Premium Dragon Well Green Tea (Long Jing) by Teavivre

Seller Description: "XiHu (West Lake) Dragon Well green tea, or Long Jing as it is known in China, is commonly regarded as one of China's top ten teas, and is often served to visiting head's of states.  This premium Long Jing tea is an absolutely fantastic example of this tea.  Mostly handmade it has no hint of bitterness, instead it has a delightfully subtle classic green tea taste and aromatic scent."
Website:  Premium Dragon Well Long Jing by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: Approximately 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 185º F
Steeping Time: 1-1/2 minutes
Additives: 2 teaspoons raw sugar

Who says "third times the charm"? With this tea, the second time was certainly the best!

The first time I tried to make this tea I followed the website's instructions, using 8 grams (3 tablespoons) per 17oz. I was more than a little skeptical from the start, as the recommended amount nearly overflowed from my mug's infuser basket. The poor leaves didn't have anywhere to expand, and even with a short steep the liquor was intimidatingly strong and hoppy.

I took what I learned from that steep and applied it to a new cup. Instead of three tablespoons, I scaled it back to one. That meant that the tea leaves actually had room to do their magic, and dance freely around in the infuser basket. The flavor was notably improved, and what was overwhelming is now light and delightful.

It's a wonderful complement to the beauty of the dry tea. The leaves themselves are tight and thin, but with plenty of attitude. Their scent is rich and grassy, and that plays beautifully into the steeped cup. It's sweet and light, with a smooth and sunny vegetive flavor.

Prominent Notes: Slightly floral notes with a consistent vegetal flavor
Aftertaste: Vegetal
Overall: Once you dial in the best cup, it's fabulous!

Premium Tai Piag Hou Kui Green Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui grows in Hou Keng on Huangshan Mountain, which is the center producing area of Tai Ping Hou Kui green tea. In China, Tai Ping Hou Kui is famed as one of the most famous ten Chinese teas. Leaves of semi-hand Tai Ping Hou Kui are even in thickness, and have brighter color than Nonpareil Tai Ping Hou Kui. First crafted in 1915, it went on to win gold medal for best tea at the 1915 Panama World Expo. TeaVivre's TaiPing HouKui is an excellent example of this fantastic tea."
Website:  Premium Tai Piag Hou Kui Green Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 7g
Water Temperature: 175º F
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

Ever since I saw my first image of this tea, I wanted to try it. I love how neat and pretty the leaves are... pressed so thin that when you hold them up to the light you can see such gorgeous patterns!

This is one of the few teas on Teavivre's website that doesn't offer steeping suggestions yet, but they're so fabulously detailed about their teas I can't imagine it will go without long. In the meantime, I looked at several of their other greens and found the ratio of 8 grams per 17oz fairly standard.

Well, these leaves were so light that my entire infuser basket was full before I reached 7! I probably should have taken that as a sign, as even with a 2-minute steep it is pretty intense... and a little hoppy, actually.

Luckily, I had enough of the dry tea to make another batch... and this time I stepped it back to a 3.5g instead. It completely did the trick! I can taste some of the yeastiness of the previous batch, but it is so much more subtle and enjoyable!

Prominent Notes: Vegetive and yeasty/hoppy
Aftertaste: Hops
Overall: Based on this experience, I think Eastern steeping methods might be a better fit for this tea in the future.

Organic Superfine Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "...Combined with the advantages of organic tea and high grade tea, this dragon well long jing tea is suitable for tea lovers of organic tea as well as dragon well green tea."
Website: Organic Superfine Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz tetsubin
Measured dry: 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 185º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes

Ooh... this one's tasty! It came with four other green teas for review, and as soon as I smelled it I did have to check the label. The toasty, vegetive scent reminds me a lot more of an oolong than a green.

It tastes more like it too. The instructions on the sample suggest a 1-6 minute steep, so I started at two minutes and ended up stopping at four minutes. 

The liquor is incredibly pale, but what it lacks in color it totally makes up in flavor. The earlier promise of the dry aroma directly translates into the steeped cup. There's a slight hint of nuttiness on top of the toasty vegetive notes from earlier.

It reminds me a lot of my favorite oolongs, but towards the end of each sip the nuttiness and toasted qualities back off and leave the cleaner vegetive note that's characteristically green.

Another great thing about this tea is its organic certification... all three of them! The tea's website proudly lists its USDA, EU, and JAS organic certification numbers, as well as links to the certificates themselves and even certain test results. Actually, there's more information on their website about this tea than I can remember seeing on any other tea site. It brings clarity up to a whole new level. 

Prominent Notes: Slightly toasted, nutty vegetive notes
Aftertaste: Vegetive notes
Overall: Tasty and organic... in a thoroughly documented way!

Bailin Gongfu Black Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Bailin Gongfu is the highest quality Fujian black tea.  This Bailin Gonfu is a premium quality tea produced at Mt. Taimu in Fujian, and is crafted from Fuding DaBai and Da Hao trees.  This delicious tea has a great refreshing sweet taste and fragrance."
Website: Bailin Gongfu Black Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 6 grams
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

This is the last of the five black tea samples that Teavivre sent my way. Most of my previous experience with black teas had to deal with various blends, and I've really enjoyed trying out these pure leaves.

Today's tea is the Bailin Gongfu Black Tea, and its dry aroma does have a lot in common with their other blacks. There is an element of maltiness, but also a strong vegetative presence that fades away with the steep.

And what a steep!

The liquor is a gorgeous, deep reddish amber. And, like the tasty microbrew it resembles, it has a malty presence with a lot of kick. There's a definite briskness to it, but this tea maintains a very smooth finish. While it's hot, I couldn't detect any astringency. It only begins to show up once the tea becomes cool.

Prominent Notes: A yeasty maltiness
Aftertaste: Slight vegetal notes, but only as it cools
Overall: A brisk, straightforward cuppa

Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Red Black Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "A cup of Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Chinese Red Black Tea will not only attract you by its taste, but also by its appearance: so dark and strong with tight and long tips. This tempting appearance is produced in Yunnan. While if you want to describe its taste, you can use the word elegant. It can serve you a cup of elegant gongfu tea or afternoon tea."
Website: Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Chinese Red Black Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug filled to 12oz
Measured dry: 5 grams per 8oz (7oz full sample)
Water Temperature: 200º F
Steeping Time: 2 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

My earlier tea-making attempts today were something of a comedy of errors. I decided to shift from the norm and try to do a gaiwan steeping. I usually only do that for greens and oolongs... and I think I should keep to that rule in the future!

This tea is so fabulous that it deserves much better treatment! When I was using the gaiwan I messed up the proportions enough that it came out a little like a microbrew, with an intense, toasty maltiness that was just this side of bracing.

When I returned to my comfort zone and made a fresh batch Western style, it made all the difference in the world. This tea had a lot of promise during my earlier bumbling, but this... wow.

My mother used to bake us butternut squash as an autumn treat. She would cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and fill the remaining bowl with butter and brown sugar. As it would bake, those flavors would sink into the flesh of the squash.

The toasty, slightly buttery creaminess of this tea is taking me back. It's maltiness is tempered a little by the raw sugar I added, but the more refined method certainly allowed this tea to come into its own. I'm sad that I used up the rest of the sample, but my birthday is in September and this is totally going on my wish list!

Prominent Notes: Creamy maltiness throughout
Aftertaste: Slightly toasted edge to the continued maltiness
Overall: This is totally going on my wish list!


And, for the heck of it, here is our kitty, Akasha, supervising!

Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Rated as the best of Chinese black teas, Keemun is an absolute delight to drink. TeaVivre's Premium Keemun represents the highest quality of this tea generally available to the public, and has a taste, aroma and appearance that completely justifies its reputation as one of the best black teas in the world. Handmade in Keemun's birthplace of Qimen, this tea is simply stunning."
Website: Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

This tea is a departure from the last two Teavivre blacks I've tried. Unlike their colorful leaves, these are dark in appearance, chopped and with lighter tips in some cases. The dry leaves don't have much of an aroma on their own, but what scent there is comes out cleanly - a hint of dried summer grass. My husband swears he's picking up slight minty notes, but that's not coming across for me.

Because today is his birthday, I served this tea up Western-style in my glass infuser cups. It went beautifully with the pancakes I made him. It's a gorgeous copper color, and the flavor is bold, straightforward, and unapologetic.

While the caffeine may be slightly lower in this tea, the taste doesn't relay that - it grabs you and shakes the sleep from your eyes. It's strong and malty, and while I used raw sugar to sweeten it, I'm getting slight honey notes despite that. There is a mild to moderate astringency now that it's cooled, but there was little more than a hint of it when it was freshly hot.

Prominent Notes: Maltiness
Aftertaste: Hints of honey
Overall: A good choice for Jake's birthday tea, as he really enjoyed it!

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea - Golden Tip by Teavivre

Seller Description: "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."
Website: Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea - Golden Tip by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

After my last experience with one of Teavivre's black teas, I knew to expect the unexpected.

The light, honey-butter flavor was a surprise, though. I guess after their Golden Monkey Black I was expecting something a little brisker. The aftertaste packs a little nudge of it, but for the most part this tastes like a combination of a black and a green, with slightly grassy notes.

A lot of that comes out in the dry tea's aroma, which brings to mind cool saturdays spent raking up autumn leaves.... and the joy of taking a running jump into the pile!

I'm glad that I have more of this sample left, because I can't wait to take it to school. There's something kind of wonderful about the way it both wakes you up and calms you down, and the smooth, mild flavor allows you to savor it without needing to brace yourself for an intense jolt of caffeine.

Now, sometimes I really do need that, but it's nice to switch things up now and again, and this tea is perfect for that.

Prominent Notes: Honey butter (almost a combined flavor) and fresh vegetation
Aftertaste: Mildly brisk, slightly smoky black
Overall: A smooth, wonderful way to ease yourself gently into the day

Golden Monkey Black Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Coming from Fujian, the Golden Monkey is made of the fresh buds and leaves of Fuding Pekoe, by lightly sun withering, rolling, fermentation and drying. Golden Monkey has the particular aroma of black tea. You could scent the fruity flavor through every sip of the tea."

Website: Golden Monkey Black Tea by Teavivre
Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

When I opened the sample, I was initially surprised at how green and yellow this black tea looked... enough so that I double-checked the label! Sure enough, both the sample and the website list this as a black, and once I steeped it there was no question at all.

Whatever the color of the actual leaves, this steeped up into a gorgeously smooth tea with that distinctive briskness you'd usually encounter in an English Breakfast or an Earl Grey.

Actually, I'm enjoying this one so much that I have to force myself to slow down and savor it! I usually gravitate more towards black blends, and it's been only recently that I've tried more of the straight black teas. This tastes like a balance in between the two.

Sipping this, I'm impressed again by how smooth this tea is. There is little to no astringency, without any jarring notes at all. I think this is one I'll want to keep around!

Prominent Notes: Brisk black tea with a mellow buttery
Aftertaste: Slightly citrusy, fruity notes
Overall: Time for a second cup!

Apple Awakening Fruit Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: TeaVivre's Fruit Tea's make great, low calorie, caffeine-free, refreshing drinks for anytime of the day. Made only from carefully matched flower petals, dried fruit and berries, they all have high levels of vitamins and minerals and – most importantly – taste and smell great! They are all fantastic to drink either hot or iced.
Ingredients: Roselle, Rose hip, Apple, Verbena (lippia citriodora)
Website: Apple Awakening Fruit Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Company Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 4 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 8 minutes
Additives: 4 teaspoons of raw sugar added later

With the first snip of my scissors on the sample package, the gentle yet persistent scent of apples has filled the room. The blend itself is a thick, meaty combination of dried fruits and flowers.

Before I could tell my husband what the ingredients were, he immediately launched into a memory, telling me about the cherries his mother would can each fall. The joy of cracking open a jar and sampling the juice inside.

While cherries are conspicuously absent from the ingredients list, I can see where he's coming from. I only used half of the suggested dry blend, but it has become so thickly flavored that it resembles sweet fruit juice... in texture, taste, and in color!

The sweet yet tart bite of the apple combines with the rose hips and hibiscus to create the distinct flavor. I'm not getting much of the lemon verbena, but what I can pick out is adding to the illusion.

We enjoyed this tea at night, as a way to wind down after a hectic day. A slightly more diluted version would be wonderful for an afternoon tea party, and I'll keep it in mind when I plan my next one!

Prominent Notes: Apples and cherries

Aftertaste: A combination of hibiscus and rose hips
Overall: A tasty tea for an afternoon social

Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea by Teavivre

Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: This Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea is made in the same method of making Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearls and Superfine Jasmine Downy Dragon Pearls. It is rolled into small pearl balls and dried. By maintained in the dry condition, the teas will be mixed with natural peach extractives, which produce the special peachy flavor. After brewed, peach aroma will be revealed in the tea leaves as well as in the tea liquid. When the peach flavor becomes thinner after several steep, you can then taste the jasmine fragrance.
Website: Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Company Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoon
Water Temperature: 175º F
Steeping Time: 2 minutes, then added 1 minute
Additives: 2 teaspoons of raw sugar added later

As soon as I opened the package I was hit with a wave of peach! It's more of a dried peach smell than the aroma of fresh fruit, but it does seem real and not in any way artificial. I'm not picking up any notes from the green yet, because the peach is so prevalent. The pearls themselves are adorable - small and tightly wound, they seem like they're just sleeping, waiting to wake up and spread out.

And spread out they did! They more than quadrupled in size!

Now, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I tried the liquor in two ways - with and without raw sugar. When I added it, the peach dominates the cup, leaving the green base in the role of aftertaste, and I was barely able to pick out the jasmine at all. Without sugar, it's a whole different ball game. The jasmine and green twine together so gorgeously it's difficult to tell them apart, and the peach is left as a sweet aftertaste.

But the Western method just didn't seem like the way to get the most out of this tea, so I pulled out my gaiwan and made another batch.

Teaware: Yixing gaiwan (90ml)
Measured dry: 1 teaspoon
Water Temperature: 185º F

Steeping Time: 2 minutes each steep
Additives: None

Last time I made this, I hit the "green" button on my kettle without thinking about it. This time I used water that was just a little hotter, in line with the steeping recommendations.

First Steep: The package said 1-2 minutes, and because I had to add a minute to the first attempt, I went with the longer two-minute steep. I think this would have been better with a shorter steep, as it is more than a little bitter. 

Second Steep: Oh, that is so much better! This is tasting a lot closer to the unsweetened tea I made with the Western method. There is still a slight kick, but nothing like the first steep. The aroma owes a lot to the peach, but it is a much lighter note in the flavor.

Third Steep: All traces of bitterness are gone now, and this makes for a much smoother cup. The green's vegetal notes are becoming more prominent, and the jasmine is taking a step back. There is still a faint peach in the aftertaste, but it's much lighter. This is definitely my favorite of the gaiwan steeps.

Prominent Notes: Vegetal green notes and jasmine

Aftertaste: Peach

Overall: An enjoyable way to spend an afternoon!

Unbridled Love Fruit Tea by Teavivre

Unbridled Love Fruit Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: TeaVivre's Fruit Tea's make great, low calorie, caffeine-free, refreshing drinks for anytime of the day. Made only from carefully matched flower petals, dried fruit and berries, they all have high levels of vitamins and minerals and – most importantly – taste and smell great! They are all fantastic to drink either hot or iced.
Ingredients: Apple, Roselle, Rose hip, Orange Peel and Black Currants

Directions: 3-4 teaspoons for 8oz of water. Brew at 212 ºF for 8 to 9 minutes
Website: Teavivre.com

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug, depression glass cup
Measured dry: 4 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 9 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

This tea has taken me on a bit of a journey. When the sample first arrived from Teavivre, I though it would simply be a nice, enjoyable cup to make the most of a long summer evening. I wasn't expecting it to become my husband's new favorite fruit blend, nor did I expect the quick trip back to my best friend's childhood home where we used to have fruit juice "tea" parties in the backyard.

First Steep: The dry smell is a curious blend... it's apple with a faintly floral, berry kick. One of the best things about infusing in glass is that you get to watch the steep slowly unfold. It's delightful to watch crimson ribbons snake down from the infuser basket and turn water into a liquor.

The color is a lovely blend of dark pink with an orange twist, and before I even take my first sip I can smell the delicate aroma of rose hips and apple. That translates well into the flavor, which continues to build on those elements and adds a black currant chaser. There is still a delicate flavor, by no means overwhelming but still made of stern enough stuff to build a nice cuppa.

This is like apple cider in a rose garden. As the cup begins to cool, slight orange hints sneak from their hiding places but remain firmly in the background. It is whole and refreshingly authentic without any of the artificial and/or perfumey notes that plague many other fruit or floral blends.

Re-Steep: Out of curiosity, I did attempt another steep.  It was a bit too light. This tea just gives its all in the first steep and doesn't save anything for later. It's a very, very faint apple and orange. The colorful streamers never appeared and most the color had more to do with raw sugar than anything else.

Second Attempt: I just picked up a white teapot as an early birthday present, and I couldn't resist making a fresh batch. My husband Jake absolutely loved it, and while I need to scale down my apple intake, he has no such worries and is avidly looking forward to enjoying this on winter mornings.

Prominent Notes: Apple and rose hips

Aftertaste: Black currant

Overall: A keeper!

Silver Needle White Tea by Teavivre

Silver Needle White Tea - Pale 1st and 2nd Steeps

Seller Description: "The Silver Needle White Tea owns a beautiful name, Bai Hao Yin Zhen. Silver (Bai Hao) prefers to the white pekoe; while Needle (Yin Zhen) describes the appearance of the thick and straight tea buds, which have tips as straight and sharp as needles. When you brew this tea, the heat of water arouses the delicate fragrance of the tea. The nutritious substance spreads into the light yellow tea liquid. Take a sip, and you will feel the smooth tea liquid carrying a strong fragrance companioned with slight soymilk scent travelling down to your throat. Aftertaste comes quick, and will leave a long-lasting tender aroma in your mouth."

Gaiwan Directions: For a 3oz gaiwan, use 5g of tea (which converts to approx. 1 teaspoon). Use 176ºF water and up to six steeps: Rinse, 45seconds, 1minute, 1m 30s, 1m 45s, 2m 20s, and 3m.
Teapot Directions: For an 8oz teapot, use 2-3 tablespoons of tea. Use 176ºF water and up to three steeps: 1minute, 2m, and 3m.
Website: Teavivre.com

Teaware: Yixing gaiwan (90ml)
Measured dry: 1 teaspoon
Water Temperature: Boiling minus five minutes
Steeping Time: 2 minutes each steep
Additives: None

I was delighted to open the mail this morning, because it was chock full of Teavivre samples! I decided to try the Silver Needle White Tea first. When the title of the tea is that absolutely perfect for a costumer, how can you go wrong? 

The dry leaves are gorgeous - perfect little tight spears with tiny white hairs. They smell fresh and somewhat frisky. It's light, but with definite elements of the grassy notes to come. Unfortunately, my cat thought it smelled a little too much like her favorite catnip. While I was heating up the kettle, she managed to sneak onto the table and help herself to the teaspoon I'd put in my gaiwan. 

When I turned back to pour the water, I discovered that the rather imperious look on her little face was ruined by the tea leaves she had managed to stick to her nose. We stared at each other for a moment, before my brain kicked back into gear and I chased her off the table. 

I wasn't too worried, but because I do adore the little stinker I put in a quick call to the veterinarian, who wasn't terribly concerned but did tell me to note any significant changes in behavior. I think it was one of the stranger calls they'd received today, but I felt better about her little state of mind... and tummy.

While it hurt to do it, I cleaned up the leaves she'd scattered and put a fresh teaspoon in my gaiwan. I gave it a quick rinse and then started the first steep. After a minute, my first impression of the pale, pale yellow liquor was a faint but creamy butternut squash. It was a little understated so I added another minute and that's when this tea hit the butter zone. 

The slightly longer steep had left its notes richer, and lent a silky sensation to my mouth. It was not quite creamy, but held the promise of it. A slight grassiness did make itself known, but it was by no means overwhelming. The longer it sits, the smoother it becomes. I can completely understand why the seller compared it to soymilk, but my husband still insists he tastes honeydew melon. (That might just be his complete aversion to squash, though!)

The second steep was even more pronounced in terms of silkiness, and it developed a slightly nuttier flavor in addition to gaining some (very mild) astringency. Overall, though, it still remains calm and mellow, sliding into a slightly grassier note as it cools in the cup. It's a lovely balm to a hectic day.

The third steep left behind any remnants of astringency. It's possible I let the second steep go a little too long, because that was the only time it showed up. The silky smoothness of this tea continues to twine through the cup, and I can finally place that sweet note at the end - it's just the tiniest bit minty.

I did attempt a fourth steep, but I think I would have preferred to stop at the third because the buttery squash and nutty flavors diminished in the face of more prominent grassy notes.

Teaware: 16oz Glass Infuser Mug
Measured dry: 1-1/2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling minus five minutes
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: None

But I'm not always going to have the time or inclination to use my gaiwan to make this, so I wasn't done yet. My husband enjoyed the sip I gave him, so I decided to make him a full mug. Well, it was his after I sampled a bit of it myself!

In the future I think I'll double the amount of dry leaf, because it was a bit of a faint cup. Otherwise the flavors stayed true to the first steep with the gaiwan. It was a little too light to exhibit the nuttiness of the later steeps, and the soymilk notes were understated leading to a primarily vegetal and grassy tea. I offered to add more leaves or steep it longer, but he enjoyed it the way it was.

No matter the teaware or steeping time, there was one thing that remained the same throughout: the aroma of the infused leaves. The smell was always very faint, as if all the tea's power is so focused - so concentrated - on the flavor that it just doesn't have the will to exude much of a fragrance. What little it does possess is lightly grassy, but very difficult to pick out.

Prominent Notes: Soymilk, a slight nuttiness, and dry grass

Aftertaste: Sweetly minty

Overall: Mild but playful (just keep the kitties away!)