Silk Road

Sometimes, I just want something predictable to wind down with. No crazy ingredients, funky aromas, or overwhelming flavours- just a nice and simple tea.

Vanilla Plantation is a flavoured tea but it’s a straightforward and honest one. The vanilla here is not overwhelming enough to cause a headache, like some jasmine and vanilla teas. Instead, it maintains its simple Ceylon base with only enough vanilla bean to create a mellow and creamy sweet cloud.

There has never been even a hint of bitterness in all the times I’ve had this although there is a slight pleasant pungency which keeps the tea from being too soft and dull. Undoubtedly, there are better vanilla blacks out there but this is the nicest I’ve had so far. It’s so rich it tastes like it already has milk. It’s similar to Silk Road’s London Fog, with a creamy start than a pointy black base to skim through it.

The dry leaves smell of vanilla with something vaguely citrus-like. The liquor is a bright gold. Wet leaves are brown and fragrant and hold up well for two steeps.

I’ve also had this iced with chocolate soy milk which is very tasty. I’m glad my friend convinced me to buy this- it’s become one of my favourite Silk Road teas.

This was my second time exploring Dragonwell. I’m somewhat of a lost cause when it comes to distinguishing and describing minor tastes differences but, surprisingly, I can, a bit, here. Where my other Dragonwell was absurdly buttery this one has almost a light roasted appeal. That’s not to say it doesn’t have buttery qualities but they are not overly exaggerated and more in a nut oil sense instead of a “melting leaf” fashion. It has a fuller body flavour which is pleasant in its own right.

I over-steeped this cup by a few seconds so there is some slight astringency but it still tastes rather fine. This kind of tea is so smooth that I can loose track of time and still get a drinkable cup, as long as the water isn’t too hot.

It’s been a while since I’ve had whole yerba mate, as it is usually blended with something stronger.

The leaves are very light, almost delicate, with a varied mixture of light and dark greens. They have a very light fresh scent, extremely light; there is almost no scent really to pick up.

Steeping gives a more earthy brew, in both appearance and aroma, with a very deep and cloudy green.

The flavor is very green and very earthy. There is a light sweetness, very mellow and soft, but it tastes and feels healthy.

I feel it needs something, as a regular straight mellow drink would be quite tedious. Maybe some lemon or lime juice, a bit of honey. Nonetheless, a very healthy tea.

The leaves are quite large and full. There are very deep green details, very natural. There is also a nice woody scent with a subtle sweetness. Very clean.

Steeping gives a very bright, clean and blonde brew that is quite striking. The aroma is more woody, less clean, but still maintains a subtle sweetness.

And that subtle sweetness carries on into the flavor, with a very clean woody body, refreshing and mild.

Fitting I give a simple tea a simple note, as it is not so much about being surprised as it would just be about being satisfied of a very clean Chinese green tea that is very refreshing and relaxing.

Well, here’s another Earl Grey, vamped up for olfactory purposes, from Silk Road. Instead of a crazy orange scent it’s crazy vanilla that comes wafting from the tin. It’s strong but I can still smell the underlying bergamot whereas I couldn’t with the Canton Orange tea (I’m still chocked and wanting some oranges). Anyways, I’d like to think I was more prepared for a plain old cup of Earl Grey this time.

Straight, this tastes like a typical astringent cup of Earl Grey, lightly flavoured with vanilla. The magic starts when the milk is added. It’s so very smooth and creamy with only a hint of bold citrus- reminding me of a squeeze of lemon accentuating a rich sauce. This tea really lives up to its name sake.

I can’t wait to have this as a latté and when it starts to get cooler. Now I know why the London Fog was never in stock when I went to go try it last winter.

This tea exemplifies the impact of steep time, temperature, and pre-existing biases to the tasting experience. It reminds me that my first impression (also, second and third) may be wrong.

Every time I drink this tea I feel differently about it. Today it wasn’t bad: citrus-y but drinkable with milk. It’s a very vigorous, bergamot-driven earl grey that may be appealing to some :)

Now that I’ve had more time with this tea I can’t believe I ever mistook its citrus scent for anything but an Earl Grey’s bergamot. The illusion of oranges comes from the profound amount of bergamot that jam-packed into this, and it is an overload. I don’t think I have ever smelled so much bergamot, ever and it takes on a sickeningly sweet and sour perfume quality.

This time I had it with milk, the natural sidekick of “the Grey”, and it was much more agreeable. Very creamy, very tart, very Earl. That “perfume” bit comes to rear its ugly head, however, and the last note and the aftertaste is rather nauseating because of it- too bad. Less steeping time is more in this case unless you like the sensation of bergamot taking over all of your senses in a sudden sweeping, conquering blow.

Very citric, but it doesn’t have that sweet, super-fruity quality that orange has and all of the tart, scent oriented powers equated to bergamot. It’s more like dose of lemon if not full bergamot. It’s not a bad Earl Grey but I think I’ll stick with others for now.

Key words: bergamot, perfume, earl grey, “needs milk”

Mmm… This smells so delicious! When my judgement was based solely on the aroma I thought this was going to be a fun, funky flavoured tea. It smells fiery and “orange-y”.. ok, that word looks a little awkward but there’s a lot of orange to it.

I was a little on guard when a fellow shopper volunteered that, in fact, this was an Earl Grey and the best one she claimed to have ever had. I was not expecting that whatsoever! And yes, the slogan for this tea reads “Absolutely Earl Grey”. Shocker. In my small experiences, Earl Grey teas are simple and generic and definitely not capable of giving me the impression these leaves did. After finding all of that out I was very curious to go home and “run some tests” with it. When steeped the damp leaves still retain their high citrus notes but that standard “Grey” smell kicks in. It also has that very same standard overall taste.

I’ll admit I’m a bit disappointed despite the “warning”- that awesome orange citrus smell was such an exciting build-up to the most amazing orange tea I would never have… but for an Earl Grey this is a very impressive specimen. It has enjoyable tart and smoky hints- keeping it simple but with a twist. When I finally get over the leaves I’ll be able to say that this is a fine cup of Earl Grey.

I’ve never had Lapsang Souchong before so I don’t know how well it holds up to other brands but I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised on how much I ended up liking it.

It smells like campfire and I initially bought it solely for cooking purposes (there are some good recipes out there that use this tea as a rub). My curiosity peaked and I finally made myself a cup last night. I was amazed by the complexity of the flavours. Yes, there is a dominating (almost nostalgic) smokiness to it but I also got buttery and spicy notes and, call my crazy, but there was almost something sweet beneath it all too. I’m impressed. I have yet to re-steep it and I can’t say I would want to drink it it all the time but I will be looking more into this kind of tea. It’s intriguing, comforting, and yummy.

A while back, on a trip to re-stock my Genmaicha I was given a sample of this tea at the door and ended up buying a small amount of it as well. I was amazed by how smooth it was and I liked the subtle peach flavour and the sweet notes from the calendula flowers. on a cold winter evening it really made me feel warm and fresh. When I steep it myself it’s usually not as fine as that first impression; while the black ceylon is nice it has a tendency to steal the show if not prepared with full attentiveness.

Oh, man— How this tea takes me was back! Golden Phoenix was one of my first notes on Steepster. I initially thought it was a “green oolong” tea (labelled semi-green), and I had one hell of a time trying to politely convey how strange and off-putting I found it.

Then a couple years back I stumbled upon it again when Bear with Me pointed it out as a favourite “puerh” tea in store. That was a big “Oh” moment.

Now I can drink this with a (somewhat) greater point of reference and can actually say that it’s a pretty decent puerh blend. The citrus cinnamon is still a flavour rollercoaster but the “strange” earthy sweetness that confused younger me is now appreciated.

I could see myself craving this more around the fall/winter transition. It’s warm and soothing with a great contrast between action (cinnamon, citrus zest) and rest (fermented puerh, earth). Now the tea name makes sense!

This one always smelled like sour cinnamon to me and I’ve never been able to make up my mind on how I feel about that. Separately, I am both a huge citrus and cinnamon enthusiast but putting them together is a hurdle I had to jump in order to appreciate this tea.

The basic tastes do some impressive acrobatics here: sour-sweet-spice, a hint of sweet-salt, potentially from the calendula flowers, and even a bit of bitter (or more of a bit if you don’t steep it properly)… Wow. Despite all the crazy shenanigans I feel the cinnamon dominates and draws the most attention. There’s a lot happening to distract the unsuspecting casual sipper but the oolong is there underneath it all.

Earl White is an oddball that I don’t choose to drink often. That being said, I’ve refilled my tin at least three times in the last year, and this baby ain’t cheep. Its robust tartness and smooth white base have made it my go to tea when I’m feeling under the weather.

This was actually my first white tea that I decided to buy during a particularly nasty mid-semester cold; I was hoping the citrus ingredients would send in magical cleaning griffins to purge my clogged sinuses and throat. Hocus pocus anapneo bergamot! I like to think it helped a smidgen..

The body is creamy, floral, vegetal, and melon-like, with a bit of lemongrass. The finish embraces the true spirit of what it means to be tangy; I could get the same effect by squeezing the fresh juice of a sour citrus fruit of choice directly into my mouth. It gets easier to handle and smoother upon later steeps.

The citrus group photo includes: citrus peel, mandarin & lemon fruit essence, the infamous bergamot, and the adopted cousin, lemongrass. It can be…abrasive, also soapy, if not kept in check. Earl White will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Still, I persist on giving it a high rating; I even dedicated my 100th tasting note to it! Lucky Earl White.

Cleansing and refreshing are two words that often come to mind when I think of Silk Road tea and Earl White doesn’t disappoint. This one gives me that zesty clean feel and it’s no wonder why- it contains lemongrass, citrus peel, and bergamot, among OTHER citrus notes. Despite the slightly bitter and tart front instated by the bergamot there’s a smooth, almost sweet and creamy note (from the white tea leaves?) that comes in, especially as it cools down.

Those who aren’t fans of citrus flavours or of Earl Grey will likely not be impressed with this one. For those who ARE fans of those things and are appreciators of the light complexities of white tea, give this one a shot.

honestly, i got this one because of the lovely description. first straight oolong i’ve tried, so it was interesting.
nice and light and fresh, i could hardly distinguish it from a green tea though.
as it cooled a bit it tasted sweeter, which was excellent.
a nice indulgent cup!

subtle flavour nice aftertaste its one of the best silk road teas i feel great when i drink it and it smells and tastes fantastic

I feel like I’m cheating on DavidsTea, but it’s always good to check out the competition, right? Loved it.

The smell of this tea dry is amazing: it’s such a nice smokey bergamot scent. Steeped, however, this tea has a very strong tendency to go very bitter very quickly, but steeping it for less time makes for an equally disappointing weak cup of tea.

I like this tea, and I buy it often, but it isn’t as bright and cheerful as I expect peach to be. You really have to add honey to this tea to counteract the bitterness that this brew has even with a regular-strength steeping. I think this may be derived more from the tea leaf base – Ceylon – and the citrus peel than the peach flavouring itself.

What does everyone here do when their tea tastes extremely tired? Do you suck it up and drink it all?

I’ve had this for over two years now and time has not been kind. It tastes like wilted sweet veggies..

This cherry tea is so smooth! The green tea and cherry are a good match and they subtly blend together to create a clean and tart, vegetative, tree fruit flavour. Someone told me this one reminded him of bubblegum but I’ve never really gotten that impression. It doesn’t have the artificial/mechanical taste that I’ve sometimes experienced with flavoured “candy” teas. The aroma is what attracted me to this tea and is a good indicator to the overall taste.

Hmm, this has a lot more rice kernels than I previously remembered. This optimizes the roasty trait, but I wish there was more veggie butter in the mix. Although it’s not my favourite genmaicha, it’s still good after a huge dinner. It didn’t mind me flunking the steeping parameters either.. well, not too much.

Also, happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Mild, minty – one of my favourite mellow teas. I blend this when I don’t want a caffeinated tea.

A coworker gave me some of this tea from Victoria BC. It is very lemon-grassy and crisp. The first sip and it had me hold my chin and ponder like a philosopher (seriously) about it’s strong taste and combination of flavours. Very nice if you like lemongrass.