Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
High grown Organic Ceylon Flowery Orange Pekoe Black tea with Swedish delights like organic wild Lingonberry, Cardamon and Orange make for a full flavored unique black tea. First you are taken with the aroma of Cardamon then the flavors of Lingonberry and a full flavored robust Ceylon black tea with just a touch of orange citrus. The flavor of Lingonberry lingers on the tongue for a spectacular finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This flavored black Ceylon tea is quite unlike any other that I’ve tried. It is – indeed – truly unique.
The cardamom and the orange notes work very harmoniously together, but I don’t think that these two ingredients is what makes this blend so unique. There are quite a few orange spice blends out there. What makes this stand out is the lingonberry.
Lingonberry is a fruit that I have very limited experience with, and most of that experience is limited to my visits to IKEA. They have a cafeteria there, and when we shop there and start to feel hungry, we often visit the cafeteria. The food is decent and the prices are good. I usually order the meatballs that are served with a bit of lingonberry sauce on the side, and for a drink, I usually choose the lingonberry soda. So… yeah, like I said, my experience with lingonberry is pretty isolated … I think I may have tried one other tea with lingonberry in it.
And I am LOVING the lingonberry in this blend. From what I understand, the raw lingonberry is quite tart, but I’m not finding this blend isn’t overwhelmingly tart. It does definitely have a tarty tingle to it toward the tail, and a sweet-tart kind of flavor throughout. The cardamom adds a hint of warmth to the cup – just a touch of spice that offers a nice contrast to the overall flavor.
These three ingredients – orange, cardamom and lingonberry – present themselves in a really stunning way that is smooth yet pleasantly tart and sweet. This delivery is facilitated, no doubt, by the black tea base. The organic black tea used in this blend is a Ceylon and I think that this was a perfect choice for this particular blend. The Ceylon is smooth and medium-bodied and manages to make itself part of the overall flavor of the blend without disrupting the unique combination of lingonberry, orange and cardamom.
This blend is a real winner. It has some comforting similarities to a autumnal/winter-y orange spice blend but with the added flavor of lingonberry it becomes really quite unique. This would make a great alternative to the usual holiday blend!
Iron Goddess of Mercy (Ti Kuan Yin) from Utopian Tea
Tea Type: Oolong Tea
Where to Buy: Utopian Tea
Product Description:
Straight from the Fujian province in China, this premium 1st grade Ti Kuan Yin is a true prize to be shared as the best of our collection here at Utopian Tea. This lightly oxidized oolong is one of the most popular, and we were very lucky to get this special high grade selection of this variety directly from the tea plantation.
Savoring it’s bold floral and honeysuckle-esque flavor over several infusions is the best way to go, as the strength of this tea lasts for what seems like an eternity. You’ll quickly realize that the taste perfectly reflects the lingering smell as if it were planned by a higher power. This is truly the essence of Earth.
Tasters Review:
Utopian Tea. I just LOVE the name of this company! And I must say…this tea is darn near Utopia!
Iron Goddess of Mercy (Ti Kuan Yin) from Utopian Tea smells like a gentle perfume when it comes to the dry leaves, that is. The liquid after being infused smells a little bit like flowers from a distance.
This is very light in color.
I can taste the honey-suckle likeness and the more I drink it the better I like it. It’s very clean and crisp and thirst-quenching.
I would certainly drink this one almost any time of day and give it an A+ on any report card! LOVELY!
