Jasmine Silver Needles

Pop star Britney Spears' reputed contribution to tea culture was raising awareness of white teas in North America after she was quoted saying her personal trainer recommended them for rich antioxidants.   

There are many types of white tea available, such as Silver Needles, Bai Mu Dan and Sow Mei.   A jasmine Silver Needles tea seems like one that a pop star would drink for its rarity and fineness.   Besides their touted higher antioxidants, Silver Needles are more forgiving. That is, even when the tea is over steeped, it is not bitter.  Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that white teas have 'cooling' qualities, which may, for example, prevent acne or zits.  

Jasmine Silver Needles are scented like Jasmine Pearls are.  Dried tea buds are repeatedly layered with fresh jasmine blossoms to absorb the floral essence and then heated to remove moisture.     

Jasmine Silver Needles

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

Dry Leaf:  The buds are thinner and drier than regular unscented Silver Needles.  They have a delicate Jasmine fragrance.
Wet Leaf:  The dark green soft buds start out with Jasmine essence and fade into a dried apricot scent.
Liquor:      The liquor is yellow in color.  The jasmine note is gentle and not overwhelming.  The base note still retains some earthy hay of a regular Silver Needles tea.  It is light and mellow.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Doke Silver Needles

The three main tea growing regions in India are Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri.   Doke Tea Estate was established away from these three regions in 1998, several years after the Government of India invited entrepreneurs to grow tea bushes in Bihar province to stimulate its local economy.   Bihar is located in northern India, bordered by Nepal in north.

Instead of the traditional Indian black teas, Doke Tea Estate focuses on Chinese style white, green and oolong teas.   Doke Silver Needles are grown on the riverbank of Doke River.   They are second flush, i.e., picked from around May to June.  Chinese silver needles are commonly first flush or picked in early spring.

Doke Silver Needles contain buds of varied size.  The steeped tea is smooth but lacks complexity.  

Doke Silver Needles

Type:  White      Producing Country: India    Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  These buds are not similar-sized.  Some are shorter and some are longer.  There are also a few 'leaves'.  Their scent is straw or hay.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are plump with strong dried apricot and peach aromas.
Liquor:      The tea color is apricot.  The body is light and the taste is faintly herbaceous and peachy.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

White Downy Silver Needles

The birthplace of White Downy Silver Needles or Bai Hao Yin Zhen is Fuding, Fujian, China.
In the late 19th century, Fuding began producing Silver Needles from its new Dai Bai (Big White) tea cultivar.  Zhenghe, Fujian, soon followed suit.   Fuding Silver Needles (a.k.a. North Road Silver Needles) generally have a lighter color while Zhenghe Silver Needles (a.k.a. South Road Silver Needles) are darker. Here is a Fuding Bai Hao Yin Zhen.

The name Silver Needles or Yin Zhen refers to the young buds covered in silver fuzzy hairs that prevent water loss and deter bugs.  The buds also contain more glucose and nutrients to help them mature into leaves.  The buds are painstakingly plucked and minimally processed into Silver Needle white teas.

Silver Needle white teas have become very popular in recent years.  Consequently, many tea gardens in and outside China started to make their versions of Sliver Needles (e.g., Kenya White Whisper and Sri Lanka Adam's Peak).   This white tea is a version made in Fu'an in Fujian, southwest of Fuding and southeast of Zhenghe.

White Downy Silver Needles

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

Dry Leaf:  These needles appear to be thin but still hairy.
Wet Leaf: The wet needles are long and slim, with straw and dried fruit aromas.
Liquor:      The tea is yellow in color.  It stays long in the mouth.  It is straw-herbaceous, apricot-fruity, licorice-sweet and jasmine-floral at the end.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Adam's Peak Silver Needles

In the central Sri Lanka lies Adam's Peak, a mountain towering 7360 ft.   A depression in Adam's summit resembles a giant 'footprint' and draws pilgrims from afar.  Whose footprint is it?  Adam, Buddha, Shiva or St. Thomas?

The Nuwara Eliya region, near Adam's Peak, produces high-grown mild and aromatic black teas, appreciated as the "Champagne of Ceylons".   The region has also been making white teas from young tea tips.

This Adam's Peak white tea smacks of Chinese Silver Needles.   Its flavor profile is also similar: light, smooth and refined.

Adam's Peak Silver Needles

Type:  White      Producing Country: Sri Lanka   Preparation:   85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The small to medium buds are fuzzy and soft.  Their smell is a mix of straw and dried fruits.
Wet Leaf:  The scents of the wet leaves are cocoa and dried apricots.
Liquor:      The tea is straw color.  It is light and round.  It is sweet and herbaceous or woody.  It is quite long in the mouth.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Thé À L'Opéra

Mariage Freres' Thé À L'Opéra or Tea at the Opera is a flavored green tea.   By the looks of the leaves, it is likely a sencha with red berry flavoring.   The smell of the leaves is sensual and lovely, including sweet strawberries, caramels and chocolates.  However, the steeped tea is not as adorable and does not evoke feelings of a night at the opera.  In fact, the artificial aftertaste brings to mind plots of soap operas.

But Thé À L'Opéra excels when pairing with pastries and desserts.  Its slight sourness and astringency cut through the richness of pastries and desserts, such as Bourbon pecan pie and New York cheesecake.   Its aftertaste also becomes less noticeable.

L'Opera tea

Type:  Green     Blending Country: France    Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:   Red berry, caramel and chocolate aromas overpower sencha's grassiness.
Wet Leaf:  A faint grassy note hides under berry candy notes.
Liquor:      The amber tea has light astringency from green tea and sourness from berry flavoring.  It is quite refreshing but leaves an artificial aftertaste.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Paris Breakfast

One of the new teas from Mariage Freres, the famed tea establishment based in Paris, is befittingly named Paris Breakfast.  Unlike English Breakfast, Paris Breakfast is not meant for a hearty meal of bacon, sausages and eggs.  Think petit dejeuner: a pain au chocolat and brie.

The first impression of the tea is sweet citrus or candied orange, the familiar tang of a traditional Italian panettone.  Paris Breakfast appears to be a blend of Assam-type black tea, Chinese green tea and citrus vanilla flavoring.   Taking Paris Breakfast straight without milk is delightful and pairing it with a rich chocolate croissant is divine.

"The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant..." - T.S. Eliot

petit dejeuner

Paris Breakfast

Type:  Black     Blending Country: France    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  These broken leaves have some gold tips.  Citrus and vanilla notes shine through black tea.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are unmistakably orange soda with vitamin C.
Liquor:      It is coppery in color.  Orange or citrus dominates.  Black tea in the background reveals soft chocolates. There is some green tea astringency at the end but no aftertaste at all.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Jin Jun Mei Souchong

Jin Jun Mei is a Johnny-come-lately and kin to Lapsang Souchong.   Both teas come from the small leaf variety (Souchong) grown in Fujian, China.  Smoky Lapsang Souchong tea has never been popular in China even though it has enjoyed fame overseas.   Jin Jun Mei is a black tea created in 2005 by several Chinese tea masters using hand-picked buds from Souchong tea trees.  Jin means gold.  Jun is the name of some of the tea masters and means handsome or a handsome stallion.  Mei is eyebrow.  The wet leaves indeed look like Mr. Potato Head's eyebrows.

Jin Jun Mei Souchong took off and won many awards.  Its price also skyrocketed.  Some critics called it a mere hype and a marketing ploy.  Nevertheless, it is a fine black tea that can stand up to multiple infusions.  It is flavorful and takes milk well.  

Yin (silver) Jun Mei is similar to Jin Jun Mei but contains both buds and leaves.  Yin Jun Mei is less expensive.

Jin Jun Mei

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

Dry Leaf:  The buds are dark brown and tiny.   The aromas are spices, biscuits, dates and cacao nibs.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are spicy, floral, peppery and chocolaty.
Liquor:      It is a reddish brown tea that is smooth and not smoky.  Its flavor notes include coco, dried fruits and roasted sweet potatoes.

Tee Score:  4 out of 5

Sakuma White

In addition to green and oolong teas, Sakuma Brothers Farms Inc. in Skagit Valley, Washington State, also produces a white tea.   Comparing the dried leaves of Sakuma's three teas, it is obvious that the white tea has gone through minimum processes.   The leaves of Sakuma White may look like something that one will find around a garden path but they are harvested at the farm in June and sun-dried.  They contain mostly leaves and some young buds.

The 'taste' perception of Sakuma White is between Silver Needles and Bai Mu Dan.   It is smooth, well-rounded and has a sweet fruity aroma.  It is finer than its two siblings.

Sakuma white (top) green (left) oolong (right)

Sakuma White

Type:  White      Producing Country: USA    Preparation:  90°C 3Min

Dry Leaf:  These natural leaves are green with brown edges or areas.  They are raisiny and plummy.
Wet Leaf:  The nose of the wet leaves is definitely apricots.
Liquor:      The tea is straw or yellow in color.  Its aroma are dried-fruity.  It is light and smooth with a pleasant sweet undertone.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Korean Balhyocha Noeul

Balhyocha in Korean means fermented or oxidized tea.  Balhyocha Noeul is one of the teas sourced from Hwagae Village, Hadong County, South Korea, by O5 Tea in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.   This batch is crafted from Hadong tea varietal in May, 2013, and is classified as an Oolong tea.

Served multiple short infusions at O5 Tea Bar, Balhyocha Noeul exhibited strong roasted peanut and coco notes.   Cupped at 4 minutes at home, it seems to reveal some interesting notes.  The cold wet leaves can make one salivate as they have a spicy aroma reminiscent of chili peppers or kimchi without garlic and onions.   The steeped tea, at some point, presents itself like a light ginseng root herbal drink.

Although the tea may not be as lengthy as some good Chinese oolongs, it is smooth and complex.   It is almost perfect for an autumn day with a slice of pumpkin pie.

O5 Tea Bar

Korean Balhyocha

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

Dry Leaf:  The leaves are dark brown and tightly twisted.  They have the nose of roasted nuts, ginseng roots and dried figs.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves look small and are still twisted.   The aromas range from wicker and roasted peanuts to ginseng roots and chili peppers.
Liquor:      The tea is brown in color.  It is medium-to-full-bodied and has no detectable astringency.  From roasted peanuts, its flavors fade into coco and ginseng roots.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Thailand Assamica Oolong

Camellia Sinensis Assamica is one of the two primary tea varietals and is, generally, grown for black tea production in countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Kenya.  In Northern Thailand, its native tea plant Assamica has been cultivated for green (e.g., Thailand green tea ), black and oolong teas.  Camellia Sinensis Assamica has larger leaves and grows best in warm and humid conditions.

This twisted-leaf oolong is from the mountain region of Doi Mae Salong in Thailand.   It inherited the bolder characteristics of Assamica plant and could be mistaken for a light black tea.  Every now and then, it is a nice change from the floral and fruity oolongs of Taiwan and China.

Thailand Assamica Oolong

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

Dry Leaf:  These leaves are twisted and large.  They have nice honey and roasted bouquet similar to some black teas.
Wet Leaf:  From the looks of it (chopped leaves and stems), the tea was mechanically picked and processed.  The wet leaves retain some honey sweetness and have the smell of wicker.
Liquor:      The tea is orange/amber in color.   Its cocoa note is nice but lacks depth.  It also has slight astringency.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Hong Shui Oolong

Some say that Hong Shui represents the traditional way of making Dong Ding in Lugu, Taiwan.   Consumer products tend to evolve over time.  This may be a case of 'Coke Classic vs Coke'.

Comparing with Dong Ding, Hong Shui is roasted and has a higher oxidation level.  The roasting part of the process demands the skills of a seasoned tea master to properly bring out the body and fragrance of Hong Shui.   This laborious roasting step lets Hong Shui have a longer shelf life.  

The name Hong Shui means 'red water' for the orange color tea.   Although it is a nice tea for daily consumption, this particular Hong Shui is not exceptional.  It gives the impression of Qi Lan from Wuyi, China, and Sow Mei white tea.  

Hong Shui

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

Dry Leaf:  The brown beads have notes of roasted juicy fruits.
Wet Leaf:  The scent of wet leaves can be described as roasted grains with some white flowers.
Liquor:      The tea is orange or amber.  It is medium-bodied.   Roasted flavors dominate immediately but then plum bouquet emerges.  It is not as silky smooth as Dong Ding but is still nice.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Australian Black Tea

Kangaroos hopping and Didgeridoos playing, yonder, a world away from India or China, tea bushes spread out.   Australia grows small quantities of tea.  

It was in 1886 that four Cutten brothers planted seeds and plants (including tea) that had grown in other parts of British Empire in Bingal Bay.  In 1958 Dr. Maruff planted the first row of tea in the Nerada Valley from the seedlings that he had found at Bingal Bay.  Today Nerada is the largest tea grower in Australia.  It is located in north Queensland.    

Nerada uses machines to harvest and process its tea.  This Nerada black tea contains broken pieces of leaves, and is, from leaf to cup, typical English-Breakfast-styled.   

G'day mate!  Have some billy tea!  Billy is a tin or pot used on a camp stove.

Australian Nerada

Type:  Black Tea     Producing Country: Australia    Preparation:  95°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark and broken pieces have notes of raisins and wicker.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves have the familiar Assam or Kenya tea aromas of wet straw, wicker and coco. They are also slightly malty.
Liquor:      The tea color is bright coppery.  It is a robust tea with some bitterness and astringency.  The subtle maltiness is stronger in the nose than in the mouth.   Not surprisingly, it takes milk well.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Georgian Black Tea

This Georgia is neither a girl's name nor a US state.  Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia became independent in 1991.  Geographically, Georgia is situated between Europe and Asia.  It is a mountainous country bordering Black Sea.

Tea growing took place in Georgia around 1830, likely from tea seeds smuggled out of China by a Georgian prince.  By the early 20th century, Georgia was producing award-winning teas and became the key supplier for the former Soviet Union.  Due to political or economical factors, many tea plantations and facilities were abandoned by the 1990's. Consequently, Georgian tea quality suffered and production volume decreased.   Recently, the Georgian government tried to revitalize tea plantations, especially in the subtropical West Georgia.

This Georgian black tea has no bitterness but is lacking in character.  Its dry leaves may smell like Assam's first cousin but its brew tastes like Keemum's second cousin once removed.  Its blandness makes it a good tea for blending and flavoring.

Georgia

Type:  Black Tea    Producing Country: Georgia     Preparation:  95°C 4 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  The regular dark leaves are dried-fruity and spicy(cinnamon).
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves have notes of wet straw or wicker.
Liquor:      The copper tea has very little astringency.   It is slightly fruity.   Surprisingly, it is good with a little bit of milk.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Mauritius Vanilla Tea

"From one citizen you gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius."  - Mark Twain, "Following the equator" 1897.

Mauritius lies in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and about 2400 km off the south eastern coast of Africa.  The island was once the home of the Dodo bird.  The country Mauritius gained its independence from Great Britain in 1968.  It is a nation with a fusion of French, Creole, Indian and Chinese cultures.  

Tea has been grown in Mauritius since 18th century.  Today there are several tea plantations and factories there.  Bois Cheri is the oldest and largest tea estate.   This black tea from Bois Cheri is flavored with vanilla, which may be produced locally or in Madagascar.  Some speculated that flavoring was combined with Mauritian tea to add a dimension to a tropic-grown tea that tends to be less complex than an alpine-grown one.  
The vanilla in the tea is very soft and does not leave an artificial aftertaste.  This tea is traditionally prepared with milk and sugar or honey.  

Mauritius Vanilla Tea

Type:  Black Tea    Producing Country: Mauritius     Preparation:  95°C 3 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  The dark brown broken pieces have nice vanilla and dried fruit scents.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are faintly vanilla and like an Assam-type black tea.
Liquor:      The mahogany tea is full-bodied but quite smooth.  It has soft vanilla and dark chocolate aromas. Its astringency and maltiness are subtle.  The vanilla does not overpower the black tea, which is comparable to a Kenya tea.   The tea is nice with or without milk.  

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Uji Shincha 2013

Tea in Uji has a long history dating back several centuries ago.  Uji is located south of the city of Kyoto and is reputed to produce the best green teas in Japan.   2013 Uji Shincha contains beautiful leaves, dry or wet.   It has a harmonized flavor of mellowness and freshness (astringency).

Shincha or 'new tea' is in essence Sencha (the most widespread type of tea in Japan) but is the first harvest of the year.  It is equivalent to a first flush Darjeeling tea in India.  Tea plants hibernate or vegetate during cold winter months.   When spring has sprung, tea trees put out their buds with all the nutrients accumulated and stored.   Teas from the first harvest tend to have a bit more flavors and nutrients.

Like Beaujolais Nouveau wine, Shincha is eagerly anticipated and celebrated annually.

Uji Shincha

Type:  Green Tea    Producing Country: Japan     Preparation:  80°C 2 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  These thin needle-like leaves are deep green and beautiful.  They give out a nice smell of cooked spinach and roasted seaweeds.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are green, tender and soft.  They release an aroma of freshly steamed young vegetables.
Liquor:      The lime green tea is cloudy with sediments.  It is clean, refreshing and with vegetal flavors of arugula.  Its astringency is medium and it is long in the mouth.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

East Frisian Tea

Bordering North Sea & Netherlands, and situated in the northwest region of Germany is East Frisia (Ostfriesland).  East Frisians prefer tea over coffee and consume a copious amount of black tea.  Their tradition is four breaks a day and three cups per break.

East Frisian Tea refers to black tea blends as well as its serving protocol.  The special tea culture in East Frisia comprises a locally blended black tea, soft water, kluntjes (rock sugar), cream, a tea set and tea serving.        

East Frisian blends are predominately Assam black.  This blend from US contains Assam, Darjeeling and Ceylon teas.   It is a strong Assam, rounded out by Darjeeling and Ceylon. An East Frisian blend is also great as a breakfast tea.

Following are the 'rituals' to enjoy or serve East Frisian Tea:

1.  Use tiny shallow cups if possible and place kluntjes in each cup.  Kluntjes are pieces of rock sugar and they look like crystals.  Asian brown or white rock sugar is a good substitute.  

Asian rock sugar in cup

2. Brew an East Frisian blend or any strong Assam teas for 5 minutes.  Pour the hot tea into the cup and hear the crackling of sugar.   Do not stir.    

Tea in cup

3.  Carefully add cream (not milk) to the tea.  Do not Stir.  

Add cream

4.  Savor the layers of the tea (ideally) in three gulps:  the first is creamy tea; the second is strong tea; and the third is sweet tea.   The sugar lumps remain in the cup and immediately repeat step 2 - 4 for at least two more times.

Kenya Purple Tea

Purple tea is a new camellia sinensis variety that Kenya's Tea Research Foundation has been developing for the last 25 years.  This variety is more drought-resistant and has purple leaves due to its high levels of anthocyanins (e.g., malvidin) or antioxidant pigments.

This purple tea is handcrafted in Kenya and marketed by a relatively new tea merchant, Royal Tea of Kenya.  Whether their fresh leaves are purple, pink, yellow polka-dotted or not, teas are categorized by their manufacturing processes.  This is a fully oxidized tea; i.e., a black tea.  Its dry leaves are richly aromatic and the color of its wet leaves does reveal eggplant purple.  The brew is sweet and smooth but not purple.

Kenya Purple

Type:  Black    Producing Country: Kenya     Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  Their dark wiry leaves are richly fruity - figs and raisins with hints of cocoa and licorice.
Wet Leaf:  Some of the whole leaves are dark brown and some purple.  They are sweet and fruity.
Liquor:      The tea is rusty brown.  Some may say its purple hue fades.  With a medium body and light astringency,  the molasses and fruitiness shine through.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Sakuma Oolong

Teas are generally associated with countries in Asia and Africa.   For those teas that are grown outside of these established regions, they should be considered 'exotic'.   The local food movement and the popularity of tea drinking in recent years likely fueled interest in cultivating tea plants in USA and other places.

This 'exotic' oolong from Sakuma Brothers Farms is grown and processed in the Skagit Valley in the northwestern part of USA, where apples, berries, vegetables and wine grapes are abundant.   Sakuma started growing tea plants in 1997.   Its tea varieties that survived over the years probably have adapted to the non-tropical terroir.

Sakuma oolong is a medium-bodied tea with spicy notes.  It almost 'feels' like Taiwan Gold White tea.  This tea may be evident of some Taiwan influence as Sakuma grower acquired equipment from as well as toured tea gardens in Taiwan several years ago.

Sakuma Oolong

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

Dry Leaf:  They are mixed brown and black leaves, medium sized and twisted.   They are richly aromatic: cinnamon, prunes and clove.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are beautiful olive green with red edges.  Their notes are savory similar to Chinese culinary spices.
Liquor:      The golden amber tea is spicy (cinnamon), woodsy and perhaps citrusy.  It is medium-bodied and lengthy in the mouth.  However, it is mildly astringent.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Sakuma Green

Sakuma Brothers Farms, Inc. in the Skagit Valley in Washington State has been growing berries for a century.  Sakuma began experimenting with tea cultivation on 5 acres of land in 1997 and with tea production by 2006-2007.   These days, Sakuma makes limited amounts of white, green and oolong teas each season.  Its artisan teas are hand picked and crafted.    

Unlike the traditional Chinese and Japanese green teas, Sakuma's green has unusually large twisted dry leaves that are aromatic.   Surprisingly, the brewed tea is very light, nothing like its dry leaves.  Sakuma green could be a nice base for creating wonderful tea blends.

Sakuma Green

Type:  Green Tea     Producing Country: USA    Preparation:  85°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  These large greenish brown twisted leaves have that special warm aromas of raisins, cinnamon and dark berries.
Wet Leaf:  The unfurled large olive green leaves smell like cooked spinach.
Liquor:      The tea is yellow in color,  is slightly spicy and barely has any astringency.   Even with a higher water temperature and a longer brewing time, it is still a bit flat.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Mauna Kea Oolong

The rich volcanic ash soils in the Big Island of Hawaii can grow amazing crops. Consumers have been enjoying Kona coffee and now also have the options of Hawaiian white, green, black and oolong teas.  Oolong processing requires special skills and is not produced by every tea farm there.  Mauna Kea (Mountain of the god Wakea) Tea Garden does craft a premium Oolong, hand-picked two leaves and a bud style.

The tea made from the lovely wiry tippy leaves is light.  It is reminiscent of  some Chinese style green teas or Vietnam Oolong.    Using a Taiwanese oolong as a yardstick, Mauna Kea Oolong is atypical.  It is refreshing but not smooth.  Nevertheless, it is a tea with its special attributes from volcanoes, ocean, lei and hula.      

Mauna Kea Oolong

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: USA     Preparation:  85°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  Their dark wiry leaves have white tips and are pretty.  They are pleasantly sweet, biscuity and floral.
Wet Leaf:  Two leaves and a bud unfurled from each dry wiry leaf.  Their floral note is orchid.
Liquor:      The egg yolk yellow tea is slightly peppery and grassy.  The mouthfeel is a light floral note (& faint bitterness) with licorice sweetness.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Mauna Kea Roast Green

In 2001, Camellia Sinensis (tea) was re-introduced as an agricultural crop in Hawaii.   Today, fine artisan teas are available from several small-scale tea farms, mostly located in the Big Island of Hawaii.  The one drawback of Hawaii grown teas may be their affordability.

The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest but the youngest in the Hawaiian island chain.  It is composites of five volcanoes.   Mauna Kea Tea Garden is on the slope of Mauna Kea volcano, which erupted about 4000 years ago.   The tea plants at this Garden are grown according to natural farming principles.

This 2013 harvested green tea is roasted and not steamed during processing.  It brews a bright and macadamia-color liquor.   It contains low caffeine and does not turn bitter like some green teas.   It exudes the spirit of aloha and is easy to drink.

Mauna Kea Roasted Green

Type:  Green Tea     Producing Country: USA    Preparation:  85°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The flat, olive green leaves vary in size. Their aromas are mild and toasty.   They are very light in weight.
Wet Leaf:  It is interesting to observe the wet leaves that have the appearance of waterproof coatings.
Liquor:      The flavors of the bright and attractive tea include sweet butter cookies and toasted grains.  It is mild and barely has any astringency.  

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Four-Season Spring Oolong

'Four-Season Spring' or Si Ji Chun is the name of the oolong as well as that of the tea varietal.   About 30 years ago, an Iron Goddess tea farmer in Taiwan discovered some very hardy tea bushes in his land adjacent to his tea plantation.  This relatively new tea variety propagated and flourished in other tea gardens in Taiwan.  Si Ji Chun, as its chosen name implies, is a high-yield cultivar and can be plucked up to 7 times a year.

Si Ji Chun oolong is generally mild and quite green.  It is an everyday tea for its value and great for a novice oolong drinker.  This 2012 machine-harvested Si Ji Chun tea is no exception.   It is pleasant but not as alluring as other green oolongs, such as Dong Ding.   It is light and almost green-tea-like.

Four Seasons Oolong

Type:  Oolong    Producing Country: Taiwan     Preparation:  90°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  The small-medium semi-rolled beads are clean and vegetal.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are floral (orchid).  The various sizes of individual leaves are an indication of harvesting by machines.
Liquor:      The tea is yellow in color.  It is very light, clean, vegetal and faintly floral.  It may be like a green tea but is smooth with no astringency.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Jin Shan Shi Yu

Jin Shan Shi Yu means 'gold mountain timely rain'.   It is grown and produced in Anhui province, China.  The tea  is crafted with young buds and leaves, harvested before or after spring rain.   The name was derived from 1) the appearance of the 'raindrop' shape dry leaves   2) the location of the tea farms and manufacturers is near Gold Mountain village.  

When blind tasting several Chinese green teas, it is not difficult to identify those teas (e.g., Gunpowder and Dragon Well) that have some unique characteristics.  Jin Shan Shi Yu also falls into this category.  Athough it is vegetal, it is mellow, licorice-sweet and elegant.   It makes a real good cup of tea.  

Jin Shan Shi Yu

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

Dry Leaf:  Their dark green shiny twisted leaves also contain curls that look like tiny hooks.  They have the scent of a pan fry tea,  and are toasty & herbaceous.
Wet Leaf:  It is obvious young leaves & buds were used to make this tea.  When they unfurled, they smell fresh like cooked spinach.
Liquor:      The pale yellow tea is refreshing and lengthy in the mouth.  It is smooth but slightly peppery.  It has an interesting flavor profile of asparagus freshness and licorice root sweetness.  

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Earl Grey

The shades of Earl Grey are plentiful, more than fifty.   Earl Grey is the most recognized flavored or scented tea in the Western world.  It is named after Charles, second Earl Grey and prime minister of UK from 1830 to 1834.   All the tall tales about the tea imply that Earl Grey received the recipe from a Chinese official as a gift.   The traditional Earl Grey tea is Chinese and/or Indian black tea flavored with bergamot oil.   Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown in Mediterranean and its rind yields perfumery oil.   Twinings is said to have the rightful claim to the original Earl Grey tea formula.  Twinings tried a new Earl Grey blend with lemon and extra bergamot in recent years but had to bring back the classic edition after outrage from its customers.

Many tea merchants today create their own shades of Earl Grey using different types of tea and flavorings.   There are Earl Grey oolong, Earl Grey sencha, Earl Grey silver tip, and smoky Earl Grey, just to name a few.  This Earl Grey is the classic one from Twinings. The tea is not too strong and the bergamot flavor is neither overpowering nor Pine-Sol-like. It is a nice go-to tea in the afternoon.   Because of its fragrance, Earl Grey tea is often used in baking and confectionery.  

Earl Grey

Type:  Scented Black     Producing Country:  England   Preparation:  100°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:   The small pieces of black tea leaves give off strong aromas of lemon, grapefruit and cedar.

Wet Leaf:   The wet leaves have a strong cedar scent.

Liquor:       This mahogany-colored Earl Grey is light, citrusy and mildly astringent.  The lemony taste stays in the mouth for a while.    

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Tan Huong Oolong

Tan Huong is a tea cooperative in the northeastern Vietnam's Thai Nguyen province.   Vietnam processes and exports mostly black and green teas.  With the assistance of a Taiwanese tea specialist, Tan Huong produces this oolong.   Like Zealong, Tan Huong Oolong is presumably created in the image of Dong Ding.   The aromas of its dry and wet leaves are evocative of Dong Ding but the flavors of the steeped tea are untypical.  The tea has slight astringency and  mild licorice sweetness.   In other words, it is uniquely Vietnam oolong.

Vietnam Oolong

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

Dry Leaf:   The dark green rolled pellets are raisiny and biscuity. 

Wet Leaf:   The deep green leaves are floral.

Liquor:       This tea is yellow.  It is light, slightly astringent and floral.  It has the sweetness and spiciness of licorice.    

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Zealong

Zealong is oolong produced by the Zealong Tea Estate in the Waikato region of New Zealand.   A Mr. Chen and his son, immigrants from Taiwan, imported 1500 tea cuttings in 1996 from their homeland to pioneer the first and only tea garden.  Only 130 survived New Zealand's agriculture quarantine but they thrived and multiplied after careful propagation.   Then, 13 years of hard work later, Zealong tea was officially launched.

This unroasted Zealong is likely modeled after Taiwan's Dong Ding, and may still be a work-in-progress.   It has the smoothness but lacks the depth of a fine Taiwanese Dong Ding.   It is light and enjoyable.

Zealong

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  New Zealand    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:   The dark green rolled beads are clean and biscuity. 

Wet Leaf:   The deep green leaves are slightly toasty and faintly floral.

Liquor:       This tea is bright yellow.  It is light, smooth, a bit sugary but not complex.   It begins to taste watery after the second infusion.  

Tee Score:  3 out of 5

Tencha

Tea leaves for Gyokuro and Tencha are grown in the shade for two to three weeks before they are harvested and processed.   Unlike Gyokuro, Tencha is not rolled/kneaded after steaming.   Tencha leaves are stoned-ground to make Matcha powder.   Shade-grown teas are darker green in color and contain more amino acids, which our taste buds detect as savory or umami.  

This hand-harvested Tencha from Kyoto has large flakes of dark leaves.   To brew Tencha tea requires more leaves and less water.  It has amazing aromas and flavors of quality seaweed.   It is great for sipping or for pairing with Japanese food.    Even the brewed wet leaves are mild and tasty like cooked spinach.   Adding it to a miso soup or a green salad, this Tencha blurs the line between tea and food.  

Tencha 

Type:  Green     Producing Country:  Japan    Preparation:  80°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:   The dark green flat pieces of leaves are milky.  They also have the aromas of roasted seaweed. 

Wet Leaf:   The deep green brewed leaves smell and taste like seaweed and cooked spinach.  

Liquor:       This tea is pale olive green with lots of sediments.  It is sweet and creamy.  Its flavor can be described as a nice light, mellow seaweed soup,  It it not astringent like other green teas.  

Tee Score:  5 out of 5

Sumatra Black Pearl

Indonesia produces both coffee and tea.   In 2010, it was the 7th largest tea production country in the world.   Indonesia exports large amounts of black tea to Russia and Europe for tea blending and tea bags.  Tea is grown mostly in Java and Sumatra.

The Black Pearl tea from Sumatra may look a lot like 99% Oxidized Oolong but it is a black tea.   The distinct malty aroma of the dry pearls and liquor is an obvious giveaway.   For a black tea, it is light in color but rich in interesting flavor.  It is very enjoyable iced or hot.

Black Pearl

Type:  Black Tea     Producing Country: Indonesia     Preparation:  95°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  These semi-rolled leaves are strongly malty.
Wet Leaf:  The dark curly leaves are reminiscent of cooked squash.
Liquor:      The amber tea smells malty.  It has a medium body and is smooth, sweet and fruity.  It almost has no astringency.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Dong Ding

Dong Ding  is not "Ding-Dong!"   Dong Ding (aka Tung Ting) means frozen peak and is an acclaimed Taiwanese Oolong.   Around 1885 a Taiwanese scholar returned to Lugu (deer valley) from China with 36 tea plants from Wuyi mountains as a gift for his sponsor. These shrubs were planted on Lugu's mountain hill side and flourished.  Years later when a tea was skillfully made, it was named Dong Ding, after the mountain in Lugu township of Nantou district.

The tea growers in Lugu organized the first tea competition in Taiwan in 1975.   The competition, now held twice a year, assesses and selects the best Dong Ding teas of the season from thousands of entries.   A champion tea winner can expect to fetch a handsome price for his or her tea.  The record was set in 2011 at US$5200 per 600 gram for the champion tea.  

This Dong Ding is not a competition grade but is nonetheless nice, light and mild.

Dong Ding

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  Taiwan     Preparation:  90°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:   The dark green pearls are sweet and biscuity.  

Wet Leaf:  The large olive green leaves with stems are floral.  

Liquor:       This tea is pale green.  It is light, mild, sweet, creamy and faintly floral. 

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Tea and Food Pairing

Bon Appetit Magazine reported that 2013 #18 food trend "tea is the new coffee, complete with equipment, techniques, and tons of varieties to nerd out over."   The Age of the Tea Nerds has dawned!

Unlike coffee, tea is delicate and not overpowering.  Tea can be appreciated alone or with food.  Tea and food pairing is not new but has become more sophisticated due to the 'tea movement' in North America.   Genmaicha with Japanese food, oolong with Chinese food, and  black tea with scones are all examples of pairings with which people are quite familiar.

Although tasting principles can be applied to pairing tea with food, the bottom line is to let your palate as well as your imagination guide you.   Perfect pairing is subjective and there are no hard and fast rules.   Nevertheless, there are several tips that may be helpful:

1. Determine if the focus is on the food or on the tea.    
2. Know the flavor profile and weight of the tea.   Know the flavors, cooking method, weight of the food or dish.  Identify the dominate flavor.  
3. Complement tea and food by matching the flavors (e.g., A steamed sole and a Japanese Gyokuro).  
4. Contrast tea and food by counterpointing the flavors (e.g., A piece of rich carrot cake and a light Dragon Well).  
5. Beware of the bitterness, sweetness and astringency in the tea.    Consider the saltiness, sourness and sweetness of the food.   See below for the tricks your taste buds can play on you:    

Food/Tea	Tea Bitterness	Tea Sweetness	Tea Astringency (Tannin)
Salty food	Neutralizes bitterness	Brings out sweetness	Reduces astringency
Acidic food	Mellows bitterness	Complements sweetness	Reduces astringency
Sweet Food	Overly sweetness Heightens bitterness	Reduces sweetness if food is sweeter	Increases astringency

Sencha with Japanese food

A day in the life of a tea nerd could look like this:

	Food	Tea
Breakfast	Bagel with cream cheese & lox	Lapsang Souchong
Break	Apple	Bai Hao Yin Zhen
Lunch	Mac & Cheese	Sencha
Break	Digestive biscuits	Assam
Dinner	Stir-fry beef and rice	Oriental Beauty
Après Dinner	Vanilla ice cream and berries	Keemun