This is another great oolong from Fong Mong Tea.
You guys this company has produced some amazing teas. From the first sniff after opening the package to the last drop descending your throat everything shouts exceptional tea.
The moment I opened the package and smelled the slightly sweet marine and mineral notes I knew it was a lightly oxidized oolong. And then of course you look at the tightly rolled, dark green leaves and you know, yup that is definitely an oolong.
When the water is poured over the leaves it gives off a vegetal smell. Which is slightly amusing because if you pick up the cup to smell it 5 seconds later …. you don’t smell it.
Quite interesting. It has a smooth mouth feel with mineral, vegetal, and a few hints of grassy notes.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Description
Gaoshanchi, Fushoushan High Mountain Oolong Tea is one of the most unique and highest quality Oolong from Taiwan. Grown in the estate of Fushoushan Farm at Top Pear Mountains of Taiwan, this tea is harvested at the elevation of 2200 meters above in an isolated area (Almost the highest tea estate in Taiwan.). Due to the cold weather and relatively harsh environments, the plants grow at a very slow rate and in small quantity. The tea is either harvested during the winter or spring and sometimes only once during the entire year. After the harvest, the leaves are carefully handled and aerated during the long ride to the nearest trusted tea producer. Despite the difficult growing conditions, the tea results in thick and full body leave with high fragrance which reminds of smelling the phytoncide and foggy air while climbing a high mountain, thus which is being selected as the highest quality of Oolong.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Perfect, Cold-Weather Cup: Boisahabi Estate Assam from Capital Tea Ltd
Assam teas are known for their fuller, malty feel and flavor, distinctly different than the tart zing of Ceylon black teas. This Assam from the Boisahabi Estate from Capital Tea Ltd., is a high grade tea (STGFOP (SPL) ) with a mix of black tea leaves and the highly-prized golden tips that bring the complex and delicious flavor.
In the dry leaf, this tea smells comforting and slightly spicy, like cinnamon sticks and fresh wood. Brewed, the tea becomes surprisingly fruity, with lush muscatel flavors like pear and plum. Beneath this fruitiness, the black tea is smooth and full, with toffee tones. Overall, the tea feels very pleasant to drink, with a texture that fills my mouth with a warm, fuzzy feeling, without being too cloying or too sharp.
In the winter season, I seem to be drawn to all the crazy dessert-flavored teas like pumpkin pie or gingerbread cake, but while those teas are fun, their flavors are certainly enhanced by artificial flavors or added sugars and sprinkles. There’s a time and place for those tasty flavored teas, but this Assam from Boisahabi Estate really took me by surprise and felt more flavorful and festive than those other blends.
This tea has a beautiful balance of both bold and delicate flavors, with the lighter, garden-like flavors of stone fruit, and the rich caramel and black tea undertones. Even without sugar or milk, there is a smooth and comforting natural sweetness to this brew, which speaks to the quantity and quality of the golden tips and the tea leaves as a whole.
When you want a mature cup of tea with comforting yet complex flavors, brew a cup of Assam black tea from Boisahabi Estate from Capital Tea Ltd. and stay cozy in the chilly weather.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Capital Tea Ltd
Description:
Sweetly aromatic attractive deep brown Assam leaves with plenty of golden tips. These leaves infuse to a rich, full bodied, and intensely flavourful tea liquor with prominent notes of candy-malt and toffee. Highly recommended as a breakfast tea to drink with milk
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sakhira Estate from Yatra Tea Company. . . .
The first thing I noticed about this tea was its light, fuzzy leaves. I got really excited, because I know that this means they were plucked at JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT when the leaf is FRESHLY, FIRST FUZZY. Is this fact upon the official site for this tea? NO. It is NOT. You got that information STRAIGHT FROM ME. YOU ARE WELCOME. Now go forth and tell everyone you know about tea fuzz.
I thought, based on the tea’s fuzzy mid-green appearance, that it’d be delicate. After steeping, the water was still really light, reinforcing that perception.
Nope! This is a potent flavor! It’s a very smooth, amber sort of flavor that’s sweet and thoughtful.
Imagine a harp and a violinist playing together at a midafternoon wedding. Everyone is dressed sharply. The feeling in the air is electric. Spring is settling into summer, and the sun is out.
It’s a beautiful afternoon for them, and for you, when you give this a whirl.The spring fuzzy leaves are carrying their sunshine into your cup.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Yatra Tea Company
Description
Known worldwide as home to some of the largest mountains in the world, including Mt. Everest, Nepal is an underrated tea producing nation that has started to gain some prominence among discerning tea drinkers. Nepal is comprised of 75 districts, one of which is Ilam. Ilam is located in the Mechi Zone in the easternmost part of Nepal. It borders the Darjeeling region of India, which affords it very similar soil and climatic conditions.
Approximately 12 miles from the Ilam bazaar lies the Sakhira Garden. Named for its location (Sakhejung Hill Range) this estate is relatively young, founded in 2000 by the collective efforts of a group of small farmers. The production facilities reside at 4,000 ft. while the plantations that provide tea to the factory are perched at an altitude of 6,000 ft.
With a singular focus on harvesting only the highest quality black Orthodox teas, the produce of Sakhira is poised to give the vaunted Darjeeling teas a run for their money!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Dancing Flavors of Sun Moon Lake Tea from Taiwan Leaf Tea. . .
There is a form of hypnosis caused by watching water move – At once it’s both calming and playful, it invites us to stay and watch stories unfold. My folks often invite us over to the lake house, and as much as we can cause a raucous, I take a simple pleasure in just watching the light dancing over the rippling lake. I am doing this as I steep the Sun and Moon Lake tea from Taiwan Leaf Tea.
There are deep chestnut colored, thick, loosely twisted leaves with a hint of apple chips smell to them. They yield a sumptuous auburn colored tea that now smells of rose and honey. Wow, this is so unexpectedly beautiful. I find that as my eyes take in the visual symphony on the water, the medium-bodied mouthfeel of this tea provides an equally stimulating journey for my taste buds. The more I drink it, the more I find to like about it.
Though there are no added flavors, I find a natural hint of sweetness but the tiniest incidental Granny Smith crisp to it, hmmm but without any tart pucker face. I’m torn between adding sugar to bring the flavors out more or leaving it as is. A sip ends with a short, smooth yet robust aftertaste. Nope, that sugar didn’t do anything here to enhance those subtle flavor nuances. On its own, it’s a well-rounded, meditative tea.
One of my favorites from this whole review box, Definitely a keeper. Would be great for sipping during an artistic event – figure skating at the Olympics comes to mind, or even just a walk past the new spring blossoms peeking out lately.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black loose leaf tea
Where to Buy: Taiwan Leaf Tea
Premium Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black Tea (Tea # 18) is rare black (red) tea from Central Taiwan (Yuchi, Nantou County).
Sun Moon Lake is located in Nantou County in Central Taiwan. It is surrounded by mountains. Average temperature is very stable during the whole year and humidity is very high. These all enable tea leaves grow rich and intense.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Nonpareil Anxi Qing Yiang Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea by Teavivre . . . . .
I steeped about half the sample packet (or a little over half) in about 10 ounces of water at 212 degrees for about 6 minutes.
It smells indisputably delicious as it starts to brew. Buttery, creamy, smooth, and rich. Also a tiny bit seaweedy/vegetal/grassy, but that’s subsumed by the butteriness.
The packet says to brew 4-10 minutes, which means it’s probably great for resteeping since you only need to steep it about 5-6 minutes in my experience (and with a little less water it would be less). So if you’re in the mood to re-steep, this might be a good choice for you. (As opposed to when you’re on the road or something and resteeping isn’t convenient.)
I started out using a tea ball to contain the leaves, but after a couple of minutes it became clear that wasn’t going to work out because they were just expanding too much so I let them out. Next time I’d just put them directly in the water or use a brew basket. That way I’d be able to watch them unroll too, which is always fun.
After steeping, I ended up with a nice light yellowish-green liquid (hard to say the exact shade though because I was using a green mug). It smells the tiniest bit flowery in addition to the buttery flavor.
The combo of green and creamy flavors reminds me a bit of matcha actually, although it’s gentler here and less vegetal in flavor. This is a very well-rounded flavor profile, with the bright, floral, and creamy notes complementing each other in a balanced and enjoyable fashion. Each sip is amazing. The floral bit catches your nose as you go to take a sip; the creaminess is there the whole time, and you taste the green/vegetal bit during the sip, and afterwards there’s even a slightly sweet aftertaste. And I don’t even prefer unroasted oolongs as a rule, so I’m extremely impressed with this tea and how much I enjoyed it! Teavivre has done an amazing job with this one as usual!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are available.
