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I resisted trying a Pouchong (Baozhong…whatever) because I thought it was just another type of oolong. Turns out that in some circles – and according to the Almighty Wiki – it’s sometimes given its own classification; like yellow tea. Canton’s offering smelled like a grape-rich green tea, but tasted like a green-style oolong. The flavor was smoky, non-astringent, fruity, kelpy, and all-around decent. Quite a feat for a “gr-oolong”.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/20/review-canton-tea-co-pouchong-4/

When I got this in the mail, I was beyond excited to try it. White teas are my tea of choice. They started me down the steepy spiral of loose leafdom. Ceylon whites were still unknown territory to me. In appearance these looked like Silver Needle but more variant in size. I was reminded of Bengali white tea on sight alone. The aroma had a fruit-hint to it and a buttery/honey-ish lean. This brewed quite clear with a similar wet aroma as the dry. The taste differed greatly between the three infusions I made; sometimes leafy, creamy, honey-combed, nut-sweet, leafy, and vegetal. I was more or less impressed with the results.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/28/review-green-tea-lovers-adams-peak-white/

Had a pot of this with my mother this morning at Smith HQ. I remembered sampling it, but didn’t remember exactly what I thought about it. This gave me an opportunity to reacquaint myself with it. It was an interesting blend of Assam and two regional Ceylons. The forefront was notably astringent (likely the Assam), but settled into the Ceylon floral tone soon after. Bergamot scenting seemed a bit understated this time ’round. Not necessarily a deal-breaker, just a surprise given the moniker. Still liked it quite a bit, though.

The oolong and matcha alone weren’t cutting it. By the afternoon, I needed something to keep me sustained. I hit the coffee shop next door – aptly dubbed Boyd’s Coffee. I’ve had their Darjeeling before, liked it, but never afforded it any detailed scrutiny. I can definitely say it’s among the good Darjeelings I’ve tried. It had the spicy-floral characteristics I remembered from another Selimbong offering I tasted. The best part was the bitterness, believe it or not. The one trait I usually can’t stand in black teas actually worked well here – adding a sort of pick-me-up. Quite nice for early afternoon.

Preparing Christmas tea packages pretty much wiped me out of all my good black teas. This leaves me with some whites, a few greens, and a plethora of oolongs. So, I’m starting to dent the latter. It’s been awhile since I’ve revisited this Da Hong Pao, mainly because I have so many “red robes” at the moment. All so much red tape, really….but I digress.

I didn’t pay too much attention to temperature, but prepped it at the recommended two minutes. It came out as smokey as I remembered, but a bit higher on the fruit notes. I owe this in part to the slightly higher water temp. I actually enjoyed it better than the first time I tried it.

Initial Review Here: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/05/28/review-american-tea-room-big-red-robe-oolong-3/

Darjeeling greens are tough to beat. This one is no exception. It’s light, citrusy (mandarin-like) with echoes of “Chinese sencha” in its overall flavor impression. I just wish I knew more about it. Davidson’s website isn’t the easiest to navigate. That said, a very subtle but very tasty green without the vegetal lean of some…unless you like that sorta thing.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/21/review-davidson%E2%80%99s-tea-samabeong-monsoon-green/

It’s not often when I’m surprised by an Earl Grey, but this is one of those times. I’m not sure what black tea source they used. I’d guess Darjeeling…-ish. It’s very “orange pekoe” in appearance. The liquor that results is also very balanced. They didn’t over-flavor this with the bergamot to mask an inferior black tea base. It’s floral, malty, mildly citrus-sour – an Earl Grey by any other name wouldn’t taste as sweet.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/17/review-drink-the-leaf-earl-grey/

Rose buds work quite well with blends, especially – as I’ve found – with white teas. Rose petal whites are awesome! But I digress. By themselves, rose buds are like lemongrass, they don’t work well alone. They need others to help ‘em shine. By themselves, they still contribute to a light, subtle, festively floral cup with a very “clean” taste, but they need a pedestal on which to stand. Such was the case here. These were absolutely beautiful looking; excellent smelling, too, both as dry and in liquor form. Can’t wait to try it with a Silver Needle sometime.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/16/review-tao-tea-leaf-rose-buds/

I was never a very big Keemun fan. It took a few Hao Yas and a couple of Mao Fengs to convince me otherwise. Since then, I’ve come to extol virtues whenever they are present. This one, however, was an unusual beast altogether. Given the name, I decided to adopt a “ghetto gongfu” method of prep. I did four different infusions – ranging from a minute to three minutes – and each had a decidedly different story to tell. The first couple o’ steeps turned up a golden liquor with a smoky, malt-sweet, mildly cocoa-ish cup. Latter steeps changed to a nuttier, woodier cup with a beguiling boldness.

I confess I am now a Keemun fan.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/18/review-tao-tea-leaf-keemun-gongfu-2/

Finally dipped into my sample of this. Figured since it was Christmas, it was as good a time as any. Didn’t have it as a tea, though. I latte’d it for my brother and I. It makes a great chocolate base for such a sweet endeavor. I’d wager it makes a pretty good tea, also. But as a latte, it’s tops.