Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea From Taiwan
Tea Description:
This premium-quality oolong tea is grown in the Li Shan mountain range at an altitude of 2400 meters. The climate of these high mountains is ideal for growing fine oolong tea. The cool air and high humidity produce a tea with full, robust flavor and long-lasting aftertaste.
The brewed tea has an exquisite aroma and brews to an appealing amber liquor. The leaves can can be re-brewed many times while maintaining a full flavor.
Tea grown on Mount Li (Li Shan or Pear Mountain) is the most prized oolong tea in Taiwan. It is ideally suited for gong fu style brewing.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of this tea is so sinful. Sweet, dreamy, creamy, like buttered popcorn. Before even taking a sip, I’m in love.
The after taste is of such a crisp green grassy flavor, like after a light morning rainfall. Not a gloomy rainfall but a summer sun shower. Everything is bright, clear, and clean smelling.
Like a summer shower, spirits are lifted and worries drift away when sipping this lovely tea, and like the summer sun, the color of this tea is golden yellow, beautiful.
There is an element to this tea that reminds me of genmaicha, its that toasted rice taste that resembles popcorn. Its one of my favorite flavors.
I also want to mention the floral aspect of this tea. A Steepter friend of mine mentioned geranium flower and I could not agree more!
There are also spicy and herbaceous notes to this tea as well. Slightly like cinnamon that tingles the palate and leaves it just a tad bit warm. The herbaceous notes come through most in the after taste and linger with the geranium note.
The only thing I am saddened about right now is that my sample is gone. This is truly a tea to be coveted and I would love to see this in my regular stash.
It is truly a complex and complete tea, layered in flavors, each time you peel back one layer another presents, all cumulating into one delicious experience.
On The 1st Day of Christmas, 52Teas sent to me …
Yep, it’s back! The 12 days of Christmas tea box from 52Teas. I’ve been looking forward to this! Even though I’ve probably tasted most of the teas in this box, as I’ve ordered just about every tea that Frank has created this year, I’m still excited to see which teas he has included, as well as excited to revisit some of my favorites!
Yes, I realize that the 12 days of Christmas aren’t supposed to start until after the holiday, but, Frank has started his own tradition of sorts, making the 12 days start on December14, and end on Christmas morning… and I personally like it this way, it makes for a very fun countdown!
For the first day of Christmas, 52Teas sent to me …
BUTTERED POPCORN FLAVORED BLACK TEA
This tea definitely deserves a spot in the 12 days of Christmas package, because it is one of my favorites from the last 12 months or so. Actually, this one was released on the week of November 22, 2010, and my review of this tea was published on December 7, 2010.
Frank, being the “Willy Wonka of Teas” that he is, has managed to capture the flavor of buttered popcorn and add it to his blend of Nilgiri and Assam black teas. And as weird as it may sound, it is actually really delicious.
This tea is best served hot, in my opinion (Cold popcorn is just kind of … meh!) and I recommend adding a tiny pinch of salt to the cup. It doesn’t need sweetener, but, if you want to add it, it’s quite alright. I happen to like to add a little bit of agave nectar to this tea, it gives it a “Kettle Corn” kind of taste. Yummy!
Yep, it is nice to revisit this one … and it tastes as good now as it did back then.
I anxiously await to see what tea tomorrow – the Second Day of Christmas! – brings!
Organic Genmai Matcha Powder from shizuokatea.com
Tea Type: Matcha (Green Tea)
Where To Buy: shizuokatea.com
Product Description:
ORGANIC GENMAI MATCHA GREEN TEA POWDER
JAPANESE LANGUAGE BULK PACKAGINGPrice: $10
Organic Genmai Matcha green tea powder is the combination of finely ground organic whole leaf Sencha tea leaves, organic Genmai (toasted brown rice) and organic Matcha (high-quality tea leaf powder). It has the same outstanding taste as our Organic Genmai Matcha loose leaf tea. Organic Genmai Matcha green tea powder has been produced according to the strict guidelines of the JAS (Japan Agricultural Standard) and is certified organic.
- 40 grams (1.4 ounces)
- Makes 40 100 ml servings of tea
- Instructions: Add approximately one gram of powder to 100 ml of water and stir. A measuring spoon is included.
Please Note: Organic Genmai Matcha green tea powder dissolves immediately in hot or cold water with very light stirring. In cold water you may notice small beads of undissolved powder at the top, which are not bitter tasting and very healthy. If not consumed right away, some of the powder will settle to the bottom or your cup, so simply stir again if desired.
Tasters Review:
The very first time I tried this terrific matcha – I immediately thought of Veggie Booty. What IS Veggie Booty? It’s only the BEST puffed rice/corn you’ll ever taste in your life!
- Baked puffed rice & corn
- Spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, parsley
In a nutshell these are the things that make Veggie Booty great! To find out more about Veggie Booty go here. As for how this all connects to this specific tea…here goes! This matcha smells like veggies and popcorn. The aroma and the taste BOTH remind me of Veggie Booty…one of my all-time favorite snacks! Now…if you are looking at the ingredients and comparison and scratching your head – don’t knock it – ’til you try it! Just think buttery popcorn and veggies – more specifically leafy greens. Add a smooth finish and aftertaste and there you have it! Organic Ganmai Matcha Powder! This really is a wonderful tasting matcha!
Richard’s Popcorn-And-A-Movie Oolong from Ducky Life Tea
Tea Type: Oolong
Where To Buy: Ducky Life Tea
Product Description:
We named this amazing Oolong for its distinctive buttery aroma and its fascinating taste-rich, smooth, and slightly sweet, with intriguing butter-like overtones. It reminds us of buttered popcorn. The tea, from the high mountains of Taiwan, has broad leaves that brew up beautifully to a light golden color. It’s absolutely delicious! One whiff, one sip, and you know you’ve found something special.
Tasters Review:
Recently I was introduced to Ducky Life Tea. I really LOVE the “extra things” this company does such as the company name – CUTE, the logo – PRECIOUS, the tins – nice, convenient, handy, and durable…not to mention the packaging – unique and memorable!
Their website is user-friendly and pleasing to the eye. They have great customer service and answered my email very quickly. They have some really nifty gift sets and gift ideas as well!
Then it comes to the tea…
The first Ducky Life Tea I tried was their Richard’s Popcorn-And-A-Movie Oolong and my tea experience really WAS ducky!
I’m not sure if it’s because of the name or it actually smells like this or not…but…
The loose leaf ACTUALLY SMELLS like corn kernels prior to popping! The taste is buttery and the post-infusion aroma smelled even more buttery. Not like buttered veggies like other oolongs, this really did make me think I was in a movie theatre! The buttery scent was more of a butter popcorn – just like the name indicates. The beginning of the sip is sweeter – then it turns a little bit vegetal but it’s a gentle veggie taste. I am honored to add Richard’s Popcorn-And-A-Movie Oolong from Ducky Lie Tea to my stash!
