Oollo Tea, Oriental Beauty

Oollo Tea Description:
Renowned for its beautiful five colour dancing leaves. This traditional beauty exudes apricot and peach scents followed by indulging orchid, muscat grape, and apple flavours.

Origin:
Varietal: Qingxin Oolong/Jinxuan Oolong
Grower Name: Zhen Family
Location: Pinglin, New Taipei, Taiwan
Elevation: 500m
Harvest: 2014 Spring

Sample provided by Oollo Tea

My Review:
Today I was delighted to read up on this tea and learn its secret is Vampires! More on that in a moment. First, something else I learned reading Oollo's website; Oriental beauty is the name British royalty assigned to this tea for it's "beautiful colours and shapes. It seemed like a lady dancing in the tea pot".

What gives this tea its unique characteristics is the green leaf hopper that bites the leaf and feast on the tea leaf juices like vegetarian vampires. Seems totally appropriate on the day before Halloween.

I have a 5g sample in a sealed aluminum bag. The label has brief brewing instructions. There are expanded options on the website.

Opening the bag at first gives up very little in the way of aroma. Then I catch floral notes that seem to grow as I linger. Oollo mentions orchids. To me it was more reminiscent of peony.

The leaf is gorgeous. The five colors associated with higher quality leaf can be seen - brown, red (more of a cinnamon), green, white, and looking closely, touches of yellow. The yellow/white is the result of the vampire biting leaf hopper.

I decided to use the entire sample for a western steep. I was originally going to split it for a gung fu session - until I read about the dance of the leaf that caught the British royal's attention.

Never wanting to miss a good dance, I heated water to 195F and grabbed my clear glass Bodum press. The steep was a short 1 1/2 minutes. So I guess I am back to doing a hybrid method from years passed, where I use western water amounts and eastern time and temperatures. Seems to work for me.

As for the dance, most of the leaf hung vertically from the surface. A few leaf dove to the bottom. What made this interesting was not the ballet I was expecting, rather the slow graceful swelling of the leaf as it began to fill the pot. There were several leaves that gyrated and twitched. I don't know, maybe they were Miley Cyrus wanna bes. Forget it, scratch that image. I know. Too late.

The steeped leaf is mostly complete leaves and buds joined to stems. From this side of the steep, I see no evidence of the work of the green leaf hopper. The scent is honey and fruit.

The liquor is clear, bright, and more the color of syrup than my camera captured. It is kind of a honey/caramel.

Tasting, I am asking, are you sure this is oolong? I know it is on heavily oxidized end of the scale but this seems like a Nepal black tea. It lacks the heavy roasting that many dark oolongs possess and for that I am glad - not personally a fan of heavy roasting.

So what I am tasting is raisin drifting into muscat grapes. It also has a nutty, deep woods presence to it. Late in the sip I sense it opening up with floral notes. Again, to me, it is peony. Very good. I am still making a Nepal/Darjeeling comparison in the flavor.

This should go several more steeps. I may find out later today. Right now an earache and head cold are making me feel less than up to the task. It has to be couch time somewhere, right? Definitely aspirin time.

You can find Oollo Tea American Beauty here.

Good Earth, Sweetly Twisted

Good Earth Description:
Keep guessing from the first sip to the last mouthful with Sweetly Twisted™. Starting out sweetly enough, this tea takes a tangy left turn to an unexpectedly refreshing place, sending your taste buds on an impromptu getaway. Hope you have some vacation days left.

Ingredients:
Hibiscus, black tea, rosehip, lemon peel, chicory root, natural flavor, sweet blackberry leaf, lemon oil,  licorice root, natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors, citric acid, steviol glycosides (stevia).

Sample provided by Good Earth

My Review:
Good Earth has so far been a fun break from the 'serious' teas. I like that I can find this brand locally, though it takes a little effort to find all of their different fusions.

As has been the case with all of these teas, the box contains 18 tea bags each packaged in an individual sealed envelope to maintain freshness. The majority of this brands offerings contain slightly more than 2g of leaf. I applaud them for giving us enough leaf to make a real cup of tea.

Opening the envelope releases a scent that is familiar and yet I can't quite figure out what it is I'm smelling. This brings to mind some type berry flavor.

Pouring boiling water into mug, brings about a quick transitioning of the water from clear to deep red. Aw oh, hibiscus. I looked at the ingredients and hibiscus is first on the list. My wife loves it. Me not so much. Good Earth has proven themselves worthy of my continuing on with this cup. I also notice blackberry leaves in the ingredients which explains the aroma and the box graphic suggesting a berry connection.

The aroma is berry and a pleasantly vanilla.

The name of this tea describes the taste pretty well. It hits you with an immediate blast of stevia/licorice root then turns suddenly to tart hibiscus.

I let my wife taste it. She said it certainly doesn't need sweetener. She thought for a moment then added the taste "wasn't bad". That's as close to a detailed review as I ever get from her. My opinion, this one is not for me. I did not enjoy the tartness of the hibiscus and I did not enjoy the strong bitter stevia aftertaste. The stevia reminds me of saccharin. Sorry Good Earth, but its true we can't like them all. If you enjoy hibiscus and stevia, have I found a tea for you.    

You can find Good Earth Sweetly Twisted at your local grocer or direct from Good Earth.

Sanne Tea, Taiwanese Green Tea - Cold Steep

In all the time I have been reviewing tea on The Everyday Tea Blog, I have never reviewed the same tea twice in back to back reviews. If I have something to add, I usually handle it by updating the original post. I am making an exception today.

Yesterday I reviewed a hot western steep of Sanne Tea, Taiwanese Green Tea. Today I am writing about a cold steep version of the same tea. The results are different enough to warrant a separate entry.

I love iced tea but for whatever reason I seldom cold steep tea. I'm not sure why, as it is incredibly simple. I grabbed a glass bottle that once contained some particularly mediocre store bought tea. I then placed 3g of loose leaf tea in the bottle, filled it with cool water, tightened the lid and placed in the refrigerator. The next day I have cold tea just waiting for me.

You can do this with any tea (even tea bags) or herbal. Some will work better than others. Experiment and have fun with it.

When I grabbed this today I decided to pour it into another bottle to strain out the leaf. I grabbed a funnel but never thought to grab a screen, so I got a couple leaves in the second bottle. In many parts of the world, they would not bother trying to strain in the first place, so its all good.

The color is a beautiful gold with light green tint. The taste is the reason I felt this deserved a new post. This is just simply delicious and refreshing. It is so sweet, I have no desire to use any additives. The first note that hits me reminds me of the first hot cup. It has a sweet corn/buttered popcorn flavor. Then I catch what seems to be a roasted hint, except this particular green tea was not roasted. So, maybe it would be better to call this a nutty flavor. Finally, I catch an abundance of floral notes reminiscent of Taiwan oolongs. It is a very nice orchid sweetness that carries on into the aftertaste.

As much as I enjoyed this tea hot, I have to tell you this tea really shines as a cold brew.

You can find Sanne Tea Taiwanese Green here.

Sanne Tea, Taiwanese Green Tea

Sanne Tea Description:
This Taiwanese Green Tea comes from Pinglin District, New Taipei City, near the Feitsui Reservoir area. For centuries, the environment has been strictly protected in this area. Mr. Chen, the fourth generation of his tea family, earned the organic certification in 2010, and became one of only 22 organic tea farmers in this area.

Unlike non-fermented Japanese Green Tea, Mr. Chen’s Taiwanese Green Tea is lightly fermented, about 5%, making the tea less pungent and less bitter than Japanese Green Tea. After it is picked, the fresh leaves go through a short withering process. Unlike other green tea makers who pick immature tea buds, Mr. Chen only picks the well-grown tea leaves, which contain sufficient nutrition to generate exquisite flavors. After harvest, the fresh tea leaves were naturally withered under the sun and gentle breeze. Compared to blower withering, natural withering keeps the tea’s innate aroma. Next step, the stir is the key for making excellent green tea. Insufficient stirring would make tea smell moldy and fusty; over stirring would lose the freshness of green tea. Only an experienced tea master can adjust the amount of time and temperature during stirring, extracting the correct notes from the fresh leaves to impart a wonderful sweetness.

Sample provided by Sanne Tea

My Review:

Sanne Tea invited The Everyday Tea Blog to review a few of their new products. I quickly jumped at the opportunity as the previous teas were very good.

Today's tea is a new Taiwanese Green Tea. Taiwan is noted for their exceptional high mountain oolongs. They also have some fabulous black teas (Sun Moon Lake I love you). Lesser known, especially in the west, are the green teas that did not hit the global market until the mid 20th century and most of us are just hearing about them now.

This is a 6g sample that came in a resealable pouch. It looks like brown market wrapping paper on the outside but is lined to preserve freshness. The package front is elegant in its simplicity.

The back of the pouch is what most catches my attention. The pertinent information is hand written with a brush pen. I find this personal touch and attention to detail refreshing in a world of shove it out the door. Taking the time to do it right is very tea.

Opening the pouch, I get just a light whiff of green. If I have to find a word, I guess grassy is the best choice.

I poured the entire sample on to a plate then divided it in half. 3g went into a glass bottle. I filled it with water and put it in the fridge for a cold brew test in about 12 hours.

Examining the remaining 3g, the leaf is large pieces, some lightly twisted, some not so much. The leaf is various shades of green with an abundance of white tips on the end of the leaf.

I used the glass French press as usual. Water was heated to 175 F and once added the steep was a short 60 seconds.

Permit me to run off on a brief rabbit trail, I have always read tea bags release the flavor more quickly than loose leaf. I just don't get that. I have never steeped a tea bag for only 60 seconds. I think it is more fair to say a tea bag releases most of its flavor in the first steep, reducing the usable number of steeps to one - two if you like weak tea. Loose leaf usually steeps multiple times, has a more complex taste, and often results in a different experience with each.

OK, back to this tea. The resulting liquor I found to be one of the yellowest cups I can recall. The product page calls it light green. Possibly the difference is they may have prepared this in a gaiwan and I used the press.

The steeped leaf has really been rejuvenated. They are big plump green leaves. The scent is between green vines and grassy.

Tasting the very clear liquor, I taste sweet corn. I was expecting more of a seaweed flavor, but my brain and taste buds are calling this corn. It is incredibly smooth with no hint of bitterness. I am not noticing much in the way of drying astringency. The taste turns even sweeter toward the end.

As it approaches room temperature the flavor is reduced and it becomes more of a fresh mineral stream taste. I still find it pleasantly refreshing. The aftertaste remains green and grassy.

The second cup was steeped for 90 seconds. The color of this cup does have a slight greenish tint. The aroma out of the press is far more nori (edible seaweed). This difference is an interesting example of my rabbit trail comment above.

Cool. The taste is also a 180 from the first cup. The taste is bold nori. There is just enough bite to be interesting without being bitter or astringent. The finish is sweet and grassy. I notice just a slight tingle in the cheeks. As the cup cools the bite subsides, though never disappearing completely. The taste remains a mix of seaweed and grass.

This leaf should stand up to three more steeps, and I still have the cold brew to comment about, but not today. It is my oldest son's birthday, so we are getting ready celebrate with him. However, I have enjoyed my time this afternoon with this one from Mr. Chen's garden. Thank you Sanne Tea.  

You can find Sanne Tea Taiwanese Green here.

Red Leaf Tea, French Vanilla Matcha

Red Leaf Tea Description:
When anyone wants to partake of a snack that is deliciously sweet, perfectly healthy and unique in flavor, French Vanilla Matcha becomes an obvious choice. This is because, unlike Madagascar Vanilla Matcha, it has a creamier look and texture and is very smooth on any palate. This makes it a delightful treat for growing families with young children who need to get accustomed to enjoying sweet healthy treats as often as they require. It is also an excellent accompaniment for any adult who wants to revisit their younger days without the calorie overload. For senior citizens it the best choice for an enjoyable palate alternative that is very smooth and easy to partake. French Vanilla Matcha with its very inviting color, combines the best of both worlds because, it uses the exceptional Eastern Matcha tradition with the top notch European practices for delectable daily treats. This makes this unforgettable snack an absolute favorite for anytime of the day or night when both adults and children need to kick back and relax while they treat their taste buds to a unique creamy Matcha that goes down so smoothly that one serving is never enough. This special Matcha treat can also hold its own among many edible alternatives in any social setting. Its ultra-smooth texture and bright coloring make it a favorite for many children parties and other adult gatherings, where people want to venture away from the traditional and experience the exceptional together with their friends and loved ones. French Vanilla Matcha becomes the perfect incentive to bring many people together.

My Review:

I already had my morning cold matcha latte. Lunchtime snuck up on me before I realized (I looked it up - snuck has become an acceptable usage of past tense sneak, at least in the US and Canada). Nothing sounded good, so I finally fixed a small bowl of white rice. Afterward, I started craving another latte. Red Leaf Tea French Vanilla Matcha to the rescue.

Once the sample pack was opened, the air was filled with sweetness like icing. Removing a spoon of powder, this is a yellowish spring green. Mine is the regular basic grade matcha.

I used a half mug of cold 2% milk and my frother to blend it together. The mug was nearly full of froth. When I make my morning latte, I use a 16 ounce tumbler. When a tea froths as well as the French Vanilla, I can put the straw in the tumbler and it will stand straight up. I tried this in the mug, but it is not tall enough so the straw fell over. It is so thick that I fully expected it to work.

Filled the mug the rest of the way with milk. Man, this smells good. It is kind of a clay color. That is typical of a cold milk latte made with basic matcha.

This tastes a lot like iced white cake. Like a big slice of cake was thrown into the blender with some milk. Yes, it is near heaven. Oh wait, except for the milk there is pretty much no calories, as this is simply pure matcha powder from green leaves and French vanilla natural flavor, so maybe it is heaven. Well, at least heavenly.

There is some spicy note present that reminds me of Christmas. I have read no other reviews making that statement, so this is obviously a memory connection for me. I'll take it.

This is smooth creamy, sweet, and obviously vanilla without going over the top in any way. I am pretty sure this will satisfy just about any normal sweet tooth. For those of us that want our dessert even more decadent, it will take additional sweetening in stride.

I highly recommend trying this one.

You can find Red Leaf Tea French Vanilla here.

Good Earth, Starry Chai

Good Earth Description:
One sip of Starry Chai ™ and you’ll look heavenward as the sweet, luscious flavor makes your taste buds twinkle. Exotic chai spices are masterfully blended with a surprise touch of cherry flavor to create a lusciously organic tea experience.

Ingredients:
Organic black tea, organic natural flavor, organic cinnamon, organic cardamom, organic nutmeg, organic ginger root, organic licorice root, organic raspberries, organic cloves, organic black pepper, natural cherry flavor with other natural flavors, organic star anise, natural flavor, organic chicory root.

Sample provided by Good Earth

My Review:
I am trying to space my Good Earth reviews out a little rather than hitting you all at once with them. They currently have supplied me with twelve different teas and I will eventually review them all.

I am still enjoying the return to my roots with these tea bags. I have only recently started to see this brand locally. Seeing them on the shelf, I had avoided them because my experience in the earlier days taught me in general to avoid teas that had more than 3 ingredients. The rule had served me well, but it appears I need to revise it. My new rule is never buy tea with more than 3 ingredients, unless the blender has proved they know what they are doing. So far Good Earth has earned a spot on that list. They have been a pleasant surprise to review.

On to the tea! The box contains 18 tea bags that are individually sealed in an aluminum envelope. Each contains right at 2g of leaf and spices. Plenty for a hearty cup of tea.

I used boiling water and a 4 minute steep. The brew is an orange/red. Dry the cherry makes this smell a little medicinal, but once steeped it is a warm cinnamon and cardamom with hints of cherry.

My wife liked the taste of this with no additions. I thought it was a little lighter in flavor than I wanted. I added a half packet of Splenda. To me this was a perfect balance of flavor to sweetness. My wife said it was just sweeter. Tinker with it yourself and see if it is better sweet or unsweet (cough sweet).

The taste is much like the aroma. It is a soft warm cinnamon, clove, and cardamom, with a light touch of cherry. Unlike the previous Good Earth chai I reviewed, the ginger and black pepper do not bring a spicy kick at the end. They are present but support the cinnamon allowing it to heat up the finish.

What is especially interesting to me is how quickly this disappeared from my cup. For chai that is a major accomplishment with me. I think there is still a at least one chai from Good Earth I haven't tried yet. There is still the possibility I'll be able to point and say, "Aha! I told you I didn't like chai". For now at least, I have to admit I kind of do like it.

You may find Good Earth Starry Chai at your local Walmart or Kroger store. You can also order direct from Good Earth

Jalam Teas, Bada Mountain Raw Sheng Puerh

Raw Cake

Jalam Teas Description:
This raw green Puerh is a classic Puerh with what Jeff calls 'great qualities that should serve as some sort of example of consistent joy'. From the hands and trees of the Hani people near the village of Manmai, the tea has some of those wonderful slight astringent notes that tingle, dissipate and flow sweet into the throat. Long flavor legs stay in the mouth for long portions and the leaves because of the quality of each stage of production can handle many infusions. It is one of the teas we intend to carry once a year at a minimum and hope to include on our permanent tea menu.

Sample provided by Jalam Teas

My Review:
I have been waiting for the right moment to open this tea and enjoy it. I was up early and got my other work done - 6:00 am I was transposing songs from one key to another for the Praise Team, then I spent a few moments destroying spaceplanes on the runway in Kerbal Space Program. I'm really bad at planes. Now I am home alone with my tea. I'm almost giddy.

Steeped Leaf

Something else to mention - Jalam Teas gifted me with this out of the blue back in April. It arrived at the height of a recent health battle. As you can see by my summer postings, I am just getting back up to speed. Thank you Jalam!

So, opening the (rice?) paper wrapper released a ton of aroma. More importantly it was a very fresh and green aroma with hints of sheng. I am not by any means advanced in Puerh, and I am certainly not used to a sheng having made such a positive impression right from the beginning.

The leaf is as interesting as the aroma. Look at all the color. See picture at top of page. It is green and brown with a plentiful amount of silvery buds.

I used a knife along the outer edge, in towards the center and began to work my way around the edge. I removed about 10g for steeping. Placing it in my clay pot, a few ounces of boiling water was added and poured off after 10 seconds. I then let the leaf sit in the pot and awaken before adding water for the first cup.

Lovely Nectar

The result is an apricot cup with a little sediment because I did not use a proper filter. It doesn't bother me. This is a 2014 pressing. I braced myself expecting a sharp astringent sip. What I got was a tasty cup with only slight astringent notes and as the description says it flows in and out. I caught faint straces of smoke. It is slightly sweet and nicely gentle for such a young sheng. The aftertaste reminds me of peach.

The second cup starts out almost syrupy. It is even sweeter and the peach aftertaste is stronger.

I intend to have many more steeps from this leaf over the course of the day. While I am by no means an expert on Puerh, I know what I like when I taste it. This I like. It is full of flavor without assaulting you with the usual astringent bite.

You can find Jalam Teas Bada Mountain Sheng Puerh here.