Holy Hannah, these are huge. I expected pearls, not marbles – and I am in love. Taste and smell aside, these things are beautiful. I requested a sample of these a few months back and Teavivre graciously obliged…then they somehow ended up in a strange place and never got used. My bad. Teavivre, thanks again for the sample – I’m so in love with the look that as long as they taste halfway decent, I’ll be ordering more (and some Bailin Gongfu!).
I used 4 marbles and steeped them in nearly boiling water for 3 minutes (my standard black tea steep setup). The liquor is amber, but lighter than many black teas. The aroma is bold, reminds me of cigarettes/cigars. Typically that would be unpleasant, but this isn’t. It’s like the sweetness of tobacco mixed with something musty and rich. Old leather? There’s a hint of “ashtray” which I don’t like, but hopefully that’s just a smell.
First sips are rich, very rich. Like very dark chocolate, sans sweetness. There is a smokiness in the taste which probably explains the “ashtray” aroma I was getting earlier. It is mild, but very there. Reminiscent of a campfire with dark chocolate smores. Now, typically I don’t enjoy smoke or dark chocolate, but this is working for me. It’s very smooth, there is no bitterness, nothing with bite. It is very different from other black teas I’ve tried, but I think this is something I want in my cupboard. I don’t think of it as an every day tea, but I could totally get a hankering for this.
I’ll need to try it a few more times (and get the beau’s opinion too) but I think this is definitely something I should order. I’m running low on good plain black tea, so I should stock up. Right?! : )
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I ordered these weeks ago, and my last two Teavivre orders have been hung up in Hangzhou for weeks now. I WANT MY DRAGON PEARLS!!!!! (a la five year old kicking and screaming on floor). All other Teavivre orders have come in about seven days.
Ooh I’m so glad you reviewed these today, as I have some as well that I’m wanting to try, but I wasn’t sure how to brew them. I got confused on the tea vivre site that said 10 pearls for an 8oz teapot, but that didn’t seem right. These pearls are MASSIVE! Would you add anything to this tea or drink it straight? I nearly always add stuff to my blacks, but I usually try a sip of it prior to adding anything just to see.
I never add anything, so my opinion isn’t that useful. I don’t like to cover up the tea unless I’ve screwed it up or it’s poor quality. It is very hearty though, I think it could handle additions if that’s what you like – it’s all about your tastes!
Agree! I usually do ~4-5 pearls for a 12oz tumblr, or ~3-4 for my 4oz tasting set. I agree, this tea is bold enough to take additions, but even though I can be kind of iffy on strong blacks, this one is smooth enough to go without.
I ordered these weeks ago, and my last two Teavivre orders have been hung up in Hangzhou for weeks now. I WANT MY DRAGON PEARLS!!!!! (a la five year old kicking and screaming on floor). All other Teavivre orders have come in about seven days.
Ooh I’m so glad you reviewed these today, as I have some as well that I’m wanting to try, but I wasn’t sure how to brew them. I got confused on the tea vivre site that said 10 pearls for an 8oz teapot, but that didn’t seem right. These pearls are MASSIVE! Would you add anything to this tea or drink it straight? I nearly always add stuff to my blacks, but I usually try a sip of it prior to adding anything just to see.
I never add anything, so my opinion isn’t that useful. I don’t like to cover up the tea unless I’ve screwed it up or it’s poor quality. It is very hearty though, I think it could handle additions if that’s what you like – it’s all about your tastes!
Agree! I usually do ~4-5 pearls for a 12oz tumblr, or ~3-4 for my 4oz tasting set. I agree, this tea is bold enough to take additions, but even though I can be kind of iffy on strong blacks, this one is smooth enough to go without.