Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: TeaVert
Tea Description:
The leaf has a pleasantly sweet, mildly fragrant aroma, with a hint of apricot.
The brew in the cup usually infuses to a very pale yellow with a hint of green.
The taste is mellow and sweet with a nice hint of subtle grassiness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a lovely Mao Feng!
There was a time when I didn’t really care much for green tea. Back then, I found most “unflavored” green teas to be too grassy for my liking. I drank a few green teas, but most of them were flavored green teas (my favorites were a pear flavored green and a cherry and rose flavored green tea … both of which were teas I flavored myself). I preferred the flavored green teas back then because, well, they flavoring managed to help mask the grassy tones of the green tea.
Since that time, I don’t know if it is due to changing taste buds or the fact that I’ve learned better ways of brewing tea (or perhaps a combination of these two factors), I’ve done an ‘about face’ and I find that I generally prefer unflavored green teas to flavored ones. Don’t get me wrong, I still do enjoy flavored green teas quite a bit, but, there is something about the fresh flavor of an unflavored green tea that has won me over to the “green” side.
And this Mao Feng from TeaVert is a perfect example of what it is I love about green tea. The flavor is sweet, with a mild floral note in the background. It has a light grassy tone to it … although it is no longer off-putting to me the way that grassy tone once was. There is a fruity overtone to this tea, and a subtle nutty background and an undertone of creamy butter-like flavor.
If you are one who finds the grassy flavor of green tea to be a little bit much for you, you might find that you’re not quite ready for a Mao Feng, but if you love green tea, this is one you really should try!
Yunnan Gold from TeaVert
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: TeaVert
Product Description:
Tea from the spring harvest in April is considered to be the best because the leaves are the tenderest. When oxidized, the beautiful buds of the tea turn gold rather than black, resulting in a rich, smooth flavor. This tea is deliciously rich and malty, with lingering notes of chocolate and honey. The flavor builds through several infusions.
Taster’s Review:
These leaves are very golden, and they render an unbelievably smooth cup of tea. There are background notes of peppery spice, but a sweet, honey-like note smooths them out and gives the cup an almost “creamy” texture.
The flavor is very rich with a deep, malty tone. There is a chewiness to this tea that reminds me of the flavor of the chewy crust from a loaf of freshly baked french bread. I am also getting the cocoa notes that are mentioned in the above description.
This is truly a delightful, complex Yunnan that I would recommend to any tea enthusiast. It has such a lovely flavor with no bitterness and very little (almost NO) astringency. One of the most pleasant teas I’ve ever sipped!
Bai Hao Oolong from TeaVert
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: TeaVert
Product Description:
Bai Hao is one of most renowned oolong teas and has natural fruity aromas with notes of peaches that produce a sweet and spring honey tasting bright-reddish orange tea liquor.
Taster’s Review:
This Oolong brews to a beautiful, bright amber color that is pleasantly fragrant. Smelling a little of flower and of fruit, with just a hint of smoke in the distance, this tea is begging me to take a sip!
The sip begins with a bright introduction of peach-like flavor with very subtle floral notes weaving throughout. About mid-sip, the palate is enveloped with a smooth sweetness that is honey-like in flavor. It is about this time that I notice that the light yet silky mouthfeel.
I don’t notice a tremendous amount of astringency with this cup, however, I do notice enough to mention it. It seems to softly polish the palate. The aftertaste is sweet with a savory whisper of tangy/sour taste.
A delightfully complex Oolong! I love this!
Yunnan Black Gold Tea from TeaVert
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: TeaVert
Product Description:
Yunnan has a history of 2,100 years since it was domesticated from the aboriginal tea known as the ‘wild tea.’ Yunnan, a black tea, is also known as Tian Hong, which means “red tea from heaven” in Chinese.
Yunnan began producing black tea in 1940s. Yunnan Gold was originally grown specifically for export to Great Britain through Hong Kong, rather than for the Chinese domestic market. Despite this, its popularity was such that it soon began to spread throughout mainland China. Yunnan tea processing was considered a protected State secret until the 20th century.
Yunnan was a favorite of the young Queen Elizabeth, who was said to proudly display it in a glass cabinet. When it was first introduced, the rare tea could fetch nearly £900 per 500g.
All the tea-producing areas of the province are located at altitude of 6,560 feet and the region offers ideal condition for growing tea. Yunnan’s tea species are known as the “Yunnan large-leaf tea or Da Ye, and they belong to the superb tea species of the world.
This means that the tea harvest can begin in spring and continue right until the end of autumn.
DescriptionTea from the spring harvest in April is considered to be the best because the leaves are the tenderest. When oxidized, the beautiful buds of the tea turn gold rather than black, resulting in a rich, smooth flavor. This tea is deliciously rich and malty, with lingering notes of chocolate and honey. The flavor builds through several infusions.
PreparationHeat Water to 212 F, steep 5 minutes
Tasters Review:
I’ve always liked a nice strong Yunnan Black Tea but there are times when I go thru cravings or phases. It seems I am in one of those zone lately! But, I suppose, it’s a nice zone to be in, eh?
Yunnan Black Gold Tea from TeaVert is semi-smokey yet fairly rich and malty. It smells more like honey than other Yunnan’s I have tried thus far. It’s a pretty strong one, too! The smokey and peppery notes are wonderful. As it cools I can pick up on a a chewier and sweeter taste than before while drinking the hotter version.
This is a goodie!
Assam Tippy – Khongea Estate from TeaVert
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: TeaVert
Product Description:
This tea has large elegant leaves with golden tips, and it is an orthodox rolled black tea. Golden tips, or buds on the leaves, increase the sweetness of the tea. Larger-leaf teas are generally rarer and twice as expensive to produce.
TGFOP translates to Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. Teas from Khongea tea estate are always rich in flavor, deeper, and malted.
Taster’s Review:
Awesome!
I love writing about tea (obviously, right?) but it becomes a true JOY when I have a tea such as this about which to write. This tea is one of the very best Assam teas that I’ve ever tasted.
It has a robust flavor that is very malty. One of the maltiest teas I’ve yet to encounter. It is a very rich and delicious tea. It has real GUSTO and is strong enough to get me going in the morning. There is some astringency at the tail, but because of the malty flavor that seems to coat the palate, the astringency does not effect the palate in the same way as some other black teas might. Interesting … and delightful!
There is a chewy flavor and texture to this tea that most Assam teas that I’ve tasted only hint toward but this one really delivers. It has a baked quality to it and it would be delightful to serve along with freshly baked scones! It would actually compliment the deliciously biscuit-y character of the scones quite nicely.
Many add milk and honey to their Assam, and this one would take those additions very well. I am finding it equally as nice without the milk and just a little honey, which brings out some of the sweeter, underlying qualities (lovely caramel-like tones mingling with the malty taste!) of the Assam which are a little hard to detect without the sweetener. But if you’re looking for strong, edgy tea goodness, serve this one straight!
On the package, the steeping parameters suggested by TeaVert are four to five minutes, but I found that three minutes is a much better time for this Assam. The first time I tasted it, I steeped it at four minutes and I detected notes of bitterness. This time, I steeped it at just three minutes, and no bitterness whatsoever! It’s perfect!
This is the first tea that I’ve tried from TeaVert … and it’s a good one! With a starting point such as this, it makes me eager to want to try other teas they offer! Delicious!