The Tao of Tea

I don’t have a lot of time for a real wordsy note here, I’m drinking this as I head out the door!

I am really falling in love with this tea. Buttery, smooth, delicious. An excellent Dragonwell – EXCELLENT! I’ve even given it a higher rating this time… it deserves it!

Good Afternoon! The last time I visited Whole Foods Market, I purchased this limited edition Dragonwell from the Tao of Tea. I have very much enjoyed their teas in the past so I felt confident that I’d like this one as well. Plus… I love their tins!

The dry leaf possesses a very strong vegetative quality that softens into more of a roasted vegetable scent once it’s brewed. It’s funny to me because there was once a time when I would find these aromas to be rather off-putting, but now I love them! I don’t know if I have become a more skillful tea brewer, or if my palate has acquired a better appreciation for green tea. Either way… now when I smell a high quality Dragon Well such as this… all I can think is … OH YUM!

The depth and complexity of flavor here is remarkable. I love the nutty quality of this tea as well as the faint vegetative characteristic… and there is even a pleasant floral note right at the start as the tea hits the tip of the tongue. There is very little astringency. Slightly buttery, just a hint of bitterness, a delicious sweetness. A lovely tea!

So this was a new experience for me. I now understand the whole ‘chocolate notes’ thing. It was a pretty smokey taste with a chocolatey after taste. I am pretty sure I enjoyed it, haha. I think I will have to try it a couple more times, maybe make the water a little hotter.

pretty average cup this morning. Just letting the bag steep while I sip on the rest, when it comes to teas like this the longer it sits the more bitter, which at times I find really enjoyable.

I buy this tea in bulk and drink it iced in the summer. The mango flavor is very subtle and natural.

Normally I am not one for flowery tea, but when it comes to this tea and the addition to lemon, I am pretty fond of it. The tulsi makes it a really smooth cup of tea and drinking it this time of year really makes it feel like spring.

Agreed, really great green tea. It has a very fine aftertaste. I was trying to compare this tea to Tao of Tea’s Rainforest green – I noticed a difference in the aftertaste, the Jade Bamboo takes on a stronger sense of sencha, and the rainforest green becomes less bitter. Otherwise, they are really similar and both great. I like the Rainforest slightly better.

I was thrown off by the name because it says “scented green tea” but earl grey immediately came to mind as I drank it. I need to test it again before commenting, but it was a fine tea as far as I remember. I understand it makes a nice iced tea, so I will try that as well.

Very similar to Tao of Teas Jade Bamboo, almost identical taste, perhaps a little more on the tannic side. Very nice.

I love to smell and eat the tea leaves before actually tasting and this is another good tea to do so. The smell is almost fruity; maybe sweet and vegetal is a better description, it’s hard to pin point. The leaves themselves taste rather bitter and roasted.

This is such a good green tea! The flavour hits you dramatically with peaks of I have no idea and trails off dry. Opposite of its flavour profile: flat and consistent. I find it much more rising and falling.

Sure am glad I purchased this again; it’s been too long.

Fantastic tea. Quality green tea flavour from India. It’s slightly musty and down to earth. I steeped it in 80*C water for 2 minutes.

I love this tea. It has a very VERY smooth taste. I really can’t compare it to anything else. It has a slight chocolate/nutty aroma and never becomes bitter or too strong.

In fact, to really release some of the flavour from the twigs, I bring water + the twigs to a boil. I let it all boil for about 2 minutes, remove the kukicha twigs, and then let it cool off.

You can easily infuse these twigs 3-4 times.

One of the better Chai’s Ive tasted. Not overpowering, pretty close to what you get in India, except the big missing ingredient:Indian Cows Milk. Mmmmmm

Mellow. Very pleasant taste.

Fantastic taste. Exceptionally smooth even after long steeps hardly gets bitter.

Noticeable but not overwhelming or artificial lychee flavor. Fruity without feeling like you’re drinking something that should not be in tea.

Full bodied, smooth texture with slightly woody and fruity flavor.

Steep Information:
Amount: ~1.5 teaspoons
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces filtered boiling
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: woody, spicy, followed by mint
Steeped Tea Smell: woody, followed by mint
Flavor: spicy red tea, mostly cinnamon and cardamom
Body: Full
Aftertaste: mint
Liquor: dark reddish-brown

I was fortunate enough to grab the last two serving of this from the Steepster Traveling Teabox.

The smell is a bit different than the normal Chai I drink because of the mint.
The taste is a smooth, well balanced, spicy tea. The mint follows the sip.
The spices are a mellow and don’t stand out individually, they also are not very strong (think medium versus mild salsa).

This was not a bad tea, it was a nice sold red spiced tea. I am glad I got to try it, and would drink it again, but it is not my preferred chai so it won’t become a cupboard regular.

Post-Steep Additives: lactose free fat-free milk

It didn’t really make much of a difference. Perhaps if I had steeped it in the milk it might have?

Post-Steep Additives: honey

Tempered the spicy, but the spicy wasn’t a strong spicy so I don’t think it’s really needed.

images:http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/02/tao-of-tea-loose-leaf-red-tea-red-bush.html

This has the honor of being the first matcha I’ve tried. I have since tried better ones, but this one is still quite top-notch. It isn’t the highest quality – that honor belonging to koicha-grade ceremonial – but the zesty, slightly roasty, sweet-seaweed-like taste can’t be beat.

This is a bergamot-scented Silver Needle white tea. While the scent holds the sour-citrus quite strongly, it mutes a bit in the taste. But not too much. Compliments vanilla extract and stevia perfectly.