Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Full-flavored tea is exquisitely accented with a sweet muscat grapes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Today is my daughter’s 18th Birthday and in celebration of her special day I wanted to do a review on her favorite tea. There are only a handful of teas my daughter really loves, not being much of a tea drinker, however this one is the one tea she absolutely adores. She will smell Muscat Oolong steeping even if she is in the other room. She always comes out sniffing the air saying in a sweet voice, “Muscat?” She always has the same look on her face too, that look that says “You know I will be taking that cup now right mom?”. So instead of having her take my cup I have learned to always prepare one for her when I make my own, which of course I don’t mind! Any tea lover wants others to share the joy with them, especially if it is their dear child.
This tea is much like my darling daughter, delicate, refined, well mannered, unpretentious, and sweet.
The tea base is a lovely dark roasted oolong with character and depth that allows the Muscat to play off its power which I feel enhances the sweetness nicely. While the Muscat is sweet it is absolutely the sweetness of fresh Muscat and not that of some artificial flavor additive. The cup is juicy and very natural tasting.
As I said before, my daughter can sniff this tea out from the other room, but it may be that just about anyone could as the aroma is amazing, intoxicating really.
The tea is so good unadulterated yet with a little rock sugar the sweetness of the grape really shines. I by no means feel you need to add the sugar though. My daughter prefers hers with no additives. You really can’t go wrong either way. Straight it is refreshing and pure juicy goodness, with sugar it is sweeter and the sugar brings out a wine like flavor. Perhaps that is why I prefer it with sugar, as I used to really love a quality wine.
The experience of drinking this tea makes you feel as if you have just walked through a beautiful vineyard and are now sampling some of the grapes and wine that were birthed there.
Of course it is no surprise to me that my daughter would choose her favorite tea to be one of such beauty and perfection – as it is just a mirror of herself.
Happy birthday to my Emma.
Zhen Qu from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Our Zhen Qu originates from Yunnan, China and has downy black and gold curly leaves. This lightly malty tea has wonderful honey notes that linger and mingle with floral, chocolate, and pecan notes. Our recommended steep time produces a well-balanced tea and is less dry but we also recommend trying this tea at longer steep times for a more intense flavor.
Ingredients: Chinese Black Tea
Recommended Brew Time: 3 minutes
Recommended Amount: 1 level teaspoon of tea for 8oz of water
Recommended Temperature: 212 F (boiling)
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As soon as I added water to my cup I could smell sweet honey notes and a malty, almost smoky aroma. I knew this was going to be an amazing cup! The water had not even settled into the cup yet and these aromas were so instantly present.
Once steeped I got a better whiff of something I had thought I noticed when I first poured the water onto the dry leaf. It was in there with that initial aroma I already described but I had held back on stating it as I thought maybe my mind was playing games with me. Hey that happens a lot! It is this wonderful wine like aroma! Yes like a delicious merlot! The flavor does not disappoint! While I do not get a wine like flavor – no alcohol flavor – there are some elements in this tea that have wine like notes. Sweet, and yet somehow savory, just lightly smoky but not like a lapsang souchong smoke at all, nutty, and a light grape note. This is not an ordinary tea!
While I do taste the chocolate note within this tea which is so nicely balanced by the floral note what stands out more to me personally is how this tea is like a very fine wine with deeply earthy notes. Not earthy like a pu-erh however, but earthy as in the way the tea plays with the nuisances of the soil it was grown in, again, like a very fine wine.
As the tea cools some the floral note becomes more pronounced but it is so delicate to begin with that it is nice when it peeks out more.
This is truly one of those teas I could have many times before I discover all it has to offer! I am so thankful that I have got to sample this tea and it will go directly onto my shopping list!
Momijigari from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Vibrant autumn leaves are blended into black tea. A sophisticated flavor of apple and apricot is limited to the autumn. Limited Quantity & Period Only
Learn more about this tea here. 
Taster’s Review:
When I saw that there were autumn leaves in this tea I HAD to have it! My favorite season is autumn. I also am a confessed tree hugger. I adore the changing colors of the leaves falling to the ground, and I am known, even at my age, to go out and play in the leaves, just like a child.
This tea smells in dry form like an apple cider and when steeped it taste like apple cider wine! This I was not expecting! This I welcome! I no longer imbibe but as autumn rolls around I do miss mead, and making wassail so having this tea to add to my “wine tea” selection makes me do a happy dance!
I am already spinning thoughts around in my head as to what to do with this tea in addition to drinking a LOT of it. In fact, this evening I was planning on making a squash soup and I just may find a way to incorporate this tea into that recipe! It is seasonal and I am already thinking I should order more.
Yes apricots, and apples, are the central flavors in this tea, and wine, and I swear I even had just a small lady like “wine belch” – sorry to be crude but it is so much like wine that I noticed it in that moment! I realize there are many teas that tout wine infusion, and some of them are quite lovely, yet this tea, one that does not tout that at all is more wine like than any tea I have had. I have had to correct myself several times when typing wine, when I meant to type tea!
Now in all factuality, I really can’t say if the autumn leaves do much of anything for this tea, but perhaps that is what gives this tea the wine-like flavor although I am sure the fruits had something to do with it. I mean I suppose there is a backdrop here of a nice earthy note, but it is slight and could come from the black base as well, which other than being in the background is not all that intense, bold, or present. Lupicia does not indicate what type of black tea is used but based on the blend it makes me think darjeeling. Which is never a bad thing.
So off I am to contemplate another order with my beloved Lupicia, and I highly recommend this tea to you!
Oolong Chardonnay from Vintage TeaWorks
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Vintage TeaWorks
Tea Description:
Inspired by Chardonnay, we blended natural ingredients to create an oolong tea blend that is full bodied with luscious tropical hints of papaya, citrus, and vanilla balanced with a touch of cinnamon spice.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Every time I taste teas from Vintage TeaWorks, I am more and more impressed by them. They have truly managed to capture the spirit and essence of wine in each of their teas. It’s amazing to me!
Of course, I’m not saying I’m any kind of a wine expert. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know very little about wine … in fact, in the last six months, I’ve had maybe four sips of wine … not even a full glass! I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to wine. Or any alcoholic beverage for that matter. My beverage of choice is tea … and I prefer it without the alcohol, thank you very much.
But that does not mean that I don’t enjoy a wine-inspired TEA like these from Vintage TeaWorks. This Oolong Chardonnay is remarkable!
When I opened the canister and started measuring out the tea, I found a HUGE chunk of papaya! Now, papaya is not a flavor that I normally associate with wine … but then, what do I know? Re-read the second paragraph of this review if you need clarification.
It wasn’t until I started pouring the tea into my mug that the wine inspiration really started becoming apparent to me. I could SMELL the chardonnay as vividly as if I had poured a glass of wine instead of a cup of tea.
This has a very warm and cozy kind of taste and feel. The cozy, warm feeling is a very luxurious one, like velvet. The smooth flavor of the Oolong emphasizes that comforting kind of luxury. The vanilla and the cinnamon are very harmonious: the cinnamon gives a warm flavor without coming across as too spicy, while the vanilla is soft and creamy without coming across as too cloying.
I taste the hints of tropical flavor from the papaya and citrus fruit, but what I REALLY get a taste for are the flavors as described by Vintage TeaWorks: I taste the essence of pear and butter, of melon and of butterscotch. It’s really quite remarkable how well Vintage TeaWorks has translated the flavor of Chardonnay into this delicious tea.
It’s great for those of us who want to be wine savvy … without having to actually drink the wine.
Pu-erh Cabernet from Vintage TeaWorks
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Vintage TeaWorks
Tea Description:
Inspired by Cabernet Sauvignon, we blended natural ingredients to create a Pu-erh tea blend that is full-bodied, dark and decadent with hints of black cherry, clove, vanilla and spice. Like Cabernet, Pu-erh is one of the few teas in the world that ages well.
Learn more about this Wine Inspired Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m just a little hesitant when it comes to Pu-erh. I’m getting better, certainly, but, the hesitation is still there. Even after I’ve brewed the tea, and it’s in my cup sitting in front of me, there’s hesitation to lift the cup to my lips and sip.
But, I’m hoping that this experience will change all that, because this is WONDERFUL! It is deliciously full-flavored, with notes of warm cinnamon and clove, soft vanilla, sweet cherry and even a hint of cocoa in the background. It’s so incredible!
Yes, that earthiness from the Pu-erh is there, but it exists mostly in the aroma and not so much in the flavor. I think that with the flavor, it sort of melds with the earthiness of the spices and cocoa notes, so, it is not at all peat-y tasting. Instead … it tastes smooth and well-rounded and oh-so-pleasant. I’m betting even someone who has sworn themselves off of Pu-erh would enjoy this one!
It has a mellowness to it, and it’s remarkably smooth … much smoother than most wines I’ve tasted (I’ll admit that I’ve not tasted any recently though!) It is free of bitterness, and there is very little astringency. It is smooth from beginning to end, and it is nicely round.