RiverTea

GCTTB Rd 3:

I have tried this before and really enjoyed it so I took the opportunity to get reacquainted and experience it in a new way: iced. Honestly, hot or cold, this tastes the same…delicious! It has notes of caramel from the mulberry that pair amazingly with the other fruits present in the cup. Really, really good and I am grateful to Christina for the chance to try it again :).

ETA: I am getting a lot more base as I drink this iced so in future, I may stick to hot brews. Though, for those who enjoy the taste of the white tea base, iced may be the way to go.

Sipdown!! (160)

I was not planning on drinking the whole sample in one shot but my roommate and friend chose the tea and this is the one they went for. Sipping on it now, I am sad to see it go. It has a nice fruitiness that borders on the line of caramel (I know that doesn’t exactly make sense but go with me on this). It is also not a particularly dense tea while still maintaining to be flavorful. Consequently, this is DEFINITELY something I will be restocking when I do (eventually) place a RiverTea order. Thank you Roswell Strange for introducing me to this amazing tea and sharing samples so I didn’t have to go without it.

Sipdown!!

Don’t you hate when you are about to click on a tea and the drop down list just changes? It took me like three tries to finally get to this page but I did it so yay!

Anyways, this is a tasty, tasty white. Thank you Roswell Strange for sharing. It really comes off as though I am feasting on some delicious berries. It is sweet, but with just the right amount of berry tartness. The white base is the perfect match to highlight the mulberries and the flowers add almost a butterscotch note to the whole cup. I am sad all the leaf was gone with just one (very large) cup. You shall be missed Mulberry White, until we meet again.

Sipdown!! (222)

Thank you Roswell Strange for the opportunity to try some RiverTeas. I have been quite impressed with the ones I’ve had thus far. I am really like the combination of flavors I am getting today. This has less cinnamon and more fruit. I upped the rating a bit. This is like a surprise tea where each cup is a slightly different experience.

Thanks to Roswell Strange I get to try a RiverTea and I am definitely very excited. I reached into her package and decided to make the first black tea I pulled. I was glad to see it was this one. I was a tad bit worried as there was a whole piece of cinnamon in the blend and I feared that would get sweet in the cup but there was also cranberry pieces among other stuff so I figured it would all balance out.

I get vanilla for sure. Cinnamon is there. Mango and banana are also hiding in this cup. There is definitely a lot going on in this cup but I think it works. I also get a slight bit of astringency but nothing too over the top. This was a nice introduction to the company so thank you Roswell Strange for sharing this with me :)

ETA: As I continue to sip, this is actually getting better and better. The mango and banana are becoming more prominent and the astringency died down. Weird. I upped the rating :)

I was lucky enough to be chosen as a winner for the pre-launch, I asked for an Oolong and received this wonderful Formosa Jade Oolong. Thank you River Tea

Brewing this tea in my new kettle teapot which can hold up to 1.5 litres and has a retractable egg steeper. I brew three large spoons of Oolong and infused it in 1 litre of water for three minutes.

My result is a yellow tea with a mild yet sweet and floral scent.

The flavour is also mild but tastes sweet, almost honeyed, and has a fresh, floral and fruitiness to it. Rather like subtle forms of honey suckle flowers and lightly toasted peach slices. Not only is it light but it also has a buttery after taste too.

A nice Oolong that will be perfect to use in my new flask to take to work. Due to it’s sweetness and general lightness I’m imagining it would be amazing iced.

http://www.rivertea.com/formosa-jade-taiwan-oolong-tea

Started my day with sour milk and stale toast. Not a good start. Picked up considerably when I brewed a cup of Golden Yunnan. Smoke and leather. Going to miss this one. Sadly this is the last of it. Also sad that my bag of it lasted longer than the company. When I finally get around to buying more tea, I’ll have to try the Esgreen version for myself.

One of the greatest things about having a long running blog is you receive a lot of samples for review. One of the biggest reasons not to have a blog, if you’re thinking about it, is you receive a lot of samples. Seriously. I have a box full waiting for review (and more on the way). Unlike some of you I cannot drink 15 cups a day. I generally have three and they are usually all the same tea. The blog makes it tough to work in old favorites, but I love my blog so…

Today, at least for this first cup, I am neglecting the box and drinking what I’m craving. After this cup I have just enough for one more time with this one. Those of us who love it have not seemed to be able to find a suitable replacement.

Just enough smoke in the aroma to suggest bohea. The smoke note even expresses itself in the exhale and aftertaste. It has a traditional yunnan taste though lighter than many I’ve had. Sweet honey and caramel with a peppery spice at the beginning. I even feel I detect leather. It is one of those teas that the dry scent stays on your fingers and I have no desire to scrub it off.

Unfortunately, the label does not list the estate that produced this one. Sure going to miss it.

After today, I have enough left for a couple more sessions. I was really looking forward to ordering more of this one. It is one of my favorite Yunnans. It kind of trades the sweet potato notes for a wonderful smoky bohea like flavor. Sorry to find out RiverTea is apparently no more.

Today I prepared this in a little green ceramic teapot my wife found for me at Goodwill. It holds roughly 12 oz. The perfect size for my needs. I have wanted one for a while, just for my black teas. I heated the pot first and brewed this at 194F for 2 minutes. It was so good. The smoke filled my olfactory, while the honey, caramel and leather (leather? – yup) rejoiced on the inside. Best $4 buy ever.

The last few days have been lousy weatherwise. This afternoon it was partly sunny and low 50’s. I made a hot cup of this jewel, after Sil’s review had me craving it, and headed for the porch. Light touch of smoke, malt, caramel, honey, and more than a hint of leather. I really like this one.

Spike and Buffy went out with me. Spike is sill hobbling around from surgery and is kind of pathetic at the moment, but at least he is up and eating. Buffy on the other hand is the Tasmanian Devil on Redbull. Down the ramp, out in the yard through every pile of leaves she could find. From one gate to the other, then up the steps with a leap over her collection of sticks and around again as hard and fast as she can run. I don’t know about her, but I’m worn out.

Another example of how different people respond differently to a tea. I so love this one. Some said it was bland. Some said it was just an ok everyday kind of tea. I find that interesting.

I’ve had this maybe 10 months. Every time I prepare it I get sucked in all over again. The dry scent reminds me of a freshly cleaned stall with the sweet straw and hay aromas. Once water hits it, a nice light smokiness drifts into the air. Sipping, I get tack leather, caramel, cocoa, honey, and that touch of smoke. If this is an every day tea – I’ll take it!

I don’t recall others mentioning the light touch of smoke. To me that is what sends this one over the top. I love Yunnan black teas and this one is currently a favorite. Ever since having it with bacon flavored grits, I now catch a old leather note in it each time I have a mug.

I went to the grocery store to buy some oatmeal. Next to it I saw grits. I haven’t had grits in years (my wife can’t stand them). On closer inspection it is an instant variety pack. One of the flavors is country bacon. So… yeah, that box came home with me. Trying to decide what tea to have with it, I grabbed this Golden Yunnan. On its own it is really good with a slight smokiness and that wonderful rich and smooth Yunnan flavor. As Terri remarked recently, I can drink Yunnan on an empty stomach. Now I know I can also drink it with bacon grits. Oh my lands, bacon and Yunnan! I am in love. The tea takes on a deeper leathery tone that sort of reminded me of some of the pu’erh I enjoy. I am thinking next time I am just going to pour the tea over the bacon grits instead of water and cut out the middle man. I love bacon. I love Yunnan. I love bacon. I love Yunnan. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.

Prepared this and while I was waiting for it to cool I was reminded I was driving her and the fur ball to the vet for a check up. So took one sip, whimpered, and walked away. Now we are back and its cold. You know what? It’s still really good. A little more smoky than any other Yunnan I have tasted but still a light touch. Caramel and honey. A much needed treat as I am not feeling the greatest but I am still meeting with a contractor tonight about building a porch across the front of the house.

One of those mornings. The body is trying to do one thing and the brain is trying to remain in a sleep induced coma. Wow. Everything is taking so such effort. Standing at my tea wanting to get that first cup down me. Craving black pearls but using scissors is too technical. My hand grabbed this one. It is open and the ‘tin’ is cardboard. I probably can’t get hurt on that. Over leafed on purpose. Boiling water and anywhere between 1 and 5 minutes steeping. Seriously, I say it again, wow! Probably 3 minutes on the steep. Wonderfully lightly smoky with rich honey caramel. Just what I needed. Tea do your magic. This really is a great Yunnan.

Tasting note 1111 for the number amused among us.

Yesterday it was sunny and upper 50’s. Took my wife to the big city (a town of 30,000, 60,000 when college is in session) ate out and just had a fun day. Today I am paying for it. My back and hips hurt and my breathing is giving me fits but it was totally worth it.

I over leafed this a little and got distracted so it over steeped but it took it like a trooper. I love Yunnans. This one is a very good example. Dry it smells of sweet hay. Steeped it has just enough roast to give it flair while the brown sugar chocolate caramel notes delight the taste buds. A very nice tea.

Accidentally under leafed this one as I intended to use my small cup with the Finum basket but poured water into my mug instead (doh!) Tried to compensate by steeping longer. The tea wasn’t at its best but like a trooper it gave its all. Not changing the rating because it is not the teas fault. Under leafed, it is a good gulping tea. Prepared correctly, gulping should be a crime.

Remember RiverTea’s contest “What would you do for the last 100 g of your favorite tea on earth?” Well, this is the last of my prize winning samples to try and Yunnan blacks are one of my three most favorite teas. The other two being Fujian black, and Earl Grey.

With Golden Tips and Golden Monkey being two of my highest rated teas, I wasn’t sure how this would stack up against the competition. When I inhaled the aroma of the first cup I literally went, “Whoa!” Then I sipped it and was just as impressed. This has more than a casual amount of sweet smoke. Not LS level smoke. More of a Keemun level but unmistakably smoky none-the-less. It is accompanied by honey and light malt. Beneath it lies woodsy/nutty tinged cocoa.

This is seriously good. I haven’t given a rating to a new tea in a while but I will this one. Bravo!

Steepster freaked out on me, so I am trying this again. I have logged this a couple times before with different results based on temp. Today I used hotter water than suggested. I used 185 F and 2 minute steep. The tea is green. The aroma as I poured was very asparagus / spinach. This was very good once again. This time it is buttery. There is no bitterness. Next time maybe I’ll go even hotter until I find its breaking point. What a nice tea.

158 F is a little tough to do for me, so I am pretty sure I just used the lowest setting on my kettle previously (175 F). Today I stood by the kettle and watched as the temperature gauge started to rise. Just before it read 158 I turned it off and poured. I really did not think it would make much difference as I really liked this before. It definitely did make a difference. The wet leaf has the typical steamed spinach aroma at first then suddenly blossoms with a very green vine like scent. I inhaled twice. It is an instantly recognizable smell but one I can’t place. Whatever it is it translate wonderfully into the cup. Really enjoying this one on a snowy day.

This is from Anhui province in China. It just says green tea on the ingredients. Looking at the leaf and the liquor I am pretty sure this is Huang Shan Mao Feng, but just guessing. The liquor is beautiful golden green. Very clear. This is crisp, a touch mineral, the good kind of bitter, and a nice vegetal taste. Lingering sweet after taste. This is very good.

Sipdown (149/155)!

Heyyyooo! Back under 150 blends! This is a good feeling! Of course I’m not stupid; I know it’s going to be a temporary thing – I have Butiki on the way and some stuff coming in from other people. But that shouldn’t be here for a while so I think maybe I can make a significant dent in things! Hooray!

Anyway, this was a cold brew! Very rooibos-y (ie. woody chippy) with an almost unpleasant cherry/strawberry hybrid flavour and a spicy kick at the end. I’ve really, really fallen out of love with this one since first having it months back and 50g has proven to be way too much of it for me. Not sad to see this go at all. Out with one bad RiverTea blend; in with some new, better ones.

After burning through nearly 50g of this one I’ve sorta fallen a little out of love. That’s why I’ve turned to cold brewing it: while it does taste better hot the cold brews are using the leaf up much faster. It’s sorta a fair trade off.

I had this at work yesterday, it was decent! It bordered on medical (the rooibos, not the cherry) but overall was pretty ok and thirst quenching. I’ll be fine with not having it around when it’s gone though: and besides it looks like I’ve just planned out another RiverTea order! I knew I had a few I wanted, but turns out it’s enough to feel justified in placing a (small) order and getting more fruit blends (and fruit samples) and also topping off my depleting Mulberry White!

Hooray!

Oh, and I bumped down the rating on this a touch.