Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Full-flavored tea is exquisitely accented with a sweet muscat grapes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Today is my daughter’s 18th Birthday and in celebration of her special day I wanted to do a review on her favorite tea. There are only a handful of teas my daughter really loves, not being much of a tea drinker, however this one is the one tea she absolutely adores. She will smell Muscat Oolong steeping even if she is in the other room. She always comes out sniffing the air saying in a sweet voice, “Muscat?” She always has the same look on her face too, that look that says “You know I will be taking that cup now right mom?”. So instead of having her take my cup I have learned to always prepare one for her when I make my own, which of course I don’t mind! Any tea lover wants others to share the joy with them, especially if it is their dear child.
This tea is much like my darling daughter, delicate, refined, well mannered, unpretentious, and sweet.
The tea base is a lovely dark roasted oolong with character and depth that allows the Muscat to play off its power which I feel enhances the sweetness nicely. While the Muscat is sweet it is absolutely the sweetness of fresh Muscat and not that of some artificial flavor additive. The cup is juicy and very natural tasting.
As I said before, my daughter can sniff this tea out from the other room, but it may be that just about anyone could as the aroma is amazing, intoxicating really.
The tea is so good unadulterated yet with a little rock sugar the sweetness of the grape really shines. I by no means feel you need to add the sugar though. My daughter prefers hers with no additives. You really can’t go wrong either way. Straight it is refreshing and pure juicy goodness, with sugar it is sweeter and the sugar brings out a wine like flavor. Perhaps that is why I prefer it with sugar, as I used to really love a quality wine.
The experience of drinking this tea makes you feel as if you have just walked through a beautiful vineyard and are now sampling some of the grapes and wine that were birthed there.
Of course it is no surprise to me that my daughter would choose her favorite tea to be one of such beauty and perfection – as it is just a mirror of herself.
Happy birthday to my Emma.
Warm Apple Pie from sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black and White Blend
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
Warm Apple Pie is the experience of biting into that wonderful pie with the cinnamon and apples baked together wrapped in a flaky crust, without the guilt. Loose leaf Bai Mudan white tea & Assam flowery Orange Pekoe Black tea combined with Naturally Dried Apples and Organic Maple syrup crystals giving that rich apple pie taste. Local fresh pressed apple cider is infused in the dried apples to enhance the apple experience in this tea.
Bai Mudan White Tea, Assam Flowery Black Tea, Naturally Dried Apple, Fresh pressed Apple Cider, Organic Maple Syrup Crystals, Cinnamon, Allspice
Naturally Caffeinated
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the package my eyes rolled back in my head and I emoted some primal “yummmmmm” sound. My mother made the most delicious apple crumble for Thanksgiving and this tea was spot on for that amazing aroma!
From the scent alone, my mouth was watering at the ripe juicy smell of apple! Now you may or may not know but sTEAp Shoppe uses all natural flavoring in their teas and Janet of sTEAp Shoppe works painstakingly to perfect her blends without going the easy route of artificial flavors! Her dedication to using natural ingredients is something I applaud.
First sip … Lord have mercy! This is so very very good. To me, its more of a tisane than a tea because it is something I would reach for in the evening when I need my sweet tooth appeased. The tea bases themselves are not what is front and center here but sometimes I just don’t care if I can taste the tea in a blend. I can’t say I am shocked by this either because in dry form the tea is not what is front and center either. More so oodles and oodles of apple pieces. Now of course there is tea present both in dry form and in the flavor of the tea itself but truly what stands out here is an all natural very fresh decedent flavor of apple cider, warm pie, maple, and a very delicious cobbler like flavor. Pie, cobbler, tort, whatever … its soooo good!
We have many apple orchards near my residence, luckily I have been exposed to many wonderful apples in my days, and I have to say that this tea brings back memories of growing up by an apple orchard, or the Apple Festival we have every year, or the historic park not too far from me where this dear old man runs a cider mill on weekends. Not to mention memories of that amazing apple pie my mother made for Thanksgiving recently.
This tea is on the sweeter side, the longer it sits and cools the sweeter it becomes. Yet with the all natural ingredients it offers so many health benefits it takes away the guilt of enjoying such a delicious decedent dessert, or um, I mean tea.
Rui Feng Jin Xuan from Tea From Taiwan
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea From Taiwan
Tea Description:
Winter 2009
This is a Jin-Xuan tea from Rui-Feng in the Alishan tea district.
When Jin-Xuan tea leaves are lightly roasted during processing, they have a unique milk flavor which is called nai xiang or milk oolong.
Rui-Feng Jin Xuan has a slightly astringent flavor which mellows with subsequent brewings. The milk flavor is evident in the aftertaste, and combines with a pleasing herbaceous aroma for a complex flavor which changes slightly with each brewing.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was delighted when I opened the box and saw the pretty packages this tea arrived in! I love decorative, pretty things and when tea comes in pretty packaging I squeal. Okay I’m a girl, but truly the packages were so pretty I didn’t even want to cut this one open to try the tea. However, you are here to read about the tea so here it is:
A lovely light oolong that is easy on the palate. This won’t be the most taste bud busting oolong you try but if you appreciate an all natural milk oolong with subtle, more delicate flavor notes then this is for you!
There is a lovely lilting floral note that dances playfully with a very slight buttery note. These notes are backed up by a very airy green flavor. When mixed with the floral notes it is reminiscent of sniffing a bouquet of herbaceous flowers, sweet yet lightly savory.
The after taste is refreshing and makes for a lovely after dinner tea.
While it is not in your face with flavors that are popping all over the place it is somewhat surprisingly soothing. A nice mediative tea.
I also feel this would be a great tea to use as an introductory oolong to those just trying oolong for the first time. What it lacks in shock value of that “in your face flavor” it makes up for with its delicate palate of not being too overpowering.
One could arguably say that the true design of this tea is for those who want to sit back and savor something more complex than a tea that vies for your every bit of attention. Yet some may argue this tea lacks complexity by being so laid back.
Which ever side you fall on I can say that this tea offers pleasant aromas, sweet milky indulgence, floral notes that are quite beautiful, and airy, grassy, vegetative green flavors that please the palate wonderfully.
This would not be my all time go-to oolong as I do fall more on the side of the obvious flavors yet there is something about this tea that makes me sit back, relax, unwind, and enjoy the polite mannerisms it offers.
Peach Oolong from Art of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Art of Tea
Tea Description:
Delightful and refreshing, this wonderfully distinctive tea exhibits a rich Autumnal flavor of ripened peaches with lingering hints of oak and a long honey finish.
Water Temperature: 185 – 206 F degrees
Caffeine Content: Medium
Steep Time: 3-5 minutes
Suggested Serving Size: 1 Tbsp/8oz
Ingredients: Organic Oolong Tea, Organic Rosehips, Organic Marigolds, Natural Flavors
Origin: Art of Tea Blend
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was happy to receive this tea from a tea swap partner recently. I love peach flavored teas and I love oolong! I also recently placed my first order with Art of Tea so I was excited to sample their teas before my order arrives.
I have to say that I am not getting much peach in this cup. Granted it is a naturally flavored tea and organic which I love, and like in many organic and naturally flavored teas the flavor is going to be a bit lighter, so I anticipated this. However, it still seems to be a little too much on the light side for my liking. If I had not been aware that this was supposed to be peach flavored it would have been difficult for me to determine what if any flavor was in it.
I attempted to liven up the flavor of the peach by adding german rock sugar but unfortunately that only made my tea sweet.
In all honesty – the oolong base itself was not all that outstanding. Not a bad base, nothing unsavory about it, just not that strong or bold.
In all fairness, desperate to figure out if I was simply missing the boat on this tea, I searched up other’s reviews on it. What I discovered is that most others felt as I did about this tea, while there are a few who loved how subtle the peach notes were. So for some, this tea is splendrous so if you are one who really likes a tea with subtle, gentle flavors, this may be the perfect peach for you!
It is indeed a gentle tea. Still I am looking forward to my order from Art of Tea, the flavors I have coming sound scrumptious! This just simply is not MY cup of tea.