Dear Tea Lovers,

I have had the pleasure of trying many different teas from many different vendors throughout my journey in the world of tea. While there have been many teas I have enjoyed in that journey, I have come to realize that there are certain teas I favor above others. So here it is, my top 5 favorite tea's as of now. You can find links to each of these teas below.

5.) Crimson Lotus 2014 Yiwu "Iron Forge" Huang Pian Shou Puerh

This tea is one of my favorites of the Shou Puerh category of teas. The flavor is rich and smooth, with an earthy wet forest ground taste as well as a natural sweetness. The packaging by Crimson Lotus is absolutely gorgeous. Each of the two 250 gram bricks are wrapped in white paper and tucked into an authentic bamboo case and wrapped with the logo of Iron Forge Puerh. It is a relatively cheap puerh, valued currently at $38.00 for 500 grams. The leaves are big and beautiful, and they pry apart easily from the brick, with minimum leaf breakage. Those of you who enjoy shou puerh should definitely give this one a go.

4.)Yunnan Sourcing's Imperial Mojiang Golden Bud Yunnan Black

An excellent example of Chinese black tea from Yunnan, this tea is extraordinarily malty with a natural sweetness, followed by a cocoa bean chocolaty flavor. There is a light nuttiness, and a profound creaminess in mouth-feel. This tea is one of my go to black teas when I want something rich and malty to wake me up in the morning. The leaves in this tea are also GORGEOUS. They are incredibly soft with a curly shape, like tiny little golden snails. This tea lasts many infusions before giving up its flavor. Best of all, it is another fairly cheap black tea. 50 grams goes for $9.50 on Yunnan Sourcing.

3.) Verdant Tea's Tongmu Reserve Jin Jun Mei Black

Drinking this particular Chinese black tea is like sipping wild warm liquid honey. The aroma and taste of this tea is extraordinarily sweet, with a mineral aftertaste characteristic of Wuyi tea. The leaves are tiny, covered with golden hairs, and have a sweet wildflower honey scent to them. Unfortunately, this tea is very pricey and as such I only break it out for special occasions to brew up. Just 50 grams of this lovely tea will run you $35.50. It is worth it in my opinion, but probably best to only order it on special occasions.

2.) Seven Cups Bai Ji Guan (White Rooster Crest) Rock Wulong

This particular wulong is a relatively new discovery of mine, and has become an obsession of mine. It is so unique, completely unlike other rock wulong teas I have tried yet. There is a lovely mineral taste at the front, woven in with a floral and vegetal flavor, more like a dancong wulong instead of a rock wulong. The mouth-feel leaves the mouth with a fresh feeling, and at the back of the throat, there is a sweet and refreshing feeling, almost like when you drink a tall glass of icy spring water. The leaves are way lighter than most rock wulongs since this wulong didn't undergo as heavy a roasting process as most rock wulongs, and when brewed, the leaves are a pale green with the edges being an unusual red tint, unlike any other tea leaf. Since this tea is fairly rare, it is a bit pricey, running $38.56 for 50 grams. I know you can find it cheaper on Yunnan sourcing, but I honestly prefer Seven Cups Bai Ji Guan more.

And lastly...

1.) Seven Cups Da Hong Pao ( Big Red Robe) Rock Wulong

Anyone who knows my taste preference for teas knows I adore strong robust flavored teas, which is why I tend to drink less greens, whites, and yellow teas. Following this trend, my all time favorite tea I have experienced thus far simply has to be Da Hong Pao from Seven Cups. This wulong embodies everything I love in a tea. The liquor is a deep red, and the aroma and taste is filled with a powerful in your face roastiness from the charcoal roasting process this tea goes through in production. There is a sweetness to this tea that balances out the powerful roastiness, almost reminiscent of raisins. This tea is also filled with mineral notes characteristic of the Wuyi mountains it originates from. This tea has been my absolute favorite of all the teas I have tried, and was also the first tea I had at Seven Cups tea house. When brewed, the aroma wraps around the room and envelopes you in a warm blanket of roasted raisins, warm spices, and a sweet minerally aftertaste that lingers for half an hour. While it is my all time favorite tea, it is also the most pricey of all. A 50 gram bag can run $40.54. However, if you are a fan of rock wulongs, I HIGHLY recommend you try Seven Cups version of this tea. It is truly extraordinary. I have tried many Da Hong Pao teas from many vendors, and none even come close to the quality of the Da Hong Pao at Seven Cups. While the cost may seem exorbitant, it is definitely worth trying out. It is simply a delight.

And there you have it! Those are my top 5 favorite teas as of now that I have discovered in my journey through the world of tea. I hope some of you dear readers are able to give some of these a try if you haven't already, as they are each special gems in my eyes. What are some of your favorite teas you have experienced? Feel free to comment below! Cheers!

The Tea Connoisseur Matt

PS: Here are the links to the teas mentioned above in order, in case you are interested in snagging some for your teapots!

http://crimsonlotustea.com/collections/shou-ripe-p...

http://yunnansourcing.com/en/yunnan-black-teas/384...

http://verdanttea.com/teas/golden-buds-tong-mu-jin...

https://sevencups.com/shop/white-rooster-crest-roc...

https://sevencups.com/shop/da-hong-pao-big-red-rob...