Tai Ping Hou Kui

3 / 5

I’ve been drinking tea for long enough that I don’t often run into something that I haven’t seen before. The shape of these leaves was new to me though. They were like a larger version of dragon well leaves that stuck together, very interesting. The tea is pleasant, a light flavor with more sweetness than grassiness. Delicate for a green tea, but very enjoyable.

Tea Leaves: Large flat leaves stuck together
Region: Huangshan, Anhui Province, China
Brewing: 185 degrees for 1-3 minutes
Purchased: Teavivre–  $2.50 for 10 grams

Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea

4 / 5

Something about this tea makes it great on a mellow afternoon. Smooth, but still earthier than most green teas. It lacks the grassy flavor of the other greens I’ve been sampling. Not bitter at all, it is almost a little nutty. There is a sweetness to it, but there is something unique about it. It’s more of a background or undertone than something you taste up front.

Tea Leaves: Flat, remind me of seaweed
Region: Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
Brewing: 185 degrees for 2-5 minutes
Purchased: Teavivre–  $2.00 for 10 grams

Liu An Gua Pian

3.5 / 5

I’ve been drinking a lot of black tea lately so time to mix it up and go back from some greens. I forgot how much I like green tea for the afternoon. It’s a great pick-me-up but won’t keep you up all night either.

For a green tea, this had a lot of flavor. It was a good transition from all of the puerh I’ve been drinking. It is grassy and sweet with a woody backbone that makes it stand out to me. It had a lot of deep, almost vegetable-like flavor.

Not bitter, a good aftertaste, I really enjoyed this tea a lot.

Tea Leaves: long, twisted, light grassy smell
Region: Liu’an City, Anhui province, China
Brewing: 185 degrees for 3-5 minutes
Purchased: Teavivre–  $2.50 for 10 grams

Goji Berry Green

3.5  / 5

This is another tea from Great Lakes Tea and Spice that I have gotten a few times over the last few years. To be honest, I’ve only had about half of it because it was my wife’s favorite tea for a while. It’s a nice green tea, grassy and mellow, the goji berries add a nice tart fruit taste. It reminds me a little bit of Adagio’s citron green, but with a little bit more floral flavors. Overall it makes a great late afternoon drink. 

Tea Leaves: Citrus, but still grassy aroma
Region: Unknown
Brewing: Heat water until steam just starts to rise, steep for 30 seconds the first time, and one minute the second. (Note: These are the official directions, to be honest though, I brew it like any other green tea, 170-180 degrees, 3-5 minutes. 
Purchased: Great Lakes Tea and Spice – $16.95 for 3oz*

*Prices are at time of review and may have changed.

Tea of the Week – Jasmine Green Strawberry Lemonade

Name: Jasmine Green / Strawberry Lemonade Blend

Type: Green

Region: Unknown

Bought At: Teavana

Price: $12 for two ounces (25-30 cups)

First Impressions:Fruity, Strawberry and Jasmine scents really cut through

Review:

First, I want to apologize for the long wait, life has been a little crazy lately and I just haven’t had the time to go out and get any new tea.  Second, I am very excited to have a new Teavana just a few miles from my apartment, it’s expensive but usually really good. Plus, they are always good for a few free samples!

This is a blend I picked up at Teavana: Jasmine Green Strawberry Lemonade.  It’s a blend of their Jasmine Dragon Pheonix Pearls and their Strawberry Lemonade Herbal tea.  I actually really liked this despite the fact that it is a jasmine tea, which usually send my brain into a tailspin because the overpowering floral scent.  The sweetness from the strawberries and tartness from the apple and lemon really blend well with the jasmine.  The green tea gives it enough of a base that it doesn’t come off as just a fruity herbal tea, and it balances really well.  All in all, this is definitely my favorite jasmine tea so far.  The only thing I wish is that I had not had the teas blended at the store, so I could try them individually as well and blend them as needed.

My Rating:

3.5 / 5

brent

Tea of the Week – White Monkey

Name: White Monkey

Type: Green

Region: Fujian province, China

Bought At: Adagio

Price: $2 for a 10 cup sample

First Impressions: Looks like white tea, Sweet grassy smell

Review:

I’m surprised I haven’t reviewed this tea before as it is one of my all time favorites, ever since I received it in my first tea sampler.  It’s a green tea the shares many of the characteristics of a white tea.  A very smooth, subtle cup that is perfect in the afternoon for a gentle pick-me-up.  It has a sweetness similar to most white teas, but with a lightly stronger grassy undertone.  A great tea that I usually enjoy at least once a week! (Be especially careful not to overbrew!)

My Rating:

4.5 / 5

brent

Tea of the Week – Green Tea Ginger Peach

Name: Green Tea Ginger Peach

Type: Green

Region: Yunnan, China

Bought At: The Seasoned Home

Price: $2.79 per ounce

First Impressions: Smells amazing

Review:

Another tea from The Seasoned Home, this flavored green is rapidly becoming one of my all time favorites.  The smell of the unbrewed tea  is absolutely amazing, sugary sweet, fruity, and just right.  Once brewed the ginger adds a hint of spiciness that smells awesome in its own right.  As far as flavor goes, it doesn’t disappoint.  The sweetness of the peach mixes with the ginger to make a really well balanced and pleasant cup.  It also has marigold blossoms and roman chamomile, whose floral flavors add to the sweetness.  A really good, sweet green that everyone should try!

My Rating:

4 / 5

brent

Tea of the Week – Sencha Vanilla

Name: Sencha Vanilla

Type: Green

Region: Unknown, Probably Japan

Bought At: The Seasoned Home

Price: $2.49 per ounce

First Impressions: Wonderfully sweet, vanilla scent

Review:

I recently have been trying several teas from a local tea shop – The Seasoned Home, located in Holland Michigan.  I received a few of their teas as Birthday and Christmas presents and so far they have all been very good.  Sencha green is a mild green, mixed with just the right amount of vanilla to give it a nice sweet taste without overpowering the tea.  It lacks any bitterness and has all of my favorite qualities of a green tea.  It’s very smooth, very sweet, very good, and I will be buying more!

Note: If you go into the store to buy this it will be labeled Green Tea Vanilla  not Sencha Vanilla – but it’s the same tea.

My Rating:

3.5 / 5

brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Tea of the Week – Xue Ya Ballad

Name: Xue Ya Ballad

Type:  Green

Region:  Keemun, China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $2 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Gentle Grassy Smell, looks similar to a white monkey leaf but smaller

Review:

My first unflavored green in a while, Xue Ya Ballad was just okay.  It wasn’t as light as I was expecting, and reminded me more of a gunpowder green than a white monkey green.  Not really bad it lacked the smokiness that I like in darker greens.  It had a hint of nutiness, but also just a twinge of bitterness in the end.  It’s possible that I over steeped it, and will try it again, but all in all a little disapointing.  Given a name with the grandiose of “Xue Ya Ballad” I was expecting a little more.

My Rating: 2 / 5

brent
(Teageek.org Founder)