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

Matcha Tea Grinder

For a matcha purist, a portable tea grinder is the answer.  Both Kyocera and Porlex of Japan make quality ceramic burr tea grinders.   Standing 6-inch tall, a matcha tea grinder comprises a handle, a chamber, ceramic burrs and a tea catcher.   It is easy to assemble. Although the tool is ideal for grinding Tencha into Matcha, it can also churn out other types of fine or coarser tea powder, which is used in baking or cooking.  This nice toy is not for grinding coffee beans.

Tea Grinder

ceramic burrs

Anatomy of a tea grinder

Input-process-output

(tencha-tea grinder-matcha)

Matcha!

Kabusecha Green Tea

Kabusecha, Gyokuro and Tencha are three Japanese shaded teas.  Kabusecha plants are covered (filtering 50-70% sunlight) for about one week before their leaves are plucked and processed.  Gyokuro tea leaves are covered (filtering 90% sunlight) for approximately three weeks prior to being harvested.  As for Tencha, it is also shaded (filtering 90% sunlight) for around three weeks.  Tencha is deveined and used for producing Matcha.  Shading forces tea plants to generate more chlorophyll.

The appearance of Kagusecha, literally means covered tea, is not easily distinguishable from its relatives, Sencha and Gyokuro.   The flavor profile of Kabusecha is middle-of-the-road.  Kabusecha has the astringency of Sencha and the savoriness of Gyokuro.  It is refreshing and has a clean aftertaste.  The brewed leaves are soft, edible and tasty.

Shaded teas (top:Tencha, left: Kabusecha, right: Gyokuro)

Kabusecha


Type:  Green      Producing Country: Japan    Preparation:  80°C 3 Mins

Dry Leaf:  The dark green thin needles and pieces have a delicious aroma of brioches or biscuits.
Wet Leaf: The soft wet leaves are savory and vegetal.  They look like boiled spinach and taste like cooked arugula.
Liquor:      Lime green is the color of Kabusecha.  It has the toned-down astringency of Sencha and the mild savoriness of Gyokuro.  Its mouth feel is  mild, clean and vegetal.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

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