Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Teavivre’s Jin Xuan Milk Tea is another kind of fine classic Taiwan Oolong. It belongs to a category of tea often called “Milk Oolong”. However, this Jin Xuan Milk Oolong is special and unique because its milky aroma is natural, it is not manually added milk when process as other milk teas. The first three infusion of this tea will have obviously milky scent, whereas this scent will gradually reduce for the next cups.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Before tasting any tea … as I brew it, I find myself contemplating what a tea might taste like. Sometimes, I think it’s going to be fairly easy, because I may have already tasted a tea that I think was similar to it. For example, as I was steeping this tea in my gaiwan, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from it. After all, this isn’t my first Milk Oolong.
But, even with my recollection of past tastings preparing my palate for what was to come, I found myself exclaiming “AWESOME!” after taking my first sip. I guess no amount of prep work can properly brace my palate for the deliciousness that is Milk Oolong … especially one of such exceptional quality like this one from Teavivre!
I’ve tried quite a few teas from Teavivre by now, and every time I try a new one, I am impressed. Their quality is second to none. And never has that statement been more true than with this Jin Xuan Milk Oolong.
The flavor is so sweet and creamy, and the texture has a silky smooth quality to complement that creamy taste. It feels like velvet as the tea glides over the palate! I taste a strong floral presence, but it melds beautifully with a delicious nutty tone and the creamy notes.
As mentioned in the description of this tea, the milky aroma is strongest in the first few infusions, and they begin to taper with subsequent infusions. I find that the milky aroma is stronger than the actual milky flavor with this tea, but I do taste hints of a warm milk kind of flavor in the background … especially with the first two infusions. In subsequent infusions, I find the creamy milk flavor begin to emerge a little more.
The reason this milk Oolong has a “softer” milk taste is that it isn’t artificially flavored or enhanced the way that some milk Oolong teas are. The flavors here are all natural, derived from its surroundings rather than by flavor manipulation.
In subsequent infusions, I find that the floral notes subside somewhat, creating a smoother flavor that is at once nutty, a little milky, creamy, and with a subtle floral tone. It is incredibly smooth and there is virtually no astringency to this cup. Just delicious Oolong enjoyment from start to finish!
This is not only a must try for Oolong enthusiasts, but I think it should be on every tea drinker’s must try list! It’s incredible!
Ripened Aged Pu-erh Mini Tuocha from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Aged Pu-erh tea is created by secondary-oxidation and post-fermentation tea. This type of Pu-erh tea is referred to as ripened, or cooked, Pu-erh, which has a rich, mellow and earthy flavor. Unlike many other teas which should be consumed shortly after production, such as green and white teas, Pu-erh tea can either be brewed immediately or it can be stored and aged for many years, much like a fine wine. Most Pu-erh teas are classified by the year they were produced and the region they were grown in, much like many wine vintages. In fact, when it comes to Pu-erh tea, the longer it is stored and aged properly, the more complex the flavor and the more valuable the tea gets. Many aged Pu-erh teas are served in Chinese restaurants after heavy meals, as Pu-erh tea is known for it’s ability to break down fat, also making it a great weight loss tea!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little afraid to try this Pu-erh, as I worried it might end up tasting a little too earthy for my palate. It was the name of the tea that frightened me … “ripened aged” usually says to me “very earthy.”
But after unwrapping the individually wrapped tuocha and inhaling deeply, I noticed only a hint of earthiness to the aroma. In fact, the aroma of the dry leaf is very indistinct, with mere insinuations of an earthiness.
The flavor is more earthy than the aroma of the dry leaf would suggest, but, I am not finding it to be TOO earthy. Perhaps it is because beneath that earthy overtone, I taste this underlying note of delicious caramel-y sweetness. And even the earthiness here I find to be very interesting, as it seems to interchange with a deep, woodsy kind of flavor.
Overall, this has a very rustic kind of flavor to it … very masculine. It is very smooth and mellow, with no bitterness whatsoever and no astringency either. After my first couple of sips, I added just a little bit of turbinado sugar to see how that would affect the flavor and it ended up giving the caramel-like sweetness I mentioned earlier a very molasses-y kind of taste … very nice indeed! I like how that molasses flavor marries with the masculine flavors of wood and earth. This would also probably taste wonderful as a latte! Might have to try that sometime soon!
Two Dragons and a Pearl from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
When you brew Two Dragons, two arms of jasmine and globe amaranth petals will slowly expand upwards cupping a single marigold flower – and so it is given the name of Two Dragons and a Pearl. Thanks to the jasmine and amaranth, this tea has a wonderful sweet, flowery aroma and taste. The taste is long-lasting and will survive 2 or 3 infusions.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the third and final tea from my Steepster Select box from February: Year of the Dragon. It is a very slow-to-open blooming tea from Teavivre. It’s fun to watch it slowly unfurl to reveal the beautiful flowery display tucked inside the handcrafted bulb.
The instructions suggest using boiling water and 2 minutes steep time. However, I couldn’t bear to pour boiling water over these bulbs, I was afraid I’d burn them. Instead, I heated the water to 185°F, and steeped for 2 1/2 minutes. Only a few leaves opened away from the bulb, so, I infused it a second time, adding 1 minute onto the steep time. With the second infusion, the bulb expanded more, revealing hints of the colors of the display, but, still did not open fully. 
It wasn’t until the third and final infusion that the bulb fully opened, revealing a beautiful orange flower at the base of the leaves, and jasmine “arms” that reach up to hold a gorgeous red flower. The photo to the right doesn’t begin to do justice to how lovely this bloom really is.
The tea from the first infusion was a very gentle flavored tea, with notes of jasmine and hints of fresh grass and hay. It was delicious, but I do think it could have improved with a longer steep time. Perhaps a hotter water would have produced more flavor as well, but again, having scorched more than my share of green and white teas in my past, this is something I do not wish to repeat.
The second infusion provided a much more flavorful cup. The flavor is sweet and floral, and the tea tastes fresh and even a little creamy. Very smooth, with no notable astringency or bitterness. The third infusion was a little less flavorful, but still was quite enjoyable … and even though the flavor had waned a little, the splendor of the bulb finally opening fully made it worth the effort to steep it a third time.
Another lovely tea experience from Teavivre. I’ve come to expect greatness from them, and they’ve yet to fail!
Organic Silver Needle White Tea (Bai Hao Yin Zhen) from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
We at TeaVivre have carefully selected our organic Silver Needle White Tea to make sure it is absolute premium quality. When brewed, it has a pale golden color and subtle flowery fragrance. The taste of TeaVivre’s Silver Needle is delicate, without any bitterness or strong flavour.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a lovely Silver Needle. The leaves are tender and vary in color ranging from a yellowish green to a pale green, with hints of tan and silver, and they are covered with soft silvery fuzz. The aroma of the dry leaf is a combination of hay, flowers and air. After brewing, the infusion maintains that fragrance, although it is a bit softer than that of the dry leaf.
The flavor is so wonderful! It is delicate and sweet, with hints of flower, grass, and fruit. It has a lovely complexity to it, but because the flavors are so soft, I find myself mesmerized by the tea … focusing on the beautiful layers of flavor … getting lost in the beauty of it.
There is some astringency to this tea, but absolutely no bitterness. The aftertaste is sweet and floral.
This tea is wonderfully calming and inspires a sense of relaxation and deep contemplation. It is an absolute joy to sip! This is why I love tea!
Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Tie Guan Yin tea is a type of Oolong tea, and is – deservedly – one of the most revered and sought after type tea in China. Sometimes also written as Ti Kuan Yin or Iron Goddess Oolong Tea. Apart from its amazing taste, this tea also has great health benefits, being high in amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is an outstanding Tie Guan Yin.
This brews to a beautiful chartreuse color. If I recall correctly, other Tie Guan Yin teas that I’ve experienced were more yellow than green, but this one has a distinct greenish hue to it. It’s really quite lovely. The aroma is floral and sweet, eluding to what the taste has in store.
And yes, it is indeed floral and sweet. It has a delectable buttery overtone to it with hints of vegetation, giving it a taste that is somewhat like lightly buttered, steamed vegetables. The floral notes taste sweet and exotic.
And the more you steep these leaves, the better the tea becomes. While the combination of the first and second infusions were light and refreshing, the flavor intensified significantly with the cup that held my third and fourth infusion. More buttery tones, very rich and even had a slickness to the mouthfeel. Quite delightful. The fifth and sixth infusion proved to be equally as delicious.
I have been extraordinarily impressed with Teavivre’s taste and quality. They are dedicated to providing the very best teas, and this Tie Guan Yin is a perfect example of that excellence. This company is a MUST TRY for all tea lovers!