Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black/Flowering
Where to Buy: Liquid Proust Teas
Tea Description:
As my first batch of French Toast Dian Hong, I decided to go lightly on the flavoring because the natural cocoa taste from the tea is pleasant enough to keep the flavoring at a low amount. This tea proves to pull out different taste from different steeps from my experience and I am hoping you find the same to be true.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Some of my favourite tea companies are the ones where you really get a feel for the owners as people; a hand picked sample, signed note added in to my order, and online interactions on sites such as Steepster are all touches that win me over quite a lot as a consumer; and something really cool about Liquid Proust Teas, a retailer which opened quite recently, is that I kind of got a feel for the owner, Andrew, before the company was even hatched since, first and foremost, he was a Steepster member himself and is a consumer as well as a seller too.
Recently, I did a swap with him and he generously included a few of his own blends. Personally, I thought this seemed the most interesting of what he sent me. A few other companies such as 52Teas, both under new and old management, have attempted French Toast teas but I’ve yet to be wowed by one and I think Andrew’s approach here is quite a bit different than the ones they’ve taken so I’m definitely excited!
I brewed this ‘Grandpa Style’ because that’s my typical approach with blooming/flowering teas. I knew that there was a possibility that it would get bitter because that’s a risk you always take when brewing Grandpa Style but this was unwaveringly smooth and silky. The entire time I spent drinking this (a few hours in total) there wasn’t even the slightest hint of bitterness OR astringency. I’m incredibly impressed by that.
The flavour was very fluffy and sweet, but reserved enough to not be cloying or make me feel like I was drinking syrup straight from the bottle. The rich notes of custard, cream, vanilla, cocoa, and, yes, egg hardly waned at all throughout the session. There were also lighter notes of cinnamon that I thought did fade towards the end of my session, and some pretty pronounced malt notes from the tea itself along with more muted floral notes. I likely could have continued to drink this for another hour or possibly longer with very little flavour deterioration. More than that, if it had not have been midnight I would have continued to drink this which is certainly high praise from me given that I dislike resteeping in general (drink as many teas as possible in one day is my philosophy).
My only criticism would be that the “toast” part of “French toast” was lacking; I’d have liked stronger bread notes contributed from the base tea to complete the illusion; but that’s just me getting hyper critical of one of the better flavoured teas I’ve had all month. If Andrew’s other teas are as tasty as this one I’m in for a real treat!
Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2006 from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
This Raw Pu-erh Cake Teavivre choose is from the representative Pu-erh production area Fengqing. Fengqing is the original place of the world-wide famous Dian Hong Tea. And it is also a classic place of Yunnan Pu-erh. It is a place in Lingcang which is one of the four famous Pu-erh production areas. The taste of Fengqing Pu-erh is mellow and sweet, deeper than Pu-erh in other production area. And it usually has the flowery flavor of Dian Hong Tea.
This Raw Puerh Cake is special for the two seasons resource from the same Arbor Tea Trees. Some are picked on March which we called “Ming Qian” or “Chun Jian” leaves. This is the best tea leaves in Spring Tea because it contains more nutrition and tastes mellow. Some are picked on September which we called “Gu Hua” or “Paddy Flower”. This is the best leaves for Autumn Tea because the aroma is stronger lasting longer. The Autumn Tea (Paddy Flower Tea) also has special flower fragrance. This Raw Puerh Cake is made by the two kinds of tea resource which were carefully blended by certain proportion.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve never made any secret about my first disappointing experiences with pu-erh but since those early days, I have learned the way to brew the tea for the best flavor and I find that I now enjoy an afternoon now and then sipping on pu-erh tea. And I’m really enjoying this Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea 2006 from Teavivre.
The dry cake has an earthy scent to it, but I found the aroma to have more of a vegetal scent than an earthy one. But the reverse is true for the brewed tea: I’m finding the fragrance of the brewed liquid to smell more earthy than vegetative.
The flavor is both vegetative and earthy. The first infusion (following a 15 second rinse) tasted light and slightly dry. Earthy tones, yes, with hints of vegetation. It is quite mellow with a slight brine-like taste to it … I can almost taste a hint of salt, and I think that’s where I’m getting the aforementioned dryness from. Overall, I found my first cup to be lightly sweet and pleasant, with a mild, soothing taste.
I noticed more earthy notes begin to emerge with the second infusion, and a slight mushroom-y sort of flavor. The brine-y note from the first cup was no longer present, however, the dryness remained (although it was significantly less noticeable in this cup). Still mellow, the flavor deepened with this infusion, and it is still sweet and enjoyable.
With subsequent infusions, the earthy notes began to subside a little, making way for a more well-rounded flavor that I found to be both sweet and savory, with it leaning more toward the sweet than the savory.
I enjoyed the mild character of this tea. It was soothing and relaxing to sip, and especially nice after eating something spicy (wings!) … I found that it helped calm my belly after that meal. A very pleasing pu-erh!
Yunnan Black (Dian Hong) from Peony Tea S.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Peony Tea S.
Tea Description:
Yunnan Black or Dian Hong is one of the most beloved of China’s black teas. It’s rich aroma, full flavor and natural citrusy taste makes it an excellent choice of lovers of black tea. It’s elegant reddish brown liquor adds a nice touch of elegance to this classy tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a delightful Dian Hong.
The aroma of the dry leaf is remarkable. These tan and gold leaves smell sweet, reminiscent of that sweetness you might notice if smelling dates or dried fruit. That fragrance is also noted in the brewed tea, although it is a bit softer in the brewed tea than it is in the dry leaf.
The sweet, date-like essence translates to the flavor as well… I get the taste of the date here, and even a hint of citrus comes through. The citrus seems particularly noticeable in the aftertaste.
This tastes rugged and earthy … very masculine in character. There are notes of leather, and even hints of cocoa in the background. It has a very smooth flavor and texture, very rich, as if to envelop me in velvet-y smoothness.
This is my first experience with this tea company from Singapore, but, I have a couple other teas to try from them. If they are even half as good as this Yunnan, I’m in for a real treat!
Golden Fleece from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
This is the finest, most nuanced and intriguing Dian Hong we have ever encountered. Wang Yanxin, our sourcing agent who has devoted her life to Yunnan, has been searching for a Dian Hong like this for years. Every time she sends us pu’er, she includes 30-40 Dian Hong teas, and Jin Jun Mei teas. This time, she only sent us one, and wrote on the bag “this is the one. Best Dian Hong. Taste slowly.” She was so very right.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I can see why they chose to call this tea “Golden Fleece.” The leaves are indeed golden, every single one of them, and they are covered in fluffy, fuzzy down. They feel a bit like a high-quality silver needle tea; they are soft and fluffy like that. The dry leaf is very aromatic with a rich, sweet, earthy scent, with notes of cocoa in the distance. It is a bit rustic, with its earthy fragrance, and there are even notes of leather in there.
I don’t usually follow the tea company’s brewing parameters when I brew tea, usually, with a black tea, I use my Breville One-Touch and steep it the way I’d normally steep a black tea – setting the temperature at boiling, adding three teaspoons of leaf to the steeping basket, add 500 ml of freshly filtered, cool water to the pot, and set the steep time to 2 1/2 minutes.
There are a few exceptions, but usually, that is how I brew a black tea. It works for me. However, with this Golden Fleece from Verdant Tea, I actually decided to follow the purveyor’s suggested parameters, but with a slight twist. I still used my Breville, and I added 4 teaspoons of tea to the basket (figuring that 500 ml makes two 8-ounce cups), and set the temperature to boiling, and the time to 1 minute. I added 30 seconds to each subsequent infusion, and I managed four amazing infusions from one measurement of leaves!
Even after 1 minute, the first infusion brews to a dark, coppery color. And as I said before, the flavor is amazing, and I’m astonished that this much flavor was achieved after infusing for just 1 minute! The first cup was sweet with notes of caramel and chocolate and vanilla. Smooth as if I were sipping on liquid velvet. It is rich, not so much what I’d call bold but instead, more of a freshly baked bread meets chocolate kind of rich.
The second infusion is a little lighter on the velvet-y kind of smoothness, which while it was quite delightful, seemed to keep some of the other flavors of this tea hidden. Now some newly discovered flavors are able to emerge. This cup has a little more earthiness to it, with notes of wood and leather. It is still rich with bread-y notes and notes of cocoa and caramel. The caramel seems to be offering a raw cane sugar kind of note, complete with hints of molasses.
I am noticing more of a gentle, warm spice note here: hints of cinnamon, a slight peppery note in the background, and even freshly ground clove. It isn’t spicy. These flavors do not dominate, instead, think of it as a light seasoning … as if the tea were lightly sprinkled with these spices.
The third infusion brings the earthy notes of this tea into focus. I taste the mushroom-like notes that are suggested in the tasting notes on Verdant Tea’s website. This infusion is warm, bright, and robust. While much of the fluff of the first cup is gone now, I now have a more focused, crisper tea before me. Still sweet with notes of raw sugar, this is more sugar and less caramel. The cocoa notes are more distant here, and are becoming a bit more like a raw chocolate kind of flavor. 
The fourth and final infusion resembles more of what I expect from a “typical” black tea. By that, I mean, we have now pulled back soft fluff of the earlier infusions to expose the heart of the tea. It is earthy and mellow, and while I don’t drink a whole lot of anything except for tea so I’m not speaking from experience here, this is what I would think that a well-aged spirit might be like. What kind of spirit, I don’t know. You know those movies where someone says something like “I have a ten-year scotch that I saved for this very momentous occasion” – that’s what I’m thinking this must be like. Getting here, to this point with this tea, is something extraordinary.
I realize this may be one of my longest reviews, but, this tea has so many facets to it that it would be difficult to edit it down to a shorter, more concise review. If I were to shorten my review, here is what I might say:
The first infusion of this tea is like a warm, fluffy blanket. Experience the soft, silky fleece of the blanket, and wrap yourself in its comfort. The second infusion explores that warmth a little further, something beyond the blanket of velvet-y softness, allowing you to experience the gentle nuances of the comfort itself with the gentle spice tones. With the third infusion, you are now comfortable and warm, so let us explore the earth and see what we uncover as we pull back the warm, fleecy blanket. The fourth infusion, this last infusion, is much more like what I’ve come to expect from a black tea: earthy and rich; not so fluffy anymore. There is so many flavors to uncover here: starting with a fluffy, luxurious taste, and ending with a earthy, rustic flavor, this tea delivers on so many levels.
This isn’t the kind of tea that you’d reach for in the morning when you’re looking for that invigorating boost. Really, I don’t think you’d want this tea for that anyway. Instead, this is the kind of tea that you want to spend the day savoring. You want to save this for one of those days when you have the time to sit back and really enjoy your cup of tea. This tea is really too good and too special for anything less than that, and certainly doesn’t deserve to be gulped down before running out the door.
I don’t know how much of this tea Verdant Tea has left, but what I do know is that they have mentioned that their quantities are extremely limited with this tea. So, if you’ve not yet added this Dian Hong tea to your tea cupboard, I strongly recommend that you do so now, before the supply runs out. This is NOT a tea you want to miss!
Wild-Picked Yunnan Jin Jun Mei Tea from Verdant Tea
Tea Type:
Black Tea
Where To Buy:
Verdant Tea
Product Description:
A malty, savory black tea with the crisp sweetness of Jin Jun Mei and the buttery thickness of Dian Hong…
This wild-picked budset tea provides a uniquely rich and savory cup. In early steepings, the malty profiles of barley and wheat are in the foreground, with the sweet creaminess of butter. These savory flavors feel somewhat like fresh-baked whole-grain toast with a touch of sweet cream butter melted on top. Yet the aftertaste betrays the fine budset quality of the tea through a smooth sweetness, as though a touch of honey was spread on the buttered toast.
In later steepings, the savory grain flavors are more subdued, replaced by an unexpected crisp flavor, and slight sparkling peppery texture. It may be a bit too metaphorical, but this tea almost tastes sunny in later steepings. There is a bright warmth, coupled with the brilliant red-orange of the tea in the cup that suggests morning sunlight.
Tasters Review:
Sure! I LOVE any and all types of Teas but there is a soft spot in my heart for Black Teas, first and foremost. I start each day with at least one (many times – many more – than just one) type of Black Tea. On top of that – I do LOVE a Good Yunnan Black Tea! So when I saw this one from Verdant – I knew it was going to be something special!
I have to admit – when I tried this at first – I then sampled it each day until it was gone! It didn’t last in my stash for long!
This has a hint of pepper but is a bit smooth and creamy – especially at the end of the sip. The toast-like flavors are great! It’s savory. It has hints of wheat and/or barley, sweet corn, and woodsy notes and I think they are great! The 2nd and 3rd infusions are sweeter.
This makes a great cup…or in my case…CUPS!
