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