Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Tea Experience’

I have had this tea for a few weeks but wanted to wait for the perfect occasion to try it.  Mark T. Wendell has a reputation for exquisite teas and seems to import only the very best.  In business for over a hundred years, it wins customer loyalty by superb service and quality.  I’ve long been a fan of their black teas but have yet to try one of the oolongs.  Today was a grey and gloomy day which called for a special tea to provide sunshine within.   Mark T. Wendell’s Extra Fancy Formosa Oolong  was a much more than satisfying compensation for a dank chilly afternoon.

The leaves are long, slightly twistes, and have a magnificent dark chestnut color  with some pearly silver tips.  They slowly unfurled and majestically filled the tea pot, creating a dark golden liquor.  Although the odor and aroma was not pronounced, the taste of the tea was simply lovely.  The best adjectives that sprang to mind were  regal and stately.   By that, I mean that the tea is clearly a “king” or “queen” of the oolong family.  The taste is both self-assured and a little bit playful in that it can smoothly segue from a woodsy taste to a floral one to a fruity one.   The different waves of flavor are typical of a leaf that has been exposed to sophisticated and careful growing methods.  

The multiple layers of taste and flavor assure that you will have a remarkable tea experience with Mark T. Wendell’s Extra Fancy Formosa Oolong.  I had several infusions.  Although the tea does not need sugar at all, I experimented with adding some on the third infusion and it did not spoil the tea at all–the Demerara sugar added a bit of a jam-on-toast affect to the tea which was delicious and it did not take away from the strong elements of the tea.  I than added some milk and the tea stands up very well to the milk.  For those who like a milky or creamy tea, this tea’s wealth of flavors are not diluted by the milk.

Mark T. Wendell’s Extra Fancy Formosa Oolong tea is a splendid investment if you want some impressive flavors to brighten your day.  If it were a liquor, I would call it a champagne.  If it were a painting, I would call it a classical Dutch master.  If it were music, I would call it Mozart.  

You can purchase the Extra Fancy Formosa Oolong directly from the Mark T. Wendall Tea Company website.

Noticing that the last tea I drank that had “Mao Feng” in the title was a green tea, this made me curious, so I first went and looked up what “Mao Feng” meant. According to the “wonderful source of all knowledge,” Wikipedia, Mao Feng “is a term in tea manufacture denoting the picking of a bud and two leaves of equal length.” It goes on to tell about their broad, curved shape and the desirability of this design.

Dry, these leaves are long, thin, and wiry. The aroma is mild and a bit malty. After steeping for the recommended time, the aroma really opens up, revealing delicious smelling honey tones.

Taking my first sip, the flavour explodes across my tongue, drenching it in much the same flavours as were smelled in the completed liquor: a bit of a malt, with sweet, dark honey tastes.

What seems to be a simple tea actually contains a myriad of experiences for the senses, all coming together to make this a nice tea experience and a delight to drink. I rate it a 75 out of 100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

You can purchase the Hong Tao Mao Feng directly from the Drink The Leaf website.

Company Description: A delicious melding of black tea, nut and chocolate flavors.

This is my first tea from Harney & Sons and I must say that I have heard a lot of amazing things about Florence. I truly hope to not be disappointed.

When you first open the tin of Florence, the aroma of dark chocolate and hazelnut will fill the room. If you like Nutella, you will simply want to eat the dry leaves. They smell that good. While waiting for the tea to steep the full 5 minutes as suggested on the tin, I was tempted to cut the time short. I resisted and was certainly rewarded for my efforts.

I tried the first few sips plain, expecting the tea to be a tad bitter due to the long steep time. While there was a slight bitterness, it wasn’t the bitterness you would expect when oversteeping a tea. It was a very identifiable hazelnut bitterness followed by the taste of dark chocolate and black tea. I added a bit of milk to my mug and the tea morphed into a creamy, liquid Nutella-type beverage though not as sweet.

For my second cup, I added milk and sweetener which transformed the tea into the ultimate dessert in a cup. It is simply amazing. This may very well be the best tea I’ve had so far in my tea experience. If you like Nutella or are looking for a great chocolate tea that doesn’t taste artificial, this may be the one for you.

You can purchase the Florence directly from the Harney & Sons website.

Company Product Description: Artisans train for years to create blossoming tea flowers, and the Dancing Angels Flowering Tea represents the peak of that training. Each flowering tea is painstakingly hand sewn to ensure the each bud will open up and create a visual delight.

This flowering tea hails from the Anhui Province of China, where only the best leaves are chosen to wrap around a chain of Jasmine flowers, hanging like an arch over an Amaranth flower in the middle.

A succulent peach undertone characterizes this flowering tea, and it is as much of a joy to sip as it is to watch it unfold in the teapot. Each flower can be infused several times, and when you are finished brewing, you can replace the water in the pot or transfer the blossoming tea to a clear cup, add cold water and a touch of vinegar, and enjoy the blossom for days!

This Dancing Angels Flowering tea makes a great gift for friends, or can be enjoyed at a tea party where it will inevitably become the center of attention and conversation between you and your friends.!

REVIEW:

I was in a “Kids Choir” at our church when I was little and I always remember one of my first shows…we had to dress up like Angels and sing, dance, and act our way thru a Christmas Cantata.  I think I was 5 at the time.  I remember there being at least 2 Acts.  For some reason I had a sort-of Tea-Association with this Tea Experience.  When I tried this flowering tea for the first time I put it to the test for a total of 4 infusions…or should I say “Acts”?  Here are my findings…

ACT 1 – Infusion 1:
One this flower blooms it is HUGE!  It opened PERFECTLY and completely. The Red Floral Center’s color is so vibrant it looks like a strawberry from across the room. The liquid’s scent is sweet and wine-like. The color is pale but a pretty yellowish-white. My first sip was still very hot but I could instantly find the peachy tones – or should I say – they found me?

It’s sweet and peachy and floral-Jasmine towards the end of the sip. One of the better flowering teas I have EVER had! This is VERY flavorful especially for a flowering tea.

ACT 2 – Infusion 2:
The 2nd infusion was more flavorful than the first only infused about a minute longer. It was darker than the first infusion and, again, VERY tasty.  YUM.

ACT 3 – Infusion 3:
I could taste the Jasmine more than before.  TeaFrog says it’s good for 2 to 3 infusions but I am going to push the envelop!

ACT 4 – Infusion 4:
The 4th Infusion was lighter in color than the last 2 and sweeter but not much Jasmine than before but that’s okay with me.  One could probably try a 5th infusion if you were looking for a weaker or mellow tea. Regardless I am very pleased with this and would recommend it to anyone!

You can purchase the Dancing Angels directly from the TeaFrog website.

TeaGschwender describes it as: Mysterious myths entwine this treasure. Handpicked feathery buds shimmer tenderly. The cup is clear as crystal with a smooth touch of green. A truly precious tea experience!

This is one of my all time favorite silver needles- Yin Zhen: Silver needle or “white beatitude”. And it absolutely lives up to the description given by TeaGschwender. This tea is so light and clean and it brews up so clear that it’s hard to believe that it could possibly carry as many health benefits as it does. The flavor is delicate and yet powerful at the same time, complex yet simple. I could drink this tea all day and still truly enjoy it.

I brewed it exactly as was suggested and was glad that I did. It’s such a delicate taste that I suspect you wouldn’t get the full nuances if it wasn’t brewed with filtered water.Drinking it now and smiling at how unique it is and how it makes me feel. It has a soft scent that begs you to hold your cup close so you can inhale it. I can’t think of any words to describe it other than delicate and clean, so I’m going to close my laptop and enjoy this treasure. Hopefully the adjectives will come to me.

You can purchase TeaGschwendner China Yin Zhen Silver Needle directly from their website.