First off, my apologizes, this review is long overdue. Life sort of happened to this admin and I’m slowly getting back on track. An additional review is coming for the lovely tea pot they also sent but for this review is for the tea that Umi Tea Sets graciously sent along.
To kick off this review right, let’s just start off by saying how excited we were to receive Dragon Well Lung Ching Green Tea. Green tea is my favorite tea and always my go to tea to start any day off right or just to take a moment and enjoy, something I was desperately needing to do.
So to steep this tea up properly, I found my always amazing Wall Tea Infuser Mug, prepped up some water, added my leaves and set myself up for a proper cuppa.
I allowed the teas to brew for a few moments and took my first sip. One sip instantly turned into a huge gulp of not so lady like tea drinking. I downed my first cuppa with abandonment and eagerly enjoyed every drop. This green tea is smooth, delicious, simple, yet so alluring and enticing.
The first notes you get are a nutty variety with a hint of a buttery richness. The tea’s texture is so incredibly smooth that you really do need to sit back and take a moment to really enjoy the tea. The more and more I drank this tea and allowed the leaves to steep, the more the astringency notes start to come out but I am finding the charm in those notes. I am adoring how well the astringency, vegetal, and smooth notes combine and provide a fabulous sip-after sip experience.
My next go with this tea is to try the tea as an iced tea and I can’t wait to report back on those details. For my first experience with Umi Tea Sets tea offerings, I’m instantly hooked. Really delicious and teh perfect tea for this green tea loving gal!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Umi Tea Sets
Description
Longjing/Lung Ching tea, also known as Dragon Well tea, is a famous variety of green tea grown in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. This is the source of the irresistible Long Jing (Dragon Well) green tea, the best of which smells and tastes like an essence of chlorophyll and creamed hazelnuts. The leaves of Dragon Well are broad and flat, no longer than the average finger nail, and is very similar to the Japanese green tea, “Sencha”. When steeped, the leaves open up revealing a very clean taste. Since ancient times, scene of West Lake and Longjing tea have long been described in quotes of famous literati. Su Dongpo said that “Good Tea as Pretty Lady”, a high praise of West Lake Longjing. It is green in color, fragrant, and sweet with beautiful shape, and due to these four splendiferous characters, known in China and other countries.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Japanese Sun Rouge from Upton Tea Imports. . . .
Ever once in a while, I will come across a tea that will awaken my test buds and remind me of exactly why I love tea so very much. This blend will wrap me in a warm cozy hug and delight my tastebuds all while soothing my ever stressed out soul.
Today, this particular green tea did just that.
Brewed up with a tea spoon of leaves, 6 oz of water prepped at 170F and allowed to brew for 3 minutes, this tea gives you such a simple yet complex variety of flavors in each and every sip. Each and every sip you are greeted with a lovely sweet note that doesn’t overpower but brings a smile to your face with a subtle melon/floral note coming not far behind. Then the sip takes you on a different direction with a more vegetal feel. Every once in a while, I do pick up this adorable nutty flavor that I really adore. With this tea you are greeted with both the sweetness and vegetal feel that only a green tea can provide.
I have brewed up the sames leaves three times and still am greeted with this gorgeous sweet yet vetegal melon floral beautiful brew that is making my heart sing. Exactly what I needed to start my day off right. This tea is for sure is a recommended delight. I don’t believe I have ever had an Upton Tea Import tea before but I am so happy to finally have enjoyed their offerings. I have already placed an order and am looking forward to placing several more. I may actually need to pick up another oz or so of this tea since I don’t know if I’ll be able to share this particular delight with the rest of the Sisters. I may be a little stingy with this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Description
This selection has an interesting pedigree, being a mix of two special varietals. The result is a cup somewhat akin to a Kenyan purple tea, with its lavender-brown colored liquor. The aroma has a toasty/nutty sweetness. The cup is delicate and smooth with sweet herbaceous notes and hints of flowers and melon.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Green Caramel from Fava Tea. . . . .
Although this tea may sound simple, green tea and caramel flavor, it is actually quite complex! Not only does this blend include sencha green tea, but it also includes genmaicha, which is green tea and toasted/popped rice! Along with the green tea there is rooibos, cocoa pieces, caramel pieces, pineapple cubes, almond pieces, and marigold blossoms! Isn’t that quite a medley? Names can be deceiving and I am glad that I read the ingredient list because honestly it sounds delicious.
And it is delicious! The green teas are toasty, nutty, smooth and vegetal. The rooibos adds a little bit of an extra nuttiness. The cocoa pieces are there, but just barely gives a small hint of cocoa. The caramel is of course smooth and sweet and creamy. The almond adds to the nuttiness! All of them together create a yummy, healthy, and energizing blend that is reminiscent of caramel popcorn sprinkled with almonds and cocoa powder! I really enjoyed it.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Fava Tea
Description
Find gold at the end of every sip with this sweet and toasty blend of caramels and green tea. Creamy and perfect!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Dragon from Transcendence . . . .
Ever encountered a tea that just transcends you into that perfect soulful moment that makes you think everything is going to be ok?
Every once in a while, I’ll come across a tea that just demands my full attention. No multi-tasking is allowed while encountering this tea. No TV, no tablet, no phone. . . .just the serene organic noises from my kids playing-using their imagination to create fun games that only the two of them understand. Don’t get me wrong, I drink brilliant tea blends from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed, but some teas just take you a different level. Dragon from Transcendence is the latest example of this sort of tea for me.
Dragon from Transcendence is a simple no fuss green tea- a Long Jing tea to be precise. This tea gives you all the love of a well balanced green tea while providing levels of gorgeous flavor through each sip.
First sip in you are greeted with the familiar nutty slightly vegetal tone while half way through a hint of sweetness makes an approached with that nutty slightly bitter flavor coming back for the final touch. A lovely mix of sweet nutty vegetal that green teas are known for. This one is especially well balanced and after infusing the tea leaves to exhaustion, this tea has carved a special place in my tea drinking regime.
I’m a green tea kind of girl, drinking this particular tea like there is no tomorrow. But Dragon from Transcendence took me by surprise by who lovely the brew was and reminded me why I love green teas so much. The name Dragon fits this tea so perfectly too! Named after the creature that stalked the area where this tea is grown, this tea gives you all the love you can take with that subtle touch of bitterness that shows you Dragon is a tea that craves-no-demands attention!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Transcendence
Description
DRAGON also known as Long Jing tea is almost as famous as the beast it is named after, being one of the most renowned teas in China. Grown close to the West Lake in Hangzhou; Long Jing tea is surrounded by mountains, forests, and creeks – truly a Dragon’s playground. With a sweet taste and little bitterness; Long Jing will make you strong and as resilient, as a DRAGON…..
DRAGON engages the strength and power within you with its Caffeine and Vitamin C content (Thompson et al. 2001; Nienman et al. 2002; Stuart et al. 2005; Beck et al. 2006; Keisler and Armsey 2006; Jones 2008; Yfanti et al. 2010).
Furthermore, Amino Acids found in DRAGON have been shown to have a performance enhancing effect and can also be used as energy source, when stores are dwindling (DeSourza and Green,2005; Williams 2005; Burrin and Stoll, 2008; Zhou et al. 2013)
So transcend your limits with the power and intensity of a DRAGON, and let nothing get in the way of your goals…
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Pecan Shortbread from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
Jasmine Pecan Shortbread by A Quarter to Tea- Doesn’t this sound so interesting? I love pecans. I put pecans in my shortbread. Yes, I make shortbread and yes it is absolutely incredible shortbread. I put pecans in it to add that crunch and my other half and I go nuts (no pun intended) over it. But, my shortbread is laden with butter. A Quarter to Tea’s “shortbread”, though? Not so much. What better way to get my cravings in than with this? I have been so excited to try this blend and I think today is the perfect day to do so.
I steeped this blend for four minutes with hot water. I used half of a sample bag in my 12oz mug. Once steeped I could smell sweet jasmine, the vegetal green tea, cookies, and the nutty pecans. The smell was very realistic! My first thought when I tasted it is that I could taste the green tea, which I love. I love green tea so I don’t mind when it’s flavor is strong. I think that the second part I tasted was the floral jasmine followed by nutty pecans and finished with slight sweet cookie and vanilla flavor just at the very end. I’m actually really digging this blend, wow. It is good! I’m sipping on it as I write this and the more I drink the more I can taste pecan shortbread freckled with jasmine. The aroma of sweet vanilla and jasmine is definitely there as well, and that, coupled with the taste of pecan cookies, makes for a very happy “me”.
You got to try this one, people! Yeah, i’m probably going to be ordering more. YUM! I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, A Quarter to Tea is just plain winning.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Lovely vanilla, butter and pecans flavors with a jasmine background. Definitely try more than one steep — the more steeps, the more the jasmine comes to play!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!