Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zhi Tea
Tea Description:
Exquisite, rare, high-altitude Royal Gold Yunnan tea. This needle tea, along with our Silver needle, is considered to be one of the finest teas in the world. Ours is completely comprised of copper-y, soft, curly buds. The dry leaf is quite aromatic; deep woodiness, tobacco, and floral hints. Once steeped, the leaf denotes hints of honeysuckle, with an autumnal richness. In the cup we find a deep caramel color and complex aromatics; bing cherry, baked bread, dark chocolate, roasted nuts,and spring blossoms. A long aftertaste leaves an incredible tobacco-y cacao finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I just love it when I take that first sip of a tea and I exclaim: “Awesome!” … or something like that. Sometimes it’s “oh, that’s good.” Or, just simply “mmm…”
That was my response when I first tried this tea. It was first “mmm…” and then “Awesome!”
This tea has such a deliciously rich character – smooth and complex and full-flavored. The first thing I noticed is just how well-rounded it is. It has a richness – almost creaminess, but that’s not quite the right way to describe it. This isn’t creamy the same way an Oolong, for example, is creamy. But, it has a thickness to it … a satisfying quality that seems to warmly blanket my taste buds in a swathe of flavor that ranges from flower to cacao, from caramel to fruit. This tea seems to have it all.
There are distinct cocoa-y notes – a deep, dark chocolate-y note that seems to set the tone for the entire cup. The cup is sweet, but not so much from the cocoa as it is from the burnt-sugar caramel notes. After the first couple of blissful sips, I begin to notice the fruity tones emerging, reminiscent of fresh plum that has been ripened on the tree in the summer sun. More sweetness and just a hint of tart from the fruit. Just a hint – just a touch of tartness – and it helps to keep the cup interesting.
By mid-cup, the floral notes begin to reveal themselves. The description above suggests honeysuckle, and yes, I suppose I get that. But it isn’t quite the honeysuckle one might find in other teas that possess honeysuckle-like tones, these floral notes have the subtle qualities of chamomile, but with the flavor of honeysuckle. That is to say that they are soft, not sharp or overpowering – just a gentle hint of honeysuckle, as if a warm breeze filtered through a honeysuckle vine and the essence of the air and the flower met in the teacup.
By the time I reach the bottom of the cup, I can reflect over the different flavors that I’ve tasted and might also mention a slight spiced tone that peppers the cup – not heavily, just a touch of warmth here and there that tastes of freshly ground pepper that has been finely ground and used to season modestly the overall cup.
A truly wonderful experience, this Royal Gold Yunnan Needle from Zhi Tea. It’s one of those teas that will serve you well as a breakfast tea and takes the additions of milk and honey well. I prefer it straight though, as I find that it allows me to explore the many facets of flavor it offers.
Royal Wedding Commemorative Tea from Capital Teas
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.
Royal Yunnan from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious LLC
Tea Description:
Malty and sweet tasting black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a pleasant, somewhat mild Yunnan. But don’t let the word “mild” turn you away, this tea still delivers a full-flavored, deliciously malty cup, just in a somewhat mellower way than you might expect from a typical Yunnan.
It has an earthy taste to it that melds beautifully with a wine-like fruit flavor. The sweetness of the cup comes not only from those fruity tones, but also the delicious malty tones that give it an almost caramel-y kind of taste. Nice!
And this does have a peppery taste to it too, but, it is more of an undertone of spice than a foreground flavor. Like a mere hint of spice, teasing the palate as it weaves in and out of the sip. The spice develops a bit as the tea cools, but it never becomes a strong, well-defined flavor.
There is a hint of bitter to this tea too – but not a foul-tasting kind of bitter – this is more like a mild savory note that helps to balance the sweeter flavors of the cup. The astringency here is also quite mild.
So, yes, mild is the word of the day when it comes to this Yunnan, but don’t let that word fool you into thinking it lacks anything, because it does not. It is still such a lovely Yunnan and certainly worth a try. I think this tea would appeal especially to those who often find Yunnan teas to be a bit too bold and aggressive, this one has a smoother, mellower approach that is quite nice.
Royal Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Product Description:
137 times more antioxidants than any other green tea!
Enjoy the splendor, color and intoxicating smell of Royal Matcha green tea. Let its beautiful hue and lovely scent invigorate your senses.
This really is a royal tea of green tea leaves ground by granite to make a fine powder for your enjoyment and is easily prepared. Its stone ground preparation also affords it all the nutrition it naturally possesses without compromise making it one of the highest quality teas available.
Learn more about this tea here.
Product Review:
HAPPY NEW YEAR! And what better way to ring in the new year than with a bowl of Matcha? It will give you a power-packed punch of energy to get going on those new years resolutions!
This is an very good ceremonial grade Matcha from Red Leaf Tea. The color is a bit darker than some Matcha, it whisks up to a deep jade color. It is thick and rich, and it has a remarkable buttery note to it that I seldom notice in Matcha. It has some rich, chocolate-like background notes, and very little vegetative taste which I find uncommon for a Matcha as well, as the vegetal taste is usually what I notice first. Instead, I am tasting more earthiness than vegetative taste, and a well balanced bitter-sweet flavor.
It has a slightly chalky note to it which was particularly noticeable within the first two or three sips, but, each sip after that was quite smooth and very enjoyable. No sediment at the bottom of the bowl, which was nice to see.
Overall, a tasty Matcha. I think that this would be a good choice for someone who is looking for a less vegetative Matcha. This one has some really distinctive flavors that are quite interesting and enjoyable.
The Sugar Destroyer Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Product Description:
Have you ever heard of Gymnema Sylvestre? Well, not many people have. Gymnema is really quite a neat and interesting herb nicknamed “The Sugar Destroyer” You may wonder why it is called that and you are about to find out. Gymnema is a unique herb that assists in many sugar-related aspects of life. It does not add sugar, replace sugar or any of that. What Gymnema Sylvestre does is this:
- Regulates blood sugar levels
- Curbs your appetite for sweets things and goodies
- Helps maintain a healthy weight
- Helps maintain normal cholesterol levels
Ideal for people who have a sweet tooth, this interesting herb makes it easier to resist sugar cravings and ensure healthier life without the needs for something sugary and sweet.
We are pretty excited about this herb, so much so that we have added to our famous and high-quality Matcha Green Tea. Our Sugar Destroy Matcha not only has the many benefits of Gymnema Sylvestre, but also the many health benefits of Matcha Green Tea.
Taster’s Review:
Interesting! I had never heard of Gymnema Sylvestre before trying this Matcha, but now that I’ve learned a little bit about it, it really has me excited. Since I do have a sweet tooth (I actually believe I have more than one in there) and find myself actually craving sweets sometimes, I think that I could definitely benefit from this herb.
My sweet tooth seems to have control over me sometimes, and I like the idea of being able to control it. That doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy sweet things now and again, but I’d like to be able to decide when that will be, and not have my sweet tooth making all those decisions.
And Red Leaf Tea has given me a really tasty way to calm my sweet cravings with this Matcha. I can taste the expected Matcha notes, that bittersweet vegetative flavor; and it has that creamy, thick texture that I’d expect from a high quality Matcha. Not quite as frothy as some Matcha teas … it foams up nicely but I noticed that the foam faded rather quickly after whisking.
At first, I don’t actually taste the Gymnema Sylvestre … or at least, I don’t think I taste it. That is to say, I’m not tasting something in addition to the flavor of Matcha. There isn’t some weird or unusual taste that I don’t recognize here (the way I probably would if there were stevia in this product, for example). As I near the bottom of my chawan, though, I notice a more distinct herbal-y kind of flavor. Not off-putting, but definitely different from pure Matcha.
That being said, the Gymnema Sylvestre does alter the taste of the Matcha. I am finding this Matcha to lack the high notes of a typical Matcha, making this a little less bitter, and not quite as grassy as I would normally experience from a bowl of Matcha. It is still sweet, vegetative and with hints of bitterness … it is just that the strong grassy taste and bitter tones are not as distinctive as they might be in a bowl of Matcha without the Gymnema Sylvestre. It is as if the Gymnema Sylvestre offset those high notes a bit, giving this Matcha a somewhat smoother, more even-tempered kind of flavor.
A really enjoyable and (of course) healthy Matcha – with an added bonus! I like it!