Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Steepster Select
Tea Description:
Our Long Jing (or Dragon Well) is produced by one of the most respected organic growers in Anhui.
Read other Steepster thoughts on this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tasted and reviewed a lot of Long Jing (also known as Dragon Well) green teas over the years. And while many of those that I’ve tried taste very similar to others, every once in a while I’ll taste one that sort of “stands out” among the others that I’ve sampled. This Organic Long Jing #03 from Steepster (from my January Steepster Select box!) is one of those Dragon Well teas that stands out.
And what makes me say that? Well, for one thing, just a few moments ago – after allowing the tea to cool slightly – I took a sip and I lightly slapped my lips and murmured “mmm!” Now … I do that from time to time when I taste teas. But, I can’t recall the last time I did that after taking a sip of a Dragon Well.
Like I said, many of my Dragon Well memories sort of melt into one another, like one big Long Jing conglomerate. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy those other Long Jing/Dragon Well teas – because I did. I enjoyed them immensely. However, as I said in the previous paragraph, every once in a while one just stands out.
What I’m trying to say, very simply, is this: this Long Jing ROCKS!
This is sweet and nutty, and there is a roasted note to it that reminds me of sweet, toasted chestnuts. One of the things I look forward to when the holidays approach is roasting some chestnuts over my roaring fireplace, and eating the shelled chestnuts while they’re still warm. Yum!
Well, that lip-smacking “mmm” moment I mentioned a while ago was from the warm, creamy chestnut taste that I get from this tea. The tasting notes from Steepster state:
Nutty and vegetal with hints of baked earth.
And yeah, I’m getting that “baked earth” sort of flavor, as well as the vegetative tones that are reminiscent of lightly buttered lima beans. But it’s the nutty flavors of this tea that really does for me. So sweet and delicious.
A really, REALLY good Long Jing!
Organic Chocolate Chai Tea Blend from Rishi Tea
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh Tea & Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
Velvety, mellow and deep, this chai is an enticing blend of energizing pu-erh tea, shade-grown yerba maté, and cacao. Made even more inviting by creamy vanilla, nutty coconut and fruity, pungent and uplifting Ayurvedic long pepper, Chocolate Chai is a most sophisticated take on hot cocoa.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
On this cold and wet evening in the Pacific Northwest, I wanted something warm and invigorating. This Organic Chocolate Chai Tea Blend from Rishi Tea is just what I needed!
And it is tasty! I did a quick rinse of the leaves (there’s pu-erh in there, and I didn’t want the cup to taste too earthy) and then I steeped this for four minutes in just under boiling water.
I find that when I use boiling water for Yerba Mate, the resulting brew comes out just a wee bit bitter. My solution to this was to use just under boiling water for Yerba Mate and Mate blends like this one. That way, I can steep a while to get full flavor out of the blend without having a bitter cup.
I’m really liking this chai, although, I find myself in disagreement with calling this “chai.” While I do understand that the word “chai” means “tea,” here in the United States, we’ve come to recognize the word “chai” to mean a tea blended with spices, and these spices usually consist of (but are not limited to) a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. There are sometimes omissions of one or more of these, and sometimes other spices like peppercorns or anise are added.
However, this blend includes these ingredients:
Ingredients: Organic and Fair Trade Certified™ pu-erh tea, organic roasted cocoa nibs, organic roasted dandelion root, organic yerba maté, organic coconut flakes, organic long pepper, organic cardamom, organic vanilla bean.
With only one of the “usual” ingredients, I find it difficult to call this a “chai.” That … and the fact that this isn’t as spicy as you’d normally experience with a chai. There is some warmth from the pepper and cardamom, but, it’s not a strongly spiced tea.
That said, this is still really enjoyable. I love the deep, mellow notes of the pu-erh and how well they marry with the earthy, vegetative notes of the yerba mate. The cacao and coconut and vanilla play incredibly well together to give this a sweet, rich, chocolate-y and creamy coconut-y flavor. YUM! It’s almost dessert-like!
I love the warmth, I love the complexity of flavors, and you KNOW I’m loving the chocolate! A really yummy tea!
Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Eco-Cha
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Eco-Cha
Tea Description:
This batch of tea comes from Yong Long Village, just above Dong Ding Mountain. Yong Long is known for a rich red soil which differs from other locales in Lu Gu Township. The unique flavor of the Dong Ding Oolong produced here is attributed to this soil quality, along with the fact this region is home to the most concentrated population of the most skilled oolong tea artisans in Taiwan.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The fragrance of the dry leaf of this Dong Ding Oolong Tea from Eco-Cha has a strong vegetative tone with hints of roasted nut. Once brewed, the aroma becomes much more roasty-toasty with the vegetative notes becoming very faint.
And that’s what I’m tasting too. Up front, I notice the roasted nutty taste, evoking thoughts of freshly toasted chestnuts. I also notice a slight “coffee-like” flavor … not so much the bitterness of coffee, but the rich, roasted flavor of coffee. This would be a great tea for the former coffee drinker who misses that “fresh roasted” flavor of coffee but doesn’t miss the caffeine jolt or the nauseating feeling that some of us experience after a cup of joe.
There is not a strong vegetative tone to this first cup (infusions 1 & 2 following the 15 second rinse) … it smells more vegetal than it tastes. There is a smokiness to this Oolong that complements the chestnut and coffee notes, and there is a very distant “raisin-y” note here too.
The second cup (infusions 3 & 4) brought that raisin note forward, making for a sweeter cup than the first. This cup still has notes of roasted nuts and coffee, but these two flavors are starting to meld together into a more unified taste. As I sit here and sip on this tea, I realize what a perfect for autumn tea this Dong Ding Oolong is, because it has flavors to it that remind me of autumn. The smoke, the chestnut, the warm notes of coffee, even the raisins are very autumnal to me.
The third cup was a bit softer in taste and texture than the second, but not by a lot. It is still very flavorful. The flavors are much more seamless now. The coffee notes are less distinct. I notice a little more of the vegetative note now, more than I tasted in the first two cups.
A very enjoyable tea. I really like this company: Eco-Cha. The packaging is beautiful, and the tea is of excellent quality! I like that they get their teas direct from the source, which means a fresher product! This Dong Ding, for example, was harvested in May of this year, and it was hand-picked in small batches. I like that!
Organic Nonpareil Ming Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
The fresh Organic Nonpareil Ming Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Tea provided by Teavivre is picked before Tomb-Sweeping Day, an important solar term in Chinese agriculture. Ming Qian (Pre-ming) tea is seldom damaged by insects. Its buds and leaves are delicate and tender. With a mellow taste, it is emerald green in color and quite beautiful in appearance. Since the weather is relatively cold before Tomb-Sweeping Day, the number of fresh buds is limited and they grow slow. Therefore, a few leaves can meet the picking standard. Compared with those picked after Tomb-Sweeping Day, Ming Qian (Pre-ming) tea is of top grade.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: Teavivre is one of my favorite tea companies. The reason is quite simple. They offer some of the very best teas available, and it is obvious to me that this is a company that cares about the teas that they sell. This is evident in their careful packaging that protects the tea quality and integrity of the tea. This is evident in their responsive customer service. More than that … this is evident in the FLAVOR of the tea itself.
As this Organic Nonpareil Ming Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea from Teavivre brewed, I could smell the strong, fresh vegetative aroma. The scent filled the kitchen, smelling of steamed vegetables … it smelled delicious!
The flavor matches the fragrance with its strong, vegetative overtone. It is pleasantly sweet but with a nice contrasting savory tone that is almost like salt. I taste nutty notes, reminiscent of a freshly roasted chestnut: creamy and sweet, with hints of butter.
The texture is smooth and silky, and there is very little astringency to this. It is not bitter (although I wouldn’t recommend steeping it in water too hot or for too long a time. I recommend a temperature of 175ºF and a brew time of 1 – 1 1/2 minutes for the first infusion, and increasing the brew time by 30 seconds for each subsequent infusion.)
I like that this tea holds up well through multiple infusions too. This is definitely a tea that you want to spend some time with … take your time and savor it! It will submit several very flavorful infusions that will make it well worth your efforts!
So Long, and Thanks for All the Licorice Black Chai Blend from Butiki Teas
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Chai Description:
One of our customers, Sasha, challenged us to create a unique licorice masala chai custom blend. We ended up loving her blend so much, that we decided to offer it on our website. The name of this tea is a reference to one of the owner’s favorite authors, Douglas Adams. This soothing tea features licorice; however, the spice notes are also present and linger long after the sip and meld with the licorice notes. With each sip, the licorice and spice notes seem to become stronger yet they are not overly aggressive. While this tea is fantastic plain, this blend shines with a little rice milk and sugar. For a short interview with the brains behind this tea, click HERE.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
I love licorice, so when I heard about this licorice-y masala chai, I got very excited. And this tea – So Long, And Thanks For All The Licorice Black Chai Blend from Butiki Teas – is worth all the hype, because it’s AHH-mazing!
First of all, I absolutely love the name because I love Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Then, I open up the pouch and I see big, whole pieces of star anise (one of my favorite tea spices!) and I can smell all the amazing spices and most of all I can smell the licorice! This is very licorice-y! This tea takes licorice to a whole other level. If you aren’t a fan of black licorice, this tea is not for you. But, if you love licorice, you’re probably going to love this chai like I do.
The base is Butiki Teas’ Organic Guranse, and it provides a nice, earthy richness to the cup. And while the licorice is very strong in this tea, I like that I do taste the other spices in the chai. I taste the cinnamon, a hint of clove and cardamom, and a slight nutty tone from the nutmeg. It’s truly a wonderful and unique chai – unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before … but am really glad to be tasting it now, because I LOVE licorice!
This is easily one of the best (if not the best) licorice-y teas that I’ve ever tried. In fact, I can’t think of one at the moment that even compares. This is truly a treat for this licorice lover.