Generally when someone says Yunnan I think Pu er.
So before I even looked at the leaf I figured that’s what this tea was. Even now while I write this and look at the leaves it looks like it could be. Tightly rolled leaves in various shades of brown.
When brewed the wet leaves have a musty, wet earth smell. It’s a relaxing smell in some ways.
Dark, clear amber liquor. An earthy brew with notes of cedar and wet forest floor.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea and Tins
Description
The principal growing regions in Yunnan are located in altitudes of 4,000 to 6,500 feet. At annual average temperatures between 53 F and 73 F, high-grade, black and green qualities are produced.
The very large portion of large, golden leaf tips gives the full sweet-spicy taste and malty, soft aftertaste to the Yunnan Imperial. The large leaf is dark, matt green and contains many bronze-colored tips, the infusion is heavy and dark
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Oolong de la Creme / Tea and Tins. . . .
Oolong de la Creme also known as Milk Oolong. In its truest form with no added flavors it is called Jin Xuan or #12.
It’s a pleasing tea for the palette with notes of milk and cream. It has a silky mouth feel and, if you get the right version, can even smell milky. If you buy a couple of different brands do a side y side aroma comparison.
One can generally tell which is higher quality simply by the smell as some of the lower quality leaves will have a somewhat mechanical smell to them.
While I’m not 100% sure of this version I do like the creamy wet leaf smell and the taste is pretty spot on.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea and Tins
Description:
A very special tea from China, it has lovely sweet notes as well as a creamy note.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Winter Pine from Tea & Tins. . .
Holy marzipan, Batman! The scent of sweet almond just takes over here. Normally, I don’t enjoy that but in this hot cup, I am really liking it. In taste, it is not as potent but instead underlies a comforting citrusy orange burst, providing a silky sweet undertone to provide balance. The whole tea reminds me of Christmas and yet feels new and exciting.
I made this iced as well and I don’t enjoy it as much as the hot tea. The orange flavoring starts off just as nice as it is in the hot cup but becomes bitter. That combines with the marzipan and causes it to taste more processed and stale. It makes the whole drink astringent.
This tea took me by surprise. The strong almond scent had me anticipating the worst but this tea is comforting and homey while also being sweet and desserty. It is a delightful treat that is definitely worth a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea & Tins
Description
Loose leaf green tea: a festive combination of sweet almond and refreshing orange invokes the warm times of holiday season.
Ingredients: green tea, orange slices, planed almonds, flavoring, pink peppercorns, safflower.
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Spritz of Glitz from Tea and Tins. . .
What attracted me to this tea was the little silver candies. I’m sucker for sprinkles!
This was a very striking blend with the silver gleaming against the dark green tea leaves. While the name of the blend is ‘pear,’ the dry blend and wet leaves had more of a peach aroma to me. If you are familiar with Sour Peaches, it smelt like that!
However, when I went in to sip the liquor, I got a whiff of pear. There was a rich pear flavour from the liquor as well. Since the blend leaned towards sweet, it reminded me of pear candy instead of freshly picked pears. I kept getting a mixture of pear and peaches in my mouth.
This yellow liquor tea is for pear (and peach) lovers!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea and Tins
Description
Ingredients: green tea, succulent peach and fresh pear with a glitzy spritz of sparkling sugars!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Champagne Raspberry from Tea and Tins. . .
Alcohol isn’t really in my life. I don’t mind having a drink once in a while, but it mostly upsets my stomach and gives me a headache. Tea is my drink of choice. However, I don’t mind teas that are made after alcoholic beverages….things like hot buttered rum, pina coladas, or in this case, champagne!
Upon opening my little sample bag, the first thing that came to mind was raspberry tootsie pops. It actually smells JUST LIKE a tootsie pop. Its making my mouth water! Once steeped I gave it a sip and think it needed a little sweetening, so I added just a pinch of agave. It tastes like a tootsie pop. Honestly, I just cant get past that reference! I’m tasting hard candy here. However I will say, that after swallowing I do get a hint of tingly champagne. But all in all, this is totally a raspberry tootsie pop through and through. Sweet and tangy with a hint of cocoa from the tootsie roll sitting in its center, but not too much that you’ve reached the chewiness just yet. I cant really speak of whether you will get a full on champagne experience when you drink this being as all I can taste and visualize in a tootsie pop, but I will say that your taste buds will tingle with bubbly happiness because this is tangy and tasty and leaves you wanting more!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea and Tins
Description
White tea, safflowers with champagne flavor and red raspberry flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
