Volition Tea

Part of a sampler set I bought at the Chicago Tea Festival.

Dry Leaf: Some are slightly twisted and open, while others are twisted a bit more tightly. Long leaves. Dark brown with a few silver buds.
Dry aroma: Milk chocolate.
Quick rinse because a friend of mine said all Chinese teas should be rinsed. He’s also Chinese.
Initial aroma: My mouth is watering. Hot chocolate. Chocolate mousse. Plums. Wood.
Flavor: Ooo… DANG! That’s so good! Chocolate notes, some Palo Santo, and other woody notes like oak and cedar. If this were a cedar chest, it would be a really nice one.
Mouth Feel: Incredibly smooth.

While this one can be steeped in a mug, I highly suggest a gaiwan. You’ll get more satisfaction.

Impressive job with the packaging. It’s beautiful, inviting, and informative. However, the tea is unprotected. Yes, it comes in a canister, which is in a box, but I feel a foil package… or perhaps that is foil inside the package that I am seeing? I am not getting enough aroma. There is a small amount, but not nearly as strong as I had hoped.

Dry Leaf appearance: Dusty, dark brown, long leaves, fairly tightly twisted. Not super tight like some teas. Which I prefer for oolongs. Doesn’t take so long to open.
Initial steeping aroma: Oh yum. I am excited. Mineralality. Fruity notes.
Flavor: More roast notes come out the longer you steep. Lovely fresh charcoal notes with hints of charred wheat bread. Note: Slightly charred bread that is still good for some jam.
I tried some cardamom just now to see if her tasting notes matched mine. I do think cardamom is a good descriptor.
Mouth feel: Licking a rock. Silky.
Wet Leaf aroma: Fruity. Mineral. Slight clove.

Gongfu!

This was kindly included as a sample in my last order. I was a big fan of Colorful Peony and an even bigger fan of Tipsy Garden, so I’m definitely excited to be trying another of Volition’s white tea offerings. My initial impression is that this tea has a really lovely, thicker mouthfeel that makes it immediately come off as richer than either of the two white teas I just named. It’s fruity, though I found in a much less bright way. More like dried apricots and peach skins, with a little more density and jammy undertones. A touch astringent, but not negatively so. It’s also definitely woody, with a sort of resinous tree sap note that really defines the mid sip. My favourite element of the session was the finish, which was slightly cooling and menthol to my palate. It reminded me a lot of eucalyptus, which is a tasting note that feels a bit more unique to me. I thought it suited the other tasting notes of the session quite well.

If this tea was a colour I feel like it would be a shade of orange. Probably more of an amber or burnt orange, but still with some softness to it. The whole session just read as really autumnal and a little more cozy. Of the white teas I’ve tried from Volition, it’s probably my least favourite. However, I do think it’s a very nice tea – just one with less of the fresh, cooling vegetal or bright and lively fruity notes that I personally favor. And I’m quite appreciative to have tried it!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHeVOMiSjTP/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip2GsPLdOZE&ab_channel=ImogenandtheKnife

Gongfu!

I do feel like picking up Volition’s Lunar New Year release each year has become a little bit of a tradition, but I was especially excited to see that this year’s tea was a Lapsang Souchong – especially perfect given that it’s year of the Wood Snake. I don’t know if it would be more correct to call smoked teas a whole “category” or “style” of tea, but they’re definitely a favourite of mine regardless of whatever umbrella you want to put them under…

The dry leaf aroma was so intensely smoky but smooth with a bit of a fruitier undertone to it. Steeped up, this was a very intense and full-bodied smoke forward brew – but never a harsh one. You can really immediately get a sense of how well integrated the pine-y, tobacco-like and woody smoke is with the hong cha. Almost maple-y undertones but less in a sweet way, with really jammy notes of stewed red fruits that bring a little brightness and snap to the top of the sip as well. Unlike some lapsang or other smoked teas that I’ve tried, the presence of that smoke doesn’t ever fully taper off in later infusions. Something that I deeply enjoyed and they really speaks to the quality and artistry of what Volition has crafted here!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGod_VnyAnr/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AYJJQEMHwo&ab_channel=DjoMusic

I was craving a good black tea for the winter, so with the infused chocolates they sold, I got this tea. I thought about the sampler, but I’m iffy with minty black teas and I had a feeling the choice of magnolia may have been too heady for me in a black tea….even though I drink floral black teas often.

Anyway, I’ve had this one western and tumbler style, and it’s very, very good. Bourbon, vanilla, oak, nutmeg, and woody qualities come through easily with a little bit of malt. I didn’t expect how sweet this tea would be. Sometimes, the woody tones meld into a raspberry tone. Even smelling the sample of the plain black tea base I got, there’s a very raspberry quality in the smell, and I got it in the taste for this one.

I peronally couldn’t get much more than three true rebrews of it, while the 4th is weak. I’m going to have to try this one gong fu. I really enjoy it, but it’s just rich enough that I may slow down on consuming this one.

This afternoon, I received my order of Volition’s “Trapped In Amber” series and I just couldn’t wait to give each of the teas a try, so I steeped them up in cupping sets for a bit of a vertical tasting. All three of these teas start with the same Zhenghe Red Chinese black tea but have been altered in different ways as part of the processing. Though I’m excited to get to know them all a little more intimately through some gongfu sessions in the next little while, here are my snap thoughts based on this tasting!!

I thought that this might be my favourite of the three teas as I’m quite a big fan of gardenia scented teas. It’s definitely very good, with the brightest and more lively red fruit top notes of the set. Very red currant-like. The gardenia was very aromatic and fresh, but I felt maybe just a little too subtle for my own tastes. However, I definitely think that a different brewing method (like gongfu) is going to dramatically change the balance of flavours, so I’m excited to see if making that change pulls forward more of that delicate and delicious floral note.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DA_x5LvSLvR/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvRHzDDMlvk

Gongfu!

Like the others in this series, this tea starts with Zhenghe hongcha. However, additions of anise hyssop and eau de cologne mint put their own unique stamp on this blended tea. When I did my initial cupping of the whole series, I was a little on the fence about this tea. I loved the anise but the more “raw and herbaceous” notes of the mint pulled me out of it a little bit. However, I’m happy to share that this change in brewing method really significantly improved my experience this time around. Not that it was unpleasant the first time – just a little less to my own tastes.

The first steep or two did have a lot of that intense, herbaceous and earthy tasting mint notes that I’m a little less naturally inclined to enjoy. I think I’m just a little more used to sweeter, crisper and more menthol forward mint notes. However, they settled pretty quickly which made for a more balanced infusion, in my opinion. The Zhenghe black tea really shines here from steep three and onwards; it’s robust and full bodied but with a syrupy honey sweetness and floral character that suits the two herbal inclusions very well. The undertones are a bit heavier and more fruity, like brandied berries. My favourite part just might by the anise hyssop though. From the first steep it really comes through in a soft and almost creamy way at the tail end of the sip, with a lingering black licorice-like sweetness that coats the palate. It’s such a gentle bit rich way to finish off each sip!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DB4JtMVpL_k/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JyQhpgEbus&ab_channel=BlossomRotRecords

This afternoon, I received my order of Volition’s “Trapped In Amber” series and I just couldn’t wait to give each of the teas a try, so I steeped them up in cupping sets for a bit of a vertical tasting. All three of these teas start with the same Zhenghe Red Chinese black tea but have been altered in different ways as part of the processing. Though I’m excited to get to know them all a little more intimately through some gongfu sessions in the next little while, here are my snap thoughts based on this tasting!!

This was the tea I was most curious to try of the three as I was really fascinated by the herbal inclusions. I love anise hyssop and it’s particularly fresh and aromatic sweet black licorice flavour, but eau de cologne mint is something I’m much less familiar with. I found this infusion surprisingly savory with a very upfront and “raw” tasting herbaceous flavour that, to my palate, really brought out the woodier notes of the Zhenghe Red. It did have a very pleasant, dark honey and anise finish. I think this tea warrants the most continued experimentation for me to decide how I feel about it.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DA_x5LvSLvR/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0Ep8gity4A

I got an order from Volition earlier this week with Qing Snake (their lunar new year tea) and their third gin barrel aged white, and this was included as a small sample with the order! I’m not sure when I’ll be ordering from them again because, even though I adore their teas, the shipping amount to Canada is about as expensive as the teas themselves and with the impending tariff situation I feel like it might get worse…

So, all that said, it was nice to get a little bit of a top of for my tin of this tea, which I already owned from buying the whole Trapped In Amber series last year. I made a mug Western-style for my commute home from work yesterday. I have to say that, while this probably is a tea better brewed gongfu, there was something deeply satisfying about sipping on the smooth vanilla, maple, and oak-y flavours of this brew while trudging through feet worth of snow on the streets. A cup of something hot with a little bit of whisky is in a lot of ways exactly what you want to come home to after such an extreme Canadian cold, but having that comfort during the commute? Yeah, very nice for the soul.

This afternoon, I received my order of Volition’s “Trapped In Amber” series and I just couldn’t wait to give each of the teas a try, so I steeped them up in cupping sets for a bit of a vertical tasting. All three of these teas start with the same Zhenghe Red Chinese black tea but have been altered in different ways as part of the processing. Though I’m excited to get to know them all a little more intimately through some gongfu sessions in the next little while, here are my snap thoughts based on this tasting!!

This bourbon barrel aged version was probably my favourite based on this cupping, though that was no surprise to me given how impressed I’ve been with all of Volition’s other barrel aged teas. I found it very, very smooth with rich notes of vanilla, caramel, and warm spices layered overtop the brighter red fruit and floral honey notes and woody undertones shared in all three teas.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DA_x5LvSLvR/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnGSVIZGkQo

Started my morning today with a little yunomi cup of this super smooth Chinese matcha/mo cha. It’s got such an absolutely incredible buttery, soft mouhfeel to it and the strong notes of chestnut are to die for. Crazy how it can be so similar and familiar to a typical Japanese matcha and yet also so, so different.

This was basically love at first sip. I simply could not get over how smooth, creamy, and rich feeling the mouthfeel was. It was also just so in sync with the tasting notes: fresh, buttery and unctuous with a lovely overarching nutty and umami profile. Quite chestnut forward which is sublime with the creaminess and, of course, makes a ton of sense since this green tea powder is made with the same cultivar that would be used to produce Dragonwell.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C87eAWxOENI/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0a1N7Xe40c

The last few times I’ve had this tea have been gongfu, but this time around, I just stuck with a large Western style mug. It brews up a little less full-bodied than gongfu, though still plenty thick and rich with a lot more of an upfront flavour of the rye whiskey: woodier with a warm, spiced undertone and more highly aromatic top notes like vanilla extract and caramelized sugar. Beyond the barrel aging, this smooth tea has a light nuttiness and a lot of minerality with a finish like grilled or charred stonefruit. Not quite as punchy and nuanced with this steeping method, but I also didn’t expect it to be and it still delivers a really approachable, drool-worthy flavour that immediately makes you melt into the mug and just, well, relax!

And I just loved how perfect the unintentional pairing of this boozier tea was with my flip through of the Dungeons & Dragons monster manual this morning. I feel like you’d want to kick back in a tavern with some whisky (or whisky infused tea) after dealing with an owl bear!!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJFiE2tSdLA/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCBuJTkpTss&ab_channel=doddleoddle

Gongfu!

Such a fantastically nuanced and flavourful scented tea with notes of oak, rye, bourbon vanilla, grilled peaches, and just a bit of sweetgrass. Basically, everything you would want and expect from a whiskey scented tea. And just so, so wicked smooth. I’ve never had a bad tea from Volition, but this one is definitely cream of the crop. Maybe only beaten by the gin barrel infused white tea, but the vibes are so different between the two that it makes it hard to compare…

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAlbfzwu_4m/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc4Z6PUZDvw

Started my morning by steeping up Volition Tea’s new whiskey barrel aged oolong, Drunken Dragon, paired with some of the most delicious (albeit “extra”) shortbread I’ve ever had. The oolong was smooth and sultry with a distinct profile rye whiskey and oak that blankets a solid foundation of grilled peaches, spring flowers, and clean and crisp minerality. I adore that there’s practically equal emphasis on the bouquet of aromatics as there is on the taste – it’s just a delight to the senses!! And of course, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge how well the bright candied orange on the shortbread from Maa Maa Dei pairs with the whisky and stonefruit notes of this scented tea. Just wow!!

This is the third year I’ve partook in Volition Tea’s Lunar New Year box, and I’ve had nothing short of an exceptional experience each time! The curation of tea always feels so spot on, and the pieces of teaware from Monsoon Pottery are nothing short of works of practical art. This has definitely become a tradition for me – one that I would highly recommend to other tea drinkers and that I hope Annie will continue for years to come!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3YmeFoO_AX/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BizV9lKaZZw

Gongfu!

Steeped this tea while spending some time thinking about “favourites” in relation to tea. If you’re like me you probably hate when people ask you what your favourite tea is. It’s such an innocent sounding question, but the answer is rarely so straightforward. I have dozens of favourites. Favourite tea types, favourite processing methods within those tea types, favourite tasting notes, blends, and flavours. Favourite teas for different times of day, seasons, steeping methods and brewing styles. Like, the list just goes on and on.

This whole though exercise came about because I was trying to think about what my favourite tea discoveries from the past year were. There are definitely a lot, but I realized VERY quickly that for the first time in a long time the answer to this “favourite tea” question was actually a very easy one. More than any other tea I drank this year, this gin barrel scented white tea blew me away each and every time I drank it – and I think that’s saying something because I also first tried it all the way back in January of last year at the Toronto Tea Festival and for the rest of the year there just wasn’t any other tea that could beat the incredibly high bar that it had set.

It’s so fresh, light and effervescent with really bright and sweet notes of pink grapefruit with a backend that leans just a bit more into the more botanical side of the gin through notes of Angelica and a tease of woodsy juniper. I have fallen more in love with this tea each time I’ve had it, so I just knew that I wanted to steep it up today as a way to sort of carry that energy into this upcoming year. If you get a chance to try this tea I simply cannot recommend it enough.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DES94_ySvpJ/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx5rEBTsbac&ab_channel=TeenagePriest

Gongfu!

Enjoyed this session paired with some absolutely insanely sweet Quebec grown strawberries and (in anticipation of the next volume) a reread of one of my current favourite manga series. As I’ve previously noted, this white tea does taste fairly boozy and has distinct notes of gin but, more than that, it’s very bright and citrusy with really effervescent top notes of pink grapefruit and lemon curd. It’s so light and summery with the perfect kiss of floral undertones that suit the gentle gin botanicals. It’s truly one of the best teas I’ve tried all year!!

These strawberries are probably the best I’ve had all summer. They practically melt in your mouth when you eat them and are just so ripe and juicy. They work very, very well with this tea. However, because they’re so rich, I’m sticking with the pattern of eating them between the infusions and letting those fruit juices linger on the palate and mix with each sip. Since this white tea is already so citrusy, it’s a very complimentary pairing. Think strawberry lemonade, but in its most stripped-down form. Also, very ‘Gin & Jam’ adjacent cocktail vibes but so mellow and refreshing!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-iNec5uAdL/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mot5wbz9sgQ

Gongfu!

I missed out on the first version of this tea, but as a huge lover of both gin, barrel aged teas, and anything fun & and experimental, I couldn’t let myself miss out the second time around. I don’t remember how many days the first production was aged, but let me tell you there is something magical that has happened at this hundred day mark!! Though definitely boozy and reminiscent of top shelf gin, especially in those first couple steeps, the strongest tasting note is actually a beautifully bright, juicy, and lively citrus note.

As teainfusiast pointed out back in Janauary, when steapd_tea was so kind enough to share this with us for a post-festival gongfu session, it REALLY tastes like fresh and just-sweet-enough pink grapefruit. Despite being gin barrel aged, the sweet top notes and crispness almost make me think of mimosas or prosecco. Floral in its undertones with such a pure, clean finish. Very much the embodiment of the crossroads between Spring and Summer. I know it’s only March, but this is definitely one of the best teas I’ve tasted so far this year.

I can’t wait for Summer – cold brews of the spent leaf is just gonna be so perfect chilled as a light, bright, and sweet option to cool down with on the patio or in the park. Not sure if Volition still has any of this in stock, but even if you’re not a big fan of gin I would 10/10 recommend this tea.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4ETtO4OoRz/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVG91G2uLcA

Gongfu!

This was the other tea that we drank as part of our post Toronto Tea Festival IG tea blogger steep session – it was one that Marco (of steap’d tea) has brought with and I was quite thrilled to see it because I missed out on the first version of this tea and had been eyeing this second version for some time. Both this and the previous version are white teas that were gin barrel aged, though this for a 100 days and the former for 70…

The dry leaf aroma of this was insane. Very bright and aromatic with a pretty distinct gin note to it but also a surprisingly fruity composition as well. In my opinion, barrel aged teas usually have a pretty great scent to them, but this was soooo good. I couldn’t wait to taste it! The first steep was light but with a distinct gin character. Very pleasing fruity aroma and a smooth sip. As Tracy (teainfusiast) pointed out, it was citrusy and that note only continued to grow in the second and third steeps. Very pink grapefruit, especially on the tail end of the sip. So unexpected for a gin barrel tea, but delectable. And fresh. So fresh and summery! By steep three much of the distinct gin taste was gone though the tea retained a bit of an ethereal booziness.

The festival had been packed tighter than a tin of sardines and it was hot so, as I was drinking this, I just kept picturing drinking an ice cold cup of this on a terrace in the middle of summer – maybe with a splash of gin or, to lean into the fruitier elements, a bit of prosecco. In those brief hotel rooms steeps I was living my best life picturing a time outside of winter.

It was also fortuitous timing because Volition Tea had a product launch today for their Lunar New Year/Year of The Dragon themed box and I was planning on order that already. So it only made sense for me to add this tea with that order since it’s surprisingly not yet sold out. I cannot wait for it to arrive.

15th and final day of the Tiger Box from a couple of years ago, which also means I’m officially done with all of my lingering countdown boxes and ready for advent season.

I was so glad to see an oolong for the last day! This is definitely a good fit for a cold, wintry day. I steeped this gong fu style and oversteeped it a few times, but it is actually very forgiving. The oversteep just made the roasty, mineral notes stronger and cozier. I think part of the reason it takes an oversteep well is that there’s no bitterness or astringency here. Yes, it’s a bit drying, but not in that sharp way. It’s getting late now so I should probably cut off my caffeine for the day, but I think I’ll make a full mug of this and stash it for tomorrow.

So I’m working through a few half-finished advents and countdown boxes, and the Volition/Yao Cha Tiger Box Year of the Tiger tea collection is one of them. This is Day 11. The dry leaf smells like malt, yams, and molasses. I’m always torn about how to brew teas from Volition – the instructions say to use a mug, but given the quality of the leaf I feel like it benefits from gong fu brewing. I did the first steep precisely per instructions and it came out tasty but just a tiny bit thin, so I switched over to gong fu after that. Even that first steep tasted like the dry leaf smelled, with absolutely no astringency or dryness. Subsequent gong fu steeps maintained that sweet potato and molasses flavor, but also felt just a little less robust than I’d ideally like for this flavor profile. I got a ton of steeps out of it though, and the good news is that this is a black tea that doesn’t hurt my stomach. If I had more I would experiment with using a bit more leaf than recommended.

I have a few teas left that I never got around to from last year’s Lunar New Year “Tiger Box” from Volition Tea and Yao Cha Tea. As part of my effort to finish off my advent calendars, I’m trying to finish these too.

I steeped this one up gong fu style in my easy gaiwan from Butiki, RIP. I went with 175f, a quick rinse, and started with a 30 second infusion, increasing the time with each subsequent steep.

This was so good! Volition’s teas are pricy but I’ve found them to be consistently excellent, and this is no exception. It’s clover honey-sweet, with a thick mouthfeel and wonderful fresh green notes that come out more as it cools. It feels both decadent and bright at the same time, which has been really nice for a lazier-than-I should-be Sunday afternoon.

Geek Steep S3E14 – Everything Everywhere All At Once

Gongfu!

Pairing a tea with this movie was so, so hard. I ended up picking this tea from Volition because a huge part of Volition and, by association, the founder Annie’s story is her Chinese heritage and I knew that was something that would be topical with the movie. This was her Lunar New Year tea, so it was a pure bonus and coincidence that a Lunar New Year party is a somewhere big aspect for the movie’s plot. I felt pretty happy with my dumb luck where I realized that.

The other element I liked was obviously the name of the tea itself – it’s sort of perfect, even if it maybe is a bit on the nose. This certainly isn’t a movie that’s purely a coming of age story but I think that’s definitely a part of it – especially for the character Joy.

As may be noticeable by my sparsely chipped away at cake in the last photo, I’ve only revisited this raw pu’erh a couple times since the start of the year. However, each time has been a real treat!! Yiwu is one of my absolute favourite pu’erh producing regions, and this tea really exemplifies many of the reasons for that; the liquor is soft and free of unpleasant astringency and the tasting notes are delicately sweet with a peachy fruitiness. I’m certainly excited for many future sessions to come!!

Definitely a bit of an emotionally loaded tea pairing, but it worked out well. Gongfu brewing was tough given the intensity of the pacing of the movie – you don’t want to miss any of the details here. I’d probably repeat this pairing, but grandpa style instead of gongfu. Maybe try a less emotionally heavy option. I wonder if I have a tea that tastes like hot dogs? That’d be fun with the absurdist nature of it all.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuXqHtwu3Ih/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2clidGPFVi8

Grandpa Style!

I decided to get Volition’s curated “Bunny Box” for Lunar New Year this year, which came with a beautiful hand thrown and painted rabbit teacup (in the photo below), two AMAZING white rabbit rice crispie treats, and this cake of sheng pu’erh with one of the most beautiful wrappers I’ve seen in a long time.

I definitely have to do a proper tasting of the tea still, but I made a tiny bit of it grandpa style after I unboxed everything. I don’t remember the taste very much but I do remember that the texture of the liquor was very soft and it felt really good on my throat as I sipped; lots of huigan and that fantastic warm belly feeling afterwards!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxeeQEuE8y/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WmhJBUPhh4