Review: The English Tea Store’s Spring Pouchong Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Spring Pouchong
Company:	The English Tea Store

Straight Tea Rating:

Oolong Ranking Bar:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	165-190° F
Steeping time:	1-3 mins.
Tea type:	Oolong (Taiwan)
Aroma, dry leaves:	Fresh, planty, blue-green leaf pieces

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	1½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	Melon-ish, planty
Taste, plain —	Fruity but not sweet, hint of minty/grassy, almost tingles
Color, plain —	Yellow-green
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	2 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Melon-ish, planty
Taste, plain —	Under flavor like honeydew melon, almost tingles
Color, plain —	Yellow-green
3rd Infusion:
Steeping time —	2½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	Melon-ish, planty
Taste, plain —	More melon-ish (close to the rind), slight tang
Color, plain —	Yellow-green

Comments:
Once again, tea drinkers are faced with inconsistent tea naming. Not only are herbals called “teas” instead of “tisanes,” but true teas like this one go by several names. Pouchongs are oolongs from Taiwan (formerly Formosa) that have been fermented to about 15%, meaning that it is mostly green. This one is particularly special, hand-processed for 5 generations by the residents of a town in a fairly remote area of Taiwan.

The leaves are actually a wonderful blue-green color, sort of like my lapis lazuli-malachite necklace. After steeping the leaves, you can see that many of them are quite large in mostly full leaves, with some broken pieces and a stem or 2 here and there.

Like any really good tea, this one is good for multiple infusions. Depending on your preferences, you could probably get 4 or 5 tasty rounds from one small amount of tea leaves. Hubby and I stopped at 3 since the final infusion was developing a tang and losing its smooth feel. The melon-ish flavor was more like the fruit near the rind instead of more toward the middle.

Another “sipper” tea that will keep you satisfied. I can say from personal experience that it goes well with a bowl of clam chowder and some corn bread (warmed with a bit of butter melted in). A bit of chocolate also went well with this tea. See what pairings you prefer.

A bit about price here. At the time this review was written, the vendor’s price for a 2-ounce pouch was $7.39. Even at only 3 infusions for each pot of tea, your cost per cup is quite reasonable (I calculate it at about 15¢, far less than a cup of that fancy coffee or tea at one of those shops). I say this for people who think that really good quality teas are expensive. Hope this encourages you to think otherwise.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: thepuriTea.com’s Emerald Needle Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Emerald Needle
Company:	thepuriTea.com. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	180° F
Steeping time:	1-3 mins. (diff for each infusion)
Tea type:	Green
Aroma, dry leaves:	Planty/grassy

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	1 min.
Aroma, plain —	Rich yet light, not grassy
Taste, plain —	Mild, relaxing, full feel in mouth
Color, plain —	Pale golden
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	1½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	Rich yet light, not grassy
Taste, plain —	Slight floral quality, smooth, full feel in mouth
Color, plain —	Pale golden
3rd Infusion:
Steeping time —	2 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lighter
Taste, plain —	Lighter
Color, plain —	Pale golden

 

Comments:
The name “needle” for teas often indicates that the dry leaves are finished into a long, thin shape. That is certainly the case here. A fine tea made from the tipmost leaves and buds and retaining their natural shape.

The “official description on the vendor’s site:

If you love Japanese green teas, then this is a must-try Chinese green tea for you! Emerald Needle has the vegetal, savory notes Sencha and Gyokuro are known for, but with an added complexity of flowers, cream and sage. Its underlying sweetness gets stronger with the second infusion, so we love to pair it with dinner (first infusion) and a savory dessert (second infusion).

We found the 1st infusion to be quite richly flavorful, the 2nd one to be less so, and the 3rd infusion to be rather too light. For a tea of this quality not to give a 3rd infusion of sufficient flavor is a bit disappointing, and so we had to deduct a half teapot. However, the first 2 infusions are so wonderful that we still consider this a tea worth keeping on hand.

One look at the tea leaves before and after steeping shows the high quality of this tea. Full leaves, brownish green when dry, steep up to a bright yellow-green:

The steeping directions on the label agree with what’s on the vendor’s site:

Sip the tea and savor every drop. It (and you) deserves it.

Their packaging of these sample sizes were rather interesting. These are “pillow” packs, as I’ve recently learned, with two small foil pouches inside.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Kusmi Tea’s Russian Evening No. 50 Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.

No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Russian Evening No. 50
Company:	Kusmi Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:

About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	185°F - 195°F
Steeping time:	3-4 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Aroma, dry leaves:	Nondescript, no real character

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lightly smoky/fruity
Taste, plain —	Mild, not bitter, smoky/fruity
Color, plain —	Orangey brown
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	4 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lighter
Taste, plain —	Lighter
Color, plain —	Lighter

Comments:

What tea vendors put on their Websites to describe the appearance and taste of their teas is often at odds with reality. This tea is another example of that. Overstating things on the site might convince people to make that initial purchase, but the gap between their write-up and your experience can result in a lack of repeat business, at least for those teas that fail to live up to the hype.

What Kusmi says about this tea:

Blend of black teas from China and Darjeeling
Appearance: furled whole leaf
Color: very dark and coppery green, verging on black
Tasting advice: delicious plain or sweetened, this low-caffeine tea is ideal for the evening.

My take:

• The leaves are not whole but broken, as is clearly visible when they are dumped out of the cloaking muslin bag they come in.
• The color description on their site is not specified as referring to the dry leaves or the liquid. The dry leaves match their description, but the liquid does not. It is much lighter and orangey brown.
• Hubby and I do not recommend sweetener. The light flavor would be obliterated. We cannot either dispute or affirm their claim about the level of caffeine in this tea.

This is a very contemplative tea and goes well with smooth jazz music playing on the stereo, like Tom Scott’s “Lost in Love,” which just happened to come on the satellite TV music channel while we were trying the tea. The smoky sax blended seamlessly with the smoky/fruity character of the tea.

Sipping from a bone china teacup decorated with lots of roses makes this a real color-coordinated teatime, a setting reminiscent of some homes in France in which I’ve was a guest. Kusmi may be a company founded in Russia, but it’s now headquartered in Paris, with a CEO of Egyptian birth, and so the French air seems natural. Little Yellow Teapot wanted me to put a beret on him, but hubby and I thought that was a bit corny.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Persimmon Tree Tea’s Classic Black Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Classic Black
Company:	Persimmon Tree Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	195° F
Steeping time:	3-5 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Aroma, dry leaves:	Planty sweetness, vanilla-ish

Round 1 — 1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Rich, almost fruity
Taste, plain —	Light, delicate, not bitter
Color, plain —	Red-brown
Taste, enhanced —	Floral notes, otherwise too light
Round 1 — 2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	4 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lighter
Taste, plain —	Lighter
Color, plain —	Red-brown
Round 2 — 1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	5 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Richer, not fruity
Taste, plain —	Rich without bitterness
Color, plain —	Darker red-brown
Taste, enhanced —	Smooth, floral notes

Comments:

Out of a cute little tin comes this blend of 2 black teas (Nilgiri from India and Yunnan from China). Their individual flavors join together for a real taste treat. Take that comment above about the aroma of the dry tea being vanilla-ish carefully. Hubby detected this and says it was more of an impression than actual vanilla.

We did 2 rounds on this tea (thanks, Persimmon Tea, for sending enough for this). A round is the infusions from the same amount of tea leaves (about 2 tsps here in 16 ounces of water). Round 1 was steeped shorter and gave us 2 infusions. Round 2 was steeped longer and was only good for 1 infusion. The results show that this is an adaptable tea. You can steep it short for a lighter taste you can enjoy plain, or longer for a tea with enough taste to stand up to milk.

With teas like this, the dry vs. wet leaves aren’t so dramatic, but I like you to see what you’re getting. This is a tea that is pretty ground up yet the pieces are not too small. It’s a bit hard to tell in my photo, but you can see in the dry leaves both the dark brown Nilgiri pieces and the lighter tan (some say “golden”) Yunnan pieces.

The tea in the mug below (sitting on a doily I bought in Belgium years ago) is the 1st infusion from Round 1. In many countries this type of tea is called “red tea” due to the red color of the liquid.

The photo of the two teacups, one plain and one with milk, are from Round 2. You could still drink the tea plain, depending on how strong you like it. You will also find it suitable for milk and the sweetener of your choice. Or you could use a bit of lemon. It would even be suitable for a spiced tea (masala chai). Lots of possibilities for this truly classic black tea.

Have a cuppa and let your imagination flow.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Indie Tea’s Lover’s Lane Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Lover’s Lane
Company:	Indie Tea. [More info]

Flavored Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Flavorings work with tea?	No
Tea can be tasted?	No
Flavor blend balanced?	No

Water temperature:	175-180° F
Steeping time:	3-5 mins.
Tea type:	Green
Additions:	Rose buds, orange slices, lavender buds
Aroma, dry leaves:	Rose, orange, dry grass

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Combined scent seems sagey
Taste, plain —	Quite floral, esp. lavender
Color, plain —	Yellowy-greeny-rosy

Comments:
The label and the vendor’s Website states this tea is a blend of Dragon Well green tea, rose buds, orange slices, and lavender buds. I contrast this to my review posted earlier of a straight Dragon Well green tea, exquisite and a true pleasure to try. The flavored version here shows that she started out with good tea and then kept adding things (rose buds, orange slices and lavender buds) to it. Sort of like starting with filet mignon and making pot roast or curry from it. One option might be to use a lesser green tea. (Like starting with a lesser cut of meat for that pot roast.)

The mélange of scents comes across as sage (we even compared the dry tea side-by-side with some sage we had). A bit of a pity, since Dragon Well is one of the most highly regarded green Chinese teas and is so delicious on its own. Its delicate flavors can’t come through. Too many rosebuds, maybe? Not sure. It certainly didn’t put me or hubby in a romantic mood, which is usually an easy thing to do.

Some positive points: the vendor doesn’t use fancy, overblown descriptions of the taste of their teas on their site, and they have accurate and clear steeping instructions right on the can label (so I don’t have to run to the computer to look up them up when I want a cuppa).

  
Comparing the dry vs wet tea leaves, etc., shows that the biggest difference after the steeping is to the tea leaves. Sure, the rose buds get a bit larger and the orange slices come to life, but the tea leaves swell up nicely.

Tins block light and moisture, but as you use the tea, air gets trapped in the tin, filling the empty space that used to be occupied by the dry tea leaves. You could use a little piece of plastic wrap pushed down in the tin over the tea to keep the air away. It would also help keep the various scents in this blend from fading quite so quickly.

It seemed fitting to serve a tea made with rose buds in a teacup decorated with roses.

It’s organic.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: LibreTea’s Ming Mei Green Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Ming Mei Green Tea
Company:	LibreTea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	167° F
Steeping time:	70-90 secs.
Tea type:	Green
Aroma, dry leaves:	Grassy/spinachy/mild

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Grassy in a very mild way
Taste, plain —	Mild, smooth, not bitter, grassy/spinachy (mild)
Color, plain —	Light greenish yellow
2nd Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Grassy in a very mild way
Taste, plain —	Mild, smooth, not bitter, grassy/spinachy (mild)
Color, plain —	Light greenish yellow

Comments:
LibreTea is more focused on their main product line: steeping mugs. However, they have chosen one special tea to carry. Hubby and I thought we’d give it a try. The samples came in wonderful little foil pouches that contained just the right amount of green tea leaves for about 2 cups of tea (actually, a bit less but we fudged it for this review).

As the steeping instructions say, water temperature and steeping time are important to get the right flavor in the liquid. Boiling water will result in tea soup. Oversteeping… well, I don’t even want to go there. Just be careful.

We were careful. In fact, I was scurrying at one point to take a photo of the 1st infusion while the timer was dinging on the 2nd infusion. Thankfully, hubby took care of the tea while I snapped the picture. All was well. We chose to stop at 2 infusions, although a 3rd is very doable. One drawback: The tea leaves had partially been crushed to a powder, which made the infusions a bit chalky.

Bottom line: a very tasty basic green tea packed with care in a flavor-saving foil packet. And for you chocoholics, we tried this tea with various chocolates, and it went well with them all.

Analysis for you cost-conscious tea drinkers

Price for a bag*:	$18
Packs in bag:	15
Grams per pack:	3
Total grams:	45
Infusions per pack:	3
Cups per infusion:	2
Cups per pack:	6
Total cups per bag:	90
Cost per cup:	20¢

* Canadian Dollars as of 18 January 2011

This is an organic tea. Make of that what you will. Some facts on organics.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Element Tea’s Ceylon Shawlands OP1 Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Ceylon Shawlands OP1
Company:	Element Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	4 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Aroma, dry leaves:	Mild, fragrant

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	4 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lightly reminiscent of a malty Assam
Taste, plain —	Touch of astringency, otherwise mild
Color, plain —	Ruby brown
Taste, enhanced —	Smooth, basic black tea flavor, not caramelly
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	4½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	Faint
Taste, plain —	A bit more astringent, but pretty nice
Color, plain —	Lighter, orangey-brown

 

Comments:
We opened the foil-lined pack and saw a lovely sight: large tea leaf pieces. So very wonderful. No dust in a bag. The larger pieces, though, mean a gentler steep. The dust steeps up fast and strong. That’s one reason why it’s become so widespread. This tea, made from full leaves as indicated by the OP1 (Orange Pekoe 1), steeps up more mild than the teadust stuff.

Of course, those tea leaves get broken up a bit in the processing, but they don’t get ground to dust. After steeping them, you can see the stem and pieces quite clearly.

The tea takes milk well in the first infusion. A touch of sweetener suited us fine. If you like your tea plain, just cut back on the steep times, with 3 minutes for the first and 3½ minutes for the second. You could go 4 minutes on the second infusion to make it a bit stronger. Play around a bit to find out what suits you.

Overall, this is a nice, reliable, basic black tea to enjoy for breakfast or even your afternoon pick-me-up tea break. It’s tasty with scones, pie, cake, and just about anything you usually enjoy at teatime. Another nice tea from the tea ladies in the Mile High City of Denver.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Thunderbolt Tea’s 2010 Sample #7 Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	2nd Flush 2010 Arya Diamond
Company:	Thunderbolt Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	200° F (our guess)
Steeping time:	2-3 mins. (our guess)
Tea type:	Mixed
Additions:	N/A
Aroma, dry leaves:	Nutty, fruity

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	3 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Muscatel character, nutty
Taste, plain —	Fruity tang on sides of tongue, nutty
Color, plain —	Golden red
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	3½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	Muscatel character, nutty
Taste, plain —	Not as immediate, tangy, not subtle, less nutty, Muscatel character more dominant
Color, plain —	Golden red
3rd Infusion:
Steeping time —	4 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lighter Muscatel character, nutty
Taste, plain —	Lighter fruity, nutty, rather weak
Color, plain —	Lighter golden red

 

Comments:
Pardon my pun, but this tea is a real jewel in the Darjeeling crown. Thunderbolt Tea, an amazing company, scores again with another 2nd flush tea that was probably harvested in September. Hubby and I really liked the first infusion and are very sorry not to be able to rate this tea with 5 teapots. The 2nd infusion was quite a bit less delightful and the 3rd infusion was too weak. Possibly we oversteeped at the times shown. If you want 3 or even 4 flavorful infusions, try starting at 2 minutes for the first infusion and adding ½ minute to each subsequent steep time. You might find that you can get a 5th infusion from these leaves. Quite a bargain!

Like the previous Thunderbolt tea reviewed here, this tea has leaf pieces that vary from small to large, including the leaf-bud combo. The color of the dry pieces varies from green with a downy appearance to coppery brown and even some almost black. Their fragrance on first opening the sample’s wonderful vacuum-sealed foil package was fresh and nutty/fruity, and they enlarged nicely during steeping. (Love those foil packs!) The colors of the dry leaves may be similar, but the flavor and aroma are very different from that previous tea.

We’re relishing the experience of how teas change flavors as they begin to cool after the initial pour into the cup. As with other teas, the flavors of this one changed, with the characteristic Muscatel flavor becoming more pronounced and the nutty flavor fading.

As with their other samples, this tea needs no sweetener or milk as far as we are concerned. Just a fabulous and refreshing tea!

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Indie Tea’s Sock It To Me Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Sock It To Me
Company:	Indie Tea. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	212° F
Steeping time:	4-5 mins.
Tea type:	Black
Aroma, dry leaves:	Rich malty/jammy

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Strong, malty
Taste, plain —	Strong, not bitter, fruity on sides of tongue
Color, plain —	Dark red-brown
Taste, enhanced —	Smooth
2nd Infusion:	Weaker version of #1

 

Comments:
The label and the vendor’s Website states this tea is a blend of Golden Monkey, Yunnan Gold, Banaspaty (Assam), Qu-Hao, Korakunda (Assam). The flavor and aroma seem to be more Assam.

Some great things about this vendor: they do not put fancy, overblown descriptions of the taste of their teas on their site, they DO put accurate and clear steeping instructions right on the can label (no having to run to the computer and look up them up when you want a cuppa).

I’m getting more and more into showing the dry vs wet tea leaves. The comparison can tell you a lot about the tea. Often, when dry, the tea leaves do not show their true shape. Tiny rolled up “nuggets,” for example, do not look like the two-leaves-and-a-bud combo they are made of. Here you can see on the wet side (after steeping) that this Orthodox style tea consists of various sized pieces, from tiny bits of stem to pieces as large as half a leaf. On the dry side (before steeping) you can see the varying colors of the black teas, especially the Golden Monkey and Yunnan Gold with their lighter color.

The teacup shown below is one of my faves, a very delicate and thin bone china antique cup from a shop in which we had been browsing a few years ago. The tea with a bit of milk and sweetener (don’t overdo, especially the milk) is so yummy that it deserved such a vessel to fully enjoy it.

Despite the weak 2nd infusion, we highly recommend this tea to those who enjoy a good black tea, straight or with some milk and sweetener. Hubby and I think the name of this tea should be “Yum It To Me”! We arm wrestled to see who would get the last cuppa after the review was done. I won. (Hubby claims he let me.)

Tins aren’t the best container for tea, but they do block light and moisture. As you use the tea, air gets trapped in the tin, filling the empty space that used to be occupied by the dry tea leaves. You could use a little piece of plastic wrap pushed down in the tin over the tea to keep the air away. Not too big of an issue with a tea like this, though. More of an issue with delicate teas like whites, greens, and some greener oolongs.

Hubby and I don’t fall for the organic mumbo-jumbo nor assume that something labeled “organic” is going to be better quality (often, it’s just more expensive and puts extra strain on an industry that in many cases is all the residents have).

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: thepuriTea.com’s Dragonwell Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Dragonwell
Company:	thepuriTea.com. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	180° F
Steeping time:	1-3 mins. (diff for each infusion)
Tea type:	Green
Aroma, dry leaves:	Sweet, green smell

1st Infusion:
Steeping time —	1 min.
Aroma, plain —	Seafood-ish, green planty
Taste, plain —	Grassy, light, smooth, hint of seafoodness
Color, plain —	Pale yellow-green
2nd Infusion:
Steeping time —	1½ mins.
Aroma, plain —	More sweetly grassy, almost floral
Taste, plain —	More grassy, light, less smooth
Color, plain —	Pale yellow-green
3rd Infusion:
Steeping time —	2 mins.
Aroma, plain —	Lighter, grassy
Taste, plain —	First sip like buttered popcorn, then grassy
Color, plain —	Pale yellow-green

Comments:
This tea has several aliases: “Dragon Well,” “Long Jing,” “Longjing” or “Lung Ching.” No matter what you call it, this version of the prized Chinese green tea lives up to its reputation. Hubby and I did 3 infusions, each a true demonstration of the tea worker’s art, although our assessment of the flavor and aroma was not quite the same as the “official description on the vendor’s site:

The infusion has a full, soft mouth feel and a complex, nutty flavor that’s easy to enjoy again and again. Its distinctively sweet, clean, roasty finish appeals to a range of tea drinkers.

We detected that full, soft feel in our mouths, and the taste was certainly complex but did not come across as nutty, more as grassy/seafood-ish. Hubby describes the seafood part as just the hint you get when you walk by a seafood seller in an open-air market, not at all overwhelming. Again, you can order one of the sample sizes that Nav, the company owner, offers, and do some taste trials.

One look at the tea leaves before and after steeping shows the high quality of this tea, with mainly that most highly sought two-leaves-and-a-bud combo, which you can even see in the dry, flat leaves:

The steeping directions on the label agree with what’s on the vendor’s site:

A splendid, delicate, and beautifully colored green tea deserves to be served in a most precious and delicate glass teacup. Having tried 13 of thepuriTea.com’s teas by now and having found all but one to be warranting our top rating of 5 teapots, we really think that Nav has truly raised the bar on teas available online through smaller operations (and possibly thru any online vendor).

Their packaging of these sample sizes were rather interesting.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Review: Tula Teas’ Charcoal Roasted Dong Ding Oolong

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

The Subject:	Charcoal Roasted Dong Ding Oolong
Company:	Tula Teas. [More info]

Straight Tea Rating:

Oolong Ranking Bar:
About the new rating designation.

Water temperature:	205° F
Steeping time:	1 min. each infusion
Tea type:	Oolong
Aroma, dry leaves:	Fresh, planty/nutty

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Generally floral
Taste, plain —	Nutty, planty, melon-ish aftertaste
Color, plain —	Pale yellowy green
2nd Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Roasty/planty when water added, fruity sweet/roasty after steeping
Taste, plain —	Same as #1
Color, plain —	Deeper yellow-green
3rd Infusion:
Aroma, plain —	Planty
Taste, plain —	More planty, less roasty, less smooth
Color, plain —	Deeper yellow-green

 

Comments:
Another superb tea from Tula Teas, a tea company that, though relatively young, is certainly one whose teas are well above average. We didn’t do as many infusions as owner Libby Gibson recommended. We were steeping up 16 ounces at a time to be sure we had enough to taste between us, so three infusions gave us 48 ounces of tea. If you are enjoying this tea by yourself, use only 8 ounces of water and about a teaspoon of the dry tea leaves (which look sort of like little gold nuggets). Those dry leaves open up large in your pot or cup.

Their description of the flavor:

The tightly rolled, dark-roasted leaves of Charcoal-Roasted Dong Ding have a deeply roasty, woodsy, nutty aroma with a subtle note of stewed plums. They brew into a pale, lemony colour, which may surprise you given the depth of its aroma and flavour. Scents of chestnuts, carob, dried wood and green forest growth give way to smooth, mellow flavours of spearmint, more carob, dry lemongrass and some minerality. The finish is roasty with a distinct mint-chocolate note. Like all great oolongs, this tea reinfuses with ease. The second infusion is fuller and roastier, with more woodsy tones.

Again, a description that will leave some tea drinkers puzzled. Our experience was very enjoyable but not like theirs. The tea had a smooth feel and had a definite melon-like aftertaste. The aroma was roasty-nutty as well as planty. This is not to say that the flavor was a disappointment. On the contrary, hubby said it was one of the best teas we’ve tried so far, and I agree. What it does mean, though, is that the description is again a bit over the top and prone to lead to unrealistic expectations.

One thing is sure: this is a “sipper” tea. Enjoy it slowly and in a luxurious manner. The vendor recommends having some after a meal, sort of as dessert. Give it a try.

The sample package is the best we’ve seen so far and should keep the teas great tasting for awhile. They block out both light, moisture, and air. We always store our teas away from heat sources, too.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.