Tanzania Livingstonia

Tanzania, home to Mount Kilimanjiro, is the fourth largest tea producer in Africa after Kenya, Malawi and Uganda.  Over 75% of Tanzanian tea is exported.

German settlers first introduced and planted tea in Tanzania in 1902 and after World War II the British took over tea plantations.  Since her independence from Great Britain in 1961, Tanzania continues to cultivate tea in three major areas: south, northeast and northwest zones.

This Livingstonia tea is named after David Livingstone, a well-known 19th century Scottish medical missionary and explorer in Africa.  The tea is not as strong as regular African tea found in some tea bags.  It is a lighter black tea, somehow reminiscent of Lover's Leap from Sri Lanka.  

Livingstonia

Type:  Black    Country: Tanzania    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The chopped pieces of dried leaves are raisiny.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are brown and faintly floral.
Liquor:      The tea is reddish brown.   It is light to medium-bodied but with noticeable astringency.  It is slightly citrusy, spicy and floral.

Tee Score: 3 of 5

Whisky Flavored Tea

"O Whisky! soul o' plays and pranks! 
Accept a bardie's gratfu' thanks!"  Robbie Burns, "Scotch Drink" 1785

This tea can be described as Chinese black tea marinated in a Scottish malt whisky flavor.  According to Scotch connoisseurs, estery flavors in moderation are desirable in Scotch whisky.  Estery is possessing chemical esters, such as fruity, floral and solvent odors/scents.   The dominant scent of the tea is estery: pear, banana and nail polish.   One sniff of the dried leaves could make Robbie Burns turn in his grave.  

The brewed tea is still estery but surprisingly smooth with a hint of malt.   It is reminiscent of a fruit-flavored tea, not Scotch.  

Whisky Flavored Tea

Type:  Black       Country: Scotland       Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  Chopped pieces make up the dried leaves.  Their pear-like or varnishy scent is overwhelming.
Wet Leaf:  Behind the nail polish scent, there is a faint smell of wet straw.
Liquor:   The tea is golden brown.   It is smooth with pear-like and malty flavors.  There is barely any astringency but a slightly sour aftertaste.

Tee Score: 3 of 5

Tamaryoku Cha

Mushisei Tamaryoku Cha (steamed round green tea) or Tamacha is commonly called Guricha.   Tamacha emerged in the 1920's in Japan and was originally intended for export to Middle East.

The production method of Tamacha is similar to that of Sencha.   The difference is the kneading stage that shapes the leaves is omitted for Tamacha.   Kamairicha, a pan-fried not steamed tea, is another one that cuts out the kneading stage.  

Harvested in August, this late season tea is from Kagoshima Prefecture located at the southern edge of Kyushu, Japan.   Although it lacks in good looks, its aroma is bright and Sencha-like.

Sencha leaves vs Tamacha leaves

Tamacha

Type:  Green           Producing Country: Japan       Preparation:  85°C 2.5 Min

Dry Leaf:  The broken pieces are not 'round' or curly.  The fragrances include toasted nuts and cooked vegetables.
Wet Leaf:  The dark olive leaves smell like toasted rice and arugula.
Liquor:      Tamacha is yellow in color.   It is grassy, vegetal, slightly toasty and astringent.

Tee Score: 3 of 5

Portugal Green Tea

In addition to black tea, Portuguese Gorreana Tea Estate also produces green tea called Hysson using techniques passed down by Chinese tea experts from Macau over 100 years ago.  The Portuguese were able to establish a trading station in Macau in 1557 and likely had easy access to tea masters there.

This Hysson is not identical to Hyson (with one 's').   Hyson was popular in Europe in the 18th century.  Because its Chinese name sounded like that of a wealthy Londoner Phillip Hyson, it took on his moniker.  Hyson is one of the teas destroyed at the Boston Harbor in 1773.  Chun Mei is a type of Hyson.

Gorreana Hysson brews an amber cup of green tea.  Its leaves and flavors do not resemble Chinese Hyson.  It is uniquely Portugal green tea.

Portugal Green

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

Dry Leaf:  These olive green leaves are herbaceous and peppery.  Some stems are mixed in with the cut leaves.
Wet Leaf:  There is a faint herbaceous note to the leaves.
Liquor:      It is an amber-colored green tea with sediments.  It has some astringency and has a flavor similar to cooked Chinese cabbage.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Scottish Heather Tea

Heather is a symbol of Scotland.  It grows abundantly and veils the Scottish moors and heathlands with its purple blooms.  "The heather was blooming, the meadows were mawn..." - Robert Burns

Heather flowers have been used to make herbal infusions for fighting symptoms of colds and flu.  The Scottish Heather tea contains black tea from Africa and India, and 4.5% heather blossoms.   The appearance of black tea mixed with purple buds is very lovely like Sakura Sencha but the brewed beverage is relatively plain.  However, the hills seem to come alive with the sound of bagpipes when a splash of single malt Whiskey is added to the tea.   Still, the tea is blended for taking milk and has subtle earthiness, likely from heather.

Heather Tea

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

Dry Leaf:  The cut pieces of dark leaves blended with purple buds have the familiar breakfast tea scent without any hint of flowers.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves smell strong wicker and wet straw.
Liquor:       The tea is chocolate in color.  It is strong and has medium astringency.  Its flavor notes are cocoa and moss.

Tee Score: 3 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

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

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

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

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

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

Thailand Green Tea

At the end of the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party in 1949,  thousands and thousands of KMT soldiers and their families retreated from mainland China to Taiwan while some evacuated  from Yunnan Province to Burma and Northern Thailand, where opium fields dotted the landscape.   Half a century on, commercial tea plantations established by the former Yunnan soldiers and Chinese immigrants have replaced poppy cultivation as the cash crop.

This green tea is made by Choui Fong (Green Peak) Tea Co., in Chiang Rai area of Northern Thailand.   It was produced from the type of tea trees that are usually used for Assam black teas.   Surprisingly, such big and bold leaves brew a pale and plain tea.   The tea's flavor profile is different from that of Chinese or Japanese green teas.  This tea is not for making Thai iced tea, which uses a special blend of spices, black tea and sometimes food coloring.

Thailand Choui Fong

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

Dry Leaf:  The large twisted olive green leaves have the aromas of stewed fruits and strawberries.
Wet Leaf:  The large leaves are strongly vegetal.
Liquor:      The tea is pale yellow in color.   It is lightly floral, earthy and astringent.  It is unique but not very memorable.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Japanese Pu'er

This tea may not be officially called Pu'er because it was neither grown nor produced in Yunnan, China.   Japanese Dark Tea is a good moniker for this fermented tea.  Hailing from Shizuoka prefecture in Japan,  it was produced using rice culture/yeast for fermentation for several days.  Kombucha is also a fermented 'tea' but is a different animal.   Kombucha tea, a sweet and sour beverage, is made by incubating the culture of bacteria and yeast in sugary tea.

Japanese Dark Tea does not look, smell or taste like Chinese Pu'er.  It does have a pleasant flavor profile akin to lightly roasted coffee or cacao.   Its leaves exude rich soy sauce aromas.   Similar to other 'cultured' food (e.g., yogurt and sour kraut), the tea is probably good for the digestive system.

Japanese fermented  tea (pu'er)

Type:  Pu'er/Fermented     Producing Country: Japan     Preparation:  95°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark cut leaves with a few twigs have the aromas of fermented black beans and thick soy sauce.
Wet Leaf:  Notes of roasted Japanese green tea (Hojicha) and light soy sauce can be detected.
Liquor:      The liquor is coppery and a bit cloudy with sediments.  It is only slightly astringent and spicy.   The flavor is coffee-like but not as flavorful.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5