Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Tea Party’

The chief thing Blue Q’s line of tea has going for it is the cute and clever packaging: in this case “ooo-long” is punctuated by a retro Daschund and a pink box that reminds me of a 1960′s Dippity-Doo ad. Then again, Blue Q is not exactly a tea specialist—their site has all kinds of gifts, gags, and goodies as well as a really fun “About Us” page.

With that said, Today’s Special Oolong Plum is not quite as appealing as the box, but not an unpleasant cuppa, either. Following packaging directions, you’ll get a golden-colored liquid with a very pleasant floral smell. Flavor is plum-flowery rather than plum-fruity, and leaves a bit of a Juicy Fruit aftertaste. If you’re looking for any oolong personality, it’s overpowered by the plum blossom thing. Do be careful not to oversteep; it goes bitter pretty easily.

This wouldn’t be one you’d choose to impress a hard-core tea-ophile, but if you’re looking for a fun gift for a casual tea drinker or a surprise for a little girls’ tea party, Blue Q’s pretty-in-pink box of bagged tea will be just fine.

You can purchase the Today directly from the Blue Q website.

Company Product Description: Artisans train for years to create blossoming tea flowers, and the Dancing Angels Flowering Tea represents the peak of that training. Each flowering tea is painstakingly hand sewn to ensure the each bud will open up and create a visual delight.

This flowering tea hails from the Anhui Province of China, where only the best leaves are chosen to wrap around a chain of Jasmine flowers, hanging like an arch over an Amaranth flower in the middle.

A succulent peach undertone characterizes this flowering tea, and it is as much of a joy to sip as it is to watch it unfold in the teapot. Each flower can be infused several times, and when you are finished brewing, you can replace the water in the pot or transfer the blossoming tea to a clear cup, add cold water and a touch of vinegar, and enjoy the blossom for days!

This Dancing Angels Flowering tea makes a great gift for friends, or can be enjoyed at a tea party where it will inevitably become the center of attention and conversation between you and your friends.!

REVIEW:

I was in a “Kids Choir” at our church when I was little and I always remember one of my first shows…we had to dress up like Angels and sing, dance, and act our way thru a Christmas Cantata.  I think I was 5 at the time.  I remember there being at least 2 Acts.  For some reason I had a sort-of Tea-Association with this Tea Experience.  When I tried this flowering tea for the first time I put it to the test for a total of 4 infusions…or should I say “Acts”?  Here are my findings…

ACT 1 – Infusion 1:
One this flower blooms it is HUGE!  It opened PERFECTLY and completely. The Red Floral Center’s color is so vibrant it looks like a strawberry from across the room. The liquid’s scent is sweet and wine-like. The color is pale but a pretty yellowish-white. My first sip was still very hot but I could instantly find the peachy tones – or should I say – they found me?

It’s sweet and peachy and floral-Jasmine towards the end of the sip. One of the better flowering teas I have EVER had! This is VERY flavorful especially for a flowering tea.

ACT 2 – Infusion 2:
The 2nd infusion was more flavorful than the first only infused about a minute longer. It was darker than the first infusion and, again, VERY tasty.  YUM.

ACT 3 – Infusion 3:
I could taste the Jasmine more than before.  TeaFrog says it’s good for 2 to 3 infusions but I am going to push the envelop!

ACT 4 – Infusion 4:
The 4th Infusion was lighter in color than the last 2 and sweeter but not much Jasmine than before but that’s okay with me.  One could probably try a 5th infusion if you were looking for a weaker or mellow tea. Regardless I am very pleased with this and would recommend it to anyone!

You can purchase the Dancing Angels directly from the TeaFrog website.