White Lion

It was okay—nothing memorable about it. It seemed to be a standard English Breakfast-style blend. I would not go out of my way for it, but it is preferable to some other English Breakfast blends in bags that I have tried and found overrated (Tazo, for example). There really wasn’t any flavor note that stood out for me in this—just black tea. The sachet was nice—pyramid-shaped to enhance the brewing.

This was a sipdown as it was the last of the free tea I received as a gift on my last business trip. I will drink it again if I am traveling and it is offered, but won’t go out of my way to hunt it down.

This is one of my favorite teas of all time. The taste is so delicious with a Victorian feel. Really love it.

I love this tea. Fireside is a wonderful name for it. I am new at tea tasting so I will update this when I have a better way to describe it. But it is a wonderful black tea taste with a bit of cinnamon.

This morning, I used a gift from my hubby that I have had for over a month – a Swedish massage at the spa for me and my best friend! We arrived early and lounged around in our robes drinking fruit-infused water and chatting until time for our massage. Then we came out and lounged some more and drank tea!

This is much fresher made there at the spa than the sachets we bought and brought home last time. I guess their stock for the lounge turns over fast and the sales stock doesn’t. This was rich, rich, RICH vanilla. Very good, but I will not buy the sachets at the price they are selling for when I can get Vanilla Black from Tin Roof Teas so much cheaper and it is every bit as good. The glass jar the sachets come in is cute, but a terrible way to store tea. That cork is not keeping it fresh!

Still, it was an excellent cup of tea to sip on for free…well, built in to the cost of that massage! A great Monday, all in all.

Recommended? For taste, yes. For price, no.

I have mixed emotions about this one. The price is a no-go for me at what they charged at the spa. The sachets didn’t have tons of aroma but the steeped tea is redolent with the scent of vanilla, as in, thick-warm-rich-roll-around-in-it vanilla.

Since the base seemed weak last time when I forgot to time it, I made sure to leave it for a good 4 1/2 minutes this time. Now it is better and we enjoyed it…until the last two cups of the pot. It took a while to drink it as we were busy but I reheated the last of the tea in the microwave as I do often with no ill effects from other teas. This one, however, has a sour taste, like Assam that is left too long.

I tried to resteep to make the cost a little less painful, but the base is pretty weak now and the vanilla light. You COULD drink it. I just don’t really want to. Youngest doesn’t mind and says she will finish the pot. I do think these have grown old sitting on the shelf at the spa.

My best friend once again gave me a morning at the spa for a massage and dessert to celebrate our birthdays together. Hers is soon, mine next month. We were surprised when they brought us a plate of warm chocolate cake with strawberries, mounds of whipped cream, and chocolate syrup drizzled over. We both made a cup of tea at their beverage bar to go with our dessert and it was really good.

On our way out I saw that they had this tea for sale and she picked it up and gave it to me, partly because vanilla teas are among her favorites. We made a pot of this when we got back to my house.

It is very good and the vanilla delivers as promised – rich, sweet, and smooth. The base seems a little weak to me but I didn’t time this. I noticed another review says that the base is strong and malty, so either mine is older or I didn’t steep long enough. Even at that it is good and my youngest was really loving it, too.

I think I will order a tin of this loose leaf for her birthday along with a tin of Nina’s Je T’Aime so she can compare the two vanillas and see what she likes best. To me, this was overpriced at the spa – over $1 per 2 gram sachet since it was $17 for the little glass jar, which is cute but not the best way to store tea unless that glass is UV shielded. I think there were twelve sachets in the jar. On the website it is more reasonable.

Backlog:

A really pleasing Earl Grey with a low astringency. The bergamot is a bit more mild than I typically want in an Earl Grey blend, but this is still flavorful. The black tea is robust and full-bodied with malt notes. It’s a little earthy and it’s a good, strong black tea. It would make a good morning tea. I don’t know if I’d go latte with this though, because the milk might overwhelm the bergamot.

This would be a really good Earl Grey for those who tend to be timid about a strong bergamot flavor. If you like your bergamot a little softer, try this one.

This also makes a really good iced tea.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/09/12/organic-earl-grey-black-tea-from-white-lion/

Backlog:

A really tasty blend. I like the mango and guava together, but it was the grapefruit’s presence in this blend that made me want to try it. And I like the bright note of the grapefruit. An uplifting tropical blend that’s sweet, tart, and nicely balanced.

The white tea isn’t overpowered by these fruit flavors.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/08/28/white-calypso-tea-from-white-lion-tea/

Backlog:

What prompted me to add this to my MUST TRY list is the description that promises a double dose of vanilla. I love me some vanilla tea. And this tea delivers. It’s sweet and creamy!

The black tea base is robust and the natural malty notes of the tea, when combined with the notes of vanilla create an almost caramel-y taste. Decadent! Sinfully yum.

This would be a great breakfast tea, especially if you like having some guilt-free dessert for breakfast. Who wouldn’t want that?

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/08/13/vanilla-dulce-black-tea-from-white-lion/

Tea & Cards TTB

This is a nice light herbal. I enjoyed it this afternoon to warm me up and calm me down.

I have been wanting to try this tea since Azzrian’s review about it that made it sound super delicious (I’m so easily influenced) and thanks to Marcel Duchamp’s generosity, I get to try a cup!

I was searching for the steeping instructions but wasn’t able to find any even after looking on White Lion’s website and that is always a little disappointing to not have any guidance on where to start with a tea. I ended up going with a default 1m steep at 185 because that was the generic white tea instructions that I was coming across.

I’m finding this tea to be really subtle, but very smooth. I can just barely pick out lemon and there is a hint of spice, like curry ever so faintly in the background. Each sip is smooth and fades into a light creaminess. Sweetening it brings out a bit of the richness and after a few minute break from the tea, I think I can pick up on a little more lemon than before, but it is still far from bursting lemon that others mentioned. I’m wondering if lemon is one of those flavors that doesn’t hold up well over time which would explain a lot in my lemon tea experience. Still, I’m super glad to have tried this!

Couldn’t wait to try this “new to me” jasmine tea. The fresh leaf smells vegetal but I do not get any jasmine from them. There are beautiful flowers mixed in with the tea.

I steeped this for 3min at 175. I did not get any bitterness from this steeping. This tea has a nice smooth vegetal flavor. However, Iam not happy that I get NO jasmine from this tea! I’m not sure why there is no jasmine. Maybe they sent me an old batch?

Good as a green tea but a waste of my money being there is no jasmine flavor, the main flavor in the title!

I’m must have received a bad batch of this. Everyone who has tried it seemed to really like it. This is my second tasting. I followed the directions on the container and all I’m getting are hints the vanilla and caramel. Absolutely NO lemon. Thought my first cup was a fluke, but second cup is missing lemon as well. Pretty disappointed with this so called Lemon Souffle. If it were vanilla caramel white tea, this would be spot on!

This was a wonderful birthday gift from my sis (THANKS SISSY!!!). I had a hard time enjoying tea this summer. Maybe it’s just a fall/winter/early spring thing for me. So, sadly, I just tried this tea for the first time 5 months later :)

Very nice oolong. I am not good at judging oolong teas, I just tend to like them :) I had this on my shopping list because of Azzrian’s beautiful description! Burnt marshmallows are the best. It made it through 3 infusions before I had to call it quits. It might have survived more if it wasn’t already 10pm when I finished the 3rd.

Speaking of Azzrian, she’s not logged a tea in 6 months. Bummer.

very tasty

excellent tea

Wow! This is the first chocolate tea that I’ve had that actually tastes like chocolate! The raspberry doesn’t taste fake and the tea is just SMOOOTTH……

This is my first White Lion tea and was a sample sachet even! I’m thinking I might need to place another order before their low shipping minimum ends for June.

I love everything about this tea and could have it everyday for a nice dessert tea.

Full Review on the 19th on http://sororiteasisters.com/ But here are snippits:

Ginger Peach Black from White Lion Tea is juicy, succulent, delicate, and joyful. There is just the right level of ginger in this tea so that it allows the gorgeous sweet peach to shine through. The peach flavor in this tea tastes very natural, as if fresh picked right off the tree in an orchard. This is not a fakey flavored peach tea, so it won’t be as in your face as some peach teas you have tried before, but it is so well blended that you taste the peach flavor lingering on your taste buds long after each sip, if you can wait long enough to find out that is, because all you want to do is take another sip!

White Lion Teas says this is excellent over ice so I had to try it this way as well and I must agree that the flavors totally popped! I also found that adding a little rock sugar made another wonderful twist on this tea too! Either hot or cold I really enjoyed this tea just slightly sweet. I do not normally add sugar to my teas but in this case I just wanted this to be a little more on the dessert side after thinking of the spiced peaches I used to make the kids.

The wonderful thing is that so far I have yet to meet a White Lion (tea) that I do not like. Stellar teas from this company!

Full Review forthcoming on http://sororiteasisters.com/ on the 25th – here are the snippits:

I have searched high and low for a tea like Lemon Souffle from White Lion. This tea is exceptional. I knew I wanted something creamy, because I am a big fan of lemon desserts, and I knew I wanted something some what sweet for that reason.

The vanilla and caramel essence do not take over the cup, but rather play supporting roles, helping the tea taste like a lemon creme brulee or lemon cream tart.

I had ordered only two sampler sized teas from White Lion and the box I received was simply awe inspiring!

Customer Service from White Lion has been excellent thus far.

If you want a tea, in a tasty white base, that reminds you of a gourmet lemon cream dessert, then don’t hesitate to try Lemon Souffle from White Lion. You will feel like royalty when you open your box, and be quite pleased with yourself for placing an order when you sip their teas!

I just can NOT top Kashap’s review! Its spot on!
I love this oolong! I too am not always fond of Wuyi – I like it but this is the first one I can recall that has really WOWd me!!
The aroma – wow – when I had that first whiff of this tea before sipping I instantly thought of Burnt Marshmallows! Now I indeed do love my marshmallows burnt till they are pitch black as long as there is still yummy melting marshmallow inside. This was the aroma! There was that smokiness to it that really had me.

I have had a long dang day and this is hitting the spot!

To top it off I started my day with an excellent tea from another company – already reviewed – then I had another tea from THIS company which I have yet to review but soon will. I just don’t think I am alert enough to give either of these teas from White Lion justice right now.

I will say this. I really can’t afford another tea order right now and have a lot of expenses coming up, and I have been wanting to place an order with a favorite company for ages now BUT I regret, regret, regret, NOT getting more than a sample of this AND their Lemon Souffle!

An order is being placed!
Plus I am grabbing a sample vanilla dolce and calypso!

Organic Quilan Oolong – White Lion Teas
Dry: Soft fruity-berry note that quickly fades into a yuzu-pineapple, woodsy-toasty, ‘Wuyi’ mountain aroma
Wet: Citrus rind-pith, grapefruit, soft berry, brazil nuts, slight hints of sugar cane
Leaf: Dark sepia, umber hue when dried and picks up a deep wood, peat green when wet. Leaves are long and chopped, twisted and moderately oxidized.
Cup: Gorgeous luminous yellow-orange hued liquor with caramel edges. Medium bodied, juicy and rich with layers of flavor. Hints of cocoa nib, milk chocolate, citrus, and exotic fruit (even a touch of durian creaminess), come in waves on the sip; first striking the sides and front tongue and then settle and eddy with sweet flavors and a citrus pith aftertaste that is finished with a cocoa nib lingering. Clean and smooth with many blushing transitions.
Directions: Used 3.2g of tea in 8oz of 190 degree water steeped for 3-4minutes in a glass pot and aerated and decanted into porcelain cup.
Notes: I have never been much of a fan of teas from Wuyi and the usual flavors that arise from the processing style and the area are usually very typically toasted, sour, edgy, and generally not my cup of tea. Those teas also often carry a signature aroma as well, that I can spot immediately, and if the leaves cut doesn’t give it away, then the oxidation hue will. This tea resembles that in every way, but the distinct cocoa note is very clear and naturalistic and the citrus is subdued and balanced. There is a sublime sweetness that is left by the cup afterwards and is surprisingly present and distinct. I would rate this very well against other teas from Wuyi and say this is a wonderful surprise.
I also did a bit of searching to fully flesh out the origins of the tea as the term Quilan seemed phonetic and somewhat referencing an old ‘English’ term (much like Quimun to Keemun) and stumbled upon a secondary meaning and translation as Qu Lan and its translated name of Rare Orchid oolong and online reviews place this tea indeed in the Wuyi mountains in the Fujian province in Anxi County. Where is commonly reviewed as : dark in color with a nutty aroma, while less oxidized are green in color with an orchid aroma and a liquor of bright gold, and a lasting sweet aftertaste.

This is one of my favorite herbal teas. I especially love it if I’m feeling under the weather because it is so soothing. It has lovely citrus notes and the smell of wildflowers. I have occasionally even blended it with a black tea for a different flavor. I don’t usually drink herbal teas, but this one definitely appeals to all tea drinkers.

Yuck. Smells and tastes awful. This type of thing is obviously for people who can’t take the taste of real Oolong.

Whoa… I’m stunned. Somewhat fermented rich Oolong. How did the Aut bar find this company?