Kenya 'Rhino' Premium White Tea

The dry leaf has a punchy sweet apricot aroma.

The brewed tea has a sticky pudding sweetness aroma with baked plum and molasses on the finish.

The tea has a sweet white tea flavour which intermingles well with the different flavour notes. Cotton candy sweetness on the tip of the tongue on the sip. Plum fruity notes throughout. A hint of floral bouquet. Molasses on the aftertaste.

Winter 2020 Harvest

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted a black tea or white tea today so I went with a happy medium, and one of my much hoarded staples. “White Rhino” contains characteristically white tea notes of hay, citrus, flowers, and cucumber while also supporting a notes akin to a Yunnan black tea – like sweet potato, cocoa/caramel, malt, and a peppery finish. I’m also picking up some cranberry today. Good stuff.

Steep Count: 4

Another sample from Hoalatha. Couldn’t wait to try this tea out of sheer aroma-driven curiosity. It smelled like fruit loops. Straight up. I’ve definitely had grainy and cereal-y teas before, but this was my first time having a tea that smelled of one so specific!

This tea steeps up nice and golden with a thick texture and sweet flavor that exudes fruit loops and more of that cereal graininess. In the following steep, a darker sweetness and malty, fruity flavors emerge. Really, really enjoyed this one!

Ordered a sample of this with my first what-cha order, and I was pleasantly surprised!
The dry leaf smells like birthday cake/lemon ice cream, very pungent and delicious smelling just like a dessert. I was a bit concerned that it would brew up tasting very different, but luckily the liquor tastes exactly as I thought it would.
Sweet, creamy, custard, lemon, and thick. Like a lemon egg custard or fresh lemon cream cheese frosting, or even halo top’s lemon ice cream.
I brewed this at 190 with infusions that were very very short considering it was a white I didn’t want to push it too far and risking it turning bitter. Luckily the 5-10 second infusions were the way to go.
By the fifth or so steep it starts leaning more towards butternut squash, still good and but not as sweet and a little more savory and starchy (but not unpleasantly so)

I only have 10g of this (5g now!) but I’ll definitely buy a 50g pack with my next order from what-cha. This immediately goes on my “to buy” list, and I’m not even out yet!
Described in one word: Delicious!

Delicious citrus oil-like notes with a round white woody flavor. Maybe slightly like hay. I want to call this like a Kenyan Grey.

Let me be the ten millionth person to say that this is white tea that tastes nothing like a white. But as someone who loves sweet black teas, it was a perfect choice for me. You know who you are, thanks for the sample!

The first steep was vastly different than the rest. It was sweet peaches and honey with a pollen kind of taste that reminded me of orange blossoms. There was also a light caramel flavor, and something reminiscent of juicy fruit gum? It was bright and sweet. There was no bitterness whatsoever, but maybe the slightest, slightest hint of astringency at the very back of the throat that dissipated quickly.

The second steep on got darker in flavor, but no less pleasant. It becomes a little sweet potatoey, with some earthiness thrown in there. Maybe it was all about the butternut squash; it’s difficult to be sure.

I brewed a couple of steeps at 175 and lower, and it become mineral, losing all its sweetness. I wouldn’t recommend it that way.

Guess what guys… This is my 4000th tasting note!

Holy shit that snuck up on me; I remember somewhat around tasting note 3300 or something I was trying to plan for distant future so I could pick a memorable tea for tasting note 4000 but then BANG 4000 is here already just like that!

I think this is a good pick for 4000 though; I LOVED Butiki’s White Rhino tea and I’m really happy to get the chance to try another company’s offering. It’s such a unique and memorable varietal because it’s white tea that really ISN’T white tea. Both in flavour and how you brew it. Instead of that 70-80 degree range, I definitely used near boiling water for this one ’cause I just know that it can take the heat. Literally; in this case.

And shit guys; it’s like drinking Butiki’s White Rhino all over again. Someone catch me; I’m swooning so hard right now I may just injure myself. I wish I had in real life tea friends who could share this excitement with me. It’s both nostalgic and new and exciting!

There’s so much going on with the flavours; I’m not even sure where to start. I guess I could just list ‘em? I mean, firstly the tea overall has that same Hot Cross Bun/Easter Bun flavour that I found so poignantly distinct to Butiki’s White Rhino. It’s REALLY cool that it’s translating to this one too. Sweet sugary dough/bread, that kind of icing-y stuff and glaze, soft cinnamon, raisins, and fruity undertones? Mmmm; all there! Apart from that, there’s also thick notes of hay, some yummy malt in the finish, honey, and sweet potato! Maybe even a sliver of cocoa; but that element is quite light. It all comes together to create something so rich and smooth. Easy to finish the full mug without realizing it/even starting the tasting note you were planning on writing alongside drinking it. You know, hypothetically of course…

This was a good choice; and after a day of pretty mediocre tea overall this was a GREAT note to end on. And yeah, holy shit, 4000 tasting notes! That’s totally INSANE. And it’s only been like three years since I’ve been on Steepster, eh? Rounding a bit, that averages to like four tasting notes a day!? Man I don’t even know how to feel about that…

Also, a song pairing ‘cause that’s just sort of my thing now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbqmajdaFk0&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ&index=3

I actually tried SUPER hard to find the perfect, meaningful song to drink with this both to fit the tea but also the landmark tasting note. I struggled doing that and then eventually gave up searching. Instead I just put my playlist on shuffle, and settled into this one. It actually wound up feeling quite fitting…

interesting. white tea that isnt white. Its golden hairs everywhere, like its sporting a giant afro.

smell is weird, I get sweetness & malt. Aroma is the same. Taste is a very very smooth golden tips with zero bitterness or astringency, just sweetness, honey, caramel. (although these arent strong like in other oolongs). I also get orange, but not citrus, very rounded orange taste. Malt, but not malty.

So its either a delicate light red, or a full-bodied white. This is very nice for me, who often wants my red tea to be more delicate/less malty. It certainly isnt chocolatey. Its got pretty zappy energy too. Even after a few sips i felt shaken out of bed.

Second cup I steeped it out a bit and got a very amber liquor, and was met with a dryness more akin to golden tips, so you can make it taste like that a bit more if you want. There is something cake in the body but I couldnt picture what it was (its not doughy or bready), also I was reminded of a 2nd flush tea, although this is Spring. (a bit woody & malty but not overpowering)

Depending on parameters you can get either a few steeps of something more white but full bodied, or a couple of steeps of delicate subtle but still golden tipped red tea, its an interesting mix!

This was a very nice floral tea. Evolved through multiple steeps, and very tasty.

Sweet potatoes and sugarcane are at the forefront, with a soft malt background. This is a smooth and unusually flavorful white tea that dispenses with any subtlety and brings to mind a fruity Dian Hong black, only lighter in body and revealing more overt sweetness.