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This Yunnan tea is a good example of what to expect from a nice black cuppa. Not too over powering, and I would not suggest adding milk or sugar. Offers a delicious caramel with barnyard aromas. By barnyard I mean think of freshly brushed clean horse. (I don’t know how to describe it otherwise!)

I was very excited to find this tea. Temi being one of the first tea estates in Sikkim, was started by an estate from Darjeeling. While being on the border between the two provinces, Temi offers hope to bring prestige to this region.

To be completely honest I was a little disappointed in the tea. It tasted flat, and maybe a little bit stale. One can detect a slight hint of muscatel, which isn’t surprising considering its location in the Himalaya mountains, but it means that either Temi hasn’t quite got their manufacture under control or Palais des Thes needs to move their stock quicker.

Its a good tea. I except that, and if you’ve never had a yellow tea before than this is a great introduction. Yellow teas to me remind me of a green tea that someone brewed with water that was too hot, and maybe a slight mixture of sheng (raw) young pu-erhs.

Quite a unique way of saying…it tastes a little burnt and metallic, but that is to be expected of yellow teas (or at least the couple others I’ve tried).

Orange blossom oolong is one of my favourite teas. What I particularly enjoy in this blend is that I can taste the oolong! Its got a nice nutty taste to it that is complimented by the orange blossom petals floating in the tea pot.

A rather exciting blend, reminds me of Irn Brew! A perfect brew for afternoon or evening when one wants something a little out of the ordinary.

One can tell that orange essence oil is used to flavour this oolong in that a thick oily taste is all I can detect!

A very good Silver Needle. A little on the pricey side, but considering this tea was picked a year ago from when I was drinking it, Jing has done a good job of ensuring the quality lasts. Wouldn’t describe it as so much melon, but more of like peach or lychee. Very soft sweetness to it with undertones of hay.

Considering the price, this tea is a serious let down.

Caramel, candied fruit flavours, and eucalyptus (and if you go on the website it mentions mint). This is exactly the same tones and notes one detects in a Ceylon. Jing just felt like raising the price because its unusual to find a black tea from Taiwan.

these pearls were the worst yet Ive tasted. Fake and chemically, there was something not right in the green tea (not white tea like one lady in the staff tried to convince me)

A good tea, if only the staff knew how to brew it

Was one of my favourites, but in recent years it just hasn’t been as good as it use to.

not their best

nothing special that one couldn’t get from a good local tea shop, at a price that is too high.

Strong metallic taste, coppery, leaves smelled of chlorine as brewing. A bit stale maybe?

Very disappointed in that this is the worst Jade Sword I’ve had from a reputable supplier.

I’m currently drinking the Pre-Rain Organic Anji Bai Cha from April 2011, and it is wonderful!

A delicious delicate savory flavour that carries the tell tale roasted chestnut aroma of chinese teas. Also has a wonderful vegetable note on the tongue as well.

Beautiful, tea. Not muscatel but certainly unique high elevation grown. A bouquet of flowers, with rose being the dominant note.

Bouteaque Blue Mist is one of the tea’s that Erika prides herself on discovering. Her staff will go on and on about how many awards it has won, and granted finding a Nilgiri tea un-scented now a days is rather unique. However that being said Nilgiri’s aren’t really known for their distinctive flavours, the opposite, they were predominately used for bases of flavoured and scented teas.

For being a black, the first time i had this tea I was severely disappointed in it. Lowering the temperature did significantly help this tea, and did help to bring out some subtle flavours that had otherwise gone un-noticed.

Is it worth the price? probably not. Is it worth a try, most likely in the sense to try a tea that often times gets over looked.

*edit I just made the perfect pot, Bouteaque Blue Mist, why must you be so temperamental. (but oh the roses and flowers that were the essence of the tea!)

Scenting a white tea with grape flavorade is a horrible idea.

White grape would be the perfect ice-tea drink for some yuppy mother wanting to get as much of the ‘anti-oxidants’ she can while still getting some purple drank.

A horribly mediocre Darjeeling in my opinion. I have tried this tea 4 times from different buyers and from different years, the one constant, its crappy quality.

little of the tell tale muscatel notes, and to be honest not much flavour at all. Makaibari prizes itself on being one of the first bio dynamic tea estates in Darjeeling, yet seems to for go quality instead for trying to create a name for itself by hiring documentary crew to film in the estate.

At two different Darjeeling tea tastings I went to (one 2 weeks ago, and one a year ago), Makaibari Second Flush Darjeeling came in last.