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