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

Hachiju Hachiya Sencha

Hachiju Hachiya means eighty-eight nights.  This tea is reportedly harvested 88 nights after the first day (Risshun) of Spring in the Japanese calendar.   In other words, the tea is picked around early May.  It is the time of the year when farmers plant their rice and tea growers pick their prized leaves. 



88 sencha

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

Dry Leaf:  The tightly-rolled needle-thin leaves are vegetal and have the typical inviting seaweed note.  

Wet Leaf:  The leaves can be described as chopped green spinach. 

Liquor:      The lime green tea is clean, savory, vegetal (asparagus) and only a bit astringent. 

Tee Score: 4 out of 5



GABA Oolong

Gamma-aminobutyric acid  (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.  It is a chemical messenger that alleviates the over activity of neurons in human brains.   



About 25 years ago, Japanese scientists discovered GABA tea in their attempt to preserve different types of food.  They uncovered that tea leaves exposed to nitrogen had high levels of natural GABA.   Some of the touted benefits of GABA tea include reducing anxiety, aiding sleep, and lowering blood pressure.

GABA Oolong is produced by replacing oxygen with nitrogen gas during its oxidation manufacturing phase.    

GABA Oolong

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

Dry Leaf:  They are tightly rolled beads.  They give off scents of mushrooms, wood, cooked fruits and roast pumpkins.
Wet Leaf:  The brown leaves are very large and carry a burnt sugar note.   
Liquor:      The tea is cloudy.  It is sweet, smooth and unique.  It does not have the typical flavors of a Taiwan Oolong. 

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

White Whisper

In addition to fine CTC (cut tear curl) black teas, Kenya has been producing orthodox white teas that rival Chinese Silver Needles (Bao Hao Yin Zhen).   White Whisper's leaves are a little larger and paler than Silver Needles'.   This tea pairs delightfully well with Brie. 

White Whisper

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

Dry Leaf:  Mushrooms and wood are the characteristics.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are honey and peachy. 
Liquor:      The very pale liquor is refined, fresh, light, sweet, and peachy.  It is also lightly gingery.   

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Sow Mei

'Longevity Eyebrow' or Sow Mei may not be as delicate as silver-needle style white teas are, it is very approachable.   The average-grade Sow Mei has large pieces of leaves (like eyebrows) and brews an orange cuppa.   It is an inexpensive white tea and often served in  Chinese restaurants. 



Sow Mei

Type:  White Tea     Producing Country: China      Preparation:  90°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  There are a few twigs found in broken pieces of leaves that exhibit plum flavor.  
Wet Leaf:  The nose carries the aromas of toasts.    
Liquor:      The orange cuppa is smooth, sweet and toasted - almost gives the impression of a light Oolong.  

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Taiwan Gold White

White teas from Taiwan are rare.  Taiwan Gold White is an organic white tea.  From its leaves to its brew, the tea is unlike any other white teas.   Its characteristics are sharper and unexpected.




Gold White

 Type:  White Tea     Producing Country: Taiwan      Preparation:  90°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The silver and black twisted leaves look more like black teas.  The first whiff is reminiscent of seasoned bean curds but then it evolves into dried fruits.

Wet Leaf:  The brew includes young leaves & buds, and is very floral. 

Liquor:      The golden white tea is sweet and smooth.  It has complex aromas of flowers and spices, such as star anise and Chinese liquorice root.    

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Margaret's Hope First Flush

A first flush 2011 Darjeeling tea from Margaret's Hope Estate is wonderfully delicate.  

Many, many years ago, Margaret, the daughter of the English estate grower,  fell in love with her father's tea gardens in Darjeeling during her visit and hoped to return again soon.  Unfortunately she took ill on her way back to England and died.  Her father renamed the estate to Margaret's Hope in her memory.     

MH FF

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

Dry Leaf:  These tippy green leaves are very herbaceous and lightly peppery.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are quite green for a black tea.  They are floral as well as herbaceous. 
Liquor:      This golden brew is light, fresh, lively, floral, and only slightly astringent. 

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Margaret's Hope Second Flush MUSCAT

Second flush Darjeeling is harvested in the summer and before the monsoon season.   The special bouquet of muscat grapes is due to the jassids or leafhoppers.  The insect bites cause damage to tea leaves and change their flavor profile.

  
'Muscatel' is illusive and not every Darjeeling tea is muscatel.

MF Second Flush Musct

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

Dry Leaf:  The small dark leaves are herbaceous, spicy and raisiny with a muscat grape background.
Wet Leaf:  Sweet muscat perfume released is intense and seductive.   
Liquor:      The brown ale is bright, brisk and full-bodied.  It is floral and muscatel against a background of coco.  It is slightly astringent but delicious.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Silver Cloud

This source of the tea is not known.  It is a flavored tea, possibly with cactus pear juice.  The flavors are not overwhelming and work well with the 'darker' white tea.   

Silver Cloud

Type:  White Tea    Producing Country:  Unknown      Preparation:  90°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  There are a few young buds mixed with young leaves.  Their bouquet can be described as raspberries. 
Wet Leaf:  The leaves release fragrances of raspberries and citrus fruits. 
Liquor:      The darker 'white' tea has notes of red raspberries but a slight aftertaste in the mouth.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Lover's Leap

Lover's Leap Estate is located in the Nuwara Eliya district, one of the major tea growing regions of Sri Lanka.   This is a high grown (above sea level) tea and light, best as an afternoon tea. 

Lover's Leap

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

Dry Leaf:  They are not whole leaves but broken ones.  There is a minty top note followed by a strong dried fruity note.
Wet Leaf:  They are fairly green for a black tea and smell minty.   
Liquor:      The amber tea is cloudy.  Its flavor profile is very light and not easy to detect.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Wen Shan Bao Zhong

Historically, this tea was packaged in a square of paper.  The name Bao Zhong literally means 'wrapped in paper', and the tea is produced in the village around the Wen Shan mountain in Taiwan.  

  

Bao Zhong

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

Dry Leaf:  The long and twisted leaves are herbaceous, woodsy and peppery.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves release fragrances of white flowers. 
Liquor:      The tea is golden, and has a light floral bouquet and cooked fruit notes.   

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Taiwan Assam #8

Unlike Red Jade #18, Assam #8 is produced from Assam tea bushes and not from hybrid tea bushes of Assam and native plants.   Assam #8 has small to medium size wiry leaves.   With or without milk, it is excellent.

Assam #8

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

Dry Leaf:  The leaves are floral and dried-fruity.
Wet Leaf:  The scent is very like delicious biscuits with dried fruits. 
Liquor:      The malty tea is bright coppery and has sweet, chocolate and cooked fruit notes. 

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Red Jade

Red Jade or Hongyu is from TTES 18, a hybrid of the Assam cultivar and Taiwan's native wild tea plant.  After 50 years of research,  Taiwan introduced Red Jade around 1999.  Its bold flavors made it a welcome addition to the world of black teas.   




Red Jade #18

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

Dry Leaf:  The dark and long wiry leaves are floral and raisiny.
Wet Leaf:  The scent is floral and mossy. 
Liquor:      The reddish brown liquor is full-bodied, smooth, sweet and with notes of cinnamon and coco.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Zhu Ye Qing

Zhu Ye Qing, translated to 'green bamboo', was first made by monks at Mount E Mei of Sichuan province a long time ago.  Its dancing leaves in a cup have the appearance of minuscule bamboo leaves.  It is a unique tea to savor.  



Zhu Ye Qing

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

Dry Leaf:  The bright green buds are herbaceous.  They are cute tiny pea pods.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are fragrant and have the scent of green beans. 
Liquor:      The color is pale gold.  It is a tasty brew of green beans/bamboo leaves with American ginseng background.  It is pleasantly lengthy.   

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Tai Ping Hou Kui

Hou Kui (monkey leader) is from Tai Ping district of Anhui province in China.  The highest grade is made from tea trees in Monkey Pit (Hou Keng) Village.  

Hou Kui leaves are large, flat and fragile.   They are plucked from large-leaf tea varietals grown in that region.  The tea is best brewed in a tall glass for a spectacular display of the leaves. 

 

 


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

Dry Leaf:  The tall, dark and handsome leaves are herbaceous.  They also look and feel like dry seaweeds.

Wet Leaf:  The leaves are vegetal and like seaweeds. 
Liquor:      The tea is pale yellow, mild, sweet, and long in the mouth.  Its aromatic profile is similar to that (spinach and seaweed) of a Japanese Sencha.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

White Dragon Pearls

Like their cousins Jasmine Pearls, White Dragon Pearls require a great deal of labor to be rolled from long buds into beads.  White Dragon Pearls are incredibly attractive.  They are pea-sized silver and olive yarns.   These pearls are from tea cultivar Da Bai.   



White Dragon Pearls

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

Dry Leaf:   The pearls are green with silver stripes.  They smell musty.
Wet Leaf:  The beads unfurled into thin long leaves.   

Liquor:      The pale amber tea is quite smooth but very light.  It may require steeping at a higher temperature. 

Tee Score: 2 out of 5

Oriental Beauty

Legend has it that when Queen Victoria had tasted this Formosa Oolong, she called it Oriental Beauty for its origin, beautiful color and flavor.     

The dry leaves of Oriental Beauty or Dong Fang Mei Ren or Bai Hao Oolong have the appearance of those of Darjeeling.   Both types of teas are the victims of leafhoppers.  The oxidation level for Oriental Beauty is around 50 to 60%.

There is a great disparity in tea price and quality. 

Oriental Beauty

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

Dry Leaf:  The multi-colored leaves smell toasty and slightly flowery. 
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are floral. 
Liquor:      The coppery tea is not muscatel nor complex.   This tea may not be a high grade Oriental Beauty, which should be floral, fruity and woody. 

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Matcha Kit Kats

"Have a break, Have a Kit Kat."  In this case, have a Uji Matcha Kit Kat or a Sakura Matcha Kit Kat.   Matcha is the fine green tea powder used in Japanese tea ceremonies.  

Each box contains 3 small packages of two-finger Kit Kat.  Uji Matcha Kit Kat is sweet and creamy, like a good cup of matcha latte but sweeter.  The wafer inside is light and crispy. 

Uji Matcha Kit Kat



Sakura or cherry blossoms bloom in the springtime and have a lovely scent.  Sakura Matcha Kit Kat is also sweet and creamy, with a slight hint of floral note. 


Sakura Matcha Kit Kat

Gyokuro

Gyokuro means jade dew.  Tea leaves for Gyokuro are grown under canopies for 20 to 30 days prior to being harvested.   This shading step alters some of the chemical compounds of tea.  Higher chlorophyll and amino acids give Gyokuro its dark green color and rich 'umami' or savory flavor.  It is delightful hot or cold brewed.  Infused leaves can even be added to soups or salads. 



Gyokuro


Type:  Green Tea     Producing Country: Japan      Preparation:  75°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark green shiny fine leaves are herbaceous and milky.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are tender and green like cut spinach. 
Liquor:      The tea is pale lime green and cloudy.  It is a tea soup of nori (seaweed) and spinach.    

Tee Score: 4 out of 5
  

White Silver Tips Pu'er

Since December 2008, to be called pu'er, a tea must be made according to a defined process and from large leaf varietals grown in the designated Yunnan areas of China.   Therefore, it is debatable about White Silver Tips Pu'er name.   Whether this tea will age well like black pu'er teas or not is to be determined. 

Silver tips Pu'er


Type:  Pu'er      Producing Country: China      Preparation:  90°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The fuzzy silver needles resemble white teas and are silky soft to the touch. 
Wet Leaf:  The infusion is musty and malty with a fruity under note.
Liquor:      The liquor is straw colour.  It is sweet, mellow and akin to eating a peach in a stable.  It is an easy-to-drink pu'er-like tea.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5