Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Taiwan Green Tea
Where to Buy: Stone Leaf Teahouse
Tea Description:
Bi Luo Chun
Spring 2012
碧螺春茶
Taiwan. San Hsia Township.
Fresh is the operative word for this tea. Fresh, vibrant and green with notes of bamboo sprouts. Perfectly balanced with subtle nutty aromas, lively vegetal flavors, lingering grassyness, and a touch of ocean mist. This sparkling green infusion is perfect for a sunny day, or if you’d just like it to .
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the bag the buttery sweet aroma was so intoxicating! Then a sweet vegetal aroma lifted up toward my nostrils and I was in love. I just melt when I sip on buttery, sweet, vegetal, grassy, creamy, nutty teas and if I had to list adjectives to describe a perfect green those are the adjectives I would list, and this tea captures every single one of them perfectly.
It is such a very pretty leaf! All curly and springy! I love the shades of green and would describe this leaf as “playful”. The steeped leaf is so soft and silky – what I describe as “angel hair” feeling. It feels so plush I wish I could sleep on a bed that feels like this!
I keep re-steeping in order to do a proper review but I just can’t keep my cup full long enough to savor these amazing flavors, and while I do like to respect the tea, and appreciate it, savoring each and every sip I can’t seem to contain myself to do so with this one. Look out folks…its a guzzler!
Now I assume that in the description they say “a touch of ocean mist” to mean there is a slightly seaweed like flavor in it. I have to say that I get very subtle notes here and there of that, more of a salty like note, however it is slight and I do love salt! Ironically even though I am a total saltaholic my sodium levels always run low! Go figure, I could put a salt block in my living room and be quite happy. So for that reason I am very happy to have that “touch of ocean mist” flavor in my cup. As for a seaweed note, to me that is more in the aroma than in the flavor but it is there, that salty seaweed bamboo like flavor just screams tropical rain forest to me more than ocean side sea spray.
The flavor is so very buttery, so creamy and silky in the mouthfeel, yet I can’t quite decide which vegetable it tastes like, corn came to mind, but so did green beans, and peas, but its more like a medley of vegetables. Yet there is this nutty almost wood like flavor perhaps from the bamboo sprouts. The after taste lingers so nicely making me just want to keep sipping away without a care. Which in and of itself is making it more difficult to really give a detailed review of exactly what this tea taste like other than AMAZING!
I clicked on the blog link on Stone Leaf Teahouse website and found this tidbit of information about Bi Luo Chun that I wanted to share with you because I found it so romantic:
Yet another legend claims that this tea was named after a girl, Bi Luo, who watered a tea tree with the tears she had shed for her slain dragon lover. She then died under this tree, and the next spring, the tree produced a fragrant green tea which we now call Bi Luo Chun.
This is only a small excerpt however as there is an entire article about the name of this tea and the man legends associated with it. Here is the link to their blog if you would like to read more for yourself.
Green Kukicha from The Tea Merchant
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Tea Merchant
Tea Description:
Our organic green kukicha is comprised of non-roasted tea twigs and leafs. Otherwise known as Senkukicha and praised for its health benefits and low caffeine content in the macrobiotic community. This tea has a fresh grassy feel with a slightly fruity taste and a crisp finish. Brews a lively green infusion and is best brewed at a low temperature.
Ingredients:
Organic Green Tea Leafs and StemsCaffeine Content: Low
Organic
Region: Japan
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This has a lovely green Kukicha base and one of my first Kukicha, actually this may have been my first Kukicha, however since have been able to sample a couple others so I can say I do like the base used in this blend. Its buttery, and slightly nutty and I am partial to buttery, nutty teas!
The initial aroma was nutty and the dry leaf is eye pleasing.
The initial taste on first sip was indeed buttery but then something shifted, this tea tasted very much of an oolong, which I also do love my oolongs!
The color of the steeped tea is quite interesting, almost a neon yellowish color that boarders on orange. It is the color of the sunrise. Quite pretty.
For such a light colored tea it actually has somewhat of a full mouth feel being nice and creamy!
As I sat with my cup and took in the aromas around me I noticed this tea also smells very much like an oolong!
The flavor however was still very vegetal, grassy and fresh, yet there was this kick to it similar to an oolong with a roast-y toast-y goodness and after taste!
It is quite rich and while I am used to using 2tsp of leaves for greens and oolongs this one may even be able to be extended in your stash by only using 1tsp but I have yet to try that.
Its a delicate tea so be sure you steep a bit lower – around 150 to 170 degrees but not over that as it will become bitter and astringent.
This is a part that is slightly annoying to me as often I do not have the time to baby my teas and just need hardy teas that you can dump into the stainer and pour some scouring water over and be done with it but fine tea does deserve far more focus and attention so be sure that when you steep this tea you have the time to treat it with respect and it will offer you a welcome cup.
Coconut Oolong from Zen Tea Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Bao Zhong Oolong
Where to Buy: Zen Tea Life
Tea Description:
Creamy, smooth coconut perfectly blended with a floral Bao Zhong oolong with subtle notes of lilac.
For the best infusions, we recommend you try brewing this tea in a Guywan.
We encourage you to experiment with the quantity of tealeaves and the length of the infusion time to find your desired brew strength. Varying the water temperature isn’t recommended, as water that is too hot will over-extract the bitter components of tea, while water that is too cool might not fully draw out the aromas and flavors of tea.Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love coconut oolongs, pouchongs, etc when they are made well, and this one sure is!
The coconut flavor is perfect and NOT artificial at all!
LOVELY oolong base tea!
Sweet and floral and vegetal and a wonderful after taste!
One of the first teas I ever tried was a coconut oolong, but it was hard to restock as I bought it from a tea shop out of state. Shortly after I found a coconut pouchong and it was wonderful but I was not too happy with other teas from the same company. A few here and there but not enough to warrant an online purchase. Now enter Zen Tea Life and their coconut oolong!
One thing I look for in a tea company is consistency. I want to be able to order without reservation any number of their teas and know that at least 90% or more will be very very good! Granted we all like different types of tea and different flavors so not ALL teas will always be to my personal liking but the idea is at least the company offers quality in their teas.
What I have found with Zen Tea Life is that so far, after testing a handful of their teas, they have all be spot on! Even when it comes to white tea, which for me can be hit and miss!
With that said … this Coconut Oolong is quite yummy! It holds its flavor through a few steepings which is a plus. Has a wonderful oolong base, perhaps not the most expensive you would find if you were going for a top of the line straight oolong but at the same time you can tell they didn’t scrape the bottom of some fannings jar just to toss some oolong into this blend! Its a nice quality that I would recommend for any flavored tea blender. The floral notes are slight and subtle but present. The coconut as mentioned above is perfect! Its not artificial and does not cover up the other wonderful flavors in this tea. Yet, at the same time it absolutely lets you know that it is coconut through and through! I especially enjoy the after taste as often in a coconut flavored tea I find this after flavor that is not pleasant whatsoever. Not in this coconut tea! I also love how it is only slightly sweet, so that I can add sweetener if I want to but it is not sweet as in a sugar sweet. It is the tea base I believe adding to the sweetness here which is really quite cool! The light vegetal flavor is so lovely with the floral notes. All in all a great tea.
I am looking forward to trying more teas from Zen Tea Life and the only thing I fault them for is giving me yet another way to dent my wallet!
Special Reserve Green from Shang Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shang Tea
Tea Description:
2 oz (57g) makes 60+ cups, 33 cents per cup
Ingredients: Wild Harvested Green Tea leaves- Antioxidant Rich
This special reserve green tea is a wild harvested tea that grows near the farm of Shang’s friend. The leaves are plucked and then processed on Shang’s farm to produce a truly unique green tea.
This green tea exudes a beautiful, vibrant green color that demonstrates the freshness of this tea. As with most green teas, this one has a green, grassy taste to it, but with an amazing umami sweetness and no bitterness or astringency. And being wildharvested, it is full of great flavor that lasts for at least 4-5 good steepings.
This is a tea that you will not want to miss and this year’s crop will likely sell out fast, so order today to enjoy this tasty treat! Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are not many tea houses, or places to buy quality loose leaf tea in my area, however about one hour from my home is what I consider to be one of the best tea places anywhere in the United States. Shang Tea is on my top 10, perhaps even top 5 list of the best places to get quality teas. I found them online before I even knew they existed so close to my home! I do not get to go to their store often, but when I do I always feel welcome. If you take the time you can sit down and be served gongfu style all of their teas free for sampling and speak to the owner, Mr. Shang, about the teas, how they are sourced, and where they are sourced from. It is an educational experience. 
As for this tea, it is funny because Shang Tea gets the short end of the stick when it comes to me and my lack of reviewing their teas. Shang teas are the teas I grab when I really need to unwind, relax, decompress from a stressful day. When my life feels like it is in chaos I grab one of their teas. Often it is this very tea. I know it will never let me down and has meditative qualities I appreciate and desire in tea. More often than not, when I am reaching for my Shang Teas, especially Special Reserve Green, it is in those times I am not in the mindset to review or write about tea, rather I simply want to indulge and fully immerse myself in the cup. So my apologies to Shang Tea, if it were not for the stead fast, calming nature of your teas, I would have been spreading the accolades far sooner! Yes, in fact your tea is so good that I have lacked giving back. As the tea wipes my cares away it also erases my thoughts on telling everyone just how wonderful it is.
This tea is quite simply, clean, brisk, refreshing, glorious! There are of course the grassy notes as in most greens, and a lovely buttery, creamy, mouthfeel. There is the noticeable taste of gently simmered veggies, giving off almost a toasty flavor. I also detect the slightest sesame, nutty, note in the after taste.
The steeped leaves are delicate and pretty, with a mixture of light green and darker green hues.
The aroma of this tea takes me away to thoughts of the rolling tea fields and mountain landscapes that Shang teas come from. It’s bright and cherry but the depth of the aroma allows me to escape, its not a morning wake up tea as much as a focusing and centering tea that allows you to clear your mind and cleanse your spirit.
The complexities of this tea are subtle and it causes you, without pressure to sink into the tea and focus on what it has to offer, which aids in taking your mind off of your worries.
Its difficult to hold a cup of Special Reserve in your hand without just sinking back into your seat and taking a deep cleansing breath soaking in the aroma, and flavors.
As you can imagine, with how this tea makes me feel, I was not rushing back to the computer, or to technology in a rush to pound my fingers to do a review, but it is a tea that so deserves a review so that others can get a chance to get in on this tea while it is still available. I have so many favorites from Shang, and they offer sample sizes both in store and online.
Zin Hsuan Golden Daylily from Stone Leaf Teahouse
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong, Mei Shan, Taiwan, Winter 2011, Late November Harvest
Where to Buy: Stone Leaf Teahouse
Tea Description: A full bodied oolong famous for its soft crème aroma and light green infusion. A particularly nice large leaf High Mountain varietal. It is really quite smooth, crisp, and refreshing,
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Have you ever had one of those teas that simply puffed up so much that you didn’t have enough room in your gaiwan, cup, steeping basket, etc… for it?
This is one of those teas! As if given miracle growth water the tiny little nuggets just poofed up into this huge puffy cloud of tea leaves. Beautiful!
I did a quick rinse and then steeped my first sampling. In the dry form we have typical oolong nuggets that smelled of earthy soil but that was nothing of the taste in this tea.
The first aroma to hit my nostrils was corn, sweet corn. First sip was also that of a sweet ripe corn, but perhaps a white corn rather than yellow. The mouthfeel was of milk, cream, and butter. I do love a creamy buttery tea.
When I ordered this from Stone Leaf Teahouse I had called to have a few question regarding their teas and website clarified and John Wetzel, at Stone Leaf was so accommodating and helpful. Which we all know good customer service is key in any business. John explained some of the differences between teas and helped me choose teas that I would most enjoy and he hit my taste buds as if they had a target on them! I am loving the flavor profiles of this Zin Hsuan which John educated me the literal translation is Golden Daylily.
The color of the cup is such a faint golden color that at first I was suspicious that there would be any flavor in there! To my delight I am finding my cup to be full of rich wonderful flavors and aroma!
The leaves unfurl into long stems with three to four leaves attached.
I was able to get multiple steeps from the leaves though out the day and with each cup the flavors held strong and true.
This is a lip licking tea that keeps you wanting more but it is rich and decedent! Dare I say a dessert tea? Normally I use the words “dessert tea” for flavored teas however this creamy delight for me is one that says YUMMMM Dessert!
If you too love flavor profiles that scream creamy, milky, buttery, with a vegetal hint then you must get some Zin Hsuan Golden Daylily from Stone Leaf Teahouse!
