I have a feeling this is going to be a lengthy post but with good reason, I promise! You see – in THIS post – I will be telling you all about Bittermelon Stuffed with Roasted Tie Guan Yin Oolong from Yunnan Sourcing!
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took bittermelon, took out the insides, left the thick rind, and then stuffed it with Tie Guan Yin and roasted it? That’s what I thought. Regardless of your answer – you can now do that by trying this tea.
For those of you NOT familiar with Bittermelon…it’s also called bitter gourd, bitter squash, or balsam-pear. It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit. Bitter melon originated in India and was introduced into China in the 14th century. It grows in a variety of shapes and sizes. The ones you may see in the product description photo are more horn-like. The samples I received were more like coins…much like if you were to cut cucumbers or carrots into rounds or disks…just to give you a visual.
Upon opening the package I noticed a little bit of the oolong stuffed inside the bittermelon fall out but most of it stayed inside quite well. Dry – this smelled like Sushi to me. I don’t mean it smelled like fish…it smelled more like the rice you would eat while eating Sushi…almost like a veggie sushi…you know, without the fish.
After infusing Bittermelon Stuffed with Roasted Tie Guan Yin Oolong from Yunnan Sourcing I noticed the oolong puff up and out. So much so that what once looked like a flat checker (or a little smaller in circumference) now looks like the insides are spilling out over top of the bittermelon. It’s almost Alien-Like.
The taste of this tea experience is certainly something to remember from start to finish. Once infusion is complete and I let it cool for a moment or two I took a sip…a sip that i will not soon forget! Ahhhhh! So delicious! So satisfying! It’s on the more mellow side but for all the right reasons! It tastes like Mouse Melon or if you aren’t familiar with Mouse Melon it’s a cross between a cucumber with a touch of lemon. I could also taste the gentle roasted oolong notes that were purely delightful in every way! There were VERY subtle hints of sweet woodsy and gentle citrus notes, as well!
This was more than just a tea – it was an experience! A conversation piece. Something to bust out only when you have the time to appreciate it and share with others. This will certainly make one or more of my FAVORITES lists in the VERY near future! YUM! I’ll say it again…YUM!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Yunnan Sourcing
Description
Ever wondered what would happen if you took bittermelon, took out the insides and left the thick rind and then stuffed it with Tie Guan Yin and roasted it? Well now you can try this lovely tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2016 Darjeeling Exclusive from Lochan Tea Limited
I love it when a tea ‘takes me to another place’ and Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2016 Darjeeling Exclusive from Lochan Tea Limited did just that.
Giddapahar Estate – is a small family owned Darjeeling Tea Estate and is located on a mountain – also known as “Eagles Cliff” – just a short drive from Kurseong – the garden is situated at 4864 feet above sea level. It’s said that from the estate you can view the magnificent site of the mountains and when I sip on Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2016 Darjeeling Exclusive from Lochan Tea Limited I almost feel like I am right there!
This ‘brews’ to a darker brown – not quite coffee-black – but still pretty brown in color. The aroma of the dry leaf is crisp and airy with a bit of fruit to the nose. Once infused it smells more muscatel. Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2016 Darjeeling Exclusive from Lochan Tea Limited tastes VERY muscatel which makes this live up to its name. The end sip is that of dark chocolate, slightly-bitter floral notes, and pitted fruit
This is a sturdy darjeeling! Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2016 Darjeeling Exclusive from Lochan Tea Limited is ideal for those who are looking for a more masculine flavor in a darjeeling tea. Me…I enjoyed the entire tea experience!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lochan Tea Limited
Description
Small, wiry, fully oxidized and nicely rolled dry leaf of sweet, honey, fruit and chocolate aroma. Liquor of brown-orange colour, creamy, round and full taste with tones of sweet wood, fruit juice and sweet flower fragrance.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
“Nostalgia” 2016 Traditional Oolong from Global Tea Hut
I was completely THRILLED when I received a package in the mail from Global Tea Hut recently! It contained August and September’s issues and teas inside and today I am sharing September’s “Nostalgia” 2016 Traditional Oolong from Global Tea Hut in this post!
One of these days I will most likely be reviewing an issues or at least the publication side of the Global Tea Hut but for today I wanted to focus solely on this lovely tea. “Nostalgia” 2016 Traditional Oolong from Global Tea Hut has an aroma of a slightly roasted or toasted oolong. It hails from Li Shan, Taiwan, and is a 2016 traditional Oolong grown at 2000 meters. The tightly rolled leaves are a dark shade of brown.
The aroma – once infused – is airy, light, and a bit roasty and/or toasty, a bit nutty, and nature-like. “Nostalgia” 2016 Traditional Oolong from Global Tea Hut leaves an admiral glowing hue in the cup. The flavor is straight-up squeaky clean, nutty, gently vegetal, and ever-so-slightly-roasted.
As I sip on “Nostalgia” 2016 Traditional Oolong from Global Tea Hut it takes me to another place…a natural setting in its purist form…a place where I can meditate and listen to nature, myself, and the tea at hand. “Nostalgia” 2016 Traditional Oolong from Global Tea Hut leaves me at peace with my surroundings and myself. Oh…if I could always have this sense of well-being.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Global Tea Hut
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Darjeeling Beauty Black from The Kettlery #VeganMoFo2016
It’s a Goth Day prompt for Vegan MoFo 2016 and what better tea to pair this prompt with than Darjeeling Beauty Black from The Kettlery. Darjeelings can seem to be more dark and brooding teas, something that we adore in their temperament!
Darjeeling Beauty Black from The Kettlery has a lovely name and a delightful taste, too!
The dry leaves of Darjeeling Beauty Black from The Kettlery are multi-colored…various tones of brown, muted greens, and shades of grey. Some look crispy and others look a bit fuzzy.
Darjeeling Beauty Black from The Kettlery has that stereotypical Darjeeling flavor I have come to recognize well over the years but it’s a pretty strong tasting Darjeeling Black Tea which is nice because others are a bit too delicate for those hard-to-get-into-mornings!
This specific Darjeeling Beauty Black from The Kettlery smells like sweet, wet wood and also has floral notes, too! This was a mighty-fine Darjeeling, indeed!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Darjeeling
Where to Buy: The Kettlery
Description
Darjeeling brings to the world this amazing tea during the pleasant season of spring. The leaves of this premium tea retain their greenish shade which give them the floral mouth filling taste. It is globally loved for its muscatel spring flavor which transports you into a world of culinary delight. It is best enjoyed without milk and sugar.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mission Hill Black from Teabox
Today’s sample comes from Teabox, a company with stunning, simple-yet-effective graphic design on its website. You can search by tea type, regions, flush seasons, estates, etc. I’m still working on my own personal knowledge base about these things, so this is a great research tool.
This sample is a Spring 2015 Darjeeling from the Mission Hill Estate. My sample bag says that this has “notes of almond, zucchini, and magnolia.”
Of those three things, I honestly can only say I’m familiar with almonds. I was a horribly picky eater as a child, which sometimes hinders my ability to write knowledgeably about tea. (This is why my reviews tend to wander off-topic into metaphors/associations/feelings.)
This tea boils up to a very light brown tea. Don’t be fooled by the color. It’s super-robust. It reminds me of English Breakfast which, traditionally, includes Indian elements (this tea is from Darjeeling, India).
It has a lot of rich, deep notes, but alongside that are coppery, bright sparkles. If I were to liken this to music, it’d be like a cello accompanied by a lovely child’s voice. Like something that one would play in a rustic church.
I typically prefer blends, and I’m always happily surprised when I find something that’s “straight” I adore. This is one kind of tea from one place from one season. It has no additives; however, it packs a lot of depth. I totally recommend this one.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: TeaBox
Description
AROMA
Lifted bouquet of aromatic white flowers.
APPEARANCE
Light amber
TASTE
A restrained cup, slightly sweet, with soothing herbal nuances accompanied by notes of white flowers and toasted nuts.
COMPLEMENTS
Best paired with caprese salad.
