303 Tasting Notes

88
drank Tropical Thyolo by Bruu Tea
303 tasting notes

Another tea I bought from BRUU (to find it included in this month´s subscription as well…although the subscription hasn´t arrived yet, so maybe someone else has got hold of it!) last month.

It´s an oolong tea which is brewed at 90ºC (cf. black tea), but rather smells and tastes like a green tea, only more full-bodied. The other day, Iforgot I had it steeping, and went off doing something else…bad move! If steeped too long, this tea definitely gets harsh in mouth. The liquor doesn´t turn red, as mentioned in BRUU´s notes (copied below) though. Steeped for 3 minutes it´s a very enjoyable tea, light and delicate in taste with a solid oolong backbone.

From BRUU´s website :
Whilst sitting dry in its container waiting to become your BRUU; These stunning looking leaves give off an almost dried corn scent. Suspended in time, sat waiting to become your BRUU.
As the drink is BRUUing; “Oh the water has turned green” then the oxidised leaves seep out their red liquor. Smells so familiar.
The taste journey; A smooth, delicate aroma with tropical notes. Paradise!
Best enjoyed; 1tsp // 90°C // 1-3 mins

Flavors: Green

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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80

This is a (generous) sample The Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co sent me with a previous order. They write about it on their website :
Oolong Formosa is a Speciality Tea which originates from the mountains of Taiwan. After plucking the loose leaf teas are fermented to approximately 50% and then wilted in the sun. Frequent turning of the tea in bamboo baskets during the drying process allows the Oolong to develop a mild aroma and large wild curly leaves. This Loose Leaf Tea is a real treasure.
Brewing instructions: Brew for 2 – 3 minutes with water just off boiling ( 80 – 90 degrees ).

When brewed, it smells like a good “English” tea (i.e. how the typical black tea brewed and served in England – before adding milk to it, of course – smells) to me. Fortunately, in taste it doesn´t disappoint : it´s mild and easy to drink, while having a solid body and mouthfeel and little bitterness. I have tasted better oolong teas, but this is probably one that can please even the people who aren´t into tea.

Flavors: Tea

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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87
drank White Pear by Bruu Tea
303 tasting notes

Pear seems to give something mild and fruity without the sticky sweetness to a tea blend, and this blend is another example of that! Furthermore, there is white, green and black tea in the blend, which makes a complex and very solid backbone.

I remember the first (black) tea blend with pear I tried. It was a present from a colleague and the blend´s name was “romantic garden” or something similar. Already very enjoyable, especially in nose. Here, the presence of white and green tea makes it much more “delicate” and so, far more appropriate to call it something “romantic”, as far as can tell ;-)

From Bruu´s website :
Whilst sitting dry in its container waiting to become your BRUU; Go to the sweet shop, ask for a quarter of Pear Drops, open the bag and take a deep sniff. That’s our White Pear scent right there.
As the drink is BRUUing; Light and sweet
The taste journey; The tea leaves dominate the overall taste with their typically delicate notes, however, a touch of juicy pear and the creamy sweet exotic envelop the characteristic of the tea blend.

Flavors: Champagne, Herbaceous, Pear

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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95
drank Biscottea by Bruu Tea
303 tasting notes

After 2 months enjoying Bruu´s tea subscription, and finishing some of the selected teas quite quickly, I thought I would order some stock… but I ended up buying blends I hadn´t tried yet!

This Biscottea tea blend is presented on Bruu´s website as follows :
Whilst sitting dry in its container waiting to become your BRUU; A pleasant, sweet, fruityfied, cinnamonatic whiff that resembles a mulled wine.
As the drink is BRUUing; Oh that is good!! The fruit fragrances (orange and apple) arrive at the nose all rounded, creamy and soft in scent then gradually the drink develops and the scent grows in intensity. The black camellia leaf is yet to make an impact. Hence this being a gentle black tea.
The taste journey; This is a great BRUU. Almost a chai. A fresh taste with that subtle black leaf bitterness surrounded gently with spices and fruit. A taste marvel reminiscent of those famous Italian biscuits.

Although I´m not a huge fan of those Christmassy tea blends with loads of cloves and cinnamon (which all smell and taste the same, as far as I am concerned), the reference to the Italian biscuits really tempted me! So glad I ordered this one…in Belgium we have a cookie-cake sort of snack called “peperkoek” (pepper cookie), we not only have in December or for Saint Nicholas´day (6th December), and it´s one of those things I like once in a while, but I can only buy in Belgium. And this blend just smells like peperkoek! Cinnamon doesn´t overwhelm, and neither do the cloves…which makes this a brilliant afternoon tea : you think you´re having it with some pastry, but as a matter of fact you´re only having tea!

Flavors: Black Pepper, Cookie

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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90

Another tea I rediscovered in my cupboard! And another one incorporating rhubarb in a yummy way.
A wonderful blend with rooibos, where rooibos is far from imposing its “wooden” character (maybe because it´s a finer texture?), and strange but through the custard mainly comes through in nose and the rhubarb dominates in taste. Perfectly “guilt free” ;-)

Flavors: Custard, Rhubarb

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML
tea-sipper

Another Rhubarb & Custard fan! :D

Ilse Wouters

it keeps me from buying a high calorie dessert with my tea ;-)

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88

Picked up this tea again a few days ago, and I must say I enjoy it still as much as the first time I smelled it in the Palais des Thés shop in Tours.
Not too sweet, not too mellow, but very smooth, what isn´t always the case with a fruity blend on black tea (from Sri Lanka+China here) basis. The fresh, acidic side of the rhubarb is balanced by the aromatic notes of the lavender.

Flavors: Honey, Lavender, Rhubarb

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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85
drank Mangoo by Bruu Tea
303 tasting notes

When it comes to fruity teas, I´m always quite worried about it being very aromatic but then taste weak, or artifical… this oolong blend, however, is a solid oolong in the first place, and the added mango gives a natural fruitiness which I can really appreciate.
In nose I get a lot of spicey notes, and I understand why Bruu describes it as “toasty, baked” (not only in taste, also in nose according to me) : it ´s as if you´ve baked a fruit pie, switched off the oven, went off doing other things, and then, some time afterwards, you open the oven!
A perfect summer afternoon tea.

From Bruu :
As the drink is BRUUing; The Oolong leaves unravel and let off an earthy aroma; paired with the tropical notes make this blend feel like it should be sipped in the Caribbean!
The taste journey; A fruity heaven – refreshing!

Flavors: Cookie, Earth, Mango, Tea

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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85
drank Bai Mudan by Bruu Tea
303 tasting notes

This white tea blend was part of the August tea subscription pack.

It´s a wonderfully elegant tea, tastier than most white teas IMHO, and perfect for afternoons during Summer. It´s quite herby (for not being a green tea) and very floral, both in nose and mouth. From my – limited – experience, it´s quite strange to brew this tea at 100ºC, but it works!

The description on Bruu´s website is really very truthful to my personal experience :
As the drink is BRUUing;
The wiry, larger leaves bloom as they steep in the water, the slight floral scent circulates around the room and the tea infuses in the water creating a wonderful amber shade.
The taste journey;
This tea travels you down a tender yet flavourful path, with a slight perfumed floral aftertaste and subtle herby hints, the balance of flavours work in unison together.

Flavors: Floral, Herbaceous

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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81
drank Somerset BOP by Bruu Tea
303 tasting notes

This is the oolong tea from my second month of Bruu tea subscription.

Information from Bruu´s website :
Whilst sitting dry in its container waiting to become your BRUU;
These broken black leaves of the world famous Nuwara Eliya region hit your senses hard, it is hard to explain, but it smells like tea that has already been brewed!
As the drink is BRUUing;
The freshness really starts to kick through and travel on the steam straight to the back of your nostrils. The smell is so comforting.
The taste journey;
It doesn’t get better than this, the Somerset BOP really has an amazing balance. It would work perfectly with milk or without, it carries so much presence. Offer a cup of this up to any well-respected tea drinker and they are surely going to commend you with making them a fantastic cup of tea. Don’t give too much away though, it tastes too good to share!
About the tea region;
Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC produces the best of high-quality Ceylon Teas in 17 of the most enviable tea gardens, duly situated in the panoramic tea country in Sri Lanka. 12 of these tea gardens, situated in the sublimely cool environs of Nuwara Eliya, manufacture high grown teas in their mountain based factories, whilst the rest, situated in the verdant south, produce equally admirable quality teas, to satisfy the discerning traits of even the most ardent connoisseurs of tea worldwide.

Very similar to Pedro BUP from the first subscription box, although this Somerset BOP is slightly more what I associate with oolongs, i.e. this fermented note in taste. Another perfect breakfast tea.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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80
drank Pedro BOP by Bruu Tea
303 tasting notes

A few years ago, I looked through the different tea subscription services available then, and I decided to go for the one …that decided to stop a month afterwards! (no kidding) Needless to say, this kind of demotivated me from getting another subscription…until now. As I´m on the mailing list of Bruu, an interesting offer came along and I decided to give it a go.
I opted out of green, herbal and fruit teas, so the first selections should be black, white and oolong. And oolong I got in the two selections I received so far.

This broken orange pekoe comes from the Pedro estate in Sri Lanka.
Information about the region (from Bruu website) :
Lovers Leap teas are high-grown at 5,700 feet above sea level. The plantation has an interesting history, dating back to the very early days when tea was first introduced as a commercial crop in Ceylon. Lover’s Leap was the only tea plantation owned by the Ceylon tea pioneer, Scotsman James Taylor. Today we offer you this exquisite tea, made in the same plantation where the story of Ceylon tea began all those years ago.
Lover’s Leap is named after the tragic legend of two young lovers who leapt from the top of a picturesque waterfall on the estate. The garden is located in an area of outstanding beauty, where the crisp mountain air carries the fragrance of abundant cypress groves, eucalyptus and wild mint.

I followed the brewing instructions and according to me, this is a perfect morning tea, quite strong and even malty; it reminds me of African teas, and can compete with the best English Breakfast blends.
On Bruu´s website, it says :
The colour is so gentle as it comes through, yet you know it will pack a punch. This loose leaf tea has been manufactured using the traditional orthodox technique practiced in Sri Lanka for 150 years. The method calls for a short fermentation that preserves the quality and delicate flavours of the tea.
Taste like nothing you have tried before, so fresh, so versatile. Drink it with or without milk, it isn’t going matter, this tea can take it all. It’s slightly stronger than our Pedro OP, so great for those that like a stronger tea.

Great, although it kind of surprised me in taste, for an oolong tea it is, as I associate oolong with the definite fermented tea taste.

Flavors: Malt

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 250 ML

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Profile

Bio

Introduced to tea by my sister-in-law in my country of birth = Belgium more than 30 years ago, I still love tea, mainly black, which I enjoy without sugar or milk. Having lived in UK, near good tea shops (e.g. Betty´s all over Yorkshire), I tend to buy most of my tea in bulk from tea shops (as such, most of these are not represented in my on-line cupboard). Nowadays, I live in Spain where tea gives me another sensatory bliss (as wine or beer or coffee can give me too).

Location

Madrid, Spain

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