Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Full body black tea with a light flavor.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of this tea is somewhat earthy with a low note of pine. There is also the faintest hint of smoke in the fragrance. It is very masculine and intriguing.
After my first sip of this tea, my first impression is that the description provided on the website is a little misleading – this is certainly a full-bodied black tea, but, I don’t consider the flavor to be light at all. This is a very bold, robust tea with a very pleasing complexity that I would expect from a high quality Keemun tea such as this.
The wine-like qualities of a Keemun are there: fruit notes of plum and currant, sweet but not cloying, with an aftertaste that is somewhat reminiscent of fermented fruit. The finish is dry but not overly astringent. There is very little bitterness to this cup, although I do detect a hint of savory bitterness toward mid-sip.
There are some other noteworthy flavors to this cup as well. The earthiness that is part of the fragrance becomes less apparent although I can detect vague earthy notes in the sip, as ell as a lovely smoky note that weaves its way throughout the sip.
Perhaps most enjoyable (for me, at least) is the biscuit-y quality that this tea possesses. It has a deep, bake-y kind of taste to it, that is accented with a lovely burnt-sugar caramel undertone.
This is a really lovely Keemun, one I’d highly recommend.
Vitalitea from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Green tea with hibiscus, safflowers, lemon and raspberry.
This is pretty darned tasty! I find it tastes best when I allow it to cool a few minutes after steeping. Not to a point of being cold or lukewarm, but, just not “just brewed” hot. Let it sit for a few minutes before you start sipping and the flavors of lemon and raspberry really come to life!
I was a little concerned about the hibiscus in this, but it really is barely there. I can taste a hint of tartness from the hibiscus, but it seems to contribute more to the color of the liquor than it does to the flavor. But don’t let the odd, pinkish-gray color turn you away from this tea – it really is quite delicious!
The green tea is light and has a slightly astringent tone toward the end of the sip. This astringency really allows the bright lemony flavor to shine, imparting its sunny citrus flavor in the aftertaste. The raspberry remains light yet consistent throughout the sip. It is a very pleasant harmony of tastes in one teacup.