Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zen Tea
Tea Description:
Hailing from the Yunnan province, this Phoenix Pearl is naturally sweet and smooth with a touch of earthiness. Comprised of only the highest quality leaves and buds, expertly rolled into a pearl-like shape. Subtle cocoa notes whisper gently as each pearl unfurls delivering a superior tea experience not to be missed. Recomended to steep 2-3 times for different nuances of flavor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh, my! I am loving this tea! It is so rich and creamy and incredibly decadent!
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The leaves were a little surprising for me, because generally, when I think of “Pearl” black teas, I think of leaves that are very dark (black!) that have been rolled up into near perfect pearl shapes. These leaves are a bit lighter in color, more like a chocolate-y brown rather than a black color, and some of the leaves are tipped in gold. And they aren’t rolled into careful little pearls. They look a little more like disheveled knots rather than pearls. Nothing wrong with that, of course, just my observations based upon what I’ve experienced in the past with teas called “black pearl” teas and this Phoenix Pearl Black Tea from Zen Tea.
The little knots, when dry, possess very little discernible fragrance, I do note some earthiness to the scent but not much else. Once brewed, the aroma of the liquid has a slightly earthy, rich, almost chocolate-y note.
The flavor is superb! Rich and chocolate-y, these are the most profound flavors of the cup – from the very first sip to the last. I note caramel-y tones in the undercurrent, earthiness in the background, flavors that remind me of leather and even a touch of woodsy flavor. This is one of those teas that once you start drinking, you don’t want to stop, and you want more the minute you finish the cup! It has a very pleasing texture to it, it feels full and smooth on the palate, and there is some, but not a lot, of astringency to the sip. The aftertaste is sweet, reminding me of raw sugar.
I REALLY like this tea a lot. It’s one of those MUST TRY teas for those who truly love tea.
Strawberry Cream from Zen Tea Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zen Tea Life
Tea Description:
Sweet strawberries underscore the subtle symphony of berry creaminess.
Ingredients : Black tea from Ceylon, India and China, strawberry leaves, strawberry pieces, flavour.
Steep : 1 teaspoon, boiling water, Allow to brew 3 min
Make strawberry latte tea : Put half cup of frosted milk into brewed half cup tea water, and add sweetner
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love a good strawberry tea and this one is on my top 10 all time best strawberry teas!
The base is wonderful and quite detectable even though the cream and strawberry are so strong.
A beautiful dessert tea, tea party tea, or tea to convert your non tea drinking friends with.
This one would be sure to curb your sweet tooth! The sweetening agent used, whatever it may be, does not have an artificial after taste thankfully. The creaminess in the flavor translates into the mouthfeel making it a bit heavier on the sip.
The strawberry flavor is a bit more candy like than natural but only because of its intense sweetness. It does not have an artificial flavor like cheap dime store candy, its just so intense that it is not like that of biting into a fresh strawberry.
In my opinion no added sweetener or creamer is necessary however if you did add either, or both, I imagine you would have one completely sinful drink! I say that in a good way too!
I love it. Its not for every day but its one of those teas I can see myself reaching for when I need something sweet, something dreamy, something very creamy and decedent! Wait, I think I may be reaching for it daily!
Curled Dragon Silver Tip from Zen Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Zen Tea
Tea Description:
A most amazing tea – even just to look at. The name refers to the unusual and striking shape and color of the leaves, which are rolled into complex, tightly-curled dragon-like shapes with a silvery color. Curled Dragon Silver Tips is an extremely well-made tea, and a good example of the high level of hand-work. Even before infusion, the aroma of this tea is heavenly! Infused, it produces a complex, sweet and somewhat floral liquor. There are no edges and no astringency. Entirely handmade, it is a must have for green tea lovers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This has to be one of the most beautiful teas I’ve ever seen. The leaves are so tiny and frail looking, and have been shaped into itty-bitty dragon-like curls. Each tiny leaf is an absolutely stunning work of art! These leaves look as though they could be a white tea because of their pale green color and the tiniest little silvery fuzz that covers them.
The color of the liquid is almost as beautiful as the dry leaf. It is the palest shade of green, mixed with a translucent, golden alabaster. So breathtakingly gorgeous! Again, this tea looks as though it could be the highest quality white tea, rather than a green.
And all of this would mean very little if the tea was not also stunning. But it is, indeed, amazingly good. The texture reminds me just a bit of champagne, how it dances lightly over the tongue in an almost effervescent way until it settles in and offers a soft, smooth mouthfeel that lightly coats the palate.
The overall delicateness of this tea is also rather reminiscent of a fine white tea. The flavor is light and crisp with a sweet taste. It doesn’t taste strongly vegetative at all, in fact, this tea is one of the lighter, more delicate tasting green teas I’ve encountered. It features flavors that are sweeter and mellower than the typical vegetative tones that I notice with green teas that can be somewhat sharp. This is softer … like a very mild tasting, young artichoke heart. Not the ones that have been processed and pickled in a brine. But the fresh artichoke that has been steamed until tender and smooth like butter, with a flavor to match. Yeah, that’s what I taste now.
By mid-cup, I find that the vegetative notes have developed somewhat. They are still remarkably smooth and buttery, as there is not a sharp edge to this cup whatsoever. But, it has become much more green tea-like now that the tea has cooled slightly and I’ve been drinking it a little while. But it remains delicate. There is no astringency, no bitterness… nothing at all that might be construed as off-putting. It is just simply delicious.
Coconut Oolong from Zen Tea Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Bao Zhong Oolong
Where to Buy: Zen Tea Life
Tea Description:
Creamy, smooth coconut perfectly blended with a floral Bao Zhong oolong with subtle notes of lilac.
For the best infusions, we recommend you try brewing this tea in a Guywan.
We encourage you to experiment with the quantity of tealeaves and the length of the infusion time to find your desired brew strength. Varying the water temperature isn’t recommended, as water that is too hot will over-extract the bitter components of tea, while water that is too cool might not fully draw out the aromas and flavors of tea.Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love coconut oolongs, pouchongs, etc when they are made well, and this one sure is!
The coconut flavor is perfect and NOT artificial at all!
LOVELY oolong base tea!
Sweet and floral and vegetal and a wonderful after taste!
One of the first teas I ever tried was a coconut oolong, but it was hard to restock as I bought it from a tea shop out of state. Shortly after I found a coconut pouchong and it was wonderful but I was not too happy with other teas from the same company. A few here and there but not enough to warrant an online purchase. Now enter Zen Tea Life and their coconut oolong!
One thing I look for in a tea company is consistency. I want to be able to order without reservation any number of their teas and know that at least 90% or more will be very very good! Granted we all like different types of tea and different flavors so not ALL teas will always be to my personal liking but the idea is at least the company offers quality in their teas.
What I have found with Zen Tea Life is that so far, after testing a handful of their teas, they have all be spot on! Even when it comes to white tea, which for me can be hit and miss!
With that said … this Coconut Oolong is quite yummy! It holds its flavor through a few steepings which is a plus. Has a wonderful oolong base, perhaps not the most expensive you would find if you were going for a top of the line straight oolong but at the same time you can tell they didn’t scrape the bottom of some fannings jar just to toss some oolong into this blend! Its a nice quality that I would recommend for any flavored tea blender. The floral notes are slight and subtle but present. The coconut as mentioned above is perfect! Its not artificial and does not cover up the other wonderful flavors in this tea. Yet, at the same time it absolutely lets you know that it is coconut through and through! I especially enjoy the after taste as often in a coconut flavored tea I find this after flavor that is not pleasant whatsoever. Not in this coconut tea! I also love how it is only slightly sweet, so that I can add sweetener if I want to but it is not sweet as in a sugar sweet. It is the tea base I believe adding to the sweetness here which is really quite cool! The light vegetal flavor is so lovely with the floral notes. All in all a great tea.
I am looking forward to trying more teas from Zen Tea Life and the only thing I fault them for is giving me yet another way to dent my wallet!
Assam Mangalam Second Flush FTGFOP1 from Zen Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zen Tea
Tea Description:
Golden tips evoke the hot sun of the early June Second Flush Harvest. One of finest producers in region delivers a beautiful example of what is possible under the right conditions. Slightly heartier and creamier than some whole leaf Assams, this selection picks up deep malty notes of cocoa and subtle fruit.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a little while since I’ve had a really good, pure Assam tea … so when this tea arrived I was quick to brew up a pot of it, forsaking some of the other teas that I’ve had waiting for me for some time now. (Don’t worry, my pretties, I’ll get to you soon!)
And I am so glad that I decided to brew this … it’s just exactly what I needed! I’ve been feeling a bit off lately … not exactly sick, although I’ve had symptoms, but really, the cause is lack of sleep. My youngest daughter just started up school again not too long ago and I am one of those people that if they don’t get enough sleep, I start feeling sick with the aches, cold sweats, and nausea. But, I go back to bed for a couple of hours and presto, I’m feeling much more like myself now. Hopefully, I’ll get used to the new sleeping schedule soon!
Until then, thank goodness for Assam tea which has the delicious flavor and strength to help me shake what little residual feelings I might have after my short nap.
And this Assam is one of the very best that I’ve tried in a very long time. The aroma of the dry leaf is earthy and sweet and it brought a smile to my face like I had just met up with an old friend that I hadn’t seen in a while. The brewed tea maintains that sweet fragrance, although the scent is softer than when the tea is dry.
As for the taste: Oh wow… this tastes amazing. It is bold and earthy, with a delectable caramel-y sweetness. The caramel is further emphasized by the malt tones, and I even just noticed a hint of freshly roasted coffee in there too. It has a creaminess to it (and this could be enhanced with a splash of cream if you want to go latte, I did not, and still find it quite creamy without) Very rich, very complex, and very much a joy to drink.
And oh yes… it definitely has the gusto to get one motivated, too! If you like Assam, you’ve really got to try this one … it’s AMAZING!