Tea Review: Silk Oolong (Red Blossom Tea Company)

In general, I like oolong teas, but I've found they tend to have quite a wide range of flavors and textures and aromas (perhaps the variety and complexity is why I love Oolong.)

Red Blossom Tea Company's Silk Oolong is a milk-infused variety; as soon as I opened the canister and took a whiff, I was hooked. The smell is mild, rich, creamy, smoky, and musky all at once, perhaps a little bit like cavendish pipe tobacco; earthy and sweet at the same time.
Brewed up, this tea imparts a flavor very similar to the aroma: rich and complex, natural and sweet with a balanced oxidation providing just the right hints of musk or smoke to the flavor. I am going to come right out and say it: this is the best tea I have ever had in my entire life so far.

Tea Review: Jade Chai (Red Blossom Tea Company)

Just like any chai, Jade Chai by Red Blossom Tea Company combines tea with various spices such s cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, etc. The difference is that most chai teas are made with black tea; this version uses fresh green leaves instead, giving it a slightly less smoky/rich flavor and more of a light, tart flavor.

Tea Review: Lavender Green Tea (Red Blossom Tea Company)

As described, the Lavender Green tea by Red Blossom Tea Company is a blend of lavender spikes/blossoms and loose green tea. This one has a nice, floral, almost-perfume flavor as you would expect, but the problem is that it is difficult to brew; like most green and white teas, you need to be sure to steep it in water that is not too hot, and also don't steep it too long. Unfortunately, however, if you do this the flavor of the lavender is very faint, since flowers and herbs tend to require hotter water and/or a longer steep time to bring out the flavor.

Tea Company Review: Red Blossom Tea Company

The Red Blossom Tea Company, based in San Francisco's Chinatown at 851 Grant Ave, is a great little boutique tea dealer.

While their website is simple, well-designed, and you can certainly place a mail-order purchase from it, I highly recommend visiting the actual little brick-and-mortar shop in Chinatown if you get the chance. Nestled amongst the other wonderful tiny stores that Chinatown is known for -- cheap toys and knick-knacks, Asian-themed clothing and cookware, jade jewelry and fresh fish and dim sum and roasted ducks -- Red Blossom has an attractive, cozy tea shop right in the heart of it all.

When you first walk in, one shelf will be adorned with the large canisters of various teas (sorted by type: green, white, oolong, black, herbal blends, etc); on the other side of the room they have small tables with tea spreads for pouring tea.

As you walk through the room, you can open the canisters of loose-leaf tea to view and whiff the contents. If you love tea, it's like a tiny-but-well-appointed candy shop of delights. The teas are priced by the pound and are competitively-priced, but generally not cheap (rare greens and oolongs run most expensive, as is usually the case, and herbal blends tend to be cheaper -- again, this tends to be the norm)

I cannot speak for all of the variety of flavors they carry, but I managed to purchase 3 on my first visit:

• Lavender Green


• Jade Chai


• Silk Oolong
(my favorite tea in the world!)