Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Se Chung Tea is a blend of several loose-leaf, oolong tea leaves produced from plucks of several different plants. The leaves are naturally withered under the strong sun, oxidized until brown with green highlights, and then wrap rolled into small beads. The Se Chung Oolong tea has a roasted aroma and a thick, woody flavor. It is a great tea for those who enjoy a complex taste and have an adventurous palate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Sechong Oolong from Nature’s Tea Leaf provides a provocative and note layered cup. From mineral to woodsy, caramel, to chocolate notes, I find this tea to be quite enjoyable. Perhaps it is the mixture of many different plants that provides the multiple layers of flavor notes but I find it interesting and delicious.
The infused aroma is almost smoky with an aged woods scent. There is a slight aroma of a vanilla backdrop to the tea as well making the tea smell creamy.
On first infusion I get more of the caramel, chocolate and dessert type flavor notes while on later infusions more of the rock mineral notes come forward.
The creamy, sweet, vanilla notes are present in both early and later infusions. The tea has a mild sweetness from this note, which is quite lovely and comes over as a rock sugar flavor.
The tea is deep and toasty and reminds me of smore’s made over a campfire yet at the same time is reminiscent of a french bakery.
As the tea cools it becomes heavier in mouthfeel and almost creamy in the texture. So wonderful!
Some fruity apple notes come forward melding with the caramel and rock sugar notes making me think of caramel and candied apples.
I really like the later infusions where the rock mineral and rock sugar notes come together – its such an interesting flavor and I can’t recall a tea I have had of recent that had this same profile. I am not saying they do not exist but rather it has been some time since I have enjoyed a cup like this and I am very much enjoying every infusion of this leaf!
Morning Tea from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Assam
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Rich-bodied Assam tea with a faint sweetness of vanilla is perfect for morning wake-up tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Morning Tea from Lupicia is quite soothing and deep. The vanilla is only a mere hint at the flavor note, so don’t expect this to be a typical vanilla tea. Also if you wait for the tea to cool a bit the vanilla peeks out a tad more, but not a lot. I get more of the vanilla note on the aftertaste which is a lovely little surprise.
Okay I know I always say this when doing a Lupicia review tea, review, but the review would just feel empty to me if I left it out: I LOVE Lupicia Teas! Okay I got that off my chest.
I got this tea in my 2013 Lupicia Happy Bag which contained the following teas in this photo:
I was super stoked about this Happy Bag! I opted for the 60.00 dollar bag and it was worth every penny!
However, back to this tea… There is a slight smokiness in the tea but nothing like a Lapsang Souchong whatsoever. Just a very faint hint at what may remain from a campfire that has been smoldering out slowly. The tea does remind me somewhat of the early fall months, when it is still quite lovely out and not too cold but you can feel the air changing around you, there is a crispness, a slight bite to the air, yet the sun is still shining and all is well with the world. That is the feeling this tea evokes for me! Then when the vanilla note sneaks up on you it brings back the memories of the marshmallows you used to make smores with the night before at the campsite. There is even a mellow chocolate note to the base of this tea which helps that recollection as well.
Also what I love about Morning Tea is that it is heavier in the mouthfeel and requires only a short steep. On one hand that gets me sipping on a morning tea right away which is absolutely needed and desired. On another note if you have non tea drinking friends I really feel they would or at least could appreciate this tea in replacement of their coffee, if it were the only option. We know coffee folk love their coffee in the morning the same way we love our tea. Still I feel if you were to serve this they would not choke and spit it out! It has a robust flavor to it so you could steep it a bit longer for your coffee friends!
Trust me though – if you want to appreciate the tea don’t over steep – 1 to 2 minutes really is all it needs!
Now if you desired, you could absolutely add milk and or sugar to this tea. It is hearty enough to handle it and I think would make it quite yummy, however I prefer teas on their own merit without additives usually. I may give it a go with this one though as I really think it would be delicious and maybe pull out the vanilla note more.
Overall another winner from Lupicia! I am so happy I received this in my Happy Bag because I did not even know of its existence and is probably not one I would have ordered even had I know of it. Now I will be keeping this in my morning rotation for sure. Mmmm, more vanilla just peeked through! I love that sneaky vanilla!
Russian Caravan from Bon Thé Place
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Bon Thé Place
Tea Description:
A smokey, strong tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve never attempted to downplay my previous dislike for smoky teas. In fact, dislike may be too gentle a word! I disliked them so much that I couldn’t even have them in my house because the smell was so repulsive to me.
I have since come to appreciate them a little more than I once did (which wouldn’t be hard because I had no appreciation whatsoever for them before! haha) but it’s been a long, hard road to get to that point.
Russian Caravan – like this one from Bon Thé Place – was one of the first smoky teas that I came in contact with … and I remember being so disappointed that it was so strong and smoky. I had big hopes for a tea called Russian Caravan. (I’m part Russian) It was a horrifying experience for me.
Since then, I’ve come to enjoy smoky teas, including Russian Caravan, but I do have my own method in brewing the teas so that they can be enjoyable. First, I steep them for about 10 seconds (a 10 second rinse) and then discard the liquid. This helps remove some of the strongest smoky elements as well as the sort of smoky “dusty” taste that I found most difficult to consume. Then I steep it as usual, using boiling water and steeping for 3 minutes. A perfect cup of tea!
Sure, it’s still smoky, but some of the smoky tones have been eliminated by the rinse. And Now, I can enjoy the sweet, caramel-y undertones (and I love how the caramel notes and the smoky notes mingle together to create a smoky caramel taste … its such a tantalizing flavor!)
The tea is rich and satisfying, full-bodied, with intriguing fruit tones just beneath the smoky layer of flavor. It is an invigorating cup – one that works well to get you going in the morning, it also works as a pleasing afternoon cuppa when you need that little something extra to cast aside the mid-day doldrums.
If you’ve a sensitive palate to the strongly smoky teas, I suggest trying my brewing method for them. You may find out that you, too, can enjoy smoky teas!
Aged Traditional Anxi Tieguanyin from Verdant
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tieguanyin Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
A rich warming Tieguanyin with chocolate barley notes and traditional creamy floral aftertastes. . . .
The early steepings of this tea are surprisingly more delicate than the aroma would imply. There are subtle notes of lime and the thick saffron qualities of a green Tieguanyin. The mouthfeel is buttery like flaky pastry with a slow nuanced build-up of warm caramel notes. A velvety texture starts to come through with orchid-like floral undertones, and sweetness that extends long into the aftertaste.
The early steepings use the deep caramel qualities that the aging and roasting process introduce to truly accentuate everything that is wonderful about green Tieguanyin. The later steepings move into new territory with warming sensations particularly suited to cooler weather. The chocolate notes of the aroma come through as flavor like thick creamy Italian hot chocolate that unfolds into a warm in the chest like that of a great red wine.
Notes of puffed rice and barley start to build up and act as a contrast to the lingering floral qualities. The alternation between deep warming sensations and tingling florals creates an intriguing mouth watering juiciness. This is a very satisfying brew that balances the traditional charcoal-roasted quality of Anxi Tieguanyin with the best elements of the new greener style of processing.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a body and soul warming temptation of a tea. It delights the taste buds but also the mind in its calming and wonderful way. This is one of those teas who’s layers are complex yet not trying to evade your senses. Each and every element of this tea comes forward and presents itself to you and does not make you work to figure it out. The layers of the flavor within this tea are so delightful and one at a time they evolve, sometimes melding together, other times, standing alone, but each flavor in the profile provided by Verdant Tea is noticeable without any effort.
At first it is lightly smoky and roasty, a well done toast taste, the barley gives it a full mouthfeel and makes you feel you are drinking something good for you like a hardy warm breakfast cereal! But then it becomes caramelized in your mouth like a french dessert. Just then you will find that the light lime zest comes forward and does a gentle sweep of your palate to cleanse it for the next layer of flavor to come but before that hits your taste buds you get a quick tease by the flavor of saffron and just as you are thinking “oh please give me more saffron” the floral notes come dancing onto your taste buds leaving this lovely delicate yet intoxicating lingering flavor of orchid!
The result – a taste that is robust and toasty yet very fresh and springy as well. This is one of those tea profiles that could do well any month of the year as it makes you feel warm and cozy yet wakes you up with those fresh salad like notes of spring and summer.
The after taste is mostly of a roasted toasted oolong however when you breath in with your mouth open you get that fresh spring like flavor with the floral notes dancing about. Leaving you thinking your breath must certainly smell like flowers haha. While this is a roasted Tieguanyin I can’t help but think about country roads lined with wildflowers and the warm sunshine all about wide open fields so if this would be more of a “winter” tea it sure would make you feel like its summer time so that is not a bad thing at all!
This tea is exquisite! I love it and I am a huge fan of oolongs but honestly I feel that many people, even perhaps those who are not oolong fans really should try!
I really enjoy that the notes are so easily to distinguish! Sometimes “complex” teas can be complex to the taster. This one is not pretentious at all.
Now on the downside, currently Verdant Tea is sold out. It happened in the blink of an eye. On the positive note, Verdant is currently looking to refurnish their stash of this tea:
“We will be going to China to personally track down a larger cache of aged Tieguanyin in October. Stay tuned…”
I trust that this will happen! I have to, I want more! Verdant also now offers a Rewards Point System! Be sure to check that out and keep your eyes peeled for more of this tea so you can get some once it is back in! A tea like this won’t last long once restocked so be sure to get yours before I get it all.
Smoky Jasmine from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
A nice compliment to jasmine green teas, this smokier version is made with a Chinese green tea that has a distinctively stronger profile. A perfect tea for after meals, goes well with unsweetened pastries.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a very unusual jasmine tea. Unusual, but I like it. Of course, I expected it to be unusual, based on the name.
The smoke here is light … and with the first few sips, I was of the opinion that the name Smoky Jasmine is a bit misleading, because there really isn’t a strong, smoky presence in this cup. There is a light smokiness that presents itself at the start which develops as I continue to sip. By mid-cup, the smokiness is more apparent.
And the smoky notes offer an interesting contrast to the sweet flavor of the jasmine flower. I find that it seems to emphasize some of the sweeter tones of the jasmine, offering a flavor that is sweet, almost dessert-like, but still very much jasmine. No soapy taste, no sharp tones. Just a new way to explore the lovely essence of jasmine.
I am really glad I got a chance to try this jasmine tea. I don’t know that it is my favorite jasmine tea, but, I do enjoy it for it’s interesting twist on the classic. Nice, and something I’d be very happy to drink again!
