Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Simple Leaf’

Recently we received a bunch of samples from Tao Tea Leaf for reviewing. Taos is an online shop, but also has a physical presence in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada (for our US friends ).

I had been comtemplating the reviews of Taos teas for a while, when I got an invitation for a Pu-erh tasting with a bunch of other IAATL reviewers, and was surprised to hear that it was at Taos! Well, needless to say, I accepted, and was VERY glad that I did! Without going indepth, lets just say it was an amazing morning with much Pu-erh, from this years Sheng, to a 10 year old Sheng worth an estimated $300/100g – a real honour! All this motivated me to do a review for Tao myself.

I chose the Golden Monkey, because it is not a tea that I have ever had before. This required a bit of research, and I have found that Golden Monkey is generally considered a high grade black tea grown in the Fujian Province of China. It is from a special variety of the tea bush that, after withering, some leaves become golden in color, making the finished product a very beautiful mix of black and gold leaves.

The sample from Tao matches this description. I found the leaf to be tightly rolled, almost needle like in it’s delicacy. The golden leaves were beautifully mixed in with the black, and definately of higher volume that the black leaves. Typically, this tea is picked during the spring season (April to May), giving it a fresh scent and flavour.

The liquor brews up golden in color, lighter than an Assam black, but darker than a Da Hung Pao Oolong. It’s scent is that of a light Assam black, with honey like notes. It reminds me of the (now closed) Simple Leaf Honeybee Oolong, both in scent and with the color of the liquor – a favorite tea of mine, so I was very much looking forward to tasting!

The flavor is tough to describe, so I am going with complex It is light and smooth, cooling in the mouth, with malty, chocolate and honey tones. There is an underlying sweetness, but with an edge of astringincy to it, very slight, but coming forward as the tea cools. The most notable feeling I get is an icy after “taste” in my mouth! That leads me to believe this would also be a great iced tea.

I love the flavour of this tea. It is one that you will want to have cup after cup, as you explore the flavours in it. Each sip brings forth different feelings, and the flavours continue to unfold the more you drink. This tea is like a new friend, the more time you take with it (them) the more you will get to know it (them) and enjoy its (their) company .

This is what I expect from Tao. After the amazing Pu-erh’s, and an incredible Da Hung Pao (if I can tear myself away from just enjoying that one, I will review it!), this further confirms to me that Tao knows what he is doing with his tea selection. If you live in Toronto, go and see him! If you don’t, then check out his website, or even call him on the phone, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

You can purchase the Golden Monkey directly from the Tao Tea Leaf website.

These are some of the most beautiful leaves I’ve ever seen with a black tea. Usually black teas are all short pieces, small and fairly boring looking. This tea has long, twisty leaves with the occasional silver highlight. And the aroma.. oh it will take your breath away. Sweet, malty, and exotic with hints of dark chocolate.

These elements come across in the flavor as well. For an unflavored tea, its got a lot going on. And, it has a lot going on while being one of the lightest black teas I’ve ever had. There’s hints of malt, the chocolate, and some other dark flavors that all blend together and in the melding end up quite light, almost refreshing.

This is a must-try tea – even for those who are unmoved by black teas. This may be your gateway drug tea. (Come to the dark side – we have cream and sugar!)

You can purchase the Dawn directly from the The Simple Leaf website.

I’ve heard such rave reviews of this tea that when I had the opportunity to try it for myself, I jumped on it. Opening the bag you are hit with the smell of rich, dark baking cocoa. The dry leaves are extremely beautiful, long, twisted, and dark in color. This is an unflavored black tea, so why does it smell like cocoa?

I brewed the tea for 5 minutes using boiling water. The aroma while steeping is the same as the dry leaf only intensified. It brews up a rich, golden brown color which is actually a lighter shade than I expected from the look of the dry leaf. The tea has a strong chocolate scent along with a nice earthy component.

I took the first cup plain and hot. The taste is very rich and slightly earthy like you would expect with oolongs. The aftertaste is of baking chocolate and gives the tea a naturally sweet quality. This tea can also stand up to the addition of milk as a breakfast tea which seems to intensify the chocolate quality by giving it a creamier feeling.

This tea is very complex with each sip continually morphing through a variety of flavors. From sweet to earthy to rich black tea to sweet, dark chocolate. I prefer this tea to be steeped for 4 minutes rather than the suggested 5 because it seems to bring out more of the chocolate quality while keeping the earthiness as a backup. Dawn is extremely smooth and lacks the astringency that can so often be found in black teas.

Dawn is the most complex tea that I’ve had and the complexity seems to make you crave the tea even more. If you enjoy black teas, this one is a must try.

You can purchase the Dawn directly from the The Simple Leaf website.

Dawn, by Simple Leaf Co, is one of my favorite orthodox black teas for its distinct chocolate taste making it a perfect treat in the afternoon. Dawn has no added flavorings (no cocoa nibs or chocolate chips) and is sourced from a single plantation estate that expertly coaxes the tea’s inherent chocolate flavors via the farm’s cultivation methods, processing, and geographic location. So, I say “Bravo!” to the farmers of Dawn for growing such a fantastic tea. On the Simple Leaf website is an interview of the plantation owner and lots of photos of the farm, farmers, and its tea making.

Simple Leaf identifies each tea by strength: bold, mild, and delicate. Dawn is designated as a mild black tea as this is not a brisk morning tea to be smothered in milk. On the other hand, don’t be misled, the flavors of this tea are powerful. Opening the package, my nose is greeted by a powerful cocoa aroma. Each leaf is well-formed, long and beautifully hand-rolled. Immediately, I am impressed by the quality. As directed by the package, I steep this tea for 5 minutes and it brews to a tan liquor with a definitive chocolate fragrance. Upon tasting this tea, no astringency or bitterness is noted, but instead, I note smooth flavors of chocolate with subtle caramel undertones. In fact, this tea tastes very similar to one of my favorite chocolate blended teas. How is it possible that Dawn, a humble tea leaf, can mimic the flavors of chocolate?

The Simple Leaf Tea Co. sources its limited (with only 14 teas, including Dawn) but high-quality line directly from Indian and Nepalese tea farmers. When cultivating single estate teas, growing conditions, such as altitude, soil, and temperature, directly impact flavor. To experience this, I would recommend sampling a specific tea type (such as Indian darjeeling) from two different estates and noting the taste differences. To facilitate tastings, Simple Leaf sells 1 oz. packages in re-sealable ziploc bags at an affordable price of around $5.

You can purchase the Dawn directly from the The Simple Leaf website.

I love this tea.

Enough said? Not even close. Honeybee Oolong from The Simple Leaf is, simply put, affordable heaven in a cup! Harvested in the mountains of Nepal, this traditionally made Oolong tea is produced only in tiny quantities, according to the Simple Leaf website. It is worth a trip to the Simple Leaf website to learn more about the background of this tea, in an interview with the producer of the Honeybee Oolong (click here to read the interview).

When I first opened the sample bag (The Simple Leaf provides MASSIVE 1oz sample packs, x3 for our reviewers), the scent immediately reminded me of a high quality Darjeeling. I even opened up some (very expensive) Single Estate Darjeeling to compare, and they are remarkably similar. The leaf is dark in color, full leafed, and clearly hand picked and rolled.

I brewed the first cup at 90 deg C, 1 tsp (approx. 2 grams) in my cup, and steeped it for about 3 minutes. The result was bang on. It seems to hold the characteristics of again, a Darjeeling tea, but not as malty, in fact, it is extremely pleasant. I would call it, subtle, but flavorful. Not at all what I have come to associate Oolong teas with! The aftertaste lingers on my tongue, slightly sweet, with a light peachy taste.

At only $13.95 for 4oz of this beauty, it is extremly affordable. I would rate this tea equivilent to some $40/3.5 oz tea that I have had the pleasure of sampling (but don’t tell The Simple Leaf, they may be tempted to raise the price!).

Absoultely fantastic. The balance of this sample is going in my cupboard, and when it is gone, going on my shopping list! Congratulations Simple Leaf, you have found a beautifully crafted and produced tea in this Oolong, thank you for sharing it with us!

Did I mention that I really like it?

You can purchase Honeybee Oolong directly from the Simple Leaf website.