Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Natural Sweetness’

I did a bit of background research on this tea, revealing that it was indeed grown in New Zealand and that this is one of three different varieties being produced there at the moment (the others are Zealong Dark and Zealong Aromatic). Unlike the other two, this Zealong Pure features “sweet, fresh-tasting leaves” that are “unroasted, bringing out the pure, natural flavour of the tea” (zealong.com). Their website suggests 1 tsp of leaves per cup of water, infused for a minute (at least at first).

Opening the package, I take in the aroma of the dry leaves. Sweet, very clean-smelling. They are rolled into balls, reminiscent of a ti kawn yin oolong. I prepare the water, freshly boiled, but not still boiling. The first minute of infusion goes by. The steeped liquor smells fresh and slightly floral. The leaves have a very vegetal aroma and still smell quite sweet. Sipping this first cup is a joy. From the smell of the liquor, I expected a much weaker brew than what now dances around on my tongue. While not strong, this oolong does have a full body – floral, fresh, and with just a touch of that natural sweetness.

Eagerly, I go ahead and steep the leaves again, for the suggested one minute. The leaves now have taken on a fuller aroma, more “juicy,” but in a floral sense. The smell of the brewed tea is still subdued, but after the first cup, I know this subdued aroma could hold great flavour. I can tell that the flavour has gone, somewhat, from the leaves, in comparison to the first steeping. It is, however, still there with the sweetness becoming a bit more prominent and equal with the other flavours.

The third steep is for two minutes (as per the suggestions from zealong.com). The longer steep-time has brought the flavours and aromas back in line with the first steeping. Full bodied, perhaps even a bit stronger flavour-wise than the first infusion. Ah, it is still delicious, regardless. I go ahead and put this tea through several more steepings. The zealong.com website makes the claim that it will last six to eight infusions. I am satisfied, and gladly would rate this tea a 92/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

You can purchase the Zealong Pure directly from the Tula Teas website.

Usually I shy away from packaged tea. However, the word “Organic” on the front of the Mighty Leaf package got my attention. I’m also a fan of Earl Grey. I was curious about the “artisan whole leaf pouch”. The contents were just that – artisanal silk tea bag with fancy unbleached cotton stitching continuing into a long chain-stitched string. You can see the intensely large black whole leaf tea through the mesh bag. It doesn’t look like a lot but will soon be saturated with hot water and the tea will expand to almost completely fill the bag, elongating it to the shape of a diamond, providing visual interest.

This company has specific large print instructions on the package to steep their product for 4 minutes, yet doesn’t say what quantity of water should be used. I would assume this would be a single serving size and that would be 8 oz. I used a mug with a lid. You will lose a lot of the aromatics from the bergamot essential oil without a lid to trap the vapours. Alternatively, you could use a teapot and steep the tea in 12 oz water without losing too much as long as you use a tea light or a tea cozy to keep the liquor warm during this longer steep.

The blend contains golden tips organic black tea (doesn’t say where sourced) with first-pressed bergamot oil with a drop of jasmine essence. The tea is organic, but not necessarily the flavouring. When I opened the package, I expected to have my sense flooded with bergamot. They weren’t. So I wondered if the characteristic of the tea would be lost.

After the dutiful 4 minute steep, I sampled the tea. I could smell the bergamot in the stem. The drink was an orange-red. The flavour of the bergamot was not strong, allowing a natural sweetness of a good quality tea to come through with a fullness in the mouth. The bergamot flavour sat at the mid to back of the tongue and at the roof of mouth where the aromatics can be enjoyed. There was relatively low tannin and minimal astringency making this perfect to drink without milk.

While the flavour of jasmine is not really the feature of the tea, its effects are unmistakeable in combination with the bergamot. Combined, they provide a relaxing experience. One can mellow out with this tea. It de-stresses the body and the emotions and like the long steep, you relax into the experience. The smoothness of this tea tempered with jasmine provides a long satisfying drink. Each sip renews the flavour profiles even after 10 – 12 ounces. This is a long, slow drink. I would take this in the late evening. Its quite different, less edgy than a Twinnings Earl Grey. I may have found a new favourite!

You can purchase the Mighty Leaf Organic Earl Grey directly from the Mighty Leaf Tea website.

This Assam Reserve tea was a World Tea Champion in 2009 and was manufactured for SpecialTea Brew of Redmond, Washington. The 5.6 gram sample shows a golden tippy, beautifully curled and twisted loose leaf Assam. For a black tea, the leaf is large and typical of a good whole leaf black Indian tea. I can imagine what the panellists were expecting. I am expecting a mellow malt, dense texture and malty cup of dark brew.

I checked the SpecialTea Brew site but there was no further information given about this award winning tea. Usually when a tea manufacturer calls the tea “Reserve” it is for a reason. There is some special characteristic about the tea that is put aside and is in limited quantities and is usually set at as a premium tea on the market due to its rarity. Too bad we don’t know more about this tea. I’m assuming this is a newly started business and is still under development. So, let’s see what the tea has to offer.

For tasting, I used 2.5 grams in 5 oz for 3 minutes. Following traditional preparation for an assam tea, use one teaspoon per person (approximately 2.grams) in a teapot with 8oz.boiling water over it and steep for 3- 4 minutes.

The tea was clear and bright, not dense with spicy nutmeg notes. With a low astringency or low briskness, the natural sweetness carries well in a full liquor. The malt flavours held true even with added milk. I was thinking of the hot Ovaltine drink and memories of my childhood came back. I found the tea complex with many malt notes to explore. There was something comforting and yet invigorating about the tea. Most remarkable is the malt flavouring in a bright clear cup. That takes a lot of skill. Please try this tea if you like different assams as it is very elegant as assam usually know for more robust qualities. Maybe the lighter tone of the tea is a new direction for Assam.

You can purchase the Assam Reserve directly from the SpecialTea Brew website.

Upon opening the package, you are hit with the most incredible, rich, fresh scent of blood orange that smells it has been freshly squeezed. The dry leaves are thin and wiry with the beautiful red-orange leaves safflower leaves mixed in. I measured out 2 tsp of tea and steeped it in boiling water for 3 minutes as directed on the package.

As the tea is steeping, the scent of the blood orange intensifies but still does not smell artificial. The tea pours to be medium-brown in color with just a hint of orange thrown in. When you take a sip of the tea, you’ll first notice the smooth and flavorful black tea base followed by rich, juicy orange. The orange flavoring is so natural that you will begin to wonder if someone put a small splash of blood orange juice in your black tea while you weren’t looking.

This tea does not need any additives. This is big for me. As a general rule, I add milk and possibly sweetener to just about every black tea but this tea doesn’t need any of that. There is a natural sweetness that makes the tea very enjoyable to drink plain. For my personal enjoyment, this tea receives high marks. It is nice to have a black tea without having to worry about fixing it up before it tastes right.

You can purchase the Blood Orange Black directly from the Drink The Leaf website.

TeaFrog’s Assam Rani SFTGFOP is an exceptional tea.   The very best Assam teas are versatile and yield many aromatic and flavorful treats.   This is one of the very best I’ve experienced.

A morning cup without milk or sweetener, is a delightful malty rush of great taste.  I even felt a bit guilty drinking such a delectable tea when I had not yet fully awakened, but TeaFrog’s Assam Rrani SFTGFOP had me alert and paying close attention within a few seconds.   There’s a natural sweetness to this tea, so I would not recommend adding any sweetener.  On its own the tea envelops the drinker in folds of chocolate, citrus, raisins,  and the malty deepness of a truly rich tea.  It’s always fascinating to me how single leaf teas can be as intensely versatile with each sniff, each sip presenting a new universe of flavor.   This kind of tea leaf is to be cherished.

I had the Assam Rani SFTGFOP in the afternoon as well.   The morning calls for a tea to rouse one, to get one moving, to bolster the spirits and to summons energy.  In the afternoon, a tea can be sipped more slowly and appreciated and savored without urgency.  It’s like the difference between a quick sprint through an art museum and slowly pausing in front of a painting to speculate and contemplate.   In the afternoon I added some milk, which did not diminish the tea at all.  It’s strong enough to stand up to any creamy additions.  I once again picked up on the changing flavors offered by each sip.   The malty essence of a good, strong bracing tea is a splendor in its own right but the side-notes that come to the front of the palate are a true pleasure.  

TeaFrog’s Assan Rani SFTGFOP is a superb tea to be relished and appreciated.  It has numerous taste notes dancing upon the bracing scaffolding of a really exceptionally fine black tea.  It wins my highest rating for a good, strong black tea which offers many gifts to the appreciative drinker.

You can purchase the Assam Rani SFTGFOP directly from the TeaFrog website.