I can’t recall a time that I personally have had sticky rice. I believe I have but can’t be sure and certainly don’t remember to say whether this accurately depicts that flavor.
What I do know is this smells like popcorn. Buttery popcorn. And it tastes like buttery coconut rice and floral oolong. It reminds me of the coconut rice I get when I go to a Japanese/Thai restaurant called Spoon & Fork. Sweet and ricey and delicious, plus floral.
It’s thick and has the mouthfeel of a rice pudding. Well, as much as a liquid tea could resemble a rice pudding. Nonetheless, the thickness helps to sell the whole notion of sticky rice.
I will say I think there is a disconnect between the buttery and almost toasty rice notes and the floral oolong base. This could be due to my own bias against oolong teas, which I am only starting to enjoy, but the two just seem disjointed. I hoped the coconut flavor might bridge that gap but no-go it seems.
Nonetheless, I am enjoying this tea. It is one of two teas by this company I have tried and both have been quite lovely. There may be a What-Cha order in my future yet.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea
Where to Buy: What-Cha
Description
Has a creamy texture and sticky rice aroma, imparted unto the tea during processing by heating the sticky rice plant’s leaves along with the tea leaves.
Sticky rice scented tea is a specialty of northern Thailand, although traditionally green tea is used, Jin Xuan Oolong produces just as good if not better results.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
French Toast Oolong Tea from Steeped Tea. . . .
I’ve totally been into French Toast Flavored Teas lately and there are some really wonderful ones out there for a bunch of different reasons. Today I would like to share French Toast Oolong from Steeped Tea!
Of course it has Oolong Tea as the base – you can tell that by looking at the name – but to look at the Oolong used – dry and prior to infusing – it is one of the darkest dry Oolong I have seen so far!
After you move along to the other ingredients you will notice this tea has pineapple bits (that are coated in a little sugar), Coconut Chips, Lemon Wedges, Cranberries (that are coated in a little sugar and Sunflower Oil), Orange Peels, Rose Buds, Pomegranate Blossoms, Prickly Pear Blossoms, Vanilla, and flavors.
The blossoms are lovely and add a VERY little floral aftertaste to this. But the flavors that really shine are the Coconut Chips and various fruit ingredients. The fruits that have just that spec of sugar coating add a nice touch. And that’s just what it is – a nice touch – it’s not overly sugared. I was actually surprised with all the fruity ingredients that it wasn’t overly fruity to the tongue. But it was surprisingly buttery-sweet, nutty, savory, and creamy! Not any of the individual ingredients are overdone. EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING has just enough flavor to all mesh well with the other ingredients, too! YUM! This was a special treat!
I’ve tried other French Toast Flavored Teas that were more French Toasty but this one was a winner on it’s own. Not so much for the toastiness – not so much for the cinnamon – not so much for the buttered-bread-likeness of others – but for the ratios used and flavor combo that turned out to be something completely of its own.
I wouldn’t mind if this had a sprinkle of cinnamon in it but it’s completely fine without it, too! Well done!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Steeped Tea
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Raining Weather Calls for a Rose Oolong from Indias Tea. . .
Today is one of those days where a rose oolong was just what the doctor ordered. It has been raining non stop since Friday and we are starting to experience water in the basement and seeing flooding in our community. So as the rain continues and the thunderstorms start up, a flavored oolong sounds like perfection.
This particular Rose Oolong is from Indias Tea. The dry leaf of this blend is intoxicating. Fresh floral notes fill the air while this tea starts to steep and creates a gorgeous blend that I couldn’t wait to check out.
Gorgeous sweet floral notes mingle marvelously with that familiar oolong flavor that I can always count on. This tea aromas translate into this wonderful floral flavor. As the tea settles and cools, those lovely rose notes develop more and more. Such a warm, soothing, and comforting tea on such a spring rainy day.
Rose Oolong is one that I can see snuggling up to with a good book and letting the stresses of the day wash away. Something I’ll be doing for sure soon!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Indias Tea
Description
This invigorating brew captures a deliciously romantic mood, that sparkle on your palate, with the freshness and beauty of Roses. With its light and gently flavored quality, it sets in your mood for the perfect occasion.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
An Interesting Take on a Oolong from Verdant Tea. . . .
Did you ever try a tea and it doesn’t taste like the description? So you aren’t sure if you’re crazy?
No?
FINE.
This tea, 1995 Aged Tieguanyin, is supposed to taste like cream, caramel, marigold, and cherry. I am getting spicy (!) and nectar. So I guess the nectar/slightly flowery taste could be the marigold and the caramel? But there’s definitely a little bit of a hot zing in here.
The flowery nature is definitely in there. According to this tea’s (very frou-frou) description, “Master Zhang’s terraced fields on the cloud-enveloped peaks of Anxi are overgrown with wildflowers, and fed by naturally sweet and clear mountain spring water.”
I see the combination of the flowers, the spice, and the aging as a movie in which a woman gets kidnapped by a salty old pirate (hot). He tries to woo her with flowers (flowery) on his creaky boat (aged). She comes to realize that her old life, with its cross-stitching and frills, was stuffy. She comes out as gay and spends the rest of her life being platonic best friends with the pirate and mastering the sea. The credits roll on her climbing up into the rigging to do some sort of, you know, adjusting the sails thing or whatever. At sunset.
This tea wasn’t what I thought it would be. But if weren’t for the tea, we wouldn’t have that nice pirate story, now would we? Sometimes you have to take an unexpected adventure.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description
This 1995 aged Tieguanyin varietal harvest already has over twenty years of aging. Master Zhang’s terraced fields are overgrown with wildflowers, and fed by naturally sweet and clear mountain spring water. The natural complexity of his tea makes it a perfect candidate for careful aging, which involves yearly re-roasting and sealed storage. The result is a classic rich dark profile that brings out the rich fruity creamy notes in Tieguanyin.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Oolong +Sweetner in One Convenient Tea Bag. . . . #Embrew
I was immediately intrigued by this tea as soon as I saw it sitting in my sample box. I’d been hearing about Embrew from my fellow Sororitea Sisters for the last few weeks– they’re a new company, packaging loose leaf tea into bags with the sweetener already added. A far cry from my early tea drinking days, I don’t usually sweeten my teas now, but will occasionally when it feels like they need a little oomph (or for homemade tea lattes, because #treatyoself).
This particular brew, Creamy Honey Oolong, sounds right up my alley. Brewed, it’s a beautiful light gold liquor, with a distinct honey scent. And just like the name implies, I get it all in one sip– honey, cream, light and floral oolong. It’s a delightful cup!
As far as the sweetener-in-bag? It’s pretty cool, but I don’t find it revolutionary. I did notice that by the time I pulled my bag out of the water (it was in about 2 minutes so as not to oversteep), there were still noticeable honey granules that hadn’t dissolved. Kind of a bummer on the design, but it ended up working well regardless, as I think if this tea had been any sweeter, I’d have lost a lot of the flavor nuance. The leaves unfurled fairly well for being Oolong-in-a-bag, which was impressive. Final thoughts? Definitely a great option for on-the-go sipping, when you need to make a cuppa without all the hassle of perfectly concocting your drink, or if you’re not a fan of having to take multiple steps to brew + sweeten your loose leaf tea.
I’ve got a few more samples from Embrew calling my name, and after this one, I’m eager to see what else they can do with this neat little idea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Embrew
Description
This green oolong has a natural subtle creaminess brought on by the unique cultivation that emphasizes the soft, milky quality. We’ve paired it with pure granulated honey to further bolster the rich sweetness.
