Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pouchong
Where to Buy: Sahara’s Supplies on Etsy
Company Description:
Pouchong green tea from Fuzhou, China, scented with jasmine petals.
Taster’s Review:
I adore jasmine tea!
This jasmine is a little different from a typical jasmine green tea, because the leaves are Pouchong. Pouchong teas are sometimes classified as green tea, but, they are actually an Oolong tea, because they are lightly oxidized. I usually classify a Pouchong as separate from both green and Oolong teas, because even though it is “technically” an Oolong tea, it isn’t a typical Oolong.
I like the differences that the Pouchong tea brings to this cup. The flavor is smoother and richer. There is very little vegetative flavor, instead, there is a light nutty background that offers an interesting contrast to the sweet jasmine flavor. This has a nice floral taste, but is less sharp than what I might experience with a jasmine green.
This tea is delicious served hot or iced. If you choose to serve it iced, I do recommend adding a small amount of sweetener to punch up the flavor a bit, but, if consumed hot, it doesn’t need sweetener, it has a beautiful flavor without it. Of course, if you prefer a sweeter tea, I would recommend a drizzle of honey with this one. I like the way honey compliments jasmine!
Black Currant Tea from Sahara’s Supplies
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sahara’s Supplies
Company Description:
Black Current tea is a black tea blended with natural black current flavoring and currant leaves.
Orange Pekoe refers to the size of the leaf, not the quality or flavor. This grading means whole leaf. Contrary to popular belief, the term “orange” does not refer to a flavor, but rather to the Dutch House of Orange.
Taster’s Review:
I am really enjoying this tea!
The black tea is very smooth and mild. I am not detecting much tannic quality at all, just a rich black tea flavor without the astringency I would normally associate with black tea. It’s really a nice change. I don’t usually mind astringency so long as it doesn’t detract from the flavor of the tea, but it is also quite pleasing to find a black tea without a strong, astringent nature.
The black currant tastes very yummy – sweet, juicy and berry-like. I’ve never tasted a fresh black currant (at least, not to my recollection) – so I can’t say whether or not it tastes like a fresh black currant, but it does have a fresh and juicy flavor to it that reminds me of fresh berries, but without the tart aftertaste. It also has a somewhat sweeter flavor – similar to what I would find in dried fruit.
The finish is smooth and sweet with just the tiniest twinge of tart to it right at the tip of the tongue. It is far less tartness than I usually experience with berry flavored teas – or with currant flavored teas, for that matter.
This tea is so delicious. I really like it iced – the mellow flavor is perfect for relaxing on a hot, summer afternoon. While it doesn’t need sweetening when it’s served hot, when chilling it, I do recommend adding just a little sweetener (I used agave nectar) because it helps the flavors really come alive. A really delightful tea from Sahara’s Supplies!