Teavivre, Organic Bai Hao (White Downy) Green Tea

Beautiful Dry Leaf

Teavivre Description;
The main production points of organic Bai Hao tea includes fixation, rolling, drying. The dry leaves are in straight needle-shapes and they smell vaguely of sweet millet note rather than grass-like aroma which is common in green teas. When brewed, the liquor presents a scent of fresh sweet corn note and a mellow, smooth mouthfeel with a lingering after-taste without any astringency. Overall, it creates more thickness in mouth when compared with the common green teas do.

Sample provided by Teavivre

My Review:
It has been a long time since I last reviewed something from Teavivre. Even so, I must admit this is one of my very favorite tea companies. Not only has the service always been friendly, helpful, and top notch, but the teas themselves are some of the best available here in the west. Enough gushing, let's see if this tea is as good as expected.

I cut the top off the sample bag and as usual poked my nose in for a deep whiff. It bowled me over. Man, this is like sticking your nose into a buttered ear of sweet corn. I'm in love and I haven't even heated the water.

Huge Steeped Leaf

Removing half the 5g sample, this looks a lot like a white tea. Of course it is called white downy and the website does call it a  "Non-fermentation" tea. The long strands of leaf run from white to deep green. Up close it looks fuzzy. Just speculating that the difference between white and green here is somewhere in the fixation, rolling, and drying stages. Whatever, the leaf is beautiful.

I used the brewing instructions similar for cup brewing. I used half the leaf (2 1/2g) and about 10 oz of water heated to 195 F. I let it steep for 3 minutes. This seems long but the directions call for 3-5 minutes.

Normally at this point I would talk about the liquor. Instead, let's discuss the leaf. I did not expect the jumbo sized leaves that were floating in my glass press. Most of my Chinese teas seem to be tiny. Not these babies. Big green and alive looking.

Liquid Sunshine

The scent of the leaves is sweet corn and creamy vegetables. Really nice.

Now on to the liquor. It is a bright and clear yellow with golden tints. It has an aroma that is sweet corn with a warm spicy floral. Everything about this tea so far appeals to me.

On to the taste. First impressions - sweet corn and mineral spring water. Second thing I notice is with the long western brew time, you will not get bitterness or heavy astringency, but you will experience a moderate amount of green briskness late in the sip. The aftertaste mellows and lingers of leafy greenness and corn.

This is nicely sweet and no additives are needed. In my opinion sweetening this would detract from the beauty of the cup.

Second steep immediately followed the first. This time I stopped at 2 minutes. The sweet corn is mostly absent, but then so is all of the green bite. This is just really smooth now. As with the first cup it feels very thick. The flavor bounces between a warm spiciness (I mean a comforting flavor - not heat) and green leafy plant. It still retains that stone like mineral spring water note as well.

My opinion - this is a really lovely tea that I quit enjoyed. Complex enough to entertain but not so much as to demand concentration. That said, I will definitely be playing with the steeping times. My gut tells me around a 1 1/2 minute first steep will produce a smoother and still flavorful cup and allow the second cup to retain some of that wonderful sweet corn flavor. This is probably best enjoyed gong fu style with a gaiwan. I'm stuck in my ways and prefer straight western mug style.  

You can find Teavivre Organic Bai Hao Green Tea here.

Teavivre, Menghai Palace Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2008

Teavivre Description:
Tribute grade pu-erh: abundant golden pekoe covering on the buds, nicely crafted. The taste is smooth and thick, carries strong nut’s fragrance. If you love ripened pu-erh, choose this golden cake.

Sample provided by Teavivre

My Review:
It's shu time! This large leaf ripened pu-erh comes from 90-120 year old trees found on Bulang Mountain in Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China.

This was a sample portion that came in the usual silver bag. Removing the leaf reveals a lot of golden tips throughout the compressed cake. The aroma is a light barnyard and nicely sweet with some dried grassiness.

I used the 90 ml gaiwan today and the entire sample (approx 10g). The water was kettle heated to boiling.

The first steep was about 12 seconds. As I have mentioned before, I seldom rinse the leaf, instead I increase the first steep slightly.

The result is a orange brown cup. The shape of the cup distorts the evenness of the color. The aroma is still somewhat barnyard. The taste is dusty but sweet. It has no rough edge or off tastes. It is actually quite smooth. It is a little earthy and like damp forest woods. Very nice.

I noticed a cooling sensation in my lungs and it seemed to allow for deeper cleaner breathing.

The second cup was steeped at 6 seconds. It is much darker. It is more coffee colored but with a red tint that the camera isn't showing.

This cup is a little more rough edged but not unmanageable. It has more of a cedar briskness. I didn't notice the aroma, so the barnyard must be fading. It just hints at leather.

The third cup I began pouring as soon as I could get the lid on the gaiwan and a proper grip. This is even a deeper burgundy. The aroma is spicy cedar and light mint. This is dry like a red wine. It has a spicy cedar wood flavor. I also catch more of an earthy loam note along with hints of leather. This is the best cup so far.

Cups four, five, and six, were all prepared just like the third with little more steep time than it took to fill and pour. I combined them. The brew seems to be growing even a deeper burgundy in color. It shows no signs of letting up, but this will be my last cup for this review.

Much to my delight, the taste continues in the same vein as the previous cup. This retains the dry cedar briskness, followed by a rich loamy earth. The leather continues to stay out of the limelight but hints at an old book leather.

With this cup I am noticing the faint touch of inner cheek tingle.

Possibly my favorite thing about this pu-erh has been the calmness that fills me as I sip it. I believe I am more mellow than the tea I'm sipping. Yep, feeling pretty groovy. I think I'll turn on my lava lamp (I really do have one), and crank up some Pink Floyd. This isn't magic psychedelic stuff, but it is pretty far out man ;)

You can find Teavivre, Menghai Palace Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2008 here.

Teavivre, Rice Ripened Loose Pu-erh Pyramid Tea Bag

Teavivre Description:
This tea bag features its flavor which has slight glutinous rice flavor. It is a good routine beverage incorporated with the essence of “Nuo Xiang” plants grown in Xishuangbanna. The liquid is bright red brown in color and have a typical flavor of Pu-erh.

My Review:
I don't recall how I acquired this one. I think it came from a friend rather than from Teavivre directly. Not that it matters. I just like to be up front about it.

Today's tea is a bagged pu-erh. Actually it is a pyramid bag made of corn fiber.

If you search this blog, you will learn I am not opposed to the use of the lowly tea bag. The old reliable paper ones have their place. This is especially true when I am in a hurry, asleep, or just want a simple tea with my meal.

The average grocery store tea bag will never give you the depth that a quality loose leaf will, and that is why the pyramid bag has risen in the market place. The pyramid bag generally contains a better quality leaf while retaining the convenience factor of the bag.

You can see the Yunnan large leaf through the bag. There is an abundance of golden buds in the mix of one bud and two leaves. The aroma is... different. Reading other reviews this apparently is a very accurate sticky rice scent. Being uninitiated, it comes off as more gym bag to me. Honestly, I am glad to know the aroma is exactly as intended. Even if this red neck doesn't quite get it.

I used a mug and boiling water. The directions call for a 9-12 minute steep. Seriously? I get that Teavivre is attempting to make pu-erh a little more accessible to the western tea drinker with the use of the pyramid and the steep time. I get it, but I don't prepare pu-erh that way anymore.

I went with three minutes which still produced a dark coffee colored brew. I would normally do maybe a 30 second first steep, so as far as I am concerned, I have made a major compromise.

The sticky rice aroma has now filled the house. I am noticing the longer I am inhaling it, the more food like (and therefore appealing) it has become.

Interesting. It's rice, rice, and more rice, all the way to your lips. Then once you taste, it becomes a gentle earthy pu-erh. It is not leather, mushroom, or any of the barnyard flavors and definitely not a more offensive fishy flavor. This is a dusty roots and rich soil flavor. Just a touch of mineral. It is very smooth and easy to sip.

After swallowing the sweet sticky rice aroma comes back and mixes with the earthiness. It is a neatly interesting combination.

I do see where the long steep time recommended by Teavivre would not hurt this cup. A long steep can produce a rough spicy edge that I often don't much like. I do not see that happening here.

I do have one complaint. The string on the pyramid is too short. The tag was sucked under the moment I added water. I had to fish it out. That detracted from the convenience of using the pyramid for me. Next time I'll know better and keep a thumb on the tag when adding water.

These little pyramids will resteep multiple times making them a good value consideration.

You can find Teavivre, Rice Ripened Loose Pu-erh Pyramid Tea Bag here.

Teavivre, Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Ancient Wild Tree Black Tea

Teavivre Description:
Bing made of the leaves from wild Yunnan Large Leaf tea trees, this Nonpareil Yunnan Dianhong Ancient Wild Tree Black Tea carries a full, wild taste with strong fruity fragrance. Have a cup of this wild black tea, and enjoy the mellow liquid.

Sample provided by Teavivre

My Review:
I'm starting off February with a black tea from the Yunnan Provence in China. I love Dian Hong. This one is labeled Nonpareil, meaning without equal. So without further ado, let's open the package.

Oops. I'm already off on a rabbit trail. Sorry. When Teavivre first hit the scene their samples came in big packets with everything listed about the tea, from picking date and location to a best by date. Some people commented this seemed wasteful so Teavivre shrank the package and the label. Now, I find the label nearly impossible to read. Even under bright lights with my bifocals I have trouble. Their full size orders are far more accessible.

Opening the tiny packet I get a pleasing mixture of malt and honey drizzled fruit. Yeah, I know, yum right? The leaf is dark twists with some lighter streaks of tan.

I used my press with water heated to 194 F. The steep was 3 1/2 minutes. The recommended is 3-5.

The liquor is a light orange caramel. The cup aroma is malty to me today. I have prepared this once before. The first time I noted the cup scent as similar to the dry aroma but more baked.

The wet leaf has expanded into a large pile of leathery leaves. They are cinnamon brown over an olive green with touches of red and brown.

The sip is really smooth. There is no hint of bitterness. Now again this cup is different from the first time I had it. The previous session I went the full five minutes on the steep. This time was 3 1/2.

The long steep resulted in what I noted as a spiciness, kind of peppery without the burn. I interpreted the fruit flavor as grape. Maybe it was really plum and I don’t know any better. This was slightly yam flavored but the fruit taste is stronger. There is even the faintest touches of earth and leather. For as light as this seemed on the first sip, there is so much depth here, when you slow down and taste.

Now the shorter steep of today resulted in a pleasingly malty cup with unmistakable notes of peach. Their is no spicy bite. It is slightly yam in flavor. There is a slight dryness. The aftertaste is hard to describe but kind of green and vegetal.

Both sessions resulted in a really good cup of tea. It is hard to decide which is better. The longer steep may win out simply because there seemed to be slightly more depth. Honestly, is was great either way.

The first session I resteeped the leaves for a second cup. Here is the note I scribbled down;  I got to say the cup aroma was so fine. As the cup was sitting to cool I was smelling grape. It sort of drifted between grape, wine, and Darjeeling aromas. I know the taste was light but honestly I got distracted fixing stuff on the computer and ended up drinking this pretty quick and not paying attention. I know I liked it or it wouldn’t have disappeared so fast.

I did not make a second cup with today's leaf.

Not going to lie, this is a little on the pricey side at $18.90/50g but it is an amazingly complex Yunnan Dian Hong.

You can find Teavivre, Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Ancient Wild Tree Black Tea here.

Teavivre, Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea

Teavivre Description:
Keemum Mao Feng, one special variety of Keemun black tea origins from Qi Men County in Anhui province of China, has famous reputation for its peculiar aroma and shape. It has also been made widely familiar as one of the four world’s best black tea.

Sample provided by Teavivre

My Review:
I just received a batch of samples from Teavivre. These are mainly for review on Steepster. This one, however, is a new to me tea. It gets moved to the front of the list to be tasted on The Everyday Tea Blog.

When I review teas, I try to remain neutral. I want to be as impartial as possible, leaving my personal preferences behind. In truth, I am human and certain companies and types of tea just naturally appeal to me more. Everything I have tried from Teavivre has been excellent or very nearly so, and it just so happens that Chinese black tea (red tea in China) is among my very favorite personal teas. So, joy!

I opened the bag and caught a light slightly sweet, slightly sour aroma that at first made me think fresh tobacco, then hay. Keemuns are often a little smoky. This one is not.

The leaf is long, thin, slightly twisted strands. The coloring is dark browns with some golden tips. After some whole leaf pu-erhs I have been drinking lately, this leaf seems small and delicate.

The press was used along with 10oz of water heated to 194F per Teavivre's recommendation.  I used half the sample, or 3.5g. I find I can trust Teavivre for their temperature and steeping guidelines. They tend to call for double the amount of leaf I prefer to use. I tend to stay consistent from tea to tea with the leaf.

The steep was for 2 1/2 minutes. The result is a brass colored liquor. It is light and see through. It is not the heavy dark cup of tea one expects if they are accustomed to tea bag black tea.

The cup and the wet leaf have the same aroma. It is lightly malt drenched in honey. Yum. That's what I love about Chinese black tea.

When tasting, I again get a touch of malt, along with honey. There is a bread or baked quality to the taste, like from cocoa. The liquor feels kind of thick but o so gentle and smooth. There is nothing suggesting harsh, or bitter here. There is only a light drying touch of astringency.

At times I get moments of mineral, like creek rock (not sure why the last few teas I've reviewed have had this note - I can only report what I sense). Other moments I get a taste of fruit, maybe apricot. There are even occasional floral notes.

Given my level of familiarity with the type, I am not convinced I would be able to identify this as a Keemun from tasting alone. Keemun is identified by being produced exclusively in the Qimen County in Anhui province. I am not yet skilled enough to identify a growing region.

I am skilled enough in my tasting abilities to say with confidence this is a really nice tea.

You can find Teavivre, Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea, here.

Teavivre, Ripened Chrysanthemum Pu-erh Mini Tuocha

Teavivre Description:
Infused with a beautiful tiny Chrysanthemum flower in each tea cake, these Mini Pu-erh Tuocha (or tea cakes) are created with our premium ripened Yunnan Pu-erh tea, harvested in 2008.  The warm mellow and earthy flavored Pu-erh tea flakes are compressed into a beautiful bird's nest shape then individually wrapped for proper storage.  The light Chrysanthemum lends a light and aromatic floral tone to the more earthy flavor of the Pu-erh, and the tea cakes are a convenient way to brew your tea by dropping one tea cake into your cup or teapot.  When brewed, the Chrysanthemum flower is revealed, and the tea is infused with its flavor and aroma.

My Review:
It has been too long since I have reviewed a puerh. It has been even longer since I have reviewed a ripe one. Today's tea is from Teavivre.  I got it through a botched trade with a Steepster friend. I sent her the wrong tea. I realized it the day after putting it in the mail. She was more than gracious and sent this along with several surprises to be reviewed later.

So, toucha are just cool. Single serving size. No Fuss. No measuring. They are wrapped in thin paper as pu-erh needs to breathe. Removing the paper reveals a little nest made of dark post fermented leaf and chrysanthemum petals. I detect no real aroma from the dry toucha.

I decided to use my 90 ml gaiwan for today's session. Why? Because I can. Filtered water was heated to 100C (212F) and poured around the edges of the gaiwan. The lid put in place, I steeped for 12s. I did not do the recommended rinse first. The liquor is wine like burgundy as it pours, turning more of an orange/brown as it cools.

The wet toucha has only partially disintegrated. The aroma is like that of battered and deep fried fish and fries. I have not seen that description used anywhere in connection with this pu-erh (or any other), but I can only offer what I experience. It is a strange scent, that made me hungry.

The taste of the first cup is really very similar to the aroma. It is like fish and chips meets hazel nut. Very unusual yet somehow I like it. Again, I did not rinse the leaf.

The second cup at 10s is a completely different tea. The moment the water hit the leaf, it turned very dark, like silky dark chocolate. The aroma is a bit barnyard. That normally doesn't concern me, as it is seldom an indicator of the taste.

This time the aroma does match the taste. In addition, it is bitter, with a strong spiciness. I also detect cedar and some sense of old leather. About now I questioning if I should have used a western mug method instead of the gaiwan.

Third cup was steeped for 5s. The tea pours a beautiful red wine color. There is no off odor in this cup. It is rich, earthy, and cedar. Once again the taste coincides with the scent. The spice note seems more connected to the cedar in this cup and the leather is less noticeable. This cup is not bitter.

One thing is for sure, this tea is a roller coaster ride - frightening one moment, exhilarating the next. Holding my hands up high and preparing to scream real loud with a smile on my face, it's time for round four.

Steeped at 10s, this is the best cup yet. There is no bitterness or barnyard. This is rich spicy cedar, and much smoother than the previous cup. The leather is more prominent this time.

Can we ride the coaster again? Can we? Huh? Can we? Yes please!

Cup five @ abt 12s. The tea continues to pour burgundy but looks much darker in the cup. This is almost a mirror of the previous cup. The spicy cedar and the leather are now more equal. The leather revealing itself to be more of an old book leather. Another excellent cup.

My kidneys are now taking the role of mom and saying, "That's enough, let's go." Meanwhile my taste buds are the gang of friends I'm hanging out with. They are all like, "Pretend you didn't hear her and ride one more time." What to do? What to do? Yep, one more time! I'm a bad boy. I'll be grounded later, but it will be worth it.

Cup six @ abt 15s. The tea is slightly lighter in color. The cedar is now less intense and the spiciness now clings to the old book leather. Very nice.

Mom now has a firm hold on my arm and says I'm done. I'm trying not to cry in front of my friends. I do manage to mudder under my breath, "I never get to have any fun!" ;) Until next time.

 You can find Teavivre Ripened Chrysanthemum Pu-erh Mini Tuocha here.

Teavivre, Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea

Teavivre Description:
With the sweet and fresh fragrance of peach and the shape of small pearl, this Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea has similar appearance with Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea. Yet the two are very distinct from each other. When seeing this Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl, you will feel surprised with the sweet peach fragrance.

My Review:
I got this sample with an order a few months ago. Now that warm fruity tea weather is only a memory, I am finally getting to taste this one.

I absolutely love Teavivre's Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearls. In fact all their jasmine teas have been of the highest quality. This tea combines jasmine dragon pearls with the fragrance of peach. I happen to love peach tea, so I have high hopes and expectations going in to this session.

Removing half the sample pearls for examination and brewing. I notice the contrast between the dark outer wrap of leaf and the tan/white streak that reminds me of cream filling.

The scent off the dry leaf is incredibly peachy. To me it is quite fresh and natural. It's almost like sniffing the fruit itself. Nice.

I used 185 F filtered water and a steep time of 2 minutes for a western mug of about 10 oz. This is right in the middle of the 1-3 recommended on the label.

The  brew is a deep golden color. It has a lovely though lighter peach fragrance.

The wet leaf has only partially relaxed. An occasional stem and two leaves can be seen as well as some that are still mostly pearls. This is typical of my experience with Teavivre pearl teas. They are tightly rolled and it takes a few infusions to fully relax the leaf.

The wet leaf is highly peach scented. I am not detecting the jasmine at this point, but I am OK with that as the peach is lovely.

The sip takes the experience to a whole new place. The peach is more discernible than an other flavor but it is not overwhelming. It melds in with the jasmine in hard to define ways. It kind of bounces around, reminding me of vanilla, then caramel, then wine, then back to peach. If I did not know this was scented with jasmine along with peach, I am not sure I would make the connection in this first cup.

It is light and refreshing with no bitterness as prepared. There is only a slight amount of cheek tingle. Since recently learning to drink my tea without sweetener, I find I do notice the tingle a bit more. I am not detecting a lot of obvious green tea notes.

Second western mug was steeped for more than 3 minutes (I picked up a guitar and kind of forgot to watch closely). Anyway, the wet leaf scent is far more vegetal now with fruit and floral notes falling way off.

The taste reflects the less than ideal attention paid to steep time. Here I am getting far more green tea flavor with an increase in astringency. It is not out of control, and in fact I kind of like it this way. The jasmine is now the background note. It is there, but barely detectable. The peach flavor is now the secondary note. It is pleasant, natural, and light.  

As with pretty much all of Teavivre's flavored teas, this is well balanced and mature in flavor. It is not overdone, fake, or candy like. I find this particular combination of peach and jasmine to be a very interesting combination. This is not as amazing as the Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearls, but is a really nice peach tea.

You can find Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearls Green Tea here.

Teavivre, Jasmine Bi Luo Chun Green Tea

Teavivre Description:
After the Bi Luo Chun Green Tea is made, they will be put together with large numbers of jasmine flower in a room. That’s why this tea carries a heavy jasmine fragrance. When brewed, it taste refreshing with sweet aftertaste.

My Review:
This tea has three things going for it before I even open the package. First, it is Teavivre - one of my very favorite tea providers. Second, it is Bi Luo Chun - one of my very favorite green teas. And third, this is jasmine. Before tasting Teavivre's high quality offerings, I did not like jasmine, but they do it right. Their jasmine premium dragon pearls are crazy good.

With that introduction, it sounds like this tea almost doesn't have to work to get a good review. You never know something could still go horribly wrong.

Opening the sample releases the scent of jasmine. As always, it is very pleasant and natural. It is rather strong though.

I poured the contents on a plate and was surprised. The Bi Luo Chun I have reviewed before was long twisted curls of loose leaf. This is rolled tight like a mix of dragon pearls and tieguanyin. I see a couple petals of jasmine left over from the scenting process. The color is olive green with silver streaks.

The sample is about 7g so I chose to divide it in half and save some for another day. Into the press it goes with 185F filtered water. The steep was two minutes.

The dance during steeping was pretty interesting. The pellets fell to the bottom and bubbled like an aquarium airstone. After a few moments some of the leaf began to rise while the pellets unfurled and waved in the joy of release.

Then, and this was awesome, some of the whole leaves began to rise up. It reminded me of an old Saturday matinee monster movie. I could hear Godzilla roar in my head while watching. It still resembles a sea monster once safely beached on a plate. Definitely one of my favorite steeping shows in a long time.

I recommend a clear teapot so as not to miss this display.

The liquor is golden and clear. As the scent suggests this is more heavily scented than most of the other jasmine teas I have tried from Teavivre, with the exception of Silver Jasmine Green Tea.

Even though this is fairly strongly scented, it is not over the top, and it tastes natural. I find with 3g of leaf and the two minute steep in a 10oz cup this is a bit drying and brisk. I like the briskness but if you don't, I would recommend starting with a one minute steep and adjust from there. Lowering the temperature a little would help tame it as well.

I can taste the tea beneath the jasmine, especially late in the sip. It gets kind of grassy and in the aftertaste it adds a fruity element. I read one review that suggested melon. I think that sounds accurate. The aftertaste really lingers.

The cup is a little sweet. Even so, if you have a real sweet tooth, I have always thought jasmines take sweetening rather well.

You can find Jasmine Bi Luo Chun Green Tea here.

Teavivre, Jasmine Raw Pu-erh Mini Tuocha

Teavivre Description:
TeaVivre introduces you this carefully selected Raw Pu-erh Mini Tuocha. It is from one of the four famous tea producing area of Yunnan, Lincang, made of Yunnan large leaf species, are covered with large quantity of soft golden pekoe.

Harvest Time: 2014
Production Date: 2014

My Review:
This was purchased earlier this year during a sale. I've been trying to work it in to my review schedule for awhile now. This weekend I attended a wedding where smoked pulled pork was served at the reception. I had way too much of it. A little self restraint would have been nice but it is a little late for that. I am hoping a session of raw pu-erh will help.

I have always liked mini touchas. They are the perfect size for mug, gaiwan, or yixing brewing. This one looks dense and slightly shiny up close. Some of the leaf crumbled into dust as I unwrapped. The aroma is fresh field with lovely light jasmine flowers.

I preheated my large yixing pot and added 5 oz of boiling water. Teavivre says to steep this between 3 and 5 minutes with 100 C (212 F) water. With yixing I usually go 30-45 seconds on the first steep. I decided to compromise and go one minute.

As you can see the toucha turned fresh and green. It plumped up nicely but has barely begun to relax.

The brew is a light caramel color. It is orange on Teavivre's website. I did not use a strainer so there is some small amount of debris in the cup. There is not a lot of aroma from the cup. I probably should have listened on the steeping time.

I am not getting a lot of flavor. It has a sticky lip feel. It has a slight stone taste, like sipping water flowing over rocks. I do get a very light floral at the front of the sip.

I know this will do better. For the second cup I am increasing the steep time to two minutes.

Now the brew is a hearty orange color. With this being a raw pu-erh, I would not have considered it turning this dark. The cup has a light jasmine aroma. The toucha in the pot has completely fallen apart covering the bottom in a blanket of leaf pieces. I even see a few jasmine petals.

Wow, two minutes has brought out a lot of young raw pu-erh bite. I decided to calm it with a little sweetener. That really helped. This is almost syrupy feeling. The taste is nutty, and vegetal, with a nice light jasmine floral that is more scent than taste. I am also getting a throat warming sensation. It is not the heat of the liquid and it is not a spiciness. I really don't know how to better describe it. It just is. The aftertaste is kind of tingly and almost like a mild tiequanyin. The initial bitterness aside, this is a really neat cup.

Immediately, I heated more water for round three, also at two minutes. The brew is again deep orange. The wet leaf has taken on a fresh pond water and jasmine aroma. The cup scent is jasmine. The taste is very similar to cup two. I once again added sweetener. I notice a dryness and cheek tingle with this cup. This is way better than I am making it sound.

After my session with this toucha, I read a review by Stephanie on Steepster. She did not encounter the bitterness and found this to be sweet on its own. The big difference is she used cooler water at 180 F. My next time out I will do the same. This is too good not to keep working on the parameters to get it right.

You can find Jasmine Raw Pu-erh Mini Toucha here.

Teavivre, Chamomile Rose Silver Needle White Tea

Sample Bag

Teavivre Description:
Chamomile rose needle white tea is made of Fuding white tea, mixed with rose and chamomile. It is a floral fragrant tea, combining the flavor of white tea and flowers. With the strong floral fragrance, and rich aroma and taste, this tea is enjoyable for both tea lovers and people cares about health.

My Review:
I selected this sample with a recent order. I am a guy, so rose teas didn't always appeal to me. They are growing on me. Much like I learned with jasmine tea, the quality really does make a difference. One thing Teavivre consistently does well is quality. Their Silver Needle white tea is among the very best that I have had the pleasure to experience.

A Fragrant Bouquet 

Upon opening the sample bag the fragrance of rose drifts out and fills your senses. Along with it is a slightly sweet, slightly sour, apple like scent of chamomile. The leaf is an absolutely beautiful bouquet of rose buds and chamomile flowers, surrounded by the silvery haired buds of the Fuding white tea.

The leaf was placed in the press with enough 185 F water added to steep a 5 oz cup of tea. The steep time was about 2 minutes. For this first cup I used half the sample.

The aroma of the wet leaf is very similar to the dry. It is a little powerful, however, I have enough experience with Teavivre to expect the taste to be refined and not perfume water. The tea leaf itself is revitalized, plump, and green.

The brew, prepared in my western style, is a lot darker than the yellow liquor from the gong fu prepared cup on Teavivre's website. It is kind of a light greyish brown.

The Wet Leaf

As I taste, I first catch the rose. It is soft, delicate, and altogether natural. As the rose fades a little I pick up on the apple, honey, notes of the chamomile. There is a spice taste that kind of reminds me of allspice maybe. To me, it is kind of cinnamon, kind of clove. I asked my wife to taste it without telling her what I tasted. Her reaction was 'minty'. Not sure how to explain it except it is the interaction of white tea, rose, and chamomile, as that is all the ingredients found in this cup.

Because my first cup, while good, did not match the comments I recall others making, I decided to add the rest of the sample for cup two. The color was similar. The taste is not. Cup two starts out strongly of apple with edges of honey. The chamomile is leading the way on this cup. The change to rose is not sudden but glides into it, though never completely, as the chamomile steps sideways to travel along side the rose.

A Dark Cup For A White

I can catch only hints of the white tea at this early stage in the steepings. There is an underlying touch of hay and cucumber but they are not nearly as obvious as in a straight cup of Silver Needle. Teavivre could cut a corner and use a lesser grade of leaf but they choose not to lessen the quality. Thank you for that.

The taste you get from the cup appears to depend on the amount of leaf you choose to steep. Whether predominantly rose or chamomile, this makes an excellent cup of beautiful liquid relaxation. I am not sure how many times this can be resteeped. I do intend to keep going a good while longer.

You can find Chamomile Rose Silver Needle White Tea here.  

Teavivre, Strawberry Oolong

Sample Bag

Teavivre Description:
The dry tea of this Strawberry Oolong Tea has strong sweet strawberry fragrance. By mixing natural extractives from strawberry with Oolong Tea, this tea tastes sweet-sour as well as smooth and mellow. The brisk and fresh feeling of this tea makes it suitable for summer drinking.

Price: $8.90/100g

My Review:
There is no question that Teavivre is one of my favorite tea providers. Their teas are generally excellent and the service is top notch. So it is with much enthusiasm that I'm reviewing the Strawberry Oolong I ordered during a recent purchase.

Yummy Strawberry Aroma

I find the label on Teavivre's samples a little difficult to read. The font is tiny and my eyes are old - not a good combination. In fairness, the labels used to be huge and contained every bit of information one might want to know from where and when the tea was harvested, to steeping instructions. Feedback from people concerned about excessive environmental waste prompted the change. I can adjust.

Opening the sample I catch a delicious strawberry aroma. The leaf is tightly wound pellets with stems projecting. Some are very dark while others are a light green.

I placed the nuggets into the press and added water heated to 212 F! That's what the label says. I steeped for four minutes. The range is a wide 3 to 8 minutes.

Welcome To The Jungle

The result is huge green leaves floating in the press. Some float high in the water and most stay low covering the bottom like the jungle floor.

As I began to pour I could smell fresh green oolong. Nice in itself but I was concerned about the strawberry. Where did it go?

Not to worry. As I pulled the top of the press the strawberry aroma poured out to greet me.

The mug is bright yellow, clear and bright. As the liquor cools it turns more of a golden shade.

Liquid Sunshine

At a four minute steep, I thought this would be very strong. My normal steep is maybe two minutes. Instead it is a lighter, far more delicate cup, than expected. This, as Teavivre states, is smooth and mellow.

The main flavor is strawberry. It is not a candy type flavor but not as tart as biting into the real thing. They have gone very easy on the natural 'extractives' and produced a light refreshing cup. I do taste the oolong as well. That doesn't always happen with flavored teas. The oolong tastes fresh, green, and light.

The light hand on the flavoring of this tea has been done intentionally. As found on the product page  - Talking about the making of this Strawberry Oolong Tea, the natural extractives from strawberry are added after the Oolong tea is made, in order to keep the original flavor of Oolong tea, and ensure that both the strawberry fragrance and Oolong tea’s unique flavor can be tasted. 

This is an adult take on strawberry oolong. If you are looking to relive the flavor blast from your childhood Strawberry Kool-Aid days, you might well be disappointed. If you add sweetener in hopes of boosting it into that childlike drink, you will not get what you are seeking. In fact I found sweetener actually detracted from the natural refreshing nature of this tea.

I might also add - the cooler the cup gets the more fragrant the strawberry becomes. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

I waited until fall weather to try this tea. It would have been perfect for an iced drink in the summer heat. Instead, I will use it as liquid sunshine to make the coming chill a little more bearable.

You can find Teavivre Strawberry Oolong tea here.

Teavivre, Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013

Sample Pack

Teavivre Description:
Xi Gui Raw Pu-erh 2013 is quite changeful in taste. Maybe you are familiar with the typical bold and unconstrained features of raw tea, or have tasted the mild and gentle characteristic brought by our Wild Tree Pu-erh. But this Xi Gui tea is a combination of both.

The initial several steeps bring high aroma and pure sweetness, also a hint of stringency, followed by a quick sweet aftertaste. The tea liquid leaves sweet and rich fragrance, lingering wonderfully in the throat. You can feel saliva secreting spontaneously in your month.

About seven or eight steeps later, the teas shows more tender and mild flavor, carrying a light orchid fragrance, tastes mellow and pure, along with a long, sustained aftertaste.

Sample provided by Teavivre.

10 g Dry Leaf

My Review:
Today we start the month of September with a pu-erh. This is a raw pu-erh, harvested and produced in 2013, so it is quite young. Very young raw pu-erh can be quite astringent and bitter. We shall see how this one behaves after steeping.

Upon opening the sample, the leaf is lightly compressed and much of it is loose. It is various shades of silver, brown, and olive green. The leaf is mainly long and lightly twisted. Some of it is flat strips and with the coloring pattern it reminds me of bacon. Yeah, I'm such a guy. The leaf has a floral aroma mixed with hay.

Honey Colored Liquor

I decided to sort of follow Teavivre's suggestion and use the entire 10 g sample in my Yixing pot. I did use a lot more water than suggested. They used a 100 ml gaiwan (a little over 3 oz), I chose to use 8 oz as my large Yixing will hold at least that much. Boiling water was added and the first steep was 20 seconds.

I was rewarded with a honey colored liquor.  Using the gaiwan, Teavivre shows the color as light yellow. Possibly mine would have as well if I had taken the picture in a white cup, but I doubt it.

The wet leaf has a definite seaweed aroma. There are no off scents in the leaf or the cup. The leaf appears to be two leaves and occasionally two leaves and a bud, which explains the silver in the dry leaf.

Bracing myself I take the first sip... I can relax now. This is actually quite mild. Sure it is slightly bright like raw sheng tends to be but not in an overpowering way. It is slightly mineral and slightly mushroom, yet neither are strong or offensive. Crisp, I think fits this nicely. The aftertaste really hangs on and seems floral to me.

A Huge Pile Of Wet Leaf

I noticed on the second cup it started out light yellow but by the time I was through pouring it was back to honey. So my slow pour is adding some steep time. Tastewise this is very similar to the first cup but stronger and a little more astringent. The aftertaste reminds me of tieguanyin oolong. I am also noticing brief notes of leather as I exhale after sipping. I caught this on the first cup as well and thought it was just wishful thinking (I love leather in pu-erh).

Cup three was the sharpest so far, but still good young sheng flavors.

Cup four returns to a more mellow cup by reducing the bright puckering bite. It now begins to pick up a more fruity flavor like maybe apricot. The aftertaste still lingers with an oolong like floral quality.

This shows no signs of letting up but that is a lot of tea in one setting so I'm going to stop here with the review.

If you enjoy raw pu-erh, or are just curious, this is a really nice one.

You can find Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013 here.

Teavivre, Fuding Shou Mei White Tea Cake 2013

Sample Pack

Teavivre Description:
Shou Mei tea cake is a kind of white tea. Handpicking fresh tea leaves (one bud with two or three leaves) from Da Bai Cha species as material, the finished tea cakes are graded according to their quality. From high to low, white tea has four grades: Silver Needle – White Peony – Gong Mei or Shou Mei – new technique white tea.

Sample provided by Teavivre.

My Review:
Today's tea is kind of a "what is it?", for me. Apparently, it is common in China to press white tea into cakes. That is not so common in my experience. Another bit of confusion comes when I pull the leaf out of the pouch. It doesn't look like white tea.

Dry Leaf

The leaf has a fall leaf smell. Like raking up a big pile of freshly fallen leaf on a damp cool October morning. It is a wonderful aroma full of visual memories.

The appearance is dark and not at all white tea like. There is some cinnamon and hints of green but it is more bark chips looking than leaf. I find that interesting.

The next issue is what to do with it. The sample label says to use boiling water (212 F) and steep for 6 - 10 minutes. What? That doesn't feel right to me.

I decided to venture off on my own and brew this freestyle. I'm going with my gut here. I used half the 10g sample. I did use boiling water (10 oz). I only steeped for two minutes. Had the leaf been loose, I probably would have used cooler water. My gut seems to think it knows what it is doing. We'll see.
  

A Cup Of Yum

The brew is an amber color, somewhere between honey and ale. It is clear and bright. I am not sure how well that shows up in my picture.

The wet leaf pile is huge. This really swelled with brewing. The leaf aroma still reminds me of fall leaves.

Onward to the tasting. I think this may be my first Shou Mei. I really don't know what to expect. This may not have resembled white tea at any point so far, but one taste and I become convinced. The flavor to me is stronger than Silver Needle or White Peony. Those teas are far more subtle but make up for it in layers of complexity.

This one has a strong hay like flavor with grassy notes mixed in along with those fall leaves. It is around 90 today. With the humidity it feels like 100 F. So just maybe the fall leaf smell is me trying to cope but I don't think so. There is also a nice fruity bouquet late in the sip. Sometimes I thought it was grape and other times apricot, so lets just stick with fruit. A time or two I thought I caught malt and once a brief moment of leather.

I am getting zero bitterness and zero astringency.  It is crisp and clean with a fresh spring water, slightly mineral, flavor under the hay and fruit. This is by no means a simple tea but it is easy to grasp. I like this one.

A Lot Of Wet Leaf

For the second 10 oz mug, I steeped either two minutes or three. The puppy and I were having a battle to decide alpha status. I am not convinced she thinks I won. Anyway, I am not certain of the time. The mug is darker and almost orange.

The second cup is more muted than the first. It isn't really mushroom but leans that direction. It is good but not as great as the first cup.

From reading other reviews I learned that if you follow Teavivre's long steep time you get a really nice honey sweet tea with many of the same notes I caught but amplified. Others reported brewing this in a gong fu style (short steeps, small amount of water) and getting 6 or so very consistent cups. Every review I have seen really liked this one no matter how they chose to brew it.

You can find Fuding Shou Mei White Tea Cake 2013 here.

Teavivre, Lotus Leaf Raw Pu-erh Mini Tuocha

Raw Lotus Pu-erh

Teavivre Description:
Unlike many other teas which should be consumed shortly after production, such as green and white teas, Pu-erh tea can either be brewed immediately or it can be stored and aged for many years, much like a fine wine. Most Pu-erh teas are classified by the year they were produced and the region they were grown in, much like many wine vintages. In fact, when it comes to Pu-erh tea, the longer it is stored and aged properly, the more complex the flavor and the more valuable the tea gets.

My Review:
I picked up 50 g of this during Teavivre's 3rd anniversary sale. These were not on sale the day I bought them, but you know how it is when you are close to getting free shipping... 50 g gets you 10 mini touchas ($0.59 each). I like the convenience of not having to measure. 1 toucha per session. I realize many serious gong fu drinkers report using 10 g at a time. Personally, if I measure, I am more likely to use 3 g, so this is a good compromise.

Green And Mostly Intact After 1st Steep

When I removed these from the sealed aluminum bag, the scent was incredible. It is intensely a bread aroma. I put one of the little bird nests into my yixing teapot and added 5 oz of boiling water. I did not do a rinse - I figure why bother, I'm just going to drink it anyway. My first steep was around 40 seconds.

The toucha has barely begun to dissolve. It has turned very green. The loose leaf bits in the pot remind me of chopped celery leaves.

I didn't think to strain as I poured, so I did get some bits of leaf in my cup. Not so many as to be annoying, and they did sink to the bottom and stay there. The first steep is very light in color with a honey tint. The shot on Teavivre's website is much lighter and almost creamy colored, so they must have used a much shorter steep time. The label for western brewing says 3 to 5 minutes.

Honey Colored Liquor

The taste of the first cup makes me think hazelnut. I did not expect it. Raw pu-erh usually has a strong astringent bite that comes off as metallic to my tastes. This one has near zero astringency and no metallic taste. I was not really expecting a lotus flavor as I detected no floral in their ripe rose toucha. The flower addition seems to really soften the more harsh notes of pu-erh. This does have a crisp mineral taste like fresh spring water that rises up towards the end of the sip.

For round two, I steeped 30 seconds. The tea is now darker and more apricot colored leaning towards orange. The toucha is shedding layers of green pieces of leaf but remains largely intact.

The hazelnut note seems to be gone when hot but comes back once the cup cools. This now tastes more like a young raw pu-erh without the harshness or bitterness that is typical. It feels thick and syrupy. I am getting some sticky lip feel from it. I also notice the astringency has risen some but remains manageable. There is a fruit flavor, possibly apricot, towards the end of the sip. The aftertaste is sweet and green tea tasting.

Third cup, also at 30 seconds, is slightly darker than the last. The toucha is stubbornly holding together but much more loosely now. I can see the leaf is much larger and far more intact than the early shedding suggested.

This cup is stronger. There is more edge. It is not harsh but has a bitterness that I like. I feel the astringency on the inside of my cheeks. When it was hot I momentarily thought I caught brief leather notes. After it begins to cool it develops a mineral and almost cave like flavor. The cooler it got the more I again catch the hazelnut at the end of the sip.

This is a really interesting and complex toucha. I know it has several steeps left in it and I will get to them later. Based on what I have already tasted, I give this two thumbs up. This is a tasty young raw pu-erh.

You can find Lotus Leaf Raw Pu-erh Mini Tuocha here.

Teavivre, Organic White Peony (Bai MuDan) Tea

White Peony Sample

Teavivre Description:
A certified organic, gold medal winning Bai Mudan white tea from Mt. Taimu in Fujian.  With an amazingly light and refreshing taste and aroma, TeaVivre's Bai Mudan is a great way to experience high quality Chinese white teas.

Sample provided by Teavivre

My Review:
I have been wanting to try this tea for a very long time. On a recent order I actually had it in my shopping cart - or so I thought. I kind of grabbed a different one because I wasn't paying attention. So when Angel Chen offered to send it in this summer's white tea and puerh sample round, I got all happy.

Dry Leaf

I opened the sample and filled my lungs with a fresh hay and grassy aroma. I decided to prepare this in the gaiwan for a back to back comparison of yesterday's Nepal white tea from What-Cha. I checked Teavivre's website and it recommended 5 g of leaf for a 90 ml gaiwan.

Pouring the leaf into the gaiwan I noticed first that 5 g is a lot of leaf. Second I noticed this sample contains a lot of broken leaf. None of my other samples have been crushed looking and they all came in the same box. Looking at the product page on Teavivre's website suggests my sample got smushed before shipping.

If you click on the picture it expands and you can better see the large amount of white down on the buds. Broken leaf aside, this is a good looking leaf.

Steeping Leaf

My instinct was to use only half the leaf because I prefer a light subtle cup, but I opted to continue with Teavivre's instruction.

I heated the water to 195 F (90 C) and steeped in the gaiwan for 25 seconds. The leaf filled the gaiwan.

The aroma is strong and leaves me totally unable to explain what it resembles. Certainly not the hay, grass, melon, notes I normally think. This is a heavier vegetable scent and umami or meat like.

Darker Than Expected

I poured the liquor into a tiny china cup revealing a dark yellow, almost orange brew. I waited for it to cool for a few moments. The first sip is bitter. Maybe I should have used 10 seconds, a lower temperature, or half the leaf. I don't know. I do know I did not enjoy this cup. The bitterness was puckeringly so. The taste lacked the depth I expected. This comes off as mostly wood pulp tasting as prepared.

I have never given Teavivre a negative review before. I am willing to believe once I work with the parameters I will find this much improved.

Finishing the cup, and I admit I almost didn't, I poured the leaf on my exam plate. Man, that is a lot of leaf. Many people prefer it this way. I am not one of them.

A Lot More Leaf Than It Appears

The leaf is full and fresh but it definitely looks chopped or crushed with very few intact leaves. That is also a first for my experience with Teavivre. I have always been extremely impressed with their tea.

For the next steep I decided to make a change. The gaiwan went back on the shelf and out came my trusty glass French press.

I also chose to lower the water temperature down to 180 F and used more of it (10 oz).

Second steep was 25 seconds.

I poured the bright yellow liquor into a mug and let it cool.

In The Mug

This is much improved. The bitterness is gone. The flavor is much more gentle. What I get now is a really nice grassy fresh alfalfa hay. It has a very mild apricot taste note mixed in with the hay. The aftertaste is nicely lingering.

I guess my problem is I expected more out of this one. When the parameters get adjusted to suit me, it is pleasant enough. It just doesn't have the depth I want from white tea.

I have enough to try this again. Next time I'll do it my way - half the sample and lower temperature. If I change my opinion, I'll come back and update this post.

Sorry Teavivre, but for the first time I am not overly impressed. While your Silver Needle remains one of my favorites, this white peony is just OK. It is probably because I am still flinching from the first steep.

Visit the Teavivre website here.

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Update!
The day after originally posting this review I decided I would try again. This time I did it my way. I used half the sample packet (2.5g) and 10 oz of water heated to 180F. The steep was 1 minute. The difference is day and night. The liquor is clear, bright, and yellow. It has the wonderful alfalfa hay aroma. The sip reminds me of the dehydrated camellia flowers I have previously tried from Teavivre. I liked them because they were different. The taste is slightly dry and though it still makes me think wood pulp, it is a very pleasant experience today. I still get cucumber/melon notes. The aftertaste lingers and grows sweeter. My only negative comment with this session today is the leaf from this second sample packet also looks like mulch. It probably does not negatively impact the flavor but it does impact the aesthetics of the tea. Watching the leaf is important to me and I love to look at beautiful full leaf. This one lacks that aspect. Otherwise I did very much enjoy today's cup.