Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where To Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
Plucked from Taiwan’s wild camellia hybrids at the elevation of 1800m, these young silver buds promise an amazing experience for all white tea enthusiasts.
What makes Taiwan White Tea so different are when it is harvested and how it is processed. The leaves and buds are plucked when they are still young and immature. Then they are taken to dry and the oxidation process is stopped. Because of the minimal processing of white tea, it retains a high amount of antioxidants which makes it with high CP value.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried (and enjoyed!) quite a few different Oolong teas from Fong Mong Tea, so I was excited when I learned that they are now offering a Taiwan White Tea. If this white tea lives up to the standards that I experienced with the other teas from Fong Mong, I knew I was in for a delightful experience with their new White tea.
And this tea is quite lovely! The leaves look a lot like a White Peony and the aroma of both the dry leaf and brewed tea remind me of a White Peony.
So it came as no big surprise that the flavor is very much like a Bai Mu Dan or White Peony tea. It has that sweet, delicate flavor that I love. Notes of sweet melon and a dewy note that evokes thoughts of a sunny spring morning and the dew-kissed spring leaves that glisten in the sun. A hint of an airy, hay-like note and a touch of earthiness.
It’s a very refreshing and crisp cup, the kind of tea that I like to drink as I’m relaxing, because it’s not overly invigorating. Instead, it soothes and inspires a sense of calm as I sip it.
A really, really nice white tea from Fong Mong Tea! I’m so happy to see that they’re expanding their collection of teas!
Dhulagiri White Tea from Nepali Tea Traders
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nepali Tea Traders
Tea Description:
Named for Nepal’s “dazzling, white beautiful mountain,” this delightful first flush white tea releases all of the purity and freshness of our Himalayan highlands. One leaf and a bud are hand-plucked and left overnight in the cool spring air for the mildest form of natural oxidation, then gently hand-rolled. Dhulagiri is a sweet, crispy white tea with a lovely floral aroma.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
According to the above description from the Nepali Tea Traders website, this tea was named after the “dazzling, white beautiful mountain.” And that is the perfect name for this Dhulagiri White Tea from Nepali Tea Traders, because this is indeed a beautiful white tea that is positively dazzling my taste buds!
I’ve tried a lot of white tea during my career as a tea reviewer, but, I can’t recall ever trying a Nepalese White Tea – until tonight, that is! And I’m so glad to finally be trying this! It’s so good. The flavor is sweet and refreshing, with a slight fruit note that reminds me of melon, and a hint of vegetation that reminds me of the freshest, newest leaf buds on a bush. Now imagine those new leaf buds with a droplet of dew on it … yeah!
In the past, I’ve often described the vegetal note of a white tea as “hay-like” but, I think that this has a slightly greener taste than that, and that’s why I used the description of a new leaf bud with a droplet of dew. It is clean and fresh and green, but not overly vegetative.
As I sip this, I feel a gentle re-awakening – not really an invigoration – but more like a replenishing of the body and soul from the inside out. And yet, as I sip, I also can’t help but feel a little bit of sadness, because this tea represents the last tea that I’ll be getting from my monthly tea sampler box from Amoda Tea. What I am happy about though, is that I’m closing this chapter of Amoda Tea on a very high note. This is one of the nicest teas that I’ve received in my Amoda Tea box. There are at least a handful of teas that were very memorable from Amoda Tea, and this one definitely belongs in that handful.
An EXCEPTIONAL tea from Nepali Tea Traders. I’ve tried a few teas from them now, and I highly recommend them! Their teas are excellent! If you do decide to place an order from them, be sure to put some of this tea in your cart. You won’t be sorry! This is wonderful.
Hindbaersnitter Shou Mei from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Yeah, it’s a mouthful. A mouthful of DELICIOUS.
Now having never had hindbaersnitter (and yes, I have to double-check my spelling EVERY time I type that), I had to sort of imagine what it would be like. I imagined the sweet hay-like shou mei blended with freeze-dried raspberries and pastry notes along with a touch of sweetness, and I think I’ve struck on something delicious, but I’ll let you be the judge.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf of this tea smells strongly of raspberry and there is a sweetness to it too. I can smell the sweet pastry notes of the hindbaersnitter.
I have never tried hindbaersnitter, at least, not to my knowledge. I have had pop tarts, though, and I’m told that they’re similar to, only much much better than pop tarts. Imagine a thin layer of thick raspberry jam sandwiched between two very thin shortbread cookies and a sweet glaze on top. It sounds like something I need to try. Mmm!
Well, I probably won’t be trying hindbaersnitter any time soon unless I happen to find a Danish sweet shop somewhere in Portland (and Portland’s weird enough to where it’s not completely implausible that I would not find one.) So in the meantime, I think I will have to be content with trying the tea version of this Danish treat.
And it won’t be hard to be content with this, because it’s yummy! The white tea is the perfect base for the flavors of the tart, because the delicate notes of the Shou Mei allow for the sweet notes of the buttery shortbread to come through nicely. I can taste that sweet, buttery pastry and it’s so yummy.
The raspberry is sweet-tart and a really bright note to this cup. I can even taste the sweetness of the glaze in this! The raspberry notes really POP in the aftertaste. My tongue feels that berry tingle.
And I like that even though the flavors are well-defined in this blend, that they don’t overpower the Shou Mei. I still taste those crisp, hay-like notes and the fresh, airy sort of taste to the white tea. This is a really refreshing beverage!
This reminds me a bit of the raspberry thumbprint cookies that my grandmother used to make: shortbread cookies that she’d drop onto the sheet pan in rounds, and then she’d dent the rounds with her thumb, and then bake them. Then when they came out of the oven, she’d fill the little thumbprints with a raspberry filling and then she’d drizzle them with a glaze. I guess I was eating a sort of hindbaersnitter without even realizing it?
I really liked this, and I’m thinking that I need to try this one iced. I think it’s going to be amazing!
White Tea Raspberry from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said many times before (and will no doubt say many times again in the future!), I prefer loose leaf to bagged teas. The quality of the tea is superior with most loose leaf teas versus bagged and/or sacheted teas. There are other advantages to loose leaf as well, but my main gripe with bagged/sacheted teas is the quality.
That said, I haven’t found anything to really complain about with the teas that I’ve tried from Tea of Life. All the teas have been either bagged or sacheted, and I’ve been happy with most that I’ve tried. Sure, I’ve liked some better than others, and I can’t help but think that I might like them even better if they were loose leaf teas. However, there are benefits to finding a high quality bagged/sacheted tea, especially when it comes to convenience issues. It’s far more convenient to bring a bagged/sacheted tea to work or when traveling – and trust me, when you’re traveling, you want to bring a tea you like with you! The bagged teas you find at the hotels just don’t cut it! Ick!
But this White Tea Raspberry from Tea of Life is far from ick! It’s quite tasty! The white tea is sweet and crisp tasting, with a nice, smooth flavor. I am tasting a slight creamy taste to the white tea too, and this is a nice complement to the bright, tart raspberry notes.
The white tea tastes delicate, but it isn’t so delicate that I can’t taste it. It melds beautifully with the raspberry. The raspberry notes here are true to the fruit, it tastes like a tart and sweet raspberry. That tarty tingle near the finish reminds me of a fresh berry.
This tea tastes really good hot, but it shines as an iced tea! I cold-brewed five tea bags in my half-gallon pitcher overnight, and the next day, I was treated to a really lovely cold beverage that I enjoyed all afternoon long!
Sweet Peach White Tea Blend from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
White tea, with its sweet, soft floral flavors is an ideal choice to blend with delicate fruit notes. Sweet peach flavor brings out the best in white tea and creates a delightful twist on our wonderful Shou Mei. Delicious served iced as well as hot, this tea makes an ideal light, summery drink.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the sampler packet of this Sweet Peach White Tea Blend from Simple Loose Leaf – which was part of this month’s Selection Club box! – I was blown away by the aroma! Wow! This tea packs one powerful peach punch. The fragrance is like I had just cut into a fresh, tree-ripened peach. Mmm!
After being greeted by such a delicious scent, I could hardly wait to taste the tea. And the flavor of this tea is outstanding. It tastes strongly of peach, but, the sweet, juicy peach notes do not overwhelm the delicate Shou Mei white tea.
The peach has an authentic taste. I’m not tasting an “artificial” peach note or a chemical-y taste that I can sometimes get with a flavored tea. This tastes like PEACHES. Drinking this hot, it reminds me of the warm filling of a peach cobbler. Allow it to cool, and you’re treated to a wonderful iced tea that tastes so good, you can almost feel the juice of the peach running down your arm.
As I mentioned before, the white tea is not overpowered in this cup. It is a light, sweet taste that offers whispers of earthy notes and hints of hay-like flavors, as well as a sweet, dewy flavor. The combination of peach and white tea is a real winner here … and this tea from Simple Loose Leaf is a definite WIN!