Green Terrace Teas

I decided that I wanted oolong today but I didn’t really have the time to sit and enjoy the ceremony of it with my clay teapot and all that jazz, so I did this one western style. It worked out pretty well and tasted delicious. I do like this tea quite a bit. I finished off the sample I got from GTT today, but I ordered more during their big sale.

Ooh! Free samples for reviewing. I’m down with that. I just feel badly that these have sat for a week and a half because I had too many teaboxes all at once.

I did this one pseudo gongfu again, because even though I’m at home with all my equipment, I’m just feeling lazy this morning and I didn’t want to break it all out. I wanted to relax and enjoy tea, so that is what I am doing.

I did a quick rinse. I sometimes drink the rinse on oolongs, sometimes I don’t. I always try it, and sometimes I just drink the one sip, sometimes I drink about half. This one, I drank the whole thing. On the first sip, all I could think was, “wow! This is incredibly sweet and creamy!” It was delicious.

Anyway, the early infusions are less mineral and more floral, but in the later infusions, the mineral and vegetal flavors really shine, but it still finishes amazingly sweet and floral. through every infusion, I noticed how creamy and smooth this tea felt in my mouth.

I really enjoyed this one. I highly recommend several short infusions, increasing the time with each one, to truly enjoy all of the different flavors. Every single infusion has been different, but really nice. I’m still drinking this one.

Sip down on this tea today! Actually I sipped down all the remaining Green Terrace Teas I had this week-end. They were all one year old. All were still good but this one is still as good as the day I got it. A delicious sip down. Will miss this tea but it’s good to take some off the tea list.

Keep in mind this review is coming from someone who normally doesn’t drink black tea and doesn’t like black.

When I opened the package it smelled so wonderful. Fruity sweet. There was an element that reminded me of how Bi Luo Chun smells (and that’s one of my favs).

I kept the steep time really short – 30 sec at boiling. The aroma was intoxicating- fruity , floral , sweet. Every sip was perfection. There were strong honey notes , stone fruit notes ( peach comes to mind) , and floral notes. I couldn’t place the floral notes. They were so intertwined with the fruit notes.

Excuse me while I go for my second infusion.

Brew style: Gongfu in gaiwan
Temperature: 205 degrees F

Dry aroma: Flowers, cannot place the exact type, but ones that occur in tropical places, plumeria, creamed honey, sugarcane, ripe tropical fruit, hint of cotton candy
Throat: Hard caramel candy, sweet buttered cinnamon toast, touch of tropical flowers
Wet leaf aroma: Roasting wood and leaves, honey, plumeria, hint of fruit and cinnamon
Brew aroma: Melted butter with brown sugar, flowers, hint of green woods, fruit, small hint of vanilla and almonds
Brew color: Medium gold with tinge of brown
Taste: Overtones of fruit that turns into a sugar like sweetness at the end. Distinct note of plum upfront and apple in the middle alongside other fruits that mingle seamlessly (to the point in which I can only say that it mainly tastes of fresh tropical fruit salad). Small note of woods, almonds, cinnamon and cream. Subtly complex. Slight creamy mouthfeel. Medium length.

Brew style: Gongfu in gaiwan
Temperature: 205 degrees F

Dry aroma: Fragrant orchids, sweet cream, sugarcane, caramel, beautiful roasted aroma
Throat: Caramel right before it’s done, candy-like sweetness, roasting wood, hint of fruit
Wet leaf aroma: Woods, vegetal, fresh apples, nuts, faint hint of caramel
Brew aroma: Butter, cream, sweet caramel, orchids, extremely complex
Brew color: ’Very, very light gold
Taste: Notes evolve on the tongue quickly but noticeably, very complex. Immediately hit with the quintessential moderately roasted Dong Ding flavor. Notes of caramel right before it begins to burn, woods, roasted nuts, flowers. Smooth, bright, and bold. Medium length. In second infusion, notes of toast and more roasted nuts begin to emerge. A hint of sweetness lingers throughout.

Brew style: Gongfu in gaiwan
Temperature: 200 degrees F

Dry aroma: Roasted wood, honey, raisins, cherry, milk chocolate, very sweet chamomile flowers
Throat: Nutty, caramel, cream, milk chocolate, a hint of fruit
Wet leaf aroma: Roasted nuts, pure cacao, vanilla, cream, caramel
Brew aroma: Immediate plum, then caramel, nuts, vanilla, cream, milk chocolate.. a more subdued sweetness than the dry aroma
Brew color: Light to medium tawny brown, very clear
Taste: Honey hits first and then is followed by notes of milk chocolate and plum. Some notes of orchid in the middle. Honey and some faint notes of nuts and caramel linger. Long length. No astringency. Very smooth and quite mellow.

thank you again for the generous sample green terrace tea! I need to try the other samples you sent soon (aiming for this weekend!). I am still a fan of this tea, though it may not be my favourite honey black tea. I like that there almost seems to be a hint of something in the background of this tea beyond the sweet honey taste. Maybe it’s plum? either way, this was a great cup to start my morning off :)

Another of the 3 samples sent to me by Green Terrace Teas.

this has been highly reviewed by a number of people so i was a little apprehensive. this tastes sweet. Not quite like honey, but still sweet. I think though, that this reminds me of a more solid TTC tea. There is a strength to this tea that runs through it that makes it different to other sweet black teas that i’ve tried. I’m looking forward to having this a few more times since the samples sent from Green Terrace are quite generous! thank you again Green Terrace! more to come :)

I’m not rating this one, as Green Terrace Teas sent this one my way even though i’d only asked for two samples from them. I hate adding to my cupboard or wasting teas that i don’t think i’d really enjoy. I’m guessing they had room in the envelope. Soooo i’m drinking this even though i don’t generally prefer oolongs as a thank you for their generosity. I wholeheartedly appreciate it when companies do this sort of thing so that i get a chance to try their teas without having to commit to a HUGE purchase.

Sooo this is a green oolong. It had a floral scent to it that had me a little worried but brewed up, this isn’t overly floral. There’s a nice balance of sweetness here to go along with the floral. It doesn’t have that distinctive OOLONG taste that i dislike either. I think anyone who loves oolongs would find this a really pleasant cup of tea to drink.

thanks so much Green Terrace teas!

This was the green tea that Green Terrace Teas chose for me. It smells the jasmine teas should… light and floral. The jasmine flavour is very good. Reminds me why the jasmine greens got me into tea in the first place.

As soon as I saw this on the site, I wanted to try it. The scent is a nice malty honey. (And the dry leaves reminded me a bit of Yunnan black). There is a sweet malty flavour. I do get some hints of peach. Overall, I glad I decided to get this one as a sample.

Thank you to Green Terrace Teas for sharing samples of your teas, including this one.
Sometimes I like to sit with my cup of tea while it’s still too hot to drink, & just hold it under my nose & breath it in. When I did that with this cup, it was like I was breathing in the essence of a bowl of cream of wheat, drizzled with honey, & topped with a big spoonful of peach preserves. The preserves are melting, from the heat of the cereal, & it’s like anticipating that first bite of a favorite childhood comfort food.

Yup, the pretty much nails it.

Had a little of this left over. Seemed like a good time to finish it off. Even though this is 7 months old in an open package sealed only with a paper clip, it is still really good. Baked raisin bread and honey, with grape and cinnamon notes. Wonderful stuff. I prepared a mug for myself and one for my son. He was not impressed. His tastes seem to run more toward harsher Ceylon teas. I happen to like those as well but there is just something about a smooth tea loaded with depth. Top notch, I say.

The rain was really coming down this morning – after we left the house for breakfast with friends. Stayed gray all day with occasional thunder. Fixed this one and it was a great choice. This is way better than I remember… and I gave it a 93 the first time. I let it steep longer today and the cinnamon note was really obvious. The honey was more intense as well. This is a really excellent tea.

I’m not sure I have ever quoted George Takei before but, “Oh My!” Yeah this stuff is really good. With Honey Black, I pretty much thought Green Terrace Teas nailed the description. Here I am not getting peach. Instead, dry I get sweet and malty with grape. Not Darjeeling muscatel, just grapes. Maybe the difference is in the prep? I used 195 F with a 2 minute steep. Once water hit it the nose was cinnamon raisin whole wheat bagel covered in honey. Love! The taste is malt and wheat, cinnamon and raisin, and honey. I am not saying they taste alike, because they don’t, but my reaction to this was similar to my first exposure to Golden Tips. It is just so good and hits all the right spots in my taste requirements. This is one of the few black teas that I think does not benefit from additions, and this from a sugar junkie. If you don’t resteep this is probably a bit pricey but it is definitely worth trying a sample.

Method: 1 tbsp, 8 oz, 190 degrees, 3 minutes, French Press

Dry Leaf Aroma: This smells like sweetened malt, with a very pleasant hint of whiskey.

Flavor: This is a very good tea. I may try a bit more leaf next time, because I like a stronger flavor, but I was quite happy with this one. It has a very pronounced sweetness, with no bitterness. Astringency is very light. I often find that many teas are either not malty, or very strongly malty. This tea tasted malty to me, but it was a very quiet flavor that blended nicely with the natural sweetness of the tea. I picked up on some floral notes, but I couldn’t specify which ones. There was a little fruitiness on the end of the sip also. This tea has something for everyone!

When I was pouring the tea, I detected a bit of fruity aroma. In the cup, the aroma is a complex mixture of cooked stone fruit and an underlying leafiness. The taste is simiar to the nose, but very sweet. OMG: the finish is just amazing. Big and fruity and goes on forever. Sorry; I just had to interrupt. This is a great finish.

One of my favorite things about a really good tea is how it builds up as you drink it. When the finish from the last sip is still there when I inhale the aroma, and the aroma and the finish combine with the taste in my mouth to just build the experience. This tea gives me the full experience.

This is the kind of tea you need to just spend time with. Don’t watch TV. Don’t work. Don’t read a book. I shouldn’t even be writing a review. Just savor the tea. It is worth it.

Thanks to Green Terrace Tea for the review sample.

I got my free samples this week and why not start sampling tonight!

Using the full sample in a 6oz gaiwan.

Well…hello beautiful.

Talk about a full cup of yum.

This is everything I like about a high mountain oolong…and more.

The elements I’m really digging are usually the floral, spicy and minty aspects, and I get them all here. Nice florals that might be a little more perfumed then what I’m used to, but really, I can’t name the flowers cause it’s none of the ones I’m used to find in greener oolongs, which are orchids and lilacs.

The usual spiciness which translates into nutmeg for me is also there, and so is that fresh mouthfeel I get at the end of the sip.

What’s really different about this oolong is its fruitiness. It so full of fruits, it almost tastes tropical to me. The fact that it’s also creamy makes me think of Pina Colada. I also get grapes and apple notes.

There’s a certain bite to it also, a briskness. I wouldn’t say it’s bitter, but it’s a tad astringent. Nothing offensive though, makes the flavours pop even more.

I have many more steeps to come, and might finish it with a cold brew.

I am very impressed with this first sample.

Thank you so much Green Terrace Teas for this opportunity.

This one smelled SWEET dry and for the first steep, was just as sweet. It was very fruity but smooth. I steeped it once more, and it was a lot more floral, which was interesting. The strength was about the same each steep, and I imagine if I had enough hours in the day I could get a few more out of this no problem. I definitely recommend it.

First of all, GTT has great customer service. There was a mix up with brewing instructions so my tea was oversteeped the first time, and GTT responded with an apology and offer to send a new sample. Lovely. They clarified the steeping parameters and resent the Honey Black, along with 2 more samples. Very helpful company. I would definitely purchase from them.

Method: I made this one in my little banko houhin which is dedicated to black teas. 5 grams, 5 oz, 200 degrees, 20 seconds and 40 seconds

Aroma: Malty sweetness

Flavor: SO. MUCH. BETTER! The daunting bitterness is gone. There’s a lovely malt flavor and a hint of sweetness. There’s also a very mild bitterness on the end of the sip and a teensy bit of astringency in the aftertaste, but nothing unpleasant at all. This tea is very smooth and has a nice feel in the mouth. Not too thin, not too heavy.

I hadn’t really planned on making this, but then I saw boychik’s note and figured I’d give this a go. I’m glad I did! This story has a happy ending and now I’ll have a little caffeine to help me through an evening of babysitting my nephew, who is almost 3, and has enough energy to power a small country!

Thanks to GTT for the second sample and for being so gracious!

Method: 1 tbsp, 8 oz, 200 degrees, 3 minutes, Forlife brew in mug strainer

Dry Leaf Aroma: malty and sweet

Flavor: Oh my. Something seems amiss because this is very bitter! This was the sample I was most looking forward to, but I had to add sugar to drink it. I know the temp was exact, and I also have a separate tea timer. I tried this at 2 min, 30 sec and it already had a tinge of bitterness, so I stopped it at 3 min, instead of the 4 I had originally intended. It’s good with sugar, but it lost the maltiness from the dry leaf aroma.

I appreciate the sample, but this one just wasn’t for me.

Update: it seems the brewing instructions on the website were more general, and not specific to this tea. GTT has offered to send me another sample, so I’ll try again. I’ve removed my numerical rating for now. :)

I’ve enjoyed a lot of Li Shan oolongs, so when Green Terrace Teas offered free samples for reviews, I jumped at the chance to try two black teas from Taiwan.

This is the kind of tea I really enjoy. It is big and rich with a complex mixture of flavors.

Last night I enjoyed eight steeps of this tea and will probably have a few more today.

This is quite a fruity green oolong with nice floral tones which manages to be both soft and punchy at the same time. It is not a biting green oolong. Its floral tones while spicy and obviously present never present this sensation. However this absence seems to turn into a slight bitterness which is usually absent for me in Oolong’s of this type. It may be that I chose a slightly too long steep time, as the rinse had quite an intense flavour. The punchy tones are apparent in the great fruit tones which I really enjoyed!

The dry leaf smelled intensely of snap peas, melon rinds, and a grape hyacinth. they were composed of cool toned spruce to olive green shaded irregularly sized nuggets. Once brewed the tea had a light yellow green coloured broth.

I steeped this tea at around 85°C and so far I have done eight steeps after the rinse (35,30,35,45,55,70,85,120). The tea is still yielding a flavourful broth. The tea was creamy from the first steep and left a mild tingling at the roof and front of the mouth.

Similar tones have been found in both the scent and flavour. So far I have detected:

°Pineapple, melon ( at times even cantelope rind), mango, orange juice, and that bright tone from the white of orange rind. Pineapple has been the dominant fruit tone so far.
°Lilac and clover nectar, with lilac dominating the earlier steeping, and clover the second half. The floral notes contribute a pleasant spiciness to the tea.
°Cream.
°Mint
°A slightly woody tone
°Savoury tones including snap pea, artichoke and spinach.
°Honey

The dominant tones have been fruit and floral notes.

So far I have enjoyed this tea and look forward to further steeps today.