Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Smith
Tea Description:
The Shadow knows that strawberry and South American lulo make a great team! A cup of Blue Shadow is a guaranteed improvement to any day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this Blue Shadow flavored Black Tea from The Tea Smith when I first opened my sampling that my SororiTea Sister, Azzrian, sent me. I could see black tea leaves and blue cornflower petals … and I could smell a delicious fruity aroma. But this did not prepare me for what I was about to taste!
Click on the pic to go there.
OK … WOW! This is really a unique cup of flavored black tea! I don’t know that I’ve ever tried a tea that has been flavored with the essence of lulo fruit before. In fact, before I sat down to write this review, I didn’t even know what the heck a lulo fruit was. As you can see from the photo to the right, it kind of looks like an orange that has had some funky, twisted romance with a kiwi fruit. And since I’ve never tried a lulo, I’m not sure exactly what it is I’m supposed to be tasting.
I taste the strawberry, distinctly. It is a bright strawberry note, sweet with notes of berry tartness. I also taste a citrus-y note that tastes a little bit like lime … more like lime than orange – and I kind of expected it to taste a little more orange-y if for no other reason than the fact that the photo looks like it should taste like an orange (and kiwi). I don’t taste anything vaguely resembling a kiwi … but if Wikipedia is correct and this fruit tastes like a cross between a lime and a rhubarb, then the fact that I taste distinct strawberry notes makes even more sense to me, because the few strawberry-rhubarb teas I’ve had, I notice that the rhubarb is the perfect accent to the strawberry … making it taste more like strawberry.
The black tea is in there too. It’s a milder tasting black tea – I suspect that a Ceylon was used in this blend. It has a strong enough flavor to be tasted, but not so strong that it takes over. It allows the flavors to do their thing, and in this case, I’m really glad that I can taste the flavors, because the strawberry is juicy and delicious (and it’s making me happy strawberry season is almost here!) … and I have this unique opportunity to try the essence of lulo … which is not a orange-y, kiwi tasting fruit even though the fruit looks like someone left the oranges and kiwis in the fruitbowl alone together overnight.
A very unique and delicious flavored tea … I really like this one quite a bit. Sweet … and makes a FABULOUS iced tea!
Darjeeling 2nd Flush Castleton Moonlight from The Tea Smith
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The Tea Smith
Tea Description:
Darjeeling had improved weather conditions this year, and the 2nd flush is a real treat this year. Fresh from the fields, Castleton again has produced a fine sweet tea. The care taken to produce this tea is evident in the beautiful leaves and complete budsets throughout.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is such a surprising tea! An excellent white leaf that really has stunning taste!
Notes of peach, grape, honey explode with a lovely lingering flavor.
The white tea is interesting – much more robust than your average white tea.
It does have a very nice darjeeling flavor yet a bit more buttery and vegetal than a black darjeeling. What a combination! I did not even know such things existed haha. I am glad I do now and I am glad I got a full 2 ounces of this or I would be ordering more right away!
Now this is one of The Tea Smith’s more “pricy” teas but I tell you what its still a fair price compared to other tea vendors. At a little under 7.00 per ounce, for such a high quality tea, you can’t beat it!
This is most definitely one of those teas you sit with, using your gaiwan or gong fu set up, or cherished china. It is deserving of the best you can brew it with, giving it the attention it deserves. Truly a refined tea. However I feel I could absolutely serve this up to my black tea only – bought in the grocery store – in a bottle friends and they too would love it. Perhaps they would not appreciate it for all of its elements, notes, and flavor profile, but they surely would enjoy every sip, or guzzle as they probably would prefer it iced, which would also be lovely.
Each steep, as with any high quality tea, provides new discoveries and layers of notes, some being of melon, some of berries, some more grassy, or savory, yet with each steep, now up to 4, I am getting more and more that I love about this tea. At one point it was giving over a wonderful honeysuckle note.
The leaf itself both in dry and moist form is gorgeous. Curly leaves of green with some white throughout with hints of almost lime green. I personally do not feel the photo does it justice. This is one I feel I will have to keep sampling to fully discover but it is one that is worthy of reviewing here for you and I highly recommend this tea for you to try.
