Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Zi Chun Tea Co
Product Description:
A high quality organic black tea – this unique tea was developed & refined by the Taiwan tea research station. It is a cross between an Assam strain from Burma & a local wild strain. A truly great tea.
A noticeable cinnamon aroma and carries a subtle, but pleasant mint flavor.
Tasters Review:
WOW! Just…WOW! This is SO amazing on SO many levels! This is a mighty fine Black Tea, right here, folks!
Hong Yu (Red Jade) Taiwanese Black Tea from Zi Chun smells a little like tomato soup and/or tomato bread…I LOVE the aroma! The taste is toasty, creamy, malty, a mellow black tea, meets a hint of cherry tomato type undertone but then changes up and evens out.
By the after taste I can find that mint note the description says lingers…it’s so amazingly different I can’t NOT like this one! I would HIGHLY recommend this tea to ANYONE!
Patriot Tea (Daughters of the American Revolution)
Tea Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: Local Coffee & Tea (Sip Locally)
Product Description:
This tea perfectly captures the essence of the Sara DeSoto chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This is the oldest non profit organization in the Sarasota located in historic Payne Park.
Early colonists learned about locally grown herbs from the Native Indians. These discoveries played an important role in the protest against taxes the British were placing on tea, which would eventually lead to the Boston Tea Party.
Daughters of the Revolution vowed to “drink tea made from weeds” instead of imported tea. Thankfully they chose herbs, fruits and flowers to make their tea and as a celebration of those early beverages we now present them to you in this beautiful tea!
A CERTIFIED ORGANIC Rooibos blended with lavender the “Herb of Harmony”, rosehip shells, dried red and black currants, rose petals and bilberries. Heady, perfumed lavender notes with a floral, fresh, fruity and mellow flavor. This is a very relaxing tea for consumption any time of day or night. Naturally caffeine-free.
20 to 25 cups of tea can be made from 2 oz of loose leaf rooibos. We also suggest steeping our Rooibos multiple times for even more cups of great tea.
Store in a dry place.
Tasters Review:
This is a juicy flavored rooibos. I can taste the elderberries and currants more than the floral ingredients but I certainly like that. The rosehips and floral notes are subtle and are a nice gentle touch.
This is nice hot but I am going to be trying it ICED soon because I think it will be even better iced!
Another draw to this tisane is the history behind it! Not only the history – locally – and for their local DAR Chapter but the story behind Sara, herself! I did some research and found the following about Sara…
The Spanish explorer, Hernando DeSoto, explored this part of Florida in 1539, and according to legend, he had his daughter Sara with him. Sara met and fell in love with a native warrior by the name of Chi Chi Okobe (pronounced Chee Chee Okobee). He was a member of the Calusa tribe, which inhabited this region at that time. Unfortunately, he contracted a fever and was gravely ill. Sara decided to remain with him and nurse him back to health, but she contracted the fever and she died. Chi Chi Okobe was grief-stricken at the loss of his love. He had her body buried out in the bay. He then sent 100 of his best warriors out to the spot where they chopped holes in the bottoms of their canoes and drowned themselves to protect her final resting place. According to the legend, when you see whitecaps on the waves in the bay, they are actually the feather headdresses of those native warriors still guarding her grave.
For more information about Daughters of the American Revolution see THIS Website.
For more info about Sarasota’s Chapter see THIS Website.
And for more information about Local Coffee & Tea’s Sarasota Collection of Teas – check this out!
Taiwan Cui Yu Green Jade High Mountain Oolong From Life In Teacup
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where To Buy: Life In Teacup
Product Description:
One of the “greenest” oolong, with leaf color and tea taste close to green tea. This tea was produced from high mountain region of Nantou, Taiwan, in spring 2009. It has very refreshing floral fragrance.
Brewing method:
1a. Oolong, ball-shaped dry tea leaves
- Vessel: gaiwan or small teapot
- Water temperature: newly boiled water (above 95 °C or 203 °F)
- Amount of leaves: 5 gram for every 120ml total volume (Or reduce the amount to 3 gram for some heavy oxidation and/or heavy roast products)
- Warm-up infusion: pour hot water in the vessel, and immediately drain it. Wait for about 1min. before starting the next infusion.
- Time for each of the first 3 infusions (after warm-up): 20sec. (Or reduce the infusion time to 10-15sec. for some heavy oxidation and/or heavy roast products)
- Extend infusion time based on taste for later infusions. Most oolong tea can well last for at least 5-7 infusions.
1d. Oolong, Go easy…
(recommended if you would like to go easy; not recommended if the tea is expensive to you and you expect very strong flavor in every sip.)
- Vessel: gaiwan or use half volume of your mug
- Water temperature: (same as “1a”) newly boiled water (around 95 °C or 203 °F)
- Amount of leaves:
o ball-shaped oolong: 5-10 grains of dry tea leaves
o stripe-shaped oolong: 5-8 whole leaves- Steep time: 1-2 minutes
- Re-steep: when there is 1/3 liquor left in the vessel, add hot water to re-steep.
Tasters Review:
Recently I have been fortunate enough to try a few of teas from Life In Teacup and they are lovely! Taiwan Cui Yu Green Jade High Mountain Oolong From Life In Teacup surely follows suit!
Post infusion color is a bright yellow-green. The taste is rich and buttery yet seemed to mellow me out and made me feel very relaxed. It has a faint aroma but it makes up in color and taste. This is a Oolong that is down-right tasty and I am eager to try it again!