Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Blossoms’

It doesn’t happen very often these days, but I would say about once every couple o’ months, something catches my eye in an “ooo shiny!” fashion. Okay, okay, I do that a lot…but not AS often with tea. I have a list saved as a Gmail draft that I call my “Tea WANT!” list. On it are several orthodox (and some plain out-there) teas that I hope to try someday. At present, I’ve notched off half of it. Some of the more difficult things were more easily obtained than I thought.

What’s this got to do with Shang Tea? Well, I ran across their operation via a tea social network called Steepster. (Think Facebook for cuppers.) Someone was waxing poetic about this black tea blend they recently tried. What caught my “shiny!” gland was the mention of tangerine blossoms. In case it isn’t readily apparent, I’m a tangerine fiend – been addicted to ‘em ever since I was a wee tot. I never knew those damn fruit trees had blossoms to them. Had I known, I would’ve built a fort out of ‘em.

Shang Tea is an operation out of Kansas City, MO. Other than being another brick-n-mortar tea shop in a mall, they have another thing to their credit. They own their own high-altitude tea garden in Fujian province, China. Their specialty happens to be Silver Needle white tea, but they also play around with the same cultivar to make red (or black) tea. This fermented option was blended with tangerine blossoms.

I bought a sampler pack that included this, along with several other white teas and blends. Needless to say, I first tore open the Tangerine Blossom black. Almost like an addict, even. It smelled beyond superb. Along with the slightly smoky/earthy black tea base was a scent similar to jasmine flowers and citrus rind – sweet yet floral. The tea leaves themselves were thin and twisty; the blossoms looked like – well – blossoms. Very…uh…blossomy.

The brewing instructions they recommended were a tad confusing, especially the measurements for the tea leaves. I skipped theirs and went with my own prep – 1 heaping teaspoon of leaves in 8oz of 205F water for three minutes. A bit light, sure, but it seemed the wisest approach.

The liquor brewed to a color that I would call “oolong amber”. The liquid aroma echoed the semi-fermented tea comparison with a fruity/lightly-astringent nose. As for taste, this completely floored me. It began with a regular Dian Hong-ish forefront that was immediately followed up with a strong citrus lean in the middle. That tapered off into a honey-floral aftertaste that simply lingered. I could find no fault with this blend. At all. It was perfect. I’m only upset that I’m all out of it now.

You can purchase the Tangerine Blossom Red Tea directly from the Shang Tea website.

Pineapple bits, dried coconut and rose petals are dispersed throughout this rooibos blend. The dry smell is tropical without the woodsy smell that some rooibos teas exhibit.

5 minute infusion and the rose petals have unfurled. This particular blend is very drinkable with a sweetness that masks the rooibos. As I sip this tea, I can detect an almost orange flavor profile. Nice choice for late night tea sipping since rooibos is naturally caffeine free.

You can purchase the Tahiti Cream directly from the TeaFrog website.

I’m easily confused.  Especially when two conflicting rules butt up against each other.  So blends of black and green tea *definitely* confuse me.  Do I brew at high temps or low?  Risk scalding the green to get the black to brew up fully?  Or should you brew at the low temperature and risk a weak cuppa?

This meant playing with the parameters and seeing what worked best.  The lower temperature brew resulted in a more fruity/floral brew while the higher temperature brought out the tea more.  Both were flavorful cups that had some lovely fruity overtones.   My favorite was the lower temperature brew.  It had more floral and fruit notes and was definitely NOT a weak cup.  Either way, it was a lovely, light brown cup that was enjoyable to drink.

Nice, flavorful, and fruity. Yum.

You can purchase the 1001 Nights directly from the TeaFrog website.

Da.u.de samples always come in lovely tins with beautiful labels. Opening this tin an AMAZING scent washes over you. Dark fruit, sweet berries, and lovely sweet tones and floral high tones. I would wear this scent daily this scent as a perfume if I could. However, teas with amazing aromas such as this one always make me nervous – will the flavor live up to the aroma? Or will your tongue call your nose a liar?

I am happy to report that for this tea, your tongue will congratulate your nose on its taste and discretion.

Brewed up, the aroma continues and the deep ruby red tea looks rich and inviting. The flavors are sweet, fruity, and juicy with a base level of tartness. This is likely due to the hibiscus. I tend to detest hibiscus in herbal teas, but here it adds just the right base note for the other lighter flavors to use as a springboard, launching the entire blend into balance and harmony. I realize I’m likely mixing metaphors here, but the tea is just darned good.

I did slightly sweeten the brew, as I tend to like my herbals sweet, but this could be enjoyed unsweetened – it is sweet without needing to add anything.

This is a great blend. This would be perfect for evening drinking, or iced on a hot sunny afternoon.

Wow, what a delicious medley of fruit scents that is being held in the dry leaf of this rooibos blend. Sweet and juicy notes mix together with a slightly tart undertone. Steeped, it remains fruity in smell, with some nutty scents mixed in. The liquor is bright and clear and light red in colour.

For all the intense smells, the taste of this tea is very much muted. Regardless, it has an all-around fruity flavour that is strong, but does not overwhelm the taste of the rooibos. This alone was a welcome change from many other rooibos fruit blends I have tried. The tea also manages to keep the tartness to a minimum (again, very much appreciated).

I quite enjoyed the fact that the ingredients were so well balanced. None of them seemed to overwhelm the complete flavour of the tea, leading to a pleasingly blended finish. This was a great drinking experience, for which I give this tea an 80/100. I am really glad I tried this tea.

You can purchase the Skala directly from the Da-u-de website.