Reviews

Enjoy my take on many of the teas I have enjoyed over the years. Always rated on a 5 point scale, entirely my subjective opinion.

Tea of the Week – Fujian Jasmine Pearl

Oolong Tea

Name: Fujian Jasmine Pearl

Type:  Oolong

Region:  Taiwan

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  “Pearl” shaped leaves, floral smell

Review:

Another first for me, I’ve never had a Jasmine tea before.  The first thing that was surprising to me was just how strong the jasmine scent is, both from the leaves and the tea when made.  It smelled like I had just picked a bunch of fresh flowers!  The tea has a unique, light, flowery flavor.  It was very light, similar to last weeks Formosa Pochong, but definitely has a sweeter aftertaste.  While I can’t say I’ve ever eater a flower, I definitely think this is what it would taste like.  The smell was actually a little overpowering to me, but I would imagine this would be great for a Jasmine tea lover.

My Rating:
3  / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Formosa Pochong

Oolong Tea

Name: Formosa Pochong

Type:  Oolong

Region:  Taiwan

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  Sweeter smelling, grassy

Review:

A very light oolong tea, Formosa Pochong reminds me more of a white tea than a green.  With absolutely no smokiness or bitterness, it was very smooth and pleasant.  It hints at different flavors more than anything, making them a little hard to describe.  One distinct characteristic I noticed is a very sweet aftertaste that lingers for quite a while.  I think this is probably my favorite oolong so far, and maybe my favorite from the maestro collection.

My Rating:
4  / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Fujian Ti Kuan Yin

Oolong Tea

Name: Fujian Ti Kuan Yin

Type:  Oolong

Region:  Taiwan

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  Looks similar to Fujian Ali Shan, but has a slightly sweeter smell

Review:

Another Oolong this week – Fujian Ti Kuan Yin.   Similar in shape to Fujian Ali Shan, expected it to be pretty similar, but wasn’t sure.  After tasting I discovered it has a very delicate flavor and doesn’t have the sweet notes the leaves smell hinted at.  Also missing (happily) is the foul aftertaste that I found accompanied Fujian Ali Shan.  Nicely mellow with a slightly roasted finish, this was a pleasant tea to drink, but doesn’t immediately jump to the top of my list.

My Rating:
3.5 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Fujian Ali Shan

Oolong Tea

Name: Fujian Ali Shan

Type:  Oolong

Region:  Taiwan

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  Pellet-Like Leaves, Slightly Sweet Grassy Aroma

Review:

First off, wow do these leaves “grow” in the water.  They go in as tightly packed little balls, and they unfurl to fill the whole container – interesting to see (well maybe “interesting” isn’t the right word, but it was neat).  Anyways, on to the tea.  My first tea from the lighter Adagio Maestro Sampler, Fujian Ali Shan, was really good.  Warm and mellow, it wasn’t really either sweet or bitter.  This tea goes down really smooth, it hints at a greener grassy taste, but stops short of it.  One thing I didn’t like was a slightly foul aftertaste, although not strong enough to make me dislike the tea, it was there.  Overall, another good oolong – I think oolong is slowly passing black as my second favorite tea.

My Rating:
3.0 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Wuyi Da Hong Pao

Oolong Tea

Name: Wuyi Da Hong Pao

Type:  Oolong

Region:  China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  Dark Leaves, roasted smell

Review:

The last in my maestro set #2 from adagio, Wuyi Da Hong Pao is the first oolong tea I have tried.  Somewhere between black and green tea, oolong should be interesting.  Wuyi Da Hong Pao smells a lot like most greens, but with a little bit darker, almost roasted touch.  The taste was mellow and warm.  It definitely fits right between green and black teas, with a strong taste but a nice smooth finish.  The flavors are woody and roasted; the aftertaste is long lasting, but not unpleasant.  A good tea, I wish I had more experience with oolong teas so that I had something to compare it to, but I guess that will come with time.

My Rating:
3.5 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Yunnan Golden Pu Erh

Black Tea

Name: Yunnan Golden Pu Erh

Type:  Black

Region:  Yunnan, China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  Unpleasant smell!

Review:

This is an interesting tea.  While it’s listed by adagio as a black tea, it’s technically a “Pu Erh” or fermented tea.  I wasn’t even really aware of this type of tea and found a lot of interesting information about it on the Wikipedia article.  Apparently this type of tea is better aged, and you can still find some from as far back as the Qing Dynasty.  As far as the tea itself goes, while interesting, I didn’t find it overly enjoyable.  I just couldn’t get past the rather pungent smell it puts off, although it does mellow some with brewing.  The flavor itself was pleasant enough.  It was slightly different than most black teas.  It wasn’t bitter, more of a clear slightly nutty taste.  Overall I would say definitely try it for the experience, but don’t get a large amount.  It’s different enough to be interesting the first few drinks, but not good enough to want after that.

My Rating:
2.5 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Anhui Keemun

Black Tea

Name: Anhui Keemun

Type:  Black

Region:  China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  Tiny Leaves, very slight grassy smell

Review:

My second tea from the Maestro Collection, Anhui Keeman is another hit.  The tea leaves were very tiny and didn’t give off a very strong smell, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  This tea has a nice smooth smoky taste that really goes down well.  There is a slight woody taste that complements the smokiness very nicely.  I find that with most black teas I prefer them with a bit of sugar to sweeten them up and take the bitter edge off, but this one was great plain.

My Rating:
3.5 / 5

–brent
 (Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Yunnan Golden Curls

Black Tea

Name: Yunnan Golden Curls

Type:  Black

Region:  Yunnan, China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $29 for maestro sampler set (4 teas)

First Impressions:  Hay Smell, Softer leaves

Review:

First let me just say I was very excited to try the maestro collection, and my first tea, Yunnan Golden Curls, didn’t disappoint.  It is a black tea although the leaves were very light in color.  The “hay” smell that the raw tea gives off is totally different from the scents of the brewed tea.  Once brewed it has a wonderful nutty/smoky smell.  The taste was very good, a mellow black without almost no bitterness.  It has a smoothness that a lot of black teas are missing.  One note: I did prefer it with the shorter brew time of 3-4 minutes (The label says 3-5); when I let it go the full 5 minutes it did pick up a bit of a bitter over-brewed taste.  Overall, it was an interesting black and a good all around tea.  Can’t wait to try some more!

My Rating:
3.5 / 5

–brent
 (Teageek.org Founder)

*Disclosure (AND Thanks!): This was part of a free sampler I got from Adagio to preview.

Tea of the Week – Anji Duet

Green Tea

Name:  Anji Duet

Type:  Green

Region:  Anji Zhejiang, China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $3 for a 10-cup sample

First Impressions:  Grassy, Mildly Sweet Smelling

Review:

This week is Anji Duet, another green tea completely new to me.  I thought it would be similar to last week’s Green Needle, but it actually was quite different.  It is a very light green tea, though not necessarily sweet like most. It doesn’t have any bitterness,  just a crisp, light flavor.  It actually reminded me of white tea more than most of the darker greens I normally drink.  There is some flavor that I can’t quite put my finger on (maybe a hint of nuttiness?) that keeps it from being bland though.  A smooth and refreshing tea, I think this would be a great tea for anybody who enjoys white tea and is looking to expand into some greens.

My Rating:
3.5 / 5

–brent
 (Teageek.org Founder)

Tea of the Week – Green (Emerald) Needle

Green Tea

Name:  Green Needle

Type:  Green

Region:  Unknown

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $4 for a 10-cup sample

First Impressions:  Grassy, Hint of Fruitiness

Review:

Got a new order in today with some white tea and a few new greens, this is the first one I tried.  Before that though, let me clarify something that was confusing to me.  The tin I received is labeled “emerald green” but I had ordered green needle.  I chatted with adagio via their website and it seems they had to change “emerald needle” to “green needle” because they got sued by another company who owned that name.  Just thought I would share  that in case any of you were confused too!  On to the tea – It smelled grassy at first, but there was definitely a hint of fruitiness hidden as well.  As far as taste goes it is a milder tea, although it did go down very smooth.  Nothing really overpowering in the flavor category, it is just a nice mellow green with just a hint of a smoky aftertaste.  While it might not be ground breaking, I found it a good day to day tea that more often than not I had finished before I realized it.

My Rating:
3 / 5

–brent
 (Teageek.org Founder)