Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company
Tea Description:
OOOhhhhh…. this is the best Taiwanese Biluochun we’ve had in a while. Don’t miss out on this fantastic tea from SanXia. BiLuoChun is an early spring tea picked when the leaves are small. It’s best when it’s fresh and has a very unique aroma and flavor. Words from the adjective bucket include: Smooth, Fresh, Delicate, Earthy, Aromatic, Delicious… and Satisfying!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
LOVELY! This is the first tea that I’m trying from this new-to-me company, and I’m happy that I received several from them … I’m happy this won’t be my last! This Twisted Green Tea from Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company is absolutely delightful!
The dry leaf has a beautifully fresh fragrance that is vegetative with a hint of earthiness in the background. It reminds me of spring. Like the fresh morning air following a night of rain in the spring. So many of the teas that I’ve been trying lately have been very reminiscent of spring and I love that!
The overall flavor is delicate, but there is a lovely complexity to it. The description above suggests an earthy taste to the cup, but, I don’t really get a lot of earthiness to the taste, and I smelled more earthiness to the dry leaf than I am tasting now.
The flavor is sweet and smooth, with notes of cream. The creamy notes are somewhere between butter and vanilla, and this taste marries beautifully with the light vegetative notes. The vegetal notes here are much softer in taste than either the dry leaf aroma or that of the brewed tea would suggest. I almost want to describe what I’m tasting as very lightly buttered and salted popcorn: sweet, crisp and vibrant with a savory quality that arrives mid-sip. It’s not quite “popcorn” … but that is the thought that keeps popping into my head as I sip.
A really lovely Bi Luo Chun. The soft flavors are very relaxing to sip, but there’s a sense of invigoration that comes with sipping this tea too. It seems to enliven from the inside, reawakening my tired soul while soothing it. A truly Beautiful Taiwan Tea!
Twisted Leaf Assam from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Product Description:
Made as per The Tao of Tea specifications. This Twisted Leaf Assam is probably a first for this tea growing region. We provided the insight to develop an Assam tea with actual full size tea leaves that are sideways rolled and baked (The Northern Taiwanese Baozhong teas are also made in this rolling manner and known for their clear flavors). As the tea steeps, you can see the entire tea leaf unroll and open up. For those who are wary of brisk teas, this tea doesn’t have a hint of bitterness or briskness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a FANTASTIC Assam.
It is incredibly rich and flavorful, but, without any tone of bitterness that is often associated with an Assam. Sure, I was careful how I brewed it, but, even with careful brewing, I can often taste a subtle hint in an Assam that isn’t quite bitter, but it sort of says “if you over steep me, I will be bitter.” This Twisted Leaf Assam does not have even that subtle hint of bitterness in the background.
It has a delicious malty tone that is coupled with a caramel-y sweetness that makes for a very irresistible taste. In the background (but not too distant background) there are notes of cocoa … not a milk chocolate-y kind of cocoa, but more of a deep, rich cocoa powder.
This is the kind of Assam that I wouldn’t mind enjoying every morning. It has that hefty kind of taste and texture I expect from an Assam – that sort of deep, freshly baked bread-y kind of taste. But what is so amazing about this cup, also, is that the flavors are so clean and delivered clearly. With some Assam teas you need to really focus to understand the complexity of the tea, but not with this one. It is a very upfront, straight-forward kind of tea that isn’t afraid to show me what its made of.
If you’re a fan of Assam tea, you should give this one a try. I’d also recommend this to anyone who has tried Assam in the past and found them to be too harsh or brassy, this one will surprise you!