Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & White Teas
Where to Buy: Capital Teas
Tea Description:
A commemorative union of our bold Cream Earl Grey Black and our light and refreshing Cream Earl Grey White, enhanced with the essence of roses.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
One year ago today, there was a wedding that captured the attention of millions around the world. This tea was created to commemorate that occasion, and what a lovely tea it is!
Because the tea base is a blend of both black and white teas, I opted for a fairly low brewing temperature (175°F) and a brewing time of 4 minutes in my Breville one-touch. The results is a tea that is rich and creamy in flavor, where I can taste both types of tea as well as the tangy bergamot, the touches of cream and even the hint of rose.
The black tea flavor is much softer than one might expect from a black tea … a consequence from not only the lower brewing temperature, but also from the addition of white tea leaves in the blend. The black tea doesn’t taste bold or strong, exactly, but the black tea does offer a certain richness to the blend that is quite nice.
The white tea is a less distinguishable flavor than the black tea, which is to be expected as white tea tends to be a more delicate tasting tea to begin with. What I notice more than the fresh flavor of the Pai Mu Tan is the lightness in flavor its presence offers as well as a soft, creamy texture that is quite “white tea like.”
Each sip is enchanted with a sweet, vanilla cream taste that when brought together with the other components of this tea end up tasting a bit like delicious vanilla caramel. YUM!
The bergamot is a mellow yet tangy citrus flavor that has hints of flower within its bright, sunny flavor. These floral notes are further highlighted by the addition of roses to the blend. The rose is sweet and pleasant, giving the cup a distinct feminine overtone – an enjoyable contrast to the somewhat masculine undertone of the bergamot.
What a beautiful tribute to the wedding that captured the imagination of so many, and gave little girls hope that anyone – no matter their status in life – could one day marry their prince.
Organic Silver Needle from Rishi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
Reserve White Tea with a sublime, sweet flavor and a rich, savory finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I did not find this particular Silver Needle on the Rishi website, I hope that it will be back in stock soon, because it is fabulous!
I chose to brew this cup in my gaiwan. The leaves were so fluffy and soft, I just couldn’t bear to put them in anything other than my gaiwan, I wanted to enjoy these properly!
The aroma of the brewed cup is sweet, reminiscent of the fragrance of fresh hay in the clean, country air. (Yes, I’ve smelled this. I may live in a city now, but for most of my adolescence I lived in a small farming community town on a ranch, and I have a lot of experience with hay!) It smells so clean and crisp and beautifully sweet.
And that’s very much what I taste, too: a clean, crisp kind of flavor, fresh and slightly vegetal, with a hint of spice that arrives toward the finish to give it a savory kind of quality. It is remarkably sweet and full of flavor, which is a little surprising as Silver Needle teas can sometimes be on the delicate side. I do not find this tea to be delicate … at least, not in the sense of being softly flavored. It has a delicate complexity though, with hints of flavors that seem to quickly present themselves to the palate and disappear almost as rapidly, causing the taste buds to perk up and say: “what was that?”
I like that about Silver Needle tea, the overall cup may not always be delicate, but the nuances are often delicate in the way they present themselves.
I also like that this is an organic tea – as are all of Rishi’s teas! I appreciate that they’ve set that kind of standard for themselves, so I know that when I’m tasting a Rishi Tea, I know that I’m getting a high quality, organic product.
And … if you haven’t done so yet, I highly recommend checking out their teaware … they are almost as drool worthy as the pages of tea that Rishi has available!
White Sage and Wild Mint Tea from Juniper Ridge
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Juniper Ridge
Tisane Description:
White Sage has a rich, earthy, minty flavor that made it a favorite tea for many of the Native American tribes and early settlers of the Southwest. I like to sip this tea during the wet winters here in Northern California and let my mind drift off to the hot desert country where White Sage grows. So many backpacking trips over the years in that beautiful, sunbaked country—maybe I’ll just sit here in the shade of this Palo Verde tree and let some of the afternoon heat pass while I nod off to sleep with the smell of Wild Sage in the air . . . Now you can enjoy this classic Southwestern tea and dream your own daydreams of the big rock, White Sage desert country.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tisane has a very rustic feel to it … from the packaging (the labels are printed on recycled kraft paper, which give them a rugged style) to the aroma (earthy sage and mint) to the flavor.
This tisane boasts a fairly simple combination of sage and mint. But, I don’t think I’ve ever tried a sage and mint tea until I tried this one from Juniper Ridge. I know I’ve had teas with sage in them, and definitely teas with mint it them, but I don’t recall trying a blend of just sage and mint. Simple, yes, but also simply delicious!
Not surprisingly, it is a very minty tisane. The wild mint gives it a cool, crisp flavor, and it is definitely the strongest flavor of the cup. But the sage comes in beneath the mint and provides a nice earthy tone with a warm, peppery tone that arrives toward the end of the sip. It is a very enjoyable contrast of warm and cool flavors.
I find this to be very soothing to sip as I start to wind down for the evening, and yet it has an invigorating flavor to it that would be a nice, caffeine free pick-me-up in the afternoon if that’s what you’re after.
Wild Arbor Buds (White Pu-erh Leaf Buds) from Mandala Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Mandala Tea
Tea Description:
Although this amazing tea is pu’er leaf buds, it is best described and prepared as a white tea since it is picked in the late winter/early spring of 2011 and only sundried. No other processing takes place.
The liquor is clear and the flavor is sweet and floral with hints of pine. Complex flavors and yet so simple to enjoy. Mild and pleasant. This tea is rare and beautiful, as fresh as spring!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of the more unusual looking teas that I’ve come across in my tea adventures. These buds remind me of the tops of the grassy weeds that I used to run through when I was a kid … you know the ones that would deposit burrs in socks and then keep poking you as it got further and further embedded into the fabric of the sock, becoming more and more uncomfortable? Well, the uncomfortable feeling never stopped me from running through those grassy fields when I was a kid, and this tea’s unusual appearance isn’t going to stop me from trying this tea!
It brews up to a very pale color … it almost looks like water that is in my cup, it is so pale. But for such a light color, there is a lot of flavor to this. I hadn’t read the description above until after I had taken my first couple of sips, and my initial reaction was that this tastes very much like a pu-erh. It has that pu-erh earthiness to it, although it is more like a “white tea” pu-erh earthiness (which is quite appropriate for this IS a white pu-erh) than the darker pu-erh teas that I’m used to.
It also has some characteristics that I’d expect from a white tea, although it is not as delicate as most white teas I’ve tasted. But this does have that hay-like quality to it that I often taste in a high quality Bai Mu Dan.
The sip starts sweet, with an almost immediate transition to the earthiness of the cup, and hints of hay, as well as woody tones and floral notes weave their way throughout the sip. Towards the end of the sip, I notice a mineral-y kind of taste toward the end of the sip that settles on the palate. The finish is slightly earthy with hints of fresh pine.
It’s quite a nice cup, and a different way to experience pu-erh.
Thé des Alizés from Le Palais Des Thés
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Le Palais Des Thés
Tea Description:
A green tea enlivened by flower petals and delicately scented with pieces of white peach, kiwi and watermelon. The green tea and the juicy freshness of the fruit are wonderfully balanced. Can be drunk hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was very excited to try this tea … it was the first that I’ve tried from this company, and I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Le Palais Des Thés that I wanted to experience their teas for myself!
And I am happy to report that this tea has certainly lived up to the reputation that this company has built for itself. This is splendid!
The green tea is the most prominent flavor and that pleases me. I am glad to find that Le Palais Des Thés does not overdo it on the flavoring! The green tea tastes refreshing! Sweet, lightly grassy, and smooth, with a soft mouthfeel. Very little astringency … just silky, sweet flavor that glides over the palate from start to finish.
The flavors of kiwi, watermelon and white peach meld together deliciously, providing a flavor that is mouth-watering and sweet … but it is a natural kind of sweetness, not a cloying, candy sweet flavor. The overall cup is light, fruity and vitalizing.
I enjoyed this hot, and as good as it is, I can’t help but think that this would be STUNNING as an iced tea … and with that warm weather approaching, this would be a good one to have on hand when you want to impress your guests with a gourmet iced green tea.