Friday, July 9, 2010

Black Teas: Taiwan Assam


This tea is from Taiwan that is made in an English breakfast style.
It has a wonderfully smooth flavor.
This tea is excellent with cream or a slice of lemon.

Smell: Sweet, spicy

Color: Mahogany, shiny, clear with a sparkle

Taste: Smooth, mild,

Body: Medium

Liquor: Medium

Stay: Even, mild, consistently coats the tongue

Leaf: Cut

Conclusion: An excellent breakfast tea.
Mild and smooth unlike most breakfast teas that has a more astringent flavor as though you took a bite off an unripe banana.





Thursday, July 8, 2010

Black Tea: Jin Hao Congou


An exquisite black tea that is reminiscent in flavor of the Chinese red dates.
The sweetness is refreshing and delicate.
The beauty of the tea is lovely to behold before and after it is brewed.

Smell: Earthy and spicy

Color: Reddish

Taste: earthy, spicy, clean no bitter tannins after taste

Body: Medium

Liquor: Deep and strong

Stay: Lingering and cleansing to the palate

Leaf: Golden with whole downy buds with some tender twigs

Conclusion: Excellent delicate tea for daily use.
Subsequent brews yield consistent flavor.




Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Black Tea: Fujian Supreme GongFu


Gongfu means skillful way or merit of a man.
It is a discipline and a skill achieved through patience, persistence and practice.

The Chinese method of brewing tea is more about the science of brewing tea rather than the ceremonial and symbolic gestures of the Japanese tea ceremony.
The Gongfu method of brewing tea is Chinese in tradition.
The main focus here is to accomplish an exceptional and great tasting brew that satisfies the physical senses and the soul.
Ultimately, the Gongfu method is to connect the tea connoisseur’s soul to the soul of the tea.
This black tea is exquisite for such an endeavor because the tea leaves itself has been prepared and cured by the tea masters to yield a successful brew each and every time.
It is a supremely delicate  and skillfully prepared tea that cannot be wrongly brewed by the tea fancier.

Smell: Spicy and sweet

Color: Auburn, shiny and clear

Taste: Long aftertaste of spiciness with mild floral note

Body: medium

Liquor: medium

Stay: Long but milder without astringency

Leaf: Fine tips, fermented and roasted.

Conclusion: A boldly smooth tea.
An excellent English breakfast substitutes however it surpasses any breakfast style teas.
The youthfulness of the leaf tips is evident in the brew.
Unlike most breakfast or Gongfu style teas.
This tea has smooth tannins with no astringency.


Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Aged Oolong: Phoenix Honey Orchid Dan Cong


Feng Huang Dan Cong tea varietals come from trees that old tea trees that range in 150 to 900 years old.
They are famed for their characteristic to naturally absorb the flavors, essences of the surrounding flora like flowers and fruits.
Dan cong implies single bush teas or single bush productions.
These tea trees are single trunk trees that grow straight and tall with a canopy like an umbrella.

Smell: Deep, gentle honey fragrance with floral overtones

Color: Light amber, clear, glistening.
The color stays consistent with the 4th and 5th brewing with extremely slight variations in hues revealing golden tones.

Taste: Light, smooth and even tannins, followed with a high bittersweet after taste

Body: Medium viscosity, fluid, clear

Liquor: Light to medium intensity, revealing the sweetness as it passes through the tongue.

Stay: Even and consistent stay within the cheeks and tongue.
Flows smoothly like melting honey in the back of the throat and spreads into the chest cavity.

Conclusion: Intoxicating.
It brews several times, each with its own distinctions revealing the depth of the varietals.
The leaves brew best in a red clay teapot with medium thickness to its walls.
The tea color stays consistent after 4 brews.
An excellent tea for the cultivated taste buds.
Deep but gentle, primal, ancient, provokes calmness and deep thoughts.




Monday, July 5, 2010

Aged Oolong: Supreme Phoenix Dan Cong Honey Iris


This tea comes from the Guan Dong region from the Phoenix Mountains where there are priceless tea trees that range in ages of 150 to 900 years old.

They yield the most unique flavors due to their age and cultivar.
These trees have roots that burrow deep into the earth of the mountain and absorb the natural minerals as well as the essence of the floral of the surrounding area.
The harvested leaves are done by hand and processed by hand.
The yields from these trees are small and consequently rare.

Smell: Sweet, floral overtones

Color: Light golden yellow, shiny and clear

Taste: Floral and sweet

Body: Medium

Liquor: Even and light

Stay: Long, evenly coats the tongue and lingering

Leaf: Long, whole, twisted, beautiful aging

Conclusion: A lovely tea that reveals its honey characteristic extremely well.


Sunday, July 4, 2010

Aged Oolong: Royal Yellow Stone Feng Huang Dan Cong


This is a rare tea that is harvested from trees that are about 700 years old.

The harvest yields are small therefore making this tea rather scarce and rare.
It has a complex flavor and elegant.

Smell: Sweet, honey, apricot flavor

Color: Light amber, color stays consistent with subsequent brews – 3rd and 4th

Taste: Floral and fruity

Body: Medium

Liquor: Light

Stay: Long, even and smooth stay

Leaf: Full, twisted, aged perfectly

Conclusion: Enchanting tea.
It has a most surprising floral and apricot aroma and flavor.

 

Saturday, July 3, 2010

White Tea: White Phoenix


This is an excellent tea especially for its flavor and low to no caffeine content.

It comes from the Camellia Sinensis tea bushes.
The leaves are usually picked before the heavy spring rains begin between mid March to mid April.
The leaves are usually unfurled and still are its budding stage, undamaged and exposed minimally to the sun.
White tea is unfermented and unoxidized.
They are usually sun dried or steam dried.

Smell: Fresh, floral, smooth, green and clean, mild chestnut
Color: Light yellow
Taste: Floral, fresh, honey tones, sweet with an extremely mild, buttery and smooth finish
Body: Thin
Liquor: Mild
Stay: Long stay especially from mid tongue to the back of mouth and throat,
covers the entire tongue.
Leaf: Tiny, downy buds with small flower buds of the Camellia Sinensis tree.
This is a handpicked tea.
Conclusion: Soothing, clean, fresh, floral and smooth tea.
A very substantial tea for a white variety.
The flavor is lasting.
Brewing temperature and time will make the tea sweeter or yield a more smooth bitter finish.
A lovely mild but substantially flavored tea.













Friday, July 2, 2010

White teas: Nepal Darjeeling White


This tea is grown and processed in Nepal in the Darjeeling style of teas.

White and green teas are becoming more popular
in the Indian continent tea plantations.
This Nepalese white tea is very fluffy and light.
The tea leaves are picked and rolled by hand.
It is withered in the sun and is a quite rare.
The weather and elevation of Nepalese tea plantations is ideal for tea growing.

Smell: Lively, fresh with light citrus overtones

Color: Mid-amber, full, beautiful deep hue

Taste: Crisp and clean, even with light citrus finish

Body: Sweet, complete and covers evenly

Liquor: High tone

Stay: Heavy on the palate, lighter throughout the mouth,
lighter in the throat

Leaf: Young, clean downy buds, light roast, delicate scent

Conclusion: Perfect start of the day tea.
Will pair well with custard or any dessert containing high cream content.
One of the few teas we would suggest served with a citrus zest.






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