Nepal Black Tea

Shangri-La, the fictional Shambala depicted in James Hilton's novel "Lost Horizon", could conceivably be in Nepal.   Situated in the Himalayas and sandwiched between China and India,  Nepal is home to the majestic Mount Everest.

Tea cultivation in Nepal grew slowly but has sped up in the last 20 years.  Most of the tea plantations are located in the eastern regions.  One of the major tea producing regions is Ilam, a hilly and beautiful place.   With its close proximity to Darjeeling, India, Ilam and other Nepal teas seem to be 'Darjeelingish'.  

Nepal Black First Flush

Type:  Black     Producing Country: Nepal      Preparation:  95°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The mixed-colored leaves are wiry and dried-fruity (e.g., raisins).
Wet Leaf:  Interestingly, the wet infusion has a nice menthol or minty aroma.
Liquor:      The golden tea is smooth and floral.  It does have the astringency of a first flush Darjeeling.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Nepal black Ilam Estate

Type:  Black     Producing Country: Nepal      Preparation:  95°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The tea is a TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) grade and contains leaves that are richly stewed-fruity.  
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are floral and wet-hay-like.  
Liquor:      The tea is coppery.  It is sweet with astringency and a cinnamon note.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Yixing Teapots

A 1948 Yixing teapot crafted by a master ceramicist was auctioned off in Beijing in 2010 for nearly US$2 million.   Whoever purchased the teapot must have been guarding it like a crown jewel.

Authentic Yixing teapots are made in Yixing Dingshu Town using Zisha (purple sand) mined from Yellow Dragon Mountain.  Zisha is an overarching name for at least three types of clay: Zhuni (red yellow clay), Zini (purple clay) and Luni (green clay).   The clay mined is in rock form and requires special preparation before it can be used.  Yixing clay is becoming scarce.

The price range of genuine Yixing teapots varies from a hundred to a few thousand dollars.  The collectible teapots are usually designed and hand-crafted by master ceramicists who underwent training for years.  Most  of the economical Yixings on the market are 'wannabes'.   There is nothing wrong using these Yixing look-alike teapots as long as they don't contain harmful lead.

A good Yixing Zisha teapots should have the following characteristics:

• The lid fits the inner rib of the body perfectly.
• The height of the lid stem is 1.5 cm. 
• The lid, the knob on the lid and the handle form one straight line.  
• Water flows out of the sprout effortlessly.

Due to its porous structure and mineral composition, a Yixing teapot retains heat and enhances the aroma of oxidized teas, including Oolong and Pu'er.   A Yixing pot also retains the flavor and color of a tea; therefore, it is best to brew one type of tea in one specific pot.

Yixing lid stem 1.5cm

Iron Goddess Taiwan

The original tea trees planted in Mucha, Taiwan, were brought back from China's Anxi county around 1896. Over the years, Mucha Tie Guan Yin or Iron Goddess of Mercy is still being produced according to the traditional method, including hand-picked leaves, longer oxidation and heavier roast.

Iron Goddess Mucha

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: Taiwan      Preparation:  95°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  The nose of the dark beads is a combination of  toast, mint and chocolate.
Wet Leaf:  The very dark leaves smell floral and a bit charcoal-like.
Liquor:      The golden amber tea is smooth, sweet and creamy.  It can be steeped many times.  The first couple infusions are like tasting airy chocolate milk.  Subsequent infusions are  similar to eating after-dinner mint chocolate thins.  It is lengthy in the mouth and has a pleasant roasted flavor.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Iron Goddess China

Iron Goddess of Mercy or Tie Guan Yin appeared to an Anxi county (Fujian, China) tea farmer in a dream about a unique tea tree.  Later on, the farmer did uncover a few special tea trees beside Iron Goddess' temple.  He was able to produce a sweet, fragrant tea from the leaves.  This is one of the legends about Tie Guan Yin, which is also the name of the cultivar.

Traditionally, Tie Guan Yin was a darker oolong.  Due to consumers' preference in recent years, Anxi Tie Guan Yin has become a very 'green' oolong.  This particular tea is Tie Guan Yin King, i,e., a higher grade.   As for monkey-picked Tie Guan Yin, it is also a choice grade.  This is another legend: in the 18th century, monkeys were trained by monks to pick the nicest leaves from wild tea trees to make tribute teas.  Nowadays no monkeys are willing to work for bananas.

Tie Guan Yin King

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: China     Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The olive green chunks are vegetal and like tiny frog legs.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are very large and emerald green.  They are fresh and floral.
Liquor:      The yellow tea is light, clean and sweet.  It is very floral (orchid) as well as grassy.  The astringency is balanced and the aftertaste is refreshing.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Huo Shan Huang Ya

Huo Shan Huang Ya (Huo Mountain Yellow Bud) is a yellow tea and historically was one of Chinese tribute teas.  Huo Mountain is located in Anhui province.  The production of yellow teas is similar to that of green teas.  However, yellow teas go through a  'yellowing' step between firing.  Yellowing is achieved by covering the leaves with wet cotton clothes or leaving them on a temperature controlled shelf for 8-10 hours.  

Modern premium Huang Ya is made from one-bud and one-leaf harvesting and requires a large amount of labor.   This mid-grade yellow tea is light but enjoyable.  
   

Huo Shan Huang Ya

Type:  Yellow Tea     Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The long buds have notes of wicker and biscuit.
Wet Leaf:  This must be a mid-grade Huang Ya as it has mostly 1-bud 2-leaf type of leaves.  They are vegetal (fresh green beans).
Liquor:      The pale yellow broth is smooth, sweet and vegetal (corns and green beans).  It is light and refreshing.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Qi Lan

Qi Lan or Rare Orchid is another one of the oolong teas from WuYi Mountain, Fujian, China.    Its dark leaves indicate that Qi Lan was more oxidized and that it had gone through longer roasting.   The brewed tea is a bit uninteresting.  

Qi Lan



Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  China     Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The aromas of the dark wiry leaves are toasty, sweet and slightly floral.  
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves smell somewhat floral and toasty.  
Liquor:      The tea is amber brown.  It is predominately cocoa and very faintly floral.  Although it is smooth and sweet, it is not exciting.

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Lapsang Souchong

Blue cheese, Scotch whiskey and Lapsang Souchong:  Love it or Leave it.   Rumor has it that Sir Winston Churchill was fond of Lapsang Souchong with a splash of Scotch.

Zhengshang Souchong, Lapsang Souchong or Bohea tea is a unique Chinese black tea. Fires fueled by pine wood and needles are used to dry the leaves and impart a smoky scent to the tea.  It is produced from Souchong or 'small varietal' tea trees in Wu Yi mountain, Fujian, China.   In recent years, Taiwan also produces its own Lapsang Souchong.

Lapsang Souchong pairs well with savory dishes.  It can also be used to flavor cooking.

Lapsang Souchong

Type:  Black     Producing Country:  China   Preparation:  95°C 4 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  A distinct smoky scent permeates the air.   The dried leaves are very dark or black.    
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves take you back to your camping trips.  
Liquor:      It is a reddish brown tea that is smooth, pine-smoky, slight tarry and camphorish.   There is also a little bit of dried longan fruit after-taste.

Tee Score:  4 out of 5

Gunpowder

Gunpowder is also called pearl tea and its rolled beads resemble gunpowder pellets.   It is mass produced mostly in Zhejiang province of China.  There are different grades of Gunpowder.  The higher-grade Gunpowder contains tinier and shinier pellets.   Although it is not a gourmet tea, Gunpowder is economical and popular.

The slight smokiness of Gunpowder compliments mint leaves.  Prepare a pot of Gunpowder tea, add fresh mint leaves, blend in sugar, and voilà! Moroccan tea. 


Gunpowder

Type:  Green     Producing Country:  China   Preparation:  85°C 3 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  These tightly rolled pellets smell like green hay.        
Wet Leaf:  The unfurled leaves are smoky.   
Liquor:      This green tea is amber-colored.   It is lightly astringent, smoky and refreshing.  

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Mariage Marco Polo

Mariage Frères is a French luxury tea company founded in 1854 by brothers Henri and Edouard Mariage.   One of its legendary flavored teas is Marco Polo.   Marco Polo is a Chinese black tea infused with Chinese and Tibetan flowers and perhaps fruits.   The exact blending essence is a secret.   Thus, it is up to the tea drinkers to guess its mystery.   Could it be hawthorn berries with hibiscus?  Sensual red berry, thy name is Marco Polo tea. 

The tea comes in a classic black tin or rounded French cotton muslin sachets.   A green tea Marco Polo and a rooibos version are also available.  

Marco Polo

Type:  Scented tea     Producing Country:  France   Preparation:  95°C 4 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  The cute tea sachet is very berry-fruity.   It is very fragrant.    
Wet Leaf:  The leaves in the sachet is again very fruity.   
Liquor:      Marco Polo is reddish brown.  Its flavors include vanilla and red berries.  It has a bit of astringency and artificial after-taste.   Still, it is smooth and leggy.   

Tee Score:  4 out of 5

Yue Guan Bai

Renzhi Zhou, a Taiwanese tea trailblazer, created Yue Guan Bai or Moonlight White in the early 1990's.  The tea might originally have been withered at night under the moon, nowadays it is simply air-dried indoor.  Its name is also associated with the black and white leaves.  Mr. Zhou once brewed and served a blend of coffee and Moonlight White at a 'Tea Priest and Coffee Monk' culture exchange roundtable. Yum?

Moonlight White is produced from the old Big White tea varietals in Yunnan, China.  Some tea enthusiasts categorize Moonlight as a Pu'er tea but some would declare it in a class by itself.  Moonlight is processed and tastes like a white tea.   Moonlight can stand up to multiple steeps using a Gaiwan teacup.  

Moonlight White

Type:  White     Producing Country:  China    Preparation:  90°C 3 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  The silver buds and dark leaves have intense notes of plums, dates and figs.  The leaves are attractive.   
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are peachy and also smell like hay.  
Liquor:      Its color is caramel,  Its flavor profile is creamy, peachy and lightly herbaceous.  It is smooth and has a sweet aftertaste. 

Tee Score:  4 out of 5

Rwanda Rukeri Black

Rukeri is an orange pekoe (OP) grade black tea produced by Rukeri Estate in Rwanda.  Tea growing in Rwanda started about 60 years ago and tea production there steadily increases over the years.   A large percentage of Rwandan teas is exported.   This tea, in terms of flavors, is a bit like the black teas from Uva, Sri Lanka. 



Rwanda Black

Type:  Black Tea    Producing Country: Rwanda     Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  These dark, tiny thin needles are malty as well as dried-fruity.

Wet Leaf:  Interestingly, flowers wrapped in a wet cloth describes its aromas.

Liquor:      The tea is reddish brown.  It is more minty than malty.  It is full-bodied and has some astringency.   It is best drunk without adding milk. 

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Nannuo Mountain Pu'er

This loose-leaf raw Pu'er is from a 400-year old tree or trees in the Ban Po Lao Zhai village in Nannuo Mountain, Yunan Province, China.   The age of the tea itself is unknown but it is quite distinguished when comparing with a Pu'er from younger trees.   A Pu'er collected and made from old trees is reputed to possess abundant Cha Qi or tea life energy.   May the force be with you.



Nannuo Puer

 Type:  Pu'er  Producing Country: China      Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  This Pu'er has very long and dark wiry leaves, which have a familiar barn yard or musty smell.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are like Chinese herbs with a spritz of eau de moo cow. 
Liquor:      The bright amber tea is smooth, sweet and pleasant.  It is herbaceous and thick in the mouth.   

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Ruby 18 Brandy Oolong

Brandy Oolongs are highly oxidized teas, from 85-90% oxidation.   Ruby 18 Brandy Oolong is made from Taiwan's unique cultivar TTES 18, which is also the source of Red Jade black tea.  Not surprisingly, Ruby 18 brews a liquor almost like Red Jade.   It has a rich caramel color similar to a fine aged brandy.  Some tea connoisseurs even savor the tea from brandy glasses.   Does combining chocolate milk and Ruby 18 equal to a Brandy Alexander? 

Brandy Oolong

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  Taiwan    Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The sugar sweet and fruity aromas are intense from the dark wiry leaves.  There are also notes of raisins, cocoa and strawberries.   

Wet Leaf:  The large leaves are spicy and fruity.    

Liquor:      The tea is golden brown.  It is complex and long in the mouth.  Its flavor profile includes sugar, caramel, cocoa and cinnamon.   It could be mistaken for a black tea. 

Tee Score:  4 out of 5





Aracha Tokusen

Brewing this tea is akin to learning Japanese.

Cha - tea
Aracha - Crude tea
Fukamushicha - deep-steamed Sencha
Konacha - powder tea
Kukicha - twig tea
Tokusen - specially selected

In general, Aracha is a unsorted tea, awaiting further processing and grading, that comprises leaves, twigs, stems, buds, etc.  However,  the description on the package of this Aracha tea states that "this is a presorted blend of first picked tea.  It is Fukamushicha blended with Kukicha and Konacha."   It sounds like reverse engineering!

Aracha

Type:  Green     Producing Country:  Japan     Preparation:  85°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The blended stems, powder and leaves have pleasant notes of seaweed. 
Wet Leaf:  The brewed leaves certainly remind one of chicken liver pate.  
Liquor:      Seaweed and astringency would be the words to describe the olive green brew.  It is bold.  

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Hojicha Bancha

Bancha or 'common' tea is a late harvest green tea.   Hojicha Bancha is Bancha tea roasted.   Bancha is less expensive; thus, it is quite popular in Japanese households.   Children can drink this tea due to Bancha's lower amounts of caffeine.     



This particular Hojicha appears to be heavily roasted. 

Hojicha Bancha

Type:  Green     Producing Country:  Japan    Preparation:  95°C 30 Seconds

Dry Leaf:  The brown chunks of leaves and some large twigs have the aromas of deep roasted grains. 
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are very dark and smoky or leathery.   
Liquor:      The tea is smoky instead of roasty, and is a bit flat. 

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Hojicha Karigane

Hojicha Karigane is roasted twigs and stems of Gyokuro.   For those people who prefer a more robust and less vegetal green tea, this is a nice alternative.  It also contains lower levels of caffeine in addition to being tasty.   



Hojicha Karigane

Type:  Green     Producing Country:  Japan    Preparation:  95°C 30 Seconds

Dry Leaf:  The leaves are darker than the stems.  The nose is roasted barley.  
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves smell somewhat like a cigarette. 
Liquor:      The dark brown tea is sweet, smooth and has a roasted flavor.  

Tee Score:  4 out of 5

Karigane (Kukicha)

Kukicha or Bocha is a tea made mostly from twigs.  Kukicha from Gyokuro stems and twigs is often referred to as Karigane.  This Karigane is from Uji, Japan. 

Karigane or Kukicha has less caffeine than other Japanese green teas.   It is suitable for evening sipping or for drinking to vegetate all day.        



Karigane

Type:  Green     Producing Country:  Japan    Preparation:  75°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  There are light green tea stems and some darker green leaves, combined to give out the aroma of seaweed. 
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are vegetal (freshly cooked spinach).   
Liquor:      The tea is pale lime/yellow green.  It is smooth, fresh, savory and not at all astringent.

Tee Score:  4 out of 5

Genmaicha

The legend about the origin of Genmaicha is too gory for such a mellow tea.   The condensed version:  A samurai beheaded his servant for accidentally dropping some toasted rice in his cup of green tea.  When the samurai realized how delicious the tea turned out to be, he was remorseful and named the tea after his deceased servant.   The believable origin was likely from peasants' attempt to stretch the tea further by adding toasted rice.

Gemaicha is also known as popcorn tea.  It contains sencha and roasted rice to brew a mild drink.  Its lightness could be the reason why it pairs so well with Japanese dishes.



Genmaicha

 Type:  Green     Producing Country:  Japan    Preparation:  80°C 1 Min

Dry Leaf:  This tea is split almost 50-50 between sencha and rice.   Its aromas are predominantly roasted rice.   
Wet Leaf:  Again, roasted rice dominates. 
Liquor:      The pale lime green tea is soft and mild.  It has a nice flavor of pop rice.   

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Konacha

Konacha are fannings or pieces of tea left over from producing Sencha or Gyokuro.  It is dark green in color and has a strong flavor; therefor, it is great for use in baking and cooking.   Some may associate Konacha with sushi restaurants.     



Konacha



Type:  Green     Producing Country:  Japan    Preparation:  85°C 1 Min

Dry Leaf:  The pieces of leaves are almost powdery but lack any aromas. 
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves look like macerated spinach.   
Liquor:      The tea is olive green, quite astringent and highly vegetal. 

Tee Score:  2 out of 5

Chun (Zhen) Mei

Do the eyebrows serve a purpose or are they an esthetic feature?  According to Face Reading, the shape of eyebrows may reveal one's personality. 

For Chun (Zhen) Mei or precious eyebrows,  the higher-end tea would have leaves that are similar in size and that look like crescent-shaped eyebrows.  This organic Chun Mei has some broken 'eyebrows'. 

There are other Chinese teas named 'eyebrows'.  Two examples are Sow Mei (longevity eyebrows) and Gong Mei (tribute eyebrows).

Chun Mei

 Type:  Green     Producing Country:  China      Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The thin curved needles do look like tiny eyebrows.  They are slightly smoky and herbaceous. 

Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are also smoky and herbaceous.   

Liquor:      The amber tea is quite astringent.  The astringency is long in the mouth but then plum flavor emerges.  It is refreshing.   

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Shan Lin Xi

Shan Lin Xi is a High Mountain Oolong.  To be classified as a High Mountain Oolong in Taiwan, a tea must be grown minimum 1000 meters (3300 feet) above sea level. Other Taiwan High Mountain Oolongs include Li Shan, Ali Shan and Yu Shan teas.   High Mountain Oolongs, in general, contain more amino acids and have lower oxidation levels.

Shan Lin Xi is a mountain location in Nantou county of Taiwan and is around 1800 meters above sea level.  It is an area often surrounded by clouds and mists, which build tea character.         





Shan Lin Xi

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  Taiwan      Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The medium and green semi-rolled pearls are buttery. 
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are savory and vegetal. 
Liquor:      The lime green tea is light, refreshing and savory for the first infusion.  The second or the third infusion is a little bit floral.   The aftertaste is reminiscent of a bamboo forest.   

Tee Score:  4 out of 5
 

Li Shan Cui Feng

Li Shan Cui Feng or Pear Mountain Jade Peak is a High Mountain Oolong.   It is grown in the Cui Feng area, at an altitude around 1800 to 2000 meters, near Pear Mountain in Taiwan.

In addition to high quality teas, Li Shan region also produces pears, apples and peaches.        




Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  Taiwan      Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The small and green semi-rolled balls are faintly floral.   
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are also faintly floral. 
Liquor:      The pale lime green tea is creamy,milky, floral and smooth.   It is elegantly fresh and light.   

Tee Score:  4 out of 5
 

Ali Shan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast

Ali Shan or Ali Mountain is a popular tourist destination in Taiwan.  Although Ali Shan Charcoal Roast is a High Mountain Oolong, it underwent a complex charcoal baking process.   Therefore, it brews a stronger liquor.   One can also find a 'heavy roast' version of the Oolong.      



Ali Shan

 Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  Taiwan      Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The medium and dark semi-rolled chunks have interesting notes of coco and honey. 
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves smell toasty and floral (orchid).   
Liquor:      The tea is gold-colored.  Besides roasted notes, it is not easy to identify other flavors.  It is similar to drinking a Japanese Hojicha. 

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer won four Masters and numerous events during his long career.  He also conceived a popular thirst-quenching drink enjoyed by many. 

Palmer started ordering an iced tea/lemonade mix in restaurants or bars when he was playing tournaments after having dreamed it up in his kitchen one hot day.   His fans took notice and began requesting the same 'Palmer' beverage. 

An 'Arnold Palmer' is a beverage of half iced tea and half lemonade.  There are variations of this mix and some are spiked.   The Arizona Arnold Palmer Lite is a concoction of brewed black tea, glucose, lemon juice, pear juice and some natural flavors plus additives.   The beverage is light brown in color likely because lemon juice (acid) can alter the chemistry of tea and lightens it.   It has a familiar lemon iced tea flavor. 

Arnold Palmer

Mi Lan Xiang

Mi Lan Xiang (Honey Orchid Fragrance) is a Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong from Wu Dong Mountain in China.  The intense honey aroma from the first steeping can knock your socks off, and the amazing gardenia flavor from subsequent infusions may charm your pants off.   It is a great oolong that reveals layers of flavor.       

Mi Lan Xiang

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: China      Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark wiry leaves are very fruity and honey.   The scents can be described as guava and lychee fruits. 
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are very sweet and floral   
Liquor:      The amber tea is honey sweet for the first infusion.  Afterwards, it is mostly floral (gardenia).    

Tee Score:  5 out of 5

Mao Jian

Mao Jian or Fur Tip is similar in meaning to Mao Feng - both referring to the down- covered buds.  Mao Jian has slightly curled and thinner needles.  It has also been cultivated for centuries but in Henan Province.  

According to legend, nine fairies bestowed this tea on mortals.  Therefore, watch out for the dancing fairies when you brew the tea. 

Mao Jian

 Type:  Green Tea  Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 2.5 Min

Dry Leaf:  Both the silver and green needles are slightly curled.  They are herbaceous but at the same time fruity.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are vegetal.
Liquor:      The apricot-colored tea is creamy, light, sweet and (green bean) vegetal.  It has a pleasant lingering aftertaste.  

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Huang Shan Mao Feng

Huang Shan Mao Feng or Yellow Mountain Fur Peak is one of the ten famous Chinese teas.   It has been grown and produced in Yellow Mountain, Anhui province for centuries.   Young leaves and buds are harvested in April for processing into Mao Feng.   'Fur Peak' is in reference to the white hairs covering the fresh leaves and the shape of the leaves, which are supposed to look like mountain peaks. 

Mao Feng

Type:  Green Tea  Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The straight green needles are spicy and herbaceous.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves smell like arugula.   
Liquor:      The tea is pale apricot yellow.  It is refreshing and clean with an arugula flavor note.  It has a nice lingering aroma.   

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Liu An Gua Pian

Liu An Gua Pian (Melon Slice from around Liu An, Anhui, China) is produced from leaves only.  Buds and stems are removed after plucking.  The shape of the dry leaves resembles a plump watermelon seed.   Gua Pian is as refreshing as watermelon juice.

Gua Pian has a long history dated back hundreds of years and was one of the tribute teas to the emperor. 

Liu An Gua Pian

Type:  Green Tea  Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark green melon slices are definitely herbaceous and not fruity.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves again are herbaceous. 
Liquor:      The light tea is a little bit astringent but is still sweet and refreshing.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Dragon Well

Dragon Well or Long Jing is the most well-known and popular Chinese green tea.   The key characteristic of Long Jing is its flat leaves.  Making Long Jing requires very skilled hands shaping the leaves in a hot wok.   This elaborate effort results in a light and sweet tea. 

Dragon Well

Type:  Green Tea  Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The flat green and beige leaves are toasty and inviting.
Wet Leaf:  Each flat leaf becomes one bud and one leaf.  The wet Dragonwell is peppery and vegetal (artichoke).  
Liquor:      The tea is pale yellow.  It is creamy and sweet.   The clean and fresh finish must be the reason for its popularity. 

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

An Ji Bai Cha

It sounds, looks and smells like a white tea.  But it fools you as it is a green tea.   Teas are classified by their manufacture process and not by their good looks.   An Ji Bai Cha or White Tea from An Ji or Jade Phoenix likely got its name from the tea varietal.  An Ji Bai Cha contains more amino acids than other Chinese green teas.  Therefore, it is an ideal chill-out drink.     

An Ji Bai Cha

Type:  Green tea  Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The bouquet of these thin and straight needles is wicker or rattan.
Wet Leaf:  Each thin needle becomes one bud and one leaf, and is vegetal.
Liquor:      The very pale tea is fresh, not grassy, and artichoke-vegetal.  With more amino acids, it is savory and long. 

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Huang Zhi Xiang

Huang Zhi Xiang (Yellow Branch Fragrance) is a Guangdong Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong Oolong and is produced from the clones of an old tea tree.  One may, while drinking gallons of tea, debate over the meaning of Dan Cong (single bush) until the cows come home. The fact is that Dan Cong teas are delicious.

There are several Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong teas, such as Mi Lian Xiang (honey fragrance) and Rou Gui (cinnamon), each of which with its own unique flower or fruit flavor profile.  They are best brewed Gong-Fu style and can be steeped many times.   

Huang Zhi Xiang


 Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: China      Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The long wiry leaves are buttery and floral. 
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are not particularly large and have a nice gardenia nose.   
Liquor:      The golden tea is smooth and thick or full-bodied.  It has sweet and long floral aromas (gardenia and honeysuckle) and is reminiscent of a fine Jasmine tea.  

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Blue Unicorn

In recent years, more tea growing countries have forayed into making Oolongs.   Nevertheless, China and Taiwan continue to produce the majority of and the best Oolongs in the world.



Blue Unicorn is from Idulgashinna Tea Garden in Sri Lanka.  Each cone comprises several leaves/buds and does resemble the horn of the legendary animal but is the size of a tee.  Oolong is also known as blue tea.  Three Blue Unicorns weigh about 2 g and are sufficient for brewing a cup.    

Blue Unicorn

 Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: Sri Lanka      Preparation:  90°C 6 Min

Dry Leaf:  The cones are richly fruity: raisins and figs.   The shape is attractive. 
Wet Leaf:  The cones uncoil into leaves/buds, which are again fruity.  
Liquor:      The tea is clean and smooth but lacks animal magnetism.   By the third steeping, it is flat.  It could be mistaken for a Chinese green tea.  

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Japanese Oolong

Japanese teas are synonymous with green teas.  Japanese Oolong teas are usually imported from China and Taiwan, and are rarely produced domestically.  This Oolong is from Miyazaki on Kyushu Island in Japan.  It is lightly oxidized and pan-fried.    The overall mouthfeel is similar to a green tea.     



Japan Oolong



Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: Japan      Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The leaves smell like toasted green teas.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are a bit floral
Liquor:      The tea is clean, vegetal and faintly floral.  It is not grassy but finishes like a green tea - long and slight astringency.      

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Bai Mu Dan

White Peony or Bai Mu Dan is said to have got its name from its one bud and leaves plucked, which are similar in appearance to white peony flower petals.   It is a fuller and less expensive white tea as it contains more leaves and some buds, generally from the Dai Bai tea bush.   Bai Mu Dan is often used for making flavored white teas.



Bai Mu Dan

 Type:  White Tea     Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The leaves have a strong scent of dried fruits.  They also are herbaceous and spicy.
Wet Leaf:  The wet infusion is faintly floral and fruity.   
Liquor:      Although the amber tea is fuller, it is not ample.  It has slight astringency and a note of cocoa.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Bai Hao Yin Zhen

Bai HaoYin Zhen or White Hair Silver Needle has been the yardstick for quality white teas.   It is hand-crafted from the Da Bai tea varietals using only the unopened buds.  Proper brewing is critical to bring out its fineness.   Yin Zhen is very thirst quenching.   

Yin Zhen

Type:  White Tea     Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  These light green buds have the scent of dried hay and wicker.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves smell vegetal and jammy.
Liquor:      The pale yellow tea is sweet, creamy and long in the mouth.  It also yields the essence of white peaches and artichokes.  

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Sakura Sencha

Sakura or cherry blossoms signify the arrival of Spring in Japan.  Millions of people participate in hanami (flower viewing) festivals and parties to celebrate the transient beauty of sakura.   

This cherry blossom green tea has the freshness and lightness of Spring.   



Sakura Sencha

Type:  Green Tea     Producing Country: Japan      Preparation:  85°C 1.5 Min

Dry Leaf:  There are tiny pink cherry blossoms (and some cherry leaves or plants) blended with sencha.  The nose is candy sweet.  

Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are soft floral and spinach like.

Liquor:      It is a one-of-kind cocktail of cherry candies and astringent spinach.  It is nice hot or cold.  

Tee Score: 5 out of 5