Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Dragon Tea House on eBay
Product Description:
A delicate flower blooms inside this ball tea just before tiny flowers slowly cascade upward like Champagne bubbles. The flowers add their enlivening fragrance and strong taste to this delectably smooth green tea. Our Ball offers one of the most artful spectacles in tea. This blooming tea has an original shape of an tiny ball and when put in boiling water a bouquet of tea leaves and flower. The aromas of both flowers and tea leaves are very well preserved and these exceptional teas develop a wonderful flavor and create at the same time a beautiful “table decoration”.
Once dropped into a glass of hot water, this ball tea unveils a broad flower followed by the sudden eruption of a flower plume, which is actually flowers sewn together end to end. The golden liquor yields a full-bodied flavor intensified by the large medicinal bloom. Let the the blooming tea brew for at least 10 minutes, a longer brewing time will not spoil the tea, on the contrary, the flavour will rather improve. One piece of blooming tea can be used twice with approximately 5 to 6 dl water each time.
Taster’s Review:
It has been a while since I’ve taken the time to experience an “Art Tea” – otherwise known as a blooming tea. But today I wanted to take the time to slow down and enjoy this tea in its splendor.
This tea ball is slow to open and reveal its beautiful flower inside. For the first infusion, I steeped a full 10 minutes (as suggested in the product description) and it still did not fully open. The liquor this 10 minute steep produced is surprisingly tasty.
It has a distinct green tea flavor, with notes of grassy vegetation and a fresh tone. As the product description above states, there is a somewhat medicinal flavor to this tea as well, it comes across as a slightly bitter note that hits about mid-sip. However, it is not an off-putting bitterness, rather, I find that it has a way of improving the overall cup by giving it some dimension. I think that this would be a far too sweet tasting tea without that bitter tone!
The tea has a smooth mouthfeel that dissipates at the tail when the cleansing astringency hits. The mouth is left feeling clean, dry and ready for another sip.
The second infusion was well over 10 minutes. I forgot to set a timer, so, I can’t tell you exactly how long I steeped it for, but I’m sure it was at least 15 minutes. By this time, the ball had opened fully, revealing a beautiful pink flower that looked a bit like a large carnation! Gorgeous!
The tea tastes even better with the second infusion than with the first. It is smoother with a softer texture. This infusion tastes almost buttery, with a beautiful sweet-yet-savory creaminess. The astringency is lighter, too.
A very pleasant tea experience – I suggest brewing this with a friend! It’s fun to watch and a pleasure to drink!
