Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Product Description:
If you’re new to white teas, start with our Jasmine Silver Needle. Like our Silver Needle white tea, it is plucked from the buds of the tea plant in springtime and then naturally scented with fresh jasmine flowers in summertime. This labor-intensive process results in a robust, sweet, smooth jasmine flavor that’s completely unlike the bitter, artificially flavored jasmine teas out there. Drink Jasmine Silver Needle for its silky mouthfeel, full jasmine flavor and banana-like undertones. For an added treat, try it with Cuban beans and rice, Chinese chicken soup or Thai mango sticky rice.
Taster’s Review:
Perfection! That is what I said to myself after I took my first sip of this tea: Perfection!
My love for jasmine scented teas is well documented through my various tea writings, it is one of my top three tea “flavors” (the other two being chocolate and bergamot). And, there was a time when I thought that jasmine pearls offered the very best jasmine flavor available. I have since discovered, however, that I prefer the flavor of jasmine scented Silver Needle: the jasmine ends up tasting softer … almost velvety. And this Jasmine Silver Needle from thepuriTea is absolutely ethereal!
The Silver Needle is a delicate flavor. It is very lightly grassy, but more sweet than grassy or vegetative. It has a crisp, almost airy kind of quality to it. When met with the sweet, delicate flavor of jasmine, it is truly a match made in tea heaven.
The jasmine does not taste sharp or bitter or artificial. It tastes natural and sweet and delicate … just like the flower itself. The sip is silky soft, smooth, and sweet. The finish is smooth and sweet with very little astringency. I really had to focus to see if I could notice any astringency at all, and there is only a very slight astringency which I would say is unnoticeable unless you’re really trying to notice it. The aftertaste is lightly floral, and if I inhale just after a sip, a sweet crispness of air and flower floats over the palate.
An AMAZING jasmine experience awaits with this tea!
Oriental Beauty from thepuriTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Product Description:
Originally developed to mimic the fruity notes of Darjeeling Second Flush, Oriental Beauty has since become a tea that stands tall on its own merit. Also known as Eastern Beauty, Bai Hao Oolong and White-Tipped Oolong, Oriental Beauty is a dark oxidation oolong with wiry leaves and the occasional fuzzy tea bud. Woodsy, spicy dry aromas evolve into an enchantingly sweet copper-colored brew. Aromas of fruit, flowers, spice and wood carry through into the smooth, round, full flavor, which features notes of rose, plum and cedar. The aftertaste is accented with flavors of rosewater and cardamom, making it a great choice for pairing with Indian or Moroccan dishes. It’s also delicious on its own or paired with white chocolate and hazelnut truffles or cedar plank grilled kabobs of sweet potato and lamb.
Taster’s Review:
Reading the description of this tea as I sip it, I must say that the description is pretty spot-on. The aroma of the liquor is pleasantly spiced with deep wood tones. The flavor is sweet with distinctive wood-like notes and hints of flower and fruit. I can even taste the rose water and cardamom aftertaste.
As the seasons slowly begin to change from the heat of the summer to the cooler air of autumn, this tea seems to reflect this time of year. The lightly spiced taste reminds me of the warm flavors of fall, and the crisp floral notes and sweet fruit notes remind me of the beauty of summer as its final moments come to a close.
The sip begins with a wash of flavors that is sweet and warm. Toward mid-sip, I taste a just slightly sour note that accents the sweetness of this tea. Sweet flavors of roasted peach. A floral note and even a slight nutty flavor in the distance. Only a very faint astringency that I can detect, and only when I’m really focusing on it. A casual sip would miss it completely. No bitterness. Just sweet, warm comfort – Oriental Beauty style!
White Monkey Green Tea from thepuriTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Product Description:
Don’t be fooled by the name – White Monkey is actually a green tea. Its flavorful young buds are hand-plucked and processed on the famous Taimu Mountains of Fujian, China. The abundance of white “buds” (very young, tender leaves) gives it its unusual name. Although White Monkey is a rare and nuanced tea that’s sure to appeal to serious green tea drinkers, it has a clean, sweet taste that makes it a fantastic introduction to premium green tea for newer tea drinkers. Notes of fresh fruit, sweet spices and cocoa are balanced with a classic green tea astringency and grassiness. A complex, lingering and remarkably refreshing aftertaste makes this tea incredibly easy to drink while providing the layers and depth that tea connoisseurs demand in a great green tea.
Taster’s Review:
This is an extraordinary green tea. The leaves are very small and light green in color. I can even see the tiny buds!
The flavor is very light, crisp and clean. Very sweet, but not in a cloying way. The above description suggests “notes of fresh fruit, sweet spices and cocoa” – and that is pretty much right on the money. I can taste the fruity notes, the hint of spice and even the cocoa notes. The cocoa was especially surprising for me, because they are pretty unusual for a green tea.
There are also hints of a nutty flavor in this cup … or is that nutmeg? I don’t get a lot of grassy flavor from this, but there are whispers of it in the background. I love sipping this tea, it is full of intrigue and complexity.
A truly beautiful tea experience awaits those who drink this tea. It is definitely one of the best green teas I’ve ever had the opportunity to try. I can’t sing it’s praises enough – it is such a treasure! I recommend it to all tea lovers out there. I also recommend steeping this one in a gaiwan for the best flavor – but strain very carefully as the leaves are tiny, even when they unfurl.
Ali Shan Oolong from thepuriTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Product Description:
Our Ali Shan Oolong hails from the famed Ali Shan (a.k.a. “Alishan” or “Ali Mountain”) of Taiwan. It is a high elevation Taiwanese oolong with all the floral, sweet flavors you’d expect of one. Dry and wet, the large leaves emit aromas of clover honey, field grasses and fresh flowers. Ali Shan’s complex flavor profile includes classic floral, honeyed and creamy notes, as well as hints of marine air, clover fields, sage and cracked black pepper. A honeyed finish with suggestions of pepper, menthol and sweet grass and a creamy, sweet second infusion make Ali Shan a tea that can be enjoyed for a long period of time. Try brewing it gong fu style with a leisurely breakfast of sliced green pears, chopped fresh mint and Greek yogurt, or with a dinner of creamy sage-asparagus risotto.
Taster’s Review:
Ali Shan Oolong is my favorite type of Oolong tea – I love it so much that I even bought a Yixing tea mug that is used exclusively for when I drink Ali Shan Oolong.
This Ali Shan Oolong from thepuriTea is exquisite. It smells like honey! I can also smell the fresh grass and floral notes that are mentioned in the above description.
The flavor is sublime. It has a honey-esque sweetness to it that is present throughout the sip and lingers into the aftertaste. I taste a fresh vegetal note, as well as a hint of flower. There is a spiced undertone and a buttery overtone.
I recommend steeping this Oolong in a gaiwan, starting with a 30 – 45 second steep and increasing the time gradually with each subsequent steep. What is in my Yixing mug right now is the first four infusions combined. And the leaves are ready and willing to submit even more tea!
This Ali Shan is a must try for Oolong enthusiasts!
Milk Oolong from thepuriTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: thepuriTea
Company Description:
Milk Oolong is a one-of-a-kind tea. It has no added flavors – its fantastically milky, creamy flavor is the result of its terroir and harvest season. The rolled, blue-green leaves have an intense milk aroma, like milk toffee or hard milk candy, with a slight floral undertone. Likewise, the bright yellow brew is incredibly aromatic and flavorful. Its scents of creamy caramel, flavors of cream, milk, coconut milk and tangerine-infused crème fraiche, and finish of gardenias, ripe fruits and warm cream are remarkably indulgent. Later infusions are greener, more floral and equally complex. Milk Oolong is delicious on its own, or with fresh fruit salad or coconut cream pie and sliced peaches.
Taster’s Review:
While I have tasted many Oolong teas, I must admit that my experience with Milk Oolong teas is rather limited. I’ve probably tried less than a handful of Milk Oolongs… although, I don’t know why.
I mean, it isn’t as though they aren’t amazing – because they are! They are rich, creamy, and deliciously satisfying. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that it isn’t easy to find a good quality Milk Oolong.
Well, I need search no longer! This is one of the finest Milk Oolong teas that I have ever tasted. The flavor is perfect: sweet, vegetative and slightly nutty. The mouthfeel is creamy thick – like the way the mouth feels after having consumed a glass of whole milk! It is absolutely divine!
And divine really is the best way I know how to describe this tea – it is like a soft, fluffy cloud! From the feeling it imparts in the mouth right down to the luxuriousness of the flavor – everything about this tea is heavenly.
And while this Milk Oolong may seem a little costly, consider this: when I steeped this tea in my gaiwan, I was able to extract 8 very lovely infusions! Each infusion was slightly different from the previous, but only slightly – the flavor still remained very sweet and sumptuous. If you factor in these multiple steeps, you get a whole lot of value out of these leaves! And trust me when I say this: If you like Oolong tea, you OWE it to yourself to try this one.