Norbu Tea
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This pale yellow tea belies its simple color by packing a good deal of complexity and flavor range into my cup. It does not have some of the overwhelming vegetal taste of the greens (which I do like—-I’ve discovered that I like hot buttered “spinach” in my cup.
This tea is more delicate yet quite fulfilling. The “vegetal” elements have been reigned into a decorous garden taste. The tea is naturally sweet on its own and has got a lot of “buttah” as well—not cardiac strength butter, but a delicate amount.
The tea conjures up a sort of pure elegance and understated glamour. I don’t see how anyone could dislike this. I also am rethinking my earlier and stupid aversion to white teas as being tasteless and packing no punch. That prejudice was ingrained, no doubt, by somebody’s elderly tea-bag once upon a time. This tea makes me want to try more silver needle types and start paying attention to white teas in general.
Preparation
This is actually the Ali Shan Spring 09, but, since there wasn’t an entry for the Spring offering, and Norbu no longer has the Spring available, I decided to just use the fall.
Delicious. In my opinion, Norbu offers the best Ali Shan. And I love drinking it out of my new Yixing mug. It makes Ali Shan even more special by distinguishing it with it’s own mug.
The flavor is only slightly nutty, pleasantly floral, buttery, rich, absolutely SUPERB!
Oolong time!
This is absolutely my favorite Oolong. So good! Sublime!
The aroma is arresting – floral notes with the slightest vegetative tone. The flavor is buttery, rich, smooth – a delightful, satiny, thick mouthfeel. Just… YUM!
I wrote a review for this tea back in September for the Tea Review Blog:
http://www.teareviewblog.com/?p=6489
Many more infusions to follow!
Preparation
Now that I’ve exhausted the yellow buds, I am moving on to the last (sob) of my Bai Yun Oolong from Norbu.
It is truly sublime – as always! I love it!
What a great TEA day it has been!
Multiple infusions of the Bai Yun to follow!
Preparation
My Oolong fix for today.
I love the color of this tea – Golden! I wrote a review about this tea for the Tea Review Blog that can be read here:
http://www.teareviewblog.com/?p=10332
This tea reminds me so much of a Fancy Formosa Oolong (Oriental Beauty), from it’s appearance, to the color and scent of the liquor and even the flavor is quite reminiscent of an Oriental Beauty.
I am continually in awe of Norbu’s teas – always of such excellent quality and exceptional taste. This cup is another perfect example of this. Multiple infusions to follow!
Preparation
I just ordered the sample set from Norbu today. Looking forward to it. Plus Greg seemed really nice in the email he sent to confirm my samples pick.
You won’t be disappointed by Norbu. Their teas are awesome. One of my very favorite companies, now that I am not blending teas any longer!
A big thank you goes to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me this sample. Sorry, I’m just now getting around to tasting it.
This is a very intriguing oolong. The liquor is a very light yellow and has a sweet, vegetal smell. The flavor is initially vegetal, then very floral…mostly of orchids. Nice! On an odd note, I swear I’m tasting a light cabbage flavor…and not in an awful way. I like cabbage. The aftertaste is sweet and lingering. Not too shabby overall. I am, however, encountering that familiar musty smell and taste that I tend to do with rolled teas of any sort. This is the main downer for me.
All in all, this tea is quite pleasant…but I think I prefer darker, less green tasting oolongs. This was really nice to sample!
I can totally understand the cabbage thing! :P
Lena, to get rid of the musty notes, rinse the rolled-up dry tea before steeping. Pour just enough hot water to cover the leaves, count to ten, pour off and discard the rinse water, or use it to warm your cup. You may opt to let the rinsed leaf sit a minute at this point, to give the leaf a chance to begin it’s journey of unfolding. Then proceed as usual. The rinse has given me improved results with some oolongs.
Trying a sampler of this oolong tea. The dry leaf has a floral aroma that carries on into the steeped brew. It’s not a strong aroma but more subtle but noticeable. The flavor is floral and sweet with some hints of fruitiness. It’s a light brew almost like a green tea. The second steep was just as good with no noticeable weakening. The leaves had not even completed their un-furling of their crinkled blobs after the first cup. I enjoyed this one.
Preparation
Hairy Crab!? :) Is it vegetarian!? I assume it is since I see you are a veggiehead…I am as well! CHEERS!
LOL! Yes it is vegetarian. Hairy Crab is the English name for Mao Xie. From the supplier’s description… Mao Xie got its name from the physical attributes of the leaves. The edges of the leaves are serrated and pointy like a crab’s claws and tend to be covered with fuzzy “hairs,” so the name became Hairy Crab. You can find it here:
http://www.norbutea.com/Mao_Xie-fall_09_oolong_tea?category_id=5
Standard disclaimers apply.
The leaves are a dark green. The smell while infusing is a hard veggie scent. The leaves are taking a while to unwind. The liquid is typical oolong looking-type and the smell is that of slightly roasted veggies! The taste is a little nutty but pretty soothing. It’s interesting and fairly smooth!
Preparation
Another refreshing and delightful blend from Norbu! This is like Spring in a cup! It has an ever-so-slight floral and earthy scent. It’s greenish-yellow in color and the taste is thirst quenching and sweet. At first sip it almost tasted like ‘toast’ but then morphed into a sweet and buttery delight!
Norbu sure does know how to do an Ali Shan, let me tell you! Brace yourselves…
I like this Ali Shan better than Adagio’s!
:)
You can’t get any more pure of a coloring than this! Oh-so-slight yellowish clear liquid.
A Slight floral/sweet grass scent interrupted by a lovely sweetness both in scent and taste! It’s so refreshing I would do backflips if I could!
Awesome!
Dry leaf smells sweet and clean. While infusing the leaves are a vibrant green and more leafy green veggie-esque to sniff. It’s light in color. This is a stronger oolong. Tasty! Thirst Quenching and Clean. Very Pure. Nice! I really, really like it!
Preparation
Talk about Archive-Divin’! I found this little gem last night – totally forgot I had it! THEN…I tried locating it on steepster and thought it was a different one I didn’t previously log…turns out I ‘searched’ for the wrong one…so…I found it this morning…drinking it now…then passing enough for a cup for LiberTEAs!
This doesn’t have an aroma – much. But the taste is really nice. I’m re-reviewing this because it’s been so long since I have had it and I think it was one of my first experiences with a pu-erh.
This is a REALLY nice pu-erh! It’s gentle but flavorful. The flavor isn’t earthy…so…incase you are one that LOVES strong earthy/muddy type pu-erhs this one isn’t really that type. Instead it’s juicy. Yes…naturally juicy! It’s mellower. It’s semi sweet this time around.
Looking back at my previous notes (from nearly 3 years ago) I noted it was vegetal. I’m not getting that at all this time around…perhaps I over infused my first attempt – way-back-when! Regardless this is darned-tasty this time around and I’m going to up my rating!!!
Oh! Looking back…this was actually pass on to me by LiberTeas so I will pass along to someone else now :) Thanks again Liberteas!
I think I may have passed this on to you back when I was afraid of pu-erh! haha! So, if you want to send it back to me, I don’t know that I actually remember trying this one.
OH NO!!!!! So sorry! It’s at the PO right now in someone elses package! Soooooooooooooooooooooo sorry!
no big deal. :)
Forgot I tried this 7+ Months ago…but want to THANK LiberTEAs for sending this my way. Apparently I liked it.
Here are my findings this time around…
‘brews’ to a yellow-brown. Somewhat Mellow yet smooth and a little woodsy at the beginning of the sip.
Yup…still think it’s one of the better Pu Erh’s I have had so far…
WOW! Another truly unique, fun, mysterious, and goofy-looking tea!
AND, once again, a little goes a long way! This puffs up a lot while steeping. It doesn’t really have much of an aroma tho but that’s ok because it sure does taste awesome! Oddly there is a slight polleny-type texture but not bad. It’s sweet and floral and honey-esque.
Mmm…it’s like buttah!