8 Tasting Notes
I’m now drinking oolongs/blacks/puerhs to see if I am allergic. I hope not because I love oolong tea! This oolong is a special treat and I treasured each and every drop. First steeping was delicate with a honey fragrance (true to its name), natural sweetness, and a touch woodsy. More steepings to come.
Prep: 1 Tbsp, 180F, 45 sec in yixing pot
My order from DAVIDs Tea arrived lickety-split which was impressive since it was coming from Canada to NC. They sent 3 free samples which I think is terrific; all companies should go above and beyond like this. I tried Green Seduction this morning—I’m only drinking greens and whites right now to see if I’m allergic to black/oonlong teas. I’ll switch to oolongs/blacks in a day to see if I break out in a hives rash (yuck!). This is hands down the best pomegranate green tea I’ve had. All others have either been too weak, too tart, or loaded with artificial flavoring. When you open the bag for this tea, you see the succulent dried pomegranate fruits and you want to eat the tea—the aroma is intoxicating. The flavor is naturally sweet tart, full, and well-balanced. I will go back again and again for this one.
This green tea is a delectable blend of rosehips, apple, orange, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom flavors. The spicy & citrus flavors are well-balanced and pack quite a punch. It’s similar to an orange spice tea, but with a twist. I doubled the leaves and iced it and it was delicious!
Inhaled the sweet aroma of almonds, coconut, and walnut before steeping. This was exactly what I was looking for in a dessert green tea. I mainly tasted almond/nuttiness and coconut (with a hint of caramel) but was glad it didn’t overwhelm the green tea; it complements it.
Samovar calls this a “sweet” Yerba Mate because they have added organic licorice root. Brilliant idea. I added about a half tsp of honey anyway, but I don’t think it needed it. I expected this Yerba to be lemony which is what I’m used to (Teavana) but it’s not lemony at all…nice change. Not bitter at all. I highly recommend.
Prep: 2 tsp, 12 oz at 170 F for 2 min
I was craving a fruity green tea and had never tried Tea Emporium. This one sounded interesting with the addition of ginkgo. The package said “makes an unbelievable iced tea” so I doubled the leaves and iced it after adding a little stevia. I noticed an aroma of sweet cherries and it was natural and fresh. The flavor was light, fruit sweet, and refreshing. Cherry is the dominant flavor, but there are hints of papaya which mellows everything out. It’s the perfect flavored green tea for spring and summer and it lives up to the claim—“unbelievable iced tea”. Next time I might try leaving out the stevia just to see how it tastes without sweetener. I will be making pitchers of this all summer!
