Category: Review

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DavidsTea’s Phoenix Oolong

Phoenix Oolong by DavidsTea
Oolong Tea / Straight
$24.98 for 50g

First Impressions

Tiny disclaimer, I did get Phoenix Oolong for free via the DavidsTea Frequent Steeper program as one of my redemptions for the quarter (who else is happy that they removed the price cap on the redemption teas?!). Phoenix Oolong is a limited edition, online exclusive – which means that the tea is available online only and isn’t available at their retail locations, which is really unfortunate for anyone who just wants to try to tea because it means buying the full 50g or using a redemption on a tea that they might not like.

Phoenix Oolong came in a sealed, resealable foil bag with a printed label on it that gives some details about the tea. Phoenix Oolong is described by DavidsTea as having “fragrant lychee & plum” notes. When I opened the bag, I noted that the leaves are a dark, almost purpley-brown colour. The aroma of the dry leaf does remind me of a stone fruits, and it has a nice sweet floral fragrance that reminds me of lychee. Phoenix Oolong is a straight oolong tea from Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong Province, China. Phoenix Mountain is also known as Fenghuangshan (fenghuang is phoenix and shan is mountain).

Preparation

DavidsTea recommends steeping Phoenix Oolong in 90°C (195°F) water for 4 to 5 minutes. My initial steep was for 4 minutes.

First Taste

Phoenix Oolong steeps to a bright golden yellow with the initial steep. The aroma is a mix of fruity and floral, I find that the aroma of stone fruits (plum, apricots, peaches) is more prominent than the floral notes that I found in the dry leaf, although it is still present. The flavour is both fruity and floral in this straight oolong, I found that I can initial taste the plum notes, although part of it also reminds me of apricots. The floral sweetness is mostly at the end of each sip, and it mixes well with the fruity flavour to remind me of lychee. With a four minute steep, I found there to be zero bitterness or astringency. The tea has a bit of a thickened mouthfeel to it, which I found pleasant overall.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Phoenix Oolong eight times (nine steeps total), adding an extra 30 seconds for each subsequent steep. I found that the colour was darker for the first two resteeps and gradually became lighter and lighter. The floral notes got stronger as the colour deepened. By the third resteep, it was very well balanced between the floral and fruity notes, and it was delicious.

My Overall Impression

I loved DavidsTea’s Phoenix Oolong. I’m pleasantly surprised and very happy that I did use one of my Frequent Steeper rewards on this. The oolong tastes great, I found the flavour to be fairly consistent throughout and really matched well with what DavidsTea had as the description. The leaves resteep remarkably well, and I think it’s definitely a must for resteeping over and over again. Yes, I do think that the tea is expensive for what it is, but given the quality (resteeping is a MUST for these leaves), it’s delicious and is just a very pleasant oolong. I think it’s definitely worth a try if you have the money in your tea budget or if you have a reward to use and you’re going to put in an online order anyways!

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Gypsy Soul Tea Co’s China Jasmine

China Jasmine by Gypsy Soul Tea Co
Green Tea / Flavoured
$7.25 for 40g

First Impressions

Whenever I’m trying a new-to-me tea company, I generally like to try a few things: usually a blend that seems unique to them, a straight or minimally blended tea, and an Earl Grey – only because I love Earl Grey and it’s one of my tea staples. This one was one of my choices from Gypsy Soul Tea Co because it’s a minimally blended tea. China Jasmine is a green tea, flavoured and blended with jasmine blossoms.

I’ve mentioned the packaging that Gypsy Soul Tea Co uses in my last review of one of their teas (Pumpkin Spice), but I do still like it. The label on the front tells me everything that I really need to know, and the clear plastic back lets me see the blend itself. I can easily see both ingredients: green tea and jasmine blossoms. I can also see that it’s full blossoms and petals, and not little tiny pieces. When I opened the bag, the first thing that hit me was the aroma. This blend has a beautiful floral fragrance from the jasmine, and I can smell both the jasmine and the green tea.

Preparation

Gypsy Soul Tea Co recommends steeping China Jasmine in 80°C (176°F) water for 2 to 3 minutes. My initial steep of this green tea was for 2 minutes.

First Taste

China Jasmine steeps to a light yellow colour. The aroma is very floral, the jasmine shines in this tea. On first sip, I can taste the floral notes from the jasmine, there’s a pleasant sweetness along with some grassy notes from green tea base. I think two minutes was a good amount of time to steep this tea, there’s no astringency or bitterness when steeped for two minutes. It’s a very pleasant jasmine green tea, I like that the green tea base isn’t too vegetal as I think that would distract from the floral flavour.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped China Jasmine four times, adding an extra 30 seconds of steeping time for each subsequent steep. I could that the colour of the tea got darker for the first resteep and lighter after that. The flavour of the tea remained fairly close to the initial steep, although I think that the floral notes weren’t as strong in comparison to the green tea base after the first resteep. The flavour balance was still enjoyable by the fourth resteep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Gypsy Soul Tea Co’s China Jasmine. I thought that the flavours were on point for a jasmine green tea, and had a nice balance between the jasmine floral flavour with the green tea base. The recommended steeping time of 2 minutes was perfect for myself, and I found that it resteeped beautifully. It’s definitely a nice green tea blend and is worth resteeping a few times, which shows off the quality of the ingredients.

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Adagio Teas’s White Ayurvedic Chai

White Ayurvedic Chai by Adagio Teas
White Tea / Flavoured
$8.00USD for 3oz

First Impressions

White Ayurvedic Chai came in a familiar foil bag that is resealable and features a print label that has all the information a tea enthusiast might need about a tea blend. The initial sniff of this white tea blend made me think mostly of cinnamon, ginger, and lemongrass. The cinnamon aroma is particularly strong and it really does overwhelm the white tea base as I can’t smell it all – although I can see it!

I’ve never had a spicy chai that had a white tea base, and Adagio Teas’ White Ayurvedic Chai consists of: white tea, cinnamon bark, ginger root, lemon grass, cardamom, black peppercorn, natural spicy cinnamon flavour, cloves, dried coconut, pineapple pieces, and natural ginger flavour. I can see pretty much all of the ingredients, although I did have to give the bag a little shake until I found what I believe to be the dried pineapple. I love the idea of coconut and pineapple in a blend (piña coladas, anyone?), and I’m hopeful that I will be able to taste them once the tea is steeped since I can’t smell them with the cinnamon (and other more aromatic ingredients).

Preparation

Adagio Teas recommends steeping White Ayurvedic Chai in 100°C (212°F) water for 5 minutes. I followed the steeping instructions for my initial steep.

First Taste

White Ayurvedic Chai steeps to a beautiful golden yellow. The aroma of the steeped tea is primarily cinnamon and ginger. The flavour of cinnamon and ginger are quite strong, there’s a gentle sweetness in the undertones that I’ll attribute to the fruity ingredients. The ginger and cinnamon offer a nice warming quality to the tea, it does a great job of warming me up from the inside out. I didn’t find this chai to be as spicy as expected (especially with an ingredient called “natural spicy cinnamon flavour”), but it still has nice warming, spicy notes to it. I do think that the white tea is quite delicate and light in comparison to the other flavours, but there is a soft floral note at the end of each sip that I think is from the white tea base.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep White Ayurvedic Chai and found it to be very watery in comparison to the initial steep, with minimal ginger and cinnamon flavours. I would say that White Ayurvedic Chai is good for just one steep.

My Overall Impression

I liked Adagio Teas’s White Ayurvedic Chai. I was pleasantly surprised by the nuances in the flavour of this white tea blend when it was steeped. With the dry leaf, it was pretty much just cinnamon, ginger, and lemongrass that stood out to me. Once it was steeped, there was the fruity sweetness from the coconut and pineapple, as well as floral notes from the white tea base. It definitely surprised me – in a good way! I was impressed by the warming qualities in the tea and just how well balanced the tea was when I was drinking it. I do wish that it resteeped better, however I think that the flavours are fantastic in the initial steep and it’s worth a try if you’re looking for a nice chai blend with less caffeine!

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