China Mutan White Tea from Mark T. Wendell

china-mutan-white-teaTea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Mark T. Wendell

Tea Description:

Our Mutan white tea is an unusual tea, comprised of silvery, downy buds and green leaves. The buds are hand picked before the leaf opens, then gently steamed. The brew is delicate and mellow, with a light pale color.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This China Mutan White Tea from Mark T. Wendell is excellent!  The leaves are soft, covered with lots of silvery fuzz and they aren’t crumbly or brown.  They are pale green and silver, the way a high quality white tea should be.

The flavor is delicate, as is to be expected from a white tea, but, don’t mistake that for “lack of flavor” because this tea certainly doesn’t lack anything.  It’s pleasantly sweet, with a mild, hay-like quality that is slightly vegetative.  It has a gentle earthiness to it.

And one of the things that keep me going back to white teas like this one is that they continue to produce flavor beyond that first pot of tea.  Keep steeping those leaves!  I found that the second and third pots of tea were even more flavorful than the first.

It’s a nice cup of tea to enjoy after a meal, because I find white tea to be not only soothing and calming, but also it cools down the palate a little bit which is nice after something on the spicy side.

Mark T. Wendell is one of those companies that simply DELIVERS when it comes to high quality product!

Huo Shan Yellow Sprouting from Mark T. Wendell

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Yellow

Where to Buy:  Mark T. Wendell

Product Description: 

This rare yellow tea from China’s Anhui province is comprised of beautiful hand-crafted leaves and downy silver buds. This tea is notable for its rich, full and smooth tasting floral infusion. When brewed, our Yellow Sprouting produces a naturally sweet and refreshingly clean tasting cup of tea.

Learn more about this tea here. 

Taster’s Review:

I was very lucky to be introduced to yellow tea early in my loose leaf tea drinking experience! It was the first time I had ever stepped foot into a real tea house, in St. Louis, Missouri. The London Tea Room. At that time they had a lovely yellow tea which was not on their regular tea menu as it was a special tea not normally sold in the store. They told me about yellow tea and gave me a good education on it. I was sold and bought it on the spot not even really knowing just how precious yellow tea was. So that was my introduction and how I fell in love with Yellow teas. Even still yellow teas seem to be quite rare, and while they can be found online and in tea shops, I find people are still not quite as aware of them as they could be. I was thrilled when I received a sample of this from my SororiTea Sister LiberTEAS.

I am finding this cup to be every bit as delightful as my first experience with yellow tea. As I do not currently have many yellow teas, perhaps one or two, in my own stash, having a new one to try is a lovely gift!

This tea, from Mark T. Wendell, is captivating! Its creamy and buttery, but also there is this really nice savory element to it as well and many know how much I love a savory tea! The mouthfeel is heavier than the color of the cup may indicate. Don’t let the beautiful, delicate, golden tone fool you, its quite rich. There is a natural sweetness just as the product description says, but the fresh floral and grassy notes make it pleasing and healthy tasting. I get a note that speaks towards wheat grass flavors.

It is not as buttery as many oolong or green teas, which of course it is a yellow tea and has its own voice. Yet, these elements are present. There is a juiciness and freshness to the cup making it quite bright, a “happy” tea. To me, this is not a tea you choose when wanting to sit down and get absorbed into a great novel, but more of a tea for when you want to have loose fun conversations, or enjoy a sunny day, or brighten up a dreary one. And again, being in a category of its own, you won’t find this tea as vegetal as some greens, yet in the under layer of this tea – toward the base of the flavor levels, does exist a slightly vegetal flavor, which learns more toward a salty seaweed like note.

Also, if you allow this tea to cool quite a while you will find a light candy like note, sort of like a meringue cookie flavor or perhaps the curst on a creme brulee although its not going to jump out at you that flavor is in there.

Yellow tea is such an interesting thing to me. I always love trying any yellow tea I can get my hands on and I hope that more people become aware of how wonderful yellow teas are. Why not start with this one? I am finding it to be my favorite so far.

Indonesian Tea from Mark T. Wendell

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Mark T. Wendell

Tea Description:

An exquisite tea sourced from Indonesia’s Kertasarie Estate, this is a favorite of those who love a strong and stimulating flavor in their cup. Indonesia’s high altitudes, volcanic soil and tropical climate produce a dark and rich tasting tea that is truly unique.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is a delicious black tea – one that is strong enough to serve as that all-important first cup of the day, and it also would make a lovely tea to serve with breakfast (or brunch!) or to guests in the afternoon.

This full-bodied tea is bold and slightly malty, but, not as astringent as other teas with these characteristics.  It is remarkably smooth from start to finish.  There are fruity tones within the sip with an undertone of sweetness that melds deliciously with the malty notes, giving it a rich, almost-caramel-y kind of taste.

Overall, the flavor is really delightful – offering much of what you’d expect from a high-quality black tea, but with far less of the astringency and absolutely no bitterness detected.  It would also make a delicious iced tea – try serving with a sprig of fresh mint or perhaps a thin slice of citrus.

This is one of those teas that really “grows on you” – I find that I really enjoyed my first cup, with with each subsequent cup, I found myself enjoying it more than I did before.  I think what I’m liking best is that it is uncommonly smooth and well-rounded.

A thoroughly satisfying and delicious cup of black tea.

Mountain Kenya Tea from Mark T. Wendell

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Mark T. Wendell

Tea Description:

Mountain Kenya is an exciting and highly invigorating tea, appropriate for those who like a strong cup of tea. For many years, we have offered this small leaf tea sourced from the Tindret Estate in Kenya. Unique in appearance and overall taste, this is one of the finest small leaf teas grown on the African continent.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I am very impressed with this tea.  It is strong and flavorful – just what I need this morning when I’m finding it difficult to rev up the engine and start the day.

The cut of the leaf is very small – like tiny grains of black sand!  Because of the cut, I chose to steep it for a shorter time (smaller leaf bits means more surface area exposed to water, which means it brews faster), and I found that 2 minutes in my Breville made a perfect cup of tea … even though it is a CTC tea!

Bold and invigorating, this tea has a flavor that rich and well-rounded.  It has a sweet, caramel-y undertone that melds wonderfully with its malty character.  The closest comparison I can come up with is an Assam; it has that rich, malty quality that is very Assam-like.  But, this is sweeter and without an Assam tea’s bitterness.  There is some astringency to the cup, slightly dry and cleansing, and the aftertaste is lightly sweet.

This tea has got GUSTO!

China Yunnan Tea from Mark T. Wendell

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Mark T. Wendell

Product Description:

Cultivated in China’s Yunnan Province, the birthplace of tea, this black tea has a large leaf with distinctive golden tips. It has some of the best characteristics of traditional China teas as well as teas from India. When brewed, it produces a rich, almost peppery flavor.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is a really good Yunnan.  Very bold – in fact, I’d describe it as rugged.  Very masculine.

It has much of what you’d expect from a Yunnan:  a delicious, strong flavor with hints of fruit in the background, notes of earthiness and a sweet, caramel-like low note and, of course, that distinct peppery overtone.  There are hints of smoke in the background too, which accent the spiced tones quite well.

The peppery taste to this Yunnan is one of the most pronounced peppery notes I’ve ever tasted with this type of tea.  This flavor of spice lingers through to the aftertaste, which is accompanied by a hint of smoked caramel sweetness.

The overall cup is rich and delicious, with no bitterness or harsh tones.  It has very little astringency to it.  It is incredibly smooth, while at the same time maintaining its hefty masculine attitude.  An excellent Yunnan!