Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Shang Tea
Tea Description:
Hearty and flavorful, this brew has a complex flavor, crisp finish, and a deep traditional red tea hue. This tea is harvested from a white tea plant, which offers a smooth finish to a fermented tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
OH what a lovely tea this is! So rich and flavorful – robust and truly … amazing!
I was pretty sure I’d enjoy this Bai Lin Kung Fu Red Tea from Shang Tea because I’ve tried several teas from this company in the past and enjoyed every single one of them. I have come to associate the name “Shang Tea” with teas of extraordinary quality. And this tea is no exception!
The flavor is sweet, reminiscent of sweet-tart plums with smooth, chocolate-y overtones. And then I notice a sweet, honey-esque tone, but not so much a flowery honey … more like a honey that has been cooked down into a caramel. It has a deep, concentrated sweetness. And there are notes of wood in the background, with a hint of smoke. As the tea cools, the smoky tones seem to diminish somewhat as the fruit tones seem to emerge.
A delicious and vigorous tea – one that has enough gusto to get one going in the morning … I find this one also makes a great afternoon tea. This Bai Lin Kung Fu Red Tea from Shang Tea reminds me very much of the dearly “departed” tea – Dawn from the Simple Leaf. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to taste this tea know just how special it was and why I call it a dearly departed tea. For those of you who miss Dawn as much as I do, I recommend trying this one … you might find the loss a bit easier to bear!
Chocolate Mint Whisper White Tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Chocolate Mint Whisper White Tea is an exclusive blend of a select White Peony tea with pure peppermint leaves and rich Belgian chocolate. The whole leaf tea is evenly mixed with fresh cut mint leaves that are dried naturally to preserve their flavor. Belgian semisweet dark chocolate curls are expertly combined to provide the drinker with a tea that is decadent in aroma but with a flavor that is fresh and minty with hints of rich and velvety chocolate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I gotta tell ya, the more I try chocolate blends from Nature’s Tea Leaf, like this Chocolate Mint Whisper White Tea, the more I’m liking them. First of all, I love the big curls of chocolate that this blend has. Not just dark Belgian chocolate, but, white chocolate curls too! Sure … the chocolate melts and there are some that will argue that the melted chocolate in the tea clouds up the tea. And it does. But, I don’t care! It’s CHOCOLATE! And when this chocoholic sees cute little chocolate curls mixed into the dry leaf of a tea … the inner child in me squeals with delight.
The White Peony tea leaves seem to respond to this blend differently … that is to say, this doesn’t taste like a typical Bai Mu Dan. There are similar qualities, of course, like the straw-like taste (imagine the air that surrounds a dry hay stack) but, I don’t really notice a vegetative quality or other notes that I often associate with a white tea. But one thing that I do notice here … is an earthy undertone to the white tea that is often overlooked. So … while the ingredients in this blend may have overwhelmed some of the nuances of the white tea, it has also brought forward some flavors of the white tea that is not usually noticed. Like I said … the tea responds differently to this blend … and I, for one, like it.
The mint was a little … difficult to detect with the first few sips. The whole “Whisper” in the name made sense … because the peppermint was indeed a whisper of a taste. And now that I am more than halfway finished with my cup of tea, I notice more mint taste than i did with my first couple of sips … it is still quite a delicate flavor, noticed mostly when I suck in a breath and allow the air to flow over my palate. It is then that I notice a crisp, clean note that is distinctly mint.
This tea is deliciously chocolate-y, and what I really liked about this blend is that even though it was a white tea, it had a pleasing amount of chocolate flavor … but not so much that I lost sight of the fact that it was tea that I was drinking. I liked that I could taste the white tea, and I liked that this tea offered me a different perspective of white tea. A very interesting blend – one that I’d recommend to any chocolate lover.
Acai Tangerine from The Whistling Kettle
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White and Pu-erh
Where to Buy: The Whistling Kettle
Tea Description:
Inspired by Dr. Oz and Canadian natural health guru Bryce Wylde, our pu-erh/white tea blend is designed to shrink fat, burn deposits, and prevent new fat from depositing. Tastes excellent hot or iced. The rich smoothness of pu-erh is contrasted with delicate notes of white tea, and accentuated with acai, tangerine, and chrysanthemum.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My initial reaction to Acai Tangerine from The Whistling Kettle was me blurting out loud “Fruit Striped Gum!!” I don’t know if Fruit Striped Gum is available to everyone everywhere but its one of my childhood favorites! This tea from The Whistling Kettle is a spot on reminder for me. What fun when tea can bring back a good memory.
This tea has a slightly tangy note, I presume from the acai, along with a light sweetness of tangerine, that is not cloying, but helps cut the twang of the acai. Gentle chrysanthemum adds a delicate but lovely floral aspect without being perfumery.
To me however the predominating flavor with all elements combined come together in a bright and cheerful, yet full mouthfeel cup of fruity goodness! A little tropical, and a little reminiscent of fruity pebbles cereal or fruit loops perhaps.
I can not say that the white tea flavor comes out much and now and then the earthiness of the pu-erh does slip through but for the most part this is a cup of tea for a fruity flavor lover.
It provides a nice experience and I think this would be lovely to have iced in the summer.
Another thing I really like about The Whistling Kettle is how they have “flash sales” and Tea of the Week sales here.
Dandelion White Tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Dandelion Leaf White Tea is our own blend of Dandelion leaves with select white tea leaves. White tea is well known for its significant levels of antioxidants and is becoming more popular in weight loss programs by helping to block the absorption of fat. The Dandelion has been used for food and as an herb for much of its long history. Among the many benefits of the dandelion is its ability to aid in weight loss by acting as a mild diuretic and reducing excess fluids in the body. Other valuable benefits include acting as a stabilizing agent against extreme high and low blood sugar levels, stimulating the production of digestive juices, and aiding in reducing inflammation in the liver. Dandelion leaves contain significant numbers of vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C and K, and are also a good source of calcium, potassium and iron.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I saw Dandelion White Tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf I nearly squeed and I KNEW I HAD to have it!
I love dandelions, yes that’s right love them! I will not turn this review into the myriad of reasons why I love them but lets just say this, I love them so much I have a tattoo of one on my ankle with the dandelion roots going right onto my foot. Dandelions are wonderful gifts of nature.
With that said … This tea … it tastes just like buttery sweet simmered veggies. It reminds me of my veggies from my stir fry before I add one of the many sauces I usually add.
This tea is not bitter as one may fear or think.
It really tastes just like a succulent green tea! Buttery, savory in some ways with herbal type flavors throughout. There is also a slight taste of fenugreek as well. The lingering after taste is reminiscent of avocado. Specifically the part of the avocado that is very close to the skin, a little earthier than the heart of the avocado.
I am so happy to have found that Nature’s Tea Leaf has this tea and will even say, regardless of my love of dandelion, is one of the better white teas I have had in a very long time. I almost said “flavored” white teas but its not even flavored which makes it all the better! Its a beautiful thing what nature can capture in tea, then to add to that a wonderful, beneficial herb like dandelion which is simply not used in enough things, we have perfection!
I am fairly new to Nature’s Tea Leaf as a tea company but I have been looking over their site more since I obtained this tea along with two others from them and I have to say it is wonderful to feel this type of excitement over a tea company.
Dandelion White Tea is creamy in the mouthfeel with a velvet like feeling, more than silky, thicker than that. Its so very naturally sweet I would think adding sugar would make it just too sweet.
This tea calls for a steeping of up to five minutes and I steeped it for a good 4 minutes and got plenty of flavor. I only found one other review on this tea which is on the Nature’s Leaf Tea site and that person said it was bitter to them. While I suppose all of our taste buds are slightly different I have to say I do not detect even the slightest amount of bitterness in this tea. Perhaps this person’s experience was bitter due to over steeping or using the wrong water temp but I don’t want to assume that because this other reviewer may be quite knowledgeable about tea. The point is – remember water temp and steep times are important and I think even more so when dealing with delicate herbs like the dandelion.
So overall – being the dandelion lover that I am I am 100% approving of this lovely tea! Thank you Nature’s Tea Leaf for providing us with some very unusual and wonderful blends!
Butterscotch Tea from Art of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Art of Tea
Tea Description:
One of the world’s most beloved confections has found its way into your teacup. Embrace the buttery warmth of this golden hued white tea infusion as it dances on your palette and illuminates your soul.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Butterscotch Tea from Art of Tea is tasty … but, I’m not getting a whole lot of butterscotch taste from it … so I’m finding myself a wee bit disappointed.
The white tea is delicious, and the warm cinnamon and hint of peppery taste is quite pleasant. Although Art of Tea does not mention what kind of organic white tea is used as the base here, I noticed as I decanted it, it smelled very much like a Bai Mu Dan, and the flavor is like a Bai Mu Dan too … so if I had to guess, I’d say this is a Bai Mu Dan (or White Peony) … possibly with a touch of Shou Mei in there, because the flavor is a bit more intense than some White Peony teas that I’ve encountered. It is earthy and slightly vegetative, with crisp notes of hay … reminding me of the taste of the air that surrounds a haystack.
The cinnamon and pepper notes are more like “suggestions” of flavor than strong tastes. The white tea is definitely the strongest flavor of this cup. I like the way the earthy notes of the cinnamon come forward in this cup … it is as though the earthiness of the white tea has enhanced the sometimes elusive earthy notes of the cinnamon, and here it is quite enjoyable.
But … as I mentioned in the first paragraph … the butterscotch is woefully absent here. I don’t taste much of anything that tastes like butterscotch to me. The only time I think I might taste butterscotch is when I try to really focus on what I’m tasting … and I think this is more of a case of my mind telling me that I am tasting butterscotch than my palate telling me that I am.
A tasty yet disappointing cup. I wish I could taste the butterscotch I was promised in the name of this tea … but, I still finished the cup, because I enjoyed the white tea, cinnamon and peppery flavors.