well, this is the FIRST bagged tea I can stand behind with confidence. It is a “cubed” bag, and these sachets offer more room that the tea needs to expand fully. Now that’s what I’m talking about! If you MUST have a bagged tea because the convenience is important to you … this is the bagged tea that offers you BOTH convenience and the full flavor of loose leaf.
This Ginseng Oolong from Lu-Lin Teas a pleasant enough Oolong. I don’t usually get excited over Ginseng, it isn’t my favorite herb … but, I am not hating it when it’s brought together with the smooth, sweet flavor of Oolong tea. The overall cup tastes sweet, earthy, and there is a hint of spicy licorice. Pleasant … not something I’d drink everyday, but, something that I’d find enjoyable on occasion.
And if Ginseng Oolong doesn’t make you jump through hoops, there are many other teas that Lu-Lin Teas offers in their cubed sachets. These cubed sachets are the perfect option while traveling or at the office. They offer the convenience of a bagged tea and the flavor of loose leaf. A win-win!
Posh Earl Grey from Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Description:
A LuLin Teas take on the English favourite Earl Grey. We’ve added bright blue corn flowers and zesty orange flowers to create our wonderful Posh Earl Grey Blend. Add a slice of lemon, drink with milk or keep it black for three very different taste sensations.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Posh Earl Grey is the first tea that I’ve tried from Lu-Lin Teas … and this is a company I’ve been excited to try for months now! I heard about them on Facebook, I think, and I’ve been in contact with a representative of the company, Hannah, about possibly sampling some of their products for a while, but because they’re in the UK, they wanted to wait until they were able to expand their shipping to the United States.
Well, they’re available here now … as well as in the UK, and this Posh Earl Grey is an excellent version of my classic favorite. It tastes smoother than a typical Earl Grey; it is not quite as pungent … the bergamot tastes sweeter and maybe a little less tangy than what I’ve become used to. And I like this difference. Oh sure, I still love that classic taste of bergamot, but I love it when I find something a little different too.
The black tea tastes … silky. It has a smooth flavor from start to finish. There is very little astringency and no bitterness whatsoever. It isn’t what I’d call a robust tasting tea, but, what it lacks in boldness, it makes up for with its even tone … I like that it is just so smooth!
The bergamot is nicely balanced, not overwhelming but also not too subtle. It has a very pleasing citrus-y taste, tasting bright and slightly acidic, but mostly, what I taste is a really lovely sweetness from the bergamot. It is a very pleasing, well-rounded cup.
If this tea is any indication of the quality and flavor of teas I can expect from this company, I’d say I’m in for a wonderful experience with Lu-Lin Teas!