Thursday, January 31, 2008

Just for You, Just for Me, A Steaming Cup of "Just4Tea"

Hi Readers!

Sorry this post is so very late! I've been pretty busy with a new semester at the University, and also with starting and running my new business (which, sadly, isn't tea-related.)

Today, I'll be reviewing some selections from Just4Tea.com, a delightful company which contacted me some while back. They have been waiting a very long time for their review, and I hope they take some consolation in that this happens to be an especially positive review towards their teas.

The sample pack they sent me contained a number of different teas, but I will highlight a few of these that stood out to me in particular.

The first are their winter and spring oolongs. These are some very delightful oolongs, and each has a subtlety in flavor to differentiate itself from it's counterpart. The winter oolong, my favorite of the two, is very crisp and light. It has a very fine a subtle nutty quality, and a subtle cane-like sweetness, which helps to balance off the flavor. It has a very smooth finish, and a delightful green aftertaste. The winter oolong is a tad earthier than the spring oolong. The spring oolong also has slightly more sweetness, however the nutty note is not as pronounced. Both are delightful.

The second blend that I'd like to highlight is called Tie Guan Yin. This was an exquisite cup, and a perfect blend for cold winter days. Tie Guan Yin is allowed to ferment longer than traditional oolongs, and is also specially roasted to bring out it's unique flavor characteristics. This is a very deep and intense tasting tea - quite a strong flavor. Several notes are detectable - a floral note, some light fruitiness, and some moderate nuttiness. The first note you pick up on while sipping this is the floral one - a nice, crisp and pungent note to gather your attention. As the floral note fades, the fruity notes began to become more obvious, tasting somewhat apricot-ish, and the cup finishes with a smooth, sweet, and slightly nutty note, which leaves a clean and open feeling in your mouth. This tea, in particular, also has a very nice, rich cup color.

And the third blend that I believe deserves some special credit is their Jasmine Pearl tea. I've had alot of different variations on the Jasmine Pearl tea, but this one is among my favorites of the genre. Generally, a Jasmine Pearl tea has a predominant green tea flavor base, with a subtler afterthought of Jasmine. With this blend, however, the Jasmine flavor is much more pronounced, driving the cup through the end, with a milder green tea flavour. This blend also has a delightful coloration which looks great in the cup, and has a significantly strong jasmine scent, moreso than most Jasmine Pearl blends I have tried. It left a lingering smell of Jasmine in my room for 15-20 minutes after I had finished the cup,

This blend also has somewhat less astringent than I am typically used to with a jasmine green tea blend. All of these qualities combine to make this one of the best jasmine pearl blends I have ever had the pleasure of sampling, and one which I will be keeping in mind as I do other similar tastings in the future.

The packaging is also very well-thought of. The labeling is well-designed, containing all of the important information you'd need, as well as some stylish oriental symbols. It is laid out in a fashion that is very appealing and pleasing to the eye as well.

Overall, I would highly recommend that you sample from this tea company (which has a convenient sampler set containing all of their teas), as it will provide an interesting contrast to any other supplier due to the unique style employed in their creation.

Thanks very much for allowing me to sample your teas, June, and I wish you the best of success in your business endeavors.

You can all check out Just4Tea's Website at Just4tea.com.

Over and Out,
R0R