Tea Blog

Name: Pearl River Green Tea

Brand: English Tea Store

Type: Green tea, Chinese, Organic

Form: Loose leaf

Review: Chinese green tea lovers who are looking for a reasonably priced organic option should consider the English Tea Store’s Pearl River Green Tea. Its olive green, slightly twisty leaves  infuse to a green-gold, light/medium-bodied liquor with a classic, straightforward green tea flavor.

Pearl River is a sturdy tea, and its dry leaf has a subtle, slightly spicy nose. After brewing, the spice mostly dissipates, though there is a very slight hint of nutmeg in the tea’s finish. Otherwise, this is a somewhat vegetal tea, with the flavor of baby lettuces. The tea is also moderately astringent, resulting in a nice, but noticeable, pucker after each sip.

This tea does lack the sweetness that one often finds in Chinese green teas: I have found this to be characteristic of many organic teas, and am not entirely sure why this should be. If you are fond of teas with a lot of natural sweetness, you may wish to select another green tea, as Pearl River is not a sweet tea, and unlikely to quell sweet cravings. It is also not a tea that I would recommend to green tea “beginners”, as its vegetal notes may not suit an untrained palate. On the other hand, I’ve found that it’s robustness makes it a nifty “morning tea”, great for consuming before breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Preparation Tips: Bring the water temperature down to about 180F and allow the leaf to steep for about 2 minutes for a flavorful, but not overwhelming, cup of green tea.

Serving Tips: This tea tastes great served on its own: Pairing it with food would overwhelm its flavors. However, it is also clean and neutral enough that it wouldn’t produce any weird contrasts in flavor if you did consume it along with a meal. This also makes a nice iced green tea.

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