Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Dragon Tea House

Tea Description:

A delicate flower blooms inside this ball tea just before tiny flowers slowly cascade upward like Champagne bubbles. The flowers add their enlivening fragrance and strong taste to this delectably smooth green tea. Our Ball offers one of the most artful spectacles in tea. This blooming tea has an original shape of an tiny ball and when put in boiling water a bouquet of tea leaves and flower. The aromas of both flowers and tea leaves are very well preserved and these exceptional teas develop a wonderful flavor and create at the same time a beautiful “table decoration”.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Every once in a while, I like to take a moment to simply watch a tea steep.  There is something so wonderfully relaxing about it.  I think my favorite teas to watch steep are blooming teas, like this Love Game Flowering Tea from Dragon Tea House.  I like blooming teas because they open slowly, taking their time to reveal their splendor, and when they’ve finally fully unfurled, what a breathtaking display!

A better view of the blossom

I infused this tea for six full minutes in 180°F water, and it still had not opened fully … which means MORE INFUSIONS!  Yay!  This first cup is tasty.  The mouthfeel is soft and silky.  The taste is sweet and floral with notes of jasmine, and a slight nutty flavor.  It is very smooth tasting, with very little astringency and no bitterness.

For my second infusion, I set the timer for ten minutes, although it had fully unfurled after about 90 seconds (taking seven and a half minutes total to completely open), but I infused it for the full ten minutes to achieve full flavor for the infusion, and that ten minutes delivered!   The second infusion was even tastier than the first.  The flavor is more focused on the nutty flavors, with hints of jasmine, and a sweet, fresh, slightly grassy tone.

Overall, a very pleasant experience!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Flowering)

Where to Buy:  Dragon Tea House

Tea Description:

A delicate flower blooms inside this ball tea just before tiny flowers slowly cascade upward like Champagne bubbles. The flowers add their enlivening fragrance and strong taste to this delectably smooth green tea. Our Ball offers one of the most artful spectacles in tea. This blooming tea has an original shape of an tiny ball and when put in boiling water a bouquet of tea leaves and flower. The aromas of both flowers and tea leaves are very well preserved and these exceptional teas develop a wonderful flavor and create at the same time a beautiful “table decoration”.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This tea is really beautiful, and I am thrilled at how quickly the leaves opened to reveal the display of flowers inside.  Sometimes, with blossoming teas like this, it takes two or sometimes even three infusions before the tea bulb fully opens, but, I got a beautiful show after steeping for just four minutes.

The flavor is a little less impressive.  It tastes alright, don’t get me wrong, and I was able to drink not just the first cup but a second infusion as well, and I enjoyed them both.

This has a stronger green tea taste than some of the other blooming teas, and that may have something to do with it.  It has a stronger vegetal taste, and a very faint jasmine note.  It’s pleasant enough, and as I continued to drink, a soft buttery tone developed that I liked.

While these pictures are really lovely, I have to say that I think it’s even more breathtaking in person.  If you’ve not yet brewed a blooming tea, what are you waiting for?  You should get yourself a glass teapot or mug, and try some blooming teas!  I have a mug with a glass infuser, which makes it very easy to enjoy the unfurling of the leaves, the finished display, and it is also very easy to remove the tea from the mug to enjoy the tea.  I don’t drink blooming teas very often, I would say that I try to have one at least once a week, if for no other reason than the release of stress that I get from watching the unfurling process.

And while this isn’t my favorite blooming tea that I’ve ever had, I will say that I’m really impressed with Dragon Tea House’s vast selection of teas, including some Yellow teas.  Fair prices too!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Teavivre

Tea Description:

When you brew Two Dragons, two arms of jasmine and globe amaranth petals will slowly expand upwards cupping a single marigold flower – and so it is given the name of Two Dragons and a Pearl.  Thanks to the jasmine and amaranth, this tea has a wonderful sweet, flowery aroma and taste.  The taste is long-lasting and will survive 2 or 3 infusions.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is the third and final tea from my Steepster Select box from February:  Year of the Dragon.  It is a very slow-to-open blooming tea from Teavivre.  It’s fun to watch it slowly unfurl to reveal the beautiful flowery display tucked inside the handcrafted bulb.

The instructions suggest using boiling water and 2 minutes steep time.  However, I couldn’t bear to pour boiling water over these bulbs, I was afraid I’d burn them.  Instead, I heated the water to 185°F, and steeped for 2 1/2 minutes.  Only a few leaves opened away from the bulb, so, I infused it a second time, adding 1 minute onto the steep time. With the second infusion, the bulb expanded more, revealing hints of the colors of the display, but, still did not open fully. 

It wasn’t until the third and final infusion that the bulb fully opened, revealing a beautiful orange flower at the base of the leaves, and jasmine “arms” that reach up to hold a gorgeous red flower.  The photo to the right doesn’t begin to do justice to how lovely this bloom really is.

The tea from the first infusion was a very gentle flavored tea, with notes of jasmine and hints of fresh grass and hay.  It was delicious, but I do think it could have improved with a longer steep time.  Perhaps a hotter water would have produced more flavor as well, but again, having scorched more than my share of green and white teas in my past, this is something I do not wish to repeat.

The second infusion provided a much more flavorful cup.  The flavor is sweet and floral, and the tea tastes fresh and even a little creamy.  Very smooth, with no notable astringency or bitterness.  The third infusion was a little less flavorful, but still was quite enjoyable … and even though the flavor had waned a little, the splendor of the bulb finally opening fully made it worth the effort to steep it a third time.

Another lovely tea experience from Teavivre.  I’ve come to expect greatness from them, and they’ve yet to fail!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Blooming Tea)

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Tea Description:

Sweeping jasmine arch over a bright lily. This tea is mellow, even buttery, with a hint of sweetness from the jasmine. Absolutely delightful! Ingredients: Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect), Jasmine (sweet fragrance, said to moisten the skin, ease anxiety and anti-inflammatory) and Silver Needle Tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

What a beautiful display!  The pale green leaves of the tea open up to reveal a red-orange flower and an arch of white blossoms.  Really pretty.  This is a tea you’ll want to be sure to steep in a tall glass or teapot so that you can fully experience the bloom as it unfurls.

The color of the tea surprised me, it is a bit darker than other blooming teas that I’ve tried.  It is still a light color – I’d say it’s light amber – but darker than the pale yellow liquor that I’ve experienced with other blossoming teas.

The flavor is delightful.  It is sweet, smooth and floral, but, not in a soapy kind of way.  The flavor of the white tea is prominent.  It has a fresh, airy kind of flavor with notes of hay and sweet grass.

There is a creamy element to this tea as well – buttery – and a mouthfeel that complements the creaminess.  The floral notes are definitely jasmine, with a lighter lily tone than I recall tasting with the Jasmine Fairy Blossoming Tea (also from Alice’s Fine Teas).

What a delightful tea experience – one that would be fun to share with friends.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  The Persimmon Tree

Tea Description:

A beautifully hand-crafted blooming white tea that displays a ring of jasmine and amaranth flowers, with blueberry and peach essence.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

There are those who avoid blooming teas because they think they’re gimmick-y and that the tea they produce does not taste up to par.  I used to be one of them!  But, since that time, I have found quite a few blooming teas that are quite delicious.  This blooming tea – Halo from Persimmon Tree Tea – is one of my newest favorites!

This tea is slow to unfurl; it did not completely open after the first infusion of five minutes.  I infused the partially open bulb again, and after the second infusion of six minutes, I enjoyed a beautiful display.  There was a white floral arch that extended to support a pretty bright pink flower.

In the first infusion, I found the floral tones to be sweet and soft, and they meld quite nicely with blueberry and peach flavors.  The flavor of the white tea lends a delicate creamy note to the cup.  With the second infusion, the floral notes were a bit stronger, but it was still a very delicious cup.

This is a really lovely blooming tea.  I think it would be a perfect tea to serve at a tea party, it would surely make a great conversation starter!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Blooming Tea)

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Tea Description:

Our Jasmine Fairy starts out as a ‘mushroom’ shape ball. White jasmine and beautiful lily hide inside the silver needle tea. Pouring boiled water causes the red lily petals to rise up trying to follow the white jasmine dancing light-footed like a fairy flying in the sky. This fragrant tea tastes smooth and sweet. Ingredients: Jasmine (sweet fragrance, said to moisten the skin, ease anxiety and anti-inflammatory), Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect), Silver Needle Tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

It’s been a while since I’ve had a blooming tea, so I decided that now was the time.  I have really enjoyed the blooming teas that Alice’s Fine Teas offers, so I was pretty confident I’d enjoy this one too.

After steeping for six minutes in 175°F water, the bloom was open, but, I fear that my glass cup was not quite tall enough to see the full effect of the white floral extension (as shown in the photo above).  To the right, you’ll see what the bloom appeared like with a slightly shorter glass.  Still beautiful, even though the extension was not fully visible.

But even more important (at least to me) is the flavor of the tea, and I am not at all disappointed with the flavor of this blooming tea.  It is light, sweet, and even a little creamy!  The floral notes are present but in keeping with the overall lightness of the tea, and they do not overwhelm the flavor of the silver needle tea.

The floral is not entirely jasmine here, as I can taste the lily flavor too.  I like that even though it is a combination of flowery flavors, it doesn’t taste like perfume or soap.  It tastes more like … spring.  Like the freshness of spring:  crisp air, full of life as the flowers begin to bloom after winter’s frosty chill.

A very fun and delicious tea!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Product Description:

The shape of Blooming Flower Brings Riches and Honor is like an orb made of strips of silk. It is made of tea needles and fresh camellia. It opens in the water just as the flower opens in slow motion – delicate and charming. Under the water’s moistening the camellia is natural and graceful. The tea has a wonderful buttery fragrance and tastes very smooth, sweet (like honey) and fresh. Ingredients: Camellia (flower of the tea plant is high in antioxidants) and Silver Needle Tea

Taster’s Review:

In the past, I’ve steeped blooming tea bulbs for just a few minutes, and would stop the process before the bloom had completely opened for fear that I’d over-steep the tea.  This time, just for experimentation’s sake, I decided to try steeping it until the bulb had completely blossomed, and see how the tea tasted.

The bloom is gorgeous!  It is a creamy white color, and it looks so graceful and elegant as the petals move slowly in the liquid.  And surprisingly, the tea is not rendered too bitter to drink after the long steep (it took about ten minutes for this bulb to completely unfurl in 160 ° F water).

The liquor is a pale, clear amber-ish color and has a thick, soft mouthfeel.  The flavor is sweet and is not quite as delicate as a typical silver needle tea (of course, this probably has something to do with the length of time it was steeped).  There is some cleansing astringency to this tea, but it is not overly dry.  Overall, the taste is lightly grassy and has a distinct floral taste to it that is somewhat pollen-y with a honey-like sweetness that lingers in the aftertaste.

This is a beautiful tea with a very pleasant sweet-yet-savory taste to it.  One that would be a pleasure to serve to guests … and it makes a beautiful (and unique) conversation piece as well!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Dragon Tea House on eBay

Product Description:

A delicate flower blooms inside this ball tea just before tiny flowers slowly cascade upward like Champagne bubbles. The flowers add their enlivening fragrance and strong taste to this delectably smooth green tea. Our Ball offers one of the most artful spectacles in tea. This blooming tea has an original shape of an tiny ball and when put in boiling water a bouquet of tea leaves and flower. The aromas of both flowers and tea leaves are very well preserved and these exceptional teas develop a wonderful flavor and create at the same time a beautiful “table decoration”.

Once dropped into a glass of hot water, this ball tea unveils a broad flower followed by the sudden eruption of a  flower plume, which is actually  flowers sewn together end to end. The golden liquor yields a full-bodied flavor intensified by the large medicinal bloom. Let the the blooming tea brew for at least 10 minutes, a longer brewing time will not spoil the tea, on the contrary, the flavour will rather improve. One piece of blooming tea can be used twice with approximately 5 to 6 dl water each time.

Taster’s Review:

It has been a while since I’ve taken the time to experience an “Art Tea” – otherwise known as a blooming tea.  But today I wanted to take the time to slow down and enjoy this tea in its splendor.

This tea ball is slow to open and reveal its beautiful flower inside.  For the first infusion, I steeped a full 10 minutes (as suggested in the product description) and it still did not fully open.  The liquor this 10 minute steep produced is surprisingly tasty.

It has a distinct green tea flavor, with notes of grassy vegetation and a fresh tone.  As the product description above states, there is a somewhat medicinal flavor to this tea as well, it comes across as a slightly bitter note that hits about mid-sip.  However, it is not an off-putting bitterness, rather, I find that it has a way of improving the overall cup by giving it some dimension.  I think that this would be a far too sweet tasting tea without that bitter tone!

I didn't take this photo (I got it from the purveyor's store). However, the photo is very accurate to what my bloom looked like after 25 minutes of infusing. Beautiful!

The tea has a smooth mouthfeel that dissipates at the tail when the cleansing astringency hits.  The mouth is left feeling clean, dry and ready for another sip.

The second infusion was well over 10 minutes.  I forgot to set a timer, so, I can’t tell you exactly how long I steeped it for, but I’m sure it was at least 15 minutes.  By this time, the ball had opened fully, revealing a beautiful pink flower that looked a bit like a large carnation!  Gorgeous!

The tea tastes even better with the second infusion than with the first.  It is smoother with a softer texture.  This infusion tastes almost buttery, with a beautiful sweet-yet-savory creaminess.  The astringency is lighter, too.

A very pleasant tea experience – I suggest brewing this with a friend!  It’s fun to watch and a pleasure to drink!

Tea Type: Black Tea

Where To Buy: Red Leaf Tea Company

Product Description:

This tea is blends organically grow black tea leaves with flowery accents. It will enable you to rise up on the hottest day of the year with a body filled with a clear and cool spirit. Our blend creates a unique and powerful mix of sweetness and tartness, adding a bright morning alertness to our brews. To create this special jumble of lightness and vigor, we have added red rosebud, purple mountain rose hips and hibiscus to the basic leaves of our black tea. Sweet flavors require expert handling, and we have the skills to offer you the greatest morning tea in the nation.

Tasters Review:

I, for one, am overly ready to KISS SUMMER hello!  So when I saw this Summer Kiss tea from Red Leaf Tea Company I was very happy.  I know you aren’t supposed to judge a tea by it’s name – but I couldn’t resist!

This black tea had large rose buds in it and shouted SUMMER!  It was highly scented and the taste was pleasing – that is for sure!  The product description mentioned hibiscus – to be honest I didn’t notice it – and that is coming from someone who doesn’t favor hibiscus.  I know of the healthy benefits of hibiscus and really wished I did LOVE it but I usually find it too tart or too sweet or distracting for me.  I will say – whatever Red Leaf did with it in flavoring the black tea here – is PERFECT!  At least for my personal preferences!

The black tea taste is a little weaker of the black teas I have had but  that is ok…I don’t think a big, bold, black would work here with this blend…so again…Red Leaf is “right on”.  Then there is the rose.  The roses are beautiful and very flavorful!  I recently found this nutritional info about infusing rose buds and petals and thought I would share it with you…

Rose hips are consumed in tea in part for their nutritional value. According to nutritiondata.com, a single ounce of rose hips contains 24 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin A, 5 percent of calcium, and a whopping 199 percent of vitamin C. Native Americans used rose hips in teas, and then, rather than discarding the remaining hips, added them to soups and stews because they were too nutritious to waste. Rose petals have also been used to make tea, but their nutritional content has not been studied.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/144485-rose-hips-petals/#ixzz1LxJA7A00

Tea Type:

Flowering Tea/Blooming Tea (White Tea)

Where To Buy:

The Persimmon Tree

Direct link to this tea in their store: http://www.persimmontreetea.com/halo-tea.html

Product Description:

A beautifully hand-crafted blooming white tea that displays a ring of jasmine and amaranth flowers, with blueberry and peach essence.

* Characteristics Mild * Flavors Fruity * Steep Temperature 180˚ * Steep Time 3-5 mins

Tasters Review: