Silk Road Teas

This tea is good for four or five steeps; before steeping, rinse the leaves briefly (I just use a mesh drainer then toss the leaves in the bottom of a very thick glass that I cover with a ramekin top for steeping). I tend to add a touch of either a very neutral honey—sourwood or fireweed, never wildflower/clover/alfalfa/blackberry ones as they overpower—or minimally processed sugar ie Florida Crystals.

The aroma is absolutely stunning. It is a special occasion tea, though—not necessarily meaning I need company but meaning I really don’t grab it for everyday occasions but rather when my palette is especially sensitive and I am desiring this particular sensory experience as it’s $10 an ounce on average (now, at least—I got it for $4 an ounce ever so long ago… running low on that so I use it sparingly) and can’t imagine it for the jelly mentioned as all the gelatin and sugar (and it being cold) would take an already delicate flavor and for me ruin it. The first steep, stick to a minute… after that, it can handle up to 2:25 or so but I only usually steep that long at the final steep to prevent any bitterness. It is extremely calming… I just wish I could capture its scent as brewed and burn it in a candle! Oh, I should also mention… the glass I use is clear, almost the size of a stein… the reason simple: it’s BEAUTIFUL as it unfolds. Frankly, every time I open my special little triple layer bags of it, I just stare at the beautiful hand-rolled leaves and think fondly on the proud farmers as their teas were chosen for the silk road prize, ensuring them many years of success. (Angelina’s Teas, btw, is not the “maker” only a shop that is able to import it; Loong Tea is another that sells Zui Gui Fei, though their word is “Tipsy” Concubine instead of Drunken and is a bit more accurate to the original word).

I’m not much for floral tastes & aromas, but I found this tea very refreshing with it’s subtle honeysuckle flavor. 2nd and 3rd steeps were the best.

This Bai Mu Dan is a very subtle tea that has a slight sweetness and hints of pear and honeydew. Not the best Bai Mu Dan I have had but very good.

One of my favorite teas, though I often use a little extra to get a good flavor. It is a light tasting tea, and very subtle. Great for a relaxed Sunday morning.

Quality white tea.

Pretty nice. Good aroma. Nice depth.

Decent. Could take it or leave it. Great aroma though.

No sir, i don’t like it. Some of Silk Road’s stock might be getting a bit old, considering that 2010 wasn’t a great year for tea in china. But this stuff did nothing for me.

Was very impressed with this oolong. I think it might be my favorite from the Oolong Sampler Silk Road Tea’s has.

You can definitely taste some of the fruitiness under the strong, smooth toasted flavor of this tea. The aroma is great as well.

Light in color, with a pretty strong earthy taste and aroma. The second steep is much sweeter, and very good. Also pretty forgiving if you steep the tea a bit too long.

Silk Road Teas doesn’t seem to sell this Oolong on its own, but has it as a part of their Oolong sampler, which I would strongly suggest to anyone who wants to get more into oolong teas.

Definitely has a strong flower aroma and taste, but as stated, not overpowering. Light in color, and the taste of the tea does seem to linger after sipping, which is nice. A great tea to have while relaxing after a long day.

Thank you Doulton for this tea, first of all. It is truly an experience! :)

I have saved this tea for a special occasion, but nothing special came up except a day of doing nothing. I used 10oz of water per ball. I used Morgana’s perimeters for each steep, but I added a minute to each steep. I’m drinking my 2nd steep as I type this.

The first steep was a light amber brew. I used a butter knife to pry it more open, by the second brew, it was a beautiful loose mess of leaves. It smells sweet and floral. I get a small pastry like taste like a cookie. The 2nd brew got darker, and not as sweet.

This is a fun tea! It just wants to be shared while it’s brewed. The taste is good, but the experience heightens the tea.

Water boils between 195 and 200 degrees where I live at 6000 feet. Nose has a hint of smokiness to it. Good black tea flavor, nothing specific comes at me as I drink it. Classic Keemun flavor. Has a nice smooth finish with no astringency/bitterness. Could easily become a regular part of my cupboard.

This is as innocuous and inoffensive a green tea as you can find anywhere. It’s not too spinachy, not too grassy…and…well…not too anything. Although it does have a pleasantly grape-like taste on the forefront and only a slight vegetal/creamy finish. Not much to be said about it. It’s about as metaphorically vanilla as some pop stars out there. I find it a rather catchy tea tune.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/02/12/review-silk-road-teas-tongyu-mountain-green-2/

A nice light, floral tea. The leaves themselves smell great and have a nice appearance. Pretty good price for 2 oz of this white tea.

Nice golden color after brewing, and a great aroma as well. This tea definitely has a good toasty, nutty flavor to it. Pretty happy for my first go at Lung Ching.

Nice light (kinda earthy) aroma, with a great strong tasting body. No bitterness at all, as others have stated.

A very good, hearty, strengthening, black pu-erh. Something one can drink on a daily basis. Similar to the Rishi Pu-erh Classic.

This is one of my all-time favorite teas. It has a clear, high, pure, pleasantly bitter taste that could be described as “bracing”. Sort of like the tea equivalent of listening to the oboe. This is one of those teas with which I can go into an addiction phase.

This is a great, hearty, dense/intense, shot-in-the-arm red tea.

Writing as someone who doesn’t generally like green tea, this is just about my favorite: strong, rich, complex flavor.

One of my favorites. An intense, peppery red tea that, in addition to tasting exhilarating, is also a good kick-in-the-pants tea for getting a day started.