Little Red Cup Tea Company Yunnan Black
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: needle-like with golden hairs Ingredients: black tea Steep time: 30 seconds Water Temperature: 210 degrees Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan Liquor: dark reddish amber In a world where tea companies seem to come and go frequently, it’s nice to see that a few have stuck around through the years. I reviewed my first tea from +Little Red Cup Tea Co. way back in 2012 after discovering them on the now extinct flash sale site Fab.com. They recently surprised me with a couple of samples in my mailbox and this was the first packet that I grabbed. I’m a sucker for fuzzy leaves, especially black tea from Yunnan. This particular one was…
Little Red Cup Tea Company Wuyuan Black
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: small, dark Ingredients: black tea Steep time: 2.5 minutes Water Temperature: 210 degrees Preparation Method: stainless steel infuser basket and mesh teacup Liquor: dark amber I first discovered +Little Red Cup Tea Co. many years ago when I impulsively bought a sampler on a flash sale site. Since then I’ve become a fan of their teas as well as the people behind the company. I was happy to see their recent switch to tins rather than kraft paper bags. It really does make a difference in terms of tea longevity. The firsy thing that I noticed about this tea was the aroma. Even in a travel mug it wafted…
Little Red Cup Tea Company Premium White Peony
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: varied greens and browns with some buds Ingredients: white tea Steep time: 30 seconds Water Temperature: 180 degrees Preparation Method: glass gaiwan Liquor: gold The first time that I tried this tea using a good ol’ teapot and the directions provided I was a little underwhelmed. It’s not that it was bad but it just didn’t jump out at me. Not being one to give up after the first go, I thought that it might perform better in my glass gaiwan. I’m very happy to report that my hunch was right. The taste was light and refreshing with cooling notes of honeydew melon. A honey-like sweetness lingered…
Little Red Cup Tea Company Camellia Flowers
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: pale blossoms, somewhat broken Ingredients: Camellia Sinensis flowers Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 195 degrees Preparation Method: infuser basket and ceramic teacup Liquor: pale gold Over the last few years I’ve pretty much stopped reviewing herbal teas. They simply don’t capture my interest very much. This one is a bit of an exception because it is made solely from the flowers of the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis). In many parts of the world, India in particular comes to mind, the flowers are removed and discarded because they are thought to divert nutrients away from the leaves. I’ve only had them one other time, blended with a…
Little Red Cup Tea Company Jade Oolong
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: deep green, tightly rolled Ingredients: oolong tea Steep time: 30 seconds Water Temperature: 212 degrees Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan Liquor: greenish gold Jade Oolong is a term that is often used to describe Tie Guan Yin that has been lightly oxidized and that appears to be what we have here. The taste was very clean, light and floral. Although on the delicate side, the mouth-feel was very thick and there was a strong orchid aroma. My second infusion was a bit more vegetal but just as delicious. I generally prefer my oolongs a bit darker so this isn’t something that I would drink all of the time…
Little Red Cup Tea Company White Monkey
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: varied shades of green, somewhat curled Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 2 minutes Water Temperature: 180 degrees Preparation Method: glass test tube steeper Liquor: very pale Despite it’s name, white monkey is actually a type of green tea that hails from the Hunan Province of China. The leaves were quite curly and many of them were covered in downy hair. The taste was delicate but by no means lacking in flavor. There were sweet vegetal notes along with a slight floral quality. It had some astringency but only just enough to leave a clean and refreshing aftertaste. Of course, I have to mention that this tea is…
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