Golden Triangle

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Pu-erh

Tea Description:

Delicately scented Golden Triangle tea in a cinnamon wood caddy

Taster’s Review:

I’ll be honest, I bought this tea because I loved the packaging! No, not the cardboard box that you see above, but for the spectacular cinnamon wood cylinder box/caddy that is tucked inside that cardboard box.

I’m a sucker for unique packaging anyway, and I collect tins. And while this isn’t a tin as it isn’t metal, the idea of storing tea in a caddy made of cinnamon wood box which acts to not just scent the tea but also adds a pleasing cinnamon scent to my kitchen was just so appealing to me.

And this box definitely DOES smell incredible. It reminds me a lot of this time of year, when I visit my local grocery store, as they sell bags of cinnamon infused pine cones. The smell is so amazing, that we buy at least one bag every year. (They also make nice fireplace fodder once the fragrance has waned)

I made the mistake of thinking that this was a black tea rather than a dark tea (Pu-erh) when I bought it and when I tried it the first time. The result was less than pleasant with the first sampling, as I didn’t take the time to rinse the leaves nor did I use my gaiwan to infuse the tea. I have found that the rinse and the utilization of the gaiwan have led to much more enjoyable Pu-erh experiences.

But, now that I’ve re-read the box information (in my defense, most of it IS in French!) I realize that this is indeed a Pu-erh and should be treated as such when brewing. And I’m now able to fully enjoy this tea!

And I am, indeed, enjoying it. The cinnamon flavor – which can sometimes be a very aggressive flavor – is surprisingly subtle. Perhaps this is because it is cinnamon scented as a result of the wood caddy, rather than blended with cinnamon chips or doused with cinnamon flavoring. I really like the lightness of the cinnamon, as it allows me to enjoy not just the warmth of the spice but also the exotic sweetness of it. The Pu-erh is earthy, but not overly so, and I think that the cinnamon tones bring out the best in the Pu-erh.

A really lovely tea – and because of the unique presentation it would make a really wonderful gift to your favorite tea lover on your gift giving list (that time of year is just around the corner, you know!)

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Pu-erh

Tea Type: Green Tea

Where To Buy: TeaVert

Product Description:

A lot of famous teas come from the region in China called The Golden Triangle, which was the source of many Imperial Tribute Teas or in modern days called “famous teas”.

Tribute Teas were chosen by the Emperor of the last four dynasties for remarkable taste and qualities. The teas were exclusively available only for royal tastes and sometimes even were used as tax payment. If any of the Tribute teas that did not satisfy the royal taste, they would be given to court officials, who could drink the tea or sell it illegally for profit.

In Chinese, “Mao” means fluffy, and “Feng” means mountain peaks. Our organic Mao Feng grows in the mountains of central Zhejiang province and is harvested only in early spring from leaves picked at the right moment and carefully processed. The highest grades use only one bud and the first leaf. Each day the leaves will be different, and they produce a slightly different batch of tea.

The leaf has a pleasantly sweet, mildly fragrant aroma, with a hint of apricot.

The brew in the cup usually infuses to a very pale yellow with a hint of green.

The taste is mellow and sweet with a nice hint of subtle grassiness.

Mao Feng Tea drinkers say that the first brewing is fragrant, the second brewing is sweet, and the third brewing is strong. The tea tastes clean and refreshing, and lasts a long time on the tongue.

Like a great wine, it also has to be a good year.
Preparation

Heat water to 185-195 F, steep 3 minutes

Tasters Review:

First I want to say HAPPY ST PATRICK’S DAY from the SororiTEA Sisters! You know SororiTEA Sisters find ANY reason to drink…TEA, that is…so St. Patrick’s Day is yet ANOTHER reason to “drink up”!

My posts today will feature GREEN Teas. My first post for today is Mao Feng Green Tea from TeaVert!

I really enjoyed this tea! It’s a mellow-sweet, slightly buttery yet vegetable-esque and subtle grassiness type taste all wrapped-up into one with a grassy/dried apricot aftertaste.

In short, it’s a darn good Green! I’m VERY impressed with TeaVert’s Selection and am looking forward to sampling and reviewing more of their teas!

teaequalsbliss

Co-Founder/Co-Creator of Sororitea Sisters at Sororitea Sisters Jennifer (TeaEqualsBliss) is in her upper 30s and lives in the eastern snowbelt area of the US with her husband, 3 dogs, and cat (however the number of furkids can change at anytime as she LOVES providing a forever home for many shelter animals. Her several interests include music, movies, veganism, sports, traveling, collecting Baseball Cards and Unicorns, Radio, Computers, Crafting, and of course…TEA. She started drinking tea at the tender age of 3 thanks to her Grandmother and her love for tea has gotten stronger with each year! In addition to being a co-founder/co-creator of Sororitea Sisters - her main site is MyBlissfulJourney.com. Find out more about Jennifer on MyBlissfulJourney.com.

This post was posted in Green Tea