Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Mountain Tea Company
Tea Description:
The slow roasting of this tea gradually caramelizes its natural sugars and sweetens it, imparting notes of caramel, sweet roasted barley, and brown sugar.
Many of the names related to Taiwanese teas are tea-producing regions, tea-making styles, or both. Dong Ding is a tea gardening region in Nantou, Taiwan whose area name has become eponymous with its style of tea manufacturing. Dong Ding teas have a longer oxidization period and are also slowly baked at a high temperatures, with careful attention to how the flavors and aromas are changing throughout the baking process. The result is caramelized sweetness with a depth and complexity that literally makes your mouth water—it’s a phenomenon the Chinese call “Hui Gan.”
Other names: Tung Ting, 炭焙凍頂
Water: 95°C
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Medium Roast Dong Ding from The Mountain Tea Company is Mmmmmmm delightful! Dong Ding Oolong is my all time favorite tea. This tea brings me back to everything I first loved about loose leaf tea.
The mixture of sweetness with savory notes, the highlight of caramel infused with barley. The roasted flavors that remind me of being in the woods, in nature. The caramelized sugar notes, or brown sugar perhaps. I don’t really even care to dissect it as it is just one of those teas that makes me go “Ahhhhhh” and all I want to do is sit back, more like slink back, into the sofa and enjoy.
Now I was a child of the 70’s and Dong Ding has always reminded me of a very specific aroma, an aroma from a very specific plant species. Dong Ding to me has a lofting aroma of a product from this plant. Was that too vague? Either way, I find myself drawn to this aroma in a strange way. Again, child of the 70’s with a hippie father, perhaps it reminds me of my youth. Regardless, it tastes fabulous.
I really love the lingering floral taste the tea leaves behind. Yes, even beneath all the roasting, the caramel notes, brown sugar notes, sweet barley, and woods, this lovely little spring of floral note comes out just barely gracing your palate. Its lovely!
This is not THE sweetest Dong Ding I have ever tasted, and I do tend to enjoy the sweeter Dong Ding Oolongs, however this is one of the more refreshing Dong Ding Oolongs I have tasted. It leaves your month ready and wanting for more without leaving a drying sensation in the back of the throat or mouth. It makes the mouth water in anticipation of the next sip.
Kyobancha from Tealet
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tealet
Tea Description:
After the long cold winter tea growers in Kyoto Prefecture harvest tea leaves and twigs to produce Kyobancha. It has a deep woodsy flavor that is sure to warm you up on a cold holiday night. Many tea-growing regions refer to Kyobancha as ‘bancha for babies’ because it is so low in caffeine because of its late harvest date. It is very difficult to find this tea in stores because tea-growing families usually just drink it themselves.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t think I’ve ever had a Kyobancha before, so I was excited to try this tea from Tealet. The leaves are large and remind me a bit of a white tea, actually, like a darker white tea such as a Shou Mei … a really high quality one, where great care was taken to preserve the whole leaf.
The aroma reminds me of a Houjicha tea – its got a toasty kind of scent to it. The flavor is also kind of roasty-toasty like a Houjicha. In fact, if I were served this “blindly” … I would guess it was a Houjicha, although there are noticeable differences in the overall flavor. This Kyobancha tastes lighter, and seems to have a little less body and texture to it than a typical Houjicha. It’s a lighter roasted taste, and just overall a lighter tasting tea.
In this video from Tealet, Elyse from Tealet discusses the differences between Kyobancha and Houjicha. It’s a short but informative video, check it out!
I love the sweetness of this tea! It tastes a bit sweeter to me than a Houjicha, with very little vegetative taste. It kind of tastes like raw sugar cane, with some nutty notes and hints of a hay-like vegetal note.
The best way I can describe this is this: Imagine Houjicha and White Tea had a love child. That child would be named Kyobancha!
I really enjoyed this new experience. Thank you, Tealet, for making it happen!
Oolong Formosa from Utopia Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Utopia Tea
Tea Description:
The name speaks for itself, Formosa meaning “beautiful” tea. Our Oolong Formosa is semi-fermented with copper red leaves and have silver tips. The tea leaves offer hints of vanilla and citrus for a smooth and spicy taste. Oolong Formosa got its name from the Portuguese explorers that called the island, Formosa. Oolong Formosa contains a large amount of natural plant-derived antioxidant compounds called polyphenols that fight off cancer and a variety of diseases. Oolong tea leaves have been proven to protect the body, lower cholesterol, promote healthy blood vessel functionality, and strengthen the immune system. Small amounts of Vitamin C and K, potassium, and calcium have been found in Oolong tea leaves. Try this tea hot or over ice!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Utopia Tea’s Formosa Oolong is a nice daily oolong. Its not the most mind blowing oolong by any means but this is a tea for when you don’t want to nor have the time to sit paying attention to your steep. It is a forgiving oolong that can take mishaps well. It has a good flavor although to me, there is slightly a black tea flavor here as well. It does not strike me as an all out oolong.
Now I admit, I am an oolong snob and for me, having an oolong is a time for relaxing, meditation, and sitting with my tea contemplating. I prefer to have oolong when using my gaiwan and usually I spend more on oolong than any other tea for that reason. However this is a really solid oolong for sharing with company that drops by, making cold brew, or when you just don’t have the time or want to sit and pay close attention to your steeping session.
When I took my first sip what came to mind is that of an oolong I have had a Asian restaurants before. Good but nothing that was mind blowing.
In all fairness though, 4 ounces of this tea from Utopia Tea is only 10.00 so I really do not think that Utopia is trying to claim this is the best oolong on earth. I feel the price is by far fair for what you get here!
What this tea does offer is just what the description says, slight hints at vanilla with slight citrus notes, and a nice background of some spice and nuttiness. I added the note on nuttiness. There is the typical roasted flavor of oolong but it would fall on the lighter side of roasts.
A good tea for the price, excellent for serving cold or to guests who are not tea perfectionists. Great to serve with meals or drink by the tons while working.
Houjicha from Tealet
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tealet
Tea Description:
Grown on the Obubu Tea Plantation in Kyoto, Japan.
Houjicha is a Japanese roasted green tea that has rich, sweet flavors that cannot be found in any other Japanese green tea. The roasting of the tea brings out a smoky flavor that removes any of the bitterness often found in Japanese green tea. The heat processing of the tea leaves removes caffeine which makes this the perfect tea to pour at night or with the family. Children and novice tea drinkers find the sweet taste easy to drink.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do enjoy a good Houjicha, and the Houjicha from the Obubu Tea Plantation are among some of the very best that I’ve tried, so I was very pleased to learn that Tealet was offering Houjicha from Obubu as well as some other amazing teas from this plantation.
This Houjicha is lightly roasted, giving it a pleasing toasty taste. The toasty flavor gives it a very autumnal taste, and it’s so comforting to sip. It has a cozy feel to it, sort of like getting wrapped up in a big, warm, fluffy blanket. It has a very soothing effect … relaxing.
This is beautifully sweet and not at all bitter. Instead of the “green” vegetative taste that comes from most green teas, this has more of a sweet, roasted nutty taste. There is some smokiness to the taste as well, arriving toward the tail of the sip, and then lingering into the aftertaste.
I enjoy Houjicha served hot or iced – but, it is most soothing when served hot, and it doesn’t need any additions, it has a natural sweetness to it that I wouldn’t want to overwhelm with additional sweetener and I think that milk would overpower the whole cup. It’s really quite delightful, just as it is.
Xocolatl From Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Spice Melangé
Where to Buy: Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Description:
This lovely blend will get your day off to a great start or can be perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. It satisfies a chocolate craving without overwhelming your body with processed sugars. All it takes is a little honey or agave added to the brewed tea to create a healthy treat for yourself. Calming chamomile and mints in the blend help relax and calm the nervous system while the chocolate gives its characteristic energy kick and mood boost. Rose petals were added to bring out the subtle floral character in chocolate. Chipotle powder increases circulation and adds a slight smokiness to the overall tea flavor. Cinnamon, ginger, and star anise add a dessert like quality, but also support healthy immune function.
To learn more about this tisane, click here.
To learn more about subscribing to Bird’s Eye Tea, click here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, the SororiTea Sisters were introduced to a new tea company that is LOCAL for me – well, kind of local (the same state, anyway!) and I was so excited to learn about them! The company: Bird’s Eye Tea!
They are a subscription tea service – which means that for just $22. every month, they send a box with several different selections of teas in it. This Xocolatl is from the October box, and it is a yummy blend of raw cacao powder, chamomile, rose, mint, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, chipotle powder and roasted cacao nibs. I know, it sounds amazing, right?
Because the ingredients are so different from any other tisane that I can remember drinking, and because it LOOKS so different too, I followed the directions precisely … I even got out a measuring cup and spoon! I measured 3/4 cup of hot water to steep with 2 teaspoons of the tisane, and I steeped it for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I heated 3/4 cup of milk, and I added the steeped liquid to the warm milk and I frothed it a bit with my handheld frothing tool. I did add a little bit of turbinado sugar to the cup just to enhance the spices, and it created the most delightful tasting cup of Xocolatl!
Oh, my… I have GOT to get some more of this! This is amazing. This tastes so much like the hot chocolate that my Latina friends would serve in their homes! Sweet and chocolate-y, but with just the right amount of warm spice. The rose offers hints of flavor and an interesting dimension to the overall cup. It isn’t too spicy, and it is a gently comforting heat rather than an invigorating spicy-hot taste. Every one of the ingredients is represented in the flavor, but at the same time, they all come together to form an amazing taste that is greater than the individual parts.
Like I said, I want more. MORE of this, please!!!