Tea has become more of a mindfulness exercise for me lately, rather than simply a means to caffeination. I reverently begin this tasting by getting on the level with the loose, green grinds. Dry leaves are sweet-smelling like a japanese tea. They tease me with something that almost smells of raspberry, though I know there is none in this blend.
After brewing the tea leaves got much lighter in color and presented a cloudy olive-green infusion with lots of tiny stowaways from the gravity brewer into my cup.
I cannot stress enough, as with all green and white teas, watch your temperature or you will be drinking something akin to Satan’s bath water (to put it nicely).
I started off with my usual 175F for 2 min but was caught off guard by the bitter chemical type taste. I’d overbrewed it, serious bummer. The leaves were ruined and I’d have to start again from scratch. My second try was with half the steep time. Better tasting, but still a tannic nirvana (different from Darjeeling though). Not my cup of tea. You know those monks are seriously being tested when they drink a tea this strong all day. It for sure keeps them awake in church! I certainly couldn’t keep a vow of silence after drinking it.
As proud as I am of my scientific problem solving approach, I should’ve just read the package instructions. At 160F and right around a minute brew time, the third try was a charm. This delicate leaf brews strong! Tangy still, with a long lingering pucker-worthy aftertaste. But much more palatable than Satan’s bathwater. Upon resteeping, it was a much different flavor because a bit more of the sweetness came out.
This blend is described as sweet like other Japanese teas but that was not my experience, even with a cold brew attempt. But on a good note, I learned my lesson about reading the package instructions. Thank you monks!
Here’s the scoop!
Type of Tea: Green
Where to Buy: Mellow Monk
Description:
Blissful Buds™ is made by picking the small young buds at the pinnacle of the tea plant — the leaves richest in catechins. These tender leaves yield a refreshingly sweet infusion, redolent of apples, with berry-like tangy overtones and much less astringency than conventional senchas. This type of tea is also served at the end of a meal at fine Japanese restaurants. (In sushi lingo, this type of tea is referred to as agari.)
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Feng Huang Wuyi Black from Verdant Tea. . . .
Need a pick-me-up when you’ve spent the afternoon scanning and filing papers?
Because I do.
I imagine that your struggles are different, but you identify on some level.
Today I went in for Feng Huang Wuyi Black by Verdant Tea — a new tea with caffeine. Gotta call in those reserves.
The dry leaves are really long and twisty and dark. You know how the Death Eaters in Harry Potter fly around, leaving those long trails behind them? They look like that. I literally looked at the twists and thought “THE DARK LORD HAS RISEN.”
Would the Death Eaters drink this? I think they might, because it’s a pure leaf (no add-ins). And you know how they love purity. (All villains post-WWII have shades of Nazism, which is a bit tedious because there are so many other different types of evil to explore in addition to totalitarian eugenics. Anyway, that’s probably a subject for a much longer think-piece and not a tea review. So I’ll stop here on that trail.)
But it’s an interesting pure tea. Lots of flavor is packed in there. This tea has a mineral zest low note, a creamy mid-note, and a sort of raisin high-note.
According to Verdant’s site, the mineral note is supposed to be the lightest of notes, and berries are supposed to be up at the top; but I’m not getting that when I drink that black.
I worried that my tongue might be dead from years of exposure to my grandmother’s cooking. (SICK BURN.)
So I tried it with a little bit of vanilla almond milk and AHA. BERRY IS IN THERE. Sometimes you need the temperature to drop and a little bit of cream to whisk sweetness onto the tongue.
I prefer this tea with the almond milk and the lighter flavor, which isn’t something I’d normally say.
I think that without the milk, it’s your average Death Eater. With the milk, it’s Dolores Umbridge.
Yikes. Choose your path carefully.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description
Feng Huang Black comes from transplanted Fenghuang Dancong from Guangdong established in the mountainous rocky slopes of Wuyi. As in Guangdong, these plants are cultivated as single bush trees instead of hedges. The result is a beautifully elegant expression of the bright, fruity, complex and sweet flavor of Fenghuang Dancong with the deep mineral notes of Wuyi. Black Tea Xiao Zhong style processing tempers the naturally tropical fruit of Dancong and pushes it towards blackberry. Because this tea is grown as single bushes and picked only once a year, the annual yield for the Li Family is very small. We are lucky to share this small batch from the Li Family’s tea gardens
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jin Jun Mei from Verdant Tea aka Super Starling enjoys steamed buns!
I have a confession to make.
I purchased this tea because Verdant told me it tasted like “steamed buns.” I laughed at the phrase “steamed buns,” and then I laughed some more.
Steamed.
Buns.
It hasn’t gotten any less funny. It’s still really, really good.
And yeah, this tea totally tastes like bread! It’s smoky and malty and a bit sweet. I detect maybe some butter/vanilla in there, around the edges. It’s so heavy and thick it’s almost broth-like. Even before I drink it down, it just SMELLS really good. It feels like it should have calories.
It’s not the sexiest thing in the world — it’s a classic staple.
It’s like a guy who’s got a little bit of Dad Bod going on. (I have actually written “Dad Bod” on my sample bag.) This tea is Mr Right, not Mr Right Now.
And no Mr Right would be complete without… STEAMED BUNS.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description
Jin Jun Mei Wuyi black tea is one of the most labor intensive and demanding teas to produce. The picking window is very small and the skill required so high, that every experienced farmer in the Xingcun region works together to pick Jin Jun Mei buds for each other over the first weeks of spring. Li Xiangxi’s spring-fed tea grows out of rocky, sandy soil, yielding a rich mineral flavor true to Wuyishan’s unique terroir.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Himalayan Dew Delight SFTGFOP1 from Terroir Tea Merchant
How wonderful is the title “Himalayan Dew Delight”?
Pretty great, but the flavor is even better.
Usually black teas taste heavy, a sturdy base that tastes malty, chocalate-y, rich, or some combination thereof. If you want a lighter touch, you have to look elsewhere.
Not today! This was called “dew delight” to clue you in! It’s springy and warm. It tastes like flowers and pollen and ragweed. Sparrows swooping through clean pale yellow air.
Just a general spring outdoor vibe.
Minus all the runny noses. Oh man. Our family has been struck by seasonal allergies like a nuke. Our sinuses are trashed. Eyes weep. Coughs and snorts interrupt our sleep.
We have traveled from prescription to prescription like wanderers through a war-torn apocalypse movie. We have found acceptable solutions, but no guaranteed safe haven.
Drinking this tea might be the closest we get to spring this year — but it’s delicious!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchant
Description
A colourful black tea with silver-tipped leaves and a smooth, medium strength reminiscent of a Darjeeling.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Take A Walk On The Dude Side- King Dragon Oolong fro Wendigo Tea. . . .
When Nichole (Cuppageek) described this tea as “something to behold” in her round-up review of favorites , I knew I had to get on board.
Therefore, when I found this in my packet of samples, I got right on it!
This tea has a rich mineral leather/earth taste. It’s a far cry from my usual sweet teas; this is more of a dudely beef jerky/UFC fighter type of vibe. I daresay it’s MEATY.
In fact, the very first thing I thought upon sipping this was “the manly side of the gym.”
(Sure, you can feel free to say “everyone uses all parts of the gym!” … But when you saw the phrase “the manly side of the gym” you knew EXACTLY what I meant.)
The side with the weights. And the benches. And the anguished grunting. And the veins that are on top of the muscles instead of inside them. (How does that even happen? Do they get, like, evicted from the inside because there’s just too much bro-meat in there?)
The other side is the girls on the cardio machines gallivanting around like gazelles with their ombré ponytails swinging in tandem.
I go to a “no judgement! no critics!” gym (you know the chain). Despite its “everyone is welcome!” attitude, the dude-side is still intimidating.
I crept over to the weights area just this morning, in fact. I lifted some wimpy dumbbells a few times, trying to give the behemoth redhead behind me full access to the mirror to check on his form. I then whisked away, giving all of the powerhouses around me wide berth.
My goals aren’t huge. I just want to be able to carry all the groceries up the stairs in one trip instead of two. I would rather DIE than go back for another load. If I can just beef up enough to consolidate that trip, I’d be good.
(I’d also like to be able to ascend hills without shrieking about my impending death — but one thing at a time.)
If you, like me, are intimidated by the Dude Side of the Gym, try this tea. See how you feel about it. If you like it, you can dip your toe into manliness in real life. I recommend starting with the five-pounders and working your way up.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Wendigo Tea
Description
All arise for I am King Dragon, an ancient and illustrious oolong tea. I smell of exquisite honey, leather, orchids, and wet stone. My taste is of ripe peaches, earth, and smoke with a smooth lingering sweetness.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!