Have you ever judged a book by it’s cover? Looked at a tea and thought, meh? I confess I did that with this one. I’m not a big fan of pu er and some other aged teas I’ve had were okay. But I figured let’s give this a try anyway.
I only have a 5g sample so I’m going to do everything right with this one. Using the gongfu method I’ll be trying to steep as many times as I can. (Ended up with around 5 or 6 steepings).
The dry aroma is very woody, dried wood with other earthy notes. When wet, the minerality immediately comes forth along with some clean earthy somewhat roasty notes. It is a unique aroma that is rich and deep but not overwhelming.
The flavor, likewise, is mineral. Soft on the palette. The second steeping has revealed interesting milky notes. Also with the second and third steeping, unique rye notes came out. Like rye bread without the bread. Heavier roasted notes towards the end.
If you guys are able to give this tea a try I highly suggest it. Just make sure you give yourself a good half hour to enjoy the tea as it should be. No tea mugs for this tea.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description
The Ben Shan cultivar has a big, strong flavor that is full of all the fruit and sweet florals we love in Tieguanyin. Ben Shan is so rich that it is often sold as Tieguanyin or blended with Tieguanyin to make Tieguanyin taste more like Tieguanyin. Some of the oldest tea bushes on Master Zhang’s high mountain plot are Ben Shan varietal, planted by his grandparents. Ben Shan is used by Master Zhang in many of his Wulong revival experiments for its versatile nature and big, deep texture. Careful aging and roasting bring out unexpectedly tropical florals paired with a taut cooling minerality.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
High Mountain Oolong/Qi Aerista
Qi Aerista is probably best known for their “smart” tea brewing system. But they also sell tea!
Their selection is broad and consists exclusively of loose leaf teas including greens and whites and puerh, you get the idea. Go look at the pictures and drool.
So how about this one? The one that started it all for me? It is exactly what they describe. It is lightly roasted, smooth, and sweet, and the flavor starts out light, but the more you drink, the more it builds. There is just enough gentle briskness to keep you reaching for your cup over and over, plus who can resist that building intensity? The first sip was as soft as a sigh but now a roasty, lightly woody taste fills my head.
I had this at breakfast and tasted it before tucking in to my everything bagel with cream cheese. It was so light and smooth, but I knew the bagel was going to overshadow it. Next time I will choose something heavily roasted or a black tea to combat the garlic and onion, and I will reserve this to go with something that is more delicate or just drink it by itself.
This was good enough to make me return and try some of the rock oolongs and maybe that gorgeous Shou Mei, but I really want the adorable Dianhong Pagodas!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Qi Aerista
Description
This tea looks to no longer be availble but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Golden Osmanthus/Perkse Coffee & Tea
Confession…Golden Osmanthus Oolong is the first tea I have tried from Perkse Coffee and Tea…and if this tea is any indication what their other products are like…I will be looking into a purchase soon! This tea was delightful!
Golden Osmanthus (also known as Huang Jin Gui) is an Anxi oolong whose name means “Golden Flower.” A lightly roasted oolong our “Bolero” reveals an intensity with hints of honey and flowers you will find enticing and seductive.
That is straight from their website and I have to say that I agree! This tea was flowery-sweet with a gentle roast oolong flavor. The first infusion was out of this world and follow up infusions were out of this galaxy! Full of flavor, naturally!
It’s refreshingly-sweet like honey or agave, even. The leaves are vibrantly green and aromatic from start to finish! A real treat!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Perkse Tea
Description
Golden Osmanthus (also known as Huang Jin Gui) is an Anxi oolong whose name means “Golden Flower.” A lightly roasted oolong our “Bolero” reveals an intensity with hints of honey and flowers you will find enticing and seductive.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
310 Hibiscus Tea/310 Nutrition
Being a recently turned vegetarian, I’ve been on the look out for great tasting protein shakes and other supplements to make sure I am still getting all of the nutrition I was. What is really funny is that I was looking at 310 Nutrition when they reached out for the SororiTea Sisters to review their teas. It was like it was meant to be.
310 Nutrition offers a variety of different products including detox teas. Now detox teas are quite controversial for tea enthusiasts but we all know that certain herbs are good for helping to reduce bloating and provide someone with a good bump of energy. That is what I always think about when I try a detox tea. Not so much am I losing weight but does this blend taste good and do I feel better after enjoying the blend for a few days.
This particular blend is 310’s 310 Hibiscus Tea, which consists of hibiscus, green tea, yerba mate, oolong and a handfull of other ingredients. unfortunately (for me), red rooibos and stevia are included in the list. I have never been a fan of either of those ingredients . But nevertheless, I wanted to give this blend a shot so I prepped my water, steeped the tea and sat down to enjoy.
The blend itself is pretty tasty. I really enjoy the hibiscus and ginger notes that are coming through. The tart and spiced tones really work well. I can’t say that I’ve had a hibiscus ginger blend before and never thought those flavors would work together but they are delightful. The oolong and green tea notes are faint but since I am not a fan of two ingredients in the blend, that could be way they are so faint. I wish the blend had green roobios instead of red rooibos because I think it would work deliciously.
Overall, this tea is not for me but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be when I saw the ingredient list. I did take a look at the rest of the tea blends offered by 310 and it does look like the majority of the blends do have red rooibos. But I’m happy I was able to try this blend regardless and look forward to seeing what a few of the other Sisters think of this blend. I really can’t speak to the detox portion of this tea since I only had one cuppa. But my interaction with the company has been quite pleasant and I’m thinking about ordering some of their lemonade mixes.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green/Oolong/Red Rooibos
Where to Buy: 310 Nutrition
Description
Get a taste of the tropics with 310 Hibiscus Tea. We combine this flower grown in subtropical climates with a blend of herbs to product a premium tea with a naturally sweet flavor and beautiful crimson color.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Watermelon Oolong/Fraser Tea
Watermelon oolong has just the right name to pull me in while thinking of a hot summer day here in the South. I was a little skeptical about the watermelon part because I thought it might be super subtle or not very authentic.
Quite often my daughter joins me when I am I tasting teas for reviews. I like getting another person’s impressions and opinions to consider.
She took one sip, looked up, and said, “This is going to be a problem.”
“How so?” I asked. “Because this sample is all we have?”
“Because this sample is all we have and something has to be done about that.”
I sipped. Yes, it is that good. It is that watermelon-y. She likened it to Jolly Ranchers. I don’t think I have ever had those so I likened it to my homemade watermelon ice. Thank goodness for the sake of family harmony, our sample resteeped very, very well. Full on watermelon flavor like one of the best melons of summer, rich and sweet.
My order should be here next week. I expect I will be having this hot, iced, and maybe even as tea popsicles. Already some of my daughter’s friends are clamoring for a taste.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
A virtual summer picnic in your glass, Watermelon Oolong Organic Oolong Tea combines fresh berries and tropical fruit flavors together with lemongrass for a crisp and refreshing taste. This superior grade organic oolong tea offers numerous nutritional benefits including weight management, diabetes management, and mental health. Think wellness; embrace flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!