Teavivre

So I’m trying to pare down my stash a little bit, so I’ve started to go back and finish some of the teas that I’ve already tried, even before I try new ones. Right now I have a ton of 1-2 cup samples and I figured it won’t take long to sip a lot of them down. Plus I was very curious if I still find this one amazing after trying a LOT of Yunnans (technically this tea is Fujian, but it tastes way more similar to Yunnan teas in my opinion). I also tried just a tad bit longer steep (2m30s instead of 2m).

And the verdict is: this tea is super fantastic and delicious! I will most definitely be picking some up during the black & oolong portion of TeaVivre’s 3rd anniversary sale in August. Bread notes have been very common among Yunnan teas I’ve tried, but this one has the most amazing creamy and smooth pastry note, especially during the second half of the sip and the aftertaste. It reminds me of white tea, and it’s so delicious! This may be my favorite straight black tea so far. I need to try the “wee snaily yums” again to compare. Cannot thank Nicole enough for sending me this one! THANKS NICOLE! ;) I’m glad that this wasn’t a sipdown, I have one more cup left!

SO GOOD! <3 BUMPING IT TO 95!

This sample is from Nicole. TeaVivre announced their third anniversary event today and when I saw that they’re going to be having a black tea sale, I remembered that I hadn’t tried this one yet. So I figured I would give it a try so I can have some idea of what I want to order during the sale! The leaves are so cute! They’re very petite and extremely slender. Half golden, half brown and quite curly. They smell of honey and malt, and to a lesser extent, raisin. There’s also a tiny baby stonefruit peeking out at me. I went with a two minute steep because it was the average time here on Steepster.

Brewed, it smells quite bready and similar to pastry. That’s not something I’ve really encountered before. There’s also light bread and honey. My first impression after tasting is that this reminds me quite a bit of white tea! Mixed with black tea, of course. There’s a prominent hay note and the texture is rather light. Then there’s a lovely creaminess that conjures up visions of croissants. Mmm… I found myself wishing for just a touch more honey to compliment the lovely pastry aspect. Adding a tiny bit of sugar just pushes it completely over the edge… Luckily I’m in an indulgent mood. ;)

I am so in love with this tea! The only (small) complaint I have is that it is quite astringent in comparison to most teas I’ve had. But a small price to pay for such a delicious croissant tea!

This makes me wonder if I should try other teas with a two minute steep… Hm…

additional notes:  Fun to revisit this cake that I won ten years ago, AND revisit the tasting note.  Especially since realizing I’m a huge fan of the golden buds puerhs, so I’m appreciating that I won this even more now.  I think I’m steeping it with different parameters —  in the past, I went STRONG.  And because of that AND if I’m using drastically less leaves now, I’m not sure if this puerh may have mellowed a bit.  Less strong chocolate and coffee notes than the previous note.  This is still very delicious.  Originally, I noticed “pond” qualities, but they are not here in the leaf any longer.
Steep #1 // 20 minutes after boiling // 1-2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 18 minutes after boiling //   4-5 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3-4 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min

Thank you Teavivre for the awesome contest! I won a whole cake of pu-erh and I don’t think many other people would be hoping for a pu-erh among those other amazing teas they could have won! Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s Teavivre’s fault that I’m almost addicted to pu-erh as much as black tea and I REALLY love my black tea. I love that this came wrapped and then in a manila envelope type thing with a string to close it.

Steep #1 // rinse // few minutes after boiling // 2 min steep
It looked like a teaspoon and a half or so of leaves that I broke off. There are hints of gold in these black leaves. At first taste: Oh this is a good pu-erh. I’m already very happy with it! The flavor is already very deep with no astringency – it has hints of the pond flavor when first sipping, but then it’s hints of dark chocolate and even the things I like about coffee. I feel like I’ve tried a pu-erh like this before, probably from Teavivre that tastes very similar. I have sampled a FEW pu-erhs from Teavivre, so it’s tough to tell which one.

Steep #2 // 2 min after boiling // 2 1/2 min steep
Another really lovely cup, of course. More chocolate, more coffee. I really love this pu-erh.

Steep #3 // just boiled // 4 min
I’m surprised at the sweetness of this cup! I didn’t expect a longer steep time to make it sweeter! I think these leaves could keep steeping, and it seems like if it’s a longer steep time it will just keep getting sweeter? It seems like a sweeter pu-erh rather than a deeper, darker tasting pu-erh, if that makes sense. Very delicious! If I had sampled this before I won it for the contest, I probably would have bought it. I think Teavivre’s Fengqing Zhuan Cha Ripened Pu-erh Brick 2006 is still my favorite pu-erh from Teavivre by a tiny bit over this one though.

This is one of the best, if not the best Jasmine green tea. Classic color. Perfect fragrance. Whole body taste that is simple yet sophisticated. Highly recommended!

After a short visit at Amariel’s yesterday, my tea count jumped by 20 to a big 70- and here I was doing so well. I didn’t know where to start so I let my roommate randomly select one of the dozen green tea samples from the bag for the evening’s pot. This one was the winner.

The vibrant green leaves look and smell like seaweed, but once steeped the brew is more akin to beans, with a drop or two of honey. There’s a lot more going on in this tea, especially in the second steep, but I can’t pin most of the flavours. It’s a beautiful and gentle tea to wind down to for the evening. This cup has peace and tranquility written all over it (sappy but true).

Thank you, Amariel, for sharing this lovely sample with me!

Thank you Angel at Teavivre for my sample of this.

This is my husbands tea of choice for us to sample while we watch the World Cup (Brazil vs Germany) and I carry on with my cross stitch.

The raw leaves are a mixture of dark brown and golden colours which are thin yet long and rather curly/twisted. They have a pure wood scent with a hint of tobacco, at a nice almost mature level.

Leaf – 5g
Vessel – Gaiwan 100ml
Water Temp – 90C
7 Steeps : rinse,10s,20s,30s,50s,70s,90s,120s

First Steep – 10s
Colour is mahogany and it bares a mild yet sweet, malt and wood scent. Flavour is wonderfully smooth and sweet with light malt, wood and maple tones.

Second Steep – 20s
Increasing in strength but still rather smooth and the malt tone is the most dominant. Still traces of light maple too.

Third Steep – 30s
Very smooth, even to the point of slipping down my throat like silk. It’s so very light yet full of flavour, it makes the three steeps so far refreshing and very easy to drink while not compromising on flavour. Still getting dominant malt tones with sweet maple and a touch of wood. It’s holding nicely so far.

Fourth Steep – 50s
Getting lighter in flavour and also less smooth, though only a little. As it’s not as sweet nor smooth the malt and wood tones are equal in strength which make a heavier steep.

Fifth Steep – 70s / 1m10s
Still a nice level of flavour left and with minimum astringency. It’s acquired a light leather flavour at this point.

Sixth Steep – 90s / 1m30s
I’m surprised this still has so much flavour left at this level steep. On the whole the colour is much darker and reminds me of light soy sauce but apart from that this tea is still very sound. It even tastes light enough to be smooth once again and have a little sweetness like rock sugar and malt.

Seventh Steep – 120s / 2m
It remains light and sweet with wonderful malt tones. There was no dryness in this tea and I was left with a refreshed mouth between each steep, a rarity I find with black teas steeped in the gaiwan.

Overall – I wasn’t sure what to expect with this Golden Monkey, it’s a tea I’ve had from many other companies and they tended to be smoky and very strong with lots of astringency and dryness. This was the opposite to others I have tried, throughout it remained flavourful and refreshing with a smooth/silky body. I can’t remember the last time I had a tea remain so consistent throughout a full gaiwan session, it was a very nice treat that pleased both me and my husband. The next time I order from Teavivre I will certainly keep this tea in mind.

Amazing…yet incredibly subtle. I would only buy this to drink it once every long while, due to the attention that must be provided to it.

Further thoughts forthcoming on CreateWriteDrink.com.

I had this last night and forgot to review it so please forgive my lack of a full review for this tea. It’s my fault for getting the drawers mixed up, I have one for Teavivre samples I have not tried and one for Teavivre samples that I have tried, in my sleepy state I got this Puerh from the wrong drawer.

The leaves (from what I remember) were wonderful and musky smelling, very earthy and wooden. Dull-ish dark green and twig like in form compressed to a small piece.

I served this in my 200ml glass Gongfu teapot over three steeps (1 min, 2 min, 3 min).

The resulting flavour was more or less identical for the first two steeps, it had a deep, earthy flavour that reminded me of damp wood. Very musky and musty type of feel from it with some smoke. In a sense it tasted like rain from a forest, at least that is what my tired mind thought at the time. It might not sound nice to some people (musty and damp are not usually flavours I personally like) but it was very pure and that made it nice, it wasn’t too much or too thick. Well until I got to the third steep which was very thick and had to be watered down a little, it became too strong and almost unpalatable.

I enjoyed it as did my husband but it was not a favourite of mine.

These beautiful camellia flowers brew a rather tangy tisane. It reminds me of orange blossoms, but without the bitter intense qualities of those. There are definite notes of hay. The overall flavor is a rather earthy one that is not unlike some white teas I’ve had. It reminds me particularly of a brick-aged white tea I’ve had from Shang Tea.

There’s not a lot to say because this flavor seems unique and I don’t have a great point of comparison. I could see it tasting somewhat persimmon like, as others had said. This is one of those you really have to try yourself!

This was part of my qiveaway sampler. It smells very vegetal. The flavour reminds me of vegetable broth. Might be good with soup.

Yay, the last of my provided TeaVivre samples! And I only have one Green Terrace sample left, but it’s slated for gong fu style since it’s a milk oolong. And then that’ll be it for review-required samples for me until I get the ones from Good Life Tea! So, this one. The leaves are dark and slightly twisty, and there are a (very) few golden tips. Mm I love the smell! Very malty with sweet honey and a lovely tart stonefruit aroma. I did a 3 minute steep here.

Brewed aroma is… alarming. Lol. Completely different from the dry version! I immediately detect smoke and earthiness with the ubiquitous malt. Maybe a tiny hint of those stonefruits? Woah, this is quite smoky! There’s also earthiness and the taste of wood. A tiny bit of bitterness that goes well with these flavors. Not as malty as I would expect from this type of tea. There’s a little bit of a deep rich flavor that I would associate with molasses. And when I least expect it, there’s a lovely stonefruit aftertaste! Similar to plums and apricots mixed together.

I can see definite parallels between this tea and the Harney & Sons Tippy Yunnan, which is a good sign because they are both lower-grade. So maybe my taste buds are halfway decent! Lol. I definitely added sugar to this, it’s too powerful for me without it. And it would definitely take milk well if you chose to add some. A definite kick-in-the-pants morning tea! :)

Sipdown! (37 | 241)

Finishing off a very generously-sized sample of this one sent to me from Courtney!

This is a lovely and satisfying tea. Well-balanced with thick bread and malt notes, a bit of savory smoke. I’m actually getting a strong fruity note in this last cup, which I don’t remember noticing as much before. It’s sort of strawberry-like? Which is highly unusual, I’m more likely to find stonefruit or raisin notes in a tea like this. Maybe it was the amount of leaf, I dunno, but I like it!

I’m not sure whether this will be a reorder or not, there are too many Chinese black teas that I like… But I have several more bigger packages to work through before it’s time to make that decision, ha ha! Thank you Courtney for the share!

Yay, I finally got this tea page to load! ❤

Polishing off another of my teeny tin sample leftovers with this one from Teavivre.

The aroma is very sweet and honeyed. There is a touch of honey in the taste as well, but mostly it’s thick, hearty bread with caraway seed backed by subtle earthy notes and a hint of smoke.

As it cools, the honey comes out a bit more for a nice honeyed toast flavor.

A very satisfying tea for the morning!

Sipdown!

This is (was) one of the oldest teas in my cupboard, so it feels nice to sip it down. It’s a perfectly tasty offering from TeaVivre, but not one of my favorites. Malty and bready with a tad bit of smoke and a nice creamy texture. Thanks again to TeaVivre for the free sample. :)

Hooray for TeaVivre and their lovely free samples! I’m telling myself that I need to try all five of my samples before I start drinking all of the swap tea I’ve gotten lately. Seriously, it’s taking over the kitchen! Since I promised reviews for these samples I feel like I’m making someone wait if I take too long… Which is a weird thing to think. :P

This looks similar to the other golden monkey tea I’ve had (Harney & Sons). The leaves a thin and slightly curly, mostly dark with some golden tips. It smells extremely malty, which is not a bad thing! There’s also some honey and tart stonefruit in there. I walked on the wild side and brewed it for 3 minutes.

Wow, the brewed aroma is even more malty than before, which I didn’t think possible! There’s also a smoky tobacco note along with honey and sweet potato. Oh my… If I had to choose one word for this tea, it would be “masculine”. This is manly stuff! All this maltiness and then that smoky tobacco taste as well. Plus I can taste leather and a dark richness that reminds me of molasses without the sweetness. Sweet potato adds a little cream and butter that helps smooth it out. It’s not super strong but the flavors are bold and really catch your attention! MAN TEA! But women enjoy it too. ;)

I got a sample of this tea from Teavivre as a prize in my sample packet during the Spring Tea Review Giveaway! Thanks TeaVivre!

Oddly enough, this one does not appear to be on TeaVivre’s website for sale yet! Sneak Preview? Count me in! :)

This is a sweet, bold, assertive young sheng. Some apricot notes. I believe this is the first puerh I have drunk that was produced this year! VERY young sheng! Also very strong cha qi. I am super energized :)

Love the lingering aftertaste. This one’s a keeper!

What an excellent tea this is…

Deep, dark, but smooth with notes of cocoa and sweet honey. Very bready as well, with a bit of the that Fujian caraway note. Definitely a crusty dark bread though, maybe with some spelt or buckwheat. Also getting a distinct dried sour cherry note that I’m loving, obviously it pairs beautifully with the cocoa… Sipping this tea feels like eating a meal in the best way.

Drank both mugfuls cold (accidentally, boo work) but they were still so scrumptious. Definitely on the reorder list… :D

P.S. – Am I the only one who didn’t know this is apparently the same as Golden Monkey?

Sipdown! (38)

Had one lone little sample packet of this one left. My stomach has been out of whack yesterday and today for some reason, so I figured a smoother Chinese black tea was probably a wise choice. I’m certainly not going to not drink tea, so there!

Anyway, this is such a nommy bready tea. It’s one of those black teas that’s almost like eating a small meal because it has such a satisfying flavor and texture. Supremely smooth and malty, with a gentle earthy base. And on top of the bread, just the lightest drizzle of wildflower honey…

Now I want some toast. But we don’t have any bread. NOOOOOOO! (falls to knees dramatically)

Cracked open my little sample packet of this one this morning after seeing a lovely note from Courtney a few days ago. I’ve had it before (and rated it an 90!), but it feels like a lifetime ago and I didn’t remember much about it.

This tea tastes like a giant pile of soft, fluffy, homemade wheat bread! Such a lovely soft and thick flavor, with a bit of grainy chewiness as if there were oats and seeds in the bread as well. There’s also a hay note adding a light creaminess. I start to taste honey mid-sip, and it lingers into the end of the sip. The aftertaste has some sweetness as well, but it’s more of a clear sweetness, like cool spring water.

Yummy, yummy tea. This one will definitely be on the list for my next Teavivre order!

Wow it’s amazing how much my palate has changed… When I had this tea before, I thought it was super strong and heavy, I even listed smoke. What?

85?! WHAT?!

Now it tastes like lovely grainy deliciousness. No smoke, no earth, just amazing chewy raw grains. And It’s not heavy at all!

I ADDED SUGAR TO THIS?! x.x I plead insanity.

Putting this into the “permanent” cupboard and bumping the rating from 85 to 90…

I’m jumping on the MzPriss and TheTeaFairy bandwagon this morning with this tea. This is one of my free samples from TeaVivre that I hadn’t tried yet and I figured now’s as good a time as any! This is my first time trying a Fujian black tea. The leaves look very different than the other blacks I’ve been having lately – they’re very thin and extremely dark with a few scattered golden tips. The smell is quite unusual, it’s quite musty and earthy with dark bread and malt notes. I decided to be brave and steep it for 3 minutes! :P

Wow, the brewed aroma is very different from the dry! It smells like a completely different tea. Very sweet honey or caramel over baked bread with raisins, mmm… This would definitely be a breakfast tea for me, as the overall taste is quite bold and strong. It has a grain-like malty quality about it without quite tasting like bread. I seem to get a little tiny bit of smokey savoriness at the beginning of the sip. I was surprised to not taste the caramel or honey sweetness that a lot of others mentioned… Then I added a touch of sugar to the second half of my cup and a lovely dark honey or molasses flavor came out. I wouldn’t necessarily call it caramel because I don’t get any butter. This tea leaves an aftertaste on my tongue that reminds me of strong coffee!

Overall, quite good and a nice bold tea to take for breakfast. Would definitely stand up to some milk, although that’s not something I generally add to tea. Thanks again to Angel at TeaVivre!

Praise to the tea gods. (Teaities?) This smells pretty awesome. I get mostly honey, and a light scent of yams. The flavour is more malty cocoa and hints of molasses.

Several months ago Angel at Teavivre sent me five black teas to review. If I had known how absolutely nummy this one is, it wouldn’t have taken me until now to try it out! It’s slightly toasty, with a rich, creamy maltiness that I can just sink into. This tea is a new favorite, and hopefully I can talk hubby into getting me some for my next birthday!

For some pretty pictures, you can visit my blog at:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2014/07/nonpareil-yunnan-dian-hong-chinese-red.html