Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea

Love-and-JoyTisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Tulsi, Herbal & Fruit Tisane

Where to Buy:  Verdant Tea

Tisane Description:

The light apple aroma of the chamomile is tempered by herbs and florals and grounded with cacao. This blend does what tea is known to do – bring you to a place of relaxation and reflection. Love & Joy blend tastes sweet and has a soft and round mouthfeel. Sip, relax and enjoy.

Learn more about this blend here.

Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.

Taster’s Review:

What an interesting tisane!  This Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea is the second tea that I’m tasting from February’s Amoda Tea Tasting Box.  Yeah, I’m a little behind.  My March box should be arriving within days, and I’m still getting around to tasting February’s teas!  Better get a move on!

This tisane has an abundance of ingredients:

Marigold (calendula), Goji, Linden Leaf + Flower, Honeysuckle, Chamomile, Tulsi, Elderberry, Cacao, Coriander, Frankincense.

And even though there seems to be a lot going on here, the flavors all meld together in an agreeable way.  The first flavor that I can identify is the chamomile, and it offers a light, crisp, apple-y flavor to the cup.  Then I notice the tulsi, and it tastes of basil and mint.  There is a background of berry notes, and these berry notes come forward in the aftertaste.  I get that tart note, that tingly berry sensation that you might experience after eating a tart berry.

After my first few sips, I start to realize that there is a distinct lime-ish note to this and then I re-read the ingredient list:  linden!  Yep, that would do it.  The linden really brightens the cup.

There are light floral notes, not so much from the calendula (I very rarely taste a strong flavor from the marigold petals), but from the honeysuckle.  It tastes sweet and floral and I like this little bit of sweetness from the honeysuckle.

In this cup, I smell the frankincense more than I taste it, but there is a warm spiciness to this cup which is not just from the coriander (and the tulsi!), but also the frankincense.

I found myself wanting more cacao.  No big surprise there, I guess, since I am a chocoholic.  My first 1/3 of the cup, I didn’t really notice much cacao at all, but by the time I finished that first 1/3 of the cup, I started to pick up on the notes of chocolate, and … YUM!  I like the way the notes of chocolate meld with the other flavors of this cup.  Sure, I’d like more cacao, but, I always do, don’t I?

As it is, this is a really interesting, intriguing cup.  It seems to draw me deeper into the depths of its flavor with every sip.  I discover more flavors each time I take a drink.

I have to admit that I like this a whole lot more than I thought I would.  I’m not usually all that excited to try tisanes, but, this is really tasty!

Honeysuckle White Tea from Phoenix Herb Company

Honeysuckle White Tea from Phoenix Herb Company
Honeysuckle White Tea from Phoenix Herb Company

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: White

Where to Buy: Phoenix Herb Company

Tea Description:

In China, there are over 100 species of wild Honeysuckle. highly prized for its medicinal vale, Honeysuckle is used in China and Europe to cool the body, alleviate headaches, sooth sore throats and contains anti-inflammatory properties. This tea is lovingly made with “White Peony King” White tea and combined with wild honeysuckle blossoms for an enchanting cup of tea.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Honeysuckle White Tea from Phoenix Herb Company is sweet perfection.  Sourced from Shang Tea, one of my favorite tea companies, Honeysuckle White is sweet, relaxing, lovely, scented, and buttery. There is almost this milky mouthfeel to it. Its an enchanting tea. The color is gorgeous! A very light vegetal flavor comes out in the after taste. It is also slightly nutty but each steep brings forth different notes. The vegetal flavor mixed with the buttery milky flavor remind me of buttered green beans. Yes I put butter on my green beans, don’t you? Honeysuckle White is pure ecstasy. That is if your idea of ecstasy is a creamy mouthfeel, sweet florals, buttery light vegetal flavors, and an undertone of nuttiness.

When I was a kid there were a lot of honeysuckle bushes around my neighborhood. You could pick the blooms of the honeysuckle bush and pull out the middle section, the stamen I believe, and there would be this shiny wet dew on the stem of the stamen. This was honeysuckle sap. It was sweet and delicious just like this tea but a natural sweetness of course, no where near as sweet or sappy as honey. This tea evokes those memories for me. A time very early in my youth that followed me into my own children’s youth as they too would learn the secret of the honeysuckle bush! I love a tea that can evoke a memory.

This tea is soothing, calming, almost meditative. The color is so beautiful – a bright sunny golden amber. The aroma makes the eyes open brightly with the lovely smell of honeysuckle blossoms, then the eyes shut with a soothing Ahhhhhh feeling of release. Since this tea is made with the White Peony King tea base you will pick up subtle nuisances of fruity undertones in later steepings.

This tea is a forgiving tea in the sense that you can play around with brew times if you wish to have your tea a bit stronger or a bit lighter. I steep mine for a good 3 to 4 minutes on the first steep and 5 or more on the following steeps, yet you can go as little as 1 to 2 minutes and still get a lovely flavor. Note the directions to bring water to a boil, then let rest one minute before immersing leaves to steep. You will find this tea can easily be steeped 3 to 4 times and still give a high quality enjoyable flavor palate for your palate!

This playful tea has the quality to be snobbish yet lets everyone enjoy its bounty, at 8.15 USD per ounce which I consider a fair price for such a lovely tea. Every time I enjoy this tea I will think of the years past, running around my neighborhood, picking honeysuckle and lapping up the sweet nectar of life and remembering times doing the same with my own little saplings!

White Tea Riesling from Vintage TeaWorks

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Vintage TeaWorks

Tea Description:

Inspired by 
Riesling, we blended natural ingredients to create a white tea blend
 that is light, aromatic and playful. Honeysuckle, jasmine, apricot and 
lemon combine to celebrate a few of the unique characteristics of
 Riesling.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m no connoisseur of wine.  I could not tell you the difference between a Riesling and a Merlot, except that I think that the Merlot is a red wine and a Riesling is a white wine.  But even that I’m not certain about!  I can’t tell you the last time I’ve had a Riesling wine … because I don’t even know if I ever have!

But I am enjoying this White Tea Riesling from Vintage TeaWorks.  It’s very light and crisp and flavorful, just as I would expect a white wine to be.  It has a very enjoyable fruity foreground note of apricot that marries very nicely with the floral background notes of honeysuckle and jasmine.

The fruit notes are complex here.  The apricot is the strongest flavor, and it’s noticed not just in the taste but also in the delightful aroma of the brewed tea (as well as the beautiful dry leaf!)  I taste notes of lemon as well as hints of crisp apple in the fruit notes, as well as the subtlest whisper of sweet grape.  As I continue to sip, my palate tingles slightly from the sweet-tart notes of the fruit in this cup.

I think I’m enjoying the fragrance of this tea as much as I’m enjoying the taste, the apricot notes remind me of a homey, comforting apricot cobbler.  But examine the bouquet even further and I notice a beautiful airy, floral background that brings out the fresh notes of the fruit in a really lovely way.

The white tea marries very well with the other flavors, and becomes almost a seamless part of the wine-like tastes.  I think that is what makes these blends by Vintage TeaWorks so inspired – the tea bases that they select to blend with the flavors work so harmoniously with the concept of the wines they’re attempting to “reinterpret” through tea.   Here, the white tea becomes part of the wine flavor … just as it seemed to happen with the Chardonnay and the Merlot varieties… and the others!

As the tea cools slightly, I begin to really taste the wine-like connection with this tea.  This is really a beautiful tea, as are the others in the Vintage TeaWorks collection.  I have truly enjoyed tasting each of these teas … I recommend them highly!

Tie Guan Yin (Iron Buddha) from Driftwood Tea

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong

Where to Buy:  Driftwood Tea

Tea Description:

Fujian Province, China – Spring 2012 Harvest

Tie Guan Yin or Iron buddha is perhaps China’s most famous Oolong. We sourced this handmade version from a small farm in Anxi County, in China’s Fujian Province, and believe this to be one of the finest Tie Guan Yins, or even teas, any of us at driftwood.

Tie Guan Yin is another tea that, depending on where you are, is know by many different names including: Iron Buddha; Iron Goddess of Mercy; Ti Kwan Yin and several others. However, what remains constant is the fact that this tea is among China’s finest, and probably its most well known oolong – no matter what it’s called.

Key Flavours: A sweet honey note, lively florals with a smooth buttery finish.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Driftwood Tea delivers with a delightful aromatic cup of sweet buttery goodness. Steeped this tea is a bright lively golden cup that is very light in color yet full in mouthfeel. There is almost a heaviness in the mouth but the flavor is light and creamy at the same time. Amazing how both can be elements in one wonderful tea. I would never usually describe something buttery or creamy as bright or light. Its such a cheery tea – a real mood lifter.

This tea however is not just a cup of creamy buttery goodness. There is far more depth to this tea, layers of flavor, including floral elements that are not perfume like. There are notes of honeysuckle that remind me of my youth, picking the honeysuckle flowers and sucking out the gooey nectar inside. There is also a note of sweet green veggies.

The lingering after taste is my favorite element in this tea. It is sweet but has savory elements that are outstanding.

It is quite a refreshing cup as well once the after taste does wear off it does not leave you with a drying sensation in the mouth or throat whatsoever.

For me, this is not my absolute favorite oolong, as I like one that is a bit heavier and more roast-y but it is a very good quality oolong that I will enjoy revisiting.

Taiwan Wenshan Pouchong from Nuvola Tea

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pouchong, Oolong

Where to Buy:  Nuvola Tea

Tea Description:

Wenshan Pouchong Tea has a radiant golden yellow colour and the pleasing fragrance of orchid. Its velvety body creates an exquisitely mellow mouth-feel and a sweet aftertaste which pampers the palate. This lingering flavour coupled with the subtle floral note ensures you an absolutely satisfying and delectable cup of tea.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

 

Nuvola Tea brings us a very light delicate golden hued pouchong from Taiwan. The broth of this tea is thick and when I pull my steeping basket from my cup it looks like a thin light honey dripping elegantly downward back into my cup. It is quite pretty.

The aroma of the tea is beautifully floral mixed with the aroma of sugar cane.

My first steep was quite light, and I could detect the delicate floral notes, sugar notes, and the pouchong leaf itself which is delicious! However, the first steep is in fact quite light in color and taste. I could have poured this steep and considered it a rinse but it was too good to pour even though I prefer a heavier flavor in my tea. I continued to enjoy it appreciating the tea for its subtle but sweet nuances.

My second steep was more to my liking and more “robust” although this is far from a robust tea. Now admittedly I am one who likes robust flavors in my tea, and truth be told this tea has more than enough flavor and is really profound in what it offers so I do not want to minimize the depth of flavor this tea offers!

The mouth feel is heavy, creamy, broth-y, and full. There is a buttery and noticeable vegetal note dancing on my taste buds! The after taste is lingering mostly of the floral notes.

I realize that the description says “Orchid” however having little experience with orchid here in Kansas, where I live, I am detecting what I would identify or at least have a connection to, as honeysuckle. Which makes me wonder if the two flowers are somewhat similar perhaps. Regardless, I love the floral note in this tea.

I have to make a confession, when I saw how light this tea steeped up I was skeptical. I now find that I am falling in love with this tea. Between the sugary, honey dew, floral, green, and even fresh lively taste in this cup, I am imagining this being the type of tea you could enjoy in a tender romantic moment. Yet, at the same time this tea is also fitting for a luncheon with your grandmother, sister, or a group of friends. It makes me think of those quite contemplative moments as well. Perhaps another tea to add to my “meditative” tea list! I find this tea very grounding and centering. Yes, I am falling for this tea.

There is a drying sensation at the back of the throat between sips if you wait too long. That is alright, although not a favorite aspect in tea in my opinion. Although as long as I have another sip in my cup, there is nothing to worry about! As soon as I typed that however I realized its just about time for steep three. Which I am sure I will enjoy as the leaves still appear as they have much more to give, more imagery for me to contemplate.

Yes, Nuvola, you do offer a fine tea here. I look forward to trying more of your offerings!