Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Superb oolong rich aroma with a sweet taste
Taster’s Review:
To my recollection, I cannot remember ever having tried a Nilgiri Oolong – so I was very excited to receive this tea from Tea Licious. I love Oolong and I adore Nilgiri black teas, so I was certain I would really enjoy this tea.
And I was right! This is an amazing tea. The aroma of the liquor is a woody, earthy scent, but with a hint of honey-esque sweetness in the background. These notes translate into the flavor quite well.
The earthy quality is not as prominent in the flavor as it is in the fragrance, but it melds quite nicely with the wood tones. These flavors mingle in the background and give it a flavor that evokes thoughts of old growth forests.
This is a dark (or deeply oxidized) Oolong, but unlike most other dark Oolong teas that I have tried, this one doesn’t have as strong a peach-like essence to it. There is a hint of peach-y undertones to this Oolong, but it is faint. The honey-like tones are there, though, and give this a very lovely sweetness. The tea finishes sweet and lightly astringent.
A unique Oolong!
Tangerine White Tea from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Pai Mu Tan with tangerine.
Taster’s Review:
Flavored white teas are often “hit and miss” for me. That’s because quite often the delicate flavor of the white tea is overpowered by the flavoring. Careful use of flavoring is needed to keep a balance of flavor.
This Tangerine White Tea from Tea Licious hits the nail on the head for me. The flavoring is strong here, and it tastes sweet and sunny like a blend of tangerine and orange. But it is not so strong that I cannot taste white tea.
The white tea base is a Pai Mu Tan (which is also known as Bai Mu Dan), and these leaves are of good quality – evidenced by the softness of the leaves and the fluffy white down that covers them. The flavor is sweet, fresh and light with hints of grassy tones and hay-like flavor in the background.
This tea has an surprisingly bright flavor to it for such a delicate composition. It is delicious served hot but even better when iced. It is so refreshing and cooling, even on the warmest of days.
I do recommend trying it at least once hot so that you can get the best definition of flavor from it. As it cools, the flavors do mute just a little, so when chilling it, I do recommend a pinch of sweetener to it to enhance the flavors a little bit. Not much, just a pinch will do the trick. This one should be a real hit during the warm weather months!
Vitalitea from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Green tea with hibiscus, safflowers, lemon and raspberry.
This is pretty darned tasty! I find it tastes best when I allow it to cool a few minutes after steeping. Not to a point of being cold or lukewarm, but, just not “just brewed” hot. Let it sit for a few minutes before you start sipping and the flavors of lemon and raspberry really come to life!
I was a little concerned about the hibiscus in this, but it really is barely there. I can taste a hint of tartness from the hibiscus, but it seems to contribute more to the color of the liquor than it does to the flavor. But don’t let the odd, pinkish-gray color turn you away from this tea – it really is quite delicious!
The green tea is light and has a slightly astringent tone toward the end of the sip. This astringency really allows the bright lemony flavor to shine, imparting its sunny citrus flavor in the aftertaste. The raspberry remains light yet consistent throughout the sip. It is a very pleasant harmony of tastes in one teacup.
Lemon Mango from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Black tea with lemon and mango.
Taster’s Review:
I found this particular blend to be intriguing simply because of the combination. I love mango flavored lemonade, and I was hoping that this might offer a little bit of that taste together with a rich black tea background.
And it does! The mango flavor is sweet and mild, and the lemon offers a hint of tartness. It isn’t as powerful of a flavor as a mango lemonade would be, but, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite like that, either. But what it does present is an example of how well mango and lemon work together.
The black tea is the strongest flavor of this cup – as well it should be. This is, after all, TEA! It has a very strong, brisk taste to it. It’s actually quite bold, much more so than I expected. I didn’t think this was a Ceylon based upon its flavor, and when I questioned it, Tea Licious confirmed that this is a Nilgiri base. That makes sense, because this has some gusto to it without overwhelming the lighter flavors of mango and lemon.
These are two flavors that if one or the other was overdone, it would overpower the cup. Here, it is blended masterfully, offering juicy notes of mango and lemon without letting these flavors get carried away.
I prefer this tea iced. It is delicious hot too, but, I find it much more refreshing as an iced tea. It is one that you’ll be proud to serve at the family picnic or even to friends as they visit. This one should be a summertime staple!