Mandarin Balsam Oolong Tea from Aftelier Perfumed Teas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Aftelier Perfumed Teas

Product Description:

The flavor and fragrance is based on the contrast between the syrupy vanilla sweetness of Peru balsam and the floral citrus of yellow mandarin, which marries beautifully with this full-bodied tea. This organic Wuyi oolong tea, with its slender tightly curled leaves, has a deep oxidized, roasted rice aroma and nutty flavor. Producing Wuyi Oolong tea is labor and time consuming: sun wilting, room wilting, shacking, dehydrating, roasting, rolling, cooling. The procedures occur repeatedly over days. Wuyi Oolong is even more aromatic after aging. Provides up to four infusions retaining their fragrance.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I was really impressed with the teas that I’ve tried from Aftelier Perfumed Teas, so when we were approached to try their latest creation, I was very excited.

This tea is really good.  The vanilla tones of the balsam provide a really rich, creamy flavor and texture to the cup, and when combined with the deep, toasty flavor of the Wuyi Oolong, it is sublime!  It reminds me very much of rice pudding, only in a teacup and without the fat and calories!

The mandarin contributes a sweet and slightly tangy flavor which contrasts well with the creamy vanilla rice notes.  The floral tones are only slightly sharp, but it is enough to help cut through some of the sweeter tones to keep the tea from becoming too cloying for the palate.

It is a very elegant and luxurious kind of tea, but even so, I don’t think I’d classify this particular perfumed Oolong as a feminine tea.  The more rugged qualities of the Wuyi give the tea balance.

What I like best about the teas that I’ve tried from Aftelier is this:  they don’t try to cover up the flavor of the teas that they use.  Instead, they embrace the natural qualities of each tea, and find the flavors that will accent and compliment them.  I think that this latest creation from Aftelier exemplifies this, with the way that the deliciously creamy tones of the balsam accent the sweet, roasted notes of the Wuyi, and the mandarin coming in to brighten up the cup just so.

This is more than just a cup of tea, it’s a work of art!