"While I am sure that this is a high quality oolong it has none of the attributes that I so love in this style of tea. I would definitely drink a cup if it was offered to me but this is not one that I would consider stocking in my own cupboard." Shaiha’s Teaview: 6.5/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

I have had some truly wonderful oolongs from Driftwood Teas and I have high hopes for the latest that I am sampling. This is an organic tea grown in Thailand that is subjected to nitrogen increasing the natural gamma-Aminibutyric acid concentration by around 10x. The dry leaves have a strange aroma that almost reminds me of new plastic.

Once brewed the liquor is a reddish amber in coloring and the aroma is definitely more appetizing though rather light. I am able to pick up hints of plums, brown sugar and juniper berries. This tea has a thin mouth feel with none of the lingering aftertaste that I so love in oolongs. Instead it has a rather sharp taste of juniper berries and cinnamon.

While I am sure that this is a high quality oolong it has none of the attributes that I so love in this style of tea. I would definitely drink a cup if it was offered to me but this is not one that I would consider stocking in my own cupboard.

• Water Temp: 190 degrees
• Time: 2 minutes

— To purchase Driftwood Teas Organic Ruby Oolong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Shaiha Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Shaiha's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Shaiha.

"The words “ginger flower” do describe the flavour perfectly. Definitely a masterfully produced artisanal dancong!" Sophie’s Teaview: 9.1/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

This tea comes to us from a small farm located on the slopes of Mt. Wudong, in the Chinese province of Guangdong. The leaves can be harvested only once per year in the spring, from 40-60 year old Jiang Hua Xiang trees. They are then withered, rolled and cooled just the right amount of times to produce buttery ginger flower notes. My sample is from the Spring of 2012. The leaves are impressively long and loosely twisted – I can tell right away that I’ll need a scale to measure them. Their aroma is softly floral, reminiscent of lilac, lily of the valley and narcissus.

I decided that such a special leaf deserved a gongfu treatment. I followed Canton’s suggestion, brewing 4 grams of leaf in 200ml of water heated to 95 degrees Celsius for 5 seconds. The cup is buttery and grassy with a hint of honey to the finish. There is also a sizable peppery yet mineral element to it that, in combination with the finish, is reminiscent of fresh ginger root. I don’t know if I would have made that association on my own though. The power of suggestion is most possibly at play here.

According to Canton the leaves can be brewed up to 12 times. I managed to pull 10 steeps in total. I might have been able to get a few more with longer infusion times. I re-steeped the tea adding 5 seconds each time, except for the last 3 steeps, where I added 10. My second try was similar to first cup, with it’s buttery top notes. However it presented a more pronounced ginger ale flavoured finish, especially as the tea cooled.

My favourite of all was the third brew, with it’s more potent and well-developed ginger ale taste. The sweet finish is long lasting and leaves a slightly spicy aftertaste.The background flip flops between hearty buttery greens such as kale and Swiss chard, springtime bulbs and mineral notes. All and all this makes for a complex yet easy to drink cup.

The following four steeps are quite sweet and more intensely floral. The ginger taste recedes slowly, leaving a slightly drying mineral finish in it’s place.

My last three cups were pleasant enough but not outstanding in any way. By the 10th, the tea is vaguely sweet, smooth, but not much more flavourful than hot water.

I found this dancong to have quite a unique flavour profile. The words “ginger flower” do describe the flavour perfectly. While I also brewed some leaves the lazy, Western way with good results, it’s worth infusing this tea gongfu style to get the most out of the leaves. It’s quite pricey, but worth a splurge, especially since it’s available in a variety of formats and currently on sale. Definitely a masterfully produced artisanal dancong!

— To purchase Canton Tea Co. Jiang Hua Dan Cong (Ginger Flower), or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Sophie Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Sophie's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Sophie.

"The scent of the coffee beans is definitely present with a sweet smell to it as well. While this tea is considered full bodied, you can't expect it to be as black as a cup of coffee. " Samantha’s Teaview: 7.5/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

Shanti Tea’s Chocolate Strawberry Mocha is one of two unique tea blends offered. Shanti Tea combines coffee beans with tea and flavorings, I was impressed by the other blend I’ve had from them, their Caramel Latte so we’ll see how this one compares.

Shanti Tea combines coffee beans, tea (presumably black), cacao pieces, rosehips, safflowers, and natural essences together to create a unique blend of all things caffeine. Considering this cup has coffee beans in it, you would expect it to give a fairly dark liquor. To my surprise the liquor is amber gold and that is after brewing past their recommended 2-3 minutes. From my experience with their previous tea and coffee blend I chose to steep for 5 minutes. The scent of the coffee beans is definitely present with a sweet smell to it as well. While this tea is considered full bodied, you can’t expect it to be as black as a cup of coffee.

The strawberry is pretty evident with the sweetness of rosehips, but the chocolate flavor is lacking. It was difficult to pick up on the chocolate alone since the coffee beans carry their overpowering flavor. Milk is not recommended in this cup, so I skipped it. Their other blend, Caramel Latte was definitely enhanced by the milk, but they suggested it so I’ll take their advice on this one.

Overall, this blend is tasty and definitely unique, but I’d rather have their Caramel Latte tea and coffee blend instead. Still, a good blend to have on hand for coffee lovers.

— To purchase Shanti Tea Chocolate Strawberry Mocha, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Samantha Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Samantha's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Samantha.

"Flavourful and well blended, this tea offers complex and soothing fruit and flower notes, as well as a touch of spice. " Sophie’s Teaview: 7.1/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

This tea blends a Taiwanese oolong with orange blossoms. It promises a “light, delicate, brightly scented” cup. The maroon-coloured leaves are interspersed with orange blossom petals. The tea smells strongly of orange oil, somewhat like the softer, sweeter cousin of the bergamot oil used for flavouring Earl Grey blends.

I followed the suggested directions, infusing a heaping teaspoonful of leaves in 8 ounces of water heated to 85 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes. The cup is a dark amber colour. It’s quite fragrant, mixing the scent of orange zest and powdered ginger root. Taking a sip, the taste blends the flavour of oranges in many forms: zest, fruit and flower. Again there is the zing of powdered ginger, especially in the finish. The tea is smooth to the taste but leaves an odd drying sensation in the mouth. It’s otherwise quite soothing and satisfying.

I brewed the leaves again for 3 minutes. The tea base comes through more strongly this time, lending malt and biscuit notes to the blend. The orange flavours are still going strong. The long-lasting aftertaste is more like orange flower water at this point. Unfortunately the dry feeling is also still present.

I steeped the tea again 2 more times, for 4 and 5 minutes respectively. Both cups are thin and watery. No unpleasant element surfaces but the flavour has only a hint of orange to it. I would stop at cup number two next time. On the upside, the waxy orange blossom petals add something special to the look of the steeped leaves in my infuser.

Overall I found this tea to be quite flavourful and well blended. It offers complex and soothing fruit and flower notes, as well as a touch of spice. My only caveat would be the dry feeling this tea leaves in the mouth. Otherwise, it’s definitely a good value for the money at its price point.

— To purchase Pure Aroma Tea Formosa Orange Blossom Oolong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Sophie Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Sophie's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Sophie.

"A must-try. What green tea is supposed to taste like." CJ’s Teaview: 10/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

Over the years, I’ve tasted a lot of bad green tea. From stale, dusty, teabags sold under generic labels, to stale, crumbling, leaves stuffed into glass jars in upscale/natural grocery stores, I’ve spat out many mouthfuls made from such mistreated leaves.

Somewhere along the way, I learned what an excellent, fresh, properly packaged and prepared green tea is supposed to taste like. I can’t remember the where or when of that happy event. What I do know is that it tasted like this Dragon Well from Canton Tea. Co.

The uniqueness of this superior (highest grade) leaf was evident at first sight and sound. Shaking the package sounded like I was shaking a box of matches. No other tea leaves sounded quite like this.

There were no sticky, smashed-up bits in the package. The small leaves were crisp, folded thin and flat, (designed to look like bird beaks!) and completely individuated. They didn’t cling together like leaves that are twisted during processing. This surprising and fun appearance had a bit of danger, though. If I tipped the package ever so slightly, these dense little beak-sticks would have scattered everywhere.  That would have been a tragedy.  This is a famous Chinese tea–one of China’s “Top 10,”and  touted by many as number one on the list.

I easily understood why. The taste was pure, clean, and green. It seemed the consummate balance between sweetness and briskness.  Nothing distracted from that true tea flavor.

It takes cooler (about 160 to 175 degrees) water to brew the best Dragon Well.  It tastes divine after about two minutes, and if you keep adding water, a heaping tablespoon (or two) of leaves in a 12 ounce pot will keep you going for several rounds.  Highly recommended.  I rate it a 10.

— To purchase Canton Tea Co. Superior Organic Dragon Well, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

CJ Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on CJ's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by CJ.

"This is easy enough to drink and unbelievably low priced that is could be an everyday cup of tea." Katie’s Teaview: 9.3/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

Golden Tips Tea hasn’t made much of an impression on me yet, but this is a game-changer. The leaves are small and deep brown with streaks of silver. I steep at 195° for three minutes and get a cup that smells brilliantly fruity and herbal.

Temi’s Sikkim never fails. This is sweet and light with a beautiful hay flavour with herbal and floral notes and a fantastic hit of peach. Sikkims can sometimes have a dry finish, but this has a fruity juicy hit at the end. Steep two is five minutes. It still smells brilliant. It’s milder, and the flavours are a bit muddled, but it’s still a delicious cup.

This is easy enough to drink and unbelievably low priced that is could be an everyday cup of tea. But it’s delicious enough that it seems special. It’s definitely the sort of thing I could buy in large batches and drink all the time.

— To purchase Golden Tips Tea of Darjeeling Fine Sikkim, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Katie Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Katie's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Katie.