Saroyan

This is a lovely oolong that delicately balances floral and buttery notes. I sometimes find oolongs that are more flowery to be a dangerous gamble and they often can come across as too overpowering or with slight smell of rotting. This oolong however is incredibly fresh and tastes like a freshly plucked meadow, very nice.

Really lovely Ceylon tea, brisk enough to help me in the morning but smooth enough to remind me why I drink tea and not coffee. The buzz is smoother and slower. A very nice dry maltiness as well. Very dependable tea.

Words can’t describe how much I love this tea, I don’t know if I’ve ever loved a black tea this much. I’ve had this tea for awhile and it’s taken me quite awhile to review it because when I drink it I usually forget everything and just enjoy it. It’s smooth and creamy and reminds me of every creme brulee I’ve ever had, but even more vanilla flavor. It’s so light for a black tea and yet it has a wonderful creaminess and heft. 2nd steeping increases the creaminess and I’m totally getting that whipped cream taste, I’m also getting sweet pea flavors as well. This tea is fantastic and I’m glad to see that everyone who has had it is also blown away by it. This will be a constant in my overflowing tea cabinet.

I got this in a generous sample from Nuvola Tea. Now with a name like Taiwan Oolong Black Tea I’m going to be a little confused, is it black or is it oolong? I’m more under the impression that it’s a black tea made from leaves that are normally used for oolong tea, so technically still black. Now to the taste, it has interesting mix of flavors, part malty caramel and part mineral, rocky taste. It’s like someone took a wuyi oolong and mixed it with golden monkey tea. It’s quite interesting and I also happen to like both of those teas so I find the hybrid flavors quite nice. Very dependable black tea.

Another interesting Earl Grey variation. I’ve had the Earl Grey with lavender and the Earl Grey with citrus but I haven’t had Earl Grey with apple, calendula, and caramel. It’s interesting, I like the apple flavor and the caramel but I’m not a fan of the calendula, I think it’s giving it a waxy taste. Also I love Earl Grey and I’m losing the bergamot to these other flavors, it’s pretty much a flavored black tea now. Not bad but not my thing.

Wow, this is unlike any tea I’ve ever had. This is tea from another planet. The smell is grassy and vegetal but not like summer vegetation. You can smell the winter in the buds, there is an unripened quality to it. I did an initial rinse, didn’t know if it needed it and I steeped it for about a minute. The taste is a combination of pine needles and brown sugar, with a hint of wood. As I drink more the woody taste gets stronger and stronger, it’s almost like the taste of an old barn or shed. It also has a nice bite to it like a black tea. This tea seems to combine elements of white, green and black tea into a interesting hybrid of smells and tastes. Very interesting and I hope they produce more, I’d love to see the variations they could make.

First let me talk about the smell, it’s a whollop of marshmallow with a slight hint of almond. I can actually see pieces of almond in the tea which makes me think you could just eat this like granola. Tasting the tea is like drinking a melted almond joy bar. Sadly I do not like almond joy bar’s but this is my own bias and should not mar anyone else’s opinion, especially if they love almond joy. I know there isn’t any coconut in this but I am still getting a phantom taste of it somehow. This came as a generous sample in my kally tea order but I am not a rooibos fan. It’s a pretty unique dessert tea so I’m sure for some it’ll be right up there alley, not my thing though.

This is a very dependable Tie Guan Yin, buttery and floral. It doesn’t have any roasted flavor like some tie guan yin’s and the buttery brothy flavor is more subdued. Like others have said this has a strong grassy taste, it’s not bad it just reminds me more of a green tea at times. Further steepings lost the floral aspect and added a little more buttery taste followed by grassiness. I think I’ve had more tie guan yin’s then any other kind of oolong and I love the myriad variations that can be found among the different companies or even the same company but different times of year. There is something nice in the unevenness of quality among tea from purchase to purchase. It reminds you that tea is produce and not like other dry goods that are replenished without any change.

Let me start by saying Lapsang Souchong was my first experience with loose tea and it quickly became my favorite. I felt like I was drinking the whiskey of tea, it seemed to me the most masculine tea you could possibly drink (my friends would disagree with me). Over the last few years though I’ve been trying every new tea I can get my hands on and I haven’t had a lapsang souchong in about three years, which is a total crime.

First off the leaves are great quality with nice golden tips and there is a wonderful smokey smell that isn’t overpowering. Upon first taste I remember why I drank this tea so much in high school. This particular Lapsang blends the perfect amount of smoke with the high quality black tea, which lends it a slight dark chocolate taste. I’ve had a lot of Lapsang Souchong and most are smoked so heavily you feel like a 6am fireplace at the end of the cup but this tea is different. The smoke plays upon your tongue for a little bit but it doesn’t coat your mouth in a nasty ashy taste. A really wonderful tea and the perfect way to end the day.

Also want to add that this came in my gigantic sampler bag from Teavivre, thanks again!

This is a wonderful morning tea, with an incredibly smooth finish. I’m getting a lot of the Ceylon more then anything else, which makes it smooth and malty. I love tea in the morning without milk (unless I’m in England eating a full English Breakfast) and this perfectly balances briskness with smoothness. Also holds up to multiple steepings on those days when I need two cups of black tea to really start the day. I’m gonna need this on hand for those rough mornings.

This is only the second pouchong I’ve had and it’s really wonderful. Soft and creamy with a wonderful sweetness. This came in a generous sample from Nuvola Tea, so thank you very much for that. The leaves are beautifully shaped and really hold up well, I was able to get at least 4 steeps western style with only a slight lowering in quality. Wonderful pouchong and definitely on my list when I want those greener oolongs.

Also want to add this came in my generous sampler box from Nuvola Tea, thanks again!

So I feel bad reviewing a tea that my dad concocted but since he got me almost six ounces of it I’ve had it forever and it must be gone out of my life. This tea does not taste like Key Lime, this is not my dad’s fault however, it is Teavana’s. Like most of their tea, this one looks and tastes like potpourri. Their golden monkey is okay and their rooibos tea is simply very plasticy tasting. It doesn’t help that every time I spoon the leaves into my glass I shudder a little bit, but the tea works in a pinch when I’m desperate. When I imagine that I’m drinking medicine then the tea isn’t too bad. Other then earl grey I have a pretty big bias against flavored tea so perhaps others would love this combo and I certainly would love to hear what other’s think of my dad’s awful mistake.

This is my first unflavored sheng and I’m incredibly excited to try it. I had the sticky rice sheng from ctg which is great but it’s not a great introduction to sheng tea. First steep after initial rinse was for about a minute. This has such a wonderful light nuttiness. The nuttiness ends with a wonderful citrus lime aftertaste. After having so many shu teas its wonderful to try a naturally aged pu erh. The taste is a lot more subtle and reminds me of Darjeeling.

2nd steep: The flavor has morphed into a ginger and clove blend with a sharper tartness at the end. The licorice root comparison is totally appropriate and it reminds of those Italian anise crackers I’ve had at whole foods. A fascinating sheng and I can’t wait to try more sheng pu erh.

A very nice Yunnan tea with a thick grainy profile like David says. It tastes a little like buckwheat pancakes without the syrup. I love this tea in the morning, it’s like liquid brunch. I just had golden fleece the other day which has many similar characteristics but is perhaps a little more nuanced in its flavors. Not to say that this tea is lacking in any respect, it’s very dependable. A great way to start my morning.

I got this in a sample from Verdant and sadly it will be my only steeping, so I’m planning to steep it all night (maybe even overnight and see what happens). I’ve had a number of shu teas but I’ve never had one that is so light and direct in its flavors. In the first steep it tastes a little like seawater mixed with caramel. There is very little earthiness in this tea unlike other shu teas, instead there is a sweet grainy taste, I can taste the buckwheat like the description says. I did a one minute steep for the first cup, after an initial rinse. 2nd steep was for two minutes. The tea is a lot thicker with a strong shiitake taste. It isn’t as murky as other shu teas and still has a brightness even with a longer steep. Very nice shu pu erh.

Once again Verdant Tea upends my bias against white teas. This tea has got a lot of heft for a chinese white. Its buttery and brothy and tastes just like baked asparagus, even the slight tang. It definitely needs to be watched while steeping because it can get bitter fast, I’d stick with 2min at most. I’m not used to a white tea with such flavor and if I didn’t know I would probably think it was a very light green tea. Also over time there is a nice grape flavor coming through. I know I can always depend on Verdant Tea to pick top notch teas even when I don’t fully love that particular kind. A great tea and I always serve it to my white tea only friends.

I have such mixed feelings about reviewing this tea. It’s been sitting in my cabinet for awhile and I know that I can’t get anymore of it after CTG closed. I loved CTG and was very sad to hear about them closing. Hopefully this review will be more of a sweet requiem for a great online company. This tea reminds me of Chun Mee but is infinitely more interesting. It definitely has the unripened mango which I never knew I even liked but it also has the nice smokiness of a Chun Mee, but not overwhelmingly so. There is a nice sweet aftertaste, almost slightly maple. Subsequent steepings get less smokey and more sweet and nutty. Very nice green and sadly not available anymore. I still love the CTG blog though.

This is fairly undrinkable and like others have said it’s all because of the vague “spices” used. I’m not a huge fan of hot chocolate so I probably should have stayed away from this regardless but it just tastes strange. Had to get a second flavor when I bought this groupon deal but I’m afraid I can’t even touch this stuff. At least I know for the future.

I am definitely getting a melon/cucumber flavor as well as a sweet grass taste. White teas are never my favorite and I usually group them in “drink when desperate” category. That being said it isn’t terrible and it is nice and relaxing. So many white teas are infused or stuffed or packed full of other fruit flavors that you forget what pure white tea tastes like, which isn’t much. After drinking a whole cup it does remind me of a bath and body works lotion and sadly is just as appetizing, no fault of the tea or the company just my own bias against white teas.

I’ve owned this tea for awhile and haven’t known what to make of it. After much experimenting and finding the “perfect” water temperature I finally “get” this tea. The description is right on when it describes the lime and basil flavors. If Thai food could be a green tea, this would be it. Its light and refreshing and the basil flavor rests on the tip of your tongue. It is quite a temperamental tea if water temperature or steeping time is off, but the payoff is worth it. As usual I’m never disappointed with Verdant tea.

This came as my sample in my recent Verdant Tea order and once again Verdant Tea wows me. I’ve had a lot of white tea and they always seem so bland or are doused with flavorings to hide the fact that they are fancy water. This tea has a wonderful vegetal flavor like a green tea and has a wonderful tingly feeling as well. The snap pea flavor is definitely there, I wouldn’t have even thought about it until I read the description but now that I know that’s all I can taste. I really enjoy this, mostly because it reminds me more of green tea then white. If this was a blind taste test there would be no way I would think this is a white tea. Very enjoyable.

This came in my monthly sweepstakes set and it doesn’t disappoint. I’ve tried a couple of yellow teas but this one has the subtlest and sweetest flavors. It reminds me of honeysuckle flowers but also has a wonderful apple flavor, almost like a honey crisp. It’s not overpowering at all and is a great substitute when you want green tea but aren’t in the mood for vegetables. There is a great thick brothiness to the tea as well and the leaves really hold up to multiple steepings. Other people mentioned it and it’s true, there is a wonderful breadiness to this tea, like soft french rolls with butter. This will have to be on the buy list.

This is one of my favorite senchas and that’s saying a lot. I got this in a generous sampler from Den’s Tea. Sadly it’s already gone. The tea is rich and brothy with a wonderful vegetal flavor that isn’t too dry or dusty. It’s sweet too with an almost brown sugar quality. Most senchas are nice but rarely are they robust enough to interest me. This one however really stands on its own without tasting like a salad. It’s like a cooked salad with something caramelized on top. Very nice.

Another generous sample from Den’s Tea. This tea has a very strong grape flavor, the smell reminds me of grape fun dip. Now flavored teas are not my thing, especially green tea, with the exception of genmaicha. The first time I had this I steeped it for two minutes which is way too long, a minute is much more appropriate. The grape taste is actually very subtle and when paired with the cranberry cuts the sweetness with the tartness. Not bad but not my thing.