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October 2016 White2Tea Club

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White2Tea club time! This month we got 3 2016 Orange Drops (shou puer) and 2 new oolongs – Hot & Heavy and Dahongpao. /throws up hands. Bloody white balance hates me again. White2tea Club 2016 Orange Drop I just realized that last year’s October White2Tea club also included an orange however this year we got a nicer orange. These puer oranges (though these days more teas have been stuffed into oranges, like black and white tea) are a great new to puer tea drinkers or types looking branch away from flavored teas. I guess it is technically flavored, the tea is stuffed… Continue reading, hoot!

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Gui Fei Red Oolong from Totem Tea – Tea Review

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Totem Tea has two Gui Fei oolongs available in their Leaf-Bitten category, and today’s review is their Gui Fei Red (Concubine Oolong). The package simply says Gui Fei on it, so I was expecting something green and sweet. Upon drinking this tea and checking Totem Tea’s site, this is their Red Gui Fei.  This Gui Fei has a mild charcoal roast treatment. Dry Leaf and Steeping Instructions The leaves are rolled dark, with bit a silver. The scent is floral and roasty. Monster leaf! So I messed up and thought I had more leaf in my sample. My sample came up 5.5grams, so… Continue reading, hoot!

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Artist Lin Oolong from Stone Leaf Teahouse – Tea Review

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Today’s review is an oolong from Stone Leaf Teahouse, a tea house and online seller in Vermont. Stone Leaf Teahouse offered to send me samples and this Artist Lin Oolong caught my eye. Artist Lin Oolong is a small batch, wild looking garden, high mountain spring 2015 Taiwanese oolong. Stone Leaf Teahouse gave me a coupon code! luyurikyu888 for 25% off, good until November 30, 2016! Dry Leaf The leaf is rolled with stumpy fat stems sticking out. What stood out to me was how shiny and dark the leaf is. The scent is like huffing a stick of butter. Steeping Instructions Max… Continue reading, hoot!

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Yuve Ceremonial Matcha – Tea Review

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At this point of my matcha drinking life, I’ve reviewed a lot of matcha that I don’t have time for bad matcha. I also seem to have a low tolerance for bad matcha after experiencing so much of it. It seems if I am reviewing a matcha stand alone, it has to be good. Today’s matcha is from Yuve. They have a website, and sell their matcha on Amazon. The Amazon site for this matcha has a lot of buzzwords like “Superfood/Gluten Free/Raw/Sugar Free/Vegan/Detox/No Lead/More potent than Green Tea Diet Pills”. What information that is useful to us is this is June 2016 batch,… Continue reading, hoot!

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Pacific Northwest Taiwanese Black Tea Comparison

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I’m up to no good. I’ve been collecting Taiwanese Black teas for a rainy day like today. I’m gonna brew a bunch up together and see how it goes. It is thundering outside, as long as I got a mobile data and enough kettle water I’m good. All the Taiwanese Blacks were obtained from local Pacific Northwest tea sellers – two Seattle and a Portland one. The Seattle teas I purchased in person, and Totem Tea mailed me a sample of their Ruby 18. These are all 2015 teas just to be fair. I have more Sun Moon Lake and Ruby 18 kicking around but they… Continue reading, hoot!

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Bai Ye Varietal Dancong Black Tea Spring 2016 from Yunnan Sourcing

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Yunnan Sourcing has all kinds of sales every week. I managed to get sucked in a Dancong sale, feeling the need for some new and interesting Dancongs. I found Bai Ye Varietal Dancong while looking through all the 2016 line and the write up sounded appealing with, “Pronounced baked sweet potato taste…Highly recommended for Dan Cong and Black Tea aficionados alike!” I purchased this tea on Yunnan Sourcing.us, and it is sold out. Bai Ye Varietal Dancong is available on Yunnan Sourcing.com though. Actually, with this Dancong run I purchased many last bags from the US site. Dry Leaf SMELLOVISION… Continue reading, hoot!

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Hooty Tea Travels – Miro Tea, Seattle WA

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My visit to Miro Tea was an impulse visit about a month back. Miro Tea is located in the Ballard area of Seattle. I was heading to Floating Leaves Tea, but I arrived excessively early, leaving me to wander around the area. Miro Tea is less than a 10 minute walk from Floating Leaves, so you can easily visit both shops.  For a special treat, walk a few blocks to visit Full Tilt Ice cream for some tea ice cream! Ballard is yet another tea pocket in Seattle, the other being the International District. Miro Tea was busy and had a coffee shop… Continue reading, hoot!

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Oolong Owl Hoots the 2016 Northwest Tea Festival

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I attended the 2016 Northwest Tea Festival in Seattle, WA! It was being held October 1 and 2. I was only able to attend the Saturday, but I was there for the entire day from open to closed. It was SO PACKED that my best pictures was after close as there was no huge mass of crowds. For public tea festivals, I have attended the Los Angeles Tea Festival three times. The Northwest Tea Festival was easily 4 or 5 times larger, attracting long lines for some samples, sold out tastings, and jammed unmovable crowds. It attracted quite a different crowd… Continue reading, hoot!

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September 2016 White2Tea Club feat. 2016 Old Whitey and Hoplite Oolong

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Gosh, I am coming up on being with the White2Tea club for 2 years. Yup, keep taking my money! This month, and I am super excited, is 2016 Old Whitey and Hoplite oolong. Both teas will be sold at White2tea. As of this time, just the 2016 Old Whitey is listed, Hoplite is a preview. White2Tea Club 2016 Old Whitey 2016 Old Whitey is a puer varietal material processed like a sun dried Fujian shoumei and pressed into 100 gram cakes. I have been digging white teas and aged whites, and it sounds like this white has been designed to… Continue reading, hoot!

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2015 Green Miracle Shou Puer from Yunnan Sourcing

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Today’s review is Yunnan Sourcing’s 2015 Green Miracle Wild Arbor shou puer. This puer is pressed spring 2014 50-70 year old wild arbor tree material. Since this puer came out, I’ve been told by friends that this shou is really good. I got tea buddies who have finished a whole cake or two of Green Miracle. A tea friend sent me a sample and I thought it was good enough for me to buy cake  with my next Yunnan Sourcing order. Once this puer hit my radar, I’ve noticed the price has gone up twice. It is still very affordable for a 250… Continue reading, hoot!