Tea Review: White, Green, and Black Tea (Minto Island Tea Company)

During the 2021 Open House at Minto Island Tea Company, I had the opportunity to pick up a variety box of their Spring Flush teas.

White Tea
Type: White
Origin: USA, Oregon, Salem
Product Description:

24 grams of loose leaf Camellia sinensis, grown, handpicked, and processed right here on our farm in Salem, OR in May 2021.

Tasting notes: 

6/3/21: grassy, bright, and clean.

5/31/21: sweet, mellow, and spicy.

5/25/21: rich and velvety.

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of flowers, sweet grapes, oats, and dried wood.

The golden liquor has a sweet aroma of baked squash, nuts, and green vine.  The taste has notes of nuts, nut shells, and something that reminded me of sweet pea with a long, sweet floral finish.

The refreshing floral finish to this tea, brought to mind that first deep inhale during a visit to a garden in bloom.  The flavor and sweetness remained full throughout three infusions. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Green Tea
Type: Green
Origin: USA, Oregon, Salem
Product Description:

24 grams of loose leaf Camellia sinensis, grown, handpicked, and processed right here on our farm in Salem, OR in May 2021.

Tasting notes: juicy, smooth, and creamy.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

The dry leaves have a savory aroma of ground nuts, grass, and fragrant wood.

The pale green infusion has a savory and nutty aroma with a hint of edamame.  The taste is smooth and nutty with light edamame notes.  

While I most enjoyed the results from steeping for 2 minutes for its abundance of savory umami, steeping for 3 minutes produced refreshing green grassy notes similar to sencha without burying the savory notes found in a shorter steep.  This gave me a feeling of early summer.

This tea was purchased by me.

Black Tea
Type: Black
Origin: USA, Oregon, Salem
Product Description:

24 grams of loose leaf Camellia sinensis, grown, handpicked, and processed right here on our farm in Salem, OR in May 2021.

Tasting notes: honey, pumpkin, and malty.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have a rich aroma with nutty and dark bread flour notes.

The copper orange infusion has a deep, rich aroma with notes of baked fruit and something that reminds me of dark bread.  The taste has notes of nut shell with a hint of baked fruit, mild astringency, and a dry finish.

The dry leaf aroma left me with a strong craving for fresh baked bread.  The taste mellowed by the third infusion while still being enjoyable.

This tea was purchased by me.