Review: Mi Lan Xiang (Phoenix Dan Cong)

I wandered into TheTeaTee determined I didnt need any new tea. I failed. I saw the leaves and aroma of this tea and thought I had to give it a try. 

Mi Lan Xiang [China, green, oolong] *** $$   by TheTeaTee, Lausanne, CH

Other names: 米蘭香,Honey Orchid, Phoenix Dan Cong
Origin: Phoenix Mountains, Guandong province, China

Almost a citrus notes to dry leaves of this tea but it doesn't get picked up once the tea is brewed, as there is definite floral smell to this tea in the cup. I didn't pick up the orchid at first smell but after having seen the translation of its chinese name I would agree its noticeable. 

This is a semi oxidised oolong as evidenced by nature of its leaves and the brownish colour when brewed, although taste-wise I found it an interesting mix of the strongly oxidised oolongs (such as Wu Yi, Dan Cong) and the less oxidised varieties such as Guan Yin. It has a distinctly green oolong after taste, although the first flavours are like typical woody oolongs. 

Very interesting little tea and a good price!

See Also:  Rui Gui, Guan Yin

Review: Kekecha

Try as I might, I can't avoid tea shops and it was quite risky for me to go near Chinatown while in London. i resisted but finally gave in to the temptation of a yellow yea in a fabulous little tea shop near Covent Garden.

This tea was newly arrived at the shop when I bought it and doesnt seem to be listed on their website yet, but from other tea providers, it seems that kekecha is from Fuijan.

Kekecha [China, yellow, grassy] **** $   by The Tea House , London, UK

Other names: ??

The leaves are quite twiggy looking when dry but unfurl into Smokey and mineral nose on the wet leaves, its a nice smooth yellow tea with a deep golden yellow colour. Be careful not to steep it too long as, I found, that it more quickly developed a bitter note when oversteeped than other yellow teas. 

Typical of yellow teas, its very easy drinking and the quality-to-price on this tea was very good. Very slight smoky taste to this tea. 

See Also: Yellow Mountain Fur Peak

Review: Kenilworth Tea

I didn't go into Marriage Freres looking for a black tea, but I had really enjoyed the tea I bought in Sri Lanka and was in the market for something similar....

Kenilworth [Sri Lanka, Black] ***** $   by Marriage Freres , Paris, FR

Other names: 

This tea is immediately distinctive on the nose, with a pronounced very pleasant orangey smell. I really liked this tea, as normal for a hilly black tea its very light taste and has a light brown colour. Kenilworth stands out in a subtle warm spice notes (cinnamon perhaps?) and an ever so slight bitter finish note. 

Recommended!

See Also: Darjeeling, Niligiri, Rwandan Black teas

Review: Huang Shan Mao Feng

I found some more of my mystery tea in Switzerland, and it was just as good.

Huang Shan Mao Feng [China, green, grassy] ***** $$   by Langassetee , Bern, CH

Other names: 黄山毛峰, Yellow Mountain Fur Peak, 

Same soothing taste and beautiful green colour to this tea, but lacked the chocolate nose of its counterpart from a chinese company (reviewed in 2016). Overall a top tea and great value for money. Recommended.

See Also: Main Review for this tea

Review: Lune D'Or by Marraige Freres, Paris

A chance visit to Paris on the eve of the Presidential Election sent me searching for some good tea shops. The French have always favored style over substance, and though the teas at Mariage Freres are excellent, I'm not so much excited by their penchant for giving Chinese tea varietals their own "romantic" names. I like to know what I'm drinking!!!

Lune D'Or Yellow Tea [China, yellow, grassy] *** $$$   by Marraige Freres , Paris, FR

Other names: ??

Like most yellow teas, this is an exceptionally delicate flavored tea which will need a longer drawing time to show a distinct flavor. The wet leaves have a gorgeous bouquet but I found the tea itself wasn't as complex in the drinking as the nose would suggest. Clean, slightly grassy taste, without a hint of bitterness. A soft likeable tea and I wish I knew what type it was....

As the temps are hitting 36C this week, I'm trailing this leaf as a cold tea and seeing how it works.  

Similar Teas: Bai Mu Dan, Yellow Teas

Review: Bai Mao Hou

Review: Bai Mao Hou

TouThe is really a fabulous little shop, dedicated entirely to tea and tea accessories. The staff are very friendly and will be sure to point you in the right direction, whether its for a gift or you are a die hard tea addict. There's a little cafe area out the back of the store where you can buy a cup of any tea they have in store.

Bai Mao Hou, Spring Harvest Tea [China, grassy] *** $$   by Palais Des Thes, from TouThe, Lausanne,  CN

Other names: 白毛猴,White Haired Monkey

Is this tea really called white haired monkey? I'm not sure, probably the french have some special name for it. This early harvest tea from Fuijan could be mistaken for a white tea, especially looking at its leaves. I didnt go wild about the smell of this one but in the cup it was pleasant with some sweet end notes.

Similar Teas: Chinese grassy teas, white teas

Review: Huo Shan Yellow Bud

Langass Tee is a fantastic tea seller and tea shop, certainly well worth a detour if you happen to be passing by the Swiss capital sometime. That's Bern, not Zurich. Nor Geneva.

I spent some time in Bern last year and had been looking to try a yellow tea....mostly because I didn't know what the term yellow tea means nor how it differs from green tea. It would appear Yellow Tea is all about post production processing, something to do with using a humid cloth which I don't quite understand. I also read that yellow teas were the preserve of Emperors in days gone by.

I wasn't sure about buying a 75g of a tea I had not tried but the shop assistant told me it would drink faster than I expected and she wasn't wrong!

Huo Shan Yellow Bud [china, yellow, grassy] ***** $$$   by Langass Tee, Bern, CH

Other names: 霍山黄芽,Huo Shan Huang Ya, 

First off, the smell this tea is amazing: fresh, buttery, slightly nutty. I could smell it all day long. For me the nutty notes become stronger when the leaves are wet and reminds me of Silver Needle white teas, with a long note of some astringency. In the cup, it turns to a rather sweet nutty very pleasant smell.

The leaves look somewhat like Long Jing leaves but these two teas are quite different. 

I'm someone who likes to steep my teas for quite a short time, most green teas are steeped too long for my taste even in speciality shops to extent when all I can taste is the bitterness. By contrast, this yellow tea needs a good 1m30 to 3min infusion or you risk missing its extremely subtle flavours. 

I find its taste very pleasant but rather difficult to explain, you can certainly taste the tannins but beyond that there's not too much to say apart from a slight bitter notes. Very easy to drink, very easy to like and one of those teas that is very comforting in the feeling it brings after drinking.

Recommended as a gift tea or for anyone who is starting out on the exploration beyond green tea bags. 

Similar Teas: The des Acores, Silver Needle

A sweet comforting little brew

We've done some shopping!

My very photogenic housemate Eliane went to Bern this week and came back with some goodies. She's moroccan so she knows a thing or two about tea. Apart from the classical mint tea from Morocco, she also enjoys korean teas and Genmaicha from Japan.

The latest additions to our collection

Review: FBOP SPEXN01 - High quality Black Tea from Sri Lanka

I spent a month in Sri Lanka in December 2016 and much of the tourist trail (such as it is) loops through the highland tea growing areas. Mostly Sri Lanka grows black tea for the mass and premium tea bag market so I didn't go out of my way to do any tastings or visit estates, although I did find a spectacularly good cuppa in the southern fort city of Galle.

However I found a speciality tea seller on a lazy walk one evening in the party town and surfers paradise of Hikkaduwa on the south coast. It was enough to turn my head and I came away with a few goodies. 

FBOP SPEXN01 [Sri Lanka, black, grassy] **** $$   by Ceylon Gold Tea, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

Other names: ??? 

There are dozens of black tea varietals made for tea bags, or essentially black tea made to be drank with milk (oh, the horror!). I don't tend to pay too much attention and the names usually wont mean anything to those who are not tea purchasers. 

Very often the names resemble this one - FBOP SPEXN01 - and are not exactly poetic. "First Bush Orange Pekoe" is the front part of the name but after that I give up!

As it was already quite late and the shop was closing, I didnt do any tastings so I picked this one strictly on smell from the handful of teas recommended by the owner once I told him what I liked.  It has a delicate nose, where the orange notes are fully evident - this is not often the case with Orange Pekoes I find.

The leaves are very small and in the cup this is an absolute smasher of a tea, full of tannins and with a light subtle flavour. And no, I didn't try it with milk. Recommended for those who like lighter, high altitude black teas.

Similar Teas: Nilgiri, Darjeeling

I recommend a visit to this shop in south Sri Lanka