2005 Lao Lin Cang Ancient Arbor Sheng Pu-erh Tea from Life in Teacup

AncientArborSheng

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh

Where to Buy:  Life in Teacup

Tea Description:

Production Year – 2005
Season – Spring
Production Region – Yunnan
Factory – Lao Lin Cang Tea Factory
Style – Sheng

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review: 

The dry leaf aroma of this 2005 Lao Lin Cang Ancient Arbor Sheng Pu-erh Tea from Life in Teacup is a gentle, earthy scent.  Generally, I find myself kind of put off by the strong earthy notes of Pu-erh but, this is such a subtle earth scent that I’m not finding it off-putting at all, and the sweet tones are very intriguing.

I steeped this the way I would typically steep a Pu-erh – in my gaiwan.  I steeped the first infusion for 45 seconds (following a quick 15 second rinse), and the flavor was earthy and sweet, with a woodsy note to it that is sweet.  There are hints of a fruit-like note to this as well.  It’s a mellow tea with a pleasant sweetness.  There is also a cleansing astringency to this that I don’t usually find in a pu-erh.

The second (1 minute) infusion delivered a flavor that is less earthy and more sweet.  The woodsy note has developed and I am tasting more of the fruit taste now too.  The finish is sweet and the aftertaste is clean.

The next two infusions, I noticed that the earthy tones began to develop, and these tones meld together with the fruit and woodsy notes, and are softened by the sweetness.  Subsequent infusions, some of the earthiness begins to taper, and I find a nice balance of fruit and sweet wood tones.

Overall, a pleasant Sheng – mellow and relaxing.  The sweetness of this one keeps me sipping!

Moonlight White Tea from Life in Teacup

moonlightwhite

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Life in Teacup

Tea Description:

Production Season:  Autumn
Production Region:  Yunnan, Jing Mai

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review: 

Oh wow!  I’m amazed at just how flavorful this Moonlight White Tea from Life in Teacup is.  More often than not, when I brew a white tea, I find the taste to be delicate.  I don’t mind the flavor to be delicate, mind you, but, Life in Teacup recommends to use boiling water on white tea rather than a lower temperature which is what I always use when it comes to white tea – and this will result in a stronger (that is, not delicate!) flavor.

I did not follow the recommendations of Life in Teacup, mostly because I am a creature of habit and when I get a white tea, I think automatically 160°F.  So, that’s the temperature that I used.  But I’m still getting a WHOLE LOT of flavor from this white tea!

It is sweet, earthy and possesses hints of vegetative notes.  I find that the vegetative notes for white teas tend to be a bit more like “hay” than grass or steamed vegetables, and that is true in the case of this tea as well.  But I’m finding this tea to be just a bit more on the earthy side than on the vegetative side.  I’m also noticing a slight “spiced” quality to the tea as I continue to sip.  Not “spicy” … but more like a hint of warmth to the cup that keeps the palate intrigued!

There is also a nice nutty flavor to this, and the nutty flavor accentuates the sweetness in a pleasing way.  It’s a soft “textured” tea – it doesn’t feel or taste harsh.  It has no bitterness to it.  There is some astringency that I notice toward the tail … it sort of has that “tangy” pucker at the tail that is slightly acidic, and it is a really nice contrast to the sweet, soft feel and taste of the tea at the start.

A really enjoyable cuppa!

Taiwan Li Shan High Mountain Oolong From Life in Teacup

LiShan

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Life in Teacup

Tea Description:

Production Year – 2012
Production Season – Spring
Production Region – Taiwan, Taizhong County, Li Shan Range, Gu Mai Tea Farm, 1800-2200m
Style – Modern green style

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Yeah, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – Li Shan/Ali Shan Oolong teas are among my favorite teas … in my top three!  (#1 is Yellow Tea, and the Li Shan/Ali Shan Oolong teas would be #2 … and probably my favorite Earl Grey would be #3.)  And THIS Taiwan High Mountain Oolong from Life in Teacup is one of the VERY best that I’ve ever tried of this type of Oolong.

I mean … Oh Wow!  This is so delightful!  Sweet, creamy, lush!  Beautiful layers of flavor.  The high notes are that of sweet cream … so smooth that it feels creamy as well as tastes it.  Melding with that note of cream is the faintest hint of vanilla.  Just beneath the creamy tones is a hint of exotic flower that develops as I continue to sip.  Sweet honey-esque notes as well as a slight vegetative tone lie just under the floral tones.  There are quiet notes of earth in the distance.

I love how smooth this tea is … no sharpness!  There is a slight astringency that develops as I continue to sip, but it is so slight that unless I’m really focused on the nuances of the sip (which is something I need to do to write a review!) … the astringency can go unnoticed.  There is nothing bitter whatsoever about this tea … it is so pleasurable to sip from start to finish.

Do yourself a favor and brew this tea in a gaiwan (or Yixing teapot) to get the most out of the leaves.  I managed TEN very flavorful infusions … making this tea not only a wonderful treat for the palate, but also a very economical one!

If you like Ali Shan/Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Teas – this one is one you MUST try!

Bai Hao Silver Needle (Yin Zhen) from Life in Teacup

baihao

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Life in Teacup

Tea Description:

Production Year – 2012
Production Season – Spring, first day havest
Production Region – Fujian, Fuding County

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I can always count on Life in Teacup to offer some of the very best teas … and this Bai Hao Silver Needle – also known as Yin Zhen – is a perfect example of what I mean by that.  The dry leaves are so beautiful with the coloration ranging from pale green to silvery white, and each needle is soft and covered with fluffy fuzz.  The aroma of the dry leaf is soft, with notes of flower and hay.

The flavor is delightful.  On the Life in Teacup website, there is a short discussion on brewing this tea using boiling water … this is something I’ve not tried (or if I have, I don’t recall having tried it!)  I’ve always used a lower temperature, but today I was feeling a little rebellious and while I wasn’t feeling quite so courageous to try boiling water, I did turn up the heat just a little, using water brought to 185° instead of the customary 160° that I usually would use for a silver needle.  The flavor is stronger … but not too strong.  But … it certainly is no longer the “delicate” flavor that I’d expect from a silver needle.

And while I have a great appreciation for the delicateness of a white tea, I like the slightly bolder flavor of this cup using a higher temperature.  Maybe next time, I might even try boiling water on my white tea!

As it is, though, I’m finding this to be quite delightful.  The flavor is sweet and vegetative … but not a green tea vegetative taste.  It’s more like the flavor of sweet flowers and hay … similar to the fragrance I enjoyed from the dry leaf.  There is an earthiness to this as well … and I find that the earthiness here is where I notice the biggest difference between the lower temperature and higher temperature brewing water.  The earthiness really comes out with the hotter water.

There are subtle notes of fruit to this cup as well, and I notice that as I continue to sip, the fruit notes become more distinguished.  Overall, the cup is sweet, refreshing and light … but with a fullness to it that I find really satisfying.

If you are one who generally finds white teas to be too soft or delicate in flavor, I recommend trying a slightly higher temperature … this really brings out the flavor, and I am not noticing any bitterness or scalded tea taste from the higher temperature.

A really enjoyable tea experience – thanks to Life in Teacup!

2009 Shou Mei from Life in Teacup

Shou Mei from Life in Teacup
Shou Mei from Life in Teacup

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:

Where to Buy: Life in Teacup

Tea Description:

Production Year 2009

Production Season Spring

Production Region Fujian

Style Traditional

Also known as Sow Mee or Longevity Brew

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

2009 Shou Mei from Life in Teacup is a light, juicy, white tea that has a lovely buttered vegetal after taste and an almost earthy note in the sip.

In the aroma is this very subtle essence of jasmine but that does not translate into the flavor. It has a sweet and lightly creamy mouthfeel but leaves you feeling refreshed and your thirst quenched.

There is also a light and lovely toasted marshmallow flavor that just touches your taste buds gently on the initial sip but does not stick around long.

This is a very forgiving tea! My first steep I spaced out preparing to write this review and over steeped it by far too much. I was certain I was going to have to dump the cup, but alas it tasted lovely! My second steeping – with new leaves – also provided a delicious cup as well. I noticed very little difference in the two cups. This would be an excellent tea to put in your travel thermos for many infusions throughout the day without having to take the leaf out!

I love the look of the dry leaf! Its so wild and natural looking! It appears as if someone scooped up fallen leaves from the forest floor! I love the uninhibited appearance of this leaf, so care free, so low maintenance yet so beautiful. The colors are striking from deep tones of brown to variegated shades of green, even some lighter almost white tones in my leaf.

2009 Shou Mei Leaf
2009 Shou Mei Leaf

I would not say this is a “to-die-for” cup or anything, and I’m not really that into white teas as a rule, but they do have some wonderful health benefits and this one is quite pleasing.

I would purchase this again.

As per a note on Life in Teacup’s website

Our web store is temporarily closed and we aim at re-opening it in February 2013. Meantime, please feel free to send any inquires to  admin@lifeinteacup.com. Thank you and have a great holiday season!

I do hope they open back up soon as I have been eyeballing many of their teas!