Rare Tea Company

Oh this is lovely. So very lovely!

I’ve had this tin of tea for a little while now (I got this and the RAF tea at the same time), but I wanted to save it for a little while. I knew I was going to love it, and that certainty was based only on the fact that I really loved the RAF tea and I then set my expectations very high for any other tea that I might try from them. I tend to do that… if I notice something exceptional about a tea from a company that I’ve not tried before, I then expect the exceptional from them… it sometimes leaves me vulnerable to disappointment … fortunately, it did not this time.

Something about the name of this tea suggested to me to steep it at a lower temperature … it sounded like a Darjeeling (even though it didn’t quite look like one) and since I typically steep my Darjeeling teas at a lower temperature, I did so with this as well. After tasting this, I am confident I did the right thing by this tea… because I can’t imagine it tasting any better… It’s really so good. Sweet! Light, crisp, uplifting. It has a delicious fruity quality that reminds me of Darjeeling, even a hint of muscatel is noted. But it doesn’t have the sharp astringency of some Darjeeling teas, this is smooth from start to finish, with only a slight tangy note toward the end … almost like it’s trying to mimic astringency but not quite getting there (if that makes sense)… I guess I’m trying to say that it is a very slight astringency. The aftertaste is sweet and citrus-y.

This is FANTASTIC!

These leaves remind me of Bay Leaves :)

There isn’t much smell to it but the taste is very unique. It’s VERY mellow and reminiscent of the grapeseed oil I sell, more specifically the lemon flavored grapeseed oil.

I think this would pair well with anything Italian or Greek :)
Very interesting cuppa!

OK, you HAVE to watch this video: http://raretea.m6.artlogic.net/news-and-reviews/videos/xaqGK6UTTQY Don’t worry, it’s short. But, it’s very funny.

And this tea is delicious. It does taste like tea. Delicious tea.

Rich, bold, malty, but I can taste the sparkling notes of the Darjeeling in this too. High fruit notes with a hint of muscatel. Very enjoyable!

SIPDOWN…well, sort of. I’m sharing this one as well. BUT…it had to be pried from my fingers!

ONE. MORE. CUPPA.

LOVE it!

Backlogging SEVERAL cups over the last week or so. Tea is really the only thing keeping me going! Eeeeeek!

I had a cup of this earlier when I was crazy-busy writing…see previous notes :)

Strong, Burly, and Bold! Darn hefty, even! This is Rich and Awakening! It has masculine and earthy flavors within, too! A Fantastically Bold Brew, indeed!

An excellent example of a traditional style black tea blend – sweet and crisp, with a good body that takes milk well. Equally good without milk – some citrus and floral notes are apparent, especially in the mid-palate. Slightly buttery on the finish.

Takes multiple infusions well.

I was really excited when a friend in the UK sent me a tin of this tea. It’s been on my wish list for a while.

The leaves are highly mechanically processed. The leaf fragments are very uniform and almost appear to be ground. There’s an even mix between dark and light leaf particles. The fragrance is clean and crisp; almost citrusy.

Once steeped, this tea produces a very dark, almost black cup. The fragrance takes on a more malty and caramel character. In flavor, this has a medium body and astringency and is well balanced, but the finish leans more towards a darjeeling.

I don’t dress my teas, but this could take some additives. It also stands up to multiple infusions. Pick some up if you make it to the other side of the pond.

I can’t believe I am going to say this…but…this one bored me. It wasn’t bad…but it wasn’t memorable or much of anything…it just…was. So…I decided to add Agave Nectar…didn’t add much flavoring to it actually…so I added some milk…again not much added flavor just a change in color to the liquid…then I added some cinnamon…that helped spice it up a bit! It was alright with some additives but it did take some effort. On to the next…

Oolong is a breathtaking tea. The taste is so unique. The tea itself is in between black and green tea in the oxidation process. I have had the recent pleasure of trying this particular Oolong and I must say its unreal. Its perfect. It has a sweet vegetal flavor. Drinking a cup of this fantastic tea will have you feeling very satisfied. Great job Rare Tea Company. Thank you for believing in quality over quantity. Thats what we believe at Pure Matcha as well.

Awesome! This is one of the very best Jasmine Silver Needle teas I’ve yet to try. So sweet, silky and smooth. Lovely texture to this one. Delicious.

I love this! I think I am going to need more of this!

Very refreshing, very lemony, with none of the over-sweetness you get from commercial bagged lemon teas. Tastes quite similar to, and is every bit as good as, fresh lemon balm tea.

Still yummy.

If you don’t do milk and sugar, keep the steep time around 2 minutes.

Uber-fresh tasting black blend. Very proper “British” style black tea that would probably go very nicely with milk and sugar. If you like your tea strong enough to make your spoon stand up, Royal Air Force should do the trick nicely.

As the rating shows I consider this tea to be perfect. It is a tea for jasmine lovers, with the tea taking a back seat to the wonderful jasmine aromas and flavours.

Looks: Plump, fresh, green buds.
Scent: Fresh, strong, sweet jasmine
Taste: Balanced fresh, cool jasmine

Thanks LiberTEAS for this!
:)

The fragrance intensifies as it infuses. The taste is very light and mellow. It’s ok but not overly flavorful or memorable.

Special thanks to LiberTEAS for this tea sample! :)

This is good.

It smells more vegetal than it tastes but the taste is even and pleasant. It has a bit of a celery-like finish and aftertaste. I’m thinking i could get multiple infusions but I have SO MUCH new tea to try that I think I will move on. I do have enough for another cup after this so I might try it again down the road.

:)

I managed four very flavorful infusion from these leaves – each was very rich and delicious. This is one incredible Oolong!

This is a SPECTACULAR Oolong. The liquor is a beautiful golden color.

The flavor is smooth and rich and sweet. fruity and floral. Loving it and looking forward to many more infusions to follow.

This may be almost (if not just) as good as my beloved Ali Shan from Norbu!