Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Heaping Teaspoon’

Ingredients for this were thankfully simple. Along with the touted natural blueberry flavoring were Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) leaves and cornflowers. Telling them apart wasn’t a difficult feat, even for a bespectacled boob such as myself. The tea leaves were forest green-to-brown – wilderness-like in appearance – with flecks of bold purple interrupting the jungle-ish canvas. Cornflowers aren’t considered a flavor enhancer. They’re added to blends for the sole purpose of making them look pretty, such as with Earl Greys. They certainly did their part here. As did the blueberry flavoring; one would’ve thought a blueberry had bled for this blend.

Brewing instructions called for a water temperature of 80C (176F) and a one-to-two-minute steep. That actually seemed rather light for a Bai Mu Dan in my opinion. Peony is generally a very resilient white. Usually, I went with a 165F (or above) steep for three minutes. That said, I went with their recommendation; a heaping teaspoon worth in 8oz of water, steeped for two. Just in case.

The liquor brewed up to the usual pale yellow associated with most white teas, albeit a tad darker since it was a Peony. The steam aroma was about as blueberry as anything could get, even in comparison to actual blueberries. The fragrance was also surprisingly sweet, giving the impression of fruit candies. Y’know…the roll-up kind. No surprise, but the flavor echoed the smell to the letter. Most flavoring agents dilute a bit upon infusion, but this stayed afloat like some sort of – uh – berry boat. (What? It was all I could come up with?!)

For connoisseurs looking to taste some Bai Mu Dan with their blueberry, I regret to inform you won’t get much of an impression of the white tea base. The problem with blending white tea is that so subtle a foundation gets lost in the botanical fray. This is why the most successful white tea blends use petals and blossoms, so as to enhance their subtleties. Actual freeze-tried or sun-dried blueberries probably would’ve worked better with this. That is, if the goal was to have a White Peony presence. But for something that blares with bombast about it’s “blueberry”-ness, this succeeds in spades.

You can purchase the Blueberry White Tea directly from the TeaFrog 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.

The scent from the sample is strongly woody.

I measured out 1 tsp and got a large caramel cube!

5 minute infusion; WOW!!! The creaminess of the caramel is coming through and (thankfully) leaving the woodiness of the rooibos behind. It tastes just like a caramel chew. This has turned out to my favorite rooibos blend from Tea Frog. This tea is yummy and definitely going on my list of night time tea selections.

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

I like big chunky tea leaves and the Mark T. Wendell Formosa Keemun fits the bill. A fully oxidized black tea from Formosa (aka Taiwan) is unusual as Formosa typically produces the famously large-leaf fragrant oolong, a green tea. Taiwan is known for its superb tea industry and its workers handle tea with care and appreciation. Mark Wendell referred to this tea as “the burgundy of teas” boasting a mellow full-bodied brew with a superb bouquet. However, some reviewers say it’s too mild a tea . This black tea is typically served as a breakfast beverage so I can understand that a robust tea would be expected by some. A keemun would typically not be taken with milk or sugar and a light sponge cake would probably accompany this tea if served in Taiwan.

The dry leaf is cut and dried with a gentle curve. The pieces are about a 1/2 inch in length and thick, not wirey as you would expect from a mainland China Keemun. The colour of the leaves is not jet-black either. There is a silvery appearance reminding me of fermented Pu-erh tea. The scent of the dry leaf is a bit minty and bit chocolate and a bit floral.

The recommended preparation from Wendell is “1 rounded teaspoon and 1 for the pot. Steep for 4-5 minutes in 190-200 degF (88-93 degC) water”. The amount of water is not specified. So, I will use 2.5 grams in a pre-warmed 5 oz Gaiwan as my tasting measure with 200° F filtered water. I think 4 minutes would be best. The leaf is quite thick so a longer steep is needed. I would use the full 5 minutes if I were preparing a larger quantity (12 oz.) in a tea pot and I would keep it warm under a tea light. As a special note, I tried a heaping teaspoon (from my kitchenware) of the tea and weighed it. I was at 2.4 grams with my kitchen teaspoonful, almost bang-on. I tried a traditional kitchen measuring spoon ( 1 tsp.) and ended up with 1.8 grams, considerably less. So, you can see that if you’d end up with a lighter tea if you were too scientific about it.

On the examination of the wet leaves, I noted brown-leather coloured, fully opened leaves. There were some stems but generally a quality leaf was used. The leaf and stems were a bit dry on rehydration. This tea could go up to 5 minutes but has little more give after the first 4 minutes. There is a distinctive floral scent to the wet leaves to enjoy as well.

The liquor pours off clear and bright with a light amber-red colour. There is the scent of caramel and a slight malt note from the oxidization, similar to an Assam. With low astringency the natural sweetness comes out. There is a hint of smokiness. The liquor is full in the mouth, leaving a pleasant residual and minty-cool freshness in the mouth, almost like after brushing your teeth in the morning. I can see adding a tiny bit of lemon to pick up the brigntness. I tried the tea after an initial tasting with a blueberry bran muffin to see how it would stand up to additional sweetness and flavours. The tea tasted quickly like an orange pekoe, losing its sweet floral notes and leaving some astringency that seemed to now ask for milk.

My recommendation is to enjoy this tea mid-morning to early afternoon where you are not expecting robustness. While it would be best to drink this tea solo, try serving the Formosa Keemun with light fruits such as melons or pears as the tea will not stand up to strong flavours. I don’t think its meant to be. I can see Mark Wendell sitting in his office sipping this tea while working on his business papers. Light and mild, this tea would not distract his attention. What a contrast from his dearly loved smoked Lapsang Souchong Hua-Kwa tea!

You can purchase the Formosa Keemun directly from the Mark T. Wendall Tea Company website.

This tea from Shanti Tea is aptly named “Red Chocolate” as it is made of Rooibos (Red Bush) and cocoa shells. Rooibos is a herbal tea that grows naturally in the wild in South Africa. It is naturally caffeine-free which makes it a perfect beverage for the evening as well as for kids and expectant moms.

Right when you open the bag, your senses are treated with an aroma that is similar to red wine, on account of the mix of aromas coming off the rooibos and the chocolate. It smells almost like the liquor inside the cherry-filled chocolates.

When it is steeped the liquor is a lovely, bright, coppery orange infusion. The scent becomes very chocolaty, and at times if I smell it for an extended period of time, it can even become kind of heady. The taste, however, is not as it smells. It does not taste like liquor, so don’t worry you won’t get tipsy from drinking this!:) Rooibos is very forgiving; it’s hard to steep this incorrectly. As a matter of fact you can steep it for as long as you want. Extended steeping will make the infusion darker but it will not get bitter. I recommend steeping 1 heaping teaspoon per 8oz for 4-6 minutes with boiling water. It doesn’t taste like many flavoured teas where any one element of the tea stands out and overpowers the other tastes. The chocolate and rooibos blend well into a singular taste where you don’t know where one begins and the other ends. It is quite natural in this way. For anyone looking for unique, lasting aromas and subtle, natural tastes, I would recommend this tea.

You can purchase the Red Chocolate directly from the Shanti Tea website.