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Alex Zorach

RateTea Editor

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Member since Sep. 1st, 2009. Reviewed 1448 teas.

Reviews of Teas & Herbal Teas from China

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Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 14 15 16 of 16 pages with 381 results

Picture of Keemun Congfu

Keemun Congfu from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Style: Keemun – Region: Fujian, China

97 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 15th, 2014

Something fascinating and wonderful...a Keemun of top-quality produced outside the traditional area, yet in an area with a tradition of artisanal black tea production. Seems to combine the best qualities of Keemun with qualities of Fujian gong fu / congou black teas. I saved this tea review for last, from the recent ...

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Picture of Classic Chinese

Classic Chinese from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: Zhejiang, China

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 8th, 2014

This was an exceptional tea, and I think its name does not do it justice. It didn't taste classic, it tasted extraordinary!

The dry leaf is black, with very wiry, crinkly leaf that is quite long. The leaf is pleasantly aromatic, and the aroma complex and toasty, suggesting fruit, nuts, wood, caramel, and malt.

...

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Picture of Dian Hong Congfu

Dian Hong Congfu from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Yunnan, China

57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Nov. 27th, 2014

Dry leaf has beautiful, intact wiry leaf with golden tips, and a mild aroma of rye malt and fruit.

The brewed cup is very dark, but not as aromatic as I'd like. The aroma is mostly fruity, and also suggests rye malt, but the aroma is weak, and the flavor is also somewhat weak. Although this tea is smooth, I think ...

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Picture of Lapsang Souchong

Lapsang Souchong from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Style: Lapsang Souchong – Region: Fujian, China

91 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 25th, 2014

Excellent.

This is the traditional Chinese Lapsang Souchong, subtle, not the British-style stuff with the overwhelming smell of campfire smoke. I love it. I've only ever tried one other Lapsang Souchong on par with this, the Lapsang Souchong Superior Grade from Life In Teacup. This tea was equally exquisite, yet ...

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Picture of Ancient Yunnan

Ancient Yunnan from Octavia Tea

Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Yunnan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 22nd, 2014

Sampled in Velvet Sky Bakery in Jenkintown.

A smoother-than-average Yunnan black tea (Dian hong) with a classic character, slightly nondescript, but with a hearty, warming quality that makes it very pleasant to drink. Not quite as mind-blowingly awesome or weird as some of the ancient-tree Yunnan teas I've had, but...

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Picture of Dark Rose Hearts

Dark Rose Hearts from Octavia Tea

Style: Flavored Tea – Region: Hunan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 18th, 2014

Served in Velvet Sky Bakery in Jenkintown.

This tea was incredibly pleasant and very enjoyable. I love rose-scented tea, and this one smells intensely of rose.

Brews up a rich light-brown cup, relatively clear. Aroma very strong of rose, pleasant, and sharp. The base tea is very pleasant, but is somewhat backg...

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Picture of Bai Lin Congfu

Bai Lin Congfu from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Style: Black Tea – Region: China

91 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 16th, 2014

I sampled Joseph Wesley's teas at the Philadelphia Coffee and Tea Festival, and they were exceptional. I've been excited to brew them up and give them more attention; this is the first I brewed, and it was outstanding.

Dry leaf is beautiful: fine, twisted, golden-orange leaf, and very aromatic: smells intensely lik...

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Picture of Dragonwell Green Tea

Dragonwell Green Tea from Simply Good Tea

Style: Dragon Well (Long Jing) – Region: Zhejiang, China

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 12th, 2014

A sample from the Philadelphia Coffee and Tea Festival. This was a classic dragonwell, typical in all respects for what I expect from this style of tea, fresh, and good in quality.

Dry leaf looks well-formed and golden yellow, intact leaf, and smells fresh, with a strong and pleasing nutty aroma!

Upon brewing, p...

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Picture of Spring Keemun

Spring Keemun from Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Teas

Style: Keemun – Region: China

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 11th, 2014

I sampled this tea at the Philadelphia Coffee and Tea Festival, and it was mind-blowing! I'm now writing an extended review after brewing it myself at home.

The dry leaf has a unique aroma, vegetal, suggesting sweetness, and with a hint of smoke.

Brews up a rich, dark cup which is surprisingly smooth in flavor, ...

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Picture of Dragon Well #4 Green Tea

Dragon Well #4 Green Tea from San Francisco Herb Company

Style: Dragon Well (Long Jing) – Region: Zhejiang, China

77 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 7th, 2014

Thank you Dewey for providing me with this sample!

This is a low grade of tea, fourth grade, and is incredibly cheap, a pound for under $14. That said, I'm completely blown away. It's fresh, aromatic, smooth in flavor, and better than a lot of dragon well marketed as higher-grade. It feels much lower in caffeine,...

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Picture of Fuding Shou Mei White Tea Cake 2013

Fuding Shou Mei White Tea Cake 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Shou Mei White Tea – Region: Fuding, Fujian, China

90 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Aug. 29th, 2014

I loved this. I love Shou Mei, and this was the first example of it I tried in compressed form. It was definitely one of the best samples of Shou mei that I've tried.

The dry leaf of this cake has a moderate smell of dried fruit, with a hint of fermenting fruit in there. It's not the most aromatic of TeaVivre's t...

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Picture of Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2014

Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2014 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

92 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 27th, 2014

Another superb tea! And how completely different this tea is from last year's batch! Multifaceted, complex, surprisingly floral in aroma, with a very pleasing flavor, able to be infused many times.

The dry leaf has an explosion of aroma, sweet, springy, suggestive of a tippy, spring harvest green tea, but followed...

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Picture of Chamomile Rose Silver Needle Tea

Chamomile Rose Silver Needle Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Flavored White Tea – Region: China

73 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Aug. 19th, 2014

An intriguing blend that I liked a lot. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleased. Without a doubt, my favorite flavored or blended white tea yet.

The dry leaf has a very strong smell, suggestive of baked goods, like a pie or tart, perhaps with raspberry, strawberry, or lemon, and then fading into an aroma s...

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Picture of Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013

Xi Gui Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake 2013 from TeaVivre

Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Aug. 14th, 2014

Hello, concord grape! The dry leaf of this tea smells initially like a sweet, tippy spring green tea, but this is followed by an intense fruitiness strongly suggestive of concord grape. Tea often smells like grape to me, but more often it is the muscatel grape of Darjeeling or Bai Hao oolong, or the deep raisin notes...

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Picture of White Peony Tea (Bai MuDan)

White Peony Tea (Bai MuDan) from TeaVivre

Style: White Peony Tea – Region: Fuding, Fujian, China

90 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Aug. 12th, 2014

A top-notch white peony tea that I found a bit tricky to brew: aromatically complex, but easy to oversteep. If considering the aroma alone, this would be among my favorite white teas ever, but the experience of drinking it was slightly less than top-notch, I'd say only solidly good, not excellent.

The dry leaf is i...

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Picture of Jasmine Downy Pearls

Jasmine Downy Pearls from Peet's Coffee and Tea (Peets)

Style: Jasmine Pearls – Region: Fujian, China

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jul. 17th, 2014

A very bold-tasting Jasmine tea. Tried at my friend Fairleigh's house; thank you for serving this!

Dry leaf is very aromatic, with a strong and pleasing jasmine smell, but also the base tea is evident.

Upon brewing, produces a golden-colored cup with a rich, powerful flavor. A good balance of jasmine flavoring ...

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Picture of Ancient Emerald Lily

Ancient Emerald Lily from Rishi Tea

Style: Green Tea – Region: Yunnan, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jul. 11th, 2014

This is the most complex, multifaceted tea that I've tried in a very long time.

Purchased in a whole foods in the relatively new bulk tea section.

Dry leaf is beautiful, intact, and consists of irregularly curved, wiry leaf with both silvery and olive green parts. The dry leaf is strongly aromatic, with a fruity...

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Picture of Organic Nonpareil She Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea

Organic Nonpareil She Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Dragon Well (Long Jing) – Region: Zhejiang, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 2/5
Jun. 16th, 2014

Update: I sampled this tea again and while I still preferred the Ming Qian variant, I think the difference was a little smaller this year. I enjoyed both of this year's (2016) teas better than my memories of the previous year, although they were all consistently good in both years.

Original review:

This is now t...

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Picture of Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea

Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Clouds & Mist (Yun Wu) – Region: Jiangxi, China

87 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Jun. 6th, 2014

A brisk, potent green tea that I found was equally good for morning or afternoon drinking. I can't see everyone liking this, as many Americans seem to prefer milder tasting green teas, but this is my type of tea.

I can't even begin to describe how good the leaf of this tea smells...it's nutty, toasty, and vegetal, ...

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Picture of Premium Grade Dragon Well Green Tea (Long Jing)

Premium Grade Dragon Well Green Tea (Long Jing) from TeaVivre

Style: Dragon Well (Long Jing) – Region: Zhejiang, China

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 5th, 2014

This is the lowest-priced of the dragon well teas I've tried yet from TeaVivre, and it's still top-notch, although slightly less complex.

As soon as I opened the package, I was met with a wonderful aroma of fresh green tea, with a strong nutty quality. The leaf is beautiful: long, intact, vibrant yellow-green, and ...

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Picture of Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea

Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Fruit Green Tea – Region: Fujian, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 3rd, 2014

Wow. An excellent flavored tea for once!

I was intrigued to try this tea, in large part because TeaVivre tends to focus on traditional unflavored teas.

The leaf has a strong aroma of peach, and I notice little else, neither jasmine nor the base tea, but the peach smells rich and natural, like dried peaches rathe...

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Picture of Shu Pu-erh Classic Vintage Blend

Shu Pu-erh Classic Vintage Blend from Rishi Tea

Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China

57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
May. 13th, 2014

Thank you to E. Alex Gerster for this one. I took a while to review it primarily because I tend not to be a huge fan of this type of tea. It looks like it's already been discontinued from Rishi's catalogue. There's no harvest or packing date printed on the container, so I don't know how old this is, but it tastes li...

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Picture of Bulk Jasmine Tea, Organic, Fair Trade

Bulk Jasmine Tea, Organic, Fair Trade from Frontier

Style: Jasmine Tea – Region: China

67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
May. 13th, 2014

A jasmine tea with a bold green tea flavor and relatively subtle jasmine fragrance. Very different in character from most jasmine teas, but enjoyable.

Leaf is pretty finely broken, grayish green, and slightly curved, looking a lot like lower grades of chun mee.

The aroma of the brewed cup has only a modest jasmi...

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Picture of Snow Buds Green Tea

Snow Buds Green Tea from Arbor Teas

Style: Snow Buds – Region: Fujian, China

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
May. 12th, 2014

A delightful, light tea that tastes to me more like a delicate green tea than a white tea. I've tried two other snow buds or Xue Ya teas, and I think this is a prime example of this style.

Dry leaf is coarse and hairy, silvery.

Brews fairly slowly, as I'd expect for an intact, whole-leafed tea. I steeped for th...

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Picture of White Tea

White Tea from Twinpeak Tea

Style: White Tea – Region: China

33 / 100 Aroma: 3/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 1/5
Apr. 1st, 2014

Thank you Dewey for sharing this one with me, alongside two excellent loose-leaf teas which I have yet to review.

I thought this one was pretty bad.

Dry tea bag smells slightly toasty. The leaf inside the bag is a light green color, lighter than most shou mei white tea.

Upon brewing, smells much more vegetal....

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