Reviews of Teas & Herbal Teas from China
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 14 15 16 of 16 pages with 381 results
White Peony from Simply Good Tea
Style: White Peony Tea – Region: China33 / 100 Aroma: 2/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 1/5
Dec. 7th, 2015
This is a late review that I somehow forgot to post; the company is now closed, and the tea wasn't my favorite, but why not share?
Another dud, the second one in a batch of teas that I've otherwise thought offered solid quality and excellent value.
The dry leaf looks unusually wiry for a white peony or bai mu dan...
China Black (Orange Pekoe) Organic from Frontier
Style: Black Tea – Region: China37 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 1/5
Nov. 29th, 2015
I brewed this tea multiple times and it consistently disappointed me.
The dry leaf of this tea, which is quite broken, had a weak aroma that reminded me of a fresh loaf of rye bread at a mediocre deli.
When water hit the leaves, the aroma developed into an array of light smokiness, deep vegetal notes, and fruitin...
Season's Pick Organic Green OP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: China77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 11th, 2015
An inexpensive tea of surprisingly good quality.
Dry leaf smells wonderful, suggesting fresh and savory qualities of some higher-grade green teas, but also reminding me a lot of raw Pu-erh.
Upon brewing though, there's not as much aroma in the cup as the dry leaf suggests. The brewed cup is light in color and bo...
Superfine Jasmine Downy Dragon Pearls Green Tea from TeaVivre
Style: Jasmine Pearls – Region: Fuding, Fujian, China80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Aug. 1st, 2015
This is my favorite jasmine pearls tea that I've ever sampled.
I tried this tea months ago and began writing a review but I realized that I never finished and posted it! Apologies to TeaVivre for the oversight. I had one packet left, so I brewed it up and the tea was as I had remembered it. I was surprised at how...
Green Jasmine Tea from Heine Brothers' Coffee
Style: Jasmine Tea – Region: China60 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 4/5
Jul. 31st, 2015
A very bold, strong-flavored Jasmine that is easy to oversteep.
Thank you to RosaMoon for this one, picked up in a shop in Louisville, KY.
Dry leaf is quite aromatic, and unusually dark in color...looks almost as dark as black tea.
Aromatic but not overwhelming. The base tea's character comes through and it r...
Keemun Panda #1 Tea from Metropolitan Tea Company
Style: Keemun – Region: Anhui, China80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jul. 18th, 2015
Served at Notting Hill coffee shop in Lewes, DE.
Very aromatic loose leaf, slightly smoky, typical for a Keemun of good quality.
Brews a rich, mellow cup with a rounded character and strong warming quality. Probably not the best tea for a hot summer day like today, but I was in the mood for it and it was excellen...
Jasmine Pearls from The Meaning of Tea
Style: Jasmine Pearls – Region: Fujian, China67 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Apr. 29th, 2015
A decent Jasmine tea, which I think is on the expensive side.
Dry leaf has a very intense aroma, with a strongly floral jasmine scent, and also strongly fruity, with a minty note.
The Meaning of Tea recommended a heaping teaspoon, but I sensed that this tea would be strong for my tastes, so I went easy, using a t...
Golden Monkey from The Meaning of Tea
Style: Golden Monkey – Region: Yunnan, China37 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 1/5
Mar. 23rd, 2015
This was the worst example of Golden Monkey that I've tried, and the worst example of any golden Chinese black tea. I thought it quite awful and I poured it out without drinking much of it.
The dry leaf is beautiful, and has a very intense aroma of cooked fruit, like raspberry jam. The leaf has a slight dusty qual...
China Keemun First Grade from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Keemun – Region: China87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 22nd, 2015
If I've ever had a prototypical Keemun, this is it; it would make an excellent standard against which to compare other examples of this tea, although it also had a few ways in which it stood out.
The dry leaf is fine, and very pleasantly aromatic, hinting at notes of dried fruit and light wood smoke, and suggesting ...
Premium Pu-erh Tea - Black from My Zen Tea
Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Mar. 9th, 2015
I tend not to be a fan of Shu Pu-erh at all, and my expectations for a tea bag were pretty low, but I was happy to say this greatly exceeding my expectations.
Brews up a very dark liquor, almost jet black, with a smooth mouthfeel, mild flavor, and mellow aroma. The aroma reminds me a little bit of clean, wet stone ...
Caravan Triad from Brooklyn Tea Blends
Style: Russian Caravan – Region: China97 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Mar. 3rd, 2015
This tea was singular, and was not only the best Russian Caravan blend I've sampled, but one of the best of any blended teas I've ever tried. Incredibly complex, and eminently pleasing to drink. Brooklyn Tea Blends compares this to single malt scotch, and I definitely see the connection; it even has some of the uniqu...
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Iron Buddha from Simply Good Tea
Style: Tie Guan Yin – Region: Fujian, China73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 22nd, 2015
This is a classic example of the "modern green style" of oolong, popular in Taiwan and China these days, with no discernable roast or oxidation.
The dry leaf is an intense green color with yellowish accents, not particularly tightly rolled, and not very aromatic.
As soon as water hits the leaves though, there's a...
Sencha from Simply Good Tea
Style: Sencha – Region: Fujian, China33 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Feb. 21st, 2015
I was very disappointed by this tea. It was the only tea so far to disappoint me, from Simply Good Tea; their other teas have been consistently good.
Dry leaf is relatively dark and vibrant green in color, and has a mild but pleasing aroma, toasty, slightly vegetal, and with a unique minty note.
Upon brewing, ge...
Silver Needle White Tea from Simply Good Tea
Style: Silver Needle – Region: Fujian, China77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Feb. 17th, 2015
I tend not to like Silver Needle teas, but I found this one more interesting than most. It was my favorite silver needle yet from China (I strongly prefer the African-grown versions).
Dry leaf is mildly aromatic, and upon brewing, the cup initially smells like a typical silver needle of good quality, with the typic...
Silver Needle White Tea from Arbor Teas
Style: Silver Needle – Region: Fujian, China60 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Feb. 17th, 2015
A very typical silver needle, enjoyable, good quality, and true to the style, but this is a style of tea I'm not a huge fan of, especially given its high price.
Brewed 3 minutes as recommended, this was too weak for me. I preferred a single, long infusion of about 12-15 minutes.
Very low in astringency, leading ...
BaiYuYa Jasmine Tea from Simply Good Tea
Style: Jasmine Tea – Region: Fujian, China77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 3rd, 2015
A classic jasmine of good quality, very balanced.
The dry leaf is very aromatic, with a strong floral fragrance that is not too perfumey. The leaf is also quite beautiful, with lots of silvery, downy tips and a few whole jasmine flowers thrown in.
Upon brewing, takes on a much rounder, warmer aroma, a lot like b...
Emperor's Clouds and Mist Green Tea from Teavana
Style: Clouds & Mist (Yun Wu) – Region: China80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 2/5
Jan. 26th, 2015
This was the first of the new Teavana teas served in a Starbucks that I sampled. I thought it was a delightful tea, a great example of a high-quality Chinese green tea.
Brews a cup with a very pale liquor but a surprisingly strong flavor: flavor is both sweet and bitter, lightly sour, and with a strong savory or um...
Vintage Pu-erh from Octavia Tea
Style: Ripened (Shou) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China50 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Jan. 13th, 2015
Not my cup of tea, and among the more disappointing teas from Octavia, although I think it's a good example of this style, it's a type of tea that I don't tend to like very much. Another sample served in Velvet Sky bakery in Jenkintown.
This is one of those classic "damp basement" Pu-erhs. Smells like wet moss or ...
Ginseng Spice from Octavia Tea
Style: Herbal Tea – Region: China73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 7th, 2015
A rich, earthy, naturally sweet herbal tea that can be steeped many times. Sampled at Velvet Sky Bakery.
Brews a light golden-yellow cup, with a little dust sinking to the bottom of the cup.
The aroma is complex, rich, and warming. I can notice the ginseng, which has a strong, fresh, earthy taste, and which act...
White Peony from Octavia Tea
Style: White Peony Tea – Region: Fujian, China90 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jan. 6th, 2015
Excellent! Another sample served at Velvet Sky Bakery.
The leaf was rather broken, but this may have been due to being packed in the small sample container: this is a very fragile, large-leafed tea.
Brews up a clear, light-colored cup that is on the delicate side for a white peony. Aroma is floral, with notes o...
Misty Rock from Simply Good Tea
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Wuyi, Fujian, China80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 5th, 2015
A classic Wuyi oolong of high quality, with whole, intact leaves and a complex aroma. The dry leaf has a pleasant roasty smell, with a honey-like floral note. I find the dry leaf very pleasing to smell.
Brews up a rather clear and light cup with a light flavor. The aroma is both roasty and floral with nutty notes...
Premium Pu-erh Tea - Green from My Zen Tea
Style: Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh – Region: Yunnan, China70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 4th, 2015
The best Pu-erh I've tried in a tea bag.
A sample from the Philadelphia Coffee & Tea Festival. The tea bag is not at all aromatic, but upon brewing, the cup becomes much more interesting.
Aroma is like a rather typical young sheng Pu-erh, a lightly aged green Pu-erh. The aroma is fresh and grassy, with a hint o...
Red Horse Black Tea from Simply Good Tea
Style: Black Tea – Region: Fujian, China87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 21st, 2014
Very enjoyable! This is my favorite tea so far from Simply Good Tea (I've only posted two reviews so far but have tried a few more).
The leaf looks a lot like the Bai Lin Gongfu I just tried from Joseph Wesley: well-formed, very wiry, curly leaves with quite a lot of golden-orange tip. Very aromatic, suggesting dr...
Golden Monkey from Octavia Tea
Style: Yunnan Gold – Region: Yunnan, China63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Dec. 19th, 2014
A pleasant, drinkable tea, but on the boring side. I usually associate the name "Golden Monkey" with golden, all-tip black teas from Fujian province, not Yunnan. This tea is from Yunnan.
Dry leaf is very pleasantly aromatic, suggesting dried fruit, and a slight hint of malt.
Brews up a beautiful, light brown cu...
Brandy Oolong from Octavia Tea
Style: Oolong Tea – Region: Fujian, China97 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 19th, 2014
Wow. This tea is pretty exceptional...buttery smooth, but incredibly rich. The dominant notes are of dried fruit, like fig, date, or raisin. It does have a brandy-like quality. It lives up to the claim of "tremendously complex flavors" although I think it's the aroma that is most complex.
Flavor is bold, slightl...
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