Category: Tea Reviews

Tea reviews and tea tastings

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Sun Goddess Matcha from Pique Tea

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I’m always on the lookout for new good matcha. Today is testing Pique Tea’s Sun Goddess Matcha, an organic ceremonial grade tea which hosts a number of firsts for matcha. For one, it is quadruple tested for heavy metals, pesticides, mold, and radiation. It is also shaded 35% longer to encourage more l-theanine and umami flavour. This matcha has been through some tough things to ensure it is pure. If you are new here, I’ve reviewed plenty of other matchas if you would like to compare. You can also check out Pique Tea’s guide to Premium Matcha for more in… Continue reading, hoot!

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Crimson Lishan from Floating Leaves Tea

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Today’s review is Floating Leaves Tea’s Crimson Lishan. This is a High Mountain Lishan that was processed as a black tea. I can get enough Taiwanese black teas, so I was excited to get my hands on a black Lishan. I sampled Crimson Lishan in the shop, then bought 4oz worth. Leaf and Steeping Method Crimson Lishan has a cinnamon, grape, and plum scent. I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu steeping in boiling water. The hot leaf still has a plummy cinnamon scent. Tasting of Floating Leaves Tea’s Crimson Lishan First and Second Infusion:… Continue reading, hoot!

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2018 Lao Cha Tou Shou Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

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I’ve been on the radar for another good Lao Cha Tou. The last good one I had is long gone and finding a new and ready to drink Lao Cha Tou is tricky. Lao Cha Tou is stuck lumps of the shou pile, literal tea nugget chunks. Some shady vendors pitch the tea as a rarity. In the lower end scale, you get dusty lumps of fish. I have some from 2013 that are still not aired out enough to drink. What I like to see in a good Lao Cha Tou is indestructible shou drinking with a creamy profile… Continue reading, hoot!

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Lychee Purple Leaf, Turmeric Mango Green, and Citrus Sonata Oolong from Artful Tea

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Today’s review is a selection of flavoured tea blends from Artful Tea. Artful Tea sells flavoured and unflavored loose leaf teas. The teas I’m trying today are in sampler packaging, which they fill a tea bag filter with around 5-7grams of tea, enough for a large 12oz serving steeped western style. Artful Tea’s Lychee Purple Leaf Tea Lychee Purple Leaf Tea is a blend of Kenyan Purple Leaf tea, apple, pineapple, lemon peel, currants and lychee flavour. The dry leaf smells like blueberries and lychee. I recall Purple Leaf being quite sensitive to temperature, so I used 175F for around… Continue reading, hoot!

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2017 Sloppy Jimbo Shou Puer from White2Tea

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White2Tea’s 2017 Sloppy Jimbo Shou Puer is described as an easy drinker. I can’t remember how I got Sloppy Jimbo, but it appears via my email history I sneaked two 8 gram minis in one of my tea orders. I was warned this shou is cheap and funky, then I plain forgot about them, so they should be plenty aired out of the funk by now. Leaf and Steeping Method The scent of the tea is dirty whiskey and earth that makes my nose wrinkle. I used one 8 gram disc in a 100ml gaiwan. After 2 rinses the compression… Continue reading, hoot!

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Smile Tea Organic Premium Matcha by Birouen Tea House

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Matcha Time! Today’s matcha is Smile Tea Organic Premium Matcha by Birouen Tea House, which is from Kirishima, Japan. It is JAS organic and ceremonial grade. The instructions on the back of the package are confusing as the list and written instructions list different amounts of powder and water. I have never heard of steep time with matcha either. With matcha, I find it is best to just stick to 2 grams and use water to taste. Matcha Powder and Preparation Smile Matcha’s powder is full of colour, but dark green instead of the vibrant nuclear green I like to see.… Continue reading, hoot!

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Will It Gongfu? The Last Hoot

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This is it. THE LAST HOOT. In the deep bowels of tea drunk, I thought up the unholiest blend. White2tea’s 2016 Last Thoughts Sheng Puer First We Feast / Heatonist’s The Last Dab Reduxx Pepper X and Chocolate Pepper X Reduxx Both of THE LASTS must be gongfu’d into THE LAST HOOT! If you aren’t familiar with White2Tea’s Last Thoughts, it is a high-end sheng puer currently priced at $469 per 357gram cake. I like this tea for real special occasions and tea drunk tomfoolery, though I am more than happy with cheaper tea drunkard teas like 2016 We Go High.… Continue reading, hoot!

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February 2019 White2Tea Club feat. 2018 Charlie Shou Puer

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The 2019 February White2tea club is an exclusive club only puer cake – 2018 Charlie Shou. Charlie promises to be dark and not as sweet as other shous on White2tea’s current lineup. I have been on the lookout for other really dark shous – there has never been a replacement to Mandala Tea’s Special Dark, which was an inky masterpiece. I left my cake of Charlie to air out for about a month, though I felt it didn’t need much rest other than settling from transit. Leaf and Steeping Instructions The dry leaf smells simply earthy, not fishy or funky.… Continue reading, hoot!

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2017 Red Peony White Tea Cake from Floating Leaves Tea

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The 2016 Red Peony was one of my favourite white teas of all time. Floating Leaves Tea’s Red Peony is a Taiwanese Ruby 18 tea, which is usually made into black tea, but processed as a white tea. I also bought the 2016 Red Peony in volume, but it is a pain in the owl behind to store big bags of fluffy tea. Floating Leaves Tea pressed their 2017 Red Peony material into 100-gram cakes in Spring 2018. With the 2017 Red Peony in cake form, my storage prayers have been answered! It took some time for this 2017 Red Peony… Continue reading, hoot!

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2018 Stone Lion Sheng Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

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Crimson Lotus Tea’s 2018 Stone Lion Sheng Puer is a Spring, old tree huangpian style leaf from a less aggressive varietal of LaomanE. In case you didn’t know LaomanE is notorious for being bitter no matter what you do. I got my brick of 2018 Stone Lion sheng puer for free. Crimson Lotus Tea was giving away teas for free at the last PDX Tea Festival if you found them and shouted, “I LOVE CRIMSON LOTUS TEA!”. I had my husband do the shouting as he’s got the loud man voice. Since July, I had my brick settle down some,… Continue reading, hoot!