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:

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Blooming/White

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Product Description:

This bloom unfolds into beautiful birds perched in a golden nest surround by green. Not only is it visually surprising, but the taste is surprisingly spicy and reminds one of autumn, like pumpkin pie!. One of the favorites at Alice’s Fine Teas, a delicious, warm, soothing tea. Ingredients: Marigold (believed to help circulation and ease stomach ache), Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect) and Silver Needle Tea.

Taster’s Review:

I enjoy blooming teas, but I don’t really brew them very often.  I blame the gadgetry – I am a self-professed anti-gadgetite (I just made that up) – and when I brew a blooming tea, I have to watch it brew, right?  I guess I am just going to have to promote my glass teacup to the status of essential tool rather than its current status of “gadget” so that I can enjoy the beautiful art of blooming teas!

I steeped this bulb for four minutes in 165° F water and after the four minutes, the bulb had not completely opened.  Only a hint of the orange-y blossoms that would display was showing at the very top of the bulb.  But this is a good thing!  It means additional infusions… which means MORE tea!  Yay!

This really DOES taste like pumpkin!  There are very gentle spice notes in the background, which contributes to the “pumpkin pie” like taste that is mentioned in the above product description from Alice’s Fine Teas.  I wouldn’t say it tastes just like pumpkin pie – but it does have similar characteristics.  The squash flavor is distinct … and quite yummy.

The tea has a very pleasant sweetness to it (I don’t recommend adding sweetener to this tea, it would overwhelm the delicate flavors!) and a light yet smooth mouthfeel.  Very little (almost no) astringency to this cup.  A very pleasant, mild cup of tea that makes for an excellent topic of conversation as well as a refreshing beverage.

For the second infusion, I steeped for five minutes and achieved another delicious cup of tea.  The bulb had not yet fully opened until I infused for the third time (for six minutes), and the tea was still quite lovely, although the pumpkin flavor had subdued a bit by this time.  There were still faint notes of squash and spice, but mostly what I tasted by this time was the soft, fresh notes of silver needle with a delicious buttery finish.

When the bulb finally did completely open, I enjoyed the sight – it looked like two swans dancing (ever go to Disneyland and watch the swans in the pond outside of Sleeping Beauty’s castle?  Every hour when the sounds of a singing Sleeping Beauty can be heard, the swans dance together).

This was an incredibly fun tea to steep and to drink.  The flavor was delicious and surprising, and the colorful display from the bulb made tea time all the more entertaining.

Tea Type: Blooming Tea/Flowering Tea

Where To Buy: Alice’s Fine Teas

Product 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) and Silver Needle Tea

Tasters Review:

I’ve said it before and I will say it again…I LOVE Blooming Teas/Flowering Teas.  Elixir of Love from Alice’s Fine Teas is no exception.

Tea Type: Flowering Tea/Blooming Tea

Where To Buy: Alice’s Fine Tea

Product Description:

This bloom unfolds into beautiful birds perched in a golden nest surround by green. Not only is it visually surprising, but the taste is surprisingly spicy and reminds one of autumn, like pumpkin pie!. One of the favorites at Alice’s Fine Teas, a delicious, warm, soothing tea. Ingredients: Marigold (believed to help circulation and ease stomach ache), Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect) and Silver Needle Tea

Tasters Review:

Surprisingly this DOES taste a lot like pumpkin or maybe more of a butternut squash with yummy spice notes underneath!  As it cools at room temperature it does taste more like pumpkin…not really pumpkin pie, but pumpkin.  It’s almost like a flavored silver needle!  It’s very nice – very surprising!  It’s also slightly peppery in the middle of the sip but finishing somewhat soothing and flatter.

The 2nd infusion…is completely different.  It’s floral from start to finish and a little bitter…but floral bitter, not bad bitter.  I would say more marigold, specifically.

I will say this is one of the more perfectly bloomed Flowering Teas I have had…it had no problem blooming whatsoever!  It was very beautiful and it was very aromatic even before infusing.  This is certainly a tea for special occasions and certainly a piece of art!  I enjoyed this quite a bit.