Leaf Type: Black Tea, Oolong Tea,
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
This is a smoky robust Tea is a blend of Organic Lapsang Souchong, Organic Se Chung Special Oolong, Organic Assam flowery Orange Pekoe. Each tea brings it’s own flavor profile and combined they create a smoky floral tea. With the addition of Chicory you will experience a coffee like tannins, Organic Cocoa Nibs & Organic Vanilla Bean introduce a smooth rich flavor and aroma and the Fenugreek seed helps bring all these unique flavors together as one with it’s milky sweet flavor.
This tea has a muted smokey flavor yet rich and creamy with coffee undertones.Learn more about this tea here
Taster’s Review:
WOW!! Okay for reference, I am not a huge Lapsang Souchong fan, at the same time I do not dislike it, I quite enjoy it every now and then but only every now and then. I am quite picky about my Lapsang Souchong teas, and I have to be “in the mood” for them. With that said … I absolutely feel I have been converted to being able to drink Lapsang Souchong daily!
Why? Because this tea, with the addition of oolong, and chicory, the cocoa nibs, the vanilla, ALL OF IT, just makes this such a delicious blend! I am not too familiar with sTEAp Shoppe or their teas, as a matter of fact I knew nothing of them until last week when they were offering some samples and of course I jumped on that bandwagon. This so far is my favorite from them and I have to admit I was hesitant to give this a try because I really am NOT that big into Lapsang Souchong, oh sorry I already said that. Seriously though, I reluctantly opened the package and the smells that came up into my wanting nostrils were AMAZING! I instantly knew this was no ordinary lapsang souchong! I can safely say that THIS tea should be their flagship tea! I feel they will be converting a lot of LS non believers into LS lovers very soon! Now all I want to do is go meander over to their site and see what else they have to offer because they clearly are working hard to get their blends perfect!
The smokiness in this tea is going to be a wonderful compliment to the vegetarian chili I am in the process of making, its smokiness is not over powering whatsoever, and the vanilla gives it just the right amount of creamy sweetness without being a sweet tea. It would hold up well to cream and sugar if you enjoy that in your tea. There is a quality chocolate undertone from the cocoa nibs but also I am very picky about chocolate flavored teas and absolutely hate any fakey artificial chocolate flavors, this has none of that nonsense! Did I mention that sTEAp Shoppe uses all natural and organic flavors? They do!
The chicory is pleasant and would also be something coffee drinkers could appreciate without making your tea taste like coffee! This has such a perfection of balance and all things wonderful I just can’t go on enough about it. You would think I had blended it myself I am so proud of this creation! Good work sTEAp Shoppe!
Thanks for allowing me to try this one!
Rwanda Rukeri from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Rwanda Rukeri is an Orange Pekoe grade green tea that originates from a cooperative of small farms in Rwanda. This tea is grown at an altitude of 5,900 feet above sea level. The thin forest green leaves unfurl during steeping to produce a vibrant lime-colored liquor. This unique tea has a juicy mouth feel with notes of artichoke and seaweed. Rwanda Rukeri is an assertive tea that produces a pleasant astringency.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the package, I immediately noticed the fragrance of this tea. Perhaps it’s because I just got finished mowing the lawn this afternoon, but, this tea smelled distinctly like freshly cut grass! It’s really quite fresh and exhilarating. Once brewed, the bright green colored tea has a lighter aroma, but it still smells very fresh and green.
The taste is pleasantly sweet and very smooth. It has a juicy quality to it, very thirst-quenching … which is quite nice especially since I did just mow the lawn and am in need of refreshment!
This is a very “green” tasting tea, with notes of kelp and steamed vegetables. The description above suggests the flavor of artichoke and I’m tasting that, It’s mild and pleasant.
What I’m finding very interesting about this is that usually with a strong vegetative flavor like I am tasting here, the mouthfeel is usually thicker, reminiscent of a broth. The mouthfeel here is lighter, reminding me more of a nectar than a broth. The texture is very light, almost crisp, rather than thick or creamy. The finish has a tangy astringency to it, with a slight citrus-y acidity noted. The citrus-y taste lingers into the aftertaste.
This is very refreshing served hot, and just as nice when served iced which is how I’m drinking it now. I find it to be very restorative and soothing. A really delicious green tea from Rwanda, and what’s even better … it’s on sale! Now through July 15th, this tea is priced at 18% off regular price. Sounds like it’s a good time to stock up!
Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea – Golden Tip from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Dian Hong black tea, also known as Yunnan black tea, is one of China’s most famous black teas. This is the highest grade Dian Hong generally available in China – called Golden Tip Dian Hong. It has lots of orange pekoe in the dried tea, and brews into an absolutely great tasting, golden coloured tea, with very rich taste and aroma.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know that for some of you who might read me regularly, it may be kind of boring to read just how excited I get over tea … cup after cup after cup! But, really, I love tea so much, and when I find a good cup (and I do find them quite often!) I want to share that joy! And yes, I really do get this excited over tea!
And it’s easy to get excited over tea when it tastes as good as this tea does.
The dry leaf is absolutely beautiful. The colors of the leaves ranges from bright, golden yellow to a rich brown, and the leaves are curled and twisted. But even more magnificent than their color is the flavor of the tea that they produce!
It is sweet with caramel-y undertones, and there is a hint of smoke to this tea as well. The smoke melds with the caramel in such a way to give it a distinct flavor that is both savory and sweet. I love the contrast! The mouthfeel is very smooth and even has a certain thickness to it (almost velvety!) that enhances the caramel experience even further.
If I were to categorize this tea into a season of the year, the season for this tea would be Autumn. The flavors remind me of autumn, not just the warm, smoky caramel, but, I also notice a warm spice to this tea. Almost like a mild nutmeg with a dash of pepper, just enough to tantalize the taste buds.
And then there is the sweet-potato/yam-like flavor, another flavor of fall! All of these flavors accent each other quite nicely – a delicious autumnal medley of tastes in one teacup. Truly a memorable cup of tea!
Morawaka Ceylon FBOP from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Tea Description:
This Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe consists of semi-leafy pieces with some tips. You may notice a more mellow liquor with a mild, fresh flavor, an inviting bouquet to your cup, and a finish that lingers attractively.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I thought I had completed my series of Morawaka estate Ceylon reviews, but I came across this sampling the other day as I was sorting through my stash (in an effort to get it organized … an effort, I fear, that is futile, and yet, I continue on!) I am happy, though, to have found this Ceylon as it is quite enjoyable.
The flavor is mild and bright, with hints of floral notes in the background. There is a fair amount of astringency that is more tangy than it is dry. That tangy note lingers into the aftertaste, imparting an almost citrus-y taste on the tongue. As I continue to sip on the tea, a sweetness develops that gives the cup more of a smooth, well-rounded character, and helps to soften the astringent finish. This particular grade of the single estate Morawaka Ceylon seems to be a bit more floral in taste than the others … assuming I am remembering correctly.
This has that brisk flavor that one might expect from a Ceylon. It makes for an excellent choice for a lighter breakfast tea, or a mild afternoon tea. It goes wonderfully with chocolate. (Then again, there aren’t many things that don’t go wonderfully with chocolate.) It also makes a wonderful iced tea, and takes additions well – try serving this with a thin slice of citrus for a glass of iced refreshment!
A very nice offering from KTeas!
Morawaka Ceylon OP-1 from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
Fresh from the Grower!Direct from the Morawaka Tea Estate in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)!Orange Pekoe leaves tend to be long, thin, and wiry. It may seem counterintuitive, but these larger grades of leaves produce a lighter or paler liquor–but this is due to the fact that the leaves are whole, not broken and bruised to expose more of each leaf to the water. The taste is also lighter: more delicate than that of the Ceylon leaf’s broken compatriots.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been reviewing a lot of the Morawaka Estate Ceylon teas sold by KTeas in the past few months. We (the SororiTea Sisters) had a very unique opportunity to each of the grades of tea from the Morawaka Estate, and I have really enjoyed them. It is nice to be able to not just try a selected one of the grades, but each of them so that I can really taste the difference between the grades.
This is Orange Pekoe-1, which means whole leaf, not a broken or cut leaf. And what is interesting here is that of the Morawaka Estate Ceylon teas that I’ve tried thus far (I still have the Pekoe-1 to try) is not how similar they tend to be, but how different they are. This OP-1 is much lighter in taste than the others that I’ve tried. It doesn’t have that malty taste that I noticed in the Morawaka Ceylon FBOPF, or the robust quality of the Morawaka Ceylon FBOPF-1. It doesn’t have that same “burnt-sugar sweetness” that I noticed in these other two varieties.
But what this does have is a true Ceylon taste. What I’m tasting now is true to the flavor that I’ve come to expect from a Ceylon, only better. It has a freshness to it that I don’t typically experience from a Ceylon. It is light, mild and even-toned. It tastes crisp and bright. There is a sweetness to this as well, but it is more like honey than burnt-sugar or caramel. While this doesn’t have the same bold body of the broken leaf, it has a briskness to it that is very refreshing.
So which do I prefer? I like them all! I think that this particular Ceylon would be best suited for an afternoon tea, while the smaller, broken leaf Ceylon teas would make a very pleasing breakfast tea. I could see having several varieties of this estate Ceylon on my shelf depending upon the occasion.
Another excellent Ceylon! Cheers!