Favourite Teas from Taiwan Tea Crafts?
Now that shipping from Taiwan to Canada has more or less resumed, I’m considering placing another order with Taiwan Tea Crafts, either now or on Black Friday. I’ve tried many of their high mountain oolongs, of which the Shibi is the best, hands down, followed by their Long Feng Xia. I also recall having a good Dong Ding from them, though I don’t remember which one.
Which of their black and oolong teas have you particularly liked? I might even be up for a green or white if they’re especially good.
I also welcome recommendations for similarly priced Taiwanese tea vendors, though only international companies as shipping from the States to Canada is ridiculous. :O
I haven’t had a ton of stuff from TTC, and it seems that I’ve gravitated towards many of the same teas that you have also enjoyed. Some of their Shan Lin Xi stuff is good. I remember being rather impressed by a roasted Shan Lin Xi oolong from them a few years ago. I have also tried several of their Li Shan and Ali Shan oolongs that were quite good, but unfortunately, I never reviewed any of them anywhere. Their Da Yu Ling teas are often very good, but in general, Da Yu Ling offerings are pricy and do not often provide the best value. Their aged teas have been very hit or miss for me. I tried an aged ginseng oolong from them that was horrible, but then I tried an aged Sun Moon Lake black tea from the early ‘80s that was very good. Some of their aged heavy roasted oolongs are also nice, but you have to be a fan of roasted aromas and flavors to appreciate them, because unlike such offerings from many other vendors, their heavy roasted teas are very heavily roasted. If you’re looking for a rather good deal, their family heritage roasted oolongs do not tend to be too heavy on roasted notes and are normally quite good. They make great sipping teas for cooler weather.
Thanks for the recommendations! I tried one of their regular Li Shans and it was good; I hear the organic one is even better. I appreciate the caveat about their roasted teas. I don’t mind lightly roasted oolongs, but am not such a fan of heavier roasts.
I had a ginseng oolong from another vendor that convinced me this type of tea is not for me. I don’t imagine age would make that profile any better.
I’ll keep my eye out for the aged black tea and the family heritage oolongs. It would be fun to try a black tea from the 1980s or 1990s.
Their oriental beauties are superb! Oriental Beauty Select Grade is my favorite affordable option, while their 2017 Competition Oriental Beauty is a pricier option that is definitely worth experiencing. Others that I loved: Wenshan Bao Zhong Winter, Baguashan Four Seasons Lot 915, and Yuchi Wild Mountain, Lot 864. I’ve had a really high success rate with TTC, and they’ve quickly become one of my favorite vendors.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’m glad to know their Four Seasons is good. Sadly, their 2017 Competition Oriental Beauty is no longer in stock. I actually have a couple of their Bai Hao from 2017 or 2018, along with a Yuchi Black that’s a few years old by now. Clearly, I need to finish off what I already have before buying even more tea! I think I’ll try a few more of these and wait until their Black Friday sale to restock.
It’s the end of the TTC sale and I’ve decided to cave in and make a purchase. However, I need help playing the Steepster version of Survivor.
I want to spend around $120 before applying the 15% off discount and my cart contains a grand total of $160 of tea. There are a lot of black teas, some of which need to go, but I can’t find reviews for most of them, which makes it difficult to decide.
So, which of these teas would you kick off the island? (The Shibi, OB Select, and Yuchi Black are staying.) I like fruity black teas that aren’t full of tannins, if that helps.
Baguashan Four Seasons Oolong Tea, Lot 915: $2.80
Baguashan Spring Bao Zhong Tea, Lot 925: $3
Family Heritage Dong Ding Oolong Tea, Lot 835: $5
High Mountain Heritage Dong Ding Oolong Tea, Lot 834: $7.50
Lishan High Mountain Organic Red Oolong Tea, Lot 894: $13
Longfengxia High Mountain Spring Oolong Tea, Day 5, Lot 948: $11.50
Organic Dong Ding Oolong Tea, Lot 923: $5.30
Organic Hong Yun T-21 Winter Sprite Black Tea, Lot 809: $13
Organic Mi Xiang Bai Lu T-17 Black Tea, Lot 928: $7
Organic Mi Xiang Jin Xuan Black Tea, Lot 811: $8.50
Organic Oriental Beauty Select Grade Oolong Tea, Lot 882: $6.50
Organic Red Spring Hong Shui Oolong Tea, Lot 918: $8
Organic Shibi Organic High Mountain Spring Oolong Tea, Lot 926: $11
Organic Wuyi Hong Shui Tea Cakes, Lot 740: $4.25
Oriental Beauty Supreme Tippy Oolong Tea, Lot 839: $15
Sanxia Premium Mi Xiang Qing Xin Black Tea, Lot 944: $9.50
Shanlinxi High Mountain Black Tea, Lot 946: $10.50
Wenshan Red Bao Zhong Tea, Lot 938: $8
Yuchi Wild Mountain Black Tea, Lot 864: $9
I would pass on the Baguashan teas. They are budget/low-end teas and I have yet to be impressed by any of them. The regular version of those teas are better.
I didn’t care for any of the black teas I tried but the Yuchi Wild Mountain was decent.
Their Shibi, Shan Lin Xi, Long Feng Xia, and Baozhong teas are generally very good. However, the crop varies from season to season. I loved their Winter harvest Shibi but this Spring’s version fell a little flat for me.
The Family Heritage Dong Ding is good as well. It’s lighter and fruitier than your average dong ding.
I wish I’d seen your reply before making my order. I got the Baguashan Four Seasons, the Shibi spring harvest, lots of black teas, the three Dong Dings, and the two Bai Haos. At least I’ve had a few of these teas before and enjoyed them.
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