Trying hard to concentrate on all the unique aspects of this tea while watching my son push our electric grill back and forth in the kitchen and screaming at it when it hits an obstacle; so forgive me if this post is a bit jumbled.
A green tea very light in flavor. With my first cup I tried to eat a cinnamon roll but the roll overpowered the tea. Unlike many green teas this one isn’t abundantly grassy. It may take a few cups of this one to truly begin to understand the flavors.
Sometimes I feel like I need to only drink one tea for awhile in order to open my palette to unique flavors. Drinking too many different teas at a time can impede this. The flavors seem to be mainly vegetal with hints of summer florals.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea
Description: This is a unique pan-fired, hand-crafted tea that is part green and part oolong due to the unusually slow wither. It is also the hardest tea for us to get. Grown at an elevation of 3,300 feet, it has buttery caramel and citrus notes that layer with soft vegetal and fruity peach accents with a hint of mint.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
H’mong Kings Tea from Rakkasan. . . .
Generally when you think of green tea you think of Japan or China first. What about Vietnam? Wasn’t on my radar until I spotted this one. This rare wild grown tea is a true splendor to behold. The dry leaves have an incredibly unique aroma. This scent is what I think of when I think umami. It’s almost like they cooked something on the pan before they roasted it. Somewhat vegetal but nothing like the usual vegetal flavors found in tea. SMOKY! Smoky vegetal! But not like Lapsang Souchong. The wet leaves smell like passion fruit. NO I am NOT joking. They don’t taste like it though… Don’t taste the leaves. And the liquid? Awesome. Grassy sweet with just a very slight amount of bitterness. I need more.
More in my cup. The leaves slowly un-twisting in my cup are lovely. The Agony of the leaves. It is interesting how pan firing a tea can give it such a different flavor profile.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan
Description
This is a rare wild-grown, green tea produced by Black H’mong families in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam at over 5,200 feet. It is different from other green teas in that it is fired and dried by hand in a wood-fired cast iron pan rather than a drum oven. It has a smoky aroma and earthy and woody notes reminiscent of the surrounding pine forest where it grows. Like other wild green teas, it is naturally sweet with little bitterness.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Himalayan Black Dragon (Nepal) from Rakkasan Tea. . . .
If I told you this tea had it’s oxidization stopped at around 45% would you believe me? Yea, I wouldn’t believe me either. When I first opened the can and looked at the elegantly shaped ‘balls’ of tea I thought they made mistake. Then again I generally drink oolongs close to the green spectrum so who am I to talk.
As much as I stick my nose into this can to smell the dry leaves I just don’t find much. There is a very slight musty… earthy smell. The true aromas come out in the wet leaf. The first time I smelled it I detested it as the smell of cigarette smoke was somewhat lingering but this time it is very very light. Wet forest is now what I predominately detect. As far as flavor goes, this one is very unique.
Granted, there are lots of unique teas in this world. This one is unique in that it has the essences of darjeelings in a subtle way. (Darjeelings should almost be given their own classification instead of black). Anyway, flavors for this one primarily stay in the earthy range. Some grape hints here and there but no floral notes detected as is said on their site. Perhaps its a floral that I don’t understand. Summer meadow floral perhaps?
If you are looking to support a tea company for certain reasons like sustainability, environmental responsibility, good customer service, etc then you definitely need to look into Rakkasan, not only are they a great company but you will be supporting tea grown in post-conflict countries.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description
Grown in Ilam, Nepal at an elevation of 5,000 feet, this oolong tea combines the best of both green and black tea. The mature leaves are hand-plucked and then withered in sunlight, spread on bamboo mesh trays. They are then heated to stop oxidation at 45 percent. Afterward, the leaves are rolled and separated into a unique ball shape. The finished product results in high floral notes with a hint of grapes. Himalayan Black Dragon is grown organically, but it is not yet certified.
About Our Nepalese Tea
Grown in the Himalayan foothills, Nepalese tea is extraordinary. However, years of industry underdevelopment, coupled with a decade-long civil war, served to stunt Nepal’s economy. Development of tea farming in the country suffered as a result. Since the signing of a peace accord in 2006, Nepal’s tea growers have sought to share their product with more and more drinkers around the world.
Our Nepalese tea comes from small farms in Ilam and Panchthar, a region just 45 miles west of Darjeeling, at an altitude of between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. The region is semi-tropical and very sunny, but has abundant rainfall.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!