How wonderful is the title “Himalayan Dew Delight”?
Pretty great, but the flavor is even better.
Usually black teas taste heavy, a sturdy base that tastes malty, chocalate-y, rich, or some combination thereof. If you want a lighter touch, you have to look elsewhere.
Not today! This was called “dew delight” to clue you in! It’s springy and warm. It tastes like flowers and pollen and ragweed. Sparrows swooping through clean pale yellow air.
Just a general spring outdoor vibe.
Minus all the runny noses. Oh man. Our family has been struck by seasonal allergies like a nuke. Our sinuses are trashed. Eyes weep. Coughs and snorts interrupt our sleep.
We have traveled from prescription to prescription like wanderers through a war-torn apocalypse movie. We have found acceptable solutions, but no guaranteed safe haven.
Drinking this tea might be the closest we get to spring this year — but it’s delicious!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchant
Description
A colourful black tea with silver-tipped leaves and a smooth, medium strength reminiscent of a Darjeeling.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Black Ruby – Taiwan – Sunmoon Lake from Terroir Tea Merchant. . . .
I don’t think I have disliked any of the teas I have tried so far from the Sunmoon Lake region of Taiwan! Lucky for me I had another one to examine! This time it was Black Ruby – Sunmoon Lake – Taiwan – from Terroir Tea Merchant!
Back Ruby from Terroir Tea Merchant is a low altitude black tea of Sun Moon Lake origin. It’s an ECO Cert organic certified legendary black tea with a smooth, sweet, and intriguing flavor. There are specs of cinnamon and mint to provide a natural yin and yang of sorts. It’s malty and sugary…naturally-speaking…there is no added sugar to this…it’s a straight-up black tea, folks!
In the product description it says this tea is Harvest Ruby #18 cultivar, Hand picked in small batches in the summer, Certified Organic, and the processing is Hand picked and natural withering for 12 hours in partial sunlight. Black Ruby is grown in a forested area of central Taiwan under natural conditions through organic cultivation.
This tea offers a sweet, smooth, and rich flavor with a deeper and more complex character that develops as you continue to drink it. As I stated before this pure tea has a natural fragrance of cinnamon and mint. PLUS a distinctive sweet malt flavor that is reminiscent of bourbon or even brandy. There is NO astringency and has a lingering taste that is very pleasing!
According to the company website and product description Black Ruby is unique and versatile because it can be enjoyed with any meal at any time of the day. Foods with spices like cinnamon and mint would complement the flavor profile of the tea. For more specific food pairings they suggest a cinnamon bun or pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast or a decadent chocolate mousse served in a brandy snap basket to enhance the tea’s sweet malt flavors.
I LOVE that they offer suggestions and pairing with this tea! What a great all around tea experience!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchant
Description
ECO Cert organic certified legendary black tea with a smooth, sweet and intriguing cinnamon and mint flavour. This tea is guaranteed to excite even the most jaded taste buds.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Honey Scent Red from Terroir Tea Merchant
Have you ever encountered a tea that literally shook you and changed your thoughts on what teas you should be drinking? I will admit it. I drink mostly flavored teas knowing full well that I should expand my horizons and enjoy more straight teas to grow my tea knowledge and palate. But I just have such a fondness for those fun crazy flavored teas that I don’t take the time to enjoy straight teas.
Well that is until now. Terroir Tea Merchant recently sent the Sisters an amazing care package with a fabulous sampling of their offerings. I decided that I needed to try one of these teas before I passed along the rest. So I decided to grab this one.
Honey Scent Red is striking from the moment you set your eyes on the leaves. The leaves are gorgeous with a lovely malty and slightly spicy aroma. I prepped my water, brewed the tea according to the recommended parameters, and sat down to enjoy. I braced myself for a rich malty astringent flavor. That isn’t what this tea gave me at all.
Warm soothing apple notes followed by a sweet honey flavor that ended with an almost baked bread feel. This tea is simply divine. There are so many warm flavors going on without any strong malty or astringent characteristics. Sip after sip, this tea just keeps delivering on this sweet apple bread flavor. I’m excited to spend more time with this tea and see what other flavors I can draw out in future infusions.
A perfect tea to welcome in the cooler weather we are starting to experience here in the Midwest. Really wonderful tea that I just can’t get enough of and one that has me on a kick for more Terroir Tea Merchant offerings.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchant
Description
Although not fully oxidized this tea is considered a black tea and in Taiwan and China, a black tea is known as hong cha or “red tea”. This refers to the colour of the liquor once the leaves are infused. The deep, rich caramel liquor with its reddish hue is much more fitting as a red tea.
Just like the dry and wet leaf aromas, honey dominates the flavour with notes of raisins, spice and a malty finish. As it cools, the natural sweetness shines through and this tea can be enjoyed iced with no need to add sugar.
Served warm or iced Honey Scent Red is a beautiful accompaniment to any meal. Try a cup for breakfast with baked scones with jam and cream, or on its own in the afternoon whilst you contemplate the tea’s journey from the bush to your cup.
For another high altitude, bug-bitten tea from Central Taiwan, you’ll also enjoy our Shan Lin Xi Concubine
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
