Author: Michelle

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BrewTime’s Oolong Tea

Oolong Tea by BrewTime
Oolong Tea / Straight
28 sachets

I received BrewTime’s Oolong Tea as a gift, I was unable to find information online on where to purchase or cost. Oolong Tea was purchased in Hong Kong.

First Impressions

Oolong Tea came to me in a simple card box with some information on it – mix of Chinese and English. There were steeping instructions, best before date, and information about the umbrella company (The Dairy Farm Company, in case anyone was interested). Inside of the box was a sealed plastic pouch holding the 28 tea bags.

All of the tea bags came individually wrapped, and each bag was pretty standard – nothing too exciting to comment on. The tea bags have a very mild earthy aroma to them, and when I ripped one open to take a look inside, I saw mostly tiny bits of tea leaves. These are not the tightly rolled large tea leaves that I’ve come to know and love when it comes to oolong (still, going to give it a try). There were no ingredients listed on the packaging, but from what I can tell there’s only oolong tea leaves in the tea bags.

Preparation

BrewTime recommends steeping Oolong Tea in boiling water (100°C/212°F) for 2-3 minutes. My initial steep of Oolong Tea was for 2 minutes.

First Taste

Oolong Tea steeps to be quite a dark reddish brown. The aroma is very earthy, it reminds me a bit of portobello mushrooms (which I love). It’s a bit musky, which I think some oolong lovers may find a little bit off-putting, I’m not sure how long ago the tea was packaged. I found it have a very full-bodied flavour, it was very strong and tastes the way that I expected it to from the aroma of the steeped tea. The overall flavour reminds me of some roasted oolongs that I’ve had before in the past.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Oolong Tea and found the flavour to just not be quite enough. I would say that Oolong Tea is good for just one steep, which really isn’t too surprising to me given the fact that the tea leaves are quite small in the tea bag.

My Overall Impression

I thought that BrewTime’s Oolong Tea was just okay. I love a good oolong, and I think this one does have some great flavours in it. A nice earthiness, but it lacks the quality that I’m really used to in an oolong. The leaves are very small pieces, and it just doesn’t resteep well because I think all the flavour got sapped out in the initial steep. I think it’s an okay oolong to take out with me or to steep at work (since I don’t work in an office setting, I really can’t have a teapot set up), but not something I’d use for long steeping sessions at home.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Adagio Teas’s Peach Bellini

Peach Bellini by Adagio Teas
Fruit Infusion / Flavoured
$8.00USD for 3oz

First Impressions

Peach Bellini came to me via the same promotion that I mentioned when I reviewed Samurai Mate. It comes in resealable foil bag, with all the information about the tea listed on a little label. When I first opened the package, the majority of what I saw was the apple pieces, but I could smell the peach flavouring. I couldn’t really make out the other fruit ingredients when smelling it, but the peach was nice.

The ingredients of Peach Bellini are: apple pieces, orange peels, peach flavour, strawberries, rose petals, mango pieces, pineapple pieces, apricots, and papaya flavour.

Preparation

Adagio Teas recommends steeping Peach Bellini for 5 to 10 minutes in 212°F (100°C) water. My initial steep of Peach Bellini was for the full 10 minutes. I checked out my cup at the 5 minute mark, but the aroma didn’t seem quite there yet based on the dry leaf, so I left it to steep for the extra 5 minutes.

First Taste

Peach Bellini was really light in colour for me, despite having steeped it for the full 10 minutes from the recommended range of 5 to 10 minutes. The aroma was primarily that of peaches, but the taste of it was more like a mix of fruits – although I wouldn’t be able to tell you which ones. I did try it both hot and iced, and found the iced to be more preferable. Peach Bellini was quite a light iced tea in terms of flavour, and there was a touch of sweetness from the fruit ingredients. I wish I could find the mango, pineapple, or papaya flavours in this one, but they were quite lost.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Peach Bellini and found it was lacking in both aroma and flavour, I’d say that Peach Bellini is good for just one steep.

My Overall Impression

I thought that Adagio Teas’s Peach Bellini was just okay. The aroma of the dry leaf was amazing and really quite inviting. I think part of the issue is that the tea I got in my sampler just wasn’t well mixed. A lot of apple pieces, not a lot of the other ingredients. It made it difficult for me to find the other flavours to enjoy them. That said, Peach Bellini makes a lightly sweetened iced tea that’s quite enjoyable if you’re looking for an iced tea.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Tealish’s Perfect Tea Spoon

Perfect Tea Spoon by Tealish
Stainless Steel (?)
$9.95

Both Perfect Tea Spoons came to me in subscription boxes by The Sugared Teacup.

First Impressions

I received the Gold and Rose Gold Perfect Tea Spoons via The Sugared Teacup subscription boxes. They came in retail packaging – a simple clear plastic box with a cardboard sleeve. The spoons feel quite durable, and it doesn’t feel like a coloured coating – I’ve had no issues with any chipping with use or washing.

The Perfect Tea Spoon holds a little over 1 teaspoon (upon measurement, I found that it holds 1½ teaspoons of water). The spoons have a beautiful mirror finish to them. The weight of the spoons just makes it feel like really good quality.

Preparation

I washed the spoons in warm soapy water prior to use.

First Use

The packaging suggests that the Perfect Tea Spoon holds the perfect amount of tea for a cup of tea. Because teas do vary, I think it really depends on what type of tea that you’re wanting to steep. In general, it holds on average the right amount of dry leaf for one cup of tea. I use less than full spoonful for more dense teas (e.g. oolongs) versus more airy teas (shou-mei or silver needle).

My Overall Impression

I loved Tealish’s Perfect Tea Spoon. It functions as expected, and holds a good amount of tea per tea cup/mug. I do think that it is on the pricey side. It’s definitely something that I would buy as a gift and for fancy tea party usage. The beautiful mirror finish and quality of the spoon makes it feel luxurious.