Tea Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: Tea Oh
Product Description:
A sweet and nutty, dessert-worthy tea.
Tasters Review:
Pecan Pie from Tea Oh couldn’t smell MORE like Pecan Pie! The aroma is RIGHT ON! After infusing there is a bit of texture to the liquid.
The taste is VERY nutty with the Rooibos taste standing right by it’s side. The aftertaste somewhat resembles the pie crust type taste, I suppose.
I have found many “pie” flavored teas and tisanes miss the mark on the “pie” or “Crust” taste but this one is as close as I have come across and for that I am pleased with this flavored Rooibos!
White Christmas from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Product Description:
A black tea blend with the sweet aroma of white chocolate and apricot.
Taster’s Review:
Yesterday, I reviewed a tea called White Christmas from Harney & Sons. Today, I am reviewing a tea by the same name – and yet, the two are very different teas, indeed!
This tea offers a robust black tea base that is quite invigorating. It would serve well as a morning tea, or if one is in need of a little afternoon pick-me-up, this tea would fit that bill as well. There is a bit of astringency to this cup, but it doesn’t overwhelm. I will say that I steeped this tea for 4 minutes and notes of bitterness were starting to emerge, so I recommend steeping for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes maximum to avoid the bitter notes. Fortunately, these notes of bitterness were not detracting from the overall deliciousness of the tea.
When I had previously read about this tea, I knew that it was a white chocolate and apricot tea. But what I smelled when I first opened the pouch, and what I tasted with my first sip was a nutty essence! At first, I thought my memory must be playing tricks on me and that White Christmas was in fact a nutty flavored tea, and 0ne of the other teas in the holiday sampler was a white chocolate apricot.
But no, as you can read by the company’s product description (above) – this is definitely an apricot and white chocolate blend. That being said, there is a definite nutty quality to this tea. That isn’t a bad thing – because I find that it rather compliments the apricot and white tea flavors, and it gives the overall flavor a toasty, baked kind of essence, like fresh baked tea cakes!
The apricot flavor intensifies as I continue to sip on this tea. It starts out mild, and by about mid-cup, the flavor is much stronger. The white chocolate is very nice here and provides a very pleasant creamy taste and texture to the cup, with faint notes of sweet chocolate that also intensify as I get closer to the bottom of the cup.
I really like this tea! I don’t know if this is a tea that Lupicia keeps around all year or not, but, if they do, I highly recommend getting some as soon as you can! Yum!
Cloud & Mist Tea from Mark T. Wendell
Tea Type: Green Tea
Where To Buy: Mark T. Wendell
Product Description:
This tea is a unique find, deriving its name from the high altitude growing areas of the Wu Lu Mountains in the Jiangxi province of China. Grown in the gentle mountain clouds and prevalent mist, this tea consists of single bud and leaf sets that unfurl magnificently when brewed. The brewed liquor has a herbaceous aroma, a smooth and sweet taste and appears a modest yellow-green in the cup.
Tasters Review:
I assumed this would be grassier tasting based on the aroma but it has a wonderful Sweet-Buttery-Almond Type Taste to it- with a little grassiness is the middle of the sip – but then ends smoother. Smoother than I expected, too!
This is a good green tea! For those of you who think green teas are grassy or mossy tasting and leave funky-floral aftertastes…give green another try if that is what turns you off on greens! Cloud & Mist from Mark T. Wendell is different and very pleasing!
Plus…Cloud Mist Green Tea is one of China’s top ten teas. Perhaps you’ve seen it by another name from other companies?
They sometimes go by Yun Wu Green Tea, Cloud and Mist Tea, Cloud and Mist Green Tea, Cloud Mist, Yun Wu Lu Cha, Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea, Mount Lu Cloud and Mist. Regardless this is a nice, clean cuppa. Very unique and refreshingly-sweet.
Earl Grey Vanilla Almond Tea from TeaScapes
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: TeaScapes
Product Description:
Earl Grey Vanilla Almond black loose leaf tea leaves are mixed with almond pieces and vanilla flavoring. The brewed liquor offers a pleasant flavor of bergamot mixed with the nutty tones of almond and creamy undercurrents of vanilla. This loose leaf black tea is perfect for desserts or for just a pure indulgence.
Tasters Review:
This is unlike anything I have EVER smelled in my life! It’s powerful and has attitude! And I like that!
The DRY Aroma – I can smell Almond right off the bat! Right after that scent follows the Earl Grey! I can smell both – both together and separately! It’s very intense! And VERY Unique!
After infusing – the almond tones down quite a bit and the Earl Grey comes thru even more.
The color of the infused liquid is that of a medium brown.
The taste is out of this world!
I can taste the bold black tea wonderfully! Then I can taste the nicely done Earl Grey flavors and THEN the Almond barges thru! The vanilla slides in towards the end of the sip and smooths it out pleasantly.
This is such a FUN tea! I think it’s just GREAT! I’m very impressed with the aroma, flavors, and creativity of both! This is a REAL winner!
Wuyi Rock Oolong from Shanti Tea
Tea Type: Oolong
Where To Buy: Shanti Tea
Product Description:
One of the purest teas available on the world market.
Organic Wuyi Rock Oolong is one of the purest teas available on the world market. This rare oolong hails from Mount Wuyi in Nanping Prefecture, Fujian, up along the border of Jiangxi Province. In 1999, UNESCO listed the mountain as a World Heritage Site in part owing to its outstanding biodiversity. According to the UN, Mount Wuyi is one of the world’s finest, intact, subtropical forests. Further complimenting the region’s reputation, Mount Wuyi is registered with the Chinese government as a biodiversity conservation zone. The climate of the region is relatively humid due to the fact that the mountain prevents cool air from entering the valley, and the presence of the 9 Bend River meandering through its valleys. Living with this subtropical paradise is an almost unaccountable number of species of flora and fauna. Many of the plan species living on the mountain are considered relics of a bygone age, no longer found anywhere else on the planet. In amongst this jewel of biodiversity grows the world famous organic rock tea. The tea bushes, like many other plant species, are ancient, having grown amongst the mountain’s rocky outcroppings for generations. Cultivation of the plants is almost impossible given the topography, so exceptional care is taken when handling and plucking the fresh tea shoots. The harvesters typically wear light cotton gloves when handling the leaves, which are harvested in small quantities so as not to tire the bushes. The fresh leaf is then allowed to naturally semi-ferment. The resulting flavor is at once rich, delicate, and laden with floral nuance.
Tasters Review:
Right out of the envelop this smells nutty to me…much like almond, actually! As if infuses it starts smelling more woodsy almost like a damp twig.
As for the taste…this is a hearty brew! It’s quite masculine, woodsy, slightly peppery, and a little like roasted or toasted nuts! It has a gentle-semi-sweet after taste to it too!
This is interesting, different, and pretty good! Certainly a conversation piece – no matter which way you look at it. As for me…I look at it with a smiling face! This Oolong is very nice!