Hello, readers! I am here to bring you another oolong tea but from a company that really knows their stuff. According to the website, they have been in business for a good twelve years so to me that is impressive. Now what got me to try out this tea out of all the others on my tea shelf is that I felt that I have never given pure oolong tea a chance. I know that my sister drinks almost five cups of it a day so in lieu of the other oolong blends that I have tried I figured why not give a pure cup a chance?
As the site details, this oolong has a very distinct taste. It is very pungent when you first open the bag but don’t let that deter you for it mellows out when it is brewed. This brew does have a mellow, subtle start but it finishes with a sweet aftertaste. A sweet that I cannot put my finger on. I would say that this tea for me personally would be a builder tea, the best ingredient that I can think of off the top of my head would have to be a mint of some sort. I think that spearmint would be the best, for its sweetness would be a perfect compliment to the oolong.
Now for prices, I can’t be exact since all their oolong blends are named by their time of harvest. The best estimate I have for you is to base it off the Li Shan Feng Oolong tea which the top three prices are as follows; $36.99 for 75 grams, 150 grams for $69.99, and 300 grams for $134.99. But don’t fret for it looks like their samples retail for around $4.59 which is good for about 2-3 cups.
In conclusion, I think this is a great tea and tea company to try out if you are out for an authentic oolong tea. It is a pretty penny but for the authentic oolong consumer, I think this brand should be at least worth a shot.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Gentle Hug from Nessie in Tea form! – Nessy Tea by Wendigo Tea Co.
Hello readers! I come with another review for a tea company that continues to impress me. As some of you may know that the tea blend named after the company has impressed me as far as green tea goes (the review is here). And like the tea that I had before named Wendigo, the Nessy blend also drew me in with its name. For the Loch Ness monster or Nessy has always piqued my interest for according to the legend Nessy is what you will call a gentle giant. Instead of the Chupacabras and the Nosferatus before her, she mainly keeps to herself with no intent to harm. With that being said, I believe this tea is a perfect representation of Nessy’s character.
At its base form this tea is referred to as Imperial Grade Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea and since I have not had much experience in the pearl tea family I can’t tell you much in comparison other than I enjoyed every cup I had of this tea. This tea was smooth and uplifting, it gave the feeling of the smell of clean linen. It was comforting and warm while giving your brain a nice clean jump start. This tea was also delightfully sweet, without one note of harshness. And this is without much sugar, for me personally on an average basis add 2-2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar depending on the beverage. So with this tea, I found 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar was perfect.
Now onto the numbers. Nessy, like the legend itself, is a treasure and so this blend is not an average price that I would pay for a container of tea. This tea, in my opinion, is a splurge item and every sip should be treasured for the asking price is 12.99 for 2.2 oz and $25.99 for 5.5 oz. So the 2.2 oz is not terribly expensive but it exceeds my normal purchases two-fold but then again this is Jasmine tea pearls we are talking about. Unfortunately, I have failed to find any type of samples on the site but there is a space for a Wendigo tea club in the works so I will stay tuned for that.
With all being said, I would say that I would recommend this tea to anyone who wants to try out authentic jasmine tea pearls. For if there is one thing that this company does well that is to provide its customers with the most authentic and pure taste of tea without adding weird ingredients like rice crispies or sprinkles. This tea is definitely on my list of future wants and I hope for the day where I can have Nessy with my evergrowing tea collection.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Wendigo Tea Co
Description
You may know me better as the Loch Ness Monster. I am a jasmine scented tea whose leaves have been rolled into tiny pearls to release my beautiful taste and smell as I uncurl for you in the hot water. There is nothing quite like me.
Sometimes people call me an Imperial Grade Jasmine Dragon Pearl from Fuding of the Fujiang province of China and scented five times by jasmine flower buds picked just after they had bloomed. You can just call me Nessy though. All you really need to know is that I make one damn good cup of tea that will make you feel refreshed and comfy.
You love me, but just don’t know it yet.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peri Flower Blooming Tea – California Tea House
Hello readers! I am happy to bring you a tea that I have been dying to try, a blooming tea. I have not been able to for I also found them too expensive to buy. I mean I know that this is a tea that is not your normal loose leaf or bag but I always saw the “best selling” flowering teas to be about $10 a bulb. So I am glad that I finally got a chance to try this beautiful tea!
Now, first off this tea was beautiful! And don’t worry I posted a video of it blooming on my Instagram, official_karatics. Now on to the important part, the flavor. Now I can’t tell you what I was expecting it to taste like for I wanted to go into this blind. I would say that the flavor was interesting for it tasted like a combination of Oolong and green tea for I was getting a slightly fermented flavor. It is a very light flavor and has a slightly herbal finish. But I think this mainly has to with the company’s white tea, which is their version of Silver Needle. With all that considered I don’t know whether to put this tea into the relaxing tea category or the everyday tea, so I will just say it is both!
Now I have already touched on the price of flowering tea in the beginning of this review and I will say it is indeed cheaper than most of the brands that I have come across. As of right now, the price is $3 per bulb and $15 for 10, that is 50% of off a pack that should cost $30. I would say that these prices are pretty inexpensive compared to what is on the market nowadays. Not to mention that this or any of the other flowering teas that they have on their site will be perfect for gifts or perfect for use at formal celebrations.
I probably will purchase from this company in the future but probably not the Peri Flower tea or any of the other blooming teas for I don’t really care for the taste of Silver Needle. I will say that they do have one tea in their flowering tea range that has a black tea or Golden Monkey Paw. That tea is called Black Gold and maybe more up my alley, so if you are looking into a flowering tea but are more of a black tea drinker like myself it may be worth a shot.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Blooming Flower Tea
Where to Buy: California Tea House
Description
Peri Flower is a beautiful artisan bouquet of Silver Needle a white tea with a multi-level, soft canary Chrysanthemum bloom. Blooming tea, flowering tea, make a perfect tea wedding favor and party gift. Email us for information about private labeling for a personal touch on wedding gift tea blooms.
Bring a pot of mineral water to a boil and pour into a clear pot, vase or large glass. Drop a single handmade blooming tea ball into the hot water and let steep for 4 to 6 minutes until the flower blooms. Once the tea has fully bloomed the tea is ready to drink. These are tasty, floral health bulbs!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Buddha’s Best – A Quarter to Tea . . . .
Hello, readers, I am here again to talk about yet another rose blended tea. Which if you are new to my reviews I will fill you in quickly, I adore rose in just about everything. So it is not surprising that I was ecstatic to try out this new blend.
First and foremost, this tea is a simply made of a blend of black teas, rose petals, and tulsi leaf. Now I have had all three before in numerous cups but this cup was a bit different. First off, the smell is the rose tea smell I have become accustomed to, sweet and floral with a bit of boldness from the black tea. But the taste is where it is a bit different. Even though this tea is a blend of different black teas it almost has the flavor of a jasmine green tea. For it is not as heavy as the other blends I have tried that are both black tea and rose. That being said it is very refreshing, mentally and physically. The only negative that I can find with this tea is that the rose flavor is very light. But I guess that will be a plus to people who are indifferent to rose for it is an odd flavor.
Now to the economics, it comes in a variety of three sizes 1 oz for $5.50, 2 oz for $10.70, and 4 oz for $21.10. And I am happy to announce that they do offer a sample of 2-3 cups with the asking price of $1.50! So I will say that this is well worth the price so I would say go for it. Also, I was perusing the site and they also have tea subscription boxes so if you like this company and/or you are unsure of just what to buy maybe the subscription boxes would be something you are after.
I will finish off by saying that I will absolutely purchase this and/or other teas from A Quater to Tea in the near future. The asking price is right and the quality of my brewed beverage left me satisfied.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter to Tea
Description
A showcase blend featuring teas from the birthplace of the Buddha. Light with lots of character with the staple muscatel notes of the region. Definitely a blend to try and find out why it’s simply the best!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bourbon Smoked White Tea – Embrew Teas. . . .
I am not going to lie but I was very wary of this tea for one of my first teas by Embrew, Creamy Honey Oolong, was one of my first negative reviews. But then again I chock that up to not liking honey. This tea surprised me, to say the least. For I haven’t had a close relationship with white teas but I did know that white tea leaves were the ones that lacked the most flavor. But not this tea blend, this tea had a depth and a smokiness that left me wanting cup after cup.
Now as the title suggests, this tea’s base is white tea but it is the sugar that is included in the bag that really makes it stand out. To be specific this tea has bourbon smoked sugar and not being the hugest fan of bourbon I was skeptical. So to my surprise, I found this tea to be light but also to have a bold sweetness that lingered on my tongue. And I was happy to also note that the sugar that is included in the bag was a perfect amount, not too sweet in the slightest. But my favorite part of the tea, other than the taste, had to be the smell. The smell was an amazing blend of oaky sweetness that made me imagine that I was in a study with a roaring fire with a fantasy novel placed in my lap. I swear I need to find this as a candle because when winter rolls around I feel that this will be the perfect scent to fill my house.
Now you are probably wondering how much this will set you back if you want to get a cup. Well, it is a pretty penny and there is only one option for an amount that you can get. Ten tea bags at the asking price of $15.95. So basically $1.60 per tea bag. I honestly wish there was a bigger option, like a 25 pack of tea but it is what it is.
Now, will I buy this tea? I will say yes but this will be a splurge tea. But if I did find this tea being served at my local tea shop I will happily pay $2 for it. I would also buy this tea for someone who doesn’t have a large collection of tea and is always on the go, for they don’t have to worry about the sugar for it is already premixed! But for now this blend is on the horizon and I hope soon that this will be in my tea collection.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Embrew Tea
Description
This African white tea comes from the delicate immature leaves of the plant that produce a mild, but sweet fragrance of baked bread and white peach that infuses quickly. The real hero is the Bourbon Smoked Sugar already blended inside the tea bag, which steeps with a subtle charred oak aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!