Day 10!
Day 10 and we are really getting festive now with Yunnan Eggnog.
I feel like eggnog gets a lot of love and hate over the holidays. I get it, it’s not for everyone. But I like a cup of lactose-free nog now and then over the holidays. It’s like a cross between milk and vanilla pudding. It’s weird, I know.
This Yunnan Eggnog tea has a very appealing scent in the dry leaf. There’s spice, but it is not the usual chai tea trio of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; instead there’s something a little more unusual like nutmeg or allspice. There is a sweet peppery flavor that might be from the spice or the tea itself.
Brewed, the tea is both bold and mellow, with lots of raisin and fig flavors and an undertone of crushed leaves earthiness. Without milk, this blend focuses on yunnan and all of its golden caramelly goodness. Just a touch of spice reminds you this is a holiday blend, suitable for sipping while you deck the halls.
A splash of milk does wonders to bring out the eggnog part of this blend. The milk adds a thicker mouthfeel that is more similar to eggnog, and lets a little more of the spice peek through. Not to mention, you can enhance the whole experience by grating some fresh nutmeg into your mug and filling your kitchen with the scent of the holidays.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:
Organic Royal Golden Yunnan infused with organic eggnog flavors, cinnamon chips, marigold petals and a touch of nutmeg. This long, tippy-leafed Yunan steeps a smooth cup with rich aroma and superb taste. The hints of creamy eggnog and spices just makes it an extra special treat.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Honey Gingerbread Pancake Yunnan Tea from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
Even the name of this tea is downright exciting! It is beautiful to look at, with pearly Yunnan snail black tea as the base. And with pancake in the name, I had to have it for Sunday breakfast with the family!
The dominant aroma is ginger. I also found it to be the dominant flavor. (It really reminds me of fall and Christmas because that is the only time we use much ginger. Note to self – get more near the holidays!) The black tea base is strong enough to come through and not be masked by the added flavors, though. They didn’t skimp there.
I took mine sans additions and found it to be awesome as a breakfast tea, but it would also be very good with afternoon sweets.
My husband sniffed it and said, “It is okay, but you know I don’t care for ginger much and I don’t prefer flavored teas.” He then proceeded to empty the pot by drinking three cups in a row. So I guess that is a thumbs up for this flavored tea. He always adds milk and sugar to black tea and this tea can handle it.
I resteeped and I must say the Yunnan snail base performed beautifully. Of course the added flavors are diminished, but this still has nice, rich color and as much flavor as many teas have on their first steep, making it a wonderful follow-up to sip on through the morning.
Looking at their website to learn more about this tea, I saw and just had to order some Badger Breakfast Tea, too! I can’t wait to get that one and review it! German hops in tea? Yes, please!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
A malty, high quality yunnan tea offers a platform for this sweet breakfast treat of cinnamon, ginger, spices, and honey.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Yunnan Black from The Little Red Cup Tea Co. . . . .
It’s been a while since I have tried a tea from The Little Red Cup Tea Co. and today I thought I would share their Yunnan Black with you!
Their Yunnan Black comes from Lincang which is just a stone’s throw from Burma and home to some of the oldest cultivated tea in the world – according to The Little Red Cup Tea Co. website and product description. The Yunnan Black Tea we are reviewing today is hand picked and tightly rolled but not rolled into balls or pearls but more of a rolled pressed leaf of sorts. The golden tipped leaves produce a deep amber hue in the cup and give off light scented notes of raisins, cocoa, and honey.
As for the taste…it’s delightful!
Not only in the aroma but in the taste I could pick up on the natural raisin flavors and cocoa powder – especially if brewed dark – double the loose leaf at half the time. When double brewed I found this to be pretty hefty. It was a stronger Yunnan Black and I really liked it. I also brewed as suggested and found it just as tasty but not as brassy or brashy as the double brewed. Both attempted were successful and made me an instant fan!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: The Little Red Cup Tea Co.
Description
Our Yunnan Black (滇紅茶) hails from Lincang, a stone’s throw from Burma and home to some of the oldest cultivated tea in the world. Hand picked and tightly rolled, the golden tipped leaves produce a deep amber brew — with light notes of grapes and honey. An instant classic.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix – Brown Wrapper – from Teasenz #VeganMoFo2016
Vegan MoFo is pimping Monochrome Meals today which means we will be seeing a lot of food that is all based around ONE color so for our Vegan MoFo Tea choice today we are pushing Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix – Brown Wrapper – from Teasenz.
This Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix – Brown Wrapper – from Teasenz is part of the Teasenz Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix. If you purchase the 70 gram TIN for $10.89 you will receive 12 or 13 mini tuo cha. I think this is a pretty fair price for 12 or 13 mini’s of which you get to try 4 of their pu-erhs!
We are specifically reviewing the Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix – Brown Wrapper – from Teasenz in this review. The scent of this one once wet and infused is an earthy, woodsy, wormy type. It infuses to a dark brown. I was pleasantly surprised that the taste on the tongue was mellower than I thought it would be based on the scent of the infusion. It was really quite nice. Sure it had woodsy notes but they weren’t over the top or anything I winced at. Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix – Brown Wrapper – from Teasenz was even a bit smooth, too! I’m not saying this Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix – Brown Wrapper – from Teasenz was dull or lacking in flavor at all! It’s just more smooth than I thought it would be based on the scent! I’m very excited about this offering!
Because Mini Yunnan Tuocha Mix – Brown Wrapper – from Teasenz is a solid brown color DRY and WET I figured it would make a nice connection to the Vegan MoFo Monochrome theme of the day, today!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Teasenz
Description:
Pu erh tea is an important part of the Yunnan culture. For a beginning pu erh tea explorer there is definitely a long way to go in order to fully appreciate the complexity of this type of tea. Sip and feel its richness in taste that evolves after each steep and imagine the history that is within this tea. Order today and have some of those high quality leaves that made it to our Teasenz website right in your teapot. Each and every piece is source directly from Yunnan and you will love it. Read our guide below as a roadmap for your puerh journey!
- Brown: Start off with the flat tuocha wrapped in brown paper to experience the classic taste of pu erh tea. Note: Don’t underestimate those small tuocha teas. One piece can easily steep you several pots of tea. Instead of moving too fast from one color to the other, first strive to get as many steeps from each piece! Try to notice differences in flavor between the different steeps.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Giant White Moonlight 2015 Spring Jing Gu Tea from Bitterleaf
After sampling at least 5 of Bitterleaf’s teas I guess it’s about time I declared myself one of their fans! Giant White Moonlight 2015 Spring Jing Gu Tea from Bitterleaf is considered an “anytime tea” and I agree for the most part. Personally, I look for a ‘smack you in the face’ sort of strong tea first thing in the morning but any other time this one will certainly do well!
Giant White Moonlight 2015 Spring Jing Gu Tea from Bitterleaf has tri-colored long leaves. The aroma while dry is incredibly crisp . Once infused there is a hint of sweetness to the nose.
As for the taste on the tongue – Giant White Moonlight 2015 Spring Jing Gu Tea from Bitterleaf – is pretty incredible! It’s delicate yet delightful! It has a sweeter-floral flavor but it’s hydrating and almost naturally fruity in a mysterious way!
As a white tea I really love this. It’s a Yunnan White, too, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I like this as much as I do. Giant White Moonlight 2015 Spring Jing Gu Tea from Bitterleaf is awesome!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: Bitterleaf
Description:
A great “anytime” tea, this exclusive to Yunnan white tea is both light and delicate, but with a wild spirit. An early vegetal taste develops into a subtle sweetness with subsequent brewings. Drink it now, or store it for the future, as this is a white tea that is particularly suitable for aging.
Click here for more information about this tea and brewing instructions.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!