So I had the original Golden Orchid 9 years ago and it left quite the impression on me. I bought this to remember what that was like.
It’s quite a different tea though, with the addition of osmanthus flower. I’ve never had osmanthus before. Picking up a flower to taste on its own, it’s subtly fruity like apricot perhaps.
Hand blended and sold in a bag means that the distribution of flowers, tea and vanilla beans is quite randomized unless I consciously shake it up and reblend it myself in the tablespoon I use for 200mL water. It means that some steeps, I taste the chocolate fudgey notes of the base North Winds more and other steeps, more floral-y or vanilla-y.
I don’t usually go for floral/fruity black teas, but it’s nice to have this one in rotation. I was tempted to buy Harney & Son’s Paris but I swore off flavoured teas because they gave me a headache. The genuine high quality ingredients of this blend are obviously the way better option for me.
The flowers in this tea perhaps make it just the slightest bit tart for me when drunk black. Hence, adding a tiny dash of milk seems to round it out and it becomes apricot and vanilla custard with a lil streak of chocolate fudge sauce. I’m enjoying this for sure.
Hopefully the original Golden Orchid is in stock when I allow myself to buy more tea. That, and Cocoa Amore. 9 years later, I’m still longing for the cherry-chocolate notes of Cocoa Amore.
