Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Product Description:
This tea blends together the taste of juicy blueberries with premium white tea from Fujian province, China. Very fragrant, like freshly harvested ‘highbush’ blueberries (the aromatic variety). Soft, rounded mouthfeel with a clean, refreshing finish. A customer favorite, this tea is delectable both hot and cold.
Ingredients: white tea, blueberries, natural blueberry flavor
Taster’s Review:
This is a very refreshing white tea blend that smells as good as it tastes. As the tea steeped in my kitchen, I could smell it in my living room!
Because this is a white tea blend, it should come as no surprise that the flavors here are delicate. I like that the berry flavor does not attempt to surpass the white tea; rather than compete, they work together. The white tea is soft yet crisp and has a faint grassy taste. The aftertaste is sweet with a light “tingle” of tartness on the tip of the tongue.
The berry flavor is sweet, but not too sweet. It melds well with the fresh tones from the white tea, creating a very vibrant taste – surprisingly vibrant for such a delicate profile. A very pleasant cup that is light enough to enjoy any time of day.
Another delicious tea from Adagio that I received as part of their Sweet Melody Collection. (Look for it in the “Gifts” section on their website!)
Jasmine Pearls from Adagio Teas
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Product Description:
Exquisite Pearls infused with the sublime aroma of delicate night-blooming jasmine flowers.
Taster’s Review:
This is a bagged jasmine pearl which is part of the Artisan Comfort Collection (box is shown above) from Adagio Teas’ new Travel Tea collection. And while I generally prefer my jasmine pearls loose and steeped in my gaiwan, I have to admit that the idea of being able to enjoy my beloved jasmine pearls while traveling is certainly enough of an incentive to try them as a bagged (or should I say sachet pouched?) tea.
And these “pouched” pearls are definitely not a disappointment. The flavor is fantastic. Lightly vegetative with a strong jasmine presence. The jasmine is sweet and smooth and delicate tasting. It doesn’t taste perfume-y or soapy. It doesn’t have that sharpness that I sometimes experience with jasmine teas. These are perfectly delightful pearls!
This is a very uplifting, luxurious-tasting tea that had I not brewed it myself, I would have never guessed came from a teabag. Usually I experience my jasmine pearls while only at home, but these new travel teas from Adagio will give me the ability to take my jasmine pearls where ever I go!
Linden Blossom Oolong Tea from Aftelier Perfumed Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Aftelier Perfumed Teas
Product Description:
Gui Fei oolong tea has an intense dark, spicy perfume with a textured, nutty, floral taste. The tea’s floral complexity marries perfectly with the honeysuckle notes of the organic linden blossom essence. These rolled leaves provide up to 4 infusions.
Taster’s Review:
I have had the amazing opportunity to try all four of Aftelier’s perfumed teas, and enjoyed each for their unique properties. Of the four, I think that this one may be my favorite.
The aroma is intense, but in comparing this with the other three Oolongs from Aftelier, it is quite subtle … if that makes sense. The flavor follows suit, as it is not as powerful in flavor as the other three. But make no mistake in assuming that because this one is a bit softer in flavor and fragrance than the others that this one lacks in any way, because it certainly does not.
The flavor is absolutely divine. The Gui Fei Oolong has a very pleasing nutty flavor with a soft, creamy texture. The nutty flavor of the Oolong melds seamlessly with the honeysuckle-esque tones of the linden blossom. It is sweet, nutty, and refreshing.
In case you might be wondering (I know I would if I were reading this review instead of tasting the tea), it doesn’t taste perfume-y … or at least what I might imagine drinking perfume would taste like. It doesn’t taste like soap. It tastes like tea that has been treated with the meticulous care and flavored with painstaking precision. It is amazing!
This tea is a tribute to the passion that Aftelier has for their product, and that attention to detail makes this tea worth every penny – and then some! This tea would be the pride of any tea collection!
Peach Apple Crisp from Persimmon Tree
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Product Description:
A clean, flavorful blend of black loose-leaf teas, combining fruity notes of white peach, gala apple and cinnamon with a crisp floral finish.
Ingredients: Biodynamic Black Loose-Leaf Tea, Organic Nilgiri Loose-Leaf Tea, Organic Assam Loose-Leaf Tea, Organic Orange Peel, Fair Trade Organic Rooibos, Roses, Organic Hibiscus, Safflower, Natural Flavors
Taster’s Review:
This is a surprising black tea blend. Most flavored black teas are comprised of just Ceylon tea, and it is refreshing when I find a blend that utilizes other black tea leaves in the blend.
Using Assam and Nilgiri in this blend gives the base a much more substance. This is a TEA first, and the flavors come second, and that is the way it should be! The black tea offers a strong flavor with a delicious malty character. Hints of wine-like flavor come up at the finish just before the astringency arrives. The finish is slightly dry with a sweet, fruity aftertaste.
The peach and apple flavors are distinct although they do not attempt to compete with this bold black base. The cinnamon gives a lovely hint of spice – just a hint – and I like the way it accentuates the fruit and gives the cup an overall sense of being a dessert-ish type of tea. The hibiscus here is barely noticeable. I can taste it – a little, and although the flavor of it develops slowly as I continue to sip, it never becomes a strong or protruding flavor.
I really like this full-bodied tea a lot, it has a very satisfying tea flavor that is sure to please the tea enthusiast while also maintaining a delicious, dessert-like taste. I like this served straight, but if you really want to highlight the “crisp” part of this tea, try adding a little brown sugar. It would also be nice with a splash of milk (Peach Apple Crisp a la mode!) Very nice hot or iced!
Grand Keemun from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Full body black tea with a light flavor.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of this tea is somewhat earthy with a low note of pine. There is also the faintest hint of smoke in the fragrance. It is very masculine and intriguing.
After my first sip of this tea, my first impression is that the description provided on the website is a little misleading – this is certainly a full-bodied black tea, but, I don’t consider the flavor to be light at all. This is a very bold, robust tea with a very pleasing complexity that I would expect from a high quality Keemun tea such as this.
The wine-like qualities of a Keemun are there: fruit notes of plum and currant, sweet but not cloying, with an aftertaste that is somewhat reminiscent of fermented fruit. The finish is dry but not overly astringent. There is very little bitterness to this cup, although I do detect a hint of savory bitterness toward mid-sip.
There are some other noteworthy flavors to this cup as well. The earthiness that is part of the fragrance becomes less apparent although I can detect vague earthy notes in the sip, as ell as a lovely smoky note that weaves its way throughout the sip.
Perhaps most enjoyable (for me, at least) is the biscuit-y quality that this tea possesses. It has a deep, bake-y kind of taste to it, that is accented with a lovely burnt-sugar caramel undertone.
This is a really lovely Keemun, one I’d highly recommend.