This is the best bai hao oolong I’ve ever had. The dry leaves are an attractive mix of white tips and leaves of various shades of brown which, once infused, uncurl slowly, giving the drinker many infusions from the same batch of leaves. The flavour and aroma are both sweet; a hint of tropical fruit combined with peach-like tartiness and a lively character. The tea finishes with a long, smooth sweetness.

This tea was originally reviewed on the blog: Bai Hao Oolong “Oriental Beauty”, Superior Grade from Life in Teacup.

The main drawback with this tea thermal is the size of its infuser — it’s tiny. You won’t be able to use this mug for any teas that require significant space to expand, such as oolongs or pu-erhs. Stick with black teas and small-leaf green teas.

Toyo Mukashi has an enlivening, bold character and is the colour of a deep, lusciously vibrant forest green. It froths up beautifully and resounds with an aroma of steamed vegetables — think leafy green vegetables with a hint of chicken stock. However, there is also the subtle note of nectarines in the nose, giving it a slightly fruity, sweeter aroma. It tastes of spinach, with a slight bitterness.

It’s taken me many attempts to write this review as I keep finishing the tea before I’ve written anything. Let’s just say, I’m always very disappointed to see the bottom of the matcha bowl.

For a longer review with pictures, check out my original post about this tea: Ceylon OP1 from Teas Etc.

I originally reviewed this tea on my blog: Darjeeling First Flush 2009 from Mighty Leaf Tea.

I originally reviewed Zhejiang Mao Feng on my blog: Zhejiang Mao Feng.

Read my original review of Teas Etc’s Shui Xian.

Take a sip and hold the tea in your mouth: the tea changes, moving slowly from a sweet, almond-like nuttiness to a mild tarty flavour. It cools and refreshes the mouth, something which great pu-erh teas can do. As with other pu-erhs, Denong Wild Brick is to be re-infused repeatedly, gradually increasing the steeping time on each occasion. Its flavour profile changes with each steeping as well, becoming more tarty and less delicate, while the earthy, campfire qualities that so characterize ripe pu-erh are more apparent. A wonderful tea, and one to savour over the length of an afternoon.

I originally reviewed this tea on my blog: Denong Wild Ripe Pu-erh Tea from Bana Tea Company.

This shincha leaps out at you with its unmistakable freshness and blackcurrant-dominated aroma. The smell of the rich dark green leaves reminds me of a forest floor, bearing a slight hint of pine. The brew looks like a green miso soup, with the leaves’ powder swirling around. It tastes of steamed vegetables, and would make a nice accompaniment to sushi or fish.

As with other shinchas, you need to take care to not overbrew it — shinchas can easily become too astringent if you let the leaves steep for too long.

I originally review this on my blog: Kagoshima Shincha Yutaka Midori (2009)

I originally reviewed this tea on my blog: Organic Hojicha from Mighty Leaf Tea.