Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Tea Description:
Grown near the famed West Lake in Hangzhou, Dragonwell has been honored since the Tang Dynasty. It is said to be at its best when brewed with water from the nearby Tiger Run Spring which is high in natural minerals and sweet in taste. In making the tea, the leaves are hand roasted in small woks. With precise hand movements of the tea maker, the leaves gain a flat, shiny, and jade appearance.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’d like to think of myself as somewhat of an adventurous tea drinker. I am willing to try just about any type of tea (with a few exceptions), and I’ve tried some pretty unusual combinations. That being said, sometimes, I want a tea I can rely on. One that I know will deliver a flavor that I will enjoy, and one that I know what I can expect from it.
Like this Dragonwell from The Tao of Tea. I knew – even before I brewed it for the first time – that I’d be getting a delicious tea. I enjoy Dragonwell tea, and The Tao of Tea has never let me down before. They consistently – reliably! – offer high quality, delicious teas that never disappoint.
And this Dragonwell is quite what I would expect from a Dragonwell tea: sweet, lightly buttery, with a sweet, grassy tone and a hint of nutty flavor in the background.
Another delicious tea from a company that I’ve come to trust to deliver nothing but the best: The Tao of Tea.
Lotus Ancien from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Tea Description:
A delicate green tea with a clear, crisp flavor is paired with the heady, aromatic fragrance of Lotus, reminiscent of anise and vanilla.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am truly amazed at how delicious this tea is.
I have been a fan of scented teas for quite some time, especially jasmine scented teas. In fact, jasmine has been my favorite for many years now, but I think that lotus has a good chance of dethroning my beloved jasmine after tasting this tea.
When I first saw the leaves, I thought they might be an Oolong, or even a black tea (they are darker in color than the photo above suggests, they are a deep chocolate-brown color), so I was glad that I checked on it before I brewed it, because if I had brewed it by what I saw, I think the water would have been too hot and I might have ruined this fantastic tea.
I steeped it at a low temperature (175°F) for 2 minutes, and the result was a pale golden colored brew – it is much paler than I expected with such dark leaves. The aroma is intensely floral – it’s very pleasing to the nose!
The flavor is superb. The green tea is a very delicate flavor, sweet with hints of vegetation. The lotus provides a delightful vanilla-y tone, just as the description above suggests, as well as hints of anise. It isn’t a snappy licorice flavor, but more of a gentle, sweet anise, softened by the creamy overtones.
This is one of those teas that goes beyond “pleasant” or “enjoyable” – this is a memorable tea, one that will make ordinary moments extraordinary and special moments even better.
I love this tea.
Liquid Jade from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Tea Description:
Also known as “powdered green tea” and traditionally used in Chanoyu – the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Matcha has a special spiritual significance in Japan. It is said that a person operating within the rules of Chanoyu finds the five senses working at their fullest. Matcha is essential to Japan’s traditional art of the tea ceremony, bringing about with each cup mental concentration, emotional stability, and composure of the mind. Unlike black tea and green tea whose ingredients are infused in water and discarded, Matcha has ingredients that can be utilized fully to activate the organic functions of the human body. It is a beverage good for both the mind and the body. Matcha contains essential vitamins and minerals and has shown long term health benefits due to its many disease fighting nutrients. Matcha has 9 times the beta carotene of spinach, 4 times that of carrots, and approximately 10 times the polyphenols and antioxidants of regular teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Over the past few years, I’ve consumed quite a bit of Matcha. Some is better than others, of course. This Liquid Jade from The Tao of Tea is a good one – not the best, but certainly better than some others that I’ve tried.
What I like best about this Matcha is the flavor of it: sweet, with very little of the bittersweet flavor that I usually detect with Matcha. This one is sweeter. Very pleasant and not quite as vegetative, although there is some seaweed-ish taste to it that is especially noticeable right at the finish, just before the aftertaste. And that part is weird for me because typically, I am not fond of seaweed. But … this I like! Perhaps it is because the seaweed flavor is a bit sweeter than it is savory.
It coats the palate with the silky mouthfeel, and I like that it doesn’t feel chalky, nor does it taste chalky. Instead, it tastes and feels buttery smooth. It’s really quite delicious.
The Matcha stays suspended in the liquid and doesn’t settle to the bottom, and that’s a big plus in my book. On the downside, there is not as much froth as I would have liked and the color is not quite as bright as I would have liked. I would say that this is a really good, mild-tasting Matcha, and it would be good for those who are new to Matcha as well as for those who typically find Matcha to be a bit too much for them. I find the silky smooth texture and taste of this Matcha to be much more palatable than some of the stronger Matcha teas that I’ve tasted. Overall, it is a very enjoyable Matcha. OH… and another big plus: it’s organic!
Twisted Leaf Assam from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Product Description:
Made as per The Tao of Tea specifications. This Twisted Leaf Assam is probably a first for this tea growing region. We provided the insight to develop an Assam tea with actual full size tea leaves that are sideways rolled and baked (The Northern Taiwanese Baozhong teas are also made in this rolling manner and known for their clear flavors). As the tea steeps, you can see the entire tea leaf unroll and open up. For those who are wary of brisk teas, this tea doesn’t have a hint of bitterness or briskness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a FANTASTIC Assam.
It is incredibly rich and flavorful, but, without any tone of bitterness that is often associated with an Assam. Sure, I was careful how I brewed it, but, even with careful brewing, I can often taste a subtle hint in an Assam that isn’t quite bitter, but it sort of says “if you over steep me, I will be bitter.” This Twisted Leaf Assam does not have even that subtle hint of bitterness in the background.
It has a delicious malty tone that is coupled with a caramel-y sweetness that makes for a very irresistible taste. In the background (but not too distant background) there are notes of cocoa … not a milk chocolate-y kind of cocoa, but more of a deep, rich cocoa powder.
This is the kind of Assam that I wouldn’t mind enjoying every morning. It has that hefty kind of taste and texture I expect from an Assam – that sort of deep, freshly baked bread-y kind of taste. But what is so amazing about this cup, also, is that the flavors are so clean and delivered clearly. With some Assam teas you need to really focus to understand the complexity of the tea, but not with this one. It is a very upfront, straight-forward kind of tea that isn’t afraid to show me what its made of.
If you’re a fan of Assam tea, you should give this one a try. I’d also recommend this to anyone who has tried Assam in the past and found them to be too harsh or brassy, this one will surprise you!
Sada Chai from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Product Description:
Assam is the largest black tea growing region in the world. CTC refers to “Cut, Tear, Curl” a process that tends to turn tea leaves into small pellets. The CTC grade is the most common tea grade used in India to make Chai, as it is very conducive to boiling.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know that there are some who would take one look at this tea and dismiss it because of the size and shape of the leaves. They certainly do not look like tea leaves, they look more like large grains of sand or perhaps small pebbles.
But, the CTC grade (which, as you can read above, refers to the Cut, Tear, Curl process) is actually a very popular grade of tea, especially with those who enjoy spiced Chai blends. It offers a strong, delicious flavor, and when paired with the robust spices of a typical spiced chai blend, it can withstand the strength of the spices without losing its flavor within the blend.
And that is certainly true of this CTC grade Sada Chai from The Tao of Tea. Don’t let the name trick you, this isn’t a spiced chai blend that many of us here in the United States immediately think of when we see the word “chai.” Chai here refers to the Hindu word for tea. And this is a deliciously rich Assam chai (or tea), one that could certainly hold its own when blended with a combination of strong spices.
The flavor is very rich and malty! It has a sweet, caramel-y undertone, and there is no bitterness to this cup. Of course, I did take special care to avoid bitterness, and allowed it to steep just 2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch. But that turned out to be perfect, because I’m enjoying a full-flavored, well-rounded cup of tea. The astringency is lighter than I’d expect from an Assam (which may or may not have something to do with the short steep time), but there is some astringency to it.
This is one of the maltiest Assam teas that I’ve encountered… if you’ve ever wondered what “malty” tastes like, this is the tea to try!