When my fiancé and I first started dating, he was a) charmed by my goofy nerdiness (or so I like to tell myself) and b) totally baffled that I had never really eaten smoked meat beyond the occasional barbeque. A few years into our life together now, I’m well acquainted with the intricacies of home-smoked brisket (mainly, how to eat it. YUM), which are the best BBQ joints within a fifty-mile radius, and how to reeeally love that earthy, rich flavor that smoking imparts on food. And on tea. (See! I promise this story had a point.)
This smoked maple tea from Shanti may be more nuanced than a brisket, but man, is it delicious. The dry leaf smells unmistakably maple, and brewed, you get the same delicious sweetness with the addition of classic, almost-floral oolong undertones. While I wouldn’t necessarily call this one abundantly smoky, there are some hints of smoke and spice at the end of the sip that elevate this tea to the next level. With the addition of some coconut milk, it takes on almost a toasted-marshmallow-y goodness.
I may be a relative newbie to the world of smoked-flavors, but this tea hits on all notes for me. Now to figure out if I could pass it off as a compliment to the brisket at my in-laws’ next family gathering…
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Description
A lightly smoky blend of dark oolong and maple, a best-selling breakfast Oolong.
Ingredients: Tea (Camelia Sinensis), Safflower, Natural Essences
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom from BlendBee
My family made a lot of strawberry rhubarb pies in the summertime, and each time I was tasked with washing and chopping the rhubarb from our garden. I was warned that the leaves were poisonous, and only the stems were okay to go in the pie. That dietary fact always made the bowl of chopped rhubarb and eggs and sugar all bubbling together seem like some questionable witches brew. But the resulting pie was always worth the danger, especially with all the pink strawberries in the mix.
Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom from Blend Bee works to recreate this strawberry rhubarb combination. The dry leaf smells strong and sweet, a bit like artificial strawberry candy. A good dose of hibiscus ensures that this tea brews up bright pink, and brings a blast of tart, fruity flavors. Beneath all the sweet and sour, there is a gentle green, vegetal note, perhaps from the rhubarb or the oolong, and it adds a nice freshness to the tea.
Depending on your love of strawberries, you might really enjoy this tea for the berry sweetness. For me, the strawberry flavoring is very forward, so I would to argue for more rhubarb next time. Though, to be fair, I’m not sure that I would want a full-on rhubarb-only tea. Rhubarb is achingly sour on its own, and needs strawberries and sugar to truly be palatable. There’s a reason rhubarb and strawberries are so often paired together and this tea is true to that classic strawberry rhubarb pie flavor.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Blend Bee
Description:
Juicy and refreshing, this blend has just a hint of sweetness and is rounded out with bold red fruit flavors. You will long for Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rose Oolong from Tea Ave.
I’ve been sort of meh about rose teas lately, but this one has some oomph. It’s an iron fist in a velvet glove.
This tea tastes like going to an imperial palace and walking through a rose garden. The rose and the bright oolong have a spring evening feel. You’re walking through the well-tended garden, your feet on the warm yet cooling stones, discussing diplomacy in really awesome brocade silk dresses.
This tea just has just the right amount of caffeine for a productive but not jittery afternoon. Sometimes, when I drink afternoon tea, I feel like I am having a heart attack. Not so with this tea. I’m alert, but not about to fly off the handle. Awesome. Recommended!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea Ave
Description
Our Rose Oolong is a flower tea prepared using the ancient method, in which the tea absorbs the flower fragrance during the baking progress, producing a scented tea that’s aromatic and flavorful without using any additives or chemicals.
We blend our Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong with fresh Taiwanese roses to create an elegant flower tea that is both full-bodied and mellow, with rose petals lending delicate floral notes to a robust oolong body. Rose Oolong has a floral fragrance and a rich, sweet taste. Smooth and exhilarating. Dare we say a little bit like falling in love.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom from BlendBee
Have you ever met a person with whom you clicked swiftly and intimately? Where you had a conversation and then realized “WE ARE BEST FRIENDS NOW.” You spend a lot of time with them — so much time that, if it weren’t your NEW BESTIE, you’d get sick of them. But you know that they love you too.
This is my relationship with oolong tea right now. Black tea is my time-honored long-term life partner, but oolong is a fresh buddy who wants to go art supply shopping with me.
This oolong is no exception. The dry blend smells like berries, but when it starts to steep, you pick up that rhubarb bite. Ah! Strawberry rhubarb pie! With caffeine! Just what I needed! HOW DID THEY KNOW?
The sweetness is completed by a hibiscus and rubarb sharp note. The oolong flavor itself takes a backseat, but it’s comfortable back there. It’s taking a nap on the drive.
As the tea cools, the tartness goes to the forefront. If you’re not a fan of tart teas, this might not be for you, but I definitely think strawberry & hibiscus fans should give it a shot.
This tea might just go art supply shopping with you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Juicy and refreshing, this blend has just a hint of sweetness and is rounded out with bold red fruit flavors. You will long for Sir Rhuberry Oolongbottom.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bai Ye Varietal Dan Cong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing
Behold…Bai Ye Varietal Dan Cong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing!
This Bai Ye dan Cong was picked in late April 2016 and processed through May. Instead of being processed like Dan Cong Oolong this tea was processed into Black Tea by wilting in small cloth bags in the sun and then shade. I had to think for a moment which category to put Bai Ye Varietal Dan Cong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing…an oolong or a black tea…so I put them under BOTH.
Dry – Bai Ye Varietal Dan Cong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing – smells absolutely outstanding! Much like Sweet Potato and honey. Once infused this smells like roasted sweet potato, rice, and something savory that I can’t quite put my finger on
The infusion color of Bai Ye Varietal Dan Cong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing is that of a medium brown. I was having a hard time waiting for this to cool a bit before tasting because the aroma is so enticing! YES! Bai Ye Varietal Dan Cong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing actually TASTES like baked sweet potato! It’s really quite amazing! There are nectar notes that remind me of coconut nectar that I really LOVE, too! Perhaps a honey-liking, even. It’s both sweet and savory. I like I’m in LOVE. I know I am. I’m still getting a little bit of a sticky rice hint as well. Gosh! This in incredible! As it cools it has a malty flavor that comes out to play, too! Bai Ye Varietal Dan Cong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing is wonderfully complex and offers layers and layers of flavor that just won’t quit! WOWZA! I think I will have another cup (or 10!)
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea/Black Tea
Where to Buy: Yunnan Sourcing
Description
Bai Ye Hong Cha has thick sweetness and a very pronounced baked sweet potato taste that lasts many many infusions. This tea is both excellent and peerless. You simply can’t have a similar experience with any other tea. Highly recommended for Dan Cong and Black Tea aficionados alike!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
