Ten Ren

I’m assuming that this is the Keemun that I got from Ten Ren’s today, and since there isn’t another listing for a Keemun, I’ll just put my review here and make it my own. XD
And as much as I want to review the actual store, I’ll resist and just stick with the tea.
This review is based on having no idea for brewing parameters and just using my basic 1.5 tsp/12 oz @ 3min Boiling.
The tea definitely has a smoky smell to it brew wise. Not Lapsang in-your-face, but a definite woodsmoke smell.
Taste wise it’s got a nice smoky hint to it, along with a slightly almost sweet note (though that might be just residue from the spoon I was using to slurp since the mug really is too hot still to drink from). Mildly astringent and just bordering on a bit bitter for me. Next time I might do 2:30 min or try a lower temp on the water.
It’s honestly not the train wreck I was fearing it might be with me just guesstimating everything. I liked it better after adding a bit of Truvia to sweeten it, but then I always add sugar to my tea eventually. But this one is good enough to stand on it’s own. I’m not sure how it would handle milk though, not to mention that would be a bit weird to me. Lol!
So yeah, not a bad tea. Not the best Keemun that I’ve had (not that I have a huge worldly experience of Keemun), but I’ll certainly drink it eventually.

The last Ten Ren Green Tea that I received was very sweet with some delicious fruity notes. I actually decided that I liked it better cold-brewed, so have been steeping it overnight. Overall a very smooth, refreshing green tea with very little astringency.

This is a regular for me – one of my favorites!

Pale yellow hinting at chartreuse. Wonderful aromas reminiscent of green tea, but with a slight maltiness. Light to medium in body and delicate, this tea displays a lovely malty sweetness balanced with a very long finish which is quite pleasing and very mildly astringent. Cooked squash and notes of fresh mint are the memorable subject playing counterpoint to the classic fresh grassy undertones seem to have an almost lactic buttery roundness which enhances the light mouth-feel and gives the illusion of a more full bodied tea. The astringency mixed with notes of mint seem to have a similar effect, at least on the brain, as Hydroxy-alpha sanshool which seems to almost delicately numb the gums and tongue as you drink multiple cups and would probably be a perfectly wonderful tea to pair with Szechuan cuisine. The leaves unroll beautifully and slowly to reveal clearly handpicked lightly toasted tippy short stemmed selections which yield extra steeps. This tea is perfect for anyone who is in love with green tea but would like to get a little more bang for the buck from an everyday tea that drinks like a special occasion tea.

It’s just lovely, so floral (think mums, not roses, for an American comparison) and with a definite milky richness. Stands up to rebrewing well (although I’ve only gotten through 3 rebrews, since I usually make pots or drink it over the day at work).

Today, the taste reminds me of rain forest mountain mist, the kind one would taste when not fully awake but hiking anyway.

This jasmine is amazingly 香 and thick in its scent plus sweet and honey-like in its taste as soon as it cools down, but the taste gets a little too flat a little too quickly.

This is a light green tea with a faint greenish-yellow liquor. The tea has a subtle floral aroma that is mixed with hints of cut grass somewhat like strolling through a rose garden. The taste of the tea is also light and pleasantly green with the usual hints of floral plants. One of this tea’s most winning characteristics is that its flavor changes as you swallow; somehow the tea tastes multidimensional. The perspicacious drinker will detect initial grassy flavors that ease into floral overtones that change depending on whether the mouth is open or not. After swallowing the tea leaves myriad aftertastes, both pleasant and perplexing. One can sip this tea multiple times with entirely different taste experiences. The tea is solid yet light, direct yet ambiguous. Exploring the depths is a truly cerebral experience.

The tea is also robust with respect to multiple brews and acquires a slight sweetness with more plant-y character as one continues.

I like this tea. It has a nice smooth flavor.

I like this tea. It has a nice mild flavor and a nice scent.

The osmanthus addition in this tea is the prominent taste however one can also appreciate the oolong beneath it. The tea is light, obviously floral, and refreshing. Due to the floral addition the tea has a robust aftertaste which is excellent. The oolong itself is a little flat and slightly bitter, though pleasant. There is less roasted taste and more green freshness. If not for the osmanthus though, the tea would not be nearly as impressive.

Also, the tea changes significantly when over/under steeped and not in a good way (in my opinion). I think the timing for this tea is quite important.

This is a green tea with a light yellowish liquor. This is an amazing and complex tea. The tea is quite floral without being at all herbaceous. Its most interesting quality you don’t taste it per se. At least I did not experience a strong taste upon the first sipping. Rather, it evokes an aromatic billowing feeling as it envelopes your mouth during and after you swallow. The most interesting complexity begins during swallowing and breathing because the tea scent/aroma is so overwhelming. Although there are many floral green teas this one has no bitterness and very minimal direct taste at all. The experience of drinking it is essentially entirely aromatic which is somewhat unique.

As to the tastes/smells themselves, the tea is very floral (though not infused with flowers) and slightly sweet. The taste is fresh, green, and bold without being bright or sharp. Needless to say the liquor is incredibly smooth. Successive pours are relatively consistent though the second is best.

This is an excellent tea. The liquor is a beautiful shade of amber. The taste is entirely smooth even slightly sweet. The sweetness evokes blossoms of some unknown plant though there is no flower infused in the tea itself. (The flowery effect is much darker and subtle than that of a floral green tea however.) This is the only tea that I have ever come across with precisely this effect, it’s stunning.

The results of the taste linger and change after the tea is swallowed, there is a residual sweetness. In addition, each pour of the tea is slightly different and it is worth preserving all of them separately to experience the full spectrum. I would consider this my favorite hongcha(红茶).

This tea is in many ways a typical longjing however it is lighter and less plant-y. This effect is excellent because it allows one to taste the slightly floral undertones that are frequently obscured. This is a 2013 tea.

Drank this yesterday right before dinner. This is my go-to tea for when my stomach hurts. The flavor is hardly palatable, but the medicinal effect is amazing.
Yesterday was a very special day and I didn’t want to ruin it by having a stomach ache. What made drinking this fairly icky brew more enjoyable was drinking it out of one of the gifts I received. :)

Tea gifts:
http://tea-pet.tumblr.com/post/73322754879/wonderful-gifts

I’m not really a fan of this tea. It is definitely flavorful, but the flavor is too sweet and not “tea-like” to me. I think the tea is simply not my style.

This was one of the first puerh teas that I had in my early days of tea drinking. I remember thinking that it was really good but really expensive at the time so I slowly drank it as a special occasion tea while it lasted. Recently I decided to get it again to see what I think of it now which I think is likely at least five years if not longer since the last time I’ve had it. The brew is non earthy and has a warm sweet taste to it which I’d describe as neither malty nor mellow. I know it is a character of Laocong puerh which like Menghai and Mengku puerh the unique taste defies description. Overall a wonderful tea but one that you are parying a premium for the fancy packaging.

Musty with some roasted depth as the only pleasant complementary note. Second steep is cleaner.

I love lychee! When I was at ten ren tea I was looking for new and exciting goodies to buy and try I saw this lychee black tea in the giant tin. I asked the young lady if I could have a smell and it smelled heavenly! I bought 2 oz and made a pitcher of iced tea with it as soon as I got home. I never added any sweetener. It was fruity, tart and refreshing with just the right amount of natural sweetness. I went through those 2 oz quick and I had to go back for another 6oz. I have yet to try it hot.