Thank you so much for the samples, Sanne Tea! I love the name. I know tea helps my sanity a great deal! Lulu of Sanne Tea was searching for authentic Taiwanese teas after moving to Michigan, so it is Lulu’s goal to offer 100% Taiwanese teas with zero-pesticides (sometimes Taiwan’s organic rules are matching or more strict than US organic rules and the farmers prefer to go the pesticide-free route for their own and their families health on the tea farms anyway — not to mention higher quality of flavor in the tea). Lulu also gets to know the farmers and tries to share info about them with us tea drinkers! The farmer of this tea is Peng Mu Sheng with almost 40 years experience of growing and making natural teas! His tea farm is one of the oldest in the Sun Moon Lake area. I think he knows what he is doing because this tea is amazing! I really appreciate that information on the farmers is included on Sanne Tea’s site (sannetea.com). It really sets Sanne Tea apart from most tea shops. It makes me appreciate a tea a little bit more. :D
I had to try this one! A hint to Butiki’s Premium Taiwanese Assam fans: If you miss PTA, think Taiwan #18 or “Ruby”. I’m pretty sure this is the closet thing to PTA and the best harvests. The description says that #18 is created by hybridizing Taiwanese wild mountain tea trees with Burma Assam tea trees, so there you have it: Taiwanese Assam. The leaves look the same in both teas: long dusty black twisty tree branches. The longest leaves there can be. The description also says it tastes like Assam or Ceylon but I disagree. I think this tea has a unique flavor all its own. The Sanne Tea version and PTA both taste like caramelized candy strawberries to me! It’s a type of tea that I NEED to have in the cupboard at all times. Such a light, smooth, sweet, honey-like tea! The second and third steeps were very similar – maybe a little deeper in flavor. The parameters suggested using 5 grams for six ounces (almost all of the 6 gram sample which seems to be about 4 teaspoons) but I definitely didn’t follow the suggestions. I think my resulting delicious cups were as delicious as possible though!Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons measured as well as possible for a full mug // 7 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // few minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2-3 min
Flavors: Caramel, Strawberry
