Wah

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Black

Tea Description:

At Wah Estate, some of India’s oldest China variety tea plants are tended by one of India’s oldest tea producing families. The result is the classic China character expressed in this first flush selection. Complex sweet notes and dried herb undertones.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is definitely one of the most unique and curious teas I’ve ever come across. The package did not indicate to me whether this might be a black or green or other type of tea, so I checked out the website before opening the package. It was on the black tea so I decided to enjoy it as an early afternoon tea (I like to refrain from drinking black teas as it gets later in the evening because I don’t want to be bouncing off the walls at bedtime!)

But then when I opened the package and looked inside, the leaves looked like green tea leaves. They looked green to me! I double checked the website and saw that it was, indeed, a black tea, and since this tea had already thrown me for a loop I decided to follow the steeping parameters: 1.5 teaspoons of tea per cup, water just below boiling at 190°F, and steeping for 4 minutes.

The flavor is amazing. It does not taste like a green tea, but it does have a mild freshness to it that is vaguely reminiscent of a green tea. Very lush, herbaceous and flavorful. But that is where the similarities to green tea ends, because the primary profile of this tea is very Dian Hong-esque. It is rich and full-flavored, but I wouldn’t really call it bold. Instead, it is very well-rounded, and has a lightness to it that is extraordinarily delightful. And as the tea cools, I find the Yunnan-like notes continuing to emerge – offering a very velvety smooth texture and taste. Sweet with chocolate-y notes and hints of caramel.

Rare Tea Republic is always surprising me with what they come up with next … every tea has been of exceptional taste and quality, and every tea has really thrown me for a loop – I’ve come to expect the unexpected with Rare Tea Republic!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea