Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Zi Chun Tea Co.
Tea Description:
High quality hand picked jinxuan oolong blended with natural jasmine flower.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do love Jasmine teas, as I’ve mentioned many times before, and while white Jasmine teas tend to be my favorite now, I really like Jasmine Oolong teas. I like the way the sweet, exotic essence of the jasmine flower melds with the smooth, creamy notes of the Oolong tea – in this case, a jinxuan Oolong – it seems to be a marriage made in heaven when jasmine flower and Oolong tea comes together. This is certainly true of this Premium Jasmine Oolong Tea from Zi Chun Tea Company.
This is really delightful. The heavier “creamy” notes of the Oolong seem to offset the sometimes sharp notes of the jasmine … and together the two components offer a flavor that is soft, sweet, delicately floral and smooth.
The natural floral notes of the Oolong tea and the jasmine complement each other in a very lovely way … sometimes I find the natural floral notes of a greener Oolong like this tea to be somewhat overwhelming for the palate … but here, even though this is a FLORAL tea, the floral notes do not inundate the palate the way an unscented green Oolong tea’s floral notes sometimes can.
This Oolong tea – like so many other high quality Oolong teas – can be steeped multiple times. I find that the later steepings of this tea are especially wonderful … the jasmine notes subside just a little bit, and really unify with the Oolong.
A really fantastic tea journey awaits with this Jasmine Oolong from Zi Chun!
Blue of London (Yunnan Earl Grey) from Le Palais des Thés
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Le Palais des Thés
Tea Description:
Yunnan is one of the best black teas in the world and with a fresh and delicate bergamot from Calabria, it gives a particularly fine and well balanced blend. An exceptional Earl Grey.
Earl Grey is one of the best-loved English teas. It was first created when Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Falloden and Foreign Secretary of Britain, received an old recipe from a Mandarin Chinese that called for flavoring tea with bergamot.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a tasty Earl Grey from Le Palais des Thés … this Blue of London – or Earl Grey Yunnan. Tasty … but I don’t know that I would call it exceptional as it is called in the above description.
But it is good. The Yunnan gives it a very rich flavor that is sweet with notes of caramel and spice, and the slightest hint of chocolate. It is a strong, invigorating black tea, and I like the way the Yunnan complements the bergamot flavor. The Yunnan tea is the strongest flavor of the cup, but there is a compelling balance between black tea notes and bergamot.
The bergamot here is a softer bergamot. Some teas go for a heady bergamot essence and some go for a more subtle approach. This bergamot is on the subtle side. It doesn’t whack me upside the head with the tangy citrus notes, nor is it so strong that it comes across as perfume-y. It is on the delicate side, but it isn’t so delicate that it is not tasted. I DEFINITELY taste the bergamot here, I just don’t taste a strong, pungent, soapy bergamot that overwhelms the palate with its presence.
And I like that. As much as I love bergamot – and for those of you that have been reading my reviews for a while probably are well aware of my love affair with the distinguished Mr. Earl Grey – sometimes a subtle, smooth approach is better than coming on strong. I like that the way the bergamot comes through here.
This is a really good Earl Grey … and the more I sip it, the more I like it. It isn’t my favorite Earl Grey, which is why I say I wouldn’t classify it as exceptional – I save exceptional for only those I consider my favorites. But, it IS good, and certainly worth a try, especially if you are a fan of Earl Grey. Just because it isn’t my favorite doesn’t mean that it won’t be yours!
Organic White Tip Jasmine Green Tea from Fashionista Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tea Description:
Organic Chinese green tea, lightly fired to maintain silvery tips, traditionally scented with jasmine.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It seems like it’s been ages since I’ve last had a jasmine tea! It really hasn’t been all that long, but, whenever I do sip on a jasmine tea, I can’t help but wonder why has it been so long since I’ve had jasmine! I love jasmine tea so … it’s one of those teas of which I never tire.
And this Organic White Tip Jasmine Green Tea from Fashionista Tea is an amazing jasmine!
I’ve read tasting notes from those who don’t like jasmine teas … and jasmine is one of those teas that can either be very right or very, very wrong. It is important that the tea be scented with jasmine rather than being flavored with it. And there is a distinct difference. A scented jasmine tea is one that was processed by layering the newly harvested tea leaves with jasmine blossoms so that the tea leaves can absorb the essence of the jasmine flower. A scented jasmine tea tastes like the jasmine flower without tasting like perfume. It has a lovely floral quality that is exquisitely sweet and exotic.
A flavored jasmine is one that has been flavored using an oil. The jasmine oil imparts a very perfume-y quality to the leaves, and the result often ends up tasting like you’re sipping on perfume. I don’t know about you, but sipping on perfume isn’t my idea of a tasty cuppa!
THIS jasmine tea tastes like a scented jasmine – with a light, lovely, sweet floral quality that does not taste perfume-ish whatsoever. It is smooth and refreshing. The sweet, vegetative tones of the green tea comes through nicely. There is a slightly dry astringency to the tea … it is very mild. This is truly a perfect balance of flower and tea!
A really excellent jasmine tea – if you are looking for a jasmine tea with a lighter jasmine essence that tastes natural, sweet, and not at all perfume-y … this is the one to try! And you’re going to love dealing with Fashionista Tea – I can’t say enough about how wonderful this company is! They are a really excellent company and offer a superb product! That’s a win-win!
No. ’11 Méthode Noir Black Tea from Steven Smith Teamaker
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steven Smith Teamaker
Tea Description:
An elegant blend of high-grown Ceylon black teas aged and scented in a Pinot Noir barrel. Deliciously complex with a subtle taste of oak, nuances of Pinot Noir grapes and herbes de Provence. An unlikely, but rewarding, pairing.
Taster’s Review:
During my last visit to the Smith Teamaker shop in Portland, I saw a package of this Méthode Noir Scented Black tea and I had to grab it. Having tried one of Steven Smith’s aged-and-scented-in-a-barrel teas previously and loving it, I was confident that this would be equally as enjoyable.
My previous experience was with a Whiskey barrel aged and scented tea, this time, the tea has been scented and aged in a barrel that held Pinot Noir. By placing the tea leaves in the barrel that once held the spirits, the tea leaves absorb the essence of not only the wine, but also the wood of the barrel … and I’m really enjoying the result.
If I had tasted this tea without knowing what it was, my first guess would be a Darjeeling based upon the muscatel notes of the tea … however, I would be thrown by the thicker, richer body of this tea. I am loving the sweet, grape-y tones with notes of currant. I taste the rich, oak-y flavor and a touch of savory herbs. It is very enjoyable … this is the kind of tea I’d enjoy serving to guests … kind of like a fine wine but in a teacup!
Cinnamon Wood Tea from Le Palais Des Thés
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Le Palais Des Thés
Tea Description:
Delicately scented Golden Triangle tea in a cinnamon wood caddy
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ll be honest, I bought this tea because I loved the packaging! No, not the cardboard box that you see above, but for the spectacular cinnamon wood cylinder box/caddy that is tucked inside that cardboard box. 
I’m a sucker for unique packaging anyway, and I collect tins. And while this isn’t a tin as it isn’t metal, the idea of storing tea in a caddy made of cinnamon wood box which acts to not just scent the tea but also adds a pleasing cinnamon scent to my kitchen was just so appealing to me.
And this box definitely DOES smell incredible. It reminds me a lot of this time of year, when I visit my local grocery store, as they sell bags of cinnamon infused pine cones. The smell is so amazing, that we buy at least one bag every year. (They also make nice fireplace fodder once the fragrance has waned)
I made the mistake of thinking that this was a black tea rather than a dark tea (Pu-erh) when I bought it and when I tried it the first time. The result was less than pleasant with the first sampling, as I didn’t take the time to rinse the leaves nor did I use my gaiwan to infuse the tea. I have found that the rinse and the utilization of the gaiwan have led to much more enjoyable Pu-erh experiences.
But, now that I’ve re-read the box information (in my defense, most of it IS in French!) I realize that this is indeed a Pu-erh and should be treated as such when brewing. And I’m now able to fully enjoy this tea!
And I am, indeed, enjoying it. The cinnamon flavor – which can sometimes be a very aggressive flavor – is surprisingly subtle. Perhaps this is because it is cinnamon scented as a result of the wood caddy, rather than blended with cinnamon chips or doused with cinnamon flavoring. I really like the lightness of the cinnamon, as it allows me to enjoy not just the warmth of the spice but also the exotic sweetness of it. The Pu-erh is earthy, but not overly so, and I think that the cinnamon tones bring out the best in the Pu-erh.
A really lovely tea – and because of the unique presentation it would make a really wonderful gift to your favorite tea lover on your gift giving list (that time of year is just around the corner, you know!)