teas on my “gotta try” list

So, I have been learning a lot during my self-directed tea education. I have immersed myself into the world of tea, researching and writing constantly, viewing some of the best tea blogs and podcasts online, and tasting as many new teas everyday as I can afford. I want to develop my tea palate. I need to. So, although I have been drinking more tea throughout the last month or so than I ever have before, I am still just a beginner. These are some of the teas that I dream about, and teas that I need to try.

1. Quangzhou Milk Oolong

I have heard nothing but amazing things about this tea. I am really loving oolongs and this seems like one of the best. DAVIDsTEA describes it as “velvety smooth and lightly creamy”.

2. Kenya Silverback White

I really love the silver needle white tea that is in my collection. So, when I read about this tea from Kenya, I was very interested to discover how terroir affects this style of tea, and taste them side by side.

3. Dragonwell

I don’t know much about this tea, but I have been reading a lot about it. It sounds really interesting, a very high quality green tea. It is said to be the national drink of China, and some of the harvest is reserved each year for important government officials. It must be good then, right?

4. Chai Masala from Scratch

I have been meaning to do this for a while, but I have been drinking a really good chai masala blend from Tea Desire, so I haven’t had much ambition to change it up. But it’s my next project. It’s quite easy, just ginger, whole spices and black tea. There’s really no excuse to why I haven’t attempted to do this yet. Soon.

5. More Pu’erh

I am very interested in pu’erh and how the aging and fermentation process changes the flavor profiles of teas in such drastic ways, much like aging fine wines. I do believe that pu’erh may be an acquired taste, but I am willing to try to develop that taste.