Category: Tea Reviews

Tea reviews and tea tastings

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2010 Haiwan Peerless Ripe Pu’er – Tea Review

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Yunnan Sourcing keeps having these awesome 12-15% off sales the last while. With my last order I wanted to get a couple ripe/shu pu’er cakes as I have mostly raw/sheng cakes or loose ripe in my stash. I’ve been drinking ripe pu’er a lot these days and it is my #1 tea to go to when I’m sick. With the cold season coming, I’m going to need some good tea to keep me well! I was eyeing this 2010 Haiwan Peerless Ripe Pu’er cake. The price is nice ($20 at the time of this review @ Yunnan Sourcing’s US site/… Continue reading, hoot!

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The Jabberwocky Tea from Whispering Pines Tea Co – Tea Review

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I’ve been tea reviewing mostly straight teas these days, as it seems that is what has been arriving here at Oolong Owl, as well as the teas I’ve been purchasing for myself. Today’s tea is Whispering Pines Tea Co’s The Jabberywocky tea – a straight/unflavored blend of their Spring 2014 Harvest Fujian, Ailaoshan and Wild Arbor Yunnan black teas. Admittedly, the name of this tea is what drew me in, and the good ratings and recommendations from others cemented in that I needed to try The Jabberywocky, a tea to serve to the Jabberywocky! Dry Leaf The Jabberywocky tea’s dry leaf… Continue reading, hoot!

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2004 Big Leaf Yiwu Gushu Raw Puer from Mandala Tea – Tea Review

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Let’s taste Mandala Tea’s 2004 Big Leaf Yiwu Gushu Raw Puer! This tea was handed picked from ancient tea trees in the Yiwu area of China. Ohhh yeah I love a good ancient tree raw pu’er and what a treat as it is from 2004! Dry Leaf This tea comes in bricks that are being aged away, but Mandala Tea will break off pieces for you when you purchase. I bought 1 oz to sample. To my surprise, one of the chunks of tea I got is the size of the packaging, a big honking piece of tea! The dry leaf of 2004… Continue reading, hoot!

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October Simple Loose Leaf Selection Club

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Happy October! Autumn is my favorite season, though here in Southern California it still feels like summer, with it being 30c/85F (and a horrible heat wave) throughout September and into October! BOOOOO! Bring on boots, hoodie and scarf weather – though it barely gets that cold here for it! With that said, a new month means the October Simple Loose Leaf Selection Club! However, Simple Loose Leaf Selection Club is changing their formats – switching from a monthly selection box to a Co-op format. With a monthly subscription (cheaper, at $14.99 a month), you get a sampler pack every month. Simple… Continue reading, hoot!

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Imperial Gold Needle Yunnan Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing – Tea Review

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Tea Review time! Today, Yunnan Sourcing’s Imperial Gold Needle Yunnan Black tea. This is the Spring 2014 batch from Simao prefecture, China. I first saw this tea when Yunnan Sourcing posted a picture of the leaf on facebook. Immediately the Tea Owl alert went off for “OMG GORGEOUS LOOKING TEA!” With one of my recent Yunnan sourcing purchases I did not hesitate to buy 50 grams of Imperial Gold Needle Yunnan Black tea. When my package arrive, it was the first tea I cracked into and sampled. With the crazy amount of tea that comes to me and the Tea Owls,… Continue reading, hoot!

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Pu-erh Bordeaux from Rishi Tea – Tea Review

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Today’s tea review is Rishi Tea’s Pu-erh Bordeaux – an organic and fair trade certified pu’er tea with red wine grape skins, blackberries, raspberries and lavender flowers. Everything in this tea is organic! Awhile back, fellow Steepster members who also are knitters/crocheters did a mystery swap of tea and yarn. I got 3 balls of yarn and this tea – Pu-erh Bordeaux! This is my first Rishi Tea.. not counting meeting them and drinking all their teas at the World Tea Expo 2014, haha! Looking at Rishi Teas, they have a huge line up of USDA organic teas – if you prefer… Continue reading, hoot!

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Camellia Flower Cake aka God of Night Sweats Tea

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While looking through the Pu’er section of Aliexpress I found this cake. It’s full name is “new product Flowers and plants in puer tea Snow mountain ancient tree camellia Pure and fresh and sweet honey Beauty care food” (I guess to use the entire character limit on the title). I’ve never had a Camellia flower tea before and the appearance is quite pretty. However, what got me was the description of the tea. Here’s a screen shot to immortalize this Camellia Flower Cake (if it wasn’t already immortal and saintly already). Please click on the photo to read the seller description of… Continue reading, hoot!

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Wild Arbor Oriental Beauty Oolong from Tea Setter – Tea Review

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Today’s oolong review is Tea Setter’s Wild Arbor Oriental Beauty Oolong, a tea grown in Wuliang Mountains of Yunnan, China. The other day I was talking with a tea vendor and they mentioned Oriental Beauty oolong. I haven’t had an oriental beauty oolong in awhile, so it stuck in my mind. DRINK ME, the delicious oxidized pretty oolong. Sadly, I still don’t have a standby oriental beauty oolong, I’m still sampling away, looking for one that’ll make me fall in love. Let’s try Tea Setter’s Wild Arbor Oriental Beauty Oolong! Dry Leaf The dry leaf of  Wild Arbor Oriental Beauty Oolong features a very dark… Continue reading, hoot!

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2012 Bulang Gushu Ripe Puerh from Crimson Lotus Tea

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It’s Pu’er Time! Today’s tea is the 2012 Bulang Gushu Ripe Puerh from Crimson Lotus Tea. This ancient tree (gushu) pu’er is picked from over 200 year old trees in Spring 2012 in Yunnan, China. This is my first Crimson Lotus Tea! These guys are based in Seattle, USA. They sell mostly (if not all) pu’er along with some really nice chinese tea ware. The gongfu tea pots – this one for example – are so beautiful that if I had one I’d put it on display instead of using it! Crimson Lotus Tea has a big social presence on Twitter and… Continue reading, hoot!

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September Simple Loose Leaf Selection Club – Tea Review

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A little late, but it’s time for the September Simple Loose Leaf Selection Tea Club box! What does drinking tea in September mean to you? I heard from a tea seller once that September is the slowest month for them – is it as everyone is busy with a new school year? The weather is still a little warm for that heavy black tea, but too cool for that pitcher of iced tea? For me, I’m drinking the same amount of tea I always drink – refilling my tea cup all day. Anyways, this month for  Simple Loose Leaf Selection Tea Club my… Continue reading, hoot!