Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: White Lion Tea
Tea Description:
Quilan Oolong Organic Tea is a traditional oolong with a full, round, satisfying finish that connoisseurs will surely appreciate.
Canister, 9oz $37.00Glass Jar, 2oz $15.95 Sample Tin, 0.7oz $4.75
25 Sachets In Bulk $16.80Silver Keepsake Tin with 18 Sachets $15.50Sample Tin with 5 Sachets $4.75
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Quilan Oolong from White Lion Tea is scrumptious, and its organic! I love this oolong! I too am not always fond of Wuyi – I like it but this is the first one I can recall that has really WOWd me!!
The aroma – wow – when I had that first whiff of this tea before sipping I instantly thought of Burnt Marshmallows! Now I indeed do love my marshmallows burnt till they are pitch black as long as there is still yummy melting marshmallow inside. This was the aroma! There was that smokiness to it that really had me.
I have to say, anytime I get a sample sized tin of any White Lion Tea I end up ordering more of it. I have learned my lesson and from now on I will always just go ahead and order a glass jar of their teas! So far I have sampled six White Lion teas and each one of them is above stellar!
This tea truly does hold up to multiple steeps without losing any of its flavor. In addition I experience the same flavor from the first two steeps before I get any change to the notes. Even once the notes begin to change they evolve more than dissipate which is indicative of an excellent tea.
I rated this tea a 100 on Steepster it is so good.
There are notes of caramel, vanilla, burnt sugar, rock mineral, toasty, roasty, and smoke to name a few.
The cup is a dark but clear amber color.
The flavor left on the palate is Wuyi all the way, with that clean rock mineral and fresh water taste, granted I am using good quality water to brew my tea, but this flavor comes more from the tea itself.
The tea is full but not so robust. The mouthfeel more light than heavy, yet its not a thin feel either. This is one of the more difficult to explain mouth-feels for me.
This tea is also perfection iced and I will be sipping a lot of this Quilian Oolong iced this summer!
Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
A warm and comforting take on classic Genmaicha with the addition of Wuyi oolong and cacao nibs. . .
Genmaicha has humble origins- originally toasted rice was mixed into a pot to make expensive tea leaves go further in a time of less plenty than today. Toasted rice was combined with green tea or even broken twigs and stems to make a hearty and warming brew. At the time, green tea was for more widely available than black tea, but given the warming qualities of genmaicha, we thought that a humble hand-picked black tea from Laoshan Village would be the perfect companion for toasted rice.
This batch of Laoshan black is particularly malty and sweet, qualities drawn out by hand-crafted Minnesota wild rice and organic fair trade jasmine rice toasted in small batches. We add organic cacao nibs to give a darker and more comforting aftertaste, and a touch of Shui Jin Gui Wuyi oolong for its nutty caramel notes and savory aftertaste. All together, we think this new take on Genmaicha very much embraces the tea’s humble origins and stays true to the warm and satisfying nature of toasted rice tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love Genmaicha and Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant Tea is no exception! This tea delivers exactly what it says it does in its description! I love the use of a Wyui oolong which provides a nutty sweet backdrop but I love even more the rock mineral flavor that gives this tea an overall earthy quality. I guess it makes me feel like while even though this tea is on the sweeter side it is also quite savory and I love nothing better than a sweet and savory flavor combined!
I was rather surprised at what a clear cup this turned out to be, a lovely amber brown color but I can see right to the bottom of my glass. The mouthfeel is on the creamy side but has a bright finish.
I love the toasty rice flavor and it really shines through! The cocoa nibs offer a delicious chocolate taste that is really nice, not fakey tasting at all.
I was expecting a bit richer of a flavor though. While there is a lovely caramel note, chocolate holds its own, and the rice is a lovely touch, overall I find it rather on the thin side in comparison to Laoshan Black on its own. Even with that said however I really think Verdant did well to offer us something completely unique and I would recommend this tea as it is so comforting as it is toasty, warm, sweet, malty, and quite decedent.
Curled Dragon Silver Tip from Zen Tea Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Zen Tea Life
Tea Description:
The name refers to the unusual and striking shape and color of the leaves, which are rolled into tightly-curled dragon-like shapes with a silvery color.
It is a good example of the high level of hand-work. Infused, it produces a complex, sweet, and somewhat floral liquor. Entirely handmade, it is a must have for green tea lovers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a beautiful looking tea! When looking at Curled Dragon Silver Tip from Zen Tea Life, the leaves are all curled and have variegated colors of light to dark green. The appearance is almost fluffy. Its a fairy tale dreamy sort of tea that makes me feel like a Princess. Yeah that was a little corny but that is what the vision of this tea evoked. If you are a guy and don’t want to feel like a Princess then just consider the curled delicate little leaves the tea you will serve your Princess.
Regardless, this tea has an equally lovely aroma of sweetly steamed veggies perhaps caramelized in a honey butter, white flowers, and summer grass. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy sniffing it.
The flavor … butter, cream, nutty, floral, grassy, toasty, it almost reminds me of a genmaicha! There is a vegetal edge to it, but just as in the the aroma, the caramelized note comes out in the taste as well. Its naturally sweet, nothing artificial about this tea.
I would consider this a very fine tea.
I really appreciate the masterful art work of this hand rolled tea.
On some levels it is complex with layers of flavor notes to discover, yet on the other hand the way this tea makes you feel when you sip it is simple. It makes you feel wonderful. Nothing better than that!
Golden Fleece from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
“This wild-picked Golden Fleece is an exquisite lesson in texture, and one of the truest flavor embodiments of Yunnan itself. . . .This is the finest, most nuanced and intriguing Dian Hong we have ever encountered. Wang Yanxin, our sourcing agent who has devoted her life to Yunnan, has been searching for a Dian Hong like this for years. Every time she sends us pu’er, she includes 30-40 Dian Hong teas, and Jin Jun Mei teas. This time, she only sent us one, and wrote on the bag “this is the one. Best Dian Hong. Taste slowly.” She was so very right.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have had Golden Fleece from Verdant Tea since it was released on Verdant Tea website. I actually ordered it twice because the first order was gone in a flash. I had thought I would save the second bag I bought and hoard it, but the fact is tea is best when fresh, and I would not want to deprive myself of enjoying this tea while still fresh, let alone deprive the tea of giving off the best cup possible. So I have opened my second bag and I am enjoying it daily until it is gone. When it is gone I will most likely purchase another bag if it is still available on the Verdant web site. As of right now it is still available so if you are tempted by this tea – get some while you still can!
This is everything that could be desired in a black tea, especially in a morning cup. It is toasty, creamy, and the aroma is one that will wet your appetite for breakfast or sustain you and give you all the flavors that a calorie ridden decedent breakfast would. Everything you will find in the aroma, you will also find in the flavor. There is a malty, maple flavor, along with a fresh hay laying in the morning sunrise dew flavor, a spun sugar flavor, a subtle vanilla flavor, and a cocoa flavor. That is just on the top levels of this tea!
Once you relish in those beautiful top note flavors you will find yourself emerged into a world of sweet spices, such as cinnamon, clove, and even a taste of paprika.
The mouthfeel is like that of silk or satin, creamy and luxurious. It offers a very full mouthfeel indeed!
This tea can be steeped many times offering new layers and flavors in each cup which is always quite enjoyable and my preferred method of brewing (gong fu style). However, if you want your first cup to be richer, fuller, creamier, or just don’t feel like fussing with a gong fu sitting, by all means enjoy it western brewed as you can’t go wrong with this tea. You will still get two to three steeps out of it western style. Its just such a fine tea however you may find yourself feeling that gong fu brewing is a must. I prefer drinking this tea on weekends when I can take a bit more time in the mornings and go at a slower pace, enjoying up to eight or more steeps.
There are other wonderful flavor notes to find in this tea – some of the base notes I find are mushroom, oak moss, rock mineral, and wood. There is a dry finish to this tea which is due to the base notes.
According to Verdant’s Website: “ Instead, this is a subtle experience that will appeal to lovers of fine oolong and pu’er.”
I could not agree more! I myself am a lover of oolong and pu’er so they are absolutely correct as I fully appreciate this fine black tea.
I always say that good tea, which is defined by each of us alone, should evoke a thought, a feeling, or a memory, and for me this tea evokes the thoughts and feelings of friends, family, good times, warmth, and love. This is why I have chosen this tea for my Christmas Time Tea and why my review of it is posted today, Christmas Day. I will be enjoying this tea all day today as I spend cherished moments, and make forever memories, with my family and friends.
Merry Christmas to all.
Dong Ding Oolong from Peony Tea S.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Peony Tea S.
Tea Description:
Dong Ding is one of the prime examples of all that is charming about Taiwanese oolongs- smooth texture and refreshing aftertaste often known as ‘hou yun’ or ‘harmony of the throat’. A sweetness that appears after the nutty, caramel like notes continues to delight.. A deep and deeply satisfying oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Dong Ding is one of, if not my all time favorite tea. I can buy some not too far from my home (about 20 minutes each way) but it is very expensive as it is the only “local” tea house we have in my area.
The problem is that I absolutely love that Dong Ding, yet upon asking where they get their teas from I get their typical answer of “fron China”. (insert my laugh out loud). Not to knock our nice little local tea house but I am 99.9% sure they are not sourcing tea directly from a farmer in China. Its a typical answer given when someone does not want to give up their source, which I can respect not wanting to send your customer base elsewhere, but hey can we just say that instead? Okay rant over.
The reason I bring all of this up is because this Dong Ding from Peony Tea S. Is one I could easily substitute my regular beloved Dong Ding with.
A lovely nutty backdrop to floral and fruity notes that rest comfortably in a roasted caramel base.
I am not sure what it is I love about Dong Ding, it just reminds me of the woods, fallen leaves, trees…something about it makes me think I am part of Robin Hood’s Merry men, or ummm okay maybe a damsel in distress, but I would rather be that one girl in the group that shoots arrows and fights the good fight with the boys. Something about Dong Ding makes me reminiscent of going to the renaissance festival, which I try to do at least once a year if not more. There is something so down to earth about it, so soothing, centering. Yet it also appeases my sweet tooth with its fruity notes. It has a flavor of plums, or raisins, or maybe even fig at times. “Dark fruits” rather than berries, heavier, heartier fruits. The sweetness is similar to caramel or the topping on creme brulee, caramelized sugar.
What I do know, is that my explanation of Dong Ding does not do it justice. It is as much of an experience for me as a flavor. As I drink my cup and try to write a clear review I keep finding myself lost in my thoughts, on a journey.
Peony Tea S. provides an excellent tea here and I hope each of you will give it a try and go on your own journey.