Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
The smooth Mandarin Silk Oolong Tea introduces organic pouchong loose-leaf tea blended with lemon myrtle, marigolds, and natural essence of vanilla. Awakening the senses with hints of cream and a stimulating citrus finish, the Silk Mandarin Tea is a rich and fragrant choice for your tea experience.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is lovely! The vanilla and the pouchong together deliver such a creamy smooth texture and taste … so sweet and indeed silky! It’s such a pleasure to sip.
The pouchong is a base that I don’t encounter very often in tea blends, it seems, and I wish that it was utilized more. It is so wonderfully soft and easy to sip, and it has such a lovely taste that melds well with other flavors. It tastes sweet and slightly vegetative on its own, but with these flavors of vanilla and lemon-y citrus, the palate seems to want to explore some of the pouchong’s fruity and floral tones, allowing for some of the flavors to come forward that I might otherwise overlook.
The citrus tones are subtle, and don’t seem to hit the palate right up front. At first, it’s really all about the vanilla and the tea, but then by about the third or fourth sip, the citrus tones arrive on the palate, just in time to give the palate something new to explore. The citrus notes start off gentle and sweet, and eventually become this very pleasantly tangy taste to offer some contrast to the creamy, sweet vanilla.
What I’m liking best about this tea is that it is a very gentle tea. It doesn’t go overboard with any of the flavors at any time. It has a very easy kind of flavor, something that you could easily curl up with while reading a good book or while relaxing in a bubble bath. It’s one of those teas that can serve as a pleasant, contemplative cup, as well as one to sip when you need something to help you clear your head after a long, stressful day.
I like this tea!
Mandarin Silk from The Persimmon Tree
Tea Type: Oolong Tea
Where To Buy:
The Persimmon Tree
Learn more about this tea here.
Product Description:
Ingredients
Organic Oolong Tea, Organic Lemon Myrtle, Marigold Petals, Natural Flavors * Characteristics Bold, Fragrant, Organic * Flavors Citrusy, Sweet * Caffeine Content Medium * Steep Temperature 195˚ * Steep Time 3-5 mins
Tasters Review:
This is one of the first online orders I placed as a new loose leaf tea drinker and oh what an introduction I got both from this tea and this company! Thinking back, this particular tea was sent as a sample with other items I ordered and it instantly went on my wish list for my next order. I didn’t find it difficult either to purchase my next order as The Persimmon Tree has a really generous rewards program! My only regret is I didn’t place my order sooner!
I shared this tea with many of my tea friends and the overall consensus was that this is a stellar tea!
I adore this tea! Its creamy, slightly tart with the lemon flavor I am finding I love in many teas, the vanilla is NOT over done and you can still taste the pouchong coming through. It has a silky creamy mouthfeel as well which I love. Whoever came up with this blend is a blending master because with so many wonderful flavor profiles going on in this tea the distinct pouchong flavor is top notch! They certainly did not skimp on the base in this tea, and the flavors do not cover it up at all yet each stand on their own quite nicely. Also it is not overly sweet which is nice, allowing one to add a little rock sugar, or whatever sweetener they prefer if they care to. This tea also holds up well to cream, almond milk, soy, again, whatever “creamer” you prefer.
This is a tea hardy enough to support whatever you wish to put into it without losing its wonderful aroma and flavors.
Oh and on the aroma … the smell is dreamy! The aromas that fill the air are that of a dessert tea yet the flavor itself does not latch on as cloying at all, even with a little added sweetener!
Generally this tea tastes like lemon bars, or vanilla cream filled lemon cookies, yet again, not in an overly sweet way.
I also find that a slightly lower heat level and a bit longer steep do this tea well. Otherwise you may find it a bit on the weak or watery side.
This tea is one of my favorites.
Taiwan Pou Chong from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pouchong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
Lightly fermented and also lightly baked, Pou Chong Oolong Tea preserves the most freshness than any other Oolong teas. Fresh tea leaves contain a large number of beneficial elements to human body. Pou Chong Oolong Tea is produced under the most original tea-making procedure, reserving the maximum and most natural fresh nutritions, without any additives, which you can absorb the most essence of the nature, and is also the finest companion to leisure life and health.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a Pouchong, and it is one of those teas that … every time I do have it … I find myself wondering why it has been so long for me to revisit it. It is so delightful, similar and yet unlike other Oolong teas. And this Pou Chong from Fong Mong Tea is absolutely amazing.
There are those who might argue with my choice to distinguish Pouchong tea in its own category, separate from other Oolong, but there is a reason that I do so. I find Pouchong to be somewhere between green tea and other green Oolong teas. It is not quite an Oolong … but not quite a green tea. It is … a Pouchong. It’s lighter than a typical Oolong, but still replete in sweet, creamy goodness. It has lovely green tones that fall somewhere between sweet grass and mild steamed vegetables, lightly seasoned with melted butter.
With the first two infusions, I found myself enchanted by the sweet, creamy taste while the greenery seemed to peek through, hinting at a more vegetative taste to come in future infusions. The second cup (infusions three and four) delivered the promised vegetative tones without coming off as a bitter grassy taste, instead, it was more like a sweet steamed vegetable complete with a soupy broth. I also noticed a floral tone starting to emerge – is that orchid? or perhaps honeysuckle?
With the third cup, the flavor became slightly more savory, with much of the creaminess having tapered off by this point. It is still remarkably smooth, but in a slightly different way than the first cup. Whereas the first cup was smooth because of the sweet creamy notes, the smoothness now comes from the uniting of flavors – the floral tones are less sharp, the vegetal tones are softer, this cup is more relaxed and soothing.
Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable Pouchong. One that is really worth exploring – and Fong Mong Tea has prices that makes the exploration affordable!
Coconut Pouchong from Golden Moon Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pouchong
Where to Buy: Golden Moon Tea
Tea Description:
This South Pacific delicacy is composed of long, green leaves of rare elegance that produce a serene, light Cocount Pouchong tea. The subtle nectar of young coconut instills a tropical sweetness in this exquisite bouquet. Because of its simple sweetness, you will enjoy this delicious loose leaf Coconut Pouchong tea hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I have already tasted and reviewed this tea previously, you might think that I was less than enthused to have received it as part of this month’s Steepster Select box. But, truth be told, I was actually quite happy to have more of this tea! It’s one of my favorites from Golden Moon Tea and I’m very pleased to be able to revisit it.
The theme for this month’s Steepster Select is “Perfect Pairs.” On the theme card, Steepster wrote this about the theme:
Some things just go better together. Like wine, the complexity and range of flavors in tea make it a perfect complement to many meals. Pairing these not only accentuate the taste of both but helps train your palate to identify and relate flavors.
I was very happy with this theme, mostly because tea pairings is something that interests me as well. With most of the food reviews on my foodie blog, I try to include a tea suggestion on each post, and while I do not consider myself an expert on what flavor profiles go best with what types of foods, I know what tastes good to me. I thought it would be interesting to explore the idea of “Perfect Pairs” with Steepster’s recommendations. Here is what they recommended with this tea:
Pair with: Chocolate. The sweet nuttiness of coconut is a classic dessert pairing that blends smoothly with a hearty chocolate flavor. The light flowery oolong notes soften the richness of chocolate for an ideal balance. We have Marcus from Golden Moon Tea to thank for our Coconut Pouchong. A childhood visit to Hong Kong and a quick stop at a parisian tea house after culinary school cemented his love for unique flavors which carries through to his many offerings today.
So, I rummaged through my stash to find an appropriate piece of chocolate… unfortunately (well, not unfortunately for me, but unfortunate for the purposes of this review) most of the chocolate that I have on hand at the moment are confection type of chocolates … however, I did come across a bit of raw dark chocolate from Stirs the SOUL that I happened to have on hand.
Raw chocolate lacks the richness that the roasting process imparts on the chocolate … and I really noticed that with this pairing. However, I also noticed how the flavors of the Coconut Pouchong really came into focus with this simple pairing. The Coconut Pouchong really brought out some of the fruitier aspects of the chocolate, which really appealed to me. While the chocolate is not quite as rich with the roasted flavor, the pairing brought out the deeper flavors of the raw chocolate that I did not notice before, and I love how the fresh coconut really POPS when chocolate becomes part of the tasting.
I can’t wait to try this coconut Pouchong with the Hot Chocolate On A Stick that I have coming later this month!
Lady Luck from WhiteAugust Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pouchong
Where to Buy: WhiteAugust Tea Company
Product Description:
Purely seductive. Pouchong oolong, lemon myrtle, marigolds and just a touch of vanilla, give rise to this smooth slightly creamy liquor.
Taster’s Review:
While brewing this tea, I couldn’t help but notice the aroma. The vanilla scent is really quite powerful. It smells so sweet and delicious.
But, I am glad that the vanilla doesn’t present as strong a flavor as it does a fragrance in this blend. Don’t get me wrong, the vanilla flavor IS there, but, it doesn’t overwhelm the cup. It is delicate enough to allow the nuances of the Pouchong to express themselves.
The vanilla tones are sweet and creamy, and they seem to unite seamlessly with the soft, velvet-y flavor of the Pouchong. There is just a hint of citrus-y flavor from the lemon myrtle – much less than I was expecting. That’s not to say it should be stronger … it is what it is … but, I guess when I read the description I was expecting a more prominent citrus tone. As it is, though, I think that the subtle hints of citrus in this cup are very pleasant, providing a nice contrast to the sweetness of the vanilla and Pouchong.
Overall, I find this to be a very smooth-tasting tea. There is very little astringency and no bitterness to it. It is a delicate tea; it is not too heavy or overbearing. It is a nice choice for later in the day, but it’s also sweet enough to be a dessert-type tea as well.