Tea Review 126 - Teavivre Dragon Well

Dragon Well (Long Jing)
Teavivre

I've never met a Dragon Well I didn't like, but I've run across a few that were kind of bland. Fortunately this Long Jing from Teavivre rises above all that. Teavivre's site claims that Dragon Well tea was the variety that was served to the late President Richard Nixon on his groundbreaking visit to China some years back. I'm not sure what old Tricky Dick thought about it but if it was as good as this one he had nothing to complain about.

Here's an excerpt from what Teavivre has to say about their Dragon Well:

A great example of one of China's top teas, affordable enough to drink every day
Grown in Xihu near Hangzhou in province Zhejiang
Flattened tea leaves, with one bud and one or two leaves
Pale green yellow when brewed
A subtle, rich, orchid like taste and aroma, with no hint of bitterness

Sample provided by Teavivre
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Tea Connoisseurs Herald Arrival of New Company

Tea Connoisseurs Herald Arrival of New Company, Rare Tea Republic
(from a press release)

Rare Tea Republic, a company that curates fresh teas from the world's finest tea gardens, was launched today. Rare Tea Republic works directly with artisans around the world to select small lots and procure single estate teas that best express the character of the terroir. Rare Tea Republic's tea collection launched with nineteen teas from single estates throughout Northern India and the Himalayan Mountain region including: Darjeeling, Kangra, Sikkam, Assam, Bihar and Nepal. Rare Tea Republic teas range from $6 to $30 for 50 grams and are hand-packed by weight in resealable bags.

By visiting countries of origin multiple times a year, Rare Tea Republic has developed deep relationships with tea growers and source directly from them. The teas in the Rare Tea Republic collection will be continually updated throughout the year to deliver the freshest, most unique selection of single estate full-leaf teas to consumers.

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Tea Review 125 - Teavivre Yunnan Dian Hong

Yunnan Dian Hong Golden Tip
Teavivre

Of the tea samples I received from Teavivre, two were of black tea and two of green tea. When I recently reviewed their Bailin Gongfu, the other black tea they provided, I noted that I didn't like it so much at first but that it grew on me. This is a relatively rare situation for me, but oddly enough it happened again with the Yunnan Dian Hong Golden Tip.

Given the abundance of golden tips that lend this its name and the outstanding aroma of the dry leaves I was kind of disappointed at the taste of this one the first few times around. I'm willing to admit that it might have had something to do with the way I was preparing it. In any event the more I drank of this the more I liked it and by the time it was gone I waved it a fond farewell and was sad to see it go.

Here are some of the highlights of what Teavivre has to say about this one:

Handmade in Fengqing county, Yunnan
Completely orange pekoe colored buds
A bright orange-red coloured tea
A rich, complex but smooth and fresh taste

Dian Hong black tea, also known as Yunnan black tea, is one of China's most famous black teas. This is the highest grade Dian Hong generally available in China – called Golden Tip Dian Hong. It has lots of orange pekoe in the dried tea, and brews into an absolutely great tasting, golden coloured tea, with very rich taste and aroma.

Sample provided by Teavivre
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Tea Review 124 - Teavivre Bailin Gongfu

Bailin Gongfu Black Tea
Teavivre

With most teas that I try I find that I either like them or I don't. It's relatively rare to find a tea that grows on me, so to speak. But that's exactly the case with this Chinese black tea from Teavivre. I was somewhat put off by the taste at first, but now that I'm on the last cup of the rather sizable sample pack I've grown quite fond of it.

Teavivre has fairly extensive notes on this one at their web site, but here are a few highlights.



Hand-crafted at Mt. Taimu in Fujian province
Black and gold coloured pine-needle shaped appearance
A rich, full bodied sweet tasting tea with a hint of caramel

Bai Lin Gongfu is a completely oxidised black tea. It is a “gongfu” (or “congou”) type of black tea, which indicates that it is hand crafted, with the leaf buds being twisted into thin, tight strips without them being broken. When dry, the tea has a sweet, caramel like scent and has a mix of black and golden-orange “pekoe” coloured leaf buds.

As for that "hint of caramel," I was thinking that it was more like a hint of cocoa, which was what put me off at first, but I could see where it could be interpreted as caramel. In any event, if you're looking for a Chinese black tea that's a little more obscure than the usual choices you might want to give this one a try.

Sample provided by Teavivre
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2nd China Xiamen International Tea Fair

2nd China Xiamen International Tea Fair
(from a press release)

The 2nd China Xiamen International Tea Fair, scheduled for October 20 – 23, 2011, is the tea industry’s foremost international trade show. It will be held at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fujian Province, and features 22,000 square meters of exhibit space accommodating 1,000 booths. More than 50,000 trade visitors are anticipated to attend.

Last year’s Tea Fair was a huge success with 221 companies exhibiting, 78 of which were from overseas, including: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, India, and others. The total number of trade visitors reached 43,656.

The 2nd China Xiamen International Tea Fair takes place at the pristine, modern Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center. Exhibitors from leading companies in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Taiwan, India, England, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Korea, South Africa, Vietnam, and Malaysia will display their latest products and innovative services. The Tea Fair, run concurrently with the China Xiamen International Coffee Fair 2011, the 6th China Xiamen International Buddhist Items & Crafts Fair and the 3rd China Xiamen International Vegetarian Food Fair, is expected to attract over 50,000 visitors from all over the world.

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Image: China Xiamen Tea Fair

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Bigelow Tea Rap Video

Yet another tea-related rap video, this one courtesy of Bigelow Tea and Jamaar Wright. For more of the same, look here.



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