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I finished this sampler of Dragonwell tea the other morning. Of all the loose leaf tea sampled to date this one brewed quite nicely in the cup with the leaves in their fullness. It is amazing to see how one scoop of this finely curled tea unfolds when brewed.

It is a rich, toasty aroma while the leaves are smooth, vegetal and earthy in flavor. The leaves are not buttery like that of other tea sampled. In the end it is the cup of tea that matters and this mattered quite nicely.

I finished the last bit of this fine leaf green tea. It does brew a deep green; very rich with the sweetness of an early dew freshness in the cup.

I followed brewing instruction and did not boil it as hot, since I don’t have timer I just let the water start to simmer and then pour it into the cup and place the saucer on top as lid for 2 minutes.

It is a tantalizing cup of green tea.

Review of Ceylon Silver Stripped from The Tao of Tea sampler

I have been enjoying this tea for two days now. I began the morning of last with a brimming cup of this tea.

I placed two teaspoon of this tea in a cup and poured boiling water into the cup and placing lid on the cup let steep for 5 minutes. One teaspoon per 8 oz cup and steep for 4-5 minutes for one infusion is recommended.

While the tea steeps, I could not help notice the difference in the leaves in the disk like tin container. The leaves are very fine and curled; I don’t see silver in coloring but a rich darkish green in color.

Anyhow, in sipping this tea once, I could not help but take in the malt and robust of the flavor. On second sip I could sense chalkiness in my palette, not bad mind you, since the chalk makes me want to wet the taste buds more and so that is how I drank this tea through out the day. I drank this one sip at a time, while trying to quench the chalk in taste.

The color is dark reddish brown. The container of the leaves smells slightly vegetal but when brewed it is a robust, full body tea, well balanced in that it is not too astringent, nor too sweet. I can see where adding honey (Rock honey) would play nicely with this tea. And yes brown sugar would play nicely with this as well, it does enrich and enliven the cup.

This is a nice cup of tea, full in body and robust in flavor. I continue drinking it at dinner and this did not disturb nor curb my appetite. It is full in body but not filling; so that even after dinner it can still be enjoyed well into the early afternoon.

Thank you, Lelias Teaware for sending me these samples. I am enjoying them all so far.

On this rainy day perfect way to finish this Spring “Shi Ru” tea. I am happy, enriched to have tried this Oolong. It is rich and does brew best very hot/boiling temperature.

I do not yet understand the term “sweet” if not adding sugar to something. Perhaps it is described as ‘sweet’ if not vegetal or coarse and smoky; then I would say it is sweet.

Each cup I have had of this tea was fresh in flavor and full; the longer I brewed this tea the more enjoyment I found within the cup. And the tea leaves are soupy; yums or go a bit further to buttered yams kind of yummy in taste.

I am liking Oolongs and this is a good thing.

Review of The Tao of Tea’s Dragonwell sampler

I wanted to begin my day with this cup of Dragonwell and looked forward to doing so most of the morning while the water was brewing. I picked a new cup and gently rinsed it with warm water and left it to dry.

I so enjoy the tin that contains this tea, the little flat disc fits so nicely in the palm of my hand and I can see the leaves, very green in color and they look pressed not pan fried since the coloring is green not dark or black. In opening the tin, the notes hit me right away; green, grassy, vegetal…wet grass even. I like this smell very much.

I placed one large spoonful in my now dry cup and proceeded to pour the hot, boiling water into the cup. This is how I most prefer the loose leaf teas I try; in the cup no diffuser separating it. I like for the leaves to float around the cups’ rim and in time to settle in the bottom of the cup. I placed a lid on the cup to let it steep, this I do and kind of forget about it for a while, 3-5 minutes pass while I prepare to receive this liquor.

When the time seemed right, I removed the cover to find that most of the leaves (now full bodied) did settle in the bottom. I can see the coloring to be light green in color, but since the leaves are at the bottom of the cup; it is reflecting in the coloring as well. Perhaps.

As this was the 1st steep, it had a very strong vegetative scent and flavoring to it. The notes detected are astringent, pungent even in the grassiness of the taste. The more I drank this first cup the astringent became somewhat less noticeable while holding true to the vegetal quality.
I most enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd steeping of this Dragonwell since the astringency quality in the cup is gone. What I am enjoying is more of a sweet drink, buttery even when tasting some of the leaves as they leap up while sipping the tea.

This would make a good iced tea, but preferring teas to be very hot is how I am enjoying this for the day and no sweetener added. However others may want to add a drop of honey to this tea and cooler perhaps since the notes are softer as it cools.

Characteristics of this tea: Earthy, vegetal and very smooth by third, fourth and so on steeps. It is very good tea.

Review of Sencha Shinrikyu’s The Tao of Tea sampler

This sampler arrived in a round tin disc like a Petri dish. Upon opening this sampler I could not help but take of the smell, which is like fresh milk and honey hovering in the air and lingering on my fingertips through out the day. This is a very nice smell indeed.

The leaves are finely chopped (resembling very minute straw flakes). The leaves are bitter and crunchy. I placed two teaspoons in the cup and poured the boiling water into the cup. I like all tea steeped (boiled) very hot. In smelling the tin with the leaves inside, I can’t help in recalling the smell of freshly cut grass; moistened-dew after a rainfall.

1st steep of this tea is strongest with a prevailing vegetal quality. Its flavor is slightly bitter and the color a rich liquorish brown.
2nd steep of this tea is lighter in color, feigning to light brownish tan and one can start to appreciate that milky dew trace of the cut grass in the texturing of this drink.
3rd steep is very similar to previous steep; the color is lighter still since adding hot water is diluting the tonal notes and strength. The leaves at bottom of the cup are loose not full leaves and the coloring is light greenish in color.

Adjectives in describing the quality/tone of this tea would be: Delicate, slightly sweet within 2nd and 3rd steeps. Overall it is a calm tea for contentedness during a lazy, rainy or hazy day. It is a cup of goodness with calming qualities.

I have had Sencha Green tea in tea bags and now I can truly appreciate the texturing layers in the notes as loose-leaf tea in this Sencha Shinrikyu from the Tao of Tea sold at Lelia’s Tea Ware whose motto: Pure Enjoyment!

I find this Vintage Wuyi Wulong that is amber in color when steeped for 2-3 minutes makes for a very nice cup of tea.

I like this as an after dinner drink since it is light in flavoring, not robust or smoky in flavoring but rather a mildly (sedate even) cup of tea.

In all, this Vintage Oolong Tea is similar to the Wu-Yi Source with apple flavoring, that I had a while back, but I could never detect the appleness in the cup. Neither are robust in taste nor smoky in scent as compared to the classiness of Foojoy’s Oolong tea whose cup denotes a stronger, more robust character.

Wu-Yi Source (Authentic Wu-Yi Tea) is mildest of the Oolong’s tasted and this may be due to adding the flavoring/mixing of the apple taking away from its original strength perhaps. (steep for 2-3 minutes)

Vintage Wuyi Wulong Tea is mild and sweet and can be drank during a meal and after; not at all heavy. (steep for 2-3 minutes)

Foojoy’s Classic Oolong is a full bodied roasted flavorful cup of tea. It awakens the senses and pleases the palette. If drinking during a meal than one is made full quicker. perhaps. (3-4 minutes or longer with full boiled water)

This classic oolong should be be enjoyed alone or as an early morning cup of tea to wake up with.

I have been making daily brew of this for quite some time and enjoying the amber coloring of this tea with it robustness in flavor. I like inhaling the smokiness as it is boiling or steeping and I can honestly say I prefer this Classic Oolong by Foojoy above all else to date.

I have also sampled my Vintage Wuyi Wulong and this is not as good in flavor. It is mild and not at all robust like Foojoy’s Classic Oolong. It holds none of that roasted scent as does the Foojoy.

What I have been able to do is to diffuse the strength found in the Foojoy’s Oolong by adding one bag of the Wuyi Wulong, making this classic oolong less smoky in flavoring. Mind you I prefer the smokiness since it reminds me of the smell of coffee.

I am saying and encouraging coffee lovers wishing to switch to drinking tea to try Foojoy’s Classic Oolong.

This classic specialty blend sachet of Pomegranate Oolong formerly known as Ti Quan Yin oolong is infused with Pomegranate.

It is sweet and liquor like, a very soothing drink. I like it very hot with nothing added; as this was a morning cup of tea, needing a little more flavor with my oolong. I don’t find this to be roasted in flavoring or robust even; just sweetly and liquor like because of the pomegranate.

I am sorry that I only purchased on sachet when I spotted this at The Map Room Cafe at the BPL, Boston’s main library.

I was surprised to have found Harney & Sons being sold as individual sachet. Another novelty to be in awe!